‘WWE Smackdown’ Review (May 8th 2026)
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: Women’s United States Championship – Tiffany Stratton def. Kiana James
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton defended her title for the first time since dethroning Giulia against Kiana James. During the match, there seemed to be some tension between James and Giulia. Some miscommunication between the two allowed Stratton to land the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to get the win.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #2: Talla Tonga def. Damian Priest
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
WWE Tag Team Champion Damian Priest collided with Talla Tonga. Outside the ring, Tonga slammed Priest hard onto the announce table, leaving Priest breathless. Priest answered by hitting huge spinning kicks and clotheslines to Tonga. Just as Priest was pulling down his straps, a returning Tama Tonga arrived to distract Priest. With Solo Sikoa and Tonga sizing up Priest, R-Truth came to Priest’s aid. After a ringside brawl, Talla Tonga nailed the Chokeslam on Priest to get the big victory.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Ricky Saints def. Matt Cardona
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Ricky Saints scored his first win on SmackDown by connecting with a Rochambeau on Matt Cardona.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Fatal Influence def. Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid made their SmackDown in-ring debut as a trio against WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. The Eradicator tore apart all three members of Fatal Influence. Jayne attempted the Rolling Encore on Bliss, but Bliss countered with a Sister Abigail that did not connect. Just as Bliss was about to tag in Ripley, Jade Cargill returned to pull Ripley off the apron. This allowed Jayne to connect with a Rolling Encore on Bliss to give Fatal Influence the win.
My Score: 3out of 5
Match #5: Royce Keys def. Tama Tonga
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After Royce Keys backed up Damian Priest and R-Truth against The MFTs, Tama Tonga looked to punish Keys. Keys pummeled Tonga with pounces and powerslams in the center of the ring as Tonga weathered the onslaught. Keys nailed the Ultimate Spinebuster on Tonga to get the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2/5
This week’s Smackdown felt more like a setup episode than a genuinely satisfying standalone show, with too many matches ending in interference, distractions or angles overriding the in-ring action. Tiffany Stratton’s title defence never really got going, while Damian Priest vs. Talla Tonga and Royce Keys vs. Tama Tonga both felt more focused on faction storytelling than delivering memorable wrestling. Ricky Saints picking up his first SmackDown win was a nice moment, but even that came across as fairly routine. The six-woman tag match closed the night as the clear standout, with Fatal Influence making an impact and Jade Cargill’s return adding some much-needed energy to the show. Still, outside of storyline progression and surprise appearances, this was a fairly flat episode that struggled to build momentum from bell to bell.
