It’s time to get those picks in. WWE SmackDown is hitting Corpus Christi tonight, and it’s bringing the 2023 WWE Draft with it.
Triple H has promised that this year’s draft will truly “change the game,” and assuming he wasn’t just trying to get in one more pun involving his nickname from his wrestling days, we’re looking forward to how things will get shaken up.
That’s far from the only big thing happening during this week’s SmackDown, however. There’s also the not so little matter of a rematch for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, one now held by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn following their dramatic victory at WrestleMania 39 earlier this month.
The Usos have a chance to get their gold back, but what happens if they fail? Jey and Jimmy dedicated the match to their Tribal Chief, but if they come up short, they’re likely to face his wrath — especially since Paul Heyman has let them know Roman Reigns is already losing patience with them.
(As an aside, The Usos can also be drafted separately from Reigns and Solo Sikoa, which is something to keep an eye on over the next few days.)
The other notable match promoted ahead of tonight’s show will see Zelina Vega take on Sonya Deville. Vega bravely called for a title shot against Rhea Ripley at Backlash and got what she asked for, but now the hard work begins. She’ll be looking to get a dub against Deville to make sure she heads to Puerto Rico with some momentum.
What else do you need to get psyched for this Friday’s show? Probably not much, we’d wager.
WWE SmackDown results from Corpus Christi:
(Click here for WWE Draft picks updated throughout the night and click on any match with a link for more details)
- Triple H introduces the first segment of the WWE Draft, announcing that the post-draft rosters will go into effect on May 8, the Raw after Backlash; with Roman Reigns as part of the first overall pick, the World Heavyweight Championship becomes exclusive to Raw
- The Usos double down on dedicating their championship rematch to Reigns, but are joined on stage by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn and everyone agrees the time for talking is over
- LA Knight def. Butch by pinfall
- Heyman says tonight is the night, but Jey Uso doesn’t seem to be digging this pep talk as much as Jimmy
- Rob Van Dam (Raw) and Michael Hayes (SmackDown) come out to the podiums to read the next two rounds of WWE Draft picks
- The Street Profits (who are headed to SmackDown) still want the smoke
- Street Profits def. Braun Strowman and Ricochet and LWO (Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinning Ricochet
- Teddy Long (Raw) and JBL (SmackDown) come out to announce the Round 3 draft picks
- Zelina Vega def. Sonya Deville by pinfall, then gets assaulted by Rhea Ripley (who also smashes Deville), who looks for Riptide but sees it countered into a DDT
- Zelina gets props from Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio, with Rey telling her not to worry about what anyone else thinks of her chances at Backlash
- The O.C. heads to the ring, including the returning AJ Styles, are confronted by the Viking Raiders and Valhalla, and Styles ducks out of the way so there’s an even six-person brawl, and The O.C. quickly wins it … and Styles delivers a Phenomenal Forearm for good measure
- Road Dogg (Raw) and Shawn Michaels (SmackDown) hit the stage to make the fourth and final round of WWE Draft picks for the night
- Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre are interviewed after being selected for SmackDown but get challenged for their titles before they leave NXT
- Shinsuke Nakamura is asked about heading to Raw but gets laid out by Karrion Kross
- Heyman says he and Solo aren’t going out to the ring because the Tribal Chief wants the spotlight on The Usos, but he’s been acting sus all night
- Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. The Usos by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship