Tag: Raquel Rodriguez

WWE Raw results: Cody Rhodes’ misfortune is Seth Rollins’ gain in World Title tourney

Brock Lesnar made his presence felt on Raw in a way that directly affected the tournament.

If there’s such a thing as May Madness (and if there is, we’re likely going to hear about it from Legal), WWE’s got it for tonight’s episode of Raw from Jacksonville.

Why, you could very reasonably ask? Because the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament, kicks off tonight, that’s why. Two Triple Threat matches will narrow a field of six down to two, with the winners doing battle later this very night to determine who will go on to Night of Champions later this month to fight for the right to be the inaugural wearer of the new big gold belt.

WWE has helpfully revealed who will be in each of the first round tournament matches. One will see Cody Rhodes, Finn Balor and The Miz square off, while the other features Damian Priest, Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura. Those combinations set the stage for lots of fun possibilities for the Raw semifinal, including things like an all Judgment Day affait.

(Of course, we have our own ideas on how things should play out.)

The other segment WWE is promoting ahead of the episode is the return of Trish Stratus. The women’s wrestling icon and WWE Hall of Famer seems to have gotten the better of Becky Lynch both physically and psychologically over the past few weeks, as Lynch hasn’t been on TV for a while. But Stratus might not want to be too cocky when she appears on Raw tonight, because when The Man comes back around, there just might be hell to pay.

It’s also the first show where the post-WWE Draft rosters are in effect on Raw, so expect to see some new faces as well.

WWE Raw results from Jacksonville:

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

  • Cody Rhodes says he discovered at Backlash that Brock Lesnar could be defeated, and that he’s now completely focused on the World Heavyweight Championship, so he says let the tournament begin
  • Damian Priest doesn’t really want to discuss his loss to Bad Bunny but does think he and Finn Balor will battle in the semifinal later tonight
  • Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura and Damian Priest in a World Heavyweight Championship Tournament first round match by pinning Nakamura
  • “You’ll still be Imperium in five minutes, right?” Imperium wants Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to know Gunther is coming to Raw next week, but their insistence on not being bothered seems like it’s going to lead to a match
  • Mustafa Ali def. Otis by pinfall
  • The Miz reminds the world that he’s a history maker and will have respect put on his name when he wins the tournament\
  • Finn Balor def. Cody Rhodes and The Miz in a World Heavyweight Championship Tournament first round match after Brock Lesnar attacks Rhodes and Balor pins Miz
  • Rhea Ripley def. Dana Brooke by submission, then is confronted by Natalya but leaves without any fisticuffs breaking out
  • A video package shows all of the NXT performers who got drafted to Raw, and one of them, Zoey Stark, challenges Nikki Cross for her first Raw match
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) by pinfall
  • Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green are busy getting signatures on their petition to get a rematch for the tag team titles, and The Way is nearly all back together backstage
  • Zoey Stark def. Nikki Cross by pinfall
  • Dominik Mysterio and Xavier Woods talk their way into a match later tonight, while Akira Tozawa wanders off
  • Trish Stratus is worried because Becky Lynch is missing, and says Lynch will be found but won’t be coming to “her” show … except she’s 100% wrong, and The Man gives her a quick beating before insisting she’s come around to kick Trish’s ass
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Xavier Woods by pinfall
  • Indus Sher says they’ve been waiting for their chance to strike; The Miz accidentally ends up with a match against Nakamura next week; Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez find out Deville and Green started their petition thinking they would be facing Damage CTRL for the tag team titles
  • Rhodes says this is the second time that Lesnar has attacked him from behind for no reason, so he says “let’s fight” at Night of Champions
  • Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor by pinfall to win the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament semifinal

WWE SmackDown results: Bad Bunny unites with the LWO

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE SmackDown results from San Juan:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results from Fort Worth:

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

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

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

A new World Heavyweight Championship was also unveiled tonight.

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results from Chicago:

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

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

WWE SmackDown results: Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez retain Tag Team Championship

Did Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez make it through their first title defense to remain WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions?

Liv Morgan seems more excitable than ever prior to this title defense. Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green want the fans to … uh, be nicer to them, and they mock Liz for looking “thirsty.” You know, because they threw water on her last week.

The champs probably don’t need extra motivation as they fire out of the gate and set to work destroying Deville. Michael Cole and Wade Barrett discuss whether the challengers’ complaining actually led to the opportunity they are taking advantage of tonight. Perhaps.

The challengers celebrate a bit too early after wiping out Rodriguez on the floor and get landed on by Morgan. She tries to cover Green back in the ring but only gets two.

Green hits a nice Russian leg sweep off the middle turnbuckle and gets her own near fall on Morgan. Liv looks to be in big trouble, especially as the heels are doing a great job distracting the ref and taking liberties.

Raquel eventually gets the hot tag and tears through the challengers, nailing a fallaway slam and a corkscrew elbow on Green for another two count. She wants a superplex on Deville and gets it; Morgan nails Green with a missile dropkick and pretty much everyone is down on the mat.

Rodriguez wipes out Deville with a big boot to the face, and Morgan pours water on Green. Raquel helps Liv with her pin, meaning the ref caught the heels cheating and not them, which makes Barrett livid.

Click here for full WWE SmackDown results from Columbus.

WWE SmackDown results: Matt Riddle falls to Bloodline numbers game

Two title matches, plus Matt Riddle vs. Solo Sikoa in a No DQ match, highlight this week’s SmackDown from Columbus. We give you live updates.

The WWE SmackDown show rolls into Columbus tonight, and what it’s bringing with it is gold. Championship gold, to be precise, with a pair of title matches headlining the card.

Gunther has been dismissive of the threat to his Intercontinental Championship reign that Xavier Woods poses, to say the least. Can the lone currently healthy member of The New Day forcefully make him change his mind, or will the Ring General be proven correct?

In contrast to Gunther, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez have only just begun (shout out to the Carpenters) their run as Women’s Tag Team Champions. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville would love to end things just as they’re getting started, and if they fail, they’re sure to let us all hear about it later.

Also poor Adam Pearce, naturally.

The other match WWE has promoted for tonight has no belts on the line, but it might be even more contentious. Braun Strowman and Ricochet have had a bit of a rivalry going the past few weeks with the Viking Raiders, but it got ratcheted up several notches last week when the Raiders jumped them on SmackDown. Payback time? One would think.

Those bouts won’t be enough to fill two full hours, so there’s going to be more. WWE recently said we can expect a tag team match pitting The LWO’s Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar against The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest and Finn Balor. And there will be a No DQ match between Matt Riddle and Solo Sikoa that could possibly be the main event, even with two title matches on the show.

WWE SmackDown results from Columbus:

(click on match links for more details)

  • Damian Priest and Finn Balor def. Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar by pinfall
  • Solo Sikoa and The Usos are shown entering the arena
  • Zelina Vega tells Adam Pearce she wants to challenge Rhea Ripley for her SmackDown Women’s Championship at Backlash, and he seems agreeable

  • A video promotes Shinsuke Nakamura as the King of Strong Style, followed by a warning to him from Karrion Kross, who claims he will take away Shinsuke’s honor
  • Braun Strowman and Ricochet def. Viking Raiders by pinfall thanks to the fan favorite Swanton Bomb by Ricochet off Strowman’s shoulders
  • Raquel Rodriguez has to calm down Liv Morgan before their title defense
  • Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez def. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, giving the heels a taste of their own medicine in the process
  • Matt Riddle promises to leave Solo Sikoa buried tonight
  • Gunther def. Xavier Woods by submission to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • A video package shows once again how Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn became tag team champions
  • The Usos cut a promo about their rematch against KO and Sami next week and say they’re going to dedicate their victory to the Tribal Chief, which … they better hope they win
  • Solo Sikoa def. Matt Riddle by pinfall in a No Disqualification match with some help from The Usos, who give Riddle a 1-D through a table after the bell

WWE SmackDown preview: Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez face first title defense

Two title matches are on the card for this week’s WWE SmackDown in Columbus.

It’s a busy, busy time of year for sports what with the NBA Playoffs and NHL Playoffs underway and MLB in full swing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find two hours in there for WWE SmackDown, right? Fans in Columbus certainly will, as the show originates from Ohio’s state capital tonight.

Here are the top three things to watch for on this April Friday.

Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez face a title challenge from Chelsea Green, Sonya Deville

We really wish Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville had officially been dubbed The Complaint Department, but alas. The duo has only been together for a few weeks but they mesh well personality wise and are finding their chemistry in the ring too.

Whether that’s enough to dethrone Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, making their first defense of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, remains to be seen. The guess here is no but stranger things can and do happen on SmackDown.

Xavier Woods goes for gold against Gunther

Is it fair that Xavier Woods is seen as the least serious member of The New Day? Probably not, which is why it’s always fun to see him getting a push in serious mode.

WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther already said he sees Woods as a “goof,” so Xavier will be trying to change that opinion in a hurry by beating him in a title match on SmackDown. And hey, we already know the Back Woods is the most unstoppable finishing move in WWE, so maybe he’s got a chance!

Braun Strowman and Ricochet want payback against the Viking Raiders

No one likes getting jumped backstage. It’s a bad look and it’s painful. So Braun Strowman and Ricochet are none too happy that the Viking Raiders did exactly that to them last week.

Settle it in the ring? Strowman and Ricochet will look to do that tonight in Columbus.

Opening Bell: Jay White makes Dynamite debut, Trish Stratus explains her turn

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage.

Welcome to the Opening Bell, where we round up what’s been announced for WWE (Raw and SmackDown) and AEW (Dynamite and Rampage) programming for the week we’ve just begun.

WWE Raw preview – Monday, April 17, Simmons Bank Arena, North Little Rock, AR

Why, Trish Stratus, why?

That’s what many WWE fans want to know after the Hall of Famer ruined what appeared to be a perfectly good partnership she had going with Becky Lynch and fellow legend Lita. Was it just jealousy over not being part of the tag team champions, or was Trish simply following a precedent from way back? We’ll apparently hear directly from her mouth Monday on Raw.

United States Champion Austin Theory doesn’t need to explain himself at all, given that he’s on a roll that includes a big WrestleMania victory over John Cena. Talking might not be the best idea anyway against his opponent this week, Bobby Lashley. He’s more of an actions over words guy, and besides, they know each other well from previous clashes.

A match that was originally promoted for last week until travel gremlins struck will be back in North Little Rock too. Well, half of it, anyway. The Miz was going to face Matt Riddle last Monday, but now he’s going up against Seth Rollins instead. You decide whether that’s better or worse for the A-Lister.

Last and certainly not least, Brock Lesnar will be back on Raw this week as well. You may recall that Cody Rhodes challenged him to a match at Backlash after the Beast Incarnate decided to beat him down instead of tagging with him against the Bloodline. We’ll miss happy-go-lucky Cowboy Brock, but we’re definitely interested to see what this return to his more vengeful side holds. And Backlash needs a main event, so … yeah.

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, April 19, Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh

Buckle up everyone. Jay White, a.k.a. King Switch, a.k.a. the Catalyst, a.k.a. one half of Bullet Club Gold, apparently, a.k.a. numerous other things, is ready to start making his presence known in AEW. That begins this week when he faces Komander in what looks like a fantastic Dynamite debut.

A championship will also be on the line in Pittsburgh between two large men who still have unfinished business with each other. Powerhouse Hobbs is looking to make the chapter in his book where he’s the TNT Champion a long one, but Wardlow wants that title back around his own waist. Something has to give — hopefully not the ring.

A big tag women’s tag team match is also on the slate. The Outcasts have been running roughshod for weeks, but now they’ve angered their two highest profile foes into a match. Can Ruby Soho and Toni Storm keep their winning ways going against AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker?

And that’s not all. When you tune in for Dynamite Wednesday, you can also expect:

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, April 21, Value City Arena at The Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH

O-hi-o, you’ve got championship matches incoming this week on SmackDown. Recently crowned Women’s Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez will try to make their first title defense a successful one when they face the challenge of Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville.

Gunther has held his Intercontinental Championship a lot longer and fended off a number of different wrestlers with their eyes on his gold. He thinks Xavier Woods is a “goof,” but the last man standing in The New Day will try to show the Ring General he’s a serious threat in Columbus.

On top of those title bouts, there’s a tag team match that figures to be somewhat significant. Braun Strowman and Ricochet got laid out by the Viking Raiders, and they’re not likely to be in a forgiving mood when the two teams meet on Friday night.

AEW Rampage preview – Saturday, April 22, Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh (recorded on April 19)

Perhaps the most important thing to remember about AEW Rampage this week is that it’s not on Friday thanks to the NHL Playoffs. It will air on Saturday at 10 p.m. instead.

That’s pretty late on a different night, but AEW has a heck of a hook to try to get you to watch: El Hijo del Vikingo will defend his AAA Mega Championship against Dralistico. Yes, that’s an insane match to randomly throw on a show that’s on an unusual night, but don’t question it, just roll with it because it’s almost sure to be amazing.

WWE SmackDown results: Solo Sikoa spikes, buries Matt Riddle

WWE SmackDown results for April 14, 2023, as Solo Sikoa took on Matt Riddle in the main event.

Ah, Shinsuke Nakamura, where have you been?

The King of Strong Style wasn’t at WrestleMania and hasn’t wrestled a televised WWE match since … wow, November of last year. That changes tonight on WWE SmackDown from Lincoln, Nebraska, and we speak for many when we say it will be good to see him back in action.

Santos Escobar makes for a nice segue, since he was the last person to face Nakamura on TV. He’s had a chance of heart since last fall, of course, and now fights the good fight as part of the LWO. He’ll go head to head with The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest tonight.

Another fan favorite looking for a big victory in Lincoln is Xavier Woods. Thanks to the latest injury to Kofi Kingston, Woods is the only member of The New Day currently active, which means he’ll have no backup when he takes on LA Knight. But hey, Knight is a solo act too, so that might not be that bad. Yeah!

Also on the slate for this week’s SmackDown is a celebration for the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Unfortunately, title celebrations often turn into something a little more contentious and violent in WWE, so one can only imagine who might crash their party. Perhaps two former MMA stars will come looking for them …

And hey, Backlash is only three weeks away, so some of the card for that show should start coming together soon. We’ll see if any matches are made official tonight.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are here to open the show, but are joined by the Bloodline … and Matt Riddle
  • Adam Perce gives instructions to the referee as he reveals Riddle and Solo Sikoa will face off in tonight’s main event
  • Xavier Woods def. LA Knight by pinfall
  • Woods’ victorious trombone solo runs afoul of Gunther, who doesn’t like goofs, but Woods thinks he’s more than ready for an Intercontinental Championship match
  • KO seems like maybe he isn’t crazy about the alliance with Riddle, but Matt is definitely focused on Solo in tonight’s main event
  • Damian Priest says he knows Santos Escobar can go and isn’t taking him lightly, and while he knows he’ll be asked about Bad Bunny, he says he’ll address that out in the ring
  • Priest does exactly that, warning Bad Bunny to just sit and watch Backlash, but he’s surprised by the sudden arrival of the LWO
  • Damian Priest def. Santos Escobar by pinfall, and Rey Mysterio arrives to fight with Dominik Mysterio again
  • Paul Heyman gives Solo a family-oriented pep talk, but Sikoa tells Heyman to tell the Tribal Chief “I got this”
  • The new women’s tag team champions want to celebrate, fighting off a rude interruption by Sonya Deville and Raquel Rodriguez
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Madcap Moss by pinfall …
  • … but it looks like he’s already being targeted by Karrion Kross
  • Braun Strowman and Ricochet get blindsided by the Viking Raiders backstage
  • Heyman tells Owens and Zayn that The Usos will win the tag team titles back in two weeks
  • Solo Sikoa def. Matt Riddle by pinfall
  • Sikoa hits Riddle with a uranage on the announce table, then tips it over on him

Please scroll down for more details on every match and major non-match segment.

WWE Raw results: Cody challenges Brock, KO fights on one leg but not alone

Live WWE Raw results for April 10, 2023 in Seattle, with Cody Rhodes addressing the fallout from his assault by Brock Lesnar last week.

Poor Cody Rhodes. All he wanted to do was to keep fighting those mean jerks in the Bloodline, and it seemed like he even had a strong new friend to help him do it last week on Raw.

Then Brock Lesnar viciously attacked him, proving that even though there was a happy go lucky Cowboy Brock under his mean jerk exterior, there was, in fact, another mean jerk underneath Cowboy Brock. Who knew?

Since Roman Reigns doesn’t seem inclined to give Rhodes the rematch he wants, Cody now has to probably do a program with Brock. The good news is that Lesnar doesn’t work every week. The bad news is that, well, when you get in the ring with Lesnar, you have to get in the ring with Lesnar. Suplex City and all that.

Anyway, the fallout from that attack is supposed to go down tonight in Seattle, whatever that turns out to be.

You may also be interested to know that there’s a tag team title match slated for this episode of Raw. Becky Lynch and Lita were two-thirds of a winning team at WrestleMania 39, but now they’ve got to settle in and start defending their championship. They’ll take the first stab at that tonight against Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, who should at the very least compete against them in a straightforward and respectful manner.

Earlier today, WWE also promoted this episode as the in-ring return of Matt Riddle against The Miz, but that match is no longer mentioned in the preview on the company’s website, so we’re assuming it got scrapped for some reason.

That leaves a lot of time to fill with other stuff, so we’ll just have to wait and see what else is in store. Tune in to USA at 8 p.m. ET to watch, or pop back in here as we Wrestle Junkies keep you up to date with the latest WWE Raw results as they take place.

WWE Raw results in 90 seconds:

  • Rey Mysterio gets into another argument with Dominik, who declines a WrestleMania rematch in favor of watching Finn Balor battle his dad
  • Finn Balor def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall after a shot from a steel chain by Dominik
  • Cathy Kelley is talking to Alpha Academy backstage when the scene shifts to Lita, who has been attacked by someone
  • Video is played of Brock Lesnar’s attack on Cody Rhodes last week on Raw
  • Becky Lynch says she has her suspicions about who may have attacked Lita and will slap the head off them when she finds out for sure; she’s also drafting Trish Stratus to help defend the tag team titles tonight
  • Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez def. Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, and Stratus attacks Lynch after the match
  • Paul Heyman doesn’t want to talk about Lesnar, but would like to discuss Kevin Owens and how he’s in trouble against Solo Sikoa tonight with no allies or friends
  • Stratus refuses a question backstage from Byron Saxton about her actions
  • Bayley tells her Damage CTRL teammates that she told Adam Pearce they need to stick together in the WWE Draft, but Dakota Kai and IYO SKY want the opportunity for a title shot against Bianca Belair she’s trying to get for herself
  • Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed ends in a double countout
  • Cody Rhodes addresses the Brock Lesnar situation by challenging him to a match at Backlash
  • The Usos def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
  • IYO SKY def. Michin and Piper Niven to earn a shot at Bianca Belair’s Raw Women’s Championship
  • Kevin Owens tells Saxton that even if it’s not wise to do it, he always leads with his emotions, and his heart says to beat the crap out of Solo Sikoa
  • Solo Sikoa def. Kevin Owens by the pinfall, though Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle arrive to help fight off Sikoa and The Usos after the bell

Please scroll down for more details on every match and major non-match segment.