‘WWE Smackdown’ Review (Oct 24th 2025)
Welcome to this review of this past Friday’s episode of Smackdown, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: Tama Tonga & JC Mateo def. Rey Fenix & Shinsuke Nakamura
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In the final moments of a heated tag team match, a distraction from Solo Sikoa allowed Talla Tonga to lay out Rey Fenix on the unforgiving ring apron. This allowed Tama Tonga to hit Fenix with the Cutthroat for the huge victory for himself and JC Mateo.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Tiffany Stratton def. Kiana James
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After Tiffany Stratton defeated Kiana James with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever, Giulia unleashed a post-match assault on the WWE Women’s Champion. This brought Jade Cargill to the ring to help Stratton. Just when it looked as if the dust would settle, however, Cargill suddenly unleashed a surprise attack on Stratton.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: United States Title Open Challenge – Ilja Dragunov def. Aleister Black
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After returning from injury last week to capture the star-spangled title from Sami Zayn, Ilja Dragunov took center stage on SmackDown to celebrate his success and continue the United States Championship Open Challenge. His opponent? Aleister Black. Seconds after Zelina Vega got him ejected from ringside during the match, Damian Priest emerged at ringside to cause a distraction that enabled Dragunov to defeat his ominous challenger with Torpedo Moscow.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: No Disqualification Match – Drew McIntyre def. Jimmy
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The brutal No Disqualification Match spread across the arena and featured tables, chairs and animosity. Although Jimmy Samoan Dropped Drew through a table, McIntyre hurled a chair at his opponent as Jimmy was going for the Uso Splash. He then followed up with the Claymore for the three-count. When McIntyre attacked Uso with the chair after the match, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes came to the rescue, only to suffer a vicious Claymore. As SmackDown concluded, The Scottish Psychopath stood tall heading into his championship fight against Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event on Nov. 1.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This week’s WWE SmackDown delivered a strong mix of storytelling and in-ring action, making it one of the better blue brand outings in recent weeks. The show opened with a tense confrontation between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, as McIntyre seethed over Rhodes’ previous attack and accused the fans of being blindly loyal to the American Nightmare. The tension between them added a real main-event energy to the episode. In the women’s division, Jade Cargill appeared ready to back up Tiffany Stratton—only to shock everyone by attacking her instead, completing a dramatic heel turn that could reshape the division. The main event, a No Disqualification match between McIntyre and Jimmy Uso, delivered chaos, tables, and emotion as storylines collided ahead of next weekend’s event. While some mid-card moments lacked spark, the episode’s strong character work and surprises kept the show entertaining from start to finish.
