Tag: The Miz

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Reigns, Paul, Sikoa big winners in Riyadh

Get full results for WWE Crown Jewel 2023, where Roman Reigns and Logan Paul were among the night’s big winners.

Roman Reigns has been champion for a historically long time by 21st century standards, backing up his claim to be the Head of the Table. LA Knight is the brash newcomer who got over mostly on his own and is getting his first shot at gold. Something will have to give today at WWE Crown Jewel.

The annual Saudi Arabian show has perhaps its best card to date, packed with title matches and big on star power without relying on nostalgia as much as the first events WWE held in this country. There’s still a bit of that thanks to John Cena (who takes on Solo Sikoa), but thanks to the Hollywood actors strike, even he has been a regular in recent weeks.

The main event doesn’t appear to have that much intrigue, as Reigns appears likely to head to WrestleMania next year with his record-setting Universal Championship reign fully intact. But WWE also has lightning in a bottle with Knight, so as they say, you never know. It certainly feels like there is more of a chance for a shocking upset this year than in 2022, when Reigns had a title defense against Logan Paul.

Speaking of Paul, he’s widely expected to claim his first WWE championship of any kind when he faces Rey Mysterio. Does that mean he’ll be a more regular presence on WWE programming in the months ahead?

And there could be title changes in the women’s division as well, where both championships are on the line. Time to see how it all unfolds.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 kickoff show results:

  • Sami Zayn def. JD McDonagh by pinfall

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results:

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

  • Seth Rollins def. Drew McIntyre by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
  • Damian Priest attempts to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase afterward, but is foiled by a figure in black who takes his case … and reveals himself as Sami Zayn
  • Rhea Ripley goes by a distraught McIntyre backstage as if to say “I told you so”
  • Rhea Ripley wins the Fatal 5-Way match to retain the Women’s World Championship, pinning Shayna Baszler
  • Solo Sikoa def. John Cena by pinfall, though Cena receives a standing ovation from the fans when he leaves the ring
  • The Miz welcomes Saudi movie star Ibrahim Al Hajjaj to Miz TV only to see the segment hijacked by Grayson Waller; together they manage to fight off Waller, though, who takes a Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz and a People’s Elbow from the actor
  • Logan Paul is shown cruising around the desert in a dune buggy and then driving right into the arena for his ring entrance
  • Logan Paul def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall to become the new WWE United States Champion thanks to a shot from a pair of brass knuckles
  • Bianca Belair says she’s on to Phase 2 of her revenge plan against Damage CTRL, which involves her getting her title back tonight
  • Bianca Belair def. IYO SKY by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship, thanks in large part to a returning Kairi Sane
  • Cody Rhodes def. Damian Priest by pinfall after Jey Uso manages to fight off interference from other members of The Judgment Day
  • Roman Reigns def. LA Knight by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, with some help along the way from Jimmy Uso

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WWE Raw results 10/30/23: No treats for The Judgment Day, especially JD McDonagh

Also on WWE Raw tonight, the Trick or Street Fight was … something.

There have probably been factions that have been outright scarier in terms of their presentation than The Judgment Day if you look back over WWE history, but not that many can claim to have the same combination of power and persistence. And now it’s possible they may use tonight’s episode of WWE Raw to grow that even more, so what could be more frightening than that for a Halloween week episode from Greenville?

JD McDonagh is kind of the quintessential wanna-be in that he’s been on a “How can I be down?” kick for weeks, always trying to assist — though sometimes his help has backfired, and there are certainly questions about his motivations.

He’ll try to prove he’s worth a full-fledged spot tonight when he takes on Seth Rollins. Rhea Ripley will no doubt be watching closely, but she may also have hedged her bet since it sure seemed like she was extending an invitation to the World Heavyweight Champion to join the group last week.

And because you should always have a gimmick match for Halloween, Raw has that covered as well. Natalya will take on Chelsea Green in a Trick or Street Fight, a match that only took on more potential entertainment value on social media today.

To wit:

Ahem. Plus we’ll see the latest between DIY and Imperium, and there’s buzz about an NXT call-up that should be very popular among fans who watch that brand regularly.

Sounds like a splendid way to spend the night before Halloween. Let’s see if it turns out that way.

WWE Raw results from Greenville:

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

  • Rhea Ripley lays down the law for tonight but gets a rebuttal from Sami Zayn, who is willing to fight The Judgment Day but discovers Ricochet has his back
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Ricochet by pinfall with the help of Rhea Ripley, JD McDonagh and some rule-breaking
  • A short video package promotes the return of #DIY as a tag team
  • Raquel Rodriguez cuts a promo ahead of her participation in the Fatal 5-Way Women’s World Championship match at Crown Jewel
  • We also get a highlight package of The Creed Brothers, introducing the masses to Julius and Brutus
  • The Creed Brothers def. Alpha Academy by pinfall in their first ever WWE match
  • The Judgment Day seems unamused by The New Day trick-or-treating dressed (sort of) like them, and Damian Priest seems a little ticked about Ripley making a match for him until she’s able to convince him that it’s for the good of the group
  • Nia Jax talks about squashing everyone since her return and looks forward to doing it again at Crown Jewel
  • Miz TV welcomes another big guest, Gunther, but the Ring General and Imperium make this particular episode miserable for the host
  • An angry Miz demands an Intercontinental Championship with Gunther, but Adam Pearce says he can earn one, and it appears that may mean defeating Bronson Reed
  • #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) by pinfall
  • Shinsuke Nakamura says he’s waiting to be provoked by someone who fancies themself the hero
  • Xia Li def. Candice LeRae by referee stoppage
  • Jey Uso wishes Zayn good luck before suggesting he might team with Cody Rhodes about pursuing the tag team titles and then … um, running up on Rhea?
  • Shayna Baszler makes her vow to win the Fatal 5-Way at Crown Jewel; in the back, LeRae is checked out by doctors as Gargano and her friends look on
  • A lengthy but very good pre-taped video has Drew McIntyre explain why his title shot at Crown Jewel is so meaningful to him, and while he’s willing to break Seth Rollins’ back to win
  • Zoey Stark speaks her piece before the Fatal 5-Way, so we’ve heard from all of the challengers now
  • Seth Rollins scoffs at the idea that McIntyre is feeling sorry for himself and then blaming The Bloodline for all his other failures, but he gets jumped by McDonagh before he can finish his thoughts; the ref checks on him but Rollins says he’s good to go for his match
  • Seth Rollins def. JD McDonagh by pinfall despite the looming threat of a Money in the Bank cash-in by Damian Priest
  • Pearce thanks Ricochet for his efforts tonight and offers him a chance to win an IC title shot, but also has to deal with Chelsea Green and Ivar before saying he needs a drink
  • Becky Lynch reflects on her NXT Championship run and tells Li she’s willing to fight her
  • Chelsea Green def. Natalya by pinfall in a Trick or Street Fight
  • Damian Priest def. Sami Zayn by DQ after Jey Uso ends up superkicking Priest, but …
  • … the show ends with Zayn, Uso and Cody Rhodes teaming to battle The Judgment Day, McDonagh taking two Cross Rhodes on the announce table and Cody delivering a passionate warning to Damian for Saturday

WWE Raw results 10/23/23: The Judgment Day keeps making moves

Rhea Ripley signed a contract but also kept up a seeming recruiting drive on WWE Raw.

OK, so I have no idea if this headline is actually true since The Judgment Day has never invited me or any of the Wrestling Junkie crew to one of their celebrations. That’s also true tonight on WWE Raw from Dallas.

Why are they in such a triumphant mood? Well, it just so happens that despite some infighting over the past few weeks, the group came together in a big way last Monday, with everyone playing their part to ensure Damian Priest and Finn Balor reclaimed the tag team titles from Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.

Not sure the group can rightfully claim to hold “most of the gold in WWE” like it says in WWE’s official preview for tonight’s show, but everyone but Dominik Mysterio is back in possession of a title, so that seems like plenty of reason to celebrate to me.

Oh, but Priest also has to face Uso tonight, so that only heightens the chances of Main Event Jey coming out to spoil the mood during the show-opening segment. Yeet.

There’s plenty of other stuff to look forward to in Big D. Logan Paul will be on hand, though it’s not readily apparent why since the man he just called out, Rey Mysterio, works on SmackDown. Becky Lynch will once again put her NXT Women’s Championship on the line, this time against Indi Hartwell.

Drew McIntyre will battle Sami Zayn as the two men continue to disagree about whether a person can turn over a new leaf and be forgiven for past misdeeds. And The New Day will take on Alpha Academy as jostling for position for a tag team title shot continues.

So plenty for us to sink our teeth into, which is not a poor Halloween season/vampire joke, promise. If you are otherwise engaged tonight, we got you.

WWE Raw results from Dallas:

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

  • Party up with The Judgment Day? Cody Rhodes learns why it’s a bad idea
  • The New Day def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
  • Becky Lynch acknowledges the multiple people chasing her NXT championship but says she needs to stay focused on Indi Hartwell tonight
  • A hype video is shown for Ivar, which is well deserved after some of his recent performances
  • Seth Rollins seems chipper while walking backstage, but runs into Rhea Ripley, who suggests that he needs the “insurance” of The Judgment Day; Rollins retorts that maybe Rhea is uncertain that Damian Priest won’t successfully cash in his MITB contract, while she maintains that without their help, he won’t ever have a title reign like Roman Reigns — but Rollins says if there’s one thing he doesn’t want, it’s to be anything like Roman
  • Natalya offers her support and advice to Hartwell ahead of her title opportunity
  • Becky Lynch def. Indi Hartwell by submission to retain the NXT Women’s Championship; afterward, Xia Li attacks Candice LeRae in the back
  • Nick Aldis apologizes to Adam Pearce for kicking him out of the building on SmackDown, and Pearce accepts it but also asks for security to be doubled — though maybe for the contract signing coming up next
  • A contract signing with five top women’s wrestlers sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, and naturally, it does indeed turn into a brawl as Ripley stands and watches the whole thing while laughing
  • Bronson Reed tries to stir things up with Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci, but ends up getting challenged to a match by … Akira Tozawa?
  • Johnny Gargano def. Giovanni Vinci by pinfall, as Tommaso Ciampa assists with Ludwig Kaiser on the outside
  • Shinsuke Nakamura cuts another stylish, subtitled promo on Ricochet
  • Logan Paul and Dominik Mysterio do the mutual admiration thing, much to the disgust of the fans — and Ricochet
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven def. Natalya and Nikki Cross by pinfall after Cross does literally nothing for her team
  • Drew McIntyre sarcastically tells Jey Uso he can’t imagine what it’s like to have The Bloodline cost him a championship and says whatever happens to Sami Zayn tonight is on his head
  • The Miz drops in on Pearce to air his grievances about not being given anything worthwhile to do on Raw in weeks, and he’s even more upset when Ripley arrives to sign the contract she never got to sign and the camera follows her to check on Dominik
  • Drew McIntyre def. Sami Zayn by pinfall, thanks in part to a distraction from Ripley, obviously still on a recruiting tour
  • Pearce finds Aldis to express his displeasure that the SmackDown GM is talking up some of the Raw talent, and the two men shake hands as Aldis says he’s taking off; also, Cross walks by with the same vacant look in her eyes, causing Pearce to mention that he needs a drink
  • Bronson Reed def. Akira Tozawa by pinfall despite Tozawa’s recent Alpha Academy training
  • Tozawa gets a pep talk from Coach Gable despite his loss, and DIY stops by to announce their return to Alpha Academy and The New Day; also Tozawa does his training dance again
  • Rollins congratulates McIntyre for “your first win as the newest member of The Judgment Day,” though Drew says he say Seth talking to Rhea; both men say they don’t need The Judgment Day to beat the other at Crown Jewel
  • Damian Priest def. Jey Uso by pinfall thanks to help from Balor, but Rhodes, despite suffering an ankle injury earlier, is still up to the challenge of fighting off The Judgment Day (with help from some steel chairs) to end the show

WWE Raw results 10/16/23: Brotherly betrayal as Jimmy Uso costs Jey gold

Also, see how Gunther overcame the literally biggest challenge to date for his WWE Intercontinental Championship on the season premiere of WWE Raw.

Sometimes you just have to give a dominant champion the most intimidating possible physical challenge you can. That’s exactly what Gunther is getting tonight on the season premiere (wink, wink) of WWE Raw in Oklahoma City.

The Ring General has fended off all kinds of challengers during his record-setting reign as Intercontinental Champion. Perhaps the only kind of opponent he hasn’t faced is someone who can not only stand toe to toe with him, but actually overpower him and toss him around.

Bronson Reed can do that. And while no one is probably expecting the big man to win the title tonight, stranger things have happened.

We’ll also see The Judgment Day try to reclaim their tag team gold from the gentlemen who beat them for it, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. While perhaps a bit of an unusual pairing at first, Rhodes and Uso have proven to be an effective team, even beating former titleholders Kevin Owens (now off to SmackDown) and Sami Zayn to prove they belong.

Of course, Damian Priest and Finn Balor may be even more motivated than the Canadian duo, since they want not just personal redemption but some manner of internal group peace as well. Would a victory stop some of the infighting in The Judgment Day? It sure wouldn’t hurt.

We’ll also see Shinsuke Nakamura and Ricochet battle in a Falls Count Anywhere match, as well as what should be an absolute collision between Rhea Ripley and Shayna Baszler.

Let’s jump in, because it’s season premiere time.

WWE Raw season premiere results from Oklahoma City:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or in-ring segment in bold)

  • Sami Zayn flies without Kevin Owens … but not alone, as Jey Uso helps prevent him from getting rushed by The Judgment Day
  • Shinsuke Nakamura delivers a message to Ricochet before their Falls Count Anywhere match comparing him to a bug he’ll squash on the floor
  • Walking backstage, Zayn is approached by Uso, who wants to know if they’re good, but Sami admits that he’s struggling with the Jey only being there because KO is gone; Jey says he didn’t know Sami felt like that but says “it is what it is Uce,” and Zayn runs to offer an apology that is happily accepte
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Ricochet in a Falls Count Anywhere match
  • Chelsea Green and Tegan Nox exchange insults … and Nikki Cross is there lurking in the background
  • A hype video is shown for Gunther ahead of his Intercontinental Championship later tonight
  • Piper Niven def. Natalya by pinfall, but finds Nox is able to prevent a post-match beating
  • Damian Priest wonders again if they should take out Drew McIntyre and questions Rhea Ripley for all the phone calls she’s been taking, but they all agree they’re about to handle their business tonight and the meeting of the whole team seems to end on a positive note
  • Seth Rollins is confused by Drew McIntyre, but they understand each other a little better after a pointed conversation
  • Video is shown of Logan Paul challenging Rey Mysterio after his most recent boxing match, as well as Rey’s response on YES
  • Ludwig Kaiser def. Johnny Gargano by pinfall
  • Becky Lynch likes Indi Hartwell’s suggestion that they compete for the NXT Championship Indi never lost, then turns and finds herself face to face with Ripley
  • McIntyre tells Zayn he respects what he’s done as of late, and Sami appreciates that … but he isn’t fond at all about Sami forgiving Jey, and while it becomes clear they aren’t going to agree on this topic, they do agree to work out some of their differences in the ring next week
  • Rhea Ripley vs. Shayna Baszler goes to no contest after Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez and Zoey Stark all crash the match
  • Lynch convinces Adam Pearce to make the match with Hartwell, and Xia Li wants a shot too … on her time; Jade Cargill also arrives, and Lynch tells her to get in line
  • Uso and Cody Rhodes are feeling good about their title defense tonight, YEET
  • Gunther def. Bronson Reed by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • The Miz is irritated to have to wait until the third hour to get on the season premiere, suggesting that Pearce should be fired and that Nick Aldis should take over as GM of both shows; Jax steals the mic from him and says everyone has hit her with their best shot, but she’s still standing and is the one who does the squashing
  • Ripley is mad that Pearce hasn’t controlled her division, but he’s taking no crap, so he books Rhea in a Fatal Five-Way at Crown Jewel, which she isn’t happy about; Indus Sher stops by at the end and says they need to talk
  • Alpha Academy is busy training (as well as Akira Tozawa), but The New Day isn’t pleases about tag team championship talk that doesn’t include them, and they agree to battle it out next week before everyone gets dazed by Tozawa’s moves
  • Gunther is happy that Kaiser won but says Vinci will need to make sure Gargano is stretchered out when he faces him next week
  • The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso by pinfall to become the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions after Jimmy Uso arrives to superkick Jey at a key moment in the match

WWE Raw results 10/2/23: Gunther, Tommaso Ciampa tear it down, Johnny Gargano returns

WWE Raw also saw a tag team title match made official for Fastlane.

Sometimes, plans change. For WWE Raw, it’s been happening quite often as of late, and it appears that might be the case for tonight’s episode from San Jose.

The show had been promoted with a match between Jey Uso and Damian Priest as one of its big hooks. Alas, the official WWE.com preview for tonight now has nary a mention of that bout, so it will be interesting to see if it needed to be shelved for some reason or the wrestlers involved will be used in some other way.

Instead, the featured segment is now a contract signing between Gunther and Tommaso Ciampa. The Ring General has tried to keep Ciampa at bay using his Imperium minions, but they proved unfit for the task. Now Gunther has basically no choice but to put his Intercontinental Championship on the line, presumably this weekend at Fastlane.

Becky Lynch already successfully retained her NXT Women’s Championship at No Mercy, and The Man promised Tegan Nox she could have the next shot. That is still being promoted for tonight, but there are reports that Lynch isn’t medically cleared to compete, so we’ll be watching to see if that bout gets rescheduled in a way that grows out of what we’ll see in San Jose.

Also, for some reason Miz TV is welcoming Drew McIntyre back for a second consecutive week. Did The Miz fire his booking person? And what new if anything will the Scottish Warrior have to say this time?

The uncertainty means there could be some cool stuff that isn’t being advertised for tonight’s show, and we’re always down with that. Let’s see what we’ve got.

WWE Raw results from San Jose:

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

  • Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler are supposed to have a match to start the show, but the broadcast begins with them already brawling; they’re soon joined by Raquel Rodriguez and Rhea Ripley, and tons of security and refs have to pull them all apart
  • Rhea says The Judgment Day needs to talk, but after she gives Dominik Mysterio an ultimatum, Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes cause more trouble … and end up with a title match for Fastlane
  • Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
  • Highlights are shown of the Becky Lynch-Tiffany Stratton Extreme Rules match at No Mercy
  • Pearce tells Tegan Nox that he has to postpone her title shot since Lynch isn’t cleared to compete, but Nox suggests she take on a not so helpful Chelsea Green and Pearce makes it official
  • Bronson Reed def. Cedric Alexander by pinfall
  • Pearce ends his phone call to speak to Drew McIntyre, who doesn’t want to do Miz TV a second week in a row and asks Pearce to tell The Miz to leave him alone when he says what he wants to say tonight; he also notes that no one did “the right thing” when The Bloodline was beating him down
  • Tommaso Ciampa and Gunther meet for their contract signing and end up agreeing to have their match tonight
  • Priest is upset about having to defend the titles at Fastlane, but together, Ripley and McDonagh are able to convince him that it could help drive a wedge between Uso and his (few) allies
  • Xavier Woods def. Ivar by pinfall, but he and Kofi Kingston are both beaten silly by the big man after the match
  • A hype video is shown for the Seth Rollins-Shinsuke Nakamura Last Man Standing match at Fastlane
  • Shinsuke Nakamura proves to still be one step ahead of Seth Rollins in a very painful way
  • Lynch tells Nox she better be ready for a fight once she’s cleared; she turns and runs into Natalya, who says she has a different level of respect for Tegan now and believes she’ll make good on her title opportunity then she gets it
  • Tegan Nox def. Chelsea Green by pinfall
  • McIntyre rants on what he sees as weakness and hypocrisy in those forgiving Jey Uso, which brings out an unhappy Miz to get in some taunts at Drew for playing both sides of things; McIntyre wants a fight, and while Miz looks like he’s going to walk away, he runs back to the ring to assault McIntyre from behind, which eventually leads to officials separating them
  • Drew McIntyre def. The Miz by pinfall
  • Trick Williams introduces himself to the world ahead of his rematch for the NXT North American Championship on NXT, but Mysterio, Ripley and McDonagh arrive to taunt him a bit
  • Rhodes wasn’t anticipating getting after the tag team titles with Jey Uso, but he’ll be ready to go this weekend at Fastlane
  • Gunther def. Tommaso Ciampa by submission to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Imperium hits the ring to beat on Ciampa, but Johnny Gargano returns to make the save

WWE Raw preview 09/25/23: Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens try to reclaim titles from The Judgment Day

Also on tap for WWE Raw from California, Cody Rhodes will open the show, and The Miz welcomes Drew McIntyre to Miz TV.

There was a time, not that long ago, that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. They won those titles from The Usos in dramatic fashion at WrestleMania but lost them to a different villainous group since — and they’d like to fix that tonight on WWE Raw in California.

After moving past The Bloodline, KO and Sami fought the good fight against The Judgment Day too, but their success ran out when Damian Priest and Finn Balor beat them for the titles. Priest and Balor had plenty of help from the rest of their team, so the question is whether anything will be different during the rematch with the roles of champions and challengers reversed.

We’ll also hear from Shinsuke Nakamura tonight. Though he failed to win the World Heavyweight Championship from Seth Rollins at Payback, he’s done a masterful job living rent-free inside the champion’s head since then. Rollins finally snapped last week and said they could have a rematch with Shinsuke picking the stipulation, which he may do tonight … or not, depending on how far he wants to keep stringing Rollins along.

Other things to watch for tonight on Raw:

  • The Miz will welcome Drew McInyre to Miz TV, where surely nothing will go amiss and no one will try attacking anyone else
  • Otis will take on Bronson Reed in a clash of two very large human beings
  • Cody Rhodes is slated to open the show, and will probably ask us what we want to talk about

WWE had also been promoting an NXT North American Championship match between Dominik Mysterio and Dragon Lee. It wasn’t included in the Raw social media posts sent out Sunday, but that could very still be on the card as well.

As we do every week, we’ll have live WWE Raw results and updates beginning at 8 p.m. ET, so join us back here then if you aren’t able to watch tonight’s show.

WWE SmackDown results 09/15/23: The Rock returns, John Cena left speechless

As if John Cena on WWE SmackDown wasn’t enough, rumors of another legend making an appearance are swirling today.

Tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown from Denver was already slated to have several performers for whom the audience will go nuts to see live. John Cena is one, as he’s going to be a guest on “The Grayson Waller Effect,” where he hopefully will put the obnoxious host in his place and/or set up a match for Fastlane.

Another is the man of the moment in WWE — and a person to whom Cena recently gave his stamp of approval — LA Knight. The Megastar will be in a rematch with The Miz, who just can’t seem to let go of the idea that Knight is bigger than he is right now.

Those two men will get great crowd reactions, to be sure. But you know who would really make the freaking roof blow off Ball Arena (and leave my beloved Denver Nuggets homeless for the start of the upcoming NBA season, but hey)?

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, that’s who.

You might have seen that Mr. Johnson was back in WWE news thanks to his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he claimed a match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 was “locked” … until it wasn’t. He also left the door very wide open for having that match next year instead at WrestleMania 40.

But that’s not all. Here’s what Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp posted just before 5 p.m. ET.

So we’re definitely not saying The Rock will be on SmackDown tonight, but it does feel like there’s a better chance of that happening than in any episode i approximately forever.

(Also worth noting: McAfee’s show was on location today in Boulder, so the logistics for getting the two of them on SmackDown are about as easy as they could be other than already being in the show’s host city.)

There are also some other intriguing matches on the card, including Asuka vs. Bayley and AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor. But let’s be real: You want to see if Cena and The Rock are going to be on the same show and bask in the nostalgia if they are.

We’ll find out together starting now.

WWE SmackDown results from Denver:

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

  • Pat McAfee kicks off the show, but it’s The Rock who is the big attraction

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  • Finn Balor def. AJ Styles by pinfall, thanks to assistance from The Judgment Day … and Jimmy Uso
  • McAfee and The Rock laugh about what they did to Theory, before The Rock turns and finds himself face to face with John Cena, who welcomes him home and hugs him
  • Jimmy Uso tells Balor they’re even now, but Finn tries to recruit him to join The Judgment Day, reminding him there are no leaders in the group; Paul Heyman shows up at the end with a questioning look on his face
  • The LWO is in the ring together, and when Santos Escobar asks Rey Mysterio for a title opportunity, he quickly accepts; Bobby Lashley comes out with the Street Profits to mock the LWO “lovefest,” and pretty soon we have ourselves a tag team match
  • Street Profits def. Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro by pinfall in what is basically a squash
  • Match Flo takes us back through the beef between The Miz and LA Knight, which leads us to …
  • LA Knight def. The Miz by pinfall, insisting he’s coming for gold …
  • … but backstage, Paul Heyman has to talk Solo Sikoa out of going after Knight and remind him that he needs to focus on the trouble Jimmy is stirring up; Sikoa says he already knows what he has to do and will end it tonight, leaving Heyman flabbergasted and calling Roman Reigns
  • Elton Prince of Pretty Deadly says he’s a shell of the man he was before Ridge Holland injured him, and Adam Pearce wants to know why he’s in a wheelchair if his shoulder is hurt; Kit Wilson inspires Prince to do a big “YES BOY” and the duo insists they’ll be back soon
  • Bayley hopes IYO SKY is ready for Asuka, but Dakota Kai asks her if she’s ready for Asuka
  • Asuka def. Bayley by pinfall after another scare from Shotzi
  • The Grayson Waller Effect welcomes John Cena, but things escalate when Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, and eventually, AJ Styles get involved

WWE SmackDown preview 09/15/23: John Cena to get the, ahem, Grayson Waller rub

WWE SmackDown from Denver will also see The Miz try to avenge his Payback loss to LA Knight. Yeah!

Say this about Grayson Waller: He’s definitely not short on confidence. The loud-mouthed Aussie may not have accomplished all that much in the ring since joining WWE SmackDown from NXT, but he’s already proven to have few equals when it comes to antagonizing people, and he’s likely to show off that skill again on tonight’s show from Denver.

It just so happens that his guest on “The Grayson Waller Effect” this week is the man who was the only three-time No. 1 on the PWI 500 until yesterday, John Cena. The Greatest of All Time, as WWE is fond of billing him these days, certainly doesn’t need any help from a SmackDown talk show segment to be relevant.

Or does he?

Waller believes that all kinds of people who used to be huge stars get the benefit of being his guest, and Cena should prove no exception. Watch for Waller to mock Cena’s acting career in his own passive aggressive way, and let’s see if their interaction might be leading to a match between them soon.

Another WWE superstar who is extremely popular right this moment is definitely having a match in Denver, and by that we mean LA Knight. The Megastar already defeated The Miz when they met at Payback, but to hear the A-Lister tell it, that’s only because Cena was the special guest referee.

That won’t be the case tonight in Denver, so Miz will have only himself to blame if he goes down to defeat again. That’s not to say he’ll actually accept said blame, mind you.

Update: WWE has added a pair of matches to tonight’s show. Bayley will take on Asuka, while AJ Styles will go one on one with Finn Balor of The Judgment Day.

Update 2: Well this show just potentially a lot more interesting. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, while careful to note that Fightful can’t confirm this, says The Rock (and Pat McAfee) could be at tonight’s SmackDown.

The action graces out screens as it almost always does, live on FOX beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Please consider joining us back here on Wrestling Junkie for live WWE SmackDown results and other goodness if it’s not in your plans to catch the show live.

WWE Raw results 09/11/23: Stunning return helps Rhea hold off Raquel

Dominik Mysterio couldn’t help Rhea Ripley on WWE Raw, but a returning star provided an unexpected hand.

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: Rhea Ripley certainly doesn’t need help from Dominik Mysterio to win her matches. She’s proven that numerous times on her way to becoming Women’s World Championship. That said, it’s fair to wonder if it’ll get in her head looking ringside tonight during WWE Raw in Norfolk and not seeing Dirty Dom there to support her.

Ripley can use any edge she can get because Raquel Rodriguez has been a determined challenger who is a legit threat to dethrone her. Rodriguez is powerful enough to stand her ground against Ripley, and she’s motivated by what the champ did to both her and tag team partner Liv Morgan, so she’s not going to stop.

All we’re saying is that with Dom barred from ringside tonight for the title rematch, Ripley might not have the same comfort level she usually does. And given the way she’s put the rest of The Judgment Day on notice if they didn’t win gold, it would be ironic indeed if she loses hers first.

Cody Rhodes is going to talk about something on Raw this evening as well, and while we fully expect that he’ll ask us what we want to talk about, we feel just as sure that he already has something in mind. We’re just not exactly sure what that might be, and if it still has to do with recently arrived Jey Uso.

Plus, Imperium is going to throw a championship celebration for Gunther, which he deserves as the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time. But has he truly beaten everyone worth beating, or will someone new choose this occasion to declare themselves next in line to try to topple the Ring General?

These are the reasons we watch.

WWE Raw results from Norfolk:

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

  • Jey Uso is caught between Kevin Owens saying do the work and The Judgment Day trying to recruit him, but offers to team with KO tonight
  • The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. Jey Uso and Kevin Owens by pinfall, after an Uso superkick accidentally hits Owens and sets up their opponents’ victory
  • Uso attempts to apologize to Owens, but KO angrily tells him to go join “your new Bloodline” and accept the Judgment Day’s offer to join
  • A highlight package is shown of Gunther’s victory over Chad Gable last week that helped make him a record-holder; afterward, a car pulls up and Imperium gets out, dressed to the nines
  • The Miz def. Akira Tozawa by pinfall
  • Raquel Rodriguez tells Byron Saxton that Rhea Ripley might be the most dominant women’s champ ever, but she’s not like most challengers and Dom won’t be there to help Rhea tonight
  • Chelsea Green makes the mistake of calling Shayna Baszler a peer, and besides, she doesn’t need a partner because Piper Niven is back
  • Gunther is ready to celebrate his historic Intercontinental Championship reign, but Chad Gable isn’t done with him yet
  • Xavier Woods wants to know why Drew McIntyre was trash talking Kofi Kingston and isn’t happy with the answer he gets, then goads the Scottish Warrior into a match
  • Backstage, Ciampa explains why he came to Alpha Academy’s aid, and Otis suggests the three of them challenge Imperium tonight
  • Drew McIntyre vs. Xavier Woods by pinfall
  • Cody Rhodes wants to talk about Jey Uso but has to fight off Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh instead
  • McIntyre tells Jey he doesn’t trust him, saying he doubts Uso can stand on his own two feet; Jey says he’ll prove he can by facing McIntyre next week, and Drew quickly accepts
  • Shayna Baszler def. Chelsea Green by pinfall, then gets some help from Zoey Stark to avoid a post-match beating from Piper Niven
  • Shinsuke Nakamura is still focused on taking Seth Rollins’ title and says he will challenge for it again when he feels like it
  • Rollins comes to the ring and admits that he is all the bad things Nakamura claims he is, but he’s also some good things, and it simply took a long time to realize he just needed to be himself; he also offers the chance for Shinsuke to come get the World Heavyweight Championship right now, but Nak is busy beating up Ricochet backstage instead
  • Balor approaches Jey and says The Judgment Day are his only fans on Raw, and the door is always open for him
  • Alpha Academy and Tommaso Ciampa def. Imperium by submission
  • The Judgment Day says the more Jey feels isolated, the better the chance that he joins them; Rhea tells Dom not to worry, as she always comes out on top
  • Tiffany Stratton is upset that she’s been waiting for Becky Lynch, but The Man arrives to sign a contract for their title match on NXT; Lynch also says her problem with Stratton is that she only wants to be famous, while Tiffany says she doesn’t need Becky to be a big deal since she’s been doing that for herself
  • Rhea Ripley def. Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall to retain the Women’s World Championship, thanks to a dramatic return by Nia Jax, who then assaults Ripley after the bell

WWE Payback 2023 results: The Judgment Day rises, Seth Rollins prevails in Pittsburgh

Get full WWE Payback 2023 results from Pittsburgh, including a title changing hands and a new addition to the Raw roster.

While there certainly is, ahem, other pro wrestling news being discussed today, WWE will do its best to take back the attention of the industry with Payback from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Yes, there are no Roman Reigns/Bloodline matches on this card, making it feel somewhat lesser, but this feels like a show where the efforts of the wrestlers themselves can make it shine.

That’s definitely true of the World Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura. Rollins has spoken often about wanting to be the kind of champion who inspires through his work effort, and a matchup with the King of Strong Style certainly gives him the chance to prove it.

Making their meeting even more interesting is the way Shinsuke has introduced Seth’s real life back issues into his pre-match mind games. It’s not often we see the uber-confident Rollins thrown off his game, which will make his eventual triumph (if that’s what happens) that much more compelling.

The dynamic between Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley is a lot less subtle and easier to understand right away. Raquel Rodriguez has been the one woman in all of WWE able to stand up to Ripley physically, making her a straightforward challenge. Can Mami pass this test and maintain her dominance?

With only six total matches on the Payback card, there’s room for some surprises. Could Damian Priest cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase? Might John Cena, ostensibly in Pittsburgh to host the show, end up in a match? These are all things we’re anxious to find out.

WWE Payback 2023 results:

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

  • Becky Lynch def. Trish Stratus by pinfall in a Steel Cage match, and things get even worse afterward for Trish as Zoey Stark has enough of her and hits Stratus with the Z-360
  • John Cena makes his appearance and says his job as host is to make the night special by being the guest referee … for The Miz vs. LA Knight; Miz is upset, so Cena asks him for advice as host but still is sticking to his idea
  • LA Knight def. The Miz by pinfall with John Cena as special guest referee
  • Rey Mysterio def. Austin Theory by pinfall to retain the United States Championship
  • Cathy Kelley tries to talk to Lynch backstage when Tiffany Stratton approaches her with some cheerful insults
  • Damian Priest and Finn Balor def. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn by pinfall in a Steel City Street Fight to become the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions
  • The Grayson Waller Effect welcomes Cody Rhodes for a big announcement, and he gives it to him: Rhodes got Jey Uso on the Raw roster; naturally Jey Uso ends up superkicking Waller
  • Rhea Ripley def. Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall to retain the Women’s World Championship
  • Cena interviews Balor and Priest, who say when they’re on the same page, no one can stop The Judgment Day
  • Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship