By Isaac McBride & DJ Harding
Friday Night in downtown Worcester at the DCU Center, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) brought Friday Night Smackdown to the Heart of the Commonwealth.
Fans before the 2 hour Friday night spectacle were given two matches before the show. To kickoff the night there was some tag team action between the Street Profits and the O.C.
The Profits brought the swag like nobody can, which is their catchphrase as they beat the O.C via pinfall.
Following that match there was a WWE Speed match which are exclusively shown on Twitter/X the one on one match with three minutes allotted was between Ilja Dragunov and Massachusetts native (Framingham) Carmelo Hayes.
Given the quick match nature of WWE Speed no winner was decided in the three minutes which had both competitors eliminated from the WWE Speed tournament.
After the two pre show matches Friday Night Smackdown kicked off with Tiffany Straton making an appearance fresh off her Money In The Bank win.
Straton won at the most recent WWE premium live event in Toronto last Saturday making history as the youngest female Money In The Bank winner.
Straton by winning the briefcase now has a guaranteed championship match whenever she cashes her briefcase in.
Begging the show Straton came out to let the world know it’s as she put it “Tiffy Time” announcing to the Worcester crowd that current champion Bailey along with others should keep their head on the swivel.
Bailey then entered the arena to let Tiffany know she will be waiting for her, they were both then interrupted by Nia Jax who has an upcoming championship match with Bailey at another Premium Live Event Summerslam on August 3rd.
Jax told Bailey “Don’t make empty threats.” as Jax then proclaimed she will be taking the belt at Summerslam. Both Jax and Straton then attacked Bailey who was then aided by Michin with a Kendo Stick.
Michin then faced Nia Jax in one on one competition which was slated to happen due to the weeks long rivalry the two have had backstage attacking each other.
Jax would go on to win and then beat up Bailey leaving Starton the chance to cash in teasing the crowd ultimately not choosing to use the briefcase as Jax convinced her not to.
The show continued cutting to a video package with the leader of the New Bloodline Solo Sikoa claiming that by the end of the night everyone will acknowledge him.
Next up it was some more tag team action between Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews vs Legado Del Fantasma.
Before the tag team match an interview between Byron Saxton and wrestler Andrade was shown which was interrupted by Carmelo Hayes. Andrade then proclaimed that fighting Hayes is what’s next for him.
The team of Legado Del Fantasma containing Angel and Berto pick up the tag tema win with a little help from the leader of the group Santos Escobar running distraction.
After that we cut to the WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Cody Rhodes in the locker room with friend Randy Orton.
This duo along with Kevin Owens who wasn’t lost to Sikoa and the New Bloodline at Money In The Bank. Orton and Rhodes chat with Orton saying that when he goes out tonight he’ll have his back.
Back to entertainment in the ring the show went as WWE Superstar L.A Knight entered the ring to look back at his Money In The Bank Qualification Match. Though Knight did not win at Money In The Bank, what Knight did in that past match was pin United States Champion Logan Pual.
By Pinning Paul, Knight tells the crowd he went to the general manager of Smackdown and got a contract for a United States Championship match at the biggest party of the Summer. This year Summerslam is going to be in Paul’s home state of Ohio.
The Contract Knight had was already signed by general manager Nick Aldis and signed by Knight himself. Knight tells everyone we are just waiting on Logan Paul who didn’t appear in Worcester but is scheduled to appear next Friday on Smackdown.
From there we get wrestler Blair Davenport telling all of the women in the locker room to watch their backs before her and Naomi have a match.
Naomi made Davenport feel the glow (a catchphrase of Naomi’s) as picked up the win versus Davenport. Later that night Davenport would congratulate Naomi before sneak attacking her making the congratulating gesture a false one.
This came after Naomi was celebrating her win with fellow WWE Superstars Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.
Also a video package shown through the night was one highlighting the huge announcement from Money In The Bank that John Cena will go on a retirement tour in 2025.
The Massachusetts Native (West Newbury) will compete in the ring for the last time next year saying “the last time is now.” a statement deriving from his usual catchphrase “my time is now.”
The final match on the scheduled two hour show taping was another tag team match but this match had more than bragging rights on the line as the WWE Tag Team Championships were on the line.
A rematch of last friday between DIY and A-Town Down Under in which A-Town Down Under lost the titles to DIY. By the end of the match DIY would go on to retain their titles that they won last Friday.
The celebration was short-lived as the Jacob Fatu of the New Bloodline came in and attacked both teams. The enforcer of the New Bloodline laid waste to DIY and A-Town Down Under before Sikoa and the other two members of the New Bloodline Tama Tonga and Tongo Loa appeared.
Sikoa then grabs a microphone and tells the crowd “Worcester Mass, Acknowledge Me.” Sikoa then speaks about changes in the Bloodline as most of it’s former members have since left. Sikoa then refers to his brother Jimmy Uso who he kicked out of the Bloodline along with the wiseman Paul Heyman.
Sikoa told the fans it was because they didn’t acknowledge him. Sikoa says all of this while hearing the DCU Center chant “We Want Roman.”
This chant refers to the previous leader of the Bloodline known as the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. Sikoa then mentions that the fans don’t deserve Roman and when he returns he will also acknowledge him.
Sikoa then brings up the fact that the current WWE Undisputed Universal champion Cody Rhodes was pinned by Sikao and Rhodes has to acknowledge him.
Cody Rhodes then enters the arena to confront the New Bloodline. Rhodes let’s Sikoa know the two of them will have a match at Summerslam.
A four on one fight proceeded to break out before Randy Orton then came out to aid Rhodes as he said he would earlier that night.
The Bloodline tied Rhodes up as both Tongans and Fatu triple powerbombed Orton through the announce table to end the two hour Smackdown show.
The entertainment was not over yet as there was an exclusive double main event as Smackdown went off air.
The first match was Braun Stroman against Carlito which saw Stroman pummeled Carlito by pinfall.
The second main event saw the World Heavyweight Title be defended by champion Damian Priest against Main Event Jey Uso.
Before any fighting began the King of the Yeet Jey Uso had the entire crowd, the ref, and even Priest himself doing the signature yeet wave.
The main event match was then underway as a match to top off a great night as Priest won and retained his World Heavyweight title.