WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results
March 31, 2023
Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA.
Commentary: Michael Cole and Wade Barrett
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
WWE SmackDown kicks off with the Undisouted Tag Team Champions, The Usos walking down to the ring. Jimmy says tonight is the last SmackDown before the biggest tag team match of all time.
As he is talking, Zayn’s music hits and out come Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Zayn says Jimmy is right, they are one night away from the biggest tag team match in WWE history. Tomorrow night, they will put an end to all of this, once and for all. Zayn and Owens get in the ring as Zayn tells them that tonight, they are going to make sure that there is nothing left unsaid between them.
Owens tells The Usos he is actually conflicted about what they have to do tomorrow. There is a lot of history and it goes beyond what has happened in the last 7-8 months. When he first started in WWE, the first two guys who made him feel welcomed were The Usos. When he would bring his son, it was The Usos who would spend time with him. But then they started to work with Roman and he lost respect for them. Jey is looking away and Owens tells him to look at him when he is talking to him. Owens tells him tomorrow, there is a part of him that does not want to do what he is going to do but there is another part that cannot wait to do what he is going to do. They are going to take their tag team titles at WrestleMania.
Jimmy laughs and tells Owens he is right. When he first came to the WWE, they showed him love. But they don’t have no love for them. Talking about being conflicted. Jimmy says Owens and Zayn are conflicted, they are always arguing. But he and Jey are brothers, family. This is blood.
Zayn tells Jimmy that is what he keeps forgetting. Blood is not the only thing that makes you family. Loyalty makes you family. Jey asks him what he knows about loyalty. Zayn tells Jey he was loyal to them from day one. They were the one’s who chose blood over loyalty. They chose Roman Reigns because he was blood even though e has never been loyal to them.
He tells Jey that the pressure and weight of the Bloodline, has always been on the two of them. And at WrestleMania, they are going to take the tag team titles from them. And when they do, that is the end of Roman Reigns, of the Bloodline. And they can go back to just being them. To being the guys that Kevin talked about. The guys that every one in the locker room and in the stands loved. To being The Usos. They just won’t have the WWE tag team championships anymore.
Jey shakes his head and says that isn’t it. It is going to be the same as it always is with Owens and Zayn. They are going to lose the big match and Owens is going to stab Zayn in the back, again. Meanwhile, they will keep doing what they have been doing for the last 600 days. They will remain the eight time tag team champions. The longest reigning tag team champions. Jey says this is The BloodlineMania as their music plays and The Usos raise the tag team titles in the air.
As The Usos are walking to the back, out come The Street Profits. There’s a stare down between both teams as The Usos walk to the back.
-Commercial Break-
Fatal Four Way Match: Ricochet vs. Chad Gable vs. Montez Ford vs. Erik
The bell rings and we are under way. Gable and Erik are thrown to the outside of the ring. Some reversals between both guys in the middle of the ring. Gable gets back in and tells them to shush. Gable starts to dance as Ford and Ricochet hit him with a drop kick. Erik get in the ring and he is hit with a double dropkick. Ricochet starts to dance as Ford tells him to attack them on the outside of the ring. Ricochet and Ford jump over the top rope but are caught by Gable and Erik. They slam them on the outside. Gable throws Ricochet into the ring steps and back int othe ring. Erik throws Ford into the ring post. Gable with a dragon screw and Erik with a right hand onto Gable.
Erik with a right hand on Ricochet in the corner but Ricochet with a kick. Ricochet is distracted by Valhalla and Erik with a right hand.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, all four men are down in the ring. Ford is the first to his feet and he cleans house. Right hands on all three men. Ford climbs the top rope and a cross body onto Erik. Ford wit ha back hand onto Gable. Ricochet jumps off the top rope and a clothesline onto Ford. Gable with a German suplex onto Ricochet. He goes for the cover but Erik breaks it up. Erik with a big slam onto Gable. He goes for the cover but Gable kicks out. Ford with a kick to the side of the head onto Erik as he falls to the outside. Ford with a splash onto Erik and Ricochet on the outside. Ford back in the ring an a frog splash onto Gable. Ricochet with a shooting star onto Gable. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Ricochet
We cut backstage as the Bloodline are all standing. In comes Roman Reigns and they all take a seat.
-Commercial Break-
A video package hyping up Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania airs.
Andre The Giant Battle Royal
The bell rings and we are under way. Baron Corbin is the first man eliminated and very early in the match. Bobby Lashley eliminates Hit Row. Wilde is eliminated shortly after them.
Dexter eliminates ma.çé and Gargano eliminates mån. sôör. The O.C are eliminated. Otis is eliminated by Boogs and Elias. Los Lotharios eliminate Elias and Boogs eliminates them both.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Madcap eliminates Dexter and Karrion Kross eliminates Xavier Woods. LA Knight eliminates Ali to a pop from the crowd. Lashley and Kross are face to face and Lashley goes for the Hurt Lock but Kross gets out of it. Lashley gets Kross on his shoulders but Kross lands on his feet. Lashley throws Kross over the top rope but Kross hangs onto the ring apron. Strowman eliminates Boogs.
Reed and Strowman are face to face. Lashley throws Ziggler over the top rope and Lashley is face to face with Strowman and Reed. All three men fight in the middle of the ring. Lashley goes for the Hurt Lock on Strowman but Strowman slams him in toe corner and Reed with a splash on the both. Holland and Butch double team Reed. Butch with a kick onto Gargano but Gargano with a DDT. LA Knight slams Gargano onto the mat and a big pop by the crowd. Kross slams LA Knight down. Escobar with a head scissor take down onto Kross. Gargano with a spear onto Gargano and Lashley eliminates Gargano,. Strowman eliminates Escobar. Reed eliminates Ridge Holland. Reed throws Butch over the top rope. LA Knight with right hands on Reed and the fans pop for him. Reed tries to eliminate LA Knight but he hangs on. LA Knight back in the ring but Reed eliminates him and the crowd boos.
The final three in the ring are Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowm and Reed. Strowman with a running powerslam on Lashley. Reed tries to eliminate Strowman as he gets him over the top rope onto the ring apron. Reed with a splash and Strowman is eliminated. Reed goes for a headbutt onto Kashley but he moves out of the way. Lashley with a spear. He tries to throw Reed over the top rope but Lashley lands on his feet. Reed turns around, Lashley gets back in the ring and Lashley eliminates him.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
-Commercial Break-
Fatal Four Way Match: Natalya vs. Shayna Basler vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville
The bell rings and we are under way. Shayna and Sonya are thrown to the outside. Raquel grabs Natalya but Sonya with a kick onto Raquel. A running bulldog onto Natalya. Sonya goes for the cover onto Raquel but she kicks out. A cover on Natalya but Natalya kicks out. Sonya attacking Raquel but Natalya gets her in the sharpshooter. Shayna gets in the ring and gets the Clutch onto Natalya but Natalya slams her into the corner. Shayna with the Clutch on the top rope onto Natalya. Raquel lifts them both up on her shoulders but Sonya attacks Raquel’s leg. All four women fighting in the ring and Sonya throws Raquel shoulder first into the ring post. Sonya climbs the second rope and jumps but Raquel catches her. Shayna gets in the ring and she is hit with a big boot by Raquel. With her still lifting Sonya up, she hits her with the Tajada Bomb. She goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Raquel Rodriguez
-Commercial Break-
Rey Mysterio is backstage and in come the Legado del Fantasma. He thanks them for having his back last week. Escobar tells him he is welcome and as a father it breaks his heart to see him having to fight Dominik. And that if Judgment Day try to get involved at WrestleMania, they will be there to have his back. Rey tells them that if they have to, they will do it in style. Rey grabs tshirts and gives it to them. They’re all surprised and happy as they turn it around to reveal Latino World Order shirts. They put them on and Rey says they are the LWO.
-Commercial Break-
Drew McIntyre and Sheamus vs. Imperium
The bell rings and we are under way. Drew and Vinci start the match. Drew with a clothesline. Drew with a chop to the chest. He throws Vinci to the ropes and Kaiser is tagged in. They double team Drew but Drew with a back elbow. Sheamus tags himself in and Sheamus with a right hand off the top rope. Sheamus throws Kaiser onto the ring apron and Sheamus with the 10 Beats of the Bodhrán. Sheamus goes for the Brogue Kick but Drew tags himself in. Drew and Sheamus push each other in the ring as Imperium attack them. Sheamus throws Vinci to the outside and Drew throws Kaiser over the top rope and onto the outside.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Sheamus with an Irish curse back breaker onto Kaiser. Drew tags himself in and he clotheslines Vinci who was tagged in. A belly to belly throw by Drew onto Vinci. A neck breaker onto Kaiser and a neck breaker onto Vinci. Drew goes for the Claymore but Sheamus tags himself in. Both men argue and Vinci with a drop kick onto Sheamus who knocks Drew to the outside. Sheamus is double teamed by Imperium. Vinci goes for the cover but Sheamus kicks out. Vinci throws Sheamus to the ropes and Sheamus with a knee to the face. Sheamus with the Brogue Kick. In comes Kaiser and Drew hits him with the Claymore. Sheamus goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winners: Drew McIntyre and Sheamus
-Commercial Break-
Cody’s music hits and out comes Cody Rhodes to the ring. Cody asks the crowd what they want to talk about. He says WrestleMania is here. And on this ride, they all sat shotgun with him. All his cards are on the table, no ace left in the hole. The media, appearances all start this week. His workouts, nutrition, everything is planned in order to make sure that no stone is unturned. That way he becomes the new Undisputed WWE Universal champion.
Rhodes says he is the most prepared he has ever been. But in the spirit of full transparency, here in this moment, he feels wildly unprepared. When he asks what they want to talk about, they can talk about anything. Because they want a showdown, the fight needs to start. He can do the Tupac part of California Love. Cody starts to rap the song and starts. Cody says it might be a little too adult for Fox but they can look it up. He can talk about gratitude, how they all welcomed him back and his audience. How they allowed him to be him, to be emotional. And he is projecting perfection. But that is usually an indication that something is broken inside. Maybe the only medicine for him is defeating Roman Reigns on Sunday. And the last time they stood face to face, he laid the titles in front of him and couldn’t even be the guy in his own company. Which is weird because Roman is a tenure, millions of dollars investment and he only started to do well in year eight.
He says Roman said every one thinks that they are the guy until they meet the guy. Cody introduces himself. He says he is his successor, the next head of the table, the American Nightmare and the next Undisputed Universal champion. This Sunday at WrestleMania, he will finish but as he is talking, Roman’s music hits.
Out comes Roman Reigns with Paul Heyman to the ring. Roman says Los Angeles as he turns to Heyman and says he doesn’t care about any of them. He tells Cody it’s not their turn, it’s his. Both men are face to face. Roman looks at Cody and tells Cody to acknowledge him as he raises the belt in the air.