Tag: Dakota Kai

WWE SmackDown results 09/15/23: The Rock returns, John Cena left speechless

As if John Cena on WWE SmackDown wasn’t enough, rumors of another legend making an appearance are swirling today.

Tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown from Denver was already slated to have several performers for whom the audience will go nuts to see live. John Cena is one, as he’s going to be a guest on “The Grayson Waller Effect,” where he hopefully will put the obnoxious host in his place and/or set up a match for Fastlane.

Another is the man of the moment in WWE — and a person to whom Cena recently gave his stamp of approval — LA Knight. The Megastar will be in a rematch with The Miz, who just can’t seem to let go of the idea that Knight is bigger than he is right now.

Those two men will get great crowd reactions, to be sure. But you know who would really make the freaking roof blow off Ball Arena (and leave my beloved Denver Nuggets homeless for the start of the upcoming NBA season, but hey)?

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, that’s who.

You might have seen that Mr. Johnson was back in WWE news thanks to his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he claimed a match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 was “locked” … until it wasn’t. He also left the door very wide open for having that match next year instead at WrestleMania 40.

But that’s not all. Here’s what Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp posted just before 5 p.m. ET.

So we’re definitely not saying The Rock will be on SmackDown tonight, but it does feel like there’s a better chance of that happening than in any episode i approximately forever.

(Also worth noting: McAfee’s show was on location today in Boulder, so the logistics for getting the two of them on SmackDown are about as easy as they could be other than already being in the show’s host city.)

There are also some other intriguing matches on the card, including Asuka vs. Bayley and AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor. But let’s be real: You want to see if Cena and The Rock are going to be on the same show and bask in the nostalgia if they are.

We’ll find out together starting now.

WWE SmackDown results from Denver:

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

  • Pat McAfee kicks off the show, but it’s The Rock who is the big attraction

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  • Finn Balor def. AJ Styles by pinfall, thanks to assistance from The Judgment Day … and Jimmy Uso
  • McAfee and The Rock laugh about what they did to Theory, before The Rock turns and finds himself face to face with John Cena, who welcomes him home and hugs him
  • Jimmy Uso tells Balor they’re even now, but Finn tries to recruit him to join The Judgment Day, reminding him there are no leaders in the group; Paul Heyman shows up at the end with a questioning look on his face
  • The LWO is in the ring together, and when Santos Escobar asks Rey Mysterio for a title opportunity, he quickly accepts; Bobby Lashley comes out with the Street Profits to mock the LWO “lovefest,” and pretty soon we have ourselves a tag team match
  • Street Profits def. Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro by pinfall in what is basically a squash
  • Match Flo takes us back through the beef between The Miz and LA Knight, which leads us to …
  • LA Knight def. The Miz by pinfall, insisting he’s coming for gold …
  • … but backstage, Paul Heyman has to talk Solo Sikoa out of going after Knight and remind him that he needs to focus on the trouble Jimmy is stirring up; Sikoa says he already knows what he has to do and will end it tonight, leaving Heyman flabbergasted and calling Roman Reigns
  • Elton Prince of Pretty Deadly says he’s a shell of the man he was before Ridge Holland injured him, and Adam Pearce wants to know why he’s in a wheelchair if his shoulder is hurt; Kit Wilson inspires Prince to do a big “YES BOY” and the duo insists they’ll be back soon
  • Bayley hopes IYO SKY is ready for Asuka, but Dakota Kai asks her if she’s ready for Asuka
  • Asuka def. Bayley by pinfall after another scare from Shotzi
  • The Grayson Waller Effect welcomes John Cena, but things escalate when Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, and eventually, AJ Styles get involved

Dakota Kai offers injury update, says ‘probably 2024’ for when she’ll be cleared to wrestle

Dakota Kai also helpfully explained to WWE fans why it takes longer to run and jump than walk again after ACL surgery.

Dakota Kai is feeling good enough to be back by the side of her Damage CTRL teammates, Bayley and IYO SKY. It just might be another few months before WWE fans see her as an active competitor again.

Kai gave the latest update on her recovery from a torn ACL suffered in May on her Twitch stream this week, where she noted the big difference between being able to walk around and resuming full-blown athletic activity when rehabbing from this particular injury (h/t Wrestling Observer).

Probably 2024, actually. I do think it’s funny that a lot of people are like, ‘She’s not injured at all, look at her walking around.’ But like, ACL injury — I haven’t even learned how to jump and run again yet. I think I’m going to start running this week. But ACL recovery, especially for someone that’s in sport or something like that where you use your legs a lot. Like, if I was a desk worker or something like that, I’d be back in work properly — like fully now. But because it’s wrestling, I won’t be cleared until January.

Kai has some unfortunate knowledge in this particular area, as she also suffered a torn ACL in late 2018 that required surgery in January 2019. In NXT at the time, she made her return to the ring in September 2019, a little more than nine months after she was hurt.

A January return this time around would actually be a little faster than that timetable, which would be great to see. In the meantime, Kai is likely to continue supporting her mates in Damage CTRL on WWE television, especially with SKY reigning as WWE Women’s Champion.

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WWE Raw results: Seth Rollins, Solo Sikoa match becomes a 7-person brawl

Also on tonight’s card are Jimmy Uso vs. Matt Riddle and Shinsuke Nakamura on Miz TV.

Part of the Raw roster for May 8 and beyond is set. The rest of it will fall into place on tonight’s episode from Forth Worth, Texas.

Thanks to Night One of the 2023 WWE Draft, Raw has 24 wrestlers on its roster, including Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch and all of Imperium. But the other half of the WWE talent pool remains ready to be selected on Night Two, which just so happens to be tonight.

One of the big names yet to be chosen is Brock Lesnar. Not only is he generally not involved in the draft, getting to be a free agent who floats between brands, he’s also in the middle of a program with Rhodes. You’d think WWE would send them to the same brand, but it’s certainly not guaranteed since Lesnar and Rhodes will do battle at Backlash and the new rosters take effect on the following Raw.

(Note: Lesnar ended up as a free agent after all, see below.)

Two people who already know they’re going to be on Monday nights going forward are Shinsuke Nakamura and The Miz. Conveniently, we’ll see them interact tonight, as the King of Strong Style will be a guest on the A-Lister’s latest Miz TV segment.

There’s also an intriguing singles match that WWE announced this afternoon. Jimmy Uso still doesn’t know where he and Jey will be plying their trade, as The Usos are in tonight’s draft pool. But while the brothers are undoubtedly still stinging from their championship rematch loss to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn — not to mention their failure in a bout they dedicated to the Tribal Chief — Jimmy won’t have time to reflect tonight as he’s up against Matt Riddle.

WWE Raw results from Fort Worth:

(click here for WWE Draft picks for each round tonight and click on any match with a link for more details)

  • Triple H comes out to welcome everyone to Raw and to Night Two of the WWE Draft; oh, and Brock Lesnar isn’t eligible to be drafted after all, having renegotiated his status as a free agent earlier today
  • “If he’s upset with me now, he’s really not going to like this one.” Paul Heyman says The Usos’ draft fate is TBD, but while addressing the “jokes” in the Raw locker room, he says the word “freakin'” a few too many times and accidentally summons Seth Rollins, who issues his own spoiler about winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions; that brings out Solo Sikoa, who will face Rollins later tonight
  • Adam Pearce asks Cody Rhodes not to start up any chaos with Brock Lesnar but gets no promises
  • Bayley and Dakota Kai def. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall
  • Booker T (Raw) and wife Sharmell (SmackDown) head out to deliver the next round of draft picks
  • “Good luck with that.” Pearce makes the same plea to Brock Lesnar that he made to Cody, but well …
  • Braun Strowman and Ricochet def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
  • The Bad Bunny-Damian Priest hype video is played again
  • Shawn Michaels and Adam Pearce are out to announce the next round of WWE Draft picks, but Brock Lesnar decides he wants to head to the ring now, Pearce sends out a phalanx of security guards, and Rhodes tries to get him a piece of Brock and ends up getting trapped by all the guards instead
  • Matt Riddle is excited that he got drafted to the same show as the tag team champions so they can hang out all the time, but Kevin Owens is not as psyched about that
  • Matt Riddle def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall
  • Eric Bischoff (Raw) and Rob Van Dam (SmackDown) head out to make the next round of WWE Draft picks
  • Jey Uso asks why Sikoa wasn’t at ringside for Jimmy’s match, and Heyman says Solo needs to stay concentrated on his assignment tonight
  • Shinsuke Nakamura joins The Miz for Miz TV, and the A-Lister ends up eating a Kinshasa, as you might expect
  • Omos def. local talent in a quick squash match
  • Road Dogg and Molly Holly are next to introduce the Round 5 WWE Draft picks
  • The Judgment Day is happy to be staying together on Raw, and delivers messages to Zelina Vega and Bad Bunny in multiple languages, but the LWO responds with a rousing speech from Rey Mysterio
  • Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley def. Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar and Zelina Vega when Priest pins Rey Mysterio after a South of Heaven
  • Rhodes admits Lesnar is in his head but says that while Brock usually gets what he wants, he won’t on Saturday
  • Bianca Belair says it doesn’t matter what show she’s on as long as she can represent, and Damage CTRL comes by to tell her that IYO SKY will beat her at Backlash, to which Belair accuses Bayley and Dakota Kai of holding SKY back
  • Teddy Long (Raw) and JBL (SmackDown) are out to deliver the sixth and final round of draft picks
  • Xavier Woods say The New Day will inject a little more energy back into Monday nights
  • Seth Rollins vs. Solo Sikoa ends in a DQ as the Usos invade the ring, quickly followed by a brawl that involves Owens, Zayn and Riddle that ends the show

WWE Raw results: Brock laughs, Trish confesses, and a bargain breaks down

Find out what happened as The Judgment Day battled Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in the main event.

When you’re a WWE legend, sometimes you just do whatever you want and you don’t have to gives your reasons why until after the fact. That’s an idea that’s relevant to two of the big subplots for tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from North Little Rock.

First, there’s Brock Lesnar. Cody Rhodes actually thought he was going to tag up to face the Bloodline together, and why not? Lesnar certainly has no love for Roman Reigns, and besides, this was Cowboy Brock. The guy with the big hat and the bigger smile. Surely, Cody could trust him.

As it turned out, not so much. Rhodes shifted naturally from disappointment (and pain) to seeking some payback, and challenged Lesnar to a match at Backlash. Tonight should give us an inkling about whether he’s going to accept.

It was ever so slightly less shocking when Trish Stratus assaulted Becky Lynch after they lost the tag team titles together — or rather, Stratus lost the belts that didn’t even belong to her — because, well, Trish has done this before. But whether The Man really thought Stratus was her ride or die or not, what’s done is done, and now Trish is supposedly going to tell the WWE Universe why she did what she did.

Oh, and Becky says she won’t be there, but we shall see.

Also on tap for tonight, Austin Theory takes on Bobby Lashley in a battle of old enemies, and The Miz faces Seth Rollins as he continues to try to wash the memory of losing to Snoop Dogg away. Sorry, Miz, not going to happen as long as video exists.

You can catch all this and more starting at 8 p.m. ET on USA, when we’ll also be watching and updating this post with live WWE Raw results as they happen. See you then.

WWE Raw results in 90 seconds:

  • The Bloodline has a short team deal with The Judgment Day to take care of each others’ problems, very Acts of Vengeance of them
  •  Solo Sikoa def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall
  • Maxxine Dupri and Chad Gable continue to battle for the time and attention of Otis
  • Bianca Belair def. Dakota Kai by pinfall
  • A replay is shown of Brock Lesnar’s sneak attack on Cody Rhodes two weeks ago
  • A Bronson Reed vignette tries to convince us he’s Mr. Nice Guy
  • The Judgment Day gets a visit from Paul Heyman, who says it’s their turn to take care of business, and they insist they handle theirs
  • Cody Rhodes is dressed for a fight, but the only one he gets tonight is with about 20 security guards as Adam Pearce won’t let him get at Brock Lesnar
  • Seth Rollins def. The Miz by pinfall
  • Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Matt Riddle try to get on the same page ahead of their main event match, and a more serious Riddle eventually wins them over … or Sami, anyway
  • A video package takes us back through Trish Stratus’ turn on Becky Lynch
  • Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory ends abruptly as Reed attacks Lashley, finishing with a Tusnami
  • Stratus says Lynch didn’t give Trish her flowers, so she had to take out Lita and cost The Man everything
  • Backstage and back in his suit, Rhodes says he’s “ecstatic” to be wrestling Lesnar at Backlash, but he’s also confused about what went down tonight
  • Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville def. Candice LeRae and Michin by pinfall
  • The Usos taunt the LWO for stepping up and getting sat back down
  • Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor) by pinfall, and the LWO arrives to neutralize the Bloodline in the show-ending brawl

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

WWE Raw results: Cody challenges Brock, KO fights on one leg but not alone

Live WWE Raw results for April 10, 2023 in Seattle, with Cody Rhodes addressing the fallout from his assault by Brock Lesnar last week.

Poor Cody Rhodes. All he wanted to do was to keep fighting those mean jerks in the Bloodline, and it seemed like he even had a strong new friend to help him do it last week on Raw.

Then Brock Lesnar viciously attacked him, proving that even though there was a happy go lucky Cowboy Brock under his mean jerk exterior, there was, in fact, another mean jerk underneath Cowboy Brock. Who knew?

Since Roman Reigns doesn’t seem inclined to give Rhodes the rematch he wants, Cody now has to probably do a program with Brock. The good news is that Lesnar doesn’t work every week. The bad news is that, well, when you get in the ring with Lesnar, you have to get in the ring with Lesnar. Suplex City and all that.

Anyway, the fallout from that attack is supposed to go down tonight in Seattle, whatever that turns out to be.

You may also be interested to know that there’s a tag team title match slated for this episode of Raw. Becky Lynch and Lita were two-thirds of a winning team at WrestleMania 39, but now they’ve got to settle in and start defending their championship. They’ll take the first stab at that tonight against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, who should at the very least compete against them in a straightforward and respectful manner.

Earlier today, WWE also promoted this episode as the in-ring return of Matt Riddle against The Miz, but that match is no longer mentioned in the preview on the company’s website, so we’re assuming it got scrapped for some reason.

That leaves a lot of time to fill with other stuff, so we’ll just have to wait and see what else is in store. Tune in to USA at 8 p.m. ET to watch, or pop back in here as we Wrestle Junkies keep you up to date with the latest WWE Raw results as they take place.

WWE Raw results in 90 seconds:

  • Rey Mysterio gets into another argument with Dominik, who declines a WrestleMania rematch in favor of watching Finn Balor battle his dad
  • Finn Balor def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall after a shot from a steel chain by Dominik
  • Cathy Kelley is talking to Alpha Academy backstage when the scene shifts to Lita, who has been attacked by someone
  • Video is played of Brock Lesnar’s attack on Cody Rhodes last week on Raw
  • Becky Lynch says she has her suspicions about who may have attacked Lita and will slap the head off them when she finds out for sure; she’s also drafting Trish Stratus to help defend the tag team titles tonight
  • Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez def. Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, and Stratus attacks Lynch after the match
  • Paul Heyman doesn’t want to talk about Lesnar, but would like to discuss Kevin Owens and how he’s in trouble against Solo Sikoa tonight with no allies or friends
  • Stratus refuses a question backstage from Byron Saxton about her actions
  • Bayley tells her Damage CTRL teammates that she told Adam Pearce they need to stick together in the WWE Draft, but Dakota Kai and IYO SKY want the opportunity for a title shot against Bianca Belair she’s trying to get for herself
  • Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed ends in a double countout
  • Cody Rhodes addresses the Brock Lesnar situation by challenging him to a match at Backlash
  • The Usos def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
  • IYO SKY def. Michin and Piper Niven to earn a shot at Bianca Belair’s Raw Women’s Championship
  • Kevin Owens tells Saxton that even if it’s not wise to do it, he always leads with his emotions, and his heart says to beat the crap out of Solo Sikoa
  • Solo Sikoa def. Kevin Owens by the pinfall, though Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle arrive to help fight off Sikoa and The Usos after the bell

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

WrestleMania 39 results: Becky and the legends do damage to Damage CTRL

Who won when Becky Lynch, Lita and Trish Stratus took on Damage CTRL at WrestleMania 39? Get full match results here.

Damage CTRL makes its way to the ring as a unit, while the face team has a video intro that appears inspired by “Sin City.” There’s nothing subtle once all six women are in the ring, with a quick brawl that leads to Damage CTRL getting forced to the floor.

The match officially starts, with Becky Lynch going for a quick finisher but getting taken down by Damage CTRL teamwork. IYO SKY tries for an early pin, then another after a shotgun dropkick.

Lynch is trapped in the enemy corner and takes a three-woman neckbreaker, forcing her to kick out at two. Bayley takes over for her team, but is sent out to the floor right after Dakota Kai tags in. Becky leaps for a tag, but Bayley yanks Trish Stratus out of range for her hand.

Lita finally gets the tag she’s been yelling for, using a spinning headscissors to take down SKY. She pulls SKY’s head into the turnbuckle twice, pulling her head down into the mat for a two count.

After going up top, Lita is knocked down by Kai while the ref is distracted, and SKY covers for another near fall. A triple kick allows Bayley to cover, but it’s still not enough for a finish.

The fans boo as Damage CTRL continues to punish Lita while Bayley verbally berates her. Kai grabs a cover amidst the chaos, but it’s once again only good for two.

Finally, Lita pulls off a double DDT on Bayley and SKY, and Stratus tags in for the first time. She drops Kai with a Thesz Press and lays in a number of chops for good measure. A neckbreaker gives her a chance to cover, and Kai barely kicks out.

With both women on the top turnbuckle, Lita is shoved to the mat, and Trish’s teammates help elevate her to hurl Kai down with her legs onto the rest of Damage CTRL. Stratus’ ensuing spinebuster leads to another near fall.

Lita can’t quite elevate for Poetry in Motion, but Lynch’s legdrop still gets a near fall on Kai. Bayley battles back into the ring and dishes out kicks for everyone before tagging back in.

Lynch is in trouble until she counters a Rose Plant into a back suplex. Bayley gets right back at it for a Rose Plant, forcing a save from Lita. Signature moves follow in quick succession until Lynch rolls up Bayley for two. Almost everyone is on the floor now, so SKY moonsaults onto the whole crowd.

Things briefly calm down until all six women are in the ring brawling. Lita hits SKY with a Twist of Fate, and a Litasault right after that. Bayley is up on the turnbuckles with Lynch, but she’s the one taking the ride with an Avalanche Manhandle Slam. Becky covers and the three count arrives.

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

Opening Bell: AEW gold on the line on Tuesday, Brock returns to Raw

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage.

Welcome to the Opening Bell, where we round up what’s been announced for WWE (Raw and SmackDown) and AEW (Dynamite and Rampage) programming for the week we’ve just begun.

WWE Raw preview – Monday, October 17, Paycom Center, Oklahoma City

What does Brock Lesnar want? That’s a valid question after the Beast Incarnate showed up unexpectedly on Raw last week and destroyed Bobby Lashley. We should get more insight into what he’s got his sights set on now when he appears live this week in OKC.

The beneficiary of Lesnar’s attack was Seth Rollins, who defeated an injured Lashley to become the new United States Champion. He’ll get little time to enjoy it, however, as he has to defend it against heated rival Matt Riddle on Raw.

Dexter Lumis has popped up more than once without warning to torment The Miz, despite not having a WWE contract. That could change after Raw, as the two men will finally go head to head in an official match, with Lumis earning a deal if he wins.

Also scheduled for this week’s episode of Raw:

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AEW Dynamite preview – Tuesday, October 18, Heritage Bank Center, Cincinnati

The MLB Playoffs have claimed TBS for this Wednesday evening, so Dynamite is taking over Tuesday night instead. And it’s from the hometown of AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, but he’s not going to have a restful stay at home considering he’s defending his title against Hangman Adam Page.

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But wait, that’s only the first of four, yes four, championship matches scheduled for Dynamite. In what should be a respectful yet fierce encounter, Toni Storm puts her AEW Women’s World Championship on the line against Hikaru Shida. The Ocho, Chris Jericho, will try to fend off a ROH World Championship challenge from Dalton Castle. And the Trios titles will also be up for grabs as Death Triangle defends against Best Friends and Orange Cassidy.

Phew. That is a loaded card, and we’ll also hear from MJF. Fans definitely won’t want to forget Dynamite is on a different night this week.

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, October 21, Huntington Center, Toledo, OH

Maybe Ohio is the pro wrestling center of the world for this week, as SmackDown heads to Toledo. We already know there will be a championship match on the card, as the Damage CTRL duo of Dakota Kai and IYO SKY tries to retain their titles against Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez.

A former champion will also be in action, as Liv Morgan faces off with Sonya Deville. Liv’s Extreme Rules confrontation with Ronda Rousey seems to have changed her for good, but is it a change for the better?

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Logan Paul is also scheduled to appear on SmackDown, plus it would be strange if Bray Wyatt didn’t show up as well.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, October 21, Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, FL

Rampage is back in the spiritual home of AEW, Daily’s Place, with a couple of matches already announced. Hook is a man of few words, but he’ll try to let his actions speak for themselves as he defends his FTW Championship against Ari Daivari following Daivari’s unsuccessful attempt to simply buy the title from its holder.

And 10 of the Dark Order has been the subject of numerous recruiting efforts from Jose The Assistant. He’ll try to end them for good by battling Rush, because if 10 wins, Jose must leave him alone going forward.

Opening Bell: WWE prepares for Extreme Rules, Dynamite going to OT

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage.

Welcome to the Opening Bell, where we round up what’s been announced for WWE (Raw and SmackDown) and AEW (Dynamite and Rampage) programming for the week we’ve just begun.

WWE Raw preview – Monday, Oct. 3, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN

With Extreme Rules beckoning at the end of the week, WWE is pulling out all the stops to drum up that final interest. To wit, there’s a ton advertised for Monday’s Raw in Minnesota — more than usual, for sure.

It’s almost a requirement to have a contract signing for the last Raw before a premium live event, and Bianca Belair and Bayley will have theirs in St. Paul. The champ has been doing a good job of preventing Bayley from living in her head, but will have to stay strong this week ahead of their Ladder Match.

Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins have a feud that’s even more “on sight” than Belair and Bayley, but they’ll also have their face-to-face confrontation on Raw. Because they can’t keep from throwing down when they’re together, WWE says if either man makes contact with each other on Raw, they’re out of their Extreme Rules Fight Pit match. So it’ll be words, not fists, supposedly. And how will the news that UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier is refereeing that match get worked into the mix?

Also on tap for Raw this week:

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, Oct. 5, Entertainment & Sports Arena, Washington D.C.

Perhaps the most exciting thing that’s been revealed about this week’s Dynamite is that it will go an extra 15 minutes. That implies something big, or at the very least a pretty stacked show.

We already know one of the matches will see MJF take on Wheeler Yuta. These two have been going at it since MJF’s return, and though hardly anyone can hang with the self-professed Devil on the mic, Yuta can certainly give him a full night’s work in the ring. Alas, one gets the feeling that The Firm will bail MJF out if he runs into too much trouble.

Another big bout will see Daniel Garcia tag with his idol, Bryan Danielson, to face Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara. Garcia has been wavering for a while on his Jericho Appreciation Society membership, and after the American Dragon invited him to jump to the Blackpool Combat Club, this could be the chance for him to make a clean break. But you know “The Ocho” will have something to say about that before it’s all said and done in this battle of teams featuring two ROH champions.

Here’s what else has already been promoted for Dynamite:

  • Darby Allin takes on Jay Lethal, who’s promised to leave his entourage behind this time around
  • Luchasaurus will be in action
  • The Acclaimed will get everyone to help celebrate National Scissoring Day, because everybody loves The Acclaimed

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, Oct. 7, DCU Center, Worcester, Mass.

‘Twas the night before Extreme Rules, and it also happens to be the episode that WWE is promoting as the season premiere of SmackDown. So it’s being headlined by a very big match indeed: the rematch between champion Gunther and challenger Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship. These two tore the house down the first time around, so fans are pumped for round two.

Solo Sikoa will be in action on Friday as well, taking on Ricochet. Sikoa’s friendship with Sami Zayn has been one of the most pleasant surprises on recent WWE programming, so you can bet Sami will likely be on hand to support Solo for this one.

And because it’s never too early to start promoting the next big premium live event (and because the Tribal Chief isn’t working Extreme Rules), Roman Reigns and Logan Paul will go face to face. Crown Jewel is only a few weeks away, after all.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, Oct. 7, Entertainment & Sports Arena, Washington D.C.

It’s two shows in three nights for AEW this week in the nation’s capital, with both of them live. Rampage has a special bonus feature this week too: Battle of the Belts IV will take place live immediately after it at 11:00 p.m. ET. That special is expected to have multiple title matches, with the one announced featuring Pac defending his All-Atlantic Championship against Trent Beretta.

As for Rampage proper, we know the Dark Order’s 10 will face off against Andrade El Idolo with some surprisingly big stakes. If 10 loses, he forfeits his mask, but if he wins, Andrade has to leave AEW. Expect Dynamite to add some more spice to this card as well.

WWE Clash at the Castle: Everything you need to know

Prepare for WWE Clash at the Castle with our complete preview, including predictions for each match, start time, and how to watch.

UK, you’re getting the stadium show you’ve been waiting three decades to see.

When Principality Stadium in Wales hosts WWE Clash in the Castle on Saturday, Sept. 3, it will be the first time since SummerSlam way back in 1992 that WWE is holding an event at a large, outdoor stadium in the UK. That alone makes it a big deal.

But the probable main event ratchets things up another notch, because while Drew McIntyre isn’t from Wales, he is from the UK. Clash at the Castle will be the closest thing to a home WrestleMania the Scottish Warrior is likely to ever experience, and WWE has done an excellent job making it appear he has a real chance to topple Roman Reigns as undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

There are other matches on the card with semi-local interest as well, none bigger than the Intercontinental Championship match between Austrian champ Gunther and Irish challenger Sheamus. Also, that contest should just be one heck of a professional wrestling match, with both men bringing tremendous physicality, as one of WWE’s most legendary announcers of the past might say.

Add in Bayley and her new “Damage CTRL” teammates in a six-woman tag match, Liv Morgan trying to fend off another tough challenger for her SmackDown Women’s Championship in Shayna Baszler, and the man with the newly restored first name, Matt Riddle, throwing down with Seth Rollins in a feud that has become very personal, and you’ve got the makings of a very big night (or afternoon/morning, in the US) of wrestling indeed.

Keep scrolling to get fully up to speed before watching Clash at the Castle, wherever you might be watching it.

WWE Clash at the Castle

  • When: Saturday, Sept. 3
  • Where: Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
  • Start time: 6 p.m. BST/1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., or on WWE Network internationally
  • Matches announced: 6