SmackDown Tulsa Throwdown: Jacob Fatu Breaks Tables, Gunther Breaks Necks, and We Break Down a Wild Friday Night
If you walked into the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, expecting a quiet Friday evening, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to WWE lately. Friday night’s episode of SmackDown brought the heat, a fresh wave of NXT call-ups, and a level of absolute carnage that makes you wonder if the ring crew gets paid overtime.
Between Cody Rhodes getting choked out, Jacob Fatu looking like an actual horror movie monster, and a storyline involving baked goods that we really need to talk about, it was a rollercoaster of an evening on Smackdown. Let’s hit the tape and break down the biggest moments from the blue brand.
Cody Rhodes Survives the Rookie, Only to Meet the Ring General
We kicked things off on Smackdown with the Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, delivering the news everyone wanted to hear: he’s medically cleared. Simple, effective, and right to the point. But because this is pro wrestling, a clean bill of health is basically a magnet for someone trying to ruin your night.
Enter Ricky Saints. For his first main-roster appearance on Smackdown, the NXT standout didn’t just knock on the door; he tried to kick it off the hinges. Saints grabbed the mic, oozed cockiness, and leaned heavily into the “change is coming” mantra. It’s exactly the kind of energy SmackDown needs right now. Rhodes, never one to back down from a rookie looking for a viral moment, gave him a match right then and there.
The bout was an absolute sprint. Saints looked crisp, landing clean counters and proving he belongs in the big leagues without making the champ look weak. But in the end, Rhodes hit a Cross Rhodes that essentially rearranged Saints’ dental records for the 1-2-3. It was a beautiful spike.
But the real headline came right after the bell. Gunther materialized out of thin air and choked Rhodes out, firmly planting his flag in the SmackDown title picture. Here’s the wild part: the Tulsa crowd actually cheered Gunther. The Ring General standing tall over a fallen Cody Rhodes is a heavy visual, and frankly, a feud between these two is the exact kind of heavyweight clash that puts butts in seats.
Jacob Fatu is the Scariest Man in Professional Wrestling
The Bloodline saga has more layers than a prestige HBO drama at this point. Friday’s main event gave us The Usos taking on Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga (MFT). Talla Tonga was out there looking like prime Shaquille O’Neal in the paint—just an immovable, bruising force of nature. Jey and Jimmy got their licks in, hitting a flurry of Super Kicks and a hot tag that blew the roof off the arena, but it felt like they were throwing pebbles at a tank.
Then, the Samoan Werewolf crashed the party.Jacob Fatu stormed through the crowd, caused a disqualification, and decided to choose violence. He decimated Tonga with the steel steps, slapped on the Tongan Death Grip, and then—in a visual that belongs in the Louvre—hit a Samoan Drop that put the giant through the announce table. Splinters everywhere, Broadcasters running for their lives. It was glorious.
The coldest moment of the night? Fatu stood face-to-face with The Usos amid the wreckage, only to walk right past them. He spared them. It was a terrifying display of restraint from a guy who just obliterated the most unbothered big man on the roster.
Sami Zayn and the Gingerbread Man (Yes, Really)
Look, I love Sami Zayn. I love Trick Williams. They are two of the most charismatic, gifted athletes on the roster. Which is why it physically pains me to report that Zayn came to the ring this week to cut a promo on a gingerbread mannequin.
Zayn is currently playing the delusional heel who pretends the crowd’s negativity doesn’t bother him, comparing himself to Bob Dylan going electric. But then he started beating up a giant cookie stand-in for Williams. Trick eventually ran down to make the save for the prop. This feud has entirely lost the plot. These guys are too talented to be doing sketch comedy with baked goods. Can we just let them wrestle?
The U.S. Title Carousel and a Jacy Jayne Shocker
Elsewhere on the card, the Women’s U.S. Championship scene feels like it’s stuck in a perpetual loop. Tiffany Stratton issued an open challenge, only to be interrupted by Chelsea Green and Giulia. It’s the same cast of characters circling the same wagons. Stratton’s reign needs a jolt of fresh air, and hopefully, her title defense against Kiana James next week provides it.
On a brighter note, Jacy Jayne pulled off a massive victory over Charlotte Flair. Sure, she needed a hefty assist from Fatal Influence to escape the Figure-8, but a win over The Queen is a massive resume builder. It’s exactly the kind of elevation a rising star needs, proving that SmackDown is finally starting to successfully build its next generation of main-eventers.
Overall, it was a messy, chaotic, and incredibly entertaining night of television. If Gunther is gunning for the gold and Jacob Fatu is breaking tables, the road to the summer is going to be an absolute dogfight.
