‘WWE Smackdown’ Review (Dec 12th 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: United States Championship – Ilja Dragunov def. Tommaso Ciampa
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Tommaso Ciampa exacted his plan to a tee as he targeted Ilja Dragunov’s knee, compromising it for the rest of the match and limiting the champion’s power. The Mad Dragon refused to let it hinder him as he continued his assault on Ciampa, even berating the challenger in the corner and telling him that he won’t take his title from him. Out of nowhere, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae appeared and tried to help Ciampa, but it backfired when Dragunov rolled him up to score the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Lash Legend def. Alexa Bliss
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Lash Legend picked up the biggest win of her career as she knocked off Alexa Bliss in impressive fashion. After planting Bliss with a huge forearm strike, The Boujee Bully rolled to the outside and cracked Charlotte Flair with a massive boot. Legend went back into the ring and countered Bliss’ DDT attempt into a match-ending Lash Extension.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Je’Von Evans def. The Miz
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Young OG made a statement on SmackDown by defeating The Miz. The veteran A-Lister could not contain the athleticism of Je’Von Evans, who hit a pair of incredible diving splashes. The Miz went for a Skull-Crushing Finale, but Evans countered with an unreal OG Cutter to win the match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley def. Aleister Black & Zelina
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Terror Twins reunited in a major way as Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley defeated Aleister Black and Zelina in Mixed Tag Team action. Priest quickly tagged in Ripley, and The Eradicator dominated the matchup, tossing the smaller Vega around the ring. Black changed the tide for his team, and Vega nearly won the match with a Code Red for a two-count. Ripley turned her attention to Black and nailed him with a headbutt, setting up dueling Razor’s Edges before a match-ending Riptide on Vega.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This week’s SmackDown felt like a show going through the motions, more concerned with lining things up for the weekend than delivering anything genuinely gripping on its own. The mixed tag main event with Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley beating Aleister Black and Zelina Vega should have been a statement, but it never quite clicked and ended up being remembered more for an awkward moment than for any real drama. Ilja Dragunov retaining the United States Title against Tommaso Ciampa was easily the night’s highlight, a hard-hitting match that at least felt like it mattered. Elsewhere, Je’Von Evans getting a win over The Miz was fine, but came and went without much impact. Nothing here was outright bad, though the LASH/Alexa match came close, but very little demanded your attention either. This week’s episode did its job, but that’s about the nicest thing you can say.
