R Truth was not the only name that mattered Friday night in Las Vegas, but he was part of a SmackDown that kept moving fast after WrestleMania 42. WWE brought the April 24 show to Allegiant Stadium with Jacob Fatu, Rhea Ripley and a new Women’s United States Championship on the line, and the night quickly turned into a reset for several of the company’s biggest storylines.
Fatu opened the show by storming the ring after his Raw After Mania confrontation with Roman Reigns, where he had already thrown down a challenge for a World Heavyweight Championship Match at Backlash. The first response came from The Usos, who tried to pull him in another direction. Jimmy Uso suggested Fatu should go after Cody Rhodes instead, while Jey Uso told him the fans could not give him everything he wanted, but Reigns could. Then Solo Sikoa and the MFTs stepped in, and Solo said he could bring Fatu the title and his family the riches he seeks. Fatu answered by challenging Solo to a match later in the night.
The title action in the opening in-ring match belonged to Giulia and Tiffany Stratton, and the champion spent much of the bout trying to slow Stratton down by attacking her neck. Giulia drove her to the floor with a neckbreaker and later caught her on the top rope for another near-fall, but Stratton found a burst with a handspring stunner before closing the door. After an Alabama Slam and the Prettiest Moonsault Ever, Stratton beat Giulia and took the Women’s United States Championship, a result that turns a championship she had already tested against Giulia on March 27 and Jordynne Grace on April 17 into one of the show’s clearest changing points.
Paige and Brie Bella also appeared in a celebratory promo after winning the women’s tag team titles at WrestleMania, where they defeated Nia Jax and Lash Legend, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, and Lyra Valkyria and Bayley on April 18. Their appearance kept the post-Mania tone of the show centered on fresh champions and unfinished business, with the card still sorting itself out in the wake of the weekend in Las Vegas.
That is what made the night matter. SmackDown did not just acknowledge the fallout from WrestleMania 42; it put new gold on Stratton, pushed Fatu into a family-and-power fight with Solo, and left the World Heavyweight Championship path pointed toward Backlash. For Fatu, the answer is now plain: he is not waiting for the crowd, and he is not waiting for Reigns to decide his future.
