 Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu Confronted Undisputed WWE Champion Cody RhodesRhodes addressed being attacked by Solo Sikoa last week as well as the field for the number one contender's Elimination Chamber match before being interrupted by McIntyre. I loved that they acknowledged McIntyre being among the few people to have beaten Rhodes since his return to the company. I'm looking forward to that being a full-fledged feud at some point. Fatu was also great in his role in this segment, looking like he belonged in there with Rhodes and McIntyre while simultaneously teasing tension with Solo Sikoa. WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Naomi def. Women's United States Champion Chelsea Green to Qualify for the Women's Elimination Chamber Match (Non-Title)Trish Stratus was interviewed by Wade Barrett at ringside beforehand and she even teased being in attendance for Elimination Chamber in Toronto in a few weeks. More on that later. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this encounter between Naomi and Green, even if it wasn't always smooth. Let the record show that this was the second Chamber qualifier this week where a midcard champion suffered a non-title loss (Lyra Valkyria being the first on Raw). The Motor City Machine Guns def. Los GarzaWe've seen this match at least once or twice before, but these teams work well together and thus I can't complain. This was another good, nicely-paced outing as they made the most of the time they had. It seemed to be designed to get the Guns back on track following their loss to #DIY at the Royal Rumble, so that gives me hope they're not done in the WWE Tag Team Championship picture and will get another shot in a multi-team match at WrestleMania 41. United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, LA Knight and The Miz Interrupted Each Other; Knight def. MizNakamura has been such a non-factor as U.S. champ that I have zero issue with Knight going back after the belt so he can save us from this uneventful reign. I've mentioned that I'd be down for Knight vs. McIntyre at 'Mania, so maybe McIntyre costs Knight the title? What if their match is for the tile? Nakamura desperately needs to be dethroned, whether it be by Knight or someone else. At any rate, I rolled my eyes when Miz showed up because he's been irrelevant for years (and that's coming from someone who's been a longtime fan of his), but Knight completely cooking him on the mic made me laugh. The subsequent match was solid and sets up Knight as being next in line for a championship opportunity, even though I don't believe this was officially a number one contender's matchup. Carmelo Hayes def. R-TruthHayes snapped his lengthy losing streak with his win over Akira Tozawa last week. Thankfully, that wasn't a one-off because he won again this week, too. Granted, both Tozawa and Truth are undercard comedy characters, but it's better than nothing. It was a fairly basic bout that didn't overstay its welcome. I do wonder where this is going for Hayes and what he'll end up doing at WrestleMania, if anything. WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton def. Nia Jax by DisqualificationAlthough this had a heel vs. heel dynamic, I didn't mind it because there's so much history between these two that this match had to happen eventually. I'm just surprised it wasn't saved for Elimination Chamber. Plus, the pre-match video package recapping their story was well done. This was solid and I'm glad they got as much time as they did. Although I initially thought the disqualification finish with Candice LeRae getting involved was disappointing, it made sense once Stratus made the save for Stratton afterward and we found out it'll be Stratton and Stratus vs. Jax and Candice LeRae at Chamber. Additionally, Charlotte Flair emerged to inform Stratton that she chooses to challenge her at 'Mania, which was obviously the correct call. Damian Priest def. Braun Strowman and Jacob Fatu in a Triple Threat Match to Qualify for the Men's Elimination Chamber MatchThis had the potential to be fun based on who was involved and it did not disappoint. It was a total car crash and the interference from Rhodes, Sikoa, Fatu and Tama Tonga actually added to it. The crowd was into the action and Priest advancing to Elimination Chamber was the logical outcome. I hate that Rhodes is feuding with the ex-Bloodline again, but I understand it's only to keep him busy until after Chamber. Fatu vs. Sikoa appears to be the plan for WrestleMania with the betrayal coming sooner rather than later. Overall ShowSmackDown has been an absolute chore to watch since the move to three hours at the start of the year, but I thought this was the best episode since the first one of 2025. It was significantly better paced and it felt like there was a lot going on, especially in regards to Chamber coming up in two weeks. The third hour in particular was strong. Two thumbs-up for the blue brand this week. They just need to figure out how to follow this same formula more consistently going forward so the three hours don't drag as much.
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