Welcome to the Opening Bell, where we round up what’s been announced for WWE (Raw and SmackDown) and AEW (Dynamite and Rampage) programming for the week ahead.
WWE Raw preview – Ford Center, Evansville, IN
There’s a big confrontation being advertised for this week’s Raw, and by that we mean large in terms of how it’s being positioned and the physical size of the men involved. Bobby Lashley, who managed to beat Omos in a Steel Cage match even though he was thrown through the cage, has another challenge for the Nigerian Giant that he’ll apparently lay out Monday night.
And Cody Rhodes, who is increasingly being shown off as one of WWE’s biggest fan favorites, will be in action as well, taking on The Miz. But the real question is whether there will be another “Countdown to Cody” timer.
Also on tap for this week:
- Becky Lynch addresses her loss to Asuka, which made her not the No. 1 contender for Bianca Belair
AEW Dynamite preview – Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
There could be worse things than being in Las Vegas all week for a full week of AEW leading up to Double or Nothing on Sunday night. The slate begins with Dynamite on Wednesday, and even with the pay-per-view just days away, the card is pretty loaded. It’s headlined by a Steel Cage match between Wardlow and Shawn Spears, which the big man must win if he wants to get his hands on MJF (spoiler: he does want that, very much).
From a pure in-ring action standpoint, the bout of the night could (should be?) the Jungle Boy vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Ricky Starks three-way dance. Hard to imagine that one won’t be a lot of fun.
Also announce by AEW for this week’s Dynamite:
- Owen Hart Foundation semifinals for both brackets: Samoa Joe vs. Kyle O’Reilly, and Toni Storm vs. Dr. Britt Baker
- FTR puts the ROH World Tag Team Championship on the line against Roppongi Vice
- Hangman Adam Page and CM Punk have a face-to-face segment ahead of their Double or Nothing title match
AEW Rampage preview – Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
When will AEW Rampage air this week? It’s an open question as of the time of this post, due to the uncertainty of the NBA and NHL playoff schedules and what time games might air on TNT. It’s possible it could be headed for the 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT time slot that got the show its lowest ratings ever a few weeks ago.
Be that as it may, Rampage is set to be live this week as part of the full Las Vegas AEW experience, and we’ll update with more on the matches as they are announced.
WWE SmackDown preview – Simmons Bank Arena, North Little Rock, AR
Though it feels like the New Day has been feuding forever with the group now officially know as the Brawling Brutes, it was only this past week that Xavier Woods said out loud what we all knew: his side is outnumbered.
That being the case, he and Kofi Kingston are recruiting a mystery partner to their cause for a six-man tag team match this Friday. Who will it be, and can Woods pull off the Backwoods in a bout with so many people in it? We’ll find out on SmackDown.