Tag: Brawling Brutes

WWE SmackDown results 11/24/23: Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch fail to put the past behind them

Also, find out who stepped up during WWE SmackDown to replace Carlito at Survivor Series.

With only five matches on the Survivor Series: WarGames card this weekend, there isn’t room for every title to be defended. That works out well for us tonight, as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship is on the line at WWE SmackDown in Chicago (well, the greater Chicago area, anyway).

It seems wild to think about, but it’s been some time since the Street Profits wore tag team titles of any kind — more than two years, actually. They’ve had opportunities over that time and always been right around the periphery of the top of the division, but they never broke through.

Teaming with Bobby Lashley and making a bit of a heel turn was supposed to unlock the Profits. It’s not inconceivable to think that they might dethrone Damian Priest and Finn Balor tonight, especially if the overall drama surrounding The Judgment Day spills over somehow. A night before the WarGames match at Survivor Series, you can’t rule that out.

A victory for the Profits might tilt the tag team division back toward ongoing teams instead of high profile singles stars teaming up. But if they don’t seal the deal, what then? It’s fair to wonder if Lashley might be tired of the Profits and their partnership explode.

Could there be more wrinkles for Survivor Series during tonight’s show as well? You certainly can’t rule it out. That’s why we’ll be watching.

WWE SmackDown results from Chicago:

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

  • The broadcast begins with an extended replay of Becky Lynch joining the team opposing Damage CTRL in the Women’s WarGames match at Survivor Series
  • The all-star team of faces from the Women’s WarGames match is in the house, but Bayley sees an opportunity to sow distrust between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in what looks like it will be tonight’s main event
  • A replay is shown of the reveal of Randy Orton returning Saturday night for WarGames
  • The rest of Damage CTRL is backstage and looks pretty unexcited about Bayley booking them for a match, so they decide their leader should team with Asuka for the main event
  • The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. Street Profits by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, getting an assist from Rhea Ripley to do so
  • Flair says she got approval for the tag team match, but her bickering with Lynch has their teammates looking concerned
  • A recorded Dragon Lee promo explains his journey through pro wrestling and the importance of family to his story
  • Kevin Owens is on The Grayson Waller Effect, as is Austin Theory impersonating Owens, and pretty soon, Waller and Theory have angered LA Knight enough that he’s involved as well
  • Kevin Owens and LA Knight def. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller by pinfall
  • Belair tells Lynch that Flair was right and tells The Man that she really needs to set aside her issues with Charlotte for the greater good, and Lynch tries to tell herself she can keep it cool
  • A video package takes us back through Santos Escobar’s attack on Rey Mysterio and his other former LWO teammates
  • Carlito is the last man standing in the LWO … but not for long thanks to Santos Escobar
  • Escobar attacks Carlito again backstage, but Dragon Lee arrives to save the day
  • Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall after Ridge Holland walks out on Butch during the match
  • Shotzi talks to Flair about helping her at her lowest point and suggests that a few words from Charlotte could change things between her and Becky, just like it did for Shotzi
  • Nick Aldis says Carlito is hurt badly and in no shape to compete tomorrow at Survivor Series, but when he goes to cancel the match, Dragon Lee makes an impassioned plea to take Carlito’s place, and Aldis says he’s in
  • The Judgment Day cuts a promo about WarGames, taunting Randy Orton and reminding him that teammate Jey Uso put him on the shelf
  • Lynch and Flair have a quick work backstage and agree that they’re good
  • Damage CTRL (Asuka and Bayley) def. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair by pinfall, taking advantage of some misfires between Becky and Charlotte, and Bianca and Shotzi have to hustle to the ring to prevent further catastrophe

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 11/3/23: 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 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 10/20/23: IYO retains, Bianca returns, Logan gets his match

Plus John Cena sort of ended his long losing streak, but not really.

It’s back to work for Logan Paul tonight on WWE SmackDown in San Antonio.

Yes, Paul was just in a boxing match of dubious quality last weekend, and he is pretty busy with his social media empire and sports drink business on a daily basis. But he insists that WWE is his full-time gig, so we’re humoring him here.

After said boxing match, Paul said he would like to more seriously pursue a WWE title, and specifically the United States Championship. One problem: WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio currently has that belt in his possession, and he’s not likely to want to hand it over.

But Mysterio responded to Paul’s interest in a positive manner, making it seem that perhaps we’re setting things up for a title showdown at Crown Jewel (or perhaps Survivor Series, which is just a few weeks later). We should know more after tonight, as Paul will be on hand and Mysterio isn’t likely to just hang out in the back if he’s being called out.

There’s also a big championship match on tonight’s card. IYO SKY has been a great WWE Women’s Champion so far, but to truly validate her reign, she needs to hold off more than one top challenger. Charlotte Flair would certainly qualify, seeing as she’s only the most decorated women’s wrestler of all time. Can SKY push herself to new heights, or will The Queen reclaim her place on the throne?

Plus, while Roman Reigns isn’t scheduled to be on SmackDown tonight, he did respond to the news today that he’ll be facing LA Knight at Crown Jewel. It seems possible, maybe even probable, that something will happen in San Antonio related to that upcoming bout.

Many eyes in Texas will be on a certain baseball game today, but we’re guessing there will still be plenty of people interested in SmackDown too. Let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown results from San Antonio:

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

  • Paul Heyman chops it up with LA Knight, much to Paul’s dismay
  • Bobby Lashley and Angelo Dawkins give a pep talk to Montez Ford, whose match is up next
  • Montez Ford def. Santos Escobar by pinfall, but Carlito arrives with a steel chair to prevent any post-match liberties by the Street Profits
  • The LWO regroups backstage, but Rey Mysterio says he needs to handle whatever Logan Paul has in store by himself
  • Pretty Deadly is as excited as they’ve been since the opening night of Taylor Swift’s tour, but they’re mistaken about never seeing the Brawling Brutes again, much to their chagrin
  • Jimmy Uso is feeling pretty good about what he did earlier this week, but Heyman is more interested in who just walked into the arena: John Cena
  • Bad Bunny doing a WWE-style promo on himself to promote his host/musical guest stint on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend is shown
  • John Cena is fired up and not ready to quit yet, and he’s able to fend off an attack by Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso thanks to some help from one of their family members
  • Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn warn that “The Unholy Union is Coming”
  • Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis agree to disagree about Jey Uso’s fine or punishment, and when Aldis asks for security to escort Jey and Pearce from the building, Pearce has a swift response: “Let the games begin”
  • Logan Paul confronts Rey Mysterio, and the two men agree to a championship match at Crown Jewel
  • Austin Theory and Grayson Waller def. Cameron Grimes and Dragon Lee by pinfall
  • Kevin Owens tells Cathy Kelley “it doesn’t feel great” being separated from Sami Zayn, but he feels like it’s a clean slate for him on SmackDown, and he discusses some opponents he’s never faced before and some new faces he can punch
  • IYO SKY def. Charlotte Flair by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship after hitting Flair with her title belt, but …
  • … Bianca Belair returns to save Flair after the bell, delivering an emphatic KOD to close the show

WWE SmackDown results 09/22/23: IYO SKY soars while John Cena falls

John Cena found out on WWE SmackDown that even the GOAT can’t fight The Bloodline alone.

IYO SKY‘s Money in the Bank cash-in was a popular one, and there’s no question that WWE fans are behind her as WWE Women’s Champion. Asuka almost always gets a reaction whether she is a face or heel. Something will have to give tonight on WWE SmackDown, as they meet in Glendale for their first ever televised singles encounter.

Though it’s a tad surprising that this hasn’t happened before, the two women weren’t in the same place at the same time too often in Japan, were mostly teammates when they were, and their paths simply haven’t crossed in WWE except on rare occasions. That said, if there truly is anyone ready for Asuka, it figures to be SKY, and their title match should be fantastic as long as WWE resists the urge to overbook it.

(Unless that leads to an even longer match at, say, Fastlane, then all may be forgiven.)

SmackDown will also get a visit from a certain John Cena, who has become something of a regular over the past few weeks. While the writers and actors strikes are probably to thank for that, it’s fun to have him around to interact with both longtime acquaintances and relative newcomers.

There are rumors buzzing that Cena may actually end up in a match on tonight’s show, which would be a treat. Except for Superstar Spectacle earlier this month in India, which wasn’t televised in North America, he’s been in the ring just once in 2023, when he lost to Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39. You want ratings on a fall Friday night? Cena in action would probably do it.

We’re certainly anxious to see if that is indeed the case.

WWE SmackDown results from Glendale:

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

  • The champ is here: John Cena kicks off the show, saying he wants a match and has AJ Styles as a partner, but Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa look like they want to play some mind games instead
  • Cena and Styles find Adam Pearce, who say booking a match with The Bloodline is “complicated,” but he promises to find Paul Heyman to see if he can make the match
  • Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar def. Street Profits by pinfall after Angelo Dawkins is reluctant to take advantage of interference by Bobby Lashley
  • A highlight video is shown of The Rock’s return on last Friday’s SmackDown, but Austin Theory is upset about it
  • Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn suggest they’ve cursed the women’s tag team titles
  • Pearce yells at Theory for hijacking the show, and the Brawling Brutes mock him until Grayson Waller arrives to support his friend; the Brutes want to fight them and Pearce likes that idea
  • Lashley yells at the Profits and tells them he wants all the suits and jewelry back if they can’t “pull the trigger”
  • IYO SKY def. Asuka by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship
  • Pearce drops by The Bloodline dressing room with a contract, but Heyman says it can’t be tonight and is told it’s at Fastlane; Jimmy is fine with that, but Paul tells him decisions like that need approval by the Tribal Chief first, and Solo tells Paul that after tonight, no one will be left to fight them at Fastlane
  • Pretty Deadly takes us through the (very exaggerated) trials of Elton Prince on his road to recovery
  • Austin Theory and Grayson Waller def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall
  • Cena signs the contract, but The Bloodline has other ideas for Styles
  • Styles is loaded in an ambulance, with Karl Anderson noting that he warned AJ not to get involved with Bloodline business
  • The Bloodline hits the ring to end the show, and Cena can’t fight them alone … though he tries

[lawrence-related id=36939]

WWE SmackDown results: The Usos stand together, fracturing Bloodline for good

This week’s WWE SmackDown from Lexington had a finale that left The Bloodline changed forever.

By the end of tonight’s WWE SmackDown in Lexington, we might know a lot more about what The Bloodline will look like going forward.

Though the drama within the group has been simmering for weeks, last Friday saw it inch closer to the point of no return. After being buttered up all night by Paul Heyman, Jey Uso had a title opportunity that slipped through his fingers, due in part to attempted assistance by Jimmy Uso that backfired.

(Which, you know, wrestling. These things happen.)

Jey left his brother hanging as he was obviously upset, but he didn’t commit to joining the other side of this divide. That’s the one headed up by Roman Reigns, a.ka. the Tribal Chief. Will Jey really turn his back on his twin and stand with Reigns and his other brother, Solo Sikoa? Reigns will be in the house tonight, likely demanding an answer.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have left the Bloodline drama pretty much behind them, but while they have been occupied with a new beef with Imperium, they also need proper No. 1 contenders to their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. They’ll get those in Lexington thanks to a Gauntlet match where five teams will compete for a title opportunity.

Charlotte Flair made return just a week ago, and she’s already made it clear she plans to reassume her spot atop the women’s division. She’ll be the guest tonight on The Grayson Waller Effect, and while we’re not saying for sure that hijinks will ensue, there seems like a high likelihood of that.

WWE SmackDown results from Lexington:

  • Kayla Braxton asks for an update on where Jey Uso stands within The Bloodline, but Paul Heyman looks irritated and blows her off

  • Pretty Deadly wins a Gauntlet match to become the No. 1 contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall after the Brutes had def. the Street Profits, The O.C., The LWO and Hit Row (in a matter of seconds) by pinfall
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come to the ramp to confront Pretty Deadly, who promise to celebrate “even longer” after winning the tag team titles, but when Sami gives an irritated KO permission to run down to the ring to beat them up, they find the heel duo has fled

  • Roman Reigns tells Heyman he hasn’t spoken to Jey Uso and that Jey should have reached out to him, then orders Heyman to talk to Jey … NOW

  • Zelina Vega def. IYO SKY after SKY got upset with Bayley’s attempted assistance and was distracted while arguing with her teammate
  • Bianca Belair confronts Adam Pearce about the rematch he promised her, but she’s not willing to wait patiently for him to come through on it since Charlotte Flair seems to have jumped the line
  • Shotzi finds Damage CTRL still squabbling and challenges Bayley for her spot in the Money in the Bank Ladder match, and SKY slyly accepts on Bayley’s behalf

  • The Grayson Waller welcomes a “living legend,” Charlotte Flair, but they are soon joined by Belair, who airs her grievances about not getting her rematch and accuses the Queen of “running away” for three months; Flair takes exception to that, but Belair says she’ll be waiting for the Charlotte-Asuka winner to call her own shot and take her title back
  • Heyman finds Jey Uso and insists that Jimmy intended to kick him last week due to jealousy, but Jey reiterates that if he’s in the Bloodline, Paul is still out
  • Karrion Kross and Scarlett def. AJ Styles and Michin by pinfall
  • Solo Sikoa asks Reigns if he needs to handle the situation since Heyman clearly failed, but Roman says there’s still plenty of time
  • Cameron Grimes gets jumped backstage by Baron Corbin

  • Rey Mysterio says of all his accomplishments, one he is especially proud of is reforming the LWO, and he feels like teammate Santos Escobar can become the new Mr. Money in the Bank; Escobar thanks Mysterio but is soon confronted by LA Knight, who starts some beef ahead of a match with Escobar
  • Santos Escobar def. LA Knight by pinfall; Knight tries to get in more shots after the bell but is chased away by Mysterio
  • Jey runs into Sami on his way to the ring, but Zayn simply nods to him before moving on
  • “I know what they want. They want answers, Jey. So what’s it gonna be: Are you in, or are you out?” Jey turns the question back around on Roman by saying it’s either him or Heyman, to which Reigns claims they’ve been grooming Jey to be the next Tribal Chief for three years … but his time to lead is just not yet …

  • … but when Jimmy comes out to tell Jey Roman is using him, Reigns is able to drive a wedge further between them … or so it seems until Jey says Jimmy is out and he’s out too; the Usos dish out superkicks to Reigns and Sikoa, ending the show with a double superkick to Roman and lifting their 1s in the air

WWE SmackDown results 06/02/23: Solo picks Tribal Chief over brothers … for now

See if the Bloodline held together long enough to celebrate 1,000 days of Roman Reigns as Universal Champion on WWE SmackDown.

Tonight should be a joyous occasion for Roman Reigns. With WWE promoting a celebration of his 1,000 days (and counting) as Universal Champion, it should be a time for the Tribal Chief to take a well-deserved victory lap, secure in his dominance.

And it would be … if everything was alright with The Bloodline. Instead, it’s the exact opposite, as things have arguably never been more turbulent. After being pushed past their limits by Roman’s gaslighting, The Usos erupted into the family stable version of open revolt, with Jimmy, not Jey, as the ringleader.

There’s almost zero chance The Usos will be beside Reigns tonight, leaving him with just Solo Sikoa as the loyal but silent lieutenant, and his wise man, Paul Heyman. That makes you wonder if Reigns will be in any mood to appreciate his accomplishments, even if WWE gives him a shiny new belt to mark the occasion.

What else is on tap for Wilkes-Barre? Oh not much, just qualifying for the potentially career-altering experience called Money in the Bank. So far two men are in and zero women, but we’re going to increase those numbers tonight. Montez Ford will take on LA Knight (kind of a shame since both men deserve to be in the Ladder match), while Zelina Vega goes up against Lacey Evans.

With a few other surprises bound to be part of the show as well, it should be a fun two hours.

WWE SmackDown results from Wilkes-Barre:

  • Austin Theory claims he’ll have a 1,000-day celebration and more since he’s probably going to be United States Champion forever; he also brings out Pretty Deadly, who says they were glad to take care of the Brawling Brutes and won’t mind doing it again
  • Austin Theory and Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Butch and Ridge Holland) by pinfall
  • A video package replays the problems in the Bloodline that erupted at Night of Champions
  • Paul Heyman tells Solo Sikoa that they need to make the night special for the Tribal Chief, especially after what just happened, and says he’s going to talk to Adam Pearce to ensure the Usos go nowhere near the celebration tonight
  • The O.C. wishes AJ Styles a happy birthday, and the Good Brothers say they’ll take out Hit Row tonight
  • Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows def. Hit Row by pinfall, Styles gives Top Dolla a Phenomenal Forearm, and Michael Cole makes some poor efforts at rapping
  • Pearce tells Heyman the Usos have been told they aren’t needed tonight and that he’s doubled security to keep them out
  • Raw Women’s Champion Asuka drops by The Grayson Waller Effect, but IYO SKY pays a visit as well, followed by Bayley, Shotzi, Lacey Evans and Zelina Vega; when Asuka tries slipping away, Bianca Belair shows up and they brawl until officials can separate them
  • Cameron Grimes tells Pearce that the next time Baron Corbin shows his face on SmackDown, he’ll handle it
  • Zelina Vega def. Lacey Evans by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match
  • The LWO is fired up by Vega’s win, and Santos Escobar says he’s going to win his qualifier next week too
  • LA Knight def. Montez Ford by pinfall (grabbing the ropes to ensure he gets the three count) in a Money in the Bank qualifying match
  • A spooky vignette promotes the “Unholy Union” of Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre
  • Triple H gives Reigns an introduction comparing him to athletes who redefined domination of their respective sports, then presents him with a brand new (very gold) Undisputed WWE Universal Championship title belt …

  • … but his speech is quickly interrupted by The Usos, with Jimmy Uso saying he did what he did because he’s being a good brother, and after Solo Sikoa stands with his brothers, Jey tries to broker peace; Jimmy makes a plea to reunite the family, but even after a hug, Reigns says no, and Sikoa hits Jimmy with a Samoan Spike and walks out with Roman

WWE SmackDown results 05/19/23: Usos continue their downward spiral

Things went from bad to worse for Jimmy and Jey Uso on the May 19 episode of WWE SmackDown.

It’s really only in retrospect that we realize that we were watching when a big star made their debut … because we don’t know until later they’re actually going to be a big star. But every debut could be something special down the road, which is a relevant idea for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown from Columbia, South Carolina.

Why? Because even though we briefly saw Grayson Waller last week, this will be the show where he makes his first legit SmackDown appearance, hosting his segment “The Grayson Waller Effect.” He’s promised a big name guest, and if we were to make a wager, whoever it is just might be someone he antagonizes into being his first opponent on the blue brand.

There’s also no guarantee that Waller becomes a huge WWE star. But he might, and if so, you’ll be able to tell everyone you were watching when he took his first steps.

As for those who are already main eventers, tonight’s show has plenty of those as well. Most prominently, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are going to come face to face with their challengers at Night of Champions, Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa.

Sure, KO and Sami have been in the ring with those two plenty of times, especially Sami seeing as he was once part of the Bloodline and all. But things are different now, particularly since Reigns brushed aside The Usos — who also happen to be in tag team action tonight. This has all the makings of a very combustible mix, and we’re here for it.

WWE SmackDown results from Columbia:

  • Roman Reigns doesn’t even get past the “Acknowledge me!” part of his promo before Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn join him and the Bloodline in the ring; when The Usos ambush Owens and Zayn and look for approval, however, Reigns is livid and storms out of the ring

  • Jey and Jimmy try to explain themselves, but Roman insists he had something to say and angrily kicks them out of the Bloodline dressing room
  • Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall
  • A tribute video is shown to remember the late “Superstar” Billy Graham
  • Zelina Vega says she is, in fact, ready for Asuka after the experience she had at Backlash in Puerto Rico
  • Asuka def. Zelina Vega by submission, then won’t let go of the Asuka Lock, which ends up bringing Bianca Belair to the rescue — and Belair barely avoids another dose of the mist

  • The Grayson Waller Effect welcomes AJ Styles, and Grayson Waller ends their conversation with what he thinks will be the best part of Night of Champions: “And new … World Heavyweight Champion, Seth ‘Freakin” Rollins!”

  • The LWO has a pep talk ahead of their match with The Usos
  • Street Profits def. LA Knight and Rick Boogs by pinfall, leading Knight to turn on Boogs after the match, hitting him with the BFT
  • Cameron Grimes says it feels like he’s living a dream and is ready to keep going … to the moon!
  • Karrion Kross and Scarlett have a tarot card for Styles, never a good thing
  • Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn def. Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon by pinfall
  • Due to Liv Morgan’s injury, Raquel Rodriguez has to relinquish the tag team titles and find another partner to compete for them against three other teams, but she gets mocked and challenged by Damage CTRL in the meantime
  • Austin Theory complains about being ganged up on last week, but Sheamus isn’t out there to talk and just drops Theory with a Brogue Kick
  • Heyman says the Tribal Chief forgives the Usos but still won’t be out there at ringside for their match
  • LWO (Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar) def. The Usos by pinfall, with an assist from Owens and Zayn, and Reigns is unhappy but keeps Sikoa from going out there

WWE Survivor Series WarGames preview: When and where it’s going down, what to expect

Get ready for WWE Survivor Series WarGames with our full preview, including the start time, card and predictions for every match.

Let’s face it: For one of the traditional big WWE events, Survivor Series needed a refresh. Triple H and company have given it exactly that by folding in a fan favorite match from NXT — but whose roots go back much further to when it was originally invented by Dusty Rhodes during his Jim Crockett Promotions days — to create the first ever Survivor Series WarGames.

For those who have never seen the namesake match, it involves two teams doing battle within a steel cage large enough to contain two wrestling rings side by side. While one competitor from each team starts out the match, another enters every few minutes. That means the team that sends someone in first will always have an edge for a bit (two-on-one, three-on-two, etc.), which is why that advantage is valuable enough to compete for in matches leading up to the event.

The match doesn’t even officially get underway until everyone on both teams has entered, so the goal is to simply do as much damage as possible before that. To that end, all weapons are legal, and the only way to win this WWE version of WarGames is by pinfall or submission.

It’s a logical fit for Survivor Series, which has long been the domain of team vs. team matches, though traditionally they have been elimination affairs. Still, if there was any gimmick match that contained some of the event’s historical DNA, this is it.

Along with both men’s and women’s WarGames matches, there have been a handful of other matches announced, including two title bouts. While more could still be added, the WarGames matches figure to both go pretty long, so don’t expect this to end up with a dozen matches on the card when it’s all said and done.

WWE Survivor Series WarGames

  • When: Saturday, November 26
  • Where: TD Garden, Boston
  • Start time: 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., or on WWE Network internationally
  • Matches announced: 5

Keep scrolling for our complete WWE Survivor Series WarGames preview, including the stories behind every match and what to expect.