WWE SmackDown Recap: Jacob Fatu Brings the Heat, While a Gingerbread Funeral Steals the (Wrong) Show
Let’s be real for a second. If you tuned into Friday night’s WWE SmackDown from Jacksonville expecting a traditional, by-the-book lead-up to the Backlash pay-per-view, you were probably left scratching your head. The show swung between top-tier sports entertainment and something you’d dream after too much spicy food.
From an absolute masterclass on the mic by Jacob Fatu to a main event segment that quite literally featured a eulogy for a baked good, this was a broadcast that had the entire wrestling world talking—though perhaps not for the reasons Triple H and the creative team originally intended. Let’s break down the tape and look at the highlights, the lowlights, and the downright absurd from this week’s go-home show.
Jacob Fatu is the Undisputed MVP of the Night
If there’s one major takeaway you need to sharpie onto your whiteboard heading into Backlash, it’s that Jacob Fatu is officially the real deal. Forget the slow build; this guy is operating like a first-round draft pick who just took over the starting quarterback job and refuses to give it back.
Opening Smackdown, Fatu cut a promo on Roman Reigns that felt so raw and visceral, you almost forgot you were watching a scripted television show. He didn’t rely on cheap heat or recycled catchphrases. Instead, he hammered home the narrative that while Reigns was the golden child protected by the family, Fatu had to scrape and claw his way from the bottom of the depth chart.
When the Usos predictably jogged out to run interference for their tribal chief, Fatu didn’t flinch. He looked them dead in the eye and threatened to “burn the whole family tree down” if they got involved in his title match. It was delivered with the kind of intense, unblinking conviction that makes you want to run through a brick wall. If Fatu doesn’t walk out of Backlash with some gold around his waist, the front office is leaving serious money on the table.
The Heyman Hustle: Gunther Targets Cody Rhodes
We also got a massive audible called in the world title picture on Smackdown. Instead of a rumored Brock Lesnar retirement tour, Paul Heyman cashed in a favor and inserted “The Ring General” Gunther right into the crosshairs of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
The setup was brilliant. Heyman, doing what Heyman does best, planted a tiny seed of doubt, suggesting that sooner or later, Rhodes is going to need a “Wise Man” in his corner. Is a Cody heel turn finally in the playbook? It’s a fascinating wrinkle. Naturally, Gunther tried to blindside the champ, but Rhodes showcased his veteran awareness, fending off the big man and standing tall. The stage is now officially set for a massive showdown at Clash in Italy.
A Women’s Division Cluster
Look, I love tag team wrestling as much as the next guy, but the women’s tag segment on Friday was the equivalent of a football coach calling four consecutive screen passes when trailing by 20 points. It was just a confusing, overbooked mess.
We had Paige and Brie Bella out there trying to establish dominance, only to be interrupted by Fatal Influence, which makes sense. But then Nia Jax and the Irresistible Forces crashed the party, and you could practically feel the air leave the arena. The live crowd in Jacksonville was so disinterested that they started chanting for Trick Williams just to entertain themselves.
In the match, Fatal Influence faced off against Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss. Ripley impressed on a hot tag, but chaos broke out when Jade Cargill interfered unexpectedly. This distraction allowed Jacy Jayne to pin Bliss, furthering the sense that the creative direction is stagnating and the women’s division needs new storylines.
The Gingerbread Man Funeral on Smackdown… Yes, You Read That Right
Alright, strap in. I don’t know who spiked the water cooler in the writer’s room, but the closing segment of SmackDown is going into the Hall of Fame for all the wrong reasons.Trick Williams, a guy with undeniable charisma, came to the ring to pour out a chalice of milk and sing a mournful dirge for a fallen Gingerbread Man. I am not making this up. They even played an AI-generated highlight reel of the cookie on the Titantron.
Sami Zayn eventually marched out to point out the sheer lunacy of what we were all witnessing, trying to inject some actual wrestling storyline into the mix on Smackdown. But just as things looked like they were getting back on track, rapper Lil Yachty sat up out of a gingerbread costume like The Undertaker, blasted Zayn with a candy cane, and allowed Williams to hit the Trick Shot to close the broadcast.
It was goofy, it was bizarre, and it was the kind of Smackdown television that leaves you staring blankly at your screen long after the credits roll. Whether you loved the comedy or hated the absurdity, you have to admit—you’re probably going to tune in next week just to see how they possibly follow it up.
