WWE SmackDown Live Coverage 10/17 - Women's Tag Title Match, Jacob Fatu Vs. Drew McIntyre?

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s coverage of "WWE SmackDown" on September 19, 2025, coming to you from the SAP Center in San Jose, California!

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is set to kick things off tonight, days after losing the Crown Jewel title to Seth Rollins. How will the "Americn Nightmare" handle taking a loss in a questionable fashion?

After weeks of back and forth, Jacob Fatu is scheduled to finally meet Drew McIntyre in the ring for a one-on-one match. However, there have been reports that Fatu is dealing with a non-wrestling injury that will keep him out of action throughout the rest of the year. 

Last week, Zaria and WWE Speed and NXT Women's North American Champion, Sol Ruca requested a match against Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. The champions agreed and will put their titles on the line tonight. 

Nick Aldis came to the ring to announce that Drew McIntyre versus Jacob Fatu is now for the Number One contendership for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Rhodes said it split Rollins to the bone to take the Crown Jewel title. Rollins has to handle business with Heyman while he handles "SmackDown" business.

He asks if it'll be McIntyre or the hometown boy, Fatu that will challenge him? He will be ready for the winner. "The roads for Saturday night runs through San Jose."

Flair and Bliss come to the ring first. Ruca and Zaria follow. Blake Monroe is shown in the crowd.

Flair and Ruca start us off by locking up and working each other's arms. Ruca did a cartwheel to break a wristlock. Ruca sent Flair to the corner, who flipped over the ropes and took Zaria down with a big boot. She took Zaria down with a big boot on the apron. Ruca kicked her in the face. Flair splashed her and sent her into the opposite corner to tag in Bliss. Bliss took her down with a headscissors before Zaria tagged in.

Bliss jumped on her back before Zaria sent her to the mat. Bliss kicked her and punched Zaria twice and took her down with a dropkick. Zaria caught her doing a crossbody. They exchanged holds before Zaria fought out of Sister Abigail and hit a spinebuster.

After the break, Bliss fought out of a headlock and sent Zaria to the corner. Zaria climbed up the turnbuckle and lifted Bliss into the air, but Bliss swung her leg around to knock her down. Zaria kept her from tagging Flair and sent her to her corner and tagged in Ruca. Ruca spun her around and faceplanted her. Ruca tagged in Zaria. They went for a double team, but Bliss rolled out of the way.

Bliss kicked a charging Zaria. Zaria kept her from tagging Flair, but she eventually made it. Flair took out both opponents with a crossbody before chopping them repeatedly. She did a cartwheel into a clothesline on Zaria. She followed with three superkicks before suplexing Zaria. She sent Zaria into the middle turnbuckle. Ruca tagged in, but Flair kicked Zaria in the back. Ruca hit her with a clothesline from the ropes. She took Flair down twice. She went for a double dropkick, but Flair caught her and locked in the Boston Crab. Ruca reversed into a pin. Flair went for a Figure Four, but Ruca got away and hit Sol Snatcher, but Bliss broke it up.

Zaria sent Bliss to the outside. Bliss went for a hurricanrana, but Zaria stumbled a little before slamming her into the barricade. Flair hit Zaria with a big boot. Flair was checking on Bliss when Ruca took them both out from the apron. Ruca is distracted by a cheering Monroe. Flair took out Ruca's knee and put her in the ring. Flair locked in the Figure Four, attacked the knee before locking in the Figure Eight for the win.

Winner (and still): Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss

Backstage, Fatu welcomes Rhodes to San Jose.

Zayn comes to the ring first. The Miz says he's sick of open challenges when he's attacked by Carmelo Hayes. Ilja Dragunov returns from injury to answer the challenge. They shake hands and exchange blows. Dragunov sent him to the mat and Zayn returned the favor. He blocked a back body drop. They exchange waistlocks before Dragunov kicks him in the face. He followed with two big boots in the corner.

After the break, Zayn takes him down with a clothesline. They exchange blows until Zayn sends him to the mat. Zayn with a tornado DDT. He charges in for a Helluva Kick, but Dragunov takes him with a jumping kick. He followed with two German suplexes and kept him in a waistlock. Zayn counters into a roll up and hits two suplexes. Dragunov keeps him bent over and drives elbows into his neck. He slammed Zayn to the mat.

Dragunov went for a senton, but Zayn moved and connected with a Michinoku Driver. Zayn pulled him up to his feet and chopped him back to the mat. Dragunov escapes to the apron and Zayn joins him. He put Zayn on his shoulders, but Zayn elbows out. Zayn went to spike him, but Dragunov's shoulder caught on the ropes and both men went crashing to the ground.

Following the break, they battle on the turnbuckle. Dragunov sends him to the mat and hits a senton, but Zayn kicks out. Dragunov places him atop the opposite corner and chops him. He joins him and Zayn slaps him to the mat. Dragunov goes back up and Zayn hit a superplex. Dragunov went for a the H-bomb, but Zayn got his leg up and kicked him in the face. Zayn goes for a Helluva Kick, but Dragunov moves. Dragunov suplexes him. Zayn kicked him in the face and Dragunov knocks him to the mat. Dragunov chops him twice and turns him inside out with a clothesline. Zayn kicked him in the face and hit Blue Thunder Bomb, but Dragunov kicked out. Zayn sets up for a Helluva Kick when he notices Solo Sikoa watching from the ramp. He catches a charging Dragunov with an exploder. He went for a Helluv Kick, but Dragunov hit him with a Torpedo Moscow and he hit the H-Bomb for the win.

Winner (and new): Ilja Dragunov

After the match, MFT attack both men. Rey Fenix comes out to help, but Tama Tonga chokeslammed him. Sikoa asked "did you all forget? Let me remind you. MFT runs SmackDown." He said he will make his family tree champions again. A video of Bo Dallas plays and "seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will open. But are you prepared for what's waiting on the other side?" The Wyatt Sicks are standing on the apron, staring them down. They jump into the ring and MFT backs down. 

Sabin and Shelley come to the ring first. Los Garza follows.

Shelley and Angel start us off. Berto distracted Shelley, allowing Angel to slam him against the ropes and kick him repeatedly. Angel backed him into the ropes with a headlock when Sabin tagged in. Shelley held him in place so Sabin could land a double dropkick in the back. Sabin knocked Berto to the apron and Shelley took him down. Sabin dives through the ropes to take them out. As Sabin was climbing in the ring, Berto held his ankle and Angel kicked him in the face. He backed Sabin into the corner and chopped him. Sabin sends him into the corner and tagged in Shelley. Shelley chopped him into the corner. As he charged at Angel, Berto pulled Angel from the corner, leaving Shelley to slam into the turnbuckle. Los Garza double teamed him and kicked Sabin off the apron.

After the break, Angel hit Shelley in the back of the head and went to knock Sabin off the apron, but he jumped down. Shelley with a neckbreaker. Berto tagged in and stopped him from getting to Sabin. Shelley kicks him away and tagged him in. Sabin took them down with double clotheslines before suplexing Angel. He did a backslide on Berto. Sabin shoves him to the corner and Shelley tagged in. They both sent him to the mat. Sabin tagged back in and they double teamed him and Angel. Berto with a sitdown powerbomb on Sabin. Angel tagged in and stomped on Sabin. Angel put him in a Gory Special as Berto tagged in and Angel used the ropes to do an assisted neckbreaker. Shelley pushed Angel to break up the pin. Shelley went for a baseball slide, but Angel ducked. He tossed him on the apron and kicked Shelley in the face. Sabin kicked Angel hard in the face. Berto knocked Sabin off the apron and took out MCMG with a tope suicida. Angel tagged in and they lifted Sabin in the air, but Shelley pulled him down. Sabin hit Angel with a big boot. He dumped Berto over the top rope and as Shelley tagged in, Angel charged at him, but Sabin moved. They hit Skull 'N Bones for the win.

Winner: Motor City Machine Guns

Fatu's music hits, but he doesn't come out. The camera goes backstage to show that Fatu has been laid out and has a shelving unit on his back. There's blood and teeth on the floor. Aldis calls for medic.

After the break, Aldis asked if he saw who attacked him when McIntyre's music hits. McIntyre grabs a mic to address Fatu's hometown. He demands the ref raises his hand to make him Number One contender. Aldis said he doesn't know what happened, but if he finds out what he was involved – but McIntyre cuts him off and says he had nothing to do with it and demands to be made Number One contender. Rhodes came out and said McIntyre knows what he did. He challenges for a match on the spot. They battle on the outside.

After the break, they're exchanging blows on the outside. Rhodes sent him into the ringpost and put him in the ring. The bell rings and McIntyre tossed him overhead. He pummels the champion. Rhodes threw his vest and tie at McIntyre before jumping on him. McIntyre tossed Rhodes. Rhodes chopped him in the corner and reigned down right hands before biting his forehead. McIntyre took him down with a back elbow. McIntyre stretched Rhodes's arm behind him. Rhodes did Dusty punches before McIntyre landed a Future Shock DDT.

McIntyre opens Rhodes' shirt further to chop him and punch him repeatedly in the corner. McIntyre chopped him against the rope. They exchange blows. McIntyre headbutted him and chopped him against the ropes. Rhodes nailed him with a Cody Cutter. He went for a tope suicida, but McIntyre hit him in the face. He sent him into the time keepers area. Rhodes hit him in the face with the title and the match ends in a DQ. 

Rhodes clears off the commentary table. McIntyre raked his eyes and put him on his shoulders. Rhodes fights out and puts him on the table. Rhodes set up for Cross Rhodes, but security pulls McIntyre down. Aldis tried to talk to Rhodes, but he ran past everyone and dove on everyone from the top rope. Security dragged McIntyre away and Rhodes yelled at him from the ring.