Tag: Logan Paul

Jake Paul in WWE by SummerSlam? Why Corey Graves thinks it’s possible

Corey Graves pointed to SummerSlam in Cleveland and noted the ties that Logan and Jake Paul have to that city.

WWE fans have grown to appreciate — albeit grudgingly in some cases — the way Logan Paul has acclimated to pro wrestling so quickly. Could the same go for his younger brother Jake Paul? WWE commentator Corey Graves thinks so.

To date, Jake Paul’s only WWE appearances have come while supporting Logan, as he did at Crown Jewel in the fall of 2022. But Graves believes that not only will the social media star and boxer follow his sibling to WWE, he may even do it in the next few months.

Appearing on The Gunz Show podcast, Graves pointed out that Jake Paul is currently training for a high profile and mush discussed boxing match with Mike Tyson. But after that, he believes the 27-year-old could turn up by one of WWE’s biggest events of the year (h/t Fightful for the transcription).

If I’m being totally honest, I would start counting down the minutes before Jake shows up. I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon with the Tyson fight looming, but on a long enough timeline, we have to have the Paul brothers competing in the tag division at least once or twice. It just dawned on me that SummerSlam is in Cleveland this year. That’s where the Paul brothers hail from. I’m just saying. I don’t know anything, I’m just theorizing and putting it out into the universe. Maybe Jake Paul will be in WWE sooner rather than later.

The Cleveland connection is hard to ignore, as WWE (and pro wrestling companies in general, to be fair) has had tremendous success utilizing celebrities and stars from other sports in their hometown markets. SummerSlam would almost certainly be too early for Jake Paul to have a full-fledged match, but the idea of him doing something there that would start the ball rolling on a full-time role with the company doesn’t seem too far-fetched at all.

That’s good news for anyone curious to see if the Paul family lightning can strike twice, though it’s probably less thrilling for those who find Logan’s antics annoying. Still, given that Jake Paul also has a large existing fan base and knowing how well that worked out for his brother, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Graves is on point about him showing up before the end of the year.

[lawrence-related id=48818,48793,48785]

Logan Paul def. Randy Orton and Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 40: Best photos

Check out these photos from Logan Paul’s WrestleMania 40 victory over Randy Orton and Kevin Owens in Philadelphia.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Logan Paul[/autotag]’s victory over [autotag]Kevin Owens[/autotag] and [autotag]Randy Orton[/autotag] to retain the United States Title at WrestleMania 40, which took place April 7 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. (Photos by Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports, Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

WrestleMania 40 results: Logan Paul outfoxes KO, RKO for prime victory

The odds were against him, but Logan Paul retained his United States Championship at WrestleMania 40.

Always one to make an entrance, Logan Paul rides to the ring on a giant Prime bottle in the back of an enormous six-wheeled Prime truck. A Prime bottle mascot also bops down the ramp, and we’ll see if it’s once again KSI.

Sami Zayn greets Kevin Owens on the way out the curtain with a simple message: “Your turn now.” He walks out, sees the Prime truck, goes back and gets a “KO” golf cart and crotch chops the truck.

When Randy Orton is ready for his entrance, Owens backs up the cart and offers the Viper a ride. Randy can be seen telling KO to slow down as they fly down the ramp.

Paul is being chased by both challengers right off the bat, and he finds no refuge out on the floor. The Prime Hydration Station is in the line of fire as well, but when the fight returns to the ring, Paul pushed Owens into Orton and tries to get them to turn on each other.

Narrator: It does not work.

Alas, Orton sees a chance to go for an RKO on Owens and is sheepish when Owens fights it off. They discuss it briefly and decide to start throwing hands. Paul naturally takes advantage of the other two fighting and moves in to try to pick their bones, one at a time.

Owens gets both of the others into one corner, hitting a double cannonball. He tries for a Swanton but Paul gets his knees up.

Pau connects on his own Swanton, then rolls through to splash Orton for a near fall. Logan and Randy start trading uppercuts, with the champ getting the best of the exchange.

But Paul ends up getting tossed to the floor, leaving Orton free to powerslam KO. Paul wants a Buckshot, but his unsure footing allows Orton the time to powerslam him too.

Orton hits the vintage DDT on both of his foes, but they recover quickly for a sequence of counters, leading to a Codebreaker on Orton and senton on Paul that gives Owens a near fall. To the corner they go, with KO eventually hitting a moonsault on Paul for a two count.

Orton hits an RKO on Owens and it’s still not enough. Now it’s a right hand from Paul with the brass knux, and the Maverick is befuddled when Orton kicks out at 2.99. Owens tries to come back in and gets hit by two brass knux shots.

Picking Orton back up, Paul wants a big swing with the knux and eats an RKO instead. The Prime battle unmasks, but it’s not KSI this time, it’s IShowSpeed. Orton is unamused and kicks him, strips the bottle costume off him and RKOs him on the announce table.

The distraction did its job, though, as Paul sneaks up and runs Orton into the post. Owens has recovered as well, hitting Paul with a Popup Powerbomb and Orton with a Stunner, and he covers Randy for two.

Orton counters a Popup Powerbomb with an RKO, but he’s quickly thrown to the floor. Paul hits a frog splash and covers Orton, and that’s enough to finally finish things.

[lawrence-related id=48075]

WrestleMania 40 Night 2 results: Cody Rhodes gets the help he needs to defeat Roman Reigns

See how WrestleMania 40 came to its conclusion with all the results from Night 2.

When last we saw Cody Rhodes, he was looking glum. And why not? He and Seth Rollins had just lost the most significant tag team match in WrestleMania history, one that made the likelihood of Rhodes never hearing the phrase “finish the story” again that much more unlikely.

But that was Saturday and this is Sunday, and there’s still hope that Rhodes can regain control of his narrative in the main event of WrestleMania Night 2 in Philadelphia. He’ll have to overcome Roman Reigns despite the match being contested under Bloodline Rules, which means The Rock, fresh off scoring the pinfall on Night 1, is virtually guaranteed to get involved.

Fighting back will probably mean getting some help, whether it’s from the likes of Jey Uso and Sami Zayn or WWE legends who have a bone to pick with Reigns and The Rock. There’s also a chance Reigns may have an ace up his sleeve, but however it plays out, it should be wild and entertaining.

It might not be as enjoyable for Rollins, seeing as he has to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against a very locked in Drew McIntyre. Will the Scottish Warrior win the title he craves and be able to let the world know his way was the right way?

Another emotional high point should be the WWE Women’s Championship match between IYO SKY and Bayley. While fans are heavily invested in Cody’s journey, they’ve become quite attached to Bayley’s narrative as well. It’s hard to not relate to people you thought you could trust stabbing you in the back, and while that’s standard pro wrestling fare at this point, it’s become especially poignant in the case of Damage CTRL.

We’re ready with people in the press box at the Linc, in the crowd and watching at home, so let’s do this.

WrestleMania 40 Night 2 results from Philadelphia:

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

  • Damage CTRL and Bayley are shown entering the stadium earlier today
  • The War and Treaty sing “America the Beautiful” to kick things off
  • Stephanie McMahon is introduced, putting over the specialness of WrestleMania, touting the work of Triple H and generally getting the fans excited
  • Drew McIntyre def. Seth Rollins by pinfall to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, but …
  • … while McIntyre is mocking CM Punk on commentary, Punk removes his arm brace and smashes him with it; Damian Priest runs down, hits McIntyre with his briefcase and cashes in his MITB briefcase, then hits the South of Heaven and pins McIntyre to become the new World Heavyweight Champion
  • Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits def. The Final Testament by pinfall in a Six-Man Tag Team Philadelphia Street Fight, with Snoop Dogg on commentary and Bubba Ray Dudley as special guest referee
  • Logan Paul is shown doing push-ups in his locker room; we then see a highlight package of the Night 1 main event
  • Paul Heyman tells Kayla Braxton that Bloodline Rules means no DQ, no count-outs and there has to be a definitive finish, but also suggests it’s really whatever Roman Reigns, The Rock and Heyman decide they are
  • LA Knight is shown pulling up to the ring in the Slim Jim car; he then hands the keys to the car to the sweepstakes winner by ringside
  • LA Knight def. AJ Styles by pinfall
  • Logan Paul def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton by pinning Orton to retain the WWE United States Championship
  • Bayley def. IYO SKY by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Champion
  • Snoop Dogg and the Philadelphia Eagles reveal the announced attendance: 72,755 for Night 2 and 145,298 total for the two nights
  • Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns by pinfall in a Bloodline Rules match to become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, in a match that also involved both Usos, Solo Sikoa, John Cena, The Rock, “Shield era” Seth Rollins and The Undertaker
  • Rhodes celebrates in the ring after his victory with Brandi, his mom and many of the faces, including Cena, Zayn, Owens, Orton, Knight, Jey Uso and more …
  • … Cody gets on the mic and says he’s surrounded by greatness but wants to thank both Bruce Prichard and Triple H

Kevin Owens feels ‘very lucky’ for WrestleMania moments, still has 1 more in mind

KO is grateful for the big WrestleMania matches he’s had, but there’s one legend he’d still love to face.

Philadelphia, Pa. — Naturals inside the pro wrestling ring are far few and far between. Normally, it takes years to perfect the craft. You can count on one hand in terms of how many people it just clicked for instantaneously. In the past, fans have often only brought up Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle. You can add Logan Paul to the list as he defends the United States Championship against Kevin Owens and Randy Orton tonight at Night 2 of WrestleMania 40 from Lincoln Financial Field.

Paul had his first WWE match two years ago at WrestleMania 38 when he teamed with The Miz to defeat Rey and Dominik Mysterio, and the social media influencer and part-time boxer shined in the contest. Since then, he’s signed a multi-year deal with the pro wrestling giant and has stood out in performances against current WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, who Paul faced at last year’s WrestleMania 39. It’s something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by one of the foes he’s about to face.

“There’s a lot that can be said about him and stuff he’s done,” Owens told Wrestling Junkie. “As far as wrestling goes, you can’t deny how much he cares, how much of himself he gives, and he really respects what we do. Right off the get-go, that makes it a lot easier for us to be accepting of him being in our locker room and being on our shows. But he is an insufferable human being, don’t get me wrong. There’s something very special about being able to beat the crap out of him.

“He grew up as a YouTuber or a Viner or social media. You know, social media makes people … worse. I’m done with that stuff. As great as it can be, it’s so toxic to me. This guy [Paul] grew up making a living on it, so it’s a product of his environment.”

The 39-year-old Owens has been on a great run at the last three editions of WrestleMania. At WrestleMania 38, he headlined Night 1 against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who was returning for his first match in 19 years. That was followed up last year at WrestleMania 39 by once again main eventing Night 1, when he teamed with fellow Canadian and best friend Sami Zayn to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles from The Usos.

While not on the top of the marquee, Owens is in a prominent position with a legend in Orton and one of the biggest mainstream names in the world in Paul. Having these moments at pro wrestling’s biggest annual event isn’t lost on the former WWE Universal champion.

“I’m fortunate to be around so many people that I looked up to for so long and getting to work with them,” Owens admitted. “Steve was actually the epitome of that for me, obviously. If I can get Shawn Michaels to wrestle me at WrestleMania … I bother him every year and he’s staunchly against it. But I’ll keep bothering him. It’s very unlikely.

“But I’ve been very lucky. I would have never thought I’d get to wrestle Stone Cold. let alone at WrestleMania, so maybe this Shawn Michaels [match] isn’t so out of the realm of possibility.”

[lawrence-related id=48051]

WrestleMania SmackDown results 04/05/24: Jey Uso gets help from Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins

The Andre the Giant Battle Royal also produced a big winner at WrestleMania SmackDown from Philadelphia.

In unscripted sports, the idea of a tune-up game or match is a real thing. Think a boxer fighting an unranked journeyman prior to a big title fight, or Ohio State playing Akron in football before it heads to Michigan. Not in WWE, though, which subjects its stars to gut-wrenching, emotional contests the night before the Showcase of the Immortals, like tonight on WrestleMania SmackDown in Philadelphia.

Case in point: Jey Uso, who is going to take on his twin brother Jimmy Saturday at WrestleMania 40. If pro wrestling was a shoot, there’s approximately a 0% chance Jey would spend the night before battling it out against his younger but bigger brother, Solo Sikoa.

Why would you put yourself through the mental anguish and physical abuse? You wouldn’t. Yet here we are, and honestly it should be very entertaining.

Hopefully the same can be said about the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. It was a pretty cool idea once upon a time, a way to honor a one-of-a-kind WWE icon and get some additional people on the WrestleMania card. The winner gets a big trophy and everything.

Alas, WrestleMania got too big and popular to have filler matches, even intriguing ones like this, so it got shunted to SmackDown. There are worse fates; a strong argument could be made that this is better placement for the Andre than on the WrestleMania pre-show, when everyone is getting food and taking their last bathroom break before the Show of Shows gets rolling in earnest.

But still.

Anyway, this is all to say that while no one can wait for tomorrow night at Lincoln Financial Field, what’s happening tonight at Wells Fargo Center should also be fun. Let’s see if that’s the case.

WrestleMania SmackDown results from Philadelphia:

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

  • A hype video for WrestleMania narrated by Meek Mill gets you … well, hype
  • The KO Show welcomes Randy Orton, and when they both get mocked by Logan Paul, they decide to head across the street to pursue him
  • Bronson Reed wins the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, last eliminating Ivar
  • A highlight video replays the end of Raw, with The Bloodline beating the crap out of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
  • Karrion Kross says he targeted Bobby Lashley to teach him humility, scoffing at the idea that Lashley was left out of WrestleMania last year for any reason other than WWE not wanting him in it; Kross also says The Final Testament will win on Sunday, etc.
  • Now Logan Paul is in the building, thinking he’s outsmarted KO and Orton but quickly learning he’s wrong
  • The LWO discovers Dragon Lee has been laid out backstage
  • Elektra Lopez def. Zelina Vega by pinfall with lots of help from Legado Del Fantasma and Dominik Mysterio; Andrade is also out there but he reveals his true colors by standing with the LWO
  • Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi are ready for WrestleMania
  • Jey Uso is fired up and wants to hear some yeets before he tangles with his big little brother
  • Rey Mysterio gets some bad news: Dragon Lee can’t compete at WrestleMania; Andrade says he’ll step up and team with Rey, so that seems official
  • New Catch Republic def. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller by pinfall, but both teams immediately get jumped by The Judgment Day after the bell
  • A hype video for Bayley takes us through her history with Damage CTRL and how it’s led to her showdown with IYO SKY, who also gives her side of the story
  • LA Knight cuts a short but passionate promo ahead of his WrestleMania grudge match with AJ Styles
  • The Pride says they will finish things with The Final Testament in the Street Fight
  • Jey Uso def. Solo Sikoa by DQ due to interference by Jimmy Uso, but Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins come to the rescue and Cody gets to cut one last pre-WrestleMania promo

The KO Show welcomes Randy Orton, who agrees with KO to go after Logan Paul

Like we’ve been saying for a bit, even if Owens and Orton aren’t BFFs, the one thing that unites them is their intense dislike for Logan Paul. Speak of the devil, he interrupts from the WrestleMania XL stage, mocking both of his challengers.

Owens and Orton realize together that Lincoln Financial Field is right across the parking lot and decide to head over there. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller pop out from under the ring and run after them, probably because they were supposed to attack KO and Randy in the ring.

We then see Owens and Orton get in a golf cart to roll over to The Linc, with Theory and Waller chasing them on foot.

Now Logan Paul is in the building, but his plan has gone awry

Guess Owens and Orton never caught up with Paul at the football stadium, as he’s now back at Wells Fargo Center. He gets right to work making fun of both them and the denizens of Philadelphia. As one does, if one is a heel.

Paul brags about playing 4D chess and says Theory and Waller will successfully ambush our heroes. He throws it to the Linc, where A-Town Down Under is perplexed as Owens and Orton are nowhere to be found.

“Did you do a thorough search?” Of course they did not, as Owens and Orton sneak into the ring. A Stunner and an RKO are quick to follow. Think this definitely means Paul is winning Sunday, but we shall see.

Bianca Belair, Naomi and Jade Cargill are ready for WrestleMania

Belair has a little Cowboy Carter going on tonight as she reminds us that she has the longest history of fighting back against Damage CTRL. It’s time to stop them for good, which is possible now that Naomi is here, and they agree that they needed each other.

But they’re still outnumbered, so it’s good they have someone new on their side: the new-EST SmackDown superstar, Jade Cargill. She’s dressed like a cowboy too, and gives Damage CTRL a shoutout for giving her the opportunity to show the WWE Universe what she’s all about.

The Big 3 will show everyone why “there is no Damage CTRL.” Asuka, Kairi and Dakota are now in the eye of the storm, and the three faces point at the WrestleMania sign again.

Jey Uso vs. Solo Sikoa ends in hijinks, and Cody Rhodes has the last word before WrestleMania

Well, it doesn’t start well for Jey as Solo smashes him into the apron, but that’s about all we get before commercials.

Will he fight back to the point where the crowd can yeet? Come on, of course.

A hip attack by Jey allows him to cover for two. There are eight minutes left in the show, but you feel like a few minutes might be reserved for hijinks.

Sikoa hits a Samoan Drop, but his Samoan Spike attempt is countered with a superkick and a spear. Jey’s Uso Splash is on target and WHAT DID WE TELL YOU? Jimmy Uso attacks and breaks up the pin.

Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins hustle down to the ring, and now that Solo and Jimmy are down, Rhodes removes his weight belt and gets in a few shots. Jey won’t let Jimmy escape, and he ends up getting rolled back into the ring to eat a Cross Rhodes, a belt shot from Rollins and an Uso Splash.

Cody grabs a mic and asks if everyone can feel the 40 years of WrestleMania history. Tomorrow night, he and Seth will slap the Final Boss so hard his soul will lift out of his body and he’ll remember what it’s like to be The People’s Champion. On Sunday (Sunday! Sunday!), Cody says he’ll dethrone the Tribal Chief.

The fans start a “Cody” chant as he says he’s fighting for everyone who’s ever had a dream. After all, when one story ends, an even better one begins.

WWE WrestleMania SmackDown preview 04/05/24: Andre the Giant Battle Royal and more

We’ll also see Jey Uso battle his other brother, Solo Sikoa, on WrestleMania SmackDown from Philadelphia.

There was a time, not long ago, actually, when the Andre the Giant Battle Royal was part of WrestleMania itself. That’s no longer the case, but it does give the WrestleMania SmackDown episode we’re about to see tonight from Philadelphia something interesting as its centerpiece.

Who will win the Andre trophy?

Heck, who is even in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal? We don’t know just yet, but there’s a chance to make some history as it’s the 10th edition of this particular battle royal. And you know WWE loves it some anniversaries.

The Six-Pack Ladder Match and multi-person brawl between The Pride and The Final Testament have removed some of the potential candidates to win this from contention, unless there are people in it who also have a WrestleMania match. Otherwise, people like the members of Alpha Academy figure to have a shot, as do JD McDonagh and Ricochet.

Jey Uso has to fight another brother

As emotional as his battle against his twin brother Jimmy will be at WrestleMania, it’s not going to be easy sledding for Jey Uso on SmackDown either. That’s because Jey has to take on his not-so-little brother Solo Sikoa, and that’s no yeet.

(Sorry.)

Will the Enforcer of The Bloodline soften Jey up and make him vulnerable for Saturday night, or can Jey take some important momentum into the Showcase of the Immortals?

Will Logan Paul crash the KO Show?

Logan Paul has a serious issue when it comes to defending his United States Championship. While Kevin Owens and Randy Orton may not be best buds, they dislike the Maverick a lot more than they do each other.

That’s definitely a problem, but it’s one that Paul can turn to his potential advantage tonight. See, Orton will be the guest on The KO Show in Philadelphia, and if there’s one thing that tends to happen under those circumstances, it’s distrust being sown. Maybe Paul can do that here so that it doesn’t feel like a handicap match on Sunday.

WrestleMania SmackDown card for Philadelphia:

  • Andre the Giant Battle Royal
  • Randy Orton is the guest on The KO Show
  • Zelina Vega vs. Elektra Lopez
  • New Catch Republic vs. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller
  • Jey Uso vs. Solo Sikoa

We’re so, so close to WrestleMania 40 but still have this one final SmackDown to get through, and it should be a fun one. Join us back here at Wrestling Junkie for live results and updates starting at 8 p.m. ET.

[lawrence-related id=47674]

WrestleMania night 2 card: All matches confirmed for April 7

A look at WWE’s match card for night 2 of WrestleMania 40.

Once again, WrestleMania takes place over two electrifying nights. Set to unfold from April 6 to 7 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, this year’s event promises to be a spectacle, spotlighting WWE’s top talents and culminating the year’s top storylines.

Night 1’s main event has implications for night 2’s headlining match, Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Should Rhodes and Seth Rollins emerge victorious, all members of The Bloodline will be banned from ringside on night 2. However, should Reigns and Rock win, the championship match will be Bloodline Rules.

Rollins will also compete on night 2, defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre. While the spotlight has focused on the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, don’t overlook this match, as it stands among the weekend’s top bouts. The Architect puts his near-year-long title reign on the line against a superstar riding a wave of momentum, both in the ring and on the microphone, and though this won’t main event, it should prove noteworthy.

With Damage CTRL ousting her from the group, Bayley will use her Royal Rumble win by challenging IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. It’s an opportunity for Bayley to receive a moment years in the making, and Philadelphia could be where she shines.

Recall when AJ Styles flew around the world to cost LA Knight a WrestleMania title match? After weeks of escalating tensions, the stage is set for these two to clash and settle the score once and for all.

WrestleMania night 2 goes down on Sunday, April 7 from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Latest update: April 1, 2024, 9:53 p.m. ET.

WWE WrestleMania 40 Night 2 card:

  • Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes – Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match
  • Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre – World Heavyweight Championship match
  • IYO SKY (c) vs. Bayley – WWE Women’s Championship match
  • Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton – WWE United States Championship match
  • LA Knight vs. AJ Styles
  • Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits vs. The Final Testament – Philadelphia Street Fight

[lawrence-related id=47493]

WWE SmackDown results 03/29/24: The Jade Cargill era has arrived

Another thing to watch for on SmackDown: Which tag teams will win their way into the Six-Pack Ladder match at WrestleMania?

As I count myself among them, I feel comfortable saying this: Wrestling fans aren’t always the most patient bunch. A not insignificant percentage of them have been clamoring for the debut of Jade Cargill, for instance, and that’s finally happening tonight on WWE SmackDown in Uncasville, Conn.

WWE clearly was in no hurry to rush the former AEW champion into the fray, despite an impressive debut earlier this year at Royal Rumble. Part of it was likely getting Cargill used to the WWE style of in-ring work, given that she’s still not super experienced compared to many of the company’s other wrestlers.

But the other part was making sure Jade could have the proper impact at a time when storytelling is so strong up and down the card, so it will be interesting to see what’s been cooked up for her.

There seems to be a logical foil for her in Damage CTRL, which still has a lot of power on SmackDown between IYO SKY and the Kabuki Warriors. Could we see Cargill come to the aid of some of the faces who have been standing against the group?

If so, that could even lead to a spot for Jade in a multi-person match at WrestleMania, which would be a good way to use her.

Speaking of WrestleMania, two tag team matches tonight will fill the final two spots in the Six-Pack Ladder match for the men’s tag team titles, which should be a spectacle. Our picks are Street Profits and New Catch Republic, though the former may get caught up in their larger feud with The Final Testament.

Let’s see what this show has in store for us.

WWE SmackDown results from Uncasville:

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

  • A brief clip of The Rock’s attack on Cody Rhodes from Raw is played, and we see Bianca Belair and Dakota Kai entering the arena earlier today
  • Pretty Deadly def Randy Orton and Kevin Owens by pinfall … but only because Logan Paul sneaks out from under the ring and lays out KO with brass knux
  • Alas, Orton realizes that Paul is probably still under the ring and drags him back out, but Pretty Deadly ensure he doesn’t get driven through the announce table … then pay for it by eating a Stunner and an RKO; Paul is chased by Orton and Owens to the back, where he jumps into a Corvette and speeds off
  • IYO SKY cuts a promo calling Bayley a narcissist and taking fans to task for siding with her, but just as she’s wrapping up, Bayley appears and attacks her, tearing up the photo backdrop until they can be separated
  • Jade Cargill signs on the dotted line with SmackDown
  • Kayla Braxton talks with Damage CTRL, and Dakota Kai wants to know why there’s a fuss being made over Cargill and Bayley before turning her attention to Belair, who she faces tonight in the main event
  • After Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn get only a passing moment of Aldis’ time, AJ Styles angrily expresses his displeasure with the GM’s actions to ensure LA Knight won’t be here tonight; elsewhere Bobby Lashley and B-Fab fire up the Street Profits
  • Austin Theory and Grayson Waller def. Street Profits by pinfall in a WrestleMania Six-Pack Ladder Match qualifier; the critical moment comes when Karrion Kross appears on the big screen and shows that he and Scarlett have beaten up Lashley and the B-Fab in the back, and after the match, Kross and the Authors of Pain beat down the Profits … and eventually Lashley
  • Santos Escobar wants to thank Dominik Mysterio for helping him against Rey Mysterio, which brings the Hall of Famer to the ring with the LWO flanking him; their discussion turns into a challenge: Rey and a partner of his choosing vs. Escobar and Dom, with Rey revealing that his partner will be the newest member of the LWO, Dragon Lee …
  • … but a brawl breaks out after Zelina Vega and Elektra Lopez light the spark, which is eventually won by the LWO
  • Bianca gets well wishes from Naomi, who says she has Belair’s back if Damage CTRL plays the numbers game
  • The Judgment Day wants to know why Dom went and freelanced and they don’t seem super thrilled with his response, but Finn Balor calms everyone else down
  • New Catch Republic def. Angel and Berto by a pinfall in a WrestleMania Six-Pack Ladder Match qualifier
  • A replay of The Rock’s attack on Cody Rhodes on Raw is played, including his continuation of said attack even after the show went off the air
  • Paul Heyman appears and insists that The Rock took out Rhodes by order of the Tribal Chief; Solo Sikoa says he’ll see Jey Uso next week and take him out by orders of the Tribal Chief
  • AJ Styles wants to chat about home invasions, but LA Knight launches an in-arena invasion this time
  • A Tiffany Stratton hype video features her promising to show everyone what Tiffy Time is all about
  • Bianca Belair def. Dakota Kai by pinfall, and both Naomi and Jade eventually help her fight off a post-match attack by Damage CTRL

Jade Cargill signs on the dotted line with SmackDown

GM Nick Aldis says his only goal since assuming the position was to make SmackDown the very best show, and he believes signing this superstar will take him another step closer to that goal. Yes, he’s talking about Jade, who looks unbelievable as always as she heads to the ring.

Cargill says it’s about damn time after she signs the contract offered by Aldis. She says SmackDown has one of the best female rosters in the world, but they aren’t her, a once-in-a-lifetime superstar. Jade says she has a weather update: The storm has arrived.

AJ Styles may have provoked LA Knight a bit too much

Styles blames the fans for being the reason that Knight came to his house and assaulted him in the front yard. Now AJ wants the biggest possible spotlight so he can expose him as “the overachieving, undertalented piece of trash that he is.”

Despite Aldis asking him to stay away, Styles guarantees Knight is there and dares him to come to the ring. A guy in a hoodie jumps over the barricade, but it’s not the Megastar and he gets led away by security.

Oh but Knight is there, wearing glasses and a wig. He gets the best of a small scrap, then hops on the announce table to vow that he’ll get the dub when they collide at WrestleMania.

Bianca Belair takes down Dakota Kai, and a storm comes to help her afterward

Kai has not wrestled all that much since her return from injury, but she’s looked good when she has and we’d expect that to continue here. Bianca shows off her ridiculous strength with rolling suplexes like it’s no big deal.

There’s cool camera work coming out of a commercial break, with the camera circling the ring and capturing the action from every angle. The presentation continues to be very up close and tight on the wrestlers for a bit, though it does switch back to the hard cam at times.

The fans get an “EST” chant going as Kai is taunting her. Bianca is able to hoist Dakota from the other side of the ropes into a deadlift suplex, one of those moves that makes you go “damn.”

The KOD follows quickly to end it, but the Kabuki Warriors jump the victor as soon as the bell rings. As she promised, Naomi comes running down to help Bianca, but the numbers are against our heroes. The fans eventually realize what’s going on and chant for Jade Cargill, who obliges and strides to the ring.

Cargill quickly mows through Kai and the Warriors, locking eyes on Asuka who has escaped the worst of it. Six-woman tag at WrestleMania, anyone?

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.