Tag: jacob fatu

WWE Raw live results: Roman Reigns answers Jacob Fatu

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: April 27, 2026
Location: Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, TX 

The Big Takeaway —

Roman Reigns accepted Jacob Fatu’s world title challenge for Backlash after Fatu laid him out in the main event segment. Fatu made it clear he would be seeing Reigns again next week (on the final Raw before Backlash). 

Iyo Sky lost to Becky Lynch in an impromptu Women’s Intercontinental title match thanks to interference by Asuka. Sky and Asuka will wrestle at Backlash. 

Kairi Sane was not mentioned by name on the show, but was written off with a few passing references. There were chants for Sane when Asuka attacked Sky after her match.

**********

Show Recap — 

They’ve adjusted the signature video that starts every show. Brock Lesnar is now in the “Forever” portion, while Oba Femi has been added to the “Now” portion. 

Roman Reigns & The Usos opening pre-taped promo 

I would call this a cold open, but it was preceded by a video package of last week’s events. This was similar to a few weeks ago when Raw started with a Roman Reigns pre-taped video instead of the usual in-ring segment. (Although we still got one of those.)

Reigns sat down with Jimmy and Jey Uso. He said the past was the past, and that’s where he would leave it, because they were blood and they were the only ones he could trust. He wanted their thoughts because he wasn’t sure where Jacob Fatu was coming from. 

Reigns told everyone that they had two years to climb the mountain (after he lost the title), but after all that time, it was Reigns himself who climbed the mountain and won the title—but now Fatu was trying to take it from him. 

Jimmy understood where Fatu was coming from. He understood Fatu wanting to upgrade his household, but it shouldn’t come at Reigns’ expense. Jey said Fatu was dangerous. He dismantled the MFTs one by one on SmackDown. They left Fatu on his own for a reason. If Fatu beat Reigns, he would take everything. Jey said this couldn’t all be about respect—there had to be consequences. 

Reigns said Jey was right. They weren’t giving out charity. Reigns said he would sit on this and address it later tonight. 

The three men put their hands together, and Reigns called them the first family. 

********

Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker segment 

Rollins entered to a strong reaction wearing an all-black suit. He said it was Bron Breakker’s fault that he was not currently the world champion and why he lost to Gunther at WrestleMania. Rollins took credit for Breakker having nine staples in the back of his head and called him out. 

Breakker entered with Paul Heyman. Rollins said he gave Breakker the world on a silver platter, but Breakker repaid him by taking everything away from him. Breakker was the reason Rollins had to forfeit the title, the reason he didn’t main-event WrestleMania, and the reason he lost at the show. Rollins asked Breakker how it benefited him at all. 

Breakker asked Rollins what he gave to him and Bronson Reed. It was the two of them putting out Rollins’ fires week after week and fighting his battles. Breakker and Reed had to sit in the background as Rollins started Raw every week by repeating the same thing over and over. Breakker held his nose and did a nasally impression of Rollins’ usual opening promo (which he, in fact, started this promo with). Breakker said he never needed Rollins—he only needed Heyman. 

Rollins laughed at this. Rollins said he was the world champion two years ago and wanted to fight the best in the world. He called Shawn Michaels so he could fight his best in NXT, and Michaels named Breakker. Rollins was on board. Last year, Heyman asked Rollins to take Breakker under his wing. Rollins was on board with that, too, because under his tutelage, he knew Breakker could be the biggest star in the industry. 

Rollins has seen athletes of all disciplines come in over the years, but Breakker was the most unique. He had everything to be the next big star in the industry. Everything except the most important thing. Rollins pointed at his head. 

Rollins knew what it was like being a 28-year-old young cat coming into the company, thinking the business owed him something. He knew what it was like to bet on himself and make decisions people wouldn’t be happy with. The difference between them was that Breakker tried, while Rollins succeeded. 

Rollins took chances that got him WrestleMania main events, while Breakker took chances and wound up with Austin Theory, Logan Paul, dinners on a private jet and happy endings from Heyman. Rollins told Breakker he wasn’t ready. 

Breakker said he was well on his way to becoming a main eventer with or without Rollins. He said Rollins’ body and mind couldn’t handle it anymore, and his shoulder couldn’t handle the weight of the strap. 

Breakker admitted he came up short in his world title match (against CM Punk), but he could sleep at night knowing he lost to the best in the world rather than to someone who self-proclaimed it. Breakker knew Rollins was a future WWE Hall of Famer. But he was also the very best in the world at being number two. 

Rollins responded, “That was pretty good, baby Steiner.” Rollins wondered if Breakker came up with that on his own or if he called Big Poppa Pump for his hookup. Rollins challenged Breakker to a match at Backlash to prove he was ready. Rollins told Breakker Steiner (that’s what he called him) that he wasn’t even number two in his own family.

(The show was 21 minutes old by the time this was done. They laid out their issues well enough—after weeks of physically assaulting each other—but Rollins’ promo in particular probably could have been cut in half. I know Reigns likes to start and end the shows, hence why his promo went first, but they should spread out these long talking segments.) 

********

Wrestlers were shown arriving, but Stephanie Vaquer’s introduction was interrupted when she was attacked by Raquel Rodriguez. Roxanne Perez appeared on screen to a big pop (she’s from this town), but the crowd went quiet when she crushed Vaquer with an equipment box. Liv Morgan told Vaquer, “Now this is over because this is my championship.” 

Intercontinental Championship: Penta (c) vs. Rusev 

The opening match started 29 minutes into the show. It went seven and a half minutes, and three of those were during a break. 

As Penta set up for a springboard move, Rusev was about to kick him out of the air with a Machka Kick, but Penta knew it was coming and held onto the rope a second longer to avoid it. Rusev whiffed on the kick, and Penta caught him in a schoolboy for the pinfall win. 

— Rusev was annoyed, so he attacked Penta after the match. Ethan Page, who watched the match from ringside, tried to join Rusev, but Rusev wasn’t interested. After Penta fought back, Page decked him from behind. Rusev and Page put the boots to Penta until Je’Von Evans ran out to make the save. 

Match result: Penta defeated Rusev to retain the Intercontinental Championship (7:31) 

********

There was a commercial for the Hulk Hogan Netflix documentary. This aired during the actual broadcast, not during the Netflix ad break. 

El Grande Americano cut a promo about his upcoming mask vs. mask match. In order to prepare, he wanted to challenge the biggest lucha libre star around here, so he challenged Rey Mysterio to a match tonight. The crowd cheered. 

During the break, they re-aired the Danhausen/Miz segment from SmackDown. (They aired more of this later.)

********

Becky Lynch promo 

Lynch said she finally got rid of AJ Lee and ended her horrible title reign. She put gold around the waist of somebody who deserved it and became the first person to win four different titles at WrestleMania. She’s the first three-time Women’s IC champion and has won more Mania matches than any woman in history. She claimed she was coming for Undertaker’s win record next. (This got no reaction.) 

All of that was wonderful, but what happened after the match was more important. She saw a sea of over 50,000 fans at Mania with her daughter sitting in the front row. She took her daughter up the ramp and to the back. She realized she needed to show her what a real champion was. It wasn’t about the five-star hotels or private jets or fancy tour buses, even though she indulged in all of that. It wasn’t about going to the biggest cities—it was about showing up in run-down towns like Loredo and showing up for all the common folk. 

She knew the fans wanted her to be a fighting champion and not just against a nostalgia act or an underdog. She knew they wanted something new, shiny and exciting, so she issued an open challenge. 

Iyo Sky entered, and the crowd chanted her name. Sky accepted. Lynch laughed. She said she wanted something new, shiny and exciting, and Sky was none of those things. She thought maybe Sky was accepting on Rhea Ripley’s behalf. She wanted to fight Shawn Michaels, not Marty Jannetty. After Lynch said Sky was holding Ripley back, Sky smacked her in the face. 

Lynch was about to bail, but Adam Pearce sauntered out to make the title match official. 

********

Women’s Intercontinental Championship match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. IYO SKY 

There was a passing reference to Kairi Sane during this match, though they never said her name. Michael Cole mentioned Sky and Ripley beating the Kabuki Warriors last week, and that Asuka was still pissed about it. Corey Graves said Asuka was so upset that we wouldn’t be seeing her former pupil for a long time.

Lynch blindsided Sky before the match began. Sky fought her off and tossed her around ringside, and the match began once they reentered the ring. They actually got to wrestle for a good six minutes or so before this went to break. Lynch got some offence, but Sky got the better of her and hit a powerbomb outside the ring. 

They traded submission attempts during a break until the fight spilled back outside, where Sky hit a high cross off the barricade. After the break, Lynch hit a superplex and floated over into a DDT for two. Sky countered a Man-handle, hit a great-looking superkick, and a butterfly backbreaker for two. 

Sky hit a tornado DDT and went for a moonsault, but Lynch got her feet up and hit a Man-handle Slam for a nearfall. Sky followed later with an Asai moonsault. 

As the ref (not Jessika Carr) checked on Lynch, Asuka ran down and tripped Sky off the rope. The ref had to play dumb and pretend she couldn’t see Asuka standing nearby with Sky suddenly down. 

Lynch took advantage and hit the Man-handle Slam for the pinfall win. Lynch retains. 

— Asuka attacked Sky after the match. Asuka put her in the Asuka Lock, and Sky tapped out. The crowd chanted, “We want Kairi,” as Asuka stood tall. 

Match result: Becky Lynch defeated IYO SKY to retain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship (13:22) 

This was a really good match until the finish. It was refreshing to see Lynch finally wrestle someone other than Maxxine Dupri or AJ Lee in a singles match (for the first time since August 2025). The crowd was really into Sky, who suffered her fourth straight singles loss.

********

Chad Gable Americano approached Rey Mysterio backstage. Gable asked whether he would have to watch his back when he faced El Grande Americano in their mask vs. mask match. Mysterio said no. All he wanted was for the two of them to respect lucha libre. Mysterio said something in Spanish, and Gable pretended to understand. Mysterio shook his head. 

El Grande and his two buddies showed up. El Grande spoke to Mysterio in Spanish, but Gable told him to mind his business. They yelled at each other until Mysterio cut them off and said he wasn’t choosing sides. El Grande said he’d see Mysterio in the ring, and Mysterio was ready. 

********

Byron Saxton tried interviewing the Usos, but they were cut off by LA Knight. He asked if they were sitting at the table again, with Reigns at the head of the table. Knight reminded Jey that he was world champion on his own. Jimmy had the potential to be the champion, too, but he couldn’t do that under Reigns. 

The Usos told him this was family business. Knight told them that the power they had under the Bloodline eventually corrupts, and then it would be his business. 

********

Joe Hendry concert 

Hendry said he had a big decision to make and wanted to explain it via song. He sang a song announcing that he signed with Raw. In the song’s final verse, he said he respected the OTC and wanted to fire Logan Paul. He got the crowd to sing along to “fire Logan Paul,” until Paul interrupted. 

Paul marched out with Theory and was red-hot. He called himself unfireable. Theory and Paul bragged about being champions. Hendry said he saw their match on ESPN and called them primetime losers. 

Theory shoved the microphone into Hendry’s chest, so Hendry decked him with a clothesline and tackled Paul into the corner. The Vision swarmed him, though, until Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford ran out to make the save. 

After The Street Profits cleared Paul and Theory from the ring, Hendry wiped them out with a leaping dive. Hendry’s music hit, and he posed with Dawkins and Ford. 

(Singing a song proclaiming your admiration for Roman Reigns and hatred of Logan Paul is definitely one way to get yourself endeared to a new audience. Maybe he can shoot the t-shirt gun next week.) 

********

Backstage, Grayson Waller complained to Pearce about giving everyone else opportunities. Pearce tried to warn him that Oba Femi was standing behind him, but Waller didn’t get it. Waller said Femi was overrated and only beat Lesnar at the end of his career. Waller turned around to see Femi, who told Peare to make a match. Pearce made it official. (Our third impromptu match.) 

*******

The Street Profits officially welcomed Hendry to Raw. Before he left, Ford told Hendry to switch his blue shirt now that he was on Raw. 

Rollins approached Dawkins and Ford. He was about to thank them for their help last week, but they cut him off. They said Rollins thought everything was about him, like he was something special, and they walked off. 

(I enjoyed Ford and Dawkins telling off Rollins.) 

*******

The mask match between El Grande Americano and the Original El Grande is taking place in AAA on May 30th.  

Rey Mysterio vs. El Grande Americano (w/ Bravo & Rayo Americano) 

There was a funny moment on commentary when Cole said he couldn’t wait to see what this guy looked like without his mask. Graves told him to go watch some old WCW before quickly realizing he meant El Grande, not Rey. (Graves knew what he meant.) 

After a break, Rey fought back and hit a tilt-a-whirl DDT. The ref was distracted as Rey tried to get rid of Bravo on one side of the ring, as Rayo tried placing the metal plate inside El Grande’s mask on the other. Rey gave Rayo a 619 for his trouble. 

The plate wound up in the ring, and El Grande tried to grab it for himself, but Gable Americano showed up and took it away. Rey shoved El Grande into Gable before giving El Grande a 619 and a springboard splash for the pinfall win. 

— Gable and El Grande brawled after the match until officials broke it up. 

Match result: Rey Mysterio defeated El Grande Americano (8:36)

******** 

Announced for Backlash so far: 

  • Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker 
  • IYO SKY vs. Asuka 

Asuka promo 

Asuka said she wasn’t done with Sky yet. She was still Sky’s senpai. All she tried to do was help Sky, but she only disappointed her. Sky was ungrateful, selfish, and her biggest failure. Sky failed Asuka and failed her family. 

Asuka said, “And now, we’re both alone, because I didn’t want another IYO.” (Another reference to Sane without saying her name.) Asuka said Sky killed her family, and now nothing would stop Asuka from destroying her. She would teach Sky one final lesson: that she would never be ready for Asuka. 

*******

Oba Femi vs. Grayson Waller 

Femi slammed Waller before hitting a running uppercut and a Fall From Grace powerbomb for the pinfall win. 

— After the match, Femi said the top champions were all tied up, and the United States Champion wasn’t accepting open challenges. Instead, Femi issued an open challenge to face him. He offered everyone a chance to step up, but warned that anyone who did so would be punished by the ruler. 

The crowd was into Femi as usual. 

Match result: Oba Femi defeated Grayson Waller (1:04)

********

Liv Morgan spoke to Roxanne Perez backstage. Morgan wanted to finish the conversation they were having before WrestleMania when Vaquer bashed their heads together. (So they had no opportunity to chat in the last three weeks outside of this show.) 

Morgan knew it must have been tough for Perez to watch everything that went down with Finn Bálor, because she knew they were close. But Morgan said they were a family, and Bálor put himself before the family. Morgan would never do that, so she would be in Perez’s corner tonight. 

Morgan asked Perez if she trusted her. Perez nodded her head, but told Morgan to go ahead without her. 

After Morgan left, Bálor slipped into the room unnoticed somehow and warned Perez that she couldn’t trust anyone in Judgment Day. Perez wondered if she could trust Bálor. She told him to leave before he got hurt. He wished her luck and left. 

Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez (w/ Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan) vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria 

Perez was a huge fan favourite in front of her hometown crowd, and the crowd booed whenever the babyfaces went on offence against her. Cole said she had about 30 friends and family in the crowd. 

Perez and Valkyria got hot tags after a break, but it was the babyface Valkyria who ran wild to the chorus of boos. Perez fought back and gave Bayley a Russian leg sweep as Rodriguez simultaneously hit a big boot, but Valkyria broke up the cover. 

Perez knocked Valkyria off the apron and set up Bayley for Pop Rox, but Bayley countered and hit Bayley-to-belly for two after Rodriguez broke up the cover. Valkyria tackled Rodriguez out of the ring. 

Morgan leaped on the apron, so Bayley went after her. Bayley grabbed Morgan by the hair, but Morgan jumped down to the floor to break it up, and Bayley bounced off the rope as a result. The ref didn’t call a DQ, but this was basically Bayley’s own fault. 

The distraction allowed Perez to hit a shining wizard and Pop Rox for the pinfall win to a big pop from the crowd. 

Match result: Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez defeated Bayley & Lyra Valkyria (9:20)

The match itself was just ok, but it was nice to see Perez get a big ovation and a win in her hometown in her return to the ring. 

******** 

There was a quick Sol Ruca video package. She signs her Raw contract next week. 

Main event segment 

Roman Reigns entered to a very big reaction. He said it’s been a while since he’s been in Texas, and if you couldn’t tell by watching at home, they loved him here. Everyone cheered. 

Reigns said they created this world title belt in spite of him. They made it to try to take away from his shine, but it didn’t work. There was an old saying, and it was true: the title didn’t make the man, the man made the title. That’s exactly what he did. He put the title in the main event and on night two of WrestleMania. He made the title relevant, and now, you could finally be proud of it. Now, you could finally choose to acknowledge this title. Reigns told Loredo to acknowledge him. They did. 

Jacob Fatu entered. Reigns said he gave Fatu a week to think it over and hoped he had made the right choice. Reigns hoped that Fatu would choose to unite their family and not divide. 

Fatu said he didn’t need a week, a day, or an hour to think about it. Fatu knew exactly what he wanted when he came out last week. He didn’t hesitate when he said he needed that title. 

Fatu said Reigns must be stuck in his WWE main event bubble. Reigns didn’t grind like him. Twelve years of hard work and suffering, not knowing what the next meal was going to be. While Reigns was running the Bloodline, Fatu was broke, foaming out the mouth, grinding on the front line, trying to figure out if he would get here or not. 

It wasn’t how you started, but how you finish, and it got him standing out here now in front of Reigns’ ass. When he got started in WWE, Reigns, Jimmy, and Jey didn’t call him. Solo Sikoa did. Sikoa gave him a chance. 

Reigns cut him off. Reigns said Fatu was either confused or dumber than he thought. Sikoa couldn’t even get a coffee delivered to the building if he wanted to. Reigns was the one who ran the place. 

Reigns admitted he got a little distracted because things did get hectic around here, but he did sign off on Fatu. But now Fatu was sounding like a confused fool. Fatu didn’t deserve it and hasn’t earned it. Allowing Fatu to compete against him was nepotism, and he couldn’t allow that. 

Before Reigns could continue, Fatu aggressively grabbed him by the jaw and wouldn’t let go until Reigns bonked him with the mic. Fatu put him in the Tongan Death Grip and headbutted him until he fell to the mat. Fatu warned Reigns that he would take everything from him. 

Fatu held the title before dropping it on Reigns. There was a smattering of boos for Fatu as he walked off. 

Reigns, still down on the mat, grabbed the mic and said he would see Fatu at Backlash. Before the show ended, Fatu told Reigns off-mic that he’d see his punk-ass next week.

(This was another strong segment following last week’s setup. Fatu comes across as completely different from everyone else on the show and as a title challenger. It’s tricky because he’s an easy guy to root for, but going against Reigns seems to automatically make him a heel to this audience right now. He doesn’t seem to be going full-fledged heel, he’s just out of his mind with the title within his grasp, so we’ll see how they handle it.) 

WWE RAW segments announced for tonight (04/27/2026)

Posted on by Jake Skudder

WWE RAW will be heading to the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas tonight as the WrestleMania fallout continues and we start heading towards Backlash. A number of segments have already been confirmed for the show, including Roman Reigns giving Jacob Fatu his answer to the title challenge he made last week.

WWE RAW Preview 04/27/2026

Here are all of the segments confirmed for this week’s episode of WWE RAW:

  • Joe Hendry will make his official Raw debut.
  • Roman Reigns will confront Jacob Fatu after Fatu challenged him for the World Heavyweight Championship.
  • The new Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Becky Lynch, will return.
  • CM Punk, Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer, Rhea Ripley, and Logan Paul are scheduled to appear.
  • Seth Rollins will be starting the show
  • Bayley & Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez

What time does WWE RAW start tonight?

RAW airs Monday nights at 8/7c on Netflix in the US. UK viewers can catch it live at 1am Tuesday morning, also on Netflix.

Where is WWE RAW being held tonight?

Tonight’s show comes from the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas.

How can I watch WWE RAW?

RAW streams exclusively on Netflix worldwide, having moved off cable in January 2025. You’ll need an active Netflix subscription to watch live or on demand.

Is Becky Lynch defending her title tonight?

No defence has been confirmed. Lynch is scheduled to appear in her first RAW since winning the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, but the segment is being billed as a return rather than a title match.

WWE SmackDown live results: The fallout from WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Marc Quill

WWE WrestleMania 42 has come and gone, and tonight WWE SmackDown moves forward as it emanates live from Fort Worth, TX’s Dickies Arena.

After challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight title on Raw, Jacob Fatu will make an appearance as he awaits Reigns’ answer this Monday.

New WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley will be in the house to celebrate after wresting the title from Jade Cargill last Sunday.

There will be another celebration as new WWE United States Champion Trick Williams will be on hand as will his running mate, rapper Lil Yachty.

Paige returns to SmackDown for the first time in nearly 10 years as she and Brie Bella celebrate their WWE Women’s Tag Team title win last Saturday.

After earning the title shot last Friday, former WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton will challenge reigning Women’s U.S. Champion Giulia for the gold tonight.

Our live coverage kicks off at 8 pm Eastern.

*******************

– Our night began with a recap of what went down last weekend at WrestleMania 42. Following that lengthy opener, we went to a live shot of Cody Rhodes arriving to the arena in a Ram truck in a similar manner to Pat McAfee and Randy Orton. Also seen making their arrivals was the new WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, as well as new U.S. Champion Trick Williams. Li’l Yachty and the Gingerbread Man were seen with Williams. As they got off the arena, Danhausen drove up in his coffinmobile as Trick’s entourage left.

Jacob Fatu kicks off SmackDown

Fatu made his way down to the ring just days after having challenged new World Heavyweight Championship Roman Reigns for a match at Backlash.

He started off by stating that he told Reigns that he wanted him, and that he needed the World Title. Then Reigns looked at Fatu in the eye and said “you’re not ready”. The truth is, however, Reigns was right in that assessment. Because what Reigns told Fatu has been something he’s heard all his life from his friends and family. But, to break it all down and to keep it 100, Reigns might say Fatu’s not ready, so he should step in the ring to prove it. The Usos interrupted as Jimmy and Jey Uso walked down to address Fatu.

Jimmy took the mic and said that he heard what Fatu had to say on Monday about how Fatu wanted to level up for his family. Jimmy told Fatu that he should not go after Roman Reigns’ title and instead go for Cody Rhodes. He said that Fatu should join the “Family” and run things with them. Jey

Jey said that if Fatu wanted respect from Roman, he better get ready to look him in the eye and get ready for war, because Reigns was going to bring it. That’s when The M.F.T.s interrupted things.

Solo Sikoa said that the Usos were lying to him. Sikoa took credit for bringing Fatu into WWE two years ago. The M.F.T.s entered the ring as Sikoa continued to insist Fatu to not listen to Jimmy and Jey. Sikoa said that Fatu wasn’t going to beat Reigns along, and that he was going to need an army in the form of the M.F.T.s. Tama Tonga aggressively took the microphone from Sikoa and asked him why they were wasting their time with this. Tama called Fatu a “lost cause”, stating that he couldn’t even beat Sikoa.

For his troubles, Tama got superkicked by Fatu, who told Sikoa that the only one who should be talking to is Roman Reigns. Fatu then issued the challenge to Sikoa to face him later tonight.

If you’re not a fan of more Bloodline drama unfolding, then this opening segment is certainly not for you. I found it just kind of there and a means to an end to set up our likely main event

*******************

Women’s United States Championship: Giulia (c) (w/ Kiana James) vs. Tiffany Stratton

Stratton avoided Giulia’s attacks on opposite corners before she hit her with a clothesline. Giulia responded with a jumping rollup pin for a near-fall. We got a series of dueling pinfalls between champion and challenger for a bit before Giulia caught Stratton’s cartwheel and connected with a neckbreaker.

Stratton got the rolling senton, but couldn’t get the Prettiest Moonsault Ever as Giulia trapped her in a tree-of-woe position before hitting the dropkick to the head. Giulia then got Stratton with an elevated neckbreaker from the apron to the outside as we took a commercial timeout.

We returned from commercial as Stratton was starting to mount her comeback. She connected with the springboard cartwheel Stunner for a close near-fall. Stratton tried to go up to the top rope, but Giulia intercepted her and turned it into an avalanche butterfly suplex. One, two…. Stratton just managed to kick out. Giulia headbutted Stratton and tried for a slam, but got reversed. Stratton looked for a running attack, but Kiana James grabbed her leg. Giulia ran at Stratton, but she moved out of the way Giulia ended up hitting James instead.

Stratton looked for another Prettiest Moonsault Ever, but Giulia caught her in a modified Rings of Saturn submission hold. Stratton countered it into a pinfall attempt that Giulia kicked out of. Giulia recovered and blasted Stratton with the Arrivederci knee. She set her up for the Northern Lights Bomb, but Stratton reversed it into a rough-looking Alabama Slam. She then finished Giulia off with a Prettiest Moonsault Ever to pick up the win and the Women’s U.S. Title.

Tiffany Stratton def. Giulia to win the Women’s United States Championship

That was an alright match between Stratton and Giulia. It was odd that these two were left out of the WrestleMania card and they put together a good match here. I will say that Giulia’s second Women’s U.S. Title reign was much like her first, a whole lot of nothing that led nowhere.

*******************

– A pretaped vignette of Danhausen visiting The Miz’s mansion was shown. Danhausen got into the pool, much to the Miz’s annoyance, and it looks we’re going to get more of these skits tonight.

– We returned as Tiffany Stratton was interviewed after her Women’s U.S. Title win. Stratton said that this felt amazing to be on the top again. She was no longer the runner up after winning gold, and that she was ready to show that WWE was running on “Tiffy Time”. New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Brie Bella and Paige made their way to the ring after this.

Paige and Brie Bella celebrate their Women’s Tag Title win

Once the new champs entered the ring, Brie said that it felt incredible to stand in the ring to be a champion. She noted that while it was a shame she couldn’t win it alongside her sister Nikki, she was more than happy to take the gold alongside a good friend like Paige. Brie then welcomed her back to WWE.

Paige spoke next and talked about how hectic a week she just had. When Brie gave her the call to tag with her at WrestleMania, Paige said that she was more than happy to answer. Paige noted that it was a rough road to get back here, but she was so happy to be back home. She and Brie stood against the best competitors in the world, but SmackDown was still Paige’s house. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss showed up to interrupt proceedings.

Flair started by saying that she could speak for her and Bliss in welcoming Paige back, but the returnee had something that belonged to them. Flair and Bliss had been working for so long to get back, so Flair suggested that if Paige wanted to prove she was the best, she and Brie would defend the Women’s Tag Titles against her and Bliss. The Women’s Tag Champions accepted the challenge and this match would take place after the commercial break.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Paige & Brie Bella (c) vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair

This match began during the commercial and we joined the action in progress after the break.

Bliss hit Brie with a dropkick as she tagged in Flair, who chopped away at Brie’s chest. She then hit a fallaway slam before kipping up to her feet. In the corner, Flair blasted Brie with a kick to the jaw, but missed with an attack to the knee. This gave Brie an opening for a tag, however, before we could get a tag, Jacy Jayne from NXT pulled down Paige from the apron as the rest of Fatal Influence — Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid ran in and laid waste to everyone.

Paige & Brie Bella vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair ended in a No Contest

Not so much of a match here as it was to introduce Fatal Influence into the Smackdown roster, and it’s giving a much needed infusion of talent to the women’s roster of SmackDown, which is something that I’ve made a point to discuss on more than one occasion. This is a good piece of business.

*******************

– We got a vignette for Royce Keys that focused on how much he was an inspiration to his hometown of East Pala Alto, CA.

Cody Rhodes talks WrestleMania 42 fallout

The Undisputed WWE Champion, sporting one heck of a shiner after taking Randy Orton’s punt kick, walked down to the ring battered, bruised, but certainly not broken.

As Rhodes got into the ring, he took in the reaction from the Fort Worth crowd before asking them what they wanted to talk about. Rhodes wanted to talk about he walked out of WrestleMania, even though he was beaten down. It was a decision he made to walk up the ramp to show that he always got back up. Rhodes wanted to send the message that even though he wouldn’t be medically cleared, and that he’d get stitches on the back of his head… he wanted to send it to Randy Orton. Rhodes wanted to send the message that even though Orton gave him his best shot — the punt to the head — he was still standing.

He wanted to send the message to a “sarcastic and condescending” Sami Zayn as well, who said that nothing ever went wrong for Rhodes. That’s why he showed up in all-gold attire at WrestleMania, because he wanted to show that he was gold, his family was gold, and every fan of his was gold. Most especially, he wanted to send a message to those outside forces that kept trying to get involved in his business: they’re 0-3, so send your best or count your money and mind your damn business.

Rhodes concluded by throwing the gauntlet as he pointed that if anyone wanted a shot at him, whether they were from NXT or Raw or SmackDown. He was easy to find, but even harder to beat.

Just a standard Cody Rhodes promo to get things going post-WrestleMania. This almost felt like a bit of a soft reset of sorts, in a way. The Pat McAfee-centered storyline that plagued Rhodes vs. Orton seems to be a thing of the past now, especially since it’s been reported that McAfee himself (and Jelly Roll) was not a fan of how things going down, and with good reason.

*******************

WWE Tag Team Championship Match: R-Truth & Damian Priest (c) vs. The M.F.T.s (Tama Tonga & J.C. Mateo) (w/ Tanga Loa)

Truth and Tama got things going in this tag match. The two traded strikes, but Tama got the upper hand here. He hit Truth with a dropkick and mocked him with his “version” of the Five-Knuckle Shuffle. Truth dodged and tagged Priest into the match. Priest unleashed his flurry of offense on both Tama and Mateo in the M.F.T. corner. Mateo responded by providing a distraction on Priest, which gave Tama the opening to clothesline him out of the ring. At ringside, Tanga Loa flattened Priest with a clothesline as we took a break in the action.

We returned from break as Mateo and Tama were shelling Priest with a double team assault. Mateo threw Priest into his corner, but the big man began to fight back. Tama went down with a clubbing blow, as Priest then swung for the fences like Aaron Judge with the massive lariat on Mateo. The hot tag from Truth as he hit the John Cena Moves of Doom on Mateo, ending with the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Tanga Loa distracted the referee as Tama ran in and hit Truth with his spinning neckbreaker behind the back. Priest broke up the count as he blind tagged into the match. He and Truth hit the “Rise Up” tag finisher on Mateo for the three and the tag title retention.

Damian Priest & R-Truth def. The M.F.T.s to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships

Kind of an okay match. The Truth and Priest team continues to entertain, but this just felt like a match that was kinda there.

*******************

– The second part of Danhausen’s visit to The Miz’s house was shown.

Trick Williams & Li’l Yachty’s U.S. Title Celebration

The new U.S. Champion was flanked by Li’l Yachty and the Gingerbread Man as the trio made their way to the ring to celebrate a successful WrestleMania. The ring was festooned with balloons, banners, and some champagne for celebration.

Williams stated to Yachty that the people were excited to celebrate the new United States Champion. He talked about how Yachty was there, and even the Gingerbread Man was there. The people weren’t there to gamble, but for three words: “Whoop That Trick”.

Yachty talked about how the WrestleMania promo tour was over, but he was still here, because he was here to stay. Yachty called himself “The Prophecy” as he stated that there would be no more U.S. Title Open Challenges for the foreseeable future. Williams concluded by talking about how if you wanted the U.S. Champion, you find Trick Willaims.

Just as Williams was celebrating, the Gingerbread Man hit him from behind with the cane. He removed his mask to reveal Sami Zayn. “A man-sized batch of walking cinnamon,” as Joe Tessitore called him, Zayn assaulted both Yachty and Williams before he finished the U.S. Champion with a Helluva Kick.

This was a nice segment, and the silly Gingerbread Man stuff had a point to it with Zayn using it to trick Trick. Nice work all around.

*******************

– Solo Sikoa once again tried to recruit Royce Keys to his side after a backstage interview.

Danhausen vs. The Miz (w/ Kit Wilson)

Danhausen entered to the ring aboard his “coffinmobile”.

Outside the ring, Kit Wilson took the Slammy Award off the hood of Danhausen’s rided. He then caused a distraction to allow Miz to hit Danhausen from behind. The American Gladiators reboot hostg stomped on Danhausen as he and Wilson shared a moment. Danhausen did an Undertaker sit-up and then cursed Miz and Wilson, which caused pyro to shoot out to blind the two. This gave Danhausen the opportunity to roll-up Miz for the win.

After the match, Miz tried to chase after Danhausen, but he ran into a blinded Wilson, which allowed Danhausen to escape in his coffinmobile.

Danhausen def. The Miz via pinfall

Just some silly fun here. It’s not much in the way of actual wrestling, but it’s harmless comedic fun as Danhausen continues to be one of the more entertaining parts of WWE as of late, even through the rough stretches en route to WrestleMania 42.

*******************

– A vignette for Blake Monroe was shown, stating that she’d be joining the SmackDown roster soon.

Rhea Ripley celebrates her WrestleMania moment

The new WWE Women’s Champion entered to a huge ovation from the Fort Worth crowd after her WrestleMania 42 victory this past weekend.

As the crowd chanted for her, Ripley stated, “your Mami is finally champion again.” Ripley talked about how at WrestleMania, the grandest stage of them all, Jade Cargill proved to her that she could actually go. But now, it was Ripley’s time to prove that the WWE Women’s Champion is a fighting champion. Ripley noted that she knew there were women in the back that wanted a shot at her, and now she was ready to take on all comers.

The music of SmackDown’s new additions, Fatal Influence, signalled the arrival of the trio led by Jacy Jayne. They walked down to the ring to massive boos from the crowd as Jayne said she’d be the first one to give Ripley credit for her win at WrestleMania, but she couldn’t talk over the crowd booing. Jayne said that the people should be giving credit to herself, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid for taking out everyone’s favorite legends like they did earlier tonight.

Ripley responded by stating that Fatal Influence should stop while they’re ahead. Reid and Henley tried to get their words in, but Ripley said that she was used to the number games being against her, but that didn’t matter as she gestured at her WWE Women’s Title. She challenged Fatal Inlfuence to fight her right now.

SmackDown GM Nick Aldis said that Jacy Jayne will face the new WWE Women’s Champion right here and right now… or at least after this commercial break.

*******************

Rhea Ripley vs. Jacy Jayne (w/ Lainey Reid & Fallon Henley)

Jayne and Ripley sized each other up before engaging in a chain wrestling battle. Ripley attempted a scoop slam, but Jayne turned that into a standing headlock. She kept the hold on for a bit before Ripley literally threw Jayne out of it. A shoulder block from Ripley kept the newcomer to SmackDown on her toes as Jayne talked over strategy with Reid and Henley. That pep-talk seemed to work as Jayne got Ripley with a running hurricanrana. Ripley responded with a headbutt that sent Jayne out of the ring. Ripley caught Jayne’s leg after a kick fromthe apron as she slammed her face-first.

Reid and Henley got in Ripley’s face, which allowed Jayne to recover with the running kick across the apron to Ripley as we took a timeout.

We returned to live action as Jayne maintained command of the match with a running neckbreaker on Ripley for the near-fall. Ripley got back on top of things with a rising kick as she hit Jayne with consecutive clotheslines, a kick, then a running dropkick. Ripley raised Jayne up for the Razor’s Edge, but she managed to escape from it. Ripley went for the forearm, but was hit with the pump knee to the face by Jayne for another near-fall.

Jayne missed with the discus elbow, as Ripley got her with the big boot on the button. Ripley headed to the top rope, but Jayne used the ropes to trip her foe up. This allowed Jayne to get in position for an attempted superplex, but Ripley escaped and hit the Cheeky Nando’s kick, as she tried for an electric chair move. Jayne reversed into a roll-up for the near-fall. Ripley hit back with the Razor’s Edge followed by the Shining Wizard for a close two.

Ripley attempted a Prism Trap, but Jayne countered it. Ripley headbutted Jayne and looked like she was going to hit the Riptide. Fatal Influence got involved to cause the DQ finish. After the match, Jayne, Reid, and Henley laid out the WWE Women’s Champion with a three-on-one-attack.

Rhea Ripley def. Jacy Jayne via Disqualification

I know the DQ finish was going to wrinkle a few feathers, but I thought it was deployed perfectly here, especially as the aim was to put over the new arrivals to SmackDown as a serious threat. I think Fatal Influence was used to great effect here and got put over easily as a new heel force on the roster.

*******************

– After a recap of Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu’s Raw confrontation, we got a backstage segment with Fatu stating to the Usos that he didn’t need their help against the likely involvement of The M.F.T.s in our main event.

– Backstage, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss were stewing over being laid out by Fatal Influence earlier. Rhea Ripley appeared and asked if there was a problem. Flair was defensive and said she was going to go take care of Jacy Jayne next week, unlike “some” people, directing that towards Ripley.

– A Retrospective on Brock Lesnar was shown.

– Ricky Saints was teased to be making his debut on SmackDown next week as an official part of the blue brand’s roster.

Solo Sikoa (w/ The M.F.T.s) vs. Jacob Fatu

Fatu and Sikoa locked horns in the middle of the ring to start as the former backed the latter into the corner. A cheap kick to the gut by Sikoa led to a headlock, but Fatu got out of it and withstood two running shoulder blocks before he hit Sikoa in the throat with a strike. Fatu hit repeated headbutts on Sikoa, but got sent face-first into the turnbuckle, which allowed Sikoa to hit back with some punches of his own.

Sikoa taunted Fatu, but paid for it with a running forearm, followed by the spinning takedown. As Fatu tried to run, J.C. Mateo snagged his leg, as the M.F.T.s struck on the outside with the referee distracted. Meanwhile, The Usos appeared on the ramp, much to Fatu’s protestations. This gave Sikoa an opportunity to strike with a clothesline on Fatu as we took our last commercial break.

Our main event returned as Fatu began to try and mount a comeback. Sikoa caught Fatu’s running attack and turned that into a release German suplex for a near-fall. Sikoa tried to strike at Fatu, but got met wtih bigger attacks from his foe, which culminated in a series of rights and a clothesline to the face. Fatu then hit a clothesline in the corner on Sikoa, as he then got ten consecutive headbutts on his stunned foe. This left Sikoa at the mercy of Fatu’s running hip attack. Tama Tonga tried to distract Fatu, but Sikoa failed to hit the Samoan Spike, as a superkick took him out.

Fatu headed to the top rope, but J.C. Mateo pushed him off the perch with the referee distracted. Sikoa rolled up Fatu, but couldn’t get the win. Fatu took out the M.F.T interference outside with one suicide dive, as Sikoa used this opening to hit the Spinning Solo. Diving splash from the top, but Fatu kicked out of Sikoa’s best shot. Sikoa looke dfor the Samoan Spike, but Fatu responded with a superkick, followed by the pop-up Samoan Drop. One Mighty Moonsault later, and it was a victory for Fatu.

Post-match, Mateo, Tanga, and Tama attacked Fatu, which prompted the Usos to run it. However, it seemed like Fatu didn’t need the help as he took it to the remnants of the M.F.T.s Fatu wrapped the steel chairs around the necks of Tama and Mateo, as he hit the running hip attack on the both of them. Outside the ring, Tanga Loa ate a suicide dive. Fatu rearranged the furniture and got on the barrier to hit a diving splash through the announce table on Tanga.

The show ended with Fatu staring down the Usos, who only stood on the apron. Fatu said that he’d see Roman Reigns on Raw this coming Monday.

Jacob Fatu def. Solo Sikoa via pinfall

*******************

That was a perfectly fine main event, and it did its job of establishing Jacob Fatu as a credible threat for Roman Reigns as the World Heavyweight Champion.

Meanwhile, this post-WrestleMania SmackDown fell kind of flat for me, even with moments I liked such as Fatal Influence’s debut and Danhausen’s antics. It just felt like a show that really didn’t seem like an important aftermath to WrestleMania, and not helped by the absences of certain players such as Randy Orton or Jade Cargill.

Moreover, I think a lot of why I couldn’t really get into tonight’s show was the news of WWE doing its annual spring releases just before SmackDown went on the air. Among those released were the entire Wyatt Sicks faction, as well as Aleister Black and Kairi Sane — all of whom were just on WWE programming in various storylines. It’s hard to really get excited about a show on a night when the company running the show you’ve covered decided it’d be a good idea for these cost-cutting cuts that do nobody any favours.

I don’t think I have to explain how losing a job sucks and that making jokes about it, no matter how you feel about the company that fired them is kind of terrible. At the end of the day, it comes down to corporate greed by the decisionmakers within WWE and TKO, and every year, it’s just a painful reminder.

I hope everyone that was released today find the feet elsewhere in the wide world of wrestling, because it’s a great big world out there now, and the sky is certainly the limit for everyone.

Jacob Fatu supports his daughters potentially pursuing a career as wrestlers

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Jacob Fatu is a part of the legendary Anoa’i Samoan wrestling family and supports the thought of his daughters continuing that legacy.

Fatu is the son of Sam Fatu (The Tonga Kid), nephew to Rikishi and the late Umaga. A father to seven children, he was recently asked on the Club 520 Podcast if his daughters plan to become wrestlers in the future.

“I feel like the business is different now. If it was like how it was back then I probably would say no, but I see that professional wrestling, this is the one thing I love about it, look at all of us here; we’re all different colors, different cultures, different backgrounds, different people, and we’re all here for one love and that’s professional wrestling,” he said.

Sharing a detailed answer, Fatu further added, “So if that’s me and my daughters’ time to really tap in with each other, and I sit there and watch how they see it, they’re tapped in with every storyline. Mind you, I’m just dad when I go home, I don’t know they be watching all that, but I see it makes them happy.”

Professional wrestling is a competitive business, and rising to the top and making a living out of it often becomes tough. Addressing that situation, Fatu noted, “Man, if they can make a living out of it, and if I can lace them up and teach them, they got the support. But yeah, I definitely can see my daughters, Jeilove and Ja’nya, tapping into it. So y’all might see a female version of Jacob Fatu in the next couple of years.”

The Bloodline storyline was one of the most popular storylines in WWE for almost five years. With Roman Reigns and The Usos now reunited, fans saw Fatu come out on the April 20 episode of RAW and issue a challenge to Reigns.

Jacob Fatu shares what Roman Reigns told him backstage before WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Roman Reigns met Jacob Fatu backstage at WWE WrestleMania 42 and encouraged him to stay grounded before his Unsanctioned Match against Drew McIntyre. 

Speaking with Daniel Cormier, Fatu revealed he got emotional ahead of his WrestleMania match with Drew McIntyre. Backstage, Reigns approached him and offered reassurance, encouraging Fatu to calm his nerves, enjoy the moment and take it all in. Fatu also expressed gratitude for his 2-0 streak at WrestleMania within his two-year WWE tenure. 

“Nah, but yesterday was, it was emotional. It didn’t hit me until I actually was getting ready to walk out. I’m so nervous. I seen a couple cats on the way. I seen my big Uce, I seen the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns yesterday. Right before I walked out. He still calls me Jake, Jakester, Jakey, you know what I mean? So he had to (tell me), you know, ‘hey, man, calm down. Enjoy the moment,’ you know? Something that my wife always tells me, but Roman was like, ‘just take it all in,’ and before I went out, man, being ready, having my gear on and locked in, just thinking about all the tough times, all the struggle, everything to bring me to this moment right here. I mean, come on, I’m very blessed to be in WWE for two years and be 2-0 at WrestleMania right out the gate.”

Fatu had high praise for his WrestleMania 42 opponent, acknowledging the impact he had on their match and buildup. 

“Drew McIntyre ain’t no regular guy. He’s a beast. So, it might sound weird, but shout out to Drew”

“No, he’s not (a normal dude). I mean we got to think about what he’s been doing. I feel like this would have never happened, it would have never had got to where it went if it wasn’t for Drew McIntyre.” 

Fatu defeated McIntyre on Night One of the Premium Live Event last weekend. On the Raw after Mania, Fatu challenged Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash. He claimed that it was not a want but a need to have everything Reigns does. 

Reigns outlined the responsibilities that go hand-in-hand with being World Champion. He did not give Fatu a definitive response but instead gave him a week to think it over. As the show came to a close, Reigns was heard telling Jimmy Uso to talk some sense into Fatu.

Roman Reigns has plenty of challengers post-WWE WrestleMania 42  | Opinion

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Roman Reigns did what he set out to do at WWE WrestleMania 42 Sunday — to both beat CM Punk in his first ever Mania main event and take away his World Heavyweight Championship in the process.

Following the win, there is plenty of talk on who could be next for Reigns including WWE’s interest in pitting him against Gunther after his big win on Saturday over Seth Rollins.

Two years after a dominant 1316-day reign as Universal Champion, the WWE roster has undergone an shakeup with new names and new challengers since that run.

While Jacob Fatu appears to be up first, here’s a few other contenders who could challenge Reigns for the title this year.

Oba Femi

In the WrestleMania post-show, Femi called out the new champion fresh off his own win over former Reigns rival Brock Lesnar. When Reigns made his appearance on the panel later, fans started chanting for Femi and ‘Oba’s gonna kill you’ (in addition to an anti-TKO chant). Reigns acknowledged them, claiming that Femi did a big thing at WrestleMania 42 with his performance but he had already accomplished that multiple times. 

After checking Lesnar off from his list of dominated opponents, it seems inevitable that he will challenge Reigns for the title at some point. However, WWE needs to let the feud develop gradually as a rushed match between the two, especially a premature title match, could do more harm than good.

Seth Rollins

When The Vision turned on Rollins in October, he was forced to relinquish the very title Reigns just won. Since Rollins never actually lost the title in a match, it’s a natural that he gets his shot back at some point. But, that opportunity might take a while especially after Bron Breakker’s return at WrestleMania where he cost Rollins his match against Gunther. 

Even if Rollins challenges Reigns for the title later in the year, their long and complex history ensures plenty of unfinished business. The last time they stood opposite each other in the ring in a singles match was at the Royal Rumble in 2022 and at WrestleMania 40, Rollins sided with Cody Rhodes to take on Reigns and The Rock. 

A key takeaway from their last singles match is that Rollins defeated Reigns via DQ. Rollins’ mind games – making his entrance to The Shield’s theme song, wearing the disbanded group’s signature gear and taunting their gesture of bumping fists during the bout led to Reigns snapping.

LA Knight

Knight was one of the many stars who stood up to Reigns in 2023 and challenged him for the then-Universal Title, squaring off at Crown Jewel that year.

In the buildup of their feud, Knight was unfazed by Reigns’ status with one memorable instance being Knight interrupting Reigns’ entrance for their contract signing. 

Since then, Knight has received mixed reactions from the WWE fans. While some still root for him to get his main event spotlight, a few remain hesitant on whether he should be there.

The possibility of Knight facing off against Reigns again this year carries major implications. He made it clear to Gunther on Monday’s Raw that is where he is looking.

Bron Breakker

In the aftermath of WrestleMania last year, Rollins’ new alliance with Paul Heyman led to The Vision’s origin. They were joined by Bron Breakker and a couple of months later, Bronson Reed joined the fold. 

By July 2025, during the budding rivalry between Jey Uso and Reigns against Rollins, Breakker and Reed, Reigns warned them about confiding in Rollins which Breakker took issue with and called him the “old dog” in the yard, mocking his relevancy dating back five years ago. At SummerSlam last year, Uso and Reigns defeated The Vision.

Breakker has already announced his thirst for winning a World title. Challenging Reigns for the title would capitalize on his momentum and give him a chance to prove himself against an established, dominant competitor. Win or lose, Breakker squaring off against Reigns would signal him as a top tier talent on the WWE roster. He just needs to get past Rollins first.

Jacob Fatu challenges Roman Reigns to title match at WWE Backlash

Posted on by Josh Nason

Jacob Fatu didn’t waste any time in calling his shot, challenging new champion Roman Reigns to a World Heavyweight title match for next month’s WWE Backlash.

Reigns came out to close Monday’s Raw after WrestleMania, flanked by The Usos. Reigns discussed the issues the three had with people like CM Punk and rapper/podcast Cam’Ron calling them out, but that’s not happening anymore with Reigns as champion.

Enter Fatu, fresh off his WrestleMania 42 Saturday win over Drew McIntyre in their unsanctioned match. He said he doesn’t just want what Reigns has, but he needs it. That was why he was challenging Reigns for the title at Backlash.

Reigns didn’t commit to the match, but gave Fatu a week to think about what he was doing, questioning whether he was ready for everything that comes with being the World champion. He and The Usos then departed, leaving the show on a bit of a cliffhanger.

While not official, it would appear Fatu has now moved over to Raw after being solely a SmackDown wrestler where he was a former United States Champion and Tag Team Champion. His only Raw match came in a dark match street fight against Cody Rhodes in October 2024.

The two men were on opposite ends of The Bloodline implosion from late-2024 but have never had a singles match. Reigns defeated CM Punk on WrestleMania 42 Sunday for the World Heavyweight title.

Backlash takes place on May 9 from Tampa, Florida.

Cody Rhodes appearance set for final WWE SmackDown before WrestleMania

Posted on by Josh Nason

The final stop before this weekend’s WrestleMania 42 got some new additions for this Friday’s WWE SmackDown from Las Vegas — the host city for this year’s two-night event.

Ahead of his Saturday title defense against Randy Orton, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will make an appearance to relay a message to Orton and Pat McAfee.

Jacob Fatu will also appear ahead of his unsanctioned match against Drew McIntyre this weekend.

The new additions join the annual Andre the Giant memorial battle royal and the eight-man street fight between the MFTs and the Wyatt Sicks. In both cases, the official participants have yet to be revealed.

A previous report had WWE Women’s U.S. Champion Giulia defending against Tiffany Stratton, but the match is not on WWE.com’s official preview.

Current WWE SmackDown lineup | This Friday

  • Andre the Giant memorial battle royal
  • The Wyatt Sicks vs. MFTs in a street fight
  • Jacob Fatu appearance
  • Cody Rhodes appearance

Who needs to get a win at WWE WrestleMania 42? | Opinion

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

It is finally WrestleMania week as WWE takes over Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

While nearly every WrestleMania 42 match carries some kind of significance, some outcomes will have a far greater impact than others. Here’s who I think needs a win the most on this year’s back-to-back cards.

Liv Morgan over Stephanie Vaquer for the WWE Women’s World Championship

Morgan’s rivalry with Vaquer has evolved into one of the most personal feuds on the card.

Morgan’s women’s Royal Rumble victory was widely viewed as overdue recognition for her contributions to the women’s division. Her eventual decision to challenge Vaquer, after being questioned about her work ethic, added a layer to the storyline.

Vaquer moved up to the main roster and won the title at Evolution last year. She initially drew fans’ support, but the limited title defenses and lack of engaging storylines became stale.

A WrestleMania victory would not only validate Morgan’s resurgence but also solidify her third reign as Women’s World Champion.

Randy Orton achieves his goal of a 15th World title

For Randy Orton, the mission is simple: win world title No. 15.

After falling short against John Cena last year, he now finds himself across the ring from Cody Rhodes—his former protege and friend. Their shared history has added depth to the build, particularly following Orton’s brutal contract signing attack.

Rhodes’ reign has been successful, but a bit formulaic. Orton winning here would not only achieve that goal, but would freshen up the main event scene and hopefully Rhodes afterward.

Oba Femi destroys Brock Lesnar

Femi vacated his NXT Championship in December 2025, and made his main roster debut at the Royal Rumble. He demonstrated dominance over the next few weeks on Raw and SmackDown and then responded to Brock Lesnar’s open challenge for WrestleMania 42.

Getting a win over someone of Lesnar’s stature at a platform like WrestleMania 42 in a dominant fashion would really accelerate Femi’s WWE career and help him become part of wrestling history. 

‘The Demon’ teaches Dominik Mysterio a lesson

From a familial bond to becoming enemies in the ring, the tension between Finn Balor and Mysterio had been brewing for a long while now with Mysterio’s constant critic of Balor’s inability to win the World Title as a big part of it.

The return of his iconic entrance theme and presentation associated with the Demon moniker has elevated the hype. The last time the character made an appearance was at WrestleMania 39 for his Hell in a Cell match against Edge and a lot has happened to both men since then.

During his time in the Judgment Day, it felt as though his run was being muffled. A win at WrestleMania 42 will hopefully revert him back to the destined push/opportunities he missed out in recent years.

Seth Rollins ends Gunther’s streak as the ‘career killer’ 

The unexpected buildup for Gunther and Seth Rollins for WrestleMania may have felt a bit rushed storyline-wise, but both stars are prominent enough to warrant a spot on the WrestleMania card. The two have a brief history when they collided in the semifinals for the World Heavyweight Championship in 2023. 

A victory for Rollins at Mania, especially with odds stacked against him and Gunther’s possible alliance with Heyman, would make for a compelling outcome. 

Rhea Ripley dominates the championship picture again in 2026

Since winning the the WWE Women’s title in November 2025, Cargill has defended it just once, that being in February. This led to concern from some fans regarding her in-ring capabilities and future as champion.

Going into their feud at WrestleMania, Ripley has earned the fans’ sympathy and support, especially with Cargill’s new alliance with B-Fab and Michin. Although she has IYO SKY in her corner, it might not be enough for Ripley to counter the numbers advantage for ‘Mania. 

But Ripley winning the title and officially moving to the SmackDown brand would re-establish her dominance, and shift her back into the singles spotlight. It would also prove beneficial for Sky’s future as a singles competitor after their tag team run.

Jacob Fatu sustains momentum

Fatu witnessed a rapid ascent since walking away from Solo Sikoa’s side of the Bloodline fence and on his own.

In January, he interrupted Drew McIntyre’s WWE Title match with Cody Rhodes which cost him the championship. McIntyre vowed revenge ever since and the two have continued their feud which only escalated in March, hence the unsanctioned match this weekend.

Fatu is being cemented as a top tier star in WWE. A marquee win over someone credible as McIntyre would benefit his career while a loss would weaken the dominant presentation WWE has been building up for Fatu. 

On the other hand, for McIntyre, a talent who has competed in consistent main events in his career, a potential loss would serve as a catalyst for a character evolution. It could also push for a more unhinged and unpredictable direction. 

Jacob Fatu says WWE debut was delayed, attended WrestleMania 40

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Jacob Fatu signed with WWE in early April 2024 and even attended WrestleMania 40 but his debut was delayed. 

On the latest episode of Raw Recap, Fatu disclosed that he attended Wrestlemania 40 which was shortly after he had signed with WWE. He was present at the Hall of Fame ceremony that year, wearing a hoodie and hidden in plain sight to conceal his identity from the public. He remembered being elated at seeing his cousins – Roman Reigns, The Usos and Solo Sikoa at the event.

“Yeah, I was there. WrestleMania 40. WrestleMania 40, pulled up. A lot of people don’t know, a lot of my independent career took off in Philadelphia so to be there, that WrestleMania during that time, it was something special. I got there at WrestleMania, still didn’t know, I was signed already. I just got signed but I didn’t know when I was coming. Day after WrestleMania 40, met everybody, said ‘what’s up?’ We were in the Hall of Fame, I was sitting in Gorilla. Nobody could see me. I was hooded up. Everybody walking by, and I was tripping out. I seen my brother Solo, I seen my brother Big Jim, see Mr. Yeet Man, seeing all of them in there. I was in there with Roman, the Tribal Chief and O.G. Paul Heyman so, to go out there to be a part of that, it was off the rip.”

Fatu added that he met Reigns that weekend and he advised him to do whatever needed to be done for his career. Fatu watched his cousins, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa get called up and declared that his debut was supposed to take place at Money in the Bank that year but was delayed. 

“I just remember when Roman seen me, when I left, he said, ‘Jacob, do whatever you gotta do. But when you come back, look different.’ I was already looking different at that time. But, two more months, came in and got it rolling. The day after WrestleMania 40, seen Tama — Tama Tonga come over. Tama Tonga’s a beast, a workhorse, a dog. Seen him, man, okay. Didn’t know they was coming. Backlash, France, seen Tonga Loa pop up. I’m like, ‘Okay.’ I gotta call brother up and them, ‘Hey man, I still got a job over there!?’ I ain’t know what was going on. But man, it all fell together. It all came together. I was supposed to debut at Money in the Bank. Next thing you know, they called. Man, a couple days and was like, ‘We doing it on SmackDown.’ Nobody seen it coming.”

Fatu eventually debuted in a June edition of SmackDown that year. He attacked Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens to prove his alliance with Sikoa. After their split, Fatu won the United States Championship, holding the title for nearly 70 days.

Earlier this year, Fatu returned from a brief hiatus after being attacked by an unknown assailant in October 2025. He interfered in Rhodes and Drew McIntyre’s title matches which forced a title change. And it ultimately led to his rivalry with McIntyre. The two will settle their scores in an unsanctioned match on Night One at WrestleMania 42. 

WWE’s Jacob Fatu reflects on missed opportunities

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Jacob Fatu missed the last four months of 2025 after undergoing dental surgery. Now while he’s trying to move forward, he’s also looking back on what might have been.

Fatu discussed his situation in an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports. “I probably missed out on a lot of opportunities, but it is what it is,” he said. “They say in this business, ‘Things happen, and the show must go on.’ I missed out, but what was I going to do? I couldn’t sit there and dwell. No, none of that.”

Fatu’s last TV match before his surgery was a victory in a trios match, teaming with Jey Uso & Sami Zayn to defeat Solo Sikoa & JC Mateo & Tonga Loa on SmackDown last August. He wrestled several dark matches in August and September, but then was written off TV after being allegedly attacked backstage.

The “attack” came just before Fatu was to wrestle Drew McIntyre, with the winner going on to challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship. Instead, he vanished for months, returning in January to get involved in a cage match between McIntyre and Rhodes, a match in which McIntyre won the title.

As for Fatu, he’s now set to wrestle McIntyre at WrestleMania.

“It’s where I’m supposed to be. It’s the best fit right now,” Fatu said. “I’m not with regular people. These are not regular people. These are names that have done huge things in WWE. Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. It’s not overwhelming, but there’s a fan side of me sometimes, a little bit, that feels like, ‘Damn, I’m really here. Tapping in with them.’ It’ll be a good outlet.”

Cody Rhodes part of new additions to WWE SmackDown lineup

Posted on by Josh Nason

Reigning WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will make his presence felt on Friday’s WWE SmackDown from St. Louis.

Rhodes’ addition to the show was announced Thursday, a day after WrestleMania 42 title challenger Randy Orton revealed the mystery man he has been talking to on the phone will also be in attendance. Orton recently turned on Rhodes in the lead-up to their title match in just a few weeks time.

Rhea Ripley will also be in attendance following the second straight attack last week by WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab as the build to their WrestleMania 42 match continues.

Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre are also expected for the show based on the WWE.com preview.

Lil Yachty will also likely make an appearance after Trick Williams invited him to the show this week amid rumors he and WWE have signed a deal to do something in the ring.

As of now, no matches have been announced.

Current WWE SmackDown lineup | This Friday | St. Louis

  • Cody Rhodes appearance
  • Randy Orton appearance
  • Rhea Ripley appearance
  • Jade Cargill, Michin & B-Fab appearance
  • Jacob Fatu

Two matches added to WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two new matches are set for WrestleMania 42.

New United States Champion Sami Zayn will defend his title against Trick Williams after the two have traded barbs for the last several weeks. And after the two brawled for the vast majority of last week’s SmackDown, an unsanctioned match is now set between Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre.

Zayn was upset by the news on Friday that Nick Aldis had no plans for him at WrestleMania, right after the SmackDown GM told Trick Williams that there were, in fact, plans for him. A dejected Zayn walked away, but turned right back when Williams started to taunt him and smacked him, telling Aldis he would find a way. He ended up taking Carmelo Hayes’ open challenge for the United States title and won the match after Williams interfered, knocking out Hayes while Zayn ducked, allowing Zayn to win the helluva kick.

After the match Aldis’ tune changed, telling Zayn he would defend the title against Williams at WrestleMania.

Both Fatu and McIntyre arrived to Friday’s show banged up after the two spent most of last week’s show fighting, with the closing moments of the show seeing them fall off a platform. Fatu called out McIntyre, saying he was banged up but he was going to dogwalk McIntyre regardless. The former WWE Champion came out to declare himself the victim before going personal by bringing up Fatu’s children. Aldis arrived and made the unsanctioned match for WrestleMania, saying WWE would take no responsibility for what would happen.

WWE WrestleMania 42 card — 

  • World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends against Roman Reigns
  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Randy Orton 
  • WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill defends against Rhea Ripley 
  • Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against Liv Morgan 
  • Women’s Intercontinental title: AJ Lee defends against Becky Lynch
  • WWE United States title: Sami Zayn defends against Trick Williams
  • Unsanctioned: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu
  • Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi

Wrestling Weekly: Bigger prices should mean better booking

Posted on by Victor Sosa

Les Thatcher is on the road this week at the Squared Circle Expo, but that did not stop he and Victor Sosa from getting together on a new Wrestling Weekly.

The guys talk the road to WrestleMania, all the happenings in AEW, and a few stories from the territories regarding Ricky Morton and the late great Dennis Condrey.

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

Click here to listen (sub needed)

Updated WWE SmackDown preview for March 27

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has made a couple of new announcements — and an apparent adjustment to the card — for this week’s episode of SmackDown.

– SmackDown is taking place from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh this Friday night. WWE has announced that Randy Orton will appear on the show, with the company teasing that Orton will be looking for a new target after his recent attacks on Cody Rhodes and Matt Cardona. Orton is now just a few weeks away from challenging Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42.

WWE.com wrote:

  • Just one week after savagely attacking his former friend and brother, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton unleashed another vicious assault on Matt Cardona. Which Superstar will The Legend Killer ambush next?
  • Don’t miss all the action of SmackDown, Friday at 8 ET/7 CT on USA. 

– Though not official yet, a match between Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre is expected to be added to the WrestleMania card soon. The build to that will continue on SmackDown with general manager Nick Aldis addressing the status of both wrestlers after last week’s show-closing angle where Fatu and McIntyre crashed off of a ledge while brawling.

– It was initially announced that Tiffany Stratton would challenge Giulia for the Women’s United States Championship on SmackDown. That looks to have changed with WWE.com now advertising Giulia vs. Stratton as a “non-title showdown.”

Here is the full preview for the show:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, March 27) —

  • Who will Randy Orton attack next?
  • Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. The Bella Twins
  • Nick Aldis gives an update on the condition of Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre
  • Jelly Roll vs. Kit Wilson
  • Non-title match: Women’s United States Champion Giulia vs. Tiffany Stratton