Tag: lWo

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.

For maybe the first time ever, WWE Fastlane was actually consequential

A skippable premium live event? Maybe in past years, but WWE Fastlane was worth watching this time.

If you have watched WWE for as long as I have (about 30 years, give or take), you are familiar with the fact that there are tiers to the company’s premium live events.

You already know that at the very top is WrestleMania, for obvious reasons. Right below that are Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and even Money in the Bank. These events don’t feature the spectacle and grandeur of WrestleMania, but are certainly among the most consequential on the calendar.

And then there’s the rest of the events, which if you’re a diehard fan you’re watching regardless. However, if you’re more of a casual fan, you may skip here or there.

Fastlane firmly falls into the last category, as its usual placement in February/March typically made this a mere speed bump you quickly pass over on the road to WrestleMania.

But that wasn’t the case in 2023. 

WWE moved Fastlane to October this year, which still placed it right before a more marquee event — Survivor Series, in this case. 

But unlike in years past where Fastlane could have largely been ignored, this year’s show served its purpose better than it ever has. And because of it, Survivor Series, which may or may not feature WarGames, feels like an even bigger event.

If there is a WarGames at Survivor Series, it could be among the most intriguing in the match’s history. Having The Bloodline and The Judgment Day form a, dare I say, dangerous alliance, has already made for great television. And I love the fact that it’s Rhea Ripley leading the transaction from The Judgment Day’s side.

But who knows how longer The Judgment Day will last after Finn Balor and Damian Priest lost the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles to Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso? That will certainly add more cracks to the group’s already fragile foundation.

Then you got LA Knight and John Cena taking down Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa, which I’m sure will be addressed on the upcoming episode of Smackdown — which will feature an appearance from the Tribal Chief himself, Roman Reigns.

Seth Rollins retained his world title by defeating Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing Match, which should all but end their feud and open the door for a new challenger to step up to the plate. And we all know there has been a lot of intrigue around who that person might be. Also, the match was tremendous.

And let’s not forget that Jade Cargill made her WWE television debut during the event as well. Sure, it was merely walking out of a car (looking stunning, I might add) and being greeted by Triple H, but it is a sign that WWE has got major plans for the former AEW TBS Champion.

There are some good things brewing in WWE. Things are so good that even Fastlane proved to be an exciting chapter in WWE’s never-ending tale between good and evil.

WWE Fastlane 2023 predictions: Who walks out of Indianapolis with their hand raised?

WWE Fastlane is about to roll into Indianapolis. Here’s who we think will win every match.

Let’s be real for a second: Fastlane is typically one of WWE’s premium live events that I am not going out of my way to watch.

It’s placement was usually right before WrestleMania, which also usually meant there wasn’t going to be anything of tremendous consqeuence on the card unless it was setting up something for the much more important event the next month.

This year’s Fastlane has some of those same hallmarks. It’s still not considered to be a major premium live event, it’s taking place before a more consquequential event in Survivor Series, and WWE’s top champion, Roman Reigns, is not even scheduled to appear.

However, there is a different feel about this edition of Fastlane. Maybe it’s because John Cena is on the card. Maybe it’s because there are some unique tag team matches. Maybe it’s because Jimmy and Jey Uso are both on the card in tag team matches, but they are not teaming together.

Either way, the 2023 edition of Fastlane has the potential to be exponentially more fun than the Fastlane events of years past. 

One thing that hasn’t changed is that I’ve got predictions. Here’s what I believe will go down in Indianapolis:

Image credit: WWE.com

John Cena and LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso

When Cena was commonly referred to as “Super Cena,” the prediction for this contest would have easy. However, this is grizzled vet Cena, who has already lost to Austin Theory at WrestleMania this year.

That win has done very little for Theory, but it is not outside the realm of possibility that Cena takes another loss here, especially if Reigns gets involved to ensure a victory for his family. 

Reigns is not currently advertised for Fastlane, but he is advertised for next week’s edition of Smackdown (as is Triple H, for that matter). 

With all of that said, I think the one thing Cena and LA Knight have going for them is all of the momentum the latter currently has. Every week, the pops seem to be getting louder and louder for Knight. The people are clearly behind him, and I see no reason to hand him a loss at Fastlane. 

If anything, Knight needs this win to cement as main-event player. Because of that, I’m going with the babyfaces here. 

Winners: John Cena and LA Knight

Image credit: WWE.com

WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Boy, is there a lot of speculating and theorizing going on around Seth Rollins at the moment. 

For the record, none of it has been confirmed, but that has not stopped fans from throwing them out there.

One thing I know for certain is Rollins is walking out of Fastlane with the world title. What’s next? I can’t wait to find out.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Image credit: WWE.com

WWE Women’s Championship: IYO SKY (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka

IYO SKY being put into a Triple Threat match she did not ask for is a good way to stack the deck against her heading into Fastlane. However, I believe she will overcome the odds of having to face two very accomplished wrestlers and retain her championship:

Winner: IYO SKY

Image credit: WWE.com

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: Finn Balor and Damian Priest (c) vs. Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso

What a unique a fun matchup this has the potential to be. While it should be fun, I believe the outcome is academic: The champs retain.

Winners: Finn Balor and Damian Priest

The LWO (and mystery partner) vs. Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits

Here is another unique match that has the potential to be a lot of fun.

As far as a winner, I have to go with Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits to further establish them as a unit to be reckoned with.

Winners: Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits

WWE SmackDown results: The Usos stand together, fracturing Bloodline for good

This week’s WWE SmackDown from Lexington had a finale that left The Bloodline changed forever.

By the end of tonight’s WWE SmackDown in Lexington, we might know a lot more about what The Bloodline will look like going forward.

Though the drama within the group has been simmering for weeks, last Friday saw it inch closer to the point of no return. After being buttered up all night by Paul Heyman, Jey Uso had a title opportunity that slipped through his fingers, due in part to attempted assistance by Jimmy Uso that backfired.

(Which, you know, wrestling. These things happen.)

Jey left his brother hanging as he was obviously upset, but he didn’t commit to joining the other side of this divide. That’s the one headed up by Roman Reigns, a.ka. the Tribal Chief. Will Jey really turn his back on his twin and stand with Reigns and his other brother, Solo Sikoa? Reigns will be in the house tonight, likely demanding an answer.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have left the Bloodline drama pretty much behind them, but while they have been occupied with a new beef with Imperium, they also need proper No. 1 contenders to their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. They’ll get those in Lexington thanks to a Gauntlet match where five teams will compete for a title opportunity.

Charlotte Flair made return just a week ago, and she’s already made it clear she plans to reassume her spot atop the women’s division. She’ll be the guest tonight on The Grayson Waller Effect, and while we’re not saying for sure that hijinks will ensue, there seems like a high likelihood of that.

WWE SmackDown results from Lexington:

  • Kayla Braxton asks for an update on where Jey Uso stands within The Bloodline, but Paul Heyman looks irritated and blows her off

  • Pretty Deadly wins a Gauntlet match to become the No. 1 contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall after the Brutes had def. the Street Profits, The O.C., The LWO and Hit Row (in a matter of seconds) by pinfall
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come to the ramp to confront Pretty Deadly, who promise to celebrate “even longer” after winning the tag team titles, but when Sami gives an irritated KO permission to run down to the ring to beat them up, they find the heel duo has fled

  • Roman Reigns tells Heyman he hasn’t spoken to Jey Uso and that Jey should have reached out to him, then orders Heyman to talk to Jey … NOW

  • Zelina Vega def. IYO SKY after SKY got upset with Bayley’s attempted assistance and was distracted while arguing with her teammate
  • Bianca Belair confronts Adam Pearce about the rematch he promised her, but she’s not willing to wait patiently for him to come through on it since Charlotte Flair seems to have jumped the line
  • Shotzi finds Damage CTRL still squabbling and challenges Bayley for her spot in the Money in the Bank Ladder match, and SKY slyly accepts on Bayley’s behalf

  • The Grayson Waller welcomes a “living legend,” Charlotte Flair, but they are soon joined by Belair, who airs her grievances about not getting her rematch and accuses the Queen of “running away” for three months; Flair takes exception to that, but Belair says she’ll be waiting for the Charlotte-Asuka winner to call her own shot and take her title back
  • Heyman finds Jey Uso and insists that Jimmy intended to kick him last week due to jealousy, but Jey reiterates that if he’s in the Bloodline, Paul is still out
  • Karrion Kross and Scarlett def. AJ Styles and Michin by pinfall
  • Solo Sikoa asks Reigns if he needs to handle the situation since Heyman clearly failed, but Roman says there’s still plenty of time
  • Cameron Grimes gets jumped backstage by Baron Corbin

  • Rey Mysterio says of all his accomplishments, one he is especially proud of is reforming the LWO, and he feels like teammate Santos Escobar can become the new Mr. Money in the Bank; Escobar thanks Mysterio but is soon confronted by LA Knight, who starts some beef ahead of a match with Escobar
  • Santos Escobar def. LA Knight by pinfall; Knight tries to get in more shots after the bell but is chased away by Mysterio
  • Jey runs into Sami on his way to the ring, but Zayn simply nods to him before moving on
  • “I know what they want. They want answers, Jey. So what’s it gonna be: Are you in, or are you out?” Jey turns the question back around on Roman by saying it’s either him or Heyman, to which Reigns claims they’ve been grooming Jey to be the next Tribal Chief for three years … but his time to lead is just not yet …

  • … but when Jimmy comes out to tell Jey Roman is using him, Reigns is able to drive a wedge further between them … or so it seems until Jey says Jimmy is out and he’s out too; the Usos dish out superkicks to Reigns and Sikoa, ending the show with a double superkick to Roman and lifting their 1s in the air

WWE SmackDown results 05/19/23: Usos continue their downward spiral

Things went from bad to worse for Jimmy and Jey Uso on the May 19 episode of WWE SmackDown.

It’s really only in retrospect that we realize that we were watching when a big star made their debut … because we don’t know until later they’re actually going to be a big star. But every debut could be something special down the road, which is a relevant idea for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown from Columbia, South Carolina.

Why? Because even though we briefly saw Grayson Waller last week, this will be the show where he makes his first legit SmackDown appearance, hosting his segment “The Grayson Waller Effect.” He’s promised a big name guest, and if we were to make a wager, whoever it is just might be someone he antagonizes into being his first opponent on the blue brand.

There’s also no guarantee that Waller becomes a huge WWE star. But he might, and if so, you’ll be able to tell everyone you were watching when he took his first steps.

As for those who are already main eventers, tonight’s show has plenty of those as well. Most prominently, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are going to come face to face with their challengers at Night of Champions, Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa.

Sure, KO and Sami have been in the ring with those two plenty of times, especially Sami seeing as he was once part of the Bloodline and all. But things are different now, particularly since Reigns brushed aside The Usos — who also happen to be in tag team action tonight. This has all the makings of a very combustible mix, and we’re here for it.

WWE SmackDown results from Columbia:

  • Roman Reigns doesn’t even get past the “Acknowledge me!” part of his promo before Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn join him and the Bloodline in the ring; when The Usos ambush Owens and Zayn and look for approval, however, Reigns is livid and storms out of the ring

  • Jey and Jimmy try to explain themselves, but Roman insists he had something to say and angrily kicks them out of the Bloodline dressing room
  • Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall
  • A tribute video is shown to remember the late “Superstar” Billy Graham
  • Zelina Vega says she is, in fact, ready for Asuka after the experience she had at Backlash in Puerto Rico
  • Asuka def. Zelina Vega by submission, then won’t let go of the Asuka Lock, which ends up bringing Bianca Belair to the rescue — and Belair barely avoids another dose of the mist

  • The Grayson Waller Effect welcomes AJ Styles, and Grayson Waller ends their conversation with what he thinks will be the best part of Night of Champions: “And new … World Heavyweight Champion, Seth ‘Freakin” Rollins!”

  • The LWO has a pep talk ahead of their match with The Usos
  • Street Profits def. LA Knight and Rick Boogs by pinfall, leading Knight to turn on Boogs after the match, hitting him with the BFT
  • Cameron Grimes says it feels like he’s living a dream and is ready to keep going … to the moon!
  • Karrion Kross and Scarlett have a tarot card for Styles, never a good thing
  • Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn def. Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon by pinfall
  • Due to Liv Morgan’s injury, Raquel Rodriguez has to relinquish the tag team titles and find another partner to compete for them against three other teams, but she gets mocked and challenged by Damage CTRL in the meantime
  • Austin Theory complains about being ganged up on last week, but Sheamus isn’t out there to talk and just drops Theory with a Brogue Kick
  • Heyman says the Tribal Chief forgives the Usos but still won’t be out there at ringside for their match
  • LWO (Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar) def. The Usos by pinfall, with an assist from Owens and Zayn, and Reigns is unhappy but keeps Sikoa from going out there

WWE Raw results: Bad Bunny talks softly, carries a big (kendo) stick

A new World Heavyweight Championship was also unveiled tonight.

When you’re Bad Bunny, you can do pretty much whatever you want. Try your hand at WWE? Of course. Get involved in a dramatic WrestleMania match between father and son? Sure, if you want. It’s just that there might be consequences even for the biggest music star in the world if you do that, some of which might still be playing out on this week’s episode of WWE Raw from the greater Chicago area.

See, The Judgment Day wasn’t too crazy about Bunny ensuring Dominik Mysterio didn’t cheat to beat his dad in L.A., and was even less enthused about him smacking the taste out of Dom’s mouth a few weeks later. That led to Damian Priest putting the music megastar through an announce table, which naturally kept him out of commission for a bit.

He’s back tonight, however, and probably looking for some payback against old “friend” Priest. And he, meanwhile, has a match against Rey Mysterio. That, friends, is what we call synergy. Could all these elements break out into a big Judgment Day vs. LWO scuffle with Bad Bunny on the side of the LWO? That seems likely.

Also of interest for tonight, Triple H is scheduled to make some sort of announcement. The buzz is that it’s about a title — either a new physical belt of some sort or an honest to goodness change to a championship of some sort. Or it could be something else altogether, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

WWE Raw results from Chicago:

(click on any match or segment with a link for more details)

  • Cody Rhodes reflects on the “humiliating” beatdown he got from Brock Lesnar and the time he wrestled with a torn pec, but he’s not down with Finn Balor and his invitation to join The Judgment Day … but he’s medically cleared to face Finn tonight
  • The Bloodline (The Usos and Solo Sikoa) def. The LWO (Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinfall
  • Damage CTRL tells Bianca Belair she can pick any two partners she wants to take them on tonight, and she’s down with that
  • “You made your choice … and like it or not, I made my choice too.” Sami Zayn drops in on Jey Uso and questions what will happen to Jey if The Usos fail to get the tag team titles back after dedicating the match to the Tribal Chief, but Jey tells Sami not to worry about him any more
  • A video replays the recent words and actions of Trish Stratus, who then insists that Becky Lynch is absent because she can’t handle the pressure of being a top star and a mom at the same time
  • Street Profits def. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin by pinfall
  • Triple H announces that wherever Roman Reigns is drafted to, he will take the Universal Championship with him, but there will also be a new World Heavyweight Championship, with the inaugural titleholder crowned at Night of Champions
  • Priest and Dominik Mysterio say Bad Bunny can watch Damian take out Rey Mysterio later tonight
  • “You can’t talk to Sami, Uce.” Jey expresses some self-doubts to Jimmy Uso, who blows up when he hears it’s because Jey talked to Sami
  • Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Damage CTRL
  • “Are you lazy and don’t want to work, or are you scared?” Austin Theory mocks the idea of the new title going to someone besides him while he has two powerful challengers at Backlash; Bobby Lashley joins him in the ring and wonders why Theory doesn’t welcome every opportunity to fight for the U.S. title …
  • … but Bronson Reed joins them as well when they start to brawl, and he’s the one left standing at the end
  • Chad Gable tries to explain the WWE Draft to Rick Boogs, but Maxxine Dupri is ready to fight for Otis, and Mustafa Ali thinks everyone needs to have a more positive attitude and is willing to back it up in the ring
  • Mustafa Ali def. Chad Gable by pinfall
  • Jimmy Uso confronts Zayn and tries to make him feel doubts about Kevin Owens
  • Cody Rhodes def. Finn Balor by pinfall
  • “This is an opportunity to have a World Heavyweight Championship that’s about more than politics and part-timers.” Seth Rollins says something bigger than Omos has caught his eye, but he’s not looking past the Nigerian Giant either
  • Matt Riddle is wearing out KO’s patience, and Owens is flabbergasted that his friend still cares about The Usos, and Riddle surprises Zayn with some actually helpful perspective
  • Rey Mysterio def. Damian Priest by DQ when Priest uses a chair on him, and Bad Bunny arrives to attack Priest with a kendo stick … and reveal that they’ll be facing off in a Street Fight at Backlash

Rey Mysterio def. Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 39: Best photos

Check out these photos from Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio at Night 1 of WrestleMania 39.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Rey Mysterio[/autotag]’s victory over his son, [autotag]Dominik Mysterio[/autotag], at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., which also featured appearances from recording artist [autotag]Bad Bunny[/autotag], and WWE stars [autotag]Finn Balor[/autotag], [autotag]Damian Priest[/autotag] and the [autotag]lWo[/autotag]. (Photos courtesy of Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports, Joel Zietcer/WWE)