By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Smackdown (Episode 1,358)
August 29, 2025, in Lyon-Décines, France, at LDLC Arena
Streamed live internationally on Netflix, delayed airing on USA Network
NOTE: This review was conducted as the show streamed live internationally on Friday afternoon. For those following along at the usual time in the United States, don’t scroll past what’s aired on television if you want to avoid spoilers.
[Hour One] Michael Cole checked in while shots of the host city aired. Cole narrated arrival shots of Solo Sikoa with his crew, and of Sami Zayn. Cole was joined by Wade Barrett on commentary…
A video package recapped last week’s John Cena and Logan Paul segment, and of Paul knocking out Cena in a backstage area at the end of the show…
Logan Paul drove a sports car into the parking lot and then walked through the backstage area and made his entrance. Paul recalled Cena calling him a parasite. Paul said he would speak English because he’s an American. Paul said he’s not a parasite. “I’m the opposite, I’m a disrupter,” Paul said. The crowd was censored for something they chanted.
Paul said the value he brings to WWE is incalculable, but he estimated it as $6.6 billion. “You’re welcome, TKO,” he said. Paul said all he does is add. He said he even brought Prime to WWE and then pointed at the hydration station. “The WWE is becoming The WWMe,” he said.
Paul said Cena represents outdated, institutionalized wrestling. Paul acted like the crowd got to him and then said something in French that drew boos. Paul took issue with Cena telling him to bring his A-game. Paul said he would push Cena to his limit. He spoke in French again, which was followed by boos. Paul said he would beat Cena on Sunday and show the fans that he is wrestling.
John Cena’s entrance theme played. He looked at the cameraman and said, “Stu, you look different. That’s good, though, that’s good.” Cena ran to the ring. Ring announcer Mark Nash gave Cena the over-the-top introduction.
Cena said Paul is stupid for saying he doesn’t need the fans. Cena said that if there are no fans, they have no show. Cena said he sees so much potential in Paul. He said people get angry because they want to like Paul (not really). Cena said Paul isn’t a disruptor, he’s a wannabe.
Cena labeled himself one of the original disruptors. He said Paul talks like him and knocks people out with brass knuckles. Cena said he did it first with his “Word Life” brass knuckles. Cena labeled Paul a dollar store Cena.
Cena said Paul claims he brought Netflix and ESPN to WWE. Cena said Paul’s influence isn’t what it was, and everyone knows it. Cena said he saw a list of the top 25 influencers in the world. He said Paul’s boys were on the list. Cena mentioned some of those influencers and then said Paul’s name was nowhere to be found.
Cena said it was time he spoke to Paul as a friend. He spoke about things Paul did in the past. He said Paul is 30 years old now, and when he makes headlines, it’s for the wrong reasons. Cena said people see through fake.
Cena said Paul has no respect. He said this was a teachable moment. Cena left the ring while telling Paul to stay in the ring. Cena said people give you a pass when you say something bad about a person because you’re having a bad day. Cena found a young fan and told him he was sorry and was having a bad day.
Paul said the promo segment turned into a charity case. Cena returned to the ring. Paul told him to wrap it up. Cena called Paul a dickhead and said he asked for the match, and now he has it. Cena it’s the disappearer vs. the disappointment. Cena told Paul he better polish his game. Cena said Paul won’t save wrestling; wrestling will ruin Paul. Cena left the ring and stopped to visit the young fan again…
Powell’s POV: An entertaining segment with good mic work from Cena, but it’s counterproductive that Cena doesn’t sell anything. He didn’t sell losing the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes, and he didn’t sell Paul knocking him out at the end of last week’s show. It’s hard for heels to maintain heat while facing him because he blows off all of their big heat moments.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley spoke with “The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, who were with B-Fab. The Profits spoke about facing The Miz and Carmelo Hayes in a No. 1 contender’s match. Yes, they still want the smoke.
Bo Dallas showed up and asked if the Profits were real family. He said the Wyatt Sicks are. “When you come for us and fail, you’re going to find out if he really is your brother,” Dallas said before walking away…
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair and Alex Bliss made their entrances and met in the entrance aisle. Chelsea Green clipped Flair’s leg. Alba Fyre joined Green in attacking the champions heading into the first commercial break… [C]
1. Alexa Bliss vs. Chelsea Green (w/Alba Fyre). Cole said the tag team title match was off because of Green’s attack on Flair’s knee. Green was in offensive control heading into a break. [C] Late in the match, Bliss went for Twisted Bliss, but Green put her knees up. Bliss and Green both stuffed the other’s finisher and then Bliss rolled up Green for the win…
Alexa Bliss defeated Chelsea Green.
After the match, Fyre and Green attacked Bliss. Flair limped out and tried to fight the heels, but they had the numbers advantage. Green put Flair down with a mistimed Unprettier, and then Fyre hit Bliss with a falling facebuster.
Powell’s POV: It looked like Flair tried to take the Unprettier before Green actually went for the move. The match was fine. Piper Niven was actually scheduled to team with Alba Fyre, but she did not appear. I’m not sure why they didn’t go with Green and Fyre challenging Bliss and Flair, but I like that they are putting strong heat on Green and her crew.
Cathy Kelley interviewed Sami Zayn, who spoke about feeling supremely confident heading into his U.S. Title match…
Cole congratulated Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes for welcoming their second daughter…
A clip aired of Bianca Belair on the WWE Unreal docu series… [C] Cole ran through the scheduled for WWE Clash in Paris (the main card starts at 1CT/2ET)…
Aleister Black was featured in a promo video about his feud with Damian Priest…
Damian Priest spoke with Cathy Kelley in a backstage area. Priest said Aleister Black speaks and dresses like he’s educated, and he knows he’s educated in martial arts. Priest said Black wants to be like him, but he’s not. Priest said he would teach Black what it’s like to be like him and where he’s from, and who he is. Priest said he would teach Black a lot about pain. Priest said he would enjoy every bit of violence he inflicts on Black. Priest sent it back to Cole and Barrett on commentary…
Michin made her entrance for a match against Kiana James… [C] Cole hyped the AAA Worlds Collide show… Kiana James made her entrance with Women’s U.S. Champion Giulia…
2. Kiana James (w/Giulia) vs. Michin. James tried to hit Michin with her purse, but Michin sidestepped her and rolled her up for the pin.
Michin defeated Kiana James in 0:06.
Giulia attacked Michin after the match. Giulia used her foot to drive Michin’s face into the ring steps…
Drew McIntyre was shown walking backstage. Cole said McIntyre would address Randy Orton after a break… [C]
Powell’s POV: It looks like James is going to be positioned as a joke of a wrestler, at least to start. One can only hope that she is positioned well as a manager. The post-match angle looked violent, as it was essentially a Stomp on the steps, but the broadcast team didn’t sell it like it was anything out of the ordinary.
[Hour Two] A graphic noted that Lyon is considered the birthplace of cinema and has over 4,000 restaurants. Cole called it the food capital of the world…
Drew McIntyre made his entrance. McIntyre looked around the ringside area just in case Randy Orton was hiding. McIntyre said Cole kisses Cody Rhodes’ ass, then asked if there was a medical update. When Cole said no, McIntyre said he didn’t think so. McIntyre entered the ring and told Orton to come out and let the fans hear his song.
Randy Orton made his entrance while the fans sang his entrance theme. McIntyre said that was special. McIntyre questioned if Orton attacked him last week out of friendship with Cody Rhodes. McIntyre said Cody has no friends and is a politician.
McIntyre recalled Cody showing no hesitation when he targeted Orton’s back during their King of the Ring match. McIntyre said Orton is an idiot if he thinks Cody is his friend. Orton said McIntyre made a compelling argument. “But if you think that I dropped your ass last week for Cody, you’re wrong,” Orton said. “I dropped you last week because I think you’re a prick.”
McIntyre dropped Orton with a Glasgow Kiss headbutt. McIntyre waited for Orton to get up and then went for a Claymore Kick, but Orton dodged it. Orton hit a Draping DDT. Orton struck the Viper’s Pose. A referee, producer Shane Helms, and two security guards ran out to stop Orton, who dropped both security guards with an RKO. Orton stopped short of RKO’ing Helms. Orton patted Helms on the shoulder and then gave him an RKO. Orton sat up for a PK on McIntyre, who rolled out of the ring to avoid it…
Powell’s POV: This was a good exchange with McIntyre making a good argument against Cody Rhodes being a true friend. Orton’s rebuttal was solid, and I love that McIntyre responded to it with a Glasgow Kiss.
The Miz was warming up backstage when Carmelo Hayes approached him. Hayes took issue with Miz stealing his wins over the last couple of weeks. Miz said they are a team and they share the glory.
Bo Dallas entered the room and cut off Miz, delivering his catchphrase. Dallas said there are always different perceptions, but perceptions aren’t reality. “I am,” Dallas said. “Can you handle that?” Hayes bumped fists with Miz after Dallas exited the room…
The Street Profits and B-Fab made their entrance… [C]
Backstage, Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis took issue with Randy Orton attacking security guards. Orton gave him a small bottle of Fireball and called it the best whiskey in America. Um, sure. After Orton left the room, R-Truth showed up and asked Aldis if he was going to drink the Fireball. Aldis said he would after the day that he’d had…
The Miz and Carmelo Hayes made their entrance…
3. “The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins (w/B-Fab) vs. The Miz and Carmelo Hayes for a shot at the WWE Tag Team Titles. Hayes hit a variation of Nothing But Net on Dawkins heading into a break. [C] Ford took a hot tag and then hit a standing moonsault on Miz for a two count. Miz came back with a DDT for a two count of his own. Miz set up for his finisher, but Ford pushed him backward. Hayes made a blind tag. Ford hit Miz with a top rope frog splash. Hayes hit Ford with a top rope splash for a near fall.
The Wyatt Sicks showed up at ringside, which distracted Miz. Dawkins ran over and punched Miz off the apron. In the ring, Dawkins and Ford hit The Revelation on Hayes, and then Dawkins got the pin.
“The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins defeated The Miz and Carmelo Hayes in 9:05 to earn a shot at the WWE Tag Team Titles.
Barrett announced that the Street Profits will challenge Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy for the WWE Tag Team Titles at Clash in Paris…
Powell’s POV: So if The Miz is petrified of The Wyatts, then why would he even try to earn a tag title match? That said, it was nice to see a true tag team beat the two singles wrestlers. We’re up to six matches for Clash in Paris. Will the show run longer than the average premium live event?
Backstage, Jade Cargill told WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton that she’s the No. 1 contender due to her win last week. Stratton and Cargill jawed back and for for a bit…
Powell’s POV: I get the idea of letting the fans choose, but both wrestlers are coming off as unlikable due to their ongoing squabbling.
Solo Sikoa delivered a brief promo while his MFTs stood next to him…
Sami Zayn made his entrance for the U.S. Championship match… [C]
Cole ran through the WWE podcast schedule. Footage aired of Roman Reigns telling Stephanie McMahon that she broke his eardrum when she slapped him repeatedly…
The broadcast team ran through the Clash in Paris lineup… Solo Sikoa made his entrance with Talla Tonga, JC Mateo, and Tonga Loa. Cole said that he and Barrett will be on the Clash in Paris pre-show in addition to being the broadcast team for the main card…
4. Solo Sikoa (Talla Tonga, JC Mateo, Tonga Loa) vs. Sami Zayn for the U.S. Championship. Zayn sent Solo to ringside and set up for a flip dive, but Talla moved Solo out of the way. The show went to a break less than a minute into the match. [C]
Cole said this was Zayn’s first title shot since last October. Zayn hit a flip dive and then threw Solo back in the ring. While the referee checked on Solo, Mateo and Loa grabbed Sami’s legs and pulled him back to the floor. The duo took some cheat shots and then threw Zayn back in the ring. Sikoa hit a Spinning Solo for a near fall.
Jimmy Uso ran out and went after the MFTs, but the numbers got to him. Jacob Fatu’s entrance music played. Fatu emerged from the timekeepers’ area and fought with Talla. Fatu ran Talla into he ring post. In the ring, Zayn hit a distracted Sikoa with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall.
Fatu and Uso fought the MFTs until they all disappeared from ringside. Zayn set up for a Helluva Kick, but Solo exited the ring. Zayn followed and was hit with a Spinning Solo on the broadcast table. [C]
Zayn hit an exploder suplex and then charged for a Helluva Kick, but Solo cut him off with a superkick. Solo went for a Samoan Spike, but Sami ducked it, and Solo’s momentum took him to a corner of the ring. Zayn hit a pair of Helluva Kicks and then covered Solo for the three count.
Sami Zayn defeated Solo Sikoa in 12:30 to win the U.S. Championship.
Cole said it was the first time that Zayn won the U.S. Championship. The fans chanted Zayn’s entrance theme as he stood on the middle rope and held up the title belt. The producer credits were shown and then pyro shot off on the stage to end the show…
Powell’s POV: A fun match capped off with a title change. Overall, it was a good show with some solid go-home hype for Clash in Paris. I will be back shortly with my weekly same-night audio review of Raw. Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of the show by grading it below. Have a great holiday weekend (for those who live in the United States).
Join Colin McGuire for his live review of WWE Clash in Paris on Sunday at 1CT/2ET.
I cannot WAIT to see the WWE-is-always-great people defend the Charlotte ‘she’s hurt and can’t compete in the match’ BS.
If that happens in AEW those same people call it weak. COME ON, usual suspect(s), let’s show that hypocrisy loud and clear and try to explain it away!
it reeked of last minute “oops we can’t have a tag team match” lazy booking. I was hoping to actually see the booked match instead of the passable thing we got
Bray is so mid. I always enjoyed Bray’s work, but Bray needs needs to go away, and stay away. He just doesn’t have it.
I meant Bo is mid, and needs to go away.