It's the first Friday Night SmackDown post-WrestleMania 41, and WWE Champion, kicking off his historic 17th championship reign, dethroning Ric Flair as the most decorated champion in WWE history. Cena appears tonight on SmackDown for the first time as the new champion, a three-way TLC match for the WWE Tag Team Championship between DIY, Motor City Machine Guns, and champions The Street Profits, and Zelina Vega takes on Chelsea Green for the Women's United States Championship.

Here are your key moments from Friday Night SmackDown for April 25, 2025:

• John Cena kicks off the show, and seeing his muted entrance - a black background with white text that just reads "John Cena" - is just as jarring as it was seen for the first time last Sunday. Cena calls new WWE announcer Mark Nash into the ring to re-read his entrance. Cena was interrupted by Randy Orton, who delivered an RKO to Cena on this week's Monday Night Raw. Orton tells Cena that they've known each other for 25 years and that, only until recently, he never changed. Orton reminds him that generations of children have looked up to him and his wish-granting record for Make-A-Wish, and says Cena needs to have kids in order to get back to who he really is. Cena is belligerent towards Orton about his statement, and says the reason he doesn't have kids is that he's spent 25 years raising everyone else's kids. Cena calls out a six-year-old who gave him the finger in the crowd. Orton says that the reason he was so successful in Hollywood is because of WWE, and that the fans made him famous. Orton calls himself a piece of furniture in WWE and calls Cena a guest. Cena says he never needed any one of the fans and that in the same breath that they love him and hate him. Cena calls Orton and the fans hypocrites for changing up on them and that's exactly why this relationship is dysfunctional. Orton says he's stupid for coming out for trying to talk sense into him and refuses to let him ruin wrestling for him or anyone else. Cena scolds Orton and says he doesn't understand - he wants to make sure that three generations of Orton's family are erased when he takes the belt home and will leave him frozen at 14 wins. Orton challenges Cena to a fight tonight and Cena says no. Cena says the match will take place at Backlash in St. Louis, and attacks Orton in the ring, but when he tries to hit him with the belt, Orton hits him with an RKO.
• Fraxiom made their official SmackDown debut and faced Los Garza in a tag team match.
• Tiffany Stratton appears in the ring and says that although she doubted herself, she prevailed over Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 41. Jade Cargill appears and says that Stratton has a target on her back and sets up a challenge to her for the WWE Women's Championship. Their first match, a non-title showdown, is set and is happening tonight. The match is interrupted when Naomi attacks Cargill. Stratton and Naomi stare down in the ring, and as Naomi leaves the ring, Nia Jax attacks Stratton and lays claim to the Women's Championship.
• Jacob Fatu makes his first appearance as the new United States Champion. Solo Sikoa says that he's the reason Jacob is in WWE and that he's responsible for him winning the championship. Fatu takes the microphone and says he won the title with or without him. LA Knight appears in the ring and demands his rematch with Fatu, and Drew McIntyre appears and challenges Fatu to a match. Knight mocks McIntyre, and before they can square off, Nick Aldis appears and sets up a match between the two, with the winner becoming the number one contender for Fatu's championship.
• Zelina Vega challenged Chelsea Green for the Women's United States Championship.
• The Miz presents Carmelo Hayes with a giant Andre The Giant gold necklace, and he proclaims himself "The Tenth Wonder of the World." The Miz heads to the ring and airs his grievances about not being on the WrestleMania card this year, and that, unlike Cody Rhodes, he successfully defended his WWE Championship at Mania. Miz complains about the opportunities that Rey Fenix and Joe Hendry received instead of him. The lights go out in the ring and Aleister Black appears, making his official return to WWE, complete with his NXT entrance. Miz begins to speak, and Black round house kicks him in the face.
• Bianca Belair appears on-screen and confirms the reports about her broken fingers, which puts her out of action for a period of time. She says that when she returns, she's focused on repairing the relationship between Jade Cargill and Naomi, and also settling business with Rhea Ripley.
• Naomi is seen backstage, and confronted by Nia Jax, who tells her to stay out of her way when it comes to Tiffany Stratton. Naomi tells Jax to proceed with caution.
• LA Knight faces off against Drew McIntyre for the number one contender against Jacob Fatu. During the match, Solo Sikoa spiked LA Knight to assist McIntyre, and before he could hit the Claymore Kick, Damian Priest attacked him, ending the match in a disqualification. Priest delivered a South of Heaven to McIntyre through the announce table. Priest and Knight begin to argue outside the ring and are both attacked by Jacob Fatu.
• A video package recaps the Monday Night Raw segment that involved the new stable of Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Paul Heyman, as they attacked Roman Reigns and CM Punk.
• R-Truth sees John Cena backstage and says that if he ever needs his help, to call him. As Cena walks away, Jimmy Uso asks how long Cena's been wack. Truth tells Uso that when he grows up, he wants to be just like Cena, to which a confused Uso reminds him that he is already, in fact, a grown up.
• The triple-threat TLC match is your main event, with The Street Profits defending the WWE Tag Team Championships against DIY and Motor City Machine Guns.

Here are your results from Friday Night SmackDown for April 25, 2025:

• Fraxiom def. Los Garza via pinfall
• Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton ends in disqualification after interference by Naomi
• Zelina Vega def. Chelsea Green via pinfall to become the new Women's United States Champion
• Drew McIntyre vs. LA Knight ends in disqualification after interference by Damian Priest
• The Streets Profits def. DIY and Motor City Machine Guns to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship

John Cena's Last Real Champion Tour Begins

Randy Orton Is Now The First Challenger For The Last Real Champion

John Cena begins his official run to retirement as WWE Champion, promising to ruin wrestling for the fans and the rest of the WWE roster by retiring with the championship. Randy Orton, in this upside-down world, is the face and the first apparent savior for the company, and all of this feels very weird, but very interesting, with the role reversals.

Orton is the right first opponent for a heel champion Cena, putting Cody Rhodes on the back burner for a bit and allowing this new reign of terror to play out before coming back for revenge. A final Orton/Cena program is going to ring bells, just like all of their previous encounters, and we're hopeful we finally figure out what The Rock's purpose in all of this is at Backlash.

Zelina Vega Is Your New Women's United States Champion

Vega Finally Defeats Green For The Championship

In a win that was a very long time coming and very overdue, Zelina Vega finally won her first WWE gold as the new Women's United States Champion. Chelsea Green, the inaugural champion, made the championship and her character a lot of fun and got herself over with the fans in a big way throughout her reign.

Vega remains one of the most underrated wrestlers in WWE, and this championship run could help put additional shine on the new championship, especially if WWE finally pulls the trigger and allows a rematch to take place at Backlash as opposed to another SmackDown rematch. Here's hoping the crowd and the company get behind Vega as she deserves, as she'll undoubtedly make this run incredibly special.

Aleister Black Returns To WWE

Black Gets A Hero's Welcome With His NXT Presentation

In news that should come as a surprise to no one, Aleister Black returned to WWE after a four year absence. Black, who spent the past four years with AEW and performed as Malakai Black after his shocking release from WWE in 2021, left AEW in February when his contract expired.

With the return of Black, and creative using his NXT presentation as opposed to his incarnation in his original main roster run, he now receives a second chance at a proper run on SmackDown that will allow him to be one of Triple H's chosen top stars. If they stay the course and stick the landing, there's no limit to how far Black can climb in WWE.

Our Take On Tonight's Friday Night SmackDown

Major Storyline Foundation Laid That Sets The Tone For Post-Mania

The differential between the first post-Mania Monday Night Raw and the first post-Mania Friday Night SmackDown was clear tonight, and although the stories are in line with what they're doing on the Red Brand, the energy level of the crowd didn't seem to match Monday's energy, and it wasn't the performers' fault, especially for the incredible main event, which received a mostly solid energy response but deserved way more than it got.

The triple threat TLC match for the Tag Team Championships was an immediate classic and getting the entire match commercial free in the last half hour of the show was absolutely the right choice for the presentation. A returning Aleister Black, the new Women's United States Champion in Zelina Vega, the fully loaded United States Championship picture, and the exciting build between the final John Cena-Randy Orton show down has set some solid story structure as the build to Backlash begins.