Tag: Seth Rollins

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 production didn’t know CM Punk would curse in epic promo with Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins

The CM Punk-Drew McIntyre-Seth Rollins promo segment was reportedly outlined but not heavily scripted this week on WWE Raw.

WWE might be cracking down on bad language in live broadcasts (except for The Rock since he’s, you know, the Final Boss), but CM Punk still managed to slip a curse into the amazing promo segment he had this week on WWE Raw with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins.

While the three men engaged in a memorable exchange of taunts and insults, Rollins asked the fans in attendance at the Allstate Arena near Chicago whether they’d want to see Punk as a guest commentator for his World Heavyweight Championship defense against McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. The fans suggested something else with a “referee” chant.

The injured Punk shot down Rollins’ barb that his counting arm is the one that’s hurt by doing a quick three-count with his left arm. He then added, “In all fairness, I really don’t think I could be objectively fair with these two dips–ts, so … ”

Whoever was on the bleep-out button was quick to ensure the curse didn’t go out over the air, but according to Fightful Select (subscription required), they also didn’t know what to expect in this relatively unscripted segment.

The promo was listed as one segment, and was produced by Adam Pearce, as there was physicality between Rollins and McIntyre. We’re told that WWE production wasn’t anticipating CM Punk’s line where he cursed, and there was a memo sent to talent recently that discouraged them from swearing on the air.

McIntyre was referencing that memo when he picked up the mic while seated at the announce table and deadpanned “PG, brother” in response to Punk. Fortunately, Fightful’s people also said they “haven’t heard of any issues backstage after the promos as it relates to heat or anything of that sort.”

By the way, you’ll want to do yourself a favor and watch the whole segment if you missed Raw live, because it really is a treat from start to finish.

Rollins and McIntyre will meet with Punk apparently calling the action when WrestleMania 40 night 2 takes place on Sunday, April 7.

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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.

CM Punk will be part of WrestleMania 40 … as a guest commentator

CM Punk isn’t cleared to wrestle but figured out a way to play a part at WrestleMania XL.

CM Punk is still recuperating from his torn triceps, an injury that cost him a chance to appear in one of the biggest matches at WrestleMania 40. Yet the Second City Saint will still be part of WWE’s biggest event of the year, playing a part in a match where he has personal issues with both combatants.

Punk’s role was revealed during the March 25 episode of Raw, which took place right outside his hometown of Chicago. While Punk tried to simply cut a promo, he was joined first by Drew McIntyre, someone who’s not only taken credit for the injury but consistently mocked Punk for the fact that it happened.

While they were exchanging some very personal barbs, they eventually had another visitor: World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, who will defend his title against McIntyre in Philadelphia.

Of course Punk and Rollins don’t get along either, so there was tension between all three men. Despite that, Rollins agreed to poll the crowd to see if they wanted Punk to be part of the WrestleMania match. The chants said “referee,” but Punk agreed to be a guest commentator, promising to make both men interesting.

Punk legitimately isn’t cleared to return to the ring yet, but it’s always possible be could be involved in some physical spots at WrestleMania. Certainly, the vibes between the three men suggest he won’t be content to just sit at the announce desk and call the action.

We’ll find out soon enough, as Rollins and McIntyre will collide with Punk watching from very close by on night 2 of WrestleMania 40, which takes place Sunday, April 7 at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.

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How to watch WWE WrestleMania 40: Live stream US, international

A look at how to watch WWE WrestleMania 40.

WrestleMania is always the most anticipated part of the WWE calendar. It marks the pinnacle of WWE’s major storylines, unfolding on a grand stage while often sparking memorable moments that linger in the minds of fans for years, whether they are celebrated or infamous.

WrestleMania 39 shocked fans when Cody Rhodes lost the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match to Roman Reigns in the main event. It appeared WWE was gearing up for a rematch between the two at WrestleMania 40, and indeed, that’s what happened.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson once looked like Reigns’ challenger in the main event at Lincoln Financial Field. However, after some furious fan backlash, at the WrestleMania press conference in February, Rhodes, winner of the Royal Rumble match, chose Reigns as his opponent for the Show of Shows.

Before this, on Night 1 of WrestleMania, Rhodes and Seth Rollins will face The Rock and Reigns in a tag match. If the latter team wins, The Bloodline can interfere in Reigns vs. Rhodes on Night 2.

The American Nightmare will have the chance to finish his story. Failing to do so casts doubt on when he’ll return to the main event scene, along with WWE’s timeline to pull the title off Reigns and have it prominently featured on weekly programming again. It’s a potentially transformative moment for WWE if they choose to shift from the Tribal Chief and usher in a new era, but are they ready to make this move?

The action will transpire across two nights, on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7. Here’s what you need to know to watch WrestleMania:

WWE WrestleMania 40

  • Date: Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, 2024
  • Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
  • Start time: 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world

WWE Raw results 03/11/24: Sami runs the Gauntlet, earns WrestleMania spot

Chad Gable came agonizingly close to earning another shot at Gunther, but fell just short on WWE Raw.

Just because WrestleMania is less than four weeks away doesn’t mean that WWE weekly TV grinds to a halt. On the contrary, now that the biggest matches for Philadelphia are finalized, there’s a lot of work to fill in the rest of the card, and some of it will be done tonight on WWE Raw from Houston.

In one of the show’s featured bouts, the women’s tag team titles will be on the line. The Kabuki Warriors have them now, but Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark have more than earned a shot at them. Would WWE consider a title change here, or might this be a feud that goes all the way to the Showcase of the Immortals?

Another big order of business is finding Gunther a WrestleMania challenger for his Intercontinental Championship. Many have tried and failed, but the fact that there are six men in the Gauntlet match tonight vying for a shot means he hasn’t quite cleaned out the division.

It’s a mix of former champs, up and comers and Chad Gable, who has made his quest to get a rematch with Gunther a personal one. Can the Alpha Academy leader climb a very tall mountain and get his WrestleMania moment?

Plus, since you know WWE isn’t going to let even one show go right now without keeping its top storylines on at least a low simmer, Michael Cole will have an interview with Cody Rhodes. Maybe he can talk about how oddsmakers think he and Seth Rollins will lose the tag team match on Night 1 of WrestleMania, making his rematch with Roman Reigns that much harder on Night 2.

We’ll have to wait and see. But not long because we’re off and running from the Toyota Center.

WWE Raw results from Houston:

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

  • Several wrestlers and Travis Scott are shown on their way into the arena before the show
  • Drew McIntyre chides Seth Rollins for not listening to his own advice, but the Visionary claims Drew is the least of his problems
  • A video package shows Chad Gable talking about his chance to rewrite history if he can make it through the Gauntlet
  • Becky Lynch def. Liv Morgan by pinfall
  • Right after the match, Rhea Ripley walks by Morgan and gets in the ring with Lynch; Mami accuses Lynch of knowing that Rhea is better than her, taking on a number of pre-WrestleMania matches to use as an excuse when she loses in Philly, but The Man says she’s even better when everyone doubts her so doesn’t mind if the world is against her
  • Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis make their announcement: At WrestleMania, The Judgment Day will defend their tag team titles against 5 other teams in a Six-Pack Ladder match; teams will be able to win their way in over the next few weeks
  • The Judgment Day reacts angrily to the above news and vows to find Pearce to … complain, we guess
  • Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Ivy Nile and Maxxine Dupri by pinfall, in large part because LeRae decides to say some very hurtful, personal things to Dupri to throw her off her game
  • Finn Balor leads The Judgment Day into the GMs’ office and lodges a complaint, and Damian Priest demands to know whose idea it was; they’re really upset when it turns out that it came from The Miz and R-Truth, and Truth is there even though he is supposed to be doing media with Miz, so Priest asks Pearce to make a match between them
  • Michael Cole talks to Cody Rhodes, who explains that it’s not his story alone he needs to finish
  • We hear from Ricochet and JD McDonagh, also entrants in the Gauntlet match later tonight
  • Lynch finds Morgan backstage and offers a handshake which is accepted, but both of them are assaulted suddenly by Nia Jax, who drives The Man through a merch table
  • Kabuki Warriors def. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship; 
  • Andrade stops by to see Dominik Mysterio, but since he’s not here, Ripley tells him they can talk business next week, and he seems amenable to that
  • Shinsuke Nakamura and Bronson Reed get their say before the Gauntlet match
  • Damian Priest def. R-Truth by pinfall, though the match also pulls in #DIY and Priest’s teammates; after the match, The Judgment Day beats up on #DIY
  • Logan Paul has a major announcement to make on ImPAULsive tomorrow
  • Meanwhile, Lynch says it’ll be her vs. Jax, Last Woman Standing next week
  • Jey Uso says he wants to holler at his brother Jimmy Uso, proposing they fight at WrestleMania and promising to “knock the yeet out your ass!”
  • After a tribute plays to celebrate his record-breaking title reign, Gunther tells Jackie Redmond that the idea of people thinking he’s become overconfident is silly, and that while he finds it flattering that six men are going to all this effort to challenge him, he clearly thinks whoever it is will be fighting an uphill battle against him
  • Gauntlet match for Intercontinental Championship title shot at WrestleMania

Seth Rollins says he’s not sweating Drew McIntyre

The Scottish Warrior wastes no time starting right in on Seth Rollins, accusing him of not being able to leave well enough alone and agreeing to compete on both nights of WrestleMania. McIntyre adds that he also has been thinking about the bigger picture, scoffing when the crowd starts a “CM Punk” chant.

No, McIntyre says the bigger picture involves The Rock, and that pro wrestling should be working with someone who is one of the most powerful people in entertainment. Drew thinks when he’s champion, WWE will actually have a champion the company can invest in and be proud of, but that brings Seth Rollins out to join him.

Rollins gives McIntyre the chance to get a shot in, mockingly turning his back since he says Drew is a coward. The Scottish Warrior insists he just wants Seth to listen, and that he was right: Rollins was the one who told him he needed to get over The Bloodline, because for a champion, that’s all you should care about.

McIntyre says he pleaded for Rollins to heed his own advice but he would not. Seth replies that Drew is starting to remind him of CM Punk, because he used to think Punk was the biggest hypocrite in the world and now he’s not sure. Wasn’t it Drew that had such an issue with The Bloodline? Because recently it seems like he’s been getting plenty of help from that group.

Rollins vows that he and Cody Rhodes will take down The Bloodline on Night 1 at WrestleMania, and on Night 2, the same thing will happen that always happens when they face off: Seth will stomp his head into the mat, pin him and the people will sing his song.

Before he walks out, McIntyre claims there’s nothing Rollins can do to provoke him. Before he can get up the ramp, though, Seth says that of all the things he has to worry about for WrestleMania, Drew is at the very bottom of the list. McIntyre is obviously angry and makes it back as far as the ropes, but he eventually turns and stomps off.

Becky Lynch gets a legitimate battle from Liv Morgan but prevails in the end

It’s kind of fun that these two fan favorites have legit beef with each other without either one turning. That should be possible with good writing.

Morgan proves to be every bit as savvy as Lynch early on, even hitting a suicide dive right before a commercial break.

Lynch is fighting back big time after the ads, hitting several suplexes and a baseball slide kick to the floor. Becky comes off the apron and nails Liv as well, but her attempt to come off the middle rope back in the bring is answered by a Codebreaker that leaves both women down.

A series of kicks by Lynch is answered by a springboard Codebreaker, forcing The Man to kick out at two. They battle to the apron, where Morgan is able to prevail and hit a sunset flip powerbomb to the floor. She returns to the ring and covers, but Becky once again kicks out at two.

Lynch hits a Manhandle Slam amidst some back and forth, but Morgan rolls to the floor to prevent a cover as more commercials slide in.

Turnabout, as they say, is fair play, and Lynch shows it by rolling outside after Morgan connects with Oblivion. Liv tries to come off the second rope but is caught with another Manhandle Slam, and this time it’s enough to seal the deal.

Michael Cole gets Cody Rhodes to call it the ninth inning

Before he summons the American Nightmare, Cole introduces a full replay of the segment featuring Rhodes, Rollins, Roman Reigns and The Rock on last Friday’s SmackDown. You may remember that ended with Cody slapping The Rock, though the show quickly ended after hand hit face.

Cole cuts to the chase by asking why he slapped The Rock after he trumpeted the fact that he’s Rhodes’ boss. Rhodes isn’t so sure that’s really true but says if it is, it feels good to slap your boss. He says The Rock was a wrestler before he was all the other things he is today, and a great one at that.

Things take a turn as Cole points out that maybe Rollins wants to be the one to beat Reigns. How can Cody trust Seth? People change, Cody says, before rolling a clip from last October and another conversation with Cole.

It was about finishing his story, of course, and Rhodes admits he’s scared because he can’t say “I’ll get him next year” again. However, Cody says the story is not about him but all the fans who have been along on the ride with him, as well as his family.

Rebuking Paul Heyman’s famous quote about what inning The Bloodline story is in, Rhodes suggests we’re in the last inning, ending by telling Cole he’ll have the chance to make this call: “Cody Rhodes has finished his story.”

Dakota Kai tips the scales as Kabuki Warriors barely retain their gold

Asuka and Stark are first to enter the fray, with Zoey getting a quick two count on a dropkick. Baszler tags in and absorbs some kicks before grabbing Asuka’s ankle, but Kairi Sane is in not long after to spell her teammate.

The challengers subject Sane to some double team offense, and Zoey goes flying to the floor as well before a commercial break.

The announcers keep putting over Zoey’s athleticism, and rightly so, as she keeps taking it to Sane. Kairi headbutts Zoey into the Tree of Woe and hits a double stomp off the top buckle. Stark barely manages to beat the three count.

Both wrestlers make tags, leaving Asuka and Baszler to slug it out. Sane tags back in and hits a blockbuster, and the champs are rolling now. A sliding knee from Asuka hammers Baszler, but Stark hustles to break up the pin.

A Baszler kick levels Asuka, but the Empress counters the Z-360 with a German suplex. A second Z-360 finds the target, and a Baszler knee looks like it might be the match-winner until Asuka makes the save.

Baszler gets the Kirifuda Clutch on Sane, but Dakota Kai pulls Shayna’s leg under the bottom rope to break the hold. The champs take full advantage, double teaming Baszler until she’s finished off by an Insane Elbow.

Gauntlet match for Intercontinental Championship title shot at WrestleMania

Ricochet and JD McDonagh kick us off, showing us off some fun mat work and evasive maneuvers. JD hits double knees as a counter to a springboard cross body, which gets him the edge as they spill outside the ring.

McDonagh is still in charge back inside the ring, with Pat McAfee advancing the idea that Ricochet gets all the way back to the title he once held if he can come through the Gauntlet. The announcers also feel this first matchup is taking too long to benefit whoever wins it.

JD has another counter ready for Ricochet and follows with a brainbuster for a near fall. A number of shots crash home in both directions until Ricochet is nearly pinned again. To commercials we go.

Ricochet hits his inevitable rally and scores his own near fall. McDonagh rakes his eyes and sends him into the post, covering for another two.

JD keeps focusing on Ricochet’s midsection, attacking the ribs. They head up top together, but Ricochet shoves his foe down and delivers a Shooting Star Press to advance. JD McDonagh is eliminated.

Bronson Reed gets greeted by a twisting plancha from Ricochet, but he responds quickly with a running powerslam in the ring for a near fall. A step-up enzuigiri staggers Reed, who recovers to shove his opponent down and hit a senton.

Reed hits the Tsunami, and that’s it for the Highlight of the Night. Ricochet is eliminated.

Sami Zayn is the next man up, though he barely gets going before we step away for ads again.

The announcers note again that Zayn needs to win this as he has put all his eggs in this basket for WrestleMania. He’s in trouble on Reed’s shoulders on the turnbuckles, but he pivots into a sunset flip powerbomb and holds on for three. Bronson Reed is eliminated.

No one gave Reed the memo, though, as he delivers a cheap shot to Zayn, then a Tsunami as Shinsuke Nakamura is slow to enter the fray. Shinsuke lines up a Kinshasa but misses, and Zayn nearly rolls him up for the pinfall.

Nakamura throws Zayn over the announce table as we step away for what’s likely the last set of commercials tonight.

Zayn sees a Kinshasa coming again, but Shinsuke nails him with a scissor kick. A Helluva Kick comes right back as an answer, and Nakamura is down for the three. Shinsuke Nakamura is eliminated.

Gable shows some sportsmanship, seeing Zayn is beaten down and telling him he wants Sami back up before they lock up. Gable gets in the first offense when they finally do battle, hitting two German suplexes and looking for the ankle lock both in and out of the ring.

Sami drives Chad’s back into the steel steps, and whoops, we were wrong, one more ad break.

We return right into a superplex by Gable that earns him a near fall. He wants a moonsault next, but Zayn meets him there, and even after getting knocked to the canvas, gets his knees up to fend off the moonsault and covers for a two count.

Zayn ends up in the grips of the ankle lock, and even though he reaches the ropes for a break, there is definitely some damage done. Sami manages to hit an exploder suplex into the buckles, but gable sees a Helluva Kick coming and applies the ankle lock again.

Sami is straining hard but gets pulled back into the middle of the ring. This time Zayn rolls onto his back, but a tenacious Gable simply won’t let go. Sami gets onto one foot but is German suplexed for his efforts. A moonsault is on the way, but Zayn rolls out of the way.

A Helluva Kick is on target, but Zayn only gets two, as does Gable when he flips the pinning predicament over.

Both men are slow to recover from that last exchange, and we’re running short on time in the show. Gable manages to get the drop, hitting Chaos Theory for another two, then transitioning back to the ankle lock. Somehow, Zayn reverses the hold into a pinfall attempt, and this time he hangs on for the three.

Gable’s disappointment is evident as he can’t believe he didn’t get the victory, but Zayn is on his way to WrestleMania. Gable picks up Zayn, who won’t let him walk away without hugging him.

A smiling Gunther comes out onto the stage just as Raw fades out for the night.

WWE SmackDown results 03/08/24: Cody, Seth accept Bloodline’s challenge, Cody slaps The Rock

A dramatic final confrontation was cut short by time, but not before Cody Rhodes had enough of The Rock on WWE SmackDown.

Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins aren’t usually on WWE SmackDown. But they’re needed in Dallas tonight to solidify an important part of the WrestleMania picture.

As you may have heard, The Rock turned down Rhodes’ request for a singles match last week on this very show. But being the businessman that he is, he made a counteroffer, albeit it one that he and Roman Reigns made it clear that they expected an answer to in seven days’ time.

That sounds like something from an old timey movie, but we digress.

Since this is WrestleMania SZN pacing we’re talking about here, Rhodes and Seth Rollins took Monday on Raw to deliberate. The deal is this: a tag team match on night 1 of Mania pitting Rhodes and Rollins against Rock and Reigns. If the former team wins, Rhodes vs. Reigns on night 2 will be blissfully free of Bloodline interference, allowing Cody the chance to “this time we mean it” finish his story solo.

If they lose, then it’s all Bloodline, all the time during the rematch, with The Rock pretty much guaranteeing he’d interfere himself.

That sounds like it’s a no-brainer, as in they should take him up on the offer just to give Rhodes the best chance. But that’s also asking a lot from Seth, who has his own match against Drew McIntyre to consider.

Anyway, we should probably get an answer tonight, though The Rock also said he’ll be on SmackDown next week, so it could possibly get dragged out another seven days. There’s other fun stuff in store too, including an appearance from Logan Paul, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens taking on Grayson Waller and Austin Theory (and those two things might overlap, just saying) and Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross.

Let’s find out what this night has in store.

WWE SmackDown results from Dallas:

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

  • The cold open recaps The Rock and Roman Reigns’ counteroffer and the threat to “end your story tragically” if they don’t accept
  • The Rock is shown getting out of a pickup truck and putting on a cowboy hat about two hours before the show, while Roman Reigns looks and laughs at the extra security following him at the behest of GM Nick Aldis; Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are also here
  • Logan Paul unveils some Prime sponsorship with KSI, who ends up on the wrong side of a Randy Orton RKO
  • Triple H shows off the Red Diamond Award WWE received from YouTube for having 100 million subscribers
  • Randy Orton and Kevin Owens def. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller by pinfall, but both men are attacked by Paul after the bell and narrowly escape a brass knuckles attack
  • Kayla Braxton talks to Bayley about Dakota Kai becoming the final member of Damage CTRL to turn on her, questioning if any of her time with the group was ever what it seemed; while Bayley admits that she’s done plenty of stuff for attention, she says much of it was done for the benefit of IYO SKY and Kai, and she also says they are underestimating her ability and drive to break them
  • Bianca Belair and Naomi disagree about whether Bayley is someone to feel sorry for
  • A ton of security is shown posted up outside the Bloodline dressing room
  • Bobby Lashley def. Karrion Kross by DQ after an attack by the Authors of Pain that soon draws in the Street Profits and B-Fab; The Final Testament wins the brawl and Lashley is flattened by The Final Prayer
  • Legado Del Fantasma mocks Dragon Lee and tries to bully him as well
  • Tiffany Stratton def. Michin by pinfall
  • AJ Styles cuts a taped promo laying out his issues with LA Knight (yeah!), who reacts angrily backstage
  • Tyler Bate is busy playing WWE 2K24 but Pete Dunne looks unenthused, though he changes his mind and takes over the sticks once Bate leaves to check on the tag team title situation with Aldis
  • Dragon Lee def. Angel by pinfall, but he takes a brief but hellacious beatdown by Legado Del Fantasma after the bell
  • Damage CTRL mocks Bayley and says they’ll see her in the ring next wee
  • Aldis is ticked at security when they find the locker room for Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins empty
  • What will Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins tell The Bloodline? Well they accept the challenge, and Cody slaps The Rock right as the show goes off the air

Logan Paul is thinking Prime, while Randy Orton just sees a prime opportunity for payback

Addressing the crowd, Paul calls Dallas a city of firsts. He wrestled in his first WrestleMania there and also vows he’ll make more history there tonight.

Working right through the “what?” chants, Paul says everything he touches turns to gold and no one can garner attention like he does. Logan says he’s not talking about his podcast or even his wrestling matches, but WWE. He claims a lot of credit for helping the company to its recent string of huge successes, calling himself the “secret sauce.”

Paul makes a pun about prime and unveils the Prime energy drink logo, which he says will be center ring starting at WrestleMania for all premium live events. He summons his partner KSI to the ring and they prepare to pose for a pic.

Something needs to interrupt, and in this case that something is Randy Orton’s music. Paul senses the Viper coming but KSI is not so lucky, receiving an RKO that is very popular with the fans, especially after Orton drags his body across the Prime logo.

After taking a sip of the Prime KSI was carrying and declaring it “very good,” Orton pours it on his crotch so it looks like he wet himself. As one does.

Randy Orton and Kevin Owens team well together but have to watch out for Logan Paul

The announcers put over Theory and Waller, and particularly Theory, as a threat to our heroes. Waller doesn’t seem to want any part of Orton, which only makes KO want to tag him in more.

Orton backs Waller into the corner and wails away as the crowd counts along with his right hands. He saves one for Theory too, knocking the former U.S. champ off the apron.

The heels try a two-man assault, but Owens tags back in and goes to work on Theory. A rolling dropkick makes for a good rally by Theory, and Waller lands a cheap shot on Owens so the bad guys are looking good for the commercial break.

Owens is badly in need of a tag, having worked during the entire time away. Waller mocks Orton’s theatrics prior to the RKO but immediately thinks better of it when Orton tags in and unleashes clotheslines and his snap powerslam.

Waller looks like he’s in trouble on the apron but is saved by Theory. KO get laid our by the barricade but Waller is too close to the ring and pulled in by Orton for the draping DDT.

The crowd erupts as the Viper coils, but Orton is rolled up when distracted by Theory. It’s a kickout at two, of course, but the heels now have Orton two on one … though for only a moment. KO comes back fighting with a Stunner for Waller, and Theory eats an RKO that ends this one.

While the good guys are celebrating, Paul attacks both of them from behind, pulling out the brass knux and zeroing in on Orton. Randy sees him coming, kicks Logan in the stomach and puts on the knux, but Paul ducks out of the ring and almost causes Orton to clock Owens.

Bobby Lashley wins his match against Karrion Kross but hardly feels like a winner afterward

This should be a straight ahead slugfest, to say the least. Scarlett enjoys Kross’ early success, but Lashley hits a big suplex to swing the momentum in his favor.

The All Mighty pursues Kross to the floor, but Scarlett puts herself in the line of fire to prevent Lashley from swinging her man into the post. Karrion takes advantage with several hard shots prior to a commercial break.

Kross is still bossing the action when the broadcast returns, hurling Lashley around in impressive fashion. But Lashley battles back when they return to the floor, and there’s nothing Scarlett can do this time.

Lashley wants the Hurt Lock but is hurled away toward a corner, and Kross’ Death Valley Driver earns him a near fall. As Lashley fights back, the Authors of Pain enter the battle, and even though the ref has called for the bell, the Street Profits run down to even the odds.

Just as Lashley looks like he might get the Hurt Lock applied, Scarlett interrupts, only to be violently interrupted by B-Fab. The two women chase each other to the back while the men continue to brawl in the ring, but The Final Testament prevails, and Kross smashes Lashley down with The Final Prayer.

Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins accept the challenge, and Cody slaps The Rock

Roman Reigns heads to the ring, flanked as always by Paul Heyman, Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso. The announcers remind us that Reigns will face Rhodes again in the main event on night 2, as if we can ever forget.

The Rock has an amazing new entrance video with a lightning theme now as well.

The Rock says greatness stands before you now and hands the mic to Reigns, who says “acknowledge us.” Someone who might not is Cody Rhodes, who comes down through the crowd instead of from the stage. Seth Rollins is with him as well, but we cut to commercial.

After the break, everyone leaves the ring but the four most important players in this drama. Rhodes says it’s a little tense but he feels very lucky to be standing in the ring and thinks the four of them should take a moment to feel this.

Cody says he understands the tag team challenge but teases The Rock by questioning whether he has the authority after acknowledging Reigns as his Tribal Chief. He’s about to give their answer when The Rock angrily interrupts, explaining it’s what family does.

The Rock reiterates the stakes, which everyone already knows. A “diarrhea” chant breaks out after Rollins made it a thing on Raw, which he loves. So much that he has the balls to remind The Rock that they already knows the stakes and he passionately says they accept.

Reigns starts laughing at Rhodes, wondering why he’d let Rollins answer for him. Roman says when he wins on WrestleMania Sunday, it’s over for Cody, his story is over.

The Rock reminds both our heroes he’s technically their boss, clarifying that if Rhodes doesn’t win, he’ll never get a shot at this championship again. He starts talking about Cody’s siblings and calls Cody “a mistake,: which earns him an angry slap in return, just as the show goes off the air.

WWE SmackDown preview 03/08/24: Will Cody, Seth answer The Rock-Roman challenge?

Also on WWE SmackDown tonight, Logan Paul will appear and may shed light on his WrestleMania plans.

The eyes of the WWE Universe turn to Dallas tonight, where everyone waits to see if a big challenge is answered in the Big D.

Will Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins accept the “counteroffer” from The Rock and Roman Reigns?

After Cody Rhodes made it clear he wanted a one-on-one match with The Rock, it only made sense that The Great One said no. He is back on his heel game after all.

But he also gave Rhodes and Seth Rollins something to think about last week: a chance to take on The Rock and Roman Reigns in tag team action on night 1 of WrestleMania. If our heroes win, Rhodes vs. Reigns on night 2 will be sans Bloodline interference. If they lose, the main event rematch from last year is Bloodline Rules, meaning anything goes.

In terms of real life considerations, The Rock needs to be on the WrestleMania 40 card somehow. And yes, having the other three men work both nights potentially takes some spots away from others on the card (though the guess is that Mania will simple be really long, so perhaps not).

WWE has already dragged this out for a week, so the guess is that the tag team bout might be made official tonight, but we’ll see.

Will Logan Paul’s WrestleMania plans come into focus?

Hey, Logan Paul is back on SmackDown tonight too! Don’t care? You should at least a little, as the United States Champion is one of the few titleholders without a challenger lined up for Philadelphia.

(OK, technically Gunther doesn’t have one either, but he will by the end of the next episode of Raw.)

Paul certainly hasn’t been able to shake Kevin Owens, who is on SmackDown, so that’s certainly an option, and KO would of course have an excellent match with the Maverick at the Showcase of the Immortals.

But here’s an idea we’ve been floating around the Wrestling Junkie Slack: What about Paul vs. Bad Bunny? That’s the kind of mainstream crossover attraction that would really add something to the card.

Bad Bunny has a concert on April 6 but the next two nights off from his current tour. Night 2 in Philadelphia is already stacked but … just putting it out there. Regardless, it would be surprising if WWE doesn’t use Logan’s appearance on SmackDown tonight to set things in motion for next month.

Also advertised for SmackDown tonight in Dallas:

  • Bobby Lashley faces Karrion Kross

WWE SmackDown is set to enter our homes tonight at 8 p.m. on FOX, and we’ll be recapping the action live here at Wrestling Junkie if you need someplace to follow along.

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WWE Raw results 03/04/24: Drew McIntyre gets one over on Jey Uso … and Seth Rollins

The Bloodline, and especially Jimmy Uso, also found a way to screw Jey Uso over again this week on WWE Raw.

Let’s go, San Antonio. Specifically, let’s get it cranked up for WWE Raw, which features a pair of matches between bitter rivals.

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom … er, sorry, just in WWE, Drew McIntyre had a chance to defeat Roman Reigns in front of his countrymen. He failed, and Jey Uso, then a loyal member of the Bloodline, was a big reason why.

Things have changed for both men quite a bit since then. Jey has discovered his better angels and had his own title bids foiled by the Bloodline. McIntyre, meanwhile, has seen misfortune befall his foes while his own arrow has been pointing up: all the way to WrestleMania 40 and another world championship opportunity next month.

That’s emboldened him to tell the people he dislikes exactly what he thinks of them, including Uso. Some hands flew during their conversation, and more will fly tonight between them on Raw.

As for Becky Lynch, her tale is more one of the opponent she can’t get past. Nia Jax beat The Man clean on the first Raw of the year, and it’s been a defeat that hasn’t sit well with Lynch.

Can Becky overcome the one foe she’s never really been able to put down? She’ll get a chance tonight.

Let’s see what’s going down.

WWE Raw results from San Antonio:

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

  • After we see Jey Uso and Nia Jax entering the building, a video package takes us through Cody Rhodes’ challenge to The Rock, along with the counteroffer the latter made last week on SmackDown
  • Cody Rhodes wants to make sure Seth Rollins is on the same page with him, and they pledge to answer The Rock’s challenge Friday on SmackDown
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Gunther by submission
  • Damage CTRL runs into Adam Pearce, who wants to know why the group is here, and Dakota Kai claims it’s for the tag team champs to scout Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark; Shinsuke Nakamura also wants to have a word with Pearce about the Intercontinental Championship
  • Katana Chance and Kayden Carter tell Cathy Kelley they’re determined to do whatever it takes to be back in tag team title contention
  • Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark def. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter by pinfall; after the match, Kai gets in the ring to tell the victors that they’ll get a title shot at Houston, and Baszler says they’ll see the Kabuki Warriors next week
  • The Judgment Day regroups with Mysterio, who gets a visit from Andrade while JD McDonagh seems nervous he’s being serves up to Gunther soon
  • A short hype video gets us prepared for Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax, which is up next
  • Nia Jax def. Becky Lynch by DQ thanks to an attack from Liv Morgan, who ends up squabbling with Lynch until both are beaten down by Jax
  • An irritated Ricochet is told by Pearce that he has a plan that should satisfy just about anyone looking for an IC title shot; The Judgment Day stops by as well, and McDonagh makes his pitch to face Gunther
  • Lynch and Morgan keep arguing in the back and agree to settle their differences in the ring next week; Becky also gets a brief visit from Rhea Ripley, who simply flashes her a sinister smile and walks away
  • A video package shows us how we got to this moment between Jey Uso and Drew McIntyre ahead of their match later tonight
  • Andrade def. Apollo Crews by pinfall in Andrade’s first match back in WWE
  • Pearce reveals his Intercontinental Championship contender idea: a Gauntlet match that will take place next week on Raw and feature six men: Sami Zayn, Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bronson Reed, JD McDonagh and Chad Gable

  • Sami Zayn says the Gauntlet match is the path to WrestleMania he believed would reveal itself, but that also means it’s do or die for him; Valhalla and Ivar stop by and mock Zayn for believing he can beat Gunther, but Sami says he knows he can beat Ivar, and they agree to battle tonight
  • Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell are getting antsy about a title shot, and Natalya and Tegan Nox have even more internal issues; Maxxine Dupri and Ivy Nile stop by to offer encouragement, which only seems to tick off Candice
  • The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) by pinfall
  • A highlight package is shown of Paul Heyman being named to the WWE Hall of Fame as the first member of the Class of 2024
  • Drew McIntyre doesn’t think Seth Rollins listened to anything he had to say and also warns Jey Uso that while he knows Jey could use a big win, he’s not going to be able to get it tonight
  • Damage CTRL bumps into Ripley, who warns IYO SKY to stay out of her territory but simply gets a scoffing laugh in return
  • Sami Zayn def. Ivar by pinfall but gets immediately ambushed by Bronson Reed and crushed with a Tsunami
  • Gunther talks to Kelley about the Gauntlet match, and the Ring General says he is kind of flattered to have so many men competing to challenge him, though all that will get them is a chance to be outclassed at WrestleMania; Chad Gable stops by and repeats his “it just means more” mantra about why he’ll win
  • Jey Uso apologizes to McIntyre … for what he’s about to do to Drew, that is; also he now has “Yeet” sunglasses
  • The Miz finds Xavier Woods, R-Truth and #DIY playing WWE 2K24 (and R-Truth still thinks #DIY is DX) and says the way to get payback on The Judgment Day is by taking their tag team titles
  • Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre

Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins have each other’s backs, including this Friday on SmackDown

After asking what San Antonio wants to talk about, Rhodes says he’d love to discuss standing across the ring from Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. However, he really can’t talk about it because of a distraction called The Rock.

Cody is ticked at The Rock insulting the fans, but especially mocking his dog. He notes that The Rock didn’t accept his challenge for a one-on-one match, spinning things and presenting a whole different challenge like the politician that he is.

One thing Rhodes admits is that he and The Rock did have a conversation, and The Rock suggested the people wanted Rock vs. Roman at WrestleMania. Why, he wonders, did people start chanting “We want Cody” while The Rock decided to call them Cody crybabies?

Since The Rock’s new challenge also involves his friend, he calls Seth Rollins to join him in the ring. Rhodes knows Rollins has offered his assistance against the Bloodline, but he also knows Seth has his own match against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania. If he needs to focus on Drew, Cody says he’d understand.

Rollins insists he’ll take care of McIntyre, as it’s not just Cody’s story that needs to be finished at WrestleMania, it’s his story too. Seth once vowed to give the power to the people, but Reigns wants to keep it all for himself. With The Rock now in the Bloodline, Roman is this close to having absolute power.

He goes on to say he’s “kind of over The Rock,” which inspires an enthusiastic “Rocky sucks” chant. Since none of his previous nicknames fit him now, Rollins says he’s going to call The Rock “Diarrhea Dwayne.” The crowd sounds like it enjoys that suggestion.

What Seth doesn’t like is The Rock saying he made wrestling cool again, as he hasn’t been cool in 20 years. But what is cool is that Rollins has been medically cleared, so he’ll be at SmackDown Friday to confront the Bloodline.

Seth just wants to know if Cody has his back in return, and the American Dream confirms he’ll join Rollins on SmackDown Friday.

Becky Lynch learns turnabout is fair play from Liv Morgan during her match against Nia Jax

Jax says something to Lynch right as the bell rings, then charges right after her. A body slam puts Lynch down and gives the fans a chance to boo Jax.

A headbutt puts The Man on her back again, where she eats a big elbow and has to kick out at two. Lynch jumps on her foe’s back but is smashed back into the turnbuckles, where she also suffers a Stinkface.

Lynch is choked along the bottom rope, but she fights back thanks to a chop block. The Man hits at least part of a missile dropkick that sends Jax to the floor, but she’s caught coming off the apron and treated to a Samoan Drop on the floor. Ouch.

After a commercial break, Lynch is mounting a serious rally, but a Samoan Drop puts a swift end to that. Jax wants an Annihilator but finds no one home, and Lynch applies the Dis-arm-her. Jax manages to power her way out and get to the floor, where she’s attacked by Liv Morgan.

The ref calls for the bell as Liv get in Becky’s face in the ring. Their ensuing argument is interrupted by Jax, who sets about destroying them both on the outside.

Drew McIntyre wins when Jey Uso is hosed again

Get ready to Yeet. Pat McAfee certainly is, telling Michael Cole he tired himself out doing the Yeetdown during Jey’s entrance. Alas, McIntyre quickly hurls Uso over the announce table, which gets a “no yeet” from Cole as we head to commercials.

Uso has it rolling when we return, but McIntyre blasts him with a kick out of the corner and earns a near fall. Both men trade shots until McIntyre hammers him with an elbow.

The Scottish Warrior chops away in the corner, even after Jey heads up higher. Drew has a thought for White Noise, but Jey counters with a running powerbomb for an impressive two count.

Uso tries to fly but catches knees to the chest and a spinebuster, good for another near fall for McIntyre.

After commercials, Uso is trying to regroup and has McIntyre lined up in the opposite corner. There’s a hip attack that’s on the mark, and when Drew heads to the floor, Jey flies out there to ensure there’s no respite.

As the men return to the ring, Solo Sikoa crawls out of the crowd. A distracted Uso is hit by the Future Shock, and when Uso kicks out, Cody Rhodes comes down to neutralize Sikoa, brawling with Solo into the crowd.

Drew’s Claymore is countered with three superkicks and a spear. Jey goes to head up top but sees Jimmy Uso at ringside, then turns and eats a Claymore, giving McIntyre the win.

Jimmy enters the ring with a steel chair, but Rollins hustles down and kicks it into Jimmy’s face … only to fall victim to a Claymore from McIntyre. Drew yells at Seth not to “taint this title” and to do the right thing by concentrating on Raw as the show fades out for this week.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2024: Breaking down the biggest takeaways from Australia

Elimination Chamber set a couple of intriguing ideas in motion in Perth.

For the most part, this year’s Elimination Chamber was as predictable as we all expected.

Rhea Ripley retained her WWE Women’s World Championship after a borderline great main event match against Nia Jax, Becky Lynch was the last person standing in the women’s Elimination Chamber to earn the right to challenge Ripley’s title at WrestleMania, and Drew McIntyre outlasted five others to win the men’s Elimination Chamber and punch his ticket to the biggest show of the year, where he will challenge Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

So nothing to see here, right?

No, actually, as there were two other happenings on the show that left me intrigued.

Cody Rhodes challenges The Rock to a one-on-one match

Although all indications have been pointing toward Rhodes and Rollins facing The Rock and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns to some sort of tag team match in the future (possibly at WrestleMania), judging by what happened during “The Grayson Waller Effect,” I’m not quite as sure.

As I predicted, a challenge was laid, but it wasn’t for a tag team match. Instead, it was Rhodes challenging The Rock to a one-on-one match. Rollins, who revealed that he was merely days away from being medically cleared, was there to lend his moral support, but nothing more. Rhodes did not put a date on his challenge, saying that he wants The Rock anytime, anywhere.

Will we actually get a one-on-one match between Rhodes and The Rock? I guess we can’t totally rule it out. My best guess is that the tag team match is still happening sooner rather than later and an encounter between Rhodes and The Rock is something WWE could visit at any time down the road.

Is this slightly confusing? Yes. I’m still not totally sure what to make of it. But again, this is intriguing. I am interested in seeing what happens. Rhodes laid the challenge, which means The Rock has to eventually respond. I anxiously await it.

What is Logan Paul doing at WrestleMania?

Logan Paul has made his share of enemies as a controversial internet influencer, and that has carried over, in storyline at least, to the WWE locker room.

He’s obviously got Kevin Owens as a sworn enemy after their encounter at the Royal Rumble, and that was on full display Saturday in Perth.

But Paul created a new enemy Saturday in the form of Randy Orton, who was seemingly poised to win the men’s Elimination Chamber after eliminating Paul. But before Orton could seal the victory, Paul sucker punched him with brass knuckles, knocking Orton out cold and paving an easy path to victory for McIntyre.

I had been predicting for weeks that LA Knight should be the person to face Paul for the United States title at WrestleMania, but after AJ Styles attacked him during the Elimination Chamber, I feel like Knight will be occupied elsewhere.

Do we get Paul against Orton one-on-one? Is Owens inserted to make it a triple threat? Either way, it will be an interesting road getting there.