Tag: bianca belair

WWE SmackDown results 11/17/23: The Man has come around for WarGames

LA Knight also completed step one of his mission on this week’s WWE SmackDown from Evansville.

Bianca Belair thought she got one over on Damage CTRL last week when she got Charlotte Flair and Asuka to team with her … only to find Asuka was simply waiting to betray them and join the villains. Whether Bianca has one more trick up her sleeve will be a big thing to watch tonight on WWE SmackDown from Evansville, Ind.

There’s also intrigue around The Bloodline, and when is there not? Solo Sikoa makes his way back to SmackDown tonight for the first time since he put a hellacious beating on John Cena, and Jimmy Uso takes on LA Knight. Methinks those two things might end up interconnected before it’s all said and done.

Evansville, let’s roll.

WWE SmackDown results from Evansville:

  • Road Dogg joins Kevin Patrick and Michael Cole tonight on commentary as Corey Graves remains on paternity leave
  • With the newly enlarged Damage CTRL standing in the ring, Bayley brags about her plan to bring in Asuka and calls the group the strongest faction in WWE right now; when they agree to challenge Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi to WarGames, the three faces try a sneak attack and are quickly driven off
  • Belair wants to know why Shotzi jumped the gun on their payback, and Bianca thinks Charlotte knows someone who can help them; meanwhile, GM Nick Aldis tells them he needs to know their fourth member by the end of the night
  • Street Profits def. Brawling Brutes and Pretty Deadly to become the No. 1 contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, in large part because Butch accidentally hits a Brogue Kick on Ridge Holland; meanwhile, B-Fab stops by again to talk to Bobby Lashley, who is watching backstage
  • Belair is shown talking to Michin backstage as part of her recruiting attempt, but after a commercial break, we see that Damage CTRL has already found Michin and taken her out
  • Dragon Lee def. Axiom by pinfall
  • Santos Escobar talks about the famous expression that you should never meet your heroes, and mainly is upset that Rey Mysterio sided with an “outsider” like Carlito over him; Escobar doubles down and says he hopes Mysterio never comes back, which brings a distraught Zelina Vega to the ring to smack him …
  • … and then Escobar drives the last nail in the coffin of his time with the LWO by attacking Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde, though he takes off when Carlito rushes out to confront him
  • Grayson Waller def. Cameron Grimes by pinfall, with an assist from Austin Theory
  • Belair talks to a still upset Vega, but after commercials, we see that Damage CTRL has found and beaten Zelina up too
  • Paul Heyman wants to do an acknowledgement ceremony for Solo Sikoa and claims that John Cena will never appear in a WWE ring again thanks to Solo; since Cena can’t do a rebuttal, LA Knight appears instead, promising to run through The Bloodline one by one beginning with Jimmy Uso tonight
  • Belair tells Flair they’re out of options and she needs to make the call, and Charlotte breaths deeply before agreeing
  • LA Knight def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall, but he takes a Samoan Spike from Sikoa after the bell and needs to be bailed out by Cody Rhodes
  • “I called her, but I don’t know if she’s going to make it in time,” Flair says to Belair and Shotzi before they head to the ring
  • Aldis tells Rhodes he needs to hit the bricks
  • Flair says they accept the WarGames challenge and sounds ready to reveal the fourth member of their team when Bayley and Damage CTRL come out to brag about taking out every possible candidate; the heels want to storm the ring, but our heroes are reinforced by Becky Lynch and the show ends with all eight women still in the middle of a huge brawl

WWE SmackDown results 11/10/23: Damage CTRL grows even stronger with a surprise addition

The all-star team assembled to take on Damage CTRL on WWE SmackDown didn’t even make it through one match.

Was the stunning return of Kairi Sane at Crown Jewel a boon to Damage CTRL or the beginning of the group’s end? That’s going to be one of the big questions that may get answered tonight on WWE SmackDown from Columbus.

It was Sane, not Bayley, who helped ensure that IYO SKY remained WWE Women’s Champion at the end of a hard-fought encounter with Bianca Belair in Saudi Arabia. And of course, Sane and SKY go way back.

But it was Bayley who was mostly responsible for running Sane out of WWE (in storyline, anyway). So is Sane back for some revenge? And if so, will SKY side with her or with Bayley? The future of Damage CTRL certainly seems like it might be hanging in the balance.

Another highlight for tonight will be LA Knight (no, all that rhyming wasn’t intentional) taking on Grayson Waller after the two superstars got into it on social media. Knight is undoubtedly looking for someone to beat up after his valiant but losing effort against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel, while Waller is just stirring the pot as per usual.

Oh, and Kevin Owens is on commentary tonight, filling in for new dad Corey Graves (congrats to Corey and Carmella). KO has already punched Waller in the face once and would probably like to continue doing so, but GM Nick Aldis made it a condition of his announcing gig tonight that he can’t touch anyone or he’ll be suspended.

Also, he needs a tie, but Aldis promised to hook him up.

Good stuff.

WWE SmackDown results from Columbus:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

  • Kevin Owens is dressed like he normally is, but also has a tie on as he joins the commentators.
  • The LWO is in the house, but not united for long as Carlito blames Santos Escobar for Rey Mysterio’s loss to Logan Paul at Crown Jewel
  • Bobby Lashley def. Carlito by pinfall; after the match, Santos Escobar decides not to save Carlito from a beating by Lashley and the Street Profits and ends up finally turning on Rey Mysterio
  • Escobar is asked why he attacked Mysterio on his way out of the building, and simply says “Rey had it coming”
  • Bayley reluctantly accepts that Kairi Sane is now part of Damage CTRL, but Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Asuka are ready to see how united the group really is later tonight
  • Dragon Lee def. Cedric Alexander by pinfall
  • LA Knight says Crown Jewel didn’t go exactly as he’d hoped for, but that he did what he said he would and would be champion now if not for Jimmy Uso; Knight also says he won’t go to the back of the line and he’s not done with The Bloodline, but Grayson Waller wonders if he’s just “not the guy,” which turns out badly for the Aussie
  • LA Knight def. Grayson Waller by pinfall
  • Waller comes back out with Austin Theory, spilling water on KO and throwing a bottle at Michael Cole, so Owens pursues and catches them on the ramp, eventually hitting Waller with a Stunner in the ring
  • Jimmy Uso says he’s happy to take on Knight next week, and the phone call from Roman Reigns doesn’t seem like it’s stopping him from doing it
  • Damage CTRL (Bayley, IYO SKY and Kairi Sane) vs. Asuka, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair ends in a no contest after Asuka turns on her teammates, seemingly joining Damage CTRL and helping them beat down Belair, Flair and Shotzi

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 takeaways: Roman Reigns keeps dominating, Logan Paul is a champ

Here’s what caught our Vaughn Johnson’s eye the most during WWE Crown Jewel 2023.

Let’s jump into the biggest happenings from Saudi Arabia:

Roman Reigns wins … again

It may sound like the same old story, but it has been an effective one for more than three years.

Roman Reigns retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Saturday, and did so with the help of his Bloodline family members.

The latest victim in the Tribal Chief’s reign of dominance was LA Knight, who came into Crown Jewel with the fans firmly behind him.

I don’t think anyone thought Knight had a realistic chance of winning the title, but the key for me was making sure Knight looked like he belonged in the same league with Reigns despite losing. I think WWE accomplished that in Saudi Arabia.

Not only did Knight lose due to constant interference, Reigns didn’t even kick out of Knight’s finisher, Blunt Force Trauma. Instead of kicking out, Reigns managed to get his foot on the ropes to stop the count, which only happened because Jimmy Uso put it there.

Where does Knight go from here? Well, I see him playing a key role in WarGames, which was made official during Crown Jewel. From there, I think he could have a very entertaining feud with Logan Paul over the United States championship.

For Reigns, see you in 2024, I guess. Enjoy the holidays.

Logan Paul is a champion

As I just mentioned, a YouTube star is the new WWE United States Champion.

But while that may sound like another farcical decision done to merely generate mainstream eyeballs, in reality, this was the fruition of a carefully crafted plan that has been executed over the course of multiple years.

Paul first appeared in WWE in 2021 and signed a contract with the promotion in 2022. WWE could have easily put a title on him back then and it could have caused a stir, but it would have been looked at as merely a publicity stunt.

But having Paul work against a variety of opponents, lose to some, defeat others, and actually prove himself in the ring made him topping the legendary Rey Mysterio for the prestigious United States digestible for wrestling fans. That’s because Paul put the work in before being put in such a coveted position.

And to his credit, Paul has delivered. Even in the ring with a legend like Mysterio, Paul didn’t look out of place. He didn’t look like a fish out of water. He looked like someone that has been working to improve his skill in the ring.

Like him or not — and I completely understand if you do not — he has earned this opportunity. And yes, this is still a publicity stunt, but it is one that was well thought out and executed.

Solo Sikoa beats the brakes off John Cena

Man, is this really it? Is the last time we’re really going to see John Cena in the ring was him being beaten to a pulp by Solo Sikoa? It sure looked like it on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

But something tells me that isn’t quite the way Cena would even like to go out. I think this story isn’t quite over and Cena will ultimately pick up the win he has been desperately looking for — and it could happen over Sikoa. 

But maybe that is my wrestling fan naivete talking. Maybe Cena simply wanted to ride off into the sunset by putting a young star over in dominant fashion. If so, what a way to go out. 

Women’s matches receive little reaction from fans

Look, I understand why this happened. I understand the cultural differences as to how women are viewed in Saudi Arabia. I don’t personally agree with it, but I am aware of the situation at hand here.

However, I still feel like I have to acknowledge it because it is such a stark contrast to what we’re used to hearing from the women’s matches. It’s not for a lack of quality. I feel like the five-way was fine, but the title match between Bianca Belair and IYO SKY was great. 

But when the fans don’t seem to be interested, it hurts the quality of the match.

Sky Pirates are back

One of the biggest moments of the show was during a women’s match, as Kairi Sane made her official return to WWE television by helping SKY retain the WWE Women’s Championship and reunite the Sky Pirates from NXT.

I feel like if Sane’s return happened elsewhere, it would have received a much bigger ovation. But alas, it didn’t.

However, that doesn’t take away from the importance of Sane’s return as it adds a new wrinkle to the to the SKY-Belair-Bayley story and adds depth to an already deep women’s division in WWE.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: IYO SKY beats Bianca Belair thanks to a big return

IYO SKY got some crucial help to defeat Bianca Belair at WWE Crown Jewel … but not from Bayley.

Bianca Belair sounds confident ahead of this one, but we’ll see how it plays out. She’s out of the gate quickly, trying to ground IYO SKY and then knocking her down. Belair smashes SKY into the apron a few times, then pulls off a stalling vertical suplex and her handspring moonsault for a near fall.

A dropkick sends SKY back into the corner, but she dodges a corner charge and starts working over Belair’s right leg. The champ continues that strategy, pausing only for a quick cover.

IYO smashes Bianca’s face into the canvas before returning to her leg assault, then pulls off a double stomp to the chest. Back to the right leg goes SKY, this time with a leglock on the mat. Belair manages to use several repeated right hands to free herself.

SKY tries for a legdrop off the top rope but finds no one home. She also misses a jump into the corner, and Belair treats her to a fallaway slam. But Bianca is selling her right knee a lot, even as she pulls off three body slams in a row.

A tilt-a-whirl gutbuster allows Belair to cover for two, albeit slowly due to her knee. Bianca ends up in the Tree of Woe, where SKY delivers a dropkick to the knee. IYO covers but only gets two …

… so she immediately returns to a stretch muffler on the right leg. Belair shows off her crazy power with an overhead release suplex for two. Another power move gets the same result for Bianca, who stays down a bit trying to recover her strength.

After SKY’s next near fall, the champ seems a little put off that Bayley is out at ringside. The champ barely escapes a KOD attempt, guillotining her challenger on the top rope and smashing Bianca in the face with knee shots.

SKY pulls off a top rope moonsault to the floor, landing hard in the process. She hits a springboard dropkick back in the ring and covers but only gets two again.

Bayley looks nervous as Belair gets the next two count, but SKY is able to avoid a handspring moonsault. Belair hits a facebuster, but Bayley is on the apron to distract the ref and prevent the count. She takes a right from Bianca for that, then a springboard plancha to boot. SKY makes it worse by accidentally clocking here teammate before she’s sent into the barricade.

It looks like Bayley is going to suffer an even worse fate, but someone arrives to hit Belair with a back elbow … it’s a returning Kairi Sane. That allows SKY to get her Over the Moonsault in, which is enough for her to retain the title.

[lawrence-related id=40037]

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Reigns, Paul, Sikoa big winners in Riyadh

Get full results for WWE Crown Jewel 2023, where Roman Reigns and Logan Paul were among the night’s big winners.

Roman Reigns has been champion for a historically long time by 21st century standards, backing up his claim to be the Head of the Table. LA Knight is the brash newcomer who got over mostly on his own and is getting his first shot at gold. Something will have to give today at WWE Crown Jewel.

The annual Saudi Arabian show has perhaps its best card to date, packed with title matches and big on star power without relying on nostalgia as much as the first events WWE held in this country. There’s still a bit of that thanks to John Cena (who takes on Solo Sikoa), but thanks to the Hollywood actors strike, even he has been a regular in recent weeks.

The main event doesn’t appear to have that much intrigue, as Reigns appears likely to head to WrestleMania next year with his record-setting Universal Championship reign fully intact. But WWE also has lightning in a bottle with Knight, so as they say, you never know. It certainly feels like there is more of a chance for a shocking upset this year than in 2022, when Reigns had a title defense against Logan Paul.

Speaking of Paul, he’s widely expected to claim his first WWE championship of any kind when he faces Rey Mysterio. Does that mean he’ll be a more regular presence on WWE programming in the months ahead?

And there could be title changes in the women’s division as well, where both championships are on the line. Time to see how it all unfolds.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 kickoff show results:

  • Sami Zayn def. JD McDonagh by pinfall

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results:

(please click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Seth Rollins def. Drew McIntyre by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
  • Damian Priest attempts to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase afterward, but is foiled by a figure in black who takes his case … and reveals himself as Sami Zayn
  • Rhea Ripley goes by a distraught McIntyre backstage as if to say “I told you so”
  • Rhea Ripley wins the Fatal 5-Way match to retain the Women’s World Championship, pinning Shayna Baszler
  • Solo Sikoa def. John Cena by pinfall, though Cena receives a standing ovation from the fans when he leaves the ring
  • The Miz welcomes Saudi movie star Ibrahim Al Hajjaj to Miz TV only to see the segment hijacked by Grayson Waller; together they manage to fight off Waller, though, who takes a Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz and a People’s Elbow from the actor
  • Logan Paul is shown cruising around the desert in a dune buggy and then driving right into the arena for his ring entrance
  • Logan Paul def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall to become the new WWE United States Champion thanks to a shot from a pair of brass knuckles
  • Bianca Belair says she’s on to Phase 2 of her revenge plan against Damage CTRL, which involves her getting her title back tonight
  • Bianca Belair def. IYO SKY by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship, thanks in large part to a returning Kairi Sane
  • Cody Rhodes def. Damian Priest by pinfall after Jey Uso manages to fight off interference from other members of The Judgment Day
  • Roman Reigns def. LA Knight by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, with some help along the way from Jimmy Uso

[lawrence-related id=39245]

WWE SmackDown results 11/3/23: Bianca Belair can’t stop, won’t stop against Bayley

Also on WWE SmackDown, John Cena blistered Solo Sikoa on the mic.

You know that old adage about Hell having no fury like a woman scorned? How about the fury of a former champion out for revenge on the people who put her out of commission? We’ll see some of that on tonight’s not really live edition of WWE SmackDown, less than 24 hours away from Crown Jewel.

Bianca Belair will get a title shot in Saudi Arabia against IYO SKY, but her beef is really with all of Damage CTRL. And since Dakota Kai hasn’t been cleared to return to action yet, that only leaves Bayley to face her fury.

As the annoying commercials for Colin Cowherd’s show say, good luck with that.

Other matches on tonight’s card include Kevin Owens facing Austin Theory and Pretty Deadly taking on the Brawling Brutes in something called a Donnybrook Rules match, which sounds like it shouldn’t favor the Yes Boy duo.

But perhaps the most intriguing part of SmackDown could be the one segment that wasn’t filmed in front of the crowd at last week’s show: Logan Paul and Rey Mysterio having their weigh-in. Does that mean something interesting will happen there? Could there be some unexpected guest stars of some sort? Does there need to be a weigh-in when it’s already very clear that one competitor is much larger than the other?

We don’t know the answers, and the only way to find out is to watch along with us.

WWE SmackDown results the night before Crown Jewel:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

  • LA Knight tries to get the last word before Saudi Arabia, but Roman Reigns wants his too
  • Kevin Owens def. Austin Theory by pinfall with Grayson Waller watching on guest commentary
  • Bianca Belair talks about how she wants vengeance, but she is attacked by Damage CTRL and Nick Aldis and his helpers have to rush in to break up the melee
  • Logan Paul shakes hands with Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits, and Lashley uses him as an example of someone who takes what he wants; also B-Fab stops by and asks to talk to Lashley
  • Shotzi and Charlotte Flair def. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven by pinfall
  • Solo Sikoa and John Cena have one more confrontation, but Sikoa learns it’s no small task to hang with Cena on the mic
  • Nick Aldis gives Bayley some bad news: Damage CTRL is banned from ringside for her match with Bianca Belair, though IYO SKY tells Bayley she can handle things herself
  • Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall in a Good Ol’ Fashioned Donnybrook
  • Aldis only has a brief moment for Heyman, who tells the GM that he might want a lot of medical personnel on hand tomorrow for Knight
  • Logan Paul and Rey Mysterio do the weigh-in thing, complete with one of them smacking the other
  • Bianca Belair def. Bayley by pinfall, then puts Bayley through the announce table to end the show

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 predictions: What will go down in Saudi Arabia?

Will LA Knight dethrone the Tribal Chief? Can John Cena actually … win one? We pick all the WWE Crown Jewel winners.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque being at the head of WWE’s creative process has created a lot of positive ripple effects for the company.

But one I did not expect to see was an increase in anticipation for WWE’s Saudi Arabia events. 

We have come a long way from the early days of WWE’s arrangement with Saudi Arabia in 2018, when the shows felt shoehorned into the promotion’s already packed premium live event schedule and Vince McMahon relied too heavily on acts of yesteryear to generate interest.

Remember when Shawn Michaels came out of retirement just to participate in arguably the worst match of his illustrious career? I’m willing to bet Michaels prefers everyone forgot it ever happened.

But I have to give credit where credit is due, because the latest WWE event in Saudi Arabia, Crown Jewel, actually has a card that I am looking forward to watching and one that actually feels connected to the product viewers consume on a regular basis, which was not the case back in 2018.

Who will walk away a winner on Saturday? Let’s get to the predictions …

WWE SmackDown preview, spoilers 11/3/23: Rey Mysterio, Logan Paul weigh in before Crown Jewel

Also tonight on WWE SmackDown, Bianca Belair continues her Damage CTRL revenge tour against Bayley.

How can the superstars of WWE be on a SmackDown here in the U.S. the night before they’re going to be taking part in Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia? There’s an easy answer to that one: They can’t, which is why tonight’s episode was taped ahead of time last Friday.

To its credit, WWE doesn’t treat these pre-taped shows that much differently, promoting roughly the same amount of matches and segments in advance. Tonight, for instance, it’s focusing on the weigh-in between Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul, who will clash for Mysterio’s United States Championship on Saturday (a bout that Paul is expected to win).

Non-spoiler: Paul weighs more. Book it.

Bianca Belair, who is on a mission for payback against all of Damage CTRL, gets another chance toward that when she faces Bayley. Kevin Owens just feels Austin Theory has a punchable face, so he’ll no doubt punch it a few times when they have a match on SmackDown.

And since Pretty Deadly is back in the fold, it will be great to see them in action as well, as they take on the Brawling Brutes in a Donnybrook Rules Match, whatever that is.

If you want to see all of this play out like it was live, feel free to skip out now and rejoin us at 8 p.m. as we’ll be recapping the show like we always do on Friday nights. On the other hand, if you would like WWE SmackDown spoilers to know if you should tune in, please keep reading.

Seriously, this is your chance to leave if you don’t want to know what happened. Think of it like those “Last Exit Before Tunnel” signs.

(New Jersey/New York natives, you feel us.)

Alright, here we go …

WWE SmackDown spoilers for November 3:

  • Kevin Owens def. Austin Theory by pinfall w/ Grayson Waller on guest commentary
  • Charlotte Flair and Shotzi def. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven in a non-title match
  • Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa cut a promo on John Cena ahead of Sikoa and Cena facing off at Crown Jewel; Cena comes out to retort and physicality breaks out, with Cena getting the upper hand (interesting … )
  • Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes in a Donnybrook Rules match
  • LA Knight gets a chance to cut one more promo but Roman Reigns also makes an appearance to prevent the Megastar from getting in the last word; they tease a brawl but are kept from doing so by officials, referees, etc.
  • Bianca Belair def. Bayley, then adds an exclamation point to her victory by putting the Damage CTRL leader through the announce table

Interestingly, there are no spoilers for the Mysterio-Paul weigh-in, meaning it had to have been filmed some other time. That could mean other people getting involved (Jake Paul, maybe?) or other fun stuff, so the only way to find out is to watch SmackDown tonight.

WWE SmackDown results 10/27/23: LA Knight proves his point to Roman Reigns (yeah!)

Get full results from WWE SmackDown in Milwaukee, where LA Knight stayed one step ahead of The Bloodline all night.

What business is left to take care of ahead of Crown Jewel in eight days in Saudi Arabia? Quite a bit, actually. There’s not one but two episodes of WWE SmackDown on tap for Milwaukee thanks to next week’s travel schedule, though we’ll only see one of them tonight.

(And as a PSA, it won’t be on FOX thanks to baseball.)

That should be plenty, as it turns out. For starters, Roman Reigns and LA Knight will have their contract signing before they clash for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in Riyadh. We’d suspect the Tribal Chief will be none too enthused about the possibility that the Megastar might get one up on him verbally or mentally, so expect prime Reigns tonight.

We’ll also see John Cena and Bianca Belair on this broadcast. Cena knows what he’ll be doing at Crown Jewel as WWE revealed today that he’ll face Solo Sikoa, and he’s expected to address that match on SmackDown.

Belair’s role for the show is less clear. Could she call out IYO SKY to create a second women’s championship match for next weekend? We’ll have to wait and see what she does in Milwaukee.

Oh, and let’s throw some actual wrestling in the mix too, shall we? The LWO’s Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar will team to face the Street Profits, who have made it their mission as of late to try to take out members of that group. Will they finally convince Bobby Lashley once and for all that they’re on the right track?

It should be a fun and brisk two hours of WWE programming, so let’s see what awaits.

WWE SmackDown results from Milwaukee:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

  • LA Knight annoys Roman Reigns to violence at their contract signing, but even after Jimmy Uso jumps in, Knight manages to make it out in one piece
  • Street Profits def. Carlito and Santos Escobar by pinfall after Logan Paul ambushes Rey Mysterio backstage, distracting the LWO duo
  • Reigns and Paul Heyman look over the custom Green Bay Packers WWE belt (available now!), and the Wiseman says he’ll give it to Knight; Reigns is surprised when Jimmy Uso flops on the couch after “an audible” and says Jimmy needs to take care of Knight tonight, sending Heyman to have the match made
  • Paul is asked why he attacked Mysterio after showing him respect last week, to which he seems to suggest it’s to keep him guessing; also, Kevin Owens runs into Austin Theory and Grayson Waller and says he can punch them both in the face at once … then proves he was right
  • Dragon Lee is being interviewed backstage but is interrupted by Cedric Alexander, who says Lee reminds him of himself in his earlier days and would love to have a match with him tonight
  • Shotzi def. Chelsea Green by pinfall
  • John Cena prepares for his showdown with Solo Sikoa, but after saying he must win at Crown Jewel, Cena discovers why he just may not
  • Knight cuts a promo on Uso ahead of their match later tonight
  • Dragon Lee def. Cedric Alexander by pinfall
  • Bianca Belair explains she was consumed by thoughts of vengeance while she was way for two months, and now she wants to run through all of Damage CTRL to get it
  • LA Knight def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall
  • Reigns tries to sneak up on Knight after his match but gets planted by a Blunt Force Trauma

WWE SmackDown preview 10/27/23: Roman Reigns, LA Knight, 1 ring, 1 pen

Also on WWE SmackDown in Milwaukee, the LWO takes on the Street Profits.

Sometimes you just need to see two wrestlers in the ring together to feel how their chemistry might play out. The WWE Universe, as the company is so fond of calling it, got to see that last week with LA Knight and Roman Reigns, and it’s going to start to pay off tonight on WWE SmackDown in Milwaukee.

Reigns needs no introduction, of course. Neither does Knight, really, as fans have been clamoring for him to get a pay-per-view slot in line with his ridiculous popularity over the last year or so.

He’s getting exactly that when he faces Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel the first weekend of November. And if there’s a huge match coming up, wrestling tradition dictates there should be a contract signing on TV not long before.

That takes us back to tonight, when Knight and Reigns are in the ring together to put pen to paper. What will they say when face-to-face again? Will one of them try to get physical? And will new-ish SmackDown GM Nick Aldis prove up to the challenge of keeping things under control?

The other big hook for tonight’s episode involves the ongoing beef between the LWO and the Street Profits. While the Profits still seem like they are trying to prove something to Bobby Lashley, they’ve been picking off LWO members one by one. In Milwaukee, the group will turn to its two highest profile members, Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar, to see if they can put a stop to it.

Later in the afternoon, WWE updated its preview to reveal that John Cena will be in the house to address his recently confirmed Crown Jewel match against Solo Sikoa. And Bianca Belair will be on the show, though we don’t know yet what she’ll be doing.

This is also a great place to remind you that tonight’s show is on FS1, as FOX will be occupied with a little sporting event you may have heard of called the World Series.

Check it out starting at 8 p.m. ET, or hop back here for the latest WWE SmackDown results and updates.