Tag: Charlotte Flair

WrestleMania night 1 card: Every match set for April 1

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

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

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

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

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

WrestleMania 39 night 1 matches

WrestleMania 39: Start time, matches, predictions, how to watch

WrestleMania 39 is less than a week away, and we get you set to watch all of the action in Los Angeles.

For pro wrestling fans, there’s no better time of year than WrestleMania. Even people who wouldn’t call WWE their favorite variety of the art form get excited for the company’s biggest show of the year, descending on whatever city is hosting.

In this case of WrestleMania 39, it’s Los Angeles, where SoFi Stadium will play host to two nights of the best WWE has to offer. Historically, that’s often meant a number of older stars who may only wrestle once or twice a year.

Not so much this time, where with the exception of John Cena (and yes, including him in that category makes you wonder where time has gone) and a couple of all-time women’s division greats, the focus is very much on the talent and stories WWE has around on a regular basis.

The headlining attraction will see Cody Rhodes attempt to knock Roman Reigns off his perch atop WWE. The emotional high point of the event may come when Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens take on The Usos for their tag team titles in the culmination of one of wrestling’s grandest longform narratives. And there are plenty of other title bouts and matches with compelling hooks up and down the card.

Will that be enough to make it feel special if WWE plays it pretty straightforward throughout? The guess is that the answer will be yes, as the venue and crowd will ensure the event feels larger than life. Here’s a rundown on everything you need to know as WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.

WWE WrestleMania 39

  • Date: April 1-2, 2023
  • Location: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
  • Start time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT both nights
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world
  • Matches announced: 13

Additional WrestleMania 39 resources

Please scroll down for a look at each match, including our predictions.

WWE SmackDown results: Dominik pushes Rey past the breaking point, The Usos spoil the WrestleZaynia reveal

WWE SmackDown results from Vegas, as Dominik Mysterio finally pushed his father too far, and The Usos reminded KO and Sami they’re the 1’s.

The most mentally exhausting WWE storyline may finally come to a head tonight on WWE SmackDown from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

That’s not to say that there hasn’t been entertaining father-son drama between Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio. The former has been appropriately tortured as a man who doesn’t want to lay his hands on his own child, no matter how far they’ve gone to the dark side, while the latter has definitely grown as a performer since linking up with The Judgment Day.

But man, is it taking forever to play out, with Dominik essentially repeating himself over and over in his promos about how Rey was never there for him growing up.

Yes, we get it.

With Rey so dug in about refusing to fight Dom even after a challenge was made for WrestleMania, that’s led many to wonder what the straw will be that finally breaks the proverbial camel’s back. Lo and behold, WWE says the entire Mysterio family, including Rey’s mother, will be in Las Vegas.

This is the best chance yet for their inevitable WrestleMania match to be made official, and to that we can only say this: Thank you, because it’s about time.

Speaking of Rey, he’ll be in action in Vegas, taking on LA Knight. Those two have had a few run-ins as of late, and Rey will undoubtedly have other things on his mind, so … maybe Knight will actually be allowed to win?

In contrast, Cody Rhodes knows exactly what he’ll be doing at WrestleMania. But he’s been staying busy leading up to the biggest show of them all, as he will tonight when he faces Ludwig Kaiser.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Cody Rhodes def. Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall …
  • … but is told by Paul Heyman after the match that he’ll be facing Solo Sikoa next week on Raw and seeing Roman Reigns one more time next week on SmackDown
  • Charlotte Flair explains exactly how she’s overcome fear, insecurity and charges of nepotism throughout her championship-studded career
  • LA Knight def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall thanks to interference from Dominik Mysterio …
  • … and after Dominik menaces his own mom, Rey finally hits him and agrees to a match at WrestleMania
  • Natalya and Shotzi def. Xia Li and Lacey Evans by submission in a WrestleMania Showcase qualifying match, one that Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler announce they’ve already been added to
  • Drew McIntyre, Sheamus and Gunther are all unhappy for different reasons but end up signing the contract to meet at WrestleMania, but Butch gets a little overexcited, leading to …
  • Gunther def. Butch by pinfall, then gets smashed by a Claymore from McIntyre
  • The Street Profits and Braun Strowman and Ricochet exchange pleasantries ahead of WrestleMania
  • Sami Zayn is the guest on The KO Show, where he learns about WrestleZaynia before getting laid out by The Usos

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

WWE SmackDown results: Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens finally rediscover their friendship

Live WWE SmackDown results for March 17 from Kansas City, featuring a face-to-face showdown between Sami Zayn and Jey Uso.

Kansas City is the home of champions, like the Chiefs. For WWE SmackDown this week, it’s also going to be home to another champion and a gentleman who wants to know more about exactly what’s in his heart.

The champ in question is Jey Uso, holder of one-half of both of WWE’s men’s tag team titles. Over the course of the last 10 months, it looked like Jey was coming around on Sami Zayn, sticking up for him when no one else would despite some heavy initial skepticism.

But considering how Jey laid out Sami just when it looked like their bond might overcome Uso’s familial ties, perhaps he was just playing the long game all along. That’s undoubtedly what Zayn will attempt to find out when the two men come face to face at the T-Mobile Center.

A confrontation of a decidedly more straightforwardly physical kind is also on tap for this Friday night. Adam Pearce attempted to find Gunther a WrestleMania opponent last week, but was foiled when both Sheamus and Drew McIntyre pinned people at the exact same instant. The enemies turned friends turned rivals again will attempt to settle things in the ring in Kansas City for a shot at the Ring General’s Intercontinental Championship in Los Angeles.

(Though considering many still expect that to be a Triple Threat match, be on guard for more hijinks on SmackDown.)

Last but certainly not least, Cody Rhodes usually calls Raw home, but since he’s got a date with destiny at WrestleMania, it behooves him to show up as often as possible on WWE TV. He’ll be on hand tonight as well, and the Bloodline will have to watch out for him.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Cody Rhodes tries to bring Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens back together, but KO still isn’t feeling it
  • As Owens looks to leave, Zayn insists they’re more than friends, they’re brothers, and he says he loves KO … who still gets in his car and drives off
  • Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio def. Santos Escobar and Zelina Vega by pinfall
  • Dominik wants to diss his dad some more, but quiets up when he sees his dad walking backstage on the big screen …
  • … and Rey Mysterio is emotional while explaining exactly how things with Dominik are making him feel, but he insists he won’t fight his son, ever
  • Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez def. Emma and Tegan Nox by pinfall to advance to a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team match at WrestleMania
  • Charlotte Flair is here to talk, but Rhea Ripley wants to do more than that, setting off a pretty crazy brawl
  • Zayn sounds like he might be giving up on Owens after what happened tonight
  • Xavier Woods def. LA Knight by pinfall
  • Knight says he’ll fight Dominik Mysterio if Rey won’t, which earns him a slap from the masked man
  • Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre ends in a no contest thanks to Imperium’s intervention, so Adam Pearce tells Gunther he’ll have to defend against both men at WrestleMania
  • “This is what you wanted, right Uce?” Zayn and Jey Uso have their say, Jimmy Uso comes to his brother’s aid … but Owens comes to help Sami

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

WWE SmackDown results: Jey Uso explains himself, Gunther doesn’t learn his WrestleMania opponent

Get live WWE SmackDown results for March 10, 2023, as Jey Uso reunites with the Bloodline and a Fatal 5-Way finds a contender for Gunther.

Jey Uso is coming back home … but will he be welcomed back to the Bloodline? That’s the biggest question hanging over tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

Jey left no doubt that his loyalties lie with his blood family this week on Raw, when he simultaneously superkicked Sami Zayn and ripped the hearts out of fans who hoped he would stand up to his Tribal Chief. That’s a big mark in his favor when it comes to his standing in the group.

Yet he made Roman Reigns sweat it out quite a bit, and that’s something the champ generally doesn’t like. With both men in the building tonight, we’ll see if it’s all love or tough love on the menu for Jey — and brother Jimmy, for that matter, as Reigns tasked him with getting Jey back into the fold.

A blank on the WrestleMania match list will also be filled in this week on SmackDown. Gunther knows he’ll be defending his Intercontinental Championship in Los Angeles; he just isn’t sure who will be standing across the ring from him. A Fatal 5-Way will determine that tonight, with Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Karrion Kross, LA Knight and Xavier Woods (subbing in for injured Kofi Kingston) all vying for the title shot.

There’s also tag team action on tap for Pittsburgh. Braun Strowman and Ricochet have formed an effective duo so far, one that can fend off almost any challenge. They’ll have their hands full this week, however, as they have to step in against the Viking Raiders.

Plus the word is that WWE will (finally) start announcing WWE Hall of Fame inductees for 2023, which fans have been chomping at the bit to see.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Paul Heyman is standing outside in the rain waiting for The Usos to arrive, and Jey says he’ll say what he needs to say about his betrayal of Sami Zayn in the ring tonight
  • The Fatal 5-Way match for a WWE Intercontinental Championship shot at WrestleMania ends with both Drew McIntyre and Sheamus making simultaneous pins
  • Heyman says the Bloodline can handle challenges in many different ways, but he thinks the way to attack Cody Rhodes is with the truth
  • McIntyre and Sheamus continue to bicker backstage, with the other Brawling Brutes needing to drag their leader away
  • Rey Mysterio is announced for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023, Dominik Mysterio quickly interrupts, and Legado Del Fantasma isn’t happy about it
  • The Judgment Day def. Legado Del Fantasma by pinfall, and Dominik Mysterio insults his dad some more
  • Charlotte Flair asks Adam Pearce for an opponent for a match tonight and tells him to “hang in there”
  • Viking Raiders def. Braun Strowman and Ricochet by pinfall
  • Gunther berates Pearce for his inability to find him a challenger, singular, but AP says Sheamus and McIntyre will face each other next week to decide who that will be
  • Charlotte Flair def. Shotzi by submission …
  • … then has a microphone showdown with Rhea Ripley
  • Is all good in the Bloodline? Jey Uso says yes, but the battle with Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn is just beginning

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

WWE SmackDown results: Flair, Ripley face off, The Usos still have issues

Full WWE SmackDown results for Feb. 24, 2023, with Charlotte Flair going face-to-face with WrestleMania challenger Rhea Ripley.

Sometimes pointing at the WrestleMania sign isn’t enough. Sometimes you have to get in the ring and actually look your opponent for the biggest show of the WWE year in the eye and show them that you aren’t backing down. Conveniently, that’s what’s happening tonight on WWE SmackDown, in Evansville, Indiana.

Rhea Ripley has the momentum, having battled through the Royal Rumble to earn her shot, and in an overall sense for being an important part of The Judgment Day. Charlotte Flair has the SmackDown Women’s Championship and owns a previous WrestleMania victory over Rhea. Something has to give, though it would be surprising if either woman flinched tonight.

The Firefly Fun House is also making its return this week. Bray Wyatt warned the winner of a certain big, meaty men slapping meat match at Elimination Chamber he’d have his eye on the winner. That means Bobby Lashley will almost certainly be in the crosshairs of Wyatt and his puppet friends.

How about some matches, since this is a wrestling show? One that has weeks of buildup behind it will see Rey Mysterio once again go up against Karrion Kross. The bigger problem for Rey is that his son has promised to accompany Ripley to pay dad a visit, and that never turns out well.

And Imperium will be in six-man tag action against Braun Strowman, Ricochet and Madcap Moss — which sounds like a pretty even matchup except that Moss has apparently been leaning on the edge of going to the dark side.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Kayla Braxton wants a word with Jimmy Uso, who says he hasn’t spoken to Jey yet despite many efforts to do so, but he wants his brother to look him in the eye tonight
  • Imperium def. Braun Strowman, Ricochet and Madcap Moss by pinfall
  • Drew McIntyre, who came out on the ramp to watch the previous match, is assaulted by the Viking Raiders, though Sheamus comes to his aid
  • Rey Mysterio vows to put an end to Karrion Kross, but Dominik Mysterio is unimpressed with Santos Escobar‘s show of respect for his dad
  • Jimmy Uso tells Solo Sikoa things feel different in the Bloodline since Montreal, and Paul Heyman suggests maybe Solo should hang back tonight so Jimmy can settle things with his brother alone
  • LA Knight wants to talk about the other L.A., but The New Day don’t think he’s earned it, and Kofi Kingston would love the chance to shut him up
  • Kofi Kingston def. LA Knight by pinfall
  • Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley have a brief showdown after Dominik Mysterio spends a lot of time running his mouth
  • Shayna Baszler def. Natalya by submission
  • Firefly Fun House asks a pressing question: Can you keep a secret?
  • Heyman tells Jimmy Uso he needs to handle things with Jey Uso, or Roman Reigns will next week
  • Karrion Kross def. Rey Mysterio by submission thanks to interference from Dominik
  • Jimmy Uso wants to talk to Jey, but he ends up talking to Sami Zayn instead … and the drama continues

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

WrestleMania 39 card update: Only 3 matches official, but several more rounding into shape

Here’s how the WrestleMania 39 card is shaping up with just over five weeks to go until L.A.

As we speed toward the final month before WrestleMania 39, Elimination Chamber is now in the books. That means no more premium live events between here and Los Angeles, which in turn means the rounding out of the WrestleMania Goes Hollywood card will take place on the next few weeks of Raw and SmackDown.

Elimination Chamber settled one big question about Mania, which is whether WWE would call an audible and work Sami Zayn into the main event mix — either by defeating Roman Reigns in Montreal, or because seeds were sown that he’d be added into a triple threat situation. That almost certainly won’t be the case now, as Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes is the advertised main event (presumably for night 2), while Zayn will likely work his way toward teaming with Kevin Owens to face The Usos.

Another piece of the WrestleMania puzzle slid into place when Asuka, as expected, won the Women’s Elimination Chamber match and the right to challenge Bianca Belair for her Raw Women’s Championship. Both women’s title matches are now set.

There’s still plenty left to materialize, as last year’s show had 16 total matches (seven on the first night, nine on the second). Here’s how things stand 38 days away from SoFi Stadium.

WrestleMania 39 confirmed matches

  • Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes – Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match
  • Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley – WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship match
  • Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka – WWE Raw Women’s Championship match

WrestleMania 39 expected matches

  • The Usos (c) vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens – Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match
    • While KO rebuffed Sami’s pleas to work together to take down the Bloodline, it would be surprising if they didn’t end up banding together, even grudgingly, to challenge for the gold. Zayn’s accidental shot to Jey Uso on Raw was a sign their roller coaster ride of a story isn’t done yet either.
  • Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul
    • Paul ruined Rollins’ chances at a clear path to WrestleMania, something fans know Seth’s character hates from previous years. This feels like a matchup that will be made official soon.
  • Austin Theory vs. John Cena
    • We’ve yet to see these two interact on WWE TV, but that’s because Cena simply hasn’t been around much. The March 6 episode of Raw, for which Cena has been advertised and is in his hometown of Boston, will go a long way toward cementing this program.

WrestleMania 39 rumored matches

  • Brock Lesnar vs. Omos
    • While MVP’s challenge to Lesnar this week set off the swerve radar of many fans, reliable outlets claim this is indeed the plan for now. It’s certainly a cap in Omos’ feather if WWE stays on this course, but will he get the rub considering how little the company has pushed him the last few months?
  • Bobby Lashley vs. Bray Wyatt
    • Since Lesnar vs. Lashley doesn’t appear to be in the cards, this is the other half of their equation. Lashley has floated back and forth between heel and face a bunch, but he’d certainly be the heel, and just hope that his straightforward super athlete presentation works with whatever Wyatt has planned.
  • Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
    • There’s been little movement toward this as both men have been involved in other subplots, but Dominik suggested he’d visit SmackDown this week with Ripley to say hi to his dad, so that could put this father-son clash back on track.
  • Edge vs. Finn Balor
    • Edge declared his quest to topple The Judgment Day behind him, but Balor came out and beat him down at the end of Raw … which means they very well could have one more match, possibly with a stipulation of some sort.

Biggest questions left for WrestleMania 39 card

  • Becky Lynch, Lita, Bayley, Damage CTRL … and maybe Trish Stratus?
    • A “creative change” reportedly scuttled Stratus’ appearance on Raw in Ottawa, and now Lynch and Lita are facing Damage CTRL for their tag team titles next week. Unless Dakota Kai is too injured to compete, it would make sense for all six women to be in a match at WrestleMania, but at the very least, Lynch and Bayley are two big names that can’t be left off the card.
  • Gunther, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus
    • Gunther absolutely deserves a big match at Mania considering the run he’s on as Intercontinental Champion. McIntyre and Sheamus have been focused on other things as of late, including a beef with the Viking Raiders, but fans would be delighted if this turned into a triple threat match — and WrestleMania almost always has one of them.

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WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship history: Every title change to date

See the full WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship history, including every title change from February 27, 2019 to date.

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship was one of those “it’s about time” deals for wrestling fans when first established on the night before Christmas (no, really) in 2018. With two of the most popular stars in recent memory, Bayley and Sasha Banks, as the inaugural titleholders, the belts were on their way to a memorable start.

Though WWE has had some … issues keeping the women’s tag team division stocked with interesting and viable teams since then (the same could be said for the men, to be honest), the titles have remained a topic of prominent topic of conversation among wrestling fans. This was especially true in the aftermath of Banks and Naomi walking out on WWE, vacating the championship for a time.

The titles have since made their way back to being a fixture on WWE TV and hopefully will remain that way going forward. Let’s take a look at the complete WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship history, from Feb. 27, 2019 to date.

Most recent update: Oct. 27, 2022

Nature Boy Ric Flair’s incomparable wrestling career

Ric Flair went out stylin’ and profilin’ as only he could in his final match

Wrestling legend Ric Flair went out with one last match — again — Sunday in Nashville. The Nature Boy was bloody but unbowed as he put his patented figure-four leglock on Jeff Jarrett to end his career triumphantly. A look at Flair’s wild and crazy run through the decades of professional wrestling and sports entertainment.

WWE confirms Charlotte Flair taking time off, out of action ‘indefinitely’

WWE confirmed earlier reports that Charlotte Flair would be taking time off, announcing she was out of action “indefinitely.”

Selling it as part of her recent storyline with Ronda Rousey, WWE confirmed today that Charlotte Flair will be out of action “indefinitely.”

Flair’s status was originally announced on The Bump, the company’s Wednesday streaming show, before being repeated in the form of a “medical update” on WWE.com.

Flair and Rousey took part in a brutal I Quit Match this past Sunday at WrestleMania Backlash, with Flair’s SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line. Rousey eventually prevailed, getting Flair to quit when she applied an armbar through a steel chair. It was thought in the immediate aftermath by industry insiders, including a report by Fightful Select, that the finish was set up to allow Flair to take some time off following the event.

That turned out to be right on the money, with WWE explaining that she had a fractured radius, which is essentially a broken wrist. While Flair isn’t actually injured, framing it this way gives her a plausible reason to be off WWE programming for an extended period of time.

Flair has missed time in the past for surgeries, and in early 2021 after testing positive for COVID-19. This time, however, the 13-time world champion has a different reason for needing a break: She’s slated to marry AEW star Andrade El Idolo sometime this summer.

Considering that timeframe and WWE’s use of the term “indefinite,” it’s reasonable to expect that Flair will be out past all of the WWE’s biggest events of the next few months, including SummerSlam in late July. The first challenger for new champ Rousey has yet to be revealed, but could become clear as soon as this week’s episode of SmackDown.

And if there’s one thing we know from the previous times that Flair has been off WWE programming, it’s that she’ll be right back around the championship picture quickly after she returns. Even when you have to heal up from an “injury,” it’s good to be Queen.