WWE Smackdown results: John Cena attempts to make amends with Cody Rhodes, Giulia defends U.S. title

August 1, 2025 Jack Wannan NEWS, RECOMMENDED, Show Reports
Image Credit: WWE

Results

  1. Giulia def. Zelina Vega (WWE Women’s United States Championship) (12:13) (Recommended)
  2. Angel & Berto def. Mr. Iguana & Psycho Clown (AAA World Tag Team Championships) (7:00)
  3. Damian Priest def. Aleister Black (8:47) (DQ)
  4. Talla Tonga def. Jimmy Uso (9:38)

John Cena no longer says he will “ruin wrestling,” promises to give Cody Rhodes a fight at Summerslam

The final episode of WWE Friday Night Smackdown before Summerslam, which took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, opened with a face-to-face meeting between the wrestlers who will battle it out in Sunday’s main event: John Cena and Cody Rhodes.

Cena entered first. The champ grabbed a microphone and planned to begin speaking, but was cut off by Rhodes’ theme. Cena told Rhodes that being forced into his Summerslam title match at a contract signing a couple of weeks back “was just the boot in the ass that I needed.”

Cena started a monologue that made it sound like he was beginning to take ownership of the wrongdoings he had made this year. “For 25 years, day in and day out, I have forged a reputation off of hard work, honesty, and respect,” he said. “I now realize that five months ago I flushed it all down the toilet chasing false glory when I bought into somebody’s crazy idea to make shocking TV.”

Cena said the people who were supposed to be “on my team” had left him. He clarified that he wants to leave wrestling with the Undisputed WWE Championship, “but it’s not because I want to ruin wrestling … I want to take this home with me so that after I’m gone, you guys don’t forget about me.”

Cena said that today is the day that the real him has officially come back to the WWE. The champ said he’s ready for a fight, not a match, against Rhodes. He then mentioned, in a nod to the Travis Scott run-ins from before, that “the only platinum rapper showing up to whip your ass is me.”

The crowd, who were singing “John Cena sucks” just minutes prior, erupted with Cena chants as he hoisted his belt. Rhodes grabbed a pair of beers from ringside. “Welcome back John Cena,” he said. They shook with their left hands, then took a swig of beer together. It looks like evil Cena is gone… Or is he?

In a video shot earlier in the day, Logan Paul was shown crashing Jelly Roll’s training session backstage. Mr. Roll started brawling with Paul in a practice ring, a fight which the singer had the numbers disadvantage in, as Drew McIntyre also showed up to take Paul’s side. Jelly Roll had some training partners with him, but none of them defended him against Paul and McIntyre.

Giulia overcomes Zelina Vega in rematch for Women’s United States Championship

Giulia, now under the management of Kiana James, put her WWE Women’s United States Championship on the line against Zelina Vega in the first bout of the show. A win here would make Vega the first-ever two-time women’s U.S. champ.

Vega sent the champ to the outside with a dropkick off the ring apron a couple of minutes into the match. She followed this up with a nasty double knees to Giulia onto the floor. Giulia got back into the match as they went back into the ring, coming off the top with a missile dropkick for a two count.

Giulia got another two-count after scoring a knee to the head of Vega in the corner of the ring. Vega started to regain some steam after the show returned from commercials, scoring a pair of clotheslines, then a Saito suplex. She came running into the corner with a double knees to Giulia, then tried coming off the middle rope with a move, but Giulia got out of the way.

The fight went to the top rope, where Vega was able to reverse a move from the champ into an Avalanche German Suplex. Vega crawled to a pin attempt, which Giulia kicked out of at two. The crowd started to give these women “This is awesome” chants by this point.

The match went to the top once again. Giulia unleashed a series of headbutts, then came off the top with a Butterfly Superplex. She kept hold of Vega as they went to the mat, scoring with an Arrivederci Knee, then a Northern Lights Bomb. But, in a shocking moment, Vega kicked out at two after the series of high-impact moves.

Giulia tried for another move, but Vega dodged it and instead hit a backstabber. Vega came off the top with a moonsault, but Giulia put up her knees to counter it. The champ then scored another Northern Lights Bomb, earning her the pinfall win after 12 minutes. A physical title bout from Giulia and Vega, who really got the crowd into the show’s opener.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley asked Solo Sikoa why he requested a steel cage get set up for tonight’s show. Sikoa denied making such a request, then said that Jimmy Uso will get a “big boot across his big mouth” when he fights Talla Tonga tonight.

AAA stars answer Los Garza’s open challenge

Los Garza put their AAA World Tag Team Championships up for an “open challenge” in the second bout of the night, notably defending the titles on WWE TV for the first time since earning them in June at Triplemania Regia.

Who answered the challenge? AAA’s viral sensation Mr. Iguana alongside Psycho Clown. For those who might’ve forgotten, Mr. Iguana was the biggest viral name to come out of AAA and WWE’s Worlds Collide event in June, and Psycho Clown is another established AAA name of over a decade.

Psycho Clown had a strong start against Angel, getting a two-count after dropping the tag champ with a right hand. Berto caused Psycho Clown to get tripped up in the ropes, beginning a few minutes of him getting isolated in the tag champs’ corner. This, of course, helped build up to an eventual hot tag to Mr. Iguana.

Mr. Iguana finally got into the match at the four-minute mark. He came off the ropes with a springboard headbutt to Berto. Angel tried to strike Mr. Iguana, but instead got his hand bitten by La Yesca, his pet iguana. After getting Angel out of the ring, Mr. Iguana got a near fall with a Crucifix Bomb.

Mr. Iguana tried for a dive outside of the ring onto Los Garza, but the tag duo caught him. The defending champs threw Mr. Iguana into Psycho Clown, who was attempting to come through the ropes with a dive of his own – creative spot!

Los Garza tried to pin Psycho Clown in the ring, but were reminded that he’s not the legal man on the AAA side of the match. They brought Mr. Iguana into the ring and hit a Super MTY in the corner, but he kicked out at two.

Mr. Iguana was able to tag in Psycho Clown, who came off the ropes with a crossbody. He had a bit of an awkward landing, as Angel took the crossbody while Berto tried to catch Psycho Clown mid-air with a dropkick – one of them tried reversing the move as the other didn’t, basically.

Angel tagged Berto into the match, then they scored an MTY double team move to defend their belts in seven minutes.

Aleister Black forces DQ finish against Damian Priest

A grudge match was up next, as Damian Priest and Aleister Black faced off in singles action.

Priest got a leg caught on the top rope after missing a kick two minutes in, causing Black to dump him to the outside. Black then came flying over the top rope with a dive as the show went to a break.

Black scored a flashy knee strike to the head of Priest for a two-count just as the show came back. Priest started to get back into the match with a series of moves, including a springboard crossbody.

Priest came charging off the ropes with a spinning lariat (similar to Mike Santana’s “Spin The Block”) for a two-count. He tried to follow up with a powerbomb, but Black escaped. Priest knocked Black out of the ring with a superkick, bringing the match near the commentary table. Priest came charging at Black for a move, but the Dutch striker countered by dropping the former world champ with a flying knee.

Black tried diving off the middle turnbuckle and to the outside with a moonsault, but Priest got out of the way. Priest pounced Black, causing him to go flying over the commentary table. Priest started to peel off the top layer of the commentator’s desk, setting up for a spot. But, as he did this, Black threw a steel chair at him, forcing a DQ win for Priest after eight minutes.

Black still wanted a piece of Priest after the match came to a close. He struck Priest with a steel chair twice, then threw his head into the steel stairs a trio of times. Black stood up Priest as he said, “You brought this on yourself,” then scored a Black Mass Kick.

Backstage, Jade Cargill said she didn’t need help from Tiffany Stratton last week when she came in for the save during a brawl. Stratton said she came in for the save since she didn’t want any excuses from Cargill about heading into their Summerslam title match injured.

A photo collage was shown of Paul Levesque at the White House yesterday alongside Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appearing at the signing of an executive order based on the promotion of fitness and nutrition.

Talla Tonga wins WWE TV debut, Jacob Fatu breaks up post-match beatdown

The final bout of the night saw Talla Tonga make his WWE TV debut, facing off against Jimmy Uso. Tonga had previously worked two WWE matches in June, but neither made it to air. Solo Sikoa was at ringside in support of Tonga.

Uso tried coming off the middle rope with a move in the opening minute, but an open-hand strike from Tonga sent him to the mat. Uso tried to rally back into the match by kicking Tonga to ringside and delivering a tope suicida to him. While landing the move, he was unable to knock Tonga to the mat, causing a face-off between the two as the show went to a break.

Tonga had control of the match throughout the break and after the show returned. Uso would score with strikes, but would incur way more damage from the shots Tonga responded with. Uso tried for a Samoan Drop eight minutes into the match, but wasn’t able to lift Tonga.

Uso sent Tonga out of the ring after a series of Superkicks and a clothesline. After taking Sikoa off the apron, Uso came off the ropes for a spear to Tonga. Uso jumped off the top for an Uso Splash, but was caught with a choke from Tonga on the way down. Tonga got to his feet for a chokeslam, which put away Uso in just under 10 minutes.

Sikoa ordered JC Mateo and Tonga Loa to enter the ring after the match to continue picking on Uso. Sikoa called for the steel cage, which was set up above the ring, to be lowered. The WWE production staff must’ve been in on this attack, as they obliged with Sikoa’s request.

Sikoa was about to deliver a Samoan Spike to Uso, but stopped after Jacob Fatu’s music hit. Fatu was able to get into the ring, as the steel cage stopped lowering. The cage fully lowered onto the ring once Fatu got in. Sikoa and Tonga escaped the cage through the door, not wanting a piece of Fatu even though they had the numbers advantage.

Fatu battled it out against Mateo and Loa. Fatu won in the two-on-one battle, delivering a moonsault off the top to both Loa and Sikoa. Fatu stared down Sikoa, who held his United States Championship while on the ramp and insisted that it would remain in his possession at Summerslam.

Jelly Roll and Orton crash McIntyre and Paul’s party

Tonight’s Smackdown closed out with a segment featuring Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre, who will take on Jelly Roll and Randy Orton at Summerslam.

Paul went after recording artist Jelly Roll in his promo, saying that he will “never, ever belong” in wrestling. McIntyre said that whatever happens to Jelly Roll in the match will be Orton’s fault, as he’s responsible for bringing him into the feud. As their promo was taking place, an SUV was seen pulling up backstage. Out of the vehicle came Jelly Roll, who showed up alongside Orton.

Jelly Roll, still hurting a little from getting attacked earlier in the day, appeared on stage. Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis tried to stop them from marching to the ring for a fight, but the babyface duo weren’t listening.

The two teams started brawling as security tried to peel them apart. The staff were able to get the teams separated, causing McIntyre and Paul to leave. An irate Orton RKO’d two security guards in the ring. Jelly Roll then handled the final security guard standing in the ring with them, delivering a chokeslam. Orton and Jelly Roll stood tall as the final Smackdown before Summerslam went off air.

About Jack Wannan 1245 Articles
Jack Wannan is a journalist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He writes and reports on professional wrestling, along with other topics like MMA, boxing, music, local news, and more. He graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He can be reached at jackwannancanada@gmail.com
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