Before SmackDown went live on the air, current NXT 2.0 Superstar LA Knight appeared in a dark segment, wearing a suit and cutting a promo. Several sources indicated that Knight was was said to be creating a new faction called Knight Model Management with his first client being Mace.
Mace, wrestled in a Blazer and Air Jordans. He defeated Erik of the Viking Raiders with a leaping leg lariat after Knight caused a distraction.
Several sources have said that this was more or less a “tryout segment for Knight in a potential manager role.”
During Friday Night SmackDown, WWE confirmed that the Raw Tag Team Championships and SmackDown Tag Team Championships will be unified at WrestleMania Backlash, which takes place on Sunday, May 8.
During Friday night’s SmackDown, A Lumberjack Match between Drew McIntyre and Sami Zayn was announced. This match was made after Zayn left through the crowd to avoid McIntyre, who won by count-out. In addition, Madcap Moss and Angel will square off on next week’s show, as Moss defeated Humberto on Friday night’s episode.
Reports also surfaced that Cody Rhodes defeated Seth Rollins. Cody hit three CrossRhodes in a row to get the win. At the end of the match, he thanked the crowd and all the staff. He then took pictures and signed autographs for awhile as his music played to close the show.