Tag: Carlito

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

For maybe the first time ever, WWE Fastlane was actually consequential

A skippable premium live event? Maybe in past years, but WWE Fastlane was worth watching this time.

If you have watched WWE for as long as I have (about 30 years, give or take), you are familiar with the fact that there are tiers to the company’s premium live events.

You already know that at the very top is WrestleMania, for obvious reasons. Right below that are Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and even Money in the Bank. These events don’t feature the spectacle and grandeur of WrestleMania, but are certainly among the most consequential on the calendar.

And then there’s the rest of the events, which if you’re a diehard fan you’re watching regardless. However, if you’re more of a casual fan, you may skip here or there.

Fastlane firmly falls into the last category, as its usual placement in February/March typically made this a mere speed bump you quickly pass over on the road to WrestleMania.

But that wasn’t the case in 2023. 

WWE moved Fastlane to October this year, which still placed it right before a more marquee event — Survivor Series, in this case. 

But unlike in years past where Fastlane could have largely been ignored, this year’s show served its purpose better than it ever has. And because of it, Survivor Series, which may or may not feature WarGames, feels like an even bigger event.

If there is a WarGames at Survivor Series, it could be among the most intriguing in the match’s history. Having The Bloodline and The Judgment Day form a, dare I say, dangerous alliance, has already made for great television. And I love the fact that it’s Rhea Ripley leading the transaction from The Judgment Day’s side.

But who knows how longer The Judgment Day will last after Finn Balor and Damian Priest lost the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles to Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso? That will certainly add more cracks to the group’s already fragile foundation.

Then you got LA Knight and John Cena taking down Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa, which I’m sure will be addressed on the upcoming episode of Smackdown — which will feature an appearance from the Tribal Chief himself, Roman Reigns.

Seth Rollins retained his world title by defeating Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing Match, which should all but end their feud and open the door for a new challenger to step up to the plate. And we all know there has been a lot of intrigue around who that person might be. Also, the match was tremendous.

And let’s not forget that Jade Cargill made her WWE television debut during the event as well. Sure, it was merely walking out of a car (looking stunning, I might add) and being greeted by Triple H, but it is a sign that WWE has got major plans for the former AEW TBS Champion.

There are some good things brewing in WWE. Things are so good that even Fastlane proved to be an exciting chapter in WWE’s never-ending tale between good and evil.

WWE Fastlane 2023 results: Seth Rollins survives, plus new tag team champs

Seth Rollins and IYO SKY foiled strong title challenges, and WWE Fastlane was a bad night for The Judgment Day and The Bloodline.

Seth Rollins seems like he was made for the World Heavyweight Championship, priding himself on being a workhorse titleholder who defends the belt often and against all comers. But that’s only if his body can stand up to the grind, and Shinsuke Nakamura is going to try to show that it can’t tonight at WWE Fastlane in Indianapolis.

Nakamura has had one shot at the title already and come up short. But he has played Rollins masterfully over the past few weeks, essentially goading him into the stipulation he wanted: And he picked Last Man Standing.

WWE has done a nice job working Rollins’ real life back ailments into the narrative, creating a little doubt that he comes out of this with the championship. That’s perfect for a show like Fastlane, where fans wouldn’t normally expect a big title change.

A lot of attention is also on John Cena and LA Knight teaming up to face The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso (at least Jimmy says he’s in The Bloodline). It’s one of those past meets present moments WWE does so well, and while Knight certainly doesn’t need a rub from anyone right now, it can’t hurt to have a man WWE promotes as “The Greatest of All Time” paired with him for a high profile match like this.

With those bouts plus a men’s tag team title match on the card, the WWE Women’s Championship Triple Threat bout could be one that will steal the show. There are only five matches total that are expected for Fastlane, so it wouldn’t be completely shocking if something got added on the fly.

Let’s hit the gas and see where we end up.

WWE Fastlane 2023 results:

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