Tag: Joaquin Wilde

WWE SmackDown results 01/19/24: Roman Reigns signs but ends up eating an RKO

Things didn’t quite turn out the way Roman Reigns thought they would on WWE SmackDown in Atlanta.

Sure, Randy Orton looks great after being out for more than a year due to injury. But do we really need to make him work double duty tonight on WWE SmackDown?

Let’s back up just a step. Orton is part of the contract signing that should be a major part of tonight’s show from Atlanta. Not only will it require another appearance from Roman Reigns, but it also means all three of his challengers at Royal Rumble will be on hand: Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight.

If that sounds like something might go down with all four of them in the ring at once, you probably aren’t wrong. Yet on top of that, GM Nick Aldis announced today that Orton will be in action as well, and it won’t be a light day at the office since his opponent is The Bloodline’s enforcer, Solo Sikoa.

Now granted, none of the trio of challengers is a spring chicken, as all four of them are in their 40s (yes, even Knight). So it’s not even a matter of letting the youngest guy have to be in the match as well as the anticipated donnybrook, because there is no youngest guy.

Still, there’s no need to make Orton go so hard just eight days away from Royal Rumble. He’s out there RKOing people in music videos and stuff and we’re still asking him to be in two different segments on one SmackDown? Protect Randy at all costs!

Ahem. Anyway, this episode should be an eventful one with the Rumble so close at hand, so we’re looking forward to it. On with the show!

WWE SmackDown results from Atlanta:

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

  • Roman Reigns isn’t happy to see Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa since they didn’t fix things, so he’s there to make everything right again; but Sikoa also vows he’ll fix everything
  • The Fatal Four-Way contract signing is on, but without Roman Reigns, and AJ Styles and LA Knight end up fighting each other
  • Styles finds Aldis and demands a match with Knight tonight, and the GM says that’s fine with him
  •  Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel and Humberto) def. The LWO (Carlito, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinfall
  • Pretty Deadly feels good about facing Tyler Bate and Butch as they’ll be ready for their opponents tonight … but the way they’re emphasizing Butch’s name makes one think they’re about to be surprised
  • Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits tell The Final Testament they have their attention, and if they want a fight, just name the time and place
  • Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne def. Pretty Deadly by pinfall
  • Pretty Deadly seem unfamiliar with Pete Dunne and blame that for their loss
  • Logan Paul joins The KO Show, and it ends in violence
  • Reigns lays into Jimmy Uso, but Sikoa steps in-between them and takes the blame for what happened last week while promising to fix things tonight
  • Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. The Unholy Union (Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn) by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, then have a brief in-ring confrontation with the Kabuki Warriors
  • The O.C. tells Styles that even with everything going on, they still have his back, but he says nothing and storms off
  • The Final Testament call Lashley and the Profits the yes men of the company while they are the disruptors
  • Carmelo Hayes talks about the spot that ended his match with Austin Theory, and Theory shows up acting angry; Melo challenges him to a rematch, and though Austin says he’s busy, Grayson Waller accepts on his behalf
  • AJ Styles vs. LA Knight ends in a no contest (we think) after interference from both Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa
  • Randy Orton def. Solo Sikoa by pinfall, but …
  • … after the bell, Orton, Knight and Styles end up in the ring together, where Randy gives both of the others an RKO; he turns and takes a Superman punch from Reigns, who laughs as all three of his challengers are now down on the mat before asking Aldis for the contract and signing it (and tossing it on the ground in front of the GM); but as Reigns rushes in to spear Orton, he’s caught with an RKO instead

As the contract signing breaks down, Randy Orton keeps his cool

GM Nick Aldis welcomes everyone to SmackDown and introduces the participants in the Fatal Four-Way contract signing, beginning with AJ Styles. He wastes no time signing emphatically on the dotted line.

LA Knight is next, followed by Randy Orton. Both of them quickly sign as well, so all we need now is the Tribal Chief. But it’s Paul Heyman who comes out instead, suggesting that Reigns isn’t going to sign a contract that neither he nor the lawyers have seen.

Aldis asks for clarification and says that’s fine, because if Roman won’t sign, it will just be a Triple Threat match for the vacant Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. A somewhat panicked Heyman says there’s no way Aldis will be able to sell that to the board of directors, the fans and the Tribal Chief, who Paul says should be defending the title in a singles match.

Knight has heard enough, saying that he should get Reigns one on one but is ready to shut Heyman up. Styles takes exception to Knight saying he should be the one at the front of the line, and the two of them end up throwing hands while Orton just calmly watches things break down.

A bunch of referees and officials pour from the back to separate Styles and Knight, not very successfully as they fight to the back. Alas, that leaves Heyman in the ring with Orton, who tells Paul his machinations aren’t going to work since he’s going to beat Solo Sikoa later tonight. And after that, he’s going to reintroduce Reigns to those three dangerous letters.

Logan Paul joins The KO Show, and it ends in violence

KO says he can’t even believe he’s saying this: Please welcome my guest, Logan Paul, to The Kevin Owens Show. Paul makes it clear he’s not honored to be there, and the show is only a thing because he’s on it.

Logan claims Kevin is the reason he’s in WWE. Roll the clip! It’s from WrestleMania 2021, where KO gave him a Stunner in front of the whole world. It was a driving force for Paul, but Owens says he was just one of many he stunned over the years — though he does give Logan credit for putting in the work and becoming way better than anyone ever would have thought.

Owens says Paul is nothing like them, but Logan laughs because he says he’s so much more than just a superstar. And KO, you’re just … you.

That brings a passionate reply from Owens, who says Paul has been especially protected and it’s a joke that he’s the United States Champion, one KO will end at Royal Rumble. Paul says it’s hypocritical for Owens to talk about anyone being protected when he has the cast on to use as a weapon, whereas Paul knocks people out clean.

After a few more words, and KO taking off his cast, Paul lays out Owens with a punch he doesn’t see coming, then turns in surprise to see KO pull himself up and go right back at him. Paul tries to flee but is caught by Owens, only to have Logan smash his right hand into the post.

Katana Chance and Kayden Carter take down The Unholy Union, but the Kabuki Warriors are lurking

Bayley joins the announcers for guest commentary while the rest of Damage CTRL leans back along the barricade right next to her. The champs weather an early storm and try to double team Dawn, but she ends up getting hurled down onto her partner and nearly pinned.

Fyre fares no better once she tags in, and soon takes the Keg Stand to end the match. No time to celebrate, though, as the Kabuki Warriors have the title belts and mock the champs as they hand them back.

AJ Styles and LA Knight run into a Solo problem

These two look like they can’t wait to get after it, and Styles is looking like he’s in control until Knight sends him sliding face first into the middle turnbuckle. Dueling chants are ringing out through the crowd.

Styles wins an exchange of shots in the corner, then kicks Knight while he’s down. A backbreaker gives AJ time to plan his next move, which ends up being choking Knight along the middle rope.

The Megastar battles back with a series of right hands, followed by a popup powerslam for a two count. Knight batters Styles into the corner but sees his foe slide out to the floor, where he executes a successful ambush.

Knight is whipped into the barricade but ends up getting bounced off it in return. That’s followed by getting his head bounced off the announce table, and the cheers turn to boos as Jimmy Uso comes down the ramp.

Uso’s mere presence allows Styles the time he needs to recover, but Solo Sikoa emerges from the timekeeper’s area and hits AJ with a Samoan Spike. The ref calls for the bell, but that doesn’t stop Solo from dragging Styles into the ring for another Samoan Spike.

Sikoa calls for a mic and says “two down, one to go,” calling Orton out now.

Randy Orton stops Solo Sikoa with an RKO

We’ll see if they actually fight to a finish or this is just Solo beating up the Viper until Roman Reigns arrives. Sikoa is all over Orton to start, smashing him in the corner and driving him into the announce table and the steel steps.

After a commercial break, Orton has turned the tables enough to hit his hanging DDT, and the fans love that. The Viper looks for an RKO, and while Jimmy Uso looks like he wants to interfere, he’s laid out by LA Knight and AJ Styles. Amidst the chaos, Orton hits Sikoa with an RKO and ends their match.

 

WWE SmackDown results 01/12/24: AJ, LA, RKO spell total defeat for The Bloodline

It was also a bad night for Bayley in Lincoln on WWE SmackDown.

The WWE SmackDown train is rolling into Lincoln, Neb. tonight for a show that will not feature the Tribal Chief.

That’s relevant because he was in the house last Friday, and boy did he and The Bloodline make a mess of things. So much, in fact, that GM Nick Aldis threw up his hands (metaphorically, as Aldis is way too cool under pressure to visibly panic) and declared that Roman Reigns would defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Royal Rumble against all three of the men gunning for him: AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton.

They will all be on SmackDown tonight, but we don’t know yet what they will be doing. Perhaps they’ll team in a six-man tag. Maybe they’ll all have their own singles matches. Or it could be they’ll all just appear in the ring together to trade barbs and engage in some light fisticuffs.

In the women’s division, on the other hand, we know there will be one big matchup as Bayley takes on Bianca Belair. This is big for Bayley, since her position as leader of Damage CTRL appears to be largely ceremonial a lot of times, and IYO SKY made it clear that the group believes she should take care of its Bianca problem.

That’s just way easier said than done, and if Bayley loses, it might not work out so well for her. On the other hand, there’s a lot of sentiment that it might be her year to win the Royal Rumble, something she’s never done, which would be one heck of a silver lining.

We’ll see tonight which way the fates are leaning for Bayley. SmackDown is off and running, so here we go.

WWE SmackDown results from Lincoln:

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

  • Before we get to the first match, SmackDown helpfully reviews what happened last week with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline interfering in the main event, with Nick Aldis telling Paul Heyman it was now a Fatal Four-Way at Royal Rumble; we also see Reigns telling Heyman to “fix this” after the show
  • Grayson Waller is supposed to face Cameron Grimes, but Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa attack Grimes on the ramp and head to the ring … causing Waller and Austin Theory to head for the hills
  • “We’re not the bad guys here” – Paul Heyman accuses Nick Aldis of screwing things up, but he has an idea to ensure The Bloodline won’t mess up tonight’s main event
  • A short video segment features Santos Escobar discussing replacing Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde with his new “familia,” Angel and Humberto
  • Uso is beside himself because no one will team up with them, but Heyman tells him not to worry and that he’ll find them someone; Solo, on the other hand, is not worried
  • Angel and Humberto def. The LWO (Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinfall; during the match Carlito pops out of the crowd and ambushes Escobar, who has joined the commentary desk
  • Carmelo Hayes is talking to Aldis when he is interrupted by Waller and Theory, and their chippy conversation ends up creating a match between Hayes and Theory for tonight
  • Heyman approaches The LWO backstage and asks if Carlito wants to team with The Bloodline, but he’s concentrating on Escobar (he does take Heyman’s apple, though)
  • A replay of KO’s one-shot knockdown of Logan Paul is shown from last week; afterward, a video promo has Paul talking about getting lawyers to get Owens’ cast banned
  • Butch and Tyler Bate have some coffee together, and it sounds like we’re close to getting Pete Dunne back
  • Bianca Belair def. Bayley by pinfall
  • Owens responds to Paul, scoffing at the idea that the cast is an advantage and asking if Logan will be a guest on The Kevin Owens Show next week
  • Dakota Kai tells Bayley that they didn’t help her because they didn’t want to cause a DQ, though she tries to encourage the Role Model that she can still win the Royal Rumble
  • Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits respond to Karrion Kross and AOP, who now are known by another name
  • Pretty Deadly offers their services to Heyman, but there’s only room for one more tag team partner and neither of them seems to want to do it alone
  • A hype video shows some Carmelo Hayes highlights for anyone unfamiliar with his game
  • Heyman approaches Lashley, who makes it clear he would only get in the ring with The Bloodline if he’s standing across the ring from Reigns
  • Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory goes to a no contest, as a Spanish Fly leads to a hard landing for both men
  • Heyman has no partner for Uso and Sikoa but makes it sound like no one was worthy of the spot; Solo still isn’t worried, and Jimmy tries to tell himself he isn’t either
  • Sikoa and Uso attack Orton before all the entrances for the main event, trying to even the odds
  • AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton def. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa) by pinfall, then add to their misery with more punishment as the show ends

Nick Aldis isn’t playing with The Bloodline

After interrupting the scheduled first match, Paul Heyman gives a passionate explanation of why GM Nick Aldis is the bad guy. Oh look, he’s standing right there on the apron.

Aldis reminds Heyman this isn’t a conversation between equals, and The Bloodline won’t be able to interrupt tonight’s main event because they are in it. Tonight, AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton will take on all three members of The Bloodline … including Roman Reigns.

A furious Heyman tells Aldis the Tribal Chief isn’t in Lincoln, which of course he knew. The GM says The Bloodline has until the main event to find a partner if they want — or it will be a handicap match.

Bianca Belair outduels Bayley with Damage CTRL watching closely

All of Damage CTRL comes out to support Bayley, and they’re all sticking around ringside to see the Role Model fend off a number of early pinning attempts. Her clothesline stops Belair in her tracks, though only for a second.

Bayley is able to lure Bianca into the ropes for some pain but quickly gets taken to the mat afterward. Belair leapfrogs Bayley and hits a back drop followed by a standing moonsault for a two count.

A sliding clothesline gets two right back for Bayley. Belair responds quickly with multiple slams, though she ends up tangled in the ropes again right in front of Damage CTRL. Bayley gets run into the post and falls to the floor, where Bianca hits her with a plancha that makes Bayley’s teammates scatter.

After commercials, Bayley has retaken the momentum, and her groupmates are urging her on. But no one gets a second wind like Bianca, who smashes her foe into the corner and peppers her with right hands. Bayley frees herself and hits a running knee, covering near the ropes for a two count.

Despite the referee telling her not to, Bayley ties Bianca’s braid to the bottom rope, but even then The EST manages to trip her into the turnbuckles. Belair unties herself and bends Bayley’s back painfully around the post, and now both wrestlers are slow and trying to gather themselves.

Bianca hoists Bayley onto her shoulders and tosses her back into the post, then returns to the ring for repeated shoulders to the midsection. A stalling vertical suplex is next, then more corner punches.

A backbreaker allows Bianca to cover, but it’s still only for two. As both women counter each other, Bayley finally is able to throw her opponent back into the corner … but she gets lured in and slammed down. Belair hits her rope bounce moonsault and still can’t get the three.

Bayey isn’t about to take the KOD, hurling Belair into the buckles again. The Role Model connects with a top rope elbow, and it’s another two. They battle out to the floor, where Damage CTRL doesn’t intervene.

That might be costly, as Belair hits a spear when the fight goes back in the ring. There’s the KOD, and this time Bayley isn’t kicking out.

Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits get a message from The Final Testament

Lashley speaks for himself and the Profits saying that when someone causes a problem for them, they roll up their sleeves and fight. So get out there now, he demands.

Instead, Paul Ellering appears and points at the big screen, where Karrion Kross and Scarlett say that Lashley and the Profits are “now at the top of the list to be deconstructed.” Together, Kross’ group is The Final Testament.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Austin Theory comes to an abrupt end

Corey Graves muses that Hayes is where Theory once was, with plenty of NXT success under his belt but a need to figure out how things work on SmackDown. A nice dropkick lands and has Theory off guard early on, but he comes right back and drops Melo before taking the Fadeaway in return.

Hayes launches Theory out to the floor and is fired up as commercials arrive. We return to see Austin send Carmelo out in return, and he takes a moment to gloat before resuming his offense.

A counter gets Theory off Hayes’ back, and Melo follows with atomic drops and chops. A springboard clothesline leads to a facebuster, and Hayes covers for a near fall.

They fight over to the corner, where Theory surprises Hayes with a Spanish fly that doesn’t get the required height, and the match is called off as both men look like they landed hard on their heads/necks.

 AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton beat then beat up The Bloodline

Knight and Styles can’t even seem to agree on who will start the match, leaving Knight at the mercy of Uso for just a second until he turns the tables. A tag to Styles leads to some double team offense, so it seems they will cooperate when necessary.

The crowd chants for Styles until he yields control back to Knight to pound Uso down into a corner. A leg across the back of Jimmy’s neck along the ropes leads to a cover and a two count.

Styles scores his own quick near fall before Uso finally gets in some chops … and immediately runs into an AJ dropkick. Sikoa jumps in and tries to even the odds only to eat a barrage of alternating chops and punches. Sikoa is sent to the floor to the delight of the crowd before we fade out to commercials.

It may not surprise you to hear that Solo is controlling the action after the break, bashing Styles from corner to corner. Uso gets in some sneaky shots from the outside too, so it’s all coming up Milhouse … er, Bloodline, at the moment.

Styles finally puts Uso down on the mat, and the fans come to life hoping for a hot tag. Sikoa drags Knight off the apron to prevent it but gets thrown into the stairs for his trouble.

Back in the ring, Styles hits a Pele Kick but argues with Knight instead of making the tag. Uso superkicks Knight off the apron and then turns right into a double cross body with Styles that leaves both of them down.

By now, Sikoa has returned to the apron, but Randy Ortons music hits and he comes down the ramp. He’s in this now too, and Styles leaps to give him the hot tag.

The crowd comes roaring to its feet when he gets it, and Orton runs through some of his trademark offense. Uso foils an RKO attempt with a schoolboy for two, but that only delays the inevitable as a second RKO doesn’t miss and Jimmy is pinned.

After the bell, Styles halts Sikoa’s attempt to get some payback with a Phenomenal Forearm, and Knight piles on with the Blunt Force Trauma. And Orton adds another RKO for good measure before heading to the outside to attack Uso.

Orton uses the stairs on Uso, who is thrown into the timekeeper’s area by Knight. They clear the announce table and work as a trio to powerbomb Solo through it. That’s a definitive victory.

WWE SmackDown preview 01/12/24: 3 get ready for Fatal 4-Way

Bayley and Bianca Belair will also do battle on WWE SmackDown in Nebraska.

It’s not that often that Roman Reigns does something that goes completely wrong, but that’s what happened last Friday during the No. 1 contenders match. Tonight’s edition of WWE SmackDown from Lincoln, Neb. will see things crystalize even more for the Tribal Chief as three big time fan favorites (or two and a tweener, anyway) head toward a date with him at Royal Rumble.

How will AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton stay busy?

A week ago, these three men all had a chance to compete against each other for the right to face Reigns. They never got the chance to finish that match thanks to an attack by The Bloodline, but they kind of all turned out to be winners when SmackDown GM Nick Aldis said the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match at Royal Rumble would now be a Fatal Four-Way.

Reigns isn’t announced for tonight’s show, but AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton will all be there. Will they go after each other, or will Aldis find some way to have them team together in Lincoln?

Who will win the battle of B’s?

For the time being, anyway, Bayley seems to have stabilized her leadership of Damage CTRL, even though IYO SKY seems to have the real power. Her current project is an effort to keep Bianca Belair from going after the rest of the group.

That’s easier said than done, because when The EST sets her mind to something, she usually accomplishes it. The thing to watch for on SmackDown will be to see if the rest of Damage CTRL comes to Bayley’s aid or lets her go it alone.

The LWO clashes with Santos Escobar’s new running buddies

Santos Escobar may have left The LWO behind, but that doesn’t mean he’s going solo these days. Angel and Humberto are his new wingmen, and they certainly don’t seem like they’re interested in being fan favorites.

Even with Rey Mysterio on the shelf, however, The LWO hasn’t folded up shop, and his absence may even give the other members more time to shine. We’ll see if that’s the case tonight for Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde, who will get one of their first chances to fly without Escobar.

Also advertised for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown:

  • Cameron Grimes goes one-on-one with Grayson Waller

End your week right by taking in WWE SmackDown on FOX at 8 p.m. ET, or check out the live results we’ll be posting here on Wrestling Junkie at that time.

WWE SmackDown live report 12/1/23: Randy Orton strikes

Wrestling Junkie was in the house for the Friday, Dec. 1 episode of WWE SmackDown, where Randy Orton was the center of attention.

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BROOKLYN, NY — WWE atmospheres exude a special feeling these days. The content is hot, the fans are eagerly consuming it and venues are consistently drawing near sellouts. Friday, Dec. 1 at the Barclays Center proved no different.

WWE filled most seats for the first episode of SmackDown since Survivor Series: WarGames, when, you know, that CM Punk guy returned. Everyone came to see the fallout and if WWE had another surprise planned, which they did not since the Straight Edge Superstar wasn’t advertised. Yet that sense of hope for something helped spark a crowd that stayed active through the night.

But have no fear, because WWE advertised Randy Orton, the other returning top star, mid-week for SmackDown. While it wasn’t made clear what he would do until the show went live Friday, this marked his third WWE TV appearance in a week after missing 18 months. It was an early Christmas present for his fans and a jolt entering Royal Rumble season.

Orton’s WWE future became the focus of the night, as a question of choice arose. Would he sign with Raw or SmackDown? In pro wrestling, the either-or angle is always effective in keeping fans on their feet. With WWE having a ton of time to spare due no premium live event, in December, it was a smart move to have something like this to keep fans engaged, especially among a group in Brooklyn who were prepared to cheer.

WWE always draws great in New York City, and they consistently elicit strong reactions, resulting in high-quality shows. This was no exception.

WWE SmackDown results from Brooklyn:

  • Bianca Belair cuts a promo about wanting “her” title back from IYO SKY. Without Bayley, Damage CTRL emerge and they dsay that Belair must defeat every member of the group in order to earn a title shot. As a result, a brawl erupts between Belair and the heels, with Charlotte Flair and Shotzi joining in to level the playing field.
  • Damage CTRL question Bayley backstage about not accompanying them in the first segment.
  • Bobby Lashley def. Butch via pinfall in a fun, hard-hitting match where the Brooklyn crowd went wild for everything the All Mighty did.
  • Nick Aldis tells Paul Heyman he wants to sign Randy Orton, who’s a free agent, as soon as tonight. The Wise Man questions this, and Aldis says he’ll offer the entire Bloodline to make it happen.
  • Promos play for New Day and the Undertaker’s Netflix choose-your-own-adventure show and WWE’s partnership with the Big 12.
  • Butch tells Kayla Braxton he does not know why Ridge Holland has been walking out of matches. Then, Pretty Deadly interrupts and mocks one half of the Brawling Brutes, which causes a fight between the three men.
  • Santos Escobar says he wants to finish what Rey Mysterio started since Rey chose Carlito over him.
  • Santos Escobar def. Joaquin Wilde via pinfall with a Phantom Driver. Dragon Lee makes the save for Wilde in the post-match brawl. With everything he does, Lee is gaining more popularity as makes his way toward stardom.
  • Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce argue backstage about whether to sign Randy Orton for their respective brand.
  • Amazingly, Logan Paul came out for just his first WWE TV appearance since winning the United States Championship at Crown Jewel. As he bragged about defeating Rey Mysterio, he received one of the largest reactions of the night. He then announced that the No. 1 contender’s tournament to determine his next challenger will begin next week …
  • … and out came one of the competitors, Kevin Owens, to tell Paul WWE isn’t like his world. Not sure how much shelf life this angle possesses since Paul has been with WWE for over a year, but the crowd responds well to the “us vs. them” story.
  • Grayson Waller and Austin Theory interrupted Owens, who punched Theory in the face as he ran his mouth.
  • Kevin Owens def. Grayson Waller in a long, uneventful match that consumed a chunk of the second hour.
  • WWE touted the social media reactions to CM Punk’s return, but then announced Punk will return to SmackDown on Friday, Dec. 9 for Tribute to the Troops to overwhelming boos. Fans had thought he might make a surprise appearance at the Barclays Center, but alas.
  • Bianca Belair def. Kairi Sane by pinfall. After the referee sent everyone else away, Bayley attempted to help her Damage CTRL teammate at ringside. However, despite her efforts, Sane still lost. That’s probably concerning for Bayley’s future with the group.
  • Randy Orton signed with SmackDown over Raw in a Royal Rumble season-building segment. Paul Heyman attempted to influence Orton against joining the blue brand by sending Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso after him, but the Viper put pen to paper anyway. LA Knight also made the save mid-brawl to even the odds.
  • Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a post-show dark match. It went maybe 10 minutes and had little to no reaction from the crowd.
  • Cody Rhodes def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall in the final dark match of the night. Their entrances lasted longer than the match.

WWE SmackDown live notes:

  • As he did at Survivor Series and Raw, Randy Orton soaked in the atmosphere, seeming moved by it while he posed for the crowd. Having him back when his career once looked over is just wonderful. Let’s appreciate every moment, since we can’t be sure how much longer WWE will have the Apex Predator.
  • On a scale of 1-10, LA Knight’s pop was a 12.
  • WWE announcing CM Punk for next week garnered the biggest heel reaction of anything.
  • Most of the arena had cleared out after the show, but Cody Rhodes was still taking pictures with fans. He might become a great heel one day, but that won’t happen while he’s still beloved by the fans.

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 SmackDown results 11/17/23: The Man has come around for WarGames

LA Knight also completed step one of his mission on this week’s WWE SmackDown from Evansville.

Bianca Belair thought she got one over on Damage CTRL last week when she got Charlotte Flair and Asuka to team with her … only to find Asuka was simply waiting to betray them and join the villains. Whether Bianca has one more trick up her sleeve will be a big thing to watch tonight on WWE SmackDown from Evansville, Ind.

There’s also intrigue around The Bloodline, and when is there not? Solo Sikoa makes his way back to SmackDown tonight for the first time since he put a hellacious beating on John Cena, and Jimmy Uso takes on LA Knight. Methinks those two things might end up interconnected before it’s all said and done.

Evansville, let’s roll.

WWE SmackDown results from Evansville:

  • Road Dogg joins Kevin Patrick and Michael Cole tonight on commentary as Corey Graves remains on paternity leave
  • With the newly enlarged Damage CTRL standing in the ring, Bayley brags about her plan to bring in Asuka and calls the group the strongest faction in WWE right now; when they agree to challenge Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi to WarGames, the three faces try a sneak attack and are quickly driven off
  • Belair wants to know why Shotzi jumped the gun on their payback, and Bianca thinks Charlotte knows someone who can help them; meanwhile, GM Nick Aldis tells them he needs to know their fourth member by the end of the night
  • Street Profits def. Brawling Brutes and Pretty Deadly to become the No. 1 contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, in large part because Butch accidentally hits a Brogue Kick on Ridge Holland; meanwhile, B-Fab stops by again to talk to Bobby Lashley, who is watching backstage
  • Belair is shown talking to Michin backstage as part of her recruiting attempt, but after a commercial break, we see that Damage CTRL has already found Michin and taken her out
  • Dragon Lee def. Axiom by pinfall
  • Santos Escobar talks about the famous expression that you should never meet your heroes, and mainly is upset that Rey Mysterio sided with an “outsider” like Carlito over him; Escobar doubles down and says he hopes Mysterio never comes back, which brings a distraught Zelina Vega to the ring to smack him …
  • … and then Escobar drives the last nail in the coffin of his time with the LWO by attacking Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde, though he takes off when Carlito rushes out to confront him
  • Grayson Waller def. Cameron Grimes by pinfall, with an assist from Austin Theory
  • Belair talks to a still upset Vega, but after commercials, we see that Damage CTRL has found and beaten Zelina up too
  • Paul Heyman wants to do an acknowledgement ceremony for Solo Sikoa and claims that John Cena will never appear in a WWE ring again thanks to Solo; since Cena can’t do a rebuttal, LA Knight appears instead, promising to run through The Bloodline one by one beginning with Jimmy Uso tonight
  • Belair tells Flair they’re out of options and she needs to make the call, and Charlotte breaths deeply before agreeing
  • LA Knight def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall, but he takes a Samoan Spike from Sikoa after the bell and needs to be bailed out by Cody Rhodes
  • “I called her, but I don’t know if she’s going to make it in time,” Flair says to Belair and Shotzi before they head to the ring
  • Aldis tells Rhodes he needs to hit the bricks
  • Flair says they accept the WarGames challenge and sounds ready to reveal the fourth member of their team when Bayley and Damage CTRL come out to brag about taking out every possible candidate; the heels want to storm the ring, but our heroes are reinforced by Becky Lynch and the show ends with all eight women still in the middle of a huge brawl