The road to WrestleMania 41 passes through Seattle, Washington tonight with a live episode of WWE SmackDown from the Climate Pledge Arena.
Scheduled for tonight’s three-hour prime time Friday night program is Cody Rhodes appearing live, Rey Fenix vs. Berto, Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre face-to-face, plus a Women’s Tag Team Gauntlet for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Match at WrestleMania 41, with Kayden Carter & Katana Chance vs. Lyra Valkyria & Bayley vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark vs. B-Fab & Michin vs. Piper Niven & Alba Fyre vs. Maxxine Dupri & Natalya.
Featured below are complete WWE SmackDown results from Friday, April 11, 2025. The following report was written by PWMania.com reporter Matt Boone (@MattBoone0709) as the show aired from 8-11pm EST. on USA Network.
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS – APRIL 11, 2025
“WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.” gets us started as always. We then see a shot of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas NV., as Joe Tessitore welcomes us to the show. The camera settles inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA.
Nick Aldis, Randy Orton, LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga Kick Things Off
Inside the building, Wade Barrett joins Tessitore on commentary, as we see SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis in the ring. He brings up what happened last week with Randy Orton hitting him with an RKO. He says he promised to keep his professionalism tonight.
Aldis then calls out Randy Orton and the theme hits to bring out “The Viper.” He settles inside the ring and reminds Aldis how he was fined for an RKO in a similar situation years ago. He asks how he handled that. He reminds him he paid double on that fine in case something like it happened again.
Aldis tells Orton it’s not about $100,000. He says WWE is doing record business and Orton is a big part of that, so it’s not a money thing. Orton then talks about how he needs a match at WrestleMania. He doesn’t care against who. He tells Aldis maybe he take his suit off one more time.
He then tells him he’ll have to apologize to Mickie James if Aldis doesn’t do the right thing. As they continue with their back-and-forth, they are cut off by Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga. They come to the ring singing the praises of Jacob Fatu.
They attack Orton and out comes LA Knight to even the numbers game up. Orton and Knight get the better of things and send Sikoa and Tonga retreating. Knight gets on the mic and tells Aldis to make a match with the four for later in the show. Aldis makes it official. Barrett and Tessitore confirm it as our main event of the show.
Women’s Tag-Team Gauntlet
Lyra Valkyria & Bayley vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark
WWE Women’s Tag-Team Champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez come out and take seats at ringside to watch the gauntlet play out to see who will be challenging them for the titles at WrestleMania 41. The bell rings and we are under way. Bayley and Shayna start the match. Shayna with an arm bar and Zoey is tagged in.
Zoey with an arm bar and she runs to the ropes, landing a shoulder tackle. Zoey back to the ropes but Bayley with an arm drag take down. Both women back up but Zoey with a clothesline and she tags Shayna back in. Shayna stomps on Bayley’s left hand. Zoey grabs Bayley by the arm but Bayley gets to the ropes and tags Lyra into the match.
Lyra with a suplex. She throws Shayna to the ropes but Zoey tags herself in. Lyra with a kick to the side of the head and Zoey with a drop kick off the top rope. Shayna is tagged back in as Bayley and Zoey fight on the outside.
Bayley throws Zoey into the barricade. Shayna grabs Lyra but Lyra counters it with a jackknife cover and gets the pin for the victory. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark are eliminated. The show heads to a commercial break.
Winners and ADVANCING: Lyra Valkyria & Bayley
Women’s Tag-Team Gauntlet
Lyra Valkyria & Bayley vs. Maxxine Dupri & Natalya
When the show returns from commercial, Bayley hits a kee to the face of Natalya. Bayley runs to the ropes but Natalya with a clothesline. Maxxine is tagged in and she lands a cross body off the top rope. She goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out.
She throws Bayley to the ropes and lands a spinning kick followed by a suplex. Maxxine with a splash in the corner and in comes Lyra but Maxxine throws her in the corner. Maxxine with a double splash in the corner and both women fall to the mat.
Maxxine with a reverse worm onto both Bayley and Lyra. Maxxine goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out. Maxxine goes for the sharpshooter but Bayley reverses it into an inside cradle and gets the pin. Nattie looks pissed. Maxxine looks upset and apologetic. Maxxine Dupri and Natalya are eliminated.
Winners and ADVANCING: Lyra Valkyria & Bayley
Women’s Tag-Team Gauntlet
Lyra Valkyria & Bayley vs. Kayden Carter & Katana Chance
Carter and Chance run into the ring and they double team Bayley. Chance goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out. Chance with a double knees and Carter is tagged in. She throws Chance onto Bayley but Bayley gets her knees up.
Bayley with a boot to the face onto Carter. Bayley climbs the second rope and lands an elbow onto the back of the neck of Carter. She goes for the cover but Carter kicks out. Lyra is tagged in but Carter trips Lyra down.
Chance is tagged in and she climbs the top rope and they land the Keg Stand! She goes for the cover but Lyra kicks out. Carter throws Bayley to the outside of the ring and she lands a twisted corkscrew suicide dive.
Chance goes for a hurricanrana onto Lyra but Lyra catches her and lands the Night Wing. She goes for the cover and gets the pin. With the win, Valkyria and Bayley, who started the gauntlet off, continue. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are eliminated.
Winners and ADVANCING: Lyra Valkyria & Bayley
Women’s Tag-Team Gauntlet
Lyra Valkyria & Bayley vs. B-Fab & Michin
The show heads into another commercial break before the next match in the ongoing women’s tag-team gauntlet gets underway. When the show returns, Michin grabs Lyra by the leg but Lyra kicks her away and tags Bayley in.
Bayley goes for a splash in the corner but Michin moves out of the way. Michin with a tornado DDT. She goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out. B-Fab is tagged in and Michin getes Bayley in the turantula and B-Fab kicks Bayley.
She grabs her and lands a modified neck breaker. She goes for the cover but Lyra breaks it up. Michin gets in the ring and dropkicks Lyra out of the ring. Michin with a suicided dive. B-Fab grabs Bayley but Bayley reverses it into the Roseplant.
She goes for the cover and gets the pin. Yet again it will be the duo of WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria and Bayley advancing in the gauntlet. B-Fab and Michin are eliminated.
Winners and ADVANCING: Lyra Valkyria & Bayley
Women’s Tag-Team Gauntlet
Lyra Valkyria & Bayley vs. Piper Niven & Alba Fyre
Both women get in the ring and Fyre hits Bayley with a super kick. Lyra gets in the ring but Niven with a headbutt. Fyre with a right hand and Bayley falls to the outside of the ring.
Fyre to the outside and she throws Bayley into the barricade and back into the ring. Niven is tagged into the ring and they land a double suplex onto Bayley.
Niven with a senton and she goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out. The show heads into a mid-match commercial break on that note. When the show returns, the match is still in progress.
We see Niven and Fyre pull ahead thanks to heel tactics, however it is Bayley and Valkyria who eventually start to fire up and fight from underneath back into competitive form. Bayley hits a Roseplant and Valkyria follows up with a top-rope finisher for the win. Valkyria and Bayley face-off with Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez in the ring afterwards.
Winners and NEW WWE Women’s Tag-Team Title No. 1 Contenders: Lyra Valkyria & Bayley
Drew McIntyre & Damian Priest Set For Sin City Street Fight
It is announced that the Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest match at WrestleMania 41 will now be a Sin City Street Fight. Priest is walking down to the ring and he is attacked by Drew McIntyre from behind. He slams Damian’s head into the barricade and out come WWE officials who break it up.
Damian is being helped away to the back by WWE officials. Drew gets on the microphone, wearing an eye patch and he asks if we are beginning to see clearly now. He says Drew McIntyre only tells the truth and every action is justified, including dropping Damian’s stupid ass.
Drew says Damian has benefited every time he was screwed until this week when he agreed to take see him face to face because he has one eye. And he agreed to a Sin City Street Fight at WrestleMania because he has one eye. But he is a man.
Drew says this match is one year in the making and he will make sure that no one forgets Damian because he will give him a beating of a lifetime. He asks the crowd if they want to know a little secret. He removes his eye patch and says that his 100% cleared and at WrestleMania, Damian is 100% screwed.
We see Damian Priest coming back out and he attacks security and runs to the ring. Damian with a clothesline followed by a splash in the corner. He clotheslines Drew to the outside of the ring
Damian slams Drew head first into the ring steps. WWE officials try to break it up and Drew gauges Priest in the eyes. Drew grabs the steel steps and he hits Priest with them. Drew grabs Damian and he lands a future shock DDT onto the steel steps. Drew rips the necklace from around Damian’s neck and stands on top of the ring steps.
Tag-Team Title Tilt Announced For Next Week’s SmackDown
Backstage, DIY are with Pretty Deadly. DIY are complaining that they got screwed last week. Pretty Deadly tell them that they are out of their minds and since losing their titles, they have gone crazy.
Pretty Deadly tell them that desperation is not a good look on DIY and they tell them to trust no one. Pretty Deadly walk away and in come the Motor City Machine Guns.
They tell DIY to keep thinking about last week because next week on SmackDown, they get a chance at the Tag Team titles. They tell DIY that DIY screwed them before and this is karma.
Rey Fenix vs. Berto
Inside the arena, we head back to the ring for our next match of the evening. The bell rings and we are under way. Fenix with right hands and kicks. He runs to the ropes but Berto with a clothesline. A chop to the chest by Fenix and he grabs Fenix but Fenix with an arm bar.
A kick by Fenix and he goes for another kick but Berto ducks and he lands a kick to the side of the head. Fenix in the corner and Berto with kicks. He throws Fenix to the corner but Fenix climbs the top rope, Berto pushes him down to the outside of the ring.
Berto with a splash over the top. On that note, the show heads into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues. When we return, Fenix hits a drop kick off the top roe. He throws Berto onto the ring apron and Fenix lands a double knees off the top rope onto Berto who falls to the outside of the ring.
Fenix with a corkscrew splash over the top rope onto Berto. He throws Berto back into the ring and Fenix with a standing frogsplash. He goes for the cover but Berto kicks out. He lifts Berto up but Berto lands on his feet. He places Fenix on the top rope and Berto with a jumping kick to the face.
He goes for the cover but Fenix kicks out. Berto lifts Fenix up and lands a sit down powerbomb. He goes for the cover but Fenix kicks out. He places Fenix on the top rope and Berto climbs the second rope. Fenix with right hands and Fenix with a hurricanrana off the top rope.
Fenix goes for the cover but Berto kicks out. Both men get up and Fenix with a spinning kick to the face. He jumps onto Berto’s shoulders but Berto flips Fenix around and lands a powerbmb. He goes for the cover but Fenix kicks out.
Berto climbs the top rope and goes for a moon sault but Fenix gets his feet up. Berto leaning on the top rope, Fenix walks the top rope and kicks him in the face. Fenix places Berto on the top rope and he lands the Mexican Muscle Buster. Fenix gets the win.
Once the match wraps up, Santos Escobar gets in the ring after the match and he helps Berto up. Escobar helps Fenix up and he tells Berto to shake Rey’s hand. Berto reluctantly shakes his hand and leaves the ring. Santos shakes Rey’s hand and speaks to him, leaving the ring.
Winner: Rey Fenix
Tiffany Stratton Wants Roxanne Perez Tonight
Backstage, Byron Saxton is with Roxanne Perez. She says she decided to speak with Nick Aldis and as runner up at the Royal Rumble, she is ready to fight for the Women’s title at WrestleMania.
She says Tiffany Stratton can’t handle the pressure. In comes Tiffany and she tells Perez that she can’t talk about her. Perez tells her she hopes her actions won’t cost her the match at WrestleMania.
Aldis steps out of his office as both women are arguing. Tiffany challenges Perez to a match tonight and Aldis says he will think about it. He tells Tiffany to cool off and Tiffany walks away.
Chelsea Green vs. Zelina Vega
A video package airs showing the history of CM Punk and Paul Heyman’s friendship throughout the years. After it wraps up, we see Chelsea Green is knocking on the trainer’s door, asking for Piper Niven to come out.
In comes Zelina Vega who tells her she will see what kind of a Champion Chelsea Green is. On that note, the show heads into another commercial break.
When the show returns, the bell rings and we are under way. Chelsea with a right hand and she looks to the ramp, yelling for Nevin to come out.
She throws Zelina to the outside of the ring and she throws her into the barricade. She slams Zelina face first into the announce table.
Chelsea yells at Wade and Joe, telling them she wants her secret service out. Chelsea gets in the ring and the referee calls for the ball. The match is over and it is Vega who gets the win via count out.
Winner via Count Out: Zelina Vega
Santos Escobar & Andrade Each Talk To Berto
We cut to the back and Santos Escobar tells Berto and Angel that what he saw out there was the kind of performance he wants to see from Legado Del Fantasma. He tells Berto that he is disappointed in him. He tells Angel to go with him to find Rey Fenix to congratulate him on a job well done.
It is announced that Tiffany Stratton will take on Roxanne Perez tonight. We cut to the back and see Andrade speaking with Berto. He tells him to keep his head up but Berto tells him to mind his own business. We head to another commercial break.
When we return, a video package airs with new comments from Naomi and Jade Cargill promoting their historic first-ever singles non-title match for the women at WrestleMania 41.
Cody Rhodes Talks WWE Title & WrestleMania 41
Once the elaborate video package for Naomi and Cargill wraps up, we return inside the Climate Pledge Arena, as Tessitore and Barrett point out a series of titles with all of the designs from over the years for the WWE Championship sitting on various podiums in the ring.
On that note, the familiar sounds of Cody Rhodes’ theme hits. Out comes the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion “The American Nightmare” to a big pop from the Seattle crowd.
He settles in the ring where fans start up the international “Cody Rhodes, Cody, Cody Rhodes!” sing-style chant. He tells the fans that they have him flustered and he tells them they have always been good to him. He says this is the definition of realized potential, the metric that stands.
He points at the title and says that this says you are the best wrestler in the world. And he is blessed to be able to carry it and its weight. That’s what WrestleMania has turned into, it is about their right to keep it at home. It is about the next Champion and there is one man who is trying to take that all away, John Cena.
The fans chant “Let’s go Cena, Cena sucks”. Cody says Cena has neglected in making Seattle part of his farewell tour, he has opted to be in Vegas for SmackDown next week. It would be a coward move on his part to rebut Cena’s remarks from London but Cena had said that Cody having his tattoo makes him a common fan. Cody asks “So what?”
He has that tattoo not because he thinks is somebody but because he wants to be somebody. Cody runs through the WWE titles in the ring and gets to the spinner belt. He spins the title and says or is it someone who can carry the company on his back through good or bad for 10 years.
He says Cena looks at the spinner belt and sees it as a bad thing but he doesn’t. He sees it as someone who is trying to find himself and asks if that sounds familiar. He tells Cena that he is the WWE Champion and Cena is not. He says Cena is always teaching and preaching but maybe he can teach Cena something. He says the fans are allowed to love somebody else.
He calls himself the captain but he is part of a roster that has CM Punk, Rhea Ripley, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn and Liv Morgan, just to name a few. He says he will tell him the same thing he told Brock and Roman, he does his best work when backed into a corner. And when the bell rings and this is over, he will leave Cena in the ring to have his moment to say goodbye.
It would be clever for him to tell Cena that his time is up and Cody’s time is now but Cena has known for a while that his time is up. But the WWE title is timeless, it will stay home and it stays with them. Cody raises the WWE title in the air and his music hits. The segment wraps up on that note.
The Miz & Carmelo Hayes Confront The Street Profits
We cut to the back and Byron Saxton is with The Street Profits. They tell him that they like the Motor City Machine Guns but they don’t have the tag titles. Dawkins says they run this division.
In come The Miz and Carmelo Hayes, they tell him that the Street Profits are running the division down. Miz tells them that the fact that those titles are not on WrestleMania, it’s a slap in the face for previous Champions.
He’s a 9 time Tag Team Champion and he wants to be a 10 time Champion with Hayes. Both teams are face to face and Hayes tells them they want the smoke. The brief backstage segment wraps up on that note.
Tiffany Stratton vs. Roxanne Perez
What time is it? Well, it’s Tiffy-Time! The WWE Women’s Champion makes her way to the ring after former WWE NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez settles inside the squared circle. The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one.
