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The final Friday night Smackdown before WrestleMania 41 started and finished without wrestling, but rather setting up the two main events slated for both nights of the event, which takes place Saturday and Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.  

The three-hour show ended with another classic encounter between John Cena and Cody Rhodes, who will main event the second night on Sunday. 

Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE champion, and Cena, who is appearing in his final WrestleMania on Sunday, in search of a record 17th world championship, closed off a jam-packed final episode of Smackdown with a compelling exchange that had the near capacity crowd at T Mobile Arena eating out of their hands. 

Cena, on his retirement tour throughout 2025, came to the ring to a loud chorus of boos, and told the crowd how he’ll wrestle in his 20th WrestleMania on Sunday and how he’s planning to steal Rhodes’s joy, telling the audience that wrestling fans don’t write history, but that winners do. 

“Sunday, I’m going to make you somebody,” he told Rhodes. “Somebody who finally realizes that to become a winner, you have to finally sever ties with all the losers in your life. Or somebody who had a chance to be a winner and blew it.” 

Rhodes responded, calling Cena “overrated” and “out of time” and telling the longtime megastar that he still can’t wrestle.  

Things got physical to close the show, with Cena eye poking Rhodes, setting him up for his Attitude Adjustment finisher, but Rhodes countered, hitting his Cross Rhodes finisher, leaving Cena on his back in the ring for the second consecutive time. 

Seth Freakin’ Rollins opened the show some three hours earlier to much fanfare, with an at-times electric crowd greeting him with chants of CM Punk and OTC (Original Tribal Chief Roman Reigns) as he sat, cross-legged in the middle of the ring to deliver his promo, shades of CM Punk, who made that famous. 

Punk, Rolling and Reigns will square off in the main event of the first night of WrestleMania 41 on Saturday night. 

Rollins cut a scathing promo of his opponents, reminding the crowd that Punk returned to WWE not for the fans but money. He then targeted Reigns, attacking his part-time schedule, private jets and hand-picking his opponents.  

But the more Rollins criticized his opponents, the more the crowd chanted for Punk and Reigns. 

Rollins even targeted Paul Heyman, saying the longtime WWE manager brought him and Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose into the WWE to be The Shield for CM Punk.  

Rollins had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand to kick of the event, the first of five straight in Las Vegas as part of WrestleMania week.  

Carmello the Giant 

The night’s first match was the Andre the Giant Memorial Tournament, which was previously included as part of WrestleMania itself. The first entrant was Rey Fenix, who recently debuted with WWE.  Fenix was followed by 23 superstars, before Shinsuke Nakamara entered as the 25th competitor. One by one, competitors were eliminated by being thrown over the top rope, landing on the floor below. 

It took just 22 seconds for its first elimination, Carlito, and another 17 before R Truth followed him over the top rope.  

Thirteen minutes and a butt ton of eliminations later, Andrade and Carmello Hayes were the final two inside the ring, delighting the crowd for two minutes in what was arguably the most entertaining of the Andre the Giant matches in its short history.  

Ultimately, Hayes outlasted Andrade, winning the battle royale and the trophy and bragging rights.  

Girl power 

In what was one of the more confusing segments of the night, former WWE Women’s World champion Rhea Ripley took the ring to set up her match at WrestleMania 41 against the current champion Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair. But before Ripley could say much, Sky and Belair came to the ring and interrupted. Belair couldn’t get a word out before she was drowned out by the boos of the T Mobile crowd.  

But then Naomi joined the fray, as did Jade Cargill, who have their own match this weekend. Chaos ensued, with all the women fighting outside the ring. 

Fans are left to assume that these five are destined for more of this feud beyond WrestleMania 41. 

See you next week 

The Motor City Machine Guns challenged for the WWE tag team championships, taking on the champs, The Street Profits, making their second title defence since winning the titles just more than a month ago. 

A match that struggled to keep the fans engaged for large parts of it ended with DIY, the former champs, interfering and attacking both teams and stealing the tag titles.  

In a segment backstage afterward, Smackdown general manager Nick Aldis announced a TLC match for the tag team titles between Motor City Machine Guns, Street Profits and DIY for next week’s episode. TLC, as in tables, ladders and chairs. Should be a classic. 

Opponent outta nowhere? 

Randy Orton came to the ring to announce that he was not sitting out and missing his opportunity to compete in his 20th WrestleMania because his previously scheduled opponent, Montreal’s Kevin Owens, had to pull out due to injury.  

Orton challenged anyone in the back to step up and face him on Sunday at WrestleMania, telling whomever that is that he’ll be in the ring on Sunday waiting.  

And now Sunday’s card has added a little more mystery with Orton versus an unknown opponent. 

Vega upsets Green 

Victoria, B.C., native and United States Women’ champion Chelsea Green faced New York native Zelina Vega to open hour three in a non-title match. In a quick back-and-forth match that feature two women who arguably should have spots on the WrestleMania card, Vega upset the champ. 

It appears these two are headed into some kind of a program together on the other side of Mania, which should be highly entertaining. Both are excellent wrestlers and Green is on the next level entertainment-wise in the women’s division. 

The Bloodline on life support? 

LA Knight took faced Solo Sikoa on Friday night, with the match unofficially starting outside the ring. Knight, whose character has benefited from the run with The Bloodline, was later attacked by Fatu, before Braun Strowman, who had also been embroiled in a feud with The Bloodline, came to the ring to assist Knight. Aldis then announced it would become a tag team match. 

It concluded with Strowman and Knight prevailing, setting up what should be an entertaining match at Mania. 

It feels like The Bloodline, which dominated WWE stories for the last nearly five years, will either get a reboot or a full breakup, at least temporarily, following Mania.  

Mysterio injured? 

American Made, led by Chad Gable, were defeated by Dragon Lee, Rey Mysterio and Rey Fenix in an impromptu match, but Mysterio, who is slated to face El Grande Americano at WrestleMania, was reportedly injured in the match. Whether it’s serious enough to force him out remains to be see, but the faceoff with El Grande Americano being called off would be a shame for both the competitors and the fans. 

Janmurphy@postmedia.com 

x.com/Jan_Murphy 

WrestleMania 41 card  

Saturday 

• Gunther (c) vs. Jey Uso for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. 

• The War Raiders (c) vs. The New Day for the WWE World Tag Team Championship. 

• Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano. 

• Jade Cargill vs. Naomi 

• LA Knight (c) vs. Jacob Fatu 

• Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Charlotte Flair for the WWE Women’s Championship. 

• Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk (with Paul Heyman) vs. Seth Freakin’ Rollins in a triple threat match. 

Sunday 

• Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match for the WWE Women’s World Championship. 

• Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. 

• AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul. 

• Bron Breakker (c) vs. Penta vs. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio in a fatal fourway match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. 

• Randy Orton vs. TBD. 

• Cody Rhodes (c) vs. John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship.