The second hour of SmackDown at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. began with United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura addressing his lack of challengers. His promo was interrupted by LA Knight, who referenced their previous championship encounter that was impacted by The Bloodline’s interference.
The confrontation escalated when The Miz joined the discussion, criticizing the audience’s support of LA Knight while acknowledging his own earlier misconceptions about Knight’s potential. The A-Lister compared himself to John Cena in terms of being able to declare his championship aspirations.
LA Knight responded by questioning The Miz’s relevance over the past decade and suggested retirement might be appropriate, similar to Cena. This led to The Miz attacking Knight, prompting SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis to schedule an immediate number one contender’s match between the two competitors.
The match concluded with LA Knight executing the BFT followed by an elbow drop to secure the victory, earning a championship opportunity against Nakamura, who previously defeated Knight for the United States Championship.
.@mikethemiz saw an opportunity and he took it! 👊#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/ZXSwINpBNB
— WWE (@WWE) February 15, 2025