Winners, News And Notes On March 4, 2022

WWE SmackDown advertised Ronda Rousey’s in-ring debut on Friday nights against Sonya Deville, Sami Zayn defending the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Ricochet, and The Usos vs. The Viking Raiders for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

Last week’s broadcast of Friday Night SmackDown garnered 2.114 million viewers.

• February 25, 2022—2.114 million
• February 18, 2022—2.173 million
• February 11, 2022—2.231 million
• February 4, 2022—2.151 million
• January 28, 2022—2.217 million

• WWE SmackDown Venue: FTX Arena (Miami, Fla.)
• Tickets Distributed: 6,502
• Available Tickets: 237

WWE SmackDown Total YouTube Viewership Last Friday: 8,488,009 (Up from 3,501,956)

• Most-Viewed: Brock Lesnar Decimates Roman Reigns’ Security (3,533,819 views)
• Least-Viewed: The Viking Raiders Brawl with the Usos (210,536 views)
• Median Viewership: 446,682 views

WWE SmackDown Results | Friday, March 4, 2022

Ricochet def. Sami Zayn—WWE Intercontinental Championship

Johnny Knoxville cost Sami Zayn the Intercontinental Championship and was once again showered with cheers from this Miami crowd.

Better late than never, Ricochet winning the Intercontinental Championship is exactly what he needs in the midst of the biggest push of his career. A braggadocios Sami Zayn losing the title right after he won it is right up his alley, and now the legacy of the IC title isn’t soiled by having a non-wrestling celebrity challenge for it at WrestleMania.

Austin Theory Challenges Pat McAfee to a WrestleMania Match

WWE aired a highlight reel of Vince McMahon’s interview with Pat McAfee without showing him referring to Michael Cole as a horrible human being.

It goes without saying, but Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory will not be as box office as Vince McMahon vs. Pat McAfee. Having said that, it’ll be a far, far better match. Will Vince still be involved in his match in some capacity?

Naomi def. Carmella

This was essentially a showcase match for Naomi. You would have never known Carmella was a champion in WWE.

A potential “sex celebration” between Corey Graves and Carmella is the only reason I’m even slightly doubting that Naomi and Sasha Banks can win these titles.

Drew McIntyre def. Jinder Mahal

Backstage, Happy Corbin, Madcap Moss and their goons were pretending to play poker throughout this match.

Poor Shanky. What will happen first, Shanky’s first win on SmackDown or Veer’s debut?

Roman Reigns Appears Live

This was originally a Shinsuke Nakamura-Rick Boogs segment, but the Usos stormed the segment while Boogs was working the crowd.

When Roman Reigns became unhinged during his promo against Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman quickly backed off while The Usos seemed to be feeding off it. This energy from the Usos continued into their match against the Viking Raiders.

The Usos def. The Viking Raiders—WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships

There were some great nearfalls in this match.

The Usos were able to pull off the 1D at the last second, otherwise the move appeared to be headed for disaster with Jimmy Uso a little late getting into position.

Ridge Holland and Sheamus Destroy The New Day’s ATV

This was supposed to be a one-on-one match between Big E and Sheamus, however all bets were off when Ridge Holland and Sheamus began attacking The New Day’s ATV. The pair later completed the destruction with pipes backstage. Suffice to say, Big E and Kofi Kingston feel lightyears away from returning to world championship form.

Ronda Rousey def. Sonya Deville

Not only was this Ronda Rousey’s return to singles action, it was also her return to full gear.

Instead of “Hot Ronda,” Ronda Rousey’s tanktop read “Hot Mama.”

This match was exactly what you’d expect: A quick, Ronda Rousey squash ending in a clean submission win.

Ronda Rousey introduced an ankle lock into her arsenal as SmackDown went off the air with Rousey trapping Charlotte in the maneuver.