King & Queen of the Ring Tournament announcement, MITB build-up, Bakersfield brawl & more!
Ahead of the 2025 edition of Money in the Bank, the promotion delivered the go-home show of Friday Night SmackDown. The go-home show for WWE SmackDown aired live from the Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield, California.
Multiple big names were advertised for the show, including Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso, LA Knight, and Alexa Bliss, among others. The promotion used the show to build towards the PLE, every MITB ladder match participant appeared on the show.
Get to know what happened this Friday, as we have the complete summary, highlights, results, and winner’s list for the 06/06 episode of WWE SmackDown.
WWE SmackDown Summary and Highlights
Seth Rollins & company – Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline
Seth Rollins and Company stepped into the ring as ‘The Wiseman’ Paul Heyman picked up the mic and handed it over to The Visionary. Rollins took the mic, stating that tomorrow night he would take everything, winning the MITB contract to take full control of the industry.
“OTC” chants erupted as Rollins declared that Reigns was on the island of irrelevancy. After they put him there, The Visionary warned that anyone who stood in their way would suffer. Rollins named Sami Zayn, CM Punk, and Roman Reigns, claiming that everyone who tried to stand in their way would meet the same fate as them.
The Visionary then went off on Roman Reigns, stating that while he didn’t care about the fans, he did. He announced that no one could stop him. Solo Sikoa’s music hit as he appeared, accompanied by JC Mateo and Jacob Fatu.
Solo stepped into the ring, followed by Fatu and Mateo. The six stars stood face-to-face. Sikoa picked up the mic, asking if anyone got in their way, would Rollins take them out. Sikoa continued, stating that if anyone stepped in their way, they would take them out. Rollins agreed, and Solo said they were standing in their way. He then remarked that there seemed to be a little Bloodline story going on.
Sikoa asked if Bron Breakker was supposed to be Jey Uso, and if Bronson Reed was supposed to be Sami Zayn. He reminded everyone how Reed had teamed up with him at WarGames, and now he had teamed up with Rollins.
Solo greeted Heyman, but Rollins warned him to choose his words carefully. Solo then warned Rollins about MITB, to which Rollins asked if he was worried about Breakker or Reed. He said Solo should really be worried about his family stabbing him in the back, rather than defending him. Rollins tried to get in Fatu’s head, asking him to take the mic from Solo as Sikoa attempted to intervene.
Rollins called Fatu “Solo’s Bitch,” then stated that he was only concerned about one Fatu and it wasn’t Sikoa. Sikoa stepped forward, coming face-to-face with Breakker, but Fatu stepped forward to face off with him instead. Rollins then moved forward and stood face-to-face with Fatu, asking his stablemates to leave. The tension continued as Heyman Guys left the ring, and Jimmy Uso appeared, taking out JC with a superkick.
Jimmy Uso vs JC Mateo
In the first match of the show, Jimmy Uso and JC Mateo locked horns, while Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu were keeping a close eye ringside, with Sikoa still trying to recruit Jimmy. An interference attempt by Solo and Fatu inadvertently helped Jimmy as Mateo accidentally took out Fatu, and Jimmy capitalized rolling up JC for a pin to pick up the win. Mateo started calling Fatu ‘a problem’ after the loss.
Backstage
Women’s US Champion Zelina Vega ran into Giulia, who told her that if she wanted a shot at the title, she’d have to pry it from her dead body. Giulia remarked that she liked Vega because of her confidence. The two shared a smirk before Zelina walked off.
Jacob Fatu was walking backstage when he ran into Damian Priest, who asked if it was tough to work with family. Priest sympathized with Fatu before warning him that he was coming for the United States title. Fatu welcomed the challenge, telling Priest to either take it up or get in line.
Zelina Vega vs Piper Niven – Bakersfield Brawl
Women’s United States Champion Zelina Vega battled Piper Niven in a Bakersfield brawl as Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre were ringside, aiding Niven whenever the need arose. The two women put on an amazing match, slamming each other with a Kendo stick and onto steel chairs. Vega landed a super code red from the top rope, but Fyre broke the pin as she ambushed Vega along with Green.
An unlikely savior in Giulia arrived taking out Green and Fyre and softening Niven with the kendo stick to help Vega deliver a powerbomb from the top rope onto the table to pick up the win. After the match, Giulia stepped into the ring, celebrating with Vega before headbutting her and slamming her headfirst onto the mat. Giulia flaunted the US title as Vega lay on the mat, nursing her injuries.
Backstage
Jey Uso was in the locker room when Cody Rhodes came in. The two embraced, with Rhodes asking how Jey was doing. Jimmy Uso then entered, asking how Jey was. Jey, clearly irked, asked why everyone was so concerned.
Jimmy replied that Jey had a big match tomorrow, followed by a title defense on Monday. Jey assured him that he had it under control but expressed concern about what John Cena and Logan Paul would have to say tonight.
LA Knight
LA Knight picked up the mic as the crowd erupted. He declared that it was “that time of the year again—it’s Money in the Bank season!” Knight mentioned that it was his third time in the MITB match and asked if the third time’s the charm, prompting the crowd to erupt in “YEAH” chants.
He then named the MITB participants Penta and Andrade, two guys he kind of liked. But then, the “goons” El Grande ‘Gable’? The crowd booed loudly. Knight called them “dummy number two” and moved on to Solo, saying he could drop Solo on his head one more time. Lastly, he called out “dummy number three,” Seth Rollins, who always had a couple of guys running around him.
Knight acknowledged that Rollins had been there, winning the briefcase, but reminded everyone that nothing was hotter than LA Knight in LA. However, before focusing on MITB, he had to focus on tonight. Knight said he understood why Black’s feelings were hurt when he stole the pin, but reminded everyone it was a triple-threat match, YEAH!
LA Knight vs Aleister Black
The two men delivered an amazing match, trading vicious shots and trying to outsmart one another. However, the match ended in disqualification as Seth Rollins came in and took out Knight with a stomp. He went for another Black, stepped back in the ring to confront him.
Bron Breakker came from behind, taking out Black with a vicious spear, as Bronson Reed came in with a senton on Knight, and Breakker capped it off with a spear as the three men stood tall, laying waste to Knight and Black.
King & Queen of the Ring announcement
Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis announced the tournament bracket for the King of the Ring, which will begin next week and culminate in a match between the finalists at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. The two GMs also revealed that the winner of the tournament would earn a title shot against the Champions at SummerSlam.
Backstage
Jade Cargill was interviewed backstage by Byron Saxton, sharing how amazing it felt to have a shot at Queen of the Ring. She was determined to dominate, win it all, and then go for gold at SummerSlam.
Charlotte Flair walked up, telling Jade that salt and sugar look the same, so she should choose her friends wisely or not have any at all. Regarding Queen of the Ring, Charlotte declared there was only one true Queen in WWE. Tiffany Stratton then appeared, wishing them both luck before walking off.
Byron Saxton was with Chad Gable and the Creed Brothers as he asked Gable about the upcoming title clash against El Hijo Del Vikingo. Gable explained that while he was unable to qualify for the MITB match, they found a good replacement in El Grande Americano. He then cut a promo for the title match when Andrade walked in.
Andrade spoke in Spanish, and Gable nodded, simply responding with “Si.” Penta joined them, and the two continued to laugh and seemingly mock Gable. Gable, initially only saying “Si,” eventually shut them down as they came face-to-face. The Creed Brothers stepped forward, but GM Nick Aldis intervened to break it up. He made the tag match between the four official for tonight.
Tiffany Stratton – Rhea Ripley
Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton stepped into the ring and picked up the mic. She stated that every single lady tomorrow would try to replicate what she did, but no matter what, their world would revolve around her. Stratton claimed that no one could outdo her before asking Bakersfield, “What time is it?”
That’s when Rhea Ripley appeared and stepped into the ring. Rhea grabbed the mic, as the Bakersfield crowd broke into “MAMI” chants. Rhea said she had never been part of the MITB because she never had to. While she didn’t feel the need to win the contract like Tiffany, she knew what it felt like to be a Champion, and she missed that feeling.
Just then, Stephanie Vaquer interrupted Ripley, making her way to the ring. The six-woman tag match was up next, and Alexa Bliss made her entrance for the six-woman tag match.
Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss & Stephanie Vaquer vs Naomi, Giulia & Roxanne Perez
Before their clash in the women’s MITB ladder match, Rhea Ripley teamed up with Alexa Bliss and Stephanie Vaquer to battle the team of Giulia, Roxanne Perez, and Naomi. While Naomi, Giulia, and Perez took control early using dirty tactics, it all changed once Ripley was tagged in.
The six women delivered an outstanding match, giving us a preview of what’s to come tomorrow, however, Giulia and Naomi failed to counter as Bliss and Vaquer took them out. Roxanne rallied and tried to tag in Naomi, who walked away, leaving Perez alone against the three women as Ripley landed the riptide, picking up the win in the clash for her team.
Backstage
Solo Sikoa was with JC Mateo as he discussed his plans for his MITB victory. Mateo opposed his plan, bringing up Jacob Fatu and how Fatu had cost him the match tonight. Sikoa replied that he brought Fatu up and that he was “empty in the head,” calling him “all gas, no brains.” Solo continued to mock Fatu as he and Mateo made their way out. Just then, Fatu appeared from the entrance, looking like he had heard it all.
Wyatt Sicks
Wyatt Sicks’ glitch appeared on the screen as Bo Dallas made his entrance, stating, “Grief doesn’t heal with time. You don’t forget, you can only accept. That can only be changed.” Dallas continued, saying he had watched the tag team division, the trust, the brotherhood, but he questioned: “Is that bond unbreakable?”
He declared that they had returned, not for nostalgia, not for closure, but to take what they were owed. “Your brotherhood will be tested, accept the condemnation!” Dallas ended the promo with a chilling statement: “We will not be forgotten.”
Backstage
The Street Profits, Fraxiom, Motor City Machine Guns, and DIY were backstage, accusing each other of being the ones who poked the Wyatt Sicks. Ford told everyone to forget about the tag team titles and leave, but Nathan Frazer quickly countered, saying they weren’t going to forget about the titles.
Axiom and Frazer then declared that they were undefeated on SmackDown and needed to teach Wyatt Sicks a lesson. With that, Fraxiom walked off. Motor City Machine Guns called out DIY, stating that if anyone was going to take down Wyatt Sicks, it would be them. MCMG then left as DIY stood firm, making it clear they wanted nothing to do with the Wyatt Sicks.
Penta & Andrade vs American Made (Julius & Brutus Creed)
Following their backstage interaction, Penta and Andrade teamed up to battle American Made (Julius & Brutus Creed). Chad Gable was ringside supporting the Creed Brothers, so was his Worlds Collide opponent El Hijo Del Vikingo, who intervened when Gable tried to interfere.
Vikingo and Gable brawled through the crowd stands as back in the ring, Julius attempted a quick roll-up, but both Creed Brothers ate a spinning back elbow. Penta then hit the Mexican Destroyer on Julius, followed by the cover. Penta and Andrade picked up the win against American Made.
Andrade and Penta celebrated their win when Seth Rollins‘ music hit, and he appeared, accompanied by Bronson Reed, Bron Breakker, and Paul Heyman. Rollins ordered Reed and Breakker to surround the ring, as Andrade and Penta braced themselves for a battle.
Reed and Breakker entered, and the brawl began. However, the numbers game quickly took over. Rollins lined up Andrade, while Breakker took him out with a vicious spear. Reed followed up with a senton on Penta, and Rollins took both men out with a stomp.
Rollins then ordered Breakker to clear the ring of Andrade. The two lined up Penta for a Tsunami from Reed off the top rope, but before they could execute it, security and officials rushed in to try and break things up.
Seth Rollins & Company
Paul Heyman grabbed the mic, declaring that they were the future. He stated that Rollins had predicted what would happen at WrestleMania, how he would get Roman Reigns and CM Punk out of the way, and it had come true. Heyman asked if the crowd didn’t understand that when Rollins said something would happen, it did. He then proclaimed that they were the vanguard of the industry.
Heyman announced that tomorrow, Rollins would become Mr. Money in the Bank and then, at his discretion, decide ‘who, what, and when’. He continued, stating that Rollins would then propel the future of the industry. He said it would be his honor to introduce Rollins as the reigning, defending…
Suddenly, Cody Rhodes‘ music hit, and the American Nightmare made his entrance, with the Bakersfield crowd singing along! Rhodes made his way toward the ring as Rollins appeared to prepare for another attack, keeping Reed and Breakker in control.
Rhodes stepped face-to-face with the four men in the ring, and Rollins ordered Reed and Breakker to stay back as he took a step forward. Then, Jey Uso’s music hit, and the World Heavyweight Champion arrived, “YEETING” through the crowd!
The Final word before MITB — Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso – John Cena & Logan Paul
Cody Rhodes picked up the mic, asking in his signature style, “What does Bakersfield want to talk about?” Rhodes mentioned MITB, the Intuit Dome, and Jey Uso, with the crowd responding in full force, “YEETING” at every question. But when Cody brought up John Cena and Logan Paul, the mood shifted, and boos started to fill the arena.
Rhodes recapped Cena’s comments about being too desperate, and the arena erupted into “Let’s go Cena! Cena sucks!” chants. Cody continued, stating that Cena was trying too hard to connect with the younger fans, mentioning Kai Cenat’s stream and Cena’s apology on X.
Rhodes teased the showdown set for tomorrow before handing the mic to Jey, who called it a “YEETDOWN.” Suddenly, John Cena’s music hit, and the crowd erupted into “John Cena SUCKS!” chants. Cena entered, signaling for the mic to be cut off as the “Let’s go Cena, Cena sucks!” chants grew louder.
Cena pointed to announcer Mark Nash, who obliged, announcing him as requested: “The GREATEST OF ALL TIME, THE LAST REAL CHAMPION, JOHN CENA!” Out of nowhere, Logan Paul attacked Jey with a brutal right hand, wearing brass knuckles. Paul went to strike again, but Rhodes retaliated, lining him up for a Cross Rhodes. However, Cena took him out with the title.
Cena hit Jey with an AA, while Logan Paul followed up with a pulverizer and then a splash from the top rope onto Rhodes. Cena dragged Jey into position, and Logan hit another splash onto Jey. Cena picked up the mic, declaring that no one was coming to save the fans. He then lifted the title while Logan picked up Jey’s title.
Cena reminded the crowd that he was taking the title home, and Logan would take the Heavyweight title to the top. He declared Logan Paul as “The One of One, the inevitable future face of WWE, the future Heavyweight Champion, Logan Paul.”
The two posed with the titles as the crowd erupted into “Logan sucks!” chants. Cena dragged Cody back into the ring, while Logan grabbed Jey. Cena delivered an AA to Rhodes as Logan brought Jey back in. The arena filled with “WE WANT TRUTH” chants as Logan knocked out Jey again.
Cena fired back, stating, “THEY CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” He went off on the fans, calling them pathetic liars. The “WE WANT TRUTH” chants grew even louder, and Cena called them losers, declaring it was his last time in Bakersfield. Cena finished by mocking the crowd as he and Logan flaunted the titles, soaking in the boos.
WWE SmackDown Results
- Jimmy Uso pinned JC Mateo
- Zelina Vega defeated Piper Niven – Bakersfield Brawl
- LA Knight vs Aleister Black ended in DQ as Seth Rollins & Co. attacked
- Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss & Stephanie Vaquer defeated Naomi, Giulia & Roxanne Perez
- Penta & Andrade defeated American Made (Julius & Brutus Creed)
- Seth Rollins & Company wreaked havoc on SmackDown
- John Cena & Logan Paul decimated Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso ahead of MITB
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