WWE SmackDown Results
April 4, 2025
Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
Commentary: Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore
Results by Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
Then. Now. Forever. Together.
WWE SmackDown kicks off with an aerial shot of the city of Chicago and a shot of Allegiant stadium, the site of WrestleMania.
Live in the arena, a loud CM Punk chant erupts and we cut to shots of Braun Strowman and The Bloodline entering the arena. That leads us to LA Knight entering the arena with his United States Championship. DIY and Motor City Machine Guns are also shown entering for the show. B-Fab and Naomi are next on the screen.
CM Punk and Paul Heyman
Back in the arena, we cut to Wade and Joe who welcome everyone to the show and we cut to highlight’s of last week’s main event contract signing involving CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
Back live in the arena, a loud CM Punk chant and we hear “Cult of Personality”. Out comes Punk who takes it all in and hugs fans in attendance. He stands on the barricade and to celebrate with the fans and gets into the ring. He stands in the ring with the fans chanting his name and he begins by telling them that he doesn’t know where to begin but they told him that the best television audiences were overseas. Punk says but he knew they were coming to Chicago and that gets an ovation from the crowd.
Punk grabs the camera from Rico, the camera man and he begins shooting the crowd and a loud “CM Punk” chant. He tells them that’s why they don’t listen to outside voices. He says a little fact is that he is not supposed to be here. He was born in Silvercross hospital with a cord around his neck, he was born blue and they had to bring him back to life. And every time he comes out, no matter the city, he aims to make new fans. But to excuse him tonight because his aim is to thank the 16,000 in attendance tonight.
Punk says when they tell him he’s not supposed to be here, he asks, who’s going to get him to leave. He says nothing has changed but he is in the main event of WrestleMania. A loud “You deserve it” chant from the crowd. Punk asks if he deserves it, he says he has earned it. He studied in the backyards of Chicago, he trained, he signed a contract with the WWE and they said he wasn’t supposed to be here. To him, that’s when the hard work began and he appreciates people congratulating him. He says now, the hard work begins. He is a product of Chicago, he has to think every one and he thanks his wife April. An “AJ Lee” chant from the crowd.
He smiles and goes on to thank his dog Larry. That gets a “Larry” chant. He says there are too many people to thank and he would not be who he is or where he is at without this city. He thanks them and says now the hard work begins because he has a date at WrestleMania and he promises that he is going to whip Seth’s ass, he is going to put a beating on The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns at the main event of WrestleMania.
We hear Paul Heyman saying “Ladies and gentleman” and he walks down to the ring, introducing himself. He apologizes for being late and he calls CM Punk his best friend in the world, the best in the world. Heyman gets in the ring and the fans chant “ECW”. Heyman says to ask what your wise man can do for you. He tells Punk that he belongs here, in the ring, in Chicago and in the main event of WrestleMania.
Heyman says the last time they were standing in the ring, The Bloodline was breathing down his neck and the next week, they put him through a table. After that, Punk had a Hell in a Cell match with Drew McIntyre and Punk was contemplating never coming back. But Heyman pleaded with him and told him he needs someone at War Games for Roman Reigns and to do him a favor. And Punk did that and he saved him, the match and The Bloodline. Heyman thanks him and tells him that he has one more favor to ask of him. Punk is surprised and asks him what it is.
He tells Punk to tell him what the favor he owes him is because Roman will be here and he is already pissed off and he doesn’t know what happens with Roman gets angry. Punk asks him if Roman is not there and Heyman says not yet. Punk says as much as he thinks the favor is none of Roman’s business, it will effect him and that is why he will tell Heyman what the favor is when Roman arrives and he will tell them both. Punk drops the microphone and leaves the ring with his song playing.
A video package for Rey Fenix airs.
-Commercial Break-
Nathan Frazer, one half of the NXT Tag Team Champions is in the ring for his match. The lights go out and out comes Rey Fenix with flashing lights and pyro going off behind him. Wade mentions how Rey is Penta’s brother.
Rey Fenix vs. Nathan Frazer
The bell rings and we are under way. Frazer with an arm bar but Rey with an acrobatic reversal. Fenix with a spinning kick to the side of the head. He goes for the cover but Frazer kicks out. Fenix with a hurricanrana cover but Frazer kicks out. A fast pace to start the match. Fenix with grabs Frazer but Frazer throws him to the outside of the ring. Frazer goes for a suicide dive but gets his foot caught on the rope and Rey catches him. Rey climbs the top rope and a spinning corkscrew onto Frazer.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Fenix pushes Nathan off the top rope but Nathan lands on his feet and jumps back onto the top rope, landing a superplex. He gets back up and hits a neck breaker. Nathan goes for the cover but Fenix kicks out. A “let’s go Fenix” chant from the crowd. Nathan climbs the top rope, goes for the Fenix Splash but Fenix moves out of the way. Both men on their feet and Nathan with a knee to the face. He goes for a suplex, Fenix lands on his feet and lands a drop kick. Nathan leans on the top rope, Fenix climbs the top rope, walks across and kicks him in the face in the Goodbye amigo kick. Fenix delivers a firedriver. He goes for the cover but Nathan kicks out. He grabs Nathan but Nathan with a kick to the side of the head. Both men get back up and Rey with a super kick and he places Nathan on the top rope. Rey with the Mexican Muscle Buster. He goes for the cover and gets the pin!
Winner: Rey Fenix
Byron Saxton gets in the ring after the match and he interviews Rey after the match. Rey speaks in Spanish, thanking Chicago. He says he has a lot of history in Chicago with everyone. Tonight is not the debut of Rey Fenix, tonight is so much more. Tonight, he is rewarded with love, passion, with rage. He waited his whole life to say this, “I am WWE animal”.
We cut to Legado Del Fantasma and Santos Escobar tells them that is a great debut and the kind of performance he expects from Angel and Berto. They look at him in disagreement. Escobar tells them he likes their fire and says he will speak with Nick Aldis to have a match. Rey Fenix against Berto and Santos walks away.
-Commercial Break-
A video of Drew McIntyre airs. He’s wearing an eye patch, talking about Damian Priest and no one cares about him unless he is feeding off Drew’s scraps. He asks Damian to explain to him why he is wrong and to fight him like a man. But Damian did what he always does, he attacked like a vulture. He put him through a windshield. He can live through his back hurting while flying across the Atlantic. He says he needs to pray and when Drew prays, bad things happen.
Byron Saxton is backstage with Braun Strowman and Strowman says he has enough of Jacob Fatu getting involved in his business. Tonight, he will keep him down and go to WrestleMania and complete his Grand Slam. In comes Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga. In comes LA Knight who tells Braun not to waste his time with Solo and for Braun to keep his eyes on the prize. Solo tells him he has a lot of balls to come and speak to him like that. Tama Tonga tells LA Knight he should be worried about him tonight and LA Knight tells him he will make a lot of noise tonight because he will be stomping him out. LA Knight begins to walk to the ring with his music playing.
-Commercial Break-
LA Knight vs. Tama Tonga with Solo Sikoa
The bell rings and we are under way. LA Knight with right hands and he throws Tama Tonga to the ropes, hitting him with an elbow to the face. LA Knight with a suplex and grabs Tonga but Tonga trips him up and LA Knight falls face first onto the turnbuckle. Tama Tonga with a back drop and he goes for the cover but LA Knight kicks out. Tama Tonga to the ropes and LA Knight with a big boot and he throws Tama Tonga into the corner. He stomps on him in the corner and lands a running knee to the face and Tama Tonga rolls to the outside of the ring. LA Knight with a modified baseball slide, takes Tama Tonga down. He slams Tama’s face onto the announce table and back into the ring. LA Knight gets on the ring apron and as does Solo, which distracts LA Knight. Tama Tonga pushes LA Knight off the ring apron and he lands face first onto the announce table.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, LA Knight with a shoulder tackle in the middle of the ring followed by a sunset flip cover but Tama Tonga kicks out. Tama gets back up and hits LA Knight with a clothesline. Tama with a suplex and he goes for the cover but LA Knight kicks out. Tama Tonga climbs the second rope and goes for an elbow drop but LA Knight moves out of the way. Both men to their feet and LA Knight with right hands and he ends it with a clothesline. A neck breaker by LA Knight followed by a powerslam. He runs to the ropes and lands a jumping elbow drop. He goes for BFT but Tama pushes him to the ropes and Tama distracts the referee. Solo gets on the ring apron, LA Knight pushes him down. Tama grabs LA Knight but LA Knight lands BFT. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: LA Knight
We cut to the back and Paul Heyman is standing at the arena entrance and in comes Byron Saxton. Heyman begins to speak to Byron but stops. He grabs the camera and says that no matter what the favor is, his answer is yes. As he is speaking, a car is shown arriving to the arena. He tells CM Punk, anything you want, the answer is yes. Heyman yells “My Tribal Chief, you have arrived in Chicago!” but out comes Seth Rollins. He tells Heyman to cheer up and that he was probably expecting the other Shield guy. He tells Heyman he looks awful. He says he has had a great week, once he got away from this CM Punk stuff, he was able to gain some perspective and formulate a plan. He tells Heyman that this favor thing, he really dug himself into a hole. But it affects him too and that when Roman does arrive, to let him know because he wants to be present to hear what the favor is too and he walks away.
Back at ringside, Charlotte Flair’s music hits and out she comes.
-Commercial Break-
Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair
Out comes Tiffany Stratton with Wade and Charlotte in the ring. Wade introduces the WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton and her WrestleMania opponent, the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble winner, Charlotte Flair. Tiffany asks the fans what time it is and the fans yell “Tiffy Time”. Wade asks Charlotte why she chose Tiffany for WrestleMania and if she still thinks this was the wise choice.
Flair says Tiffany was begging and there she was. The fans boo Flair as she continues her promo. She says she did make the right choice because she wanted to make the smartest wrestling fans in the world here in Chicago that there is no comparison. Stratton asks her if she is done. She tells Flair that her biggest competitor has been the fans and no matter what, that is a battle Flair will never win. She likes to pretend like nothing bothers her but she goes on crying on some boo-hoo talk show. And she can break all the records but when it is all said and done, she will still come second to her father Ric Flair. And at WrestleMania, she will come second to her.
Charlotte begins to speak but the fans cut her off and Stratton says that is power. Flair tells them to hold on. She tells Stratton she just repeated what her opponents of the last 10 years have said. As she talks, the boos get louder and Flair stops talking.
Flair begins to speak again and the fans boo. Tiffany asks her if the cat has got her tongue and Flair asks the fans what they would like for her to say. Flair tells Tiffany she can have the last word. Tiffany tells her that at 25 years old, she was trying to be a volleyball player, drinking in her daddy’s basement. And her, at 25 years old, she’s walking into WrestleMania as WWE Women’s Champion. Flair says this is just another match but it looks like Tiffany got to her and her WrestleMania record may be 4-3 but outside of the ring, she isn’t the queen of shit. Tiffany calls her a nepo-baby and Flair says she is a nepo-queen.
Tiffany tells her when she beats her at WrestleMania, she will be just like she is outside of the ring, alone. Flair’s record is 0-3 and she throws her microphone and leaves the ring. Flair asks her if that’s why Kaiser is in her DM’s and Tiffany leaves with her title in the air.
Women’s Gauntlet Match announcement
We cut to Nick Aldis who is backstage and he says in conjunction with Adam Pearce, there will be a Women’s Tag Team gauntlet match, winners will face Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez at WrestleMania.
Number one contender’s Tag Team Match – Motor City Machine Guns vs. DIY
The Street Profits are at ringside for the match. The bell rings and we are under way. Sabin and Gargano start the match. Sabin with an arm drag and Ciampa is tagged in. Sabin with an arm drag and Alex is tagged in. Alex climbs the top rope and lands a double axe onto Ciampa. They throw Ciampa to the ropes and take him down with a double shoulder tackle. In comes Gargano and the Motor City Machine Guns clotheslines them both. Alex gets Ciampa in the corner and hits him with right hands and clotheslines Ciampa to the outside of the ring. Alex chases Ciampa around the ring and back into the ring. Gargano is tagged in and he lands a slingshot spear onto Alex as Alex gets into the ring.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Sabin with a cross body onto DIY and both men are down. DIY are down on the outside and Sabin with a suicide dive through the legs of Alex. Sabin tags Alex in and they get Ciampa into the ring and hit him with a double superkick. Sabin is tagged in and he climbs the top rope but Gargano trips him up with the referee distracted. The turnbuckle is exposed and Ciampa with a knee to the face. He lifts Sabin up and lands a double knees to the back. He goes for the cover but Sabin kicks out. Gargano is tagged in and he hits Sabin with a super kick. He goes for the cover but Alex breaks it up. Ciampa throws Alex to the outside of the ring and Ciampa is tagged in. They go for Meeting in the Middle, Sabin moves out of the way and he pushes Ciampa into Gargano. In comes Alex and they double team Ciampa. Alex climbs the top rope, Gargano throws him off the top rope, Sabin pushes Gargano off the ring apron and Ciampa goes for the cover and puts his feet on the ropes for leverage. The referee sees it and breaks up the count. Ciampa runs towards Sabin but Sabin moves out of the way and Ciampa hits the exposed turnbuckle. He goes for the cover and gets the pin!
Winners: Number one contenders, The Motor City Machine Guns
After the match, The Motor City Machine Guns are face to face with the Tag Team Champions, The Street Profits.
We cut to The Miz and Carmelo Hayes who are backstage and they stop in front of PRetty Deadly. Miz calls them Pretty Useless. Hayes asks them if they are a tag team or the Chicago Bears. Pretty Deadly says they have jokes, The Marine 3, the Marine 4, the Marine 5. The Miz says at least The Marine was made and asks them how their musical is. Pretty Deadly says they just finished one about someone who has not been relevant in 10 years. They begin to argue and they ask Hayes why he is happy to be relegated to being with The Miz. Hayes tells them that Pretty Deadly couldn’t beat them on their best day.
-Commercial Break-
B-Fab vs. Naomi
With B-Fab in the ring, out comes Naomi for the match but she is attacked by Jade Cargill from behind. Out comes WWE security who stop Cargill but Naomi gets in the ring. The referee rings the bell. B-Fab with a clothesline followed by a right hand. A spinning kick by B-Fab followed by a big boot. She goes for the cover but Naomi kicks out. B-Fab with a slam and she goes for the cover but Naomi kicks out. She goes for a spinning kick but Naomi moves out of the way and B-Fab’s foot is strung up on the top rope. Naomi gets her in a tree of woe and slams her head into the turnbuckle. Naomi pulls B-Fab’s face into her knee, a modified kneeling lung blower. She goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Naomi
She grabs the microphone after the match and asks Jade where she is at because she’s still standing. She turns around and Jade gets in the ring, hitting her with a big boot. She grabs Naomi but in comes security to break it up. Jade throws the security out of the ring.
Out comes Nick Aldis who says he has had enough of this. And there is only one solution. Aldis makes the match for WrestleMania and both women smile and are happy with it.
Damian Priest
A video of Damian Priest airs. He tells Drew that he did his job by cashing in at WrestleMania and Drew screwed himself. At Clash at the Castle, it should have been them but his obsession with Punk came back and cost him the match. At Money in the Bank, he tried to cash in but his baggage cost him. He tells Drew that at the Rumble and Chamber, he eliminated him from both but after that, Drew attacked him like a coward. He calls Drew a hypocrite because he bitches and complains. He tells Drew he is a junkie, he gets off on a high by making jokes every week. He tells Drew that he is his villain, his time to pray is now. To look for him in the middle of the ring, face to face and eye to eye. Because he wants drew to stop playing the victim and become his victim at WrestleMania.
We cut to Kevin Owens walking backstage and he is walking towards the ring.
-Commercial Break-
Kevin Owens and Randy Orton
Nick Aldis is in the middle of the ring and he says this is the part of his job that is not very fun. In this industry, there is a fine line between coming back next week and finding out that you may never step foot in the ring again. It is a cliche but there is a reason why they say don’t try this at home. He doesn’t want to say much more because he would rather we hear it from the man himself. He introduces Kevin Owens to the ring.
Out comes Kevin Owens wearing a Bret Hart jacket and he looks dejected. He says he has been doing this for 25 years and he thinks he can confidently say that for 25 years, he gave everything he had. And because of this industry, he has been able to take care of his family in ways he can only dream of. But there is a price to pay for that amazing opportunity and that is the toll it takes on their bodies. Every guy and girl in the back has paid that price and now it seems like it is his turn. Because for the last four months, he has been dealing with a pretty serious neck injury but this week they figured it out and now he has to go get neck injury. And that is what he will do and the timing could not be worse because not getting to be in the ring with Randy Orton at WrestleMania really sucks. He says he is really thankful for WWE to allow him to come out and say all of this because the truth is that he does not know when he will be in frontof the fans again.
Owens says what he does know is the last few years, he has learned not to take anything for granted and he will never take this for granted. The fans begin to clap and he says for now, he wants to say thank you and he is sorry and thank you.
He shakes Nick’s hand and drops the microphone. As he is about to leave, Randy Orton’s music hits.
Orton walks down and he looks confused. Owens is standing on the ring apron and Orton walks up the ring steps and onto the ring apron. Both men look at each other, Owens leaves the ring and Orton gets in the ring. Owens stops at a fan who apparently said something to him but the camera cuts to Orton who is in the ring.
The fans chant “Randy” and Aldis tells him that he hates to be the one to tell him this but he that means he no longer has a match for WrestleMania. Orton hits Aldis with an RKO and his music hits as he looks at the WrestleMania sign.
-Commercial Break-
Last Man Standing, Number One Contender for the United States Championship – Jacob Fatu vs. Braun Strowman
As Strowman is walking down to the ring, Jacob Fatu runs down and the bell rings. Strowman with right hands and he throws Jacob Fatu into the ring. Strowman gets in but Jacob Fatu with a super kick. Jacob Fatu climbs the second rope but Strowman trips him up. He grabs Jacob Fatu but Fatu lands on his feet and hits him with a super kick followed by a spinning elbow. Fatu with a jump up moon sault. He lands another one and the referee begins the 10 count. The referee counts to seven but Strowman rolls to the outside of the ring and lands on his feet.
Back from commercial and Strowman grabs a table from under the ring. Strowman slides it in the ring and he hits Jacob Fatu with a right hand. Strowman leans the table into one of the corners and Jacob Fatu hits him with a super kick. Fatu turns back and runs towards Strowman but Strowman hits him with a big boot. Strowman runs towards Fatu but Fatu lowers the top rope and Strowman falls to the outside, landing on his feet. Fatu lands a suicide dive onto Strowman and Strowman flies over the announce table. Both men back up and Fatu throws him face first into the ring post. Fatu runs towards Strowman but Strowman hits him with a steel chair to the head and the referee begins the 10 count but Fatu gets back up. Strowman with the Strowman express through the barricade and both men are down.
The referee begins the 10 count but both men are up at nine.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial and both men are fighting in the arena, between the fans. They are standing on top of a crate and Strowman suplexes Fatu through a table onto the concrete! The fans begins the count but both men are up at the count of nine. They both walk towards ringside and Strowman is limping on his left leg. Strowman gets back into the ring and as does Fatu. As Strowman gets up, Fatu hits him with a running hip attack through the table! The referee begins the 10 count and Fatu gets up at nine with Strowman down!
Winner: Last man standing, Jacob Fatu
-Commercial Break-
Cody Rhodes and John Cena’s segment from Raw is aired in a highlight package.
We cut to the garage and we see Paul Heyman standing. In comes Byron Saxton who asks him when Roman Reigns is going to arrive and Heyman tells him any minute and Byron walks away.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial and a black SUV pulls into the arena. Out steps an angry Roman Reigns and he walks passed Paul Heyman. Roman continues his walk towards the ring with Heyman behind him. Roman does not do his usual entrance, he keeps walking towards the ring.
He extends his hand and Heyman gives him a microphone. Roman walks around the ring with the fans chanting “OTC”. Roman tells Chicago to acknowledge him and they do. He asks Heyman “is he here?” and Heyman responds with he is. A loud “CM Punk” chant from the crowd. Roman says that’s exactly who he is talking about and he asks Heyman if Punk is still talking about the favor. Heyman tells him he is and Roman tells Chicago that he doesn’t know how they deal with him. He asks Heyman if he should share a secret with Chicago and Heyman tells him yes.
Roman says that CM Punk would not be back if it wasn’t for him. He would not be in the main event of WrestleMania if it wasn’t for him. And he gets it, they are good people. He is from the same city as them, they have to like him. They mean well but they are not that smart. Roman says Punk has wrestled everyone but he has never been in that main event of WrestleMania, not until he was introduced to the Tribal Chief.
The fans chant “OTC”. Roman looks at the camera and tells Punk that you hear the fans chanting for OTC in his own city. He asks Punk to come out and tell him what the favor is.
Seth’s music hits and out comes Seth Rollins with Paul Heyman shaking his head. Seth gets in the ring with the fans singing his song. He introduces himself and he tells Roman that he would not miss this one for the world. He says he does not know what the favor is but the reality is that he has a feeling the reality will knock Roman’s socks off. Unlike everyone, Roman does not like to live in the real world but everytime Roman steps outside his little universe, reality bites him in the ass.
He tells Roman that he does not want to do a little history lesson but example A, heist of the century. Example B, the main event of WrestleMania last year. He tells Roman the reality is that Roman under estimates CM Punk, he thinks he is above Punk, that if he ignores him, he will go away. But he tried that and it doesn’t work. Punk is in the main event of WrestleMania and that is a reality he has to live with. He could have stopped it at War Games but he didn’t. He could have stopped it at the Garden but he didn’t.
Seth tells Roman he is in a much better place this week than he was last week. And reality gives you two options. Either you suffer and get left behind or you adapt and you control reality.
Roman tells him the reality is that Seth is untrustworthy. He can say the word loyalty but Seth has no clue what that means. CM Punk stands there because Roman made a promise to the wise man and he keeps his word. And the reality is he didn’t call Seth out here, he called Punk out there. The fans chant “Roman, Roman Reigns”. Seth tells Roman that he is out here to hear from CM Punk and Seth says there is only one thing missing and looks at the entrance. The fans chant “CM Punk” and Seth says to find out what the favor is.
CM Punk’s music hits and out he comes. Punk gets in the ring and says “The favor. What’s the favor?” Punk says this is about friendship, about legacy, about promises made and promises kept. This is about loyalty. Punk says this goes back to Louisville, Kentucky and they told Heyman that he does not belong and to fire him but Heyman says no. He tells Roman that his wise man is wise beyond his years. He says Heyman spoke about it years ago on Raw. He says on Big Show’s bus, himself, Heyman, Big Show and RVD spoke about themselves and Punk said they were going to fire him and he told Heyman not to leave. And Heyman told him he will be fine and that when Punk main events WrestleMania, force them to deal with us. Punk tells Roman that they are not here anymore and he will force him out of his comfort zone, he will force him to deal with us.
CM Punk tells Roman that at WrestleMania, in the main event, in his corner, his wise man, his best friend, Paul Heyman. Seth laughs and Roman looks confused. Roman says “That’s the favor?” and he laughs. He tells Punk that Heyman loves him and he needs him. He saved Heyman, even if he lets him, Heyman wouldn’t. Roman laughs and he tells Heyman to “let this desperate fool down easy”. Heyman looks at Roman and the fans chant “CM Punk”. Roman looks at Heyman and Heyman has tears in his eyes. Roman tells Heyman he better tell Punk no. Roman tells Heyman that he took him in, he made him relevant and to tell him no. Roman tells Heyman he will give him one more opportunity and to tell him no.
Heyman looks down and says “No my Tribal Chief, I can’t do that”. Seth is laughing and Roman grabs Heyman in the corner. Punk hits Roman from behind and hits him with the GTS. He and Seth stare at each other with Heyman yelling no from the ring apron. Seth leaves the ring and Punk is standing with his music playing as SmackDown goes off the air.
Quick Match Results:
— Rey Fenix def. Nathan Frazer
— LA Knight def. Tama Tonga
— The Motor City Machine Guns def. DIY
— Naomi def. B-Fab
— Jacob Fatu def. Braun Strowman