In this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer gave some updates on AEW potentially signing two big free agents in Daniel Bryan and CM Punk:
While no one has been able to confirm either signing, Meltzer said Bryan (Bryan Danielson) and AEW have been talking for months as he is considering WWE, AEW and New Japan as his next destination. New Japan is still the big X-factor, according to Meltzer, and part of the reason WWE president Nick Khan was trying to get a working relationship going.
“My belief is that if it was not for the pandemic, Danielson would have already been wrestling in New Japan by now unless a deal was made with WWE or AEW where he promised them the first appearance and match back since the AEW or WWE money offers would be so much higher and thus it was a virtual lock he was ending up in one place or the other,” he wrote.
Meltzer said a a WWE source tells him that internally, the belief is that Punk has signed with AEW.
“There are a number of things going on behind-the-scenes that would indicate that, but nobody in AEW has confirmed it, and of course, they won’t until the decision is made for them to go public with something of that magnitude,” he wrote.
He added that WWE previously had no interest in bringing him back, but AEW’s interest may have changed that.
He also noted that secondary ticket prices for All Out in Chicago have increased 18% since the rumors started with a “get in” price of $141.
Rumors regarding Bryan Danielson and C.M. Punk heading to AEW broke on 7/21.
First, with Danielson, what was first reported by Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net is that Danielson has signed with AEW, and that he would debut on the 9/22 show at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. Bryan Alvarez also heard the same date for a debut for Danielson.
Nobody has been able to confirm the story but for such a major story, nobody has denied it either. Debuts for either or both would be something that the company would never confirm to begin with, and if the stories weren’t true, they’d be quick to deny them most likely.
For something at that level, one would think there would be a denial if there wasn’t something to the stories or at least something close because in a number of cases of reports of people on the verge of signing who were not, denials came quickly, particularly involving Punk, who has been quick to deny previous rumors. Punk even played into them by tweeting out the Alan Parsons Project song “Sirius” which is the theme song for the Chicago Bulls and AEW has looked to trademark the phrase “First Dance” which is an offshoot of “Last Dance,” the name of the heavily talked about 2020 ESPN mini-series of the heyday of the Bulls and Michael Jordan.
In this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer had some notes on three of WWE’s biggest names: Daniel Bryan, John Cena and Paul Heyman.
On the status of the current free agent, Meltzer said that the mentions of Bryan on WWE TV of late isn’t an indication he’s coming back, but rather because he is part of the story of Roman Reigns vs. Edge following their three-way match at this year’s WrestleMania. ”Nobody really knows what he’s doing past if he’s made a secret deal with any company. They are keeping it a secret until doing a dramatic reveal when they want to,” Meltzer said.
On Cena, Meltzer said the filming schedule for Cena’s new movie Argylle begins in Europe in August. It’s unclear how that affects his planned SummerSlam match with Reigns and “it’s possible he could start after or end prior to the date or even get a few days off.” Other than that, his commitments appear to be clear if he is to return to WWE TV to build up the match.
Meltzer also reported that Paul Heyman is off Talking Smack permanently, replaced by Pat McAfee. Meltzer said there was no real reason for the decision but “everything can change tomorrow in WWE.” He said there are questions about how to handle Talking Smack when they go back out on the road, mainly because Fox doesn’t want the show to air before the West Coast audience can see the show. He said there doesn’t seem to be that level of concern with Raw Talk.
In talking with people close to the negotiations, Meltzer said the partnership wasn’t the idea of WWE president Nick Khan, but that Khan has been the point person and is believed to have recommended to Vince McMahon to further pursue it.
Meltzer said that while Daniel Bryan was involved in the early discussions, the free agent hasn’t been part of any recent talks.
He said the initial intent of such a partnership wasn’t to freeze out AEW, but an exclusive deal would end relationships with both AEW and Impact Wrestling where New Japan talent has appeared as of late. He believes any deal would be more NXT-focused and beneficial for both sides.
“New Japan also would not agree to any deal unless they felt it was extremely beneficial to them. Keep in mind that WWE has regularly tried to talk with (New Japan) in the past and it’s gotten nowhere. The real difference here is Nick Khan has never been involved in these talks in the past,” he wrote.
“This very well could get about as far as WWE’s talks to buy NOAH, Stardom, Big Japan, Dragon Gate and AAA got, which all ended with no deal in place. Logic would indicate Tony Khan would not have cut that video thinking this deal is going to happen any time soon, so it’s more likely than not this deal isn’t happening,” he wrote.
The video Meltzer mentioned was the AEW president cutting a promo going over all the New Japan talent that has been in AEW and that he has more plans for the New Japan U.S. title, joking that there is only room for one Khan in pro wrestling.
John LaRocca and I are back with this week’s Fight Game Podcast.
On this week’s show:
We talk about our second giveaway and details on how to enter.
John didn’t finish the Randy Savage A&E documentary so we talk about why and I give some my thoughts about it.
We also look at Daniel Bryan suddenly entering free agency.
Then, we go into the Blood & Guts match that was the main event on last night’s AEW Dynamite, giving our likes and dislikes of the rest of the show as well.
We dig into a fun NXT show and talk about what we liked and didn’t like.
Finally, John gives us his deep cut match of the week and I give my own match that people should watch if they have time.
Dave Meltzer has confirmed that Bryan’s contract expired this past Friday, and that WWE “is pushing hard for him to sign a new deal”. Fightful Select were the first to report the news, saying that the contract was expired or was set to expire. They also said that this does not mean that he is leaving WWE, as he has been vocal about doing “unconventional work with and for WWE”.
The news comes as Bryan lost to Roman Reigns on this past Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown. As a result of the loss, Bryan was “banished” from the brand. He has not shown up on Raw or any other brand since his loss.
Aside from a brief time he was released from the company in 2010, Bryan has been signed to WWE since 2009. From 2015 to 2018, he retired from professional wrestling due to concussion-related medical issues. He has appeared on SmackDown regularly since returning from a hiatus in October.
Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship and Daniel Bryan’s SmackDown career were on the line in the main event of last night’s SmackDown.
With Bryan passing out in a guillotine, Reigns retained the Universal Championship and Bryan was banished from SmackDown. Reigns also laid out Bryan with a con-chair-to after the match was over.
Cesaro had tried to make the save for Bryan after the match. But as he was beating down Reigns, Jey Uso attacked Cesaro. Uso then tied up Cesaro in the ropes and forced him to watch Reigns give Bryan the con-chair-to.
Reigns debuted new theme music on last night’s show.
Also on last night’s SmackDown, the Intercontinental title was on the line as Apollo Crews faced off with former champion Big E, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler took on Natalya & Tamina in a non-title match, and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair & The Street Profits teamed up against Bayley & SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode.
With his SmackDown career on the line, Daniel Bryan lost to Universal Champion Roman Reigns on Friday night..
Reigns defeated Bryan in the main event of this week’s SmackDown to retain the Universal Championship. As a stipulation of Bryan losing the match, Bryan is now “banished” from SmackDown.
Reigns won the match when Bryan passed out in a guillotine. After the match, Reigns got two steel chairs and went to give Bryan a con-chair-to. Cesaro then ran down to make the save. As Cesaro was beating down Reigns, Jey Uso attacked Cesaro. Uso tied up Cesaro in the ropes and forced him to watch Reigns give Bryan a con-chair-to.
After Bryan had worked over his right arm throughout the match, Reigns switched to using his left arm when he locked Bryan in the guillotine to get the win.
On last week’s SmackDown, Bryan had advocated for Cesaro to get the next title shot against Reigns. Reigns responded to Cesaro’s challenge by telling him that his answer is no and will always be no. Reigns said Cesaro isn’t on his level. Reigns then challenged Bryan to a title match. Cesaro told Bryan he had to take the opportunity. Bryan went to respond, but Reigns then added that he didn’t want to see Bryan on his show again if Bryan lost. Bryan accepted the stipulation.
A high-stakes Universal Championship match headlines tonight’s episode of SmackDown.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns will put his title on the line against Daniel Bryan in tonight’s main event. If Bryan loses, he’ll be banished from SmackDown.
Bryan pushed for Cesaro to get the next Universal title shot during last week’s SmackDown. Reigns refused to give Cesaro a title shot. He noted the answer will always be “no” because Cesaro’s not at his level.
Instead, Reigns demanded to face Bryan in a title match. Reigns said he’s sick of Bryan and wants him to leave SmackDown. Bryan agreed to face Reigns after Cesaro encouraged him to accept the challenge.
A second title match will also occur on tonight’s show as Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews defends against Big E. At WrestleMania 37, Crews won the title from Big E in a Nigerian Drum Fight after Commander Azeez interfered. Crews made his first title defense last week, defeating Kevin Owens after getting more help from Azeez.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Michael Cole and Pat McAfee discussed the Universal title match between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. They pushed it as being one of the greatest matches in SmackDown history.
Bianca Belair Segment
SmackDown Women’s Bianca Belair made her way to the ring. They piped in an “EST” chant, and McAfee pointed out the audience loves her.
Belair welcomed everyone to the show and started introducing The Street Profits, but Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode interrupted. They told Belair they’re taking over and began to speak.
The Street Profits interrupted immediately. Montez Ford couldn’t believe that the heels interrupted the SmackDown Women’s Champion and WrestleMania main event.
Bayley’s music hit and interrupted The Street Profits. She jumped in the ring and grabbed the mic from Belair.
She then began to cackle uncontrollably.
Belair knocked Bayley down and attacked her. The Street Profits and Ziggler & Roode jumped in, and a brawl broke out.
They announced that next week’s SmackDown is a special retro/throwback edition.
Bianca Belair & The Street Profits defeated Bayley, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode.
This was a good opener and fun tag match.
The match started during the commercial break. Bayley was firmly in control, but Belair fought back. Bayley rolled out of the ring. All six started brawling again.
Ford dropped down to tie his shoelace, and Belair knocked down Bayley. Ford then hit a dive to the floor, wiping out the heels.
The heels regained control and isolated Ford on their side of the ring. Ziggler and Roode gave Ford a double suplex for a near fall.
Ziggler slowed the pace down with a chin lock. Ford fought back, but Ziggler hit a splash in the corner.
Ziggler attempted a superkick, but Ford hit a superkick first. Dawkins got the hot tag and ran wild. He gave Ziggler a suplex and hit a twisting splash on Roode. Dawkins then hit a neck breaker on Roode for a near fall.
Belair tagged in and lifted Ziggler on her shoulders. Bayley cut her off, but Belair hit the KOD. The heels fought back, and Roode rolled up Dawkins. Belair made the save by whipping Roode with her hair.
Dawkins then gave Roode the spine buster, and Ford hit the frog splash for the win.
In the back, Kayla Braxton interviewed Daniel Bryan. Bryan noted that his career is on the line but so is Reigns title. He promised to tap out Reigns again tonight.
Bryan said that after he wins the title, his first title defense will be against Cesaro, not Reigns.
Seth Rollins gave his prediction for the Reigns vs. Bryan match. He mocked Bryan for promising to defend the title against Cesaro. Rollins picked Bryan to win the title, but Cesaro won’t be getting the first title shot.
They recapped Tamina beating Nia Jax.
In the back, Megan Morant interviewed Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and Reginald. Baszler noted they lost in singles matches but promised to win tonight. Suddenly, Natalya and Tamina attacked the champions.
Non-Title Match: Natalya & Tamina defeated WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler
This was a fine match.
Tamina attacked Jax at the ring of the bell and ran wild. She knocked Baszler off the apron and attempted the splash off the top rope. Jax got her knees up, and the heels took over. They isolated Tamina on their side of the ring.
Tamina tried to fight back and picked up Jax for a slam but fall backward. Baszler tagged in and attacked Tamina’s arm. Tamina fought back and slammed down Baszler.
Baszler had nobody to tag because Jax rolled to the floor. Natalya ran wild and hit a release German suplex for a near fall. Tamina tagged back in and climbed to the top rope.
Reginald tried to interfere, but Natalya pulled him down. She tried to put him in the sharpshooter, but Baszler locked on the Kirifuda Clutch. She then threw Natalya over the announce table.
Baszler attempted a superplex, but Tamina knocked her off. She then hit the Superfly Splash for the win.
Booker T gave his prediction and picked Roman Reigns. After the break, Shinsuke Nakamura gave his thoughts on the title match and picked Bryan.
In the back, Kayla Braxton interviewed Rey & Dominik Mysterio. They talked about becoming the first father and son tag team champions.
They aired a twisted mind of Aleister Black vignette. Black read from the Tales of the Dark Father again. He read the second chapter, which is titled Reality. It told the story of people going through life and making all the conventional choices.
His father told him the truth. He learned there’s something wrong with everyone else. He could give you the keys to escape, but he chooses not to.
They recapped Apollo Crews vs. Big E from WrestleMania.
Megan Morant interviewed Big E behind the curtain. Big E wants his baby back tonight. He promised to win and become a three-time Intercontinental Champion.
They showed Crews and Azeez talking in the back.
Big E entered the ring for the match, but they showed a series of different videos and went to break. After the break, Big E was waiting in the ring, and they showed a video of The New Day giving their prediction for the Universal title match.
They recapped Crews beating Kevin Owens last week.
Big E defeated Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews (w/Commandor Azeez) via DQ
Big E and Crews had a good hard-hitting match until the finish.
They traded waist locks early, but Big E overpowered Crews. Big E then caught Crews in the abdominal stretch. He followed up with a back elbow for a near fall.
Big E dragged Crews onto the apron and hit a series of forearm shots. He followed up with the big splash on the apron for a near fall.
Crews fought back and dropped Big E on the top rope. He then gave Big E a suplex on the floor.
Back from the break, Big E gave Crews a suplex, but Crews fought back. He sent Big E to the floor and hit a moonsault off the apron.
Big E avoided a frog splash and hit a belly-to-belly suplex. He followed up with a splash for a near fall.
Big E attempted the Big Ending, but Crews avoided it and hit a kick to the face. Crews attempted a splash in the corner, but Big E hit the uranage for a close near fall.
Big E attempted the spear off the apron, but Crews avoided Crews and hit a Death Valley Driver on the apron. He followed up with the frog splash for another close near fall.
Big E recovered and hit the Big Ending on Crews. Azeez then pulled Big E out of the ring for the DQ.
After the match, Crews and Azeez beat down Big E until Kevin Ownes ran down. The heels overpowered Owens, but Big E jumped back in to even the odds.
Suddenly, Sami Zayn gave Owens the Helluva kick. The heels worked together to beat down Owens and Big E.
Crews was furious when Zayn picked up the title. Zayn kept saying they have no problem, but Azeez hit the Nigerian Nail on Zayn anyway.
The Miz and Cesaro gave their predictions for tonight’s title match.
In the back, they showed Universal Champion Roman Reigns. They recapped the angle between Reigns, Cesaro, and Daniel Bryan.
In the back, Kayla Braxton interviewed Paul Heyman. Heyman’s sick of hearing Bryan’s name. Heyman gave a great interview discussing Bryan’s accomplishments while constantly saying “yes.” Heyman wondered if Bryan can win the title tonight and said “no.”
They recapped Daniel Bryan beating Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista at WrestleMania 30 to win the WWE Championship.
King Corbin gave his thoughts on the Universal title match as well.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns (w/Paul Heyman) defeated Daniel Bryan to retain the title
Bryan is banished from SmackDown
They did a great job of making this match feel important and pushed it all night.
Reigns got new entrance music. They also did the special ring introductions.
Reigns and Bryan had a really good match that told a great story.
Bryan hit a running dropkick at the ring of the bell. Reigns recovered and rocked Bryan with a right hand.
Bryan fought back and went for the Yes Lock. Reigns rolled to the floor, but Bryan continued his attack. He rocked Reigns with a sliding dropkick and followed up with a dive off the apron.
Back from the break, Bryan was firmly in control as he targeted Reigns arm. He followed up with the running dropkicks in the corner. Reigns recovered and rocked Bryan with a clothesline for a near fall.
Reigns took over and hit a snap suplex for a two-count. Reigns slowed the pace down and applied a chin lock. Bryan fought back and ran up the turnbuckle, but Reigns caught him with a back elbow.
Bryan dropped Reigns face-first into the second turnbuckle. Bryan attempted a hurricanrana off the top rope, but Reigns countered and hit a powerbomb for a close near fall.
Back from the break, Reigns beat Bryan down around ringside. He threw Bryan back in the ring for a near fall. Reigns placed Bryan on the top rope, but Bryan slipped out.
Bryan then hit a back suplex from the top rope for a very close near fall. Bryan followed up with the Yes Kicks, but Reigns avoided the last kick and hit a Samoan drop.
Reigns attempted the superman punch, but Bryan kicked the injured arm. Bryan continued to target the arm and sent Reigns to the floor.
Bryan attempted a suicide dive, but Reigns caught him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Reigns attempted the spear on the floor, but Bryan moved out of the way. Reigns then crashed through the barricade.
Back from the break, Bryan hit a diving head butt from the top rope for a near fall. Bryan went from the running knee, but Reigns hit the superman punch for a close two-count.
Reigns attempted the spear, but Bryan countered with a small package for a near fall. Bryan then hit the running knee for another close near fall, but Reigns got his foot on the bottom rope.
Bryan stomped on Reigns face and applied the Yes Lock. Reigns countered the Yes Lock and scored a near fall.
Reigns jumped to his feet and hit the spear for another very close two-count. They struggled to their feet but Reigns locked on the guillotine submission.
Bryan broke free and applied the Yes Lock. Reigns crawled to the ropes, but Bryan pushed back to the middle of the ring.
Reigns broke free and hit Bryan with a series of shots. He followed up with a powerbomb and more forearm shots. Reigns then hit a second powerbomb.
Reigns tried to apply the guillotine, but Bryan fought free. Reigns then switched to the good arm and re-applied the guillotine. Bryan eventually passed out, and Reigns retained the title.
On commentary, McAfee and Cole pushed that Bryan is now banished from SmackDown.
After the match, Reigns grabbed two chairs and brought them in the ring. He placed Bryan’s head on one of the chairs. Suddenly, Cesaro’s music hit, and he ran down for the save.
Cesaro ran wild on Reigns until Jey Uso attacked Cesaro. They tied Cesaro up in the ropes. Reigns then gave Bryan the conchairto in front of Cesaro.
Next Week: On a special throwback edition, Seth Rollins goes one-on-one with Cesaro.
Daniel Bryan is putting his SmackDown career on the line in a Universal Championship match next Friday.
WWE has announced that Roman Reigns will defend his Universal Championship against Bryan on SmackDown next week. If Bryan loses, he’ll be banished from SmackDown.
A show-long storyline on tonight’s SmackDown revolved around Reigns responding to Cesaro’s challenge for a Universal Championship match. Bryan advocated for Cesaro to get the title shot and teamed with Cesaro to defeat Seth Rollins & Jey Uso.
Paul Heyman promised that Reigns would give an answer to Cesaro’s challenge by the end of the night. In the main event segment, Reigns told Cesaro that his answer is no and will always be no. Reigns said Cesaro doesn’t deserve it and isn’t on his level. Reigns said the Universal Champion issues the challenges around here. Reigns then turned his attention to Bryan.
Reigns said he doesn’t like Bryan and has never liked him. Reigns then said he was going to give Bryan one more title shot. Cesaro told Bryan that he has to take the opportunity. Bryan went to respond, but Reigns said he doesn’t want to see Bryan on his show again after Bryan loses. Bryan accepted the challenge.
Reigns retained the Universal Championship by defeating Bryan and Edge in a triple threat match in the main event of WrestleMania 37 night two earlier this month. After getting help from Uso, Reigns stacked Bryan and Edge on top of each other and pinned them both to win the match.
WWE has also announced that Apollo Crews will defend his Intercontinental Championship against Big E on SmackDown next Friday. With assistance from Commander Azeez, Crews defeated Big E in a Nigerian Drum Fight at WrestleMania 37 night two to win the Intercontinental title.
Crews made his first Intercontinental title defense on SmackDown tonight, retaining against Kevin Owens after a distraction by Commander Azeez. Big E attacked Crews during a backstage interview later in the show.
Daniel Bryan discussed feeling detached while wrestling at WrestleMania 37 in a new interview.
Talking to BT Sports about his match at WrestleMania 37, Bryan said he experienced a ‘detached’ feeling while wrestling Roman Reigns and Edge in a triple threat match for the Universal title.
“It’s taken me time to fully process what the experience was like because it wasn’t like a normal thing,” he explained. “It was really weird, like out of body in it. When I’m wrestling, I feel everything and feel like I really enjoy it. This was weird, I was out there and it felt like I was detached. It was so strange in fact that before the match started, I got this strange feeling like, ‘Is this what it’s like before you die? Am I going to die? I was like huh, well, okay.’ I don’t know why or how it happened, but it was unlike anything I have felt while wrestling.”
He later explained that he may have seen it as a sign of winding down his career as a full-time wrestler, which he has expressed before in previous interviews.
“The odd detachment, I was like, ‘woah’,” he said. “Like I said, I’m either gonna die or maybe it’s a sign that this isn’t it and it isn’t the same type of fulfillment that it was before. I’ve been trying to meditate on it and talk to my friends that I’m close with like ‘hey, what is that?'”
Bryan also confirmed in the interview that his contract was coming up “relatively soon” and was considering what he would do.
Roman Reigns defeated Bryan and Edge at WrestleMania 37 to retain the Universal title. Bryan did not appear on the following edition of SmackDown.
WrestleMania 37 concludes tonight with a triple threat Universal Championship match headlining the night two card at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns will put his title on the line against men’s Royal Rumble winner Edge and Daniel Bryan. Bryan was added to the match following the events of last month’s Fastlane pay-per-view. Bryan made Reigns tap out during their title match, but there was no referee to call for the bell. Edge, who was the special guest enforcer and had been unhappy about Bryan getting a title shot on the road to WrestleMania, then cost Bryan the match.
The Raw Women’s Championship will also be on the line as Asuka defends against Rhea Ripley. Ripley will be looking for WrestleMania redemption after losing the NXT Women’s Championship to Charlotte Flair last year.
Plus, Randy Orton will face “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt, Kevin Owens will take on Sami Zayn (with YouTube star Logan Paul appearing as Zayn’s guest), Big E will defend his Intercontinental title against Apollo Crews in a Nigerian Drum Fight, Sheamus will challenge Riddle for the United States Championship, and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler will defend their titles against Natalya & Tamina.
The show begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time and will air live on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network everywhere else. The pre-show will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern. No matches are set for the pre-show.
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Show Recap–
KICKOFF
The kickoff panel consists of Kayla Braxton, JBL, Pete Rosenberg, Bookert T, and Jerry “The King” Lawler. The weather is better, so the backdrop is the Raymond James Stadium. The panel ran down tonight’s lineup.
They took a closer look at Randy Orton vs. The Fiend. Braxton noted Orton vs. Fiend opens tonight’s show.
They recapped Tamina & Natalya’s victory in the tag team turmoil last night to earn a title shot against Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler tonight. The panel turned their attention to Riddle vs. Sheamus.
They recapped Sheamus defeating Riddle two weeks ago. Lawler wondered why Riddle doesn’t wear boots. Booker T agreed and claimed he’d stomp on his feet.
Rosenberg defended Riddle not wearing boots because he’s from MMA. JBL agreed and pointed out that Kevin Von Erich didn’t wear shoes either. Booker claimed nobody without boots ever won the world championship. JBL countered with Antonino Rocca. Booker didn’t care.
They recapped WrestleMania Night One. The panel talked about Bianca Belair’s victory and Montez Ford celebrating with her. The panel discussed the rest of the results.
They recapped Raw Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Rhea Ripely. They recapped the 2021 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The panel discussed Big E vs. Apollo Crews. Sonya Deville joined the panel to discuss the feud and tonight’s Nigerian Drum Fight. They recapped Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn with Logan Paul’s involvement.
They recapped Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan.
WRESTLEMANIA – NIGHT TWO
Country singer Ashland Craft performed America The Beautiful. They showed shots of the roster standing on the stage from last night.
WrestleMania’s co-hosts, Titus O’Neil and Hulk Hogan walked out on the stage dressed like pirates. The fans cheered Titus, but Hogan got a mixed reaction with lots of boos.
Randy Orton defeated The Fiend (w/Alexa Bliss) (5:52)
Orton and Fiend had a fine match. They kept it short, but the fans were into it most of the way. The finish came out of nowhere and featured magic.
The Fiend’s entrance was awesome.
As The Fiend walked down a hallway, he transformed from being burnt and deformed to the normal-looking Fiend.
Then Bliss walked to the ringside, where there was a huge jack in the box. She turned the handle, and The Fiend popped out.
The lights remained red throughout the match. The Fiend jumped off the box and caught Orton with a clothesline. The fans popped for The Fiend when he posed. The Fiend charged at Orton, but he slipped out to ringside.
Orton gave The Fiend a back suplex on the announce table, but it did not affect him. The Fiend locked on the mandible claw, but Orton escaped. Orton hit the draping DDT, but The Fiend jumped back up.
Orton sent The Fiend head-first into the box to take over. The Fiend fought back and rocked Orton with a clothesline. He followed up with a flying cross-body block. Orton recovered and beat down down The Fiend.
Orton attempted the RKO, but The Fiend countered with the mandible claw. The Fiend set up for Sister Abigail, but flames emerged from the ring post. Suddenly, Bliss was sitting on top of the box dressed in black. She had the black ooze pouring down her face. The fans popped big for Bliss’s transformation. Orton took advantage and hit the RKO for the win.
After the match, Bliss and The Fiend had a brief staredown. The lights went out, and they were both gone. The fans erupted in boos when the lights came back on, and the ring was empty.
Eric Bischoff approached Titus and Hulk Hogan backstage. Bayley interrupted and invited Bischoff on her show Ding Dong Hello.
Bischoff praised Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeated Tamina & Natalya to retain the titles (14:00)
This was a fine match. Both teams worked hard, although it dragged at times.
The fans cooled off midway but were mainly into the match.
Baszler used a side headlock on Natalya for the early advantage. Natalya attempted the sharpshooter, but Baszler made it to the ropes. Jax tagged in and overpowered Natalya.
Jax demanded that Tamina get in the ring. The fans popped big for Tamina and broke into a “Tamina” chant. Tamina overpowered Jax to gain control. Tamina and Natalya gave Jax a double flapjack. Baszler made a blind tag, but the faces took over.
Natalya gave Baszler a catapult into a superkick from Tamina. Baszler rocked Natalya with a knee to gain control. Jax attacked Tamina at ringside and slammed her down hard.
Baszler slowed the pace down and worked over Natalya’s knee. The fans erupted in boos as Jax worked over Natalya’s leg. The heels isolated Natalya in their corner.
Jax missed a charge in the corner, and Natalya hit the discus clothesline for a near fall. Jax recovered and hit a powerbomb, but Tamina broke up the pin attempt.
Tamina got the got hot tag and ran wild on Baszler. Baszler attempted the Kirifuda Clutch, but Tamina broke free.
Tamina climbed to the top, but Baszler cut her off. Jax recovered and hit a crossbody onto Tamina and Natalya. Jax trashed talked Tamina.
Tamina heard enough and hit Jax in the face. She then slammed Jax for a near fall.
The fans broke into another “Tamina” chant.
Tamina attempted the Superfly splash, but Jax moved out of the way. Natalya tagged in and knocked Baszler off the apron, but Baszler made a blind tag.
The finish came when Natalya locked on the sharpshooter on Jax, but Baszler was legal in the match. Baszler jumped in and locked on the Kirifuda Clutch for the win.
Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn (9:15)
Owens and Zayn had a really good hard-hitting and fast-paced match.
JBL joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves on commentary.
Zayn came out first and introduced his guest Logan Paul. The fans booed Logan Paul as Zayn did the introduction. Zayn danced to Paul’s music, which was hilarious. The fans booed Paul when he got in the ring. The fans broke into a “KO” chant when Owens entered. Paul sat at ringside with the commentators.
The bell rang, and Zayn charged at Owens. Owens caught Zayn with a pop-up powerbomb for a near fall. Owens was firmly in control and hit a cannonball in the corner.
Owens avoided a suplex on the apron. Zayn recovered and hit a brainbuster on the apron to take over. There was a slight “Logan sucks” chant.
Zayn hit the Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Cole called it a blue thunder bomb, but Graves corrected him to save Cole from the Internet.
Owens and Zayn fought on the top rope. Owens knocked Zayn down with a head butt. He followed up with a frog splash for a close near fall. Owens then hit a modified backbreaker for another near fall.
Zayn recovered and hit the exploder suplex in the corner. Zayn missed the Helluva Kick but hit the blue thunder bomb for a near fall. Zayn hit a series of suplexes and a brainbuster for a close two-count. The fans broke into a “This is awesome” chant.
Zayn attempted a superplex, but Owens reversed into a suplex. Owens hit a running clothesline in the corner. He attempted a second running clothesline, but Zayn hit the Helluva kick.
Zayn went for the Helluva kick again, but Owens hit a superkick. Owens hit a second superkick and the stunner for the win.
After the match, Paul jumped in to check on Zayn. Paul congratulated Owens and tried to shake his hand. Zayn became furious and got in Paul’s face. Paul knocked Zayn down, and the fans booed.
Paul raised Owens’s hand, and the fans booed. Owens didn’t seem happy and then gave Paul the stunner to a huge pop.
United States Champion Riddle approached The Great Khali in the back. Riddle congratulated Khali on getting in the Hall of Fame. Riddle asked for a translator. Rob Van Dam showed up to a huge pop.
He gave Riddle and Khali RVD rolling papers. They wished Riddle good luck with his match against Sheamus.
Sheamus defeated Riddle to win the United States Championship (10:50)
Riddle and Sheamus had a good hard-hitting match with an awesome-looking finish.
Riddle got a big reaction from the fans. The fans broke into a “Bro” chant as he made his entrance.
Sheamus rocked Riddle with a shoulder block for the early advantage. Riddle fought back with a sleeper hold, but Sheamus backed into the corner. Sheamus then hit the Irish Curse backbreaker for a near fall.
Riddle briefly fought back, but Sheamus hit a suplex for a near fall. Sheamus climbed to the top rope, but Riddle jumped to the top rope. He then hit a belly-to-belly superplex. Riddle fired up and hit a forearm in the corner. He followed up with a suplex and the broton. Riddle then hit the jackhammer for a close near fall.
Riddle went for the buckshot lariat, but Sheamus hit a knee for a very close near fall. Sheamus followed up with the Alabama Slam.
Riddle and Sheamus fought on the apron. Riddle pushed Sheamus into the ring post and hit a German suplex on the apron. He followed up with an Asai moonsault.
Riddle hit the floating bro for another near fall. Sheamus countered the armbar into a powerbomb for a near fall.
Sheamus and Riddle fought on the top rope. Sheamus went for White Noise off the top, but they slipped off. Sheamus managed to land on his feet while still holding Riddle. Sheamus then hit White Noise. He followed up with a knee of the top rope for a close near fall.
The finish was awesome. Riddle hit a moonsault off the second rope, but Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick mid moonsault for the win.
Nigerian Drum Fight: Apollo Crews defeated Big E to win Intercontinental Championship (6:49)
Big E and Crews had a good match until the finish.
They announced the match is no disqualification and no count-out. Tables, kendo sticks, drums, and a gong surround the ring.
Wale performed Big E’s entrance. The fans gave Big E a big reaction when he made his entrance.
The bell rang, and they both jumped out of the ring to get kendo sticks. They traded kendo stick shots in the ring. Crews briefly gained control with the kendo stick.
Big E fought back and hit a massive spear through the ropes to the floor. The fans broke into a loud “Let’s Go Big E” chant. Big E set up the ringside steps, but Crews countered with a death valley driver on the apron for a near fall.
Crews placed Big E on the steps. He tried dropping the other half of the steps, but Big E moved out of the way. They fought on the apron, and Crews charged at Big E. Big E countered and hit a uranage off the apron onto the steps.
Big E set up a table in the ring. Crews fought back and destroyed Big E with the kendo stick.
Crews placed Big E on the table but missed a frog splash.
Big E then hit the Big Ending and had the match won. Suddenly, Dabba-Kato jumped in and broke up the pin. He gave Big E a chokeslam and dragged Crews onto Big E for the win.
They recapped the 2021 Hall of Fame ceremony. They honored Eric Bishoff, Molly Holly, The Great Khali, Rob Van Dam, Kane, Ozzy Osbourne, and Warrior Award recipient Rich Hering,
Rhea Ripley defeated Asuka to win the Raw Women’s Championship (13:30)
Asuka and Ripley worked hard and had a good match.
Ash Costello performed Rhea Ripley’s entrance.
The fans popped for Ripley and broke into a “Rhea” chant. They did the special ring introduction for this match. The fans cheered for both Ripley and Asuka.
Asuka hit a dropkick, but Ripley didn’t go down. Asuka made several pin attempts, but Ripley kicked out. Ripley rolled to the floor, but Asuka rocked her with a knee to the face.
Asuka missed the hip attack, and Ripley took over. The fans broke into dueling “Let’s Go Asuka” and “Let’s Go Rhea” chants. Rhea slowed the pace down with the body scissors. The fans booed as Ripley taunted Asuka.
Ripley continued to trash talk Asuka. Ripley tried to kick Asuka, but she got caught in a kneebar. Ripley powered out and hit a German suplex.
Ripley slowed the pace down and backed Asuka into the corner. Ripley placed Asuka on the top rope, but Asuka knocked her off. Asuka followed up with a missile dropkick.
Asuka then hit a German Suplex and a hip attack. Asuka hit a series of strikes and a hard kick to the head. She followed up with a hip attack for a near fall.
Asuka climbed to the top, but Ripley cut her off with a dropkick. Ripley then dropped Asuka face-first on the apron. Asuka recovered and hit another hip attack.
Asuka hit a DDT off the apron to the floor. Ripley avoided a sliding knee and stomped on Asuka. Ripley applied a submission, but Asuka reversed into an armbar. Ripley broke free.
Ripley attempted a waist lock, but Asuka reversed into an armbar. She then applied the Asuka Lock, but Ripley reversed into a near fall.
The finish came when Asuka rocked Ripley with a series of kicks. Ripley challenged Asuka to hit her again. Asuka went for another kick, but Ripley ducked and hit the Riptide for the win.
The fans popped big for Ripley’s victory.
They recapped Randy Orton vs. The Fiend from earlier tonight.
Titus O’Neil and Hulk Hogan came back out to thank the fans in the audience and at home. Bayley’s music hit, and she walked out. The fans broke into a slight “Bayley” chant.
Bayley demanded they set off her pyro. She complained about all the legends and Michael Cole.
Suddenly, The Bella Twins interrupted Bayley. Bayley was furious and noted that John Cena’s not there tonight.
Nikki knocked the microphone out of her hands. The Bellas between down Bayley and threw her down the ramp. The fans booed The Bellas beating up Bayley.
Triple Threat: Universal Champion Roman Reigns (w/Paul Heyman & Jey Uso) defeated Edge and Daniel Bryan to retain the title (21:40)
Reigns, Bryan, and Edge, had a great WrestleMania main event. They all worked very hard and told a good story.
The fans cheered Bryan as he entered and broke into a loud “Yes” chant. The fans cheered Edge as well and gave him a big reaction for his entrance.
The fans started booing Reigns before his music started. They did the special ring introductions.
The fans cheered for Edge and Bryan during the introductions. They loudly booed Reigns.
Reigns threw Bryan to the floor, and Uso rocked him with a superkick. He threw Bryan into the ring steps.
Reigns threw Edge to the floor, and Uso knocked him down with a superkick as well. Reigns and Uso cleared the announce table, but Bryan hit a suicide dive. Uso then rocked Bryan with a superkick.
Edge recovered and sent Uso into the steps. Edge beat down Reigns and sent him into the ring post.
Edge then gave Uso an implant DDT on the steps. A medical team ran down to check on Uso and helped him to the back.
Edge and Bryan traded shots in the middle of the ring. Bryan hit a hurricanrana on Edge, but Edge rolled through for a near fall. Edge tried to suplex Reigns into the ring. Bryan slid through Reigns’ legs and took him out of the match.
Bryan avoided Edge and attempted a suicide dive but Reigns caught him. Reigns then gave Bryan a belly-to-belly suplex.
Reigns rocked Edge with a clothesline. The fans erupted in boos. Reigns attempted the superman punch, but Edge avoided it and hit a DDT.
Reigns hit the superman punch and attempted the spear. Edge countered into a sunset flip for a near fall. Edge and Reigns both went for the spear and collided in the middle of the ring.
The fans broke into a “This is awesome” chant. Bryan hit a diving head butt on Edge and then on Reigns for a near fall. Bryan rocked both Edge and Reigns with Yes Kicks.
Bryan hit Edge with the running knee. He avoided Reigns’ superman punch and hit a kick for a near fall.
Bryan stomped on Reigns and then applied the Yes Lock. Edge made the save and broke up the submission.
Bryan then got the Yes Lock on Edge, but Reigns broke it up. Reigns then gave Bryan a powerbomb onto Edge. The fans broke into a “Roman sucks” chant.
Reigns then gave Bryan a powerbomb off the steps through the announce table. The fans booed Reigns as he posed on the steps.
Suddenly, Edge caught Reigns with a spear off the steps. The fans broke into another “This is awesome” chant. Edge tried to bring in a chair, but Reigns grabbed it, and a piece of the chair came off.
Edge then locked on the cross face on Reigns with a piece of the chair. Reigns almost tapped, but Bryan stopped him. Bryan then applied the Yes Lock on Reigns while Edge still had the cross face applied.
Bryan and Edge traded head butts. The fans broke into another “This is awesome” chant. Bryan went for the running knee, but Edge countered with the spear.
Reigns went for the superman punch, but Edge avoided it. He responded with the spear. Edge had the match won, but Bryan pulled out the referee.
Edge attacked both with a chair. Edge then gave Bryan a concerto. He went to give a concerto to Reigns, but Uso ran out for the save. Edge destroyed Uso with the chair. Reigns recovered and caught Edge with a spear. He then hit the concerto on Edge.
Reigns dragged Edge onto Bryan and pinned both of them for the win in a great match.
Reigns, Uso, and Heyman, posed in the ring as pyro went off. The fans booed Reigns as he celebrated his victory.
The final SmackDown before WrestleMania was a special WrestleMania edition of the show.
Ahead of their Universal Championship match at WrestleMania, Roman Reigns, Edge, and Daniel Bryan all cut promos on last night’s SmackDown. Reigns vs. Edge vs. Bryan will be the main event of WrestleMania 37 night two this Sunday.
Last night’s SmackDown also featured a couple of matches that at one point seemed like possibilities for the WrestleMania card. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode defended their SmackDown Tag Team titles against The Street Profits, Rey & Dominik Mysterio, and Chad Gable & Otis, while Jey Uso won this year’s Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
On the road to WrestleMania 37, a street fight headlined last night’s episode of SmackDown.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Edge were both hoping to see Daniel Bryan beaten down so badly that he wouldn’t be able to make it to their title match at WrestleMania, but Bryan defeated Jey Uso in last night’s main event. Bryan pummeled Uso with steel chain shots at the end of the match and submitted him with the Yes Lock.
Edge was on commentary for Bryan and Uso’s street fight, while Reigns came out to the stage during the match and watched on. After the match, Bryan charged at Edge and sent him into the barricade with a running knee. Bryan then repeatedly smashed Edge’s head into the ring post.
Bryan then turned his attention to Reigns. Reigns went to throw his chair at Bryan, but Bryan avoided it. Bryan hit a running knee on Reigns and then put him in the Yes Lock.
A show-long storyline on last night’s SmackDown ended with a change to WrestleMania 37’s Universal Championship match being confirmed.
After making Roman Reigns visually tap out at Fastlane but being cost the match by Edge, Daniel Bryan appeared on last night’s SmackDown and demanded another shot at Reigns’ Universal Championship. Edge said Bryan didn’t deserve a title shot and wanted it to be kept one-on-one. Reigns told Adam Pearce that he was only going to wrestle on one night of WrestleMania and was only going to have one title defense. Pearce said he would make a decision by the end of the show.
Pearce announced that Reigns will defend his Universal Championship against Edge and Bryan in a triple threat match in the main event of WrestleMania 37 night two. Bryan was happy with the decision, but Reigns and Edge were both furious. A three-way brawl then broke out. It featured Edge snapping and giving Bryan, Reigns, and Jey Uso steel chair shots. Edge went to give Bryan a con-chair-to, but Bryan was able to get away while officials attempted to get Edge to stop. Edge hit steel chair shots on WWE officials Pat Buck and Jamie Noble.
The build to Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair’s SmackDown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 37 night one also continued. Despite Banks distracting her, Belair defeated Natalya on last night’s show. After Banks had slapped her at Fastlane, Belair got payback on Banks by hitting a slap of her own when Banks tried to get involved in her match aganst Natalya. But Banks then laid out Belair with a backstabber after the match was over.
Three new matches were confirmed for WrestleMania 37. Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro will take place on night one, while Big E vs. Apollo Crews for the Intercontinental title and Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn will be part of the card for night two.
