Follow along with this week’s episode, featuring all the final angles before SummerSlam! John Cena & Cody Rhodes face-to-face, and more!

WWE Friday Night SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Aug. 1, 2025) with a live show emanating from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, featuring all the latest build to the SummerSlam premium live event scheduled for the next couple nights just down the road at MetLife Stadium.

Advertised for tonight: WWE Champion John Cena and his challenger Cody Rhodes will once again come face-to-face.

Plus, Giulia puts the United States championship on the line against Zelina Vega, Jimmy Uso dukes it out with Talla Tonga, Damian Priest will go one-on-one with Aleister Black after weeks of back-and-forth, and more!

Come right back here at 8 pm ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA Network. It will be below this line here. (Note: Links to illegal streams are prohibited. Pics and GIFs are allowed.)

WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR AUG. 1

No lyrics today, y’all.

Today I am celebrating seven years of feminizing hormone replacement therapy, which is an interesting milestone because as I understand it it takes about seven years for your bodily processes to replace every last cell in your body throug natural turnover, so in a very real sense today heralds a brand-new Claire, top to bottom. Or side, as the case may be.

And in a very real sense I could not have done it without the support of Cageside Seats, from my incredibly supportive coworkers, to my pals from the old Daily way back when (who helped me finance my first round of DIY HRT once upon a time), to every one of you who has left an appreciative comment or even just use my liveblogs as your first line of keeping up with the show, I am grateful for every last one of you.

Even those of you who have chastised and complained, I pray every day to Julia Serano that you’ll fix your hearts, but if you’ve clicked on one of my pieces, you’ve helped me live my life in some small way.

On with the show!

The show opens with the announcement that tonight’s show has limited commercial interruption thanks to Jimmy John’s.

The usual montage of talent arriving at the arena follows.

John Cena makes his entrance, but before he can get on the mic—

“American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes makes his entrance.

Cena stops him and reminds him that he said he was exhausted and unable to compete at SummerSlam, but Rhodes did not listen, he attacked him, forged his signature, and got him stuck in one of the most dangerous matches on one of the grandest stages of them all, and he has only one thing to say to Cody— “Thank you.”

That was the boot in the ass he needed, and for years he has forged a reputation off of hard work, honesty, and respect, and he now realizes that he flushed it down the toilet five months ago when he bought into somebody’s idea to make shocking TV, and they did, they shocked the world but then the dust settles and the people that were supposed to be on his team left him alone, trying to pretend to be something that he’s not.

He wants to leave here with the title, he wants to take it home with him after his last match, but it’s not because he wants to ruin wrestling. We should know he doesn’t want to ruin wrestling, he loves wrestling, he wants to take it home so that after he’s gone, we don’t forget about him. He was so hung up on how we might see him tomorrow that he didn’t realize how stupid he was acting today.

We tried to tell him, Cody tried to tell him, and he didn’t listen, but he did what a good friend does, he forced him to face it, forced him into a fight, not a match, a fight. Something that’s gonna be brutal, something that people will mark as the day John Cena returned to WWE. He doesn’t know who leaves with the title on Sunday, but he knows each and every one of the fans wins.

He’s finally over his own BS, and now Cody Rhodes gets to face off against John Cena at his best, with something to prove, in a main event street fight with no rules that Rhodes wanted, and if you want some? Come get some. And on Sunday, the only platinum rapper that’s gonna show up to whip Cody’s ass is him.

Cody gestures to ringside for a couple of beers and welcomes John Cena back, cracking one and handing it to him. Cena looks around, shakes Cody’s hand, cheerses him and takes a big ol’ sip!

Commentary tosses to some video of Logan Paul crashing a Jelly Roll training session from earlier today and I really badly need to go get my beverage out of the freezer before it explodes so I will be right back.

Anyway Drew McIntyre also showed up and they left Mr. Roll writhing in agony on the mat.

A man in the front row is shown with a chyron labeling him as The Rainmaker but he is not Kazuchika Okada and I guess it’s promotion for some USA show? Lame.

Giulia (c) vs. Zelina Vega (WWE Women’s United States Championship)

Feeling out, Vega rolls under, waistlock, Giulia springs out of it. Circling, mat slam from the Beautiful Madness, whip reversed, sidestep the boot, clawhold STO for a nearfall for the champion! Elbows and chops, vertical suplex connects! Whip across, duck under, la casadora arm drag adn Giulia is sent to the apron!

Zelina dropkicks her to the floor, follows it up with a Meteora to the floor, and we finally, mercifully go to break!

Back from commercial, Giulia with a wicked casadora rear chinlock, turning it into a reverse surfboard, Vega counters to a cover for two, surfboard stomp from the champ… NOPE! Zelina fighting back into it, Saito suplex, kip-up, fired up, corner knees, up top, Giulia cuts her off, jockeying for position… ZELINA VEGA GERMAN SUPERPLEX BUT THE BEAUTIFUL MADNESS WILL NOT STAY DOWN!

Giulia takes her back up top, headbutts, butterfly superplex, roll through, short-arm knee, northern lights bomb… NOT ENOUGH! Zelina counters, sunset flip, cover for two! Duck under, lungblower connects! Giulia perserveres, gets her back up…

Giulia wins by pinfall with the northern lights bomb, retaining the WWE Women’s United States Championship.

Solo Sikoa and the MFT are interviewed backstage.

Solo takes issue with the idea that he requested the cage be hung over the ring for his match tonight and also takes issue with calling “Big” Jim Uso his big brother, insisting that he’s his LITTLE big brother, and that Talla Tonga is gonna destroy him. And what’s the stupid saying, get in where you fit in?

Legado del Fantasma come to the stage for Los Garza’s open challenge for their AAA World Tag Team Championship and we go to break.

Back from commercial, we get a recap of Los Garza winning the AAA World Tag Team Championship they’re about to put on the line.

In the ring, Santos Escobar gets on the mic to inaugurate the open challenge.

He calls on New Jersey to show the champs respect even though the crowd aren’t familiar with the concept, and any tag team in the back, if you wanna be lucha libre royalty, you just gotta come face Los Garza right now!

MR. IGUANA IS HERE ON SMACKDOWN, LA YESCA IN MOUTH AND PSYCHO CLOWN NOT FAR BEHIND!

Los Garza (Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo) (c) vs. Mr. Iguana & Psycho Clown (AAA World Tag Team Championship Open Challenge)

Clown and Garza to start, Psycho quickly getting the better of the champ, Super Porky mentioned on commentary! Big right hands from Clown, quebradora and the straps are down! Superkick and a lariat, he tears the outer layer of his mask off and reveals the bare red meat below! Nearfall, setting up the tag, but Carrillo tags in and cuts him off!

Working Psycho over in the corner, snapmare to grounded overhooks, grinding him down, dropkick takes him off his feet when he gets back up, cover for two! Path clear, crawling, Humberto tags in to cut him off but Clown gets to his feet and leaps and gets the tag! Iguana off the ropes, huge satellite tijeras, springboard headbutt an La Yesca is as fired up as he is!

She bites Garza’s hand, Mr. with the diving Frankensteiner! Satellite crucifix driver on Carrillo… SO CLOSE! Clown in the ring cheering him on… MR. IGUANA TOPE CON GIRO BUT THEY CATCH HIM AND THROW HIM INTO PSYCHO AS HE GOES FOR A DIVE! Back inside, fireman’s carry, Humberto slips out, springboard roundhouse kick connects, cover but he’s not the legal man!

Quick tags, they go and get Iguana and put him up in the corner… AVALANCHE MTY CONNECTS BUT MR. IGUANA WILL NOT STAY DOWN! Tag to Clown, diving crossbody but Los Garza roll through, pick him up…

Los Garza win by pinfall with MTY on Psycho Clown, retaining the AAA World Tag Team Championship.

Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul are walking backstage and they run into an interview.

They refuse to talk and say whatever they do have to say, they’ll say to the world in the ring later tonight.

And so we go to break.

Back from commercial we get a hype reel for the SmackDown tag team division ahead of SummerSlam’s six team TLC match.

Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest

Collar and elbow into the corner, Black explodes out with a standing armbar, Priest reverses to a big arm drag! Aleister with a leg kick, circling, another leg kick, Damian returns the favor kicking his leg out of his leg but Black bails and dodges the Cyclone Kill by doing so! Priest out after him, off the steps with a double axhandle!

Back inside, Al ducks a kick, Priest hung up in the ropes, flash kick takes him down and Black lands a tope con giro to send us to break!

Back from commercial, Black lands a boot, blocks one from Priest, drops him with a rising knee… NO DEAL! Damian getting fired up, blocks a kick, lands some elbows, bowling Al over, big pop-up drop leaves him hurting in the corner! Corner elbow, knucklelock, diving crossbody connects! A big lariat follows, cover for two, they trade kicks and Black goes to the floor!

Priest follows out after him, and Aleister cuts him off with a huge knee out from behind the announce desk! Orihara moonsault, nobody home and Damian pounces him clean over the announce desk! Damian clears the desk, but Al Black cold cocks him with a thrown chair Sabu-style!

Damian Priest wins by disqualification.

Post-match, Black beats him down but referee Aja Perera backs him off! He grabs the chair again and wallops Priest over the back with it! Warned again, he comes in again and spikes Damian with it but this time she takes it away! Aleister smashes Priest’s head into the steps over and over! He draws Priest up to his feet… BLACK MASS!

Tiffany Stratton is walking backstage when she runs into Jade Cargill.

Cargill says she doesn’t need her help, and Stratton says when she wins tomorrow, she doesn’t want there to be any excuses. Jade says there won’t be, there’s nothing in her way, and she’s gonna finish what she started.

Talla Tonga makes his entrance, flanked by Solo Sikoa, to send us to break.

Back from commercial we get a hype reel for Hunter Hearst-Helmsley’s appearance at the press conference at the White House wherein the president signed an executive order to bring back the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, joining many other executive orders that he’s signed that attempt to define me and mine out of existence and force us out of public life and back into the darkness of the closet.

“Big” Jim Uso vs. Talla Tonga

Uso hot out the gates, cornering Tonga, mounted punches, off the top and Talla swats him out of mid-air! Tonga putting boots to him, Jim with the low bridge, enzuigiri knocks him off the apron, suicide dive follows but Talla is still on his feet! Solo Sikoa holds him back and we go to break!

Back from commercial, Tonga still in control, Jim slips away, he goes into the turnbuckles, probing kick, big uppercut, Uso tries for a fireman’s carry but Talla swats him down! Boot sends Jim to the apron, shoulder block, enzuigiri, off the top but Tonga catches him, goozle, Uso floats over!

Another superkick, another, a clothesline sends the big man to the floor! Superkick fends Sikoa off, one more for Talla, off the ropes, spear connects! Off the top, Tonga catches him with a goozle…

Talla Tonga wins by pinfall with a chokeslam.

Solo calls for them and JC Mateo and Tonga Loa appears to join the beatdown and now the steel cage is lowered! Before it gets all the way down, “Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu runs down and slides in to make the save! Solo and Talla run away but Fatu overcomes Loa and Mateo all by himself! Moonsaults for both of ‘em!

Commentary hypes up the SummerSlam cards.

Backstage, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair are interviewed.

Flair admits she didn’t have tagging with Lexi on her 2025 bingo card but she’s showed up and she has to respect her even if she is super annoying. Bliss asks if that counts as a compliment, Charlotte tells her to take it or leave it and she takes it. Alexa likewise says Flair has been there but they deny that they’re friends, Bliss saying Charlotte doesn’t like using the f-word.

Flair insists they should be focused on the tag titles and they walk off together.

Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul are shown walking backstage to send us to break.

Back from commercial, Logan Paul makes his entrance, joined shortly thereafter by Drew McIntyre.

Paul gets on the mic and berates the crowd, saying they’re just protecting the business and that Jelly Roll thought SummerSlam was a hot dog eating contest. He and Drew have dedicated their lives to this and he’s sick of outsiders making their names and coming to WWE to take it to the next level, because it’s impossible for anyone that isn’t him.

He says Roll learned today what he’ll learn tomorrow, that he’s a country star, not a Superstar, and he’ll never belong here. Drew tells Randy Orton that whatever happens to Smelly Hole tomorrow will be on him. He says he’s got god on speed dial and when Drew McIntyre prays, bad things happen.

We see a truck pull up and Jelly Roll gets out stroking his chin as McIntyre says this match doesn’t happen if he comes down here. Roll stops in front of the truck and slaps the hood and Randy Orton gets out the other side and they head to the ring!

A brawl breaks out, security swarm to pull them apart but the fight continues! Eventually security manages to get them separated, heels on the ramp, faces in the ring. Orton and Roll step back and pep each other up and Randy hits RKOs on two security guards! A third talks him down, Orton looks at Jelly and Roll chokeslams the kid!

That’s the show, folks.