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This week's SmackDown witnessed both Alexa Bliss and Solo Sikoa qualify for Money in the Bank ladder matches. Jeff Cobb's name changed to JC Mateo after he helped Jacob Fatu retain the United States Championship at Backlash.
He defeated an angry LA Knight in his impromptu debut match. Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre agreed to end their vicious cycle with each other in a Steel Cage Match at Saturday Night's Main Event.
R-Truth addressed John Cena attacking him after Backlash, and he'll face his childhood hero next weekend in Tampa Bay, presumably in a non-title match. Cena and Randy Orton were absent from the show.
Nick Aldis announced Giulia as the newest member of SmackDown, while the Wyatt Sicks remain in creative purgatory. Here's the best and worst of SmackDown in the aftermath of Backlash.
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#3. Best/Worst - Aleister Black vs. Carmelo Hayes ends in disqualification
Officials booked themselves into a corner when they pitted Aleister Black against Carmelo Hayes for the second week in a row. Black defeated Hayes after a spirited match, and the two had another strong showing this week.
The rivals landed hard strikes and counters, but The Miz attacked Black after the former NXT Champ pushed Hayes onto him. It feels like every episode of RAW and SmackDown has at least one match ending in disqualification.
Black shouldn't have lost so soon in his return, and Hayes losing again would have hurt his chances of ascending the ladder. Had it been some sort of tag team match or a promo exchange, both stars could have left looking strong.
#2. Best/Worst - Alexa Bliss qualifies for Money in the Bank
Alexa Bliss, Chelsea Green, and Michin battled for the first spot in the Women's Money in the Bank ladder match. Green recently lost the Women's United States title. Bliss returned to SmackDown last week after two inexplicable months off TV.
When the bell rang, Little Miss Bliss qualified for the match she won in 2018. Giving her a prime spot at the next big PLE is a good call, but the fault fell in the pairing for the triple threat.
Michin could have used the push associated with qualifying for Money in the Bank, especially since she's never competed in the specialty match. Green being Miss Money in the Bank would have also been a great choice for her character.
She's a bright spot during the three hours of SmackDown. The decision will be polarizing, but had B-Fab or Alba Fyre been in the match instead, the choice of winner may not be as scrutinized.
#1. Best - Fraxiom lights it up again on SmackDown
Nathan Frazer and Axiom have kicked off their main-roster careers with a fourth-straight victory in as many weeks. The former NXT Tag Team Champions have defeated Los Garza, Pretty Deadly, the Street Profits, and now DIY.
The victory earned the upstart duo a title match on next week's SmackDown. Vince McMahon was never a big fan of tag team wrestling, so it's refreshing to see Triple H spotlight several teams on the blue brand.
Any one of the duos is Championship material, and a few may need to move to RAW to balance things out.
#1. Worst - Solo Sikoa pins Rey Fenix to qualify for Money in the Bank
Solo Sikoa appears to have passed on his losing streak to a different member of the SmackDown roster. Sikoa, Jimmy Uso, and Rey Fenix squared off for the first spot in the 2025 Men's Money in the Bank match.
After some attempted interference from JC Mateo (FKA Jeff Cobb) and Jacob Fatu, Sikoa won after pinning Fenix. This comes off the heels of the Lucha star losing to El Grande Americano at WrestleMania 41.
Why is such a talented and exciting performer eating the pin in such a high-profile match? Jimmy Uso could have taken the loss instead. That was his job in Bloodline matches.
The referee, Charles Robinson, also blatantly missed a pin attempt when Fenix had Sikoa rolled up. He wasn't paying attention to the action, which is his primary function.
#1. Best/ Worst - Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax is finally over
Tiffany Stratton defended the WWE Women's Championship against Nia Jax in what will hopefully be their last match in a long time. The two have been feuding for the better part of the year ever since Stratton won last year's Money in the Bank.
Jax bullied her and warned Stratton not to use it on her. After months of hints, The Center of the Universe finally cashed in on her former friend in January 2025. The two would have a few matches until Flair replaced Jax for a WrestleMania program.
It feels like the same two challengers for the title have been replacing each other after a loss. The match had some great moments but also a few messy-looking spots where Jax fell wrong or too hard.
