In this WWE SmackDown 10/10/25 review, here are five thoughts on what’s next for Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE title reign, Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest in a Last Man Standing Match, and much more.
Let’s jump in!
1. Who will be Cody Rhodes’ next opponent for the Undisputed WWE Championship?
Cody’s comments towards Seth Rollins were about what you’d expect entering their highly anticipated Crown Jewel match, but I’m more interested in the next opponent for the QB1. Will it be Jacob Fatu or Drew McIntyre? I’ve mentioned that I was surprised that Cody beat McIntyre clean as a whistle at Wrestlepalooza, but perhaps there’s a story brewing with potential rematch. Or is ‘The Samoan Werewolf’ about to get his opportunity at the top title in the company? WWE has protected Fatu about as well as anyone on the roster in recent years, and a showdown with Cody would be a fresh feud on SmackDown.
2. I’m intrigued by the Aleister Black and Zelina Vega pairing.
Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch are back together on WWE television. CM Punk and AJ Lee are everyone’s favorite couple. And now we can add Black and Vega to the list of on-screen husband/wife duos. The thing is, I’m a huge fan of this particular decision. It gives Black an extra element to his presentation coming out of a signature win against Priest in the Last Man Standing Match, and it gives Vega a new start after the lackluster booking for her Women’s United States title run. It seems like a win-win for everyone in this scenario. There’s also more confidence in WWE getting in right, which wasn’t there under the previous regime.
3. Shinsuke Nakamura is back, and so is his theme music.
Nakamura was a nice choice for the next installment of the United States Title Open Challenge. The better choice was bringing back his old theme music. There was a report that other WWE superstars doing the same, and good for them. It can’t be understated what an awesome theme song can do to reinvigorate the crowd’s interest in a wrestler. The match was also a lot of fun. I assumed Grayson Waller would be the surprise opponent, but revisiting the history between Zayn and Nakamura was the more intriguing option.
4. Sign me up for Solo Sikoa and The MFTs vs. The Wyatt Sicks.
Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis retained the WWE Tag Team Championships against The Street Profits, and the storyline direction for Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins could be interesting moving forward. However, the biggest development was a staredown between The Wyatt Sicks and the new-look MFTs. Solo Sikoa had his group decked out in face paint – sort of like The Guerrillas of Destiny – and Tama Tonga finally made his return after being sidelined due to injury. The transition from The Bloodline storyline was brutal for Solo and company, and this is at least a positive step forward.
5. Tiffany Stratton and Stephanie Vaquer do their thing.
There was little doubt that Stratton and Vaquer were going to defeat Giulia and Kiana James. As discussed on the previous edition on SmackDown, the portrayal of Stratton and Vaquer compared to that of Giulia has been vastly different. That was once again obvious in this match. Perhaps Giulia will have a storyline to sink her teeth into at some point. As for Stratton and Vaquer, WWE hasn’t pushed much story in their champion vs. champion match at Crown Jewel, but it should be good stuff. The fans react great for both, and hopefully WWE allows them to showcase their talents.
For more of my show reviews, visit the Reviews section!