Tag: Braun Strowman

WWE’s Braun Strowman undergoes neck fusion surgery, says he will return

Braun Strowman has been off WWE TV for a bit, and he revealed the extent of the injury that’s forced his absence.

Braun Strowman and Ricochet last teamed up on May 1 to take on Chad Gable and Otis, only days after Strowman’s return from a concussion. However, it appears another significant ailment will keep the big man away from the ring for a long time.

In an Instagram post, Strowman announced that he underwent neck fusion surgery on his C4 and C5 vertebrae, which will “take a little bit of time to heal.”

Road to recovery starts now!!!! Level one #fusion on my c4/c5 #vertebrae was in the great hands of #DrCordover at @andrews_sports_medicine was a great experience considering. Thank you to @wwe for always taking the up most care of us. This was very scary to find out about having to have done and they were there every step of the way reassuring that I was going to have the best care possible. This will take a little bit of time to heal from. But I assure you ( in the words of the #Terminator ) I’ll be back!!!! Thank you all in advance for the well wishes.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cs_cDDhAh6R/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

Many pro wrestlers who have undergone neck fusion surgery have returned to the ring. Stone Cold Steve Austin was able to continue his wrestling career after his operation, while Edge even returned as well despite triple-fusion surgery and nine years away from the ring. Other wrestlers who have undergone serious neck surgeries include Jeff Hardy, John Cena, Sheamus and CM Punk.

However, as Strowman alluded to, this surgery will take time to heal from, meaning he is likely to miss significant time from WWE programming.

Meanwhile, Ricochet now a singles wrestler, defeated the Miz on Monday’s episode of Raw to qualify for the men’s Money in the Bank match. Unless WWE puts him into another tag team, he will have to navigate the Raw roster like this for the time being as Strowman heals.

WWE Raw results: Seth Rollins, Solo Sikoa match becomes a 7-person brawl

Also on tonight’s card are Jimmy Uso vs. Matt Riddle and Shinsuke Nakamura on Miz TV.

Part of the Raw roster for May 8 and beyond is set. The rest of it will fall into place on tonight’s episode from Forth Worth, Texas.

Thanks to Night One of the 2023 WWE Draft, Raw has 24 wrestlers on its roster, including Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch and all of Imperium. But the other half of the WWE talent pool remains ready to be selected on Night Two, which just so happens to be tonight.

One of the big names yet to be chosen is Brock Lesnar. Not only is he generally not involved in the draft, getting to be a free agent who floats between brands, he’s also in the middle of a program with Rhodes. You’d think WWE would send them to the same brand, but it’s certainly not guaranteed since Lesnar and Rhodes will do battle at Backlash and the new rosters take effect on the following Raw.

(Note: Lesnar ended up as a free agent after all, see below.)

Two people who already know they’re going to be on Monday nights going forward are Shinsuke Nakamura and The Miz. Conveniently, we’ll see them interact tonight, as the King of Strong Style will be a guest on the A-Lister’s latest Miz TV segment.

There’s also an intriguing singles match that WWE announced this afternoon. Jimmy Uso still doesn’t know where he and Jey will be plying their trade, as The Usos are in tonight’s draft pool. But while the brothers are undoubtedly still stinging from their championship rematch loss to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn — not to mention their failure in a bout they dedicated to the Tribal Chief — Jimmy won’t have time to reflect tonight as he’s up against Matt Riddle.

WWE Raw results from Fort Worth:

(click here for WWE Draft picks for each round tonight and click on any match with a link for more details)

  • Triple H comes out to welcome everyone to Raw and to Night Two of the WWE Draft; oh, and Brock Lesnar isn’t eligible to be drafted after all, having renegotiated his status as a free agent earlier today
  • “If he’s upset with me now, he’s really not going to like this one.” Paul Heyman says The Usos’ draft fate is TBD, but while addressing the “jokes” in the Raw locker room, he says the word “freakin'” a few too many times and accidentally summons Seth Rollins, who issues his own spoiler about winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions; that brings out Solo Sikoa, who will face Rollins later tonight
  • Adam Pearce asks Cody Rhodes not to start up any chaos with Brock Lesnar but gets no promises
  • Bayley and Dakota Kai def. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall
  • Booker T (Raw) and wife Sharmell (SmackDown) head out to deliver the next round of draft picks
  • “Good luck with that.” Pearce makes the same plea to Brock Lesnar that he made to Cody, but well …
  • Braun Strowman and Ricochet def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
  • The Bad Bunny-Damian Priest hype video is played again
  • Shawn Michaels and Adam Pearce are out to announce the next round of WWE Draft picks, but Brock Lesnar decides he wants to head to the ring now, Pearce sends out a phalanx of security guards, and Rhodes tries to get him a piece of Brock and ends up getting trapped by all the guards instead
  • Matt Riddle is excited that he got drafted to the same show as the tag team champions so they can hang out all the time, but Kevin Owens is not as psyched about that
  • Matt Riddle def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall
  • Eric Bischoff (Raw) and Rob Van Dam (SmackDown) head out to make the next round of WWE Draft picks
  • Jey Uso asks why Sikoa wasn’t at ringside for Jimmy’s match, and Heyman says Solo needs to stay concentrated on his assignment tonight
  • Shinsuke Nakamura joins The Miz for Miz TV, and the A-Lister ends up eating a Kinshasa, as you might expect
  • Omos def. local talent in a quick squash match
  • Road Dogg and Molly Holly are next to introduce the Round 5 WWE Draft picks
  • The Judgment Day is happy to be staying together on Raw, and delivers messages to Zelina Vega and Bad Bunny in multiple languages, but the LWO responds with a rousing speech from Rey Mysterio
  • Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley def. Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar and Zelina Vega when Priest pins Rey Mysterio after a South of Heaven
  • Rhodes admits Lesnar is in his head but says that while Brock usually gets what he wants, he won’t on Saturday
  • Bianca Belair says it doesn’t matter what show she’s on as long as she can represent, and Damage CTRL comes by to tell her that IYO SKY will beat her at Backlash, to which Belair accuses Bayley and Dakota Kai of holding SKY back
  • Teddy Long (Raw) and JBL (SmackDown) are out to deliver the sixth and final round of draft picks
  • Xavier Woods say The New Day will inject a little more energy back into Monday nights
  • Seth Rollins vs. Solo Sikoa ends in a DQ as the Usos invade the ring, quickly followed by a brawl that involves Owens, Zayn and Riddle that ends the show

WWE SmackDown results: WWE Draft begins, The Usos come up short

Yes, the WWE Draft begins tonight, but there’s also a huge tag team title rematch in store in Corpus Christi.

It’s time to get those picks in. WWE SmackDown is hitting Corpus Christi tonight, and it’s bringing the 2023 WWE Draft with it.

Triple H has promised that this year’s draft will truly “change the game,” and assuming he wasn’t just trying to get in one more pun involving his nickname from his wrestling days, we’re looking forward to how things will get shaken up.

That’s far from the only big thing happening during this week’s SmackDown, however. There’s also the not so little matter of a rematch for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, one now held by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn following their dramatic victory at WrestleMania 39 earlier this month.

The Usos have a chance to get their gold back, but what happens if they fail? Jey and Jimmy dedicated the match to their Tribal Chief, but if they come up short, they’re likely to face his wrath — especially since Paul Heyman has let them know Roman Reigns is already losing patience with them.

(As an aside, The Usos can also be drafted separately from Reigns and Solo Sikoa, which is something to keep an eye on over the next few days.)

The other notable match promoted ahead of tonight’s show will see Zelina Vega take on Sonya Deville. Vega bravely called for a title shot against Rhea Ripley at Backlash and got what she asked for, but now the hard work begins. She’ll be looking to get a dub against Deville to make sure she heads to Puerto Rico with some momentum.

What else do you need to get psyched for this Friday’s show? Probably not much, we’d wager.

WWE SmackDown results from Corpus Christi:

(Click here for WWE Draft picks updated throughout the night and click on any match with a link for more details)

  • Triple H introduces the first segment of the WWE Draft, announcing that the post-draft rosters will go into effect on May 8, the Raw after Backlash; with Roman Reigns as part of the first overall pick, the World Heavyweight Championship becomes exclusive to Raw
  • The Usos double down on dedicating their championship rematch to Reigns, but are joined on stage by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn and everyone agrees the time for talking is over
  • LA Knight def. Butch by pinfall
  • Heyman says tonight is the night, but Jey Uso doesn’t seem to be digging this pep talk as much as Jimmy
  • Rob Van Dam (Raw) and Michael Hayes (SmackDown) come out to the podiums to read the next two rounds of WWE Draft picks
  • The Street Profits (who are headed to SmackDown) still want the smoke
  • Street Profits def. Braun Strowman and Ricochet and LWO (Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinning Ricochet
  • Teddy Long (Raw) and JBL (SmackDown) come out to announce the Round 3 draft picks
  • Zelina Vega def. Sonya Deville by pinfall, then gets assaulted by Rhea Ripley (who also smashes Deville), who looks for Riptide but sees it countered into a DDT
  • Zelina gets props from Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio, with Rey telling her not to worry about what anyone else thinks of her chances at Backlash
  • The O.C. heads to the ring, including the returning AJ Styles, are confronted by the Viking Raiders and Valhalla, and Styles ducks out of the way so there’s an even six-person brawl, and The O.C. quickly wins it … and Styles delivers a Phenomenal Forearm for good measure
  • Road Dogg (Raw) and Shawn Michaels (SmackDown) hit the stage to make the fourth and final round of WWE Draft picks for the night
  • Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre are interviewed after being selected for SmackDown but get challenged for their titles before they leave NXT
  • Shinsuke Nakamura is asked about heading to Raw but gets laid out by Karrion Kross
  • Heyman says he and Solo aren’t going out to the ring because the Tribal Chief wants the spotlight on The Usos, but he’s been acting sus all night
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. The Usos by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

WWE SmackDown preview: Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez face first title defense

Two title matches are on the card for this week’s WWE SmackDown in Columbus.

It’s a busy, busy time of year for sports what with the NBA Playoffs and NHL Playoffs underway and MLB in full swing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find two hours in there for WWE SmackDown, right? Fans in Columbus certainly will, as the show originates from Ohio’s state capital tonight.

Here are the top three things to watch for on this April Friday.

Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez face a title challenge from Chelsea Green, Sonya Deville

We really wish Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville had officially been dubbed The Complaint Department, but alas. The duo has only been together for a few weeks but they mesh well personality wise and are finding their chemistry in the ring too.

Whether that’s enough to dethrone Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, making their first defense of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, remains to be seen. The guess here is no but stranger things can and do happen on SmackDown.

Xavier Woods goes for gold against Gunther

Is it fair that Xavier Woods is seen as the least serious member of The New Day? Probably not, which is why it’s always fun to see him getting a push in serious mode.

WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther already said he sees Woods as a “goof,” so Xavier will be trying to change that opinion in a hurry by beating him in a title match on SmackDown. And hey, we already know the Back Woods is the most unstoppable finishing move in WWE, so maybe he’s got a chance!

Braun Strowman and Ricochet want payback against the Viking Raiders

No one likes getting jumped backstage. It’s a bad look and it’s painful. So Braun Strowman and Ricochet are none too happy that the Viking Raiders did exactly that to them last week.

Settle it in the ring? Strowman and Ricochet will look to do that tonight in Columbus.

Opening Bell: Jay White makes Dynamite debut, Trish Stratus explains her turn

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage.

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, April 17, Simmons Bank Arena, North Little Rock, AR

Why, Trish Stratus, why?

That’s what many WWE fans want to know after the Hall of Famer ruined what appeared to be a perfectly good partnership she had going with Becky Lynch and fellow legend Lita. Was it just jealousy over not being part of the tag team champions, or was Trish simply following a precedent from way back? We’ll apparently hear directly from her mouth Monday on Raw.

United States Champion Austin Theory doesn’t need to explain himself at all, given that he’s on a roll that includes a big WrestleMania victory over John Cena. Talking might not be the best idea anyway against his opponent this week, Bobby Lashley. He’s more of an actions over words guy, and besides, they know each other well from previous clashes.

A match that was originally promoted for last week until travel gremlins struck will be back in North Little Rock too. Well, half of it, anyway. The Miz was going to face Matt Riddle last Monday, but now he’s going up against Seth Rollins instead. You decide whether that’s better or worse for the A-Lister.

Last and certainly not least, Brock Lesnar will be back on Raw this week as well. You may recall that Cody Rhodes challenged him to a match at Backlash after the Beast Incarnate decided to beat him down instead of tagging with him against the Bloodline. We’ll miss happy-go-lucky Cowboy Brock, but we’re definitely interested to see what this return to his more vengeful side holds. And Backlash needs a main event, so … yeah.

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, April 19, Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh

Buckle up everyone. Jay White, a.k.a. King Switch, a.k.a. the Catalyst, a.k.a. one half of Bullet Club Gold, apparently, a.k.a. numerous other things, is ready to start making his presence known in AEW. That begins this week when he faces Komander in what looks like a fantastic Dynamite debut.

A championship will also be on the line in Pittsburgh between two large men who still have unfinished business with each other. Powerhouse Hobbs is looking to make the chapter in his book where he’s the TNT Champion a long one, but Wardlow wants that title back around his own waist. Something has to give — hopefully not the ring.

A big tag women’s tag team match is also on the slate. The Outcasts have been running roughshod for weeks, but now they’ve angered their two highest profile foes into a match. Can Ruby Soho and Toni Storm keep their winning ways going against AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker?

And that’s not all. When you tune in for Dynamite Wednesday, you can also expect:

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, April 21, Value City Arena at The Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH

O-hi-o, you’ve got championship matches incoming this week on SmackDown. Recently crowned Women’s Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez will try to make their first title defense a successful one when they face the challenge of Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville.

Gunther has held his Intercontinental Championship a lot longer and fended off a number of different wrestlers with their eyes on his gold. He thinks Xavier Woods is a “goof,” but the last man standing in The New Day will try to show the Ring General he’s a serious threat in Columbus.

On top of those title bouts, there’s a tag team match that figures to be somewhat significant. Braun Strowman and Ricochet got laid out by the Viking Raiders, and they’re not likely to be in a forgiving mood when the two teams meet on Friday night.

AEW Rampage preview – Saturday, April 22, Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh (recorded on April 19)

Perhaps the most important thing to remember about AEW Rampage this week is that it’s not on Friday thanks to the NHL Playoffs. It will air on Saturday at 10 p.m. instead.

That’s pretty late on a different night, but AEW has a heck of a hook to try to get you to watch: El Hijo del Vikingo will defend his AAA Mega Championship against Dralistico. Yes, that’s an insane match to randomly throw on a show that’s on an unusual night, but don’t question it, just roll with it because it’s almost sure to be amazing.

WWE SmackDown results: Solo Sikoa spikes, buries Matt Riddle

WWE SmackDown results for April 14, 2023, as Solo Sikoa took on Matt Riddle in the main event.

Ah, Shinsuke Nakamura, where have you been?

The King of Strong Style wasn’t at WrestleMania and hasn’t wrestled a televised WWE match since … wow, November of last year. That changes tonight on WWE SmackDown from Lincoln, Nebraska, and we speak for many when we say it will be good to see him back in action.

Santos Escobar makes for a nice segue, since he was the last person to face Nakamura on TV. He’s had a chance of heart since last fall, of course, and now fights the good fight as part of the LWO. He’ll go head to head with The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest tonight.

Another fan favorite looking for a big victory in Lincoln is Xavier Woods. Thanks to the latest injury to Kofi Kingston, Woods is the only member of The New Day currently active, which means he’ll have no backup when he takes on LA Knight. But hey, Knight is a solo act too, so that might not be that bad. Yeah!

Also on the slate for this week’s SmackDown is a celebration for the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Unfortunately, title celebrations often turn into something a little more contentious and violent in WWE, so one can only imagine who might crash their party. Perhaps two former MMA stars will come looking for them …

And hey, Backlash is only three weeks away, so some of the card for that show should start coming together soon. We’ll see if any matches are made official tonight.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are here to open the show, but are joined by the Bloodline … and Matt Riddle
  • Adam Perce gives instructions to the referee as he reveals Riddle and Solo Sikoa will face off in tonight’s main event
  • Xavier Woods def. LA Knight by pinfall
  • Woods’ victorious trombone solo runs afoul of Gunther, who doesn’t like goofs, but Woods thinks he’s more than ready for an Intercontinental Championship match
  • KO seems like maybe he isn’t crazy about the alliance with Riddle, but Matt is definitely focused on Solo in tonight’s main event
  • Damian Priest says he knows Santos Escobar can go and isn’t taking him lightly, and while he knows he’ll be asked about Bad Bunny, he says he’ll address that out in the ring
  • Priest does exactly that, warning Bad Bunny to just sit and watch Backlash, but he’s surprised by the sudden arrival of the LWO
  • Damian Priest def. Santos Escobar by pinfall, and Rey Mysterio arrives to fight with Dominik Mysterio again
  • Paul Heyman gives Solo a family-oriented pep talk, but Sikoa tells Heyman to tell the Tribal Chief “I got this”
  • The new women’s tag team champions want to celebrate, fighting off a rude interruption by Sonya Deville and Raquel Rodriguez
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Madcap Moss by pinfall …
  • … but it looks like he’s already being targeted by Karrion Kross
  • Braun Strowman and Ricochet get blindsided by the Viking Raiders backstage
  • Heyman tells Owens and Zayn that The Usos will win the tag team titles back in two weeks
  • Solo Sikoa def. Matt Riddle by pinfall
  • Sikoa hits Riddle with a uranage on the announce table, then tips it over on him

Please scroll down for more details on every match and major non-match segment.

WrestleMania 39: 5 best non-Rhea, Sami or KO moments of night 1

Rhea Ripley, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens deserve all their props, but we picked 5 other moments we loved from WrestleMania night 1.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It’s not all that often that any pro wrestling event, even WrestleMania, has two instant classic matches almost back to back. Night 1 of WrestleMania 39 was an exception.

In the penultimate scheduled match, Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair went back and forth in a physical, unforgiving and dramatic battle for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. It was the best match of Ripley’s career, one that made her a worthy new titleholder, and while Flair has had many big moments throughout her career, this was right up there with any of them.

That gave the main event much to live up to, but all four men involved in the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship pulled it off. Seeing Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens standing triumphant in the ring after ending The Usos’ record reign was a pitch perfect note on which to end Saturday night.

If you ask any member of the (announced) crowd of more than 80,000 at SoFi Stadium to pick their favorite moment of the night, it’s almost certain to be from one of those two matches. That’s understandable since both were so spectacular.

But the matches that came before them all had great bits of entertainment. Here were five of the best that don’t involve Ripley, Zayn or Owens.

WrestleMania 39 results: Street Profits soar in Men’s WrestleMania Showcase Fatal 4-way

Find out who won the Men’s WrestleMania Showcase Fatal 4-way match at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles.

Was kind of hoping the Viking Raiders would come out on a full size Viking ship, but alas. The team of cleanup crew has to navigate the very big steps to the stage to grab the Solo cups when the Street Profits enter, which doesn’t look fun.

There are some fun early showdowns that lead to all eight men in the ring, which brings the crowd to life when they all brawl. Also, this match is apparently sponsored by Intuit Turbotax, so there’s that.

Ricochet takes a hard bump from the Viking Raiders, who also do the same to Montez Ford. The Raiders have time to pose with Valhalla, unaware than Braun Strowman is stalking them.

Bad move, as is Chad Gable trying to lift Braun … or maybe not, as he’s able to give the Monster Among Monsters a German suplex. Gable loves the adulation from the fans, but he’s taken out by Angelo Dawkins, who in turn has to avoid a Viking moonsault. Strowman takes flight (yes, really) for a big splash, but multiple people break up his pin.

Otis takes down Braun in turn and does a little dance. He wants to fly as well, but Ford and Ricochet are in, and now enough people gather in one corner to produce a six-man Tower of Doom spot.

The Strowman Express fires up after that, making stop after stop until Dawkins is able to shoulder tackle him off his feet, followed by a shooting star press from Ricochet.

He tries another in the ring but hits Dawkins’ knees, and Tez splashes him afterward to seal up a dub.

WrestleMania night 1 card: Every match set for April 1

We know John Cena vs. Austin Theory will kick off WrestleMania night 1, but which match will close it?

WrestleMania 39 is almost upon us — the first half of it, anyway.

WrestleMania night 1 on Saturday, April 1 will be headlined by a battle of legend vs. rising star, as John Cena takes on Austin Theory for the WWE United States Championship. However, that match will kick off the show, so the main event on the first night is still a bit of a question mark.

A leading candidate to close Saturday night is the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship match between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley. Another possibility is one of the emotional highlights of the entire two-day event, with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens reuniting to try to end the record-setting run of Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos.

It’s possible that night 1 could run longer than night 2, with seven matches compared to six, though there are several bouts slated for Sunday that could be lengthy. Here’s a look at the entire WrestleMania night 1 card, and if you’re looking for what we think will happen, please check out our full WrestleMania predictions for both nights.

WrestleMania 39 night 1 matches

WWE Raw results: Cody Rhodes is ready for WrestleMania

WWE Raw results for March 27, 2023 from Phoenix, where Cody Rhodes took on Solo Sikoa in the main event.

Can you feel that? It’s WrestleMania 39, coming up quickly now. The final WWE Raw prior to the Show of Shows is tonight in Phoenix, and while it’s probably not wise to expect anything Earth-shaking, there are still some big things happening.

We mean that literally, too. Brock Lesnar and Omos will collide in Los Angeles, providing fans with the rare site of Lesnar being the smaller man in a fight. The WWE Universe will find out how much smaller on Raw, as the two titans will have a pre-WrestleMania weigh-in. And yes, that’s not usually a thing in pro wrestling, but you can’t deny it’s somewhat fascinating in this context.

Want big matches instead? This show will have one of those for sure. Cody Rhodes is less than a week away from his chance to “finish the story,” but he’s got a big test in the form of Solo Sikoa. Will Cody’s attempt to get inside Solo’s head the past few weeks pay off, or will the street champ be able to soften up the American Nightmare to make things easier for the Tribal Chief?

The Miz has certainly been letting us know whenever possible what a big deal it is to be the host of WrestleMania 39, and he’s going to head into Hollywood with one final episode of Miz TV. His guests will be none other than a trio of legendary women’s division champs, and you can probably guess who we mean: Becky Lynch, Lita and Trish Stratus.

WWE Raw results in 90 seconds:

  • Miz TV welcomes three legends, yet Damage CTRL isn’t going to let them go without a confrontation
  • Becky Lynch def. IYO SKY by pinfall
  • A video package plays up the accomplishments of Asuka and looks ahead to her WrestleMania challenge of Bianca Belair
  • We see Logan Paul boasting last Monday before Seth Rollins is interviewed backstage, and he’s not crazy about Mustafa Ali trying to put his positive spin on things, which leads to them facing each other tonight
  • Seth Rollins def. Mustafa Ali by pinfall, then cuts a promo on Paul
  • Baron Corbin complains to Adam Pearce, who has to break away to deal with Chelsea Green, who finally gets into the WrestleMania Showcase match with a partner who is equally disgruntled with AP: Sonya Deville
  • Omos and Brock Lesnar hit the scales … well, one of them does, anyway
  • A video package is shown for Charlotte Flair before Rhea Ripley says Charlotte’s unmatched legacy will not define her destiny — and she needs Charlotte’s championship for that
  • Finn Balor warns Edge there’s nothing more dangerous than a caged demon
  • Street Profits, Braun Strowman and Ricochet def. Alpha Academy and Viking Raiders by pinfall
  • Cody Rhodes is asked if he put himself in a vulnerable position by taking this match against Solo Sikoa, and he insists that he will make Solo realize he’s not ready before going on to beat Roman Reigns this weekend
  • A video package is shown to promote Bianca Belair
  • Austin Theory cuts a promo in an empty arena to prove he doesn’t do it for the fans, he does it for himself, and he’s going to make the fans stop believing in John Cena this Saturday at WrestleMania
  • Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green def. Michin and Candice LeRae by pinfall in a WrestleMania Showcase qualifying match
  • Heyman says flat out that Solo isn’t there to compete, but to ensure Cody isn’t at 100% come Sunday
  • Rey Mysterio def. Damian Priest by DQ thanks to interference by Dominik Mysterio, and Legado Del Fantasma has to save Rey fafter a short post-match beating
  • The contestants for the Andre the Giant Battle Royal are posted on the wall, and Rick Boogs is really excited to be in it while Elias is less thrilled after seeing some of the others who are too
  • Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens talk about how their match against The Usos is extra special because L.A. is where they got their first big break
  • Gunther def. Dolph Ziggler by pinfall
  • Cody Rhodes def. Solo Sikoa by pinfall

Please scroll down for more details on every match and major non-match segment.