Royal Rumble winners list: Every wrestler to win a WWE Royal Rumble

Check out a full list of WWE Royal Rumble winners over the years, plus fun stats on entry number, most eliminations and more.

There’s nothing in pro wrestling quite like the Royal Rumble. While there have been and always will be other battle royals, WWE has distilled the over-the-top extravaganza into something that has withstood the test of time.

Since 1988, the promotion has had at least one Royal Rumble a year, with one for men and women held annually since 2018. Not only have fans fallen in love with the core concept, to the point that they enthusiastically count down from 10 each time a new wrestler enters the fray, they’ve also come to expect legends and surprises — which WWE generally delivers.

Another great aspect that has become part of the Royal Rumble’s DNA over time is the prize: an opportunity to challenge for a world championship at WrestleMania, making the Rumble the official kickoff on the road to WWE’s biggest show of each calendar year.

Naturally, that means it’s quite an honor to win a Rumble match. Even with the event heading toward its 40th anniversary later this decade, the list of Royal Rumble winners is still a pretty exclusive club.

Let’s take a look at every Royal Rumble winner ever, year by year.

WWE Best of 2023: The top WWE wrestlers and matches this year

Take a look back at the best of WWE in 2023, including the wrestlers, matches and events that shined above all others.

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Last year was a wild one for WWE. Yet somehow, 2023 did its best to say “hold my beer” to 2022 and produce something even more packed with big stories in and out of the ring.

Where do we even start? Probably with the merger of WWE and UFC, a pairing no one would have predicted a few years ago, under the auspices of Endeavor to form a new company, TKO. The effects of creating a combat sports behemoth are only just beginning to be felt, but on the WWE product side, the most obvious impact was the ascension of Paul “Triple H” Levesque to unquestioned head of creative while Vince McMahon’s direct influence on weekly TV and premium live events waned.

Perhaps not coincidentally, WWE enjoyed a yearlong run of financial and critical success it hasn’t had in some time — certainly not since the COVID-19 pandemic, and not for at least a few years before it in the eyes of many observers. A string of record event gates was matched by the consensus feeling that the promotion’s combination of in-ring action and ongoing storylines was once again the best in the business.

While The Bloodline saga probably lost a little steam in the second half of 2023, it was still front and center early on, with Sami Zayn finally turning on the group and reuniting with Kevin Owens. Cody Rhodes got his chance to finish his story at an enormously successful WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium but fell short, leaving Roman Reigns in his spot as the unquestioned top champion.

Plenty of other highs included the continued ascent of The Judgment Day, the high profile arrival of Jade Cargill (though we’re still waiting for her to, you know, actually wrestle) and the “I can’t believe this is actually happening” return of CM Punk. But there were times of tragedy as well, none bigger than the stunning death of Bray Wyatt.

It was an incredibly eventful year that came right on the back of another and managed to surpass it in many ways. With that in mind, here’s a review of the top talent, moments and matches that defined WWE in 2023.

The best WarGames matches of all time, ranked from worst to best

WarGames matches are about as memorable as they come. We rank every one from WWE and WCW history.

“Mad Max” is among the most memorable action franchises in film history, but it is the third installment of the franchise, “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,” that was particularly notable, as it starred the late great Tina Turner and featured a dome-like structure where two people entered and only one left after a fight to the death.

Although “Beyond Thunderdome” isn’t necessarily seen as the peak of the “Mad Max” franchise, its look at a gritty, post-apocalyptic dystopian future undoubtedly left an impression on its viewers. 

One of the viewers that were particularly inspired by what they saw was a man by the name of Virgil Runnels, better known to professional wrestling fans as the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

There have been a number of pieces written over the years about the verbal prowess of Rhodes. But as much as he was a force in front of the camera, Rhodes was arguably even more influential behind the scenes. 

He was the primary booker for multiple territories during his career and while he could map out a week-to-week story, Rhodes’ true creative genius shined when it came to creating spectacles.

When Rhodes laid eyes on the Thunderdome, he saw his next project.

Rhodes added a few wrinkles to make the concept pro wrestling-friendly, but the violence and excitement remained. The result is one of the most anticipated matches in professional wrestling, one that has provided countless fond memories during its near 40 years of existence. 

But which WarGames match is the best of all time? Conversely, which one is the worst? I am here to answer that question once and for all. Well, in my opinion, at least. 

Before we dig into the rankings, some ground rules: First, this ranking will only feature WarGames matches from the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and NXT/WWE. Yes, I know, AEW has its own version of WarGames called Blood and Guts, but for the sake of this list, I’m only including matches that actually carries the match’s namesake.

Secondly, this list does not include WarGames matches that were not televised. Televised WarGames matches only!

Lastly, remember that this is merely my opinion, so don’t kill me too much if you disagree. Please feel free to disagree and give your thoughts. But again, these are just my thoughts after recently watching all of the matches that qualified for this list.

With that said, let the WarGames ranking begin!

WWE SmackDown results 08/18/23: Thank you, Edge

Plus Edge takes on Sheamus in what could be the Rated-R Superstar’s final WWE match.

Say this for Grayson Waller: He knows how to push people’s buttons. And that’s almost certainly what he’s going to do tonight on WWE SmackDown in Toronto.

Rey Mysterio was initially announced as the guest tonight on The Grayson Waller Effect, but WWE has since revealed that Santos Escobar will be joining him. Normally, that would be no problem, as the two have been staunch friends and allies in the LWO.

But when Mysterio won the United States Championship last Friday, he only did so because Austin Theory attacked Escobar, preventing him from getting the title shot. It was only after doctors said Escobar couldn’t go (in storyline terms, that is), that Rey stepped up to the plate.

Escobar seemed legitimately happy to see his mentor win, but if there’s any part of him that’s resentful, you can be sure that Waller will locate it and bring it to the forefront tonight. That’s what a good heel talk show host does, after all.

Another big draw on tonight’s card will be Edge competing in front of his hometown fans. He’ll be battling Sheamus, who he somehow has never faced during his 25-year WWE career. Hanging over the bout is the specter of retirement for Edge, who has bee up front about saying it’s possible this will be his final WWE match.

Will the Rated-R Superstar ride off into the sunset on SmackDown? Possibly, but that’s why we watch.

WWE SmackDown results from Toronto:

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

  • The Grayson Waller Effect welcomes both Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar … and LA Knight
  • Austin Theory def. LA Knight by pinfall, thanks in no small part to timely assistance from The Miz
  • Edge gets videotaped salutes from John Cena, Sheamus, The Miz, Charlotte Flair and Sami Zayn
  • Another great tribute video shows Edge as a young man asking Bret Hart a question from the audience of a talk show, plus tons of awesome highlights from his career
  • Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair def. Damage CTRL (IYO SKY and Bayley) by pinfall
  • More tributes to Edge come in from Cody Rhodes, AJ Styles, Ricochet, Kevin Owens, Becky Lynch, Rey Mysterio and Kurt Angle
  • Belair is about to be interviewed backstage but gets jumped by Damage CTRL, who smash her left leg between two steel chairs
  • Street Profits def. The O.C. by pinfall, showing off a new tandem finisher while doing so; Bobby Lashley comes out to congratulate them afterward
  • A replay of last week’s Bloodline segment plays, which ends with the memorable “Deuces, Uces!” farewell line by Jey Uso
  • Kayla Braxton asks Paul Heyman for an update on the current state of The Bloodline and the head space of Roman Reigns, but he refuses to answer and mocks Braxton for inquiring about Bloodline-related rumors; he then gets a phone call which he will share, saying Jimmy Uso will be live on SmackDown next week
  • Edge def. Sheamus by pinfall

WWE SmackDown preview 08/18/23: Is this goodbye for Edge?

Also set for WWE SmackDown from Toronto, Rey Mysterio is the guest on The Grayson Waller Effect.

Update: WWE has added a women’s tag team match pitting Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair against the Damage CTRL duo of Bayley and IYO SKY.

Original post follows.

After all of the incredible moments that Edge has given WWE fans over the course of his 25-year career, is he down to one final memory on SmackDown in Toronto? The truth is that even he doesn’t seem to know for sure.

Here’s what we do know: Last week, Edge challenged Sheamus, a man who he’s known for years and considers a good friend, but has never wrestled, to a match tonight in front of his home fans. Both are currently fan favorites, so this could be a sportsmanlike, “spirit of competition” style matchup, or it could be sowing the seeds for something else.

If it’s the latter, there’s a premium live event called Payback just a few weeks from now that’s worth keeping in mind. But considering Edge has stated that this is the final match on his WWE contract, there’s some legitimate intrigue over whether he may hang up his boots after tonight.

Tonight’s SmackDown will also see another edition of The Grayson Waller Effect, because that’s simply how the loudmouthed Aussie rolls. His guest will be new United States Champion Rey Mysterio, who subbed in for his injured LWO teammate Santos Escobar and won the title from Austin Theory last week.

Surely, Waller isn’t going to use his time to try to drive a wedge between Mysterio and Escobar by suggesting that Rey stole that opportunity from Santos. No, he would never do that. Wink, wink.

There’s also an above average chance that Theory could crash the party as he’s probably not thrilled to be a former champion. Again, Payback is looming. Just saying.

We’re set to take in everything from Toronto beginning at 8 p.m. ET tonight. If you have other plans and can’t do the same, might we suggest that you check out out WWE SmackDown results post later this evening? We’ll keep you up to speed on all the action.

WWE SmackDown results 08/11/23: Rey wins gold, Jey superkicks his way out of … WWE?

WWE SmackDown from Calgary will also see Asuka collide with Charlotte Flair.

Calgary, The Bloodline is now in your city. Whatever exactly that means these days.

Could it be everyone who was in the group before except for Jey Uso? It very well could be. It sure feels like Jimmy Uso is back in the fold 100%, considering he sided with Roman Reigns over his own twin brother at SummerSlam.

Then again, are we sure Solo Sikoa is as on-board as he was just a few weeks ago? It’s possible Roman’s victory in Detroit wasn’t as absolute as may like to believe, which will be one of the big things to watch in tonight’s Bloodline segment.

There’s also an intriguing championship match on the card tonight, as Santos Escobar challenges Austin Theory for his United States title. On one hand, this random episode of SmackDown feels like an unusual spot for a switch. But on the other, Theory also seems to be treading water ever since he beat John Cena at WrestleMania, so perhaps a shakeup is exactly what’s required to kickstart both of these performers.

Speaking of shakeups, IYO SKY certainly did one of those by cashing in her MITB briefcase at SummerSlam and making off with the WWE Women’s Championship. Two of the competitors left without the gold, Asuka and Charlotte Flair, will do battle tonight, and you can’t help but think that perhaps SKY or Bianca Blair will be watching closely — or maybe even get involved.

We’re set to take in all the action from Calgary, so let’s jump into it.

WWE SmackDown results from Calgary:

(scroll down for more details on any match or major in-ring segment in bold)

  • Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka goes to no contest as Damage CTRL decides to lay a beating on both women
  • A video replays the highlights of Tribal Combat at SummerSlam
  • Santos Escobar is talking about how he’s feeling confident for his title match tonight when he’s attacked by Austin Theory backstage
  • AJ Styles def. Karrion Kross by pinfall
  • Theory is mock upset about not having the title match tonight, but Rey Mysterio says Escobar will make it out there
  • Edge makes a challenge to Sheamus for next week, which is accepted after some heartwarming stories but with a warning from Sheamus
  • Hulk Hogan turned 70 years old today, who knew?
  • LA Knight def. Top Dolla by pinfall, then gets some mic time
  • Adam Pearce tells Escobar he is technically cleared but wants him to look Pearce in the eye and tell him he can go … which he does
  • Bobby Lashley tells the Street Profits tonight is a celebration of their alliance and how the sky’s the limit
  • Theory attacks Escobar’s already banged up left knee while Santos is making his ring walk, then says Escobar is too weak to compete … but Pearce says they promised Calgary a title match, so Mysterio is taking Escobar’s place
  • Rey Mysterio def. Austin Theory by pinfall to become the new WWE United States Champion
  • What is the future of the Bloodline? One without Jey Uso, apparently

WWE SmackDown results 08/04/23: Final faceoffs before SummerSlam

The final WWE SmackDown before the scene shifts to Ford Field also saw Sheamus take on LA Knight.


Jey Uso is going to take part in the biggest match of his career Saturday when he faces cousin Roman Reigns in Tribal Combat at SummerSlam. But first, he’ll take on someone even closer to him on WWE SmackDown in Dayton: his younger brother.

Adding a bit more spice to what was originally advertised for tonight’s show, Jey will face Solo Sikoa on SmackDown. Solo has proven to be unwaveringly loyal to the Tribal Chief so far, but that title is on the line Saturday, meaning he might be going head to head against the next man to hold that honor.

Surely, Reigns will be watching closely, hoping Sikoa can soften Jey up and make him easier pickings at Ford Field. But the Bloodline saga has had more than its fair share of twists and turns along the way, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see one more in Dayton.

There’s more potential intrigue on tap as well. Sheamus will go one-on-one with LA Knight in a clash between two of the men most likely to win the SummerSlam Battle Royal. And there will be one final faceoff, most likely, between Asuka, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair before all three of them compete for Asuka’s WWE Women’s Championship this weekend.

Still, we’re guessing that the emotional high point of the show, as it has been for weeks and arguably months, will be whatever’s happening with The Bloodline. We’re psyched to see exactly what that is, so let’s dive in.

WWE SmackDown results from Dayton:

A typically huge reaction greets LA Knight before he talks to you. He’s looking ahead to the SummerSlam Battle Royal and doesn’t think much of the field. He does admit that Sheamus has done it all, but he’s about to add one more accomplishment to his list when he’s beaten by the Megastar tonight.


LA Knight def. Sheamus by pinfall

Sheamus leans in a little to the fact that the fans are so firmly behind his opponent. He also has his Brawling Brutes teammates at ringside for support.

Here comes someone else: Santos Escobar, followed by The Miz and Grayson Waller. Karrion Kross and AJ Styles are also on hand. Feels like hijinks are going to ensue, but not until after a commercial break.

Knight shows off his power with a DVD for a near fall. Also his “Definitely Not the People’s Elbow” was in there too. He manages to survive the White Noise off the turnbuckles, to the delight of the fans. Knight ends up in the Texas Cloverleaf but makes it to the ropes to break the hold.

With both men trying to go up top, the footing proves perilous, and they end up falling to the floor where the inevitable brawl breaks out among everyone at ringside. Poor Miz gets grabbed for the 10 Beats of the Bodhran and a Brogue, but Knight hits the Blunt Force Trauma and wins it.

Some posturing among the Battle Royal participants breaks out afterward, because ’tis the season.


Adam Pearce has had enough of the Brawling Brutes and The O.C. fighting after the dust-up by the ring and tells them to go settle things in their own match.


The dramatic Cody Rhodes-Brock Lesnar video from Raw is replayed.


Brawling Brutes vs. The O.C. (Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) ends in no contest after an attack by the new look Street Profits

Butch really looks like he’s having fun torturing Anderson. He might not be enjoying it as much once the Good Brothers are able to join forces to plant him.

Ridge Holland gets to show off his power, however, but the nattily dressed Street Profits invade the ring and attack both teams, making the proverbial statement. Bobby Lashley comes out and cheers on his new BFFs.


Charlotte Flair is on a yacht talking about why she’s the iron woman of this division. She says Asuka and Bianca Belair have to beat her, not the other way around.


Paul Heyman is ready to lead a bit of a history lesson. He leads off by saying this is not what Roman Reigns wanted, and says that it’s really Jey Uso’s fault for everything that’s happened, including the fate of Jimmy Uso.

He then narrates a video that includes Rikishi, Afa and Sika that explains the significance of the beads worn by the Tribal Chief. Also there’s only one rule for Tribal Combat: Don’t talk about Tribal Combat.

Just kidding. It’s that there must be a definitive winner, leaving no doubt about who is Tribal Chief.

Jey Uso picks that time to interrupt, telling Heyman he’s bringing all the passion he’s got tonight to the ring Saturday night too. Solo Sikoa joins them, Heyma tries to calm him down, Solo tells Paul to get out, and Jey blasts his little brother out of the ring with a superkick.


Kayla Braxton talks to Austin Theory, who is typically unimpressed with Escobar. Tonight, however, he faces Cameron Grimes, who will get his dreams crushed tonight.


Austin Theory def. Cameron Grimes by pinfall

Is Theory taking Grimes a little too lightly? Of course. Will it cost him? Probably not, but we’ll see.

It doesn’t, but Escobar comes in and delivers a how do you do to the U.S. champ after the bell.


The Grayson Waller Effect is now on your TV screens. Who’s he giving the rub to today? Not just one wrestler, but two: Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY and Bayley.

Waller has some fun with Bayley, making it seem like Shotzi is coming out, though the Role Model claims she’s not scared. The TCB Tank makes an appearance, but it slowly becomes clear it’s not Shotzi at the wheel.

Shotzi then appears behind Bayley in the ring, chasing her away with clippers. Wait, but then who’s in the tank? It’s Zelina Vega, who is conveniently SKY’s opponent tonight,


Zelina Vega def. IYO SKY by pinfall

The announcers point out that SKY just doesn’t look like herself, possibly shaken up by Shotzi just like Bayley was. She rallies back and looks for a moonsault but stops in her tracks as she sees Shotzi close to shaving Bayley’s head up on stage.

Vega takes full advantage, with a Code Red that proves enough to seal up a win.


Bianca Belair says she was able to overcome every obstacle in front of her until Asuka tried to blind her. She’s not one for excuses, though, but on to get back to work. Belair says she’ll get back what’s rightfully hers at SummerSlam.


Jey Uso vs. Solo Sikoa

It doesn’t take long for the tempo to get picked up here, with the announce table getting cleared off and both brothers threatening to put each other through it.

No one actually does, however, and they go back and forth in the ring. Jey flies for a high cross body but that’s not enough to win it.

Solo fires right back, planting Jey with Spinning Solo. He misses a Samoan Spike, however, and gets hit with a superkick and a spear. An Uso Splash connects, and Jey has passed this particular test.


Sore loser? Yeah, just a little, as Sikoa wants to make more of it after the bell. His attempt to use a chair backfires, however, as Jey blasts him into the timekeeper’s area.

WWE SmackDown preview 08/04/23: Jey Uso plans next move before date with destiny at SummerSlam

WWE SmackDown will also see LA Knight and Sheamus collide before they meet Saturday in the SummerSlam Battle Royal.

What goes through one’s head the night before an event that could change the course of an entire life? It’s a relevant thought for many different life scenarios, but few are as riveting as the one facing Jey Uso tonight on WWE SmackDown from Dayton.

In some ways, everything is going according to plan for Jey. He has a chance to take the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and the title of Tribal Chief away from Roman Reigns at Ford Field this weekend — and it’s hard to say which loss would sting his cousin more.

But he’s going it alone, without the help of brother Jimmy, which isn’t ideal when Reigns has Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman still by his side. Last week proved that. Is there anything Jey can do to swing the momentum back in his favor before SummerSlam? We’ll find out tonight.

Speaking of momentum, it might play a part in the SummerSlam Battle Royal as well. Two of the bigger names in the field are Sheamus and LA Knight, and they’ll battle in Dayton to see if one of them can nab a psychological edge going into Ford Field.

Plus Paul Heyman will apparently deliver the history of Tribal Combat, which we hope comes with a timeline, and we’ll see what’s up with Asuka, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair before they collide in a titanic Triple Threat title match on Saturday. Could be some fun mind games there as well.

You know the drill, then: Tune in tonight at 8 p.m. on FOX to watch the final show before SummerSlam, or simply hop back here to Wrestling Junkie where we’ll be recapping everything that goes down.

WWE SmackDown results 07/28/23: Roman Reigns proves his point to Jey Uso

Also on WWE SmackDown this week, who will win the battle of LWO teammates and secure a U.S. title shot?

Considering we all were just introduced to the concept of Tribal Combat last week, it’s understandable that Roman Reigns and Jey Uso may need some time to prepare for such a monumental matchup. WWE says some of that prep time may take place tonight on SmackDown in New Orleans.

On the surface, Tribal Combat is simply another name among many for WWE to describe a match where weapons are allowed and anything goes. Certainly, Jey hinted as much a week ago when he described things he may use or at least would consider using to beat his cousin down.

But there also appears to be a deeper, almost spiritual aspect to Tribal Combat. Maybe that’s where one of the men could gain an advantage tonight at the Smoothie King Center, where WWE assures us both will be on hand.

Another centerpiece of tonight’s show will be the United States Championship Invitational Finals between LWO teammates Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar. Will a legend and surefire future WWE Hall of Famer get one more shot at glory? Or will Escobar put himself more firmly on the map and earn a U.S. title opportunity? More importantly, will they still be friends when it’s over?

Plus we’ll see Karrion Kross take on Karl Anderson as Kross continues his ongoing issues with The O.C. He already defeated AJ Styles, but we suppose there’s value in proving your superiority over the entire group.

In any case, we’ll be making our own mental preparations for Tribal Combat while watching WWE SmackDown tonight. Let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown results from New Orleans:

Main Event Jey Uso is now in your city … but so are Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman, who quickly make their way out. Reigns says the only reason people like The Usos is because of him, and that if the Tribal Chief is scheduled to appear, he gets to open up the show.

“Because I made you that,” is what Reigns says about most of what Jey is or has been, and he questions whether Uso believes he is now the Tribal Chief. However, Jey says he didn’t want any of that, and only supported Roman with no questions asked.

Jey accuses Roman of breaking everything, forcing him to do what he has to do. Reigns fires back that once Jey loses, he’s done, as he’ll be erased from everything.

And what if Jey wins? That means he takes everything from Roman … except he’ll always be Roman Reigns, and can do anything he wants to do. Mostly, he’s incredulous that Jey thinks he can win.

Before he leaves the ring, Jey simply says he beat Roman once — and he’s going to do it again.


Jey Uso seems to be feeling good after that segment, but his smile disappears when he runs into Grayson Waller. He doesn’t laugh but smacks Waller instead.


Santos Escobar def. Rey Mysterio by referee stoppage in the United States Championship Invitational Finals

The LWO teammates shake hands before they start locking up, so there’s every reason to think they’ll keep this respectful. United States Champion Austin Theory is shown watching from a skybox high above the action.

Wade Barrett thinks it behooves Santos to slow the pace, utilizing his size and power advantages. Escobar also knows Mysterio very well, which makes for fun framing for this bout. He hits a nice tope suicida right before a commercial break, but Theory continues to look unimpressed.

When the broadcast returns, however, a replay of that dive and the hard hit that Rey took is shown, and the ringside physician is checking on Rey. The ref is informed that Mysterio can’t continue, and Escobar gets a big but bittersweet victory.


Bianca Belair wants to talk about the Triple Threat match at SummerSlam, but Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville crash the interview to complain about their lack of a championship celebration. They also talk smack about Charlotte Flair, who offers to join forces with Belair to take on the tag champs. Bianca isn’t with it, but Charlotte says that makes her want to do it even more, and heads off to find Adam Pearce.


LA Knight def. Ashante Thee Adonis by pinfall

If you guessed Knight’s mic time might be about as long as the actual match, you got it. Blunt Force Trauma seals it up.


Pearce tells Jey Uso that Waller has been bugging him for a match against Jey tonight. Uso says since Waller was running his mouth, it’ll be over nice and quick.


Bobby Lashley is still wining and dining the Street Profits, who he says should be treated like and dress like stars. Angelo Dawkins is in sweats, but he seems cool with wearing dressier clothes after Lashley says he’ll pick up the bill.


Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair def. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville by pinfall

Barrett questions how well Belair and Flair will work as a team, but they actually function fairly well as a unit. Charlotte may smirk seeing Bianca take a thrust kick to the face, but she’s right there when Belair needs a hot tag out.

Belair tags herself in when things start going south for Flair, and now Green is in trouble. And then the faces start squabbling: Belair has Green up for a KOD, but Flair tags herself in, kicks Green and gets the pin.


Bayley tries to explain leaving IYO SKY behind last week, but she gets freaked out finding another note from Shotzi. As they try to depart in a hurry again, Asuka stops by to warn SKY not to cash in at SummerSlam, but she seems to be suggesting that’s exactly what she’s planning to do.


After hearing about the SummerSlam Battle Royal, both Knight and Sheamus exchange pleasantries in front of Pearce. Adam ends up putting both of them in the match and sounds like he wants them to go head to head next week to see who might go into the Battle Royal with some momentum.


Waller says Uso is so consumed with Reigns that he should be easy pickings tonight for the Grayson Waller Effect.


Even though Karl Anderson is appreciative of the fact that The O.C. has his back, he tells his teammates that he needs to do things alone tonight, and they reluctantly agree.


Karrion Kross def. Karl Anderson by pinfall

Anderson gets off to a quick start, but unlike him, Kross made no vows to do this alone, and that means Scarlett is there to provide assistance and encouragement from the outside.

A Kross Hammer knocks Anderson for a loop, then the Final Prayer closes the show as Kross gets the dub.

After the bell, the Kross Jacket has Anderson in agony until The O.C. rushes down and Karrion retreats.


Jey Uso def. Grayson Waller by pinfall

Interesting to hear the announcers mention Waller going back and forth a little on social media with The Rock, but no real reason not to mention it, really. Just as Jey has things rolling, Roman’s music hits and the Bloodline wanders down the ramp.

Waller capitalizes and lays out Uso heading into a commercial break. He tries his own twist on The People’s Elbow when he has Uso down, but his theatrics take too long and give Jey a foothold to get back into the match.

After hitting a spear on Waller, Jey stares down Roman and takes flight with an Uso Splash and the pinfall.


Right after the bell, Sikoa attacks Uso, and when that doesn’t work, Reigns invades the ring himself. Uso ends up spearing Reigns, but when he goes up top, Solo pushes Jey off the turnbuckles.

Now the Bloodline is in control, and Uso ends up taking a spear/Samoan spike combo. As the fans give it to Reigns, he gets upset and they hit the combo move on Jey again. Roman poses in the corner with both the title belt and the necklace as the show comes to a close.

WWE SmackDown results, live blog 07/21/23: Jey, Roman invoke Tribal Combat at SummerSlam

And it wasn’t LA Knight who won the Fatal 4-Way in Orlando either.

It’s getting real for The Bloodline now. Not that it wasn’t before, mind you, what with the group fracturing right down the middle and The Usos superkicking their Tribal Chief and all. But now Roman Reigns and Jey Uso are on a collision course that leads to SummerSlam in Detroit, and a big step toward that match will take place tonight on WWE SmackDown in Orlando.

At least it seems big that the segment is being promoted as a discussion about the “Rules of Engagement” for SummerSlam. What we do know is that Roman and Jey will be in the ring together, and when that’s happened recently, every time it’s happened, things have gone sideways. We’d expect nothing different on SmackDown.

Elsewhere, a number of men have their eyes on Austin Theory and his United States Championship. How to sort out the line of contenders? WWE is doing it by having a Fatal 4-Way tonight it’s calling a United States Championship Invitational. The winner will face Santos Escobar, who already won on of these. And then that winner will take on Theory (presumably at SummerSlam).

Who’s in this Invitational? That’s a very logical next question, so kudos. Rey Mysterio, Sheamus and Cameron Grimes are all involved. But the man everyone has their eyes on is the guy who makes you go “Yeah!”, the Megastar, LA Knight. Can he (finally) break through and get closer to a title shot?

We’re looking forward to what should be a good show as we draw ever closer to SummerSlam. Let’s get to FS1 and see what’s on tap.

WWE SmackDown results from Orlando:

Rey Mysterio def. Sheamus, Cameron Grimes and LA Knight by pinning Grimes in a United States Championship Invitational Fatal 4-Way

Knight is the only one who gets a microphone on his way in, though Austin Theory is ringside and scoffs at his assertion that he’ll be coming for the U.S. title.

Mysterio and Sheamus, both good guys, try to stay respectful with each other but also are definitely willing to set aside to try to win.

Grimes gets a showcase spot where he’s dishing out punishment to all three of his foes, but Sheamus eventually puts a stop to that. All four men end up in the same corner for a four-man powerbomb/superplex/whatever else Tower of Doom spot.

You just know Theory is going to take exception to something, and he does when the fight comes close to his spot near the announce table. Sheamus rallies the crowd behind him but Knight is ready for him and may have won it if not for Mysterio.

Rey looks like he might win but gets hauled out of the ring by Theory … who in turn gets rushed by Escobar, and they brawl toward the back.

Signature moves are flowing in the ring, and Mysterio is the one who takes advantage by pinning Grimes, meaning he’ll now advance to fight his own teammate for the title shot next week.


The Cavinder Twins are in the house. Waving, it appears.


Theory is upset and makes it clear to Adam Pearce that he wants Escobar in a singles match tonight. Scrap Daddy says he’ll make it happen.


A Raw recap package shows the latest brawl between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar earlier this week, which ended with Lesnar accepting a third match at SummerSlam.


Charlotte Flair def. IYO SKY by pinfall

Bayley joins the announcers for this one, meaning Michael Cole is now being ganged up on by her and Wade Barrett. Their bickering and discussion of the Money in the Bank briefcase is sort of distracting from a pretty fun match, but hey.

Also Cole is harassing Bayley about how Damage CTRL has been treating Shotzi. Meanwhile SKY is working over Flair’s left knee, but takes a series of chops in return. With IYO in trouble on the top turnbuckle, Bayley provides a distraction that nearly helps her teammate win.

Then a somewhat disturbing Shotzi video plays on the big screen, which has Bayley shook. She takes off, missing both women miss their moonsaults and going back and forth with potential pins and counters.

Flair hits a spear but finds it’s not enough to win it. After another sequence where both women have chances to pin the other, Flair hits Natural Selection and finally gets the three. But Asuka arrives and quickly attacks The Queen, leaving her right arm in a world of hurt.


Kayla Braxton asks Dominik Mysterio what he’s doing hanging around SmackDown, and it seems to be mostly to rub his title win in his father’s face. Butch shows up and challenges him to a title match, and when Dom tries to use the excuse that there’s no one here from NXT to make it official, Shawn Michaels arrives and says he’s going to see Pearce to do just that.


Roman Reigns is in quiet contemplation in his dressing room, and neither Solo Sikoa nor Paul Heyman are disturbing it by talking.


Bayley finds her luggage has a picture of her with scissors stabbed through it, and that only makes her more frazzled and determined to leave the arena.


Santos Escobar def. Austin Theory by pinfall

Theory fires out of the gates but finds Escobar has answers for pretty much everything he can dream up. He calls for a timeout as the show breaks for commercials.

That timeout seems to have done the U.S. champ well, as he scores a two count with a nice looking dropkick. A tope suicida makes for a good response by Escobar, knocking Theory on top of the announce table.

A big left hand and a brainbuster nearly put Escobar away, but he kicks out to continue the match. Theory wants A-Town Down but gets caught with a dropkick, and the two men fight up on top of the turnbuckles. Escobar escapes a superplex and turns it into a hurricanrana; he hits a running knee, then the Phantom Driver, to pick up a big win.


Bobby Lashley is on hand again, and he says he’s glad he ran into Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams.

Hmm …


Dominik Mysterio def. Butch by pinfall to retain the NXT North American Championship

If Dominik had to fight truly alone, he’d probably be in big trouble here. But he’s not, as Rhea Ripley is close at hand.

Rhea slips Dom a chain and then distracts the ref, but Ridge Holland arrives to make sure he never uses it. Pretty Deadly comes to the ringside area as well, even with Elton Prince in a wheelchair.

Holland finally runs them off (Prince’s legs seem fine), but the chaos allows Ripley to intervene in the action again, chop blocking Butch on the apron, and Mysterio gladly accepts that help and gets the pinfall.


Jey Uso waits in the ring for the arrival of Reigns, flanked as usual by Sikoa and Heyman. There’s a table set up in the manner of a contract signing, but there’s no moderator — and no Jimmy Uso, as the announcers are quick to point out.

As they take their seats, Roma condescendingly asks Jey if he still wants to do this, but he says his does. “You’re just a soldier, man — a pawn in this game,” Reigns says dismissively even as the fans start an Usos chant.

Jey slams the contract down and says they don’t need it, because “this is tribal combat now.” That means no rules, apparently, and that he’ll use any weapons needed.

Reigns says he’s ready to fight now, while Jey reminds him again it’s tribal combat. Are they … fighting for leadership? While we ponder, Solo tries to spike Jey, but Roman stops him and Jey sends him out of the ring with a superkick. Reigns slowly backs out as well, but the battle lines have been drawn for SummerSlam.