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WrestleMania SmackDown results 04/05/24: Jey Uso gets help from Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins

The Andre the Giant Battle Royal also produced a big winner at WrestleMania SmackDown from Philadelphia.

In unscripted sports, the idea of a tune-up game or match is a real thing. Think a boxer fighting an unranked journeyman prior to a big title fight, or Ohio State playing Akron in football before it heads to Michigan. Not in WWE, though, which subjects its stars to gut-wrenching, emotional contests the night before the Showcase of the Immortals, like tonight on WrestleMania SmackDown in Philadelphia.

Case in point: Jey Uso, who is going to take on his twin brother Jimmy Saturday at WrestleMania 40. If pro wrestling was a shoot, there’s approximately a 0% chance Jey would spend the night before battling it out against his younger but bigger brother, Solo Sikoa.

Why would you put yourself through the mental anguish and physical abuse? You wouldn’t. Yet here we are, and honestly it should be very entertaining.

Hopefully the same can be said about the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. It was a pretty cool idea once upon a time, a way to honor a one-of-a-kind WWE icon and get some additional people on the WrestleMania card. The winner gets a big trophy and everything.

Alas, WrestleMania got too big and popular to have filler matches, even intriguing ones like this, so it got shunted to SmackDown. There are worse fates; a strong argument could be made that this is better placement for the Andre than on the WrestleMania pre-show, when everyone is getting food and taking their last bathroom break before the Show of Shows gets rolling in earnest.

But still.

Anyway, this is all to say that while no one can wait for tomorrow night at Lincoln Financial Field, what’s happening tonight at Wells Fargo Center should also be fun. Let’s see if that’s the case.

WrestleMania SmackDown results from Philadelphia:

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

  • A hype video for WrestleMania narrated by Meek Mill gets you … well, hype
  • The KO Show welcomes Randy Orton, and when they both get mocked by Logan Paul, they decide to head across the street to pursue him
  • Bronson Reed wins the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, last eliminating Ivar
  • A highlight video replays the end of Raw, with The Bloodline beating the crap out of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
  • Karrion Kross says he targeted Bobby Lashley to teach him humility, scoffing at the idea that Lashley was left out of WrestleMania last year for any reason other than WWE not wanting him in it; Kross also says The Final Testament will win on Sunday, etc.
  • Now Logan Paul is in the building, thinking he’s outsmarted KO and Orton but quickly learning he’s wrong
  • The LWO discovers Dragon Lee has been laid out backstage
  • Elektra Lopez def. Zelina Vega by pinfall with lots of help from Legado Del Fantasma and Dominik Mysterio; Andrade is also out there but he reveals his true colors by standing with the LWO
  • Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi are ready for WrestleMania
  • Jey Uso is fired up and wants to hear some yeets before he tangles with his big little brother
  • Rey Mysterio gets some bad news: Dragon Lee can’t compete at WrestleMania; Andrade says he’ll step up and team with Rey, so that seems official
  • New Catch Republic def. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller by pinfall, but both teams immediately get jumped by The Judgment Day after the bell
  • A hype video for Bayley takes us through her history with Damage CTRL and how it’s led to her showdown with IYO SKY, who also gives her side of the story
  • LA Knight cuts a short but passionate promo ahead of his WrestleMania grudge match with AJ Styles
  • The Pride says they will finish things with The Final Testament in the Street Fight
  • Jey Uso def. Solo Sikoa by DQ due to interference by Jimmy Uso, but Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins come to the rescue and Cody gets to cut one last pre-WrestleMania promo

The KO Show welcomes Randy Orton, who agrees with KO to go after Logan Paul

Like we’ve been saying for a bit, even if Owens and Orton aren’t BFFs, the one thing that unites them is their intense dislike for Logan Paul. Speak of the devil, he interrupts from the WrestleMania XL stage, mocking both of his challengers.

Owens and Orton realize together that Lincoln Financial Field is right across the parking lot and decide to head over there. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller pop out from under the ring and run after them, probably because they were supposed to attack KO and Randy in the ring.

We then see Owens and Orton get in a golf cart to roll over to The Linc, with Theory and Waller chasing them on foot.

Now Logan Paul is in the building, but his plan has gone awry

Guess Owens and Orton never caught up with Paul at the football stadium, as he’s now back at Wells Fargo Center. He gets right to work making fun of both them and the denizens of Philadelphia. As one does, if one is a heel.

Paul brags about playing 4D chess and says Theory and Waller will successfully ambush our heroes. He throws it to the Linc, where A-Town Down Under is perplexed as Owens and Orton are nowhere to be found.

“Did you do a thorough search?” Of course they did not, as Owens and Orton sneak into the ring. A Stunner and an RKO are quick to follow. Think this definitely means Paul is winning Sunday, but we shall see.

Bianca Belair, Naomi and Jade Cargill are ready for WrestleMania

Belair has a little Cowboy Carter going on tonight as she reminds us that she has the longest history of fighting back against Damage CTRL. It’s time to stop them for good, which is possible now that Naomi is here, and they agree that they needed each other.

But they’re still outnumbered, so it’s good they have someone new on their side: the new-EST SmackDown superstar, Jade Cargill. She’s dressed like a cowboy too, and gives Damage CTRL a shoutout for giving her the opportunity to show the WWE Universe what she’s all about.

The Big 3 will show everyone why “there is no Damage CTRL.” Asuka, Kairi and Dakota are now in the eye of the storm, and the three faces point at the WrestleMania sign again.

Jey Uso vs. Solo Sikoa ends in hijinks, and Cody Rhodes has the last word before WrestleMania

Well, it doesn’t start well for Jey as Solo smashes him into the apron, but that’s about all we get before commercials.

Will he fight back to the point where the crowd can yeet? Come on, of course.

A hip attack by Jey allows him to cover for two. There are eight minutes left in the show, but you feel like a few minutes might be reserved for hijinks.

Sikoa hits a Samoan Drop, but his Samoan Spike attempt is countered with a superkick and a spear. Jey’s Uso Splash is on target and WHAT DID WE TELL YOU? Jimmy Uso attacks and breaks up the pin.

Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins hustle down to the ring, and now that Solo and Jimmy are down, Rhodes removes his weight belt and gets in a few shots. Jey won’t let Jimmy escape, and he ends up getting rolled back into the ring to eat a Cross Rhodes, a belt shot from Rollins and an Uso Splash.

Cody grabs a mic and asks if everyone can feel the 40 years of WrestleMania history. Tomorrow night, he and Seth will slap the Final Boss so hard his soul will lift out of his body and he’ll remember what it’s like to be The People’s Champion. On Sunday (Sunday! Sunday!), Cody says he’ll dethrone the Tribal Chief.

The fans start a “Cody” chant as he says he’s fighting for everyone who’s ever had a dream. After all, when one story ends, an even better one begins.

WWE SmackDown results 02/16/24: The Rock officially joins The Bloodline

The Elimination Chamber fields are set except for one women’s spot after WWE SmackDown in Salt Lake City.

Haven’t been watching WWE long enough to remember the Two-Man Power Trip? No worries, because The Rock and Roman Reigns are doing their best to update the concept for the 2020s, which we’ll see again tonight on WWE SmackDown from Salt Lake City.

It’s been a little more than a week since the WrestleMania XL Kickoff in Las Vegas shook up the landscape along the Road to WrestleMania. It wasn’t just that Cody Rhodes stepped up and challenged Reigns again, bumping The Rock out of the way.

The more surprising development was that The Great One sided with the Tribal Chief, potentially adding one of the most famed champions in WWE history to The Bloodline. That’s pretty much a complete 180 from when it looked like those two men would be doing battle in the main event in Philly.

WWE wants us to think tonight’s show will answer the big unanswered question after Rhodes shuffled everything, which is what role The Rock will play at WrestleMania 40. Since Rhodes and Seth Rollins are on Raw, we probably won’t get a definitive answer tonight, but we should at least find out if things are leaning toward a tag team match, perhaps on night 1.

The other big thing that will happen in Salt Lake City will be finding several more competitors for the Elimination Chamber matches set for eight days from now in Perth, Australia. Two men and two women will join those bouts after tonight’s qualifiers, which will finish off the men’s field and leave just one spot left for the women.

That means it should be a fast-moving show and an eventful two hours. Off we go to find out.

WWE SmackDown results from Salt Lake City:

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

  • A big Ford pickup truck pulls up to the arena earlier tonight, and out hops The Rock
  • Dominik Mysterio get some mic time ahead of his qualifier, but you know that just means the fans get to boo the crap out of him
  • Kevin Owens def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • Drew McIntyre says everyone wants to win the Chamber match, but he’s the only one who needs to win it, for himself and all of WWE; LA Knight arrives to throw some water on that idea as only he can, and they eventually need to be separated
  • Earlier today, The Bloodline arrives, and Roman Reigns tells Jimmy Uso they’re going to fix everything Cody messed up
  • Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate are feeling good ahead of their tag team title shot at Elimination Chamber; when an angry Mysterio dismisses their chances as he passes by, they challenge him and R-Truth to a match, but he responds that Truth isn’t part of The Judgment Day and they should know that
  • Tiffany Stratton def. Zelina Vega by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match; a slight distraction by Elektra Lopez furthers the LWO-Legado Del Fantasma beef too
  • Things get heated in the locker room between Karl Anderson and AJ Styles, so any hopes of The O.C. getting back on the same page appears dead for right now
  • IYO SKY delivers a taunting message for Bayley, and, alongside Asuka and Kairi Sane, says no one is ready for Damage CTRL
  • Authors of Pain def. Javier Bernal and Beau Morris by pinfall in a quick squash match
  • Byron Saxton gets a word with Logan Paul, who says everyone should be thankful for seeing his first live match on SmackDown and also says he’ll win tonight, at Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania to become a double champ
  • Logan Paul def. The Miz by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • Stratton is making no friends backstage, annoying Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, and eventually, Jade Cargill
  • Paul Heyman is shown speaking with Grayson Waller outside the Bloodline dressing room
  • Naomi def. Alba Fyre by submission in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
  • Dakota Kai approaches Bayley, but the Role Model still isn’t sure who she can trust and doesn’t want to discuss it right now
  • Aldis says one of the free agents he’s been talking to is no longer a free agent: Bron Breakker has signed to be on SmackDown
  • Roman Reigns and The Rock are in your city, and The Rock is in The Bloodline now

[lawrence-related id=45594]

Kevin Owens is in Elimination Chamber, and that’s the (R-)truth

Dom gets an early taste of KO’s power and doesn’t like it. He fires back with an athletic combo that ends with a dropkick, but Owens sends him out to the floor. Dom manages to walk away to avoid any chance of a dive to the floor, but he eats a right hand while avoiding the steel steps.

KO turns and gets a surprise in the form of R-Truth, and his sudden appearance gives the momentum back to Mysterio, who quickly earns a near fall.

After commercials it’s still Dom on the attack, with Truth looking concerned for … Owens, we guess? The crowd comes alive as KO rallies by simply punching and stomping the heck out of Mysterio until he ends up on the outside. A lariat sets up a running senton, and back into the ring they go.

Truth calls for a Cannonball, which KO delivers after a crotch chop. There’s a frog splash, but Dirty Dom digs deep to kick out.

Mysterio counters a Popup Powerbomb with a facebuster (sort of) and a near fall. Dom wants Three Amigos but ends up getting outdone by his opponent. Mysterio counters the final suplex with a DDT for two.

Shortly after, KO finds the mark with a Swanton Bomb, but Mysterio is able to kick out yet again. Dom responds with a 619, which still isn’t enough to win it. Mysterio tells Truth to get a chair, even telling him he’s in The Judgment Day if he does it.

Truth grabs a chair from the timekeeper’s area … but sits in it instead of handing it over.

Owens delivers a superkick and a Popup Powerbomb, and that’s the end of that.

Logan Paul’s double champ plan continues with a victory over The Miz

The announcers put over how hard it is to believe that this is Paul’s first match on SmackDown, and it is a little wild. He and Miz know each other well, of course, having worked together when Paul was first breaking into WWE.

Paul isn’t quite on target with a standing moonsault, showing a little of his inexperience, as Nick Aldis is shown watching the action from a luxury box with Jade Cargill and Bron Breakker, among others.

Miz’s strikes back Paul into a corner, where the It Kicks draw applause from the fans. His corner attack is on target as well, but Paul has some fight left and sends Miz hard into the ringpost. A jumping clothesline sets up a splash on the apron before a commercial break.

Miz is feeling his second wind after that, with a Hart Attack to send Paul to the canvas. A flatliner follows, and the A-Lister covers for a two count.

Double knees in the corner don’t finish Paul either, so Miz keeps working over the right knee that Logan has been selling from early in the bout. Paul isn’t finished, though, hitting Miz with his own finisher and earning a near fall.

This one still isn’t out of gas, as they fight to the floor and Paul gets brass knux from his buddy again. Miz rushes in and clobbers him, angrily taking the weapon for himself. But Paul is able to take advantage of the brief moment of confusion, dragging Miz back into the ring for an inverted Skull Crushing Finale and a victory to secure a spot in Elimination Chamber.

Roman Reigns welcomes The Rock to The Bloodline

With all of The Bloodline beside him, Reigns heads to the ring for some acknowledgement. He lets the crowd reaction soak in for some time before he even says a word.

“Can I be honest with all of you?” Reigns finally says. The Tribal Chief calls the people of Utah idiots, at least collectively. He doesn’t want them to mess up the “greatest night ever in WWE,” to which they immediately chime in with “Cody” chants.

The occasion, however, is that tonight is the first night we can say The Rock is a member of The Bloodline. That brings out The People’s Champ himself, to a very loud and somewhat mixed reaction. But we’ll have to wait through commercials to see what he says.

The Rock tells the fans they’ve broken a Utah state indoor attendance record … for the biggest group of trailer park trash The Rock has ever seen. He says they’ll all have a story to tell about looking greatness in the face.

This side of The Rock has been there all along, even if we haven’t seen it in years. He blames the people for having the biggest WrestleMania event in years in their hands and flushing it down the toilet by pining for Cody having the chance to finish his story.

But what is Cody’s story? After all, Reigns beat Rhodes last year at WrestleMania. Should he get a rematch? The Rock talks about teams from real sports who get to the championship game, lose and move on. But the fans here don’t understand that because they’re “spoiled, entitled, little crybaby bitches.”

The Rock says he’ll do anything to ensure Rhodes leaves a loser like he is now … if you smell what The Bloodline is cooking.

WWE SmackDown results 12/22/23: Heroes can’t unite against The Bloodline

AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton found themselves at odds despite a common cause on WWE SmackDown.

We’ve arrived at the final WWE SmackDown of 2023, as next week is set to be a “Best of 2023” recap show. So even though this edition was taped last Friday, it’s still promising to be of some interest before we turn the page into 2024.

For starters, the semifinals of the United States Championship Tournament are both tonight. Kevin Owens probably thought when he started this thing that he’d get the chance to punch both Austin Theory and Grayson Waller in the face, something we already know he enjoys doing. But Carmelo Hayes upset those plans by defeating Waller, and now something has to give when he goes up against KO tonight.

The other side of the bracket sees Bobby Lashley collide with Santos Escobar, and of the two of them, Escobar probably has the better story going with this particular title. We’ll see if that plays into the thinking behind the outcome.

Also in store for us tonight are a Holiday Havoc eight-woman tag team match pitting a collection of faces led by Bianca Belair against Damage CTRL, and what we presume will be the main event between AJ Styles and Solo Sikoa. Styles, in particular, might also have some explaining to do after his dramatic and perplexing return last week.

So we might be going out with a bang. Let’s find out, shall we?

WWE SmackDown results:

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

  • A lengthy replay of everything from last week involving Randy Orton, The Bloodline, LA Knight and the returning AJ Styles is shown to open the show (which of course happened right before this episode was taped, heh)
  • Will AJ Styles, LA Knight or Randy Orton get to face Roman Reigns first?
  • Bianca Belair, Michin, Shotzi and Zelina Vega def. Damage CTRL by pinfall in a Holiday Havoc match, with an unexpected assist when Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn attack the Kabuki Warriors during the match
  • Roman Reigns looks annoyed by Jimmy Uso’s continued football analogies and asks Paul Heyman to bring Aldis to him
  • Dragon Lee def. Butch by pinfall to retain the NXT North American Championship
  • Aldis arrives to speak with Reigns, who tells Heyman to leave before telling the GM that everything goes through him; Aldis says he’s an executive, not a “middle management” type like Adam Pearce, and he’s definitely not backing down from the matches he’s booked
  • Kevin Owens def. Carmelo Hayes by pinfall in a United States Championship Tournament semifinal
  • Michin is happy to see Styles back, but he doesn’t seem as pleased to see her or The O.C., answering Karl Anderson’s question about whether they’re good by saying, “I don’t know, are we?”
  • A spooky Karrion Kross and Scarlett video suggests WWE still isn’t giving up on them, and hints that he’s getting some reinforcements soon
  • Santos Escobar def. Bobby Lashley by pinfall in aUnited States Championship Tournament semifinal, getting some help from two masked men who then reveal themselves to be Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza (the former Los Lotharios)
  • Butch is in no mood for Pretty Deadly’s carols, so Aldis tells him to find a tag team partner to battle the duo (presumably in two weeks)
  • Logan Paul cuts a short promo video mocking both Escobar and Owens
  • AJ Styles def. Solo Sikoa by DQ, as an attack by Roman Reigns leads to a huge brawl involving Jimmy Uso, Orton and Knight; the show ends with Styles, Knight and Orton brawling among each other as the Bloodline watches from the ramp

AJ Styles wants Roman Reigns, but so do LA Knight and Randy Orton … and they’ll all have a chance for a shot at the Tribal Chief

Still clad in black, Styles notes how Randy Orton and LA Knight want a piece of Roman Reigns. And while he doesn’t blame either of them, he also doesn’t give a damn about either one of them. He should be first in line, he reckons, to go up against Reigns at Royal Rumble.

Knight isn’t going to let that go without a word of his own, or most likely, more than one word. He says he doesn’t want to argue with Styles, because AJ can have Roman after he gets him first. But after last week, maybe AJ can get some first.

Styles says Knight “stepped over my dead body” to get a match with John Cena and then face Reigns at Crown Jewel. It looks like they may come to blows, but they pause as Orton also makes his way down the ramp.

The Viper appreciates the issues the other two men have, but Knight says both Orton and Styles have been taken out by The Bloodline while he never has. General manager Nick Aldis makes his way out to interject, admitting that each of the three men have a claim to face Reigns, so he’ll give them all a shot. In two weeks at SmackDown New Year’s Revolution, Styles, Knight and Orton will have a Triple Threat match, with the winner getting Roman at Royal Rumble.

Styles says it’s fine, because he’s willing to do whatever it takes. But if either of them gets close to the ring when he fights Solo Sikoa, he’ll take them out.

Bianca Belair, Michin, Shotzi and Zelina Vega get the better of Damage CTRL in Holiday Havoc

Both teams go right after each other as soon as the bell rings, and while it’s just one pinfall or submission to win, other than that, anything goes. IYO SKY and Bianca Belair have a chance to go one-on-one early on, but Bayley soon puts an end to that.

Shotzi looks happy to unwrap a steel chair from a big present, but neither she nor Bayley are able to use it on each other right away. Shotzi finally is able to launch herself off the chair onto Bayley’s back, and she dives between Michin’s legs to land on SKY and Bayley on the floor.

The Kabuki Warriors bring kendo sticks decorated like candy canes into play, but Belair and Shotzi find some of their own. They also have their eyes on a table, yet it’s Bayley and SKY who are able to utilize it as a weapon.

The broadcast breaks for commercials and returns to find people getting suplexed onto presents. Michin powerbombs Asuka but gets dropkicked by SKY, requiring a save by Belair.

That sets off a series of pinfall attempts and offense, with a pumpkin pie and Asuka’s mist all entering the fray. Bayley directs traffic for her side, helping Asuka and Kairi Sane stomp on Belair outside the ring.

To make things even crazier Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre emerge from two of the large present boxes by the end of the ramp, attacking the Kabuki Warriors. That leaves Bayley and SKY in trouble, and Michin nails a top rope legdrop on IYO that sends the champ through a table and keeps her down for three.

Carmelo Hayes brings his ‘A’ game, still falls a bit short against KO

The announcers ponder early on whether Carmelo will target KO’s injured hand. Some nice mat wrestling kicks things off, with Hayes more than willing to trade holds.

Both men evade each other’s offense until Hayes can connect on a dropkick. Owens rallies with strikes as he is wont to do. A big chop gets Melo’s attention, but Owens grabs his right hand after delivering it.

A springboard clothesline from Hayes swings the momentum quickly, but only until KO can drive him into the steel steps. Commercials are next.

Hayes is in control when we return, scoring a near fall with a nice axe kick. A tilt-a-whirl facebuster earns him another two count in short order.

KO responds by spiking Hayes with a DDT out of the corner, surprising the announcers when Carmelo kicks out. They trade superkicks before Owens lays in more strikes, but the popup powerbomb is countered by a Codebreaker. Hayes wants Nothing But Net but gets caught by a popup powerbomb, yet he’s (barely) able to kick out.

An undeterred Owens his a Swanton Bomb, then the Stunner to win it, sending himself to the tournament final.

Santos Escobar gets help to advance to tourney final past Bobby Lashley

Lashley looks like he wants to end this early if he can, taking it right to his opponent and hurling Escobar across the ring several times. He also catches Santos coming off the top rope and sends him directly out to the floor.

Escobar flies to the floor right after a commercial break, and the Street Profits are urging Lashley to get back into it. He’s at least able to kick out at two and pull himself back to his feet, but he takes double knees to the face in the corner.

Santos hits the double knees again, sending Bobby to his knees. A third knee strike allows Escobar to open up with punches and kicks, and he grins until the All Mighty frees himself from trouble and hits a flatliner.

Lashley stalks his prey but is distracted by security dealing with two masked men attacking the Profits. Escobar capitalizes on the chaos, rolling up Lashley with a handful of tights to get the three count.

The men unmask to reveal themselves as Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza, showing that Santos has a new familia.

AJ Styles vs. Solo Sikoa devolves into six-man chaos

This should be fun, especially since Styles is going right at Sikoa as soon as the bell rings. Can he simply chop Solo down to size? Well, no, at least not this quickly since the first return shot from Sikoa sends him to the mat.

Styles finally puts a stop to Sikoa’s offense, driving his foe to the floor with an enzuigiri and following with a sliding knee. A springboard forearm is on target as well before commercials.

As is often the case, things have changed during the break, with Sikoa whipping Styles into the corner and hammering him as the fans boo. A big headbutt is next, leading to a cover that never looks close to winning it.

Styles hammers some chops but is Irish whipped into the turnbuckles even harder this time. Sikoa adds more misery with a hip attack, reveling in this slower pace.

AJ rallies to at least roll away from a top rope headbutt, then hits a sliding forearm and springboard moonsault for a near fall. Styles’ strikes are answers by a popup Samoan Drop, forcing him to kick out at two to continue.

Wriggling out of a fireman’s carry, Styles hits a Pele kick. The fans come to life as they see him hit another forearm, then dodge a Samoan Spike to roll Sikoa up for two.

Can AJ really hit the Styles Clash on Solo? Not now, though he does deliver the Phenomenal Forearm … only to see Sikoa roll out of the ring. Roman Reigns picks that opportunity to attack Styles, causing a DQ and lots of thumbs down from the fans.

Styles fights off Reigns but gets ambushed from behind by Sikoa. Randy Orton’s music hits to bring the Viper to the ring … then Jimmy Uso, and finally LA Knight. Working together, Knight and Orton are able to clear the Bloodline from the ring, though an angry Styles ends up starting a fight with both of them.

With the faces throwing hands at each other, Reigns holds his men back and just watches things continue to devolve as the show goes off the air.

WWE SmackDown preview 12/22/23: ‘Twas 3 nights before Christmas

Who’s ready for AJ Styles vs. Solo Sikoa and some Holiday Havoc tonight on WWE SmackDown?

Hello WWE fans. You know what? WWE SmackDown is not live tonight, as the wrestlers and employees of the company are getting a well deserved holiday break. But you know something else? WWE is going to act like the show isn’t pre-taped, so in the holiday spirit, we are too.

Here’s what to watch for tonight on FOX.

What’s going on with AJ Styles?

It’s fun that AJ Styles is back. He looks like he spent all his time off TV lifting weights.

But while he still seems to have no love for The Bloodline, that doesn’t mean he’s cool with the likes of LA Knight either. Is Styles a ‘tweener now? Or will we get more insight into his current state of mind before the year ends?

One thing we do know is that he’ll have to be on top of his game as he faces Solo Sikoa on SmackDown.

Who will advance in the United States Championship Tournament?

We’re getting closer to the end of the tournament to decide who will be the No. 1 contender for Logan Paul. Two more matches on tonight’s show may go a long way toward hinting at where WWE is taking this.

Kevin Owens has to deal with upstart Carmelo Hayes in one match, while Bobby Lashley battles Santos Escobar in the other. It feels like KO vs. Logan is the endgame of all of this, but there could still be some surprises on SmackDown to call that into question.

What kind of madness will Holiday Havoc bring?

OK, WWE has already given us one match this week with holiday-themed weapons, so maybe we shouldn’t get greedy. Nevertheless, with this name, there come a few expectations, and it’s always fun to see Damage CTRL in action, even if it’s against a fairly thrown together opposing team of Bianca Belair, Michin, Shotzi and Zelina Vega.

The final SmackDown before the holidays will head our way at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll be recapping it as if it were live right here tonight on Wrestling Junkie.

WWE SmackDown results 12/15/23: Roman Reigns returns to chaos, including a confusing AJ Styles

Also on WWE SmackDown, Carmelo Hayes got a big win.

The Tribal Chief. The Head of the Table. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Roman Reigns has many other names, but no matter how you refer to him, he is “The Man” on Friday nights. Or at least he is when he’s around, which he will be tonight on WWE SmackDown in Green Bay.

He’s supposed to be back to handle “Tribal Business,” which likely means he feels the need to ensure The Bloodline is the dominant force in WWE. There are some definite signs that is no longer the case, particularly with Jimmy Uso (who’s been a bit on the periphery of the group anyway) and Solo Sikoa taking a big ‘L’ last week against LA Knight and Randy Orton.

Reigns has already faced Knight at Crown Jewel and beat him, with some help, but circumstances have unfolded in such a way that Orton has never had his shot at the Tribal Chief. The Viper will face Jimmy Uso tonight, but you can’t help but get the feeling that Orton and Reigns are on a collision course that leads to Royal Rumble. Maybe.

It’s also a big night for Carmelo Hayes. Supposedly hand-picked by Shawn Michaels to participate in the United States Title Tournament (which is only for a shot at the title), he’ll face Grayson Waller, someone he’s run into before in NXT.

All this and much more await us tonight in Green Bay. Let’s see what’s what.

WWE SmackDown results from Green Bay:

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

  • Roman Reigns praises Solo Sikoa and dismisses a challenge from Randy Orton
  • A hype video tells viewers more about Carmelo Hayes ahead of his match tonight
  • Carmelo Hayes def. Grayson Waller by pinfall in a United States Championship Tournament first round match
  • LA Knight runs into Orton backstage, reminding him “how those numbers work” with The Bloodline, and they bicker just a bit about who’s going to be the one to take down Reigns
  • Kevin Owens def. Austin Theory by pinfall in a United States Championship Tournament first round match
  • Reigns sits with The Bloodline and stews about Orton ruining their night, and Jimmy Uso sort of reluctantly accepts his role before saying “yeet” … and then taking it back as Roman slowly turns and glares at him
  • A video promo has Karrion Kross promising that “everything is about to crumble”
  • Cameron Grimes congratulates KO on laying out Theory, and he also gets a bit of a warning from Hayes before they meet in the next round
  • Bayley brags about Damage CTRL getting closer to her original vision of becoming the most powerful faction in WWE, and the rest of the members back her assertion that they’ll win all the titles
  • Kanuki Warriors def. Michin and Zelina Vega by pinfall, getting a little help from both Bayley and Dakota Kai
  • Jimmy Uso muses that he feels like he’s being set up and asks Solo Sikoa if he’d give him a heads up if that was the case; Sikoa responds “I’m your brother”
  • A video promo is shown for Santos Escobar, as he promises to defeat Bobby Lashley before going on to become the new United States Champion
  • Lashley delivers his response in a live promo, flanked by the Street Profits, all dressed to the nines
  • Randy Orton def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall, thanks in part to LA Knight neutralizing Solo Sikoa, but …
  • … Reigns lays out Knight on the ramp and heads in to trade shots with Orton; Uso, Knight and Sikoa all get involved as well, and so does AJ Styles, who sneaks in from the back and connects with a Phenomenal Forearm on Reigns, quickly clearing the ring
  • We’re not quite done, though, as Styles attacks Knight from behind and walks right by The Bloodline on his way back up the ramp

Roman Reigns is in the sights of Randy Orton

Back for the first time in a while, Reigns asks the fans to acknowledge him and then shit their mouths citing too many boos. It’s the holiday season, though, and Roman says he’s in the mood to celebrate. He’s a fair boss and in the mood to hand out a promotion.

The Tribal Chief says one man has done all he could for The Bloodline over the past year and is next in line if something happens to him. Jimmy Uso clearly is acting like he thinks it’s him, but it’s actually Solo Sikoa he means, and Reigns gives Solo a hug.

That’s when Randy Orton’s music hits, bringing the Viper out as the show goes to commercials. After the people in the arena apparently listened to Randy’s theme for two-plus minutes, Orton climbs in the ring as the crowd chants his name.

The Viper says he’s been thinking about what he wants to do and say in this moment for 18 months, but all he needs to say is “I’m coming for you.” Orton plans on taking everything away from Reigns, starting tonight and ending at Royal Rumble, as he lays out a challenge for that very event.

Dismissively, Roman says he hasn’t though about Randy for 18 months, and since he hasn’t done anything to earn a title shot, he can get in the back of the line. It’s not 2007, and Roman says he’s levels above him and everybody else. If they would meet, Reigns says, it will be “retirement” for Orton.

Maybe Reigns is right, Orton says. He admits that the Tribal Chief has evolved for the better, into a legend. But even though Orton has evolved as well, one thing he will always be … is a Legend Killer. Orton fakes an RKO and Reigns bids a hasty retreat, and Randy jokes that the voices in his head say Roman might have just crapped his pants.

And one more thing: Daddy’s back.

Carmelo Hayes makes a successful debut, catches Nothing But Net against Grayson Waller

A video is shown of Logan Paul dismissing Hayes by calling him “random guy,” so you have to figure he’s going to win here and at least tease heading toward a match with Paul. Even Corey Graves, the heel announcer, is vouching for Carmelo, so you know WWE is trying to push him as a legit talent (which he definitely is).

The opening minutes are all Grayson, but Hayes finally gets in some offense that includes his Fadeaway and a springboard torpedo. But Waller reclaims the momentum during an ad break, with Hayes selling damage to his left knee and Waller scoring a near fall with a Flatliner.

A pump kick and tilt-a-whirl facebuster get Hayes right back into it with a two count. Waller responds with a move I don’t even know the name of out of the corner (a flipping, inverted legdrop, sort of?) and gets another near fall.

Hayes’ springboard DDT leads to some frustration on his face when it isn’t enough to finish the match. He perseveres, however, delivering the First 48 and Nothing But Net to win and advance.

Kevin Owens turns his weakness to a strength to beat Austin Theory

The narrative here is that KO has a broken right hand and is wrestling with a special cast as a result. Theory surely won’t take try to take advantage of that. Surely not.

Even with two good hands, Theory isn’t off to the greatest start, so he regroups before heading for the apron. That only gets him a cannonball, though he’s able to roll away when Owens heads to the top rope.

Theory hits a rolling dropkick and suplexes Owens on the apron as commercials arrive. We return to find Theory getting his knees up on KO’s Swanton Bomb, then stomping away.

KO chops away with his left hand and stomps Theory right back near the ropes. A flurry of offense ends with a DDT, but Theory kicks out at two. Another near fall has Owens in “what is it going to take?” territory, but it’s his foe that gets the next two count with a seated springboard Spanish fly. That’s fun stuff.

Owens responds with a superplex, selling the pain to his right hand as he sees Theory crawl to the floor. He gets crotched on the barricade and takes a rolling Blockbuster back in the ring, but Owens fights on.

Theory ends up in the Tree of Woe to take a cannonball, and KO follows with a Swanton Bomb .,. and that still doesn’t end it. Theory finally does the sensible thing and starts stomping on his foe’s injured arm, but Owens says screw it and lays him out with a big right hand (possibly aided by the cast), finally finishing this one.

Randy Orton has someone watching his back while defeating Jimmy Uso

Jimmy smiles as he takes an early timeout on the outside, the perfect excuse to go to a commercial break right after the bell. That timeout didn’t do much for him, as he’s bounced off the announce table and slowly worked over back in the ring.

Uso finally is able to get his offense untracked, hammering Orton down in a corner and delivering a hip attack to earn a near fall. He also avoids vintage Orton and elevates the Viper out to the floor, where he lands hard on his knee.

The fans are urging on Orton after more commercials, and he doesn’t miss this time with the elevated DDT. He hears the voices now, but there are still nine minutes left so the end can’t be coming just yet. Sure enough, Solo Sikoa’s music hits and the Enforcer comes partway down the ramp before he’s attacked by LA Knight. Orton hits an RKO and somewhat surprisingly, it’s over.

 

WWE SmackDown results 11/17/23: The Man has come around for WarGames

LA Knight also completed step one of his mission on this week’s WWE SmackDown from Evansville.

Bianca Belair thought she got one over on Damage CTRL last week when she got Charlotte Flair and Asuka to team with her … only to find Asuka was simply waiting to betray them and join the villains. Whether Bianca has one more trick up her sleeve will be a big thing to watch tonight on WWE SmackDown from Evansville, Ind.

There’s also intrigue around The Bloodline, and when is there not? Solo Sikoa makes his way back to SmackDown tonight for the first time since he put a hellacious beating on John Cena, and Jimmy Uso takes on LA Knight. Methinks those two things might end up interconnected before it’s all said and done.

Evansville, let’s roll.

WWE SmackDown results from Evansville:

  • Road Dogg joins Kevin Patrick and Michael Cole tonight on commentary as Corey Graves remains on paternity leave
  • With the newly enlarged Damage CTRL standing in the ring, Bayley brags about her plan to bring in Asuka and calls the group the strongest faction in WWE right now; when they agree to challenge Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Shotzi to WarGames, the three faces try a sneak attack and are quickly driven off
  • Belair wants to know why Shotzi jumped the gun on their payback, and Bianca thinks Charlotte knows someone who can help them; meanwhile, GM Nick Aldis tells them he needs to know their fourth member by the end of the night
  • Street Profits def. Brawling Brutes and Pretty Deadly to become the No. 1 contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, in large part because Butch accidentally hits a Brogue Kick on Ridge Holland; meanwhile, B-Fab stops by again to talk to Bobby Lashley, who is watching backstage
  • Belair is shown talking to Michin backstage as part of her recruiting attempt, but after a commercial break, we see that Damage CTRL has already found Michin and taken her out
  • Dragon Lee def. Axiom by pinfall
  • Santos Escobar talks about the famous expression that you should never meet your heroes, and mainly is upset that Rey Mysterio sided with an “outsider” like Carlito over him; Escobar doubles down and says he hopes Mysterio never comes back, which brings a distraught Zelina Vega to the ring to smack him …
  • … and then Escobar drives the last nail in the coffin of his time with the LWO by attacking Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde, though he takes off when Carlito rushes out to confront him
  • Grayson Waller def. Cameron Grimes by pinfall, with an assist from Austin Theory
  • Belair talks to a still upset Vega, but after commercials, we see that Damage CTRL has found and beaten Zelina up too
  • Paul Heyman wants to do an acknowledgement ceremony for Solo Sikoa and claims that John Cena will never appear in a WWE ring again thanks to Solo; since Cena can’t do a rebuttal, LA Knight appears instead, promising to run through The Bloodline one by one beginning with Jimmy Uso tonight
  • Belair tells Flair they’re out of options and she needs to make the call, and Charlotte breaths deeply before agreeing
  • LA Knight def. Jimmy Uso by pinfall, but he takes a Samoan Spike from Sikoa after the bell and needs to be bailed out by Cody Rhodes
  • “I called her, but I don’t know if she’s going to make it in time,” Flair says to Belair and Shotzi before they head to the ring
  • Aldis tells Rhodes he needs to hit the bricks
  • Flair says they accept the WarGames challenge and sounds ready to reveal the fourth member of their team when Bayley and Damage CTRL come out to brag about taking out every possible candidate; the heels want to storm the ring, but our heroes are reinforced by Becky Lynch and the show ends with all eight women still in the middle of a huge brawl

WWE SmackDown results 10/13/23: Roman Reigns returns, Triple H names new General Managers

Roman Reigns’ return, the trade pick being revealed, and a Triple H announcement headlined this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

WWE never takes a break, though the Oct. 13 episode of SmackDown has been dubbed the “season premiere” of the show. Two big appearances have been announced in advance, making it anything but an ordinary show.

Triple H will make an appearance during the show, likely to announce something meaningful as he did when he announced the WWE Draft earlier this year. We can only speculate what he has in store, but whatever it is, will it impact the upcoming busy month that includes Crown Jewel and Survivor Series?

Going one step further, Roman Reigns, the long-lost Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, will grace the blue brand for the first time in two months. The Bloodline has experienced plenty since his last appearance, including Jey Uso’s defection to Raw and Jimmy Uso’s return to the group following a dramatic breakup.

The Tribal Chief will surely have plenty to say as Crown Jewel approaches, and his title could be challenged by a fresh face. A few weeks ago, LA Knight dropped Reigns’ name as someone he’s chasing, which might hint at what’s to come.

Following his momentous NXT appearance, John Cena will be present. Does he have something to say about Tuesday night, or what happened at Fastlane?

Let’s see what the night has in store, and if the build to Crown Jewel continues.

WWE SmackDown results from Tulsa:

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

  • Roman Reigns returns to interrupt John Cena, who welcomes LA Knight as the next deserving challenger to Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
  • Pretty Deadly def. The Brawling Brutes by pinfall
  • A video package shows Carlito’s return at Fastlane.
  • Carlito says the only word to describe his return is “cool.” Bobby Lashley interrupts to welcome him back and references their past. But when Carlito asks for a match, The Street Profits attack him from behind.
  • While everyone tends to Carlito backstage, Bayley and Zelina Vega have a heated back-and-forth that leads to Adam Pearce granting them a match.
  • Roman Reigns says all that matters is the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, and calls Jey Uso holding the tag titles with Cody Rhodes a disgrace and a slap in the face.
  • A highlight package shows IYO SKY retaining her WWE Women’s Championship at Fastlane.
  • Bayley def. IYO SKY via pinfall
  • Triple H announces Adam Pearce as the new Raw General Manager, but he names before SmackDown’s General Manager, Dominik Mysterio interrupts to complain about Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes defending their titles before they face Judgment Day. Triple H tells Mysterio to direct his complaints to SmackDown’s new General Manager, Nick Aldis, who immediately welcomes Kevin Owens as the blue brand’s newest superstar.
  • Reigns is upset with there being many people he doesn’t like now on SmackDown.
  • A video package plays for Dragon Lee.
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven tell Aldis to do something about their tag team titles being cursed. But Aldis says he has a meeting with Charlotte Flair. He tells Charlotte he saw what happened at Fastlane, and that she’ll go head-to-head with IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s Championship next week.
  • When Charlotte turns to leave, Jade Cargill meets her face-to-face with Triple H. Flair says to save the intro because she knows who Cargill is.
  • Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso def. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship by pinfall
  • LA Knight def. Solo Sikoa by pinfall

John Cena welcomes LA Knight as Roman Reigns’ next challenger

With a raucous reaction, the fans are more than ready for “The Greatest of All Time” in Tulsa. He welcomes everyone to the season premiere of SmackDown, but Roman Reigns wastes no time, interrupting Cena, with Paul Heyman and his recolored hair and Solo Sikoa, to make his first WWE appearance in two months.

Reigns orders Cena to open “his show” properly and tells Tulsa to acknowledge him as a Tribal Chief. Reigns doubts Cena’s presence, claiming he only returned because Reigns is gone and questions Cena’s “Greatest of All Time” moniker. Reigns then proclaims himself to be “that guy” and warns Cena to leave or he will make him leave.

Cena hypes up being in the same ring as Reigns and acknowledges him. Despite not challenging Reigns tonight as he hasn’t earned it, Cena suggests someone who has and the crowd erupts for LA Knight’s music.

Knight rattles off a bunch of things about Reigns, questioning if a defending champion sits at home. Reigns tries to put Knight down, but when he retorts, Jimmy Uso attacks Knight from behind. However, Uso gets quickly disposed of. Knight then stares down Reigns and Sikoa, causing them to retreat, but not before Knight challenges Sikoa to a match for tonight.

Elton Prince returns with a victory

After months sidelined due to injury, Elton Prince is back in action with Kit Wilson.

Butch targets Prince’s rehabilitated shoulder immediately as he and Wilson struggle to get ahead on the Brawling Brutes, while also taking simultaneous punches to the chest to dampen the early stages of their return.

Returning from the commercial break, Wilson maintains control of Butch while Prince tags in to lay some punches on the former Pete Dunne.

A dropkick connects on both members of Pretty Deadly, allowing Ridge Holland to make the hot tag and lay body slams on Prince and Wilson. As Prince goes to the top rope, Holland picks up the formerly injured member of the tag team and slams him for a near-fall.

Prince feigns a knee injury, fooling the referee, while Wilson takes advantage and kicks Holland in the face. Prince quickly rolls a stunned Holland for the pin.

Zelina Vega falls to the numbers game

Zelina Vega gets the most of Bayley early, but after she attempts an Irish whip, Bayley clotheslines her to take control and nearly gets a pinfall after a leg drop.

As Bayley tries a Bayley-to-Belly, Vega counters and hits a 619 in tribute to Rey Mysterio. She hits a meteora for a near-fall, but IYO SKY distracts Vega, allowing Bayley to hit a Rose Plant for the win.

Charlotte Flair, running in heels, rushes down to make the save as Bayley and IYO SKY attack Vega after the match.

Triple H names Raw and SmackDown’s new General Managers

It’s a welcome sight when The Game arrives, but already in the ring is Adam Pearce, which is unusual. Triple H praises the crowd and says Crown Jewel and Survivor series are near, and the build all begins on the season premiere.

Triple H heaps praise on Adam Pearce, an unsung hero of WWE, and gives him an ovation while acknowledging his in-ring work too. He thanks Pearce for overseeing both Raw and SmackDown, a difficult job to do solo.

Dominik Mysterio interrupts Triple H’s announcement of SmackDown’s head honcho to say Fastlane wasn’t successful, but the boos drown out his words as Pearce gets promoted to general manager of Raw.

Triple H laughs at how loud the crowd is, but he acknowledges Mysterio’s words before telling him to direct his complaints to the new SmackDown general manager, Nick Aldis.

Aldis welcomes SmackDown’s newest superstar, Kevin Owens, as part of the deal that sent Jey Uso to Raw. Immediately, Owens enters the ring and hits a stunner on Mysterio, and Aldis holds his hand high to close the segment.

Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso remain successful fighting champions

Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso are making their second title defense of the week, and if they win, it’ll be three matches with the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship on the line with Monday’s match against The Judgment Day.

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, a recently formed tag team, answered an open challenger for this match, which is also their first title bout together.

Rhodes attempts an early Figure Four on Theory, but fails to lock it in, prompting Waller to tag in. Uso tags in and hits a few moves, but when he doesn’t spot Theory tagging in, the match takes a turn in the heels’ favor.

With Theory still in control, Uso tries fighting back, but an elbow from Waller from the second rope draws a near-fall.

Uso makes the hot tag to Rhodes, who hits a powerslam on Theory and a disaster kick. He takes Waller out of the equation, but it allows Theory to take advantage briefly.

Uso superkicks Theory, which sets up their Cody 1-Day move. The American Nightmare then hits Cross-Rhodes for the win to retain the tag titles.

Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa confront Jey and Rhodes after the match, with Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman not far behind. Reigns and Rhodes stare each other down before Nick Aldis breaks it up.

LA Knight topples Solo Sikoa, but Roman Reigns has something to say

As a potential match with Reigns brews, LA Knight must first conquer Sikoa.

The Bloodline’s muscle takes immediate control, but Knight counters the early offense with a neckbreaker for a quick kickout.

Knight fails to pick up Sikoa, who hits a nasty chop in the corner, but gets knocked out of the ring and brought to the ringside barricade. When Knight tries a suplex from the apron to the mat at ringside, Solo blocks it and shoves Knight into the ring post.

Knight breaks a hold from Sikoa, but when attempting to pick him up again, Sikoa drops an elbow and a belly-to-belly suplex to nearly score a pin.

Working his way back, Knight hits a bulldog from the second rope to get a two-count. But Sikoa fires back with a Samoan drop.

Missing Knight and going head-first into the turnbuckle throws Sikoa off his game and allows Knight to work his comeback, including a running knee. A sharp powerslam takes Sikoa down, but Jimmy Uso runs in to distract Knight.

However, John Cena saves Knight and hits an AA on Jimmy, but he takes a Samoan spike for his troubles. It’s enough for Knight to hit a BFT for the win.

Roman Reigns comes from out of nowhere to spear Knight. He holds the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship high to close SmackDown.

WWE SmackDown preview 08/25/23: SKY vs. Vega, Bray Wyatt tribute

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown is said to have a “significant tribute element” for the late Bray Wyatt.

The stunning, unexpected death of Bray Wyatt this week has tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown in Lousiville in a state of flux. Some of what was initially promoted for the show now appears to be off, including a segment with the return of Jimmy Uso.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful says there is expected to be a “significant tribute element” for Wyatt.

Two matches look like they are still on tap for tonight. One will see IYO SKY make her first televised defense of the WWE Women’s Championship against Zelina Vega.

The other match that remains on for now pits Vega’s LWO teammate, Rey Mysterio, against Grayson Waller. Mysterio’s United States Championship is not on the line, but the two men have an ongoing issue that goes beyond the title.

It’s possible that WWE will release additional information about what to expect from the Wyatt tribute elements, and we’ll update this post with more information if and when it comes in. What’s sure to be an emotional WWE SmackDown takes place at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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 results 07/14/23: Jey Uso stands tall, Asuka barely escapes

The WWE Women’s Championship match ended in hijinks in Raleigh, likely surprising no one.

Sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind, go for it and worry about the consequences later. That’s what Jey Uso did last week on WWE SmackDown, getting some revenge for what happened to his brother Jimmy with the help of a steel chair.

The problem is the consequences might only be coming tonight in Raleigh. Jey naming himself the “judge, jury and executioner” made for a tasty sound bite, but surely Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa won’t be cool with him feeling like he’s got the upper hand. The world will be watching considering the Bloodline drama remains the biggest attraction on WWE TV at the moment.

The women’s division should have stakes just as high if not higher tonight. Asuka is ready to put her WWE Women’s Championship on the line against Bianca Belair after the latter worked for weeks for a chance to get a shot at the title again,

Will the two women actually be able to settle things just among themselves, though? That’s far from certain, what with IYO SKY poised to potentially cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase without warning and Charlotte Flair also waiting in the wings for her own title match. Expect fireworks, and potential hijinks as well.

We’ll also see Sheamus and Ridge Holland look for some payback against Pretty Deadly. And there’s a Fatal 4-Way scheduled that will lead the winner to be one match away from a United States Championship bout.

We’re set to dive in for all the action.

WWE SmackDown results from Raleigh:

Jey Uso is shown walking backstage as Michael Cole describes him as being “on the warpath.”

Bianca Belair hits the ring ahead of her title match and gets a very warm reaction from the fans in Raleigh. Though she knows people say patience is a virtue, Bianca reminds us how long she’s been waiting and all the hoops she’s had to jump through to get what should have been hers all along.

She promises to give Asuka exactly what she deserves but is interrupted to absolutely no one’s surprise by Charlotte Flair. The Queen says she believes Belair will win tonight and makes it very clear she’s first in line. If Belair does indeed win, it’s on for SummerSlam.

Sheamus gives his Brawling Brutes teammates a pep talk since all of them have big things going on tonight. Speaking of which …

Pretty Deadly def. Sheamus and Ridge Holland by pinfall

A strong start for the Brutes includes tandem 10 Beats of the Bodhran that actually goes well past 10. Things change during a commercial break, however, as Pretty Deadly is able to smother Sheamus with the help of some quick tags. Interestingly, Holland is portrayed as the one Pretty Deadly wants no part of.

Holland does his best to live up to that billing, suplexing one of his foes into the other. Sheamus also goes off the top rope to the floor, something you don’t see every day.

Alas, it doesn’t help, as an exposed steel turnbuckle proves to be enough to knock Ridge woozy, and a leg drop off the top puts him away.

Cathy Kelley catches up with Grayson Waller backstage, who seems really pleased that The Rock has been watching him. He also can’t wait to have his hand raised in the Fatal 4-Way.

The Tribal Court of Roman Reigns segment from last week’s SmackDown is replayed to build up anticipation for the Bloodline business tonight.

Flair tells Adam Pearce she feels so good about Bianca’s chances against Asuka tonight that she’s leaving the arena, but she changes her mind when she sees Damage CTRL is lurking.

Bayley def. Zelina Vega by pinfall

Poor Zelina feels like she’s been getting more of a push lately, but she loses in very quick fashion here.

Shotzi appears on the big screen and asks whether she looks scared just because Damage CTRL cut off some of her hair. She says she’ll show them she’s in control and unafraid and proves it by cutting off a lot more of her hair. Needless to say, she doesn’t sound very in control.

The crowd decides to “what” Jey as he talks about how he and Jimmy were inseparable growing up. He says twins are special, as they know how the other feels and end up feeling that too. When Jimmy is hurt, he’s hurt too, and he just can’t believe their current hurt was caused by a family member.

Jey has venom for Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and even Paul Heyman, but it’s the last name on the list who interrupts him. Heyman introduces himself and Sikoa even though they need no introduction, and declares that Solo is there to “enforce the peace.”

In the great spirit of Bloodline gaslighting, Heyman says that what happened to Jimmy is all Jey’s fault. He was the one who rose up against Reigns and wanted to be the Tribal Chief, after all.

Heyman continues by suggesting that Jey’s family members will never forgive him. And wow, even Solo asks for the mic. He insists he won’t forgive Jey either, and now they quickly progress to throwing hands.

Jey wins their brief exchange, however, sending Sikoa to the floor and leaving Heyman alone in the ring. The fans like that, but of course, Solo is back in time to keep Paul out of danger … but only for a little, as Heyman does end up eating a superkick before Jey launches himself into a suicide dive at Solo on the floor.

Oh, forgot to mention a chair is in the ring too, and Solo ends up eating some shots from it that otherwise would have been labeled for the Wiseman. This round goes to Jey, no question.

Santos Escobar def. Butch, Grayson Waller and AJ Styles

Austin Theory joins the announcers to check this one out since the winner will be one step closer to challenging for his title. He talks a lot about beating John Cena and seems to be especially irritated by Waller, which is odd since they’re both heels.

There’s a cool triple powerbomb spot that sees Escobar sunset flip over all three of the other combatants to set it in motion. Just when it appears Styles might be in position to win, Karrion Kross is shown on the big screen beating on The O.C. Styles leaves the match as a result, and Escobar takes advantage, pinning Butch to advance to face the winner of a second Fatal 4-Way next week.

The Street Profits are outside as a limo pulls up … and Bobby Lashley gets out. He invites Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins inside for a talk, and the car rolls out of there.

Rey Mysterio, Cameron Grimes and Sheamus all cut short promos about being in the second Fatal 4-Way next week. But in the actual arena, LA Knight talks to the fans live, getting a huge reaction and making it clear he’s going to win that match next Friday.

Bianca Belair def. Asuka by DQ in a WWE Women’s Championship match; Asuka retains

The bell hasn’t even rung before Bayley and IYO SKY make their way down to the first row of the crowd, with Bayley proudly displaying the tickets that mean they belong there. Flair has her own ticket and marches down in the same direction.

It should come as no surprise that when the action moves to the floor, with Bianca hitting a KOD on the announce table, both Bayley and Flair get involved. SKY sends Flair into the ringpost, and when Charlotte tries to get some payback with a spear, she hits Bianca instead.

SKY clobbers Charlotte from behind with the briefcase, and it looks like Damage CTRL wants to cash the briefcase in. Asuka hits Bayley with the mist to the face, however, and hightails it out of there since IYO never officially cashed in. So close for IYO, but not this week,