A look at the issues involving the firing of Thea Budgen aka Zelina Vega, as well as a number of historical stories regarding issues with talent and management is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We explain why the ending was inevitable based on the circumstances, look at WWE and SAG AFTRA, Andrew Yang, Gabrille Carteris and the different players involved in the story. We look at what wrestlers and fighters earn as compared to other top athletes and why the discrepancy, what the Saudi Arabia flight story showed, what is fair for WWE to do and what isn’t, complaints by talent regarding an exemption, as well as a number of historical stories related to the topic that feature such names as Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Superstar Billy Graham, Ivan Koloff (twice), Johnny Valentine and many others.
Also in this issue:
Update to the Survivor Series card with changes and injury notes.
WWE’s move to Tropicana Field in a few weeks.
New Japan’s Super Juniors and tag team tournaments, this week’s schedule and updates.
Seth Rollins’ schedule, Alexa Bliss engagement, NXT Takeover notes, lots of WWE injury updates, Undertaker answers retirement questions, Miz talks why he moved to Texas, description of new President Nick Khan, how WWE & AEW did compared to other sports this past week, WWE and AEW ratings in Canada and England, WWE market value and the most-watched shows on the WWE Network for the past week.
Saturday’s UFC show, the background and match-by-match coverage.
Dragon Gate’s Kobe World show, the biggest show of the year from Japan’s second largest company.
Why television networks should be interested in purchasing UFC or WWE outright as far as a long-term investment that will pay off in the long run.
Television business, with ratings breakdowns in every segment for Wednesdays and every category for other shows, looking at stats not available elsewhere to get the deepest read into how shows are doing, what categories are doing well and how shows compare with previous weeks and one year ago.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight covering Raw, the Shad Gaspard Award and some history topics with Wrestling Observer Radio. You can send questions for tonight’s show to [email protected]
Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman for the WWE title is right now the scheduled main event for TLC on 12/20. Right now regarding Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan for the Universal title, that match is scheduled to take place at some point, it could be TLC, but it’s leaning toward a later date.
Survivor Series was the No. 10 most searched term on Google yesterday with more than 500,000. It’s the number we projected so it was no more or less popular than expected. This was a rare UFC/WWE PPV weekend where the WWE show had more interest, and actually by a lot, since UFC 255 was at 200,000 searches, which is exceedingly low for a PPV show. We’re taking polls for both shows, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
Very little has been announced for Raw tonight. Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki Cross is scheduled. Monday Night Football has a strong game with the Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Bucs, so it’ll be legit major competition. It should be well above normal coming after Survivor Series, but easily could drop from last week with the Orton vs. McIntyre title match.
Last night was Seth Rollins last appearance until after Becky Lynch gives birth.
New Japan’s tour continues tomorrow morning with a 4:30 a.m Eastern time show from Fukushima:
Satoshi Kojima & Tomoaki Honma vs. Yuji Nagata & Yota Tsuji
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
Hiroshi Tanahasihi & Toa Henare vs. Evil & Yujiro Takahashi
Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Great O’Khan & Jeff Cobb
Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Shingo Takagi & Sanada
Want to thank everyone who participated in our fundraiser last night for Jay Dumont. It was very successful thanks to the web site subscribers.
WWE
PWInsider reported that Pam Murrin, who was Senior Vice President for Data Strategy is the latest on the list of top executives who have been fired this past week. The WWE is less interested in data analytics because that was something George Barrios was behind and Vince McMahon is less interested in it.
Rob Gronkowski and Lahemm Lilliard have been added to the roster of the WWE 2K Battleground game. Gronkowski will be known as Gronkser and also announced are Randy Savage, Undertaker, Rhea Ripley, Boogeyman, Kane, Andrade, Billie Kay, Murphy, Edge and Peyton Royce.
OTHER NEWS
Impact on AXS TV tomorrow night has just announced the continuation of the Knockouts tag team title tournament, Johnny Swinger in retro Wrestlers Court and Rich Swann vs. Ken Shamrock for the Impact title.
FITE TV is debuting its first ever scripted series on Friday night with The Count, a Ballers meets Entourage comedy-drama in Vegas and international gambling circuits (w/ a Fight Club-like subplot). It features cameos from both Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr., as well as Rampage Jackson and Cung Le.
ONE has announced shows on 12/4 and 12/18 from Singapore Indoor Stadium. 12/4 is headlined by light heavyweight kickboxing champion Roman Kryklia defending against Murat Aygun. Both shows will be broadcast live on the ONE app.
Scott D’Amore of Impact has said that anyone who donates money for Melissa Coates’ Go Fund Me, he will match every donation dollar for dollar.
Calvin Tankman will debut on MLW Fusion on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on YouTube, Fubo Sports and Pluto TV.
Ahead of Sunday’s pay-per-view, four of the five members of Raw’s Survivor Series men’s team will team up on tonight’s go-home edition of Raw.
WWE has announced that Keith Lee, Sheamus, Braun Strowman & Riddle (w/ AJ Styles) will face RETRIBUTION (Mustafa Ali, T-Bar, Mace & Slapjack) in an eight-man tag match on Raw tonight:
In recent week’s the members of the Men’s Survivor Series Team have had a hard time getting into the team spirit, [in spite] of (or maybe because of) the effects of their self-professed Team Captain AJ Styles.
Tonight, Keith Lee, Sheamus, Braun Strowman & Riddle will look to contend with RETRIBUTION in an Eight-Man Tag Team Match.
Can The Phenomenal One find a way to help his team coexist effectively against the forces of anarchy? Will Team Raw pick up valuable momentum heading into Survivor Series this Sunday? Or will RETRIBUTION use Team Raw’s inner conflict against them to assure they don’t even make it out of Monday Night Raw? Find out tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network.
Styles, Lee, Sheamus, Strowman & Riddle will face Team SmackDown in the men’s five-on-five traditional Survivor Series elimination match on Sunday. Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, Baron Corbin, and Seth Rollins have qualified for Team SmackDown thus far. There’s one spot remaining on SmackDown’s team.
Two title matches are set for tonight’s episode of Raw. WWE Champion Randy Orton will defend his title against Drew McIntyre on the show, while Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) will defend their titles against The Hurt Business (Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin). The winner of Orton vs. McIntyre will face Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a non-title champion vs. champion match at Survivor Series. The team that wins tonight’s Tag Team title match will face SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits in a non-title champion vs. champion match on Sunday.
Braun Strowman is the latest addition to Team Raw for Survivor Series.
Strowman qualified for Raw’s men’s Survivor Series team by defeating Sheamus and Keith Lee in a triple threat match on tonight’s episode of Raw. Sheamus and Lee have already qualified for Survivor Series. With AJ Styles, Lee, Sheamus, and Strowman confirmed for the team, there’s only one spot remaining.
Strowman interrupted Styles, Lee, and Sheamus on Raw tonight as they were arguing when Styles tried to make himself captain of Team Raw. Strowman said the only thing their team needs is him. Lee pointed out that they had to qualify for the team and said Strowman will have to qualify too. Strowman listed his qualifications and said he should be team captain.
Adam Pearce said he was having a hard time finding someone to face Strowman in a qualifying match. After Strowman, Lee, and Sheamus went back and forth, Styles proposed the triple threat match.
After Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick on Lee near the end of the match, Strowman gave Sheamus a powerslam and pinned him to qualify for Survivor Series. Styles celebrated that he’ll have Strowman on his team and wanted everyone to shake hands. Strowman told Lee they’ll have to put their differences aside to win at Survivor Series. They shook hands, then Sheamus gave Strowman a Brogue Kick. Lee then sent Sheamus to the outside with a tackle and Styles gave Lee a dropkick.
Kevin Owens and Jey Uso are the first two SmackDown wrestlers to qualify for the five-on-five traditional Survivor Series elimination match against Team Raw.
Survivor Series is taking place on Sunday, November 22. Here’s the updated card for the pay-per-view:
Non-title champion vs. champion match: WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Non-title champion vs. champion match: Raw Women’s Champion Asuka vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks
Non-title champion vs. champion match: Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
Non-title champion vs. champion match: United States Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn
Men’s five-on-five Survivor Series elimination match: Team Raw (AJ Styles, Keith Lee, Sheamus, Braun Strowman, and one wrestler to be announced) vs. Team SmackDown (Jey Uso, Kevin Owens, and three wrestlers to be announced)
Women’s five-on-five Survivor Series elimination match: Team Raw (Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, Mandy Rose, Dana Brooke & Lana) vs. Team SmackDown (Bianca Belair and four wrestlers to be announced)
Date: October 19, 2020 Location: Amway Center in Orlando, FL
The Big Takeaway —
Raw was bad but with a few different wrestlers this time.
Show Recap —
Raw kicked off with a new theme song: “The Search” by NF.
The announcers ran down tonight’s show which includes “The Viper’s Message from Hell.”
Alexa Bliss appeared in the ring covered in red lighting. She announced, “He here. Let him in.”
The Fiend entered. They held hands when the lights came back on and different music played. It was the song for Retribution. All five members, including Mustafa Ali, surrounded Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss.
Ali raised his hand and the lights went out. That appeared to be a signal for an attack but when the lights turned on, Wyatt and Bliss were gone.
That cued the music for Hurt Business who entered next. (Mia Yim left the ring.) Hurt Business cleared the ring and Cedric Alexander wiped out Retribution with a dive and they abruptly went to break (9 minutes into the show).
There was a Matt Riddle video package.
8-man tag match: The Hurt Business defeated Retribution (10:57)
Hurt Business were in control of Slapjack until Alexander was distracted by T-Bar and Mace outside the ring. Slapjack yanked him off the top and tagged in Ali who took over.
There was a face-off between the two teams on the outside when the Fiend suddenly appeared on the screen with his creepy music playing. He stuck out his tongue. Nobody looked at the screen. They went to break.
Tom Phillips said the two teams have been fighting throughout the break, which is normally what happens during a wrestling match, and Byron Saxton said it’s a sign of the disdain between the two teams.
Shelton Benjamin gave Mace a German suplex and step-up knee strike. Lashley followed with a spinebuster before spearing T-Bar but Ali broke up the cover.
Lashley put T-Bar in the Hurt Lock and he tapped out. Retribution lost.
The lights turned red and the Fiend appeared on the apron. He took out each member of Retribution. T-Bar saved Ali from a Sister Abigail. Wyatt gave T-Bar a Sister Abigail instead.
Bliss appeared on the screen and said, “let me in” in Wyatt’s voice. I laughed.
AJ Styles (w/Jordan Omogbehin) defeated Matt Riddle (11:23)
AJ Styles entered with Jordan Omogbehin. Jordan looks especially gigantic next to Syles. Styles commended Raw for finally drafting a real leader. He bragged about beating Seth Rollins and Jeff Hardy. He said this was never Monday Night Rollins and called this a new era that belongs to him.
Matt Riddle entered. Fireworks went off when he kicked off his sandals and they showed a slow-motion replay.
They rang the bell to start the match but Omogbehin wouldn’t leave the ring. The referee told him to leave before a five-count or else Styles would be disqualified. Omogbehin stopped him from counting. The ref pleaded with him to leave the ring. Styles thought this was amusing. Omogbehin left the ring.
Riddle sent Styles to the outside and was about to attempt something but Omogbehin stepped in his way which caused him to frantically scamper back into the ring.
Styles was in control after a break. Riddle came back with strikes and a t-bone suplex but Styles got his feet up on a senton attempt. They exchanged strikes until Riddle hit a German suplex. Styles followed with a fireman’s carry neckbreaker for a nearfall. Riddle came back with a fisherman buster for two.
They fought while standing on the top rope until Styles fell into the ring and riddle fell out of it. Omogbehin walked up to Riddle and clenched his fist. Riddle slipped back in the ring where Styles gave him an enziguri and a Styles Clash for the pinfall win.
(The match itself felt short with a mid-match commercial break and 90 seconds of stalling at the beginning.)
There was a Drew McIntyre/Randy Orton video package.
[Second hour]
Charly Caruso attempted to interview McIntyre in the back but he asked her for the mic so he could speak directly to Orton. He said throughout his career, especially over the past few months, Orton has been the most evil, sadistic, entitled and selfish person in WWE.
McIntyre knew he should have left Orton his the past when he beat him at Clash of Champions. Orton was intelligent knew how he’d react when he attacked the legends on Raw. McIntyre knew that Orton thrived inside Hell in a Cell, a match he’s never been in himself.
McIntyre said he’s been in more hell in life than you can imagine and would put Orton through hell on Sunday. McIntyre warned Orton not to be surprised if he shows up for Orton’s scheduled speech tonight.
Asuka defeated Lana to retain the Raw Women’s Championship (2:20)
Lana got some brief offense and a two count but Asuka won easily with the Asuka Lock. (If you’re curious, they played fake booing for Lana when she was introduced.)
Nia Jax’s music hit as soon as the match ended. Jax and Shayna Baszler entered. They knocked down Asuka before Jax put Lana through the announce table for the fifth time.
Baszler went after Asuka but Asuka fought her off with a kick and knocked her out of the ring with a running hip attack. Asuka escaped and posed with her belt as Jax and Baszler looked on.
Jax and Baszler cut a promo after a break. Jax noted how well they worked as a team despite not being the type to braid each others’ hair and follow each other on Instagram. Baszler called them the dominant team on both brands. Jax dared anyone to challenge them.
Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke entered. Saxton wasn’t sure this was the right time to step up to the champions and Samoa Joe let him know this was exactly the right time to step up.
Lacey Evans entered and was followed by Peyton Royce. They walked down together but Evans kept stepping in front of her so she could be on camera.
Smackdown’s Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan entered next. The bell rang and I guess a match is starting.
Non-title fatal four-way tag match: Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeated Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans & Peyton Royce and Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan (8:29)
As Jax/Baszler and Rose/Brooke brawled on the outside, Royce knocked everyone down with a dive. Evans followed with a dive herself (which barely connected). Ruby and Morgan also hit dives on the pile which led to a break.
Everyone traded moves a few minutes later. The Riott Squad almost had Evans beat after a Codebreaker/Riott Kick combo but Baszler broke up the cover. Baszler choked out Ruby as Jax gave Evans a Samoan drop for the pinfall win.
Elias concert
Elias had a full band with him. He plugged his album which comes out next week. He played a song called “Amen” and said he hoped Hardy was listening.
Elias played the full song. They cut to fans on screens, many of whom held up their cell phone flashlights while swaying or nodding their heads. Elias played a short song called “Lead Me Home.” He thanked the audience before saying, “I love none of you.” He was about to leave but came back because he assumed the fans wanted an encore.
A mystery guitar man under a hood began playing on his own. Elias demanded he stopped. It was Hardy. Hardy swung the guitar at Elias who ducked and rolled away. Hardy told him that he didn’t hit him with the car. Hardy’s music played.
The Miz and John Morrison spoke in the back about Otis and Mandy Rose. Tucker interrupted them. He claimed Miz used his influence with the USA Network to get him and Rose drafted away from Otis. Tucker said he would find a partner and ruin them tonight. Miz and Morrison accepted. They laughed maniacally at the idea that Tucker could find a partner.
Caruso caught up to an upset Elias backstage. He couldn’t believe people were still interrupting him. He challenged Hardy to a match at HIAC.
New Day promo
Kofi Kingston said New Day were the Raw tag champs for the first time in nearly four years. Xavier Woods said he got injured last year and 2020 has been a garbage year and he returned just for them to get drafted away from Big E. Kingston got him to calm down.
Sheamus interrupted. He called their segment on Smackdown embarrassing and threatened to Brogue Kick Kingston. He also said they were only two-thirds of New Day. Kingston said New Day wasn’t done. Big E could hold things down on the blue side while they do their thing on the red side. They said they would spread their seeds all over WWE.
Sheamus told them to shut up before they reminded him that he got beat up by Big E. Woods told him to come to the ring to get beat up by Kingston.
Sheamus dropped Kingston over the edge of the ring and they went to break less than 2 minutes into the match.
[Third hour]
Sheamus was in control after the break. A shirtless Big E was shown watching on one of the screens and Woods let Kingston know E was there to help encourage him. Kingston came back with a foot stomp, chops, dropkick, clothesline, leg drop and flying crossbody for two. Sheamus caught him off the ropes and hit a swinging side slam for two.
Kingston tried a dropkick but Sheamus caught him and applied a Texas Cloverleaf. Kingston countered into a small package for two. Sheamus ducked a Trouble in Paradise and hit an Alabama Slam for two. (Joe wondered how much Kingston had left. Woods yelled, “He’s got a lot left, Joe!” which was funny because Woods wasn’t standing that close to the announce table.)
Sheamus went to the top but Kingston brought him down with a side Russian leg sweep for two. Woods yelled, “New moves! New moves!” They exchanged cradles for two counts before Kingston caught Sheamus with Trouble in Paradise for the pinfall win.
They replayed Retribution losing and getting beat up by Bray Wyatt.
Mustafa Ali promo
Ali cut a backstage promo with Retribution standing behind him. Ali said Hurt Business and Wyatt made a mistake thinking his only strength was strength in numbers. His real strength was causing chaos. All he needed was a laptop or a cell phone or a secret. With one click he can make anyone’s world come crumbling down.
Ali sat at home over the summer because this corrupt company couldn’t figure out how to make money with a guy named Mustafa Ali. But he didn’t just sit at home watching. He watched all of the spineless wrestlers backstab each other just to get ahead while he learned their secrets.
Ali admitted to being the hacker on Smackdown. He figured out that this sick place is infecting everyone with greed and corruption. Good individuals were being forgotten and their dreams were being left behind. But he found them and united them. He promised them that their truth would be heard. He didn’t care who tried to stop them. “We will shut you down.”
Ali was very good here.
Hurt Business stood shoulder-to-shoulder-to-shoulder backstage, happy with their work earlier. Titus O’Neil congratulated them and said he would love to join and said he could bring something to the group. MVP faked discussing it with the group. O’Neil thought they wanted him to join. He was wrong. They beat him up.
Miz and Morrison entered and wanted to see who Tucker’s partner was. Tucker entered and said he found a great luchador. Out came El Gran Gordo. It was Otis under a mask. Miz immediately noted that it was Otis under a mask and that he was even holding the lunchbox.
Tucker said he was the next Rey Mysterio. Miz cut them off and cut a long promo until he called Otis a pig in a mask. Tucker and Otis attacked and cleared the ring.
Tucker & El Gran Gordo defeated The Miz & John Morrison (4:40)
El Gran Gordo made a hot tag and gave Miz an arm drag before doing a cartwheel. R-Truth showed up and ran through the ring as a few losers ran after him. This distracted Miz. Gordo used to the distraction to hit a Caterpillar and a Vader Bomb for the pinfall win.
New Day, Tucker and El Gran Gordo danced backstage. Mandy Rose handed Gordo a big thing of ham. They all celebrated together.
Firefly Fun House
Wyatt tossed out props from his past including a miniature mallet and black sheep mask. He was sad to leave his friends on Smackdown but was happy to make new friends on Raw.
The rabbit mentioned having a wife and Wyatt was confused. The rabbit was sad that he didn’t know. Wyatt promised to be a better friend. There was a black-and-white montage of the rabbit getting eaten and destroyed throughout the show’s history.
Wyatt said the past was in their heads but the future was in their hands. The rabbit was happy to get a fresh start but was eaten again by the buzzard.
Someone knocked on the door. It was Alexa Bliss (wearing black and red). She said their fun was just getting started. Everyone was happy and they waved goodbye.
Braun Strowman defeated Keith Lee (2:43)
Strowman was in control and ran over Lee on the outside. He tried a powerslam in the ring but collapsed because of the injured ribs at the hands of Roman Reigns on Smackdown. Lee hit a splash for a nearfall.
Strowman took a page out of Reigns’ book by using an “incidental” low-blow. (Lee was trying to pick him up off the mat but Strowman headbutted him low.) Strowman followed with a running big boot for the pinfall win.
As Strowman celebrated, Lee turned him around and kicked him in the nuts. Lee yelled at him for taking a shortcut against the wrong man.
(Ric Flair and JBL were shown watching this match on the screens. Booker T was shown earlier tonight, too.)
Randy Orton promo / main event segment
Orton came out with about 6 minutes left in the show.
The Hell in a Cell cage was lowered and Orton locked himself inside.
Orton noted all of the promos that suggested that those who enter HIAC always leave a piece of themselves behind. Orton has had seven of these matches but only comes out of them with a better understanding of himself.
He recalled his HIAC matches in the past: facing Mark Henry, surviving Sheamus, beating Jeff Hardy and Daniel Bryan, facing John Cena twice, and winning the world title twice. The most important thing he remembered was looking the Dead Man in the eye and earning his respect inside HIAC. He said all of those men were current or future Hall of Famers.
He said the word “legend” gets thrown out a lot these days and called McIntyre’s win over Brock Lesnar legendary. As he spoke, McIntyre interrupted.
McIntyre couldn’t get in the cage because it was locked, so Orton taunted him. McIntyre pulled bolt cutters out from behind a barricade which caused Orton to panic. Orton grabbed a chair as McIntyre cut the chain and entered the cell. As soon as he did, they went off the air.
What the hell?
Raw was bad but I did enjoy the New Day and Ali’s promo.
Two matches and a concert were announced for next week’s Raw.
Lana won a battle royal on tonight’s show to earn a title match against Raw Women’s champion Asuka next week. The finish had Natalya eliminate Lacey Evans to seemingly win the battle royal. However Lana, who earlier was put through a table but not eliminated, appeared and kicked Natalya to the floor to eliminate her, winning the match.
An angle earlier in the show broke up the team. Following a loss to the team of Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose, Natalya told Lana that “she couldn’t do this anymore.”
Keith Lee will face Braun Strowman in a sanctioned match. Since Strowman was not a part of the Raw brand, Adam Pearce made an exhibition match between Strowman and Lee on last week’s Raw that ended in a double count out. Strowman has since been drafted to Raw, setting up the match for next week.
Additionally, Elias will hold a concert. He made his return to the company on tonight’s show, attacking Jeff Hardy with a guitar. He blamed Hardy for the hit and run attack that took him out in May and declared he would be holding a concert on next week’s show.
Two matches have been announced for next week’s season premiere episode of SmackDown.
Roman Reigns will defend his Universal Championship against Braun Strowman on SmackDown’s season premiere next Friday. After being split up in the WWE Draft, The New Day will have their “farewell to SmackDown” match next Friday. Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods & Big E will face Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura & Sheamus in a six-man tag match.
The Reigns vs. Strowman title match comes in advance of Reigns defending his Universal Championship against Jey Uso at Hell in a Cell on Sunday, October 25. It was announced on SmackDown tonight that Reigns vs. Uso will be the first-ever Hell in a Cell I Quit match. Reigns also warned Uso that — after Uso says I Quit — there will be consequences.
Kingston & Woods returned to the ring on SmackDown tonight and defeated Cesaro & Nakamura to win the SmackDown Tag Team titles. After the match, it was announced that Kingston & Woods have been drafted to Raw and Big E has been drafted to SmackDown. Big E also defeated Sheamus in a falls count anywhere match tonight.
Reigns stayed on SmackDown in tonight’s draft. Strowman, Cesaro, Nakamura, and Sheamus are in the night two draft pool and are eligible to be selected by SmackDown or Raw on Monday.
There will be a special 30-minute pre-show airing on Fox before next week’s SmackDown season premiere. The pre-show is a Fox broadcast that will be hosted by Renee Paquette (formerly known as Renee Young in WWE) and Booker T.
A new match for Raw Underground is set for next week.
Braun Strowman vs. Dabba-Kato was set after the two had a confrontation tonight on Raw Underground. Strowman insisted on being let inside on tonight’s show, telling Shane McMahon he wanted his best fighter.
Strowman proceeded to spend the night destroying people left and right, including Dolph Ziggler, Titus O’Neil and Riddick Moss. That was when Dabba-Kato showed up and the two ended up having a staredown. McMahon stopped the two from fighting, saying to save it for next week.
Although Strowman is part of the SmackDown brand, Michael Cole on commentary said that it was his understanding that anyone could enter Raw Underground, regardless of brand.
Dabba-Kato has appeared on Raw Underground since its inception, destroying people left and right whenever he stepped up to the challenge. He has not appeared on any other WWE programming outside of Raw Underground.
Just one week after SummerSlam, WWE returns to pay-per-view with Payback tonight.
The show will be headlined by “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt defending his Universal Championship against Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns in a no holds barred triple threat match. After The Fiend won the Universal title from Strowman at SummerSlam, Reigns made his return and attacked both of them.
It was revealed on Friday’s SmackDown that Reigns is now aligned with Paul Heyman.
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre won’t be in action at Payback after the storyline where he was given three punts by Randy Orton on Raw. Orton will instead face Keith Lee tonight. Lee made his official Raw debut against Orton on Monday, but the match was interrupted by McIntyre.
The Women’s Tag Team titles will be on the line as Bayley & Sasha Banks defend against Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax. The United States Championship will also be up for grabs as Apollo Crews defends against Bobby Lashley.
In a rematch from Monday’s Raw, Rey & Dominik Mysterio will team up against Seth Rollins & Murphy. Plus, Big E vs. Sheamus and Matt Riddle vs. Baron Corbin round out the main card.
The pre-show begins at 6 p.m. Eastern time and will feature Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan vs. The IIconics. The main card will then begin at 7 p.m. Eastern.
**********
Pre-Show
The show opened up with the pre-show panel featuring Charly Caruso, Booker T, Jerry Lawler, JBL, and Pete Rosenberg. Caruso noted that SummerSlam was just one week ago in the same arena. Lawler said he’s the not so good looking replace for Renee Young. Caruso praised Young.
The panel then ran down the card for tonight. They focused on the triple threat match between Universal Champion The Fiend, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns. They recapped the feud, including the reveal that Reigns and Paul Heyman are aligned.
Caruso noted that Reigns hasn’t signed the contract yet and is on his way to the arena. She confirmed that Reigns is in the match. They discussed Regins aligning with Heyman.
JBL said Heyman is one of the worst human beings but is one of the greatest managers of all time.
The panel then discussed the Randy Orton and Keith Lee match. They recapped the Randy Orton and Drew McIntryre angle from last Monday night.
Caruso changed the subject to Sasha Banks & Bayley against Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler. They aired a good video package on Bayley and Banks. Booker praised Banks and Bayley but thinks Jax and Baszler have something special. Lawler and Booker pointed out that Jax and Baszler hate each other, but that might be their advantage. JBL and Rosenberg disagreed.
They briefly discussed Apollo Crews defending against Bobby Lashley. They recapped the arm-wrestling match and Lashley’s appearance at Raw Underground.
R-Truth interrupted and apologized for being late for Raw Talk. The panel had to explain to him that it’s the wrong show and night.
Back from the break, they recapped Big E’s comments from Talking Smack and his confrontation with The Miz. Rosenberg applauded Big E’s remarks, but Booker T disagreed. He thinks Big E needs to take things more seriously.
They recapped the Rey Mysterio & Dominik versus Seth Rollins & Murphy feud. The panel recapped and discussed the feud between Matt Riddle and King Corbin.
Caruso then introduced the Raw commentary team Tom Philips, Byron Saxton, and Samoa Joe.
Liv Morgan & Ruby Riott defeated The IIconics
They worked a slow pace, and it dragged a lot. They did try to tell a story that Morgan’s wary about trusting Riott.
Morgan had the early advantage, but Riott tagged herself into the match. Riott chased Peyton Royce around ringside but ran into a boot from Billie Kay. The heels isolated Riott and cut her off form Morgan.
Royce slowed the pace down and applied a chin lock on Riott. Riott fought back and crawled towards her corner. Kay tried to pull Morgan off the apron, but she held onto the top rope. Royce then knocked Morgan off to the floor.
Kay tried to convince Morgan that Riott was the one that hit her. Morgan teased leaving but changed her mind and got the hot tag. She ran wild on the heels. Mogan gave Royce a double foot stomp to the back for a near fall. The IIconics recovered and hit the Deja Vu for a two count.
Mogan dragged Riott to her corner to make the tag. Morgan fought off the heels and countered Deja Vu. The finish came when Morgan hit double knees on Kay, and Riott hit the Riott Kick for the win.
Morgan and Riott joined the panel right after the match. Morgan referred to the team as The Living Riott. Morgan pointed out that she thought Riott hit her, but Riott said that’s not her. The panel said it was a huge win and match for them. They praised Morgan and Riott.
They recapped WWE Champion Drew McIntyre against Randy Orton from SummerSlam and the angle from the next night. It also included Keith Lee’s debut on Raw and his match against Orton.
Main Show
Bobby Lashley (w/ MVP & Shelton Benjamin) defeated Apollo Crews to win the United States Championship
Lashley and Crews had a good opening match. It started at a slow pace but picked up towards the end.
Earlier today, MVP promised that Lashley is going to win the US title and make Crews a permanent stay at home dad.
They started with a lock-up. Lashley took Crews down with a waist lock, but Crews fought out. Crews followed up with a standing dropkick and tried to pick the pace up, but Lashley cut him off.
Crews avoided Lashley and hit a standing dropkick. He knocked Lashley to the floor and hit a standing moonsault off the apron.
MVP and Benjamin got in Crews’ face. Lashley recovered and dropped Crews on the top rope. Lashley ran Crews into the ring post and slowed the pace down with a chin lock.
Lashley followed up with a fallaway slam and a shoulder tackle in the corner. Lashley attempted a suplex, but Crews slipped out the back and hit an enziguri. Lashley quickly recovered and hit the Dominator for a near fall. Lashley was confident he had the win and became frustrated.
Crews fired up and made a wild comeback. He hit a splash in the corner and standing moonsault for a near fall. Crews attempted a press slam, but Lashley slipped out and went for the full nelson. Crews avoided and hit a German suplex. Lashley jumped right to his feet, but Crews hit a second German suplex. He followed up with a frog splash for a close near fall.
Lashley recovered and slammed Crews down hard. Lashley then locked on the full nelson to win the United States Championship.
After the match, the heels celebrated and posed with the title. Crews jumped the heels as they celebrated and promised to win the title back.
Michael Cole and Corey Graves recapped Roman Reigns aligning with Paul Heyman.
In the back, Kayla Braxton ran into Heyman. Braxton asked if Reigns is going to sign the contract. Heyman believes that he will, but Braxton has to ask Reigns. Heyman entered Reign’s locker room.
Braxton asked if she could ask Reigns, but Heyman said no.
Keith Lee was in his locker room, getting ready for his match later. JBL approached Lee. He noted if Lee wins, it’ll change his career, but if he doesn’t win, he shouldn’t feel bad.
They recapped Big E’s appearance on Talking Smack.
Big E defeated Sheamus
They worked at a very slow pace, and the match dragged.
Sheamus had the early advantage with a side headlock. He sent Big E to the apron and hit the forearms to his chest. Big E briefly fought back, but Sheamus regained control. Sheamus slowed the pace down and worked over Big E’s knee.
Big E tried to fight back, but Sheamus hit the Irish Curse backbreaker for a near all. Sheamus continued to work over the leg and applied a half-crab. Big E fought out of the hold, but Sheamus quickly took back over.
Sheamus jumped off the top, but Big E caught him and hit a belly-to-belly suplex. He followed up with a second suplex. He attempted the spear through the ropes, but Sheamus hit him with a knee.
Big E recovered but started dancing.
Sheamus took advantage and hit the Alabama Slam. Sheamus struggled to get Big E up for the move.
They traded shots in the middle of the ring.
Sheamus regained control and worked over Big E’s injured knee. Big E fired up and hit the running spear through the ropes off the apron. Big E attempted the Big Ending, but Sheamus went back to the injured knee.
Big E jumped to his feet, but Sheamus rocked him with a knee to the jaw for a close near fall. Sheamus attempted the Brogue Kick, but Big E countered with a powerbomb. He followed up with the Big Ending for the win.
In the back, Alyse Ashton interviewed Matt Riddle. He promised to defeat Corbin and take his crown. She asked for his reaction to a tweet from Corbin. Corbin’s tweet said Riddle would be a failure in the ring like he’s a failure at home. Riddle’s smile faded from his face, and he walked off.
In the back, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler argued and got into each other’s faces. They agreed to stop arguing for now and get ready for their match.
Matt Riddle defeated King Corbin
Riddle and Corbin had a fine match. They worked a slow pace, but it picked up towards the end.
Corbin jumped Riddle as he entered the ring, and his pyro went off. Corbin dominated Riddle and was firmly in control. Corbin slowed the pace down with a chin lock. Riddle fought back and went for the kimura lock, but Corbin fought back with a slam.
Riddle recovered and locked on a sleeper hold. Corbin fell backward to break the hold, but Riddle locked the sleep back on. Corbin tossed Riddle across the ring to break the hold and hit the around the corner clothesline for a two count.
Corbin slowed the pace back down. Riddle briefly recovered, but Corbin regained control with a back elbow for a near fall. Corbin attempted the around the corner clothesline again, but Riddle rocked him with a kick to the head.
Riddle hit running forearms in the corner, a broton, and running knee for a near fall. He caught Corbin with a kick to the gut.
Corbin recovered and hit the Deep Six for another near fall. Riddle fought back and applied an armbar. He followed up with the Bro To Sleep and the Floating Bro for the win.
In the back, Riddle felt good and said it was time to move on to brighter things. He was happy to be done with Corbin finally. Suddenly, Corbin jumped Riddle from behind and beat him down.
Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax defeated Sasha Banks & Bayley to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
This was a good match with a cool finish. All four worked hard and told a good story.
The story of the match was Jax and Baszler hate each other and can’t get along. Jax told Baszler to follow her lead, but Baszler tagged herself into the match.
Baszler trapped Banks in the corner and kicked her in the head several times. She then stood on Banks’ hand. Banks tagged in Bayley, but Baszler threw Banks to the floor.
Banks then grabbed at Jax’s leg, which caused a distraction. Bayley then threw Baszler into Jax. Jax grabbed her knee after falling to the floor.
The heels were briefly in control. Bayley attempted a pin, but Jax threw Banks into the ring to break the count. Jax then tossed Banks into the barricade.
Jax dominated the match until Banks hit Jax with a chop block. The heels took over and isolated Jax on their side of the ring. Jax recovered, but instead of tagging in Baszler, Jax tried to take the heels on her own.
Jax attempted a leg drop, but Bayley went back to the leg. Jax finally tagged in Baszler. She ran wild on the heels and hit running knees on both. Baszler and Jax got on the same page and agreed they could win.
Jax attempted a powerbomb, but Banks countered.
Bayley hit a flying elbow on Jax and knocked Baszler off the apron. Banks then hit a frog splash on Jax for a near fall.
The heels gave Jax a double back body drop, but Baszler made a blind tag.
The finish came when Baszler applied the Muta Lock on Banks and the Kirfuda Clutch on Bayley at the same time. Banks tried to help Bayley break the hold, but Baszler grabbed Banks’ hand to apply more pressure on Bayley to win the match.
After the match, Charly Caruso tried to interview Baszler and Jax. Jax celebrated like crazy, but Baszler pointed out they’re still not best friends. Bayley and Banks were devastated that they lost.
Keith Lee defeated Randy Orton
Lee and Orton had a fine match while it lasted.
Orton applied a headlock immediately to start the match. Lee took Orton down with a shoulder tackle.
Lee avoided Orton with a leapfrog and hit a crossbody block. Orton demanded Lee’s respect and rocked Lee with a series of chops.
Lee fought back and trapped Orton in the corner. Lee missed a charge and went shoulder-first into the ring post. Orton then gave Lee a huge back suplex onto the announce table.
Orton slowed the pace down with a chin lock. Lee fought back and launched Orton to the floor.
Lee then gave Orton a back suplex on the announce table. Orton recovered and caught Lee with the draping DDT as he entered the ring.
Orton was firmly in control. He attempted the RKO, but Lee hit the Spirit Bomb out of nowhere for the win. The announcers pushed this has the biggest win of Lee’s career.
In the back, Kalya Braxton approached Paul Heyman. She wondered if Reigns signed the contract yet. Heyman promised that Reigns would keep his word and win the Universal title.
Rey & Dominik Mysterio defeated Seth Rollins & Murphy
This was a really good tag team match and told a good story.
Rey teased starting the match, but Dominik ran in and jumped the heels. Rollins had the early advantage on Dominik. Dominik fought back and hit a springboard arm drag on Rollins. Rollins was frustrated and tagged in Murphy.
Rey competed with an eye patch and demanded Rollins get in the ring. Rollins tossed Rey to the floor, and he landed on Murphy’s knees. The heels took over and isolated Rey in their corner.
Rey fought back and tagged in Dominik. Dominik hit a flying crossbody, but the heels caught him, and Rollins hit the falcon arrow for a close near fall. The heels regained control and cut Dominik off from his corner.
Dominik fought back and sent Murphy into the barricade. Dominik avoided Rollins, and he crashed into the barricade. Dominik fought back, and Rey got the hot tag.
Rey hit a moonsault for a near fall. He attempted the 619, but Rollins avoided. He tried a powerbomb, but Rey followed through and scored a near fall.
Dominik caught Murphy with a tornado DDT, but Rollins took him out with the sling blade. Rey hit a seated senton, but Rollins countered with a backbreaker.
Dominik and Murphy brawled around ringside. Rey avoided Rollins and hit a suicide dive on Murphy. Rey attempted a flying crossbody, but Rollins hit double knees to the ribs. Rollins followed up with a superkick for a near fall.
Rollins attempted the curb stomp, but Mysterio countered. Rollins recovered and tried a pin, but Dominik made the save. The heels threw Dominik and Rey into the barricade.
Rollins attempted a running powerbomb into a kick from Murphy, but Rey countered with a hurricanrana, and Murphy kicked Rollins.
Rey hit the 619 on Murphy, and Dominik hit the frog splash for the win.
After the match, Rollins seemed upset with Murphy and walked away from him.
In the back, MVP, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin were happy as they left the building.
No Holds Barred Triple Threat Match: Roman Reigns (w/Paul Heyman) defeated “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman to win the Universal Championship
This was a good match, although they used a lot of smoke and mirrors. The Reigns and Heyman alliance has a lot of potential.
The story of the match was Reigns didn’t sign the contract and didn’t appear for the first half of the match. Strowman and The Fiend went one-on-one for most of the match, which dragged at times.
The Fiend made his entrance and posed when Braun Strowman suddenly jumped him in the dark. Strowman scored a near fall, but The Fiend fought back. He followed up with Sister Abigail for a near fall.
The Fiend then slammed Strowman through the announce table at ringside. He pulled a giant mallet from underneath the ring. Strowman avoided at first, but The Fiend nailed Strowman with the mallet in the chest.
The Fiend then rocked Strowman with the steel steps. In the back, Alexa Bliss watched the match and seemed like she was in a trance.
They fought up the rampway to the stage. Strowman tossed The Fiend into the screen on the stage. The Fiend attempted Sister Abigail, but Strowman fought back and tackled The Fiend off the stage.
Back in the ring, Strowman climbed to the top, but The Fiend cut him off. The Fiend then gave Strowman a superplex, and the ring exploded. The ring partially fell apart, and The referee even fell out of the ring.
Suddenly, Roman Reigns music hit, and he walked out with Paul Heyman. Reigns signed the contract and entered the ring. He attempted pins on both The Fiend and Strowman.
Reigns grabbed a chair and destroyed Strowman for a near fall. The Fiend locked on the Mandible Claw, but Reigns used a low blow to break the hold. Reigns jumped back in the ring and hit the spear on Strowman to win the Universal Championship.
After the match, Reigns and Heyman posed together on the stage to end Payback.
SmackDown’s fallout from SummerSlam and build to Payback takes place at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida tonight.
After returning at SummerSlam, Roman Reigns will be back on SmackDown tonight. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt won the Universal Championship when he defeated Braun Strowman on Sunday. Reigns made his return after the match by attacking and spearing both The Fiend and Strowman.
The Fiend will defend his Universal title against Strowman and Reigns in a no holds barred triple threat match at Payback this Sunday. Tonight, all three meet for the official contract signing.
A Miz TV segment with Big E joining The Miz and John Morrison was originally announced for tonight’s show, but WWE posted a pre-SmackDown video with The Miz uninviting Big E from appearing. The video instead teased that Big E will team with Heavy Machinery against The Miz, John Morrison & Sheamus tonight.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show opened up with an in Memorium for “Bullet” Bob Armstrong.
They recapped The Fiend against Braun Strowman match and Roman Reigns returning at SummerSlam.
In the back, Adam Peace talked to the security about The Fiend, Reigns, and Braun Strowman being in the building at the same time. He warned them to be ready and mentioned that Retribution is always around.
He then revealed that Mr. McMahon is here tonight and entered his office. He was intimidated by his boss. McMahon has a mission for Pearce to accomplish tonight. He noted that he needs the signatures of Bray Wyatt, Reigns, and Strowman on the contract.
Pearce has to find each one and get them to sign the contract. He also gave Pearce an outfit to wear and noted he might find Wyatt in the FIrefly Funhouse. McMahon warned Pearce not to fail him.
Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy Promo
Jeff Hardy made his way down to the ring. They recapped AJ Styles injuring Hardy’s knee and Hardy later winning the title last week.
Hardy limped to the ring and sold the knee injury.
Hardy noted he’s happy he can still stand. Before he could continue, Styles interrupted. He claimed Hardy cheated last week because he used the knee brace to win the title. Styles said Hardy worked the system.
Styles claimed Hardy cried to the doctor to get a knee brace so he could use it in the match. He then pointed out that the same doctor won’t clear him to compete.
Hardy said that’s good because he was just about to issue an open challenge to anyone except Styles. Styles freaked and yelled that Hardy’s taking advantage of the system.
Hardy punched Styles in the face as they cut to a break.
Intercontinental Champion Jeffy Hardy defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the title
Hardy and Nakamura had a fine match.
Styles joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves on commentary. Styles was furious that Hardy punched him in the face.
Hardy had the early advantage as he worked over Nakamura’s arm. Nakamura backed Hardy into the ropes. He briefly locked on a headlock, but Hardy fought back and hit an elbow for a near fall.
Nakamura took over after attacking the injured knee. He was firmly in control as he targeted the knee.
They cut to an interview with Cesaro from moments ago. He said he stepped away for one second to get some champagne, and Nakamura took the challenge. He pointed out that Nakamura didn’t even tell him.
Nakamura rocked Hardy with kicks, but Hardy recovered. Nakamura suplexed Hardy into the ring and tried to land on his feet, but his leg gave out.
Hardy clotheslined Nakamura to the floor and followed up with a sliding dropkick. They briefly fought at ringside when Hardy tossed Nakamura into Styles at commentary.
Back from the break, Nakamura was firmly in control as he worked over Hardy’s knee. Graves apologized to Styles for Hardy throwing Nakamura into him before the break.
Hardy briefly took back over after hitting the whisper in the wind. Nakamura recovered and hit a sliding German suplex. He followed up with a knee off the second turnbuckle for a near fall.
Nakamura attempted the Kinshasa, but Hardy avoided. He tried the twist of fate, but Nakamura escaped. Hardy then hit Nakamura with a knee to the face and hit the twist of fate. He followed up with the Swanton Bomb for the win.
Styles was furious that Hardy used the same knee with the knee brace to win. After the match, Hardy got in Styles’s face and walked off.
Hardy stood on the stage as Styles yelled at him from the ring.
Suddenly, Sami Zayn’s music hit and he made his SmackDown return. Zayn came out with his Intercontinental title, which he never lost in the ring. He yelled at Hardy and called him a fraud.
All three had a brief staredown until Zayn nailed Hardy with a boot to the face.
Back from the break, Kayla Braxton approached Sami Zayn and asked why he attacked Hardy. Zayn noted nothing changes around here because the questions are still terrible. That was a funny line.
Zayn called Hardy and Styles frauds. He’s the real I.C. champion. Braxton wondered why Zayn wasn’t around for several months to defend the title. Zayn said there are many reasons. Zayn was really good in his brief appearance.
Firefly Funhouse
Bray Wyatt was happy to be back in the Firefly Funhouse. He couldn’t help but feel that something is missing. Wyatt then revealed the Universal title. He said he was pleased to see Roman Reigns back.
The doorbell rang. Wyatt opened the door, and Adam Pearce appeared as a mailman. Wyatt called him Postman Pearce and let him in.
Pearce asked for The Fiend’s signature, but Wyatt didn’t understand why he would sign. Pearce pointed out that Wyatt and The Fiend have a connection. Pearce got Wyatt to sign the contract for Payback and ran out.
Pearce still has to get Reigns and Strowman’s signatures.
Last week, Graves claimed that The Firefly Funhouse is in an alternate universe. Apparently, Braun Strowman and Adam Pearce are the only ones that know the entrance.
They recapped Matt Riddle’s feud with King Corbin.
Matt Riddle Promo
Matt Riddle made his way to the ring. He brought up his recent problems with King Corbin and called him out. Suddenly, they cut to break as Riddle was still talking.
Back from the break, Riddle was still standing in the ring with his music playing. He was still waiting for Corbin and kept calling him out.
Corbin’s music hit, and he finally walked out to the ring. He slowly approached the ringside area.
Suddenly, Shorty G jumped Riddle from behind.
Corbin accepted the challenge on behalf of Shorty G. Michael Cole pointed out that Shorty G is trying to win the King’s Ransom bounty.
Matt Riddle defeated Shorty G
This was kept short, so there wasn’t much to it.
Shorty G was in control early in the match. Riddle fought back and hit a gut wrench suplex, but Shorty G blocked the second attempt. Shorty G then hit a tiger suplex for a close near fall. Riddle fought back, but Shorty G hit a German suplex. Riddle landed on his feet and hit Bro Derek for the quick win.
After the match, Corbin attacked Riddle, but Riddle fought back, and Corbin ran off.
They recapped The Miz and Big E’s confrontation from Talking Smack.
Earlier, Big E and Heavy Machinery had a confrontation with Sheamus, The Miz, and John Morrison. Cole announced a six-man tag team match between the two teams for later.
Backstage, Sasha Banks and Bayley approached Big E and Heavy Machinery. Bayley told Big E not to be upset about Miz’s comments. She said some people are just good at being a tag team champion. Big E kept pointing at Banks during the segment.
In the back, Adam Pearce knocked on Roman Reigns’ locker room door. He was back in regular clothes. He noted he needs to get his signature, but Reigns didn’t open the door. Pearce just walked off.
Kayla Braxton was just standing around when Corbin walked by. Corbin was furious with Riddle and challenged him to a match at Payback this Sunday.
Bayley and Sasha Banks Promo
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks & SmackDown Woman’s Champion Bayley made their way to the ring.
They recapped Bayley and Banks matches against Asuka at SummerSlam. Cole noted Banks helped Bayley retain the title, but Bayley didn’t return the favor.
Bayley noted this is one of the most challenging weeks of their lives. They both had to defend against Asuka at SummerSlam, and on Sunday, they defend against Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax. However, they can handle it because they’re the best.
Bayley apologized to Banks for letting her challenge Asuka for the Raw Woman’s title. That’s how this whole messed started. Banks was unhappy that she lost the Raw Woman’s title.
Baszler and Jax interrupted on the screen. They both don’t like each other and took shots at their partner. Of course, they hate Bayley and Banks more. Banks was furious that she’s not two belts Banks anymore but isn’t going to lose her WWE Tag Team titles.
In the back, Adam Pearce approached Drew Gulak. He asked if he knows where Braun Strowman is. Gulak’s looking for him too. He grabbed a chair, walked over to Strowman, and hit him in the back. He threw the chair at Pearce, and he caught it.
Strowman was furious as he approached Pearce. Pearce noted Gulak hit him with the chair. He asked for his signature, but Strowman talked about Reigns instead.
Strowman then promised to sign after he destroys Gualk in the ring.
In the back, Cesaro confronted Nakamura about accepting the challenge earlier without telling him. Cesaro takes on Kalisto later tonight and needs Nakamura in his corner.
Sami Zayn approached and celebrated reuniting with them.
Cesaro and Nakamura weren’t excited to see him. Cesaro noted that things have changed since he disappeared. Nakamura pointed out he disappeared for four months and didn’t even call.
Zayn was excited to hang out in the champion’s lounge, but they asked him to leave. Zayn didn’t seem happy.
Braun Strowman defeated Drew Gulak
This was a total squash.
Strowman completely dominated the match with Gulak getting no offense. Strowman even hit a senton at one point. He followed up with a chokeslam and power slam for the win.
Strowman walked off and met Peace at the top of the stage. Strowman signed the contact. Reigns is the only one left to sign.
In the back, The Lucha House Party was talking before Kalisto’s match. Kalisto noted he learned from Lince Dorado’s mistakes last week. He told Dorado and Gran Metalik to stay in the back and watch how it’s done.
Kalisto walked off. Suddenly, Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura jumped Dorado and Metalik from behind.
Cesaro (w/Shinsuke Nakamura) defeated Kalisto
Cesaro and Kalisto had a good short match with a lot of innovative action.
Cesaro jumped Kalisto to start the match. Kalisto fought back and sent Cesaro to the floor with a tilt a whirl head scissors. He followed up with a dive into a hurricanrana.
Kalisto attempted a springboard crossbody, but Cesaro countered into a backbreaker for a near fall.
Cesaro took back over, but Kalisto scored a near fall. Cesaro quickly regained control. In a cool spot, Cesaro lifted Kalisto, and he stood up on Cesaro’s shoulders. He then transitioned into a crazy looking DDT.
Nakamura tried to interfere, but Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik ran out and attacked Nakamura. Kalisto was distracted, and Cesaro rolled him up for the win.
After the match, Kalisto blamed Dorado and Metalik for the loss but they eventually made up.
Adam Pearce approached Mr.McMahon in his office. Pearce revealed that he got Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman’s signature but not Roman Reigns. McMahon wasn’t pleased and sent Pearce to get Reigns to sign the contract.
In the back, Tamina approached Nikki Cross. She was holding a mug, which was the first present Alexa Bliss gave her. Suddenly Alexa Bliss showed up. She hugged Cross and was happy to see her.
Cross noted Bliss put her hair up in ponytails and had a single braid.
Cross thinks the hairstyle is a bad idea because it’s like The Fiends. Bliss went into a brief trance. She then freaked out and threw the mug down to the ground and shattered it to pieces.
Sheamus walked up to John Morrison and The Miz in the back. He asked them what their game plan is for the six-man tag team match. Morrison’s idea was to keep Big E, Tucker, and Otis from entering the match. Sheamus was furious with the plan and walked off.
Adam Pearce entered Roman Reigns’ locker room and gave him the contract. Reigns needs to read the contract over first. Michael Cole teased that Reigns might not sign the contract.
Big E & Heavy Machinery defeated Sheamus, John Morrison & The Miz
This was a fine main event although it dragged at certain times.
The faces had the early advantage until Sheamus hit Tucker in the back with a knee. The heels took over by isolating Tucker in their corner. Tucker fought back and rocked Sheamus with a standing dropkick on the floor.
Tucker attempted to pin Morrison in the ring, but Sheamus rang the ring bell, which stopped the action in the ring.
Back from the break, Morrison and Miz were firmly in control. They continued to keep Tucker from his corner.
Sheamus tagged himself in, but the referee didn’t see because he was trying to get Otis and Big E out of the ring. Morrison jumped back in the ring, and Tucker knocked Sheamus off the apron.
Sheamus was furious and walked out of the match. Miz tried to stop him but backed off when Sheamus got mad.
Big E got the hot tag and ran wild on The Miz. He hit a series of belly-to-belly suplexes. He followed up with a big splash. Miz hung Big E on the top rope, but Big E quickly took back over. Big E pinned The Miz but Morrison hit a double foot stomp on Big E to break it up.
Otis ran wild on the heels. He attempted the Catapillar on Morrison and Miz, but Miz moved out of the way.
Big E jumped back in the ring and hit the Big Ending on Miz for the win.
In the back, Adam Pearce was still in Roman Reign’s dressing room. Reigns promised to show up at Payback and win back his title. He looked to his side and said that’s not a prediction. That’s a spoiler.
The camera pulled back to reveal Paul Heyman sitting next to Reigns. The final segment seemed to imply that Heyman and Reigns are somehow aligned.
Adam Pearce trying to get the signatures throughout the show seemed silly at certain moments but had a pretty good payoff with the Paul Heyman appearance.
After returning to WWE television at SummerSlam, Roman Reigns is getting a Universal Championship shot at Payback.
It was announced on Raw tonight that new Universal Champion “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt will defend his title against Braun Strowman and Reigns in a no holds barred triple threat match at Payback. The pay-per-view is taking place this Sunday (August 30).
A contract signing for the match will take place on SmackDown this Friday.
In the main event of SummerSlam last night, The Fiend won the Universal Championship from Strowman in a falls count anywhere match. Reigns then made his return, appearing on WWE programming for the first time since March. He dropped The Fiend with a spear and then continued to attack both The Fiend and Strowman. Reigns posed with The Fiend’s Universal title belt as the show went off the air.
Reigns had been set to challenge Goldberg for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36 prior to pulling out of the event. Strowman instead took Reigns’ place and won the title from Goldberg.
Here’s the updated lineup for Payback:
Universal Champion “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt defending against Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns in a no holds barred triple threat match
United States Champion Apollo Crews defending against Bobby Lashley
Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks & Bayley defending their titles (opponents to be announced)
Bray Wyatt, under his fiend persona, defeated champion Braun Strowman tonight at SummerSlam in a falls count anywhere match. The finish had Strowman grab a boxcutter and tear open the ring mat, exposing the wood paneling. The Fiend cut off Strowman with a uranage, then pinned Strowman after two Sister Abigails.
After the match had ended, Roman Reigns returned to the company and took out The Fiend with a spear. He also speared Braun Strowman on the outside. After attacking The Fiend with steel chair shots, Roman closed the show by spearing The Fiend once more.
Reigns hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He was originally set to face Goldberg for the Universal title at WrestleMania 36, but pulled out.
Strowman was put in the title match and defeated Goldberg for the championship on the April 4 card.
A stipulation has been added to one of the top matches for SummerSlam.
It was announced on Talking Smack that Braun Strowman vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam will now be a falls count anywhere match. Talking Smack made its return today and will be hosted by Kayla Braxton and Xavier Woods, though The Miz was Braxton’s co-host for this episode.
After Strowman invaded Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House on last night’s SmackDown, they brawled and Strowman slammed Wyatt off a ledge backstage onto concrete. Wyatt was loaded into an ambulance as part of the angle, but the show then ended with the ambulance reversing and The Fiend emerging.
SummerSlam is taking place at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida this Sunday and will be the first pay-per-view with the WWE ThunderDome. Here’s the updated card for the show:
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre defending against Randy Orton
Universal Champion Braun Strowman defending against “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a falls count anywhere match
Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defending against Asuka
SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley defending against Asuka
Raw Tag Team Champions The Street Profits defending against Andrade & Angel Garza
United States Champion Apollo Crews defending against MVP
Dominik Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins in a street fight
Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville in a no DQ, loser leaves WWE match
WWE’s residency at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida began with last night’s SummerSlam go-home edition of SmackDown.
Vince McMahon kicked off the WWE ThunderDome until being interrupted by “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. After Braun Strowman made his way out to the ring, Strowman and The Fiend were surrounded by RETRIBUTION. The Fiend disappeared and left Strowman to fight RETRIBUTION on his own. The SmackDown locker room then came out to help him, but Strowman snapped and laid out Drew Gulak and Jey Uso after RETRIBUTION retreated.
Later in the show, Strowman invaded Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House. He brawled with Wyatt and slammed him off a ledge backstage and onto concrete. Wyatt was loaded into an ambulance, but the show ended with the ambulance reversing and The Fiend emerging.
A Beat the Clock Challenge on last night’s episode decided the order for the Women’s title matches at SummerSlam.
A change was made to Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville’s match at Sunday’s pay-per-view. Instead of hair vs. hair, it will now be a no DQ, loser leaves WWE match.
The Intercontinental title changed hands last night. Jeff Hardy defeated AJ Styles to win the title, with the finish playing into a show-long storyline where Styles injured Hardy during the brawl with Retribution. Hardy kicked Styles in the face with his knee brace and then hit the Twist of Fate and Swanton Bomb to get the win.
A confrontation between Universal Champion Braun Strowman and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt had been set to close last night’s episode of SmackDown.
Strowman made his in-person return with a new look where his head is now shaved. He called out The Fiend but got Alexa Bliss instead.
Bliss said they owe it to their friendship to have a conversation. She told Strowman she doesn’t believe that he doesn’t care about her. Strowman accused Bliss of trying to use him as a pawn and attempting to turn him into something he’s not. Strowman said Bliss thinks he’s some kind of clown she can lead around by his beard and make him sing songs inside of her stupid car.
Bliss asked Strowman what the hell is going on here. Strowman said everyone who comes into contact with The Fiend changes, including Bliss. Strowman then told her to get out of the ring. Bliss told Strowman to look at her when he’s talking to her. Bliss said if she couldn’t talk sense into Strowman, she’d have to slap some sense into him.
After Bliss repeatedly slapped Strowman, he picked her up for a press slam. The lights then started to go out. He threw Bliss into the air, then The Fiend was in the ring with Bliss when they came back on. Strowman appeared on the video screen and laughed maniacally to end the show.
Earlier in the episode, Bliss did a sit-down interview and spoke about her friendship with Strowman and experiences with The Fiend. She said being around The Fiend is terrifying but also compelling.
Ahead of their title match at SummerSlam later this month, Universal Champion Braun Strowman promises to confront “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt on tonight’s SmackDown.
Strowman vs. The Fiend was set up for SummerSlam last week when Strowman returned to WWE television for the first time since his Swamp Fight against Wyatt at Extreme Rules.
Also on tonight’s show, Alexa Bliss sits down for a one-on-one interview to discuss her run-ins with The Fiend. The Fiend applied the Mandible Claw on Bliss two weeks ago in an attempt to provoke Strowman. Last week, The Fiend attempted the Mandible Claw again but backed off when Bliss touched his face. Strowman showed up on the Titantron as The Fiend approached Bliss, although Strowman claimed he doesn’t care about her.
The SmackDown Women’s Championship match for SummerSlam will be made official tonight as a triple brand battle royal decides Bayley’s next challenger. The battle royal will feature wrestlers from Raw, SmackDown, and NXT.
Plus, Big E takes on John Morrison. Big E looks to build momentum in his singles career after defeating The Miz two weeks ago.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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They recapped the Retribution angle and the attack last week. On commentary, Michael Cole noted the group is hiding behind current events. Corey Graves pointed out that WWE increased security for tonight.
Cole and Graves then ran down the line-up.
Big E vs. John Morrison (w/The Miz)
As Big E and Morrison made their way to the ring, they aired interviews from earlier today. Big E discussed his singles career and noted he’s a former NXT Champion. Morrison mocked Big E and promised to put an end to his singles career.
They never ended up having their match because Retribution ran in. This was the same basic angle as last week except they attacked Morrison and Big E.
Morrison and Big E squared off in the ring when the lights flickered in the arena.
Suddenly, a member of Retribution jumped up on the apron. Cole screamed that’s there’s more of them, and Retribution swarmed the ring. Cole and Graves took off and ran to the back.
Retribution beat down Big E and John Morrison. Big E tried fighting back, but there were too many of them. They targeted his knee and ran off.
The Miz ran out to check on Morrison as they cut to commercial.
In the back, the roster was checking on Morrison and Big E. The Miz apologized to Morrison for not being at ringside. He was on the phone with Maryse.
Miz blamed Big E for sending out a tweet that upset Retribution. Miz and Morrison left. King Corbin approached and said he’s the leader they need.
Big E got fired up and promised to defeat Morrison later and get revenge on Retribution. Sheamus mocked Big E for not having Xaiver Woods or Kofi Kingston.
Sheamus said Retribution wouldn’t target him because they’re scared. Big E got in his face and noted he’s not alone. He walked out with Lucha House Party, Drew Gulak, and Shorty G.
They increased security around ringside although they didn’t do a very good job earlier.
SmackDown Woman’s Champion Bayley and Raw Woman’s Champion Sasha Banks were in the ring. Banks noted she defends against Asuka at SummerSlam, and they have to defend their tag team titles at Payback. Bayley mocked Stephanie McMahon for making the triple brand battle royal.
Bayley noted they’re good at everything and are better commentators then Graves and Cole.
Asuka Won The Triple Brand Battle Royal
Participants: Asuka, Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Tegan Nox, Shotzi Blackheart, Naomi, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Nikki Cross, Bianca Belair, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans, Tamina, and Shayna Baszler.
This was a typical battle royal with quick eliminations until the end. It picked up when it came down to the final few entrants and was really good when it came down to Asuka and Baszler.
Bayley and Banks did the ring announcing for the match, and they were excellent. They announced the rules of the match and introduced the participants. Banks and Bayley mocked everyone and were so great.
After introducing the first entrants, Bayley read the next name and said it’s a mistake. Asuka’s music hit and she ran down to the ring. She attacked Bayley and Banks, but they escaped.
The rest of the participants just ran out.
The IIconics worked together to dump out Riott and Morgan. Morgan ended up on the apron and pulled out Royce and Kay. The IIconics then pulled Morgan off the apron.
Cross went under the bottom rope and caught Brooke in the ring apron skirt. On the other side of the ring, Belair almost went out, but she held on. Tamina ran wild and beat down everyone. Cross and Tamina squared off. Cross ended up on the apron, and Tamina hit the superkick to eliminate her.
Belair got the better of Tamina and dumped her over the top rope in an impressive spot. Naomi ran wild, but Evans caught her with the Woman’s Right to eliminate her from the match.
Blackheart then eliminated Evans. Evans recovered and pulled out Blackheart.
Belair charged at Nox, but she ducked, and Belair fell to the floor. Baszler took over and dominated the action in the ring. In a scary spot, Baszler picked up Nox but lost control and nearly dropped Nox on her head.
Nox ended up on the apron, but Brooke pulled her out. Brooke jumped back in the ring, but Asuka quickly eliminated her.
The final two entrants were Asuka and Baszler. Asuka ended up on the apron, and Bayley tried to pull her off. Asuka fought back and nailed Bayley and Banks with a running knee.
Baszler hit a running knee on Asuka, but she landed on top of Banks and Bayley, which prevented her elimination. She jumped up on the apron, and Baszler locked on the Kirifuda Clutch. Asuka fought back and pulled her out of the ring for the final elimination.
Asuka takes on SmackDowm Woman’s Champion Bayley at SummerSlam in addition to taking on Banks for the Raw Woman’s title.
In the back, Bayley and Banks were furious that Asuka could even enter the battle royal. Banks pointed out that Bayley lost to Asuka on Raw, but the title wasn’t on the line.
Suddenly, Asuka jumped Bayley. Banks tried to help, but Asuka got the better of both of them.
They recapped the Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville angle.
In the back, Rose said Deville’s not the first person to say she got everything because of her looks. It still hurts that everyone thinks she got everything easily in life. She worked three jobs while she won the Bikini championship.
Rose then challenged Deville to a hair vs. hair match at SummerSlam.
Sheamus ran into two security guards in the back at the entrance. He told them to take the night off because Retribution’s not going to attack on his watch. Apparently, security takes their orders from anyone.
Backstage, Nikki Cross approached Alexa Bliss and hugged her. She apologized for pushing her to the mat two weeks ago. Bliss seemed uneasy. Cross tried to get her to leave, but Bliss wants to get answers from Braun Strowman.
Sheamus defeated Shorty G
This was a fine match. There wasn’t much to it and featured Sheamus dominating.
Sheamus had an early advantage, but Shorty G fought back. He was briefly in control and hit a series of cross faces. Sheamus recovered and beat down Shorty G.
Shorty G made a comeback and hit a missile dropkick. He then got the ankle lock, but Sheamus broke free. Shorty G rolled up Sheamus for a near fall.
Sheamus took back over with White Noise and won the match with The Brogue Kick.
In the back, AJ Styles spoke with Joseph Park aka the former Abyss from Impact. Styles is about to head to the ring.
AJ Styles Promo
Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles and Joseph Park made their way to the ring.
Styles isn’t worried about Retribution. He’s got more pressing matters such as defending his title at SummerSlam. Styles started talking about statistics. On Twitch, users keep asking about his next title defense and statistically who he should defend the title against next.
Styles hired a statistic team called the Phenomenal Intercontinental Statistic System. Styles revealed a board with his name at the top. He then showed the top contenders, but the board was empty. Styles noted there’s nobody good enough to challenge him.
Jeffy Hardy’s music hit, and he made his way to the ring. Hardy has a lot of respect for Styles. He pointed out that he should have faced Styles in the semi-final of the IC tournament, but Sheamus framed him.
Hardy then challenged Styles to a title match. Styles praised Hardy and noted he deserved to be on the board. Styles teased agreeing but said hell no.
Hardy has to earn the title shot. Styles got in Hardy’s face.
Hardy snapped and attacked Styles. He hit the twist of fate and signed his name on the board.
This was a good segment. Styles and Hardy were both good in their roles.
In the back, Lucha House Party stole the tag team titles from Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Backstage, Styles was furious that Hardy attacked him and vented to Joseph Park, who was still holding the board. Kayla Braxton tried to interview him. Styles noted Hardy doesn’t respect him or analytics.
In a funny moment, Styles said he was going to erase Hardy and tried to wipe his name off the board, but it was a permanent marker. Park just looked at Styles and whimpered. Styles and Park are good together.
On Commentary, Michael Cole twice noted there are rumors that next week SmackDown will be in a different location. Corey Graves pointed out the WWE Universe would be involved.
Gran Metalik (w/Lince Dorado) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura (w/Cesaro)
This was a decent match while it lasted.
Lucha House Party came out with the belts, but Cesaro and Nakamura took them back before the match.
Nakamura had the early advantage, but Metalik took over with a chin lock. Metalik hit a huge crossbody block and springboard back elbow for near fall.
Nakamura attempted the exploder, but Metalik landed on his feet. He hit a superkick and jumped to the top, but Cesaro jumped on the apron to cause the distraction.
Nakamura regained control and set up for the Kinasha, but Lucha House Party’s music hit. Kalisto walked out, making his return. Dorado and Kalisto worked together to take out Cesaro with a tornado DDT.
Metalik recovered and hit a springboard elbow on Nakamura for the win.
In the back, Kayla Braxton interviewed Matt Riddle. She asked about King Corbin and the King’s Ransom bounty. Riddle mocked Corbin and gloated about costing him his match last week.
Suddenly, Shorty G walked in and apologized for trying to attack Riddle. Riddle accepted his apology. Corbin attacked Riddle from behind. He thanked Shorty G for his help, but Shorty didn’t seem happy about it.
Alexa Bliss Interview
Bliss discussed her friendship with Braun Strowman. They showed highlights of their friendship and teaming together. The interviewer asked if she had romantic feelings.
Bliss said maybe. Bliss noted she cares about Strowman, and he cared about her. She doesn’t know why The Fiend attacked her.
She said, being in the ring with him is scary and compelling. Bliss understands the idea of a moth to a flame.
They showed Strowman saying he didn’t care about Bliss last week. The interviewer asked Bliss how that made her feel.
Bliss became sad and looked away.
In the back, Sonya Deville mocked Mandy Rose and her interview earlier. Deville accepted Rose’s challenge for the hair vs. hair match at SummerSlam.
Big E defeated John Morrison (w/The Miz)
The Miz joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves on commentary. He mocked Mandy Rose throughout the match.
Morrison had the early advantage as he targeted Big E’s injured knee. They aired footage of Retribution injuring Big E’s knee earlier.
In a cool spot, Morrison attempted a springboard move into the ring, but Big E pushed him to the other side of the ring to the floor. He followed up with a big splash on the apron.
Miz distracted Big E, and Morrison used a chop block on the injured knee. Morrison continued to target Big E’s knee.
Otis then made his way to ringside to confront Miz.
The lights started to flicker, and Cole freaked out. He screamed for security as they cut to commercial.
Back from commercial, the entire roster was standing at ringside. The lights started to flicker again.
Retribution showed up backstage and attacked the referees and crew. They locked a guy in the bathroom as they destroyed the backstage area.
The roster was unaware that Retribution was attacking in the back. Cole and Graves didn’t try to inform the roster though. Referee Jessika Carr ran out and told the roster about the attack.
The roster ran to the back expect for The Miz.
Morrison was firmly in control, but Big E made a comeback and used the Strech Muffler for the win. The angle with Retribution took away from the match.
After the match, Sheamus ran out and hit the Brogue Kick on Big E.
Braun Strowman made his way to the ring to confront The Fiend.
Braun Strowman Promo
Strowman was furious and challenged The Fiend to come to the ring. He promised The Fiend that he was going to be a different person when he came out of the swamp.
Alexa Bliss made her way to the ring instead. She said this isn’t the Strowman that she knows. Strowman said that he doesn’t care about her, and claimed she used him as a pawn. He didn’t look at her and told her to leave.
Strowman told her that everyone changes that encounter The Fiend, including her. She said he’ll regret getting what he wants. Bliss demanded he looks at her and slapped him several times.
Strowman then picked her up into the press slam. The lights slowly went off as Strowman held her in the air. As the lights went off, Strowman dropped Bliss to the mat.
Then the lights came back on. The Fiend was standing in the ring with Bliss. Somehow, Strowman was on the Titantron laughing hysterically.
This was a weird segment. Strowman came across like a total heel. The Fiend was still portrayed as the heel, but he essentially made the save for Bliss.
Next Week: Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles defends against Jeff Hardy.
