WWE SmackDown Go-Home Results: WrestleMania 42’s Bizarre Final Push, CM Punk’s Lovefest, and the Pat McAfee Problem
We are officially on the doorstep of WrestleMania 42. Las Vegas is buzzing, the neon lights are shining, and Allegiant Stadium is bracing for the biggest weekend in sports entertainment. But if you tuned into the final episode of WWE SmackDown hoping for a fiery, blood-pumping go-home show that would have you running through a brick wall, you probably ended up scratching your head instead.
Professional wrestling, at its best, is unmatched theater. But when it misses, it’s obvious. Friday night’s SmackDown mixed forced marketing and missed opportunities, rescuing itself only with an excellent Battle Royal. Here’s what unfolded in Sin City.
The Elephant (or Punter) in the Room: Orton, Rhodes, and McAfee on Smackdown
Let’s start with the storyline giving everyone a collective migraine: Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes have two decades of rich, deeply woven history. They have a built-in narrative of mentorship, betrayal, and legacy that essentially writes itself. So, what did WWE do? They handed the microphone to Pat McAfee on Smackdown and said be great.
To his credit, Orton genuinely tried to salvage this. He stood in the middle of the ring and cut a promo, leaning heavily into his resentment toward Cody. He talked about how Rhodes was a taker, drawing on years of shared history to paint a picture of a student who had completely lost respect for the teacher. The Smackdown crowd was eating out of the palm of Orton’s hand. He was cooking.And then, he pivoted to Pat McAfee.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Randy Orton is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He does not need a celebrity co-sign from a podcast host to validate his heel turn. Calling McAfee the “straight shooter” who revitalized his career completely undermined Orton’s own legendary status. You could literally hear the air leave the T-Mobile Arena. It’s like watching your favorite quarterback throw a brutal interception in the red zone—just a totally unforced error.
CM Punk and Cody Rhodes: A Lovefest We Didn’t Need
Cody Rhodes eventually came out to close Smackdown and attempted to re-center the narrative. He touched on the mental hurdles of his past WrestleMania main events, which was a nice slice of reality. But before things could really escalate, out walked the World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk.
On paper, having your two top champions share the ring on the eve of WrestleMania sounds like absolute box office magic. Both guys were dressed to the nines, fresh off the Hall of Fame red carpet, and the crowd was ready for some serious verbal fireworks. Maybe a tease for a massive summer feud? Maybe a subtle threat?Nope. We got a wholesome, substanceless lovefest.
Punk gave Cody some veteran advice, Cody told Punk his dad (the late, great Dusty Rhodes) would be proud of him, and they hugged. Yes, they hugged it out and shed a few tears. It was an incredibly sweet moment between two guys who clearly respect each other, but man, this is the go-home show for WrestleMania! We want tension. We want drama. We don’t want two guys exchanging metaphorical friendship bracelets before the biggest fights of their lives. It felt like a blatant commercial to remind everyone to tune in on Monday, rather than giving us a reason to buy the pay-per-view this weekend.
Turning away from the men’s division drama, it’s clear the women’s WrestleMania picture faced its own hurdles.
If the men’s main event picture felt overly complicated, the women’s division somehow managed to be both overcooked and totally underwhelming.Rhea Ripley challenging Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship should feel like Godzilla fighting King Kong. These are two of the most imposing, physically gifted athletes on the planet. But their segment on Friday night was borderline uncomfortable. Ripley, who is usually bulletproof on the mic, stumbled over her lines. Instead of a hard-hitting war of words, the promo battle devolved into Cargill repeating the same tired insults over and over again.
And for reasons that defy all logic, B-Fab and Michin are still awkwardly lingering in this picture. It’s just clutter. I am begging WWE to just let Ripley and Cargill step into the ring and tear the house down on Sunday, because the talking segments have completely lost the plot.
Royce Keys Steals the Show (Because Someone Had To)
Thankfully, the night wasn’t a total wash. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal returned to television, and it was exactly the kind of fast-paced, chaotic fun that we actually tune in for.
The match was packed with great spots, but the real story here is Royce Keys. Making only his second TV appearance, Keys looked like an absolute monster. The final three came down to Keys, Otis, and the seemingly unstoppable Talla Tonga. In a brilliant piece of booking, Keys managed to outlast them both, taking out Tonga with a massive Spinebuster and Clothesline to secure the trophy.
Keys has a phenomenal backstory and a gentle-giant charisma that the fans are already latching onto. Winning the Battle Royal gives him a rocket strap heading into the post-WrestleMania season, and it was easily the most human, exciting moment of the entire broadcast.
Ultimately, this episode of SmackDown felt like a team running out the clock. The real test comes this weekend at Allegiant Stadium. Let’s just hope the actual matches bring the fire that Friday night was so desperately missing.
