Tag: WWE Smackdown

Opening Bell: Stretch run toward Clash at the Castle, All Out

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

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

WWE Raw preview – Monday, Aug. 29, PPG Paints Arena

The final live WWE show before Clash at the Castle (because SmackDown was taped last week, since everyone is traveling to Wales) is unsurprisingly loaded. The card starts with the crowning of new Women’s Tag Team Champions, as Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah collide with Dakota Kai and IYO SKY.

Bobby Lashley and The Miz will also do battle on Monday night, but there’s a story to tell first since Miz was dragged into … um, wherever by Dexter Lumis last week. Is he any the worse for wear? And how exactly did he escape? Hopefully there’s a fun story in there somewhere.

Also on the slate for this week’s Raw:

  • Hall of Famer Kurt Angle makes an appearance in his hometown
  • The Usos and Sami Zayn visit from SmackDown to represent the Bloodline (yes, Sami too)
  • Riddle and Seth Rollins have one final face-to-face before Clash at the Castle and it’s likely to result in fisticuffs

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, Aug. 31, NOW Arena, Chicago

Hey, what do you know, AEW has a big event this weekend as well, so Dynamite is also a pretty stacked show as a result. The World Trios Championship tournament will have its Dynamite final (or as it’s better known more generally, the tourney semifinal) when Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks take on Will Ospreay and Aussie Open of the United Empire. Get your popcorn ready, as the great American philosopher Terrell Owens once said.

Also of interest is a tag team match pitting Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida against Dr. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter. You may recognize those women as the four who will compete at All Out for the interim AEW Women’s Championship.

Plus there’s more already announced for Dynamite:

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, Sept. 2, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit (taped on Aug. 26)

As mentioned above, this episode is already in the can, as it was recorded after the live SmackDown last week in Motown. You can get full spoilers online should you be so inclined.

If you’d rather just have teasers of what’s to come and enjoy SmackDown as it happens on Friday, here’s what to expect:

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AEW Rampage preview – Friday, Sept. 2, NOW Arena, Chicago

In a bit of role reversal, Rampage is live this week while SmackDown is recorded. That means it should be a sweet hour of TV even though AEW has so far not said much about what to expect yet.

One match we feel confident will take place is the other semifinal of the World Trios Tournament. The two teams left on the Rampage side of the bracket are Dark Order, after they upset House of Black, and Best Friends. Expect to see them compete this Friday for the right to challenge for the inaugural championship on Sunday.

WWE SmackDown results: Women’s tag teams vie for Second Chance

Get WWE SmackDown results for the August 26, 2022 episode from Detroit, with Drew McIntyre facing Sami Zayn.

Sometimes, even the best laid plans go awry. When it comes to the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament, which continues tonight on SmackDown from Detroit, both the original and backup plans have already come undone.

The tourney was set to have an NXT presence in the form of Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark, but they never got to compete as neither were medically cleared. Toxic Attraction took their place, advancing with an impressive victory over Natalya and Sonya Deville.

Alas, Gigi Dolin was injured in that match, meaning Toxic Attraction are out and the team of Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah needs an opponent for the semifinal. SmackDown will find them one through a Second Chance Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match. As the name implies, the match will feature four teams who have already been eliminated from the tournament, and the winner will face Rodriguez and Aliyah later in the show.

That accounts for two matches, but WWE has announced two more as well. Ricochet and Happy Corbin were just in a Fatal 5-Way with each other last Friday, but they’ll face off in a singles match tonight. And since Sami Zayn has been a thorn in the side of Drew McIntyre as of late in an effort to get in good with Roman Reigns, he’ll have to face some of the consequences of his actions when he wrestles the Scottish Warrior on SmackDown.

On top of all that, the New Day makes a return to live TV tonight. The Viking Warriors held a funeral for the duo, but if we know one thing about them, it’s that the New Day always gets back up and keeps going.

The Little Caesars Arena in Detroit should be live for this one, which you’ll see if you’re watching live on FOX. If not, may we suggest this post right here? Bookmark it and check back for live WWE SmackDown results as they happen.

Not so fast TV-14: Raw, SmackDown to remain TV-PG

In a seeming reversal of reports from July, it appears WWE Raw and SmackDown will retain TV-PG ratings going forward.

The next era of WWE programming is still taking shape with Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan running the company and Paul “Triple H” Levesque heading up the creative team, but whatever their vision turns out to be, it won’t be like the Attitude Era in one significant way.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reports that both Raw and SmackDown “will be remaining TV-PG for the forseeable future on both FOX and the USA Network.”

This marks a swift change in direction, as there were reports in July that Raw could go to TV-14 as soon as that month. The change in rating never happened, however, and now it looks like it’s been shelved.

Raw has held a TV-PG rating since the summer of 2008 after previously being rated TV-14. SmackDown has been rated TV-PG for the entirety of its existence, which dates back to 1999.

A TV-14 rating would allow WWE shows to use more frequent bad language, as well as whatever the difference is between “intense sexual content” and “brief sexual content.” The ratings guidelines also contain guidelines about violence: “intense” for TV-14 as opposed to “mild” for TV-PG.

While it’s possible Raw would not have changed ratings even if Vince McMahon had not retired under the duress of his much publicized scandal, it’s hard not to look at the timing and wonder if the new regime decided against it. Fan reaction to Raw and SmackDown has been largely enthusiastic since Levesque took the creative helm, so perhaps the brain trust looked at his formula — which has relied largely on re-emphasizing wrestling over sports entertainment and brought some well-liked NXT talent into the fold — didn’t need the kind of additional freedom a TV-14 rating would provide in certain areas.

That is to say, if the TV ratings people consider the likes of Ciampa, Johnny Gargano and Karrion Kross purveyors of “mild” violence, who are we to argue? Long live TV-PG.

Opening Bell: Huge AEW title match, WWE Toronto homecoming

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

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

WWE Raw preview – Monday, Aug. 22, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto

It’s a big homecoming episode of Raw in front of what’s being reported as a legitimate sellout crowd in Toronto. Edge has vowed to kill what he created in The Judgment Day, but Damian Priest isn’t about to let him accomplish that goal easily. Priest says he’ll take on the hometown guy by himself, but it’s hard to imagine there won’t be some kind of hijinks from the heel stable.

Trish Stratus is another legendary local product of the Toronto area, and she’s making a return to Raw this week as well. WWE hasn’t teased much about what she’s doing except to say that she’s appearing, but even if she’s just there to say hi and thank the fans, you know she’ll get a warm welcome.

The Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament continues this week as well. Alexa Bliss and Asuka have to be among the favorites, but Dakota Kai and IYO SKY are getting a nice push. On top of that, reports say another change to the bracket is in the works, so this could be where it takes place.

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, Aug. 24, Wolstein Center, Cleveland

Thought you’d have to wait until All Out to see CM Punk and Jon Moxley unify the AEW World Championship? So did we, and then last week happened. Now the two men will meet to determine who is the “real” champ going forward, with all kinds of possibilities for All Out depending on who emerges with the gold.

Also on the slate for this Wednesday:

  • The World Trios Championship tournament continues with Death Triangle facing NJPW’s Will Ospreay and Aussie Open.
  • Dax Harwood takes on Jay Lethal.
  • Dr. Britt Baker steps in against KiLynn King.
  • Billy Gunn does some tough parenting by facing Colten Gunn.
  • Ricky Starks speaks.

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, Aug. 26, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

Though there are bound to be more big matches added and announced on Raw, what WWE has already revealed for Detroit looks sweet. The second Women’s Tag Team Tournament semifinal will go down between Toxic Attraction and the face duo of Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah, but again, there are reports that a change will need to be made that could affect this matchup.

Neither Ricochet nor Happy Corbin advanced from the Fatal 5-Way last week to challenge Gunther at Clash at the Castle, so they’ll be looking to right the ship against each other this Friday night on SmackDown.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, Aug. 26, Wolstein Center, Cleveland (taped on Aug. 24)

Last in the week but certainly trying not to be least, Rampage will undoubtedly be dealing with some of the fallout from Dynamite. But we also know of two matches already announced, including a title bout as Claudio Castagnoli defends his ROH World Championship against Dustin Rhodes.

The trios title tourney will continue as well, with House of Black in action against Dark Order. Can Hangman Adam Page inspire his friends to what most would consider an upset victory? We’ll find out Friday.

WWE SmackDown results: Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre face off

Get WWE SmackDown results for the August 19, 2022 episode from Montreal, including a Fatal 5-Way to find a No. 1 contender for Gunther.

Drew McIntyre hasn’t been shy about giving Roman Reigns a hard time about not showing up for work in recent weeks, but that’s not going to be an issue on tonight’s WWE SmackDown from Montreal.

McIntyre and Reigns are on a collision course for a title match at Clash at the Castle in just a few weeks, but until now, they haven’t both been live on the same show all that many times — and one of the times they were, they were interrupted by Karrion Kross. They’re going to meet face to face again on this week’s show, which could turn to fisticuffs, and perhaps Kross will make his presence known again regardless.

The women’s tag team title tournament also continues with another first round match. Because of injuries to Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark, neither woman will compete as originally planned. Instead, former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne of Toxic Attraction will take their place, but won’t have an easy go of it as they go up against Natalya and Sonya Deville.

Intercontinental Champion Gunther is in need of another challenger as well, and Adam Pearce has come up with a fun way of finding one: a Fatal 5-Way Match that features Ricochet, Madcap Moss, Sheamus, Happy Corbin and Sami Zayn. Since you can make a case for any of these men to get a title shot and there are some lingering rivalries among them (like with Moss and Corbin), it should be an entertaining bout.

It sounds like a full night of action and intrigue from Montreal, and there are always potential surprises to boot. If you aren’t watching live on FOX tonight, consider bookmarking this page and checking back throughout the evening as we add the latest WWE SmackDown results as they happen.

WWE SmackDown results: Shinsuke tries to take IC gold from Gunther

Get full WWE SmackDown results for the Aug. 12, 2022 episode from Raleigh, NC, with the Intercontinental Championship on the line.

As the last days of summer tick away, things are staying hot in WWE. SmackDown rolls into Raleigh this week to try to keep the flames on, featuring an Intercontinental Championship Match between Gunther and Shinsuke Nakamura that figures to be the night’s main event.

That’s far from all WWE has advertised, however. SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan has a new challenger in the form of Shayna Baszler, but they need to make their title bout at Clash at the Castle official. How, you say? With a contract signing, how else? Hijinks may ensue.

The Women’s Tag Team Championship is currently vacant, but it won’t stay that way for long since a tournament to decide the new titleholders got underway earlier this week on Raw. Tonight, Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah take their turn, but they may not even advance out of the first round since they have the team of Shotzi and Xia Li to face right out of the gate.

On top of all that, one would expect that Drew McIntyre would have something to say on this show as he has his sights set on dethroning Roman Reigns in just a few weeks at Clash at the Castle. And how does newly returned Karrion Kross figure into things?

Add it up and you’ve got a promising two hours of sports … we mean, wrestling on tap. If you can’t watch live, bookmark this page and check back as needed for the latest WWE SmackDown results as they go down in Raleigh.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah def. Xia Li and Shotzi by pinfall in a WWE Women’s Tag Team Tournament Match
  • “Everybody knows about the Bloodline, now we’re going to show them the new timeline.” – Tick, tock, says Karrion Kross

WWE SmackDown results: An unexpected return shakes things up in Greenville

Get full WWE SmackDown results for the August 5, 2022 episode from Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC.

Sometimes we just don’t have time to do the full-on, detailed breakdown of WWE SmackDown. We’re a small team at Wrestling Junkie, after all.

But that’s OK, because we’re still invested in finding out what went down from Bon Secours Wellness Arena (that’s a long name for a venue) in Greenville, SC and passing it along to you. So an abbreviated results post it is, with just the summaries of each match and segment.

Here’s what we know to expect: Roman Reigns will address the man he knows is now his No. 1 contender for Clash at the Castle, Drew McIntyre. Seven women will run the gauntlet (meaning a Gauntlet Match) to determine who will challenge Liv Morgan for her belt (we’re allowed to call it that now, probably). Shinsuke Nakamura will face Ludwig Kaiser, again, for a potential shot at Gunther.

Let’s roll, Greenville!

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Ricochet def. Happy Corbin by pinfall, partly because Corbin can’t let go of his issues with Pat McAfee
  • Sami Zayn tries keeping it 100 with the Bloodline but wants to know why the Tribal Chief kept him on read
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall, earning a shot at Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship next week (and possibly earning Kaiser another butt-whupping)
  • Kofi Kingston says Xavier Woods is in good spirits as he recuperates from the attack by the Viking Raiders, but it’s almost time for him to make the Raiders pay
  • The Usos ask Zayn for a favor, telling him it would mean a lot to Roman to head to the production truck to ensure his pyro, music and entire entrance is just right tonight
  • Liv Morgan, sporting a brace on her left arm, gets some boos and “you tapped out” chants as she explains her victory over Ronda Rousey,; Sonya Deville comes out to belittle Liv and vow to win the Gauntlet Match
  • Shayna Baszler wins a Gauntlet Match that included Aliyah, Sonya Deville, Shotzi, Xia Li, Natalya and Raquel Rodriguez to become No. 1 contender for Morgan’s SmackDown Women’s Championship
  • Annoyed by Zayn’s nagging, the Usos tell him he needs to pull his weight or they’re going to take his Bloodline shirt off him real quick
  • Viking Raiders def. Local Talent by pinfall, then get attacked by a kendo stick-wielding Kingston
  • Kofi Kingston def. Erik by pinfall
  • The tournament for the Women’s Tag Team Championship is back on, for real, for real
  • Drew McIntyre comes out to confront the typically confident Bloodline, but he’s attacked by a returning Karrion Kross (now with hair!), and Scarlett leaves the hourglass in the ring in front of Roman Reigns

WWE SmackDown live results: July 22, 2022 Boston

Get the latest WWE SmackDown live results from Boston on July 22, with new WWE co-CEO Stephanie McMahon kicking off the show.

Generally speaking, when any show, wrestling or otherwise, announces that it’s a brand new era, it’s a bit of hyperbole. For WWE SmackDown on this particular Friday night … not so much.

As you may have heard, Vince McMahon rocked the wrestling world earlier today by announcing his retirement from WWE. But that’s far from all.

Brock Lesnar was expected to be a big part of tonight’s episode from Boston, just eight days out from his main event Last Man Standing bout with Roman Reigns at SummerSlam in Nashville. Yet he reportedly left after hearing the Vince news, and the show was rewritten as a result.

What’s still on tap? Well, we’d expect the Maximum Male Models will still do their thing, unveiling the 2022 Beachwear Collection. We’ve also been teased with the arrival of Maxxine Dupri, Max’s sister, so it’ll be interesting to see which superstar she turns out to be.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan is slated to come face to face with her SummerSlam opponent, Ronda Rousey. Is Morgan fated to discover the hard way that defending the title is harder than winning it in the first place? Or will she show something to Rowdy that makes their upcoming rematch seem like more of a tossup?

Plus, Shinsuke Nakamura and Ludwig Kaiser will do battle again. Kaiser found out the hard way that losing is not something Gunther will tolerate, and he’ll be looking to avoid another beating at the Intercontinental Champion’s hands. The question is whether he’ll actually be able to do anything about it.

So yeah, it’s going to be an interesting night at the TD Garden in Fox, one you’re not going to want to miss if you can help it. If you do, however, that’s where we come in, as we’ll be updating this post with the latest WWE SmackDown live results all evening long.

Opening Bell: Barbed wire, shark cage on Dynamite, Belair-Carmella II on Raw

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage for the week of July 18.

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

WWE Raw preview – Monday, July 18, Amalie Arena, Tampa

Are you ready for Logan Paul, sympathetic babyface?

That appears to be where we’re headed for SummerSlam, beginning with his appearance this week on Raw. He’s looking for some payback on The Miz for his betrayal at WrestleMania, and all indications are that he’ll get his chance for exactly that.

As far as in-ring action goes, Raw has a Raw Women’s Championship rematch on tap between Bianca Belair and Carmella. Because of her inability to focus on the task at hand, Bianca actually lost to ‘Mella the first time, but because it was by countout, she retained her title. She’ll try to win this second go-round and move on to what awaits in Nashville.

AEW Dynamite preview – Fyter Fest Week 2 – Wednesday, July 20, Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia

AEW remains in the Peach State for the second week of Fyter Fest, and it’s got an explosive bout as the headliner for Dynamite. Eddie Kingston will get his wish for “barbed wire everywhere” to make Chris Jericho bleed, but The Wizard has promised it’ll be his Painmaker persona who shows up for the Barbed Wire Death Match. Also, Jericho Appreciation Society will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage for reasons.

Also on tap for this week’s Dynamite:

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, July 22, TD Garden, Boston

Hey, this is a big city and deserves a big SmackDown, right? WWE has obliged by promising an appearance by Brock Lesnar ahead of his Last Man Standing Match with Roman Reigns at SummerSlam. It’s been strange to have the build done without the two combatants in the same place at the same time, but it’s possible for two big attractions like these, and because Paul Heyman continues to keep the story moving along.

In contrast, Liv Morgan will come face to face with her SummerSlam challenger this week … but may wish she didn’t, as the challenger in question is Ronda Rousey. Will WWE do what it should probably have done a while back and just let Rowdy be a heel?

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Also advertised for SmackDown:

  • Shinsuke Nakamura has a second match against Ludwig Kaiser
  • The only thing that really matters: The Maximum Male Models show off their 2022 Beachwear Collection, and introduce the world to Max Dupri‘s sister, Maxxine Dupri

AEW Rampage preview – Fyter Fest Week 2 – Friday, July 22, Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia (taped on July 20)

Fyter Fest will look to close out with a bang, not a whimper, and should get a boost from Dante Martin vs. Lee Moriarity as Martin has already promised it will be a “Guaranteed Banger.”

We should learn more about the rest of the card on this week’s Dynamite, so stay tuned for what should be a good way to close out the week in Big 2 televised wrestling.

WWE SmackDown live results: Madcap Moss tries to shut up Theory

Check out WWE SmackDown live results from Orlando, where Madcap Moss will face Theory and Liv Morgan will take on Natalya.

As we head further into July, it’s getting closer and closer to SummerSlam SZN, which is earlier than usual this year since it’ll arrive at the end of the month. But there are plenty of twists and turns to go through before Nashville, some of which should play out on this week’s episode of SmackDown from the Amway Center in Orlando.

For starters, Madcap Moss will look to quiet the cocky Money in the Bank winner, Theory. Moss has noted that the briefcase is big, but he still thinks he can shove the whole thing inside Theory’s mouth. He’ll get a chance tonight.

Relatively new SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan will also be in action in Orlando. She’s going to have a stiff test at SummerSlam when Ronda Rousey comes looking for her rematch, but before she even gets to that point, she’ll have to face Natalya.

There’s also a big match in the tag team title picture, where The Usos and Street Profits have been circling each other for weeks in singles matches. Angelo Dawkins and Jimmy Uso will square off tonight, but the real intrigue will be the reveal of the special guest referee for the championship bout in Nashville.

Can’t watch live on Fox because you’ve got other plans for your Friday night? Happily, we don’t, so you can bookmark this page and get your SmackDown live results updated as they happen.