The Terror Twins Reunite in SmackDown Main Event After Cody Rhodes and Oba Femi Ignite Tension Ahead of Mega Showdown

Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest headline SmackDown as Oba Femi issues a warning to Cody Rhodes ahead of SNME showdown.

The Terror Twins Reunite in SmackDown Main Event After Cody Rhodes and Oba Femi Ignite Tension Ahead of Mega Showdown

Cody Rhodes, Oba Femi and The Terror Twins on SmackDown (via WWE)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest reunited as the Terror Twins on the December 12 episode of SmackDown, teaming up in a mixed tag team main event against Aleister Black and Zelina Vega. Moreover, the blue brand also served as the final live offering from the company before John Cena’s retirement bout at Saturday Night’s Main Event. 

Before the bell, Michael Cole noted that Ripley and Priest entered the match undefeated in mixed tag competition, while Corey Graves countered by highlighting the next-level chemistry Black and Vega supposedly possessed as a real-life married couple. By the end of the night, something had to give.

The match quickly turned physical, with Black and Priest trading stiff strikes in the corner before Black was sent crashing to the floor. Vega attempted to use her speed to keep Ripley off balance, but the former Women’s champion answered with a series of powerful lariats that shifted momentum. 

Vega briefly found success with high-risk offense, including a Meteora and a basement DDT, but the bout took a concerning turn late when a Code Red attempt went badly wrong, momentarily alarming the crowd. The spot was reset, Ripley kicked out, and the match moved on.

As chaos erupted, Priest stormed in with heavy right hands and power offense, only for Black to respond by using Vega as a human weapon and launching a stereo Orihara moonsault with his wife to the outside. Vega continued to gamble with risky counters, including a pumphandle sequence that nearly went awry again before she finally executed it cleanly for a near fall.

The closing stretch belonged to the Terror Twins. Ripley shut Black down with a headbutt off the apron, and moments later, Priest and Ripley planted their opponents with stereo Razor’s Edges. Ripley followed by lifting Vega into the pumphandle position and delivering a decisive Riptide to score the pinfall victory.

While the Terror Twins remained undefeated, the match left a mixed impression, as flashes of strong chemistry were overshadowed by moments that appeared uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. However, the future arc for ‘The Eradicator’ was teased as she confronted WWE Women’s champion Jade Cargill during the show, which could potentially point towards the plans for WrestleMania 42. 

Cody Rhodes and Oba Femi open SmackDown in a heated confrontation ahead of Saturday Night’s Main Event

The blue brand show opened by setting the stage for Cody Rhodes’ upcoming clash with NXT champion Oba Femi at Saturday Night’s Main Event, while also addressing the ongoing chaos surrounding Drew McIntyre. The show began with a recap of last week’s confrontation between Rhodes and McIntyre, including the WWE champion ambushing McIntyre in his car. 

Cody Rhodes vs. Oba Femi at SNME
Cody Rhodes vs. Oba Femi at SNME (via WWE)

Earlier in the day, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis explained his attempts to reinstate McIntyre, revealing that those efforts have stalled because the Scotsman has refused to return calls. Aldis formally issued McIntyre an invitation to discuss a path back to the roster.

Backstage, Aldis met with Rhodes and presented him with a legal letter from McIntyre, who is alleging an unsafe work environment and threatening legal action against WWE. Aldis assured Rhodes he was doing his best to resolve the situation, though McIntyre was being uncooperative. Visibly unimpressed, ‘The American Nightmare’ crumpled the letter and headed to the ring.

Once in front of the Wilkes-Barre crowd, Rhodes mocked McIntyre’s claims and questioned his commitment, saying the Scotsman wasn’t all in. He added that if he were McIntyre’s boss, he would fire him outright, and since he isn’t, he would settle for fighting him.

Rhodes’ promo was abruptly interrupted by a surprise appearance from Oba Femi. The NXT champion acknowledged Rhodes’ intensity but said he was focused on the wrong man. While McIntyre wasn’t present, Femi was, and he reminded Rhodes that they were set to face each other at Saturday Night’s Main Event. 

Introducing himself in dominant fashion, Femi labeled himself the future of WWE, declaring that the future is now, not something distant. Femi then referenced the event’s “past versus future” theme and quoted John Cena’s famous “your time is up, my time is now” line to warn Rhodes.

Rhodes quickly pointed out the Cena reference, noting that while he respects the 17-time champion, he was also the man who defeated him for a championship at SummerSlam. The tense face-off ended with Femi grabbing Rhodes’ arm and raising the NXT Championship high. 

In return, ‘The American Nightmare’ responded by lifting the WWE Championship, and the two champions stared each other down before Rhodes walked away, leaving their cross-brand showdown firmly established.

Also Read: