Smackdown Results: Bayley & Valkyria win Gauntlet, Night 1 & 2 lineups for WM

April 12, 2025 John Kleinchester NEWS, Show Reports
Photo Courtesy: WWE

April 11, 2025
Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, WA

By: John Kleinchester

WWE Smackdown Results

  • Bayley & Lyra Valkyria over Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark, Natalya & Maxxine Dupri, Kayden Carter & Katana Chance, B-Fab & Michin, Piper Niven & Alba Fyre via Roseplant/Leg Drop in 28:36
  • Rey Fenix over Berto via MMB in 10:45
  • Zelina Vega over Chelsea Green via Count-out in 1:00
  • Tiffany Stratton over Roxanne Perez via Prettiest Moonsault Ever in 9:18
  • Randy Orton & LA Knight over Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga via BFT in 8:59

 

Randy Still Needs A Dance Partner

The penultimate Smackdown before Wrestlemania kicked off with Nick Aldis welcoming Randy Orton to the ring. Orton mentioned paying in advance for his next fine about a year ago. Orton brought up how this would be his twentieth Wrestlemania, and he needed an opponent, even suggesting Aldis himself. Aldis said he busted his ass to make it to WWE but he didn’t need Orton’s money, he needed his respect. The crowd chanted “RKO” and said he wouldn’t apologize to Mickey James after he did what he was going to do if he didn’t get his match. This brought out Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga. 

Sikoa said that Orton was embarrassing himself, and after Mania, both he and LA Knight will be things of the past. Orton then challenged them to get into the ring, and they obliged and started a beatdown on him. LA Knight came out to even the odds, and the faces cleared the heels from the ring. Knight got on the mic and challenged them to a tag team match for later tonight. Aldis agreed, and the match was set for the main event. Again, Aldis started the show without having planned a main event for the show.

Women’s Tag Gauntlet Match

The first match of the night was the Women’s Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match. First out were Bayley & Lyra Valkyria, followed by Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark from Pure Fusion Collective. Sitting at ringside were the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez. Baszler & Stark maintained early control of the match, dominating Bayley. Lyra got the hot tag and took it to the members of Pure Fusion Collective when Valkyria caught Baszler with a roll-up to eliminate them in 3:20. The next team out was Natalya and Maxxine Dupri as the show went to commercial. 

Natalya and Maxxine took control of the match, and the crowd was firmly behind Dupri as she attempted the Sharpshooter while Natalya was begging for the tag but was rolled up by Bayley for the elimination in 5:54. Next out were Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. Carter and Chance were firmly in control and hit Valkyria with the Keg Stand for a two count. Valkyria then hit the Nightwing for the next elimination in 2:33. After another commercial break, B-Fab and Michin had joined the match and were in control, with the commentary team harping on the fact that Bayley and Valkyria’s tanks were empty. Bayley then got the hot tag but still got dominated by the new challengers. Bayley then hit the Roseplant on B-Fab for the elimination in 5:43. This brought out the final opponents in Piper Niven and Alba Fyre. Yet again, the challengers dominated as the show went to another ad break. 

The finish of this match saw Bayley and Valkyria pick up the win after Valkyria hit a power bomb on Niven from the apron to the floor, followed by a Roseplant by Bayley on Fyre and finished with a top rope leg drop from Valkyria for the win in 11:04. The segment ended with the victors squaring off with the tag champions. 

Disciplinary Actions

Joe Tessitore announced that Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton were disciplined because of viral videos online and last week’s segment. Flair was also asked to go home for the rest of the week. 

 

Pirate No More

Damian Priest was coming down to the ring when Drew McIntyre jumped from behind. Priest was thrown into the LED screen multiple times and was helped out by officials. McIntyre got on the mic and said that even with one eye, he would give Priest the beating of a lifetime at Wrestlemania. McIntyre then pulled off the eyepatch and said he was 100% cleared for Mania.

Priest then reemerged from the back, and the two started brawling. McIntyre gouged Priest’s eyes and hit him with the steel steps, following that up with the Future Shock on the steps, to which Priest sold with super wide eyes as if he’d seen a ghost. 

DIY & Pretty Deadly & MCMG

Backstage, DIY was reviewing footage of their lost last week and complained that they were screwed. They told Pretty Deadly that it was a conspiracy against them. Pretty Deadly said they were out of their minds. Pretty Deadly left, and Motor City Machine Guns entered, saying that they were going to win the tag titles next week, and what happened to DIY was Karma. 

 

Rey Fenix vs. Berto

The next match of the night saw Rey Fenix taking on Legado del Fantasma’s Berto. Joe Tessitore noted that Fenix and Berto had met in a match before, but in “Mexican promotions” and never in WWE. Berto controlled the early goings of the match, hitting Fenix with a Corkscrew Dive on the outside. After the ad break, Fenix recovered and showed off his aerial assault, including a Corkscrew Plancha on Berto on the outside, evening things out for earlier. Fenix followed that up by reversing a Berto top rope maneuver into a Frankensteiner, followed by the Goodbye Amigos kick, and finishing Berto off with the Mexican Muscle Buster for the victory. After the match, Santos Escobar demanded that Berto shake Fenix’s hand, and he did so begrudgingly. Escobar then shook Fenix’s hand himself before he left. 

Later, backstage, Escobar told Berto that he was disappointed in him. He and Angel went to find Fenix to congratulate him on a job well done. Andrade then approached Berto, telling him that he was great. Berto just responded with, “Mind your own business.” 

Roxanne Perez Appears

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviewed NXT’s Roxanne Perez, who said that Tiffany Straton couldn’t handle the pressure of taking on Charlotte. Stratton interrupted, and Nick Aldis emerged as Stratton demanded a match, as Aldis said he’d think about it. 

CM Punk and Paul Heyman Are Friends

A video with footage dating back to 2005 was shown. It described how CM Punk and Paul Heyman were friends and detailed their history. 

 

Aleister Black Tease

Another Aleister Black tease was shown, this time with a brief glimpse of a hooded figure. 

 

Chelsea Green vs. Zelina Vega

Chelsea Green was backstage, knocking on the Trainers Room door, pleading for Niven & Fyre to get better because she was heading to the ring right now. Zelina Vega approached and goaded her that she would have to face her alone. Green smashed Vega onto the announce table and then threw Vega back into the ring, only to be counted out while she was not paying attention. 

 

Naomi & Jade Dueling Promo 

A reproduced promo was shown with Naomi laughing maniacally about having pushed Jade Cargill onto the car windshield. Naomi said that Bianca Belair won’t even look at her anymore, but she was going to take Cargill out at Wrestlemania. Jade then responded saying that she was pissed and the glow was fading and Naomi was just trying to stay relevant in any way possible. 

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1910877573048869364

Cody Rhodes and the Belts

Cody Rhodes came down to the ring, and all of the prior versions of the WWE Championships were on display in the ring as Cody placed his title in the center of them all. Rhodes said that he’s always loved Seattle, like when he did DEFY. Rhodes then talked about “the next twenty Champions,” whether they be from NXT, WWE ID, or just someone in the crowd tonight, but John Cena was trying to take all of that away. Rhodes said that Cena skipped Seattle for his Farewell Tour, but he would be on Smackdown from Vegas next week. 

Rhodes then commented on each belt and mentioned a wrestler who was famous for holding it. When he got to the Cena spinner belt, he noted that he was the Champion, and Cena was not. Cody said that he does his best work when he’s backed into a corner and that Cena’s time is up, but the WWE Championship is timeless. 

Announced for Smackdown Next Week from Vegas:

  • John Cena Returns
  • Andre the Giant Battle Royal
  • 6-Woman Tag Match: Zelina Vega, Kayden Carter & Katana Chance vs. Chelsea Green, Piper Niven & Alba Fyre
  • Tag Titles: Street Profits vs. MCMG

Byron Saxton interviewed the Street Profits, who admitted they liked Motor City Machine Guns. They were interrupted by The Miz and Carmelo Hayes, who said it was a joke that the Tag Titles weren’t on the Wrestlemania card. 

 

Tiffany Straton vs. Roxanne Perez

Next up was Tiffany Stratton taking on NXT’s Roxanne Perez. Perez gained an early advantage after distracting the referee and poking Stratton’s eyes. Stratton then countered a Perez moonsault by getting her knees up.

Perez was able to apply the Crossface on Stratton, but Tiffany recovered and hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the win. Charlotte then appeared and started decimating Stratton, throwing her over the announce desk. Wade Barrett got between them, yelling that Charlotte was going to get herself fired. Stratton was down and out as the segment ended. 

Next, the full cards for Wrestlemania Saturday and Sunday were revealed:

Wrestlemania Saturday

Main Event: Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns

Jade Cargill vs. Naomi

World Tag Team Championship: War Raiders vs. The New Day

Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano

US Championship: LA Knight vs. Jacob Fatu

WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair

World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther vs. Jey Uso

Wrestlemania Sunday

Women’s Tag Team Championship: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria

Sin City Street Fight: Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre

Intercontinental Championship: Bron Breakker vs. Penta vs. Finn Balor vs. Dirty Dom

AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul

Women’s World Championship: IYO Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley

WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena

 

Orton & Knight vs. Sikoa & Tonga

The main event of the evening saw Randy Orton partner up with LA Knight to take on Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga. The Family dominated the early portion of the match until LA Knight finally got the hot tag from Orton.

Knight then fought off both Sikoa and Tonga until Knight got hit with the Samoan Spike. Orton then hit Tonga with the RKO, but Sikoa pulled him out of the ring, and the two started brawling through the crowd. That left Knight and Tonga in the ring, and Knight promptly hit the BFT for the win. Jacob Fatu then appeared and beat down LA Knight. Fatu hit a pair of moonsaults on Knight as the crowd erupted. Jacob Fatu stood tall over LA Knight as the show went off the air. 

 

About John Kleinchester 223 Articles
John Kleinchester is a wrestling reporter from New Jersey, covering the sport since 2022. He is a graduate of Ithaca College and can be reached at jkleinchester@gmail.com.
Website Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn