Tag: Kevin Owens

WWE SmackDown results 03/15/24: Rock Concert for Cody, Bayley gets Damage CTRL-alt-deleted

WWE SmackDown from Memphis also made several more WrestleMania 40 matches official.

You know what’s fun in kind of a surreal way about WWE right now? The Rock is something of a regular! He’s making his third consecutive WWE SmackDown appearance tonight in Memphis, so he’s practically part of the ongoing crew now.

And while we kid Mr. Rock, it is easy to take for granted that one of the busiest guys in Hollywood (not to mention his other business interests) is on TV every Friday, then cutting long and entertaining video promos randomly throughout the week. You may not be rooting for him — almost certainly most WWE fans will be cheering against him at WrestleMania — but you have to respect how committed he’s been to this whole angle.

(Yes, there’s a cynical aspect to it to since he’s on the TKO board now, so of course he wants the company to do well, but still.)

Anyway, we’re anxious to see what he’s got up his sleeveless vest again tonight, so let’s fire this up and see what we’ve got.

WWE SmackDown results from Memphis:

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

  • The broadcast begins with a recap of the challenge The Rock and Roman Reigns made to Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, which of course was accepted for night 1 of WrestleMania
  • The Rock Concert is back, to the delight of the Memphis fans, but The Rock also has pointed messages for Cody and Mama Rhodes
  • Legado Del Fantasma (Angel and Berto) def. LWO (Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinfall in a WrestleMania Qualifying Match
  • Kayla Braxton talks to LA Knight, who dares AJ Styles to come out and humble him, finding it curious that Styles would fly all the way to Australia but wouldn’t drive to Memphis; he challenges Styles to a match at WrestleMania, at which point AJ finally appears, attacking LA from behind with a steel chair before accepting the challenge

  • Logan Paul asks Nick Aldis what the repercussions will be for Randy Orton messing with him last week, but the GM suggests Paul request an apology from Orton in person; Paul also insults Aldis by saying he can’t expect Nick to do his job when he can’t even find Logan a WrestleMania opponent
  • Jimmy Uso is asked about the challenge made to him by Jey Uso, and he says “YEET” to it, which sounds like he accepts to us

  • Randy Orton def. Grayson Waller by pinfall, after which Kevin Owens helps fight off Austin Theory and Paul; Aldis also arrives with some news: at WrestleMania, Paul will defend his United States Championship against both Owens and Orton in a Triple Threat match
  • Dakota Kai says everything Bayley is going through is her own fault and warns the “chicks” in the locker room that Damage CTRL runs the show
  • Santos Escobar def. Dragon Lee by pinfall; after the match, Carlito tries to fight all of Legado Del Fantasma by himself, but he soon has more help in the form of Rey Mysterio, who challenges Escobar to a match next week
  • New Catch Republic def. Pretty Deadly by pinfall in a WrestleMania Qualifying Match
  • Bayley de. Dakota Kai by DQ after interference from Damage CTRL, and not even Naomi is enough to help fight off a show-closing beatdown of the Role Model

The Rock Concert is back like it never left, and The Rock addresses Cody’s mom

Walking out to a bit of a remix between his current and old themes, The Rock also gets a mixed reaction from the fans that sounds like more cheers than boos. He says he usually scorches every city he’s in, but this city is different … because his wrestling career began in Memphis.

He even mentions the Flex Kavana moniker he used before saying that The Rock has come back home. Since it’s the home of the blues and Elvis, The Rock wants to sing a song. And hey, he’s got legitimate musicians backing him this time!

Of course, his song starts in on Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Ja Morant catches a stray as well, and then the final verse zeroes in on the Cody Crybabies.

Lest we think that’s all The Rock is going to do, he’s not done with Cody even once his Rock Concert is complete. He mocks Rhodes for crying on Raw and says he wants to talk to Cody’s mom.

The Rock addresses her directly, saying he’s going to make her and her son pay. How? By beating Cody with a belt and then handing her the bloody belt, apparently. If you smell what The Final Boss is cooking.

Grayson Waller is sacrificed to Randy Orton in front of Logan Paul, who gets some bad WrestleMania news

Before the action even gets going, Logan Paul’s music hits and the United States Champion makes his way down the ramp. He settles in with the announcers to get a closer look at this one, still griping (and finding sympathy from Wade Barrett) about not having a WrestleMania match.

It’s interesting that the announce team framed Waller as Austin Theory’s mentor since Austin made the main roster first and has won titles. Both men seem pretty happy as Orton ends up sprawled over the announce table before a commercial break.

The crowd is really into Orton’s offense, then disappointed when Theory pulls Waller away from certain doom. Theory, ever the good sport these days, takes the vintage Orton DDT, and Waller takes the RKO that ends it.

After the bell, however, Theory attacks Orton, allowing Paul to mock the Viper. But before he can deliver a right hand, Kevin Owens comes rushing to the rescue, quickly driving away the heels.

Orton nearly RKOs Owens by accident, but Theory ends up taking both a stunner and an RKO. That brings out Nick Aldis, who says he’s figured out Logan’s WrestleMania opponents, as in plural.

It’ll be Paul vs. Owens vs. Orton for the United States Championship. Interesting.

Bayley wins by DQ but Damage CTRL proves its point

How great is it to see Kai back in there in earnest after so much time off? And what’s up with the “whoop that trick” chants? As Wade Barrett notes, Trick Williams must love that his catchphrase is so over.

The rest of Damage CTRL is at ringside, so that’s more than a little potential concern for Bayley. Kai tries for something, perhaps a superplex, but Bayley shoves her down and drops a flying elbow.

Dakota pulls off a sweet overhead kick, allowing Kairi Sane to get involved while Kai has the ref’s attention. Kai’s stiff kick is answered by a powerbomb, and now all of Damage CTRL is involved but the ref for some reason doesn’t call for the bell until IYO SKY hammers Bayley across the back.

Someone will need to come to the rescue, and it turns out to be Naomi. The problem is the numbers game is still against the heroes, and SKY delivers the Over the Moonsault to Bayley. Damage CTRL poses triumphantly over Bayley as the show goes off the air about two minutes early.

WWE SmackDown results 03/08/24: Cody, Seth accept Bloodline’s challenge, Cody slaps The Rock

A dramatic final confrontation was cut short by time, but not before Cody Rhodes had enough of The Rock on WWE SmackDown.

Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins aren’t usually on WWE SmackDown. But they’re needed in Dallas tonight to solidify an important part of the WrestleMania picture.

As you may have heard, The Rock turned down Rhodes’ request for a singles match last week on this very show. But being the businessman that he is, he made a counteroffer, albeit it one that he and Roman Reigns made it clear that they expected an answer to in seven days’ time.

That sounds like something from an old timey movie, but we digress.

Since this is WrestleMania SZN pacing we’re talking about here, Rhodes and Seth Rollins took Monday on Raw to deliberate. The deal is this: a tag team match on night 1 of Mania pitting Rhodes and Rollins against Rock and Reigns. If the former team wins, Rhodes vs. Reigns on night 2 will be blissfully free of Bloodline interference, allowing Cody the chance to “this time we mean it” finish his story solo.

If they lose, then it’s all Bloodline, all the time during the rematch, with The Rock pretty much guaranteeing he’d interfere himself.

That sounds like it’s a no-brainer, as in they should take him up on the offer just to give Rhodes the best chance. But that’s also asking a lot from Seth, who has his own match against Drew McIntyre to consider.

Anyway, we should probably get an answer tonight, though The Rock also said he’ll be on SmackDown next week, so it could possibly get dragged out another seven days. There’s other fun stuff in store too, including an appearance from Logan Paul, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens taking on Grayson Waller and Austin Theory (and those two things might overlap, just saying) and Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross.

Let’s find out what this night has in store.

WWE SmackDown results from Dallas:

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

  • The cold open recaps The Rock and Roman Reigns’ counteroffer and the threat to “end your story tragically” if they don’t accept
  • The Rock is shown getting out of a pickup truck and putting on a cowboy hat about two hours before the show, while Roman Reigns looks and laughs at the extra security following him at the behest of GM Nick Aldis; Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are also here
  • Logan Paul unveils some Prime sponsorship with KSI, who ends up on the wrong side of a Randy Orton RKO
  • Triple H shows off the Red Diamond Award WWE received from YouTube for having 100 million subscribers
  • Randy Orton and Kevin Owens def. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller by pinfall, but both men are attacked by Paul after the bell and narrowly escape a brass knuckles attack
  • Kayla Braxton talks to Bayley about Dakota Kai becoming the final member of Damage CTRL to turn on her, questioning if any of her time with the group was ever what it seemed; while Bayley admits that she’s done plenty of stuff for attention, she says much of it was done for the benefit of IYO SKY and Kai, and she also says they are underestimating her ability and drive to break them
  • Bianca Belair and Naomi disagree about whether Bayley is someone to feel sorry for
  • A ton of security is shown posted up outside the Bloodline dressing room
  • Bobby Lashley def. Karrion Kross by DQ after an attack by the Authors of Pain that soon draws in the Street Profits and B-Fab; The Final Testament wins the brawl and Lashley is flattened by The Final Prayer
  • Legado Del Fantasma mocks Dragon Lee and tries to bully him as well
  • Tiffany Stratton def. Michin by pinfall
  • AJ Styles cuts a taped promo laying out his issues with LA Knight (yeah!), who reacts angrily backstage
  • Tyler Bate is busy playing WWE 2K24 but Pete Dunne looks unenthused, though he changes his mind and takes over the sticks once Bate leaves to check on the tag team title situation with Aldis
  • Dragon Lee def. Angel by pinfall, but he takes a brief but hellacious beatdown by Legado Del Fantasma after the bell
  • Damage CTRL mocks Bayley and says they’ll see her in the ring next wee
  • Aldis is ticked at security when they find the locker room for Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins empty
  • What will Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins tell The Bloodline? Well they accept the challenge, and Cody slaps The Rock right as the show goes off the air

Logan Paul is thinking Prime, while Randy Orton just sees a prime opportunity for payback

Addressing the crowd, Paul calls Dallas a city of firsts. He wrestled in his first WrestleMania there and also vows he’ll make more history there tonight.

Working right through the “what?” chants, Paul says everything he touches turns to gold and no one can garner attention like he does. Logan says he’s not talking about his podcast or even his wrestling matches, but WWE. He claims a lot of credit for helping the company to its recent string of huge successes, calling himself the “secret sauce.”

Paul makes a pun about prime and unveils the Prime energy drink logo, which he says will be center ring starting at WrestleMania for all premium live events. He summons his partner KSI to the ring and they prepare to pose for a pic.

Something needs to interrupt, and in this case that something is Randy Orton’s music. Paul senses the Viper coming but KSI is not so lucky, receiving an RKO that is very popular with the fans, especially after Orton drags his body across the Prime logo.

After taking a sip of the Prime KSI was carrying and declaring it “very good,” Orton pours it on his crotch so it looks like he wet himself. As one does.

Randy Orton and Kevin Owens team well together but have to watch out for Logan Paul

The announcers put over Theory and Waller, and particularly Theory, as a threat to our heroes. Waller doesn’t seem to want any part of Orton, which only makes KO want to tag him in more.

Orton backs Waller into the corner and wails away as the crowd counts along with his right hands. He saves one for Theory too, knocking the former U.S. champ off the apron.

The heels try a two-man assault, but Owens tags back in and goes to work on Theory. A rolling dropkick makes for a good rally by Theory, and Waller lands a cheap shot on Owens so the bad guys are looking good for the commercial break.

Owens is badly in need of a tag, having worked during the entire time away. Waller mocks Orton’s theatrics prior to the RKO but immediately thinks better of it when Orton tags in and unleashes clotheslines and his snap powerslam.

Waller looks like he’s in trouble on the apron but is saved by Theory. KO get laid our by the barricade but Waller is too close to the ring and pulled in by Orton for the draping DDT.

The crowd erupts as the Viper coils, but Orton is rolled up when distracted by Theory. It’s a kickout at two, of course, but the heels now have Orton two on one … though for only a moment. KO comes back fighting with a Stunner for Waller, and Theory eats an RKO that ends this one.

While the good guys are celebrating, Paul attacks both of them from behind, pulling out the brass knux and zeroing in on Orton. Randy sees him coming, kicks Logan in the stomach and puts on the knux, but Paul ducks out of the ring and almost causes Orton to clock Owens.

Bobby Lashley wins his match against Karrion Kross but hardly feels like a winner afterward

This should be a straight ahead slugfest, to say the least. Scarlett enjoys Kross’ early success, but Lashley hits a big suplex to swing the momentum in his favor.

The All Mighty pursues Kross to the floor, but Scarlett puts herself in the line of fire to prevent Lashley from swinging her man into the post. Karrion takes advantage with several hard shots prior to a commercial break.

Kross is still bossing the action when the broadcast returns, hurling Lashley around in impressive fashion. But Lashley battles back when they return to the floor, and there’s nothing Scarlett can do this time.

Lashley wants the Hurt Lock but is hurled away toward a corner, and Kross’ Death Valley Driver earns him a near fall. As Lashley fights back, the Authors of Pain enter the battle, and even though the ref has called for the bell, the Street Profits run down to even the odds.

Just as Lashley looks like he might get the Hurt Lock applied, Scarlett interrupts, only to be violently interrupted by B-Fab. The two women chase each other to the back while the men continue to brawl in the ring, but The Final Testament prevails, and Kross smashes Lashley down with The Final Prayer.

Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins accept the challenge, and Cody slaps The Rock

Roman Reigns heads to the ring, flanked as always by Paul Heyman, Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso. The announcers remind us that Reigns will face Rhodes again in the main event on night 2, as if we can ever forget.

The Rock has an amazing new entrance video with a lightning theme now as well.

The Rock says greatness stands before you now and hands the mic to Reigns, who says “acknowledge us.” Someone who might not is Cody Rhodes, who comes down through the crowd instead of from the stage. Seth Rollins is with him as well, but we cut to commercial.

After the break, everyone leaves the ring but the four most important players in this drama. Rhodes says it’s a little tense but he feels very lucky to be standing in the ring and thinks the four of them should take a moment to feel this.

Cody says he understands the tag team challenge but teases The Rock by questioning whether he has the authority after acknowledging Reigns as his Tribal Chief. He’s about to give their answer when The Rock angrily interrupts, explaining it’s what family does.

The Rock reiterates the stakes, which everyone already knows. A “diarrhea” chant breaks out after Rollins made it a thing on Raw, which he loves. So much that he has the balls to remind The Rock that they already knows the stakes and he passionately says they accept.

Reigns starts laughing at Rhodes, wondering why he’d let Rollins answer for him. Roman says when he wins on WrestleMania Sunday, it’s over for Cody, his story is over.

The Rock reminds both our heroes he’s technically their boss, clarifying that if Rhodes doesn’t win, he’ll never get a shot at this championship again. He starts talking about Cody’s siblings and calls Cody “a mistake,: which earns him an angry slap in return, just as the show goes off the air.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2024: Breaking down the biggest takeaways from Australia

Elimination Chamber set a couple of intriguing ideas in motion in Perth.

For the most part, this year’s Elimination Chamber was as predictable as we all expected.

Rhea Ripley retained her WWE Women’s World Championship after a borderline great main event match against Nia Jax, Becky Lynch was the last person standing in the women’s Elimination Chamber to earn the right to challenge Ripley’s title at WrestleMania, and Drew McIntyre outlasted five others to win the men’s Elimination Chamber and punch his ticket to the biggest show of the year, where he will challenge Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

So nothing to see here, right?

No, actually, as there were two other happenings on the show that left me intrigued.

Cody Rhodes challenges The Rock to a one-on-one match

Although all indications have been pointing toward Rhodes and Rollins facing The Rock and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns to some sort of tag team match in the future (possibly at WrestleMania), judging by what happened during “The Grayson Waller Effect,” I’m not quite as sure.

As I predicted, a challenge was laid, but it wasn’t for a tag team match. Instead, it was Rhodes challenging The Rock to a one-on-one match. Rollins, who revealed that he was merely days away from being medically cleared, was there to lend his moral support, but nothing more. Rhodes did not put a date on his challenge, saying that he wants The Rock anytime, anywhere.

Will we actually get a one-on-one match between Rhodes and The Rock? I guess we can’t totally rule it out. My best guess is that the tag team match is still happening sooner rather than later and an encounter between Rhodes and The Rock is something WWE could visit at any time down the road.

Is this slightly confusing? Yes. I’m still not totally sure what to make of it. But again, this is intriguing. I am interested in seeing what happens. Rhodes laid the challenge, which means The Rock has to eventually respond. I anxiously await it.

What is Logan Paul doing at WrestleMania?

Logan Paul has made his share of enemies as a controversial internet influencer, and that has carried over, in storyline at least, to the WWE locker room.

He’s obviously got Kevin Owens as a sworn enemy after their encounter at the Royal Rumble, and that was on full display Saturday in Perth.

But Paul created a new enemy Saturday in the form of Randy Orton, who was seemingly poised to win the men’s Elimination Chamber after eliminating Paul. But before Orton could seal the victory, Paul sucker punched him with brass knuckles, knocking Orton out cold and paving an easy path to victory for McIntyre.

I had been predicting for weeks that LA Knight should be the person to face Paul for the United States title at WrestleMania, but after AJ Styles attacked him during the Elimination Chamber, I feel like Knight will be occupied elsewhere.

Do we get Paul against Orton one-on-one? Is Owens inserted to make it a triple threat? Either way, it will be an interesting road getting there.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 results: Opportunistic Drew McIntyre wins a WrestleMania spot

AJ Styles, Logan Paul caused chaos that Drew McIntyre exploited at Elimination Chamber.

After the women rocked the house at Optus Stadium to kick off the show, the men get their chance to do the same. Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, Logan Paul and Randy Orton get to start in pods, so Drew McIntyre and LA Knight will have a chance to get reacquainted quickly. Knight stands on top of Orton’s pod before the bell rings, getting the fans to react even more.

Knight emerges from the opening exchange with a suplex and an elbowdrop, but he’s only able to get a one count. McIntyre fires back with an overhead throw and cracks a smirk as the fans chant “CM Punk” at him. Drew mocks Punk and looks for the Go To Sleep, but Knight counters with knees to the back and sends the Scottish Warrior to the outside, forcefully.

Paul gets to watch up close as Knight smashes McIntyre’s head into his pod repeatedly. Same for KO over at his pod. Not for long for him, as he is the first wrestler released and eagerly joins the fray. Owens chokeslams Knight and follows with a senton for a two count.

McIntyre starts in on Owens and they brawl to one corner. KO gets the best of that battle, eventually hitting a frog splash and earning a near fall. Owens also does a cool spot that’s a Codebreaker to McIntyre and a simultaneous senton to Knight.

Owens and Knight finally agree to work together to fight McIntyre, but Drew escapes their double superplex attempt and hits a cross body on both of them. Lashley makes a beeline for McIntyre as well when his cell opens and has a decent amount of success.

A kick to the gut and a belly-to-belly throw allow Drew to fight back. But he can’t pull off the Future Shock and is sent outside the ring, where Lashley eagerly uses the cage as a weapon.

A loud Glasgow Kiss smacks Lashley backward, but the All Mighty comes right back with a uranage of sorts for a two count. Knight nearly gets pinned by inadvertent double team offense by Owens and Lashley.

Orton finally gets his chance to enter the match, and he immediately runs through some trademark offense on Owens. Then it’s Lashley’s turn to go corner to corner on multiple opponents. He spears the heck out of Knight, who avoids a pin by rolling out of the ring.

Knight DDTs McIntyre on the platform outside the ring, leaving pretty much everyone down. Orton is selling damage to his lower back on just about every move.

The timer expires for Paul, but Owens joins him in the pod and they battle in the proverbial phonebooth before Logan is painfully driven through the pod. Paul finally lures KO into trouble out by the cage, but a huge short arm clothesline puts a stop to that, and Lashley spearing him through a pod sure doesn’t help either.

Alas, just as the fans are thanking him, Lashley turns into a Claymore from McIntyre. Another Claymore follows in the ring, and we finally have someone out. Bobby Lashley is eliminated.

Knight pulls off a nice superplex on McIntyre and the Blunt Force Trauma on Orton … but then he gets attacked by a chair-wielding AJ Styles. He also hits a Styles Clash on the chair before refs can get him out of there, and McIntyre takes advantage by covering LA for three. LA Knight is eliminated.

Owens is handing out cannonballs, plus a swanton on Orton that gets a near fall. He tries one on McIntyre too but catches Drew’s knees to the back, and everyone is slow to rise.

Owens is in the line of a Claymore but counters with a Popup Powerbomb, then hits a stunner on Paul. Unfortunately, he is nailed by an RKO, and that’s it for him. Kevin Owens is eliminated.

Orton and McIntyre slug it out until a powerslam catches Drew coming in. Paul tries to join in but gets crotched on the top rope and eats a series of right hands. McIntyre arrives and hammers Orton’s back again. A Glasgow Kiss and a neckbreaker have McIntyre in position to kip up, but Paul comes soaring out of nowhere with a high cross body.

Paul goes in his waistband and produces the brass knux, perfectly legal in this setting. But he spends too much time psyching himself up and is hit by an RKO, and he isn’t getting up from that. Logan Paul is eliminated.

The vintage Orton DDT is the first big move between the final two men. He coils to strike, but McIntyre is ready and delivers a spinebuster. McIntyre wants a Claymore but sees Orton collapse face down on the mat. He has enough left to hit an RKO, but then he gets smashed by Paul and the brass knux. McIntyre covers and hears the three to send him to WrestleMania. Randy Orton is eliminated, and Drew McIntyre wins.

[lawrence-related id=45879]

How to watch WWE Elimination Chamber 2024: Live stream US, international

A look at how to watch the WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 premium live event from Perth, Australia.

On Saturday, Feb. 24, WWE will present Elimination Chamber as the last premium live event before WrestleMania 40. The show will emanate from Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, featuring matches with implications for WWE’s biggest show of the year.

The Elimination Chamber event will include matches for both men and women, offering the opportunity to earn a title bout at WrestleMania 40. While championship matches will also grace the show, these bouts inside the steel structure are the selling points.

Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Naomi and Tiffany Stratton will complete in the women’s Elimination Chamber match. Morgan and Rodriguez recently returned from injuries, Naomi came back to WWE from a long TNA stint, and Stratton received a main roster call-up after Royal Rumble, loading this match with fresh faces.

However, Lynch likely enters the Elimination Chamber as the favorite to win after her laundry list of interactions with Rhea Ripley, the Women’s World Champion, this past year. A match between them offers ample star power that’s also worthy of the WrestleMania main event, so will WWE make this match official on Saturday?

Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, LA Knight, Logan Paul and Kevin Owens will fight in the men’s Elimination Chamber match, with the winner facing Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. The lineup features stars with credentials worthy of headlining a marquee show, but which one walks out of Perth with the ultimate title opportunity?

These matches will grace Elimination Chamber, which has a special start time. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the action this weekend.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2024

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024
  • Location: Optus Stadium, Perth, Australia
  • Start time: 5:00 a.m. ET/2:00 a.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world

[lawrence-related id=45207]

WWE SmackDown results 02/16/24: The Rock officially joins The Bloodline

The Elimination Chamber fields are set except for one women’s spot after WWE SmackDown in Salt Lake City.

Haven’t been watching WWE long enough to remember the Two-Man Power Trip? No worries, because The Rock and Roman Reigns are doing their best to update the concept for the 2020s, which we’ll see again tonight on WWE SmackDown from Salt Lake City.

It’s been a little more than a week since the WrestleMania XL Kickoff in Las Vegas shook up the landscape along the Road to WrestleMania. It wasn’t just that Cody Rhodes stepped up and challenged Reigns again, bumping The Rock out of the way.

The more surprising development was that The Great One sided with the Tribal Chief, potentially adding one of the most famed champions in WWE history to The Bloodline. That’s pretty much a complete 180 from when it looked like those two men would be doing battle in the main event in Philly.

WWE wants us to think tonight’s show will answer the big unanswered question after Rhodes shuffled everything, which is what role The Rock will play at WrestleMania 40. Since Rhodes and Seth Rollins are on Raw, we probably won’t get a definitive answer tonight, but we should at least find out if things are leaning toward a tag team match, perhaps on night 1.

The other big thing that will happen in Salt Lake City will be finding several more competitors for the Elimination Chamber matches set for eight days from now in Perth, Australia. Two men and two women will join those bouts after tonight’s qualifiers, which will finish off the men’s field and leave just one spot left for the women.

That means it should be a fast-moving show and an eventful two hours. Off we go to find out.

WWE SmackDown results from Salt Lake City:

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

  • A big Ford pickup truck pulls up to the arena earlier tonight, and out hops The Rock
  • Dominik Mysterio get some mic time ahead of his qualifier, but you know that just means the fans get to boo the crap out of him
  • Kevin Owens def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • Drew McIntyre says everyone wants to win the Chamber match, but he’s the only one who needs to win it, for himself and all of WWE; LA Knight arrives to throw some water on that idea as only he can, and they eventually need to be separated
  • Earlier today, The Bloodline arrives, and Roman Reigns tells Jimmy Uso they’re going to fix everything Cody messed up
  • Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate are feeling good ahead of their tag team title shot at Elimination Chamber; when an angry Mysterio dismisses their chances as he passes by, they challenge him and R-Truth to a match, but he responds that Truth isn’t part of The Judgment Day and they should know that
  • Tiffany Stratton def. Zelina Vega by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match; a slight distraction by Elektra Lopez furthers the LWO-Legado Del Fantasma beef too
  • Things get heated in the locker room between Karl Anderson and AJ Styles, so any hopes of The O.C. getting back on the same page appears dead for right now
  • IYO SKY delivers a taunting message for Bayley, and, alongside Asuka and Kairi Sane, says no one is ready for Damage CTRL
  • Authors of Pain def. Javier Bernal and Beau Morris by pinfall in a quick squash match
  • Byron Saxton gets a word with Logan Paul, who says everyone should be thankful for seeing his first live match on SmackDown and also says he’ll win tonight, at Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania to become a double champ
  • Logan Paul def. The Miz by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • Stratton is making no friends backstage, annoying Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, and eventually, Jade Cargill
  • Paul Heyman is shown speaking with Grayson Waller outside the Bloodline dressing room
  • Naomi def. Alba Fyre by submission in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • Dakota Kai approaches Bayley, but the Role Model still isn’t sure who she can trust and doesn’t want to discuss it right now
  • Aldis says one of the free agents he’s been talking to is no longer a free agent: Bron Breakker has signed to be on SmackDown
  • Roman Reigns and The Rock are in your city, and The Rock is in The Bloodline now

[lawrence-related id=45594]

Kevin Owens is in Elimination Chamber, and that’s the (R-)truth

Dom gets an early taste of KO’s power and doesn’t like it. He fires back with an athletic combo that ends with a dropkick, but Owens sends him out to the floor. Dom manages to walk away to avoid any chance of a dive to the floor, but he eats a right hand while avoiding the steel steps.

KO turns and gets a surprise in the form of R-Truth, and his sudden appearance gives the momentum back to Mysterio, who quickly earns a near fall.

After commercials it’s still Dom on the attack, with Truth looking concerned for … Owens, we guess? The crowd comes alive as KO rallies by simply punching and stomping the heck out of Mysterio until he ends up on the outside. A lariat sets up a running senton, and back into the ring they go.

Truth calls for a Cannonball, which KO delivers after a crotch chop. There’s a frog splash, but Dirty Dom digs deep to kick out.

Mysterio counters a Popup Powerbomb with a facebuster (sort of) and a near fall. Dom wants Three Amigos but ends up getting outdone by his opponent. Mysterio counters the final suplex with a DDT for two.

Shortly after, KO finds the mark with a Swanton Bomb, but Mysterio is able to kick out yet again. Dom responds with a 619, which still isn’t enough to win it. Mysterio tells Truth to get a chair, even telling him he’s in The Judgment Day if he does it.

Truth grabs a chair from the timekeeper’s area … but sits in it instead of handing it over.

Owens delivers a superkick and a Popup Powerbomb, and that’s the end of that.

Logan Paul’s double champ plan continues with a victory over The Miz

The announcers put over how hard it is to believe that this is Paul’s first match on SmackDown, and it is a little wild. He and Miz know each other well, of course, having worked together when Paul was first breaking into WWE.

Paul isn’t quite on target with a standing moonsault, showing a little of his inexperience, as Nick Aldis is shown watching the action from a luxury box with Jade Cargill and Bron Breakker, among others.

Miz’s strikes back Paul into a corner, where the It Kicks draw applause from the fans. His corner attack is on target as well, but Paul has some fight left and sends Miz hard into the ringpost. A jumping clothesline sets up a splash on the apron before a commercial break.

Miz is feeling his second wind after that, with a Hart Attack to send Paul to the canvas. A flatliner follows, and the A-Lister covers for a two count.

Double knees in the corner don’t finish Paul either, so Miz keeps working over the right knee that Logan has been selling from early in the bout. Paul isn’t finished, though, hitting Miz with his own finisher and earning a near fall.

This one still isn’t out of gas, as they fight to the floor and Paul gets brass knux from his buddy again. Miz rushes in and clobbers him, angrily taking the weapon for himself. But Paul is able to take advantage of the brief moment of confusion, dragging Miz back into the ring for an inverted Skull Crushing Finale and a victory to secure a spot in Elimination Chamber.

Roman Reigns welcomes The Rock to The Bloodline

With all of The Bloodline beside him, Reigns heads to the ring for some acknowledgement. He lets the crowd reaction soak in for some time before he even says a word.

“Can I be honest with all of you?” Reigns finally says. The Tribal Chief calls the people of Utah idiots, at least collectively. He doesn’t want them to mess up the “greatest night ever in WWE,” to which they immediately chime in with “Cody” chants.

The occasion, however, is that tonight is the first night we can say The Rock is a member of The Bloodline. That brings out The People’s Champ himself, to a very loud and somewhat mixed reaction. But we’ll have to wait through commercials to see what he says.

The Rock tells the fans they’ve broken a Utah state indoor attendance record … for the biggest group of trailer park trash The Rock has ever seen. He says they’ll all have a story to tell about looking greatness in the face.

This side of The Rock has been there all along, even if we haven’t seen it in years. He blames the people for having the biggest WrestleMania event in years in their hands and flushing it down the toilet by pining for Cody having the chance to finish his story.

But what is Cody’s story? After all, Reigns beat Rhodes last year at WrestleMania. Should he get a rematch? The Rock talks about teams from real sports who get to the championship game, lose and move on. But the fans here don’t understand that because they’re “spoiled, entitled, little crybaby bitches.”

The Rock says he’ll do anything to ensure Rhodes leaves a loser like he is now … if you smell what The Bloodline is cooking.

WWE SmackDown preview 02/16/24: Are Roman Reigns, The Rock the Tribal Chiefs?

Four more spots in the Elimination Chamber matches will be decided tonight on WWE SmackDown as well.

As “Robot Chicken” used to say when mocking M. Night Shyamalan, what a twist! Just when it looked like The Rock was going to muscle in on the WrestleMania main event against Roman Reigns, the WrestleMania XL Kickoff event changed everything. Tonight’s WWE SmackDown from Salt Lake City will still be dealing with the consequences of that night in Las Vegas in a very real way.

Can we call Roman Reigns and The Rock the Tribal Chiefs?

Is there room for more than one chair at the Head of the Table? It’s a question worth asking because it appears that The Rock and Reigns are rolling together — possibly all the way to WrestleMania. If that’s the case, The Bloodline just gained a powerful ally, and The Rock is a better sport about those boos he’s been getting than some people thought.

The question is what kind of havoc they’ll wreak in Salt Lake City and whether anyone dares stand up to them since Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are on Raw.

Will Logan Paul and Kevin Owens meet up again in the Elimination Chamber?

Logan Paul would almost certainly like to leave Kevin Owens in the past, but he’s finding that’s easier said than done. Both men have a chance to make it to the Men’s Elimination Chamber in Perth, assuming they can get by The Miz (for Paul) and Dominik Mysterio (KO).

It’s hard to imagine this program derailing, so expect both men to win. Unless, of course, they cost each other their respective matches, which would just deepen the animosity between them.

Which women will join the star-studded Elimination Chamber match in Australia?

The Women’s Elimination Chamber field is ridiculously stacked with former champions, but there are still three spots left. Two will be filled by matches in Salt Lake City, though an injury to Shotzi earlier this week caused some tinkering to the card.

Tiffany Stratton will face Zelina Vega in one qualifier, while Naomi faces off with Alba Fyre. A Naomi victory will add yet another former champ to the Chamber, will Stratton seems likely to get called to a big stage very early in her main roster career. Tiffy Time, indeed.

We’ll be recapping the action as it happens tonight starting at 8 p.m., so be sure to join us back here at Wrestling Junkie for the latest WWE SmackDown results and updates from Salt Lake City.

[lawrence-related id=45563]

WWE SmackDown results 02/09/24: Triple H lays down the law, McIntyre, Orton win Chamber spots

WWE SmackDown confirmed that the Elimination Chamber winner will face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania.

Sometimes it’s been a whole week since we have something important to discuss going into a new episode of WWE SmackDown. Other times it’s been just the four days since Raw. And every once in a blue moon, like for tonight’s edition from Charlotte, it’s been just 24 hours.

The WrestleMania XL Kickoff event (which didn’t really turn out to be a press conference) was … kind of bats–t crazy, no? WWE pivoted from The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania to Cody Rhodes vs. Roman, but not without some entertaining, confusing and even awkward (The Rock’s family tree reveal) moments along the way.

Here’s what we know for now: Thanks to Triple H taking to social media afterward, necessary because the end of the show itself didn’t make it clear, we know Cody vs. Roman is official for Philadelphia. That still leaves The Rock, now apparently rolling with The Bloodline, without a defined role at the Showcase of the Immortals.

The same is true for Seth Rollins, who was something of a bystander Thursday night and was in turns amused and furious (which honestly could have summed up the reactions of some fans as well). And Drew McIntyre is still lurking on the outside of this whole picture, making amazing memes and social media posts.

Amidst all this is tonight’s SmackDown, which doesn’t figure to feature any of the the most important players in this drama. Rock and Reigns are still out on the town together for all we know, and Rollins and Rhodes are on Raw. But Triple H is scheduled to appear in Charlotte, and perhaps he’ll lay out more of a map to this whole situation.

Or maybe not. There should be some good wrestling as well, including a tag team title contenders match. Off we go.

WWE SmackDown results from Charlotte:

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

  • As you might expect, the show begins with a highlight package from WrestleMania XL Kickoff in Las Vegas
  • Triple H addresses Kickoff confusion, and the GMs tell us about the Elimination Chamber qualifiers
  • Drew McIntyre cuts a promo before his qualifying match, taking some credit for “saving WrestleMania” and saying he’ll save the world title too
  • Drew McIntyre def. AJ Styles in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match, getting some accidental help from LA Knight in the process
  • Kayla Braxton talks to Sami Zayn about his qualifier against Randy Orton, and he correctly says he can’t worry about his WrestleMania window closing, and if he has any path, he’ll take it
  • NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney paid a visit to the arena earlier today
  • Pretty Deadly are still mad at Pete Dunne but not enough to stop them from a healthy “Yes Boy!”
  • Bianca Belair def. Michin by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • Bron Breakker asks Triple H for advice on which brand he should join, but The Game is less excited to see Paul Heyman, who says he’ll be back next week with Roman Reigns … and The Rock
  • Bayley discusses the end of Damage CTRL with Dakota Kai, who apparently chooses friendship with Bayley over IYO SKY and the Kabuki Warriors
  • Randy Orton talks about missing WrestleMania last year and how it taught him patience, but now he’ll have to go through the Elimination Chamber to make the big show
  • Bobby Lashley, the Street Profits and B-Fab are ready for Lashley to beat Bronson Reed Monday to make the Elimination Chamber
  • Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate def. #DIY by pinfall, earning a shot at The Judgment Day’s tag team titles at Elimination Chamber
  • Dominik Mysterio brags about how The Judgment Day will keep rolling, and he isn’t worried about his Elimination Chamber qualifying opponent … until he finds out it’s Kevin Owens; R-Truth also shows up and confuses KO for The Miz as the fans chant for Truth
  • Logan Paul is upset that he has to go through an Elimination Chamber qualifier and even less happy when Aldis tells him his opponent will be The Miz
  • Randy Orton def. Sami Zayn by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • As the show ends, Drew McIntyre joins Orton in the ring for a staredown

Triple H makes it clear who’s calling the WrestleMania shots

Raw GM Adam Pearce and SmackDown GM Nick Aldis accompany the CCO to the ring, where the fans greet him with some hearty cheers. Also, there’s a big Rock head sign in the crowd like we were back in the Attitude Era.

Triple H says somewhere last night, we took a hard left turn and now the Road to WrestleMania is on fire. He wants to clear up one thing, he says before a pretty loud “Rocky sucks” chant breaks out.

Oh, now it’s a couple of things he wants to clear up. “Maybe some people don’t know their role,” he says, saying the answers come from only one person, and you’re looking at him.

Roman Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes. Hence the graphics, right?

Triple H says some people “back there” might be disappointed, but “it doesn’t matter if you don’t like that decision.” Shots at The Rock, indeed.

Aldis says the next order of business is to find a challenger for Seth Rollins, which will be done in the Elimination Chamber, and that begins with qualifying matches tonight. He hands things over to Pearce, who refers to a graphic showing all 12 men who will compete in said qualifiers: Randy Orton, Bronson Reed, Kevin Owens, Logan Paul, AJ Styles, The Miz, Bobby Lashley, Ivar, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn, Dominik Mysterio and LA Knight.

And those qualifying matches kick off right now.

LA Knight accidentally helps Drew McIntyre qualify for the Elimination Chamber

LA Knight joins the announcers for this match, much to the delight of Wade Barrett, who threatens to jump out of his underpants because of it. Really.

The Megastar has a great seat to see Drew catch AJ coming off the top rope and suplex him back overhead. Styles is back in wrestling trunks, though still black, instead of the work pants he’s been sporting as of late.

The Phenomenal One works on taking out his foe’s legs, which is smarter than standing toe to toe with him. That doesn’t save him from being hurled into the timekeeper’s area, alas.

After commercials, Styles is faring better, but that’s relative against the Scottish Warrior. AJ does do a nice job countering a White Noise attempt from the middle turnbuckle to hit a powerbomb for a near fall.

McIntyre is selling damage to his knee but still lines up for a Claymore, which Styles ducks. AJ grabs the Calf Crusher but sees Drew crawl quickly to the ropes for a break.

A big right hand sends Styles from the top rope to the floor. He’s also launched over the announce table, barely missing Knight, who pours some water on AJ. Drew shoves the two men into each other, knocking the Megastar down.

Styles looks like he has McIntyre beaten with an inside cradle, but the ref is distracted by Knight on the apron. Of course, McIntyre benefits, as he connects on a Claymore to win it.

Bayley and Dakota Kai might still be OK

The fans cheer for Bayley as she enters the ring, which she says makes her feel better about coming out there. She says she’s been in denial about what happened with Damage CTRL and thought maybe some people thought she had it coming.

The group meant everything to her, with Bayley noting that she put it before herself many times, but the group just kept taking from her. The Role Model knows they were always talking about her behind her back, and she’s not stupid.

Out comes Dakota Kai, who says she didn’t know what was going down last week, and when Bayley expresses her skepticism, Kai claims she always agreed with what Bayley created. Kai says IYO SKY did too until the Kabuki Warriors arrived.

Bayley understandably wonders why Dakota didn’t say something, but Kai says she misses the days when it was only three of them. Dakota insists she was quiet because Bayley’s plan was working, and that the situation with Asuka and Kairi Sane would blow over, but it didn’t.

OK, so where does Dakota stand now? She doesn’t get to answer before SKY and the Kabuki Warriors head to the ring. Kai leaves to get a chair, looking like she might use it on Bayley before instead sending the other three running.

The fans want them to hug it out, but they just stand there anxiously instead, though Bayley cracks a smile at the end.

Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate get by #DIY, earn tag team title shot

Johnny Gargano and Bate smile at each other as they get off to an even start, and Dunne and Ciampa are roughly the same with less smiles. Dunne gets thrown into the announce table and Johnny takes flight to take out his partner as commercials arrive.

DIY has caught fire during the break, with Ciampa running side to side dishing out offense and nailing Bate with an inverted DDT for a near fall. All four men get into the flow, with Dunne getting dumped outside and the other three men all ending up down.

Bate lives up to his Big Strong Boy moniker by hoisting Gargano into a fireman’s carry while sending Gargano for a giant swing. Johnny ends up fighting one on two, but Ciampa returns just in time to nail Bate with a big knee. Project Ciampa is next, but Bate kicks out at two.

Neither Bate nor Ciampa flinch while trading blows, but Tyler ends up in the middle of the ring. Dunne pops back up to snap Ciampa’s fingers and Bate manages to hit DIY with a double clothesline.

Bate takes flight to the floor to take out Ciampa, leaving Dunne to hit the Bitter End on Gargano to win it.

Randy Orton punches his Elimination Chamber ticket by defeating Sami Zayn

Orton opens up with a shoulder tackle before grabbing a side headlock. Zayn sends him to the outside, then manages to acrobatically slam on the breaks when he sees the Viper walking away.

Orton cautiously returns to the ring, backing Zayn into the corner for some mounted punches. The two men go back and forth with more of the same until one final right hand sends Sami to the floor.

An Irish whip into the barricade manages to be just a setup for a Sami moonsault, but his next move is a suicide dive that his foe sees coming. They battle by the announce table, where Sami drops Randy hard on his back.

Zayn still has the upper hand after an ad break, connecting on a DDT for a two count. The announcers think Orton hasn’t looked the same since his table bump.

They fight to the middle rope for a huge superplex by Orton, and even he’s a bit slow to pop back up. Zayn tries to capitalize, backing him into the corner but getting nailed by clotheslines and driven down with a snap powerslam.

Orton wants the hanging DDT but gets chucked outside, where Zayn finds him with a suicide dive. This time, however, it’s Sami who get back dropped on the announce table.

An elevated DDT has Orton coiled, but Zayn nearly steals a win with a schoolboy, then gets another two count with a Blue Thunder Bomb. After getting whipped into the ropes, Orton manages to execute the RKO, and that is enough to win it.

WWE SmackDown results 02/02/24: Cody Rhodes won’t challenge Roman Reigns, but it looks like The Rock will

Neither Bayley nor Cody Rhodes made the obvious WrestleMania choice on SmackDown … and The Rock returned.

It should be an interesting night on WWE SmackDown from Birmingham, Ala. as the Road to WrestleMania gets a couple of big signposts placed down … but will they be the ones we’ve been expecting for so long?

The big attraction for tonight is that WWE says Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will be face to face. After Rhodes won the Men’s Royal Rumble match, most people figured it was a given that he’d ask for a rematch in Philadelphia against Reigns.

But the creative team at least wants us to think it might zig where we expect it to zag, what with Seth Rollins making his case for Rhodes to challenge for his World Heavyweight Championship instead on Raw. If the goal was to at least plant the seed of doubt that would lead to Rhodes vs. Rollins and The Rock vs. Roman, it worked.

Also, there are rumors that someone else is in Birmingham too, if you catch our drift. This whole situation could get very interesting before the night is through.

Interesting might actually be an understatement for the Damage CTRL saga on SmackDown. Bayley has also won the right to challenge for a championship, but would she really consider going after teammate IYO SKY because she’s too scared to challenge Rhea Ripley? Or might SKY force her hand somehow? We can’t wait to find out.

Buckle up and let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown results from Birmingham:

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

  • The Bloodline is shown entering the arena and heading for their dressing room before a Royal Rumble highlight package is shown
  • Logan Paul thinks he’s done with Kevin Owens but might be mistaken
  • Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory by pinfall after using brass knux that Paul tries to supply to Theory, the difference this time is that he doesn’t let the referee see it; Paul escapes into the crowd to avoid Owens after the match
  • Rhea Ripley is shown on her way into the arena, and we see a hype video for Naomi’s return at Royal Rumble; both Naomi and Tiffany Stratton have signed to SmackDown, and Stratton decides to show how unafraid she is of the existing roster by smacking Michin
  • Bianca Belair asks Nick Aldis what she has to do to take on IYO SKY once Bayley chooses Rhea, but she’s not happy when Paul crashes their conversation asking about a match
  • Santos Escobar is out to dinner with his new Legado Del Fantasma and says his heart is full, but also tells his team their duty is to eradicate Rey Mysterio and the LWO
  • Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate def. Pretty Deadly, Legado Del Fantasma (Angel and Humberto) and LWO (Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde); they’ll now face the winner of a similar Fatal Four-Way on Raw, and the winner of that match will get a tag team title shot at Elimination Chamber
  • IYO SKY, Asuka and Kairi Sane seem to be plotting against Bayley … but she’s overheard them
  • Another version of Seth Rollins’ plea to Cody Rhodes is played, presenting the big question: What kind of champion do you want to be?
  • Bayley makes her WrestleMania choice, but it appears she’s done with Damage CTRL
  • The Final Testament has a brief clash with Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits, who get help from B-Fab to neutralize Scarlett
  • Aldis is working on getting Bron Breakker to sign for SmackDown, but he’s willing to talk to Pearce on Monday first; Jade Cargill stops in to talk to Aldis as well
  • Tiffany Stratton def. Michin by pinfall
  • The Tribal Chief is here to hear from Cody Rhodes, who looks to be setting aside a WrestleMania challenge to make way for The Rock

Logan Paul learns Kevin Owens isn’t done with him yet

Addressing the boos that greet him, Paul says he doesn’t want to be there either, because “this place sucks.” He admits that he underestimated Kevin Owens, saying he did more damage to him than Floyd Mayweather.

Paul mocks the wrestlers who have suffered injuries, calling himself unbreakable. Mercifully, someone interrupts him, and that someone is KO. After saying Birmingham seems like a great place to him, Owens says he felt good knocking the Maverick around, so now he can focus on taking the title from Logan and getting it sanitized.

“You took the bait, dummy,” Paul laughs, bragging about outsmarting Owens and causing him to get DQed. KO isn’t ashamed about cheating during the match but is a little sheepish about getting caught. Nevertheless, he says he won’t need brass knux to beat Paul next time.

Paul says Owens won’t be getting another title shot and says KO should focus on his match with Austin Theory … which appear to be up next.

Bayley makes her WrestleMania choice as Damage CTRL implodes

Accompanied by Damage CTRL, Bayley makes her way to the ring where both Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce are waiting. The fans are chanting for her, so this would be a good place for a face turn if that’s what awaits.

Bayley says she’s done almost everything there is to do at WrestleMania, but this year is different and special. She says she didn’t get there on her own, support that she never had in any previous year, as Damage CTRL was always there to support her.

When she thinks about Mania, she thinks about moments and beating the best, which brings her to Rhea Ripley. Or she could fight a different fight. Sometimes, she says, it’s more personal and about proving doubters wrong. Sometimes it’s about proving the people you thought were your friends wrong.

Bayley says she picked up some Japanese from all the times IYO SKY, Asuka and Kairi Sane were talking about her behind her back. She grows emotionally asking what happened between them, but the Kabuki Warriors jump her from behind. It’s going badly for Bayley until she produces a metal pipe and has a standoff with SKY, who has her title belt to use as a weapon.

As SKY and the Kabuki Warriors retreat, Bayley says about that announcement … “IYO, I’ll see you at WrestleMania.”

Tiffany Stratton has the prettiest debut ever against Michin

Michin greets Stratton with a furious attack as soon as the bell rings, so this won’t be a walk in the park debut by any means. A gutwrench suplex tosses Stratton backward and is followed by a vertical suplex for a near fall.

Stratton is forced to the floor, where she’s able to trip Michin on the apron and declare it’s Tiffy Time before commercials slide in.

Stratton’s still in control after the break but pays for taking the time to talk smack and has to suffer through a Michin rally. Double knees to the face in the corner force Tiffany to get a boot on the bottom rope for a break.

Tiffany cartwheels into an Alabama Slam and gets a two count. Michin responds with a boot to the face, but Stratton rolls forward and hits the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to wrap up a successful debut.

Cody Rhodes won’t challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania … but The Rock might

With the GMs in the ring again to await Rhodes, Reigns and The Bloodline make their way down as well. The fans chant for “Cody” but Reigns wants to be acknowledged first. Roman says he doesn’t like to recap but can’t let go of what Seth Rollins said on Monday. Didn’t he beat everyone competing for the World Heavyweight Championship, after all?

Reigns goes on to mock Rollins for being injured a lot and working too often. he says he won’t beg Rhodes like “the other guy,” saying Cody can either be the best No. 2 in this industry or take another crack at being No. 1.

After a commercial break, Rhodes arrives to ask Birmingham and Rhodes what they want to talk about. If Roman will indulge him, Cody wonders if they can have the ring to themselves.

Cody says he talked to just about everyone this week, from friends to legends. Rhodes says he had Reigns closer to defeat than anyone, and he thinks Roman knows that. One thing he disagrees with Rollins about is that Reigns’ title is the “Hollywood” title, because it’s the same one his father once had in his hands only to be swiftly taken away.

What does finishing the story mean to Roman, Cody wonders? Is it taking the championship or taking everything from him? Cody says he’s coming for Reigns … but not at WrestleMania. After all, one of the people he’s sought council from knows Roman vey well: The Rock.

The Great One moves in close to Rhodes and whispers something in his ear, and the American Nightmare leaves the ring. The show ends with Rock and Roman staring each other down, and a banner promoting a press event for WrestleMania 40 Thursday in Las Vegas.

WWE SmackDown preview 02/02/24: Cody is going to pick Roman for WrestleMania … right?

Cody Rhodes and Bayley have important choices to make, likely tonight on WWE SmackDown.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/xkxPV40BEWEOVvrRAP8F/1706566871093_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0icGJ2eHF1Y3dncXllZXJreGl2aHZtNXRza2phdmFvY2ciIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMzMCI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

Will it be decision night on WWE SmackDown tonight in Birmingham? Some of the major players in decisions that will shape big WrestleMania matches will be in the house, so it appears so.

Is Cody Rhodes going to make it official and challenge Roman Reigns?

Give WWE and Seth Rollins credit: They made us ponder whether the main event picture at WrestleMania might take an unexpected turn after Rollins gave his passionate plea for Cody Rhodes to pick him for his championship opportunity in Philadelphia. The Royal Rumble winner was impressed with the message too, as he told the World Heavyweight Champion he’d think about it.

But perhaps not too long. The American Nightmare is going to be in Birmingham tonight, as is Roman Reigns. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Cody came out and made it seem like he was leaning toward challenging Seth, only for Reigns and The Bloodline to do something to put him back on his original track.

Will Bayley challenge her own teammate out of fear?

All this time, it appeared Damage CTRL was getting ready to betray Bayley. And perhaps they still will … except she’ll give them every reason to do so.

Bayley could have announced she was going to pick Rhea Ripley to challenge on Monday but chose not to, which perhaps was wise in the moment as an angry Nia Jax was beating down Ripley. Still, just leaving the possibility open that she’ll pick IYO SKY tonight is a bad look.

It’s just a little confusing since fans want to cheer Bayley, so maybe SKY launches a pre-emptive strike on SmackDown and Bayley challenges her out of spite. Regardless, it’s bound to be interesting.

What’s next for the Maverick and KO?

We’ll make this real simple: Feuds don’t usually end on a match where someone is disqualified. Kevin Owens got caught with the brass knux at Royal Rumble, but he managed to get in the last licks. Logan Paul isn’t likely to have forgiven or forgotten.

Might the two men have another match at Elimination Chamber, maybe even with a stipulation of some sort? Tonight should give us some hints in that direction if that’s the case.

WWE SmackDown is ready to light up Birmingham starting at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, so be sure to join us back here at Wrestling Junkie then if you need somewhere to follow along.

[lawrence-related id=44935]