WWE Friday Night SmackDown in Denver, Colorado, USA, on the USA Network | November 21st, 2025 — The Episode Recap:

Cody Rhodes giving a helping hand to Carmelo Hayes as he picks up one of his biggest victories as he advances to the Quarterfinals of the Last Time Is Now Tournament as he'll take on Gunther this coming episode of Monday Night RAW. (Photo by WWE)

The November 21st Episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown — Match Results:

The Opening Match: lja Dragunov (c) defeated JD McDonagh in a WWE United States Title Match | via Pin-Fall — (16:37)

The 2nd Match: Carmelo Hayes defeated Bronson Reed (with Paul Heyman) in the Last Time Is Now Tournament First Round Match | via Count Out — (13:49)

The 3rd Match: D.I.Y. (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) (with Candice LeRae) defeated Fraxiom (Axiom & Nathan Frazer) in a Tag Team Match | via Pin-Fall — (07:44)

The Main Event Match: Penta defeated Finn Balor in the Last Time Is Now Tournament First Round Match | via Pin-Fall — (10:02)

My Thoughts on the November 21st Episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown:

My Thoughts: Friday Night SmackDown was an incredibly enjoyable episode with a great mix of action, drama, and storyline progression. I thoroughly enjoyed every match, as each one delivered excitement and showcased the talents of the wrestlers. Each segment was thoughtfully crafted and played an important role in building up both the Men’s and Women’s WarGames Matches, creating anticipation for what’s to come. One of my favorite moments of the night was seeing Carmelo Hayes earn a significant victory. His win wasn’t just impressive—it also secured his spot in the RAW Quarterfinals, where he’ll be facing Gunther in the highly anticipated “Last Time Is Now” Tournament. The show did an excellent job weaving this achievement into the ongoing narratives, making it feel even more meaningful. All in all, from start to finish, it was a highly entertaining show that left me eagerly awaiting the next episode.

The November 21st Episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown — The Match Ratings:

The Opening Match: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. JD McDonagh in a WWE United States Title Match | The Match Rating: ****.50 — What an amazing opener. These two have a history dating back to NXT. I was so happy when I saw JD McDonagh come out because that’s one of the most underrated workers in WWE right now. Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh made magic tonight, and they delivered one hell of a match, another great WWE US Open Challenge. There were so many awesome moments, especially when JD McDFonagh hit the Brainbuster, which was a sick moment in this match. JD McDonagh came up short, and now Ilja Dragunov is still WWE United States Champion, and I hope he has a match at WWE Survivor Series because I feel like they need an electric undercard match involving Ilja Dragunov and someone else. But amazing stuff by both men.

The 2nd Match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Bronson Reed (with Paul Heyman) in the Last Time Is Now Tournament First Round Match | The Match Rating: **** — This was Carmelo Hayes’s breakout moment—a remarkable match showcasing his determination to overcome Bronson Reed. Hayes fought through every move, driven by the crowd’s support. It was an exciting contest, with Bron Breakker aiming to spear and end Carmel Hayes’s challenge. However, the Usos intervened to prevent that, and Cody Rhodes helped Carmelo Hayes secure victory by assisting with a Cross Rhodes on Bronson Reed, resulting in a count-out win. As a result, Hayes will face Gunther in the quarterfinals on RAW this coming Monday.

The 3rd Match: D.I.Y. (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) (with Candice LeRae) vs. Fraxiom (Axiom & Nathan Frazer) in a Tag Team Match | The Match Rating: ***.25 — This wasn’t a bad tag team match whatsoever. This was a very fast-paced, fun tag team match. Tommaso Ciampa has become more serious as he wants that WWE United States Title Match, and he wants to take out Fraxiom and end that once and for all. Fraxiom was having a good showing as everyone in this match was flowing well. D.I.Y. got the win after Candice LeRae yanked off Axiom’s mask to help D.I.Y. get the win. This indicates this feud is far from over.

The Main Event Match: Penta vs. Finn Balor in the Last Time Is Now Tournament First Round Match | The Match Rating: *** — This was an okay match between the two. Finn Balor was looking to advance and face Solo Sikoa, but that didn’t happen as Penta is moving on to the Quarterfinals of the Last Time Is Now Tournament. Penta and Solo Sikoa are going to be an interesting match. This is a first-time-ever match, so I would like to see how that goes, and Finn Balor is just out of luck. He had a pitiful 2025, hoping that 2026 would have something for him.

The November 21st WWE Friday Night SmackDown — The Match of the Night: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. JD McDonagh in a WWE United States Title Match | The Match Rating: ****.50

The November 21st Episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown — The Episode Grade: 8.25/10 (B+) — Friday Night SmackDown was a super fun episode. I enjoyed every match, and each segment served its purpose in building up the Men’s and Women’s WarGames Matches. My highlight was Carmelo Hayes earning a major win, setting up his RAW Quarterfinal matchup against Gunther in the Last Time Is Now Tournament. Overall, it was a very entertaining show.

Next Week WWE Friday Night SmackDown November 28th Episode — The Announced Matches & Segments:

1. Rey Fenix, The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin), Sami Zayn & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. MFT (JC Mateo, Solo Sikoa, Talla Tonga, Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa) in a Survivor Series Style Ten-Man Tag Team Elimination Match.

2. Jey Uso vs. Rusev In the Last Time Is Now Tournament Quarterfinal Match.

3. LA Knight vs. The Miz in the Last Time Is Now Tournament Quarterfinal Match.

4. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair in a Women’s WarGames Advantage Match.