Friday Night SmackDown aired on USA Network this week from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
A scene from earlier today aired on the show as Tiffany Stratton was in the locker room when Nia Jax arrived to ask her if she enjoyed her “vacation”. Stratton tells her friend that if she could have showed up last week, she would have, but she’s here now and will help Nia with anything she needs. The Women’s Champion says that she can’t get Naomi off her back, as Naomi is looking for a fight, so she is now looking for someone who can face her. When Stratton immediately says she’ll do the job, Jax politely declines and reveals that she has already found someone – Candice LeRae. The Queen of the Ring winner notes that she stepped up last week when she pinned Bayley, something the Buff Barbie hasn’t done. Candice and Indi Hartwell enter the shot and Tiffany gets sour-faced. LeRae tells Jax that she is going to be taking care of the “Naomi problem” for her, and that “Tiffy” can just relax. Stratton appears to be annoyed by what has just happened as the other heels leave the area.
Naomi and Candice made their entrances for what is their first time ever squaring off one-on-one. The Poison Pixie took control of the match early on, hitting some takedowns over Naomi as Hartwell watched on from ringside. The Girl with the Glow would begin to gain some momentum, but just like last week, the sneaky Hartwell would interfere – this week being Naomi’s turn to eat the ring post – as the referee tended to LeRae inside the ring. The move would backfire as Bayley’s music began to play in the arena, and The Role Model hit the ground running! Attacking Hartwell and throwing her into a barricade near the entrance stage, the commotion was enough to distract the current Speed Women’s Champion into a pinning combination by Naomi. With Bayley raising her hand, the friendship between them is as strong as ever. Jax is not likely to be content with LeRae and Hartwell failing in their mission; perhaps it wasn’t a bad idea after all for Tiffany to take on Naomi.
Also of note: A very brief Sasha Banks mention! Michael Cole spoke of the importance of the Barclays Center to Bayley’s career as she ran out to ringside, due to it being the venue where she won the NXT Women’s Championship, her first singles championship in WWE, against Banks at Takeover: Brooklyn in August 2015.
The tandem of Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, Damage CTRL, and Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson of Meta Four are arguing backstage when Nick Aldis, Raw general manager Adam Pearce, and NXT general manager Ava show up with Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. Each brand’s authority figures agree that the three teams have been at each other’s throats on all three shows lately, which is why they think it is a good idea to nip it in the bud and end it once and for all by booking the three teams plus the champions in a fatal four-way tag team match for the Women’s Tag Team Championships at Crown Jewel on Saturday, November 2nd. Belair and Cargill love the idea, with the other teams now confident that it is now their time to win the titles.
Here’s what set to take place next week on Friday Night SmackDown:
- Nia Jax and Liv Morgan go face-to-face ahead of Crown Jewel
- Bianca Belair vs. IYO SKY vs. Piper Niven vs. Lash Legend in a fatal four-way match
Share your thoughts on this week’s edition of SmackDown in the comments below!
