Tag: John Cena

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 preview 09/22/23: What’s next for John Cena?

WWE SmackDown from Glendale will also feature a highly anticipated WWE Women’s Championship match between IYO SKY and Asuka.

After only appearing on WWE programming a few times in 2022, that John Cena fella sure has become a regular on WWE SmackDown. The writers and actors strikes have delivered the company an unexpected gift in that regard, we reckon.

But while Cena has had some fun interactions with faces both familiar (The Rock!) and new (Grayson Waller), there hasn’t been anything set up for him yet that would point toward a definite match at one of WWE’s upcoming premium live events. You get the feeling that might change tonight in Glendale.

All that WWE has promoted for the show is that Cena will show up and get to talk, something he didn’t do last week as he kept being interrupted. Will we see receive a challenge from Waller or someone else who could benefit from a bout with The Greatest of All Time? That’s one thing to watch for tonight.

UPDATE: PWInsider has a spoiler for what might be planned for Cena, so click here if you’d rather know and not be surprised.

A highly anticipated women’s title match should be another highlight of this week’s SmackDown. IYO SKY and Asuka know each other very well, but they somewhat incredibly have never had a televised singles match against each other. Not only will they change that in Glendale, the meeting will come with high stakes since SKY’s WWE Women’s Championship is on the line.

Plus we’ll see tag team action as well. Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar have remained friends and allies despite Rey having something Santos wants (that would be the United States Championship), resisting efforts by others to drive a wedge between them. They’ll put that bond to the test again when they face the Street Profits, who have only been winning since aligning themselves with Bobby Lashley (though they really should have a group name by now, come on WWE creative).

All this and more awaits at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, your home for SmackDown for the next year or so. Catch it then or join us here at Wrestling Junkie for live results and updates, like we always do about this time.

WWE advertising John Cena for Crown Jewel premium live event in Saudi Arabia

Roman Reigns is also expected to appear at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia in November.

When WWE announced John Cena‘s return, it pinned him to episodes of SmackDown from Sept. 1 through Oct. 27, and as a late addition to the Payback premium live event as a host and special guest referee for LA Knight vs. The Miz. However, it seems the 16-time world champion might stay one more day.

According to Haus of Wrestling, advertising for the upcoming WWE Crown Jewel premium live event in Saudi Arabia included Cena. The show takes place on Saturday, Nov. 4.

It seems WWE will go all-out for its biannual Saudi Arabia live event, as it has also advertised Roman Reigns’ return match. This would put two of the biggest names in WWE over the last two decades on the same show, arguably giving it more fanfare as Survivor Series, one of WWE’s top shows of the year, approaches.

The Bloodline story has continued over the last few weeks with Cena interacting with Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa, which could evolve into a tag team match with AJ Styles. If the program between Cena and this faction continues, the old Dr. of Thuganomics could face Uso or Sikoa in a singles match at Crown Jewel, making it one of the top bouts of the night.

It can’t hurt for WWE to take advantage of Cena’s availability while it has him. The ongoing writer and actor strikes have made Hollywood quiet, and at 46 years old, it’s uncertain when or if having him around for lengthy periods of time like this could happen again.

Although no matches have been announced yet, it would not be surprising to see Cena there based on how loading previous Saudi Arabia shows have been over the years, and with several potential match opponents brewing, a few options make sense for him.

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 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

WWE SmackDown results 09/01/23: John Cena is back, Jimmy Uso’s loyalties still in question

WWE SmackDown in Hershey ended without solid answers on where Jimmy Uso fits into the Bloodline going forward.

Are you a little bummed out because WWE is between big premium live events right now and Payback isn’t really floating your boat? Maybe you’re feeling a bit blah since the Bloodline hasn’t been appearing as often? If that’s the case, maybe a WWE SmackDown from the wrestler the company now seems to be officially pushing as the Greatest of All Time will help.

You’ve probably heard before now since WWE has been making a big deal of it, but John Cena will be on hand tonight from the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. He hasn’t wrestled since SummerSlam, and probably won’t tonight, but the buzz is that he will be sticking around for a bit this time (and definitely will be taking part in the India show later this month).

Could Cena find himself in the middle of something that leads to a match — maybe even one this weekend at Payback? That’s one reason this show is worth watching.

Another is that the Bloodline saga seems like it might be roaring back to life after taking a brief break the last two weeks. Specifically, Jimmy Uso will be in the house to give his two cents on what’s been going through his head since Jey Uso gave his famous “Deuces, Uces!” line. It’s hard to see that not being interesting.

And the night wouldn’t be complete without a Megastar, so we’re getting one of those too. LA Knight is set to go one-on-one with The Miz tomorrow night at Payback, but both men will be in Hershey to get the final word before their match. Also they might throw hands, you never know.

Hit the trumpets, here we go.

WWE SmackDown results from Hershey:

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

  • John Cena’s return is interrupted by Jimmy Uso, and after they say what they think about each other, Cena ends up hitting Jimmy with an Attitude Adjustment
  • Grayson Waller and Austin Theory laugh about Cena and brag about how they’re about to beat Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar
  • Jimmy Uso threatens a poor staffer or intern or someone bckstage
  • Austin Theory and Grayson Waller def. Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar by pinfall
  • Adam Pearce dresses down Jimmy Uso for his behavior and apologizes to Michin as they were having a conversation first
  • AJ Styles agrees that the way Jimmy Uso disrespected Michin was not OK, even if the Good Brothers are less receptive
  • Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits are coming for everything
  • Perhaps foreshadowing something, Lashley and the Profits are still on their way out and give Kevin Owns and Sami Zayn some mock applause on their way in
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde by pinfall
  • Styles steps to Jimmy Uso backstage, but then Solo Sikoa arrives to throw his muscle into the situation and floors AJ; Solo tells Jimmy he is only out of the Bloodline when he’s told he’s out, but Jimmy responds that no one can tell him what to do, and it looks like he’s out of there for the night
  •  A fired up Styles wants Sikoa tonight, and while the Good Brothers try to talk him out of it, he’s got his mind made up
  • The Miz and LA Knight go at each other pretty hard verbally, then end things with a bit of violence
  • Shotzi def. Bayley by pinfall, with an assist going to Charlotte Flair
  • A hype video is shown for the Seth Rollins-Shinsuke Nakamura title match at Payback
  • Solo Sikoa def. AJ Styles by pinfall, though Solo is in no mood to celebrate Jimmy Uso’s help, and Jimmy beats up on AJ to end the show

WWE SmackDown preview 09/01/23: John Cena returns, Jimmy Uso speaks

Hershey can also expect to see Jimmy Uso as the Bloodline saga cranks back up on WWE SmackDown this week.

There are sooooooo many “you can’t see me” puns we could make here, but we’re skipping all of them since we’re excited that John Cena is making his return to WWE SmackDown tonight in the home of chocolate, Hershey, Pa.

Cena quietly bowed back out to resume his film and TV career after losing to Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39 back in the spring. He’s strictly a part-time attraction at this point given his Hollywood success — hey, he was in the most successful movie so far this year, “Barbie.”

But perhaps the most intriguing thing about this particular Cena appearance is that he’s already been promoted for WWE’s upcoming show in India and could be around for more than that. There’s even buzz about him being involved at Payback tomorrow night, so you’ll definitely want to be watching to see how he figures into SmackDown tonight.

Another superstar making a return, albeit from a much shorter absence, is Jimmy Uso. We’ve now had a break of several weeks (for several reasons) from the most recent plot advancement in the story of the Bloodline, which is unusual, to say the least. That ends in Hershey, as Jimmy Uso should have something to say about brother Jey giving the whole company the deuces and what else is going on with his family.

Oh yeah, this is a wrestling show, so there’s some of that as well. Grayson Waller tried his best to sow dissension between Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar, but so far he’s had no luck. Maybe he’ll have more luck with a more hands on approach, as he teams with Austin Theory to take on the two LWO teammates.

That and more should make this trip to Hershey a sweet one. We said we’d avoid Cena puns, not puns altogether. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET, and you can catch it as always in the U.S. on FOX.

John Cena to make WWE return at SmackDown on September 1

John Cena returning to SmackDown may just be a one-off appearance, but it’s possible it will lead to more.

John Cena‘s age and increased film and television roles have caused his appearances on WWE programming to decrease. Fans soak up even more whenever he makes his sporadic appearances, providing more cheers than the mixed reactions they graced him with as a regular pro wrestler.

As it turns out, they will have two more chances to see Cena quite soon.

Fox Sports reported that Cena will return at the Sept. 1 episode of SmackDown and the WWE Superstar Spectacle in India on Sept. 8. WWE also confirmed this on X.

The announcement did not specify how long Cena will stick around or what he will do at either show.

Cena has stayed busy with WWE in 2023. He feuded with Austin Theory earlier this year, resulting in a WrestleMania match in April. However, at Money in the Bank, the future WWE Hall of Famer surprised everyone by returning to cut a promo in front of the O2 Arena.

Cena teased the possibility of WrestleMania coming to London, possibly in response to AEW’s announcement of All In for Wembley Stadium. Even though they may not cross the pond anytime soon to host their biggest show. the crowd at the venue hung on Cena’s every word in this raucous environment.

This time, perhaps it’s just to get more viewers for Labor Day weekend when audience numbers may dip. Include that the Bloodline storyline has reached a lull without Jey Uso and Roman Reigns and Cena might be a solution to keep SmackDown viewership steady.

WWE Payback is also the next day, and Cena could show up on SmackDown to set up something for the premium live event with short notice. Alternatively, he can tease a program for Survivor Series.

Will Cena’s appearance be anything more than a one-off to promote the WWE product? Without other advertised appearances set, that seems like the answer, but if another surprise lurks, Cena could make the fall season interesting.

20 best WWE finishers of all time: The best finishing moves ever

Finishing moves come and go in WWE, but these 20 are the best we’ve ever seen.

There’s something undeniably thrilling about the best WWE finishers. Just the anticipation for an especially great finishing move is a lot of fun, the palpable feeling that ripples through the crowd when a match is about to reach its dramatic conclusion.

And those occasions where a wrestler unexpectedly kicks out of a top finisher — provided they don’t happen too often — produce some of the loudest crowd reactions in the business.

Thanks to its position as the No. 1 pro wrestling company in the world for decades (even during times it didn’t want to admit it), WWE has seen more than its fair share of amazing finishing moves. But we wanted to dive in and find the ones that were truly the best, the crème de la crème of match-ending maneuvers.

To do that, we consulted a number of lists of this type that are already out there, including the WWE’s own rankings of the 50 best finishing moves of all time. Like our list of the top WWE PPVs ever, that makes this list pseudo-crowdsourced and not just our own opinions — though we slid some up or down where we felt it was warranted.

So what makes a truly great finishing move? The answer varies from fan to fan, but we considered the following:

  • Recognizability/cultural impact – Is a finisher so famous that even casual or non-wrestling fans know what it is or who does it?
  • Believability – If pro wrestling wasn’t scripted, does the move look like it would really end a fight?
  • Uniqueness – Does the move stand out on its own, or does a certain performer elevate it by adding more atmosphere to it?
  • Sellability – Does it offer the person on the receiving end the opportunity to play it up even more?
  • Legacy – Has it passed the test of time, even if others don’t use it as a finisher?

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive in and check out what we found to be a bit of a consensus on the 20 best WWE finishers of all time, starting at 20 and working down to No. 1.