Tag: Grayson Waller

WWE SmackDown preview 11/10/23: What’s next for Bloodline, Damage CTRL, LA Knight?

Columbus will see LA Knight take on Grayson Waller, plus much more fallout from Crown Jewel on WWE SmackDown.

What’s up, Columbus? You’re hosting WWE SmackDown tonight, meaning you’re going to be front and center for some of the most pertinent storylines coming out of Crown Jewel last weekend.

We’ve also got the next direction for one of the stars in the main event in Riyadh. You may even call him a Megastar. Let’s dive in.

Is The Bloodline back to its full swagger?

After a period of time in which The Bloodline was definitely starting to show some signs of vulnerability, Roman Reigns has to feel pretty good about how the group came out of Crown Jewel.

He’s still Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, having defeated LA Knight. And Solo Sikoa took care of John Cena in emphatic fashion, beating him badly enough that he’s probably already gone back to Hollywood.

We don’t expect to see Reigns tonight in Columbus, but the Tribal Chief doesn’t need to be there in person to take a victory lap. Expect Paul Heyman to handle that, perhaps identifying new targets for Sikoa and Jimmy Uso.

Does IYO SKY need Bayley now that Kairi Sane is back?

One of the more surprising moments of Crown Jewel came during IYO SKY‘s title defense against Bianca Belair, when she received some outside assistance to win — not from Bayley, however, but from the returning Kairi Sane.

IYO and Kairi are old buddies, of course, but her presence has to threaten Bayley. Does this mean Damage CTRL is finished? Or will Bayley try to invite Sane into the group so she maintains some level of control?

Can LA Knight teach Grayson Waller to watch his mouth?

This probably isn’t a good time to mess with Knight after his loss to Reigns. Yet that’s exactly what Grayson Waller decided to do this week on social media.

Knight, of course, didn’t take this too kindly.

Nick Aldis did the obvious thing and made the match between them for tonight.

Also slated for SmackDown tonight is a grudge match between Bobby Lashley and Carlito. We’re looking forward to seeing what else goes down beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, and will have live results and updates here on Wrestling Junkie at that time.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Reigns, Paul, Sikoa big winners in Riyadh

Get full results for WWE Crown Jewel 2023, where Roman Reigns and Logan Paul were among the night’s big winners.

Roman Reigns has been champion for a historically long time by 21st century standards, backing up his claim to be the Head of the Table. LA Knight is the brash newcomer who got over mostly on his own and is getting his first shot at gold. Something will have to give today at WWE Crown Jewel.

The annual Saudi Arabian show has perhaps its best card to date, packed with title matches and big on star power without relying on nostalgia as much as the first events WWE held in this country. There’s still a bit of that thanks to John Cena (who takes on Solo Sikoa), but thanks to the Hollywood actors strike, even he has been a regular in recent weeks.

The main event doesn’t appear to have that much intrigue, as Reigns appears likely to head to WrestleMania next year with his record-setting Universal Championship reign fully intact. But WWE also has lightning in a bottle with Knight, so as they say, you never know. It certainly feels like there is more of a chance for a shocking upset this year than in 2022, when Reigns had a title defense against Logan Paul.

Speaking of Paul, he’s widely expected to claim his first WWE championship of any kind when he faces Rey Mysterio. Does that mean he’ll be a more regular presence on WWE programming in the months ahead?

And there could be title changes in the women’s division as well, where both championships are on the line. Time to see how it all unfolds.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 kickoff show results:

  • Sami Zayn def. JD McDonagh by pinfall

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results:

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

  • Seth Rollins def. Drew McIntyre by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
  • Damian Priest attempts to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase afterward, but is foiled by a figure in black who takes his case … and reveals himself as Sami Zayn
  • Rhea Ripley goes by a distraught McIntyre backstage as if to say “I told you so”
  • Rhea Ripley wins the Fatal 5-Way match to retain the Women’s World Championship, pinning Shayna Baszler
  • Solo Sikoa def. John Cena by pinfall, though Cena receives a standing ovation from the fans when he leaves the ring
  • The Miz welcomes Saudi movie star Ibrahim Al Hajjaj to Miz TV only to see the segment hijacked by Grayson Waller; together they manage to fight off Waller, though, who takes a Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz and a People’s Elbow from the actor
  • Logan Paul is shown cruising around the desert in a dune buggy and then driving right into the arena for his ring entrance
  • Logan Paul def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall to become the new WWE United States Champion thanks to a shot from a pair of brass knuckles
  • Bianca Belair says she’s on to Phase 2 of her revenge plan against Damage CTRL, which involves her getting her title back tonight
  • Bianca Belair def. IYO SKY by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship, thanks in large part to a returning Kairi Sane
  • Cody Rhodes def. Damian Priest by pinfall after Jey Uso manages to fight off interference from other members of The Judgment Day
  • Roman Reigns def. LA Knight by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, with some help along the way from Jimmy Uso

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WWE SmackDown results 10/27/23: LA Knight proves his point to Roman Reigns (yeah!)

Get full results from WWE SmackDown in Milwaukee, where LA Knight stayed one step ahead of The Bloodline all night.

What business is left to take care of ahead of Crown Jewel in eight days in Saudi Arabia? Quite a bit, actually. There’s not one but two episodes of WWE SmackDown on tap for Milwaukee thanks to next week’s travel schedule, though we’ll only see one of them tonight.

(And as a PSA, it won’t be on FOX thanks to baseball.)

That should be plenty, as it turns out. For starters, Roman Reigns and LA Knight will have their contract signing before they clash for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in Riyadh. We’d suspect the Tribal Chief will be none too enthused about the possibility that the Megastar might get one up on him verbally or mentally, so expect prime Reigns tonight.

We’ll also see John Cena and Bianca Belair on this broadcast. Cena knows what he’ll be doing at Crown Jewel as WWE revealed today that he’ll face Solo Sikoa, and he’s expected to address that match on SmackDown.

Belair’s role for the show is less clear. Could she call out IYO SKY to create a second women’s championship match for next weekend? We’ll have to wait and see what she does in Milwaukee.

Oh, and let’s throw some actual wrestling in the mix too, shall we? The LWO’s Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar will team to face the Street Profits, who have made it their mission as of late to try to take out members of that group. Will they finally convince Bobby Lashley once and for all that they’re on the right track?

It should be a fun and brisk two hours of WWE programming, so let’s see what awaits.

WWE SmackDown results from Milwaukee:

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

  • LA Knight annoys Roman Reigns to violence at their contract signing, but even after Jimmy Uso jumps in, Knight manages to make it out in one piece
  • Street Profits def. Carlito and Santos Escobar by pinfall after Logan Paul ambushes Rey Mysterio backstage, distracting the LWO duo
  • Reigns and Paul Heyman look over the custom Green Bay Packers WWE belt (available now!), and the Wiseman says he’ll give it to Knight; Reigns is surprised when Jimmy Uso flops on the couch after “an audible” and says Jimmy needs to take care of Knight tonight, sending Heyman to have the match made
  • Paul is asked why he attacked Mysterio after showing him respect last week, to which he seems to suggest it’s to keep him guessing; also, Kevin Owens runs into Austin Theory and Grayson Waller and says he can punch them both in the face at once … then proves he was right
  • Dragon Lee is being interviewed backstage but is interrupted by Cedric Alexander, who says Lee reminds him of himself in his earlier days and would love to have a match with him tonight
  • Shotzi def. Chelsea Green by pinfall
  • John Cena prepares for his showdown with Solo Sikoa, but after saying he must win at Crown Jewel, Cena discovers why he just may not
  • Knight cuts a promo on Uso ahead of their match later tonight
  • Dragon Lee def. Cedric Alexander by pinfall
  • Bianca Belair explains she was consumed by thoughts of vengeance while she was way for two months, and now she wants to run through all of Damage CTRL to get it
  • LA Knight def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall
  • Reigns tries to sneak up on Knight after his match but gets planted by a Blunt Force Trauma

Grayson Waller spent the weekend masterfully roasting Taylor Swift and her fans

WWE star Grayson Waller sparked a feud with arguably his most dangerous opponent yet: Taylor Swift fans.

Taylor Swift fans, also known as “Swifties,” have taught the sports world one important thing: They are incredibly passionate. Her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce has not only expanded her influence in the sports world, but also led her devoted fans to buy Chiefs merchandise, closely follow their games and follow the couple’s every move.

Swift and Kelce seem to be a topic of conversation every day, becoming pop culture talk everywhere. So WWE star Grayson Waller, taking advantage of the buzz, stirred the pot on X by roasting Swifties as being the “ugliest losers on social media,” second to wrestling fans.

The Australian wrestler’s comments naturally ignited the Swifties, who defended their favorite musician. In turn, Waller posted an “apology” video for his comments, which only further called out Swift and her fans.

Fear not, because Waller’s quest to enrage Swifties continued over the weekend at a WWE live event in Laredo, Texas. He wore Swift merchandise to the ring and, along with Austin Theory, mocked the handshake between Swift and Brittany Mahomes that took place during the Chiefs’ game on Sunday.

Waller is playing with fire, but he’s clearly not afraid of the social media backlash that comes with battling Swifties. It’s a remarkably brave thing because one can imagine how his X comment section looks right now.

Perhaps Waller will have something up his sleeve on television to spark the Swifties on SmackDown, given the amount of attention this has generated. Although weekend live events offer more leeway for sillier antics, WWE never shies from making pop culture references. A live show on a national network sounds like a good spot for Waller to take things another step forward.

WWE SmackDown results 10/20/23: IYO retains, Bianca returns, Logan gets his match

Plus John Cena sort of ended his long losing streak, but not really.

It’s back to work for Logan Paul tonight on WWE SmackDown in San Antonio.

Yes, Paul was just in a boxing match of dubious quality last weekend, and he is pretty busy with his social media empire and sports drink business on a daily basis. But he insists that WWE is his full-time gig, so we’re humoring him here.

After said boxing match, Paul said he would like to more seriously pursue a WWE title, and specifically the United States Championship. One problem: WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio currently has that belt in his possession, and he’s not likely to want to hand it over.

But Mysterio responded to Paul’s interest in a positive manner, making it seem that perhaps we’re setting things up for a title showdown at Crown Jewel (or perhaps Survivor Series, which is just a few weeks later). We should know more after tonight, as Paul will be on hand and Mysterio isn’t likely to just hang out in the back if he’s being called out.

There’s also a big championship match on tonight’s card. IYO SKY has been a great WWE Women’s Champion so far, but to truly validate her reign, she needs to hold off more than one top challenger. Charlotte Flair would certainly qualify, seeing as she’s only the most decorated women’s wrestler of all time. Can SKY push herself to new heights, or will The Queen reclaim her place on the throne?

Plus, while Roman Reigns isn’t scheduled to be on SmackDown tonight, he did respond to the news today that he’ll be facing LA Knight at Crown Jewel. It seems possible, maybe even probable, that something will happen in San Antonio related to that upcoming bout.

Many eyes in Texas will be on a certain baseball game today, but we’re guessing there will still be plenty of people interested in SmackDown too. Let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown results from San Antonio:

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

  • Paul Heyman chops it up with LA Knight, much to Paul’s dismay
  • Bobby Lashley and Angelo Dawkins give a pep talk to Montez Ford, whose match is up next
  • Montez Ford def. Santos Escobar by pinfall, but Carlito arrives with a steel chair to prevent any post-match liberties by the Street Profits
  • The LWO regroups backstage, but Rey Mysterio says he needs to handle whatever Logan Paul has in store by himself
  • Pretty Deadly is as excited as they’ve been since the opening night of Taylor Swift’s tour, but they’re mistaken about never seeing the Brawling Brutes again, much to their chagrin
  • Jimmy Uso is feeling pretty good about what he did earlier this week, but Heyman is more interested in who just walked into the arena: John Cena
  • Bad Bunny doing a WWE-style promo on himself to promote his host/musical guest stint on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend is shown
  • John Cena is fired up and not ready to quit yet, and he’s able to fend off an attack by Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso thanks to some help from one of their family members
  • Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn warn that “The Unholy Union is Coming”
  • Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis agree to disagree about Jey Uso’s fine or punishment, and when Aldis asks for security to escort Jey and Pearce from the building, Pearce has a swift response: “Let the games begin”
  • Logan Paul confronts Rey Mysterio, and the two men agree to a championship match at Crown Jewel
  • Austin Theory and Grayson Waller def. Cameron Grimes and Dragon Lee by pinfall
  • Kevin Owens tells Cathy Kelley “it doesn’t feel great” being separated from Sami Zayn, but he feels like it’s a clean slate for him on SmackDown, and he discusses some opponents he’s never faced before and some new faces he can punch
  • IYO SKY def. Charlotte Flair by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship after hitting Flair with her title belt, but …
  • … Bianca Belair returns to save Flair after the bell, delivering an emphatic KOD to close the show

WWE SmackDown results 09/22/23: IYO SKY soars while John Cena falls

John Cena found out on WWE SmackDown that even the GOAT can’t fight The Bloodline alone.

IYO SKY‘s Money in the Bank cash-in was a popular one, and there’s no question that WWE fans are behind her as WWE Women’s Champion. Asuka almost always gets a reaction whether she is a face or heel. Something will have to give tonight on WWE SmackDown, as they meet in Glendale for their first ever televised singles encounter.

Though it’s a tad surprising that this hasn’t happened before, the two women weren’t in the same place at the same time too often in Japan, were mostly teammates when they were, and their paths simply haven’t crossed in WWE except on rare occasions. That said, if there truly is anyone ready for Asuka, it figures to be SKY, and their title match should be fantastic as long as WWE resists the urge to overbook it.

(Unless that leads to an even longer match at, say, Fastlane, then all may be forgiven.)

SmackDown will also get a visit from a certain John Cena, who has become something of a regular over the past few weeks. While the writers and actors strikes are probably to thank for that, it’s fun to have him around to interact with both longtime acquaintances and relative newcomers.

There are rumors buzzing that Cena may actually end up in a match on tonight’s show, which would be a treat. Except for Superstar Spectacle earlier this month in India, which wasn’t televised in North America, he’s been in the ring just once in 2023, when he lost to Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39. You want ratings on a fall Friday night? Cena in action would probably do it.

We’re certainly anxious to see if that is indeed the case.

WWE SmackDown results from Glendale:

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

  • The champ is here: John Cena kicks off the show, saying he wants a match and has AJ Styles as a partner, but Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa look like they want to play some mind games instead
  • Cena and Styles find Adam Pearce, who say booking a match with The Bloodline is “complicated,” but he promises to find Paul Heyman to see if he can make the match
  • Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar def. Street Profits by pinfall after Angelo Dawkins is reluctant to take advantage of interference by Bobby Lashley
  • A highlight video is shown of The Rock’s return on last Friday’s SmackDown, but Austin Theory is upset about it
  • Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn suggest they’ve cursed the women’s tag team titles
  • Pearce yells at Theory for hijacking the show, and the Brawling Brutes mock him until Grayson Waller arrives to support his friend; the Brutes want to fight them and Pearce likes that idea
  • Lashley yells at the Profits and tells them he wants all the suits and jewelry back if they can’t “pull the trigger”
  • IYO SKY def. Asuka by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship
  • Pearce drops by The Bloodline dressing room with a contract, but Heyman says it can’t be tonight and is told it’s at Fastlane; Jimmy is fine with that, but Paul tells him decisions like that need approval by the Tribal Chief first, and Solo tells Paul that after tonight, no one will be left to fight them at Fastlane
  • Pretty Deadly takes us through the (very exaggerated) trials of Elton Prince on his road to recovery
  • Austin Theory and Grayson Waller def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall
  • Cena signs the contract, but The Bloodline has other ideas for Styles
  • Styles is loaded in an ambulance, with Karl Anderson noting that he warned AJ not to get involved with Bloodline business
  • The Bloodline hits the ring to end the show, and Cena can’t fight them alone … though he tries

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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

WWE SmackDown preview 09/15/23: John Cena to get the, ahem, Grayson Waller rub

WWE SmackDown from Denver will also see The Miz try to avenge his Payback loss to LA Knight. Yeah!

Say this about Grayson Waller: He’s definitely not short on confidence. The loud-mouthed Aussie may not have accomplished all that much in the ring since joining WWE SmackDown from NXT, but he’s already proven to have few equals when it comes to antagonizing people, and he’s likely to show off that skill again on tonight’s show from Denver.

It just so happens that his guest on “The Grayson Waller Effect” this week is the man who was the only three-time No. 1 on the PWI 500 until yesterday, John Cena. The Greatest of All Time, as WWE is fond of billing him these days, certainly doesn’t need any help from a SmackDown talk show segment to be relevant.

Or does he?

Waller believes that all kinds of people who used to be huge stars get the benefit of being his guest, and Cena should prove no exception. Watch for Waller to mock Cena’s acting career in his own passive aggressive way, and let’s see if their interaction might be leading to a match between them soon.

Another WWE superstar who is extremely popular right this moment is definitely having a match in Denver, and by that we mean LA Knight. The Megastar already defeated The Miz when they met at Payback, but to hear the A-Lister tell it, that’s only because Cena was the special guest referee.

That won’t be the case tonight in Denver, so Miz will have only himself to blame if he goes down to defeat again. That’s not to say he’ll actually accept said blame, mind you.

Update: WWE has added a pair of matches to tonight’s show. Bayley will take on Asuka, while AJ Styles will go one on one with Finn Balor of The Judgment Day.

Update 2: Well this show just potentially a lot more interesting. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, while careful to note that Fightful can’t confirm this, says The Rock (and Pat McAfee) could be at tonight’s SmackDown.

The action graces out screens as it almost always does, live on FOX beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Please consider joining us back here on Wrestling Junkie for live WWE SmackDown results and other goodness if it’s not in your plans to catch the show live.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE SmackDown results from Boston:

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

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

WWE Payback 2023 results: The Judgment Day rises, Seth Rollins prevails in Pittsburgh

Get full WWE Payback 2023 results from Pittsburgh, including a title changing hands and a new addition to the Raw roster.

While there certainly is, ahem, other pro wrestling news being discussed today, WWE will do its best to take back the attention of the industry with Payback from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Yes, there are no Roman Reigns/Bloodline matches on this card, making it feel somewhat lesser, but this feels like a show where the efforts of the wrestlers themselves can make it shine.

That’s definitely true of the World Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura. Rollins has spoken often about wanting to be the kind of champion who inspires through his work effort, and a matchup with the King of Strong Style certainly gives him the chance to prove it.

Making their meeting even more interesting is the way Shinsuke has introduced Seth’s real life back issues into his pre-match mind games. It’s not often we see the uber-confident Rollins thrown off his game, which will make his eventual triumph (if that’s what happens) that much more compelling.

The dynamic between Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley is a lot less subtle and easier to understand right away. Raquel Rodriguez has been the one woman in all of WWE able to stand up to Ripley physically, making her a straightforward challenge. Can Mami pass this test and maintain her dominance?

With only six total matches on the Payback card, there’s room for some surprises. Could Damian Priest cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase? Might John Cena, ostensibly in Pittsburgh to host the show, end up in a match? These are all things we’re anxious to find out.

WWE Payback 2023 results:

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

  • Becky Lynch def. Trish Stratus by pinfall in a Steel Cage match, and things get even worse afterward for Trish as Zoey Stark has enough of her and hits Stratus with the Z-360
  • John Cena makes his appearance and says his job as host is to make the night special by being the guest referee … for The Miz vs. LA Knight; Miz is upset, so Cena asks him for advice as host but still is sticking to his idea
  • LA Knight def. The Miz by pinfall with John Cena as special guest referee
  • Rey Mysterio def. Austin Theory by pinfall to retain the United States Championship
  • Cathy Kelley tries to talk to Lynch backstage when Tiffany Stratton approaches her with some cheerful insults
  • Damian Priest and Finn Balor def. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn by pinfall in a Steel City Street Fight to become the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions
  • The Grayson Waller Effect welcomes Cody Rhodes for a big announcement, and he gives it to him: Rhodes got Jey Uso on the Raw roster; naturally Jey Uso ends up superkicking Waller
  • Rhea Ripley def. Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall to retain the Women’s World Championship
  • Cena interviews Balor and Priest, who say when they’re on the same page, no one can stop The Judgment Day
  • Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship