A WWE Women’s title match will headline tonight’s SmackDown from Washington, DC, as Tiffany Stratton defends against former champion Nia Jax.
Stratton famously cashed in her Money in the Bank briefcase on Jax on the first SmackDown of 2025 to win the gold. Jax now gets her opportunity to regain it after unsuccessfully challenging Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s World title last month. It will be Stratton’s second title defense.
In an men’s Elimination Chamber qualifier, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest will face former Universal Champion Braun Strowman and Jacob Fatu in a three-way. The winner will join John Cena, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul who have already qualified.
In a women’s Elimination Chamber qualifier, reigning WWE United States Champion Chelsea Green will take on Naomi. The winner will join Liv Morgan, Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss and Bayley.
Following his surprise return last Friday to attack Cody Rhodes, Solo Sikoa will appear tonight.
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Live from Washington, DC.
Wade Barrett read from the Constitution to open the show.
Nia Jax arrived in the building! Tiffany Stratton arrived in the building! Braun Strowman arrived in the building! Damien Priest arrived in the building! Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga arrived in the building! Well when you’ve got three hours to fill, showing everyone arriving in the buidling is one way to fill it.
Vic Joseph replaced Joe Tessitore tonight on commentary, joining Wade Barrett. Man, Corey Graves can’t catch a break.
– Recap of last week’s show, focusing on the main event tag math and the return of Solo Sikoa.
Cody Rhodes Interview. Cody Rhodes came out to talk Elimination Chamber and who his opponent at WrestleMania 41 might be. There was already a light chant for CM Punk coing in the crowd before Rhodes started polling the crowd about potential opponents, based on who is already in the Chamber. Logan Paul got boos. CM Punk (Cody’s good friend, apparently) got cheers. Drew McIntyre got boos. John Cena got cheers. Cody said it won’t be Solo Sioka, which brought out Drew McIntyre for some reason.
Drew was sad because Cody didn’t put enough emphasis on Drew’s name. Drew ran down his résumé, which includes two Elimination Chamber wins and three world titles and a nearly year long stint in 3MB (okay, I added the last one). Drew is also one of the few men that has pinned Cody since he’s returned to WWE, and Cody hasn’t forgotten.
This brought out Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga. The crowd was crazy into Fatu, who is “all gas no breaks” tonight. He’ll run through Damian Priest & Braun Strowman, then the Elimination Chamber, and bring the WWE title back to his family. Drew suggested DC wanted to see him fight Jacob… but he’s already got a spot in the Chamber, so he’s leaving Jacob Fatu to Cody. Cody is alright with that. All Jacob has to do is win tonight, and win in the Chamber, and he can get a title shot.
Just then, Solo Sioka arrived in his car. Fatu has family business to discuss with Sioka. Cody will let Fatu get the first word with Sioka, but he promised to get in the last.
– Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu were looking for Solo Sikoa in the back.
– Wade Barrett talked with Trish Stratus (who was in the front row) about the Elimination Chamber.
Namoi (w/ Bianca Belair) defeated Chelsea Green (w/ Piper Niven) for a spot in the Women’s Elimination Chamber (8:27)
Namoi hit a meteora for a near fall. Green dropped to the floor, and caught Naomi with a pump kick when she followed her to the outside.
After a long commercial break (during which Green controlled the bout), Naomi hit Green with a crossbody off the top. Naomi hit a bulldog and a scissor kick to get a near fall. Naomi hit an ugly heat seeker, but missed a split legged moonsault. Green hit an ugly Rough Rider for a near fall. Green dropped Naomi with a backstabber for a near fall. Green tried to come off the top with an Unprettier, but Naomi slipped out and caught Green with a kick out of the corner. Naomi then hit the split-legged moonsault for the pinfall. Naomi advanced to the Chamber. Half the match took place in the picture-in-picture.
– Sami Zayn sent in a video from home about being laid out by Kevin Owens’ package piledriver. Zayn thought friendship meant being concerned when your friend is laid out on the floor. Zayn believes Owens definition of friendship is pushing Cody off a ladder to help Owens win a match. Zayn doesn’t know when he’ll be cleared, but when he is Sami and Kevin Owens are going to go at it again.
– WWE 2025 Hall of Famer Michelle McCool was shown teaching aspiring wrestlers finishers like the triangle choke in a preview for the new A&E Series “LFG.”
The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) defeated Los Garza (Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo)
We got about a minute of action before the show cut to a commercial. After the break, Sabin got the hot tag and got a near fall on Carrillo with a cradle. A dropkick off the top from Sabin into a flatliner got a near fall. Garza held Shelley in a powerslam while Carrillo put Sabin on Garza’s shoulders, then Carrillo sprung off the ropes with a springboard kick. Carrillo went for a moonsault but ate Shelley’s boots. After a planch on the floor, Sabin and Shelley hit the Skull n Bones on Carrillo and got the pinfall. The three minutes of the match after the break was “all moves.”
– Damien Priest introduced himself to the Smackdown audience via a vignette.
– WrestleMania in Vegas is 64 days away!
– Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga found Solo Sikoa, dressed in all white. Sikoa owned up to letting the family down by losing the ula fala to Roman Reigns. Sikoa seemingly threw his support behind Jacob Fatu in the chamber. “I love you, Jacob.” The crowd reaction told me that’s not probably not a good thing for Jacob Fatu.
Shinsuke Nakamura Interview. Nakamura got the “What?” treatment from the crowd while he bemoaned his lack of competition for the US Championship. It doesn’t take long for LA Knight to respond (By the way, I loved Knight’s mental health shout-out last week). Knight cut a great promo on his way to the ring about all the ways he’s been screwed over on his way back to a US Title match. Then The Miz showed up. Miz called the crowd “not smart” and “basic” and was about to deem himself the only worthy contender. But Knight cut off Miz before he can go into his “list all my accomplishments” promo. Knight suggested Miz start his own farewell tour, and the crowd agrees. Miz started mock crying (and mocking Knight’s mental health shout-out). Knight said Miz and Drew McIntyre are running “neck and neck” as the biggest “crybaby b!tches.” Miz called his shot for the US Title. Knight’s response: “Dude, you suck.” Actually he said a lot more but that was the best line. Knight went for the BFT, but Miz escaped. Nick Aldis came out and made Miz v. Knight for TONIGHT, and man this was a lot of talking for a contender’s match for a secondary title.
LA Knight defeated The Miz, obstensibly for a shot at the US Championship (10:14 aired)
We joined the match in progress after a commercial, and Knight caught Miz with a powerslam for a near fall. Nakamura was still lurking around ringside. Miz took control with all his best kicks and chinlocks. And what looked like a poor man’s version of the hammer and tong elbows the Blackpool Combat Club used. Knight backdropped Miz to the floor, then followed him out with a sliding dropkick. Knight smashed Miz’s head into the announcer’s table. Nakamura distracted Knight, and Miz took control by sending Knight into the ring stairs.
After another commercial, Knight hit a neckbreaker, followed up with a snap powerslam, and landed a big elbow for a near fall. Miz tripped Knight up on the middle turnbuckle, and hit an avalanche clothesline and flatliner out of the corner for his own near fall. Miz went for the Skull Crushing Finale, but Knight dropped out of it into a cradle for a near fall. Miz hit a DDT for a near fall. Knight ran into a boot from Miz, but then hit the BFT out of nowhere. Knight then hit an elbow off the top rope (springing from the middle rope) for the pinfall.
After the match, Knight and Nakamura had a staredown while Nakamura held up his US Title Belt.
– Alexa Bliss wished Nia Jax luck in her Women’s Title match later tonight. Also there was some Wyatt video interference/hidden message during their brief backstage segment.
– In the back, Miz got an offer for some training from Andrade. Then Carmelo Hayes showed up to say how no one respects “us” (he and Miz), but walked away from Miz’s offer to form a tag team.
Carmelo Hayes defeated R-Truth (2:20)
This was set up by a segment backstage where Hayes apologized for showing “Tozawa that I’m ‘him.'” “No you’re not. You’re Carmelo. Tozawa’s Tozawa.”
Hayes jumped Truth to start, and cut off his John Cena-inspired comeback with a superkick. Hayes escaped a Attitude Adjustment from Truth, then came off the top with a scissor kick to get the pinfall.
– Highlights from the Eagles Super Bowl victory parade were shown to give WWE the opportunity to sell those WWE/NFL Championship belts.
– The Street Profits still want the smoke. But they’re being all dark and angry about it. This is followed by DIY and Pretty Deadly chatting in advance of their WWE Tag Team Championship match next week. This all seems to be buidling to some kind of 18-way tag team title cluster at WrestleMania.
– Kevin Owens sent in a promo shot in his car. Sure, Sami’s neck is hurt, but Kevin is feeling real pain. And he’s wearing a Bret Hart jacket! Owens promised to show Sami real pain in Canada. Cleared or not, Kevin Owens challenged Zayn to come find him at Elimination Chamber.
– Charlotte Flair settled into a seat backstage to watch the next match.
Tiffany Stratton defeated Nia Jax (w/ Candice LeRae) by disqualification to retain the WWE Women’s Championship (16:59)
Charlotte watched the match from the back, looking at the television from a non-ridiculous angle.
Jax ragdolled Stratton to start. Stratton cartwheeled out of a toss, but got caught with a pop-up headbutt for a near fall. Jax tried a hip attack against the ringpost, but Stratton escaped and hit a handspring elbow. Jax dropped Stratton with a Samoan Drop for a near fall. Slam and legdrop from Jax get another near fall. Jax went for the hip attack against the ringpost for a second time and did not miss, then dropped an elbow for a near fall.
After a commercial, Stratton fought her way out of a chinlock. Stratton and Jax went for some kind of powerbomb into a sunset flip spot, but it went very badly. At least no one landed on their head. Jax caught Straton going for a second handspring elbow and just dumped her, then dropped a leg on her ribs for another near fall. Jax put Stratton on her shoulders for a super Samoan Drop, but Stratton slipped free, tripped up Jax, and came off the top with a double stomp for a near fall.
Stratton went to the top, but Jax tripped her up, setting up a super Samoan Drop for a near fall. Jax dropped a leg off the middle rope for another near fall as Charlotte watched on from backstage.
After another commerical break, Stratton hit a moonsault to the floor on Jax. Stratton is getting huge babyface reactions here. Back in the ring, Stratton hit a swanton bomb for two. Stratton tried to pick up Jax for a Samona Drop, but fell under Jax’s weight. Jax went for the Banzi Drop, but Straton got out of the way in another clumsly spot. Stratton went for the prettiest moonsault ever, but LaRae ran in to cause a disqualification. LaRae got a chair, but Trish Stratus ran in to make the save. Stratus got squashed by an avalanche from Jax. Jax then leveled Stratton with another legdrop as a gaggle of officials (and Jason Jordan) broke up the attack.
As Jax and LaRae went to the back, Charlotte Flair came out. Stratton was laid out in the ring and Flair took a mic and a seat in the ring. “The Queen chooses YOU! I’ll see you at WrestleMania.” Tiffany Stratton v. Charlotte Flair is official for WrestleMania.
A Development in the “Jade Situation.” Nick Aldis borught in the Women’s Tag Team Champions, Bianca Belair and Naomi, to show a video, shot on a cellphone and sent in anonymously. This will shed some light on who attacked Jade Cargill. But all the video showed was Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez walking around near where Jade Cargill was being placed into an ambualnce. This definitively proves (to Naomi and Bianca, anyway) that Morgan and Rodriguez were responsible. Although I gotta say it looked like Naomi was a little nervous while the video was getting queued up. Naomi and Bianca are now headed to Raw to confront Morgan and Rodriguez.
– Backstage, Trish Stratus and Tiffany Stratton agree to team up against Nia Jax and Candice LaRae at Elimination Chamber. “It’ll be Tiffy and Trishy Time!”
– Drew McIntyre gave Jimmy Uso some advice about his terrible career, but at least he married up, right? Uso gave McIntyre a superkick for his troubles.
– Backstage, Braun Strowman shouted about being a world champion five years ago, but nobody remembers. Yeah, we all want to forget those terrible empy arena shows, Braun.
Next week on Smackdown: DIY v. Pretty Deadly for the Tag Team Titles and Jimmy Uso v. Drew McIntyre.
Damian Priest pinned Braun Strowman in a Triple Threat Match also featuring Jacob Fatu to advance to a spot in the Elimination Chamber (16:15)
Wade Barrett did his own version of “this match makes me glad I retired” like Gorilla Monsoon used to. Strowman hit Fatu with a boot to start. Priest and Fatu knocked Strowman to the floor with a double shoulderblock. This left Priest and Fatu one on one for a bit. Fatu hit Priest with a running elbow. While Fatu and Priest were brawling, Strowman ran in with a crossbody, then sent both Fatu and Priest to the floor with clotheslines.
After a long split-screen break, Strowman pulled Fatu out of the ring and threw him against the dasher boards. Fatu sent Strowman into the ring steps, then went back into the ring to deal with Priest. Priest stunned Fatu with an eblow strike and took him down with a spinning heel kick. Priest knocked Strowman off the apron after a superkick. Priest tried for an old-school ropewalk on Fatu, but Strowman caught Priest with a choke, and Fatu pulled Priest into a Samoan Drop. Fatu hit a swanton bomb on Priest for a near fall.
Fatu went for another Samoan Drop, but Priest escaped. Fatu hit a superkick, then set up Priest for a superplex. Strowman ran in and they did the stacker-superplex powerbomb spot, and USA had to censor “Holy Sh!t” chants from the fans.
Strowmand hit Fatu with clotheslines and a massive back bodydrop. Fatu dropped to the floor, where Priest gave him a flatliner against the commentator’s table. Strowman pounced Priest over the table, then chokeslammed Fatu on the table and is that table made out of the New Japan tables because after all that it didn’t break.
Back in the ring, Fatu retook control on Strowman, hitting him with a series of hip attacks against the turnbuckles. Fatu procured a chair (which the crowd cheered for). Fatu wrapped the chair around Strowman’s neck for another hip attack, but Strowman caught him with a boot (Fatu slowed up noticably to set up the boot). Strowman wrapped the chair around Fatu’s neck, but before he could crush him, Solo Sioka came up out of nowhere to catch Strowman with a Samoan Spike! Sioka was in all-black, sneaking in to help like he used to for Roman Reigns.
This brought out Cody Rhodes to cut off Sioka. Tama Tonga showed up to rescue Sioka and Sioka accidentally took out TONGA with another Samona Spike. Fatu jumped out of the ring to get in Sioka’s face about hitting Tonga. This gave Priest the opportunity to clothesline Fatu into the Timekeeper’s area and out of the match. Rhodes hit Sioka with a Cross Rhodes on the floor. Back in the ring, Strowman went for a powerslam on Priest, but slide out and hit the South of Heaven on Strowman to get the pinfall. Damien Priest advances to the Elimination Chamber.
After the match, Cody and Damien shook hands and gazed into the WrestleMania sign.
Seems like Sioka and Jacob Fatu are heading to a WrestleMania match. And this show would have probably been better at two hours. Felt like a lot of filler.
