‘WWE Smackdown’ Review (Nov 14th 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: Last Time is Now First Round Tournament Match – Jey Uso def. The Miz
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Shortly after kicking out of the Skull Crushing Finale, “Main Event” Jey Uso dropped The Miz off the ropes before hitting a Spear/Uso Splash combination for the three-count. With the win, Uso moved one step closer to becoming John Cena’s final opponent in the Last Time is Now Tournament.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: United States Championship Open Challenge – Ilja Dragunov def. Axiom
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Despite Axiom hitting an extremely unique DDT and the Spanish Fly off the top rope. United States Champion Ilja Dragunov roared back with a Torpedo Moscow/H-Bomb combination to successfully defended his title in an Open Challenge Match.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Last Time is Now Tournament Match – LA Knight def. Zack Ryder
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After catching a returning Zack Ryder off the ropes with a powerbomb, LA Knight hit his opponent with the B.F.T. to pick up the win and move one step closer to becoming John Cena’s final opponent in the Last Time is Now Tournament.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Jade Cargill def. B-Fab
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill scored a dominant win over B-Fab with Jaded. When Michin checked on his defeated friend after the match, she found herself in a tense confrontation with the titleholder, which ended with her getting shoved to the ground.
My Score: Squash out of 5
Match #5: Undisputed WWE Championship – Cody Rhodes def. Bronson Reed (DQ)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In the height of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes’ title match against Bronson Reed, Bron Breakker and Logan Paul suddenly attacked The American Nightmare to bring the match to an end by disqualification.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This week’s Smackdown felt like a show stuck in second gear. The ongoing tournament match offered some structure, but the action itself rarely rose above “perfectly fine.” Jey Uso vs. The Miz opened things well enough, with Jey picking up a needed win, but it still had the vibe of a match designed to fill time rather than truly elevate either man. The mid-card clash between Ilja Dragunov and Axiom brought flashes of intensity, yet it never fully clicked into high gear. You could almost feel the promise of a banger buried beneath a strangely short runtime and an abrupt finish. It summed up the night’s biggest problem: everything felt less than it could have been. The main-event story, Cody Rhodes defending against Bronson Reed, looked strong on paper, but the DQ finish left the whole segment feeling hollow. Reed got to look dangerous, but without a decisive result the match lacked weight. The post-match brawl, clearly pushing the WarGames direction, added energy but still felt like a placeholder for bigger moments ahead. Ultimately, this was an episode built on setup rather than payoff. It advanced storylines, moved chess pieces, and hinted at bigger things to come… but delivered very little that felt essential in the moment.
