WWE SmackDown live results: Money in the Bank qualifiers begin
Date: May 16, 2025
Location: First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, NC
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Show Recap —
Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax were shown arriving.
There was a Backlash recap video focusing on the SmackDown matches.
Opening segment
Solo Sikoa, Jeff Cobb, and Jacob Fatu entered to kick off SmackDown. They entered to Sikoa’s music and tron. The crowd chanted for Fatu and booed when Sikoa spoke.
Sikoa said Roman Reigns losing the title at WrestleMania ruined everything and he was here to take it all back. It would start with Sikoa winning Money in the Bank and bringing the title back where it belonged.
Fatu grabbed the mic from Sikoa. He already told us he was bringing the U.S. title to the family and would step up to anyone who got in their way. Fatu went to do his catchphrase, but Sikoa interrupted him and mocked him in the process. Sikoa wanted to help Fatu, and the title on his shoulder was proof that Sikoa loved Fatu.
Sikoa wanted to hear Fatu say, “I love you, Solo.” Fatu said it, but not in his usual inflection. Sikoa wanted to hear him say it the way he used to say it. He yanked Fatu by the shoulder to grab his attention, which Fatu didn’t appreciate.
LA Knight’s music hit. They turned their attention to the stage, but Knight appeared from the crowd. He briefly attacked Cobb, but bailed through the crowd before they could kill him.
(They kept referring to Jeff Cobb as “J.C.” during this segment. Sikoa said it repeatedly, and Joe Tessitore called him that, too.)
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There was a segment backstage with Michin and B-Fab, along with Chelsea Green and her crew. Basically, Green wasn’t happy to learn that the outside parties wouldn’t be at ringside for their triple threat match. Alexa Bliss appeared to wish them luck, and she entered for the opening match. Green threatened to put tariffs on everyone.
Money in the Bank triple threat qualifying match: Alexa Bliss vs. Michin vs. Chelsea Green
Early on, Bliss and Michin repeatedly and easily disposed of Green from the ring. They tried double baseball slide dropkicks and Bliss’ connected, but Green was already down by the time Michin tried hers. Bliss and Mchin were way too proud of themselves, and the time spent celebrating allowed Green to wipe them out with a dive. That led to a break two minutes in.
Green worked over Bliss during a break until Michin dropped her with consecutive German suplexes and a sit-out powerbomb. Michin twerked before hitting both women with a cannonball in the corner. There was a somewhat convoluted triple-down spot that led to a light “This is awesome” chant.
Michin hit Green with Eat Defeat, but Bliss broke up the cover. Bliss hit Michin with Twisted Bliss, but Green yanked Bliss out of the ring. Green hit Michin with Unprettier, so Bliss returned the favour by yanking Michin out of the ring.
Bliss hit Green with Sister Abigail for the pinfall win, which, so far, easily got the biggest pop of the night.
Tessitore called this an outstanding match. It wasn’t.
Match result: Alexa Bliss defeated Chelsea Green and Michin (9:01)
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Axiom & Nathan Frazer vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa
Fraxiom hit a series of dives early on, and one of them sent Ciampa into some fans in the front row. However, Gargano pulled the ropes down on Axiom as he went for a springboard move, and DIY took over from there. That led to a break three minutes into the match.
Believe it or not, the heels maintained control during a break, but Frazer made a hot tag and a comeback as soon as they returned. He hit Gragno with a standing shooting star for two. Gargano avoided a Phoenix splash and hit Frazer out of mid-air with a superkick. DIY hit Frazer with a double-team finisher, but Axiom broke up the cover. Ciampa hit Frazer with Project Ciampa for a nearfall.
Frazer hit Gargano with a superplex, and Axiom superkicked Gargano as Frazer hit a brainbuster, but Ciampa broke up the cover with a running knee strike on Axiom. The crowd got really into this sequence and chanted, “This is awesome.”
Ciampa ripped at Axiom’s mask until Frazer took him out. Axiom then caught Gargano in a cradle for the pinfall win.
— DIY attacked the babyfaces post-match until the Motor City Machine Guns made the save. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin raised Fraxiom’s hands.
This was fun, and the finish left enough for a potential rematch.
Match result: Fraxiom defeated DIY (11:19)
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Jax was shown warming up. Naomi could be seen lurking in the background.
The Street Profits congratulated Fraxiom on their win. Montez Ford let them know they earned a tag title match next week. Fraxiom looked forward to it. Angelo Dawkins warned them that they were 100%, and they hoped Fraxiom were too. (Frazer was pumped for the match, while Axiom tried to keep him focused.)
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R-Truth sit-down interview
Wade Barrett sat down with Truth for a sit-down interview earlier today. Barrett asked about John Cena giving him an AA through a table at the press conference.
Truth said he was under constant pressure—career, family, friends, and bills. But regardless of all that, you could always depend on John Cena. Truth kept spouting Cena’s catchphrases as real-life advice, including “Never give up.”
Barrett told him he was crazy. Barrett said Truth saved Cena from losing the title, and Cena repaid him by putting him through a table. Truth said that wasn’t the real John at the press conference. Truth didn’t want to fight John, but he would beat him to his senses if he had to.
The match was set for Saturday Night’s Main Event: John Cena vs. R-Truth. (Non-title, presumably.)
Truth knew it seemed impossible, but his hero told him to never give up, and he lived by three words: hustle, loyalty and respect. Barrett wished him luck.
(I hate Dumb R-Truth, so I thought this was dumb and a waste of a John Cena match.)
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Damian Priest challenged Drew McIntyre to a cage match. Priest said the hospital would have to identify McIntyre by his dental records.
Aleister Black vs. Carmelo Hayes (w/The Miz)
Miz pulled Hayes from safety as Black tried a dive. Black looked around like an idiot, acting like he didn’t know where his opponent went, so Hayes wiped him out with a flip dive to take over as they went to break.
(There appears to be a group of young fans who know that chanting, “This is awesome,” is a thing at wrestling shows, because they randomly started doing it as Hayes had the heat during the break.)
Black made a comeback as soon as they returned from break and eventually hit a bridging German suplex for two. A Miz distraction allowed Hayes to get back on offence for a couple of two counts.
Black shoved Hayes into Miz, knocking him off the apron. They did some stuff until Miz attacked Black for the DQ. Stupid.
— Black dropped Miz with his kick post-match, but Hayes decked Black and laid him out with a diving leg drop.
Don’t watch this.
Match result: Aleister Black defeated Carmelo Hayes via disqualification (10:28)
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Backstage, Bliss told Byron Saxton she wanted to be the first woman to win MITB twice. She left Saxton to approach Charlotte Flair. Bliss wanted to be friends with Flair and noted that Flair took her under her wing in NXT, but Flair claimed she did not remember that.
Giulia left Nick Aldis’ office, and Aldis introduced her as the newest member of the SmackDown roster. (Fans cheered.) Aldis invited Flair into her office to discuss MITB. Before she did, Flair told Bliss to stay out of her way because he didn’t need her.
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There was a video package for Stratton vs. Jax tonight.
Drew McIntyre promo
McIntyre entered to a mixed reaction. It seemed more positive than negative.
McIntyre addressed Priest’s promo. He said Priest claimed he was in the McIntyre vortex. McIntyre has been stuck in this vortex for over a year, and being stuck there was the only reason Priest was relevant. McIntyre said he beat Priest “clean” in a street fight. Priest was obsessed and jealous.
McIntyre was everything Priest ever wanted to be, but McIntyre was better in every single way, and he would’ve been a grand slam champion if not for Priest. Priest was trying to take out the competition. That’s why he chokeslammed him off a platform and onto the concrete.
McIntyre accepted the cage match (for SNME). McIntyre guaranteed that only one man would walk out of the cage, while the other would leave on a stretcher. (Notably, McIntyre didn’t guarantee who would be leaving on a stretcher.)
As McIntyre left, he crossed paths with Solo Sikoa and crew as Sikoa entered for his match.
This was a typically good McIntyre promo for a feud that should be over.
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The announcers ran down the card for SNME:
- Cage match: Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest
- John Cena vs. R-Truth (non-title)
- CM Punk & Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
- Jey Uso vs. Logan Paul for the World Heavyweight Championship
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Jeff Cobb accompanied Sikoa to ringside and was officially referred to as JC Mateo.
Money in the Bank triple threat qualifying match: Solo Sikoa (w/JC Mateo & US Champion Jacob Fatu) vs. Jimmy Uso vs. Rey Fénix
Sikoa wanted to form an alliance with Jimmy Uso, but, of course, he did not comply. Fénix wiped out Uso and Sikoa with a flying crossbody outside the ring, but Sikoa caught him moments later with a Spinning Solo in the ring. Even though that’s his finisher, he did not go for a cover. Instead, Sikoa gave Jimmy a Spinning Solo on the announce table, likely knowing it was time to head to commercial break.
After a boring heat segment during a break (Sikoa stalking over both guys), things were meant to pick up when they returned, but there was a big mix-up. Fénix waited forever as Sikoa held him up for a Jimmy dive. Jimmy finally went for the dive, but Fénix ducked. Jimmy caught him in a roll-up, but the referee simply did not count. The crowd chanted for tables.
Twelve minutes into the match, Fatu decided to get involved, but Jimmy superkicked him off the apron. Sikoa gave Jimmy the spike, but Fénix hit Sikoa with a rope-walk punt. Fénix knocked “JC” off the apron, but the distraction allowed Sikoa to hit Fénix with the spike for the pinfall win.
This was no good.
— LA Knight attacked the heels post-match. He held a chair as they surrounded him on the announce table. Aldis entered and made a match between Knight and “JC” right now.
Match result: Solo Sikoa defeated Rey Fénix and Jimmy Uso (13:05)
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LA Knight vs. JC Mateo (w/Sola Sikoa & US Champion Jacob Fatu)
Making his WWE in-ring debut, Jeff Cobb/JC Mateo wrestled in black jeans, black dress shoes, and a black t-shirt.
This went through a break as the fans watched silently. Knight did not make his comeback immediately after the break. Instead, JC cut him off with an overhead suplex.
Knight fought out of a long bear hug spot as the Toronto Maple Leafs went up 2-0 against the Florida Panthers and finally made his comeback, but JC responded with a spinning back suplex and a standing moonsault for two.
Knight took out Sikoa and Fatu with a dive off the middle rope, but JC caught him with Tour of the Islands for the pinfall win.
Boy, did this ever feel like time-filler. It’s not his fault, but this wasn’t a particularly interesting debut for Cobb, even if he won.
Match result: JC Mateo defeated LA Knight (15:21)
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Angel Garza met with Santos Escobar backstage. Escobar urged him to find Berto and bring him home. Escobar wanted loyalty from Angel.
Shinsuke Nakamura cut a pre-taped promo on LA Knight and Aleister Black.
Next week on SmackDown:
- MITB triple threat qualifier: Aleister Black vs. LA Knight vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
- MITB triple threat qualifier: Charlotte Flair vs. Giulia vs. Zelina Vega
- The Street Profits vs. Fraxiom for the Tag Team Championships
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Jade Cargill warned Tiffany Straatton that she would win her MITB qualifying match and face the winner of tonight’s title match. Stratton said Cargill would never be good enough to cash in on her.
WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax
Early in the match, Jax used a hip attack to drive Stratton’s head into the ring post. It was a good spot, and even Tessitore, who often sounds on the verge of sleep, really sold it big. This led to commercial break two minutes into the match.
Stratton tried fighting back during the break, but Jax hit a middle rope Samoan drop for two. After the break, Jax tried a hip attack again, but Stratton moved, and Jax collided with the ring post. Jax shoved her over the barricade, but Stratton leaped off the barricade and hit a hurricanrana into the post. Stratton followed with a flying crossbody for two. Jax responded with a pop-up Samoan drop and senton for two.
Stratton hit a back handspring elbow and a spinebuster for two. The crowd chanted for Stratton as Jax hit her with consecutive powerbombs. Jax did not pin her for some reason, but instead hit a running leg drop for two. Jax went for an avalanche body slam, but Stratton countered into a powerslam.
Naomi entered with a chair to her music, about ten minutes in. Cargill entered to her music and chased Naomi through the crowd.
Jax missed a tackle and went shoulder-first into the ringpost. Stratton followed with a PME for a close nearfall. The announcers freaked out and said Jax was the first to kick out of Stratton’s finisher.
Stratton went back to the top, but Jax shoved her off and hit a Samoan drop onto the announce table (which didn’t break).
Jax went for the Annihilator, but Stratton slipped underneath for a powerbomb attempt. Stratton couldn’t hit the move, and Jax fell on top of her for the Annihilator, but Stratton just barely got a rope break. (This wasn’t a perfect-looking spot, but it looked brutal, which made for a great nearfall.)
Jax was pissed because she thought she had it won, so she left the ring and grabbed the title belt. Jax gave the belt back to the referee to distract him and grabbed a chair instead. As the ref put the belt away, Stratton dropkicked the chair right into Jax’s face. It was a stiff chair shot, and Jax’s head bled immediately.
Stratton followed with PME for the pinfall win, and the crowd popped.
This was pretty good, with lots of nearfalls and an exciting closing sequence. Hopefully, Jax is ok from the dropkick.
Match result: Tiffany Stratton defeated Nia Jax to retain the WWE Women’s Championship (13:47)