Tag: Matt Riddle

WWE Raw results 05/22/23: Cody Rhodes is determined to fight Brock Lesnar

Other big happenings on Raw included Raquel Rodriguez finding a new tag team partner and Matt Riddle aiding Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

HERSHEY, Pa. — As a fan in Section D of the Giant Center said in realization at the end of WWE Raw on Monday night, “We never got to do the whoa.”

He was talking about a certain part of Cody Rhodes‘ entrance theme, “Kingdom,” and if you’ve been watching WWE programming any time over the past year, you know the cue. It comes right after the line “Out the curtain, lights go up I’m home.”

The fans in attendance did get to see Rhodes, who was shown on screen to both open and close the show. He also made it to the ring once in-between, but his music didn’t play because WWE was trying to make it look like he shouldn’t have been out there.

That’s what happens when you get jumped by Brock Lesnar while entering the arena, which is exactly what happened Monday night. Lesnar gave Rhodes a hellacious backstage beating, concentrating on Cody’s left arm and mocking him for wanting to fight at Night of Champions.

Lesnar came to the ring about halfway through Raw, claiming that Rhodes wouldn’t be able to make this weekend’s premium live event and laying out an open challenge to anyone who would step up. Instead, Rhodes came out, arm in a sling, and attempted to thrown down with Lesnar right there.

Let’s call that a tactical error for the American Nightmare, who ended up taking even more damage to his left arm after being locked in a kimura by Lesnar. The idea was that Rhodes’ arm was broken.

But that wasn’t the last word, because the night’s main event, which saw Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle defeat Imperium, ended about four minutes prior to 11 p.m. ET. It felt like something would happen, and that something was Triple H visiting Rhodes in the locker room and trying to convince him that Night of Champions was out.

Rhodes refused and said he’d fight Lesnar anyway. So there’s a built-in excuse for WWE to have Cody lose and continue the feud (to SummerSlam, perhaps). It was an unconventional but not illogical way to end the final live show before a premium live event, but we’ll have to wait until Saturday to see if it all plays out in satisfactory fashion.

Read on for a rundown of everything that happened Monday night.

WWE Raw results from Hershey:

  • As noted above, Lesnar attacked Rhodes in the back, smashing his left arm between a beer keg and a metal rolldown door
  • Paul Heyman took to the microphone to claim no responsibility for what just happened but suggested that was just a taste of what would happen to Rhodes at Night of Champions
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn said they were feeling pretty good about their upcoming title defense at Night of Champions, but there was also business to attend to tonight … and that business found them, with Imperium surrounding the ring, but Matt Riddle arrived to help run them off and become their partner for the main event
  • Adam Pearce refused to confirm or deny to Byron Saxton that Rhodes suffered a broken arm
  • Bronson Reed def. Ricochet by pinfall
  • Apollo Crews got his interview crashed by Dominik Mysterio, who ended up talking his way into a match, and Rhea Ripley, who warned Natalya she would end her career at Night of Champions
  • Part 3 of Corey Graves’ interview with Seth Rollins aired, including Rollins saying he loves Roman Reigns but doesn’t like Roman Reigns
  • Finn Balor had some fighting words for his opponent tonight, Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Zoey Stark def. Candice LeRae by pinfall, despite some ringside encouragement from Nikki Cross
  • Mustafa Ali was more serious than he has been recently, discussing the opportunity he has coming up this weekend … until Lesnar walked by him on his way to the ring, telling Ali to get a life as he passed
  • Barging by Adam Pearce and other officials, Rhodes made his ill-advised attempt to confront Lesnar in the ring, which ended with him in even more pain
  • A promo vignette was aired to promote Indus Sher
  • Alpha Academy def. Viking Raiders by pinfall
  • Finn Balor def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall thanks to some assistance from Damian Priest
  • Raquel Rodriguez def. Sonya Deville by pinfall, then got saved from a two-on-one post-match beating by Shotzi
  • Trish Stratus proposed a “no touch policy” for her contract signing with Becky Lynch, but Pearce declined …
  • … but Stratus and Lynch mostly just trade insults during their contract signing anyway
  • Pearce gives someone a phone call to update them on the Rhodes situation
  • Rodriguez offers Shotzi a chance to be her tag team partner to try back the women’s tag team titles
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Apollo Crews by pinfall, with the usual assist from Rhea Ripley
  • The final segment of the Graves-Rollins interview aired, focused largely on Seth discussing why he wants to win the World Heavyweight Championship so badly
  • Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle def. Imperium by pinfall
  • Triple H tried to talk Rhodes out of competing at Night of Champions, but to no avail

After the show went off the air, Imperium attempted to come back for some revenge on Owens, Zayn and Riddle, but that backfired as Ludwig Kaiser ended up going through a table.

WWE Backlash 2023 results: The Bloodline wins despite themselves as Solo gets it done

Did The Usos redeem themselves at Backlash?

Michael Cole wonders what mission Solo Sikoa was given by Roman Reigns and if he’ll have an agenda separate from that of The Usos. Strangely, that means the team of Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will be more united than the actual brothers.

Jey Uso and Sami Zayn start things off, getting their tense chemistry out of the way immediately. The Usos do some posing for the crowd and get a mixed reaction.

As soon as Sami gets some momentum, Jimmy Uso tags in, as does KO. He unloads on Jimmy in the corner, crotch chops the enemy corner and hits a standing senton.

Now Riddle is in to hit a gutwrench suplex before Sami re-enters the fray. Sami connects on an elbow off the middle rope, then Solo tags himself in. That proves a good move for the heels, as he is able to beat down Zayn until he’s in trouble in the enemy corner.

A “we want Roman” chant breaks up, with Jimmy humorously responding “he’s not here.” Sikoa tags himself in again and methodically stays on Sami. Jimmy sneaks in a kick to the face while the ref isn’t looking, then covers Zayn for two once he becomes legal.

Zayn is battling for all he’s worth, but The Usos see him crawling for a tag and eliminate the possibility by taking KO off the apron and smashing his back into the steel steps.

Riddle gets the hot tag, finally, and runs wild on both Usos. He kicks Sikoa off the apron and hits the Floating Bro onto the entire Bloodline. Alas, he flips back into the ring right into a Jimmy superkick and has to kick out at two.

Jimmy climbs to the top but takes an overhead release superplex from Riddle. By now, KO has made it back to the apron, and he tags in for a swanton bomb and another two count.

Owens’ flurry leads to a Popup Powerbomb, though Jey is able to kick out at two. KO tries for a swanton bomb on Jey, who gets the knees up and leaves both men on the mat. A superkick battle breaks out, though Owens ends it with a clothesline.

Zayn is in for a Blue Thunder Bomb on Jimmy, good for another near fall. He finds himself in trouble against both Usos on the top rope, and he lands right in a double superkick. Jey covers and finds it’s not enough.

Whatever the Usos have planned next we’ll never know, as Solo and Jey get into a fight tagging themselves in. Sikoa does not look happy about it, and won’t like that Helluva Kick either.

Jey eats a Helluva Kick too, but Solo manages to break up the pin. Sikoa sees Zayn down but heads toward his brother instead. The other faces are back in, and Owens eats a Samoan Spike. Solo turns and almost hits the Samoan Spike on Jey, who gets right in his face.

Sami intervenes and nearly gets rolled up for three. Jey tries to fly from the top but hits Zayn’s knees, who rolls him up for two.

Riddle has Jey in trouble but doesn’t realize Solo has tagged himself in. He nails Riddle with a Samoan Spike, and the Bloodline wins despite their internal issues.

Click here for full WWE Backlash 2023 results.

WWE Backlash 2023 results: Bad Bunny shines, Cody Rhodes sneaks out a W

Get live updates for Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest, Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar, and all the WWE Backlash matches from San Juan.

While WWE Backlash typically deals with the fallout from WrestleMania, the 2023 edition set to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico seems more like it’s going to be the show that answers a bunch of pressing questions.

The two biggest men’s matches fall into that category. One sees Cody Rhodes facing off with Brock Lesnar after the Beast Incarnate attacked him several weeks ago. Can the American Nightmare pass this very stiff test and get back on the road to finishing his story?

The other is an aptly named San Juan Street Fight between music superstar Bad Bunny and Damian Priest. In this showdown between former friends, can Bad Bunny continue his string of impressive in-ring showings in his first solo match?

Both women’s championships will be on the line at Backlash as well. Neither Bianca Belair nor Rhea Ripley is expected to lose, but if that indeed turns out to be the case, what will happen to their championships — since both women were drafted to the “opposite” shows last week?

As has increasingly been the case as of late, there’s a big question about the Bloodline too. The Usos came up short in their attempt to regain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, and even worse, dedicated their effort to their Tribal Chief. As they team with Solo Sikoa to face Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle, are they all on the same page, and what will happen to Jey and Jimmy if they lose?

There should be answers to all of these questions before the night is over at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, and we’ll be bringing them all to you here at Wrestling Junkie.

WWE Backlash 2023 results:

(click on any match link for full details)

WWE SmackDown results: Bad Bunny unites with the LWO

Bad Bunny and Cody Rhodes are looking to make a final point or two ahead of their respective Backlash matches.

WWE Backlash is almost ready to ignite the fans of San Juan, Puerto Rico, but they’ll get a chance to see some of their favorite wrestlers — and the biggest recording artist in the world — a night ahead of time tonight on WWE SmackDown.

Bad Bunny was announced some time ago as the host of Backlash, which made all the sense in the world. But he’s been embroiled in some drama involving The Judgment Day since WrestleMania, and it all boiled over once Damian Priest put him through an announce table.

As tends to happen in WWE, Bad Bunny came looking for Priest with a kendo stick, and the two men ended up getting booked for a San Juan Street Fight for Saturday night. Before that takes place, we’ll see if Bad Bunny gets the final word on SmackDown.

Another superstar who figures to want to say his piece ahead of a big Backlash match is Cody Rhodes. What will the American Nightmare want to talk about ahead of his showdown with Brock Lesnar?

Matches? Yep, there have been a couple of those promoted for SmackDown as well. Shinsuke Nakamura will take on Karrion Kross in singles action, while the Viking Raiders take on Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows of The O.C. in a tag team match.

Neither of those jumps out as a main event, so figure we’ll get another prominent match added to the card during the show that will fill that spot and whip the crowd into a proper pre-Backlash frenzy.

WWE SmackDown results from San Juan:

  • Rey Mysterio and the LWO hit the ring but are quickly joined by The Judgment Day, and San Juan hates Dominik Mysterio as much as any U.S. audience, and they end up agreeing to a mixed tag match before Dom gets in a cheap shot on his dad
  • The O.C. def. The Viking Raiders by pinfall
  • Michael Cole and Wade Barrett promote the World Heavyweight Championship tournament taking place next week
  • Bianca Belair talks about how important SmackDown is to her before she’s interrupted by Damage CTRL; Bayley calls her conceited, and Belair gets assistance from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez when it inevitably turns into a fight

  • Karrion Kross delivers one last warning to Shinsuke Nakamura
  • The Usos are getting psyched for their Backlash match, but Solo Sikoa just silently wraps his thumb before finally telling his brothers they better do their part

  • Street Profits def. Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci) by pinfall
  • A lengthy hype video for the Cody Rhodes-Brock Lesnar match is shown
  • “I don’t have any time to be scared of Brock Lesnar.” Rhodes hits the ring for his mic time, some of it in Spanish, and makes his case for calling Lesnar a gatekeeper while vowing to get back on track to finishing his story

  • Nakamura has just one thing to say to Kross: Come on!
  • Matt Riddle thinks he, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have the Bloodline right where they want them for Backlash
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Karrion Kross by pinfall
  • A video package provides a closer look at the NXT talent drafted to SmackDown, including Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre, Cameron Grimes, Pretty Deadly and Grayson Waller
  • Adam Pearce welcomes Cameron Grimes to SmackDown but their discussion is interrupted by the non-drafted Baron Corbin, and they end up agreeing to a match next week
  • Zelina Vega and Rey Mysterio def. Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio by pinfall, only to be attacked by The Judgment Day right after the bell, but …
  • … Bad Bunny leads the LWO to the rescue, though his kendo stick shots intended for Damian Priest are intercepted by Dom; Bad Bunny accepts and puts on an LWO shirt to end the show

WWE Backlash 2023 betting odds: Women’s champs heavy favorites in San Juan

Check out the latest WWE Backlash 2023 betting odds to see who people think will win in San Juan on May 6.

One of the stranger things that took place during the recent WWE Draft was Raw Women’s Champions Bianca Belair and SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley being sent to the opposite shows. That’s raised the possibility of a title swap, though one that might not be necessary if either loses Saturday night at Backlash — though the latest WWE Backlash betting odds show not many expect that to happen.

Belair and Ripley are heavy, heavy favorites over IYO SKY and Zelina Vega, respectively, Saturday night in San Juan. In fact Vega is currently +650 at Betfair, one of the bigger betting underdogs in a WWE title match in some time.

This is the place where we need to put our usual disclaimer: Betting on WWE matches seems silly to us since the outcomes are already known by some, and you’re wagering without that information. However, they are useful and fun barometers of what people believe will happen during upcoming matches, including those scheduled for Puerto Rico this weekend.

While none of the seven matches on the card is really a pick ’em, the closest one is the six-man tag team match pitting Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle against the Bloodline, with the heel group sitting at just +120.

Let’s take a look at all of the WWE Backlash betting lines, converted into U.S.-style odds.

(Last update: May 5, 2023, 10:30 a.m. ET)

WWE Backlash 2023 betting odds:

Singles match
  • Cody Rhodes: -200
  • Brock Lesnar: +140
San Juan Street Fight
  • Bad Bunny: -275
  • Damian Priest: +175
Singles match
  • Seth Rollins: -275
  • Omos: +165
Six-man tag team match
  • Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle: -175
  • The Bloodline (The Usos and Solo Sikoa): +120
WWE United States Championship match
  • Austin Theory (c): -333
  • Bobby Lashley: +250
  • Bronson Reed: +400
WWE Raw Women’s Championship match
  • Bianca Belair (c): -1000
  • IYO SKY: +400
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship match
  • Rhea Ripley (c): -1666
  • Zelina Vega: +650

WWE Backlash 2023: Date, start time, match card

We get you set for the first WWE premium live event in Puerto Rico in nearly 20 years.

When WrestleMania is in the rear view mirror, it can only be time for the Backlash.

It makes sense that WWE follows its biggest event of every calendar year with a show that deals with its repercussions, and even though the company has moved away from branding it that way directly in 2023 — the show was actually called WrestleMania Backlash the last few years — there’s no question that the fingerprints of the Show of Shows are on this event as usual.

What’s new and exciting for this year is the locale: San Juan, Puerto Rico, which hasn’t hosted a WWE premium live event in 18 years. Music superstar Bad Bunny, one of Puerto Rico’s favorite sons, had been advertised as the host of the event, but as you’ll see below, he’s since abandoned that position in favor of a more active role, to say the least.

The card will also be boosted by some returning talent. Matt Riddle has been back on TV after missing several months due to a reported suspension (and entering rehab), and got thrown right into the fire. He’ll join tag team champs/best buddies Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to even the odds against the Bloodline side of The Usos and Solo Sikoa.

Speaking of the Bloodline, Roman Reigns looks to be sitting Backlash out, but that’s because he has someone else handling his top challenger. Cody Rhodes wanted a rematch for Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship but instead got ambushed by Brock Lesnar on Raw. Those two men will now do battle in San Juan in an encounter that could serve as the main event.

The crowd is almost guaranteed to be super hot after not hosting an event of this magnitude for so long. Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for Backlash.

WWE Backlash 2023

  • Date: May 6, 2023
  • Location: Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Start time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world
  • Matches announced: 7

Please scroll down for more on the back story and a look at what might happen in each match.

WWE Raw results: Seth Rollins, Solo Sikoa match becomes a 7-person brawl

Also on tonight’s card are Jimmy Uso vs. Matt Riddle and Shinsuke Nakamura on Miz TV.

Part of the Raw roster for May 8 and beyond is set. The rest of it will fall into place on tonight’s episode from Forth Worth, Texas.

Thanks to Night One of the 2023 WWE Draft, Raw has 24 wrestlers on its roster, including Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch and all of Imperium. But the other half of the WWE talent pool remains ready to be selected on Night Two, which just so happens to be tonight.

One of the big names yet to be chosen is Brock Lesnar. Not only is he generally not involved in the draft, getting to be a free agent who floats between brands, he’s also in the middle of a program with Rhodes. You’d think WWE would send them to the same brand, but it’s certainly not guaranteed since Lesnar and Rhodes will do battle at Backlash and the new rosters take effect on the following Raw.

(Note: Lesnar ended up as a free agent after all, see below.)

Two people who already know they’re going to be on Monday nights going forward are Shinsuke Nakamura and The Miz. Conveniently, we’ll see them interact tonight, as the King of Strong Style will be a guest on the A-Lister’s latest Miz TV segment.

There’s also an intriguing singles match that WWE announced this afternoon. Jimmy Uso still doesn’t know where he and Jey will be plying their trade, as The Usos are in tonight’s draft pool. But while the brothers are undoubtedly still stinging from their championship rematch loss to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn — not to mention their failure in a bout they dedicated to the Tribal Chief — Jimmy won’t have time to reflect tonight as he’s up against Matt Riddle.

WWE Raw results from Fort Worth:

(click here for WWE Draft picks for each round tonight and click on any match with a link for more details)

  • Triple H comes out to welcome everyone to Raw and to Night Two of the WWE Draft; oh, and Brock Lesnar isn’t eligible to be drafted after all, having renegotiated his status as a free agent earlier today
  • “If he’s upset with me now, he’s really not going to like this one.” Paul Heyman says The Usos’ draft fate is TBD, but while addressing the “jokes” in the Raw locker room, he says the word “freakin'” a few too many times and accidentally summons Seth Rollins, who issues his own spoiler about winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions; that brings out Solo Sikoa, who will face Rollins later tonight
  • Adam Pearce asks Cody Rhodes not to start up any chaos with Brock Lesnar but gets no promises
  • Bayley and Dakota Kai def. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall
  • Booker T (Raw) and wife Sharmell (SmackDown) head out to deliver the next round of draft picks
  • “Good luck with that.” Pearce makes the same plea to Brock Lesnar that he made to Cody, but well …
  • Braun Strowman and Ricochet def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
  • The Bad Bunny-Damian Priest hype video is played again
  • Shawn Michaels and Adam Pearce are out to announce the next round of WWE Draft picks, but Brock Lesnar decides he wants to head to the ring now, Pearce sends out a phalanx of security guards, and Rhodes tries to get him a piece of Brock and ends up getting trapped by all the guards instead
  • Matt Riddle is excited that he got drafted to the same show as the tag team champions so they can hang out all the time, but Kevin Owens is not as psyched about that
  • Matt Riddle def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall
  • Eric Bischoff (Raw) and Rob Van Dam (SmackDown) head out to make the next round of WWE Draft picks
  • Jey Uso asks why Sikoa wasn’t at ringside for Jimmy’s match, and Heyman says Solo needs to stay concentrated on his assignment tonight
  • Shinsuke Nakamura joins The Miz for Miz TV, and the A-Lister ends up eating a Kinshasa, as you might expect
  • Omos def. local talent in a quick squash match
  • Road Dogg and Molly Holly are next to introduce the Round 5 WWE Draft picks
  • The Judgment Day is happy to be staying together on Raw, and delivers messages to Zelina Vega and Bad Bunny in multiple languages, but the LWO responds with a rousing speech from Rey Mysterio
  • Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley def. Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar and Zelina Vega when Priest pins Rey Mysterio after a South of Heaven
  • Rhodes admits Lesnar is in his head but says that while Brock usually gets what he wants, he won’t on Saturday
  • Bianca Belair says it doesn’t matter what show she’s on as long as she can represent, and Damage CTRL comes by to tell her that IYO SKY will beat her at Backlash, to which Belair accuses Bayley and Dakota Kai of holding SKY back
  • Teddy Long (Raw) and JBL (SmackDown) are out to deliver the sixth and final round of draft picks
  • Xavier Woods say The New Day will inject a little more energy back into Monday nights
  • Seth Rollins vs. Solo Sikoa ends in a DQ as the Usos invade the ring, quickly followed by a brawl that involves Owens, Zayn and Riddle that ends the show

WWE SmackDown results: The Usos can’t win their rematch against Sami Zayn, KO

The Usos let the Tribal Chief down in their tag team title rematch.

Paul Heyman tells The Usos before they head for the ring that he and Solo Sikoa are staying behind because the Tribal Chief wants the spotlight on Jey and Jimmy. But he also has Solo tape up his Samoan Spike thumb, so … that’s worth filing away.

The Usos certainly look extremely motivated, simply overwhelming the champs and dropping Kevin Owens with superkicks before covering him for two. After a commercial break, the challengers continue to work over KO’s left knee, which Sikoa weakened last week.

Sami Zayn still hasn’t been the legal man and is anxious to receive a tag, and Owens manages to drag Jimmy into the post and leap to make that tag. Zayn and Jey take each other down with elbow shots before both Usos are sent to the floor. Sami wants to fly and does it with a tope con hilo.

A sunset flip powerbomb on Jey gets Sami a two count, and another follows after a Blue Thunder Bomb.

Owens tags back in after commercials and hits the cannonball on Jimmy. They fight up to the top turnbuckle, where KO delivers a fisherman’s buster. He hops to the other top rope and hits the Swanton Bomb, but Jimmy manages to kick out.

Heyman is shown getting a call from Roman Reigns and tells Solo “that was the call, tonight is your night.”

Meanwhile, Zayn slingshots himself to the floor and right into a Jey superkick. Owens stuns Jimmy but can only get two as the pace stays high.

Sikoa makes his way out but is neutralized by Matt Riddle. Owens is barely able to kick out as he absorbs more offense from Jey. The Usos have KO lined up for a double superkick, and Zayn is blasted off the apron as well. Jimmy covers but Owens manages to kick out yet again.

Another superkick leads to another near fall, yet Owens is able to keep fighting through it. The Usos signal for the 1-D, but Zayn pops back up to take care of Jey while Jimmy eats a Stunner. Sami follows with a Helluva Kick and the champs retain.

Click here for full WWE SmackDown results from Corpus Christi.

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

WWE SmackDown results: Solo Sikoa gets family help to beat Matt Riddle

No DQ but also no allies for Matt Riddle on Smackdown. So how did he fare against Solo Sikoa?

Matt Riddle comes out of nowhere, appearing behind Solo Sikoa and catching him by surprise before the opening bell. The Enforcer of the Bloodline shrugs off that attack and clotheslines Riddle to the mat, then sends him down again with a high elbow.

Riddle catches Sikoa running into the corner with a bit of a leg triangle, but Solo simply powers forward and slams his foe down, covering for two. Solo is the first to look under the ring for plunder, bringing out a pair of kendo sticks.

There are chairs in the ring now too, but it’s the kendo stick that Riddle tastes first. An overhead kick scores for Riddle before he’s sent to the floor, and the fans chant for tables. Riddle grabs a kendo stick and starts wearing Sikoa out, forcing him to seek refuge on the floor.

Riddle gives the people what they want, grabbing a table, but Sikoa stops him from setting it up. A moment’s hesitation allows Riddle to throw Solo into the steps and then launch off them into a Broton.

After commercials, Solo wants a uranage onto some chairs, but he settles for a suplex instead and covers for two. A chair helps Riddle make his rally, and all those kendo stick shots don’t hurt either.

Now Riddle has two chairs set up and he suplexes Sikoa onto them and looks dismayed when that only earns a near fall. To the outside they go again, and that goes poorly for Riddle as he gets hurled across the announce table. This time Riddle uses his legs to avoid having the table pushed over on him, and they fight to the top of the table.

Samoan Spike? Nope, a knee shot scores for Riddle, and he repays his foe by knocking the table over on Solo. Unfortunately for Riddle, the Usos attack him as a duo, dragging him back into the ring. Somehow Riddle is able to send them both to the floor, and he launches into a Floating Bro on Jimmy and Jey.

A look of disbelief crosses Riddle’s face as he looks across the ring and sees Sikoa rising, in time to give him a uranage on the apron. Solo calls for the Samoan Spike but Riddle ducks it and hits a knee. Riddle runs the ropes but right into a Samoan Spike, and that’s too much for Matt to kick out from.

Adding injury to insult, the Usos give Riddle a 1-D through a table. That’s unfortunate for him.

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