Solo Sikoa’s return was one of the highlights of WWE SmackDown this week. Also, fans hoped to see their favorite stars win their Elimination Chamber Qualifying matches on the show.
Naomi booked her ticket to Elimination Chamber with a decisive win over Chelsea Green. Meanwhile, Carmelo Hayes defeated R-Truth after getting into a match with the veteran owing to a backstage argument.
Motor City Machine Guns score an all-important win over Los Garzas to get back in the chase for the tag team titles. They could get into another rivalry with #DIY heading into WrestleMania.
Check out the four things WWE got right on Friday Night’s episode of SmackDown.
#4. Solo Sikoa tried to mend ties with Jacob Fatu on WWE SmackDown
Solo Sikoa was seen arriving on WWE SmackDown while Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu were having a war of words in the ring. Fatu stated that he would have the first word with his former leader, while Rhodes promised to have the last.
Later, they were shown in a backstage segment, during which Solo Sikoa clarified his position. He even tried to mend fences with Jacob Fatu, using The Samoan Werewolf’s previous saying to win him over.
In the final segment of the night, Solo tried to help Jacob win the Elimination Chamber Qualifying match but ended up Spiking Tama Tonga. The overall build to the inevitable feud between Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa seems to be picking up.
WWE did well in putting Solo behind Jacob and getting the two men into some interesting moments. They are back to being on top of SmackDown.
#3. LA Knight re-entered the United States Championship picture against The Miz
LA Knight and The Miz squared off in a singles match on WWE SmackDown. The crowd wasn’t too excited for the match, but the two men put on a decent show.
In the end, The Megastar scored the win over the former WWE Champion with a BFT. What happened after the contest was much more interesting.
Knight had a face-off with Shinsuke Nakamura, and both men seem to be re-entering a rivalry for the United States Title. WWE kept them apart for some time but kept The Artist in the loop with Knight’s story.
They will likely stretch their rivalry to WrestleMania, where The Megastar could win back the title. It would be a good way to get him over once again.
#2. Tiffany Stratton got her star-making match for WrestleMania 41
Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax competed for the WWE Women’s Championship in the penultimate match of the show. It was a fine match that ended with a disqualification win for Stratton, thanks to Candice LeRae.
The Irresistible Force continued to beat down the champion and Trish Stratus, who tried to make the save. Following the spot, Charlotte Flair came out to pick up the pieces.
She mocked Tiffy Time and challenged Tiffany for her title at WrestleMania 41. It was the highlight of the show as fans finally got the match they were hoping for at The Show of Shows.
The build-up was decent, and The Queen came across as a true heel in her promo. That makes the WWE Women’s Champion the clear babyface heading into the contest.
#1. Damian Priest progressed to the 2025 Men’s Elimination Chamber Match
Damian Priest, Braun Strowman, and Jacob Fatu competed on SmackDown for a spot in the Men’s Elimination Chamber Match. Many hoped to see Jacob Fatu win the contest, but Triple H made the match a little too predictable.
The Archer of Infamy took advantage of the distractions outside the ring to score the win by pinning Braun Strowman. While the result was too predictable, it was the right one, to say the least.
Both Strowman and Fatu are in no position to enter the Chamber with some of the top men in the business. Priest is red-hot in the company at the moment, and he could pose a serious challenge to the other stars in the match.