John Cena returns to WWE SmackDown.
WWE SmackDown before WrestleMania 41 advertised a John Cena appearance alongside Cody Rhodes, the Street Profits defending the WWE Tag Team Championships against the Motor City Machine Guns and the return of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
WWE SmackDown Results On April 18, 2025
- Carmelo Hayes wins the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
- The Street Profits and MCMG Battle to a No Contest | WWE Tat Team Titles
- Zelina Vega def. Chelsea Green
- Legado del Fantasma def. American Made
WWE SmackDown Ticket Sales
- WWE SmackDown Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nev.)
- WWE SmackDown Tickets Distributed: 16,139
- WWE SmackDown Tickets Available: 1,172
WWE SmackDown Highlights, Winners And Grades
Seth Rollins Opens SmackDown
Seth Rollins battled “CM Punk” and “OTC” chants and mocked CM Punk by sitting down, Indian style.
Seth Rollins said CM Punk came back to wrestling, but he didn’t come back to WWE. Rollins said Punk came back to wrestling, not for the fans, but for a “big, fat check.” Rollins said the same about Punk’s return to WWE. “Big, fat check” chants ensued.
Rollins called Punk a “liar, a fraud and a coward.”
Despite getting booed, Rollins cut another all-world promo. He said despite the fact that his stepdad was dying of cancer last year, he still sacrificed himself as Cody Rhodes’ shield. Nobody booed Seth after that.
Rollins, who name-dropped Dean Ambrose on national TV, interestingly said that Paul Heyman brought himself and Roman Reigns to WWE. I’m more convinced that Seth Rollins will win than ever.
After Rollins predicted a WrestleMania win, he said “that’s not a prediction, it’s a spoiler.”
Seth Rollins’ Opening Promo: A
Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Rey Fenix (who was made to look like a star, of course) and Shinsuke Nakamura were the only two wrestlers who received an entrance. Other notable names include The Miz, Legado del Fantasma, Andrade, Otis, Akira Tozawa, Carlito, R-Truth, the Creed Brothers, Pete Dunne, Austin Theory, Grayson Waller and Carmelo Hayes.
- Carlito (Eliminated by R-Truth)
- R-Truth (The Miz)
- Humberto (Rey Fenix)
- Angel Garza (Rey Fenix)
- Pretty Deadly (A-Town Down Under)
- Tyler Bate (Ludwig Kaiser)
- Santos Escobar (Rey Fenix)
- Akira Tozawa (Brutus Creed)
- The Creed Brothers (Otis)
- Otis (Eliminated himself)
- Grayson Waller (Andrade)
- Austin Theory (Andrade)
- Chad Gable (Rey Fenix)
- Cruz Del Toro (Shinsuke Nakamura)
- Joaquin Wilde (Karrion Kross)
- Karrion Kross (Dragon Lee)
- Dragon Lee (Shinsuke Nakamura)
- Ludwig Kaiser (Pete Dunne)
- The Miz (Pete Dunne)
- Pete Dunne (Carmelo Hayes)
- Shinsuke Nakamura (Andrade)
- Rey Fenix (El Grande Americano)
- Andrade (Carmelo Hayes)
- Carmelo Hayes—WINNER
Fans booed when Dragon Lee eliminated Karrion Kross. Then they cheered when Nakamura eliminated Lee.
The Final 4 was Shinsuke Nakamura, Rey Fenix, Andrade and Carmelo Hayes.
There was an audible gasp when Shinsuke was eliminated by Andrade, and even a couple of boo’s. Andrade seemed pleased with himself.
Rey Fenix was eliminated by El Grande Americano after all the luchadors ganged up on Chad Gable. This led to a Final 2 of Carmelo and Andrade. Carmelo Hayes won, which should quiet down the fake narrative of Black men struggling in WWE.
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Grade: A
Rhea Ripley Appears Live
Rhea Ripley vowed to walk out of WrestleMania as the three-time women’s world champion.
The colonizers in Vegas booed Bianca Belair more than ever during Belair’s attempt at a promo. Even when Naomi interrupted, fans booed Bianca more than Naomi. Bianca inevitably has to turn heel, join Naomi and it will be the best thing in wrestling.
Jade Cargill interrupted Naomi and begin arguing with Bianca Belair. Rhea got in Jade’s face. A brawl ensued between all the women except Iyo Sky, who was now the fifth wheel instead of the third wheel. Iyo answered with a moonsault on everybody.
Women’s World Title Segment Grade: A
The Street Profits And MCMG Battle To A No Contest
Fans were cold to this match early, but with every passing minute of great wrestling they became more invested.
There were chants of “we want the smoke,” and MCMG hit their patented basement dropkick/neck vice combo.
After an awesome Montez Ford dive, DIY hit the ring, forced a DQ and stole the titles. Perhaps the Street Profits will get a WrestleMania match afterall.
Backstage, Nick Aldis got int the middle of a would-be brawl between MCMG, Street Profits and DIY. Aldis said next week (the crowd booed) there would be a TLC Match between all three teams (the crowd cheered).
Street Profits vs. MCMG Grade: B
Randy Orton Appears Live
Randy Orton said he’d show up with just a little baby oil on his skin and challenge any of the boys in the back to a WrestleMania match.
Orton’s quick was short sand to the point. Nobody showed up to answer his challenge. This tells me that whoever shows up is going to be a huge name. Like Rusev.
Randy Orton Promo Grade: B-
Zelina Vega Def. Chelsea Green
There were loud “Chelsea” chants to start the match.
As a callback to her countout loss weeks ago, Chelsea barely beat a 10-count.
Despite the support for Chelsea, fans popped huge after a rollup win by Zelina Vega. There wasn’t much to this match, but Chelsea Green is one of the most over performers in all of WWE and that’s what matters.
There was an attempted set reveal of the WrestleMania stage. The video glitched and ended immediately. Fans were infuriated, chanting “you f—ked up!”
Zelina Vega vs. Chelsea Green Grade: C+
LA Knight And Braun Strowman Vs. Solo Sikoa And Jacob Fatu
Fans continued to boo the screen glitch, but like a pacifier for a baby, WWE hit LA Knight’s music and they cheered.
This was yet another match that ended in disqualification between Solo Sikoa and LA Knight. Jacob Fatu crashed the match, followed by Braun Strowman. Nick Aldis announced a tag team match as a make-good.
Fans still go crazy for Braun Strowman’s running train attack. Strowman hit the running move on both Samoans.
LA Knight pinned Solo for the win, which tells me Jaob Fatu’s odds to win his first title in WWE just went up.
LA Knight and Braun Strowman vs. Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu Grade: B
Legado Del Fantasma Def. American Made
These three teams went crazy after being given more time than any match. It was a showcase of luchadors, especially Rey Fenix, with no sighting of El Grande Americano.
WWE re-aired the WrestleMania set reveal to a huge pop.
Legado Del Fantasma vs. American Made Grade: B
John Cena And Cody Rhodes Face Off
John Cena told Cody Rhodes that Sunday at WrestleMania would be the last time he’d compete at the event. He even admitted nobody believed him because “there’s no such thing as a wrestling retirement, there’s always one more match.”
Cena called every other wrestler a “scared, insecure loser.”
Cena cut a great, scathing promo on Cody. He said Cody will lose because he cares about “them” (the crowd). He said he had previously told Cody that every day the WWE Title gets heavier, and Sunday it’ll be too heavy to hold.
Cena said that despite the fact that Cody wants to be somebody, Cena is going take his title and make him somebody.
Fans turned on Cody and booed him like he was Bianca Belair. John Cena ad-libbed and said “these are the people you fight for?”
Cody won the fans back by saying “you call me underwhelming, but you’re overrated.” Cody then went crazy and read John Cena, calling out his “stack of dimes” of a neck, saying he’s paler than Sting at Starrcade ’97, making fun of John walking around naked at the Oscars and polishing his silver bullet with the phrase “you can’t wrestle.”
Cena responded by saying he doesn’t need to wrestle to beat Cody, however an AA was countered with a Cross Rhodes.