Tag: Santos Escobar

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 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 SmackDown results: Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens finally rediscover their friendship

Live WWE SmackDown results for March 17 from Kansas City, featuring a face-to-face showdown between Sami Zayn and Jey Uso.

Kansas City is the home of champions, like the Chiefs. For WWE SmackDown this week, it’s also going to be home to another champion and a gentleman who wants to know more about exactly what’s in his heart.

The champ in question is Jey Uso, holder of one-half of both of WWE’s men’s tag team titles. Over the course of the last 10 months, it looked like Jey was coming around on Sami Zayn, sticking up for him when no one else would despite some heavy initial skepticism.

But considering how Jey laid out Sami just when it looked like their bond might overcome Uso’s familial ties, perhaps he was just playing the long game all along. That’s undoubtedly what Zayn will attempt to find out when the two men come face to face at the T-Mobile Center.

A confrontation of a decidedly more straightforwardly physical kind is also on tap for this Friday night. Adam Pearce attempted to find Gunther a WrestleMania opponent last week, but was foiled when both Sheamus and Drew McIntyre pinned people at the exact same instant. The enemies turned friends turned rivals again will attempt to settle things in the ring in Kansas City for a shot at the Ring General’s Intercontinental Championship in Los Angeles.

(Though considering many still expect that to be a Triple Threat match, be on guard for more hijinks on SmackDown.)

Last but certainly not least, Cody Rhodes usually calls Raw home, but since he’s got a date with destiny at WrestleMania, it behooves him to show up as often as possible on WWE TV. He’ll be on hand tonight as well, and the Bloodline will have to watch out for him.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Cody Rhodes tries to bring Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens back together, but KO still isn’t feeling it
  • As Owens looks to leave, Zayn insists they’re more than friends, they’re brothers, and he says he loves KO … who still gets in his car and drives off
  • Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio def. Santos Escobar and Zelina Vega by pinfall
  • Dominik wants to diss his dad some more, but quiets up when he sees his dad walking backstage on the big screen …
  • … and Rey Mysterio is emotional while explaining exactly how things with Dominik are making him feel, but he insists he won’t fight his son, ever
  • Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez def. Emma and Tegan Nox by pinfall to advance to a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team match at WrestleMania
  • Charlotte Flair is here to talk, but Rhea Ripley wants to do more than that, setting off a pretty crazy brawl
  • Zayn sounds like he might be giving up on Owens after what happened tonight
  • Xavier Woods def. LA Knight by pinfall
  • Knight says he’ll fight Dominik Mysterio if Rey won’t, which earns him a slap from the masked man
  • Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre ends in a no contest thanks to Imperium’s intervention, so Adam Pearce tells Gunther he’ll have to defend against both men at WrestleMania
  • “This is what you wanted, right Uce?” Zayn and Jey Uso have their say, Jimmy Uso comes to his brother’s aid … but Owens comes to help Sami

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

WWE SmackDown results: Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, together at last

Get live WWE SmackDown results for March 3, 2023 from D.C., as Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes look set to go face to face for the first time.

Not sure why “At Last” by Etta James came to mind when we typed that headline, because despite its classic status, it doesn’t have much to do with WWE SmackDown.

Or wait … could it actually be “a thrill that I have never known” to see Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and his WrestleMania challenger Cody Rhodes in the ring together for the first time? It just might.

With some assistance from Paul Heyman, Rhodes has been able to carry selling their upcoming battle alone so far. It’s worked because Reigns has also been embroiled in the hottest WWE story in years trying to keep the Bloodline from coming apart at the seams.

But of course the fans need to see the two of them face off, and with WrestleMania 39 less than 30 days away (really!), this is it. Assuming they actually stare each other down, the reaction should be electric, even if they don’t throw hands for now.

A big part of Reigns’ preoccupation will be in action on this same show in D.C. Sami Zayn, he of the former Honorary Uce title, will take on Solo Sikoa. The two of them used to be cool, but seeing as Solo is more a “follow orders” type, he’s certainly going to be looking to spike Sami’s head into the mat at Reigns’ request.

In the women’s division, Rhea Ripley is looking ahead to her big WrestleMania match against SmackDown champ Charlotte Flair. She may not want to look past Liv Morgan, however, even though you’d expect Ripley to win to keep things on track for L.A.

So that should be plenty of reason for you to want to keep tabs on what’s going on at the Capital One Arena this evening. Let’s see what’s in store.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, in the same ring at the same time, level with each other
  • Rhea Ripley def. Liv Morgan by submission
  • Jimmy Uso tells Reigns that Jey Uso just needs some time, but Roman says he’s running out of patience … with Jimmy
  • As Rhea and Dominik Mysterio walk backstage, Santos Escobar tells Dom he’s going to teach him a lesson about respect before blowing a kiss to Ripley
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Santos Escobar by pinfall and takes a cheap shot at his dad afterward
  • Sami Zayn draws power from the crowd in a TikTok-esque video out among the fans
  • Drew McIntyre calls his WrestleMania shot, or tries to before Sheamus, LA Knight, The New Day and Karrion Kross all get involved
  • Michael Cole says there was supposed to be a women’s tag team match on tonight’s show, but Ronda Rousey was injured in a backstage brawl and it’s not a singles match
  • Shayna Baszler def. Tegan Nox by submission
  • Gunther is upset that Adam Pearce hasn’t found him a worthy WrestleMania opponent yet
  • Bobby Lashley pays a visit and he isn’t running, even when attacked by Uncle Howdy
  • Reigns tells Jimmy to accompany Solo and “get rid of Sami Zayn,” reasoning that Jey will “come home” if they take care of Zayn; Roman also confirms to Paul Heyman that if Jey isn’t back in one week, he’s blaming Jimmy, not Sami
  • Solo Sikoa def. Sami Zayn by pinfall
  • After the match, Jimmy Uso and Sikoa beat up Zayn some more, but he escapes doom via steel chair and heads up into the crowd

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

WWE SmackDown results: Flair, Ripley face off, The Usos still have issues

Full WWE SmackDown results for Feb. 24, 2023, with Charlotte Flair going face-to-face with WrestleMania challenger Rhea Ripley.

Sometimes pointing at the WrestleMania sign isn’t enough. Sometimes you have to get in the ring and actually look your opponent for the biggest show of the WWE year in the eye and show them that you aren’t backing down. Conveniently, that’s what’s happening tonight on WWE SmackDown, in Evansville, Indiana.

Rhea Ripley has the momentum, having battled through the Royal Rumble to earn her shot, and in an overall sense for being an important part of The Judgment Day. Charlotte Flair has the SmackDown Women’s Championship and owns a previous WrestleMania victory over Rhea. Something has to give, though it would be surprising if either woman flinched tonight.

The Firefly Fun House is also making its return this week. Bray Wyatt warned the winner of a certain big, meaty men slapping meat match at Elimination Chamber he’d have his eye on the winner. That means Bobby Lashley will almost certainly be in the crosshairs of Wyatt and his puppet friends.

How about some matches, since this is a wrestling show? One that has weeks of buildup behind it will see Rey Mysterio once again go up against Karrion Kross. The bigger problem for Rey is that his son has promised to accompany Ripley to pay dad a visit, and that never turns out well.

And Imperium will be in six-man tag action against Braun Strowman, Ricochet and Madcap Moss — which sounds like a pretty even matchup except that Moss has apparently been leaning on the edge of going to the dark side.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Kayla Braxton wants a word with Jimmy Uso, who says he hasn’t spoken to Jey yet despite many efforts to do so, but he wants his brother to look him in the eye tonight
  • Imperium def. Braun Strowman, Ricochet and Madcap Moss by pinfall
  • Drew McIntyre, who came out on the ramp to watch the previous match, is assaulted by the Viking Raiders, though Sheamus comes to his aid
  • Rey Mysterio vows to put an end to Karrion Kross, but Dominik Mysterio is unimpressed with Santos Escobar‘s show of respect for his dad
  • Jimmy Uso tells Solo Sikoa things feel different in the Bloodline since Montreal, and Paul Heyman suggests maybe Solo should hang back tonight so Jimmy can settle things with his brother alone
  • LA Knight wants to talk about the other L.A., but The New Day don’t think he’s earned it, and Kofi Kingston would love the chance to shut him up
  • Kofi Kingston def. LA Knight by pinfall
  • Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley have a brief showdown after Dominik Mysterio spends a lot of time running his mouth
  • Shayna Baszler def. Natalya by submission
  • Firefly Fun House asks a pressing question: Can you keep a secret?
  • Heyman tells Jimmy Uso he needs to handle things with Jey Uso, or Roman Reigns will next week
  • Karrion Kross def. Rey Mysterio by submission thanks to interference from Dominik
  • Jimmy Uso wants to talk to Jey, but he ends up talking to Sami Zayn instead … and the drama continues

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

Opening Bell: Survivor Series WarGames beckons, AEW finds a contender for MJF

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, November 21, MVP Arena, Albany, NY

Before you dig into your turkey and stuffing or other foods of choice this week, there’s business to take care of on Raw. The women’s WarGames teams are set for Survivor Series, but which side will have the advantage is up for grabs on Monday in Albany.

To settle that important question, Asuka will take on Rhea Ripley. The winner will get a numerical advantage every few minutes during WarGames, so both Team Bianca Belair and Team Damage CTRL will be watching anxiously (and perhaps even intervening) to see who comes out on top.

And that’s all WWE has officially revealed for this week’s show so far. Considering Survivor Series WarGames only has four matches announced and the women’s match still has one participant yet to be revealed, smart money suggests we’ll get some answers on Monday night.

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, November 23, Wintrust Arena, Chicago

AEW is headed back to one of its homes away from home, the Windy City, for the pre-Thanksgiving episode of Dynamite. The biggest thing on the card is determining a No. 1 contender for MJF, who you may have heard is now the AEW World Champion following Full Gear. Ethan Page and Ricky Starks will wrestle for that honor in the final of a tournament that’s been going for a few weeks.

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But the show is pretty loaded beyond that. The Elite and Death Triangle tore it down at Full Gear, where it was revealed they’re going to do it again … and again and again, in a best-of-7 series for the AEW World Trios Championship. Match two takes place Wednesday on Dynamite.

Chris Jericho is still The Ocho, but he’ll get a formidable challenge for his ROH World Championship from Tomohiro Ishii of NJPW. And Orange Cassidy, who’s been putting his All-Atlantic Championship on the line regularly, will face perhaps his physically biggest test as champ in the form of Jake Hager (and his purple bucket hat).

A good night of wrestling before turkey? It sounds like it.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, November 25, Wintrust Arena, Chicago (recorded on November 23)

We still don’t know much about what AEW has planned for Rampage this holiday week, but we do know one thing: It’s not going to be on at 10 p.m. ET like usual.

Nope, Rampage is moving earlier, much earlier, for this pre-taped show from the Chi. It will air at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on TNT. So … just be thankful for some afternoon wrestling, we suppose.

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, November 25, Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, RI

We’re bummed this venue is no longer the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, even though we’re sure the folks at Amica Mutual are lovely. It’s unusual to know much more about the SmackDown card than the Raw card on a Monday, but that’s exactly the case here for this big show on the night before Survivor Series.

The men’s WarGames advantage will be up for grabs in a tag team match between the undisputed champs, The Usos, and the brothers from another mother, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre. It would certainly help the Brawling Brutes and company if they can gain an edge over the Bloodline.

Speaking of the Brutes, another one of their own, Butch, is still alive in the SmackDown World Cup, and will take on Santos Escobar Friday in one semifinal. The other semifinal will also take place in Providence, when Ricochet goes up against Braun Strowman.

Last but certainly not least, Shotzi and Ronda Rousey continue to circle each other ahead of their title match at Survivor Series WarGames. They’ll meet in a tag team match Friday, with Shotzi teaming with Raquel Rodriguez while Rousey calls upon her BFF, Shayna Baszler.

You’ll be all shopped out by Black Friday night anyway, so this is the best possible way to end Thanksgiving week.