Tag: Pretty Deadly

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 03/22/24: Cody Rhodes comes prepared for Bloodline hijinks

Turns out that neither Roman Reigns nor Cody Rhodes really kept their word on WWE SmackDown in Milwaukee.

Promises are a funny thing. Even villains, when they have a code of honor, can keep them, and there’s a big one that is at the heart of tonight’s WWE SmackDown from Milwaukee.

This week on Raw, Roman Reigns gave his word via Paul Heyman that he wanted to talk to Cody Rhodes on SmackDown and that he’d show up alone — no other Bloodline except for Heyman. In return, he asked that Rhodes also bring no backup, and Cody agreed.

It was somewhat reminiscent of the kind of agreement you’d see in movies, like a hostage exchange or drop of some sort. Meet me at this place, at this time, no cops.

Whether Reigns actually follows through will tell us a lot about how he’s feeling on the Road to WrestleMania. Does it make sense, at this point in his tale, that he’d be confident enough to stand across from Cody with no contingency plan? He did defeat Rhodes last year at WrestleMania, after all.

Or is Roman now paranoid and willing to go back on his word, a sign he’d do anything to keep the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from even possibly slipping through his grasp?

It’ll also be nice to see Reigns take center stage on the Bloodline portion of things, as he’s been somewhat upstaged by The Rock the last few weeks. Pretty sure that’s never going to come up again somewhere down the road. Yep, probably never. Wink, wink.

There are important tag team matches in store as well, which will help shape the Tag Team Ladder match at WrestleMania. Buckle up and prepare, Milwaukee, because here we go.

WWE SmackDown results from Milwaukee:

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

  • Cody Rhodes and Damage CTRL are shown entering the arena
  • Santos Escobar def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall, in large part due to a distraction from Dominik Mysterio
  • Bayley thanks Naomi for helping her last week, but Bianca Belair hasn’t forgiven the Role Model for what she did as leader of Damage CTRL, and Naomi ends up having to step between them as they bicker
  • Backstage, Bianca and Naomi continue to have a conversation, to which Naomi says she can’t change what’s happened in the past and won’t back down when Damage CTRL is picking them off one by one
  • Austin Theory and Grayson Waller def. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows by pinfall in a Tag Team Championship Qualifying Match, with Theory using the ropes for leverage to aid in his pinfall
  • A hype video pushes Bron Breakker as a superior athlete
  • Highlights are shown from Roman Reigns’ appearance on “The  Pat McAfee Show”
  • IYO SKY def. Naomi by pinfall thanks to aid from Damage CTRL; after the match, Naomi gets a dose of the poison mist from Asuka before Bianca Belair hits the ring with a vengeance, and is able to do pretty well against the whole group until numbers wear her down
  • Jade Cargill will make her first official appearance as a SmackDown superstar next week
  • Tiffany Stratton mocks Naomi as she’s trying to get the mist rinsed out of her eyes
  • Nick Aldis is talking to Kevin Owens when they’re interrupted by Pretty Deadly, and KO ends up challenging them to a tag team match alongside Randy Orton; K.O. ends up punching both members of Pretty Deadly in the face at once, as he does
  • Footage is shown of LA Knight rolling up at the house of AJ Styles and starting a fight with him, then dashcam video shows Knight getting arrested

  • Street Profits def. Authors of Pain by pinfall in a Tag Team Championship Qualifying Match
  • Paul Heyman is on the phone telling Roman Reigns that Cody Rhodes is here alone, and that his public awaits
  • Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes go face to face, and when it turns out Reigns actually did bring The Bloodline with him, Cody has backup too in the form of Jey Uso and Seth Rollins

Naomi learns going it alone against IYO SKY isn’t really a great idea

Is IYO even going to make it out to the ring? Cameras find her backstage scrapping with Bayley, but she gets the better of it and refs finally tell the WWE Women’s Champion to get to the ring.

SKY has to weather an early storm, and the crowd gets behind Naomi as she rallies to hit a springboard bulldog of sorts for a near fall that leads to a commercial break.

Yes Corey Graves, Milwaukee is starting to feel the glow after the break. She splashes into a split but gets only another two count.

You feel like Damage CTRL is going to interfere at some point, and perhaps others may get involved too. Maybe soon after Naomi hits a superplex and rolls through to produce another near fall.

Ah here come the Kabuki Warriors and Dakota Kai, perfectly timed to set their leader up for an Over the Moonsault to win it.

Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes exchange insults, and neither came alone

So far so good for Reigns sticking to his word, as Roman comes to the ring accompanied only by Paul Heyman. The Tribal Chief asks for and is handed a mic, talking about how he kept his word and showed up without the Bloodline. He asks everyone to acknowledge him while Cody is shown walking toward the entrance.

After commercials, Rhodes makes his way out to join Reigns in the ring. Cody says he’s as much a man of his word and also came alone, to which Roman calls him a fool.

From Reigns’ perspective, Rhodes is unfit for the position of face of the company. He scoffs at Cody aligning himself with Seth Rollins, reminding Rhodes that Rollins eventually stabbed him in the back.

Cody of course remembers The Shield, but asks if Roman remembers the first team that defeated them. He also says he has his “bullet cufflinks” on so he knows all about factions and betrayals, and he’s banking on Rollins hating Reigns more than he hates Cody.

There’s also a good question: Can Roman trust The Rock? Who’s really in charge of The Bloodline anyway, the Tribal Chief or the Final Boss? A “Roman sucks” chant breaks out in response.

Reigns retorts that Rhodes said the same thing to The Rock in reverse, then ridicules him for promising things and failing to deliver like a politician. All Cody will ever be is No. 2, while he’s No. 1 … forever.

Talking about how Reigns grew up in the business like he did, Rhodes says he’s accepted the idea that the next generation of youngsters will grow up wanting to be the next Roman. Cody disagrees about being No. 2, though, saying he’s the one and offering a handshake and good luck at WrestleMania.

Reigns shakes Heyman’s hand instead and they leave the ring. But Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa are approaching the ring through the crowd, and the American Nightmare looks surrounded.

Cody cracks a smile, though, as Jey Uso and Seth Rollins are also out in the crowd. It’s a big standoff to end the show, like something out of a movie.

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE SmackDown results from Memphis:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bayley wins by DQ but Damage CTRL proves its point

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE SmackDown results from Charlotte:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And those qualifying matches kick off right now.

LA Knight accidentally helps Drew McIntyre qualify for the Elimination Chamber

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bayley and Dakota Kai might still be OK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Randy Orton punches his Elimination Chamber ticket by defeating Sami Zayn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buckle up and let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown results from Birmingham:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bayley makes her WrestleMania choice as Damage CTRL implodes

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

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

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

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

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

Tiffany Stratton has the prettiest debut ever against Michin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE SmackDown results 01/19/24: Roman Reigns signs but ends up eating an RKO

Things didn’t quite turn out the way Roman Reigns thought they would on WWE SmackDown in Atlanta.

Sure, Randy Orton looks great after being out for more than a year due to injury. But do we really need to make him work double duty tonight on WWE SmackDown?

Let’s back up just a step. Orton is part of the contract signing that should be a major part of tonight’s show from Atlanta. Not only will it require another appearance from Roman Reigns, but it also means all three of his challengers at Royal Rumble will be on hand: Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight.

If that sounds like something might go down with all four of them in the ring at once, you probably aren’t wrong. Yet on top of that, GM Nick Aldis announced today that Orton will be in action as well, and it won’t be a light day at the office since his opponent is The Bloodline’s enforcer, Solo Sikoa.

Now granted, none of the trio of challengers is a spring chicken, as all four of them are in their 40s (yes, even Knight). So it’s not even a matter of letting the youngest guy have to be in the match as well as the anticipated donnybrook, because there is no youngest guy.

Still, there’s no need to make Orton go so hard just eight days away from Royal Rumble. He’s out there RKOing people in music videos and stuff and we’re still asking him to be in two different segments on one SmackDown? Protect Randy at all costs!

Ahem. Anyway, this episode should be an eventful one with the Rumble so close at hand, so we’re looking forward to it. On with the show!

WWE SmackDown results from Atlanta:

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

  • Roman Reigns isn’t happy to see Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa since they didn’t fix things, so he’s there to make everything right again; but Sikoa also vows he’ll fix everything
  • The Fatal Four-Way contract signing is on, but without Roman Reigns, and AJ Styles and LA Knight end up fighting each other
  • Styles finds Aldis and demands a match with Knight tonight, and the GM says that’s fine with him
  •  Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel and Humberto) def. The LWO (Carlito, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinfall
  • Pretty Deadly feels good about facing Tyler Bate and Butch as they’ll be ready for their opponents tonight … but the way they’re emphasizing Butch’s name makes one think they’re about to be surprised
  • Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits tell The Final Testament they have their attention, and if they want a fight, just name the time and place
  • Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne def. Pretty Deadly by pinfall
  • Pretty Deadly seem unfamiliar with Pete Dunne and blame that for their loss
  • Logan Paul joins The KO Show, and it ends in violence
  • Reigns lays into Jimmy Uso, but Sikoa steps in-between them and takes the blame for what happened last week while promising to fix things tonight
  • Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. The Unholy Union (Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn) by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, then have a brief in-ring confrontation with the Kabuki Warriors
  • The O.C. tells Styles that even with everything going on, they still have his back, but he says nothing and storms off
  • The Final Testament call Lashley and the Profits the yes men of the company while they are the disruptors
  • Carmelo Hayes talks about the spot that ended his match with Austin Theory, and Theory shows up acting angry; Melo challenges him to a rematch, and though Austin says he’s busy, Grayson Waller accepts on his behalf
  • AJ Styles vs. LA Knight ends in a no contest (we think) after interference from both Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa
  • Randy Orton def. Solo Sikoa by pinfall, but …
  • … after the bell, Orton, Knight and Styles end up in the ring together, where Randy gives both of the others an RKO; he turns and takes a Superman punch from Reigns, who laughs as all three of his challengers are now down on the mat before asking Aldis for the contract and signing it (and tossing it on the ground in front of the GM); but as Reigns rushes in to spear Orton, he’s caught with an RKO instead

As the contract signing breaks down, Randy Orton keeps his cool

GM Nick Aldis welcomes everyone to SmackDown and introduces the participants in the Fatal Four-Way contract signing, beginning with AJ Styles. He wastes no time signing emphatically on the dotted line.

LA Knight is next, followed by Randy Orton. Both of them quickly sign as well, so all we need now is the Tribal Chief. But it’s Paul Heyman who comes out instead, suggesting that Reigns isn’t going to sign a contract that neither he nor the lawyers have seen.

Aldis asks for clarification and says that’s fine, because if Roman won’t sign, it will just be a Triple Threat match for the vacant Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. A somewhat panicked Heyman says there’s no way Aldis will be able to sell that to the board of directors, the fans and the Tribal Chief, who Paul says should be defending the title in a singles match.

Knight has heard enough, saying that he should get Reigns one on one but is ready to shut Heyman up. Styles takes exception to Knight saying he should be the one at the front of the line, and the two of them end up throwing hands while Orton just calmly watches things break down.

A bunch of referees and officials pour from the back to separate Styles and Knight, not very successfully as they fight to the back. Alas, that leaves Heyman in the ring with Orton, who tells Paul his machinations aren’t going to work since he’s going to beat Solo Sikoa later tonight. And after that, he’s going to reintroduce Reigns to those three dangerous letters.

Logan Paul joins The KO Show, and it ends in violence

KO says he can’t even believe he’s saying this: Please welcome my guest, Logan Paul, to The Kevin Owens Show. Paul makes it clear he’s not honored to be there, and the show is only a thing because he’s on it.

Logan claims Kevin is the reason he’s in WWE. Roll the clip! It’s from WrestleMania 2021, where KO gave him a Stunner in front of the whole world. It was a driving force for Paul, but Owens says he was just one of many he stunned over the years — though he does give Logan credit for putting in the work and becoming way better than anyone ever would have thought.

Owens says Paul is nothing like them, but Logan laughs because he says he’s so much more than just a superstar. And KO, you’re just … you.

That brings a passionate reply from Owens, who says Paul has been especially protected and it’s a joke that he’s the United States Champion, one KO will end at Royal Rumble. Paul says it’s hypocritical for Owens to talk about anyone being protected when he has the cast on to use as a weapon, whereas Paul knocks people out clean.

After a few more words, and KO taking off his cast, Paul lays out Owens with a punch he doesn’t see coming, then turns in surprise to see KO pull himself up and go right back at him. Paul tries to flee but is caught by Owens, only to have Logan smash his right hand into the post.

Katana Chance and Kayden Carter take down The Unholy Union, but the Kabuki Warriors are lurking

Bayley joins the announcers for guest commentary while the rest of Damage CTRL leans back along the barricade right next to her. The champs weather an early storm and try to double team Dawn, but she ends up getting hurled down onto her partner and nearly pinned.

Fyre fares no better once she tags in, and soon takes the Keg Stand to end the match. No time to celebrate, though, as the Kabuki Warriors have the title belts and mock the champs as they hand them back.

AJ Styles and LA Knight run into a Solo problem

These two look like they can’t wait to get after it, and Styles is looking like he’s in control until Knight sends him sliding face first into the middle turnbuckle. Dueling chants are ringing out through the crowd.

Styles wins an exchange of shots in the corner, then kicks Knight while he’s down. A backbreaker gives AJ time to plan his next move, which ends up being choking Knight along the middle rope.

The Megastar battles back with a series of right hands, followed by a popup powerslam for a two count. Knight batters Styles into the corner but sees his foe slide out to the floor, where he executes a successful ambush.

Knight is whipped into the barricade but ends up getting bounced off it in return. That’s followed by getting his head bounced off the announce table, and the cheers turn to boos as Jimmy Uso comes down the ramp.

Uso’s mere presence allows Styles the time he needs to recover, but Solo Sikoa emerges from the timekeeper’s area and hits AJ with a Samoan Spike. The ref calls for the bell, but that doesn’t stop Solo from dragging Styles into the ring for another Samoan Spike.

Sikoa calls for a mic and says “two down, one to go,” calling Orton out now.

Randy Orton stops Solo Sikoa with an RKO

We’ll see if they actually fight to a finish or this is just Solo beating up the Viper until Roman Reigns arrives. Sikoa is all over Orton to start, smashing him in the corner and driving him into the announce table and the steel steps.

After a commercial break, Orton has turned the tables enough to hit his hanging DDT, and the fans love that. The Viper looks for an RKO, and while Jimmy Uso looks like he wants to interfere, he’s laid out by LA Knight and AJ Styles. Amidst the chaos, Orton hits Sikoa with an RKO and ends their match.

 

WWE SmackDown results 01/05/24: Roman Reigns earns himself a Fatal 4-Way

The Bloodline got some licks in but paid for it by the very end of WWE SmackDown in Vancouver.

We know that Roman Reigns is going to defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Royal Rumble later this month. What we don’t know yet is who will be the challenger when that match takes place, but that’s something that tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown New Year’s Revolution in Vancouver is supposed to answer.

The candidates are all popular names. AJ Styles recently returned on a mission after The Bloodline put him (in storyline) out of action. Randy Orton was away much longer and has beef with Reigns’ group as well. And LA Knight has been fighting the good fight for some time, coming close to unseating the Head of the Table a few months ago.

All three of them will do battle in a Triple Threat match to determine who will stand across the ring from Reigns at Royal Rumble. Could there be hijinks? Well, considering that Reigns and The Bloodline are also slated for tonight’s show, there’s a decent chance, yes.

Guess who else needs a No. contender? Logan Paul, that’s who. He’ll also be in the house in Vancouver, and assuming he has swapped back with Patrick Mahomes, he’ll be defending his United States Championship against either Kevin Owens or Santos Escobar. We’ll see which one of them emerges with a chance to win some gold in Florida later this month, and Paul will almost certainly not pass up the chance to egg on whoever is the victor.

There’s other intriguing stuff on tap as well, including IYO SKY defending her title and the chance for some returns/debuts as well. Let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown New Year’s Revolution results from Vancouver:

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

  • The broadcast begins with highlights of The Rock appearing on this week’s Raw Day 1 episode, followed by Roman Reigns getting out of his ride and laughing, followed by Paul Heyman
  • Kevin Owens def. Santos Escobar by pinfall in the United States Championship Tournament Final, them smashes a mouthy Logan Paul with a right hand
  • A hype video shows why Randy Orton is in the position he is in going into tonight’s Triple Threat match
  • Paul is carrying an ice bag on his forehead when he’s stopped backstage, and while a concerned Austin Theory and Grayson Waller check on him, Cameron Grimes can only laugh at his fate
  • Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits are set to make 2024 their year, but they’ve got a new problem: Karrion Kross is back and has the Authors of Pain with him
  • Now it’s time for AJ styles to get his hype video
  • IYO SKY def. Michin by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship
  • Heyman says The Rock namedropped Roman Reigns because he wants to sit at the Head of the Table … but he hasn’t been nor will he be invited to a Dinner of Relevancy; Heyman also says he upgraded from the time he was CM Punk’s friend before he promises whoever wins tonight will be smashed by Reigns
  • Bayley and the rest of Damage CTRL celebrate SKY’s victory and says Kabuki Warriors will win the tag team titles, but Bianca Belair stops by to congratulate SKY and announce that she’s entering the Royal Rumble and can’t wait to KOD Bayley over the top rope
  • Butch and Tyler Bate def. Pretty Deadly by pinfall
  • Yes, LA Knight gets a hype video for tonight too
  • Ashante Thee Adonis tells Nick Aldis he is starving for an opportunity, and the GM says he has some ideas he thinks will be very interesting to him
  • AJ Styles vs. LA Knight vs. Randy Orton

Kevin Owens wins a shot at the U.S. title, gets in a shot on Logan Paul

Lest you think Logan Paul wasn’t going to watch this closely, he comes down to join the announcers. Escobar also sees his new running buddies Humberto and Angel attacked by Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde, so he has no help when KO nearly pins him just seconds after the opening bell.

Owens is still in command after commercials, but Escobar turns things around by concentrating on KO’s damaged right hand. Paul, as usual, is unimpressed with both combatants.

There’s a tope suicida by Escobar to knock Owens back into the barricade. The obviously pro-Owens crowd starts a “Logan sucks” chant.

The battle goes to the top rope, where Escobar leaps right into an inverted atomic drop of sorts, followed by a DDT. Now it’s Owens trying to fly, but Escobar joins him up top. KO reverses a superplex attempt and slams his foe to the mat but holds his right hand as another ad break arrives.

Owens shows no fear of coming off the apron to smash Escobar on the floor, then tries a Swanton Bomb back into the ring only to catch nothing but knees. Escobar hits a Frankensteiner off the top rope and ascends again for a frog splash. It’s not enough to get the three.

Egged on by the crowd, Paul expressed some grudging respect for Owens’ wrestling ability, and he proves why with a rolling senton off the second rope. Escobar kicks out at two as the U.S. champ laughs.

A superkick by Owens leads to a Popup Powerbomb attempt, and while the first one is countered, his second try is not. There’s a Stunner with Escobar rushing out of the corner, and that’s sufficient to win it.

After the bell, Paul grabs the mic to mock the idea of a Canadian holding the United States Championship. Owens hits him with a right hand, however, laying him out with one shot.

Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits have a problem called Karrion Kross … and the Authors of Pain

Lashley calls 2023 the toughest year of his career from a professional standpoint but says his highlight was linking up with the Street Profits. They plan on taking “everything that we deserve” in 2024.

Montez Ford says they’re going to hop on the trend but fast forward the part where they think the grass is greener on the other side. Angelo Dawkins puts The Judgment Day on notice in terms of the tag team titles, while Lashley says his goal it to get back to being the All Mighty.

To that end, he declares himself an entrant in the 2024 Royal Rumble match. That announcement brings a new video to the big screen and brings out Karrion Kross, Scarlett … and Paul Ellering.

The Authors of Pain are back, and they absolutely destroy the Profits before Kross takes out Lashley.

IYO SKY pushed but triumphs over Michin

The announcers say Michin claims she’s been so focused on “helping the boys” that she hasn’t had much time to focus on herself. SKY is tackling this title defense alone, smiling as Michin is able to match her move for move early on.

A double stomp has the champ feeling some swagger, but Michin lures her into flying to the floor and then connects on a tope suicida. After commercials, Michin lands a wicked knee shot and a cannonball in the corner, but the champ kicks out at two.

Double knees in the corner have SKY looking rocked, but she’s able to kick out at two again. Michin cinches in a half crab, though SKY is close to the ropes and can force a break.

SKY wants to springboard in from the apron but is met by a right hand. But it’s IYO who is able to deliver a German suplex on the apron, bringing cheers from the fans.

The champ wants the Over the Moonsault but hits knees and is thrown backward by a dragon suplex that earns Michin another near fall. SKY squirts free from trouble and hits double knees to the face for her own near fall.

They both head toward the corner, where SKY is knocked down … but only for a second. Michin catches her, however, and executes a Styles Clash from the middle rope that would win it if SKY wasn’t able to grab the ropes.

Alas, the champ is able to bounce back quickly, as that’s why she’s the champ — and it doesn’t hurt that Michin splats on the floor trying for a dive to the outside. An Over the Moonsault wins it for SKY, but props to Michin for that battle.

AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton all win thanks to The Bloodline’s main event invasion

The announce team reminds us that all three men have their own issues with The Bloodline, and thus will all be equally motivated. Styles has the aerial advantage, Orton the experience edge, but Knight is probably the hottest of the trio right this second. The crowd certainly loves it when he’s bouncing the heads of his foes off the announce table, though Orton suplexes him onto it before doing the same to Styles.

Styles is eventually able to give the Viper a taste of his own medicine, briefly leaving everyone down. Orton is the first to emerge with a big move, hitting his hanging DDT on Styles. Knight drags Orton out of the ring and sends him into the steps, but Styles wipes him out with an aerial assault right after that, sending us to commercials.

Styles is still in command on the other side, burying his knee in Knight’s midsection. A belly to back suplex is next and leads to a near fall for AJ.

Orton is treated to a taste of the steps, and Styles returns to the ring only to find Knight counter his sunset flip attempt for a two count. Knight and Orton both get their shots in on Styles, who eventually is beaten down into the corner.

The same thing looks like it’ll happen to Orton, but he takes a Russian leg sweep instead. A hip attack smashes Styles, as well as a big back body drop. Orton has rallied for several clotheslines, though, and his snap powerslam has him feeling good, especially after he dishes out one to Styles too.

Suddenly, Knight hits Orton with Blunt Force Trauma, and Styles has to physically stop the ref from counting to three. Knight and Styles trade right hands, with AJ finally pulling out a Pele Kick to end the stalemate.

Styles casually hits a springboard 450 on Knight, but LA manages to kick out at two. Orton is repulsed by Styles as well, but he’s able to counter the Phenomenal Forearm with an RKO. That looks like the end … until Knight pulls the referee out of the ring.

And just like that, here comes The Bloodline: Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. Reigns motions for Solo to hit the ring, and all three of them are beating the hell out of the actual competitors.

The steel steps are used as a weapon, and Uso clears off the announce table. Reigns hits a hellacious powerbomb on Styles, then a Superman punch on a now bloodied Knight, followed by a spear.

Orton is rolled into the ring next to receive a Samoan Spike/spear combo. Nick Aldis wants to talk to Paul Heyman, and he tells the Wise Man he can congratulate Reigns — because he earned himself a Fatal 4-Way at Royal Rumble.

WWE SmackDown results 12/1/23: Friday Night Viper, plus a Logan Paul invitational

Also revealed on WWE SmackDown was a tourney to determine a challenger for Logan Paul.

Logan Paul accomplished his goal of becoming WWE United States Champion, but we’ll find out starting tonight on SmackDown in Brooklyn if perhaps the hard part of his pro wrestling journey really starts now.

So far, Paul has been the hunter, pursuing big fights like his Crown Jewel 2022 main event with Roman Reigns, and his ultimately successful title pursuit of Rey Mysterio. It’s just that now he has the gold and other wrestlers are going to want to take it from him.

The question now is who will be first. WWE has hinted that we’ll get that answer tonight, and one would expect that may lead to a title clash at Royal Rumble if not before.

Another big emphasis tonight will be an appearance by Randy Orton. The Viper seems to be enjoying his WWE return so far, as he was on the winning side in WarGames and emerged with a victory this week on Raw in his first singles match in more than 20 months.

But is Orton here for the duration or just for a visit? In storyline terms, he’s appearing because he was invited by SmackDown GM Nick Aldis. The suspicion is that in real life terms, he may be heading to Friday nights because he’s the next in line for a feud with Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief won’t be at Barclays Center tonight, but it’s possible we’ll get a hint toward a program between the two of them anyway.

Plus we’ll see Kevin Owens take on Grayson Waller, and WWE has pushed the idea that we’ll learn what’s next for Damage CTRL after a losing effort at WarGames.

We’re set to recap everything that goes down from Barclays Center and even have two of our team members in the house tonight. Let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown results from Brooklyn:

As Kevin Patrick notes, Bianca Belair has every reason to smile after she captained her team to WarGames victory. She gives a shoutout to all of her teammates before making it clear she still has business with IYO SKY since she wants “her” title back.

That brings out Damage CTRL, minus Bayley, with Dakota Kai speaking for SKY. The champ (apparently) says Brooklyn smells and that since she’s already beaten Belair twice, Bianca will have to go through all of Damage CTRL to get another shot.

She’s willing to fight them all solo, but Charlotte Flair and Shotzi soon arrive to declare they’re down for a fight as well, and pretty soon we’ve got a six-woman brawl that is quickly won by the fan favorites.

Damage CTRL wants to know why Bayley wasn’t out there, but it sort of doesn’t matter now as Kairi Sane has a match with Belair, and Kai says she would really appreciate Bayley’s help.

Butch battles Bobby Lashley alone, can’t beat the All Mighty

This match was apparently made on the SmackDown Lowdown last Saturday. Didn’t know stories actually advanced there. In any case, the focus of the announcers is on Ridge Holland walking out on Butch last week, making him a solo act for now. Lashley gets on the mic before the match and says that while he did advise Butch to make a name for himself, he didn’t mean against the All Mighty.

An unimpressed Butch simply goes right at Lashley, but that only works temporarily. The crowd is chanting for Bobby, which may not be what WWE intended. Bitch doesn’t care, taking flight from the apron to the floor a few times with success before commercials arrive.

It’s apparently all Lashley while we’re away, and while Butch is able to wriggle free of a vertical suplex, Bobby catches and simply slams him straight down with one hand.

As the Street Profits cheer him on, Lashley looks for a Spear and hits nothing but post. Butch peppers him with head kicks in the corner, then double stomps Lashley’s left arm from behind. Next comes some small joint manipulation and a stomp on the left hand, followed by a two count.

Lashley shakes it off to deliver a powerslam, but Butch kicks out at two. The Brawling Brute still has some fight left in him, but a Spear takes care of that, and the All Mighty has this one wrapped up.

Highlights are shown of the Men’s WarGames match from Survivor Series, though not including the return of CM Punk afterward.

Paul Heyman seems upset that Nick Aldis invited Randy Orton to SmackDown tonight, and is especially irritated that Aldis wants to sign Orton to an exclusive contract. He tells Heyman he can tell Roman Reigns it’s happening, and that he’ll offer up the entire Bloodline if needed to get the deal done.

Butch says he doesn’t know why Ridge Holland walked out on him, but while he’s not about to take any taunting about it from Pretty Deadly, he soon learns, painfully, that he can’t do much about it.

After a replay of the beginning of Santos Escobar’s heel turn, he says he’s going to put Joaquin Wilde on the shelf right now if he can’t see the “truth” about Rey Mysterio.

Santos Escobar takes down Joaquin Wilde but Dragon Lee is still hunting him

Not sure if the LWO is still alive, but Wilde is trying his best to keep it that way, not just by sporting a shirt but by controlling the early action and getting the first near fall.

Escobar fights back effectively, scoring several two counts and ripping Wilde’s LWO shirt off. Santos mocks the group to the hard cam but gets his legs taken out by a low dropkick. A big DDT follows, but Escobar is able to kick out at two.

After stunning his former teammate, Escobar scream that this is what happens when you cross him, and he finishes the match with a Phantom Driver. Santos wants to continue the beating after the bell, bringing Dragon Lee to the rescue.

Escobar fakes leaving and tries attacking from behind, but Dragon Lee is ready, battering Santos into the corner and nailing a low dropkick.

Adam Pearce is also in the house, and he tells Aldis he intends to join him in the ring to offer Orton a Raw contract.

Logan Paul explains who will challenge him next … if Kevin Owens doesn’t get to him first

To everyone who prayed for his downfall, Logan Paul wants to know where they are now. He says the more anyone hopes he fails, the harder he works and the more he wins.

Paul says wrestlers are jealous and want his U.S. title, which has been on his junk just like everyone has since he’s been there. His words, not ours.

Since Rey Mysterio can’t face him in a rematch due to injury, he and Aldis have come up with an eight-man tournament to determine his next challenger: Escobar, Lee, Karrion Kross, Lashley, Grayson Waller, Austin Theory, Kevin Owens and a mystery NXT wrestler.

Someone is going to answer him, and that someone is Owens. Clearly no fan, KO calls Paul’s time in WWE a nightmare and also takes a shot at Prime. Paul says he’s been in the ring with the greatest boxer ever and would only need five seconds to KO Kevin.

Owens says that’s another world and the WWE is his world, but he’s interrupted by the arrival of Waller and Theory. Waller says the three of them are “forward-thinking disruptor” types with a lot of common, and Theory runs his mouth until Owens smacks him down with a right hand. That leaves Owens and Paul exchanging words that we can’t hear to end the segment.

Kevin Owens just keeps fighting to defeat Grayson Waller

Paul sticks around on guest commentary, calling Owens the “Humpty Dumpty of WWE” and bragging about how he’s already beaten the best luchador of all time. He also plays dumb about the brass knuckles he used to beat Rey.

Oh right, the match. Owens is beating down Waller in one corner only to see Theory grab his buddy to avoid the Cannonball. That allows Waller to gain the upper hand on the outside, but that changes quickly when a clothesline puts him down on the floor and KO hits a frog splash from the apron.

Theory stomps on Owens’ hand as the referee is dealing with Waller, then tells his friend where to concentrate his offense. The announcers report that KO’s hand continued to be targeted all through the break, with Michael Cole putting the idea out there that it could be broken.

Even with one hand, Owens is able to give Waller an atomic drop and a DDT. The Cannonball pulverizes Waller in the corner, and a Swanton Bomb follows, though Grayson is able to kick out.

Waller gives a submission a try, but Owens makes the ropes. To all the heels’ dismay, he’s able to reverse a pinfall attempt and keep Waller’s shoulders down for three.

A replay of CM Punk’s Survivor Series return is shown, as well as a graphic showing he’ll be at SmackDown next week in Providence, which ticks off the Brooklyn crowd.

Kai thinks Bayley doesn’t seem like herself, and SKY tells the nominal leader of Damage CTRL to stay in the back for Kairi’s match.

Bayley tries to assist Kairi Sane, but it’s not enough against Bianca Belair

Everyone but Bayley from Damage CTRL is out to support Sane, while Flair and Shotzi are on hand to back up Belair if need be. Early on it doesn’t appear she’ll need it, as her power is too much for Sane.

Asuka gets involved by tripping Belair near the ropes, giving her teammate a chance to take control until Flair repays Kairi in kind. The difference is that the ref sees Charlotte and ejects her and Shotzi. The ref turns and sees Asuka in the ring, ejecting Damage CTRL as well.

After a commercial break, Belair treats Sane to several body slams before raining down right hands from the middle turnbuckle. A spinebuster sets up her somersault splash, but Kairi barely kicks out before the ref’s count hits three.

Another two count follows, but Sane finally responds with a spinning back fist. A sliding knee and a forearm off the top allow Kairi to cover for her own two.

Sane manages to send Belair to the floor, but she misses a move off the apron and gets dropped hard on the barricade. While the ref is occupied, Bayley comes out and gets a shot in on Bianca. She high fives Bayley before going up top, but Bianca catches her there and lifts her back into the middle of the ring for a KoD to end it.

Both SmackDown and Raw make their pitches to Randy Orton, but the Bloodline helps sway his choice

Nick Aldis is happy to welcome the Viper back to SmackDown, and the fans seem very enthusiastic that he’s there. Pearce and Aldis squabble right away before making their offers. Pearce says if he signs with Raw, he’ll get the winner of Seth Rollins and Jey Uso for the World Heavyweight Championship. In return, Aldis says he can have the guys that took him out if he signs with SmackDown.

That declaration brings out an animated Heyman, who says there will be no RKOs this evening and no decision made by Orton … because the Bloodline is going to make the decision for him.

On cue, here come Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso, and even though Orton gamely stands in as they hit the ring, he’s fighting an uphill battle until LA Knight’s music hits.

The Megastar helps even the odds in a hurry, as he pairs off with Sikoa and leaves Uso in the ring with Orton. Jimmy takes the elevated DDT and looks like he’s a sitting duck for an RKO … which he is.

Orton calls for both contracts from the GMs as Heyman yells “go to Raw, you’re safe on Raw.” Of course, Randy chucks the Raw contract out of the ring and signs for SmackDown.

Grabbing a mic, Orton tells Heyman he can call Roman Reigns and tell him “Daddy’s back.” A happy Aldis celebrates with his new signee, but Orton gives him an RKO. Heyman is shown calling Reigns, probably.

WWE SmackDown results 11/24/23: Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch fail to put the past behind them

Also, find out who stepped up during WWE SmackDown to replace Carlito at Survivor Series.

With only five matches on the Survivor Series: WarGames card this weekend, there isn’t room for every title to be defended. That works out well for us tonight, as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship is on the line at WWE SmackDown in Chicago (well, the greater Chicago area, anyway).

It seems wild to think about, but it’s been some time since the Street Profits wore tag team titles of any kind — more than two years, actually. They’ve had opportunities over that time and always been right around the periphery of the top of the division, but they never broke through.

Teaming with Bobby Lashley and making a bit of a heel turn was supposed to unlock the Profits. It’s not inconceivable to think that they might dethrone Damian Priest and Finn Balor tonight, especially if the overall drama surrounding The Judgment Day spills over somehow. A night before the WarGames match at Survivor Series, you can’t rule that out.

A victory for the Profits might tilt the tag team division back toward ongoing teams instead of high profile singles stars teaming up. But if they don’t seal the deal, what then? It’s fair to wonder if Lashley might be tired of the Profits and their partnership explode.

Could there be more wrinkles for Survivor Series during tonight’s show as well? You certainly can’t rule it out. That’s why we’ll be watching.

WWE SmackDown results from Chicago:

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

  • The broadcast begins with an extended replay of Becky Lynch joining the team opposing Damage CTRL in the Women’s WarGames match at Survivor Series
  • The all-star team of faces from the Women’s WarGames match is in the house, but Bayley sees an opportunity to sow distrust between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in what looks like it will be tonight’s main event
  • A replay is shown of the reveal of Randy Orton returning Saturday night for WarGames
  • The rest of Damage CTRL is backstage and looks pretty unexcited about Bayley booking them for a match, so they decide their leader should team with Asuka for the main event
  • The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. Street Profits by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, getting an assist from Rhea Ripley to do so
  • Flair says she got approval for the tag team match, but her bickering with Lynch has their teammates looking concerned
  • A recorded Dragon Lee promo explains his journey through pro wrestling and the importance of family to his story
  • Kevin Owens is on The Grayson Waller Effect, as is Austin Theory impersonating Owens, and pretty soon, Waller and Theory have angered LA Knight enough that he’s involved as well
  • Kevin Owens and LA Knight def. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller by pinfall
  • Belair tells Lynch that Flair was right and tells The Man that she really needs to set aside her issues with Charlotte for the greater good, and Lynch tries to tell herself she can keep it cool
  • A video package takes us back through Santos Escobar’s attack on Rey Mysterio and his other former LWO teammates
  • Carlito is the last man standing in the LWO … but not for long thanks to Santos Escobar
  • Escobar attacks Carlito again backstage, but Dragon Lee arrives to save the day
  • Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall after Ridge Holland walks out on Butch during the match
  • Shotzi talks to Flair about helping her at her lowest point and suggests that a few words from Charlotte could change things between her and Becky, just like it did for Shotzi
  • Nick Aldis says Carlito is hurt badly and in no shape to compete tomorrow at Survivor Series, but when he goes to cancel the match, Dragon Lee makes an impassioned plea to take Carlito’s place, and Aldis says he’s in
  • The Judgment Day cuts a promo about WarGames, taunting Randy Orton and reminding him that teammate Jey Uso put him on the shelf
  • Lynch and Flair have a quick work backstage and agree that they’re good
  • Damage CTRL (Asuka and Bayley) def. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair by pinfall, taking advantage of some misfires between Becky and Charlotte, and Bianca and Shotzi have to hustle to the ring to prevent further catastrophe

WWE SmackDown results 11/17/23: The Man has come around for WarGames

LA Knight also completed step one of his mission on this week’s WWE SmackDown from Evansville.

Bianca Belair thought she got one over on Damage CTRL last week when she got Charlotte Flair and Asuka to team with her … only to find Asuka was simply waiting to betray them and join the villains. Whether Bianca has one more trick up her sleeve will be a big thing to watch tonight on WWE SmackDown from Evansville, Ind.

There’s also intrigue around The Bloodline, and when is there not? Solo Sikoa makes his way back to SmackDown tonight for the first time since he put a hellacious beating on John Cena, and Jimmy Uso takes on LA Knight. Methinks those two things might end up interconnected before it’s all said and done.

Evansville, let’s roll.

WWE SmackDown results from Evansville:

  • Road Dogg joins Kevin Patrick and Michael Cole tonight on commentary as Corey Graves remains on paternity leave
  • With the newly enlarged Damage CTRL standing in the ring, Bayley brags about her plan to bring in Asuka and calls the group the strongest faction in WWE right now; when they agree to challenge Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi to WarGames, the three faces try a sneak attack and are quickly driven off
  • Belair wants to know why Shotzi jumped the gun on their payback, and Bianca thinks Charlotte knows someone who can help them; meanwhile, GM Nick Aldis tells them he needs to know their fourth member by the end of the night
  • Street Profits def. Brawling Brutes and Pretty Deadly to become the No. 1 contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, in large part because Butch accidentally hits a Brogue Kick on Ridge Holland; meanwhile, B-Fab stops by again to talk to Bobby Lashley, who is watching backstage
  • Belair is shown talking to Michin backstage as part of her recruiting attempt, but after a commercial break, we see that Damage CTRL has already found Michin and taken her out
  • Dragon Lee def. Axiom by pinfall
  • Santos Escobar talks about the famous expression that you should never meet your heroes, and mainly is upset that Rey Mysterio sided with an “outsider” like Carlito over him; Escobar doubles down and says he hopes Mysterio never comes back, which brings a distraught Zelina Vega to the ring to smack him …
  • … and then Escobar drives the last nail in the coffin of his time with the LWO by attacking Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde, though he takes off when Carlito rushes out to confront him
  • Grayson Waller def. Cameron Grimes by pinfall, with an assist from Austin Theory
  • Belair talks to a still upset Vega, but after commercials, we see that Damage CTRL has found and beaten Zelina up too
  • Paul Heyman wants to do an acknowledgement ceremony for Solo Sikoa and claims that John Cena will never appear in a WWE ring again thanks to Solo; since Cena can’t do a rebuttal, LA Knight appears instead, promising to run through The Bloodline one by one beginning with Jimmy Uso tonight
  • Belair tells Flair they’re out of options and she needs to make the call, and Charlotte breaths deeply before agreeing
  • LA Knight def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall, but he takes a Samoan Spike from Sikoa after the bell and needs to be bailed out by Cody Rhodes
  • “I called her, but I don’t know if she’s going to make it in time,” Flair says to Belair and Shotzi before they head to the ring
  • Aldis tells Rhodes he needs to hit the bricks
  • Flair says they accept the WarGames challenge and sounds ready to reveal the fourth member of their team when Bayley and Damage CTRL come out to brag about taking out every possible candidate; the heels want to storm the ring, but our heroes are reinforced by Becky Lynch and the show ends with all eight women still in the middle of a huge brawl