WWE has announced that Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci) will face Braun Strowman, Ricochet & Madcap Moss on SmackDown tonight. The match comes after Gunther retained his Intercontinental title against Moss last Friday.
After last week’s Intercontinental title match, WWE uploaded a post-show video teasing a heel turn for Moss and Emma. Moss agreed with Emma when Emma said he only lost because the crowd turned on him.
Strowman & Ricochet defeated Kaiser & Vinci in the finals of SmackDown’s Tag Team title number one contender’s tournament earlier this month. Strowman & Ricochet went on to unsuccessfully challenge The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team titles.
Tonight’s SmackDown is being held at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. It’s the first episode of the show since Elimination Chamber.
Here’s the updated card for tonight:
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair goes face-to-face with her WrestleMania 39 challenger Rhea Ripley
Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House returns
Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross
Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci) vs. Braun Strowman, Ricochet & Madcap Moss
The build to Elimination Chamber continues on tonight’s SmackDown from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defend their titles against Braun Strowman & Ricochet tonight. Tension continues to build in The Bloodline since Jey Uso walked out on them at the Royal Rumble. He’s had no contact with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns or anyone else since the Sami Zayn beatdown. Last week, Jimmy Uso was confident his brother would show up for the title defense tonight, but Reigns disagreed.
Zayn attacked Reigns later that night to a huge pop. Reigns blamed the problems in The Bloodline and Jey’s absence on Zayn. That led to Reigns agreeing to defend his title against Zayn at Elimination Chamber in Montreal.
Tonight’s episode also includes a fatal four-way match to determine the next challenger for Gunther’s Intercontinental title. Rey Mysterio, Karrion Kross, Madcap Moss, and Santos Escobar will compete in the match.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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– A video package recapped The Bloodline-Sami Zayn angle, notably Jey Uso walking out on The Bloodline.
Paul Heyman-Sami Zayn Segment
Heyman and Zayn were excellent in this segment. They both played their roles great. It was also the first part in a series of segments furthering The Bloodline storyline. Tonight was all built around Jey’s role in The Bloodline. The strong storyline was the highlight of the night.
Paul Heyman was already standing in the ring with the titles at the start of SmackDown. Heyman noted that since Brock Lesnar beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30, he doesn’t make predictions: he makes spoilers. He promised to make spoilers tonight.
Heyman pointed out that Roman Reigns is facing an attack from SmackDown and Raw. Heyman turned his attention to Sami Zayn, and the fans broke into a loud “Sami” chant. He asked the fans if they could imagine Zayn as the Undisputed champion, and the fans popped. Heyman laughed and announced the first spoiler. Zayn’s not at the show tonight. The fans booed.
Heyman mentioned that the island of relevancy is also facing an attack from Cody Rhodes on Raw. He mocked Rhodes for claiming he just wanted to challenge for a title, but everyone makes it personal. Of course, it’s personal. Heyman didn’t know Dusty Rhodes raised an idiot.
Heyman noted that without the titles, there’s no Bloodline, no Paul Heyman, and no Roman Reigns. Suddenly, Sami Zayn appeared behind Heyman to a huge reaction. The fans broke into a “Sami” chant. Zayn noted Heyman’s alone without the Bloodline because Reigns’ days as champion are over. The Bloodline is crumbling.
Everyone in the group knows it’s over. Zayn wondered what would happen to the Bloodline. He speculated if Jimmy and Jey would stay with their abusive cousin. He added that Solo Sikoa’s thinking for himself. He mocked Heyman for the way he looks at Reigns. Zayn said that it was weird.
Zayn promised to beat Reigns for the titles in eight days in Montreal. The fans broke into another “Sami” chant. Zayn pulled Heyman in for a hug and told him to tell Reigns not to worry about Cody. Zayn’s going to beat Reigns for the titles at Elimination Chamber.
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Drew McIntyre & Sheamus defeated Hit Row (w/B-Fab) (2:53)
McIntyre & Sheamus pretty much squashed Hit Row. They set up a match with The Viking Raiders for next week.
Earlier today, Hit Row approached Adam Pearce. They were mad that Ricochet and Braun Strowman entered the tournament. They claimed they beat Drew McIntyre and Sheamus and should have gone to the finals. Pearce decided to set up this match instead.
After a bad start, Hit Row took over and isolated Sheamus on their side of the ring. Sheamus tried to give Ashante “Thee” Adonis the ten beats of Bodhran, but Top Dolla made the save. Sheamus gave Top Dolla that beating instead.
Sheamus took over and hit white noise on Adonis. He set up for the Brogue Kick when Top Dolla tried to jump in the ring. McIntyre cut him off with a claymore kick. Sheamus then hit the Brogue kick for the win.
After the match, a Viking Raiders vignette played on the screen. They called out McIntyre and Sheamus for next week.
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– In the back, Jimmy Uso called his brother Jey but didn’t get an answer. During the next match, they showed an inset of Jimmy calling Jey again without an answer.
*******
Lacey Evans defeated Carmen Harrass (2:07)
Evans dominated and won easily in another squash match. The crowd was dead. So far, the new version of Evans isn’t catching on with fans.
The finish came when Evans hit the women’s right and locked on the cobra clutch for the win.
******
– In the locker room, Jimmy Uso called Jey Uso again but couldn’t get ahold of him. Jimmy claimed that tonight was the biggest night of his career, and he couldn’t go without his partner.
Paul Heyman was sitting next to him. Heyman noted that a psychopathic Canadian cornered him, and Jimmy wasn’t there. Jimmy was trying to find Jey. Not even Solo’s there tonight. He asked Heyman to defend the titles with him. Heyman told Jimmy he was on his own. Jimmy still believes Jey’s going to show up. Heyman was skeptical.
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– The Progressive Match Flo of the week recapped Natalya winning the fatal four-way last week to earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber.
– In the back, Sonya Deville was speaking with Adam Pearce. Deville was furious that she’s not in Elimination Chamber. Pearce tried to explain that she had a title shot last week.
Chelsea Green approached Pearce. She was looking for the SmackDown manager to file a complaint against the Raw manager. That was funny. Pearce noted he’s the same manager. Green claimed to have facial amnesia. Eventually, Pearce made Green & Deville vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan for later.
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SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defeated Ricochet & Braun Strowman to retain the titles (13:16)
The Usos and Ricochet & Strowman had a fun match that dragged in the middle but picked up toward the end. The story of the match was Jey Uso showing up dramatically at the last minute. It was a well-done angle.
Jimmy came to the ring alone for the title defense. They did the special ring introductions. The ring announcer Samantha Irvin was great as she introduced Jimmy defending the titles on his own.
Suddenly, Jey Uso appeared in the crowd to a giant pop. Jey walked to the ring and hugged Jimmy to another big pop. Irvin finished the introduction.
Jey and Ricochet had an excellent exchange to start. Jey took down Ricochet with a shoulder tackle. Ricochet briefly fought back, but The Usos regained control.
Strowman and Ricochet worked together. Strowman threw Ricochet into Jimmy and sent him to ringside. The Usos regrouped. Ricochet maintained control and hit a standing moonsault for a near fall.
The Usos picked up the pace and hit a pop-up Samoan drop as they went to a break.
Ricochet and Jey traded shots, with Jey hitting a hard right. Jimmy went for a splash in the corner, but Ricochet caught him with a clothesline. Strowman and Jey tagged in, but Strowman ran wild. He sent Jimmy to ringside and hit a running splash in the corner.
Jey sent Strowman over the top rope and hit a superkick. He followed with a suicide dive and another superkick. Jey scored a near fall with a flying cross body. Jey rocked Strowman with a superkick, but he fell into his corner. Ricochet hit a springboard crossbody, middle rope moonsault, and shooting star press for a two-count.
Ricochet rocked Jimmy with a jumping knee, setting up Strowman’s running power slam. Ricochet hit a Swanton bomb off of Strowman’s shoulders. Ricochet had the match won, but Jey broke up the pin attempt. The fans broke into a “this is awesome” chant.
At ringside, Strowman charged at Jey. He crashed into the announce table when Jey moved out of the way. The finish came when Jey made a blind tag. Ricochet hit the shooting star press on Jimmy, but Jey hit the flying splash on Ricochet for the win.
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– Rey Mysterio discussed the fatal four-way and promised to win.
– Back from the break, The Usos were walking backstage. Jey said he always has Jimmy’s back. Jimmy wants to know if Jey’s still in the Bloodline. Jey’s not sure and walked off. Paul Heyman showed up. Jimmy claimed Jey didn’t say anything about staying in the Bloodline. Heyman seemed skeptical.
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Natalya-Shayna Baszler/Ronda Rousey Segment
Natalya talked about the Elimination Chamber and Shayna Baszler. She noted Shayna Baszler took her out of action. Natalya bragged about returning and taking Baszler’s place in the Elimination Chamber. She mocked Baszler for being a Ronda Rousey knockoff.
Shayna Baszler came out and entered the ring. Baszler’s frustrated with everyone mentioning Rousey. Baszler talked about her accomplishments.
Ronda Rousey walked out and entered the ring. She teased a confrontation with Baszler. Instead, they beat down Natalya and Shotzi, who tried to make the save.
******
– In the parking lot, Jey Uso ran into Sami Zayn. Zayn knows Roman Reigns will remember Jey’s actions at the Royal Rumble.
Zayn thanked Jey for walking out at the Rumble. He doesn’t know how, but he’s going to beat Reigns. He knows Jey wants to see Reigns lose the titles. Zayn then acknowledged Jey Uso. Zayn put out his fist, but Jey told him to leave. They finally did a fist bump to a big pop. This was a tremendous backstage segment.
******
– LA Knight spoke with Megan Morant. He refused to talk about the Pitch Black match and stormed off.
Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan defeated Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green (4:09)
Deville and Green isolated Morgan on their side of the ring. Morgan avoided Deville, who knocked down Green. Rodriguez got the hot tag and hit a fallaway slam on Deville. She followed with a twisting elbow for a near fall.
Deville tagged in Green, but she didn’t want to be in the match. Rodriguez hit the powerbomb, and Morgan followed with oblivion. Rodriguez then power bombed Morgan onto Green for the win.
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– Madcap Moss admitted things haven’t been going his way. Emma told him that he looked great. Moss credited Emma with looking so good. He promised to win the four-way later.
Michael Cole Interviews Charlotte Flair
Michael Cole had a sit-down interview with Charlotte Flair earlier today.
Cole discussed Flair and Rhea Ripley’s past and their upcoming match at WrestleMania 39. They talked about Ripley challenging Flair to a match three years ago at WrestleMania. They never mentioned it was for the NXT Championship. Flair noted Ripley was impressive, but she was green, and Flair won. Cole wondered if Ripley was on Flair’s level now. Flair believes it takes more than three years to get on her level. Flair promised to put Ripley in her place at WrestleMania.
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Fatal Four-Way Number One Contenders Match: Madcap Moss (w/Emma) defeated Karrion Kross (w/Scarlet), Rey Mysterio, and Santos Escobar (w/Zelina Vega) (12:57)
Madcap Moss got the surprise win in the fatal four-way main event. All four guys worked hard, with Mysterio and Escobar being the highlights.
Gunther and Imperium watched the match from the sky box.
In an inset interview, Santos Escobar promised to prove why he deserves a title shot next week.
Mysterio and Kross fought on one side of the ring as Escobar and Moss traded shots on the other. Kross sent Moss to the floor and tried to focus on Mysterio. Escobar and Kross argued over beating up Mysterio. Kross threw Escobar out of the ring.
Mysterio caught Kross with a seated senton. Escobar sent Mysterio into Kross, hitting a hurricanrana. Moss recovered and ran wild on Escobar and Kross.
Escobar and Mysterio squared off one-on-one. Escobar caught Mysterio with a dropkick. Mysterio fought back and set up for the 619, but Kross made the save.
Back from the break, Moss ran wild with running shoulder tackles on all three. Moss then hit a spinebuster on Kross for a near fall. Mysterio took out Kross with a DDT. Escobar took advantage and hit the Phantom Driver on Mysterio, but Moss broke up the pin attempt.
Moss and Escobar fought on the top rope. Escobar got the better of Moss and hit a hurricanrana for a two-count.
Mysterio hit the 619 on Kross, but Scarlet tripped him up. Kross hit Mysterio in the back of the head, knocking him out. Escobar then tackled Kross to ringside. Moss took advantage and hit a flying elbow for the surprise win.
Moss challenges Gunther for the Intercontinental title next week.
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Jimmy Uso-Paul Heyman Segment
In the locker room, Paul Heyman approached Jimmy Uso. He just got off the phone with Roman Reigns. He admitted that Jimmy was right that Jey would have his back. He told Jimmy that they had Montreal figured out.
Reigns have a special assignment for The Usos. He wants them to stay home to watch Elimination Chamber because you get a different perspective from watching TV. Heyman implied that Reigns saw Jey and Jimmy’s exchange about the Bloodline and Jey talking to Sami Zayn. Jimmy was skeptical.
*******
Next Week: Drew McIntyre & Sheamus take on The Viking Raiders. Plus, Natalya & Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler. Intercontinental Champion Gunther defends his title against Madcap Moss.
Braun Strowman is teaming up with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers to raise money for a good cause.
On tonight’s SmackDown from Green Bay, Strowman will wear custom Packers boots to honor Jackson Sparks, an eight-year-old boy who was killed in the Waukesha Christmas parade attack in November 2021. The boots will be auctioned off to benefit a foundation that’s been set up to raise money for victims of the Christmas parade attack.
Braun Strowman teamed up with the #Packers to create custom boots to honor a young fan who was a victim in the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy.
“Unfortunately, last year there was a travesty in the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin and the Christmas parade. Hearing and seeing what awful things happened there last year, it reminded me of how special life really is and how important it is to support your community,” Strowman said.
“I found out that one of the young men that had passed away, one of his things that he always wanted to do was meet his wrestling hero Braun Strowman. That really spoke to me even more. It told me how I needed to do more for these people and for those families. So I had the awesome opportunity to work with the Green Bay Packers and I’m having a custom pair of boots made. So I will wear those while I’m here on January the 13th representing WWE. And those boots that I’m wearing are going to be auctioned off and all the proceeds are going to be donated to the Waukesha Christmas parade foundation. And I really want to say thank you to everyone that tries to bid on these boots and help a good cause. At the end of the day, I want to leave the world a little better than I found it. And each and every one of you can help do that right now. Thank you.”
Six people were killed and more than 60 were injured in the Christmas parade attack.
Strowman is challenging Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship on SmackDown tonight. The episode is taking place at Green Bay’s Resch Center.
The Intercontinental Championship will be on the line on the January 13 WWE SmackDown episode.
In a match announced during this week’s show, Gunther will defend the Intercontinental title against Braun Strowman on Friday, January 13.
Gunther and Strowman were involved in an angle on this week’s SmackDown where Gunther and Imperium attacked Strowman. Strowman laid out Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser, but Gunther hit Strowman with a steel chair. Ricochet then made the save for Strowman with his own chair.
Gunther has held the Intercontinental title since defeating Ricochet for the belt on the June 10 SmackDown show. Strowman had one short reign with the IC title from January 31 to March 8 2020, managing one successful title defense at a house show during his reign.
The lineup for the January 6 SmackDown:
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. Drew McIntyre & Sheamus
Royal Rumble qualifying match: Ricochet vs. Top Dolla
The lineup for the January 13 SmackDown:
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Braun Strowman
Tonight’s pre-taped edition of SmackDown takes place from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
Ricochet & Braun Strowman will team up to take on Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight. Last week, Intercontinental Champion Gunther retained his title with a win over Ricochet. After the match, Strowman saved Ricochet from an Imperium beatdown.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos look to continue their historic reign with a title defense against Hit Row. Hit Row won a triple threat number one contender’s match last week to earn the title shot.
Plus, there will be a number one contender’s gauntlet match featuring Liv Morgan, Tegan Nox, Raquel Rodriguez, Xia Li, Sonya Deville, and Emma. The winner will earn a future shot at Ronda Rousey’s SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Tonight is the second-to-last SmackDown of 2022. On next Friday’s show, John Cena makes his return as he and Kevin Owens face Roman Reigns & Sami Zayn. WWE will finish building to that match tonight.
Our coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The Bloodline Segment
It started out like a basic Bloodline segment, but Sami Zayn cut a passionate and killer promo by the end.
WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Sami Zayn entered the ring. Heyman promised that the Usos would successfully defend their titles against Hit Row tonight. Heyman turned his attention to next week’s SmackDown. He guaranteed that Sikoa would take out Sheamus.
Heyman talked about next week when Reigns and Zayn take on John Cena and Kevin Owens. Reigns took the mic, and the fans broke into a loud “Sami” chant. Reigns pointed out that he made millions whipping Cena and Owens. Reigns felt that Zayn has something to get off his chest.
Zayn just wanted a place to belong, and then he found The Bloodline. He loves the Bloodline and considers them his family. He loves the city too, which got a big pop. The fans broke into another loud “Sami” chant. Zayn should be happy, but he’s not. He’s unhappy because he’s tired of Owens. He’s mad at Owens for existing and is furious he brought back Cena. Zayn fired up, looked into the hard cam, and promised to smash Owens and Cena next week. Reigns and Zayn hugged to end the segment.
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Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos (w/Sami Zayn) defeated Hit Row (w/B-Fab) to retain (9:04)
As Hit Row made their entrance, Micheal Cole suggested Hit Row’s strategy should be to stay grounded.
Ashante “Thee” Adonis and Top Dolla gained the early advantage as they isolated Jey on their side of the ring. The Usos took over as Jey caught Top Dolla with a superkick. Top Dolla tried to fight back, but Jey attacked the leg as they went to a break.
The Usos continued to target Top Dolla’s left knee. Top Dolla responded with a spine buster and tagged Adonis. Adonis ran wild on Jimmy and hit a DDT. He followed with a flying crossbody for a close near fall. Top Dolla pulled out Jimmy and sent him into the ring steps.
Hit Row went for the Heavy Hitter in the ring, but Jey broke it up. The Usos took over and rocked Top Dollar with a double-superkick. They then hit the 1-D for the win.
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In the match Flo of the week, Gunther defeated Ricochet to retain the Intercontinental title.
Kayla Braxton spoke with Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. They promised to defeat Ricochet and Braun Strowman later tonight.
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Raquel Rodriguez Won The Number One Contender’s Gauntlet Match (23:29)
Typical WWE gauntlet match with a lot of quick falls and bad matches. Rodriguez vs. Morgan got the most time and was the best gauntlet match.
Xia Li defeated Emma
They finally addressed Xia Li costing Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox the tag team titles last week. They showed footage of Adam Pearce taking off Li’s hood.
Emma rocked Li with a running forearm and a crossbody tackle in the corner. Li recovered with a series of kicks. She then hit the cyclone kick for the win. They went about a minute before Li picked up the win.
Xia Li defeated Tegan Nox
Nox ran wild on Li and hit a flying crossbody for a near fall. They fought on the apron, with Li getting the better of Nox. Li then hit the cyclone kick for the win. Another quick minute of action and win for Li.
Raquel Rodriguez defeated Xia Li
They went to a commercial as Rodriguez made her entrance. After the break, Li sent Rodriguez to ringside and targeted her injured arm. Li followed up with a jumping knee.
Rodriguez recovered and hit a one-arm fallaway slam. She followed with the Vader Bomb elbow for a two-count. Li briefly took over. Rodriguez avoided the cyclone kick and hit the Texana bomb for the win.
Raquel Rodriguez defeated Liv Morgan
Morgan attempted the codebreaker, but Rodriguez blocked it. Morgan went for a hurricanrana, but Rodriguez stopped it mid-move. She tried countering with a powerbomb, but Morgan used a victory roll for a near fall.
Morgan caught Rodriguez with a sleeper hold. Rodriguez broke free as they went to a break.
Rodriguez gave Morgan a superplex to keep the momentum. After a splash in the corner, Morgan again attacked Rodriguez’s bad arm. She followed with a missile dropkick for a near fall. Morgan locked on the rings of Saturn, but Rodriguez stood up. Morgan held on and hit a codebreaker.
Morgan tried to fire up, but Rodriguez cut her off. She hit a fallaway slam and the Vader bomb elbow for a two-count. They traded shots in the middle of the ring until Rodriguez hit a boot to the face. Morgan took over, but Rodrigeuz blocked oblivion and hit the Texana bomb for the win.
Raquel Rodriguez defeated Sonya Deville
Deville attacked Rodriguez’s injured arm and hit a running knee for a near fall. Deville continued to target the arm. Rodriguez fought back and dropped Deville face-first. However, Deville recovered and went after the arm again. Rodriguez fought through the pain and hit the Texana bomb for the win.
Raquel Rodriguez defeated Shayna Baszler
Ronda Rousey came out and noted Rodriguez hadn’t won yet. She then introduced Shayna Baszler as the final entrant. Baszler went after Rodriguez’s bad arm and pulled off the brace. Rodriguez fought through the pain again and rolled up Baszler for the quick win.
Rodriguez gets a shot at Rousey’s title next week.
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Bray Wyatt Segment
They recapped the Bray Wyett-LA Knight feud. Micheal Cole noted Wyatt insisted that he’s not Uncle Howdy.
Bray Wyatt entered the ring and admitted it’s nerve-wracking to be out in front of the fans. He turned his attention to LA Knight and felt he deserved an apology. Wyatt pointed out that he’s not Uncle Howdy. He knows that everyone thought he was Uncle Howdy.
Suddenly, Wyatt lost his train of thought. He dropped the mic and attacked the cameraman. All the other cameramen zoomed in on the action instead of helping their fellow cameraman. Wyatt locked on the mandible claw on the cameraman until officials pulled him out. Wyatt sat in the corner in a trance.
After the break, Cole noted Adam Pearce removed Wyatt from the arena
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Rey Mysterio defeated Angel Garza (w/Humberto Carillo) (3:59)
Mysterio and Garza had a fun match while it lasted. They worked a Lucha style and got in a lot in 3 minutes.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett watched the match from the crowd.
Garza mocked Mysterio’s size, so Mysterio slapped him in the face. Mysterio picked up the pace but missed a springboard crossbody. Garza took advantage and hit a dropkick to the face. He slowed the pace and rocked him with a shot to the back. However, Mysterio fired up and hit a top rope senton.
Mysterio went for the 619, but Humberto pulled out Garza. Instead, Mysterio took out Carillo with a dive. Garza teased a 619, but Mysterio countered with a hurricanrana. Mysterio hit the 619 and a slingshot DDT for the win
Mysterio and Kross had a stare-down to end the segment.
*******
In the locker room, Ricochet and Braun Strowman discussed the upcoming match and promised to defeat Imperium in the street fight.
*******
Emma confronted Scarlett and Karrion Kross backstage. Emma was furious that they disrespected a legend in Rey Mysterio. She was also mad that they mocked Riddick Moss. Emma called him Riddick, not Madcap.
Scarlett mocked Emma. She heard enough and slapped Scarlett in the face. Kross stopped Scarlett from getting revenge. He told Emma she had no idea what she just did.
*******
They showed a John Cena video package.
They showed another Lacey Evans video package. She returns next week.
Miracle on 34th Street Fight: Ricochet & Braun Strowman defeated Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci) (11:55)
Ricochet and Strowman won a fun Christmas-themed Street Fight. It included Christmas Trees, candy cane kendo sticks, a ballerina in a gift box, The New Day as Nutcrackers, and Samantha Irvin reviving Ricochet with a kiss under the mistletoe.
As Ricochet and Strowman entered, Cole complained that the cameramen were eating the Christmas cookies at ringside. He called them idiots because the cookies were for the match. Man, those cameramen are taking a beating tonight.
Kaiser and Vinci were disgusted that they were participating in the street fight. Gunther started his vacation early and isn’t at ringside.
Imperium isolated Strowman in the ring and attacked his knee. Strowman fought back and dumped them to ringside. Ricochet ran up the barricade and caught Vinci with a hurricanrana.
Back from the break, Vinci ran Strowman into the ring post and Christmas tree. Ricochet went for a dive, but Kaiser caught him in an armbar.
Vinci grabbed a candy cane kendo stick, and beat down Ricochet. Strowman blocked a chair shot and tossed Vinci into the Christmas trees on the stage.
Imperium recovered and gave Strowman a double suplex on the stage. However, Ricochet recovered and rocked Vinci with a jumping knee. Ricochet went for a springboard, but Kaiser hit him with a vicious chair shot to the back.
Imperium then buried Strowman under a bunch of trees. For some reason, Imperium opened a gift on the stage, and a ballerina danced out. Imperium then opened a second gift and The New Day walked out as Nutcrackers. Since they’re Nutcrackers, New Day gave Imperium low blows. The fans broke into a loud “New Day Rocks” chant.
Strowman recovered and destroyed Imperium. That’s when Strowman realized his partner was still out. He grabbed the mistletoe and convinced ring announcer Samantha Irvin to kiss her boyfriend, Ricochet. Her kiss revived Ricochet, and he fired up. Strowman gave Kaiser a powerbomb through a table. Ricochet ran wild on Vinci, hitting a middle rope moonsault.
In the ring, Ricochet hit the recoil on Vinci into a power slam from Strowman. The finish came when Ricochet hit a splash off Strowman’s shoulders onto Vinci for the win.
Ricochet and Strowman celebrated their win after the match.
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Next Week: John Cena & Kevin Owens take on Roman Reigns & Sami Zayn. Also, SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey defends her title against Raquel Rodriguez. Plus, Solo Sikoa goes one-on-one with Sheamus.
During last Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, Jeff Jarrett took a shot at both at WWE and Braun Strowman in an effort to put over Satnam Singh, saying, “This ain’t no make-believe monster who wears red skinny jeans and is produced by the banana-nosed circus. No, this guy is one in a billion.”
On this week’s My World podcast, Jarrett attempted to rationalize his comments without backing off them.
The AEW on-screen performer and director of business development claimed the comment was his “Last Outlaw” character “just kind of taking a dig at a blanket statement of big men in wrestling and red skinny jeans, just an outfit and a circus and all that.”
He said he was focused on how to best put Singh over. He did seem to take umbrage with Strowman’s recently deleted tweets regarding he and Omos having a “47-star match” at WWE Crown Jewel and “that no one cares about all these floppy floppers.” He later claimed he was joking.
“…I was aware of him being, kind of, I don’t know if it’s naive or whatever you want to call it, when he takes a shot at the ‘flippy flop’ stuff. It’s almost tone deaf. In 2022, when you look at the landscape of all of pro wrestling, you want to resonate with your audience,” he explained.
Jarrett said he took offense to the “flippy flop” comment because he likes the diversity of the industry, using the Impact X-Division and lucha libre as examples.
“For him to take a shot at it, I thought, ‘Here’s a perfect opportunity to draw an analogy (to Singh), and Braun, whether he’s a former softball player or strongman, he’s got some accolades, but he’s certainly not a NBA player,” said Jarrett.”
Strowman didn’t respond on social media after the comments.
Two first-round matches in the tournament took place on the November 11 edition of WWE SmackDown. Santos Escobar defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to advance to the semifinals. Later in the show, Braun Strowman defeated Jinder Mahal to also advance in the tournament.
Two more first-round matches will take place on next week’s show. Mustafa Ali will face Ricochet and Sami Zayn will go one-on-one with Butch of the Brawling Brutes.
The winner of the tournament will earn a title match against Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship.
A report earlier today revealed the participants expected to take part in the World Cup. The only change to the announced lineup has Mustafa Ali added to the tournament and Rey Mysterio removed.
The November 18 edition of WWE SmackDown will take place from the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. Here is what has been announced for the show:
Shotzi vs. Shayna Baszler
SmackDown World Cup first-round match: Sami Zayn vs. Butch
SmackDown World Cup first-round match: Ricochet vs. Mustafa Ali
During Monday’s Raw, MVP cut a promo putting over Strowman, but ultimately said Strowman wasn’t comparable to Omos. MVP said they would be at SmackDown this Friday, and Omos would look down on Strowman because he fears no man. He ended the promo by saying that monsters aren’t real, but giants were.
In recent weeks, Omos and MVP have expressed interest in Strowman, watching Strowman backstage during his matches. On this past Friday’s SmackDown, Omos and MVP appeared in the crowd as Strowman faced two competitors in a squash match. After Strowman won, MVP cut a promo praising Strowman, but said that he looked normal next to Omos. MVP finished his promo by saying that some monsters stay in the shadows.
Here is the lineup for Friday’s SmackDown:
Logan Paul returns
WWE Women’s Tag Team titles: Damage CTRL defends against Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi
WWE SmackDown’s season premiere takes place tonight from the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. It’s the final stop before Extreme Rules on Saturday.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Logan Paul will be on hand tonight for a face-to-face confrontation ahead of their title match at November’s Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.
Intercontinental Champion Gunther defends against Sheamus tonight. This will be their first singles meeting since Gunther defeated Sheamus in one of WWE’s best matches of the year at Clash at the Castle. With Butch and Ridge Holland stuck in Florida, Sheamus tried fighting Imperium alone last week but was outnumbered and beaten down. All six men will battle at Extreme Rules in a Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook match.
Tonight will also see Solo Sikoa go one-on-one with Ricochet. Sikoa attacked Ricochet and Madcap Moss two weeks ago after they made fun of Sami Zayn. That led to a tag team match last week where Sikoa & Zayn defeated Ricochet & Moss.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
Triple H Segment
Triple H was standing in the ring and welcomed the fans to SmackDown on FOX. He noted that there will come a time when you think everything’s finished, but that’s the beginning. Most importantly, there was an obvious QR code on Triple H’s mic.
Michael Cole introduced his new partner Wade Barrett. Barrett and Cole were good for their first time together on SmackDown.
*******
Bloodline Segment
Everything about this segment was great. Paul Heyman cut an awesome promo on Logan Paul, followed by a great Zayn promo. Logan Paul was good in his role, trying to cause problems in the Bloodline.
Jey and Reigns were good in their brief stare-down as well. The fans added to the atmosphere and were on fire the entire segment. The only downside is that the fans booed Paul and treated him like the heel.
A video package recapped the Roman Reigns-Logan Paul press conference.
Universal Champions Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Sami Zayn made their way to the ring to a huge pop. The fans broke into a faint “Sami” chant as The Bloodline posed. Reigns demanded the fans acknowledge him to a giant reaction.
Logan Paul’s music interrupted to a lackluster response. He made his way to the ring but stood on the apron. The fans erupted in boos, and a booming “Logan sucks” chant. Zayn laughed in the background. Reigns pointed out that the fans used to boo him, but now, he’s the greatest.
Heyman called Paul this generation’s Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper. He said it hit him like Anderson Silvia would hit his brother Jake Paul. Heyman then compared Paul to the Kardashians. Heyman brought up other Internet personalities, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, and Andrew Tate. None of them would have the guts to step up to Reigns. He promised that the tribal chief would smash Paul in Saudi Arabia.
Paul finally spoke up to loud boos. He asked Heyman if Reigns was the tribal chief or Jey Uso. Uso got in Paul’s face yelling that he knew Paul was trying to cause problems. The fans cheered for Jey with chants of “Let him go” and “Uso.” Reigns didn’t like that comment and got in Jey’s face. Zayn grabbed the mic, and the fans erupted in cheers.
Zayn defended Jey and kept the peace. He blamed Logan Paul. Zayn added that Reigns would smash Paul at Crown Jewel, and the fans popped. He said Paul’s just a Youtube personality that wants to be a wrestler. Zayn said Paul’s just a number 2 and a stain. He ended by saying they’re the ones, and he’s the two. Paul walked off, and the Bloodline laughed at him.
*******
Sola Sikoa defeated Ricochet (8:16)
Ricochet and Sikoa had a good fast-paced match with lots of high-flying action and a cool finish. Even in losing, Ricochet looked strong.
Sikoa jumped Ricochet before the match. He had the early advantage, but Ricochet quickly recovered and hit a dive to the floor. A frustrated Sikoa grabbed a chair, but the referee took it away. Sikoa briefly took over, but Ricochet fought back. He went for a springboard, but Sikoa cut him off with a right hand. Ricochet landed hard on his neck.
Back from the break, Sikoa was firmly in control until Ricochet fought back. He caught Sikoa with a hurricanrana and a jumping knee. He followed up with a springboard drop kick and superkick. In a cool finish, Ricochet went for the 450 splash. Sikoa jumped to his feet, caught Ricochet mid-move, and hit the spinning solo for the win.
The Bloodline was watching the match in their locker room. Zayn bragged about mentoring Sikoa. Jey Uso lost his cool and started yelling at Zayn.
Zayn called him a hothead, and Jey freaked out. Reigns agreed that Jey is a hothead and has always been one. He’s always been The Bloodline’s problem, but now he’s Zayn’s problem. Zayn shook his head reluctantly as everyone looked around awkwardly.
********
In the back, Hit Row was on their way to the ring.
Back from the break, Sami Zayn and The Usos were walking down the hallway. Zayn tried apologizing for the previous segment. New Day approached and made fun of Jey Uso for Sami being his boss. Zayn challenged them to find a partner for a six-man tag match later.
********
Legado Del Fantasma with Zelina Vega Debuted
Legado Del Fantasma had a really strong debut. Most fans knew who they were before they took their masks off. They got a good reaction and came across as stars. Zelina Vega returned with a new look and got a strong reaction too. Plus, she’s a good fit for Legado Del Fantasma.
Hit Row came to the ring and posed when three masked luchadors in suits jumped Hit Row. They tossed Ashante “Thee” Adonis out of the ring and focused their attack on Top Dolla. B. Fab tried to check on Top Dolla when a Zelina Vega with blonde hair showed up. She attacked B. Fab and took her out with a running knee.
They posed in the ring and took off their masks to reveal Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, and Cruz Del Toro). The fans popped for the reveal.
*******
They aired a video of a white rabbit running to an “X.” It dug a hole, and fire shot out. Then the words tomorrow night and feed your hero flashed on the screen. It strongly hinted at Bray Wyatt’s return at Extreme Rules.
This was one of those short matches that didn’t have time to develop. Rodriguez looked good again as she dominated the heels.
Shozi and Raquel Rodriguez made their entrance on Shotzi’s tank.
The heels isolated Shotzi to gain control. Shotzi fought back, and Rodriguez got the hot tag. She ran wild on the heels hitting the Vader Bomb elbow on Deville. Shotzi took out Xia Li, and Rodriguez hit the Texana Bomb on Deville for the win.
*********
Cole and Barrett briefly discussed Gunther vs. Sheamus. They showed comments from former Intercontinental Champions on Twitter. In the back, The Brawling Brutes prepared for Sheamus’ match tonight.
A video package recapped Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey.
*******
Karrion Kross-Drew McIntyre Segment
Karrion Kross and Scarlett made their way to the ring. As Kross posed, Drew McIntyre appeared behind him. He attacked Kross as he turned around. He beat down Kross and put the leather strap around his wrist.
Security ran out to stop McIntyre, but he fought them off like Superman. Kross recovered and viciously beat down McIntyre. He tied McIntyre to the ropes and brutally whipped him with the strap several times.
********
Next, a mysterious vignette aired. It seemed to imply The Viking Raiders or possibly Sarah Logan, but that wasn’t clear. A person in Viking clothing with horns stood with their back to the camera in front of Viking shields. It featured the line “Valhalla awaits.”
*******
Braun Strowman & New Day defeated Sami Zayn & The Usos (10:30)
They pushed two main stories throughout the match. First, Zayn and Jey Uso’s arguing led to the Bloodline losing. Secondly, Cole pushed that New Day wants to prevent The Usos from breaking their title record.
The Usos were mad at Sami Zayn when Strowman came out as the mystery partner.
Kingston and Zayn went back and forth, but the faces quickly took over. Jey was furious at Zayn and kept yelling at him. New Day took advantage and dumped The Usos to the floor. They followed up with a double suicide dive. Zayn tried to help The Usos, but Jey yelled at him again.
During the break, Zayn caused a distraction so Jey could interfere. The heels took over and isolated Kington on their side of the ring. The fans broke into a loud “We want Braun” chant. Zayn was firmly in control when Jey tagged himself. He slapped Zayn hard on the back for the tag, which offended Zayn.
Jimmy tagged Zayn back in the ring to a faint “Sami” chant. Zayn and Jey briefly worked together, but they started arguing again. Kingston took advantage, and Strowman got the hot tag. He cleared the ring and splashed Jimmy in the corner. Strowman followed with a choke slam.
Jey and Zayn started arguing at ringside. Strowman noticed, ran around ringside, and shoulder-tackled them into the announce desk. Jey flew into Cole and knocked him down. Woods and Kingston then hit the backbreaker/double foot stomp on Jimmy for the win.
********
In the back, Max Dupri attacked the Maximum Male Models with a chair. Maxine tried to stop him and called him Max. He cut her off and said that’s not his name. He’s LA Knight. The fans popped.
*******
IntercontinentalChampionGunther defeated Sheamus(18:18) to retain the title
Gunther and Sheamus had an awesome hard-hitting match. They worked hard and just beat the hell out of each other again. Gunther had a bloody nose, and Sheamus’s chest was beet red within the first five minutes. Their last match was slightly better because they got a bit more time and the atmosphere in Cardiff. Still, this was a great SmackDown main event with a hot crowd.
There was a controversial moment when Sheamus had Gunther in the cloverleaf. Gunther appeared to tap, but the referee thought he was just reaching for the ropes. That probably sets up a rematch.
The bell rang, and they wasted no time. They started trading hard chops and clotheslines. Sheamus threw Gunther out of the ring and tossed him around. He threw Gunther into the barricade repeatedly as they went to a commercial. They only went about a minute before the commercial, but it was a fast and furious minute.
Back from the break, Gunther was in control until Sheamus hit a slam. Sheamus went for the ten beats of the bodhran, but Gunther blocked the first shot. They fought on the apron. Gunther took over and drove Sheamus’ hand into the exposed part of the turnbuckle.
Gunther and Sheamus traded shots in the ring again. Gunther locked on a sleeper. Sheamus got to his feet, so Gunther let it go. Sheamus and Gunther traded stiff shots in the middle of the ring again.
Back from the commercial, Gunther destroyed Sheamus with vicious chops. Sheamus challenged Gunther to hit him again to a big pop. Sheamus backed Gunther into the corner and beat him down.
Sheamus then hit the ten beats of bodhran on the top, middle, and bottom rope to a huge pop. Sheamus picked up Gunther for white noise, climbed up to the second turnbuckle, and hit white noise for a near fall. The fans broke into a loud “This is awesome” chant.
Sheamus went for the cloverleaf, but Gunther broke free. Gunther got back to his feet and powerbombed Sheamus for a close near fall. Gunther continued to attack and hit a diving splash for another close near fall. The fans broke into a loud “Sheamus” chant.
Gunther went for a clothesline, but Sheamus kicked the arm instead. Sheamus locked on the cloverleaf. Gunther appeared to tap out as he tried to reach for the ropes. The referee waived it off because Gunther was trying to grab the ropes to break the submission.
Sheamus and the fans were furious at the referee. They were certain Gunther tapped out, but she disagreed.
Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci ran down to encourage Gunther. Butch and Ridge Holland ran out for the save and attacked Imperium with a shillelagh.
As they brawled around ringside, Kaiser got ahold of the shillelagh and passed it to Gunther. Sheamus went for the brogue kick, but Gunther knocked him out with the shillelagh for the win.
Butch and Holland continued to brawl with Imperium around ringside. In the ring, Gunther posed with the title over a fallen Sheamus to end SmackDown.
*******
Next Week: Sami Zayn goes one-one with Kofi Kingston. Plus, LA Knight takes on mån.sôör.
Braun Strowman says his team “talked to everybody” during his free agency but he doesn’t ever plan on wrestling for anyone other than himself or WWE.
Strowman was released from WWE on June 2, 2021. He made his return on the September 5, 2022 edition of Raw. During an episode of After The Bell released on Friday, Strowman spoke about conversations his agent had with other companies during the time he was away from WWE.
“We talked to everybody, people reached out about stuff and I kind of played around with the ideas. I always said in interviews, and people thought I was stupid for it, I said I would never put on a pair of boots for anybody besides WWE and I stuck to my word. I never put on another pair of boots, I went out and started my own thing, worked for myself, gave young talent a place to come and work, make a living, hone their craft inside CYN. Like I said, I stuck to my guns, I will never wrestle for anyone other than myself or WWE and here we are, the monster is home,” Strowman said.
Strowman also commented on his release from the company and his feeling that perhaps he needed a break from WWE for a little while.
“I honestly needed a break. Nine years with the company at that point basically in the driver’s seat of a Ferrari doing 200 miles an hour for nine years straight, everything’s just blowing by you, tunnel vision. Now, I have this opportunity to step outside the bubble of the business and go ‘holy s**t, I have done a lot of stuff.’ In five and a half years, I’ve literally beaten everyone there is to beat in WWE, I’ve won every title except the US Championship, I’ve main event’ed every pay-per-view, I’ve sold out every building on this Earth, you name them, I’ve been in the ring with them.”
Tonight’s Clash at the Castle fallout edition of SmackDown takes place at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defeated Drew McIntyre last Saturday to retain his title in an intense battle. McIntyre had the match won until The Usos’ younger brother Solo Sikoa made his main roster debut. WWE will follow up on that tonight.
This Monday’s Raw saw Braun Strowman make his return to WWE. Strowman demolished all of the participants in a four-way tag match and later declared that he’s coming to SmackDown tonight.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan’s challenger for Extreme Rules will be determined by a five-way elimination match tonight. Ronda Rousey, Sonya Deville, Natalya, Xia Li, and Lacey Evans are the number one contender’s match participants.
The Street Profits will also team up with Hit Row in an eight-man tag match against Maximum Male Models & Los Lotharios on tonight’s show.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
The finish of Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre from Clash at the Castle aired with Sola Sikoa’s interference.
Michael Cole mentioned that Pat McAfee is fulfilling football obligations. Corey Graves takes McAfee’s place tonight. Graves is fine, but McAfee was missed.
Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci) defeated The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, & Butch) (19:01)
Now, this was a wild opener. The fans went crazy for Sheamus and The Brawling Brutes, which added to the atmosphere. They worked hard and beat the hell out of each other. They also teased Gunther and Sheamus throughout the match brilliantly. Still, it felt like Sheamus should have gotten the win.
Imperium tried to isolate Ridge Holland on their side of the ring. Holland fired back and tagged in Butch. Butch took over as he targeted Giovanni Vinci’s fingers.
Gunther tagged in, and Butch attacked him straight away. Gunther absorbed Butch’s chops and responded with a vicious one of his own. Sheamus tagged in, and the crowd got to their feet. The fans reacted big as Gunther and Sheamus squared off. They built up the moment, but cut to a break before anything could happen.
Back from the break, Kaiser rocked Holland with an open-hand strike. Holland responded with a head butt. Kaiser went after the leg, and the heels cut Holland off from his corner.
Butch got the hot tag and ran wild. He knocked Imperium off the apron and stomped Vinci’s fingers. Gunther then rocked Butch with a chop behind the referee’s back.
Sheamus and Gunther briefly traded shots at ringside to a huge pop before it got broken up. In the ring, Vinci destroyed Butch with a clothesline to regain control.
After the break, Gunther caught Butch in a Boston Crab. Butch tried to fight back but Gunther cut him off. The fans broke into a “We want Sheamus” chant. The fans were dying for Sheamus to get the tag.
Sheamus got the hot tag to a huge pop. He demolished Kaiser with the ten beats of Bodhran. He knocked Gunther off the apron and gave Kaiser white noise onto Vinci. The fans erupted for Sheamus and got to their feet.
Sheamus hit the Brogue kick on Vinci. Kaiser rolled up Sheamus for a near fall. Holland had Kaiser beat, but Gunther broke it up with a chop.
At one point, Holland gave Kaiser a backdrop. Kaiser took a nasty bump when he landed right on his knee. It looked gruesome, but he appeared to be okay.
Sheamus and Gunther traded shots in the ring to a giant pop. All six guys started brawling, and the fans popped again. Sheamus and Gunther fought around ringside. In the ring, Vinci made a blind tag, and Imperium hit the Imperial bomb on Holland for the win.
*********
Cole and Graves discussed the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and showed an In Memory Graphic for the Queen.
********
Solo Sikoa Joins The Bloodline
These segments with Sami Zayn and The Usos get better every week. Everyone is so good in their roles. Zayn is hilarious trying to fit in and annoying Jey. Jimmy is great at humoring Zayn. Sikoa looked good not backing down from McIntyre.
Sami Zayn and The Usos came to the ring. Zayn is so funny dancing to the Usos’ music. Zayn told everyone to get their ones in the air. Jimmy put his one finger in the sky, but Jey gave Zayn a look of disgust.
Zayn started talking about growing up an honorary Uso, but Jey cut him off. Jey talked about Roman Reigns beating Drew McIntyre last Saturday. Zayn was hilarious again, acting as a hype man.
The Usos then introduced the newest member of the Bloodline, Solo Sikoa. As Sikoa walked to the ring, a Solo Sikoa video package aired on a second screen.
Sikoa got a lot of heat. The fans gave him a big reaction with lots of boos. Sikoa threatened anyone that goes after his family. McIntyre’s music hit to a huge pop.
Zayn and The Usos jumped out of the ring. Sikoa decided to stay and fight McIntyre. McIntyre hit him with a chair and went for a second shot. Instead, Zayn pushed Sikoa out of the way and took the chair shot.
As the Bloodline walked away, McIntyre challenged Sikoa to a match, and he accepted.
Later, they announced McIntyre vs. Sikoa for the main event.
********
Highlights from Clash at the Castle aired. The fans popped big for Liv Morgan.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah defeated Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne) (4:59)
The first part of the match wasn’t good. It dragged when Aliyah was in there. It picked up when Rodriguez got in for the finish. Toxic Attraction came across as just another team.
Toxic Attraction cut a promo on a second screen.
Rodriguez had the early advantage, and press slammed Aliyah onto Jayne for a near fall. Toxic Attraction took over and isolated Aliyah on their side of the ring.
Jayne hit a senton for a two-count and slowed the pace down. Aliyah broke free, and Rodriguez got the hot tag. The pace picked up as Rodriguez hit a twisting elbow for a near fall.
Toxic Attraction briefly took over and went for a double suplex. Instead, Aliyah speared Dolin and Rodriguez hit the Texana Bomb on Jayne for the win. The fans popped for the Texana Bomb.
**********
A video package recapped Ronda Rousey putting Adam Pearce in the armbar. Cole announced that Rousey received a punishment, but an investigation is happening behind the scenes.
Rousey looked good, but the match felt rushed. The eliminations happened so fast that they didn’t have an impact. Also, a number one contender’s match feels like it should go longer than 5 minutes.
Liv Morgan watched the match from the crowd.
Rousey came out in her pink Gi as a tribute to Gene Lebell. Everyone surrounded Rousey in the middle of the ring. She was able to clear the ring. At one point, Li rocked Rousey with a knee.
Li and Natalya tossed out Rousey. She jumped back in the ring and caught Natalya in an armbar for the first elimination.
Moments later, Deville caught Li with a chokehold as Rousey got the armbar on Evans for a double elimination.
It came down to Rousey and Deville. Rousey went for Piper’s Pit, but Deville countered into a chokehold. They fell outside the ring, and Rousey sent Deville into the barricade to break the hold. Back in the ring, Rousey hit Piper’s Pit and locked on the ankle lock for the win.
Rousey takes on SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan at Extreme Rules.
*********
The Usos, Sami Zayn, and Solo Sikoa were backstage. Sikoa thanked Zayn for helping him out earlier. Jey was so annoyed that Jimmy and Sikoa thanked Zayn.
At first, Jey said Sikoa had to do it on his own tonight. Sikoa admitted he’d be thankful for Zayn’s help. Jey changed his mind and said they’d all be out there later.
*******
Back from the break, Shayna Baszler approached Ronda Rousey in the back. She wished Rousey good luck against Morgan at Extreme Rules.
Rousey knows Baszler is disappointed she didn’t win the title at Clash at the Castle. She told Baszler to find her when she’s ready to take over the show.
*********
Street Profits & Hit Row (w/B-Fab) defeated Los Lotharios & Maximum Male Models (w/Max and Maxine Dupri) (8:33)
A good part of the match happened during the break. It was tough to get invested because it felt rushed. Regardless, the live fans seemed into the match and enjoyed it.
The faces ran wild early and beat down mån.sôör before going to an early break.
Back from the break, the heels were firmly in control as they isolated Adonis. Humberto went for a dive but Adonis moved. Humberto hit Angel instead.
Dawkins got the hot tag, and he ran wild. He threw Humberto high up in the air. Adonis hit a cannonball off the apron, wiping out the heels. Ford went for a dive, but Humberto cut him off. Dawkins dumped Angel to the floor and hit a huge dive onto the heels.
Top Dolla teased going for a dive, but Maxine jumped on the apron. B-Fab pulled her off, but Max got between them. The finish came when Hit Row hit the Heavy hitter on mån.sôör for the win.
********
A video package recapped Braun Strowman’s return on Raw.
Braun Strowman-Alpha Academy Segment
Back from the break, Alpha Academy made their way to the ring. Chad Gable knows everyone missed them, but they’re back on the blue brand. He told the fans to shoosh.
Gable noted they want to ruin Strowman’s SmackDown return like he ruined the fatal four-way on Monday. Gable mocked the fans and said Seattle couldn’t even hold onto their basketball team. The fans erupted in boos and broke into a “You suck” chant.
Gable started talking about Otis being a monster when Strowman’s music hit. Once Strowman got in the ring, Gable ordered Otis to attack. Strowman was in control, but the heels worked together.
Strowman quickly recovered and hit a powerbomb on Gable. He then gave Otis a powerbomb to a big pop. He got Otis up about halfway.
*********
Kayla Braxton interviewed Drew McIntyre. He noted Clash at the Castle should have been his moment. He should be WWE Champion right now. McIntyre wants revenge on Sikoa for costing him the title in Cardiff.
Drew McIntyre defeated Sola Sikoa (w/Sami Zayn & The Usos) via DQ (10:25)
The main event was a mixed bag. McIntyre and Sikoa had a hard-hitting match with a weak DQ finish. They worked hard and told a good story revolving around McIntyre wanting revenge. Sikoa looked good in his debut.
Karrion Kross attacking McIntyre for the finish was a strong angle. At first, the screen switching to black and white seemed silly. But it worked well, and the screen fading to black at the end was a cool visual.
A furious McIntyre attacked Sikoa at the bell. Sikoa briefly backed McIntyre into the corner. McIntyre fought back with a hard clothesline. He followed up with the future shock DDT. He went for the claymore, but The Usos pulled their brother out of the ring.
Back from the break, Sikoa was firmly in control and hit a Samoan drop for a near fall. Cole noted The Usos and Zayn interfered during the break.
Sikoa continued to beat down McIntyre. Jimmy interfered and caught McIntyre with a right hand. Sikoa followed up with the Rikishi splash. He talked trash to McIntyre, which fired him up.
McIntyre ran wild and hit a belly-to-belly suplex and neck breaker. McIntyre went for a dive, but Zayn grabbed his leg. McIntyre threw Zayn in the ring. He went for the claymore on Zayn, but Sikoa hit a superkick.
McIntyre and Sikoa traded shots in the ring. Zayn distracted the referee allowing The Usos to pull out McIntyre. They beat him down until The Street Profits ran down for the save. Ford hit a crossbody wiping out the heels.
In the ring, McIntyre hit the claymore on Sikoa, who fell to the floor. Suddenly, Karrion Kross jumped McIntyre from behind in the Kross Jacket. The screen switched to black and white the moment Kross appeared.
McIntyre tried to break free, but Kross wouldn’t release the hold. Kross tightened his grip as Scarlett watched, and the screen slowly faded to black.
*****
Next Week: Number one contender fatal four-way The Street Profits vs. New Day vs. Alpha Academy vs.Los Lotharios
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Tuesday News Update
WWE
Braun Strowman made his return to the company last night, laying out several tag teams during a match. PWInsider reports that Strowman will be a babyface on the SmackDown brand moving forward.
Austin Aries and EC3 of Control Your Narrative wished Strowman, who had been working for the promotion during his time away from WWE, all the best on his return.
Matches taped for Main Event this week include Shelton Benjamin vs. Reggie and T-Bar vs. Cedric Alexander.
PWInsider reported that the third season of Young Rock will feature a character based on the late Brian Christopher, aka Grandmaster Sexay. The character is slated to appear semi-regularly.
The Akron Beacon Journal has a profile on Absolute Intense Wrestling.
Sports Illustrated reported that MLW has signed a partnership deal with Range Sports.
Matt Cardona has filed a trademark for the term “The Agent”.
BattleSlam have announced their next card for September 25th, where they will crown a World Champion.
The Clash at the Castle fallout edition of WWE Raw featured the return of a former Universal Champion.
Braun Strowman returned to WWE on Raw last night, interrupting a four-way tag match that was supposed to determine the number one contenders to the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles. Strowman took out the participants in the match before then laying out security guards who tried to stop him. Strowman ended his attack by powerslamming Angelo Dawkins through the announce table.
Later in the show, Strowman was interviewed backstage. He declared that “The Monster of All Monsters” is back — and no one is safe. Strowman said he’ll see everyone this Friday night on SmackDown.
This was Strowman’s first appearance for WWE since being released by the company in June 2021.
After returning to WWE on Monday’s Raw, Braun Strowman has been announced for Friday’s SmackDown episode.
Strowman stated in a backstage promo on Raw that he would be at SmackDown on Friday, promising to eventually give answers as to how and why he returned to the company.
Strowman interrupted a fatal four-way match to crown new number one contenders to the Undisputed Tag Team titles as he made his return on Raw, leaving all eight competitors in the match laying, and spearing Otis through the ringside barricade. The match was ruled a no contest.
Strowman’s return comes 15 months after being released by WWE as part of the promotion’s mass layoffs in June 2021. He had since been a part of the Control Your Narrative promotion, appeared as part of a CYN stable in an angle on Ring of Honor’s Final Battle pay-per-view last December, and wrestled a handful of independent dates.
Strowman re-debuted with the company on Monday’s Raw, interrupting a fatal four-way match to crown number one contenders to the Undisputed Tag Team titles. Strowman laid waste to all eight competitors in the match, rendering it a no contest.
Strowman’s imminent return had been reported last week, and came to fruition on Monday.
A former WWE Universal Champion, Strowman was part of a series of mass releases by the company in June 2021. He had since been part of the Control Your Narrative promotion, and appeared as part of a CYN stable at Ring of Honor’s Final Battle event in December 2021.
Strowman had worked just a handful of independent dates since his WWE release, last wrestling in July at an IWC event in Pennsylvania.
Originally signed by WWE in 2013, Strowman made his in-ring debut on the NXT brand in 2014. He was fast-tracked to the main roster, wrestling just seven matches before his first televised bout on Raw in August 2015 as part of The Wyatt Family.
