“WWE SmackDown” closed out February’s weeklies on Friday, Feb. 27, because the Elimination Chamber’s ultimate go-home present stopped by way of the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Championship gold modified palms, and a late audible occurred after Bronson Reed’s injury on Monday’s “Raw.”
Whodunnit?!
WWE loves its mysteries, and “SmackDown” was hit with the traditional secret attacker angle when Jey Uso was discovered mendacity out backstage. The pivot to take away Uso from the Elimination Chamber match comes because of Reed’s torn bicep on Monday, after Reed was reportedly speculated to win his qualifying match.
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The first half of the night time centered on the thriller, with wrestlers aplenty questioning who carried out the assault. Ultimately that thriller wasn’t solved, but it surely did result in Jacob Fatu and Logan Paul pleading their circumstances and winding up within the impromptu most important occasion to switch Uso.
Ideally, this entire factor ought to have led to Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre defending his title contained in the Elimination Chamber match. He’s been antagonizing and affecting all of the qualifier matches, together with this one, so it appeared like a logical disciplinary response. Nope. Instead, the identical formulation performed over again, with McIntyre costing Fatu by clocking him with the belt late within the match to assist safe Paul’s win.
The match was tremendous, however damage by its overbooked end, which included the return of the masked man. This time, he was unmasked, and it was … a man. A dude. Your cousin. No one (expletive) is aware of. Oh effectively.
And new!
The night time’s marquee matchup noticed the Women’s Tag Team Champions RHIYO dethroned of their rematch in opposition to The Irresistible Forces. It was all the time a toss-up whether or not we might see Rhea Ripley drop her title earlier than her look within the Elimination Chamber match, however that was finally the route WWE took, opening the door for her to pursue Jade Cargill’s Women’s Championship.
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That being stated, Ripley bought her injured again like loopy on the finish of the match, giving her a simple out for a loss tomorrow night time. Overall, the match was stable and leaves loads of room for more energizing, extra fascinating storylines.
👑 Uncrowned Gem of the Night 👑
It’s been determined. LA Knight and Trick Williams are them. The two most charismatic dudes in WWE, probably the most over dudes, the modern-day variations of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. If WWE have been good, it will use this Elimination Chamber alternative to springboard off right into a generational championship feud.
With that in thoughts, will they? Of course not. But that does not imply the primary interplay between Knight and Williams wasn’t good. These guys are already cash by themselves — so collectively, there’s tons of magic to be made.
Meanwhile, the continuing undertone of a rivalry between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes is lengthy overdue for exploration. But WWE additionally teased extra of the Orton and Aleister Black program, which raises eyebrows after their one-off final week — and Sami Zayn is constant to spiral amid his shortcomings. WWE has loads of distinctive layers it is sitting on. The proper triggers are simply desperately needing to be pulled.
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“The Ruler” is “Awesome”
Oba Femi did what Oba Femi does and destroyed The Miz in a squash match completely much like final week’s match in opposition to Kit Wilson. There’s a delicate brilliance to how WWE has set these up with notable names as an alternative of the outdated custom of massive males in opposition to anonymous jobbers. In this case, Femi has displayed his mic work and charisma in pre-match interactions. Destroying a former world champion like Miz can also be merely higher than Joe Ellis.
Sorry, Joe. No disgrace in being common.
“SmackDown” in Louisville was about as center of the pack because it will get and there are nonetheless tons of questions left heading into Saturday. I give this present a crown rating of: 👑 5/10 👑
WWE SmackDown full card outcomes and grades:
Logan Paul def. Jacob Fatu — 👑 Crown rating: 2.75/5 👑
Women’s Tag Team Championship: The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) def. RHIYO (Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky) — 👑 Crown rating: 3.75/5 👑
Jordynne Grace def. Candice Lerae — 👑 Crown rating: 1.75/5 👑
U.S. Championship: Carmelo Hayes (c.) def. Matt Cardona — 👑 Crown rating: 3.25/5 👑
Oba Femi def. The Miz — 👑 Crown rating: 2/5 👑
Tiffany Stratton def. Kairi Sane — 👑 Crown rating: 2.75/5 👑
Uncle Howdy def. Solo Sikoa — 👑 Crown rating: 2.75/5 👑
Recap “WWE SmackDown” with Uncrowned’s reside weblog:
Drake Riggs
Drake Riggs
They battle on the highest rope with Paul searching for a Superplex. Fatu pushes him off to go for a Swanton Bomb. Paul will get his knees up, then lands a Blockbuster and a Lionsault. Fatu kicks out.
A Paulverizer try fails from Paul. He eats a superkick earlier than the interference from Theory, and Heyman ensues. Fatu takes a low blow and a Frog Splash from Paul. He kicks out! The masked man returns to take out Theory, however Paul assaults him and will get unmasked. It’s simply… some dude. OK. Sure. Meanwhile, Fatu hits the Samoan Drop and goes for the Moonsault. McIntyre seems, costing him by hitting him with the title! Paul rolls him up and wins it. Well, there now we have it.
👑 Crown rating: 2.75/5 👑
Drake Riggs
They commerce pictures into the metal steps. Fatu launches Paul into the barricade with an arm drag earlier than lacking a hip assault. Theory attacked when the referee was distracted by Paul. Fatu takes a gutwrench suplex earlier than kicking out of the pin. A Zig-Zag from Paul lands, failing on the pin. The Primetime Splash from Paul misses, permitting for the Super Kick and Handstand Moonsault from Fatu. No cube on the pin.
Drake Riggs
Paul will get the early benefit because of the Theory distraction. It would not final, nevertheless, as Fatu counters by hitting a back-shoulder assault. Fatu splashes Paul within the nook earlier than clotheslining him out of the ring. A giant Suicide Dive follows, as he takes management.
Drake Riggs
Main occasion time. I’m nonetheless holding out hope that McIntyre will get thrust right into a protection scenario, probably on the finish of this match. Expect an assault on Fatu.
Drake Riggs
Drake Riggs
Drake Riggs
Sky tags Ripley in, who immediately drop-kicks Legend and headbutts Jax. She hits the Riptide! Legend comes behind her for the Lash Extension to attain the win! And new! There now we have it, people. RHIYO’s run ends by the hands of Legend.
👑 Crown rating: 3.75/5 👑
Drake Riggs
Drake Riggs
Sky goes at Legend, getting reverse leapfrogged, and hitting a DDT on Jax. She goes up prime, hitting Legend with a Missile Drop Kick, adopted by the emote. Jax takes a Suicide Dive for good measure. Bullet Train Attack Meteora hits Legend within the nook. Over the Moonsault lands for Sky! She almost will get the pin, however Jax breaks it up. Jax hits the Annihilator on Sky. Ripley pulls Legend off and out of the ring.
Drake Riggs
Jax begins to take over, sending Ripley out of the ring earlier than tagging in Legend. Ripley will get despatched face-first into the submit by Legend. Jax follows it with a Samoan Drop and chest chop on Ripley on the announce desk. Legend splashes onto Ripley again within the ring, adopted by an enormous Chokeslam. No pin. Instead, Jax tags again in to hit a center rope leg drop. Sky breaks up the pin. Sky goes after Legend, whereas Jax seems to shoulder Ripley within the nook, lacking and hitting the submit. Ripley makes the tag, going after a re-tagged in Legend.
Drake Riggs
Ripley will get caught working between the 2 opponents whereas Sky is down. On the highest rope, she delivers a Missile Drop-Kick to Jax. She kicks out. Legend prevents the tag, pulling Sky off the apron. In the ring, Jax seeks the Annihilator, however takes too lengthy, giving Ripley an enormous powerbomb opening. Jax kicks out once more.
Drake Riggs
Legend and Sky begin the match. It appears like Ripley legit has by no means began one in all these matches. However, she rapidly will get the tag in, opening some fast group strikes from the champs, with Ripley lifting Sky up for an elevated splash. Legend finds a tag to Jax, who will get drop-kicked by Sky after a tag again in. Legend re-enters the ring to take a drop-kick from Ripley. On the surface, RHIYO lands baseball slides, however the Forces counter with tandem upside-down barricade slams.
Drake Riggs
We have been ready for a Zayn look tonight. Backstage, Zayn confronts Fatu to level out that he may need been the one to assault Uso, particularly on condition that he is getting the Paul match tonight. Fatu did not take kindly to it. Zayn countered by highlighting that they’ve a typical enemy in McIntyre. Fatu famous that McIntyre took out each him and Rhodes of their match with Zayn, declaring that Zayn had the opening to win, which led Zayn to cower and again down as soon as once more. He then misplaced his cool once more, flipping a desk.
There’s a descent into insanity angle taking part in out right here with Zayn. It looks as if a enjoyable time to convey again Karrion Kross, would not it?
Drake Riggs
Is it time for a last-minute title change? At worst, hopefully, we not less than get an actual end to this rematch versus the bogus no-contest WWE pulled of their first match. Jax and Legend make for a really serviceable group to carry tag gold, however there are many instructions to take with all of those wrestlers — aside from possibly Jax, who has run her course within the SmackDown roster crop.
Drake Riggs
Lerae will get distracted by Gargano sitting up on the desk, beginning to stroll away. She turns round to eat a spinning again elbow and a Pumphandle German Suplex. Wow. That end and finisher have been fairly terrible. Grace doesn’t want a distraction end to defeat Lerae. And with that transfer, it utterly seemed like a double pin. That was bizarre.
👑 Crown rating: 1.75/5 👑
Drake Riggs
Grace immediately hits a Spinebuster and a trio of arm-pull Clotheslines. Lerae finds a gap to journey Grace into the nook and search some fast pins. Kicking at Grace’s head, Lerae locks on a chokehold. The digital camera continues to pan to Johnny Gargano planking on the announce desk.
Lerae will get flipped round and out of the chokehold to commerce pin makes an attempt. Lerae finds a single leg Codebreaker. She goes to the highest rope, solely to get met with a European uppercut. Grace begins to elevate Lerae for a delayed Superplex adopted by a Jackhammer-like Suplex. Lerae kicks out.
Drake Riggs
Realistically, this ought to be one other squash match. It appears like ages since we final noticed Candice Lerae wrestle. Probably as a result of it has been, courting again to actually one yr in the past in opposition to Tiffany Stratton on Feb. 22, 2025.
Drake Riggs
Hayes misses Nothing But Net and will get hit with a Rough Ryder! Hayes kicks out. That was a stupendous sequence. Still working, Cardona seeks the Unprettier, they commerce pins, and Hayes counters with a First 48 for the win. Somewhat anticlimactic end, particularly with Cardona getting up instantly to shake Hayes’ hand. But a stable match nonetheless.
👑 Crown Score: 3.25/5 👑
Drake Riggs
Hayes has began to take management with an enormous Springboard Clothesline and La Mistica. Cardona finds a gap, touchdown an enormous Double Underhook Powerbomb. That for certain may have been a ending transfer. Hayes kicked out, however remained in bother earlier than an enormous Hurricanrana off the highest rope despatched him throughout the ring. No cube on the pin from Cardona.
