Tag: charlotte flair

Daily Update: WWE notes, Okada, Umaga

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

We have the largest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in our history up on the site covering two very newsworthy weeks:

  • Full coverage of Full Gear. The good, the bad, the reaction, the business notes, reasons for the surprisingly good PPV number, thoughts on the world title change, long title reigns and how they create legends, and early Continental Classic thoughts.
  • Notes and odds regarding upcoming matches
  • UFC announces its first two shows of 2026, changes that the company is making and why the first two main events are so controversial
  • Full coverage of UFC 323
  • The life and times of Bob Caudle, the voice of Mid Atlantic wrestling and a Hall of Fame candidate
  • A detailed look at how and why the ratings have changed, why the explanation makes no sense, exactly how much the new panel and big data ratings have hurt each show and in particular where.
  • The most in-depth look at the ratings for all the shows over the past two weeks, placings for the week, placings in the time slot, men vs. women, how the placings compare to 2024 and 2023, and each show compared with the prior year and prior week, as well as the leading competition for each show.
  • Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, Komander, Mortos, Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight go to CMLL, draw big crowds and a look at their key matches
  • CMLL ready to honor a milestone it is close that no company has ever done in history
  • Notes on AAA’s new TV deal in Mexico and Latin America and who they are pushing as the top stars
  • WWE tag team taking the name of one of Mexico’s greatest tag teams in history
  • Updates on tag team tournaments in Stardom, New Japan and All Japan.
  • Wrestler suspended after getting in car accident and messing up a tournament
  • Update on Tokyo Dome ticket sales
  • Fantastica Mania 2026 notes
  • Battle of the Generations
  • RAF new philosophy and update
  • Santo’s final matches
  • Sting’s son has first singles match
  • Headbangers farewell tour
  • The oldest male wrestler in history has a match last week
  • Opera Cup notes
  • TNA business notes as well as notes on the next PPV show and the last major show
  • AEW TV changes
  • Final Battle updated card
  • Tony Khan on multiple subjects
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows
  • Two best in the world at their specific sport athletes are on UFC’s radar
  • Becky Lynch’s comments
  • Update on stockholders lawsuit against WWE
  • New WWE signings
  • WWE star talks about her domestic violence issue
  • WWE engagements
  • Bret Hart talks McMahon and Michaels and our thoughts on it

This Week’s Back Issue

Thursday Update

WWE

  • Bayley thanked Charlotte Flair for stopping by the free seminar she’s holding in Orlando this week and spending some time with the attendees: “Thank you @MsCharlotteWWE for spending your morning with the Lodestone Women before flying out to Smackdown”
  • Charlotte responded to Bayley: “Bayley……. YOUR commitment to elevating women’s wrestling is unmatched, and it pushes all of us to raise the bar. thank you for the opportunity…. KEEP DREAMING & working hard ladies”
  • Fox News Digital asked Logan Paul if he could see President Donald Trump attending John Cena’s last match on December 13 in Washington, D.C.:
    • We (Paul and his friends) have talked about it. I have no idea. It seems like something that could happen. I think it’d be awesome. But I don’t know how political the WWE wants to get, so I’m not sure.
  • Paul uploaded a new episode of his vlog.
  • Becky Lynch celebrated her daughter Roux’s fifth birthday: “5 years ago, the world was introduced to the GREATEST child of all time. It’s not just me saying it, everyone is saying it. My HOT husband says it! (Sports Illustrated might have mentioned it)”
  • Paul “Triple H” Levesque wished Jelly Roll a happy 41st birthday: “Music icon. WWE superstar. Inspiration. Proud of the many challenges he’s faced and overcome and even prouder to call him a friend. Happy birthday @JellyRoll615!”
  • On social media, AJ Styles responded to a fan who claimed that he and Dragon Lee stole a tag team move from The Young Bucks: “In Prowrestling you can’t claim moves. They may be your signature, but those are still open to the public. Any confident wrestler wouldn’t ever change that. Calm down guys.”
  • Former WWE executive George Barrios is writing a book titled “Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt: How a Cuban Kid from Queens Transformed WWE.” It will be released in June 2026:
    • George Barrios helped transform WWE from an $800 million wrestling company into a $9.3 billion global sports and entertainment powerhouse. For the son of Cuban immigrants who grew up in a cramped Queens apartment near LaGuardia Airport and nearly flunked out of high school, the climb to the corporate boardroom was anything but obvious.
    • Barrios’s story blends grit, reinvention, and bold bets. He went from a 2nd grader forging a letter from his parents so the nuns wouldn’t expel him to the highest levels of corporate leadership. As WWE’s longtime strategist, he pioneered streaming years before other sports properties caught up and helped make WWE the #1 sports brand on YouTube with over a billion followers.
    • When Vince McMahon abruptly fired him in 2020, Barrios cofounded Isos Capital—and three years later, McMahon called him back. The Cuban kid from Queens had become indispensable.
    • Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt offers:
    • A framework for spotting undervalued assets and transforming legacy businesses.
    • Hard-won lessons on navigating corporate politics and surviving setbacks.
    • A masterclass in disrupting before being disrupted – and betting on conviction when everyone else doubts your vision.
    • This is both an immigrant’s story and a playbook for entrepreneurs and executives seeking to stay ahead of the curve – proof that preparation, persistence, and courage can change everything.
  • Comedian Andrew Schulz appeared on a new edition of “What’s Your Story?” with Stephanie McMahon.
  • WWE Vault uploaded a full Georgia Championship Wrestling Omni show from December 4, 1983.
  • CM Punk was featured on WWE Break it Down, looking back at some of the gear he wore throughout his career.
  • Punk said that, when he wore Randy Savage tribute gear in 2011, an unnamed higher up in WWE told him that he shouldn’t do that – but Punk wore it anyway:
    • Unfortunately, just before this picture, the legendary ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage passed away. So I wanted to pay homage to a classic pair of gear – twofold really. You know, pink looks great on me – and this is an homage to the gear he wore at WrestleMania III taking on Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat.
    • Now, I commissioned my gear maker at the time to make this gear. And I won’t name names, but somebody very high in the office walked past and saw it and found me and said, ‘Do not wear that gear on television.’
    • And I said, ‘You got it.’ And I wore the gear on television, because that’s what I do. I’m going to pay homage to Randy Savage whether you like it or not.
    • As a fan, Macho Man to me was, you know, I’m a hardcore wrestling fan, so we tend to gravitate toward the guys that we feel aren’t getting the spotlight we think they deserve. We maybe feel like, ‘Oh, Macho should’ve been in Hogan’s spot.’ And really, that kind of passion that I had as a fan, and that fans in turn have for me, is really what has propelled me throughout my career.

Other Wrestling

  • Swerve Strickland attended The Root 100 Gala in New York City last night and took a photo on the red carpet with CBS broadcaster Gayle King.
  • Chris Jericho interviewed Viva Van on a new episode of Talk is Jericho.
  • While speaking with NJPW’s English-language website, Kazuchika Okada addressed whether his match against Hiroshi Tanahashi should main event Wrestle Kingdom 20:
    • I’ve always thought that the IWGP title should absolutely go on last, but in a situation like this Tanahashi’s last match should absolutely go on last. That’s what people are coming to see. Maybe this is pushing it a bit but it’s kind of like eating your meal, having dessert and then in comes a second entree. People might be stuffed, but even then, maybe because of that I like the main event better.
  • Zilla Fatu remembered his late father Umaga, who passed away on this day in 2009: “Today be a sad day for me …. I miss you pops”
  • Maven posted an Umaga tribute:
    • Hard to believe it’s been 16 years. I still remember getting the call from D-Von, telling me that one of my closest friends, Ekie, better known to the world as Umaga, was gone. At first, it didn’t register, but within minutes, the reality hit, and the tears came.
    • Ekie was one of the first guys to welcome me when I stepped into this business. Even after I left WWE, he was one of the few I stayed in close contact with. He was more than a colleague; he was family.
    • Thank you, Ekie. Miss you every day. Rest easy, brother.
  • Indie wrestler Facade announced that, barring any serious change, 2026 will be his last year performing.

AJ Lee forces ex-champion to tap, wins Women’s WarGames at Survivor Series 2025

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

AJ Lee has secured the victory for her team at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025.

In the first match of the night at Petco Park in San Diego, California, fans witnessed one of the best women’s matches in recent memory. In only her second bout in almost a decade, AJ Lee trapped Becky Lynch in the Black Widow, forcing her to tap out and sealing the win in a match lasting nearly 41-minutes.

The match also featured several violent moments, which is common in a steel cage environment. All six women pushed each other to their absolute limits. Nia Jax and Lash Legend brutally powerbombed Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair against the cage, while later in the match, Asuka fired friendly shots as she accidentally misted Legend with poison mist, taking her out of the action for the remainder of the bout.

In the final moments, IYO Sky performed her iconic trash can dive from the top of the cage onto four other women, opening the opening Lee needed. AJ Lee then swiftly locked in the Black Widow on Becky Lynch to secure the victory.

WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025 results

Here is the updated match card for WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025:

  • Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and AJ Lee defeated Nia Jax, Lash Legend, The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane), and Becky Lynch – Women’s WarGames match
  • John Cena (c) vs. Dominik Mysterio – WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Nikki Bella – WWE Women’s World Championship
  • CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), and Roman Reigns vs. The Vision (Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed), Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar – Men’s WarGames match

Women’s WarGames advantage decided for WWE Survivor Series

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The advantage for the women’s WarGames match is now set.

Charlotte Flair’s team will now have the edge heading into Saturday’s match in San Diego. In a close match on Friday’s SmackDown, Flair escaped an Asuka lock attempt then pinned Asuka with the natural selection for the win.

Both teams had a pep talk ahead of the match on Friday. Becky Lynch claimed to her team she had a 100% success rate in WarGames and to leave the match to her. Nia Jax interrupted and said tonight was about Asuka getting the advantage as the last time she and Charlotte Flair met, the latter was out for a year.

Meanwhile on the other side, Alexa Bliss and Flair were talking about their strategy with Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY when AJ Lee appeared, saying she’d make sure they win WarGames on Saturday.

On Monday’s Raw, The Vision’s team won the advantage for the men’s WarGames after Logan Paul & Drew McIntyre defeated The Usos. 

WWE Survivor Series: WarGames (November 29)

  • Men’s WarGames match: CM Punk, Jey Uso, and Cody Rhodes vs. Logan Paul, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed
  • Women’s WarGames match: AJ Lee, Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Alexa Bliss, and Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch, Nia Jax, Lash Legend, Asuka, and Kairi Sane
  • Intercontinental Championship: John Cena defends against Dominik Mysterio
  • Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer defends against Nikki Bella

Tiffany Stratton names former WWE rivals as her inspirations

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Tiffany Stratton has moved on from her past rivalries and revealed that Charlotte Flair and Trish Stratus are two of her biggest inspirations in professional wrestling.

A few days before her Saturday Night’s Main Event loss against Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton went sneaker shopping with Culture Kings where she discussed how Flair and Stratus influenced her career. Reflecting on their impact, the 26-year-old claimed that both women played a significant role in shaping her journey in WWE,

Charlotte Flair was a big inspiration for me. She was who I saw on my TV screen, I related to her. Trish Stratus as well. When I got into wrestling I found out who Trish Stratus was, and I really related to her, because I feel like we have similar stories. People look at us and have the preconceived notions, like we’re just pretty faces, blonde hair, but when we get in the ring we get stuff done.”

Earlier this year at Evolution 2025, Stratton faced and defeated Hall of Famer Trish Stratus, while she also secured a win over Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 41 solidying her status as a promising young talent.

Tiffany Stratton names the perfect place to host WrestleMania

Last month in an interview with with Sidewalks Entertainment, Tiffany Stratton called Las Vegas as “sports entertainment capital of the world” before naming it as the perfect place to host WrestleMania.

“Last year was actually my first WrestleMania ever. I was super nervous. It was in Las Vegas, so I felt like it was the perfect state for my first ever WrestleMania. I feel like Las Vegas is iconic. It’s the sports entertainment (capital) of the world, so it was the perfect place to host WrestleMania.”

WWE announces title match for Raw

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The Monday, October 27 edition of WWE Raw will include a Women’s Tag Team Championship match.

WWE revealed during Friday’s SmackDown that Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair will put their Women’s Tag Team titles on the line on Raw against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria.

Bayley issued a challenge for the match on social media on Friday, with the match officially announced later on:

Also set for Monday’s show, the top contenders for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship will go face-to-face, as a segment with CM Punk and Jey Uso going head-to-head has also been announced for the show. Those two will go one-on-one for the World title vacated by Seth Rollins on Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1.

Also announced, Nikki Bella and Roxanne Perez will square off on Raw. Bella saved Stephanie Vaquer from a two-on-one attack at the hands of Perez and Raquel Rodriguez on the most recent Raw episode.

The lineup for Monday’s show:

WWE Raw, Monday, October 27 —

  • Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss defend against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria
  • CM Punk and Jey Uso face-to-face
  • Nikki Bella vs. Roxanne Perez

WWE SmackDown live results: Cody Rhodes addresses Crown Jewel loss

Posted on by Marc Quill

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown in San Jose, California will be the first since Crown Jewel: Perth.

At the PLE, Cody Rhodes lost to Seth Rollins and was unsuccessful in his mission to repeat as men’s Crown Jewel Champion. Rhodes will kick off the show tonight and address that loss, along with what’s next for him in his WWE Championship reign.

Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss have a title defense tonight against NXT’s Zaria & Sol Ruca — who have made it clear they want the gold. The team known as ZaRuca earned their opportunity after proving themselves several weeks ago with a win over Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre.

Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu are scheduled to finally settle their score in the ring. The two have been involved in a heated rivalry for the past few weeks after Fatu took exception to McIntyre’s ranting. Reports this week have Fatu out for a considerable amount of time with a non-wrestling related injury, so it’s unclear what will develop tonight.

Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

**********

– We opened with a recap of the major events that took place at Crown Jewel concerning Seth Rollins’ big win over Cody Rhodes, followed by the shocking betrayal Rollins suffered at the hands of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed two nights later on Raw. We have Vic Joseph filling in for Michael Cole on commentary, and a returning Corey Graves joining him.

– Inside the ring, SmackDown’s GM Nick Aldis was here to inform us that tonight’s Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre match will now be a No. 1 Contender’s match, with the winner set to face Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. At this time, Rhodes was introduced by Mr. Aldis.

Cody Rhodes opens SmackDown

Rhodes started by stating that he might not feel that he and Seth Rollins need to be in the ring together again, but that’s not how it worked around here. He said that Rollins had some business of his own with a rogue Vision and Paul Heyman to deal with, and he had business of his own to handle as the top guy of SmackDown.

Rhodes sized up both Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre, one of which would be facing him for the Undisputed WWE Title at the next Saturday Night’s Main Event in two weeks time. He concluded that he didn’t know how things would shake out, but Rhodes knew that the road to SNME ran through San Jose.

Standard Cody Rhodes promo to open SmackDown, as the Fatu vs. McIntyre match still appears to be on despite the reported injury that Fatu sustained. We’ll see how that plays out later tonight.

**********

– Solo Sikoa and the M.F.T.s accosted a cameraman who was taking pictures of Rey Fenix, who took exception to Sikoa’s belligerence. Fenix paid for it as the M.F.T.s. laid a beating on him before a vanguard of officials warded them off.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Zaria & Sol Ruca

Blake Monroe was shown in the crowd, stated to be watching Sol Ruca ahead of their Women’s North American Championship match at Halloween Havoc.

Ruca and Flair got things going with a test of strength in the ring before the former escaped the grasp of the latter with a somersault. Flair answered by flipping over the turnbuckle so that she could kick Zaria on the apron. Flair then continued to go to work on Ruca as Bliss got the tag. Bliss connected with a hurricanrana on Ruca that sent her back to her home corner as Zaria entered with a tag.

Bliss tried for a charge, but got caught by Zaria, who lifted her. However, Bliss escaped and attempted a Sister Abigail early on. Zaria answered with a huge spinebuster that sent us to the commercial break.

We returned from the break with Zaria having Bliss trapped in the corner with an elevated sleeper hold from the middle rope. Bliss managed to escape the Aussie’s grip as she tried to reach out for a tag to Flair. Zaria, however, managed to cut Bliss off as Ruca entered the match and sent her championship foe spinning with a tilt-a-whirl drop. Zaria and Ruca tried to connect with an assisted diving attack, but Bliss dodged and managed to get to her corner as Flair got the hot tag.

In the ring, Flair blasted both Zaria and Ruca with chops before she connected with her signature somersault clothesline on the former. Flair then dropped Zaria with a northern lights suplex followed by a taunt towards Ruca. Shortly after, Ruca got a tag as she went to work on Flair with a German suplex in the corner followed by an attempted diving dropkick. Flair intercepted and caught her legs to turn that into a Boston Crab. Flair was in position for the Sol Snatcher by Ruca, which hit its target perfectly. One, two… Bliss managed to break it up in the nick of time.

Outside the ring, Bliss tried to dive at Zaria, but she got thrown against the barricade instead. Flair interjected with a boot to the face as Ruca leapt from the apron to take down the Women’s Tag Champions. Ruca then traded some words with Blake Monroe in the front row, which opened her up to Flair clipping her in the back of her legs. Flair threw Ruca into the ring and proceeded to lock the Figure Eight submission hold, with Ruca being forced to tap shortly after.

Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss def. Zaria & Sol Ruca via submission to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

That was a fun opening tag match, and the Blake Monroe involvement in the finish does continue that story she has with Ruca ahead of their Halloween Havoc match.

**********

– Cody Rhodes was walking backstage as Jacob Fatu had a chat with him. Fatu said that once he was finished dogwalking Drew McIntyre from San Jose to San Francisco, Rhodes would find out that Jacob Fatu is all gas and no brakes. Fatu and Rhodes shared a respectful handshake as the latter walked off.

– We got remarks from Aleister Black regarding what happened last week with Zelina Vega’s arrival to his side. Black said that he had been setting this in motion for months now, and that Vega’s assistance was part of the plan alll along. “We are not the infection, just the mirror that shows it,” said Vega of her alliance with Black. They said that the venom wasn’t poison, but it was salvation.

– Backstage, The Miz was shaking hands with Nick Aldis as Sami Zayn appeared and wondered why the U.S. Title Open Challenge wasn’t happening tonight. Aldis explained that Shinsuke Nakamura was still owed a rematch but he wasn’t here tonight, and the M.F.T.s were still lurking about. Zayn would have none of it as he said he waas ready to hold the Open Challenge and if anyone wanted a shot at the U.S. Title, they knew where they could find him.

U.S. Title Open Challenge: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov

As it appeared that The Miz was going to answer Zayn’s Open Challenge, Carmelo Hayes attacked from behind and took him out of the equation as the two brawled out of the stage area.

After a moment, we found out that the returning Ilja Dragunov was Zayn’s opponent for the Open Challenge.

Dragunov and Zayn shared a handshake of respect as the bell rang before the two stood toe-to-toe and slugged one another with strikes. Zayn recovered and lit up Dragunov with a chop as he went for a suplex. Dragunov countered out of the suplex with Zayn fighting back afterwards. Dragunov left Zayn stunned a enzuigiri, as he then threw the U.S. Champion in the corner and absolutely blasted him with a running boot to the face. This took us to a break in the action.

We returned from commercial break with Zayn dropping Dragunov with a clothesline as we got a replay of the action that took place during the break. With both men back up, Zayn and Dragunov once again got into an exchange of strikes that neither man could get an upper hand of. Zayn recovered and delivered a tornado DDT in the corner.

As Dragunov seemed to be stunned in the corner, Zayn ran at him, but ended up eating a jumping kick to the face instead. That only got a near-fall for the returning Dragunov. Zayn valiantly tried to fight out of Dragunov’s grip, but got dropped with a German suplex. Zayn eventually escaped and nearly got the win on a roll-up, as he then responded with some German suplexes of his own on Dragunov.

Dragunov lifted Zayn up and then dropped him with a standing uranage that once again got the two-count. Dragunov tried to go up top, but Zayn avoided it and connected with the Michinoku Driver for a near-fall. The two competitors’ battle reached the apron as Dragunov tried to get Zayn up on his shoulders. Zayn countered and instead got Dragunov with a nasty DDT onto the apron. With both men down, we took another break in the action.

The match returned from break with Zayn and Dragunov duking it out on the top rope, but it was the U.S. Champion who found himself flat on the canvas as Dragunov soared with a senton on Zayn. One, two…. NO! Zayn once again headed up to the top rope, but Dragunov again tried to go after his foe. Even after Zayn took Dragunov down, he just couldn’t keep his foe out cold as he fell victim to a Superplex.

Dragunov had Zayn dead to rights for the H-Bomb, but Zayn got a boot up to stop it. Meanwhile, Zayn’s Helluva Kick attempt was avoided by Dragunov, who then connected with a standing back suplex for the near-fall. Dragunov hit the Constantin Special and nearly had the match won with a Torpedo Moscow. Zayn intercepted at the last second with a Helluva Kick, followed by a Blue Thunder Bomb. One, two… 2.99999999!!!!!

As Zayn had Dragunov targeted for a Helluva Kick, Solo Sikoa appeared on the ramp and provided a distraction. Zayn threw Dragunov in the corner with an Exploder Suplex. However, Sikoa’s distraction seemed to be enough as it inadvertently bought Dragunov time to recover. Dragunov intercepted the Helluva Kick with a Torpedo Moscow. He then finished it off with an H-Bomb to become the new United States Champion.

After the match, the M.F.T.s. rolled up and unleashed an assaualt on Zayn and Dragunov while Sikoa watched on. Rey Fenix ran in but fell victim to the M.F.T.’s numbers game.

Solo Sikoa got on the microphone and promised that the M.F.T.s would run SmackDown as they’d get their championships back again. Before he could continue, he was interrupted by a video from The Wyatt Sicks, as Bo Dallas asked Sikoa if he and his M.F.T.s were ready for what was to come on the other side. As the video ended, the members of The Wyatt Sicks appeared in the darkness and once again stared down Sikoa and the M.F.T.s. Sikoa’s group backed off as the segment ended with the usual Wyatt Sicks static.

Ilja Dragunov def. Sami Zayn via pinfall to become the new United States Champion

Fantastic match. It was great to see Dragunov back in action, as he and Zayn put on a hell of a contest. A shame that it got partially marred by the M.F.T.s stuff at the end. I’m not sure if a feud between Sikoa’s faction and the Wyatt Sicks will be any interesting, I have to admit. Still, it’s nonetheless great to see Dragunov finally become a champion.

**********

– There was an Arby’s-sponsored recap of Stephanie Vaquer’s big victory over Tiffany Stratton at Crown Jewel to become the 2025 Women’s Crown Jewel Champion.

– Stratton was interviewed backstage about her loss and how that’d affect her. Stratton said that one loss would not affect her as she’d be still the WWE Women’s Champion. Kiana James interrupted and badmouthed Stratton for not being a “premium talent” unlike her client, the Women’s U.S. Champion Giulia. Stratton taunted James for not having it in the ring and promptly challenged her to a match for next week’s show.

– We got Earlier Today footage of the Motor City Machine Guns celebrating their one-year anniversary in WWE before Los Garza rudely interrupted the two. Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley pointed out that it was Angel and Berto who lost to them in their debut match and they sought to make it an annual thing, which led to this next match.

The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. Los Garza (Angel & Berto)

Angel and Shelley started off, as Berto provided a brief distraction, which allowed Angel to go on the attack. That advantage for Los Garza was all too fleeting as the MCMGs got the momentum back with a dive outside the ring. As Sabin was trying to get into the ring, Berto grabbed at his leg, which again gave Angel an opening to pounce on his foe with a stomp.

Sabin avoided a corner splash from Angel as Shelley got the tag. Los Garza once again turned it around as they dropped Shelley with an assisted double team boot to the face. Sabin got sent to the floor as we took a break in the action.

We returned from the break with Angel working over Shelley as we got a look at a replay of a double knee/kick combo from Los Garza that left Shelley stunned during the break. Shelley hit a neckbreaker on Angel as Sabin got the hot tag. The tag team veteran unleashed a flurry of offense on both Angel and Berto while Shelley contributed as well. Los Garza turned it around with a Gory Special/jumping neckbreaker combo on Sabin. One, two… Shelley broke it up just in time.

As the action broke down ont he outside, Berto took flight and vaulted over the top rope to take both Shelley and Sabin out. Back in the ring, an attempted double team move by Los Garza was thwarted by Shelley and it came down to a patented Skull and Bones from the Machine Guns on Berto to pick up the victory.

Motor City Machine Guns def. Los Garza via pinfall

A fun tag match yes, but honestly kind of a sad indictment that this is the first time in over a month or so that we’ve seen either team. I understand it’s hard to find time to fit the many tag teams of the tag division of SmackDown into a two-hour show, but it’s kind of unfortunate that the Machine Guns were brought in with much fanfare and seem to just be mostly an afterthought.

**********

– As Fraxiom plotted their next moves for the WWE Tag Titles, the #DIY duo of Tommasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano rolled up and had some harsh words for the rest of the SmackDown tag division. Axiom took exception to Gargano making fun of his mask as he challenged him to a match

– As Jacob Fatu was scheduled to make his entrance for our main event, we suddenly cut backstage as Fatu was seen crushed underneath a girder with various officials running up to check up on him. After the break, Nick Aldis was checking up on Fatu alongside the officials while McIntyre made his entrance.

The Main Event: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre

McIntyre entered with a smug smile on his face as he then got into the ring with a microphone in hand. He taunted Fatu as he demanded the referee to award him the match to become the number one contender. Mr. Aldis interrupted and warned McIntyre that if he found out that McIntyre had something to do with this, he’d do something about it. As McIntyre continued to complain about a conspiracy, Cody Rhodes interrupted and angrily said that if McIntyre wanted a shot at the WWE Title, that we should do it right now. We went to a commercial break just as the match was apparently kicking off.

Our main event continued with Rhodes and McIntyre continuing to brawl at ringside before the battle spilled into the ring as it finally kicked off in earnest. McIntyre got the upper hand with a suplex across the ring. Rhodes threw his vest at McIntyre as he punched away at him. The surly Scotsman got the advantage again with another throw across the ring. Rhodes recovered and punched away at McIntyre in the corner, followed by a bite to the forehead.

McIntyre caught Rhodes by surprise with a Future Shock DDT, and nearly had the WWE Title won, but Rhodes kicked out at two. McIntyre continued his attack in the corner as he punched away at Rhodes before the referee got him to back off. McIntyre caught Rhodes by surprise with a headbutt as he then continued away with the chops to the exposed chest.

Rhodes recovered and hit his uppercut followed by a Cody Cutter. As Rhodes tried to go for a suicide dive, McIntyre met him at the ropes with a headbutt. Rhodes was then thrown over the timekeeper area. McIntyre tried to retrieve Rhodes, but he got hit in the face with the WWE Championship title belt to cause the DQ.

The brawl continued after the bell as Rhodes cleared away the announce table and had him set up for a Cross Rhodes over the announce table. At that moment, Nick Aldis and several officials stepped in to stop the chaos. However, Rhodes eluded them and headed to the top rope as he then crushed McIntyre with a dive to the outside.

SmackDown ended with both men separated by the gaggle of officials as Rhodes looked on from the ring at McIntyre with anger.

Drew McIntyre def. Cody Rhodes via DQ (Rhodes retains Undisputed WWE Championship)

**********

Obviously, this whole main event angle with Jacob Fatu being crushed underneath a girder was WWE’s way of writing him off TV and add more heat to McIntyre to build him up as (most likely) the opponent for Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event in two weeks.

That said, this was a strong edition of SmackDown, bolstered by a big main event angle and a shock return that doubled as a shock title win. I’ll admit that I quite enjoyed tonight’s show a fair bit and hopefully we’re in for more episodes like this in the coming weeks.

WWE SmackDown live results: Wrestlepalooza go-home show

Posted on by Marc Quill

The final WWE SmackDown before Wrestlepalooza, WWE’s first PLE on ESPN, will feature an interaction between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and his next challenger Drew McIntyre.

Rhodes returned last week after a month away to save Randy Orton from a potential Claymore kick through the announce table. Tonight, Rhodes and McIntyre will have a contract signing to make their Wrestlepalooza title match officially official.

In an exclusive interview, Brock Lesnar will address his Wrestlepalooza matchup against John Cena. Last week, Lesnar delivered an F5 to R-Truth after demanding a face-to-face with Cena.

United States Champion Sami Zayn continues his open challenge series with Carmelo Hayes stepping up to the plate, much to the chagrin of his tag partner, The Miz.

A WWE Women’s Tag Team title match originally set to take place in France will come to fruition tonight as Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair defend against Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre.

Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

**********

– We opened tonight’s SmackDown with the arrivals of Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, Chelsea Green and the Secret Hervice, Carmelo Hayes, and Sami Zayn to the Huntington Center in Toledo, OH.

– Inside the arena, Michael Cole and Corey Graves welcomed us to the show as they talked about tomorrow night’s Wrestlepalooza. Cole said that Brock Lesnar wanted to do the sitdown interview right now as he left commentary. However, Lesnar made his entrance and it appeared that the interview would happen in the ring instead.

Brock Lesnar interview ahead of Wrestlepalooza

Lesnar grabbed Cole and held him over his shoulder as he made his way into the ring. Inside the ring, Lesnar continued to threaten Cole before Corey Graves entered the ring and pleaded with him to not attack Cole. He got an F5 for his troubles as the crowd chanted for John Cena. Lesnar then directly addressed the camera, yelling that he was coming for John Cena’s blood tomorrow and that it was D-Day. Lesnar paced around ringside and destroyed the Prime Hydtration station before he once again entered the ring to hit Graves with another F5. Various referees and security surrounded the ring while Lesnar yelled for Cena to come get himself some. He then left the ringside area, as the crowd jeered.

Pretty much a last gasp attempt to add fuel into this Cena/Lesnar Wrestlepalooza match that’s barely had a build. I can’t say if they succeeded on that front, though. That said, I guess we’ll have to find out tomorrow whether or not this match that has been haphazardily built will be any good at all.

**********

– We returned from the break with Cole and a few WWE road agents checking up on the fallen Graves, who was still out cold from being on the receiving end of two F5s.

– Backstage, Brock Lesnar was walking as he was confronted by Paul Heyman and The Vision’s Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Lesnar simply said that he and Heyman should talk before he left. SmackDown GM Nick Aldis warned The Vision to not cause anymore problems tonight, especially with the Cody Rhodes/Drew McIntyre contract signing to come. Heyman said that he and the Brons were simply here to enjoy the show.

– Back in the arena, Cole returned to the commentary table and was at a loss of words for what happened to his commentary partner. He said that in the years he’s been on commentary, he never felt as helpless as he did tonight. Cole said that if that’s what awaited John Cena tomorrow, he doesn’t know if even Cena had the answers.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Alba Fyre & Chelsea Green

Flair and Green started off the match here with a lockup. Green took a shot at Bliss in the corner, but ate an elbow from Flair as a result. Bliss tagged herself in and went to work on Green and Fyre for a moment. The challengers took advantage after Bliss was dragged into their corner. Green connected with a dropkick, as Bliss was then slammed into the ringpost by Fyre. This took us into the break.

During the break, the Miz took over for Graves as he joined Cole on commentary.

We returned from the break with Bliss desperately trying to get the tag. She almost got the tag, but Flair was pulled from the apron by Fyre, which gave Green a chance to continue her attack on Bliss. Green taunted Flair and ended up missing on the shoulder charge to Bliss. This allowed Bliss to finally get the hot tag for Flair.

Flair teed off with chops on both Green and Fyre, before she blasted the latter with a somersault clothesline. Flair tried to set up for the FIgure-Eight, but Green provided a distraction as she ate a big boot. Fyre went for the roll up, but couldn’t get the pin. As Flair headed up top, Green grabbed at Flair’s leg, which allowed for Fyre to connect with the Swanton Bomb. Bliss broke up the pin at the last second.

A double suplex from the challengers was turned back as Bliss and Flair delivered stereo Natural Selections to Green and Fyre instead. Flair ended up getting the pin on Green to get the victory and the successful Women’s Tag Title defense.

Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss def. Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre via pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

A decent defense for the tag champs, who continue to be a popular act with fans. I’m curious now as to who steps up to Flair and Bliss.

*********

– Backstage, B-Fab tried to get The Street Profits on the same page, but was interrupted by Michin, who told B-Fab that Nick Aldis wanted to talk to them about getting a chance at Giulia and Kiana James. Montez Ford told Angelo Dawkins that he was going to talk to Nick Aldis about getting back into the tag picture, as Bo Dallas tried to get into Dawkins’ head. Ford got into Dallas’ face, but Erick Rowan attacked the Profits to leave them laying.

– We got a backstage skit with R-Truth and Los Garza telling us how to download the ESPN app in order to watch Wrestlepalooza tomorrow.

– Fraxiom were set for a match, but got attacked by Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Paul Heyman soon walked down the ring and did his usual introduction. He said that Fraxiom reminded him of the Usos, because both were down, out, victimized, and lying on their backs. As Heyman continued to talk, Nathan Frazer and Axiom got up on the top rope and took out the Brons with dual dropkicks. The two then unleashed a barrage of dives on Breakker and Reed to leave them staggered.

Nick Aldis appeared on stage and decided to book a tag match between Fraxiom and the Vision’s duo, which was to take place right now.

The Vision (Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed) vs. Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer & Axiom)

The match returned from break joined in progress, with Breakker working over Axiom in the corner. Axiom fended off Breakker momentarily, but got thrown overhead instead with a back drop. Breakker got a full head of speed and absolutely flattened Axiom with a lariat. Reed entered the match with a tag and continued to pummel Axiom with a senton. Breakker got the tag once more as he suplexed Axiom before pulling down the straps. He attempted a spear, but was met with a calf kick from Axiom. This allowed Frazer to get the hot tag.

Frazer had Reed staggered with a dropkick, as he soared from the top with a frog splash. Reed kicked out at two and avoided a moonsault before he dropped Frazer with the Jagged Edge. The Aussie headed up top for a Tsunami but was stopped temporarily by Axiom. Reed shoved Axiom below right into a spear from Breakker. Reed then finished Frazer off with the Tsunami.

After the match, Heyman tried to announce his men as the winners, but were interrupted by The Usos on the titantron. Jimmy and Jey were already in Indiana and said that they were going to lock things down as they welcomed The Vision to the Uso Penitentary.

The Vision def. Fraxiom via pinfall

Just a short and sweet match to give the Brons some momentum heading into their tag match with the Usos tomorrow. Bron Breakker’s spears continue to be a thing of beauty.

*********

– We got a sizzle reel for WWE’s full court press on ESPN in anticipation of tomorrow night’s Wrestlepalooza event.

Nia Jax in-ring promo

Jax asked what she was sick of, before she took a shot at the Toledo crowd. She then went on to say that she was sick of the SmackDown women’s division claiming that they were the alpha females, when she was the “true” alpha female of the division. Jax took credit for taking Tiffany Stratton out, which prevented her from showing up on the NXT Homecoming this past Tuesday. Jax then took a shot at Jade Cargill, saying that she should trade places with her, as Cargill was apparently not talented. Jax said that she was the alpha and that she’d annihilate any storm or any Tiffy time, any damn time.

This brought out the WWE Women’s Champion out for a rebuttal. Tiffany Stratton said that the people have had enough of Nia Jax being in the women’s division. She said that Cargill was not a superhero here to save the division. And since Jax and Cargill were committed to acting so delusional, Stratton said that she was here to prove that she was the one, true WWE Champion. Stratton attempted to walk down the ring to confront Jax, but was stopepd by a gaggle of referees. Jade Cargill made her way and decked a few security personnel.

Before Cargill could enter, Nick Aldis stopped things as he announced that next week on SmackDown, we’d see Stratton vs. Cargill vs. Jax in a triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship.

This match was reportedly set for tomorrow’s Wrestlepalooza, but postponed due to an apparent injury to Stratton, so it seems like they’re moving to have this match happen next week instead. That said, hopefully it’s the last we see these particular set of players in the women’s title picture together.

*********

– We got another R-Truth skit about the ESPN App, as he told the Motor City Machine Guns and Rey Fenix how to use it, again neglecting to mention the $30 monthly price tag of the new app.

U.S. Championship Open Challenge: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes

The action kicked off with Zayn and Hayes trading hammerlocks in a show of chain wrestling prowess. After that, Hayes used his athleticism to hit Zayn with a dropkick after a leapfrog dodge. Hayes continued to hit Zayn with blows to the back, but found himself on the receiving head of a forearm strike by the U.S. Champion. On the apron, Zayn looked like he was going for something big, but Hayes stunned him with a a guillotine leg drop as we took a break in the action.

SmackDown returned as Hayes had the upper hand on Zayn. The challenger had his foe floored with a leg drop for the near-fall. Zayn fought back with a clothesline on Hayes, as he then followed that up with an axe handle from the middle turnbuckle. Zayn dragged Hayes to the corner and teed off on him with repeated punches to the face, much to the chagrin of the Miz on commentary. Zayn then spun Hayes’ world right round with a tornado DDT, but couldn’t pick up the win there.

Zayn headed up to the top rope, but Hayes recovered and avoided the high-risk attempt. Hayes, however, couldn’t avoid Zayn’s Michinoku Driver, which got yet another near-fall. Hayes caught Zayn on the button with a big knee to the face as he headed up top for a frog splash. Zayn got his knees up at the last second, which sent Hayes scurrying to the corner and right into the crosshairs for a Helluva Kick. Hayes intercepted Zayn with a superkick as both men went down and we went to a second commercial break during this match.

We returned from break as Zayn attempted the Exploder Suplex into the corner, but Hayes managed to block it. On the apron, Zayn got dropped with a flip over the rope by Hayes, which had his wrist caught up in the middle rope. Hayes then headed up top and got the Frog Splash, but could not secure the victory. Hayes followed that up with the First 48 after successfully countering a Blue Thunder Bomb attempt by Zayn. One, two… no!

Hayes lifted Zayn up for a cutter, followed by springboard neckbreaker on the U.S. Champion. Zayn managed to avoid the Nothin’ But Net from Hayes and turned that into a Blue Thunder Bomb for the rare victory with that signature maneuver.

Sami Zayn def. Carmelo Hayes to retain the United States Championship

Another solid match for Zayn in this U.S. Open Challenge he’s run as of late. I’ve been enjoying these matches, which have become the highlight of SmackDown every week.

*********

– Kit Wilson was talking with Nick Aldis about hypermasculinity, as Damian Priest stormed in and demanded a shot at Aleister Black. Wilson got upset at Priest’s demands, calling it a case of toxic masculinity, as he ended up being thrown through the wall by an irate Priest.

– The second part in the retrospective of John Cena and Brock Lesnar’s rivalry was shown.

Wrestlepalooza on ESPN Card

  • Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena
  • AJ Lee & CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins
  • Jimmy & Jey Uso vs. The Vision (Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed)
  • Women’s World Championship: IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer
  • Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre

– We got a vignette from Solo Sikoa as he showed appreciation for Tonga Loa for showing loyalty to him since day one. He said that he owed it to Tonga to be a champion, and that his loyalty would be rewarded as long as Tonga was part of his Family Tree. Tonga then said that he loved Solo to end the vignette.

Cody Rhodes/Drew McIntyre contract signing

In the ring, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis said that the main event of Wrestlepalooza would be the Undisputed WWE Championship match, of which the contract would be signed for in mere moments. Aldis then introduced the challenger, one Drew McIntyre, to the ring.

The surly Scotsman made his way to the ring and immediately took a mic. Before he could utter a word, the theme of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes interrupted, which brought out the American Nightmare to the usual reaction of cheers from the crowd.

Once both Rhodes and McIntyre in the ring, the champion took to the mic. He said that fifteen years ago today, he and McIntyre won the Tag Team Championships, and that no one wasn’t talking about it, mainly because it wasn’t his or McIntyre’s story. It was the story of the people, and they didn’t care about the lore and wanted to see two people fight.

Rhodes listed off McIntyre’s past accolades, as he said that he was a “keyboard warrior” as of late. He urged on McIntyre to do his talking on social media because it’d be the last time he’d get one up on him. McIntyre showed his phone to Rhodes, with a post that said “Thank you, Cody.”

McIntyre responded that this match without intereference or shortcuts was what he wanted all along, before he called Rhodes a cardboard champion that was unwilling to compromise the main event of Wrestlepalooza. McIntyre said that the crowd would eventually turn on Rhodes and all he’d be left with is to say that “Drew was right”.

Rhodes fired back asking McIntyre what would happen if his legacy now was to be the man who lost the first main event of the ESPN Era. As both men signed the contract, McIntyre delivered a blindside headbut on Rhodes and attacked the champion at ringside.

As McIntyre had Rhodes at his mercy against the announce table, the Scotsman refused to hit the Claymore kick, stating that he wanted him to be at his best tomorrow at Wrestlepalooza. As McIntyre tried to walk away, Rhodes dove through the middle rope to tackle McIntyre. The two continued to fight as referees tried to separate the two. As the producers credits for Paul Levesque and Lee Fitting popped up, McIntyre popped Rhodes with a boot to the head. We ended the final SmackDown before tomorrow’s Wrestlepalooza with McIntyre taunting Rhodes, stating that it was going to be the last time he’d be sleeping with the title for a long time.

*********

A decent final segment to build up, again, another haphazardly-built feud for this first ESPN PLE where it just happened within a span of a week. That seems to be a pattern with this Wrestlepalooza card, with the exception of CM Punk/AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch, which seems to be the best-built match out of the five matches set to take place tomorrow.

As a go-home show for Wrestlepalooza, this SmackDown was okay on that front. The Sami Zayn U.S. Open Challenge continues to be the stand out of these weekly shows, as the matches there have been excellent. Other than that, everything else just ranges from okay to mediocre, sorry to say.

Title match, Brock Lesnar interview added to WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A Brock Lesnar interview is one of the new additions to the lineup for tonight’s WWE SmackDown.

WWE has announced that, ahead of his match against John Cena at Wrestlepalooza, there will be an “exclusive interview” with Lesnar on SmackDown tonight. The Lesnar vs. Cena match is set to open the Wrestlepalooza card on Saturday, serving as the official start of WWE’s new PLE era on ESPN.

“Brock Lesnar returns to SmackDown and gives an exclusive interview ahead of his blockbuster match with John Cena at Wrestlepalooza,” WWE.com wrote. “Don’t miss all the action of SmackDown, tonight at 8 ET/7 CT on USA.”

Along with that, it’s been confirmed that Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss will defend their titles against Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre tonight. The champs have been feuding with Green and the Secret Hervice since shortly after winning the belts at SummerSlam.

Flair & Bliss are making their second title defense this week after having already defeated Izzi Dame & Tatum Paxley at NXT Homecoming.

The Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio is hosting tonight’s show. Here is the updated card:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, September 19) —

  • Exclusive interview with Brock Lesnar
  • WWE Champion Cody Rhodes appears
  • United States Champion Sami Zayn defends against Carmelo Hayes
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss defend against Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre

Charlotte Flair: ‘Wrestling is in my blood’ but ‘I do want to be a mom’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Charlotte Flair says wrestling is in her blood, but she also wants kids one day.

Flair was a guest on Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson in Las Vegas this weekend. During the interview, she was asked how much longer she thinks her in-ring career has left.

“I don’t know. I want kids one day, that’s the thing” Flair answered. “I can do both, but it just depends on the timing.”

When asked if having kids would mean the end of her wrestling career, Flair responded:

“Wrestling’s in my blood. I don’t know any different. I love it, but I do want to be a mom. But I think Trish Stratus coming back and having all these oneoffs and she’s 50, looks better than half the roster. She’s killing it, so I don’t think that door will ever close.”

“It’s just I do know I want to step away to have children,” she added.

Flair is currently one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions along with Alexa Bliss. She was asked on the show if she prefers being a singles or tag wrestler.

“Personally, I like solo. I don’t like sharing the spotlight, but I am in a tag team with the one person I don’t mind sharing the spotlight with, and that’s Alexa Bliss,” Flair responded. “She’s great. She brings out definitely a different side of my character for TV.”

Flair hasn’t wrestled since the August 28 live event in Wales. She and Bliss were scheduled to defend their titles against The Secret Hervice on the August 29 SmackDown, but the match was changed to Alba Fyre vs. Bliss in a singles bout. On the September 5 episode of SmackDown, a backstage segment with Bliss and Flair revealed that Flair was not medically cleared to compete, although it was Bliss’ doll Lilly that made the final decision.

Flair’s full appearance on Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson is available below:

Title match confirmed for WWE NXT Homecoming

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A WWE Women’s Tag Team title match is set for next week’s NXT Homecoming.

During Friday’s SmackDown, it was confirmed that Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss will be defending the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles against Tatum Paxley and Izzi Dame, who won a three-way number one contender’s match on Tuesday’s show. SmackDown saw Chelsea Green and the Secret Hervice insisting they get their shot at the titles. Nick Aldis then confirmed that they would get a shot against whoever won the title match on Tuesday.

The Secret Hervice were originally set to get a title shot on the go-home SmackDown prior to Clash in Paris last month. However, Piper Niven was not cleared and as a result Green was set to replace her. But as the champions were making their entrance, the challengers attacked Charlotte’s knee, putting her out of action in storyline. Bliss instead defeated Green in a singles match.

Paxley & Dame defeated Fatal Influence and Sol Ruca & Zaria to become the new number one contenders.

WWE NXT Homecoming, Tuesday, September 16 —

  • Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton & Stephanie Vaquer vs. Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Jazmyn Nyx
  • NXT North American Champion Ethan Page defends against Tyler Breeze
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss defend against Izzi Dame & Tatum Paxley
  • Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes vs. Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa
  • The Grayson Waller Effect with NXT Champion Oba Femi & number one contender Ricky Saints

WWE announces change to SmackDown title match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has announced a change to Friday’s SmackDown lineup, with Piper Niven no longer set to compete on the show.

Niven & Alba Fyre were supposed to challenge Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss for the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles on today’s SmackDown in France. But WWE posted a video this afternoon with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis announcing that Niven is “unavailable tonight.” The Secret Hervice will still be getting their title shot, though, with Chelsea Green stepping in for Niven.

Charlotte & Bliss won the Women’s Tag Team titles at SummerSlam earlier this month and began feuding with the Secret Hervice shortly after. On SmackDown last week, Niven defeated Charlotte in a singles match with interference by Green and Fyre helping her get the win.

Lyon is hosting SmackDown today in advance of Clash in Paris. Outside of the United States, the episode will air live on Netflix at 2 p.m. Eastern time. It will then be shown in the U.S. later tonight in its regular 8 p.m. Eastern time slot.

WWE SmackDown (Friday, August 29) —

  • John Cena appears
  • United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Sami Zayn
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss defend against Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre
  • WWE Tag Team title number one contender’s match: The Street Profits vs. Carmelo Hayes & The Miz
  • Michin vs. Kiana James

WWE SmackDown live results: John Cena returns to Dublin

Posted on by Marc Quill

Editor’s note: This is a live post for the international airing of WWE SmackDown on Netflix. If you do not want to be spoiled before the U.S. airing at 8 p.m. Eastern, you have been warned.

WWE goes global on the road to Clash in Paris as SmackDown heads to Dublin, Ireland’s 3Arena for tonight’s episode.

Ahead of his match with Logan Paul at the August 31 PLE, John Cena will be in the house for his final Dublin appearance as an active wrestler.

The feud between WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss and Chelsea Green’s Secret Hervice continues as Flair battles Piper Niven in a singles match.

After a backstage skirmish last week, the Motor City Machine Guns go heads-up against Melo Don’t Miz (Carmelo Hayes & The Miz).

In more tag team action, The Street Profits take on two members of The MFTs.

The announced lineup is rounded out by Aleister Black vs. R-Truth.

**********

– The voice of lead commentator Joe Tessitore set up the night ahead from the Three Arena, as Logan Paul, the Street Profits, Solo Sikoa’s M.F.T.s, Charlotte Flair, and the Secret Hervice were shown arriving at the arena.

– From inside the arena, we saw Tessitore and Wade Barrett discuss the night before they announced that they were starting off SmackDown with a hometown superstar. That hometown superstar was, of course, current Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Becky Lynch.

Becky Lynch’s Irish Homecoming

Lynch entered the ring to a massive reception from the hometown Dublin crowd, who chanted her name and cheered her on.

“Look at us, lads! We’re on the telly!” Lynch started off as she talked about how this was the first-ever live televised WWE event from Dublin, Ireland. The crowd chanted “we deserve it” in response. Lynch said that she remembered coming here as a fan and how Randy Orton made eye contact with her at one of these events. She noted how that experience made her life and always dreamed of being here. Lynch said that now that this was happening, she noted that the crowd did not deserve it at all. She claimed that she petitioned to get this show cancelled.

The crowd loudly chanted for Lyra Valkyria, but Lynch protested because that since Valkyria lost against her, she’ll no longer get a chance at her Women’s Intercontinental Title. Lynch complained about the lack of media coverage she received in Ireland, because she was the hero of the Irish people. She talked about how she was immensely let down by the Dublin crowd because of their lack of appreciation as she put over her accomplishments like winning the first women’s main event of WrestleMania and being a New York Times best-selling author, and having a “very hot American husband” (Seth Rollins, to be exact). Lynch mocked the crowd’s “CM Punk” chants towards her, stating that “nobody wanted to see that old ass”.

Lynch continued to complain about getting off her jet, and Irish heroes like Katie Taylor, Barry Keoghan, and Bono. Before she could continue her tirade, the WWE Women’s Champion, Tiffany Stratton, interrupted to loud cheers from the crowd.

Stratton said that she couldn’t understand how Lynch could be ungrateful to Dublin, Ireland, and how she was on the wrong show. She talked about how Dublin understood that it was “Tiffy Time” before she told Lynch that she could either leave, or she’d make her leave.

Stratton’s old rival, Nia Jax, decided to interrupt at this time. Jax asked Stratton why she had to worry about Becky so much before she ran down the Dublin crowd. She declared that Stratton had bigger problems right now, and she was standing in front of her. Jax attacked Stratton, as Lynch joined along until Jade Cargill made the save. Cargill took out Jax with a pump kick as Lynch attempted to sneak up for an attack. Jax tried to get into the ring, but was met by a dropkick from Stratton that sent her to the outside.

Nick Aldis appeared on the ramp and announced that it’d be Lynch & Jax versus Stratton & Cargill in our main event tonight.

A hot opening segment to set up our main event match tonight, and Becky heeling it up on her hometown crowd was kind of funny.

**********

– Carmelo Hayes was walking backstage when Fraxiom talked to him. Nathan Frazer and Axiom gave credit to his efforts last week, but they noted how the Miz tried to steal his thunder last week. The Miz himself appeared and tried to stir up trouble, but Hayes seemingly had nothing but kind words for his partner as the two headed off for their match.

Melo Don’t Miz (The Miz & Carmelo Hayes) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)

Miz and Hayes argued a bit about who’d start off until the former WWE Champion took charge. That was until Hayes tagged himself in and ended up being the one to get this going against Sabin.

Sabin and Hayes got it going with a series of lockups until Sabin took over with a pair of armdrags. Hayes dodged acrobatically over Sabin as Miz blind tagged himself into the match. The MCMGs showed great tag team acumen as they took both Hayes and Miz out to the ring. Stereo baseball slides were followed by a suicide dive by Sabin that knocked both Hayes and Miz down as we headed to a break in the action.

We resuumed with Shelley as the legal man trying to get to his corner and doing so as he tagged Sabin back into the match. The tag veteran went to work on Miz with a diving tornado DDT that only got a count of two. Sabin sized Miz up in his team’s corner as the Machine Guns rattled Miz with a modified Magic Killer. Hayes dove in at the last minute to save the match for his team.

Sabin and Shelley dropped Hayes with a double team drop kick as they looked for the Skull and Bones. Miz escaped and looked to have the Skull Crushing Finale, but Sabin reversed it. Hayes tagged in and had Sabin dead to rights for Nothin’ But Net, but Miz once again tagged in. Hayes took out Sabin with the Lungblower, but got clotheslined by Shelley to the outside.

A vulturous Miz snuck in and got the pin on Sabin for the win.

Melo Don’t Miz def. Motor City Machine Guns via pinfall

Kind of a sloppy tag match to start the show, but this story of Miz stealing Carmelo Hayes’ glory for himself and stringing him along with it is at least interesting.

**********

– Jimmy Uso was interviewed backstage about the announcement his wife Naomi made on Raw this past Monday. Sami Zayn congratulated the soon-to-be parents as he hugged Jimmy. Solo Sikoa and the M.F.T.s rolled up and said that Jimmy and Naomi’s newborn will have plenty of new family members to welcome them into the world. Jimmy gave an emphatic “no yeet” to that. Zayn then told Sikoa that he wouldn’t be facing “the underdog”, but rather, “WrestleMania main eventer” Sami Zayn when it came time for the U.S. Title to be defended.

Piper Niven (w/ Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre) vs. Charlotte Flair

Flair entered to the match without tag partner Alexa Bliss to the match, who was stated to have been not cleared to appear due to the attack from the Secret Hervice last week.

Niven slammed Flair down to the match and whipped her across to the corner. Flair got herself onto the apron and warded Niven with a boot as she then headed up top with a diving crossbody. As Flair tried to head up to the top rope again, Chelsea Green got on the apron to cause a distraction. This gave Niven the opening to hit an Abyss-style Black Hole Slam to gain the upper hand as we headed to the break.

SmackDown returned as Niven crushed Flair in the corner with a running hip attack, but couldn’t get the fall on her foe. Niven ascended to the top and looked for a Viper Bomb, but Flair dodged at the last second. The former WWE Women’s Champion then teed off on Niven with repeated chops, a clothesline, and a big boot. Flair taunted Green as she headed to the top and connected with the moonsault. One, two… not quite.

Niven escaped Flair’s Figure Eight attempt, but got felled by a Spear. That wasn’t enough for the win, however. As Flair locked in the Figure Eight, Alba Fyre created a distraction, which allowed Green to rake Flair in the eyes. In the end, Niven got the upset win on Flair with a Michinoku Driver for the duke.

Piper Niven def. Charlotte Flair via pinfall

Chelsea Green and the Secret Hervice getting the upper hand two weeks straight on the Women’s Tag Champs is a nice change of pace from them being the usual punching bags, so that’s at least nice to see.

**********

– Kiana James and Giulia were discussing business until Michin interrupted and called her shot. James said that Michin had to go through her before she could get a shot at Giulia’s Women’s United States Championship. Michin was more than happy to oblige her on that challenge.

John Cena returns to SmackDown

The star of Peacemaker made his way to the ring to a loud ovation from the Dublin crowd, who proudly sang his entrance theme. Cena ran down in his usual manner and looked like he had a spring in his step once he finally got into the ring. We got the “Never Seen 17” introduction for Cena from ring announcer Mark Nash before Cena got right down to business.

However, before Cena could even utter a word, Logan Paul interrupted and sauntered his way down to the ring. The fans chanted “f*** you Logan”, which prompted Paul to tell the crowd mockingly that they were getting muted on TV. Paul taunted the crowd and threatened to spit in each and everyone of their faces. He put himself over as allegedly “the person we came to pay to see”. Paul called Cena an “actor who knew how to wrestle”. As the crowd once again chanted “shut the f*** up”, Paul complained that their chanting would get the sound muted on TV with their cussing.

Paul put himself over as a guy who works harder than everyone at the back, and told Cena he was a corporate pawn who’d do everything he was told to do. Paul kept rambling as he asked to play a game called “Who’s the Imposter?” He asked whether the guy who stayed to be himself or the guy who went away to pretend to be someone else was the imposter. Paul yelled that this was “his house” now.

When Cena finally spoke, he called Paul an undeniable presence, tremendous athlete, and a future WWE Champion. He said those things that he believed to be true, and that it made him upset. He said that there was one term that was stuck on Paul for years: “Outsider” (or as the Dublin crowd said instead, “wanker”.) Cena called Paul a “disappointment” instead. He said that Paul was using WWE as a branding opportunity to buy another Pokemon card, as he tipped over the PRIME bottle display at ringside.

Cena blasted Paul for claiming that he “put his life on the line” for a total of 23 matches, which he found insulting. Cena talked about how he did the same, but for a total of 23 years through a multitude of live and televised events, including matches against Sheamus in 2010 in Dublin. Every time Cena stepped in the ring, whether he had 100 moves or 5 moves or 1 move, he said that he only had one question to himself: “what could he give to this business”. In Paul’s case, that question, according to Cena, was “what could he take?”

Cena then said that Logan Paul wasn’t an outsider, but he was a parasite. Cena put over deserving stars that he could’ve been facing like Dominik Mysterio, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, The Usos, and Jacob Fatu, just to name them all. Cena said he was wasting his time entertaining Paul’s challenge, but he was a man of his word and Paul got lucky by being first in line. Cena told Paul knew about hustle, but nothing about respect.

“As for your co-habitation agreement, I read the news, homey, you’ve got plenty of legal trouble,” said Cena. The 17-time World Champion then told Paul that he’d either understand what it meant to give yourself up for this business at Clash in Paris, or Paul would get the ever-loving shite beaten out of him.

Thing’s got physical when Paul shoved at Cena, which led to him getting dropped with an Attitude Adjustment.

Cena was in his element with this promo tonight, as he certainly brought down the hammer on Paul as only he could with a classic “fine speech” takedown promo.

**********

– Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton discussed strategy backstage as they looked to be on a united front against Becky Lynch and Nia Jax.

– An angry Logan Paul was confronted by Drew McIntyre, who bluntly told him that he was scared of the mystique of John Cena. He said that Paul was going to make this right tonight, whatever it took.

The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) (w/ B-Fab) vs. Tonga Loa & J.C. Mateo (w/ The M.F.T.s)

It is said that the winners of this match would face Melo Don’t Miz next week on SmackDown for a shot at the Wyatt Sicks’ WWE Tag Team Championships.

The Profits had the upper hand early on as Ford dropped Loa with a standing moonsault. Mateo entered the match and took over with strikes on Ford in the corner for a bit. Ford recovered and hit the Famouser on Mateo and looked to have a dive from the apron locked and loaded. However, Loa tripped Ford up and sent him right into the outside ringpost shoulder-first, which led to a break.

Our match returned from the break with Mateo hitting Ford with a clothesline, followed by a standing moonsault of his own. Ford dodged out of the way of Mateo’s running strike as Loa got himself into the match with a tag. Ford managed to throw Loa out of the ring as Dawkins got the hot tag. The big man of the Street Profits went to work with a running shoulder block on Mateo, followed by a flapjack on Loa.

Dawkins lifted up Mateo on his shoulders, but couldn’t get the Electric Chair drop down. Loa broke up the pin after a Street Profits double team move. Ford, now the legal man, wanted to head up top for a move, but Solo Sikoa’s distraction allowed Talla Tonga to intervene. This let Mateo deliver the Tour of the Islands on Ford. That wasn’t enough to secure the win for the M.F.T.s, however.

Jimmy Uso ran up and hit Talla with a chair as they began to brawl in the crowd. While Sikoa was up on the commentary table, Sami Zayn tripped him up and hit a modified Helluva Kick. The finish saw Mateo get pinned after a a Montez Ford frog splash.

The Street Profits def. The M.F.T.s via pinfall

A decent tag match, and the crowd did come alive for Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso running in to take out the M.F.T.s members at ringside.

**********

Aleister Black vs. R-Truth

R-Truth appeared and said that he wasn’t going to be able to make it tonight, stating that he wouldn’t make it because he ended up in Dublin, Georgia instead. However, Truth said he’d made a call to one of his good friends.

Out came Damian Priest, who was looking to get some revenge after having his jaw broken by Black three weeks ago. After a short skirmish, a vanguard of referees and security ran in to break things up. After some effort, the fight was broken up.

Aleister Black vs. R-Truth never happened

**********

Drew McIntyre demands answers regarding Cody Rhodes

While the commentary discussed Cody Rhodes’ condition, Drew McIntyre appeared and once again angrily asked about a medical update on Rhodes. McIntyre said that he had an update of his own: “Cody Rhodes is a little bitch”. He said that he did Rhodes a favor and gave him more than enough time with the Undisputed WWE Championship. While McIntyre continued to talk, Randy Orton snuck up behind him and hit an RKO out of nowhere on McIntyre.

Randy Orton’s return is certainly going to be used to set up a match with McIntyre at Clash in Paris while the title match between McIntyre and Cody Rhodes will be likely taking place at Wrestlepalooza next month.

**********

Next Week on SmackDown

  • United States Championship: Solo Sikoa (c) vs. Sami Zayn
  • Tag Team Contender’s Match: Melo Don’t Miz vs. The Street Profits
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. The Secret Hervice

Becky Lynch & Nia Jax vs. Tiffany Stratton & Jade Cargill

Lynch and Stratton started off with strikes in the ring before she took down Jax and Lynch with a dive to the outside. While Stratton tried to get into the ring, she was being held by the leg by Lynch as Jax hit a leg drop on her. We then went to the final break of the evening.

When SmackDown returned, Cargill and Lynch re-entered the match and faced off. Cargill unleashed a flurry of strikes on Lynch, followed by a spinebuster. Lynch tried to go up top, but was caught by Cargill, who hit a Fallaway Slam on her foe. A stunned Lynch was blasted with a superkick from Cargill, followed by a tilt-a-whirl sitout powerbomb. Lynch managed to kick out at two. Jax got the tag as she snuck up on Cargill while Lynch ran off.

Cargill avoided the Annihilator, as she turned it into a powerbomb instead. Stratton and Cargill ended up getting the victory in our main event after hitting a combination of moonsaults on the fallen Jax.

Tiffany Stratton & Jade Cargill def. Nia Jax & Becky Lynch via pinfall

– Before we ended our night truly, John Cena was seen walking out of the arena, as SmackDown GM Nick Aldis told him he had just heard from Brock Lesnar. Before we could hear what that was, Logan Paul hit Cena with his punch and ran off.

**********

A weirdly paced main event that felt very much a victim of things getting rushed. In fact, a lot of the evening felt like things were strangely timed, as if a segment might’ve ran too long. That ended up affecting the majority of the show.

All in all, a nothing-to-write-home edition of SmackDown, other than the great John Cena verbal takedown of Logan Paul, Becky Lynch’s opening promo, and Randy Orton’s return. Just nothing really stood out to me from what we got tonight.

Updated WWE SmackDown lineup: Two new matches added

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Two new match announcements have been made for this week’s WWE SmackDown in Dublin.

As part of WWE’s pre-Clash in Paris European tour, SmackDown will be held in Ireland for the first time ever this Friday night. The show is taking place from 3Arena and will be broadcast live on Netflix outside of the United States prior to airing later that night on USA Network.

It was announced today that Charlotte Flair vs. Piper Niven has been added to the SmackDown card, along with a tag team match between The Street Profits and The MFTs.

Charlotte & Alexa Bliss became the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions at SummerSlam earlier this month and have begun a feud with Chelsea Green & The Secret Hervice (Piper Niven & Alba Fyre) ahead of a likely title defense. Green, Niven & Fyre laid out Charlotte & Bliss last week after Bliss defeated Niven in a singles match.

WWE has not yet announced which two MFTs will be competing in the tag bout. United States Champion Solo Sikoa leads the group that consists of Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga & JC Mateo.

Here is the updated SmackDown lineup for tomorrow:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, August 22) —

  • John Cena appears
  • R-Truth vs. Aleister Black
  • Charlotte Flair vs. Piper Niven
  • Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. Melo Don’t Miz (Carmelo Hayes & The Miz)
  • The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. Two MFTs

Tiffany Stratton feels she was ‘justified’ in how she handled controversial Charlotte Flair segment

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Tiffany Stratton reflects back on the controversial Charlotte Flair promo from earlier this year.

On Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, the WWE Women’s Champion explained her motivation on going the extra mile in her war of words with Flair, which included bring up Flair’s failed marriages. Stratton did confirm that he had to apologize to Flair over the statements.

“Things were heated, very competitive. I’m also competitive, trying to prove to Charlotte Flair I can go, I can stand up to her, I’m worthy of this title,” she said. “So yeah, s*** got heated, we went off script. It happens. I did have to apologize.”

But while she did apologize, Stratton also feels she was justified in how she handled herself.

“I’m someone that can embrace being wrong. I had no problem apologizing. I think what I did was justified, but maybe I shouldn’t have gone that far. But I do feel that I was justified by what I did.”

At the time, Stratton and Flair were feuding over the WWE Women’s Championship, with Stratton defeating Flair at WrestleMania 41 to retain the title. Since then, she’s continued her reign as champion, defeating Jade Cargill at this past weekend’s SummerSlam event.

New announcements made for WWE Raw

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has made a couple of announcements for tonight’s SummerSlam fallout edition of Raw.

Raw is taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York tonight. It’s been announced that Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss will be on the show, making their first appearance as Women’s Tag Team Champions.

The frenemies team of Charlotte & Bliss won the women’s tag belts from Judgment Day (Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez) at night one of SummerSlam. Charlotte & Bliss are members of the SmackDown roster but can appear on either brand since they’re the women’s tag champs.

Also announced for tonight is an appearance by Becky Lynch, who is still the Women’s Intercontinental Champion after retaining against Lyra Valkyria at SummerSlam night two. An accidental assist from Bayley — who was trying to help Valkyria — led to Lynch winning.

As a stipulation of her loss, Valkyria is unable to challenge for the Women’s Intercontinental title again while Lynch is champion. We’ll see if a new challenger emerges tonight.

Plus, new World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins will appear following his successful Money in the Bank cash-in at SummerSlam. After faking a knee injury for weeks, Rollins reemerged to take the World Heavyweight title from CM Punk just minutes after Punk won the belt from Gunther.

Rollins was a guest on the Rich Eisen Show today, claiming that he fooled the entire world with his knee injury ruse. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce said he plans to have a “very stiff” conversation with Rollins about the phony injury.

Here is the updated lineup for tonight’s episode:

WWE Raw (Monday, August 4) —

  • New World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins appears
  • Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch appears
  • New Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss appear
  • Sheamus vs. Rusev