WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results
March 3, 2023
Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
Commentary: Michael Cole and Wade Barrett
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
WWE SmackDown kicks off with Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa walking down to the ring.
Roman tells Washington D.C to acknowledge him. We hear Cody’s music and out comes Cody Rhodes to the ring! The fans chant “Cody” as he says contrary to what Heyman might have told him, he is not here to invade, he is here to have a conversation with his WrestleMania opponent. One on one, man to man. He doesn’t see any reason for his compatriots to be there unless Roman feels like he needs them there with him.
Reigns laughs as he tells Heyman to leave them and that Solo and Jimmy go too. Roman asks Cody if that makes him more comfortable. Roman says he might not like it but he will do it anyways. He throws both title belts onto the mat between himself and Cody. Roman asks Cody what he wants to talk about and Cody smirks. Cody tells him fair enough, let’s talk about Roman. 915 days he has been their WWE Universal Undisputed champion. No need to print the legend, the reality has become legendary enough. He congratulates Reigns.
Cody tells Roman that for some, Reigns has become this impossible mountain to climb. But that is kind of Cody’s thing. He can’t be more than Randy’s understudy, he won’t survive Stardust, 10,000 people will not buy tickets to his his and his buddy’s indie show. For everyone else, Roman might be impossible but not for him.
The fans chant “Cody”. Roman laughs and says that was good, like he has been rehearsing that all week. It was flawless. Roman points to one of the belts and asks him if he ever won that one. He asks Cody if he has ever competed for one of them. Roman asks Cody if he has ever been in the main event of WrestleMania before. Because he has done all of that. That means he is the most experienced main event of all time. But the kicker is that he has been groomed since he was a little boy. Not only by Roman’s dad but by his father too.
Roman says he wants to talk about Cody’s dad. He has too much love and respect for his dad to degrade him. They spent a lot of time together. He said this many times before, the dream is the one that put the confidence in hi. Roman tries to impersonate the Dream as the fans clap. Roman says they would talk for hours about everything. It was a lot about right now, his life. He would talk about being the guy, the face of the company. He says Dream called it all before. He says the Dream was the best. Roman says the Dream never spoke about Cody, not in front of him. Maybe in front of Seth, Kevin Owens or Becky, but not in front of him. Roman says this is a lot but he wishes the Dream was here right now. Roman says he knows Cody misses him, he misses him too. Roman picks his two title belts back up.
He says he knows he isn’t here anymore but to know this. If there is anything he didn’t teach Cody, Roman will. Roman extends his hand for a hand shake. Cody looks at him and tells Roman he is not even playing on the same field. Cody says this is not chess, Roman didn’t send Heyman to Raw to get inside his head. He sent Heyman to relay and convey the real life situation. He sent Heyman to tell him the truth. Cody says if that is the truth, then Roman is the son he always wanted. And that changes everything. It’s not just a dream or a want or a desire or some story that needs to be finished, this becomes a necessity. The only way he can exist is by beating him at WrestleMania.
Cody tells Roman, may the better man win and they both shake hands as Roman walks away.
-Commercial Break-
Rhea Ripley with Dominik Mysterio vs. Liv Morgan
The bell rings and we are under way. A drop kick by Liv and Rhea in the corner. Liv with right hands. She goes for a jumping DDT but Rhea catches her and drops her face first onto the mat. A running knee to the face by Rhea. Right hands by Rhea as she throws Liv in the corner. Rhea goes for a spear but Liv moves out of the way. Liv with a running knee. She climbs the second rope and a drop kick onto Rhea who falls to the outside of the ring. Liv to the ropes, she goes for a suicide dive but Rhea moves out of the way.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Liv with a meteora off the second rope. She goes for the cover but Rhea kicks out. She goes for the Oblivion, Rhea catches her, she goes for the Riptide, Liv lands on her feet and a kick to the side of the head. Liv climbs the to rope and jumps but Rhea slams her onto the mat. Rhea hits her with the Riptide. She gets Liv into an inverted cloverleaf and Liv taps out.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
-Commercial Break-
The Bloodline are backstage and Roman asks Jimmy if he spoke to Jey. Jimmy tells him Jey is a hot head and needs some time. Roman asks him how much, Jimmy says he spoke to him this morning and he was better today than he was yesterday and the day before. Reigns says he is running out of patience. Jimmy says he’ll tell him.
We cut to Dominik and Rhea walking backstage. They bump into Santos Escobar. He tells Dominik Rey should have punched him in the face last week but he knows that he couldn’t. But Santos says he can and if Dominik is half the man he says he is, he will meet him in the ring. Man to man. He looks at Rhea and blows a kiss.
-Commercial Break-
Santos Escobar vs. Dominik Mysterio with Rhea Ripley
Escobar walks down to the ring with Rey’s mask. He places the mask on the top of the ring post. The bell rings and we are under way. Dominik with a drop kick followed by a head lock. Santos throws Dominik to the ropes and he hits Dominik with a drop kick. Forearms to the face by Santos. He grabs Dominik by the head and makes him look at Rey’s mask while telling him that is his legacy. Dominik spits on the mask as Santos slams Dominik into the mat. Santos with a Mexican surfboard as he lets go of the hold. Dominik grabs Santos and pushes him onto the middle turnbuckle and Santos rolls to the outside. Dominik with a splash over the top rope onto Escobar.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Dominik with right hands. He lifts Dominik up but Dominik lands on his face and a rake to the eyes. Dominik with a clothesline onto Escobar. He throws Escobar in the corner and gets him to look at Rey’s mask. Dominik tells him to respect him. Dominik runs to the ropes but Santos with a flying forearm. A clothesline by Santos followed by a leg drop. He goes for the cover but Dominik kicks out. Santos runs to the ropes, as does Dominik and a double collision in the middle of the ring. Dominik takes out brass knuckles and distracts the referee as Rhea grabs Santos to the outside and hits him with the Riptide. She throws Escobar back into the ring. Dominik climbs the top rope and he hits him with the frogsplash. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Dominik grabs Rey’s mask and rips it. Out comes Rey Mysterio as Dominik and Rhea are walking back. Rey shakes his head. Dominik tells Rey to hit him and he will give him his mask. Dominik drops the mask onto the floor. Rey goes to pick it up but Dominik hits him with a right hand.
-Commercial Break-
Drew McIntyre walks down to the ring. He says it’s four weeks until WrestleMania and he still doesn’t have a match. But they can remedy that right now. There is someone he wants to beat up. Drew looks at the camera and says “Gunther, I am calling you out”. Out comes Sheamus. He asks Drew what he is doing. He is going to go behind his back. Drew says this is nothing personal. Sheamus says it is personal, he should know how much the Intercontinental title means to him. Drew tells him to calm down, Sheamus says not to tell him to calm down. Drew says he doesn’t have to ask his permission, he isn’t his parents. Sheamus says that is right, he is not his parents, but he thought he was his brother but he isn’t. He’s just a backstabbing bastard. Drew says friends tell the truth.
McIntyre says Sheamus had his chance and lost twice. Out comes LA Knight who says “let me talk to ‘ya”. Someone is talking about the Intercontinental title, they got to be talking about LA Knight, yeah. Meanwhile, Drew and Sheamus keep getting handed every opportunity and keep crying. LA Knight says you can’t have an LA WrestleMania without LA Knight.
Out come the New Day. They say that they are out here to apologize on behalf of LA Knight. Kofi says because for the past two weeks, he comes out crying, saying you can’t have a WrestleMania in LA without LA Knight. They say that it’s sad as the New Day get in the ring. Woods says LA Knight wants to have a match at WrestleMania but as of late, LA Knight can’t even win a match on SmackDown.
Out comes Karrion Kross with Scarlett. LA Knight attacks Kofi from behind. He grabs Woods and throws him to the outside. LA Knight turns around and Sheamus clotheslines him to the outside of the ring. Sheamus turns around and Drew is in his face. Drew backs up as he runs and lands a senton onto the New Day and LA Knight. Kross grabs Sheamus and throws him shoulder first into the ring post.
-Commercial Break-
Shayna Baszler with Ronda Rousey vs. Tegan Nox with Natalya
The bell rings and we are under way. A drop kick by Nox followed y a kick to the face. Nox with a kick to the head. She goes for a knee to the face but Shayna slams her onto the mat. Shayna stomps on Tegan’s arm. Shayna with kicks onto Tegan’s right arm. She grabs Tegan but Tegan with a kick to the head. She grabs Shayna but Shayna with an arm bar and she slams Tegan onto the mat. Shayna with a knee to the face. She grabs Tegan’s right arm and gets an arm bar as Tegan taps out.
Winner: Shayna Baszler
Kayla is backstage with Gunther and Imperium. He tells her it’s a disgrace that a man like him is kept waiting. They are one month out and Adam Pearce has yet to announce his opponent for WrestleMania. Gunther says the only thing he is concered about is not having a worthy opponent to battle at WrestleMania.
Out comes Bobby Lashley to the ring.
-Commercial Break-
Lashley says for the last two weeks, Bray Wyatt has been telling him to run. But he doesn’t run from anyone. And since that didn’t work, Wyatt starts to play his little kid games. Lashley says it was a little comical, but for him, that’s a sign of weakness. And where comes from, if you have a problem with someone, you come out and see them in their face. And since Wyatt isn’t man enough to do that, Lashley came to his show on SmackDown to see him. Lashley tells Wyatt if he is man enough, to come see him.
Cryptic music plays as Lashley looks at the tron. Uncle Howdy attacks Lashley from behind. Uncle Howdy runs to the ropes but Lashley slams him onto the mat. Lashley goes for a spear but the lights go out. They come back and Lashley is standing alone in the ring.
We cut backstage to the Bloodline. Jimmy tells Roman he spoke to Jey and Jey told him he needs a little bit more time. And actually what he really said was to leave him the hell alone. Roman says after everything they did for him. Roman says this didn’t start happening until Zayn came around, maybe that is where he got selfish. Roman says he is going to fix this Zayn problem. He tells Jimmy he wants him out there with Solo and to get rid of him. He tells Jimmy if he gets rid of Zayn, Jey will come home. Jimmy says he got him as Roman tells him to do it for the Bloodline, for their family.
Heyman tells Roman that was wonderful but Roman is not happy. He says Jey has one week. If Jey is not back in the Bloodline in one week, he is not going to blame Zayn. He is going to blame Jimmy.
-Commercial Break-
Solo Sikoa with Jimmy Uso vs. Sami Zayn
Sikoa is in the ring and Zayn runs to the ring. They fight and in comes Jimmy as Zayn throws him to the outside of the ring. Solo runs towards Zayn but Zayn lowers the top rope and Solo to the outside of the ring. Solo gets back in the ring. The bell rings and we are under way.
Solo with an elbow to the face. Solo throws Zayn to the ropes but Zayn comes back with a clothesline and Solo over the top rope and to the outside. Zayn to the outside and he is face to face with Jimmy. He turns around and Solo with a splash. He throws Zayn into the ring post. Solo throws Zayn into the time keeper’s area.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Sikoa with a headbutt onto Zayn in the ring. He throws Zayn to the ropes but Zayn with a clothesline. Zayn with a right hand, Zayn runs to the ropes but Solo with a Samoan drop. Zayn in the corner. Solo runs towards Zayn and he slams into Zayn. He places Zayn on the top rope but Zayn with a right hand and kicks to the face. Zayn with a tornado DDT off the second rope. He goes for the cover but Solo kicks out. Zayn climbs the top rope and a cross body off the top rope. He goes for the cover but Solo kicks out. Zayn goes for the Blue Thunder Bomb but he can’t pick Solo up. Solo with right hands. He goes for a splash onto Zayn but Zayn moves out of the way. Zayn hits him with the Blue Thunder Bomb. He goes for the cover but Solo kicks out. Zayn goes for the Helluva Kick but Jimmy moves Solo out of the way. Solo hits him with the Samoan Spike. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Solo Sikoa
Jimmy and Solo with right hands onto Zayn after the match. Solo grabs a steel chair from the outside of the ring. Jimmy with right hands onto Zayn in the corner. Jimmy with a kick to the face. He places Zayn’s head in between the chair. Solo about to run but Jimmy stops him. Jimmy says he wants to do it. Zayn gets up and throws the chair onto Solo. Zayn hits Jimmy with the Helluva Kick. Zayn grabs the chair as Solo gets back up. Zayn throws the chair onto Solo and he leaves the ring. Jimmy and Solo stand in the ring as Zayn jumps the barricade.
We cut backstage to Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman watching and Roman is not happy.
Quick Results:
Rhea Ripley gets the win vs. Liv Morgan
Dominik Mysterio gets the win vs. Santos Escobar
Shayna Baszler gets the win vs. Tegan Nox
Solo Sikoa gets the win vs. Sami Zayn