Smackdown Results: Rhodes Lays Out Cena, Hayes Wins the Andre

April 18, 2025 John Kleinchester NEWS, Show Reports
Photo Courtesy: WWE

April 18, 2025
T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV

By: John Kleinchester

WWE Smackdown Results

  • Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Carmelo Hayes in 15:28
  • WWE Tag Team Championship: Street Profits over MCMG via DQ in 8:34
  • Zelina Vega over Chelsea Green via Super Code Red in 3:33
  • LA Knight over Solo Sikoa via DQ in 3:37 (estimated)
  • LA Knight & Braun Strowman over Jacob Fatu & Solo Sikoa via BFT in 7:25
  • Rey Fenix, Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee over American Made via Meteora in 9:43 (estimated)

 

LA Knight Gets a Jump Start

The final Smackdown before Wrestlemania kicked off with LA Knight jumping Tama Tonga in the parking lot and slamming his arm in the door of a car. Later, it was announced that Tonga was taken to a local medical facility due to his injury. 

 

Seth Rollins and Big Fat Checks

First out to the ring was Seth Rollins, who sat cross-legged in the “Pipebomb” position and threw away the Smackdown logo from the microphone. Rollins talked about how when CM Punk came back to the ring, it wasn’t a WWE ring. Seth said that Punk came back to wrestling for a “big fat check,” and after he burned “that bridge,” he returned to WWE because they also gave him a big fat check. He then turned his attention to Roman Reigns, calling him “Mr. Limited Schedule, Mr. Private Jet, Mr. Hand-Picked Opponent.” 

Seth went on to say that Paul Heyman brought him, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose together to be a shield for CM Punk, and the focus was always on Reigns while he sacrificed everything he had in the ring. Rollins continued that last year at Wrestlemania, his knee was hanging on by a thread, and his Stepdad was at home dying of cancer, but he still was there to make sure Roman lost. He said he would make sure WWE would continue in the right direction when he defeats Reigns and Punk tomorrow night. 

 

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

The first match of the evening was the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Rey Fenix was introduced first, and then an Andre video package was shown. As we returned to the ring, it was full of competitors, and Shinsuke Nakamura was entering. Wade Barrett said that he counted twenty-six competitors, and Carlito was quickly eliminated by R-Truth, followed by R-Truth’s elimination by The Miz. Karrion Kross started taking it to The Miz, as Barrett noted he had a big win at Bloodsport the night before. 

From there, Rey Fenix eliminated both members of Los Garza. A-Town Down Under eliminated Pretty Deadly. Ludwig Kaiser eliminated Tyler Bate. Santos Escobar tried to convince Rey Fenix to team up, but Fenix immediately tossed him over the top rope. Brutus Creed eliminated Tozawa, followed by Otis eliminating himself along with both Creeds. Andrade eliminated both members of A-Town Down Under. Then all of the luchadors teamed up on Chad Gable, with Fenix tossing him out. The field thinned out at this point, and Dragon Lee eliminated Karrion Kross. Nakamura eliminated Dragon Lee after a Kinshasa. Ludwig Kaiser and Pete Dunne battled to the apron, and Dunne won the battle, eliminating Kaiser. The Miz then saved Carmelo Hayes from elimination, but Miz was eliminated by Dunne. Hayes then eliminated Dunne. This left Nakamura, Fenix, Hayes, and Andrade. 

Andrade then knocked Nakamura off the top rope with a drop kick. Fenix then started showing off his gravity-defying skills, much to the crowd’s delight. Fenix was going for the Goodbye Amigo springboard when Grande Americano appeared and eliminated Fenix. This left Carmelo Hayes and Andrade. The announce team reminded us that they had what they referred to as a “sensational” seven-match series in 2024. Carmelo Hayes picked up the win as both men jumped onto the second rope, but Hayes was able to knock Andrade off and out for the win. The Miz returned to celebrate with his new tag team partner. 

Sit-Downs with Charlotte and Tiffany

Footage of a sit-down interview that Wade Barrett conducted with Charlotte Flair was shown, with Flair saying that she “doesn’t love it” but now people are really invested in this match, and that’s what this business is about, and that’s how you get tough skin. Later in the show, Barrett was shown sitting with Stratton and asking her about the interview segment in Chicago. Stratton said that she felt bullied during the split-screen interview, where she panicked but turned it into motivation. Stratton said she beat Flair at her own game. 

Women’s Promo Parade

Next, Rhea Ripley came down to the ring and talked about how Sunday marked her sixth Wrestlemania, but this was the most important one to her. She said she could moan about the past, but her focus was on Sunday, and she would walk out as champion. This brought out WWE Women’s Champion IYO Sky. Before Sky could utter a word, Bianca Belair’s music hit. The announcers harped on how both Belair and Ripley had been overlooking the Champion. Belair started to speak, and the crowd booed.

This brought out Naomi, who asked Belair why she didn’t respond to her calls or texts. Belair said they were not doing this right now, but Naomi yelled that Jade wasn’t there for Belair like she was. This brought out Jade, and Naomi took a powder. Jade started arguing with Belair, and Naomi jumped Jade from behind. A full-on brawl ensued, and IYO Sky was left alone in the ring. So she decided to hit a moonsault to the outside on all of them and security. 

Rey and Rey and El Grande Americano

Backstage, American Made approached Rey Fenix, who was hurting from the attack by Grande Americano. Dragon Lee and Rey Mysterio appeared to back up Fenix, and Mysterio proposed a six-man tag match tonight. 

 

WWE Tag Team Championship

The next match on the card was the Street Profits defending the tag team titles against Motor City Machine Guns. MCMG jumped the Profits before the bell as the crowd barely reacted. After a commercial break, the crowd started to pick up after the Machine Guns hit “the Facial”. They set up for the Skull & Bones, and the Profits countered out of it. Montez Ford then jumped over the ring post onto MCMG on the outside. Then, suddenly, DIY appeared and attacked Ford, causing the disqualification. DIY ran off with the tag titles as the segment ended. Later backstage, Aldis separated the three teams, took the belts back, and announced a TLC tag title match next week on Smackdown. 

You’ve Been Served

Backstage, Chelsea Green and the Secret Hervice “served” Nick Aldis, demanding action against the referee from last week. Aldis responded by saying that Zelina Vega was getting a rematch tonight, and Alba Fyre and Piper Niven were banned from the ringside. 

 

Cardi B Hosting Summerslam

A brief video was shown with Cardi B announcing that she will be hosting Summerslam from New Jersey. 

Randy Orton and…

Randy Orton came down to the ring and said he doesn’t have an opponent for Wrestlemania. Orton said that his father was part of the first WrestleMania, and Cowboy Bob got to witness him compete at WrestleMania XX. If he wrestles this weekend, it will be his twentieth Mania appearance. Orton then dared anyone to step into the ring on Sunday with “just the right amount of baby oil on his skin”. 

Priest and McIntyre

Footage was shown from the Wrestlemania Kick-Off earlier in the day, with Drew McIntyre and Damien Priest fighting on stage in front of the crowd. Backstage, Priest said that he wasn’t going to beat him in a match, and the world wasn’t ready for this violence. Priest said he would beat McIntyre so badly that he would wish he were future endeavored again. 

 

Zelina & Chelsea Run It Back

Next was a rematch between Chelsea Green and Zelina Vega. Despite Vega intending to be the face here, Green was clearly the favorite of the crowd. The story here was that Green claimed the referee did a fast count last week, which is why she lost via countout. Vega picked up the win after hitting a super Code Red on Green off the top rope. 

 

LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa

LA Knight came out and talked about the attack from Jacob Fatu last week and said that was his inspiration for taking out Tama Tonga at the top of the show. He then said that Solo Sikoa was next, but then talked about beating Fatu at Wrestlemania. Solo Sikoa then came out, and apparently, they were scheduled for a match, even though it had never been mentioned prior. The two started brawling on the outside as the show went to a commercial break. After they returned, the match was underway, with Sikoa dominating Knight, focusing on his midsection, which was injured during the break. Knight finally turned things around and regained momentum when Jacob Fatu appeared, attacking Knight. This brought out Braun Strowman, who ran down and took out both men. Nick Aldis came out and restarted the match as a tag match. 

LA Knight & Braun Strowman vs. Jacob Fatu & Solo Sikoa

The heel team immediately gained control of the match, again seeing Knight being dominated and selling his midsection. After another commercial, Knight finally made the hot tag to Strowman, and he started an onslaught on the heels. This was only fleeting, though, as the heels regained control and slowed the match way down, building to another hot tag this time for LA Knight. Strowman and Fatu both went into the announce desk as Knight hit the BFT on Sikoa for the win. 

 

Six-Man Tag Team Match

The final match of the night was Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, and Rey Fenix (in his second match of the night) taking on American Made. 

The three masked faces impressed the crowd with their lucha style, and the announcers said there was a learning curve for others who weren’t used to the style. American Made took control and hit a triple headbutt from the top rope on Dragon Lee. Lee responded by trapping all three heels in the tree of woe and hitting them with a double stomp (that really only hit Gable in the center). Rey Fenix got the hot tag and took out all three members of American Made. Fenix then hit the Goodbye Amigo, followed by a Meteora for the win. Footage from inside the arena showed Rey Mysterio being carried to the back – here’s to hoping he’s okay. 

 

Cena & Rhodes, Face-to-Face

The main event segment was the face-to-face between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Challenger John Cena. As Rhodes went to speak, there were audbile boos from the Las Vegas crowd. Before Rhodes could utter a word, John Cena made his way to the ring. Wade Barrett then went on a weird tirade, calling John Cena a “piece of garbage” for not letting Rhodes speak as the crowd broke into “Lets Go Cena / Cena Sucks” chants. Cena said that this was going to be his twentieth Wrestlemania and his twelfth title match at Mania. Cena said there was nothing that Rhodes could do to prepare to face a man who knows he’s going to die. Cena mocked every other wrestler, calling them insecure losers for never staying retired. 

Cena went on to say that he told Rhodes in private after last year’s Mania that every day you carry the title it gets heavier, and this Sunday it becomes too heavy to carry and he will lose. Cena said that when Cody turned down The Rock, that’s when he knew he could beat him. Cena said that to beat him, Cody will have to decide whether to do what’s right or to win. Cena called Cody a kid in a man’s world who doesn’t have the balls of the last real champion. 

Cody then started to speak, and he was booed by the crowd in Vegas. Cody said that Cena was overrated and out of touch, and he’s paler than Sting at Starrcade ’97. He then made fun of Cena for being naked at the Oscars and continued, “It’s 2025, and you still can’t wrestle.”  This got the crowd singing for Cody, Europe-style.

Cena said he doesn’t have to wrestle to beat Cody – and with that, poked him in the eye and set up for the AA. Cody escaped and hit the Cross Rhodes on Cena, leaving him lying. The announce team ran down the card before the show went off the air. 

 

Final Thoughts

They did their best to try to retcon The Rock’s involvement here, but it’s not satisfying. Rock has to be there Sunday to complete this story. Otherwise, it just doesn’t make sense. 

About John Kleinchester 226 Articles
John Kleinchester is a wrestling reporter from New Jersey, covering the sport since 2022. He is a graduate of Ithaca College and can be reached at [email protected].
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