Tag: r-truth

Raw After WrestleMania results 04/08/24: New era includes Rock mystery, Cena cameo, same CM Punk

The Raw After Mania didn’t disappoint, though Drew McIntyre might have his head explode thanks to CM Punk.

When WWE Raw rolls into the Wells Fargo Center tonight, it’s going to help turn the page from whatever we just came out of to what Cody Rhodes has dubbed the Renaissance Era. That’s a fine name for it since professional wrestling is back and sports entertainment seems to be fading away like a bad dream once you’ve been awake for 15 minutes.

Also, now that Rhodes is the new champion, he can call it any damn thing he wants.

Last year’s Raw After WrestleMania was famously a big letdown, feeling like any other Raw in mid-June rather than a show that would chart the course for exciting new things ahead. The blame was laid squarely at the feet of Vince McMahon, who apparently did the opposite of saying “perfect, no notes” and concocted a whole new show on the fly. And not a great one.

In contrast, even with Triple H already very much putting his stamp on WWE with WrestleMania 40, you can imagine he’ll want to keep the excitement going with a compelling show tonight in Philly. We already know the first hour is commercial-free, which WWE can no doubt afford to do after the massive WrestleMania gate and the extra sponsorships it showed off compared to years past.

There have been some more hints put out about surprises and such for tonight, but we can’t tell you what they are because Adam Pearce has us blocked on X. We’re not even sure what we did, but we’re all of a sudden big Nick Aldis fans now.

(Just kidding, Scrap Daddy, we still love you even if you don’t feel the same.)

In any case, we’re looking forward to this new era kicking off, so let’s do exactly that.

WWE Raw After Mania results from Philadelphia:

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

  • Triple H and Cody Rhodes kick off the new era, but The Rock says he’ll come for Cody eventually
  • Newly crowned champs Damian Priest and Sami Zayn are shown entering the arena
  • Ilja Dragunov def Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall
  • A video package shows how Drew McIntyre won, then quickly lost the World Heavyweight Championship, and McIntyre is shown heading into the arena earlier today
  • The Judgment Day has more singles gold but no tag team titles … and still has an R-Truth problem
  • The Awesome Truth and John Cena def. The Judgment Day by pinfall
  • Bronson Reed cuts a promo before he’s part of a four-way No. 1 contenders match, and there’s an unusual test pattern in the background on a monitor …
  • Rhea Ripley tells Dominik Mysterio he needs to handle Andrade betraying him but gets attacked out of nowhere by Liv Morgan
  • Roxanne Perez def. Indi Hartwell by pinfall
  • Sami Zayn and Jey Uso still remember their special handshake, apparently
  • Natalya and Perez bump into each other backstage and say they’ll see each other on NXT
  • Sami Zayn is now a champion but Imperium isn’t quite done with him
  • A promo video airs for the impending return of Sheamus

  • Sami Zayn and Chad Gable def. Imperium as Gable pins Vinci
  • Jey Uso cuts his own promo before the main event
  • The three general managers discuss putting their differences aside for the sake of the product, but they get a visit from Chelsea Green, upset about being left out of WrestleMania; she’s happy when she learns she has a match, but the laughs by the GMs suggest she may not be thrilled about her opponent
  • Jade Cargill def. Chelsea Green by pinfall in a matter of seconds
  • Zayn finds Gable and says he knows what Chad wants as a favor: a shot at the Intercontinental Championship; next week in Montreal, it’s on, and Gable says he can’t wait
  • Drew McIntyre says “what happened last night was complete and utter BS,” noting his moment lasted only five minutes and 46 seconds; he thanks Seth Rollins but “that bondage Undertaker” screwed it all up and also says it’s on sight with CM Punk
  • Jey Uso wins a Fatal Four-Way No. 1 Contenders Match, earning a World Heavyweight Championship shot after CM Punk prevents McIntyre from winning

Cody Rhodes finished one story, but The Rock makes it clear another one is just starting

Both “Triple H” and “thank you Hunter” chants greet the CCO as he takes the ring. “Here’s the thing, I came out here to thank you,” he says, noting that by every metric it was the biggest WrestleMania ever.

He had the privilege of welcoming everyone to Mania and now has the privilege of welcoming everyone to Raw. It’s time to welcome the man who will lead us into a new era, which of course is Cody Rhodes. The new Undisputed WWE Champion shakes hands with Triple H before holding his title aloft to multiple sides of the ring.

A big “you deserve it” chant greets Rhodes, after which Triple H congratulates him while also giving Roman Reigns some props for his title reign.

The CCO mentions it’s a gate record for an arena show tonight, and he also shows off a video tribute to Cody set to “Rise Up” (albeit on smaller monitors since the large Tron isn’t in the Wells Fargo Center to squeeze more people in). It brings Rhodes to tears, and he hugs Triple H, who departs afterward.

Cody kneels down and kisses his title belt before getting to his “What do you want to talk about?” catchphrase. Rhodes turns to Samantha Irvin, asking her to announce him again as the new Undisputed WWE Champion, and she happily obliges.

He tells the fans that together, they are standing on top of the mountain, and he acknowledges the 1,316-day run for Reigns, wondering if he’s the most important superstar of our generation. The fans start a “thank you Roman” chant in response.

Rhodes discusses the “why” and shows a clip of his daughter imploring him to finish the story. He says he wants her to know that when he goes to work, he does so in the main event and as champion. Cody ponders the new experience of having the line be for him, but as he gets to the undisputed bit, he’s interrupted by The Rock.

There are some boos for the Final Boss but a “Rocky” chant as well. Ah, but then the trolling arrives in the form of an “Undertaker” chant, and it’s hard for The Rock to start talking as he gets booed when he tries.

The Rock finally says he came out to give flowers but also to insult Philadelphia for breaking the record for the largest gathering of trailer park trash. Both men then take turns holding up their titles for the crowd. Oh yeah, The Rock as The People’s Championship, remember?

Ignoring the fans, The Rock congratulates Rhodes for beating Reigns and says his mom and late dad were proud of him. He talks about the two belts and then asks if there’s any way The Rock can hold “that title.”

Rhodes says yes, if they can swap. Rock says it feels right and thanks Cody for allowing him to do it. The fans start a “this is awkward” chant while they hold each other’s championships.

The Rock confirms that “he has to go away for a little while now,” which he doesn’t want to do since he and Cody made it cool again. When he comes back, though, The Rock is coming for Rhodes whether he’s champion or not.

“I’m looking forward to it,” replies Cody. The Rock reminds Rhodes that while Cody beat Roman, but the previous night, Rock beat Cody. Rhodes’ story with Reigns might be over, but their story has just begun.

Rhodes says that while The Rock is the Final Boss, he’s the champion, the champion of the fans, and that means he’s The Rock’s champion. The Rock says he has something to give Cody before he rides off into the sunset, and he insists Rhodes doesn’t even have to open his hand to know what it is.

“Don’t you ever break my heart again,” The Rock says before departing. And Rhodes suddenly looks shook.

New gold in The Judgment Day hasn’t solved their R-Truth problem

Finn Balor taunts the doubters, and Rhea Ripley says they have some business to attend to. First, though, they bring out the new World Heavyweight Champion, Damian Priest.

The celebration doesn’t last long before it’s crashed by R-Truth, who says he’s brought the tag team titles back to The Judgment Day. It sounds like he’s about to advocate for The Miz joining, but The A-Lister instead joins them in the ring to try to explain to his partner that neither of them are in the group.

Balor is unamused, vowing that the Awesome Truth is going to have the shortest title reign ever. Finn challenges them to put the titles on the line right here, right now, but R-Truth says they can’t because there are only three of us.

He’s not talking about Little Jimmy, but rather “the guy you can’t see.” JD McDonagh happily accepts, then The Judgment Day starts beating Truth down before he can reveal their partner.

“The man you can’t see” helps Awesome Truth defeat The Judgment Day

Well this is a handicap match to start, but we’ll see if it stays that way. Does R-Truth have a real live person to partner with them? They might not need one the way they’re performing early on.

The momentum for the new Rag Tag Team Champions seems to be fading during a picture-in-picture segment, but reinforcements arrive in the form of John Cena. He quickly tags in and hits some offense, and all three men pull off the “15 Knuckle Shuffle” and simultaneous Attitude Adjustments to get the win.

Sami Zayn hasn’t quite freed himself from Imperium

Yet another new champ and another “you deserve it” chant. Zayn says he really wanted to do something historic this year at WrestleMania, and he did it by defeating the best Intercontinental Champion of all time.

With the fans singing again, Sami says they all helped him with their belief. Same with his wife and kid, and his friend Kevin Owens. One other person helped him too, but before he can get to that, he’s interrupted by Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.

Kaiser says Gunther spent two years putting all his hard work into elevating the IC title, and it breaks his heart to see “somebody like you” holding that championship right now. Imperium heads toward the ring but thinks better of it when Chad Gable joins Sami in the ring.

CM Punk screws Drew McIntyre, Jey Uso wins a title shot

A strong case could be made for any of these four gentlemen, though you’d assume either Jey to keep the face-heel dynamic intact or Drew to seek revenge for the MITB cash-in.

Oh yeah, no DQs in a match like this, so sure, table in the corner, why not? It’s unfortunate for Jey as Reed powerslams him through it.

One thing the fans enjoy is Reed and McIntyre exchanging chops in the finest big meaty men tradition. Reed ends up eating a bunch of superkicks until he’s speared by Uso, and McIntyre hustles to break up the pin.

Reed recovers quickly and nearly pins Ricochet, then McIntyre prevents him from launching into a Tsunami. Reed clears off the Spanish announce table (even though they aren’t there), but he’s the one who ends up on it, and Ricochet hits him with a springboard 450 splash to put him through it.

With McIntyre looking for a win, he’s suddenly grabbed by CM Punk, and Uso takes advantage with a spear and an Uso Splash to win it.

WrestleMania 40: Biggest takeaways from Night 1

Look back at WrestleMania 40 Night 1 and ahead to what’s next for its winners and losers.

Since 1985, WrestleMania has been utilized as a way to showcase WWE and its biggest stars.

But as the 40th edition of the “Showcase of the Immortals” descended upon Philadelphia this week, it was clear that the event that was once a single day with a 1 p.m. start time has grown into a cultural happening for wrestling fans.

It’s a place where fans from opposite corners of the planet with nothing in common other than an undying love for professional wrestling can quickly bond and create lasting memories together.

Heck, you may even find Eagles and Cowboys fans putting away their differences for a week all in the name of pro wrestling.

There are wrestling shows, meet and greets, parties, and even a wrestling block party on South Street — and that was just Saturday.

But while all of those events are meaningful in their own right, the main course is still WrestleMania, which has also seen its share of growth over the years. WrestleMania XL on Saturday was simply the latest piece of evidence.

Here are my takeaways from a brutally cold night at Lincoln Financial Field:

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes is shaping up to be a chaotic affair

It was an all-too-familiar scene for Cody Rhodes Saturday night as for the second year in a row, he was left sitting dejectedly in the ring while Roman Reigns — joined this time by The Rock — celebrated another victory over him.

Because of that result, Rhodes’ Undisputed Universal Championship match against Reigns will now take place under Bloodline Rules, which basically means there are no rules.

Within the story, it means Rhodes will be entering the match in a great deal of peril.

Rhodes and his partner Seth Rollins fell short against Reigns and The Rock Saturday and there was no interference. There was no sign of Solo Sikoa, and Jimmy Uso was still recovering from his defeat at the hands of his brother, Jey Uso, earlier in the night.

Sure, The Rock used his “Mama Rhodes” weight belt to help his team earn the win, but there isn’t a ton of wiggle room for Rhodes to dispute the outcome. Simply put, Rhodes and Rollins got beat. 

Now, Rhodes will have to try to do this all over again, except this time, The Bloodline can do whatever they want given that there are no rules.

However, the lack of rules also extends to Rhodes, who I expect will have a lot of backup during the title match. 

The result could be a chaotic, overbooked mess — and I would love every second of it.

The main event isn’t just the culmination of Rhodes’ story. It is the culmination of so many others as well. The Bloodline saga has incorporated so many characters since it began in 2020, it would only make sense for them to have a role in the climax of one of the best stories in wrestling history.

It’s a story that has drawn comparisons to the Avengers, which makes sense given WWE employs a former Marvel writer (Rob Fee).

While “Infinity War” ended on a bleak note, “Endgame” saw the heroes overcome Thanos and save the day. Will Rhodes enjoy a similar fate Sunday night?

Side note: The Rock’s entrance may have been the best in WrestleMania history.

Will we get Rhodes vs. Rock in the future?

One detail that some may have missed Saturday night was The Rock pinned Rhodes to win the match.

To me, that leaves the door open for a possible match between these two in the future. It doesn’t seem that far-fetched given all of the physicality between the two even before WrestleMania. 

But then during the post-show press conference Saturday, The Rock hinted that part of the reason why he returned to WWE (and joined TKO overall) was to build something not just for WrestleMania XL, but for the future as well.

Nothing is guaranteed, but I think it is something to keep an eye on moving forward.

Sami Zayn ends Gunther’s reign

The last two WrestleManias have been very kind to Sami Zayn.

Last year, he closed out Night 1 with an emotional victory for the tag team titles alongside his best friend, Kevin Owens.

This year, Owens was the last person to lend Zayn words of encouragement before he walked through the curtain to challenge the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time, Gunther.

And once again, Zayn walked away with gold.

In what was in my opinion the best match of the evening, Zayn ended Gunther’s historic 666-day reign (was it a bad omen for Gunther?) with a pair of Helluva Kicks to become the new Intercontinental Champion. It is Zayn’s first singles championship since he held the same title back in 2022.

One aspect of the Bloodline story that I don’t think is talked about enough is how it has developed multiple people into major stars, and Zayn is a prime example. 

Zayn was an over enough heel that he was slotted into a match with “Jackass” star Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania in 2022. But once that was over, he was kind of … just there

But then Zayn began his attempts to join the Bloodline. Fast forward to 2024 and Zayn enjoyed an emotional moment in the ring with his family in front of more than 70,000 people. 

What a time.

What’s next for Rhea Ripley?

Mami proved once again that she is still on top after she defeated Becky Lynch in the night’s opening match to retain her WWE Women’s World Championship.

The match itself was good, but it left me with one question: What’s next for Rhea Ripley?

The Raw women’s division doesn’t have a slew of credible challengers lined up for Ripley. Lynch was easily the most credible, but Ripley has already beaten her clean in the middle of the ring.

Based on the reaction Ripley received in Philadelphia (and everywhere else), she is one of WWE’s biggest stars at the moment. I’d imagine WWE will have something planned. However, that does not mean it will be anything of real consequence.

WWE makes the right decision to split the tag titles

Anyone that knows me and how I view professional wrestling knows that I am usually against having split championships.

The NFL doesn’t split up the Super Bowl title. It goes to one team and one team only. That’s what makes it special.

For me, the same applies to pro wrestling, as I am typically in favor of having one title per division. That means one world title, one set of tag team titles, etc.

However, I am not unreasonable. I understand that WWE has placed itself under the unique circumstances of having a massive roster of wrestlers that need their respective time to shine. Five hours of television (not counting NXT) is simply not enough to feature them all, which means they are divided up into their own brands, and those brands come with their own set of championships.

I understand that. I’m not usually in favor of it, but I understand. That is why I am on board with WWE deciding to split up the undisputed tag titles and go back to having Raw titles and Smackdown titles.

Entering WrestleMania 40, each brand already had its own set of championships. The only one that was undisputed were the tag team championships.

I guess you could make the case that Reigns is the top champion in WWE since he is the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and since the universe is bigger than the world (looking at you, World Heavyweight Championship), you could make the case that those titles are not on equal footing.

But when it comes to WWE’s tag team division, there is no hierarchy. Both titles are very much on equal footing.

WWE’s tag team division is pretty stacked at the moment. There’s young talent on both shows that did not appear at WrestleMania. It only makes sense to give each show its own set of titles so that more teams can be featured at a given time.

Also, it probably cuts down on the wear and tear that comes with appearing on both shows on a regular basis.

I think Austin Theory and Grayson Waller walking away with the Smackdown titles was a smart decision by WWE. They’re young, they’re talented, and I believe they have a bright future ahead of them. However, they still need time to develop into the top singles stars I think they are capable of being. 

A good way to help them eventually get to that point is to develop together as tag team champions. It’s a method that has been proven to work with countless others in the past. Legends such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Batista, just to name a few, all started as one half of a tag team or as a member of a larger group before spinning off to become bigger stars. 

Whether Waller and Theory will reach those same heights remain to be seen, but I do believe they are on the right track.

On the opposite end of the spectrum would be R-Truth and The Miz, collectively known as the Awesome Truth. Truth and Miz have decades of experience between them and have enjoyed a recent run of success, mainly due to the fans simply loving Truth and his shenanigans. 

It was great to see Truth have a WrestleMania moment after all of these years. He’s gone from K-Kwik to the first Black NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and on this one Saturday, he sat atop the ladder before 70,000-plus who were all thrilled to see him become a champion.

Bah gawd, that’s Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson’s music!

Wrestling fans from around the world may or may not have cared, but wrestling fans from Philadelphia most certainly cared that recently-retired center Jason Kelce and tackle Lane Johnson not only appeared at WrestleMania, but were also involved in a match.

In the latter stages of the tag team match that pitted Rey Mysterio and Andrade against Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio, two large men wearing luchador masks hopped over the guardrail and prevented Dirty Dom from bringing a steel chair into the ring.

One of the masked men then tossed Dom into the ring post before throwing him back into the ring so he could receive a call from the 619 area code to end the match.

The men then hopped into the ring to reveal themselves to be Kelce and Johnson.

For the uninitiated, Kelce is among the best centers of all time and delivered the best Super Parade speech ever. He also co-hosts the popular “New Heights” podcast alongside his brother, Travis Kelce. I think Travis dates Taylor Swift or something.

Johnson is arguably the best tackle in the NFL and is always willing to cut a Steve Austin-esque promo. 

He also recently worked out with Seth Rollins at the NovaCare Complex, the Eagles’ headquarters.

Maybe it wasn’t for everyone, but as a Philadelphian — and former Eagles employee — I was here for it.

Yes, the crowd was cold — literally

If you watched WrestleMania from the comfort of your own home, you were guaranteed to be warmer than the 72,543 fans in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field who had to endure a brutally cold night in Philadelphia.

Just a week or two ago, it was 70 degrees and sunny in Philly. On Saturday night, the temperate dipped into the 40s with some gusts of wind to boot. It felt more like an Eagles playoff game than WrestleMania.

While it didn’t sour my personal experience, I do understand why others weren’t as enthralled, which I’m sure contributed to the lack of noise you heard at times during the event.

Philadelphia fans have a reputation for being vocal, especially when it comes to wrestling. However, not all of the fans at Lincoln Financial Field were from the Philly area, and they probably didn’t dress warm enough to prepare for the bone-chilling temperatures.

I wore a jacket with a hoodie underneath and was still kind of cold. There were plenty of cool WrestleMania fits on display Saturday night, but not all of them were ready to endure a chilly night in Philadelphia.

If someone traveled to WrestleMania, they probably didn’t pack a winter coat, which is what would have been the appropriate attire for Saturday night.

The cold is the only explanation I have for why WWE had a few production hiccups during the show, which is not what you would expect from WWE in general, but especially so at WrestleMania.

I’ll be attending Sunday night’s show as well and will be sure to dress even warmer.

WrestleMania 40 Night 1 results: All matches, winners from Philadelphia

Keep up with all the action from WrestleMania 40 Night 1 with results and live updates from Philadelphia.

The big day has finally arrived. The first of two big days, to be precise, as Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 invades Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. A completely sold-out crowd is expected to watch seven matches, culminating in what WWE is calling the biggest tag team match in WrestleMania history.

Considering the main event at WrestleMania I was a tag team match, that’s really a matter of opinion. There’s no question that it has real stakes, however, as it can shape the all important stipulation for the Night 2 main event.

Roman Reigns and The Rock have so far managed the two-alpha problem in The Bloodline just fine, and if they defeat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins tonight, they’ll ensure Reigns has Bloodline Rules on his side against Rhodes on Sunday night. That will certainly make Cody’s second chance at finishing his story a lot harder.

The main event has attracted the lion’s share of attention, but there are several other great matchups on Night 1. The expected opener, Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship, is definitely one of them. So, too, is the battle of brother between Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso.

The Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder Match should also be a spectacle where any team can win — or maybe more than one team, since it appears the Raw and SmackDown titles could be separated again during the match. And we’ll see the bona fide debut of Jade Cargill, something fans have been anxiously awaiting.

We’ve got multiple people on the ground in Philadelphia, and we’re ready to get this rolling.

WrestleMania 40 Night 1 results from Philadelphia:

(please click on any match with a link to see full details)

  • Coco Jones performs “The Star-Spangled Banner” to kick off the show
  • Triple H welcomes the crowd to a new era
  • Rhea Ripley def. Becky Lynch by pinfall to retain the Women’s World Championship
  • Pretty Deadly gives their own unique takes on the teams in the Six-Pack Ladder Match
  • Austin Theory and Grayson Waller and The Awesome Truth win the Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship; Theory and Waller grab the SmackDown titles, while R-Truth and The Miz grab the Raw titles
  • Andrade and Rey Mysterio def. Dominik Mysterio and Santos Escobar by pinfall, thanks in part to two masked figures who revealed themselves to be Philadelphia Eagles lineman Lane Johnson and recently retired center Jason Kelce
  • Jey Uso def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall
  • Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi def. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and Kabuki Warriors) by pinfall as Cargill pins Kai
  • Sami Zayn gets a visit from his family and Chad Gable, who tells him that “you’ve got this on your own” but also says “don’t forget, you owe me a favor”; he also gets some last second encouragement from Kevin Owens
  • Sami Zayn def. Gunther by pinfall to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion
  • Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce come to the ring to reveal tonight’s announced attendance: 72,543
  • The Rock and Roman Reigns def. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins by pinfall, meaning the Night 2 main event will be Bloodline Rules

The secret to the best Raw in years? WWE let its stars be stars

Trusting its top talent to be true to themselves is paying off big time for WWE right now.

For years and years and years, regular WWE watchers complained about the creative constraints WWE would put on its roster of wrestlers.

The fact that WWE was presenting a PG, family-friendly product was not the sole reason for this either. A lot of it also had to do with the fact that Vince McMahon would oftentimes put creative governors on wrestlers that, simply put, did not allow them to get over.

McMahon couldn’t just let his stars be the stars he so desperately wanted them to be. They all had to do so under his arbitrary rules for how wrestling — or sports entertainment — should be presented. If they didn’t succeed, it was the fault of the wrestler, not the fault of the creatively stifling environment they had to endure.

Fortunately, McMahon is no longer in charge of WWE’s creative vision, and the company’s new regime, led by Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, has in many ways discarded many of McMahon’s doctrines. That goes from the stories the company is telling to how they are produced.

The results have been overwhelmingly positive. That’s not just me lauding WWE’s creative direction. The proof is in the fact that WWE has sold out a slew of television tapings — something that was unheard of during the end of McMahon’s tenure — and has enjoyed a sizable boost to its overall business.

Which leads me to this past Monday when WWE packed the AllState Arena in Rosemont, Ill. for its most recent episode of Raw, a show that has been hailed as one of WWE’s best in recent memory. 

So what’s WWE’s secret? It’s doing what McMahon seemingly forgot to do for the last decade-plus of tumultuous tenure: let the stars be stars.

On one show, we had CM Punk, Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins participate in a spicy verbal confrontation that clearly didn’t have the paint-by-numbers scripting of McMahon’s worst days. Instead, we saw three talented wrestlers simply riffing on the microphone.

Only in this environment could we see just how good McIntyre actually is on the microphone. That was never the case under McMahon.

We saw Becky Lynch punch Dominik Mysterio square in the mouth, which only cemented how much of a badass “The Man” is supposed to be.

We saw R-Truth continue to be R-Truth, which honestly is enough for me.

We also saw some fantastic matches, which have always been a staple in WWE. The problem previously was that the story surrounding the great in-ring action rarely matched it.

And of course, we witnessed The Rock beat the brakes off Cody Rhodes during a Chicago downpour while talking all sorts of trash to Rhodes, Rhodes’ mother and to all of the “Cody Crybabies.”

It looked like a scene straight out of an action movie, where the hero is beaten down and left for dead at the end of the second act, only to enact their revenge in the third. We even got to see Rhodes bleed, which has not been a common occurrence on WWE television for multiple decades at this point.

It was, in a word — and I know this gets thrown around a lot these days — cinema.

However, I do have one minor quibble with the final segment, and it’s the fact that Rhodes never really fought back. One of the pillars of being a great babyface is that they never stop fighting. That’s what makes them noble and endearing to fans. I’m not saying Rhodes needed to beat down The Rock for an extended period of time. Only one swing would have sufficed for me, which is better than nothing.

With that said, I’d be willing to put money down on Rhodes getting his revenge on The Rock on next week’s episode of Raw, which will emanate from Brooklyn. The Rock and Roman Reigns are both scheduled to appear, and the running theme during that show has to be that Rhodes is out for blood, no pun intended. I wouldn’t be surprised if WWE is planning to produce one of its best pull-apart brawls in recent memory.

It’s wrestling booking at its most basic level, but it is being executed at its highest. WWE gave people a lot to digest this past Monday and somehow left myself and many others wanting more.

Allowing the wrestlers color outside of the lines, especially when you’re promoting the company’s most important show to date, is what’s really driving WWE’s business to a new level. That does not mean I am calling for the return of the “Attitude Era,” which can stay in the past where it belongs. However, I’m not against a few four-letter words slipping out as long as the network is good with it as well.

At the end of the day, it just makes sense. If you have The Rock at your disposal, well, let him be The Rock. Let him talk all the trash he needs to in order to get his point across. That’s what makes him great. If you have CM Punk at your disposal, give him a live microphone, a bare-bones script, and tell him to fill in the blanks. That’s what makes him great.

Never backing down from a fight is what makes Lynch great. By letting McIntyre be great, we realized that the man cut a heck of a promo and his social media trolling game is top notch.

And allowing the wrestlers to blossom into the stars that they could potentially be is what has made WWE such much fun to watch heading into WrestleMania. It’s been a while since wrestling fans can say that.

That is not to say that the rules and regulations of yesteryear have been completely tossed out of the window. There have been reports of some wrestlers complaining about the fact that they don’t get to play by the same rules as some of the bigger names.

But even if WWE doesn’t allow every wrestler to shout “f–k” and “dips–t” into the microphone every night, the roster has still benefited from this shift in philosophy. We’re seeing just how much right now.

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WWE Raw results 03/25/24: The Rock bloodies Cody, CM Punk makes Mania plans

The Fina Boss lived up to his word on WWE Raw from Chicago, much to Cody Rhodes’ detriment.

“Look in my eyes, what do you see? CM Punk on my TV!”

OK those aren’t the actual words to “Cult of Personality,” but they do fit the rhythm and also summarize the big selling point for WWE Raw tonight in (well really near) Chicago. Even though Punk won’t be able to compete at WrestleMania due to injury, there’s no reason he can’t address what is sure to be a rabid hometown crowd.

Considering Drew McIntyre keeps talking about him even while he’s out, Punk has stayed hot even while he’s been rehabbing his torn triceps. Our feeling here at Wrestling Junkie is that he and the Scottish Warrior are going to have a feud later this year, assuming McIntyre wins gold at WrestleMania.

Seth Rollins is going to have something to say about that, of course, and he might get involved in tonight’s festivities too. We know McIntyre is in town.

As for actual wrestling matches, WWE has promoted a bunch of those as well, including solo outings for Jey Uso and Sami Zayn, Ricochet taking on JD McDonagh, Andrade in action against Ivar, and new queen of the mean girls Candice LeRae battling Ivy Nile.

That’s plenty of reason to tune in even if you weren’t looking forward to seeing Punk, though you know you are. Here’s how it all unfolded.

WWE Raw results from Chicago:

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

  • CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are shown on the way into the building, after which we see highlights from the final segment of SmackDown that led to a standoff between Rhodes and Roman Reigns
  • Cody Rhodes is kicking us off, but The Rock is here too, and something he says to Cody has him a little shook
  • Jackie Redmond wants to know what The Rock said, but he suggest she ask Cody instead
  • The Judgment Day gets ready for tonight, with JD McDonagh saying he’ll handle Ricochet and Damian Priest suggesting he has a plan to have things in their favor heading into WrestleMania
  • Ricochet def. JD McDonagh by pinfall, shaking off distractions from Dominik Mysterio, who gets himself ejected from ringside before the finish
  • CM Punk has his homecoming, which turns into a discussion with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins about WrestleMania
  • A short video shows Shinsuke Nakamura saying he’ll be a nightmare for Jey Uso tonight
  • Candice LeRae def. Ivy Nile by pinfall, again taking shortcuts and again making Indi Hartwell look like she feels bad
  • The New Day and #DIY do some backstage bickering when they’re visited by The Awesome Truth; R-Truth is hyped because he thinks it’s going to be The New Day vs. DX, and is that Paul Heyman talking to McIntyre in the background?
  • The New Day vs. #DIY ends in a no contest as The Judgment Day attacks both teams, and Awesome Truth (who were on guest commentary) ends up getting hauled into the mess and laid out as well
  • Redmond finds Rhodes, but Cody says it’s something he can’t repeat but suggests “it’s a promise that he can’t keep”
  • Cathy Kelley talks to Gunther, who doubles down on his assertion that Sami Zayn doesn’t really think he can win at WrestleMania, or even beat Bronson Reed tonight
  • Andrade def. Giovanni Vinci by pinfall
  • When are Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch finally going to throw down? How about right now
  • Chad Gable stops Sami Zayn and pleads with him to focus on his match tonight; Sami appreciates the tough love approach and says Chad is right, then shakes his hand
  • Bronson Reed def. Sami Zayn by pinfall after a distraction by Gunther proves costly for Sami
  • Jey Uso cuts his pre-match promo on Nakamura, but he gets a quick visit from Solo Sikoa, who says nothing, and Jimmu Uso, who says “no yeet”
  • Zayn laments to Gable that he knew what Gunther was doing and it still worked; Chad says that Sami needs a different approach, and they can talk about it
  • Rollins finds Jey and says something doesn’t feel right, but that he and Cody have his back so he can get that dub
  • Jey Uso def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall, despite The Bloodline and McIntyre scrapping with Rhodes and Rollins
  • That fighting continues to the backstage area, where The Rock attacks Rhodes with a variety of weapons, including trash cans, and they battle outside into the rain, where Cody is busted open while The Rock wipes his blood on the belt just as he said he would last week

The Rock manages to unsettle Cody Rhodes with just a whisper

What does Chicago want to talk about? Cody could say nothing, as the talk is kind of over this close to WrestleMania. After getting the fans to cheer for Pat McAfee and Michael Cole, Rhodes talks about how Roman Reigns said a lot during his media rounds last week.

A “Roman sucks” chant loudly rings through the arena while Cody says the idea that he’s not keeping his promises got under his skin. He’s actually done plenty of promise-keeping, even for people he doesn’t really know. Cody says he’s had to play the role of champion because the champion isn’t here.

Even though Rhodes says he’s done all of this without asking for anything in return, he does need something now: He needs the fans to ride with him for both nights of WrestleMania. Now he wants all 15,000 people in the arena to point at the WrestleMania sign with him, which they do.

That is quickly answered though, by the unadvertised arrival of The Rock, which also sends the fans into a frenzy. There are some “Rocky” chants among the boos, for sure. Oh, and some “holy s–t” chants that have to be blanked out.

After an extended staredown and a smirk from The Final Boss, The Rock simply whispers something to Cody and leaves The Ring, bringing “Rocky sucks” chants as he smiles and walks to the back.

CM Punk will be at WrestleMania, but will he get the last word with Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre?

The fans in Chicago greet Punk warmly before he says he will definitely be at WrestleMania. He says his arm is not great and he’s not medically cleared, but his mouth works. Does that mean he will host WrestleMania? Ten years ago he said he would have felt that was beneath him, but now he wishes he could just be in front of the people.

What about being a referee? Is there a title match that could use an impartial referee? People sure like talking about him, though, and Punk mentions that Roman Reigns talked about him on Pat McAfee’s show, but he’s earned the right.

Seth Rollins also likes talking about him, but Punk also figures maybe he’s earned the right too. In contrast, The Rock hasn’t talked about him, but Punk likes to think it’s because he already knows his arms “were just too short to box with God.”

And then there’s Drew McIntyre. Punk says he’s been very quiet because in Chicago, if you have a problem you handle it face to face like a man. The Scottish Warrior arrives and promptly gets a dose of verbal venom, which gets the fans on him too.

McIntyre says he’d love to head to the ring but also reminds Punk of what happened last time that happened. As they argue about t-shirts, McIntyre claims he doesn’t hate Punk, because CM completes him.

They finally end up finding something to argue about: McIntyre calling himself The Chosen One. Punk wants to know who chose him, because it wasn’t the people.

Drew insists he wants CM to have a front row seat at WrestleMania to see McIntyre have his long awaited moment in front of a stadium full of live fans.

That, in turn, brings out Seth Rollins, and the fans reach full throat again. Rollins, of course, doesn’t like Punk and says he doesn’t get to make decisions about a WrestleMania main event when he’s not in it.

Still, Rollins decides to poll the crowd: Should Punk be on commentary? That “referee” chant suggests they’d prefer something out. Punk demonstrates he can count with his left arm but also says he doesn’t think he could be impartial with “these two dips–ts,” to which McIntyre hilariously quips “PG, brother.”

Seth insists he never even thinks about Punk but appreciates the irony of him calling Rollins’ finest hour. He says Punk can do whatever he wants at WrestleMania as long as stays out of Seth’s way.

Punk says it’s decided: He’ll do guest commentary and manage to actually make them both interesting. An angry McIntyre says Punk doesn’t get the last word, insisting that Punk is “my No. 1 Stan,” but he climbs in the ring as he’s talking and gets a superkick and a Stomp from Rollins.

Words finally turn to fists for Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch

Is Ripley getting enough attention? She tells Dirty Dom she doesn’t think so, saying Becky Lynch keeps fighting other people week after week. Though Rhea figures she could have attacked The Man at any time, she decided to be respectful.

Now she’s just getting impatient. Mysterio is about to throw in his two cents when Lynch’s music hits. Becky taunts Rhea about not ever wrestling on Raw any more, to which Ripley says she doesn’t need to be in the ring every week to get everyone’s attention. She can just post a photo or video online and “watch these freaks eat it up.”

They simply have different opinions on what being a champion is all about. Ripley agrees that Lynch is a survivor … or really a cockroach, since she’s hard to kill but not impossible. Rhea says she’ll leave Becky alive so she can sit on her couch and hear her daughter call Ripley Mami.

Lynch says if Ripley ever mentions her daughter again, it will be the last words Rhea ever utters. Neither her quips nor the title is a joke to Becky, even if they are to Rhea. Lynch also says when Ripley throws the first punch, there’s no going back, and neither of them will ever be the same again.

Dom holds Rhea back, but that gets him punched, and now Becky and Rhea are throwing hands. They battle onto the ramp, where referees finally arrive to separate them.

Jey Uso perseveres through chaos, pins Shinsuke Nakamura

It’s all yeets early, meaning strikes from Jey, but Shinsuke manages to fight back pretty quickly. The question is how long will it be until this all degenerates into chaos.

It won’t be until after the commercial break, when Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso emerge from the crowd and are quickly intercepted by Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Here comes Drew McIntyre too, who ends up giving Rollins a Future Shock on the floor.

Amidst the melee on the floor, Uso is able to superkick and spear Nakamura, ending the match.

WWE Raw results 03/18/24: The Man takes flight to be Last Woman Standing

This week on WWE Raw, Becky Lynch outlasted Nia Jax, Cody Rhodes spit fire at The Rock, and Sami Zayn questioned himself.

Becky Lynch doesn’t do tune-up matches. She only does big time bouts even while on the Road to WrestleMania, and she’s got another one tonight on WWE Raw in Raleigh.

See, there’s something that just doesn’t sit right with The Man about Nia Jax. It’s not just that Jax beat Lynch clean earlier this year, though that’s definitely a big part of it.

The rest has to do with Lynch trying to prove she’s the best at what she does when she faces Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 40. How can she claim to be the top dog if she can’t first say definitively she’s better than Jax?

Becky would tell you she can’t. That’s why we’ve ended up with a Last Woman Standing match less than three weeks out from Philadelphia. It should be really fun, and there’s definitely a chance that Liv Morgan gets involved as well. What would that mean for the Showcase of the Immortals? We’ll find out soon enough.

The other big thing on tonight’s Raw is getting more teams into the Six-Pack Ladder Match for the men’s tag team titles at WrestleMania. There are three qualifying matches on the card this evening, and the one we’ve really got our eye on is #DIY vs. The Creed Brothers. Honestly seems like both teams would be great to have in the title match, so we’re not sure which way this one will go.

Oh, and there’s going to be a contract signing between Gunther and Sami Zayn, so if you’re one of the people still holding out hope that Chad Gable works his way into a Triple Threat situation, this would be the time.

We’re pumped for this Raw, one of only three left before WrestleMania. Let’s get into it.

WWE Raw results from Raleigh:

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

  • Jey Uso has a discussion with Jimmy Uso, then gets assistance from Cody Rhodes to fight off an attack from Jimmy and Solo Sikoa
  • A hype video is shown for the Last Woman Standing match, along with a shot of Becky on her way into the arena
  • Paul Heyman apologizes to Adam Pearce for Jimmy and Solo “going into business for themselves” and insists they did what they did on their own and Pearce has Roman Reigns’ word that they are gone; Heyman adds that he has official business to do and that “everyone is going to be caught off guard”

  • #DIY def. The Creed Brothers by pinfall in a WrestleMania Tag Team Qualifying Match
  • The Judgment Day talks to Andrade, who will get a chance to impress them next week; Damian Priest chastises JD McDonagh for not winning the Gauntlet match, but somehow it now falls on Dominik Mysterio to get some shine back by defeating Ricochet tonight
  • Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter by submission, with LeRae taking advantage of a knee “injury” to Chance and exploiting it to get the victory
  • The Rock Concert segment from SmackDown is shown
  • Cody Rhodes has some venom for The Rock tonight, and does some negotiating of sorts with Heyman
  • Nia Jax says Becky Lynch has never beaten her, and when that proves true again, Nia plans on taking her spot at WrestleMania
  • Jey Uso offers to watch Cody’s back if needed on SmackDown, though Rhodes also says he gave his word he’d show up alone
  • Ricochet def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall, with McDonagh unable to help Dom win or successfully ambush Ricochet after the final bell
  • Sami Zayn finds Chad Gable and expresses his respect for Gable, but they end up having a disagreement over Chad’s “it just means more” mantra before Gable suggests that Zayn “can’t beat Gunther”
  • The Sami Zayn-Gunther contract signing turns into a referendum on self-belief
  • Awesome Truth gets a pep talk from #DIY before heading out to face Indus Sher
  • The Awesome Truth def. Indus Sher by pinfall in a WrestleMania Tag Team Qualifying Match
  • Zayn demands to know why Gable said he can’t beat Gunther, and Chad tells him it’s because Sami waits for a window of opportunity to strike and will need to change his mentality to have any chance to win
  • Drew McIntyre is interrupted immediately by Seth Rollins, who poses an interesting question: Is Drew more like Seth than he’d care to admit?
  • Becky Lynch cuts a short promo ahead of her main event with Jax
  • The New Day def. Alpha Academy (Akira Tozawa and Otis) by pinfall in a WrestleMania Tag Team Qualifying Match
  • Liv Morgan stops by and tells Becky that Nia is all hers tonight — just make sure you kick her ass
  • Rollins checks in with Rhodes, who again insists he’s going to face Reigns solo on SmackDown
  • Becky Lynch def. Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing Match
  • As Lynch takes a moment to compose herself after a hard-fought victory, she’s joined in the ring by Rhea Ripley, and the two stand eye to eye exchanging pleasantries as Raw goes off the air

Jey, Jimmy Uso talk WrestleMania, and Cody Rhodes ensures there’s no Bloodline ambush

Pat McAfee is already tired from participating in the Yeetdown. Michael Cole mentions that it will be only the third time that it’s brother vs. brother at WrestleMania. Jey says he knows The Bloodline is in the building and asks big brother Jimmy where he’s at.

Jimmy comes through the crowd, side by side with Solo Sikoa. But Solo stands outside the ring, allowing Jey and Jimmy to come face to face. Jey says regardless of what’s happened and the bad blood, he misses his twin.

Jey asks Jimmy to come back, but Jimmy insists he never left. After running down all the things Jey’s done since going to Raw, he claims the biggest moment of his career is because of … Jimmy.

Jey says nah, that his biggest career moment will be at WrestleMania 40 when he knocks the yeet out of his ass. Jey gets in the first shot, but Jimmy is able to land a superkick thanks to a distraction from Solo. it could be a two-on-one beatdown, but here comes Cody Rhodes, who chucks Jimmy aside and hits a Cody Cutter on Sikoa.

Cody Rhodes has some pointed insults for The Rock and negotiates a bit with Paul Heyman

Rhodes is dressed in all black tonight, perhaps a sign of what kind of headspace he’s in. Cody starts off by reminding us that in less than three weeks, he’s going to face the greatest champion in all of sports once again.

He’ll have a conversation with Roman Reigns on SmackDown about that, but there are complications, the biggest one being The Rock. Rhodes brings up The Rock referring to himself as our favorite heel and runs down some of the great heels he’s known.

“Rock, I don’t think you’re a heel … I think you’re an a–hole.”

Cody goes on to suggest that while The Rock made fun of him for crying, wasn’t The People’s Champ the one actually crying behind the scene? Accusing the people around him of being yes-men, Cody says that he’s lots of wonderful thing — but also a whiny bitch.

Saying it was fair game for The Rock to mention his mom, Cody also says he knows Rock’s mom. Rhodes says she’s wonderful, deserving of respect just like his own mom should be since she wouldn’t be scared of The Rock.

Addressing WrestleMania, Cody admits he doesn’t know if Sunday will be Bloodline Rules or if he’ll finish the story. But how can The Rock be so sure of himself? After all, he hasn’t been in the ring for years. Final Boss? Rhodes says maybe he’ll only be “Roman’s side chick.”

That brings out an angry Paul Heyman, who apologizes for his previous apology because it was dumb. Rhodes invites Heyman into the ring, but he says he’s cool on the apron and has a message from Reigns: When Reigns and Rhodes are face to face on SmackDown, no other members of The Bloodline will be present except for Paul.

Cody likes what he hears and says “Deal.” But Heyman says he forgot one crucial point. Namely, that Rhodes has to show up alone to SmackDown too. “Deal.”

Sami Zayn and Gunther make it official for WrestleMania, but does Sami believe in himself?

Adam Pearce is in the ring with the usual contract signing setup, summoning Zayn first and then Gunther. The Ring General mocks Sami for dressing like any slob from the crowd, to which Zayn takes offense at the feeling that Gunther doesn’t think he can win their match.

Sami angrily signs on the dotted line, but Gunther just wants to make fun of hic challenger a little more, questioning whether he even believes he can win. He smiles as he signs too and prepares to leave. But Zayn tells him to wait and tells Gunther to look into his eyes before storming off.

Is Drew McIntyre more like Seth Rollins than he cares to admit to himself?

McIntyre can’t be pleased that he’s immediately interrupted by the arrival of Rollins before he even makes it down the ramp. Mind games are fair play on the Road to WrestleMania, though.

They both end up in the ring, where Seth claims he has something to get off his chest. He admits he’s a spotlight junkie in the manner of people introducing themselves at AA meetings. “Spotlight junkie” chants break out in response.

An exasperated McIntyre says Rollins has become a parody of himself, but the only punchline is going to be when Drew beats him for the title at WrestleMania. McIntyre also mocks the “CM Punk” chant, at which point Rollins interjects and says none of this is a joke to him.

The World Heavyweight Champion says he’s been doing this for a while and it gets better every time. He wants the spotlight as bright as it can possibly be, which surprisingly gets McIntyre’s approval … except for the finish.

“You had me until you mentioned the big spotlight,” Drew says, yelling that it should only be the work they’ve done that matters. Rollins’ priorities are all screwed up, he insists, and that means McIntyre won’t get the moment he deserves — he’ll get the moment he earned.

Seth retorts that Drew is a spotlight junkie just as much as he is, motivated by the fact that his previous title run was in front of no fans. The problem is that when the lights got bright again, McIntyre fumbled the ball. At WrestleMania 40, Seth suggests, Drew will discover he’s not as good as he thinks he is.

Becky Lynch takes to the air to defeat Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing Match

Lynch looks like she wants to try to end it early, taking it to Jax in and out of the ring. Pat McAfee says he thought the strategy would be opposite, and perhaps he has a point as Jax starts taking over on the outside. They slug it out as the match goes to its first commercial break.

Michael Cole reminds us the only way to win is to keep your opponent down for a count of 10. Jax is busy getting out a table and a ton of chairs, but Lynch is recovering and uses a chair on Nia as she climbs back in the ring.

Jax hits a Samoan Drop back onto a pile of chairs, and McAfee thinks that’s it. Narrator: It was not it.

The crowd wants tables but Lynch is busy applying a sleeper, then pivoting into a bulldog onto a chair. The ref counts to about six, then Lynch tries coming off the top rope and takes a chair to the gut.

Jax is feeling good as Lynch struggles to get back up, eating more chair shots when she does. Jax sits right on top of her on a chair, but a kendo stick is within reach for The Man, and she goes to town with that, sending Jax to the floor.

Nia recovers quickly and picks up the steps to use as a weapon. But she misses when trying a legdrop on the apron, then gets dropped on the steps. The ref gets to six, so Lynch smashes her face into the steps again. The fans roar their approval as Becky gets out a table right as more ads arrive.

There’s now a ladder set up when the broadcast returns, but Lynch is able to blind Jax with a blast from a fire extinguisher. Somehow she’s still able to stagger back into the ring and hit Lynch with a Samoan Drop that drives The Man through a table.

Jax hits an Annihilator too, and the ref starts to count. Lynch rolls out of the ring at eight, landing on her feet to break the count. Jax eyes the table on the floor, but Lynch wriggles free of a Samoan Drop and hits a Manhandle Slam through the table instead.

The ref counts but both women make it up; Jax just barely. Seeing she needs to do something spectacular to win it, Lynch scales the ladder and drives Jax through the announce table with a legdrop. The ref counts, and this time not even Jax is getting up.

WWE WrestleMania 40: Predictions for the rest of the card in Philadelphia

You know the marquee matches for WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. Let’s try to figure out the rest of them.

Now that the hour-long annual time skip has occurred for this spring, we’re officially less than four weeks away from WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. The WWE is so hot right now that it could probably not reveal any of the matches ahead of time and still be assured that people will fill Lincoln Financial Field for two nights, and I’m only partially joking about that.

What Triple H and company have done is announce the biggest matches while leaving the rest of the card to be filled in over the last few weeks. It makes perfect sense to approach the show that way, as the world championship feuds have all been cemented and can help draw in lapsed fans while still leaving plenty to keep regular viewers engaged through the rest of March.

As I write this, only six matches are set. Night 1 will feature the recently confirmed tag team match pitting Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins against The Rock and Roman Reigns. That will have big ramifications for the Night 2 rematch between Rhodes and Reigns (as in whether The Bloodline will be allowed to interfere or not), while Rollins moves on to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre.

Though we don’t know which night they will happen, both women’s world titles will also be defended, with Rhea Ripley facing Becky Lynch and IYO SKY squaring off with Bayley. Gunther will defend his Intercontinental Championship as well, though the identity of his challenger won’t be determined until the March 11 episode of Raw.

History suggests that what’s been announced so far may only be about half the card. The two full-on post-pandemic two-night Manias had 16 (for WrestleMania 38) and 15 matches (last year at 39), respectively, though that’s counting impromptu stuff like Pat McAfee and Snoop Dogg getting quick wins in L.A.

So we’ve got to round out the WrestleMania 40 slate with at least 13 matches total, we’d say. Let’s try to do that now by making predictions from “this is almost absolutely happening” down to “we’re just grasping at straws here.”

Gunther vs. Chad Gable – WWE Intercontinental Championship match

We counted this as one of the matches we know is happening, but there’s still the matter of who will face the Ring General. The Gauntlet match for this Monday has a number of plausible candidates, and it’s important to remember that the only reason this is still a question is because WWE is keeping its distance from Brock Lesnar at the moment.

So the guess here is that Chad Gable will emerge as the contender to take on Gunther. He has the most interesting narrative, having pushed the big Austrian hard the first time they battled and talking about how much more another shot would mean to him than anyone else.

Also, lest we forget, Gable can really go in the ring, and while anyone WWE put in this spot would pull out all the stops at WrestleMania, Gable would arguably benefit the most from a reminder to everyone watching about how good he is. Maybe WWE would even consider having him win if Gunther is bound for bigger things in the post-WrestleMania landscape, but just getting this spot would be a statement in and of itself.

Update 3/11: It was close but not quite for Gable, who made it to the final two but couldn’t close things out. It’ll be Zayn vs. Gunther at WrestleMania.

Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso

It just feels like it’s time, no? Jimmy Uso has cost his brother multiple championship opportunities and isn’t going to stop until Jey Uso makes him stop. Out of character, the Usos have talked openly in the past about their desire to face each other in singles competition at WrestleMania, so it all just makes too much sense.

Considering how WWE likes to push multiple matches on each night as “co-main events,” as silly as that is, a brother vs. brother showdown would be perfect for that on Night 1. If The Bloodline is going to be finished with a Reigns loss to Rhodes (assuming that’s in the cards), you’d think Jey would win and Jimmy would eventually reunite with him, but perhaps WWE will want this program to go on past WrestleMania as well.

Update 3/11: This is almost certainly happening. Jey Uso made the challenge to Jimmy on the March 11 episode of Raw, so all we need now is a response.

Logan Paul vs. Randy Orton – WWE United States Championship match

I really had no idea what was in store for Logan Paul in Philadelphia until Elimination Chamber, when it became clear pretty quickly. When Paul hosed Randy Orton out of a win in Perth, it meant they were going to throw down sooner or later, and nothing has happened since then to change my mind.

Orton has looked superb since his return from a long injury layoff, and WWE has booked him in a way that makes him look nearly unbeatable save for extenuating circumstances. Of course Paul knows all about those, so he can simply keep cheating to go over, or he can give a heroic but losing effort. Either way, fans should be into this.

AJ Styles vs. LA Knight

Sometimes WWE needs to come up with something for people who simply can’t be kept off the WrestleMania card, and LA Knight falls into that category this year. Part of the Showcase of the Immortals is giving people what they want, and Knight continues to be hugely over with live crowds.

As with Orton and Paul, this was set up directly at Elimination Chamber, and AJ Styles has explained his actions on the March 8 episode of SmackDown as well. I’m not a huge fan of the all business heel version of Styles, but he’s certainly playing it well and looks the part since he’s as jacked as he’s ever been. These two should put on an excellent match together.

R-Truth and The Miz vs. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) – Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match

This is quite the step back for the tag team titles after they were featured in the Night 1 main event at WrestleMania 39. Nevertheless, WWE has put a lot of effort into the R-Truth storyline with The Judgment Day, and it would be logical to pay it off in Philadelphia, especially since Truth is arguably as popular as he’s ever been.

It would be fun to see if Damian Priest might cash in his Money in the Bank contract on Night 2 out of anger if The Judgment Day loses this match, something he’s teased doing before. Also, just spitballing here, but if The Miz and Truth actually win, WWE could easily have #DIY turn heel on them after Mania, upset about the work they put in themselves going for naught.

Update 3/11: We weren’t thinking big enough here, apparently. The Judgment Day will defend the titles in Philly … but in a Six-Pack Challenge Ladder match. Teams will have a chance to win their way in over the next few weeks, and we wouldn’t be shocked if Miz and Truth and #DIY made the field.

Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark vs. Kabuki Warriors – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match

Yes, these teams are slated to face off well ahead of WrestleMania, so maybe this isn’t a program with enough legs to even make it to Philly. Still, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark have been pushed as a very effective duo and deserve a shot to shine on the big stage.

Let’s play it out: the Kabuki Warriors give them a shot at the titles and retain, but only because Dakota Kai, now firmly recommitted to Damage CTRL, cheats to help them do it. Adam Pearce, who’s already warned the group he’s got an eye on them, arranges a rematch for Mania and Nick Aldis agrees. Simple.

Some kind of multi-person women’s contenders match

WWE has done so much good in building up the likes of Nia Jax (better than ever on this run, to my surprise) and Tiffany Stratton (a breakout star) that it would be a shame to keep them off this show. Plus there’s Liv Morgan and Naomi who are back, Raquel Rodriguez is healthy again, and Jade Cargill is waiting in the wings.

Oh, and Bianca Belair! We’re not going to do a WrestleMania without her, right?

It’s quite possible WWE will still spin something up for Bianca prior to Phialdelphia. But if not, she can be included here, whether it’s a Gauntlet match or battle royal or what have you. Regardless of the actual format, we can come out of this with a post-Mania challenger for either Bayley or whoever wins the Becky-Rhea match, and potentially spin off some additional programs as well.

Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits vs. The Final Testament

I confess this feud hasn’t been doing a ton for me, but the WrestleMania card needs some more multi-person matches and this is a made to order six-man tag to use as a palate cleanser.

The New Day vs. Imperium

This feud has been entertaining as it’s given The New Day a chance to play the “yes we act goofy for your enjoyment but we can get serious too” card. The only question is whether WWE can or wants to string this out for another four weeks.

But WrestleMania needs a couple of change of pace matches among the bigger stuff and this would be perfect, particularly with a stipulation of some sort. Could they do a TLC match between these two teams, for instance? I’d be on board for that.

Even more possibilities:

  • Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal – While it’s been relegated to the pre-show and even SmackDown in recent years and doesn’t seem to be much of a priority, it’s always an option to get more wrestlers involved in the show.
  • Legado Del Fantasma vs. LWO – Maybe I’m not giving this one enough thought now that Rey Mysterio is back. Certainly a possibility for a six-man tag, and ripe for a gimmick or stipulation if that’s the case.
  • Something with John Cena – He’s certainly teased that he might be part of WrestleMania, though no one seems to think it will be in a full-length match. WWE can work him in as a host or have him just show up and AA someone for a pop, though.

WWE Raw results 02/19/24: Uso screw job as Jimmy costs Jey IC title

The Women’s Elimination Chamber field is also set thanks to WWE Raw from Anaheim.

It could be a historic night on WWE Raw from Anaheim — but not if the Ring General has anything to say about it.

Gunther has made the Intercontinental Championship his own, holding it for more than 600 days, most of anyone in the title’s history. Wouldn’t it be ironic, then, if he lost it right as he achieved the top spot on the list?

It’s possible. Jey Uso is certainly getting a push as a singles performer, the first big one of his career. Under normal circumstances, it would be unusual for a title change this close to WrestleMania, but with the Elimination Chamber not involved with this championship, there’s certainly a chance.

Two other matches also stand out on tonight’s card. A Last Chance Battle Royal will decide the last contestant in the Women’s Elimination Chamber, and it feels like there could be a surprise or two thrown in.

And in what could be the night’s main event if the IC title match isn’t, Cody Rhodes will clash with Drew McIntyre. Rhodes already has his WrestleMania spot secured, while McIntyre has mostly been playing spoiler and feeling great about it.

We’re set for big things from Anaheim and the final live show before Elimination Chamber. Let’s see what we’ve got.

WWE Raw results from Anaheim:

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

  • Drew McIntyre def. Cody Rhodes by pinfall thanks to blatant interference from The Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa
  • A video segment promotes the Intercontinental Championship match later tonight between Gunther and Jey Uso
  • Andrade says his destiny is here in WWE, and the era of Andrade El Idolo has begun
  • Adam Pearce says the Bloodline members will get hefty fines and checks on Rhodes, who tells the GM “I’m good”; Seth Rollins drops by as well, saying nothing but getting a nod from Cody before leaving
  • A video package reviews the five women who have already qualified for Elimination Chamber as we get ready to find out who’s joining them
  • Raquel Rodriguez wins the Last Chance Battle Royal for the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, last eliminating Chelsea Green
  • Michael Cole remotely interviews Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax, which of course turns to insults between them and ends with Ripley storming out
  • A “Truthline” segment in the style of investigative TV journalism has Jackie Redmond talking to R-Truth about his experience with The Judgment Day, and you really have to see it to properly appreciate it
  • UFC fighter Michael Chandler is shown in the crowd, and he’s given a microphone to call out Conor McGregor

  • Both Chad Gable and Ivar cut promos head of their match tonight
  • The Judgment Day def. The Miz, R-Truth and #DIY by pinfall, with Damian Priest pinning R-Truth
  • Highlights are shown of The Rock officially joining The Bloodline on the most recent episode of SmackDown
  • Jackie Redmond catches up with Sami Zayn, who says he doesn’t want to get fixated on McIntyre because he’ll end up getting stuck and potentially miss his path to WrestleMania
  • Becky Lynch talks Elimination Chamber before she’s joined by all of her opponents … and a rampaging Nia Jax
  • Gunther cuts a promo before his title defense against Jey Uso
  • Shinsuke Nakamura makes it clear he’s not done with Sami Zayn, vowing to defeat him again
  • Chad Gable def. Ivar by submission
  • Cathy Kelley talks with McIntyre, who says his victory over Cody wasn’t tainted by Bloodline interference, claiming that he wanted to attack them on sight but he had to keep his eyes on the big picture, saving WrestleMania … for the fans, of course
  • The New Day says Uso will win tonight, but next week it’s their turn, making it clear it’s not over with Imperium until they say it’s over; next week, it’s New Day vs. Imperium in a Street Fight
  • Gunther def. Jey Uso by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship, in large part due to interference from Jimmy Uso, who lays an extra beating on his twin brother as Raw goes off the air

Image credit: WWE.com

Drew McIntyre gets Bloodline assistance to defeat Cody Rhodes

The crowd is definitely into this one, cheering enthusiastically for Rhodes and giving him a “let’s go Cody” chant immediately after the bell. He quickly sends the Scottish Warrior to the floor, then is able to apply a Figure Four back in the ring.

McIntyre flips the hold over, forcing Rhodes to the ropes for a break. Cody is selling damage to his right knee as commercials arrive.

Things aren’t going much better for our hero, after the break, but he manages to survive a series of chops before McIntyre puts him back on the canvas. Cody rallies for a Disaster Kick and a two count, drawing on the energy from the crowd.

A Cody Cutter is on target too, good for another two count. McIntyre takes both of them out to the floor, and we break for ads again.

Both men score near falls, including a very close one after a Cody Pedigree. Drew fires back with a Future Shock, but no one can get more than a two count, and Pat McAfee wonders what can possibly end it.

McIntyre looks up at the WrestleMania sign before he climbs the turnbuckles, but Rhodes meets him there for an emphatic superplex. There’s a super Cody Cutter off the top rope, but just as it appears Rhodes can get the win, Jimmy Uso is out to provide a distraction.

Solo Sikoa uses it to full advantage, delivering a Samoan Spike from the apron while the ref is occupied with Jimmy. A Claymore from McIntyre is next, and that’s a big win secured for Drew.

Image credit: WWE.com

Raquel Rodriguez makes her return a spectacular one, winning the Last Chance Battle Royal

Teammates Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark are the first two women to head to the ring, but the crowd really roars for the return of Raquel Rodriguez, who has been out injured for some time.

We won’t try to do play by play for a match this chaotic, but we can say Maxxine Dupri and Valhalla are out early on. Xia Li follows quickly. Rodriguez continues clearing people out, including Isla Dawn.

Natalya eliminates Tegan Nox, a bit of payback for what happened between them in the Royal Rumble. Zelina Vega and Elektra Lopez keep fighting even after they’re eliminated, while Baszler and Stark work together effectively, especially to get rid of Indi Hartwell and Katana Chance.

After Ivy Nile is eliminated, we’re left with four: Baszler, Stark, Rodriguez and Michin. It quickly becomes three as the tag team partners get rid of Michin.

There goes Baszler, leaving Rodriguez and Stark. Though Shayna catches Zoey when she’s first thrown out, a big boot soon sends her to the floor. Chelsea Green was apparently never eliminated properly and tries for a sneak attack, but Raquel sends her out quickly to wrap things up.

Image credit: WWE.com

The Elimination Chamber contestants have words, but Nia Jax has more than enough power to clear them all out

The Man gives props to the great crowd tonight before musing that she’s been lucky enough to accomplish so much, meaning that there are few “new” things left for her. One thing she hasn’t done is compete in the Elimination Chamber, which she needs to win to face Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania.

Lynch notes that it is inevitable that she and Mami collide, which is appropriate because both of them live for that kind of fight. They’ve been living differently as of late, however, with Rhea riding a once-in-a-lifetime wave, propped up by The Judgment Day.

And then there’s Becky, the biggest threat to the championship and one who’s been hiding in plain sight. Lynch says she’s the best she’s ever been right this moment, strengthened by taking on all kinds of opponents.

On the flip side of that, however, is that everybody else is also the best they’ve ever been — especially the five women in the Elimination Chamber match with her. Becky says she has nothing against any of the women (“though Tiffany’s kind of annoying”), but she’s beaten most of them, just not inside the Chamber.

Liv Morgan arrives to say she’s a big fan of Becky’s hat, but she’s not a big fan of Lynch saying she’s the one to face Ripley. Liv admires Becky wanting to prove she’s the best, but all she cares about is her revenge. She has both professional and personal reasons for wanting to pay Rhea back, and Liv reminds Becky that she was also the last person to defeat Ripley.

That brings out Raquel Rodriguez, who says they’re making great points. But the champ after Elimination Chamber could also be Nia Jax, and only she’s big enough to stand up to either one of them.

You see where this is headed now, as Naomi comes out too. She says it’s time to climb her way back to the top but doesn’t get any further before it’s Tiffy Time. Tiffany Stratton says nobody cares about the past, but that’s all she sees in the ring.

That only leaves one final Chamber contestant, but Bianca Belair quickly makes that number zero. She reminds them all that you can’t spell WrestleMania without “EST,” and when Stratton gets lippy with her, Tiffany decides to smash Liv int he face, and soon all six women are scrapping.

Make that seven as Nia Jax hits the ring as well. Jax crushes Naomi with a Samoan Drop and casually tosses Morgan and Stratton around.

Jax runs over Belair as well, gives Rodriguez a legdrop to the back of the neck and has some left for Lynch as well. Nia is the only woman still standing at the end of the segment, making an emphatic statement.

Image credit: WWE.com

Jey Uso falls short against Gunther … but only because of Jimmy

Can Uso end Gunther’s 619-day reign? Or will there be hijinks in this one since The Bloodline has already made its presence felt once tonight?

After Jey smacks him in the mouth, The Ring General wastes zero time punishing Uso with chops, both in the center of the ring and on the top rope. The attack continues on the floor, where Gunther drops Jey on the barricade. Commercial break one is here.

Gunther continues his assault when the broadcast returns, punishing Jey with a backbreaker. They head back to the floor, with the champ looking for a piledriver but foiled by a back drop. Gunther is smacked off the announce table with a Samoan Drop, exciting Pat McAfee.

They return to the ring, where Uso hits a back elbow and a superkick, plus an uppercut that sends Gunther into the corner. The champion retaliates with a big dropkick and a powerbomb, stacking Jey for a two count.

Another two count is in Gunther’s favor after a clothesline, and he quickly locks in a Boston Crab. Even after Jey escapes he’s not clear of danger, but he is able to send Gunther to the floor and greet him with a dive that brings the final set of commercials.

More hard chops greet Jey after the ads, and his chest can’t be feeling too good now. Gunther spends some time verbally berating Jey, slapping him around some more and looking for a powerbomb. But Uso slides out the back side and delivers a spear, earning a near fall.

Uso heads up top, where Gunther rushes to meet him with another chop. There’s a release superplex that just flings Jey down, and he hits his own top rope splash but sees Uso kick out again at two.

Another spear for Uso has Gunther looking for a respite on the apron, but Jey spears him there, then out on the floor. The challenger rolls the champ back into the ring for his fifth spear of the bout. Up top goes Jey, dropping the Uso Splash … but the bell rings in mid-count. It’s Jimmy Uso, smirking wildly.

WWE security orders Jimmy to leave, but the damage may already be done, as Gunther is back on his feet. A superkick puts the champ down so Jey can fly to hit his brother with a suicide dive.

Uso climbs again, but this time Gunther gets his knees up on the splash, rolling Jey up and barely surviving with his title intact.

Jimmy gets a chance to beat on Jey some more after the bell, including an Uso Splash of his own. He delivers one more for good measure, raising one finger to the sky as the show goes off the air.

WWE Raw results 02/12/24: Drew McIntyre is still living his best life

Lexington also saw three more wrestlers qualify for Elimination Chamber matches.

Happy pre-Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate. We’re not thinking love so much for WWE Raw tonight from Lexington, but more the opposite thing: Getting people out of our lives, or at least out of contention for the Elimination Chamber matches.

(Yes, we’re aware sometimes Valentine’s Day soul-searching leads in somewhat the same direction, but we digress.)

As of the start of this show, only two of the six men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber spots are spoken for. That will change tonight, with two men’s qualifiers and one women’s qualifier filling up more of those pods.

Perhaps the most interesting candidates right off the dome are LA Knight and Liv Morgan. Both are fan favorites, the kind of performers that will have big chunks of the WWE Universe backing them to make the Elimination Chamber bouts.

It’s also hard to see where they fit into the larger WrestleMania picture right this second. Knight has ridden his populist wave to two championship shots but hasn’t broken through. Morgan is a former champ, but has been out of action for a while due to injury and is trying to make her way back into contention.

Does that mean they might get upset tonight? It doesn’t feel like it, but it’s worth filing away in case it happens.

There’s also a fun six-man tag featuring The New Day and Jey Uso against Imperium, so this should be an entertaining Monday night. Off we go to Kentucky.

WWE Raw Results from Lexington:

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

  • Cody Rhodes is shown heading into the arena this afternoon as Michael Cole reminds us Cody has another shot at Roman Reigns at WrestleMania
  • The New Day and Jey Uso def. Imperium by pinfall
  • Highlights of WrestleMania XL Kickoff are shown
  • Andrade says he needed to leave WWE to remember who he was, but now that he’s back, his direction is clear
  • Bobby Lashley def. Bronson Reed by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • Sami Zayn is shown coming to the rescue of Cody Rhodes after Raw went off the air last week; afterward, we see Zayn talking to Jackie Redmond about why he believes he is still a contender and will be a champion until he’s interrupted by some taunts from Shinsuke Nakamura on all the arena’s big video screens
  • Cody Rhodes is back on track to finish his story, but he may need some help — and Seth Rollins offers it
  • Cathy Kelley is backstage with a happy New Day and Jey Uso, who only get happier when they learn Uso will get an IC title shot next week
  • Liv Morgan def. Zoey Stark by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • Damian Priest tries to tell R-Truth the truth about his status with The Judgment Day, and it might finally be sinking in; later we see Truth desperately trying to get The Miz to join him ringside
  • JD McDonagh def. R-Truth by pinfall; after the bell, Truth tries to fight off all of The Judgment Day, and it goes about as poorly as you’d expect until #DIY finally comes running down with steel chairs to chase off the heels
  • Rhodes stops by to thank Zayn for having his back last year, and Cody also reassures Sami that he and the WWE fans all believe in him, which earns the American Nightmare a grateful hug
  • Becky Lynch is still locked in on WrestleMania, but both she and Rhea Ripley can’t overlook Nia Jax
  • Drew McIntyre is still taking credit for pushing Rhodes in the right direction and insists he’s still the underdog, and it appears he’ll be facing Cody next week
  • Truth thanks #DIY for the save, but thinks they are DX
  • LA Knight def. Ivar by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • McIntyre and Zayn have a brief but tense run-in backstage as Sami heads for the ring
  • Chelsea Green asks Adam Pearce if she’s going to be in the Last Chance Qualifier for the Elimination Chamber match, angering Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell, who are also in there; Green insults Shayna Baszler and Stark, who of course end up right behind her
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Sami Zayn by pinfall, with an assist to McIntyre for a timely distraction
  • When McIntyre and Nakamura try for a post-match beating, Rhodes hustles down to the rescue, hitting a Cody Cutter on Drew and Cross Rhodes on Shinsuke

Image credit: WWE.com

The New Day and Jey Uso prove to be a formidable team against Imperium

The crowd gets behind The New Day as soon as the bell rings, motivating Kofi Kingston to go right after Ludwig Kaiser. Jey Uso and Gunther quickly get tagged in, but the Ring General does the classic heel thing and deprives the fans of the matchup they want to see by tagging Giovanni Vinci in.

Only after Vinci takes control does Gunther tag back in to get some work done on Jey. Uso gets sent out to the floor in enemy territory, leaving Imperium in full control as of a commercial break.

That’s no longer the case on the other side, with Kingston unleashing a wide variety of offense and scoring a near fall on Vinci with a frog splash to the back. Kofi takes flight with a leaping clothesline and a Boom Drop on Vinci, but Imperium manages to send him to the outside and then into the steel steps.

Kofi kicks out after a boot to the face from Vinci, but now he’s dealing with Gunther’s methodical attack. The Ring General stops him from tagging a partner and puts him in a Boston Crab, but Jey breaks the hold with a nasty slap to the face.

After more commercials, Uso leads a furious rally, dropping both of Gunther’s wingmen and locking in on the man himself. Jey loses a battle of chops, however, and has to fight back with an enzuigiri. He hits a cross body off the top and covers for two.

A short-arm clothesline earns Gunther a two count of his own before he mocks Jey’s entrance. He pays for it by eating a spear, yet he manages to get a save from Kaiser.

After Kaiser is sent into the post, Vinci tags in and trades superkicks with Jey. The New Day returns to help pull off the 1-D, allowing Uso to hit a top rope splash on Vinci to end it.

Image credit: WWE.com

Cody Rhodes gets an offer of backup from Seth Rollins

Ever the consummate babyface, Rhodes stops to autograph some action figures for young fans on his way to the ring. The fans loudly chant his name once his music stops.

Cody says they could talk about him challenging Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 40. He says the only reason he can say that is because of the fans making their voices heard, and there’s only one way he can repay them.

Though he’s a passionate guy, Rhodes says he doesn’t want to get emotional because then he’d become a crybaby, referencing The Rock’s taunt toward him. He also shows footage of The Rock on “The Pat McAfee Show” coining the term, for which Michael Cole needles McAfee.

One thing The Rock does not do well is listen, Rhodes says, because he said nothing insulting about Rock’s ancestors and he still got slapped anyway. For that, Cody vows to hit Rocky back.

That brings Seth Rollins to join the party, and the fans greet him warmly as well. Cody wants to thank Seth for coming to his aid at WrestleMania Kickoff, and Rollins thanks him before saying he understands why Rhodes made the choice he did.

The Visionary tells Rhodes he must finish his story, because if he does not, the landscape on the other side of WrestleMania is very dark. As he sees it, this is probably the last real chance anyone has to take Roman’s title and power and give it to the people.

But Rollins also has a question: What’s your plan? Because last year, Cody got screwed by outside interference form The Bloodline, and now he’s facing that plus dealing with The Rock as well. Yet Rollins says he doesn’t have to fight this battle alone, as he’s been moved by the idea of taking everything from Roman.

He also says it’s partly his own fault that Reigns is the man he is today, with Rollins suggesting he taught Roman everything he knows during The Shield days.  Seth says “there’s only one man on Earth who is uniquely suited to be your shield,” heh.

“Think about it,” Seth mouths after throwing down the mic.

Image credit: WWE.com

Liv Morgan is headed to Perth after taking down Zoey Stark

Morgan tries for a quick dub as her rollup gets a two count. Liv stomps away in the corner and shrieks as the referee pulls her away. Stark’s lariat gives her control, and she does some yelling of her own as she presses her advantage.

Liv hits a hurricanrana and smashes her foe’s head into the top turnbuckle before a springboard kick lands and sends Zoey to the floor. Stark fires back with a right hand that prevents a suicide dive, then follows with a painful looking Death Valley Driver on the apron.

Both women have chances to win it right after a commercial break. Stark gets a second in quick succession following a springboard missile dropkick before verbally berating Morgan.

Liv tries for a Codebreaker but gets sent into the turnbuckles instead, though Morgan instantly turns the tables … until she runs into a head kick and has to kick out at two again.

Zoey drags Liv to the corner, but her corkscrew splash finds no one home, and Oblivion means she’s not getting back up.

Image credit: WWE.com

Becky Lynch has her eyes on Rhea Ripley, but there’s a Nia Jax roadblock first

After promising to go to the prom in 2034 with a fan who has a sign to that effect, The Man talks about how much she loves the business and how it’s given her everything, including her husband and their daughter. But her obsession with wrestling has caused her to miss important moments in her loved ones’ lives, and more recently, it’s led to some tough conversations with her daughter.

On the plus side, her obsession has kept Becky on track for her intended WrestleMania date with Rhea Ripley. Lynch says a lot of fans love Ripley and think no one can beat her, but Becky isn’t just anyone. She grabs a drink and proposes a toast to Rhea’s last few weeks as champion.

It’s not Ripley but Nia Jax who comes out in response. Jax is emotional when talking about Lynch’s example as a mother, but it all turns into a shot at Ripley, who comes rushing to the ring for a donnybrook.

Lynch catches a stray in the corner, so she decides to clear Jax out with a missile dropkick. That leaves Lynch and Ripley face to face, though Rhea rushes over to smash Jax with a boot to the face.

Image credit: WWE.com

Shinsuke Nakamura gets an assist from Drew McIntyre to outlast Sami Zayn

Sami looks ready for Shinsuke in the early going, even having time to mock his “come on!” taunt right before the first commercial break. He’s still in control on the other side, at least until Nakamura buries some knees in his midsection.

Shinsuke goes for a couple of covers but doesn’t really seem to think they’ll be enough to end it. Zayn eats some kicks to the chest, even after catching a leg, and has to kick out again at two.

Stuck in the ropes, Sami takes a kick to the back of the head and the sliding German suplex, which means he’s got to kick out one more time. Zayn finally rallies with a Michinoku Driver, earning a flash two count.

After Nakamura is sent to the floor, Zayn finds the target with a tope con hilo, and we’re off to the final ads of the evening.

They’re standing and trading forearm shots when the broadcast returns, and now Nakamura is feeling it as he emerges in position for the Kinshasa. Sami counters with a Blue Thunder Bomb, but it’s only good for two.

Shinsuke rolls out to the floor to avoid an incoming Helluva Kick, and he’s able to catch Sami with a kick to the face when he tries to dive between the ropes. A knee to the back of the neck off the top rope has Zayn looking done, but he’s able to muster one more kickout.

There’s another back of the neck shot and another kick at two. Zayn is showing incredible resilience, but can he rally to win?

A clothesline helps, as do the cheers from the fans. Open hand strikes and punches force Nakamura back into the corner, and an exploder suplex puts him right back there.

It could be the end, except that Drew McIntyre distracts Zayn. Shinsuke takes Sami’s legs out, and the Kinshasa seals the deal.

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.