Tag: Butch

WWE SmackDown results 01/12/24: AJ, LA, RKO spell total defeat for The Bloodline

It was also a bad night for Bayley in Lincoln on WWE SmackDown.

The WWE SmackDown train is rolling into Lincoln, Neb. tonight for a show that will not feature the Tribal Chief.

That’s relevant because he was in the house last Friday, and boy did he and The Bloodline make a mess of things. So much, in fact, that GM Nick Aldis threw up his hands (metaphorically, as Aldis is way too cool under pressure to visibly panic) and declared that Roman Reigns would defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Royal Rumble against all three of the men gunning for him: AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton.

They will all be on SmackDown tonight, but we don’t know yet what they will be doing. Perhaps they’ll team in a six-man tag. Maybe they’ll all have their own singles matches. Or it could be they’ll all just appear in the ring together to trade barbs and engage in some light fisticuffs.

In the women’s division, on the other hand, we know there will be one big matchup as Bayley takes on Bianca Belair. This is big for Bayley, since her position as leader of Damage CTRL appears to be largely ceremonial a lot of times, and IYO SKY made it clear that the group believes she should take care of its Bianca problem.

That’s just way easier said than done, and if Bayley loses, it might not work out so well for her. On the other hand, there’s a lot of sentiment that it might be her year to win the Royal Rumble, something she’s never done, which would be one heck of a silver lining.

We’ll see tonight which way the fates are leaning for Bayley. SmackDown is off and running, so here we go.

WWE SmackDown results from Lincoln:

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

  • Before we get to the first match, SmackDown helpfully reviews what happened last week with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline interfering in the main event, with Nick Aldis telling Paul Heyman it was now a Fatal Four-Way at Royal Rumble; we also see Reigns telling Heyman to “fix this” after the show
  • Grayson Waller is supposed to face Cameron Grimes, but Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa attack Grimes on the ramp and head to the ring … causing Waller and Austin Theory to head for the hills
  • “We’re not the bad guys here” – Paul Heyman accuses Nick Aldis of screwing things up, but he has an idea to ensure The Bloodline won’t mess up tonight’s main event
  • A short video segment features Santos Escobar discussing replacing Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde with his new “familia,” Angel and Humberto
  • Uso is beside himself because no one will team up with them, but Heyman tells him not to worry and that he’ll find them someone; Solo, on the other hand, is not worried
  • Angel and Humberto def. The LWO (Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinfall; during the match Carlito pops out of the crowd and ambushes Escobar, who has joined the commentary desk
  • Carmelo Hayes is talking to Aldis when he is interrupted by Waller and Theory, and their chippy conversation ends up creating a match between Hayes and Theory for tonight
  • Heyman approaches The LWO backstage and asks if Carlito wants to team with The Bloodline, but he’s concentrating on Escobar (he does take Heyman’s apple, though)
  • A replay of KO’s one-shot knockdown of Logan Paul is shown from last week; afterward, a video promo has Paul talking about getting lawyers to get Owens’ cast banned
  • Butch and Tyler Bate have some coffee together, and it sounds like we’re close to getting Pete Dunne back
  • Bianca Belair def. Bayley by pinfall
  • Owens responds to Paul, scoffing at the idea that the cast is an advantage and asking if Logan will be a guest on The Kevin Owens Show next week
  • Dakota Kai tells Bayley that they didn’t help her because they didn’t want to cause a DQ, though she tries to encourage the Role Model that she can still win the Royal Rumble
  • Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits respond to Karrion Kross and AOP, who now are known by another name
  • Pretty Deadly offers their services to Heyman, but there’s only room for one more tag team partner and neither of them seems to want to do it alone
  • A hype video shows some Carmelo Hayes highlights for anyone unfamiliar with his game
  • Heyman approaches Lashley, who makes it clear he would only get in the ring with The Bloodline if he’s standing across the ring from Reigns
  • Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory goes to a no contest, as a Spanish Fly leads to a hard landing for both men
  • Heyman has no partner for Uso and Sikoa but makes it sound like no one was worthy of the spot; Solo still isn’t worried, and Jimmy tries to tell himself he isn’t either
  • Sikoa and Uso attack Orton before all the entrances for the main event, trying to even the odds
  • AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton def. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa) by pinfall, then add to their misery with more punishment as the show ends

Nick Aldis isn’t playing with The Bloodline

After interrupting the scheduled first match, Paul Heyman gives a passionate explanation of why GM Nick Aldis is the bad guy. Oh look, he’s standing right there on the apron.

Aldis reminds Heyman this isn’t a conversation between equals, and The Bloodline won’t be able to interrupt tonight’s main event because they are in it. Tonight, AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton will take on all three members of The Bloodline … including Roman Reigns.

A furious Heyman tells Aldis the Tribal Chief isn’t in Lincoln, which of course he knew. The GM says The Bloodline has until the main event to find a partner if they want — or it will be a handicap match.

Bianca Belair outduels Bayley with Damage CTRL watching closely

All of Damage CTRL comes out to support Bayley, and they’re all sticking around ringside to see the Role Model fend off a number of early pinning attempts. Her clothesline stops Belair in her tracks, though only for a second.

Bayley is able to lure Bianca into the ropes for some pain but quickly gets taken to the mat afterward. Belair leapfrogs Bayley and hits a back drop followed by a standing moonsault for a two count.

A sliding clothesline gets two right back for Bayley. Belair responds quickly with multiple slams, though she ends up tangled in the ropes again right in front of Damage CTRL. Bayley gets run into the post and falls to the floor, where Bianca hits her with a plancha that makes Bayley’s teammates scatter.

After commercials, Bayley has retaken the momentum, and her groupmates are urging her on. But no one gets a second wind like Bianca, who smashes her foe into the corner and peppers her with right hands. Bayley frees herself and hits a running knee, covering near the ropes for a two count.

Despite the referee telling her not to, Bayley ties Bianca’s braid to the bottom rope, but even then The EST manages to trip her into the turnbuckles. Belair unties herself and bends Bayley’s back painfully around the post, and now both wrestlers are slow and trying to gather themselves.

Bianca hoists Bayley onto her shoulders and tosses her back into the post, then returns to the ring for repeated shoulders to the midsection. A stalling vertical suplex is next, then more corner punches.

A backbreaker allows Bianca to cover, but it’s still only for two. As both women counter each other, Bayley finally is able to throw her opponent back into the corner … but she gets lured in and slammed down. Belair hits her rope bounce moonsault and still can’t get the three.

Bayey isn’t about to take the KOD, hurling Belair into the buckles again. The Role Model connects with a top rope elbow, and it’s another two. They battle out to the floor, where Damage CTRL doesn’t intervene.

That might be costly, as Belair hits a spear when the fight goes back in the ring. There’s the KOD, and this time Bayley isn’t kicking out.

Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits get a message from The Final Testament

Lashley speaks for himself and the Profits saying that when someone causes a problem for them, they roll up their sleeves and fight. So get out there now, he demands.

Instead, Paul Ellering appears and points at the big screen, where Karrion Kross and Scarlett say that Lashley and the Profits are “now at the top of the list to be deconstructed.” Together, Kross’ group is The Final Testament.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory comes to an abrupt end

Corey Graves muses that Hayes is where Theory once was, with plenty of NXT success under his belt but a need to figure out how things work on SmackDown. A nice dropkick lands and has Theory off guard early on, but he comes right back and drops Melo before taking the Fadeaway in return.

Hayes launches Theory out to the floor and is fired up as commercials arrive. We return to see Austin send Carmelo out in return, and he takes a moment to gloat before resuming his offense.

A counter gets Theory off Hayes’ back, and Melo follows with atomic drops and chops. A springboard clothesline leads to a facebuster, and Hayes covers for a near fall.

They fight over to the corner, where Theory surprises Hayes with a Spanish fly that doesn’t get the required height, and the match is called off as both men look like they landed hard on their heads/necks.

 AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton beat then beat up The Bloodline

Knight and Styles can’t even seem to agree on who will start the match, leaving Knight at the mercy of Uso for just a second until he turns the tables. A tag to Styles leads to some double team offense, so it seems they will cooperate when necessary.

The crowd chants for Styles until he yields control back to Knight to pound Uso down into a corner. A leg across the back of Jimmy’s neck along the ropes leads to a cover and a two count.

Styles scores his own quick near fall before Uso finally gets in some chops … and immediately runs into an AJ dropkick. Sikoa jumps in and tries to even the odds only to eat a barrage of alternating chops and punches. Sikoa is sent to the floor to the delight of the crowd before we fade out to commercials.

It may not surprise you to hear that Solo is controlling the action after the break, bashing Styles from corner to corner. Uso gets in some sneaky shots from the outside too, so it’s all coming up Milhouse … er, Bloodline, at the moment.

Styles finally puts Uso down on the mat, and the fans come to life hoping for a hot tag. Sikoa drags Knight off the apron to prevent it but gets thrown into the stairs for his trouble.

Back in the ring, Styles hits a Pele Kick but argues with Knight instead of making the tag. Uso superkicks Knight off the apron and then turns right into a double cross body with Styles that leaves both of them down.

By now, Sikoa has returned to the apron, but Randy Ortons music hits and he comes down the ramp. He’s in this now too, and Styles leaps to give him the hot tag.

The crowd comes roaring to its feet when he gets it, and Orton runs through some of his trademark offense. Uso foils an RKO attempt with a schoolboy for two, but that only delays the inevitable as a second RKO doesn’t miss and Jimmy is pinned.

After the bell, Styles halts Sikoa’s attempt to get some payback with a Phenomenal Forearm, and Knight piles on with the Blunt Force Trauma. And Orton adds another RKO for good measure before heading to the outside to attack Uso.

Orton uses the stairs on Uso, who is thrown into the timekeeper’s area by Knight. They clear the announce table and work as a trio to powerbomb Solo through it. That’s a definitive victory.

WWE SmackDown results 01/05/24: Roman Reigns earns himself a Fatal 4-Way

The Bloodline got some licks in but paid for it by the very end of WWE SmackDown in Vancouver.

We know that Roman Reigns is going to defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Royal Rumble later this month. What we don’t know yet is who will be the challenger when that match takes place, but that’s something that tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown New Year’s Revolution in Vancouver is supposed to answer.

The candidates are all popular names. AJ Styles recently returned on a mission after The Bloodline put him (in storyline) out of action. Randy Orton was away much longer and has beef with Reigns’ group as well. And LA Knight has been fighting the good fight for some time, coming close to unseating the Head of the Table a few months ago.

All three of them will do battle in a Triple Threat match to determine who will stand across the ring from Reigns at Royal Rumble. Could there be hijinks? Well, considering that Reigns and The Bloodline are also slated for tonight’s show, there’s a decent chance, yes.

Guess who else needs a No. contender? Logan Paul, that’s who. He’ll also be in the house in Vancouver, and assuming he has swapped back with Patrick Mahomes, he’ll be defending his United States Championship against either Kevin Owens or Santos Escobar. We’ll see which one of them emerges with a chance to win some gold in Florida later this month, and Paul will almost certainly not pass up the chance to egg on whoever is the victor.

There’s other intriguing stuff on tap as well, including IYO SKY defending her title and the chance for some returns/debuts as well. Let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown New Year’s Revolution results from Vancouver:

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

  • The broadcast begins with highlights of The Rock appearing on this week’s Raw Day 1 episode, followed by Roman Reigns getting out of his ride and laughing, followed by Paul Heyman
  • Kevin Owens def. Santos Escobar by pinfall in the United States Championship Tournament Final, them smashes a mouthy Logan Paul with a right hand
  • A hype video shows why Randy Orton is in the position he is in going into tonight’s Triple Threat match
  • Paul is carrying an ice bag on his forehead when he’s stopped backstage, and while a concerned Austin Theory and Grayson Waller check on him, Cameron Grimes can only laugh at his fate
  • Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits are set to make 2024 their year, but they’ve got a new problem: Karrion Kross is back and has the Authors of Pain with him
  • Now it’s time for AJ styles to get his hype video
  • IYO SKY def. Michin by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship
  • Heyman says The Rock namedropped Roman Reigns because he wants to sit at the Head of the Table … but he hasn’t been nor will he be invited to a Dinner of Relevancy; Heyman also says he upgraded from the time he was CM Punk’s friend before he promises whoever wins tonight will be smashed by Reigns
  • Bayley and the rest of Damage CTRL celebrate SKY’s victory and says Kabuki Warriors will win the tag team titles, but Bianca Belair stops by to congratulate SKY and announce that she’s entering the Royal Rumble and can’t wait to KOD Bayley over the top rope
  • Butch and Tyler Bate def. Pretty Deadly by pinfall
  • Yes, LA Knight gets a hype video for tonight too
  • Ashante Thee Adonis tells Nick Aldis he is starving for an opportunity, and the GM says he has some ideas he thinks will be very interesting to him
  • AJ Styles vs. LA Knight vs. Randy Orton

Kevin Owens wins a shot at the U.S. title, gets in a shot on Logan Paul

Lest you think Logan Paul wasn’t going to watch this closely, he comes down to join the announcers. Escobar also sees his new running buddies Humberto and Angel attacked by Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde, so he has no help when KO nearly pins him just seconds after the opening bell.

Owens is still in command after commercials, but Escobar turns things around by concentrating on KO’s damaged right hand. Paul, as usual, is unimpressed with both combatants.

There’s a tope suicida by Escobar to knock Owens back into the barricade. The obviously pro-Owens crowd starts a “Logan sucks” chant.

The battle goes to the top rope, where Escobar leaps right into an inverted atomic drop of sorts, followed by a DDT. Now it’s Owens trying to fly, but Escobar joins him up top. KO reverses a superplex attempt and slams his foe to the mat but holds his right hand as another ad break arrives.

Owens shows no fear of coming off the apron to smash Escobar on the floor, then tries a Swanton Bomb back into the ring only to catch nothing but knees. Escobar hits a Frankensteiner off the top rope and ascends again for a frog splash. It’s not enough to get the three.

Egged on by the crowd, Paul expressed some grudging respect for Owens’ wrestling ability, and he proves why with a rolling senton off the second rope. Escobar kicks out at two as the U.S. champ laughs.

A superkick by Owens leads to a Popup Powerbomb attempt, and while the first one is countered, his second try is not. There’s a Stunner with Escobar rushing out of the corner, and that’s sufficient to win it.

After the bell, Paul grabs the mic to mock the idea of a Canadian holding the United States Championship. Owens hits him with a right hand, however, laying him out with one shot.

Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits have a problem called Karrion Kross … and the Authors of Pain

Lashley calls 2023 the toughest year of his career from a professional standpoint but says his highlight was linking up with the Street Profits. They plan on taking “everything that we deserve” in 2024.

Montez Ford says they’re going to hop on the trend but fast forward the part where they think the grass is greener on the other side. Angelo Dawkins puts The Judgment Day on notice in terms of the tag team titles, while Lashley says his goal it to get back to being the All Mighty.

To that end, he declares himself an entrant in the 2024 Royal Rumble match. That announcement brings a new video to the big screen and brings out Karrion Kross, Scarlett … and Paul Ellering.

The Authors of Pain are back, and they absolutely destroy the Profits before Kross takes out Lashley.

IYO SKY pushed but triumphs over Michin

The announcers say Michin claims she’s been so focused on “helping the boys” that she hasn’t had much time to focus on herself. SKY is tackling this title defense alone, smiling as Michin is able to match her move for move early on.

A double stomp has the champ feeling some swagger, but Michin lures her into flying to the floor and then connects on a tope suicida. After commercials, Michin lands a wicked knee shot and a cannonball in the corner, but the champ kicks out at two.

Double knees in the corner have SKY looking rocked, but she’s able to kick out at two again. Michin cinches in a half crab, though SKY is close to the ropes and can force a break.

SKY wants to springboard in from the apron but is met by a right hand. But it’s IYO who is able to deliver a German suplex on the apron, bringing cheers from the fans.

The champ wants the Over the Moonsault but hits knees and is thrown backward by a dragon suplex that earns Michin another near fall. SKY squirts free from trouble and hits double knees to the face for her own near fall.

They both head toward the corner, where SKY is knocked down … but only for a second. Michin catches her, however, and executes a Styles Clash from the middle rope that would win it if SKY wasn’t able to grab the ropes.

Alas, the champ is able to bounce back quickly, as that’s why she’s the champ — and it doesn’t hurt that Michin splats on the floor trying for a dive to the outside. An Over the Moonsault wins it for SKY, but props to Michin for that battle.

AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton all win thanks to The Bloodline’s main event invasion

The announce team reminds us that all three men have their own issues with The Bloodline, and thus will all be equally motivated. Styles has the aerial advantage, Orton the experience edge, but Knight is probably the hottest of the trio right this second. The crowd certainly loves it when he’s bouncing the heads of his foes off the announce table, though Orton suplexes him onto it before doing the same to Styles.

Styles is eventually able to give the Viper a taste of his own medicine, briefly leaving everyone down. Orton is the first to emerge with a big move, hitting his hanging DDT on Styles. Knight drags Orton out of the ring and sends him into the steps, but Styles wipes him out with an aerial assault right after that, sending us to commercials.

Styles is still in command on the other side, burying his knee in Knight’s midsection. A belly to back suplex is next and leads to a near fall for AJ.

Orton is treated to a taste of the steps, and Styles returns to the ring only to find Knight counter his sunset flip attempt for a two count. Knight and Orton both get their shots in on Styles, who eventually is beaten down into the corner.

The same thing looks like it’ll happen to Orton, but he takes a Russian leg sweep instead. A hip attack smashes Styles, as well as a big back body drop. Orton has rallied for several clotheslines, though, and his snap powerslam has him feeling good, especially after he dishes out one to Styles too.

Suddenly, Knight hits Orton with Blunt Force Trauma, and Styles has to physically stop the ref from counting to three. Knight and Styles trade right hands, with AJ finally pulling out a Pele Kick to end the stalemate.

Styles casually hits a springboard 450 on Knight, but LA manages to kick out at two. Orton is repulsed by Styles as well, but he’s able to counter the Phenomenal Forearm with an RKO. That looks like the end … until Knight pulls the referee out of the ring.

And just like that, here comes The Bloodline: Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. Reigns motions for Solo to hit the ring, and all three of them are beating the hell out of the actual competitors.

The steel steps are used as a weapon, and Uso clears off the announce table. Reigns hits a hellacious powerbomb on Styles, then a Superman punch on a now bloodied Knight, followed by a spear.

Orton is rolled into the ring next to receive a Samoan Spike/spear combo. Nick Aldis wants to talk to Paul Heyman, and he tells the Wise Man he can congratulate Reigns — because he earned himself a Fatal 4-Way at Royal Rumble.

WWE SmackDown results 12/22/23: Heroes can’t unite against The Bloodline

AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton found themselves at odds despite a common cause on WWE SmackDown.

We’ve arrived at the final WWE SmackDown of 2023, as next week is set to be a “Best of 2023” recap show. So even though this edition was taped last Friday, it’s still promising to be of some interest before we turn the page into 2024.

For starters, the semifinals of the United States Championship Tournament are both tonight. Kevin Owens probably thought when he started this thing that he’d get the chance to punch both Austin Theory and Grayson Waller in the face, something we already know he enjoys doing. But Carmelo Hayes upset those plans by defeating Waller, and now something has to give when he goes up against KO tonight.

The other side of the bracket sees Bobby Lashley collide with Santos Escobar, and of the two of them, Escobar probably has the better story going with this particular title. We’ll see if that plays into the thinking behind the outcome.

Also in store for us tonight are a Holiday Havoc eight-woman tag team match pitting a collection of faces led by Bianca Belair against Damage CTRL, and what we presume will be the main event between AJ Styles and Solo Sikoa. Styles, in particular, might also have some explaining to do after his dramatic and perplexing return last week.

So we might be going out with a bang. Let’s find out, shall we?

WWE SmackDown results:

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

  • A lengthy replay of everything from last week involving Randy Orton, The Bloodline, LA Knight and the returning AJ Styles is shown to open the show (which of course happened right before this episode was taped, heh)
  • Will AJ Styles, LA Knight or Randy Orton get to face Roman Reigns first?
  • Bianca Belair, Michin, Shotzi and Zelina Vega def. Damage CTRL by pinfall in a Holiday Havoc match, with an unexpected assist when Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn attack the Kabuki Warriors during the match
  • Roman Reigns looks annoyed by Jimmy Uso’s continued football analogies and asks Paul Heyman to bring Aldis to him
  • Dragon Lee def. Butch by pinfall to retain the NXT North American Championship
  • Aldis arrives to speak with Reigns, who tells Heyman to leave before telling the GM that everything goes through him; Aldis says he’s an executive, not a “middle management” type like Adam Pearce, and he’s definitely not backing down from the matches he’s booked
  • Kevin Owens def. Carmelo Hayes by pinfall in a United States Championship Tournament semifinal
  • Michin is happy to see Styles back, but he doesn’t seem as pleased to see her or The O.C., answering Karl Anderson’s question about whether they’re good by saying, “I don’t know, are we?”
  • A spooky Karrion Kross and Scarlett video suggests WWE still isn’t giving up on them, and hints that he’s getting some reinforcements soon
  • Santos Escobar def. Bobby Lashley by pinfall in aUnited States Championship Tournament semifinal, getting some help from two masked men who then reveal themselves to be Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza (the former Los Lotharios)
  • Butch is in no mood for Pretty Deadly’s carols, so Aldis tells him to find a tag team partner to battle the duo (presumably in two weeks)
  • Logan Paul cuts a short promo video mocking both Escobar and Owens
  • AJ Styles def. Solo Sikoa by DQ, as an attack by Roman Reigns leads to a huge brawl involving Jimmy Uso, Orton and Knight; the show ends with Styles, Knight and Orton brawling among each other as the Bloodline watches from the ramp

AJ Styles wants Roman Reigns, but so do LA Knight and Randy Orton … and they’ll all have a chance for a shot at the Tribal Chief

Still clad in black, Styles notes how Randy Orton and LA Knight want a piece of Roman Reigns. And while he doesn’t blame either of them, he also doesn’t give a damn about either one of them. He should be first in line, he reckons, to go up against Reigns at Royal Rumble.

Knight isn’t going to let that go without a word of his own, or most likely, more than one word. He says he doesn’t want to argue with Styles, because AJ can have Roman after he gets him first. But after last week, maybe AJ can get some first.

Styles says Knight “stepped over my dead body” to get a match with John Cena and then face Reigns at Crown Jewel. It looks like they may come to blows, but they pause as Orton also makes his way down the ramp.

The Viper appreciates the issues the other two men have, but Knight says both Orton and Styles have been taken out by The Bloodline while he never has. General manager Nick Aldis makes his way out to interject, admitting that each of the three men have a claim to face Reigns, so he’ll give them all a shot. In two weeks at SmackDown New Year’s Revolution, Styles, Knight and Orton will have a Triple Threat match, with the winner getting Roman at Royal Rumble.

Styles says it’s fine, because he’s willing to do whatever it takes. But if either of them gets close to the ring when he fights Solo Sikoa, he’ll take them out.

Bianca Belair, Michin, Shotzi and Zelina Vega get the better of Damage CTRL in Holiday Havoc

Both teams go right after each other as soon as the bell rings, and while it’s just one pinfall or submission to win, other than that, anything goes. IYO SKY and Bianca Belair have a chance to go one-on-one early on, but Bayley soon puts an end to that.

Shotzi looks happy to unwrap a steel chair from a big present, but neither she nor Bayley are able to use it on each other right away. Shotzi finally is able to launch herself off the chair onto Bayley’s back, and she dives between Michin’s legs to land on SKY and Bayley on the floor.

The Kabuki Warriors bring kendo sticks decorated like candy canes into play, but Belair and Shotzi find some of their own. They also have their eyes on a table, yet it’s Bayley and SKY who are able to utilize it as a weapon.

The broadcast breaks for commercials and returns to find people getting suplexed onto presents. Michin powerbombs Asuka but gets dropkicked by SKY, requiring a save by Belair.

That sets off a series of pinfall attempts and offense, with a pumpkin pie and Asuka’s mist all entering the fray. Bayley directs traffic for her side, helping Asuka and Kairi Sane stomp on Belair outside the ring.

To make things even crazier Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre emerge from two of the large present boxes by the end of the ramp, attacking the Kabuki Warriors. That leaves Bayley and SKY in trouble, and Michin nails a top rope legdrop on IYO that sends the champ through a table and keeps her down for three.

Carmelo Hayes brings his ‘A’ game, still falls a bit short against KO

The announcers ponder early on whether Carmelo will target KO’s injured hand. Some nice mat wrestling kicks things off, with Hayes more than willing to trade holds.

Both men evade each other’s offense until Hayes can connect on a dropkick. Owens rallies with strikes as he is wont to do. A big chop gets Melo’s attention, but Owens grabs his right hand after delivering it.

A springboard clothesline from Hayes swings the momentum quickly, but only until KO can drive him into the steel steps. Commercials are next.

Hayes is in control when we return, scoring a near fall with a nice axe kick. A tilt-a-whirl facebuster earns him another two count in short order.

KO responds by spiking Hayes with a DDT out of the corner, surprising the announcers when Carmelo kicks out. They trade superkicks before Owens lays in more strikes, but the popup powerbomb is countered by a Codebreaker. Hayes wants Nothing But Net but gets caught by a popup powerbomb, yet he’s (barely) able to kick out.

An undeterred Owens his a Swanton Bomb, then the Stunner to win it, sending himself to the tournament final.

Santos Escobar gets help to advance to tourney final past Bobby Lashley

Lashley looks like he wants to end this early if he can, taking it right to his opponent and hurling Escobar across the ring several times. He also catches Santos coming off the top rope and sends him directly out to the floor.

Escobar flies to the floor right after a commercial break, and the Street Profits are urging Lashley to get back into it. He’s at least able to kick out at two and pull himself back to his feet, but he takes double knees to the face in the corner.

Santos hits the double knees again, sending Bobby to his knees. A third knee strike allows Escobar to open up with punches and kicks, and he grins until the All Mighty frees himself from trouble and hits a flatliner.

Lashley stalks his prey but is distracted by security dealing with two masked men attacking the Profits. Escobar capitalizes on the chaos, rolling up Lashley with a handful of tights to get the three count.

The men unmask to reveal themselves as Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza, showing that Santos has a new familia.

AJ Styles vs. Solo Sikoa devolves into six-man chaos

This should be fun, especially since Styles is going right at Sikoa as soon as the bell rings. Can he simply chop Solo down to size? Well, no, at least not this quickly since the first return shot from Sikoa sends him to the mat.

Styles finally puts a stop to Sikoa’s offense, driving his foe to the floor with an enzuigiri and following with a sliding knee. A springboard forearm is on target as well before commercials.

As is often the case, things have changed during the break, with Sikoa whipping Styles into the corner and hammering him as the fans boo. A big headbutt is next, leading to a cover that never looks close to winning it.

Styles hammers some chops but is Irish whipped into the turnbuckles even harder this time. Sikoa adds more misery with a hip attack, reveling in this slower pace.

AJ rallies to at least roll away from a top rope headbutt, then hits a sliding forearm and springboard moonsault for a near fall. Styles’ strikes are answers by a popup Samoan Drop, forcing him to kick out at two to continue.

Wriggling out of a fireman’s carry, Styles hits a Pele kick. The fans come to life as they see him hit another forearm, then dodge a Samoan Spike to roll Sikoa up for two.

Can AJ really hit the Styles Clash on Solo? Not now, though he does deliver the Phenomenal Forearm … only to see Sikoa roll out of the ring. Roman Reigns picks that opportunity to attack Styles, causing a DQ and lots of thumbs down from the fans.

Styles fights off Reigns but gets ambushed from behind by Sikoa. Randy Orton’s music hits to bring the Viper to the ring … then Jimmy Uso, and finally LA Knight. Working together, Knight and Orton are able to clear the Bloodline from the ring, though an angry Styles ends up starting a fight with both of them.

With the faces throwing hands at each other, Reigns holds his men back and just watches things continue to devolve as the show goes off the air.

WWE SmackDown live report 12/1/23: Randy Orton strikes

Wrestling Junkie was in the house for the Friday, Dec. 1 episode of WWE SmackDown, where Randy Orton was the center of attention.

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BROOKLYN, NY — WWE atmospheres exude a special feeling these days. The content is hot, the fans are eagerly consuming it and venues are consistently drawing near sellouts. Friday, Dec. 1 at the Barclays Center proved no different.

WWE filled most seats for the first episode of SmackDown since Survivor Series: WarGames, when, you know, that CM Punk guy returned. Everyone came to see the fallout and if WWE had another surprise planned, which they did not since the Straight Edge Superstar wasn’t advertised. Yet that sense of hope for something helped spark a crowd that stayed active through the night.

But have no fear, because WWE advertised Randy Orton, the other returning top star, mid-week for SmackDown. While it wasn’t made clear what he would do until the show went live Friday, this marked his third WWE TV appearance in a week after missing 18 months. It was an early Christmas present for his fans and a jolt entering Royal Rumble season.

Orton’s WWE future became the focus of the night, as a question of choice arose. Would he sign with Raw or SmackDown? In pro wrestling, the either-or angle is always effective in keeping fans on their feet. With WWE having a ton of time to spare due no premium live event, in December, it was a smart move to have something like this to keep fans engaged, especially among a group in Brooklyn who were prepared to cheer.

WWE always draws great in New York City, and they consistently elicit strong reactions, resulting in high-quality shows. This was no exception.

WWE SmackDown results from Brooklyn:

  • Bianca Belair cuts a promo about wanting “her” title back from IYO SKY. Without Bayley, Damage CTRL emerge and they dsay that Belair must defeat every member of the group in order to earn a title shot. As a result, a brawl erupts between Belair and the heels, with Charlotte Flair and Shotzi joining in to level the playing field.
  • Damage CTRL question Bayley backstage about not accompanying them in the first segment.
  • Bobby Lashley def. Butch via pinfall in a fun, hard-hitting match where the Brooklyn crowd went wild for everything the All Mighty did.
  • Nick Aldis tells Paul Heyman he wants to sign Randy Orton, who’s a free agent, as soon as tonight. The Wise Man questions this, and Aldis says he’ll offer the entire Bloodline to make it happen.
  • Promos play for New Day and the Undertaker’s Netflix choose-your-own-adventure show and WWE’s partnership with the Big 12.
  • Butch tells Kayla Braxton he does not know why Ridge Holland has been walking out of matches. Then, Pretty Deadly interrupts and mocks one half of the Brawling Brutes, which causes a fight between the three men.
  • Santos Escobar says he wants to finish what Rey Mysterio started since Rey chose Carlito over him.
  • Santos Escobar def. Joaquin Wilde via pinfall with a Phantom Driver. Dragon Lee makes the save for Wilde in the post-match brawl. With everything he does, Lee is gaining more popularity as makes his way toward stardom.
  • Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce argue backstage about whether to sign Randy Orton for their respective brand.
  • Amazingly, Logan Paul came out for just his first WWE TV appearance since winning the United States Championship at Crown Jewel. As he bragged about defeating Rey Mysterio, he received one of the largest reactions of the night. He then announced that the No. 1 contender’s tournament to determine his next challenger will begin next week …
  • … and out came one of the competitors, Kevin Owens, to tell Paul WWE isn’t like his world. Not sure how much shelf life this angle possesses since Paul has been with WWE for over a year, but the crowd responds well to the “us vs. them” story.
  • Grayson Waller and Austin Theory interrupted Owens, who punched Theory in the face as he ran his mouth.
  • Kevin Owens def. Grayson Waller in a long, uneventful match that consumed a chunk of the second hour.
  • WWE touted the social media reactions to CM Punk’s return, but then announced Punk will return to SmackDown on Friday, Dec. 9 for Tribute to the Troops to overwhelming boos. Fans had thought he might make a surprise appearance at the Barclays Center, but alas.
  • Bianca Belair def. Kairi Sane by pinfall. After the referee sent everyone else away, Bayley attempted to help her Damage CTRL teammate at ringside. However, despite her efforts, Sane still lost. That’s probably concerning for Bayley’s future with the group.
  • Randy Orton signed with SmackDown over Raw in a Royal Rumble season-building segment. Paul Heyman attempted to influence Orton against joining the blue brand by sending Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso after him, but the Viper put pen to paper anyway. LA Knight also made the save mid-brawl to even the odds.
  • Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a post-show dark match. It went maybe 10 minutes and had little to no reaction from the crowd.
  • Cody Rhodes def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall in the final dark match of the night. Their entrances lasted longer than the match.

WWE SmackDown live notes:

  • As he did at Survivor Series and Raw, Randy Orton soaked in the atmosphere, seeming moved by it while he posed for the crowd. Having him back when his career once looked over is just wonderful. Let’s appreciate every moment, since we can’t be sure how much longer WWE will have the Apex Predator.
  • On a scale of 1-10, LA Knight’s pop was a 12.
  • WWE announcing CM Punk for next week garnered the biggest heel reaction of anything.
  • Most of the arena had cleared out after the show, but Cody Rhodes was still taking pictures with fans. He might become a great heel one day, but that won’t happen while he’s still beloved by the fans.

WWE SmackDown results 12/1/23: Friday Night Viper, plus a Logan Paul invitational

Also revealed on WWE SmackDown was a tourney to determine a challenger for Logan Paul.

Logan Paul accomplished his goal of becoming WWE United States Champion, but we’ll find out starting tonight on SmackDown in Brooklyn if perhaps the hard part of his pro wrestling journey really starts now.

So far, Paul has been the hunter, pursuing big fights like his Crown Jewel 2022 main event with Roman Reigns, and his ultimately successful title pursuit of Rey Mysterio. It’s just that now he has the gold and other wrestlers are going to want to take it from him.

The question now is who will be first. WWE has hinted that we’ll get that answer tonight, and one would expect that may lead to a title clash at Royal Rumble if not before.

Another big emphasis tonight will be an appearance by Randy Orton. The Viper seems to be enjoying his WWE return so far, as he was on the winning side in WarGames and emerged with a victory this week on Raw in his first singles match in more than 20 months.

But is Orton here for the duration or just for a visit? In storyline terms, he’s appearing because he was invited by SmackDown GM Nick Aldis. The suspicion is that in real life terms, he may be heading to Friday nights because he’s the next in line for a feud with Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief won’t be at Barclays Center tonight, but it’s possible we’ll get a hint toward a program between the two of them anyway.

Plus we’ll see Kevin Owens take on Grayson Waller, and WWE has pushed the idea that we’ll learn what’s next for Damage CTRL after a losing effort at WarGames.

We’re set to recap everything that goes down from Barclays Center and even have two of our team members in the house tonight. Let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown results from Brooklyn:

As Kevin Patrick notes, Bianca Belair has every reason to smile after she captained her team to WarGames victory. She gives a shoutout to all of her teammates before making it clear she still has business with IYO SKY since she wants “her” title back.

That brings out Damage CTRL, minus Bayley, with Dakota Kai speaking for SKY. The champ (apparently) says Brooklyn smells and that since she’s already beaten Belair twice, Bianca will have to go through all of Damage CTRL to get another shot.

She’s willing to fight them all solo, but Charlotte Flair and Shotzi soon arrive to declare they’re down for a fight as well, and pretty soon we’ve got a six-woman brawl that is quickly won by the fan favorites.

Damage CTRL wants to know why Bayley wasn’t out there, but it sort of doesn’t matter now as Kairi Sane has a match with Belair, and Kai says she would really appreciate Bayley’s help.

Butch battles Bobby Lashley alone, can’t beat the All Mighty

This match was apparently made on the SmackDown Lowdown last Saturday. Didn’t know stories actually advanced there. In any case, the focus of the announcers is on Ridge Holland walking out on Butch last week, making him a solo act for now. Lashley gets on the mic before the match and says that while he did advise Butch to make a name for himself, he didn’t mean against the All Mighty.

An unimpressed Butch simply goes right at Lashley, but that only works temporarily. The crowd is chanting for Bobby, which may not be what WWE intended. Bitch doesn’t care, taking flight from the apron to the floor a few times with success before commercials arrive.

It’s apparently all Lashley while we’re away, and while Butch is able to wriggle free of a vertical suplex, Bobby catches and simply slams him straight down with one hand.

As the Street Profits cheer him on, Lashley looks for a Spear and hits nothing but post. Butch peppers him with head kicks in the corner, then double stomps Lashley’s left arm from behind. Next comes some small joint manipulation and a stomp on the left hand, followed by a two count.

Lashley shakes it off to deliver a powerslam, but Butch kicks out at two. The Brawling Brute still has some fight left in him, but a Spear takes care of that, and the All Mighty has this one wrapped up.

Highlights are shown of the Men’s WarGames match from Survivor Series, though not including the return of CM Punk afterward.

Paul Heyman seems upset that Nick Aldis invited Randy Orton to SmackDown tonight, and is especially irritated that Aldis wants to sign Orton to an exclusive contract. He tells Heyman he can tell Roman Reigns it’s happening, and that he’ll offer up the entire Bloodline if needed to get the deal done.

Butch says he doesn’t know why Ridge Holland walked out on him, but while he’s not about to take any taunting about it from Pretty Deadly, he soon learns, painfully, that he can’t do much about it.

After a replay of the beginning of Santos Escobar’s heel turn, he says he’s going to put Joaquin Wilde on the shelf right now if he can’t see the “truth” about Rey Mysterio.

Santos Escobar takes down Joaquin Wilde but Dragon Lee is still hunting him

Not sure if the LWO is still alive, but Wilde is trying his best to keep it that way, not just by sporting a shirt but by controlling the early action and getting the first near fall.

Escobar fights back effectively, scoring several two counts and ripping Wilde’s LWO shirt off. Santos mocks the group to the hard cam but gets his legs taken out by a low dropkick. A big DDT follows, but Escobar is able to kick out at two.

After stunning his former teammate, Escobar scream that this is what happens when you cross him, and he finishes the match with a Phantom Driver. Santos wants to continue the beating after the bell, bringing Dragon Lee to the rescue.

Escobar fakes leaving and tries attacking from behind, but Dragon Lee is ready, battering Santos into the corner and nailing a low dropkick.

Adam Pearce is also in the house, and he tells Aldis he intends to join him in the ring to offer Orton a Raw contract.

Logan Paul explains who will challenge him next … if Kevin Owens doesn’t get to him first

To everyone who prayed for his downfall, Logan Paul wants to know where they are now. He says the more anyone hopes he fails, the harder he works and the more he wins.

Paul says wrestlers are jealous and want his U.S. title, which has been on his junk just like everyone has since he’s been there. His words, not ours.

Since Rey Mysterio can’t face him in a rematch due to injury, he and Aldis have come up with an eight-man tournament to determine his next challenger: Escobar, Lee, Karrion Kross, Lashley, Grayson Waller, Austin Theory, Kevin Owens and a mystery NXT wrestler.

Someone is going to answer him, and that someone is Owens. Clearly no fan, KO calls Paul’s time in WWE a nightmare and also takes a shot at Prime. Paul says he’s been in the ring with the greatest boxer ever and would only need five seconds to KO Kevin.

Owens says that’s another world and the WWE is his world, but he’s interrupted by the arrival of Waller and Theory. Waller says the three of them are “forward-thinking disruptor” types with a lot of common, and Theory runs his mouth until Owens smacks him down with a right hand. That leaves Owens and Paul exchanging words that we can’t hear to end the segment.

Kevin Owens just keeps fighting to defeat Grayson Waller

Paul sticks around on guest commentary, calling Owens the “Humpty Dumpty of WWE” and bragging about how he’s already beaten the best luchador of all time. He also plays dumb about the brass knuckles he used to beat Rey.

Oh right, the match. Owens is beating down Waller in one corner only to see Theory grab his buddy to avoid the Cannonball. That allows Waller to gain the upper hand on the outside, but that changes quickly when a clothesline puts him down on the floor and KO hits a frog splash from the apron.

Theory stomps on Owens’ hand as the referee is dealing with Waller, then tells his friend where to concentrate his offense. The announcers report that KO’s hand continued to be targeted all through the break, with Michael Cole putting the idea out there that it could be broken.

Even with one hand, Owens is able to give Waller an atomic drop and a DDT. The Cannonball pulverizes Waller in the corner, and a Swanton Bomb follows, though Grayson is able to kick out.

Waller gives a submission a try, but Owens makes the ropes. To all the heels’ dismay, he’s able to reverse a pinfall attempt and keep Waller’s shoulders down for three.

A replay of CM Punk’s Survivor Series return is shown, as well as a graphic showing he’ll be at SmackDown next week in Providence, which ticks off the Brooklyn crowd.

Kai thinks Bayley doesn’t seem like herself, and SKY tells the nominal leader of Damage CTRL to stay in the back for Kairi’s match.

Bayley tries to assist Kairi Sane, but it’s not enough against Bianca Belair

Everyone but Bayley from Damage CTRL is out to support Sane, while Flair and Shotzi are on hand to back up Belair if need be. Early on it doesn’t appear she’ll need it, as her power is too much for Sane.

Asuka gets involved by tripping Belair near the ropes, giving her teammate a chance to take control until Flair repays Kairi in kind. The difference is that the ref sees Charlotte and ejects her and Shotzi. The ref turns and sees Asuka in the ring, ejecting Damage CTRL as well.

After a commercial break, Belair treats Sane to several body slams before raining down right hands from the middle turnbuckle. A spinebuster sets up her somersault splash, but Kairi barely kicks out before the ref’s count hits three.

Another two count follows, but Sane finally responds with a spinning back fist. A sliding knee and a forearm off the top allow Kairi to cover for her own two.

Sane manages to send Belair to the floor, but she misses a move off the apron and gets dropped hard on the barricade. While the ref is occupied, Bayley comes out and gets a shot in on Bianca. She high fives Bayley before going up top, but Bianca catches her there and lifts her back into the middle of the ring for a KoD to end it.

Both SmackDown and Raw make their pitches to Randy Orton, but the Bloodline helps sway his choice

Nick Aldis is happy to welcome the Viper back to SmackDown, and the fans seem very enthusiastic that he’s there. Pearce and Aldis squabble right away before making their offers. Pearce says if he signs with Raw, he’ll get the winner of Seth Rollins and Jey Uso for the World Heavyweight Championship. In return, Aldis says he can have the guys that took him out if he signs with SmackDown.

That declaration brings out an animated Heyman, who says there will be no RKOs this evening and no decision made by Orton … because the Bloodline is going to make the decision for him.

On cue, here come Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso, and even though Orton gamely stands in as they hit the ring, he’s fighting an uphill battle until LA Knight’s music hits.

The Megastar helps even the odds in a hurry, as he pairs off with Sikoa and leaves Uso in the ring with Orton. Jimmy takes the elevated DDT and looks like he’s a sitting duck for an RKO … which he is.

Orton calls for both contracts from the GMs as Heyman yells “go to Raw, you’re safe on Raw.” Of course, Randy chucks the Raw contract out of the ring and signs for SmackDown.

Grabbing a mic, Orton tells Heyman he can call Roman Reigns and tell him “Daddy’s back.” A happy Aldis celebrates with his new signee, but Orton gives him an RKO. Heyman is shown calling Reigns, probably.

The best WarGames matches of all time, ranked from worst to best

WarGames matches are about as memorable as they come. We rank every one from WWE and WCW history.

“Mad Max” is among the most memorable action franchises in film history, but it is the third installment of the franchise, “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,” that was particularly notable, as it starred the late great Tina Turner and featured a dome-like structure where two people entered and only one left after a fight to the death.

Although “Beyond Thunderdome” isn’t necessarily seen as the peak of the “Mad Max” franchise, its look at a gritty, post-apocalyptic dystopian future undoubtedly left an impression on its viewers. 

One of the viewers that were particularly inspired by what they saw was a man by the name of Virgil Runnels, better known to professional wrestling fans as the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

There have been a number of pieces written over the years about the verbal prowess of Rhodes. But as much as he was a force in front of the camera, Rhodes was arguably even more influential behind the scenes. 

He was the primary booker for multiple territories during his career and while he could map out a week-to-week story, Rhodes’ true creative genius shined when it came to creating spectacles.

When Rhodes laid eyes on the Thunderdome, he saw his next project.

Rhodes added a few wrinkles to make the concept pro wrestling-friendly, but the violence and excitement remained. The result is one of the most anticipated matches in professional wrestling, one that has provided countless fond memories during its near 40 years of existence. 

But which WarGames match is the best of all time? Conversely, which one is the worst? I am here to answer that question once and for all. Well, in my opinion, at least. 

Before we dig into the rankings, some ground rules: First, this ranking will only feature WarGames matches from the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and NXT/WWE. Yes, I know, AEW has its own version of WarGames called Blood and Guts, but for the sake of this list, I’m only including matches that actually carries the match’s namesake.

Secondly, this list does not include WarGames matches that were not televised. Televised WarGames matches only!

Lastly, remember that this is merely my opinion, so don’t kill me too much if you disagree. Please feel free to disagree and give your thoughts. But again, these are just my thoughts after recently watching all of the matches that qualified for this list.

With that said, let the WarGames ranking begin!

WWE SmackDown results 10/13/23: Roman Reigns returns, Triple H names new General Managers

Roman Reigns’ return, the trade pick being revealed, and a Triple H announcement headlined this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

WWE never takes a break, though the Oct. 13 episode of SmackDown has been dubbed the “season premiere” of the show. Two big appearances have been announced in advance, making it anything but an ordinary show.

Triple H will make an appearance during the show, likely to announce something meaningful as he did when he announced the WWE Draft earlier this year. We can only speculate what he has in store, but whatever it is, will it impact the upcoming busy month that includes Crown Jewel and Survivor Series?

Going one step further, Roman Reigns, the long-lost Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, will grace the blue brand for the first time in two months. The Bloodline has experienced plenty since his last appearance, including Jey Uso’s defection to Raw and Jimmy Uso’s return to the group following a dramatic breakup.

The Tribal Chief will surely have plenty to say as Crown Jewel approaches, and his title could be challenged by a fresh face. A few weeks ago, LA Knight dropped Reigns’ name as someone he’s chasing, which might hint at what’s to come.

Following his momentous NXT appearance, John Cena will be present. Does he have something to say about Tuesday night, or what happened at Fastlane?

Let’s see what the night has in store, and if the build to Crown Jewel continues.

WWE SmackDown results from Tulsa:

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

  • Roman Reigns returns to interrupt John Cena, who welcomes LA Knight as the next deserving challenger to Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
  • Pretty Deadly def. The Brawling Brutes by pinfall
  • A video package shows Carlito’s return at Fastlane.
  • Carlito says the only word to describe his return is “cool.” Bobby Lashley interrupts to welcome him back and references their past. But when Carlito asks for a match, The Street Profits attack him from behind.
  • While everyone tends to Carlito backstage, Bayley and Zelina Vega have a heated back-and-forth that leads to Adam Pearce granting them a match.
  • Roman Reigns says all that matters is the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, and calls Jey Uso holding the tag titles with Cody Rhodes a disgrace and a slap in the face.
  • A highlight package shows IYO SKY retaining her WWE Women’s Championship at Fastlane.
  • Bayley def. IYO SKY via pinfall
  • Triple H announces Adam Pearce as the new Raw General Manager, but he names before SmackDown’s General Manager, Dominik Mysterio interrupts to complain about Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes defending their titles before they face Judgment Day. Triple H tells Mysterio to direct his complaints to SmackDown’s new General Manager, Nick Aldis, who immediately welcomes Kevin Owens as the blue brand’s newest superstar.
  • Reigns is upset with there being many people he doesn’t like now on SmackDown.
  • A video package plays for Dragon Lee.
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven tell Aldis to do something about their tag team titles being cursed. But Aldis says he has a meeting with Charlotte Flair. He tells Charlotte he saw what happened at Fastlane, and that she’ll go head-to-head with IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s Championship next week.
  • When Charlotte turns to leave, Jade Cargill meets her face-to-face with Triple H. Flair says to save the intro because she knows who Cargill is.
  • Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso def. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship by pinfall
  • LA Knight def. Solo Sikoa by pinfall

John Cena welcomes LA Knight as Roman Reigns’ next challenger

With a raucous reaction, the fans are more than ready for “The Greatest of All Time” in Tulsa. He welcomes everyone to the season premiere of SmackDown, but Roman Reigns wastes no time, interrupting Cena, with Paul Heyman and his recolored hair and Solo Sikoa, to make his first WWE appearance in two months.

Reigns orders Cena to open “his show” properly and tells Tulsa to acknowledge him as a Tribal Chief. Reigns doubts Cena’s presence, claiming he only returned because Reigns is gone and questions Cena’s “Greatest of All Time” moniker. Reigns then proclaims himself to be “that guy” and warns Cena to leave or he will make him leave.

Cena hypes up being in the same ring as Reigns and acknowledges him. Despite not challenging Reigns tonight as he hasn’t earned it, Cena suggests someone who has and the crowd erupts for LA Knight’s music.

Knight rattles off a bunch of things about Reigns, questioning if a defending champion sits at home. Reigns tries to put Knight down, but when he retorts, Jimmy Uso attacks Knight from behind. However, Uso gets quickly disposed of. Knight then stares down Reigns and Sikoa, causing them to retreat, but not before Knight challenges Sikoa to a match for tonight.

Elton Prince returns with a victory

After months sidelined due to injury, Elton Prince is back in action with Kit Wilson.

Butch targets Prince’s rehabilitated shoulder immediately as he and Wilson struggle to get ahead on the Brawling Brutes, while also taking simultaneous punches to the chest to dampen the early stages of their return.

Returning from the commercial break, Wilson maintains control of Butch while Prince tags in to lay some punches on the former Pete Dunne.

A dropkick connects on both members of Pretty Deadly, allowing Ridge Holland to make the hot tag and lay body slams on Prince and Wilson. As Prince goes to the top rope, Holland picks up the formerly injured member of the tag team and slams him for a near-fall.

Prince feigns a knee injury, fooling the referee, while Wilson takes advantage and kicks Holland in the face. Prince quickly rolls a stunned Holland for the pin.

Zelina Vega falls to the numbers game

Zelina Vega gets the most of Bayley early, but after she attempts an Irish whip, Bayley clotheslines her to take control and nearly gets a pinfall after a leg drop.

As Bayley tries a Bayley-to-Belly, Vega counters and hits a 619 in tribute to Rey Mysterio. She hits a meteora for a near-fall, but IYO SKY distracts Vega, allowing Bayley to hit a Rose Plant for the win.

Charlotte Flair, running in heels, rushes down to make the save as Bayley and IYO SKY attack Vega after the match.

Triple H names Raw and SmackDown’s new General Managers

It’s a welcome sight when The Game arrives, but already in the ring is Adam Pearce, which is unusual. Triple H praises the crowd and says Crown Jewel and Survivor series are near, and the build all begins on the season premiere.

Triple H heaps praise on Adam Pearce, an unsung hero of WWE, and gives him an ovation while acknowledging his in-ring work too. He thanks Pearce for overseeing both Raw and SmackDown, a difficult job to do solo.

Dominik Mysterio interrupts Triple H’s announcement of SmackDown’s head honcho to say Fastlane wasn’t successful, but the boos drown out his words as Pearce gets promoted to general manager of Raw.

Triple H laughs at how loud the crowd is, but he acknowledges Mysterio’s words before telling him to direct his complaints to the new SmackDown general manager, Nick Aldis.

Aldis welcomes SmackDown’s newest superstar, Kevin Owens, as part of the deal that sent Jey Uso to Raw. Immediately, Owens enters the ring and hits a stunner on Mysterio, and Aldis holds his hand high to close the segment.

Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso remain successful fighting champions

Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso are making their second title defense of the week, and if they win, it’ll be three matches with the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship on the line with Monday’s match against The Judgment Day.

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, a recently formed tag team, answered an open challenger for this match, which is also their first title bout together.

Rhodes attempts an early Figure Four on Theory, but fails to lock it in, prompting Waller to tag in. Uso tags in and hits a few moves, but when he doesn’t spot Theory tagging in, the match takes a turn in the heels’ favor.

With Theory still in control, Uso tries fighting back, but an elbow from Waller from the second rope draws a near-fall.

Uso makes the hot tag to Rhodes, who hits a powerslam on Theory and a disaster kick. He takes Waller out of the equation, but it allows Theory to take advantage briefly.

Uso superkicks Theory, which sets up their Cody 1-Day move. The American Nightmare then hits Cross-Rhodes for the win to retain the tag titles.

Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa confront Jey and Rhodes after the match, with Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman not far behind. Reigns and Rhodes stare each other down before Nick Aldis breaks it up.

LA Knight topples Solo Sikoa, but Roman Reigns has something to say

As a potential match with Reigns brews, LA Knight must first conquer Sikoa.

The Bloodline’s muscle takes immediate control, but Knight counters the early offense with a neckbreaker for a quick kickout.

Knight fails to pick up Sikoa, who hits a nasty chop in the corner, but gets knocked out of the ring and brought to the ringside barricade. When Knight tries a suplex from the apron to the mat at ringside, Solo blocks it and shoves Knight into the ring post.

Knight breaks a hold from Sikoa, but when attempting to pick him up again, Sikoa drops an elbow and a belly-to-belly suplex to nearly score a pin.

Working his way back, Knight hits a bulldog from the second rope to get a two-count. But Sikoa fires back with a Samoan drop.

Missing Knight and going head-first into the turnbuckle throws Sikoa off his game and allows Knight to work his comeback, including a running knee. A sharp powerslam takes Sikoa down, but Jimmy Uso runs in to distract Knight.

However, John Cena saves Knight and hits an AA on Jimmy, but he takes a Samoan spike for his troubles. It’s enough for Knight to hit a BFT for the win.

Roman Reigns comes from out of nowhere to spear Knight. He holds the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship high to close SmackDown.

WWE SmackDown results 09/09/23: Jimmy Uso finds 1 is the loneliest number

Not that AJ Styles ended WWE SmackDown in much better shape, thanks to The Judgment Day.

If there’s been a person in The Bloodline who has received less than his share of the spotlight over the last 18 months — and a strong argument can be made that no one has, really, since WWE has done such a good job with this storyline — it’s Jimmy Uso.

He was never “Main Event” like Jey, nor was he the right-hand man of the Tribal Chief. He wasn’t at the center of the dynamic when Sami Zayn was a member of the group.

That appears to finally be changing now. With Jey off to Raw and Roman Reigns on the reduced part of his 2023 schedule, Jimmy is suddenly the main figure of what’s going on in Bloodline land. And the truth is, we don’t 100% know exactly what that is.

But while it remains to be seen exactly where Jimmy’s heart lies, his body will be in the ring tonight in Boston, squaring off against AJ Styles. You may recall that last week, Styles had a match with Solo Sikoa, and Jimmy cost him a victory. In pro wrestling tradition, that often means the person with the grievance gets a match against the accused, and that’s what’s happening on SmackDown.

We’ll also see the newly crowned Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions in action. Damian Priest and Finn Balor put aside their squabbles long enough to win gold, with the entire Judgment Day coming together in ways they sometimes haven’t in recent weeks. We’ll see if that same esprit de corps remains intact in Beantown.

WWE SmackDown results from Boston:

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

  • A lengthy highlight package replays the high points from Payback last weekend in Pittsburgh
  • Charlotte Flair and Shotzi def. Damage CTRL (Bayley and IYO SKY) by pinfall after a distraction by Asuka, who confronts SKY after the match
  • A video segment shows what happened between Jimmy Uso and AJ Styles last week
  • Paul Heyman gets a visit from Jimmy Uso, who says he’s in the Bloodline and wants to strategize, but Heyman says he’s not in unless Roman Reigns says he is, and that he should take care of AJ Styles tonight … which is exactly what he does when he sees Styles threaten Heyman
  • SKY says she’s ready for Asuka, and that is a challenge for the title
  • LA Knight wants to talk to ya, but is interrupted by Grayson Waller and Austin Theory, and their exchange sets up a match between Knight and Theory
  • LA Knight def. Austin Theory by pinfall
  • Styles is asked if he can still compete tonight, and he says if he’s standing, he can fight, and nothing will stop him from tearing Jimmy’s head off tonight
  • Heyman is bugging Adam Pearce about who is getting traded to SmackDown when Knight stops by, giving Paul a chance to introduce himself and tell LA to knock first when he’s in there; also Knight will get his second match with The Miz next week
  • The Judgment Day takes a victory lap before their match, bragging about how much gold they have, but both the crowd and The Brawling Brutes interrupt Dominik Mysterio, and Butch shows Balor why he shouldn’t be scoffed at
  • The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. The Brawling Brutes (Butch and Ridge Holland) by pinfall, but Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits come to the ring to confront the champs afterward
  • Styles is upset with the rest of The O.C. for not having his back and tells the Good Brothers and Michin he doesn’t want them anywhere near his match tonight
  • Asuka says “they forgot about me” and that SKY has her title, but in two weeks, she’s taking it back
  • AJ Styles def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall, but is attacked by Balor and Priest afterward and takes a Samoan Spike from Solo Sikoa to end the show

WWE SmackDown preview 09/08/23: Main Event Jimmy Uso?

Also tonight on WWE SmackDown from Boston, Bayley gets some teammate help to face Shotzi and Charlotte Flair.

There’s only one Uso left on WWE SmackDown, and his name is Jimmy Uso.

With Jey off to Raw, Jimmy is holding it down on Friday nights. But his actions last week confused the heck out of many, including Solo Sikoa, so the question of where his loyalties lie is still an open one.

In the meantime, he certainly didn’t make any friends with AJ Styles by interfering in AJ’s match with Solo, so now they’re going to settle their differences in the most-time honored way, inside the ring in Boston. Keep an eye on whether Sikoa repays the “favor” Jimmy did him or simply wanders down to ringside with Paul Heyman to keep an eye on things.

(On a related note, might the person who was “traded” for Jey arrive on SmackDown tonight?)

There’s drama unfolding in the women’s division as well. Bayley is still being haunted by Shotzi, though it appeared the Role Model had the Ballsy Badass exactly where she wanted her last week until the arrival of Charlotte Flair to prevent the rest of Damage CTRL from lending a hand.

Bayley will have to face both Shotzi and Flair tonight in Boston, but at least she’ll have the WWE Women’s Champion, IYO SKY, as a partner. That’s about as good as it gets.

This feels like the type of show for which WWE may announce more matches or segments during the day on Friday, but for now it’s just these two. It’s possible that having some of the roster in India for Superstar Spectacle is affecting plans somewhat, but we’ll update this post with whatever else might be revealed ahead of the show.

Update: What do you know? We were right about WWE adding more matches as the day went on, as new tag team champions Damian Priest and Finn Balor of The Judgment Day will take on Butch and Ridge Holland of The Brawling Brutes.

SmackDown is live from TD Garden in Boston at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, and we’ll be bringing you live results and updates as it happens tonight.

WWE SmackDown results, live blog 07/21/23: Jey, Roman invoke Tribal Combat at SummerSlam

And it wasn’t LA Knight who won the Fatal 4-Way in Orlando either.

It’s getting real for The Bloodline now. Not that it wasn’t before, mind you, what with the group fracturing right down the middle and The Usos superkicking their Tribal Chief and all. But now Roman Reigns and Jey Uso are on a collision course that leads to SummerSlam in Detroit, and a big step toward that match will take place tonight on WWE SmackDown in Orlando.

At least it seems big that the segment is being promoted as a discussion about the “Rules of Engagement” for SummerSlam. What we do know is that Roman and Jey will be in the ring together, and when that’s happened recently, every time it’s happened, things have gone sideways. We’d expect nothing different on SmackDown.

Elsewhere, a number of men have their eyes on Austin Theory and his United States Championship. How to sort out the line of contenders? WWE is doing it by having a Fatal 4-Way tonight it’s calling a United States Championship Invitational. The winner will face Santos Escobar, who already won on of these. And then that winner will take on Theory (presumably at SummerSlam).

Who’s in this Invitational? That’s a very logical next question, so kudos. Rey Mysterio, Sheamus and Cameron Grimes are all involved. But the man everyone has their eyes on is the guy who makes you go “Yeah!”, the Megastar, LA Knight. Can he (finally) break through and get closer to a title shot?

We’re looking forward to what should be a good show as we draw ever closer to SummerSlam. Let’s get to FS1 and see what’s on tap.

WWE SmackDown results from Orlando:

Rey Mysterio def. Sheamus, Cameron Grimes and LA Knight by pinning Grimes in a United States Championship Invitational Fatal 4-Way

Knight is the only one who gets a microphone on his way in, though Austin Theory is ringside and scoffs at his assertion that he’ll be coming for the U.S. title.

Mysterio and Sheamus, both good guys, try to stay respectful with each other but also are definitely willing to set aside to try to win.

Grimes gets a showcase spot where he’s dishing out punishment to all three of his foes, but Sheamus eventually puts a stop to that. All four men end up in the same corner for a four-man powerbomb/superplex/whatever else Tower of Doom spot.

You just know Theory is going to take exception to something, and he does when the fight comes close to his spot near the announce table. Sheamus rallies the crowd behind him but Knight is ready for him and may have won it if not for Mysterio.

Rey looks like he might win but gets hauled out of the ring by Theory … who in turn gets rushed by Escobar, and they brawl toward the back.

Signature moves are flowing in the ring, and Mysterio is the one who takes advantage by pinning Grimes, meaning he’ll now advance to fight his own teammate for the title shot next week.

The Cavinder Twins are in the house. Waving, it appears.

Theory is upset and makes it clear to Adam Pearce that he wants Escobar in a singles match tonight. Scrap Daddy says he’ll make it happen.

A Raw recap package shows the latest brawl between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar earlier this week, which ended with Lesnar accepting a third match at SummerSlam.

Charlotte Flair def. IYO SKY by pinfall

Bayley joins the announcers for this one, meaning Michael Cole is now being ganged up on by her and Wade Barrett. Their bickering and discussion of the Money in the Bank briefcase is sort of distracting from a pretty fun match, but hey.

Also Cole is harassing Bayley about how Damage CTRL has been treating Shotzi. Meanwhile SKY is working over Flair’s left knee, but takes a series of chops in return. With IYO in trouble on the top turnbuckle, Bayley provides a distraction that nearly helps her teammate win.

Then a somewhat disturbing Shotzi video plays on the big screen, which has Bayley shook. She takes off, missing both women miss their moonsaults and going back and forth with potential pins and counters.

Flair hits a spear but finds it’s not enough to win it. After another sequence where both women have chances to pin the other, Flair hits Natural Selection and finally gets the three. But Asuka arrives and quickly attacks The Queen, leaving her right arm in a world of hurt.

Kayla Braxton asks Dominik Mysterio what he’s doing hanging around SmackDown, and it seems to be mostly to rub his title win in his father’s face. Butch shows up and challenges him to a title match, and when Dom tries to use the excuse that there’s no one here from NXT to make it official, Shawn Michaels arrives and says he’s going to see Pearce to do just that.

Roman Reigns is in quiet contemplation in his dressing room, and neither Solo Sikoa nor Paul Heyman are disturbing it by talking.

Bayley finds her luggage has a picture of her with scissors stabbed through it, and that only makes her more frazzled and determined to leave the arena.

Santos Escobar def. Austin Theory by pinfall

Theory fires out of the gates but finds Escobar has answers for pretty much everything he can dream up. He calls for a timeout as the show breaks for commercials.

That timeout seems to have done the U.S. champ well, as he scores a two count with a nice looking dropkick. A tope suicida makes for a good response by Escobar, knocking Theory on top of the announce table.

A big left hand and a brainbuster nearly put Escobar away, but he kicks out to continue the match. Theory wants A-Town Down but gets caught with a dropkick, and the two men fight up on top of the turnbuckles. Escobar escapes a superplex and turns it into a hurricanrana; he hits a running knee, then the Phantom Driver, to pick up a big win.

Bobby Lashley is on hand again, and he says he’s glad he ran into Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams.

Hmm …

Dominik Mysterio def. Butch by pinfall to retain the NXT North American Championship

If Dominik had to fight truly alone, he’d probably be in big trouble here. But he’s not, as Rhea Ripley is close at hand.

Rhea slips Dom a chain and then distracts the ref, but Ridge Holland arrives to make sure he never uses it. Pretty Deadly comes to the ringside area as well, even with Elton Prince in a wheelchair.

Holland finally runs them off (Prince’s legs seem fine), but the chaos allows Ripley to intervene in the action again, chop blocking Butch on the apron, and Mysterio gladly accepts that help and gets the pinfall.

Jey Uso waits in the ring for the arrival of Reigns, flanked as usual by Sikoa and Heyman. There’s a table set up in the manner of a contract signing, but there’s no moderator — and no Jimmy Uso, as the announcers are quick to point out.

As they take their seats, Roma condescendingly asks Jey if he still wants to do this, but he says his does. “You’re just a soldier, man — a pawn in this game,” Reigns says dismissively even as the fans start an Usos chant.

Jey slams the contract down and says they don’t need it, because “this is tribal combat now.” That means no rules, apparently, and that he’ll use any weapons needed.

Reigns says he’s ready to fight now, while Jey reminds him again it’s tribal combat. Are they … fighting for leadership? While we ponder, Solo tries to spike Jey, but Roman stops him and Jey sends him out of the ring with a superkick. Reigns slowly backs out as well, but the battle lines have been drawn for SummerSlam.