WWE turned up the heat ahead of Elimination Chamber with an explosive SmackDown featuring The Rock’s jaw-dropping corporate power play and chaotic title clashes. Here’s everything that went down at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center.
The Final Boss Claims Ownership of WWE’s Champion
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made his first SmackDown appearance of 2025 with a bombshell announcement: WrestleMania 42 will headline New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome in April 2026 . But the People’s Champion had bigger plans – he offered Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes a Faustian bargain live on air.
“I don’t want your title,” The Rock declared. “I want your soul.” The TKO Board member proposed making Rhodes his “corporate champion,” promising unprecedented success if Cody accepts by Elimination Chamber on March 1 . Rhodes left visibly shaken as fans erupted in mixed reactions.
Chaos Erupts in Championship Matches
- DIY vs Pretty Deadly (Tag Team Titles): The Street Profits shockingly attacked both teams mid-match, causing a no-contest while Motor City Machine Guns failed to restore order
- Damian Priest & Braun Strowman def. Bloodline: Jacob Fatu accidentally superkicked Solo Sikoa before Priest sealed victory with South of Heaven
- Tiffany Stratton def. Candice LeRae: The Women’s Champion survived Nia Jax’s post-match assault after Trish Stratus’ brief intervention
Other Key Developments
- Drew McIntyre suffered an upset loss to Jimmy Uso via roll-up before unleashing a brutal post-match assault
- Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez ambushed Naomi/Bianca Belair pre-match
- Carmelo Hayes & The Miz defeated R-Truth/LA Knight after Shinsuke Nakamura interfered
