SmackDown 03.05.2024
Finally, the Radiant Team has come back to Lyon, France!
For the first time ever, SmackDown landed in the LDLC Arena, and we are just fingertips away from Backlash! Tonight, the blue brand's biggest conflicts hit their boiling point before everything explodes this Sunday. No time to waste—let’s dive in!
Eight-Woman Tag Team Match: Tiffany Stratton & Damage CTRL vs. Naomi, Bayley, Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair
One last explosive preview before the Tag Team Title match—and Bayley’s title defense—goes down this weekend. Bayley brought a powerhouse squad with her, and honestly, I saw almost zero chance for Damage CTRL.
SmackDown 03.05.2024 - With a blend of grace and power, Tiffany is truly standing out in this match.
Shoutout to Naomi’s gear tonight—she came out repping the colors of France 🇫🇷, and it looked absolutely stunning.
Bianca and Naomi kicked things off with pure dominance, showing off their strength and speed. But when Bayley tagged herself in, things took a turn. The champ found herself getting worked over by every member of Damage CTRL, with no backup in sight.
We also saw some serious tension between Bayley and Bianca, while Jade Cargill had no problem stepping in and cleaning house in dominant fashion. After a hot tag, Bianca hit the KOD on Dakota Kai and sealed the win for her team—making people happy.
New Catch Republic is Out for Revenge
After last week’s brutal backstage assault from AoP, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne were out for blood. Classic matchup vibes here: two massive brutes vs. two lightning-fast technicians. And as always, my money's on the Brits.
SmackDown 03.05.2024 - Big Strong Boy’s strength and skills should never be taken lightly.
New Catch Republic brought their signature style—fast, fluid, and technical mastery—and it completely rattled AoP. "Big Strong Boy" Bate even got to show off his unique offense, but the raw power of Akam and Rezar is always a factor.
When Pete tagged in, he went full-on house of fire and opened the door for Tyler to take over again. Together, they unloaded a barrage of strikes, but just when victory seemed within reach, Karrion Kross blindsided Tyler Bate at ringside. That distraction was all AoP needed to steal the win. 😤
Let’s be honest—this was basically 2-on-5, and it was still a near-win for New Catch Republic. Nothing to brag about for AoP. Hopefully, Bate and Dunne find a new ally soon to even the odds.
Paul Heyman Tries to Cancel the Tag Match for The Bloodline
Backstage, Paul Heyman pleaded with Nick Aldis to cancel tomorrow’s tag team match between The Bloodline and Kevin Owens & Randy Orton. Paul was clearly shaken and said he couldn’t take responsibility for what might happen.
Nick asked if this came directly from the Tribal Chief, and what Heyman said next left everyone stunned...
With pain in his voice, Heyman revealed he hasn’t spoken to Roman Reigns since WrestleMania. 😱 What’s worse—Roman didn’t pull himself out of the draft… it was all Heyman’s doing. He didn’t want Reigns tied to the current Bloodline chaos.
Something is seriously wrong inside the most powerful faction in WWE. And it looks like Paul might spill even more tonight on the Kevin Owens Show.
First Time Ever: RKO Show
The Viper came out first, and the Lyon crowd welcomed him with open arms. That same warm energy went straight to The Prizefighter Kevin Owens. The electricity in the arena tonight was just unmatched—Europe really knows how to react to WWE Superstars! 🇫🇷
Kevin even spoke a little French on his own, which made the crowd go wild. Randy Orton was fired up, ready to team with KO and kick the Bloodline’s asses this weekend at Backlash. But things took a sharp turn—we had a special guest.
None other than Paul Heyman made his way to the ring, standing alone but still carrying that wise-man presence and respect. The whole building erupted in a thunderous chant: “We want Roman!” You could feel the emotion. Roman Reigns lost his title less than a month ago, and the world is already missing him badly. His legacy? Unmeasurable.
Paul explained that the war with Roman Reigns was about the title—a competition. But this fight with Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga? That’s going to be something savage and merciless. He literally begged Randy and Kevin to walk away.
But Randy had only one question: “Who is the real Tribal Chief right now?”
SmackDown 03.05.2024 - That was just a taste of what’s coming at Backlash!
That line put Paul on the ropes—and before he could even answer, Tonga and Sikoa attacked KO and Randy from behind! A wild brawl broke out. WWE officials tried to intervene, but this was chaos on another level.
In the end, it was Kevin Owens and Randy Orton standing tall in the ring, while the Bloodline backed off to regroup. This is war now. And we all want to know... Who IS the real Tribal Chief?
LA Knight vs. Angel
No clue why the Megastar had to waste time facing one of Legado’s lackeys, but here he is—and he’s ready to throw down. After that frustrating loss to AJ Styles, Knight came in with rage in his eyes, and Angel got completely steamrolled early on.
It was just a matter of time before the rest of Legado del Fantasma tried interfering, but even their efforts couldn’t stop the obvious. Knight connected with a brutal BFT and picked up the expected win.
But LA Knight wasn’t done yet. 🎤
He reminded everyone that AJ Styles robbed him of a shot at Cody’s title—and now, the Megastar has his eyes set on the King of the Ring. He’s entering the tournament, and this ring is going to be his kingdom.
Then Santos Escobar showed up, trying to troll Knight and revealing that he’s also entering the tournament. The crowd made it clear what they thought of that: “Santos sucks!”
Let’s be real—Santos has no chance against LA Knight in his current state. This tournament just got interesting. YEAH!
Street Profits vs. A-Town Down Under: a huge robbery
Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford had a golden opportunity to become tag team champions once again. Oddly enough, the SmackDown champs showed up in bright red gear, like they belonged on Raw. Guess those “A-Town clowns” (as Nick Aldis called them) are confused about more than just fashion.
The match? An early domination by the Profits. The champs had zero offense, and pinfall after pinfall made the challengers look like they had it in the bag. After a huge tag team blockbuster, it felt like we were seconds away from a title change…
But of course, Austin Theory pulled a cheap move, jabbing Angelo in the eyes. Grayson Waller capitalized with a knockout shot, giving his partner the pin and the win.
Dirty tricks might keep you champions today, boys... but they won’t work forever. I’m definitely down for a rematch between these two teams.
Cody Rhodes (C) & AJ Styles Go Face-to-Face Before Backlash
Last week, we got one of the dullest contract signings in history. Now we’ve got a "face-to-face" segment. Whatever that’s supposed to be.
First thing I noticed: the crowd in Lyon was a little colder toward Cody Rhodes tonight. Good sign for me—maybe I was right all along. Cody is just a placeholder champion until the real king returns. And yes, I’m talking about Roman Reigns—the face of WWE.
Cody tried to keep up his nice guy act, even dropping a little French. But AJ Styles wasn’t buying any of it. He made it clear—he doesn’t care about what people want to hear. This is about the fight that’s happening tomorrow.
Cody tried to keep things classy. Meanwhile, Styles acted like an egotistical jackass, desperate to prove he’s still in his prime. Hate to break it to him, but his prime was 5–7 years ago. Still, AJ wanted to push the idea that he’s a ruthless, disrespectful jerk just to make Cody look like a better babyface. Typical.
Styles even claimed that when he came to WWE, he had to earn everything. Cody? He just got opportunities handed to him because of his last name. Ouch.
Cody tried to get clever and brought up the "Too Sweet" gesture, mocking Styles a little. But AJ slapped him clean across the face. The tension shot up, and now we’re less than 24 hours away from their showdown at Backlash.
Let’s see who really walks out with that gold…
Final Thoughts
Well, I can’t say this show was especially interesting or made me super happy. What did make it cool and electrifying were the French fans. 🇫🇷 They absolutely brought the energy and made this show feel alive. Their joy, excitement, and respect for almost every Superstar on the card was amazing. Thank you, Lyon — you made it special tonight! 🙌
💥 Opening Women’s Tag Match
This match showed us two things:
1. Jade and Bianca are a dominant force right now — I’m almost certain they’ll win tomorrow night.
2. Belair still hasn’t forgiven Bayley for all the pain and humiliation she caused over the years. That tension nearly cost them the match, but thanks to Jade’s power, they overcame it.
I’m excited for tomorrow, but while I’m confident in the tag match, the Triple Threat between Bayley, Naomi, and Tiffany is way more unpredictable. Since it’s no DQ, Nia Jax could interfere, and that changes everything. My bet? Either the champion retains or Tiffany Stratton steals it. Let’s see.
👊 Once Again, the Bad Guys Prevail
Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate were fantastic together tonight — they deserved to win. But the numbers game worked against them again. 😤 If it were a fair fight, I’m sure they’d take the W, but until they find backup, AOP will keep winning. I just hope someone steps up to help them soon.
😬 Paul Heyman Is in a Bad Position
With Roman Reigns missing in action, Heyman is caught in the middle. He stays loyal to Roman, but Solo Sikoa is applying pressure, and it’s obvious who’s really running the Bloodline now.
But let’s be real — this isn’t the same Bloodline we once knew. That group was elegant, composed, and powerful. Now? It’s just two wild men acting like terrorists trying to cause chaos by dragging Orton and Owens into a war. 😡
I understand Paul’s concern, but one day, Solo will force him to choose, and that moment won’t end well for the legendary Wise Man. As for tomorrow — I want the veterans to win, but we still haven’t seen what Tama Tonga is really capable of. I hope his debut match brings something fresh and intense.
SmackDown 03.05.2024 - Solo understood that he must think something to win on backlash becasuse rightnow they have small chances on vicotry.
🏆 LA Knight Enters the King of the Ring Tournament
After a confident win over Angel, LA Knight officially declared for the King of the Ring tournament. Santos Escobar quickly followed, saying he’s in too. 🤨 Okay… cool. But let’s be real — the clear favorite still looks like Gunther. No matter what, it’s shaping up to be a good one.
🥺 Street Profits Waste Another Title Opportunity
Over the past three years, Angelo and Montez have had so many opportunities to win the tag titles. And every time, it’s either bad luck or dirty tricks that stop them. Tonight was no different.
A-Town Down Under played it dirty again, and sadly, it worked. I hate to say it, but the Profits are becoming permanent contenders instead of champions. Maybe their time will come… but I’ve got a bad feeling these clowns in red will be champs for a loooong time. 🤡
😒 Another Senseless Face-to-Face Showdown
Last week, AJ and Cody’s contract signing was boring and lifeless. Tonight? Just more of the same — this time with some insults, forced tension, and AJ Styles acting like an unhinged maniac.
Honestly, does anyone actually believe Cody is a "Nightmare"? He’s more like a sweet, well-dressed gentleman. 😅
Still, I’ve got no doubt Cody will retain the title tomorrow, but I do hope AJ gives us one of those legendary performances from his prime. Let’s not forget how good he used to be.
This go-home episode wasn’t all that impressive, but the crowd made up for it. One thing’s clear — Europe loves wrestling, and Lyon proved it tonight. 💙Not surprising, though — Radiant Team is also from Europe, so you know we love this business! 😎 Next stop: Backlash — don’t miss it! Catch you all there. ✌️🔥
