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 we’ve just begun.
WWE Raw preview – Monday, October 31, American Airlines Center, Dallas
Happy Halloween, everyone! As WWE prepares to head overseas for Crown Jewel (and some of its talent is already in Europe for house shows in the meantime), there’s still some business to attend to first. Fans in Dallas should prepare to acknowledge the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, as he will be on hand. While he’s tried to get the Bloodline on the same page in recent weeks, there are still some cracks in the group’s foundation? Can he get them repaired before he faces Logan Paul?
Brock Lesnar is also being advertised for this week’s show. The Beast Incarnate has a big showdown with Bobby Lashley awaiting him in Saudi Arabia, and while the two men have already traded blows, Lesnar may have a a chance to get in the final word before Saturday.
Here’s what else WWE has in store for Halloween night on Raw:
- Bianca Belair will get one final tune-up as she faces Nikki Cross
- Matt Riddle and Otis will collide in a Trick or Street Fight (yes, really)
AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, November 2, Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena, Baltimore
Dynamite returns to Baltimore this week with not one, not two, but three title matches. Orange Cassidy finally won his first AEW singles gold by claiming the All-Atlantic Championship, but he’ll have to work hard to keep it (which isn’t really his style) in a three-way dance with two very different opponents, Luchasaurus and Rey Fenix.
Chris Jericho has vowed to take out anything to do with ROH, including past champions, so he’ll put the ROH World Championship on the line against a mystery former champ. And Jade Cargill will try to fend off a familiar challenger for her TBS Championship in the form of Marina Shafir.
Plus AEW has promoted more for this week’s Dynamite, including:
- Daddy Ass himself, Billy Gunn, will have a birthday bash
- After suffering no hinjinks between them last week, Renee Paquette will sit down with Saraya and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, November 4, Enterprise Center, St. Louis (recorded on October 28)
Yep, this episode of SmackDown was pre-taped last week because talent and crew members need to be in Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel on Saturday. That means that spoilers for exactly what happens on this show are already out there on the internet.
If you’d rather be surprised by outcomes but still want to know what to expect on SmackDown, keep reading:
- Liv Morgan faces Sonya Deville again, this time in a No DQ match
- After exchanging words last week, Ricochet goes up against LA Knight
- Shayna Baszler goes head to head with Natalya
- Braun Strowman goes up against a number of local talent types thanks to MVP
- Gunther defends his Intercontinental Championship against Rey Mysterio
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AEW Rampage preview – Friday, November 4, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
In a bit of role reversal, it’ll be a live episode of Rampage following a pre-taped SmackDown instead of the other way around. The most notable name on the show might not even be one of the wrestlers, as boxing legend Mike Tyson (who has worked with AEW before) is set to join the announce team.
In terms of matches, all we know for sure is that whoever emerges from the three-way dance on Dynamite with the All-Atlantic Championship can pick a dream opponent for Friday night. If that’s Cassidy, it will be a busy week for Freshly Squeezed, which might not be something he’d prefer. We’ll find out Wednesday night.