WWE SmackDown 5/9/2025: 3 Things We Hated And 3 Things We Loved

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s weekly review of "WWE SmackDown," the official go-home show for Backlash 2025 on Saturday! By which we mean, WWE very slightly advanced two Backlash storylines and then also did a bunch of other stuff! You can read about all of it by going to our "SmackDown" results page, of course — but why do that when you can read the WINC staff's strongest opinions about the show, instead?

And we do mean strongest; we are very rarely able to touch on everything from a three-hour program, so we're ignoring things like Fenix and Andrade vs. Angel and Berto, and even Nia Jax vs. Jade Cargill — honestly, all we really have to say about that stuff currently is that we agree with Jade. On the other hand, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven vs. Zelina Vega and a returning Alexa Bliss gets an inordinate amount of space here, due entirely to the power of the passions it evoked in our writers! So with that in mind, from the US title tag match to John Cena eating yet another RKO, here are three things we hated and three things we loved about the 5/9/25 episode of "WWE SmackDown."

Part and parcel of The Bloodline's fall has been the break out of the names that depart the faction, illustrated by the current World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso and eventual WrestleMania main eventer Sami Zayn from the original group, and even with Solo Sikoa last year when he splintered into the newer stable with Jacob Fatu and the Guerillas of Destiny. 

The past few months have appeared to accelerate that dynamic between Fatu and Sikoa too, with each of Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa out injured currently and the "Samoan Werewolf" surpassing the failed "Tribal Chief" usurper to become the reigning United States Champion. Cracks have been plain to see between them since Sikoa walked out after his loss to Roman Reigns at the beginning of the year. Since then, Fatu has grown far more autonomous and resistant to the control of Sikoa, and in return Sikoa has worn his frustrations rather visibly and increasingly as the weeks go on. 

Sikoa has been meddling in the US Champion's affairs since his reign began, interfering in a contendership match to push Drew McIntyre into the title picture, only for Nick Aldis to smell a rat and make an example by booking Fatu against McIntyre, Damian Priest, and LA Knight for Backlash. They ended last week with Sikoa accusing Aldis of trying to screw Fatu over, only for Aldis to play the Uno reverse card and accuse him of doing that. That interaction laid the foundation for an underlying intrigue to the otherwise formulaic tag match between Fatu and Sikoa against Priest and Knight, ending with Sikoa taking the pin from Knight. But the story was layered upon in a later segment between the losing team, with Sikoa making it clear he wanted to institute a gameplan while Fatu shut that down and said he would be running the play. 

Fatu read Sikoa his rights and walked off, leaving him to stew and reconcile with the idea that he is not in charge anymore. What makes their interactions great is the tension between them, with both clearly distrusting of one another's intentions and where they stand, and the fact that through unfortunate circumstance they are the only standing members of The Bloodline left only adds to the growing atmosphere between them. It certainly has me hooked for where the story is going to go, especially as the time beckons for both to make their own way forward.

Written by Max Everett

It's what it says on the tin. On Friday's episode of "SmackDown," "Little Miss Bliss" made her shocking return to WWE programming after months of on-and-off booking, and, honestly, her return was not at all fitting for a former five-time women's champion.

What should have been a WrestleMania moment — something that is absolutely pay-per-view worthy — was instead demoted to the unfortunately forgettable space of the midcard. The return of a five-time women's champion and, arguably, one of the reasons the women's division thrived the way it did in the 2010s — or at least a spot on the card's opening or main event — was relegated to a spot as Zelina Vega's surprise tag partner against Chelsea Green and Piper Niven (and I mean the word "surprise" in every conceivable negative interpretation of the word). The disrespect to Bliss, especially after subjecting her to this limbo of on-and-off booking throughout the first half of 2025, is insane.

I'll give some grace to WWE: we technically don't know why she's been kept off of television as long as she has been. The original contract problem that was holding her back from appearing on WWE programming has seemed to evolve into a "will they, won't they" situation with the Wyatt Sicks, who seem to be indefinitely shelved following an injury from an undisclosed member. I would hate for this to be interpreted as ownership over Bliss — I do not want to complain about how she couldn't appear at, say, WrestleMania if she genuinely couldn't appear at the event, for whatever reason. However, just because we don't know the reason she couldn't appear on the grand Vegas doesn't mean that she deserves to have her long-awaited (hopefully long-term) return to WWE on some throwaway episode of "SmackDown." You couldn't even do this at Backlash?

I'm also not saying that Vega, Green, and Niven are inappropriate company for her return; they're all capable performers. I just hate that Bliss' return was not given more spectacle. Superstars making their return to WWE programming on random weekly shows is not out of the ordinary, but for a woman as influential as Bliss is, it just feels like a throwaway return — like WWE doesn't even care about fashioning an appropriate return for Bliss. If you want to put her in the Women's United States Championship scene, then have a title defense at Backlash and have her appear. If you want her to enter in a coalition with Charlotte Flair (for whatever reason), then give Flair something to do at Backlash. If you just want Bliss back on WWE programming in general, then give the women something to do at Backlash — God knows the card is desperately in need of some female matches (psst, you can also debut Bliss here and have her join forces with Flair later, if that is the route she's going down).

Home state pop? Spare me. Bliss is a cornerstone of the modern WWE women's division, but you'd never guess that from her subpar return.

Written by Angeline Phu

Chelsea Green was a great inaugural women's U.S. champion, but since losing it, she's been just as great. Following her loss, Green wore a black veil to indicate she was in mourning. On this week's episode, Green and the Secret Hervice were holding a ceremony in Nicholas Aldis's office. They were using his desk as an altar, complete with candles, a folded American flag, and a sign with a picture of the title on top of the flag. Green yelled at Aldis for interrupting them and he responded by having her and Piper Niven face current champion, Zelina Vega and mystery partner, Alexa Bliss.

Green came to the ring decked out in all black, including a black tulle skirt. The Secret Hervice also donned all black clothing and sunglasses. Green looked forlornly while giving her signature salute prior to the match. To rub salt in the wound, Green took the pin when Alexa Bliss reversed the Un-Pretti-Her into Sister Abigail. Green posted pictures on social media from the show and said she was "in mourning until further notice" and added the black heart emoji.

While it's only been a few weeks since Green lost her title, she's been as entertaining as ever. She makes the title feel like a big deal (unlike the women's IC title, which WWE didn't care about until Becky Lynch returned). Green is always a compelling character and so far, chasing the title she lost has been just as fun as when she was champion. She always understands the assignment and is still elevating the title, even without being the champion. I'm really interested to see how much further into despair Green falls the longer it takes her to (potentially) regain the title.

Written by Samantha Schipman

Former NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer and Axiom are one of the best tags teams in professional wrestling today, and certainly a top team in WWE. It's easy to worry about stars getting called up from "WWE NXT" to the main roster, especially these days with releases and rumors about some talent losing momentum when they get called up, but Fraxiom are absolutely crushing it so far. They're thankfully getting a ton of opportunities. No bigger opportunities than this one, however, when they were put in a match against the WWE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits. It wasn't a title match, as "SmackDown" General Manager Nick Aldis didn't deem them worthy of a title shot yet, but these guys certainly proved something, even though Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins were struggling after their intense TLC match on the "SmackDown" after WrestleMania two weeks ago.

Despite the Profits' storyline injuries, the match was super fast paced, with Fraxiom getting in a lot of offense where they targeted where the Profits were hurting, specifically Ford's ribs. Frazer and Axiom hit all their big, high-flying moves in the ring and won off the missile dropkick off the top by Axiom. This is a match I definitely want to see again when the champions are 100% healthy, and hopefully that time it's for the gold. I'm kind of glad this wasn't a title opportunity for the recent "NXT" callups, as they wouldn't want to get the victory off the handicap.

They all also shook hands after the match, and I really wasn't sure where that was going to go since the Profits seem to be more tweener than anything right now and I was bracing for the fully babyface Fraxiom to get beaten up. Frazer and Axiom genuinely looked so happy and so appreciative toward the champions, it was so sweet to see. I really hope WWE leans away from the friction angle between Fraxiom and just let them be a great team and good buddies, because if they keep going, they're absolutely going to be champions sooner rather than later. 

Later on in the night, Frazer and Axiom were seen being congratulated by the Motor City Machine Guns. #DIY took out both teams, however, with Tommaso Ciampa none too pleased with the newcomers. It was a super simple backstage beatdown segment, but it helped further solidify Fraxiom as a threat on "SmackDown." While Frazer still looked pretty giddy talking to MCMG before the attack, he and Axiom looked like they fit right in amongst the other guys.

Written by Daisy Ruth

I'm back in the building again.

Before you whine that I'm writing about how much I hate "Number One Draft Pick" Carmelo Hayes' booking again, consider the following: I haven't done it in a while. Oh, and if WWE would just fix Carmelo Hayes' booking, then maybe I wouldn't need to keep complaining about Carmelo Hayes' booking.

I was never a fan of him bending the knee to The Miz. You're telling me the guy who ran through "NXT —" the guy who led the hugely successful "Trick Melo Gang" alongside Trick Williams, the two-time "NXT" North American Champion and spectacular "NXT" Champion — would just follow The Miz, of all people? If Hayes was paired as an apprentice a more threatening guy (the "SmackDown" roster is so weak I struggle to come up with an example that would somewhat make sense, but you get the idea), then I would be somewhat okay with Hayes playing second fiddle; It would make sense. Hayes is being paired with The Miz, though! Mike is not much more threatening than a wet paper towel! I don't care that he's won the Intercontinental Championship 8 times or that he's a two-time world champion or that he's a WWE workhorse. Take one, good, long, hard look at him and say he's on the same level of threatening as, say, Roman Reigns, or Drew McIntyre, or even Karrion Kross (and be honest with yourselves). My timbers are not shivered when I see Mike. He's a WWE workhorse, and he's also a twerp. Both realities can exist.

Because The Miz is a twerp, I absolutely hate the way Hayes has been positioned to be his apprentice. What is he going to learn, how to *also* be a twerp? If you thought that Hayes would start, I don't know, becoming a threat after being taken in by a supposedly hardened veteran, then you'd be sorely mistaken. The former "number one draft pick" is quickly becoming just as threatening as his mentor (which is not at all). Literally the only thing he had going for him, in terms of in-ring legitimacy, is an Andre the Giant Battle Royale win, which is nothing to scoff at...until he gets a tacky face mold of the legend to wear around his neck like the "heat" you pull from the thrift shop.

Hayes especially looked like a joke when he lost via roll-up to Aleister Black (yeah, we're finally talking about this Friday), and proceeded to breathe heavily like a good guard dog when Black leveled The Miz with a Black Mass. The match itself was fine — Hayes is great, per usual — but his talent highlights the exact point I've been making. Hayes is too big for The Miz. Hayes is so out of The Miz's league, that if anything, Hayes is the one Black should see as a threat, not Mike from down the street.

I want WWE to fix Hayes' booking, but I genuinely don't know how he can recover from The Miz.

Written by Angeline Phu

Friday's episode of "SmackDown" was WWE's one last chance to do something memorable and exciting to get fans invested in the Undisputed WWE Championship between John Cena and Randy Orton at Backlash tomorrow in the latter's hometown. Seeing as it isn't an insignificant match on the card and is almost guaranteed to be the main event, there were so many different things that WWE could've done from a face-to-face between the two men or a contract signing or had them both send messages of some sort to each other. Instead, all that happened was another minutes long promo from Cena tearing into the fans and Orton with the same thing that he's been saying for weeks now and a minor physical encounter between the two in the closing moments of the show.

In theory, having Orton use a body double to get the better of Cena was a super cool idea and one that could've at least partially saved what was otherwise a boilerplate segment. However, using a body double that resembled Orton in no way, shape, form, or fashion at all especially in height made the whole thing come off as hokey. The idea would've worked much better if WWE had instead chosen someone closer to Orton in height rather than focusing on tattoos (in an issue that could've been solved with long sleeves for what it's worth) would've made the whole thing much more unexpected for Cena and the fans. It was all around a let down, and not the best way to end off the go home show before a Premium Live Event.

Written by Olivia Quinlan