Charlotte Flair can’t wait to return, says ‘I’m ahead of schedule’ after knee surgery

Charlotte Flair offered WWE fans an optimistic update on her recovery from knee surgery.

It’s going to be strange having WrestleMania 40 without Charlotte Flair as she recovers from knee surgery. If The Queen has her way, however, she’ll be back in a WWE ring sooner than originally expected.

Flair tore multiple ligaments on the Dec. 8 episode of SmackDown, and the original prognosis after her January surgery was that she’d be out of action for nine months. That would mean she’d potentially be back late this fall.

But she’s got her eyes on getting back even faster, as she told CNBC in a recent interview (h/t Wrestling Observer for the transcription).

I’m six weeks out Thursday. I’m ahead of schedule and every day all I can think about is returning back to the ring, especially with all the excitement of The Rock, going to Netflix, WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, all I can think about is getting back and winning that number 15.

Another reason Flair is likely anxious to return is that her husband Andrade made his way back to WWE from AEW during the time she’s been out. He has yet to start up his first program, but was featured in a vignette on this week’s episode of Raw that made it appear something is in the works for him soon.

The 37-year-old Flair has had relatively good luck with injuries throughout her career, meaning the need to push hard and rehab is somewhat new to her. Happily for her fans, it sounds like she’s attacking it with gusto so she can do what she does best as soon as possible.

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Royal Rumble winners list: Every wrestler to win a WWE Royal Rumble

Check out a full list of WWE Royal Rumble winners over the years, plus fun stats on entry number, most eliminations and more.

There’s nothing in pro wrestling quite like the Royal Rumble. While there have been and always will be other battle royals, WWE has distilled the over-the-top extravaganza into something that has withstood the test of time.

Since 1988, the promotion has had at least one Royal Rumble a year, with one for men and women held annually since 2018. Not only have fans fallen in love with the core concept, to the point that they enthusiastically count down from 10 each time a new wrestler enters the fray, they’ve also come to expect legends and surprises — which WWE generally delivers.

Another great aspect that has become part of the Royal Rumble’s DNA over time is the prize: an opportunity to challenge for a world championship at WrestleMania, making the Rumble the official kickoff on the road to WWE’s biggest show of each calendar year.

Naturally, that means it’s quite an honor to win a Rumble match. Even with the event heading toward its 40th anniversary later this decade, the list of Royal Rumble winners is still a pretty exclusive club.

Let’s take a look at every Royal Rumble winner ever, year by year.

Charlotte Flair thanks WWE fans, says she enjoyed being a face

While preparing for knee surgery, Charlotte Flair took time to reflect on her most recent WWE run.

Even a Queen faces uncertainty at times, but Charlotte Flair is vowing to bounce back from her latest setback thanks to the support she feels from WWE fans.

Flair was dealt the cruelest injury luck of her storied wrestling career during a match with Asuka on the Dec. 8 episode of WWE SmackDown, when she tore three knee ligaments while taking a fall from the top rope. Flair has had few injury issues since her debut in NXT in 2012, so it’s understandable that she might be feeling apprehensive about the entire ordeal.

She expressed exactly that in a social media post Thursday night, noting that the injury took away some of her identity as an athlete.

I happen to be an expert in overthinking and this is the first time I’ve ever been truly scared. Scared of the unknown but also feeling like I’m losing what I’m most proud of and that’s being an athlete. I don’t like showing physical weakness and this has left me feeling exposed. A process I know I will grow from but a very new one to me.

Maybe the most interesting part of her post for people who have followed her career was her admission that after years spent mostly playing the villain, she enjoyed her recent run as a fan favorite.

I have been a bad guy for most of my career but this year was different for me. I CHERISHED every hug, high-five and fist pump this year at live events and for the first time in my career felt comfortable in my own boots being the good guy

Flair is reportedly preparing for surgery this week, and confirmed in her post that her recovery could take around nine months. If all goes well, that would put her back in a WWE ring before the end of 2024, and there are undoubtedly many fans hoping that is indeed the case.

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Big reported Charlotte Flair contract might bode well for WWE deals under Endeavor

With other top WWE stars also soon in need of extensions, Charlotte Flair’s reported new deal is a sign they should get paid too.

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While this week’s Charlotte Flair news has been mostly unfortunate details about the extent of her current injury, today brought a much more upbeat report. Fightful Select (subscription required but well worth the $5) says that Flair has “agreed to a contract extension with WWE” that is “a huge money increase over her last contract, and one of the highest-paid deals to a woman in WWE history.”

As the most decorated woman in WWE history (and one of the most decorated wrestlers ever, full stop), it’s not hard to see why the company would want her to stick around. Flair brings a level of star power that simply isn’t easy to find, and at age 37, she should be able to keep performing at a level at or very close to her prime for at least a few more years.

Beyond that, though, if Flair’s deal does indeed come with a big raise, it’s a promising sign that top talent will continue to be compensated accordingly now that WWE is part of a larger corporate entity under Endeavor. That wasn’t necessarily guaranteed: Endeavor has owned UFC since 2016, and that company has been repeatedly criticized for the perception that it doesn’t pay its MMA fighters enough.

WWE has a number of main event-caliber stars who are said to be on contracts that expire soon, including Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch and Drew McIntyre. There are other factors that are important to talent besides money — Rollins and Lynch have been very vocal about how they can’t see themselves working anywhere else — but the simple fact that AEW exists as a well-financed alternative means WWE can’t afford to lowball the people they’d be better off keeping.

Paying Flair suggests it won’t. It also suggests opening the pocketbook won’t be an obstacle when it comes to acquiring top free agents like Kazuchika Okada if Triple H and Nick Khan think it makes sense.

So while fans can be happy that the Queen is getting what’s rightfully hers, it can also be seen as an indicator that others will too, and that’s a very good look for WWE as it heads into 2024.

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Charlotte Flair finished her match with Asuka despite 3 torn knee ligaments

Charlotte Flair gutted out her most recent match on SmackDown despite suffering a major knee injury halfway through.

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It’s not uncommon to hear wrestling fans acknowledge the lengths that pro wrestlers will go to entertain them. Even so, there are some truly exceptional feats of ignoring physical pain and injury for the sake of entertainment that occur on a regular basis, and we just saw one earlier this month from WWE star Charlotte Flair even if we might not have realized the extent at the time.

While it was clear even on TV that Flair may have injured herself during her match with Asuka on the Dec. 8 episode of WWE SmackDown, it still came as a bit of a surprise when announcers mentioned the next week that she would miss nine months while recovering. This weekend we found out why, with PW Insider reporting that Flair “suffered a torn ACL, a torn meniscus and a torn MCL when she fell from the top rope while wrestling Asuka.”

The incredible part is that the spot in question happened about midway through the match, but Flair finished it anyway, eventually losing to Asuka by pinfall.

Flair will be having surgery to repair the torn ligaments “as soon as it can be scheduled.” Of the three tears, the ACL requires the longest recovery time, generally between six and 12 months.

We at Wrestling Junkie would like to add our wishes for a speedy recovery for Flair to those from throughout the wrestling community, and to salute her for finishing the match under those unfortunate circumstances. Respect!

WWE injury news: Charlotte Flair expected to miss 9 months

WWE fans hoping for good news on Charlotte Flair’s injury status got a depressing update on Friday.

On a day when the pro wrestling industry already received some bad news about a top star missing some time, WWE revealed it will be without its Queen until well into 2024.

During the Dec. 15 episode of SmackDown, the commentary team mentioned that Charlotte Flair is expected to be out of action for nine months. Flair was injured during the Dec. 8 episode of SmackDown, when she took a hard fall from the top rope and looked like she injured her knee in the process. She was reportedly sent home to Florida afterward to await a full evaluation.

The timetable for Flair’s recovery means she will certainly miss WrestleMania 40, where she was expected to be part of a major match of some sort. A full nine-month absence will mean she also won’t be part of SummerSlam 2024 either.

Despite being a regular in NXT and WWE for more than a decade, Flair has been remarkably durable and missed little time due to injury. Even her time off for around six months in 2020 was reportedly for surgery to help fix an earlier cosmetic procedure.

That’s not the case this time around, which is unfortunate. Hopefully her recovery goes smoothly and she’s able to return sometime next fall.

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WWE SmackDown results 12/8/23: Randy Orton, LA Knight put a dent in The Bloodline

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes also had an interesting exchange on the Tribute to the Troops edition of WWE SmackDown.

Many men, many, many, many men (as 50 Cent once said back in the day) have tried to put an end to The Bloodline. None have completely succeeded. But until Roman Reigns and company completely fall apart, it’s an effort worth making, and two more superstars will attempt to weaken the group’s grip on the blue brand tonight on WWE SmackDown from Providence.

In this case, it will be LA Knight and Randy Orton. The former has already had one shot at Reigns and come close to knocking him off, while the latter seems likely to get a chance at the Royal Rumble. Before that can happen, though, the two fan favorites will tag up against Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa on SmackDown. A win could incur Reigns’ wrath … but that’s kind of the point.

Other big names will also be on hand. We’re talking CM Punk, for one, who may or may not be calling SmackDown home. Then there’s Cody Rhodes, who has successfully set up shop on Raw. What does the American Nightmare want to talk about with the Friday night crowd?

Throw in two United States Title Tournament matches and an intriguing collision between Asuka and Charlotte Flair and we’d say this is a pretty loaded edition of SmackDown, perfect for the Tribute to the Troops branding (though we do miss when that was its own separate broadcast). Let’s dive in.

WWE SmackDown Tribute to the Troops results from Providence:

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

  • The War and Treaty kick off the broadcast by singing “God Bless America”
  • JBL is on guest commentary tonight with Kevin Patrick and Michael Cole
  • Santos Escobar def. Dragon Lee by pinfall in a United States Title Tournament first round match; after the match, Dominik Mysterio takes a moment to mock Lee before they meet at NXT Deadline
  • Last week’s signing of Randy Orton to SmackDown is shown again for those who missed it
  • Orton wants to know why he’s being paired with LA Knight tonight, but Nick Aldis tells him all he needs to know is that both of them want to get at The Bloodline; Orton has also paid twice the fine he needed to pay, saying “that’s for next time”
  • Cody Rhodes is here to thank all the U.S. military servicemen and servicewomen, with a special appearance by the United States Army Drill Team
  • Bobby Lashley def. Karrion Kross by pinfall in a United States Title Tournament first round match, with special guest commentary from Brad Nessler — yes, that Brad Nessler
  • Bayley tries to give Asuka a pep talk but is told by the rest of  Damage CTRL to “hang back” tonight
  • CM Punk delivers a spicier promo than his first one back, making a veiled joke about his firing, taking a shot at Seth Rollins and saying he’ll make his decision about which brand he’s signing for on Monday night
  • Walking backstage, Punk runs into Kevin Owens, who doesn’t seem thrilled to see him and won’t direct him to Nick Aldis’ locker room
  • Asuka def. Charlotte Flair by pinfall, getting some effective help from Bayley for once
  • Punk is seen talking to Aldis, and Rhodes stops by and notes that to finish his own story, Punk would have to win the Royal Rumble … which Cody finds “interesting”; he does say it’s good to have CM back
  • Punk wishes Randy Orton and LA Knight good luck before Orton asks Knight if he’s ready: “Yeah”
  • LA Knight and Randy Orton def. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa by pinfall

Santos Escobar advances in the United States Title Tournament, defeating Dragon Lee

Right before the match is about to start in earnest, Dominik Mysterio decides to come down and get a closer look. He hears it from the crowd about how he sucks as the match gets going, and Lee wastes zero time in flying to the floor.

More fancy moves lead to a superkick that puts Escobar on the mat for a near fall. Santos offers a painful response with a neckbreaker back through the ropes, covering for his own two count.

Escobar has some Spanish language taunts for his foe as he works in the corner, and he stops Lee from a hurricanrana to powerbomb him on the apron.

Lee is back in control with a near fall coming out of a commercial break, and he delivers a German suplex before taking a nasty superkick that forces him to kick out again.

A Phantom Driver looks like it’s in the offing, but Lee counters with a rollup, then hits a sitout powerbomb, but neither can bring this match to a conclusion. Lee has some words with Mysterio, who he’ll face Saturday night at NXT Deadline, but Escobar catches him right afterward with a Phantom Driver that ends it.


Cody Rhodes pays his own Tribute to the Troops, with some special guests

Despite this not being his usual stomping grounds, Rhodes receives a warm welcome from the SmackDown fans. What does Providence want to talk about? Cody says he asked to be here because it’s Tribute to the Troops, and he talks about how proud he is to carry on this tradition, giving thanks to the servicepeople in attendance and watching at home.

He introduces a highlight video of Tribute to the Troops through its 21 years, heavily focused on John Cena. A “USA” chant breaks out in response.

Rhodes then welcomes the United States Army Drill Team, which shows off its typically incredible skill and precision on the stage.


Bobby Lashley buries Karrion Kross, advances in the tourney

Legendary sports announcer Brad Nessler sits in with the commentators for this one as he’s calling the Army-Navy football game on Saturday. No way that Lashley, a former Army sergeant, is losing this one on Tribute to the Troops night, right?

He certainly looks fine in the early going, tossing Kross around with ease and posing for the fans. Michael Cole is impressed Nessler knew JBL once played football, but jokes aside, he seems pretty comfortable trading lines with the actual WWE announcers.

Lashley pretty much cruises anyway, finishing Kross with a spear and advancing to face Escobar in the next round.


CM Punk is back on SmackDown, but is it for good?

The fans start a big chant for Punk, who says that since he’s not at the end of the show tonight, he’s not going to have his time cut, so they can go ahead and chant. Punk notes that Adam Pearce is trying to sign him to Raw and suggests he’ll partly leave it up to the fans.

Where do they want him to sign? Well these folks want him to sign for SmackDown, obviously, and they are fond of the idea that he’ll be in the Royal Rumble match too.

Even though he’s famous for talking, Punk says he’s been listening too, and there are some people who don’t like the happy go lucky version of him. So let’s make this spicier: Who do you want Punk to talk about?

He could tell stories about Cody Rhodes, or he could talk about somebody who’s not here, who’s never here: Roman Reigns. “Don’t forget who the OG Paul Heyman guy is.”

Punk says he isn’t familiar with Solo Sikoa, and if he messes with Jimmy Uso on SmackDown, he’s going to need backup. Would Randy Orton tag with him? He’s not sure. Punk thinks LA Knight would tag with him. Would Kevin Owens? Maybe they are too much alike, and he also makes a crack about his firing from AEW in not so many words.

Moving on, Punk says the one guy who wasn’t happy to see him back “isn’t even The Man in his own house,” referring to Seth Rollins. He claims he’ll reveal where he’ll sign on Monday night, even teasing that he’ll consider NXT, and where other people are talking about finishing their stories, he’s back to finish what he started.


Bayley actually comes through, helps Asuka beat Charlotte Flair

Before the bell rings, Zelina Vega and Michin attack Asuka’s Damage CTRL teammates, and they soon get reinforcements from Bianca Belair and Shotzi too. The announcers discuss the history that Flair and Asuka have together, including some of the best women’s matches in WWE history.

Flair gets an early edge that the Empress quickly reverses on the outside. Charlotte takes it back with a moonsault that almost overshoots and runs her into the announce table, but fortunately she comes out just fine.

After commercials, referee Charles Robinson is checking on Flair, but despite limping a bit, she wants a Figure Four. Can she bridge into the Figure Eight? Nope, because Bayley breaks the hold.

Flair ends up hammering Bayley with a forearm shot, giving Asuka a chance to roll up Charlotte for the pinfall. “I did that,” yells Bayley.


LA Knight and Randy Orton prove too much for Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa

The crowd is definitely feeling the team of the Megastar and the Viper, no question. The announcers, and especially JBL, put over how Orton looks better than ever and what a scary thought that is.

Knight only reluctantly looks like he’s willing to let Orton tag in, and Randy looks set to face Sikoa but gets jumped from behind by Uso.

After commercial breaks, Knight is on a roll, crushing Sikoa in the corner. But he stops to deal with Uso on the apron and gets viciously powerslammed by Solo.

Jimmy sneaks in another cheap shot or two from the floor, setting up a Sikoa vertical suplex for two. Solo follows with headbutts, then trades right hands with Knight, coming out on top.

Uso is now the legal man and looks very confident, making a quick tag back to Solo to whip Knight hard into the turnbuckles. Knight fires back with a bulldog off the second rope, and the fans come even more alive as Orton gets the hot tag. The Viper sends Sikoa to the floor and hits a powerslam on Uso before bouncing his face off the table and dropping him on it for good measure.

The vintage elevated DDT is next, and Orton signals for an RKO. But Sikoa attacks from behind before being taken out in turn by Knight. LA wants the Blunt Force Trauma, but Randy beats him to an RKO, pinning Uso afterward. LA and Randy seem on food enough terms as they pose following their victory.

WWE SmackDown preview 12/8/23: Will CM Punk follow Randy Orton to SmackDown?

Also on this Tribute to the Troops WWE SmackDown, Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka, and Randy Orton plus LA Knight vs. The Bloodline.

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As the holiday season rapidly approaches, WWE is bringing a gift of sorts to fans tonight on the Tribute to the Troops edition of WWE SmackDown in Providence, R.I.

Can Nick Aldis make CM Punk his second straight huge signing?

As you may have heard by now, CM Punk will appear tonight on SmackDown for the first time in ages. While his first promo back in WWE last week may not have exactly been a pipe bomb, fans will likely be worked into a frenzy again over seeing him live.

In storyline terms, Punk was invited to SmackDown by general manager Nick Aldis, who managed to convince fellow recent returnee Randy Orton to commit to Friday nights. That makes Punk feel like he’s headed for Raw, especially since Seth Rollins is his logical first target. But perhaps The Bloodline or other members of the SmackDown roster will try to sway him by throwing out a challenge, which is definitely something to keep an eye on tonight.

Can Randy Orton and LA Knight prove to be an effective team against The Bloodline?

There’s plenty of evidence at this point that going it alone against The Bloodline just doesn’t work. LA Knight has experienced that firsthand, and Orton is going to figure it out quickly as well.

Ah, but how about two solo stars joining forces? That’s proven to be more effective, and we’ll see it again in Providence as Knight and Orton take on Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa.

This is kind of a reminder that with Roman Reigns on a reduced schedule and the likes of Jey Uso and Sami Zayn no longer with the group like they were at its peak, The Bloodline is short on pure numbers at the moment. But with Reigns returning next week, it behooves the fan favorites to take advantage while they can.

Will Charlotte Flair cause more fissures within Damage CTRL?

There’s been an undeniable feeling that Bayley isn’t on the same page with the rest of Damage CTRL, so every time one member has a match, there’s the potential for more drama. That could certainly be the case again tonight when Asuka takes on Charlotte Flair.

What if Bayley tries to help and it backfires … again? The patience shown by the rest of the group is pretty clearly wearing thin, and a mutiny to install IYO SKY as leader might be inevitable. This is certainly worth watching.


Also slated for SmackDown Tribute for the Troops:

  • Two more United States Title Tournament matches: Dragon Lee vs. Santos Escobar and Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross (remember him?)

WWE SmackDown Tribute to the Troops is set for 8 p.m. on Fox, so join us back here at that time for all the latest results and other happenings from Providence.

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.

WWE Survivor Series 2023 results: Randy Orton is back … as is CM Punk

Randy Orton returned to spark a WarGames victory at WWE Survivor Series, and Chicago’s favorite son showed up as well.

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Survivor Series as we’ve long known it is dead. Long live Survivor Series: WarGames.

WWE’s November premium live event had long been synonymous with 5v5 elimination-style matches, and even though they had started to lose some of their luster over time, it is a little strange for longtime fans to see that they are completely gone.

In their place, WWE has gone all in on WarGames matches for both men and women, and for this year’s event, has skillfully woven in various plot threads involving the wrestlers united to take on two of the company’s most powerful heel factions.

On the men’s side, Jey Uso has proven himself to the fans and some of his teammates since his change of heart and arrival on Raw. But Drew McIntyre, who is fighting alongside The Judgment Day, certainly hasn’t forgiven him for his past misdeeds, and it’s possible the returning Randy Orton might not either — a potentially big problem since he and Uso are supposed to be on the same side.

Trust issues are a big narrative for the Women’s WarGames match as well, where it’s been made clear that Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair are having a tough time learning to set aside their issues for the greater good. The difference is even the heel team has a running subplot, as it’s hard to shake the feeling that Damage CTRL might mutiny against Bayley.

Only three other matches are on tonight’s card, but two are title bouts. Zoey Stark will take a big step up to try to defeat Rhea Ripley, while The Miz will attempt to prove he’s still a top of the card talent by battling Gunther.

We’ll be updating this post all night long with the latest, so let’s get into it.

WWE Survivor Series 2023 results from Chicago:

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

  • Women’s WarGames match: Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi def. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Asuka, Charlotte Flair and IYO SKY) by pinfall
  • Ruffles get some product placement with Alpha Academy, the women’s tag team champs and Pretty Deadly, who argue with Otis about chips vs. crisps; R-Truth calms everyone down and Akira Tozawa does his dance
  • Sami Zayn tells Jey Uso that Randy Orton is still not at the arena, and Jey says it’s his fault; Sami tries to reassure him that everything will be alright if they go to war together, Randy or no Randy
  • Gunther def. The Miz by submission to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • The Judgment Day laughs about the buzz around Orton not being at the arena, and Damian Priest goes to tell Drew McIntyre the news and about “that thing”
  • Santos Escobar def. Dragon Lee by pinfall
  • The New Day pulls up in a Slim Jim car, because why not?
  • Rhea Ripley def. Zoey Stark by pinfall to retain the Women’s World Championship
  • Seth Rollins and Uso remain worried that Orton hasn’t arrived, but Cody Rhodes says he’ll be there
  • Men’s WarGames match: Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton def. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh) and Drew McIntyre by pinfall
  • After the end of show credits are up on the screen, “Cult of Personality” hits, and yes it’s true, CM Punk has returned to WWE programming