Tag: Madison Square Garden

UFC 268 live results: Usman vs. Covington 2

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2, emanating from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.

The Octagon returns to The World’s Most Famous Arena for the first time in two years, bringing a stacked card with two title fights, both of which are rematches between heated rivals in their respective divisions.

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman defends against long-time rival Colby Covington in the main event. It is a rematch of their fight that took place at UFC 245 in December 2019, which saw Usman finish Covington in the fifth round of a fantastic fight. Usman has since defended the title three times, with a pair of wins over Jorge Masvidal and one over Gilbert Burns, while Covington has fought just once, a win over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley, which came over a year ago in September 2020.

In the co-main event, UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas defends against former champion Zhang Weili in another rematch. Namajunas scored a first-round knockout of Weili to win the title at UFC 261 in April, becoming a two-time champion. Weili has her chance to regain the title in this one, while also avenging her first loss in nearly eight years.

Also on the main card is an exciting and pivotal lightweight bout as Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler do battle in a fight that could determine the next title challenger at lightweight. The other two main card bouts see featherweights Shane Burgos and Billy Quarantillo do battle, and it opens with former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar taking on Marlon Vera.

Follow along with our live coverage of the event beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern time with preliminary action all the way through the main card.

We are looking for your thoughts on tonight’s event, so send a thumbs up, a thumbs down or a thumbs in the middle along with a best fight and a worst fight to Dave at [email protected].

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> CJ Vergara (9-2-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Ode Osbourne (9-4, 1-2 UFC)
Flyweights* (Vergara missed weight by 1.4 pounds)

Vergara is making his UFC debut and missed weight. Osbourne lands the jab. Osbourne with a left hand. They trade in close range. Osbourne with a flying knee that just barely misses. They trade leg kicks. They trade punches after Vergara lands a left hook. Osbourne lands a left hand. Osbourne with some body kicks. Osbourne lands a left hand as Vergara lands a check right hook. Vergara lands a left hand. Osbourne lands a quick combo then a body kick. Osbourne shoots for a takedown and grabs a single leg. He lets go. They trade late. Vergara with a high kick that gets blocked. 10-9 Osbourne.

Osbourne lands a combo to start the second. Both are looking for openings. Osbourne with a left hook followed by a straight right hand. Osbourne with a left hand. Vergara throwing but not landing much. Vergara with a leg kick. Osbourne with a body kick. They trade in close range and Vergara gets the better of it with a left hook at the end. They trade in close and Osbourne gets a brief takedown but Vergara explodes up. Vergara bleeding a little as he lands a leg kick. They trade and Vergara lands a left hand. They trade and Osbourne gets Vergara down late and has the back at the end. 10-9 Osbourne, 20-18 Osbourne.

They’re trading to start the third and both land kicks. Vergara lands a right hand and Osbourne lands a right hand. Vergara coming forward and lands some knees to the body. Vergara lands a body kick and falls after getting hit from an Osbourne left hand but gets right up. Vergara pressing forward. They trade and clinch and Vergara lands a knee to the body. Osbourne with a left hook and a right hand. Vergara with a knee to the body. They scramble to the mat and Vergara is in the guard of Osbourne. Vergara with some body shots and then lands an elbow from the top. Vergara with some big elbows. Vergara with more ground strikes as he finishes the fight strong. 10-9 Vergara, 29-28 Osbourne.

Official Result- Ode Osbourne def. CJ Vergara by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Melsik Baghdasaryan (6-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Bruno Souza (10-1, 0-0 UFC)
Featherweights* (Souza missed weight by 2.4 pounds)

Souza is making his UFC debut and missed weight. Baghdasaryan with a leg kick. Souza with a body kick. Baghdasaryan with a leg kick. Baghdasaryan lands a right hand. Souza with a high kick. Baghdasaryan lands a left hand. Souza with a body kick. Souza with a leg kick. Baghdasaryan with a leg kick. Souza shoots for a takedown but Baghdasaryan defending. Baghdasaryan with a knee to the body before they break. Baghdasaryan with a spin kick. They trade punches and Baghdasaryan with a body kick. 10-9 Baghdasaryan.

Souza with a right hand to the body. Baghdasaryan throws a high kick. They scramble for a moment. Baghdasaryan trying to land kicks and Souza is circling away from them. Baghdasaryan with a leg kick. Souza with a body kick as Baghdasaryan lands a right hand. They trade in close range. Baghdasaryan with a leg kick. Baghdasaryan lands a left hand. Souza with a body kick and Baghdasaryan lands a nice left hand. Baghdasaryan lands a big uppercut and Souza is retreating away. Baghdasaryan with a leg kick. 10-9 Baghdasaryan, 20-18 Baghdasaryan.

Baghdasaryan lands a left hand. Souza with a combo and lands a body kick. Souza with a leg kick. Souza with a right hand. Baghdasaryan lands a knee to the body. Baghdasaryan with the jab. Baghdasaryan with a leg kick. They trade in close range. Baghdasaryan with a leg kick. Souza with a knee to the body. Souza with a body kick. They have a wild exchange and Baghdasaryan with a knee to the body. Baghdasaryan lands a couple of kicks. Baghdasaryan with a body kick. They trade punches. They trade late. 10-9 Souza, 29-28 Baghdasaryan.

Official Result- Melsik Baghdasaryan def. Bruno Souza by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Dustin Jacoby (15-5-1, 3-2-1 UFC) vs. John Allan (13-6 1 NC, 0-1 1 NC UFC)
Light Heavyweights

Jacoby took this fight on Monday. Jacoby with a leg kick. Jacoby with a leg kick and Allan with another leg kick. Jacoby with a right hand. Allan with a leg kick. Jacoby with a leg kick. Jacoby with another leg kick. Allan with the jab. Allan with a leg kick. Jacoby with an eye poke. They get back to action and Jacoby lands a combo. Jacoby with a combo as Allan misses. Jacoby with another flurry. Jacoby with a body kick as Allan lands a leg kick. Jacoby with a head kick. He lands a leg kick. Allan with a combo. They trade late. 10-9 Jacoby.

Allan with a high kick. Jacoby landing the jab. Allan with a leg kick and lands a left hand. They continue to stand and trade and Jacoby landing the better punches. Allan throws and Jacoby backs up but Allan still landed a left hand. Allan with a combo. Jacoby landing the jab. Jacoby keeps pressing forward and they trade leg kicks. Jacoby with a combo and Allan lands a counter left hand. They both land and Jacoby with an uppercut. Allan with a left hook to the body and we have another eye poke. Jacoby with a leg kick after they get back to action. 10-9 Jacoby, 20-18 Jacoby.

Allan with a leg kick. Allan lands a right hand. Jacoby with a body kick. Allan with a leg kick. Jacoby with a low kick then a body kick. They trade punches. Allan lands a right hand. They both land punches. Jacoby with a high kick. Jacoby with the jab. Allan with a combo. Allan with a combo and a knee. Jacoby with a head kick. Jacoby with the jab and then a right hand. Allan with a left hand. Jacoby with a right hand and a high kick. Jacoby lands late. 10-9 Jacoby, 30-27 Jacoby.

Official Result- Dustin Jacoby def. John Allan by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

> Gian Villante (17-13, 7-10 UFC) vs. Chris Barnett (21-7, 0-1 UFC)
Heavyweights

Villante announced this would be his retirement fight. They trade kicks to start off. Villante with a body kick. Barnett with a leg kick. Villante with a head kick but Barnett blocks it. Barnett with a leg kick. Barnett with a body kick. Villante with another body kick. Barnett with two leg kicks. Villante with a left hook. Barnett with a left hand. Villante with a leg kick. Barnett with a leg kick. Villante with a kick and Barnett counters with an uppercut. Barnett with a flurry. Barnett with a couple of leg kicks. They clinch and Villante with some knees. 10-9 Barnett.

Villante with a body kick. Barnett with a heavy leg kick. Barnett with a left hand. Villante with a leg kick. Barnett with a leg kick. Villante with a high kick. Barnett with a leg kick. Barnett lands a spinning wheel kick to the head and Villante goes down. Barnett with some big punches and he finishes it. What a finish by Barnett.

Official Result- Chris Barnett def. Gian Villante by TKO (wheel kick & punches) at 2:23 of Round 2

> Ian Garry (7-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Jordan Williams (9-5 1 NC, 0-2 UFC)
Welterweights

Williams with a leg kick. Garry with a leg kick and Williams lands a combo. They trade punches. Garry with a high kick. They trade punches and Williams got the better of it. They trade punches. Williams slips on a punch but grabs a single leg and they tie up against the fence. Garry with some knees. Garry with some more knees and lands a few to the head. Garry with a right hand as they break. Garry with a high kick. Williams lands a right hand. Garry lands a right hand that hurts Williams bad and then a couple of other punches knock Williams out cold. What a finish and debut for Garry.

Official Result- Ian Garry def. Jordan Williams by knockout (punches) at 4:59 of Round 1

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> Edmen Shahbazyan (#11, 11-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (10-3, 2-1 UFC)
Middleweights

Shahbazyan with a leg kick. Shahbazyan with another hard leg kick. Imavov with a combo and Shahbazyan lands some left hands. Imavov with a right hand as Shahbazyan lands a leg kick. Shahbazyan with a combo and a leg kick. Shahbazyan lands a left hand and then another leg kick. Imavov with a right hand. They clinch and Shahbazyan pushes it against the fence. Shahbazyan working for the takedown and Imavov lands an elbow. Shahbazyan gets the takedown but Imavov has the guillotine locked in but Shahbazyan escapes and is in the guard of Imavov. Shahbazyan with some shots from the top. They scramble up. The clinch against the fence and Imavov with a knee. Imavov lands a right hand after they break. Imavov with a high kick. Imavov with an elbow as they’re clinched. Close round. 10-9 Shahbazyan.

Shahbazyan with a leg kick as they both miss punches. Shahbazyan with a combo and just misses an uppercut. Imavov with a right hand. They clinch against the fence. Shahbazyan looking for a takedown and Imavov looking for a standing guillotine. Shahbazyan is able to escape and looking for the takedown. Imavov has the guillotine locked in as they go to the mat. Shahbazyan is able to fight it off and Imavov has it locked in again as they stand but Shahbazyan escapes again. Shahbazyan now goes for a guillotine but Imavov gets off to side control. Imavov now in the guard of Shahbazyan. Imavov with a big elbow and Shahbazyan is cut open. Imavov lands another big elbow. They scramble but Imavov remains in side control and has the crucifix position and is landing punches. Imavov with some big elbows. More big elbows and it is stopped. What a finish by Imavov.

Official Result- Nassourdine Imavov def. Edmen Shahbazyan by TKO (elbows) at 4:42 of Round 2

> Phil Hawes (11-2, 3-0 UFC) vs. Chris Curtis (26-8, 0-0 UFC)
Middleweights

Hawes with a right hand. Hawes with a body kick then a right hand. Hawes with a body kick and then another. He lands a right hand and then another front kick to the body. Hawes with a combo and Curtis is covering up. Hawes with some big body kicks. Hawes with a hard right hand. Hawes with an elbow then a body kick. Hawes with another right hand. Hawes with the jab. Hawes with another right hand then a knee to the body and another right hand. Hawes with more front kicks to the body. Hawes with a leg kick. They trade body kicks. Curtis lands a left hand and Hawes is rocked. Hawes then stumbles to the mat and the fight is stopped. What a finish and comeback from Curtis.

Official Result- Chris Curtis def. Phil Hawes by knockout (punches) at 4:27 of Round 1

> Al Iaquinta (14-6-1, 9-5 UFC) vs. Bobby Green (27-12-1, 8-7-1 UFC)
Lightweights

Green with a leg kick. Iaquinta lands a punch and leg kick. Green with a right hand. Green with a right hook as Iaquinta was throwing. Green lands another right hand. Iaquinta with a right hand. Green drops Iaquinta with a jab followed by a right hand and is on top landing. Green with big punches and it is stopped. What a finish by Green.

Official Result- Bobby Green def. Al Iaquinta by TKO (punches) at 2:25 of Round 1

> Alex Pereira (3-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Andreas Michailidis (13-4, 1-1 UFC)
Middleweights

Pereira with a leg kick. Pereira with another leg kick. Michailidis lands a leg kick. Michailidis shoots for a takedown and Pereira defends against the fence. Michailidis is able to get it down. They get to their feet and Michailidis still has the body lock. Michailidis trying to take the back and lands some right hands. Michailidis wearing himself on Pereira. Pereira with a knee to the body. They are broken up by Dan Miragliotta. Michailidis clinches right back up and grabs the fence. Pereira with some knees to the body. Michailidis is grabbing the fence again and eating knees from Pereira. 10-9 Michailidis.

Pereira with a flying knee drops Michailidis and some punches end it. What a finish. That is why he got signed.

Official Result- Alex Pereira def. Andreas Michailidis by TKO (flying knee) at :14 of Round 2

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> Justin Gaethje (#2, 22-3, 5-3 UFC) vs. Michael Chandler (#5, 22-6, 1-1 UFC)
Lightweights

They are swinging right away. They trade right hands. Chandler with a leg kick. Gaethje lands the jab. Gaethje with a leg kick. Chandler with a leg kick. They trade right hands. They are swinging away and both tag each other. Chandler with a leg kick. Chandler with a leg kick and Gaethje with a right hand. Gaethje with a leg kick. Chandler with a right hand. Gaethje with a leg kick. Gaethje with a left hook. Chandler with some big right hands. Gaethje with a leg kick. Chandler with a right hand. Gaethje with a left hand. Chandler with a big knee. Chandler teeing off and they are trading against the fence and both hurt each other. Gaethje with a right hand. Gaethje lands an uppercut. Gaethje with a left hand. Chandler with a right hand. Gaethje with a leg kick. Gaethje with an uppercut. They trade uppercuts to the body in the clinch. Chandler tries a takedown but to no avail. Gaethje with a leg kick. They trade punches. Gaethje with a leg kick. What an insane round. 10-9 Chandler.

Gaethje with a right hand and then a leg kick. Chandler with a right hand. They trade in close range. Chandler lands a right hand. Gaethje with a leg kick. Gaethje with a right hand. Gaethje with a leg kick and then an uppercut. Gaethje with a left hand and then drops him with an uppercut and is teeing off on the mat. Chandler tries a takedown to recover. Gaethje landing some punches from the sprawl position. Chandler is bleeding. They get up. Gaethje with a leg kick. Gaethje with the jab. Chandler lands an uppercut. Gaethje with a left hook. Gaethje with an uppercut. Chandler lands a right hand. Gaethje with a leg kick. Gaethje with an uppercut. Gaethje with another hard right hand. Chandler lands to the body. Chandler lands a right hand and there was an eye poke and we have a timeout. They get back and the round ends. 10-8 Gaethje, 19-18 Gaethje.

Gaethje with an inside leg kick. Gaethje with a hard leg kick. Gaethje with a right hand. Chandler lands a right hand. Gaethje with a leg kick. Chandler with some body shots. Chandler with more hard body shots. Gaethje with a leg kick then a combo. Chandler gets a big takedown but Gaethje gets out of it and grabs the back and they stand. They break. Gaethje with the jab. Gaethje with a leg kick. They start getting wild. Chandler with a right hand and then Gaethje stuns Chandler with a right hand. Gaethje with a combo and then lands a right hand. Gaethje with a leg kick. Nothing much happens in the last thirty seconds. Insane fight. 10-9 Gaethje, 29-27 Gaethje.

Official Result- Justin Gaethje def. Michael Chandler by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

> Shane Burgos (#14, 13-3, 6-3 UFC) vs. Billy Quarantillo (16-3, 4-1 UFC)
Featherweights

They trade leg kicks. Quarantillo lands some uppercuts in a brief clinch. Quarantillo with another uppercut. Burgos with a right hand. Burgos gets the body lock and Quarantillo is landing to the body. They’re tied up against the fence. Burgos with some foot stomps. They break. Quarantillo with a left hook as Burgos lands a right hand. Quarantillo with the jab. Burgos with a leg kick. They trade right hands. Quarantillo landing the jab. Burgos is pushing forward and lands a leg kick. They trade hard right hands. Quarantillo goes for a takedown as Burgos lands some hammerfists to defend. They break away. Burgos lands a right hand that drops Quarantillo to his knees. Burgos then lands some to the body and works the jab. Burgos with a leg kick. Quarantillo with the jab. Quarantillo goes for a late takedown. Great round. 10-9 Burgos.

They trade hard punches to start the second. Quarantillo misses a spinning back fist but lands a left hand. Burgos lands a right hand. They trade jabs. Burgos lands an inside elbow. They trade hard right hands. Quarantillo with the jab as Burgos lands the inside leg kick. More leg kicks from Burgos as Quarantillo goes for the takedown. Quarantillo has the single leg and is working for it but Burgos defends. They trade to the body before breaking the clinch. They tie back up but break. Quarantillo with a right hand. Burgos with the jab. Burgos lands a right hand. Quarantillo with a right hand. Burgos lands the jab and an elbow and they trade. Quarantillo with the jab as Burgos lands the leg kick. Burgos lands some punches that hurt Quarantillo and he’s starting to tee off. Quarantillo can barely stand and Burgos with a late flurry as Quarantillo survives. 10-9 Burgos, 20-18 Burgos.

They trade to start the third and Quarantillo gets poked in the eye and we have a timeout. Burgos lands a leg kick and Quarantillo throwing punches but not landing. Burgos with a right hand and then a leg kick. Burgos with a hard leg kick and Quarantillo’s legs have given out. Quarantillo going for the takedown but Burgos is defending and landing. Burgos scrambles away. Quarantillo throwing punches as Burgos still lands the leg kick. They clinch against the fence. Burgos lands to the body. They break and Burgos with an elbow. They both swing and land elbows. They trade punches. Quarantillo with a left hand. Quarantillo shoots for a takedown but Burgos defends against the fence. They break and Burgos with a combo. They trade in the clinch. Both land knees and they push it up against the fence. 10-9 Burgos, 30-27 Burgos.

Official Result- Shane Burgos def. Billy Quarantillo by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Frankie Edgar (#8, 24-9-1, 18-9-1 UFC) vs. Marlon Vera (#13, 17-7-1, 11-6 UFC)
Bantamweights

Edgar lands a right hand. Edgar with a leg kick. Edgar goes for a takedown but Vera defends. Vera with a leg kick. Edgar lands a right hand. They trade in close range. Edgar gets the takedown and Vera is looking for the guillotine. Edgar gets out and is on top and in the half-guard. Edgar continuing to land from the top. Edgar with punches and elbows as he stays in the full guard of Vera. Edgar lands to the body. Vera with some upkicks. Both landing on the ground at the end of the first. 10-9 Edgar.

Both are throwing to start the second and landing. Edgar gets a takedown. Vera with some elbows from the bottom. Edgar in the guard as both look for position. Edgar with some punches from the top. Vera throwing elbows from the bottom. Vera scrambles to his feet. Vera with some left hands. Edgar with a combo. Vera with a body kick. Edgar with a combo and Vera lands a knee. Vera with a knee and Edgar stumbles. Edgar with a leg kick. Edgar with a right hand. Vera with a front kick to the body. Vera with an elbow and Edgar is stumbling. Edgar with a combo. 10-9 Vera, 19-19.

Edgar with a combo. Neither really landing. Vera with a body kick. Vera landing body kicks as Edgar is circling away. Edgar with a combo. They trade in close range. Edgar with a combo. Vera with a left hand and a body kick. Edgar with a takedown and has the back of Vera as they stand. They break and Edgar with a right hand. Vera with a front kick to the jaw and Edgar goes down and it is stopped. Edgar wasn’t happy with it but he was out and the stoppage was justified. What a finish by Vera.

Official Result- Marlon Vera def. Frankie Edgar by knockout (front kick) at 3:50 of Round 3

> Rose Namajunas (C, 10-4, 8-3 UFC) vs. Zhang Weili (#1, 21-2, 5-1 UFC)
UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship

Weili with a leg kick. Weili with another leg kick. She lands another. Namajunas with some leg kicks as she lands a combo. Namajunas with a leg kick. Namajunas with a right hand and Weili lands a leg kick. Weili gets a takedown. She gets in the half-guard and lands to the body. Weili lands some right hands as she postures up. They scramble up. Weili with a body kick on the break. Weili lands a head kick as Namajunas lands a leg kick. Weili with a leg kick. Namajunas with a right hand and Weili goes down briefly from a slip. 10-9 Weili.

Namajunas with the jab. Weili with the leg kick as Namajunas is looking for an opening. Namajunas with a leg kick and a combo. Weili with a right hand. Both looking for openings still. Weili lands a left hand that stumbles Namajunas. They trade kicks and Weili catches the leg and gets a takedown. Namajunas with an upkick. Weili gets into her guard. They get to their feet and Namajunas gets a takedown. Namajunas with a big right hand from the top as the round ends. 10-9 Weili, 20-18 Weili.

Both looking for openings early in the third. Both throwing but neither able to land. Weili with a body kick. They trade and Namajunas lands a leg kick and Weili slips to the mat, and Namajunas lands a massive right hand as Weili gets up. They clinch against the fence. Namajunas with some shoulder strikes. They break and Weili with a leg kick. Namajunas with a combo. Weili with a leg kick and lands a hard left hook. Weili gets a takedown. She gets the back of Namajunas. They scramble and Weili gets the mount late. 10-9 Weili, 30-27 Weili.

Weili with a combo as both land leg kicks. Namajunas with a right hand. They go to the mat for a moment but Namajunas kicked her way up and they trade punches. They go back down and Weili has the back and is looking for the choke. Namajunas scrambles out and onto the top and is in the half-guard. Namajunas gets back into the guard. Namajunas stands and tries to pass but gets back into Weili’s guard. Namajunas trying for the ground-and-pound but Weili defending well off her back. Namajunas ends the round on top. 10-9 Namajunas, 39-37 Weili.

Weili with some leg kicks. They trade right hands. Namajunas throws a right hand and turns it into a takedown. Namajunas looking to improve but Weili keeps her in the guard. Namajunas with some punches from the top. Namajunas postures up trying to improve as she’s staying busy and lands some shots. Namajunas with some right hands from the top. Namajunas with a nice right hand as she stands. Namajunas lands a nice left hand as she gets back into the guard. Close fight overall, scores will be interesting. 10-9 Namajunas, 48-47 Weili.

Official Result- Rose Namajunas def. Zhang Weili by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46) to retain the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship

> Kamaru Usman (C, 19-1, 14-0 UFC) vs. Colby Covington (#1, 16-2, 11-2 UFC)
UFC Welterweight Championship

Usman with the jab. Usman with another jab. Covington with a leg kick. Covington goes for a takedown but Usman rolls over and grabs the neck and they get up and break. Covington with a body kick. They trade punches. Usman lands a right hand and Covington with a left hand. Usman gets a takedown and has the back for a moment and lands a right hand as they scramble up. Usman with a right hand and Covington is cut under his right eye. They trade in close range. Close round. 10-9 Usman.

Usman lands a left hook. Covington with a leg kick after he misses all of his punches. They clinch for a moment and Covington with a knee and Usman lands a right hand after they break. Usman lands an uppercut. Covington with a leg kick. Usman with a body kick. Usman with a left hook. Covington tries a takedown but Usman has the shoulders. Covington working for the takedown against the fence. Usman with shoulder strikes. They break. Usman with a front kick and then a leg kick. Usman with a right hand. Usman drops Covington with a left hand. Covington gets up and Usman drops him again and Covington goes for a takedown. Usman lands some punches from the top and huge shots to the body late. 10-9 Usman, 20-18 Usman.

Usman hunting Covington down in the third. Covington lands a combo. Usman with a right hand and then lands the jab. Covington throws a kick that Usman blocks. Covington tries a takedown but Usman easily defends and lands some body shots. They get up and Usman lands a left hand. Usman with a combo. Usman with a body kick. They trade in close range. Usman with a straight right hand. Usman with a left hook to the body. Covington lands some good punches. Covington gets a takedown and has the back late. 10-9 Usman, 30-27 Usman.

Usman lands a right hand. Covington lands but then follows up sloppily. Covington lands a nice jab. Usman with a body kick. They trade jabs. Covington lands a hard punch and Usman counters with a right hand. Usman lands a hard right hand right after Covington lands. Usman with a body shot. Usman with a left hand and follows it with a right. Covington with a body kick and lands some good follow-up shots. Covington lands a left hand. Covington tries a takedown. They trade on the break. Usman with a hard right hand late. 10-9 Covington, 39-37 Usman.

Covington with a body kick. Usman with a right to the body. Usman lands a left jab. Usman with a right hand. They both land in close range. Covington lands and shoots for a takedown but Usman defends. They get up. Usman with the jab. Usman with a high kick. Usman with a right to the body and just misses a left hand. Covington just misses a head kick as Usman was slipping. They’re clinched against the fence. Usman with a body shot as they break. Usman with the jab. Usman with a right hand. We have a timeout for an eye poke by Usman. They get back to action and Covington with a body kick. Usman with a heavy kick. Close fight. 10-9 Covington, 48-47 Usman.

Official Result- Kamaru Usman def. Colby Covington by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) to retain the UFC Welterweight Championship

September 20, 2021 Observer Newsletter: Big E wins first WWE Championship

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Big E cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on the 9/13 Raw to win the WWE championship from Bobby Lashley, signifying his switching brands and reuniting The New Day.

Born Ettore Ewen, the 35-year-old Tampa product was a state heavyweight champion wrestler at Wharton High School and football player, who went to the University of Iowa, and after college, became a powerlifter.

A mutual friend contacted Jim Ross, and he was given a WWE tryout in 2009 and WWE signed him to a deal at that time. He started as Big E Langston in Florida Championship Wrestling, which was shortened to Big E. He was popular due to his personality and those in developmental thought he could be a groundbreaking performer with his leaping ability and agility and power combination.

In 2012, he was brought up to the main roster, and on November 18, 2013, won the IC title from Curtis Axel. But his career took off in 2014 as part of the New Day tag team. The idea started out silly but ended up being tweaked by the three guys in it and the group held the Raw tag team titles twice and Smackdown version of the titles six times.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

WWE SmackDown MSG dark match results: John Cena returns

Posted on by Josh Nason

John Cena returned to the ring for the first time since SummerSlam as part of a six-man tag team match following WWE SmackDown at Madison Square Garden.

As was the case for most of his pre-SummerSlam house show run, Cena teamed with Rey and Dominik Mysterio against WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and the Usos. After avoiding a Reigns spear attempt, Cena picked up the win after hitting one of the Usos with the AA for the pin. This is expected to be his final match for some time.

That wasn’t the only post-show dark match as Drew McIntyre defeated Happy Corbin by disqualification after Corbin hit him with a chair while they were outside the ring. After the match, McIntyre got the chair and nailed Corbin with it several times before hitting Corbin with the claymore kick.

Prior to SmackDown, WWE Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley by submission with the Figure 8.

Other notes:

  • After SmackDown went off the air, Finn Balor and Reigns continued their face-off before he and the Usos eventually backed away and left the ring. Corbin then came out and also stared down Balor. After Corbin backed down and left the ring, Balor gave him two sling blades on the floor.
  • According to WrestleTix, the show was a complete sellout with over 13,000 tickets distributed.

Becky Lynch announced for WWE SmackDown at MSG

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Image: WWE

Becky Lynch will be in attendance when SmackDown comes to Madison Square Garden next month.

It was confirmed today that Lynch will be appearing at the Friday, September 10 episode of SmackDown at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Lynch made he return to the ring at SummerSlam this past Saturday, defeating Bianca Belair in under 30 seconds to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

The SmackDown episode at Madison Square Garden is being billed as a supershow that will feature wrestlers from both SmackDown and Raw. John Cena has also been announced for the show, though whether he’ll be appearing on television or just for the live crowd remains to be seen.

The show will be WWE’s first event at Madison Square Garden since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Dave Meltzer reported yesterday that Lynch requested to return to WWE as a heel. Lynch’s match at SummerSlam was her first appearance on WWE programming since announcing her pregnancy in May 2020. Lynch (real name Rebecca Quin) and Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez) welcomed the birth of their daughter Roux last December.

Belair was originally supposed to face Sasha Banks at SummerSlam, but it was announced right before the match that Banks wouldn’t be able to compete. WWE teased that Carmella would be taking Banks’ place, but Lynch then made her return and laid Carmella out. Lynch challenged Belair to face her instead.

WWE adds John Cena to SmackDown at Madison Square Garden

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE’s return to Madison Square Garden has gotten a significant addition.

WWE announced today that John Cena will be appearing at the Friday, September 10 episode of SmackDown at Madison Square Garden. This is the first post-SummerSlam appearance that Cena has been announced for.

The Madison Square Garden SmackDown episode is being advertised as a “Supershow” that will feature the top stars of both SmackDown and Raw.

Cena returned to WWE programming at Money in the Bank, appearing for the first time since his Firefly Fun House match against “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36. Cena then made appearances on last Monday’s Raw, last Friday’s SmackDown, and at WWE’s house shows in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Louisville, Kentucky over the weekend.

Cena returned to the ring in a dark match after last Friday’s SmackDown, teaming with Rey & Dominik Mysterio to defeat Roman Reigns & The Usos. That match also took place at WWE’s Pittsburgh and Louisville house shows.

Cena is expected to challenge for Reigns’ Universal Championship at SummerSlam. The pay-per-view is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, August 21.

The SmackDown episode at Madison Square Garden will be WWE’s first show at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Here’s the updated list of appearances that Cena has been announced for:

  • Monday, July 26: Raw — T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri
  • Friday, July 30: SmackDown — Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Saturday, July 31: Supershow house show — Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Sunday, August 1: Supershow house show — Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan
  • Friday, August 6: SmackDown — Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida
  • Saturday, August 7: Supershow house show — Hertz Arena in Fort Myers, Florida
  • Monday, August 9: Raw — Amway Center in Orlando, Florida
  • Friday, August 13: SmackDown — BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Saturday, August 14: Supershow house show — Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Sunday, August 15: Supershow house show — Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina
  • Friday, August 20: SmackDown — Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona
  • Saturday, August 21: SummerSlam — Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Friday, September 10: SmackDown — Madison Square Garden in New York City

WWE confirms September return to Madison Square Garden

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE is officially returning to Madison Square Garden this September.

WWE confirmed today that the Friday, September 10 episode of SmackDown will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. PWInsider first reported the date of the show last week. It will be the first WWE event at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” since a December 2019 house show.

Tickets to the SmackDown episode at Madison Square Garden will go on sale via Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, July 9.

WWE was set to hold a house show at Madison Square Garden in March 2020, but that couldn’t happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Madison Square Garden’s first full-capacity event since the start of the pandemic was a Foo Fighters concert that took place last month.

This will be the first SmackDown episode to be held at Madison Square Garden since September 2019. Raw and SmackDown both came to Madison Square Garden that month for what were the first episodes of WWE television at the venue since 2009.

WWE is returning to touring starting with the Friday, July 16 edition of SmackDown at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

WWE returning to Madison Square Garden for SmackDown episode

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE is returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

PWInsider reported on Thursday that the Friday, September 10 episode of SmackDown will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It will be the first WWE event at Madison Square Garden since a December 2019 house show.

WWE had been set to hold a house show at Madison Square Garden in March 2020, but the pandemic prevented that from happening. Madison Square Garden returned to full capacity with a Foo Fighters concert taking place there this past Sunday.

In September 2019, Raw and SmackDown came to Madison Square Garden for what were the first episodes of WWE television at the venue since 2009.

WWE is returning to touring starting with the Friday, July 16 episode of SmackDown at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. WWE has announced their schedule of tour dates through the Monday, September 6 edition of Raw at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida.

NJPW postpones Wrestle Dynasty at Madison Square Garden to 2021

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, NJPW’s return to Madison Square Garden has been pushed back to next year.

NJPW announced tonight that Wrestle Dynasty has been postponed to 2021. NJPW wrote that they’ll be announcing ticket information and a new date for the show in the future.

Wrestle Dynasty had been scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on August 22 of this year. The ticket on-sale dates for the show were originally set for April but were then pushed back. Prior to the postponement, the ticket pre-sale was supposed to begin on May 13. Tickets would have went on sale to the general public on May 15.

NJPW noted that registration for their pre-sale mailing list will remain open, and those who sign up will be notified of the new date when details are confirmed.

NJPW debuted at Madison Square Garden when they co-promoted G1 Supercard with ROH in April 2019.

It was also confirmed overnight that NJPW has canceled this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tour.

Here’s NJPW’s full statement announcing the postponement of Wrestle Dynasty:

In response to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, and its continued effect on social gatherings all over the world, NJPW has arrived at the decision to postpone Wrestle Dynasty, which was scheduled to take place on August 22 2020, to a date in 2021 to be announced. 

We will announce the new ticket information and event date in the future. In the meantime, pre-sale registration will continue; fans can still sign up to our pre-sale list to be informed of the new date for Wrestle Dynasty the moment details are confirmed, and will still be able to get early access to tickets. 

You can sign up for pre-sale here: https://willap.jp/p/acc_2374/Wrestle_Dynasty/

If you are already registered, you do not need to register again. 

New Japan Pro-Wrestling remains extremely appreciative of all our great fans worldwide. While this postponement is unfortunate, the health and safety of wrestlers, staff, fans and society at large is our utmost priority. NJPW wrestlers and staff are coming together under the NJPW Together project to continue to do what we can to bring content to fans on NJPW World, and we hope to be back in the ring in the near future.

WWE Madison Square Garden house show postponed for second time

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, WWE’s next scheduled event at Madison Square Garden has been postponed for a second time.

The house show was originally supposed to take place on Sunday, March 22. It was first rescheduled to Saturday, June 27 before being postponed again. A new date for the show hasn’t been announced.

“The WWE live event which was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 22 at Madison Square Garden, and previously rescheduled for Saturday, June 27, has been further postponed,” Madison Square Garden announced. “Additional information will be made available in the near future. Original tickets will be honored for the new event date.”

The original March event was going to be part of WWE’s Road to WrestleMania 36 house show tour. It was supposed to feature an appearance by D-Generation X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac & Road Dogg).

Madison Square Garden is scheduled to host NJPW Wrestle Dynasty on Saturday, August 22. The latest update on that show was NJPW announcing on April 3 that the ticket on-sale dates have been delayed to May.

NJPW delays ticket on-sale date for Wrestle Dynasty at MSG

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, NJPW has officially delayed the ticket on-sale date for their return to Madison Square Garden.

The pre-sale for Wrestle Dynasty tickets had been set to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, April 8. It will now begin at 10 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, May 13. Registration for NJPW’s pre-sale code mailing list will remain open during the delay, and codes will be emailed near the pre-sale date.

Tickets will now go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Eastern on Friday, May 15. The original date for that was April 10.

Wrestle Dynasty is scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday, August 22. That’s the same night that NXT TakeOver: Boston is scheduled for and the night before Boston hosts this year’s SummerSlam.

Here are the ticket prices for Wrestle Dynasty: Ringside A: $506, Ringside B: $306, Floor A: $206, Floor B: $156, Stand A: $156, Stand B: $106, Stand C: $86, Balcony A: $66, Balcony B: $46, Balcony C: $26.

A $6 facility fee is included in the ticket prices, but NJPW wrote that Ticketmaster may charge a separate handling fee that’s not included in the list price.

“We built a Kingdom. Join our Dynasty” is the slogan for Wrestle Dynasty. This will be the first time NJPW has been back at Madison Square Garden since they co-promoted G1 Supercard with ROH in April 2019.

New date set for WWE Madison Square Garden house show

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A new date has been set for WWE’s next house show at Madison Square Garden.

The show is now currently scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 27. Before being postponed, it was originally set for this coming Sunday (March 22).

“The WWE live event scheduled for this Sunday, March 22 at Madison Square Garden has been postponed and rescheduled for Saturday, June 27,” it was announced. “All original tickets will be honored for that event.”

Sunday’s event was supposed to be part of WWE’s Road to WrestleMania house show tour. It was going to feature an appearance by D-Generation X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, and Road Dogg).

The house show was also scheduled to feature an NXT Women’s Championship match, with Rhea Ripley defending her title against Bianca Belair. Charlotte Flair will challenge Ripley for the title at WrestleMania 36, which is now a two-night event on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5.

NJPW reveals ticket info for Wrestle Dynasty at Madison Square Garden

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW has revealed when tickets are going on sale for their return to Madison Square Garden.

A ticket pre-sale for NJPW Wrestle Dynasty will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, April 8. Registration is now open for the pre-sale mailing list. NJPW wrote that codes will be emailed near the pre-sale date.

Tickets will then go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Eastern on Friday, April 10.

The ticket prices for the show are: Ringside A: $500, Ringside B: $300, Floor A: $200, Floor B: $150, Stand A: $150, Stand B: $100, Stand C: $80, Balcony A: $60, Balcony B: $40, Balcony C: $20.

Wrestle Dynasty is taking place at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, August 22, which is the same night as NXT TakeOver: Boston and the night before this year’s SummerSlam. The TD Garden in Boston is hosting SmackDown on August 21, TakeOver on August 22, SummerSlam on August 23, and Raw on August 24.

The slogan for Wrestle Dynasty is “We built a Kingdom. Join our Dynasty.”

NJPW held its first show at Madison Square Garden last April, with them co-promoting G1 Supercard with ROH.

NJPW returning to Madison Square Garden for Wrestle Dynasty

Posted on by Joseph Currier

New Japan Pro Wrestling is returning to Madison Square Garden this summer.

During the New Beginning in Osaka, NJPW announced that they’ll be holding a show at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday, August 22. The event is called Wrestle Dynasty.

Ticket information for Wrestle Dynasty has yet to be revealed. NJPW’s English-language website wrote to stay tuned for further information about the show.

NJPW and ROH co-promoted G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden on the Saturday of WrestleMania weekend last year. The show was headlined by Kazuchika Okada defeating Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

Wrestle Dynasty is taking place on the same day as NXT TakeOver: Boston. The TD Garden in Boston is hosting SmackDown on August 21, TakeOver on August 22, SummerSlam on August 23, and Raw on August 24.

NJPW’s G1 Climax would normally be held in August, but the tournament was moved back this year due to Tokyo hosting the Summer Olympics. The G1 tournament will begin in September and conclude in October.

NJPW’s video announcing Wrestle Dynasty is available to watch below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP20ORhpsWY

WWE MSG live results: Andrade wins US title, Owens vs. Rollins

Posted on by F4W Staff

Image: Madison Square Garden with additional notes from Mike Omansky

WWE returned to Madison Square Garden for their annual post-Christmas house show Thursday night which included a title change as Andrade defeated Rey Mysterio to become the new United States Champion.

– Raw Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders def. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson and The Street Profits in a triple threat tag match to retain their titles

– Drew McIntyre def. No Way Jose

– Andrade (w/ Zelina Vega) def. Rey Mysterio to win the United States Championship

Andrade got his boots up when Mysterio was going for a frog splash after hitting the 619. He then hit a hammerlock DDT to win the title.

– Randy Orton def. AJ Styles

Orton got the win with an RKO on Styles after he went for the Phenomenal Forearm off the top rope. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson tried to pull Styles out of the ring and leave during the match, but they were blocked by The Viking Raiders.

– Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defeated Charlotte Flair and Asuka in a triple threat steel cage match to retain her title

This could only be won by pinfall or submission. Charlotte went for the Figure Eight on Lynch, but Lynch rolled her up to retain.

– Samir Singh won the 24/7 title when The Singh Brothers defeated R-Truth in a handicap match. Sunil then pinned Samir to win the title back, and R-Truth rolled up Sunil to win it back

– Aleister Black def. Buddy Murphy

– Ricochet def. Bobby Lashley (w/ Lana)

Lana cut a promo before the match saying that she got a restraining order so Rusev couldn’t appear, so Lashley ended up facing Ricochet instead. Lana got ejected from ringside after she kept interfering, and Ricochet rolled up Lashley to get the win. Lashley then jumped him afterward.

– Seth Rollins defeated Kevin Owens in a no holds barred match

Rollins won with a curb stomp after AOP interfered. Samoa Joe then came out with a kendo stick to make the save. They laid out Rollins and AOP and stood tall to close the night.

WWE SmackDown live results: Night two at Madison Square Garden

Posted on by Dave Bath

SmackDown takes place tonight from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Like last night’s Raw, SmackDown will feature an appearance by a returning legend. The Undertaker will be on tonight’s show, though what he’ll be doing has yet to be revealed.

Randy Orton has attacked WWE Champion Kofi Kingston and The New Day over the past few weeks. In 2009, Kingston put Orton through a table at MSG. Kingston returns to the Garden as the champion and is looking for Orton.

Erick Rowan revealed that he’s the mastermind behind the attacks on Roman Reigns last week. He then attacked Reigns and yelled at Daniel Bryan for trying to control him. Rowan ended up giving Bryan an Iron Claw Slam through the announce table. 

Elias was supposed to face Chad Gable in SmackDown’s King of the Ring semifinal match tonight, but WWE announced this afternoon that Elias is out of the match due to an injury. We’ll see how WWE handles the situation. Baron Corbin advanced to the King of the Ring finals by defeating Samoa Joe and Ricochet on Raw.

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

**********

SmackDown started with The Undertaker making his way down to the ring to a huge reaction. The fans broke into a loud “Undertaker” chant. He considers this his home, but he doesn’t know how many more times he’ll get to return home.

Taker talked about the titans, legends, and heroes that were born in MSG. He took a bit of their souls with him, but their memories echo in the hallways for all eternity. He said now they usher in an era of a new superstar.

Sami Zayn interrupted and made his way to the ring. The fans booed, but a few sang along with his music. He called Taker a legend and said that Taker sold out MSG for 30 years. For 30 years, MSG has been Taker’s yard. Zayn pushed the idea that he has a lot of respect for Taker.

Zayn believes that Taker shouldn’t be the man to open up SmackDown. He thinks it should have been him.

Zayn noted that the fans in New York want him to take out Taker. The fans booed and chanted, “You Suck.” Zayn asked Taker to turn around and leave the ring to him. He told Taker to pass him the torch. Zayn promised the future of the WWE and MSG is in good hands with him. He gave Taker his word.  

Taker gave Zayn his mic and started to walk off. Zayn celebrated, but Taker came back in. Taker grabbed Zayn and gave him the chokeslam.

In the back, Chad Gable entered Shane McMahon’s office. McMahon called him shorty and complimented Gable on his recent performances. McMahon revealed that Elias broke his ankle and Gable assumed he gets a bye in the King of the RIng. McMahon’s looking for a replacement and said it could be someone from Raw or SmackDown.

The Miz defeated Andrade (w/Zelina Vega)

Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura joined in on commentary. Nakamura spoke in Japanese, but Graves understood him.

Andrade had the early advantage, but Miz took over.

He sent Andrade to the floor and went for a dive. Vega jumped on the apron to stop him. She interfered again, and Andrade regained control. He followed up with the double knees in the corner.

Back from the break, Miz was firmly in control and hit a neck breaker for a near fall. He followed up with the It Kicks. He fired back with chops and knees in the corner. Andrade missed a charge in the corner and fell to the floor.

Miz hit a sliding dropkick and slammed Andrade on the announce table. Nakamura and Miz had a brief staredown. Miz then tossed Andrade into Nakamura. Vega grabbed Miz by the leg and Andrade rocked Miz with an elbow.

Andrade went for a moonsault, but Miz rolled out of the way. Andrade landed on his feet and attempted a standing moonsault.

Miz rolled to his feet and hit the skull-crushing finale. They messed up the finish a bit but it still looked cool.

After the match, Nakamura attacked Miz and hit the Kinshasa.

In the back, Shane McMahon approached Matt Hardy and Apollo Crews. He’s looking for Gable and made a bunch of short jokes. McMahon then revealed that he is Elias’ replacement. Gable takes on McMahon later tonight.

Nikki Cross (w/Alexa Bliss) defeated Mandy Rose (w/Sonya Deville)

Before the match, Rose talked about her beauty and called Nikki Cross ugly. She showed a picture comparing them and mocked Cross’s looks.

Cross ran to the ring and attacked Rose. Cross had the early advantage, but Rose gained control. Rose slowed down the pace and applied a chin lock. Cross made a comeback and climbed to the top turnbuckle. Deville jumped on the apron, but Bliss pulled her off.

Cross missed a cross body, and Rose went for a knee. Cross moved and rolled her up for the win.

In the locker room, Ember Moon approached Bayley. She’s not happy that Bayley attacked Becky Lynch with a chair. Moon assumes its Sasha Banks’ influence. Bayley is trying to elevate the division.

Moon pointed out that Charlotte Flair pinned Bayley. Moon told Bayley to save the aggression for the ring.

Heavy Machinery defeated Johnny Silver and Alex Keaton

Otis and Tucker completely dominated the match. Otis hit the Caterpillar, and they followed up with the compacter for the win.

In the back, Kevin Owens approached Shane McMahon in his office. McMahon is considering dropping the fine against Owens. He wants Owens to be the referee for his match against Gable for later. He implied that if Owens cheats in his favor, then he’ll drop the fine.

They recapped the Erick Rowan attacking Roman Reigns angle. Rowan made his way down to the ring. He talked about how nobody controls him, and the people need to look into his eyes. He’s a mastermind and manipulator. The fans chanted “What” at Rowan.

Roman Reigns interrupted and came down to the ring. He rocked Rowan with the Superman Punch, and they brawled around ringside. They brawled into the crowd and Reigns hit another Superman Punch. Security ran out to stop Reigns. Rowan grabbed a fan and power bombed him onto Reigns and security.

Rowan then ran around ringside and knocked down Reigns and security. They fought up the ramp to the stage. There was a brief “Roman” chant. They continued to fight on the stage near the King of the Ring throne. In a crazy spot, Rowan grabbed the jib camera crane and threw it into Reigns and security. Reigns got back to his feet, and the fans broke into a loud “Roman” chant.

SmackDown Woman’s Champion Bayley defeated Ember Moon

Charlotte Flair joined the commentators for the match.

Moon caught Bayley with a dropkick to start the match. They had a quick exchange, and Bayley rolled to the floor. Moon climbed on the barricade, but Bayley pushed her off and rocked her with a knee.

Back from the break, Moon was firmly in control. Moon went for Total Eclipse, but Bayley moved and hit the Bayley-to-Belly for the win.

After the match, Charlotte Flair entered the ring and had a brief staredown with Bayley. Bayley backed off and left the ring.

WWE Champion Kofi Kingston made his way to the ring. The fan broke into a loud “Kofi” chant. He said it’s nice to be back in MSG. He talked about attacking Randy Orton in 2009 in MSG.

The best part was putting Orton through a table. The fans broke into a loud “Kofi” chant. He said he knew that one day he’d return to MSG as a champion. Kingston showed footage from 2009.

Orton interrupted and walked out through the crowd. He called Kingston stupid and said he’s tired of hearing about Kingston’s two accomplishments. He mocked Kingston for his fake Jamaican accent and power of positivity. Kingston went after Orton in the crowd but got attacked with a chair.

Kingston fought back and attacked Orton with a chair. Kingston set up a table, but Orton fought back. The table broke prematurely, but Kingston set up a second table.

Kingston then hit the boom drop off the railing onto Orton on the table.

Chad Gable defeated Shane McMahon in a King of the Ring Semi-Final in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match with Special Referee Kevin Owens

McMahon mocked Gable’s height. Gable hit a German suplex, and Owens made a fast count for the quick pin.

McMahon got on the mic and announced it’s now a 2 out of 3 falls match.

Back from the break, McMahon was firmly in control. Gable fought back and rolled up McMahon. Owens made a slow count.

Owens then made fast count when McMahon had the pin, but Gable kicked out. It’s odd that Owens made a fast count at first but is now slow counting.

Gable fought back and hit a moonsault, but Owens did a slow count again. McMahon brought in a chair to distract Owens. He went for a low blow, but Gable locked on the ankle lock for the win. Gable advances to the finals to take on Baron Corbin at Clash of Champions.

After the match, Owens pointed out that McMahon tapped out and it’s on him. The fans chanted “You Tapped Out” at McMahon.

McMahon then jumped Owens from behind. McMahon grabbed the mic and fired Owens. There was a slight “AEW” chant as the show went off the air.