“WWE SmackDown” stopped through Tulsa, Oklahoma tonight — Friday, May 1 — inside the BOK Center. While the usual big-name stars were out in full force, a new wave of fresh faces from NXT got some well-deserved shine as well.
Revolutionized
Cody Rhodes kicked things off the night with a straightforward update: He’s medically cleared and ready to move forward. Simple enough.
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Then came an immediate surprise.
Ricky Saints interrupted, and the segment got an energy boost. It was an unexpected pairing with behind-the-scenes history to it, which immediately gave the interaction some weight, despite it being Saints’ first main-roster appearance. Saints did his thing on the mic. He’s confident, cocky, and leaned into the “change is coming” angle. We can hope, right?
Even if the whole “Friday Night Saints” branding landed with a bit of a thud, it was refreshing. And that’s what WWE needs right now: New things.
Rhodes didn’t waste time entertaining him. He gave Saints a match on the spot — and from there, it was on later in the night.
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The match itself was exactly what it needed to be. Fast-paced, back-and-forth, with Saints getting plenty of shine without overstepping his place. The offense looked crisp, the counters were clean, and there were just enough near-falls to keep things interesting — even if a couple of moments (like the modified Cross Rhodes) felt like they could’ve hit a bit harder. The reaction should have been much bigger.
In the end, Rhodes gets the clean win with a nasty Cross Rhodes. Like, that was a spike if I’ve ever seen one. The clean finish was a surprise, but very welcome, as Saints looked good without needing the upset in that moment.
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Then, we saw the real development.
Gunther appeared out of nowhere and choked Rhodes out post-match, immediately planting himself into the “SmackDown” title picture.
Finally, Gunther has a reasonable new direction and, more importantly, a refreshed environment. His time at “Raw” was well spent, but he needed a change.
The crowd reaction, wildly, remained against Rhodes. Gunther was cheered as he stood tall with the title. That said everything about how ready people are to see change.
Ideally, I still like my Oba Femi idea better — sending Gunther at him in the open challenge, if Femi isn’t pursuing gold himself. So now Femi gets lost in the shuffle, which sucks.
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🐺 Savage of the Night
Everything involving Jacob Fatu has spiraled all over the place. For the most part, it’s working, but it tells a broader potential story here on the “SmackDown” side of the equation.
After tonight’s WWE Tag Team title match, Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga attacked everyone involved and issued a warning to Fatu. That prompted the arrival of The Usos. They acknowledged the obvious: Everyone is having a Fatu problem.
Jey really put over the Tongan Death Grip as a sacred, last-resort move, which was admittedly a nice touch to bolster the severity of how serious Fatu is. Then there was a reminder of where things stand between these parties: Solo Sikoa doesn’t care what Roman Reigns thinks, nor should he.
Talla Tonga bulldozed through The Usos with ease, adding another layer to an already crowded dynamic. At this point, the Bloodline isn’t just a faction. It’s a revolving door of power struggles that truly expands farther than we all choose to remember.
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Fatu, however, is the most compelling part of this story right now, chilling comfortably in the center as one of WWE’s greatest forces.
A brief backstage interaction with Royce Keys teased something interesting. Keys spoke on their shared history and mutual respect, and it quickly raised the idea of a future alliance — which, based on their booking, would be unstoppable. The conversation didn’t linger, but it didn’t need to. The seed is planted — not just with the interaction, but Sikoa and Tonga attacking both.
At some point in the evening, a match was made between MFT and The Usos for tonight’s main event. They delivered exactly what you’d expect structurally: Extended heat within the family, the big Jey hot tag, and Tonga as the great equalizer. It was solid, yet had an entirely predictable finish.
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Fatu stormed in from the crowd to cause the DQ — but what followed mattered more.
The “Samoan Werewolf” decimated Tonga with steel steps before applying the Tongan Death Grip. He followed it by dropping the giant through the announce table with a Samoan Drop. This was all after a Tongan Death Grip also locked onto Sikoa. It was destruction with purpose, and it made Fatu look like the most dangerous man on the entire roster, as literally no one else has been able to put down Tonga.
Fatu stood face-to-face with The Usos in the ring afterward and walked right through them rather than continuing his path of destruction. That’s the kind of restraint this story needs more of. It keeps everyone guessing without overplaying the hand. The Usos witnessed firsthand how one dude could do what neither of them could do combined, and then he spared them.
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I mean, talk about a cold moment and quality ending.
A not-so-sweet death
Sami Zayn came to the ring with a gingerbread mannequin on this “SmackDown.”
WWE is still running with this bit, and at this point, it feels less like character work and more like a segment searching for a purpose. Zayn tried to frame things through a Bob Dylan comparison, leaning into the idea that fans turned on him despite his greatness and attempts to innovate. In theory, that’s an interesting heel angle, but it has not been executed that way to get here.
Zayn’s current character is the guy insisting he’s above the negativity while clearly being bothered by it. But tying that into props and punchlines like a gingerbread stand-in for Trick Williams? Why?
Zayn calling everything Williams does “easy” might’ve worked if this story still had stakes. Instead, it feels disconnected, especially considering Williams already beat him for the title. That part alone makes the direction confusing and undermined.
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Then came the beatdown … on the mannequin.
Sure, it drew a few chuckles, and Williams eventually ran in for the save — for a prop — which pretty much sums up where this feud is right now. There’s zero reason for this to be continuing past WrestleMania, and I’m not sure how many people care. Zayn and Williams are both too good for this. Yet, they have a rematch at Backlash, as Williams hilariously did his best to hold it together after the gingerbread man “died.”
And WWE is even going to hold a funeral segment next week. Zayn, realistically, protested it to Nick Aldis backstage. It was all over the place.
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Abolish the Women’s U.S. Championship
Both U.S. Championships are just a disaster all of a sudden, aren’t they?
Tiffany Stratton cut a promo backstage — starting another open challenge on the women’s side. WWE has now utilized open challenges three times in one week. The creative bankruptcy is off the charts.
To make matters even worse, the new champion was interrupted by — you guessed it — the perpetual U.S. title black hole members, Chelsea Green and Giulia.
The women’s U.S. title has been a vortex of roughly four wrestlers at best, and Stratton’s reign could have been the much-needed shakeup. Now, she’s in danger of falling victim to the same issue her world title reign had: Recycling the same feuds over and over again.
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There’s absolutely zero uniqueness to this title picture. WWE is doing its best to hide it by giving Kiana James a title match next week instead.
👑 Uncrowned Gem of the Night 👑
I don’t at all love the boring way that Jacy Jayne defeated Charlotte Flair on this “SmackDown.” The former NXT Champion needed help from Fatal Influence to escape the Figure-8, but the fact that she won is what made the match stand out. And overall, it was pretty solid.
WWE is immediately establishing a new talent on the main roster as a major player. On “SmackDown,” that’s desperately needed.
I give Friday’s “SmackDown” a crown score of: 👑 6/10 👑
WWE SmackDown full card results:
MFT (Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga) def. The Usos — 👑 3/5 👑
Women’s Tag Team Championship: Paige & Brie Bella (c.) def. The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) — 👑 3/5 👑
Royce Keys def. Angel Garza — 👑 2/5 👑
Cody Rhodes def. Ricky Saints — 👑 3.75/5 👑
WWE Tag Team Championship: Damian Priest & R-Truth (c.) def. Fraxiom (Axiom and Nathan Frazer) — 👑 3/5 👑
Jacy Jayne def. Charlotte Flair — 👑 3.5/5 👑
Recap SmackDown with Uncrowned’s live blog:Live coverage is over58 updates
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 8:04 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Fatu then faces down the Usos, and instead of attacking, just walks right between them and through the ring. That’s an interesting seed to plant between the three. Fatu doesn’t yet have a reason to take them out, but if he does, obviously, the Usos just witnessed firsthand what he can do.
He gets on the mic late and tells the Usos to tell Reigns to watch out, essentially.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:58 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Talla starts to tear apart the announce table, and Fatu attacks him from the crowd to give them the DQ win. Predictable, but a fine match.
He smashes Talla with the steps, then goes after Sikoa with the Tongan Death Grip. Talla makes the save but then gets caught in the move himself, before Fatu drops him through the table with a Samoan Drop. Sheesh. The man looks like a menace.
👑 Crown score: 3/5 👑
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:55 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Sikoa yells at Jimmy that he doesn’t belong on SmackDown, as he and commentary try to protect the illusion of a brand split in 2026. They aren’t fooling anyone.
Talla tags back in to stomp away on Jimmy before landing a Hulk Hogan-like leg drop. Jimmy gets smashed with a Samoan Drop, but still kicks out. Talla knocks Jey off the apron and tags in Sikoa. Time for the Samoan Spike? Sikoa teases it with Talla holding Jimmy. He fights out and avoids a huge rush from Sikoa, as he crashes nastily to the ground. Jimmy escapes a Talla attack and crawls to tag in Jey for the hot tag. He goes right at Talla with a suicide dive and Cross Body on Sikoa — he kicks out at one. Jey starts to rattle off Yeet punches at Sikoa and lands a Super Kick. The Spear follows, only for Talla to break up the pin. Jimmy lands a Super Kick, then they start landing several on the big man, removing him from the ring with a Clothesline. Jimmy bounces off the ropes, but runs right into a punch. Talla then catches a flying Jey and sends him into the barricade.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:51 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Tonga tags back in and goes to work on Jimmy, slapping and kicking him around the ring. Sikoa quickly re-enters. Jimmy runs into a big back elbow when trying to fight back. Another hip attack connects to Jimmy’s cranium. Talla gets tagged back in and Clotheslines Jimmy on the outside.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:47 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Tonga destroys Jey as soon as the match starts. He stands on the Uso before tagging in Sikoa. Sikoa eats a Pele-like kick before Jimmy tags in and starts chopping away at Sikoa in the corner. Sikoa eats a boot and counters a top-rope attack with a spinning Solo Slam. Jimmy eats a big hip attack in the opposing corner.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:39 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Did I miss something? Apparently, another match was made at some point through the show, as The Usos close the night against Sikoa and Tonga.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:31 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:30 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Paige escapes a Powerslam position and tags in Bella. She finds a Paige-Turner on Legend, followed by a Bella-Buster. Jax breaks up the pin and sends Paige to the outside. She tags in and goes after Bella. The Anhialator is set up, but Paige kicks out Jax’s legs, as she folds and gets pinned by Bella, while Paige cannonballs into Legend. All right. That wasn’t a bad finish by any means. A fine match.
👑 Crown score: 3/5 👑
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:27 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Legend picked up Bella in a scoop slam position — then put her head between the ropes and kind of bumped it against each rope? That was some weird offense.
Bella starts to get beaten down by Jax and Legend in the latter’s corner. The Paige hot-tag build begins. Jax grabs Bella by the throat and slams her repeatedly on the mat. A shoulder attack from Jax misses in the corner, sending her into the post. Legend prevents the hot-tag and goes for a Powerbomb on Bella. A Hurricanrana counters from Bella, and in comes Paige. She kicks Legend, then follows with a sliding kick.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:23 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Paige starts the match opposite Legend and quickly gets outpowered. Jax tags in and goes for a Powerslam, but Paige escapes to punch her in the thigh. Bella tags in to land a missile drop kick and knee Jax in the gut. A running knee from Bella absolutely blasted Jax in the face. That sounded brutal. Legend quickly overwhelmed the champ on the outside, and her momentum halted.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:19 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
It’s time for what is presumably the main event match. Brie Bella had a bit of an entrance miscue. Someone in production is about to get chewed out. Regardless, it’s the first defense for the Women’s Tag Team Champions, as they take on the former.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:13 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:08 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Old gingerbread man starts to receive a beatdown from Zayn. I think we can call that a ginger snap.
I’ll see myself out.
Williams makes the save… for a mannequin. This whole feud has lost the plot and really shouldn’t be continuing beyond ‘Mania. I don’t think anyone cares anymore.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:07 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Zayn goes on to call everything Trick Williams does “easy” — like having a fun entrance and things alike. But doing what he’s done throughout his career is much harder. He says the gingerbread man is Williams, not taking him seriously, and disrespecting him. Well, does it matter, man? He beat you for the title. What are we doing?
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:05 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Zayn made his way to the ring with a propped-up gingerbread mannequin in the middle of the ring. WWE is still rolling with this.
Zayn then compared himself to Bob Dylan, noting how fans eventually turned on Dylan. This is now Zayn’s heel gimmick: The guy who pretends he’s not bothered by negativity.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 7:02 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Fatu arrives backstage and runs into Keys after the latter’s win. This was a very interesting tease for an alliance, as they revisited their history — even more so because Talla Tonga and Sikoa attacked them afterward.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 6:56 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Tiffany Stratton cut a promo backstage — starting an open challenge, which WWE is currently addicted to. Instead, she gets interrupted by perpetual U.S. title black hole members, Chelsea Green and Giulia. There’s absolutely zero uniqueness to this title picture. WWE is doing its best to hide it by giving Kiana James a title match next week instead.
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 6:53 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Keys tosses Garza into the corner as soon as the match starts. Berto distracts him briefly, but Garza fails to initiate any effective offense. Keys lands a Clothesline, then smashes Garza in the corner and catches a Cross Body attempt. He moves them over to the other corner for an avalanche scoop slam. The Ultimate Spinebuster lands, and that’s a wrap. Squashed.
👑 Crown score: 2/5 👑
Fri, May 1, 2026 at 6:51 PM PDT
Drake Riggs
Poor Los Garza. They’re being fed to the big man, Royce Keys. Hopefully, he, too, gets some proper direction after this.