JC Mateo’s win and Tiffany Stratton’s brawl highlight a newsworthy episode despite viewership drop
Summary
– SmackDown drew 1.290 million viewers, down 11.3% from last week
– JC Mateo defeated LA Knight in his return, making an instant impact
– Tiffany Stratton busted open Nia Jax during the Women’s Title match
The May 16 episode of WWE SmackDown packed plenty of action, but viewership slipped to 1.290 million—a significant drop from the previous week’s numbers. Despite the dip, the blue brand delivered a memorable night, led by JC Mateo’s return to the ring. Mateo scored a decisive victory over LA Knight, quickly establishing himself as a rising star on Friday nights.
Elsewhere on the show, Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax clashed for the WWE Women’s Championship in a match that turned brutal when Stratton left Jax busted open. With hard-hitting moments and major storylines unfolding, SmackDown gave fans plenty to talk about—even if fewer were tuning in live.
