A segment on Tuesday’s episode of NXT was changed after it was learned that Jay Briscoe passed away in a car accident.
As first reported by John Pollock, New Day’s Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston were set to host a funeral segment for Pretty Deadly on the show. However, the decision was made by management to scrap the segment after news of Briscoe’s passing became known.
New Day, Pretty Deadly, and Gallus were all involved in a promo segment on the show instead. The three teams ended up in a pull-apart and have since been booked in a triple-threat title match for Vengeance Day. Prior to the segment, Vic Joseph and Booker T announced the news of Briscoe’s passing and offered condolences to his family.
On Wednesday, Jay Briscoe’s wife, Ashley Pugh, asked fans to pray for their daughter Gracie, who was headed into surgery due to injuries suffered in the accident. She also said that the couple’s other daughter Jayleigh has “some pretty serious injuries, but is stable and resting.”
Join Denise Salcedo as she reviews the December 20, 2022 episode of WWE NXT! This was a fun episode that included: the New Day defending the NXT Tag Team titles, the latest in the Grayson Waller/Bron Breakker feud, Isla Dawn getting the better of Alba Fyre, a sit down with Roxanne Perez, and so much more!
WWE has updated the lineup for tonight’s SmackDown.
Two new matches have been added to the show. The “Honorary Uce” Sami Zayn will be in singles action against Ricochet and Bayley will face Raquel Rodriguez.
Additionally, three of the four teams originally announced for the tag team number one contender’s match have been replaced. The original teams scheduled for the match were The New Day, The Street Profits, Alpha Academy, and Los Lotharios. The match is now listed as Hit Row vs. Imperium vs. The Brawling Brutes vs. The New Day. No reason was given for the change.
Logan Paul is also scheduled for the show.
The September 16 edition of WWE SmackDown takes place from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The announced lineup is as follows:
Logan Paul appears
Sami Zayn vs. Ricochet
Bayley vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Tag Team title number one contender’s match: The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci) vs. Hit Row (Top Dolla & Ashante “Thee” Adonis) vs. The Brawling Brutes (Butch & Ridge Holland)
Big E says doctors are not worried about him leading a normal life but he is still not cleared to wrestle.
The former WWE Champion has been recovering from a broken neck he suffered on the March 11 episode of SmackDown. He landed on his head after taking an overhead suplex from Ridge Holland.
Big E appeared on Out of Character recently and provided an update on his recovery.
“Essentially, the issue right now is my C1 is not completely ossifying, it’s not completely forming into bone but it appears to be healing fibrously so it’s kind of contained enough,” he said. “I’m not a medical expert so I’m gonna butcher all these terms but it’s good enough that they’re not worried about me in my day-to-day life, I don’t need the brace anymore, they took surgery off the table.”
“I’d be cleared to live a normal life and I am cleared to live a normal life but I’m not cleared to be taking off and hitting suicide spears and to be taking back bumps. The nature of what we do is very physical and involves your neck and your spine and I’d like to keep that as intact as possible.”
He continued to say that he’ll be undergoing more tests next March, which will be the one-year mark from when he suffered the injury.
“So for me right now, kind of the next step is they want to take a look at it again after a year, get some more scans. So, we are talking about, like, March of next year to see how it’s doing. We might also, along the way, at the six and nine-month mark look at it again. But the upside is right now I have no nerve issues, there’s no tingling, no weakness. I’ve been in the gym since two weeks after breaking my neck.”
“They told me as long as your neck is in the brace, as long as you stay in the brace, you’re good for that. I’ve been working out, I feel great, I’m just really grateful, honestly.”
New Day’s Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods are teaming up to host an awards show next month.
Kingston & Woods will be the hosts of this year’s Hashtag Sports Awards, which are taking place at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on Tuesday, July 12. The awards honor “the work of brands, agencies, media companies, sports and entertainment properties, and technology companies enhancing fan engagement and experience.”
“The Hashtag Sports Awards set the benchmark for effective fan and consumer engagement. The ceremony will take place during Hashtag Sports 2022 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on July 12,” Hashtag Sports wrote.
“The Hashtag Sports Awards is where media executives, CMOs, athletes, entertainers, creatives, producers, gamers, and storytellers all come together to recognize & inspire those who do it best on the biggest stage. This is your can’t-miss recognition and networking night for sports, content and entertainment’s doers and creators.”
Kingston tweeted about hosting the awards: “July 12 in Las Vegas! Suuuper excited to be hosting the 4th annual Hashtag Sports Awards alongside King @AustinCreedWins! We’re celebrating the best in fan and consumer engagement, BAAAAYYYYYBEEEEE!!”
On SmackDown each of the past two weeks, Kingston & Woods have teamed with Drew McIntyre against The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland & Butch). Kingston, Woods & McIntyre won the first matchup between the teams but lost the second.
A mystery partner six-man tag match is set for tonight’s SmackDown from the Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland & Butch) take on Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and a partner. Last week, Woods defeated Butch in a singles match. Since Kingston was away on New Day business, Woods challenged Butch to leave his teammates in the back. After the match, The Brawling Brutes beat down Woods as he celebrated. Later, Woods challenged them to a six-man tag and promised to have a mystery partner.
A non-title match between SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and Raquel Rodriguez is also set for tonight. It’s a rematch from two weeks ago, where Rodriguez answered Rousey’s open challenge but lost when Rousey reversed her Chingona Bomb into a pin.
Plus, Raw’s Kevin Owens comes to SmackDown to host the KO Show. Owens vs. Ezekiel is set for WWE’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on Sunday, June 5.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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They recapped The Usos defeating RK-Bro last week to unify the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team titles.
The Usos Segment
This was a fine opening segment. The Usos were good in their roles, and the fans popped for Shinsuke Nakamura and Riddle.
Samantha Irvin introduced the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, The Usos, to start SmackDown. Michael Cole noted Randy Orton’s injured because of The Bloodline’s attack last week.
Jey demanded the fans join them in thanking Roman Reigns. He started to cut a total babyface promo. He mentioned they made their WWE debuts 12 years ago. The fans cheered and applauded. He added that the fans cheered them and booed them at times. The fans erupted in boos.
Jey started addressing the fans and thanked them for their support over the years. They couldn’t have done it without the fans. The fans cheered again. Jimmy finally spoke. They went back to being heels. Jimmy added that they also thank nobody. They started to laugh at the fans and mocked them. Jimmy and Jey only have each other to thank. The fans erupted in boos.
The Usos mocked RK-Bro and bragged about injuring Orton. Suddenly, Shinsuke Nakamura’s music interrupted. Nakamura challenged The Usos to face him and his brother. He added that his brother wanted to face The Usos alone.
The Usos laughed at Nakamura. They assumed he was talking about Rick Boogs. Instead, Nakamura introduced Riddle to a big reaction. Riddle and Nakamura tried to get in the ring, but The Usos cut them off.
They beat down Riddle and threw him out of the ring. Jimmy and Jey isolated Nakamura, but Riddle made the save with the floating bro. Riddle and Nakamura cleared the ring, and The Usos took off.
They recapped SmackDown Women’s Ronda Rousey defeating Raquel Rodriguez two weeks ago.
In the locker room, Shotzi, Xia Li, Natayla, Shayna Baszler, and Aliyah watched Rodriguez walk to the ring. Shotzi addressed each one of them.
Shotzi thinks they each deserve a title shot more than Rodriguez. Li left without answering. Aliyah told off Shotzi and walked out. Baszler and Natayla appeared to agree with Shotzi.
Back from the break, Kayla Braxton approached Riddle and Shinsuke Nakamura. They were trying to come up with a team name. Riddle mentioned that it was Randy Orton’s idea for him to team with Nakamura.
In the locker room, Baszler, Natalya, and Shotzi decided to go to the ring. Shotzi went back for her helmet, but Aliyah locked the door. Aliyah was on the other side with the key.
This was barely a match. The heels ran in for the disqualification immediately.
Rodriguez went for the powerbomb, but Rousey rolled through for an early near fall. Rousey recovered and went after the arm. Rodriguez fought back with a boot to the face. She caught Rousey in a backbreaker.
Suddenly, Natalya and Baszler ran in and attacked Rodriguez. Natalya gave Rodriguez a chop block. Rousey recovered to make the save, and the faces cleared the ring.
The match started during the commercial break. The heels were firmly in control. They isolated Rodriguez on their side of the ring and worked over her leg. Rodriguez fought back and tagged in Rousey. Rousey briefly ran wild, but Natalya caught her in the sharpshooter.
Rousey fought back and tagged Rodriguez. Rodriguez hit a corkscrew splash, but Natalya made the save. Rousey and Baszler faced off, but Natalya pulled Rousey out. Rousey took out Natayla. Rodriguez then hit the powerbomb on Baszler for the win.
Cole mentioned that Money in the Bank now takes place from the intimate location of the MGM Grand.
In the back, Megan Morant interviewed Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston. They refused to reveal their mystery partner. They noted it could be anyone.
They recapped Happy Corbin injuring Madcap Moss. They announced Moss returns next week.
Los Lotharios defeated Jinder Mahal & Shanky (2:16)
This was strange. Shanky appears to be a face now. Mahal and Shanky worked as faces in the match, but Mahal was still a heel. The fans didn’t know how to react.
Before the match, Mahal couldn’t find Shanky and searched the backstage area. He finally found him dancing to Mahal’s theme music. He yelled at Shanky to get to the ring.
At ringside, Los Lotharios were dancing in front of Samantha Irvin.
Mahal and Shanky had the early advantage. Shanky threw Humberto around the ring and rocked him with a boot to the face. Los Lotharios took over and isolated Mahal. Mahal fought back, but Angel sent him into the commentary table.
Angel threw Mahal back in the ring. He looked over to Irvin and walked towards her. He started dancing again. Shanky mocked Angel and rocked him with a superkick. Back in the ring, Humberto took advantage and pinned Mahal for the win.
After the match, Mahal yelled at Shanky and blamed him for the loss. Mahal walked off. Shanky looked over at Irvin and started dancing.
In the back, Max Dupri approached Adam Pearce. Pearce looked into the contract and welcomed Dupri to SmackDown. Dupri’s officially looking for his first client,
The KO Show with Sami Zayn
This was an awesome segment. Owens and Zayn were great in their roles and the best thing on the show.
They announced Owens’s guest would be a Bloodline member. Cole and Pat McAfee wondered which member would be the guest. They speculated that it’s Roman Reigns.
Kevin Owens noted he’s been looking for the truth for the last few weeks. He’s still trying to prove that Elias is Ezekiel. He then turned his attention to the reason he’s at SmackDown tonight.
Owens introduced his guest, the locker room leader Sami Zayn. Owens called Zayn a close confidant of the Bloodline. Zayn and Owens were so happy to see each other. They hugged.
They praised each other. Zayn told Owens he knows that Elias is Ezekiel. Owens was overjoyed and hugged Zayn. He was so happy somebody admitted the truth. That was a great moment.
Zayn and Owens briefly mentioned their previous problems but downplayed the issues. Owens said he always believed Zayn, even with all the conspiracy stuff. Zayn noted that Owens didn’t believe him, but Owens ignored him.
Owens wants Zayn to come to Raw with him to call out the entire roster. Zayn turned down the offer because the Bloodline needs him. He also has a locker room to run. Zayn called Owens “Uso.” Owens was confused that he called him “Uso.”
Zayn and Owens started arguing and insulting each other. Owens became angry and claimed the Bloodline didn’t care about Zayn. Zayn was furious and claimed that Elias and Ezekiel were two different people. Owens pointed out that The Usos walked out on Zayn on Raw.
Owens then introduced The Bloodline to prove they wouldn’t come out. He said that’s proof Zayn isn’t a member of The Bloodline. Zayn heard enough and walked off. Owens went after him and begged him to come to Raw.
Zayn pushed Owens and walked away. In the ring, two crew members started clearing the KO Show set. A furious Owens jumped in the ring and gave both guys stunners.
Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser defeated Ricochet & Drew Gulak (6:23)
This was a fine match, but most of it happened during the break.
They recapped Ricochet pumping up Gulak to confront Gunther.
Kaiser had the early advantage and worked over Gulak’s arm. Gunther rocked Gulak with a chop and threw him out of the ring.
Back from the break, Kaiser was firmly in control with a chin lock. Gulak fought back, and Ricochet got the hot tag. Ricochet ran wild and hit a springboard crossbody. Kaiser rolled up Ricochet for a near fall after Gunther caused a distraction.
Ricochet rocked Kaiser with a knee to the face. Kaiser threw Ricochet out of the ring after Gulak got the tag. Kaiser then rocked Gulak with a stiff kick for the win.
After the match, Gunther and Kaiser attacked Ricochet. Kaiser rocked Ricochet with a kick as well.
In the back, Sami Zayn spoke with The Usos. Zayn can’t help but feel that Owens was right. He thinks The Bloodline doesn’t care about him. He asked to be an honorary Uso to make himself feel better. Jimmy agreed, but Jey seemed unsure. The Usos finally decided to let him be an honorary Uso. Zayn was thrilled and called them “Uso” as they walked away.
They showed a Memorial Day video package.
They announced Riddle & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Usos in a championship contender’s match for Raw.
New Day & Drew McIntyre defeated The Brawling Brutes (11:33)
This was a good match. The fans were into it and popped for McIntryre being the mystery partner.
Before the match, The Brawling Brutes mocked New Day. They’re not worried about New Day’s mystery partner. Sheamus mentioned Moby Dick, so there ended up being a lot of Moby Dick jokes. Sheamus promised to win no matter who they choose as their partner. They added that the partner isn’t Big E.
New Day interrupted and made fun of Sheamus. They praised their partner and introduced Drew McIntrye to a big pop. They made a bunch of Moby Dick references.
Butch charged at Xavier Woods at the bell. Woods fought back, but the heels took over. The Brawling Brutes isolated Woods in their corner. Sheamus hit the ten beats of Bodhran.
Woods recovered, and the faces gained control. Butch tried to interfere, but McIntyre knocked him down. The faces backed Ridge Holland into their corner. Holland took over after Butch’s interference finally worked.
Back from the break, Holland hit a power slam on Kofi Kingston. Sheamus followed up with a knee off the top rope. Sheamus went for the Irish Curse backbreaker, but Kingston countered. Kingston went for the tag, but the heels pulled McIntyre and Woods off the apron. Sheamus then hit the Alabama Slam for a near fall.
Kingston fought back and hit the SOS on Sheamus. McIntrye got the hot tag and ran wild on the heels. Woods then took out Butch at ringside. Kingston followed up with a trust fall dive wiping out the heels.
Back in the ring, Holland went for the power slam on McIntyre but he slipped out. McIntyre hit the Glasgow Kiss and followed up with the Claymore Kick. Woods tagged in and hit the elbow off the ropes for the win.
After the match, Woods played his trombone, and Kingston danced. They then convinced McIntyre to dance to a big pop. New Day and McIntyre celebrated to end SmackDown.
One of the matches that was scheduled for WrestleMania 38 night one on Saturday didn’t end up taking place.
Despite being announced for WrestleMania Saturday, New Day’s Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods vs. Sheamus & Ridge Holland didn’t happen tonight. PWInsider reported that New Day vs. Sheamus & Holland was pulled “due to a number of matches on the show going long.”
“To be in the business for an extended duration of time is to experience the highest of highs as well as lowest of lows,” Kingston tweeted. “Yes, it hurts; but we take it and we use it to propel us forward. #WrestleMania”
Sheamus commented on the match being cut by tweeting a scissors emoji:
Before Big E suffered a broken neck last month, it appeared that a six-man tag match with New Day (Big E, Kingston & Woods) vs. Sheamus, Holland & Butch (Pete Dunne) was originally being set up for WrestleMania 38.
A new match has been added to the lineup for WrestleMania 38.
New Day’s Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods will team together as they take on Sheamus & Ridge Holland at WrestleMania 38 night one this Saturday. Butch (Pete Dunne) will be in Sheamus and Holland’s corner.
After suffering a torn plantaris in January, Woods returned to SmackDown last Friday and defeated Holland in a singles match. He used a small package to pin Holland.
Now going by the name Butch, Dunne made his SmackDown debut three weeks ago and aligned with Sheamus and Holland. He helped Sheamus & Holland win a tag team match against Kingston & Big E.
Big E suffered a broken neck during that tag match when a spot went wrong and he landed on his head while taking an overhead belly-to-belly suplex on the floor from Holland. Big E fractured his C1 vertebrae and C6 vertebrae but won’t need surgery for the injury.
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas is hosting WrestleMania 38 this Saturday and Sunday. Here’s the updated lineup for both nights:
Night one (Saturday, April 2) —
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defends against Ronda Rousey
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defends against Bianca Belair
The KO Show with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Rey & Dominik Mysterio vs. The Miz & Logan Paul
Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defend against Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods vs. Sheamus & Ridge Holland
Night two (Sunday, April 3) —
Winner-take-all championship unification match: WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Anything goes match: Sami Zayn vs. Johnny Knoxville
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Queen Zelina & Carmella defend against Sasha Banks & Naomi, Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan, and Natalya & Shayna Baszler in a fatal four-way match
Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro defend against The Street Profits and Alpha Academy in a triple threat match
Ex-WWE Champion Big E is “officially” back on the SmackDown brand, according to WWE.
On Friday’s episode of SmackDown, it was stated in a backstage segment with Kofi Kingston and Kayla Braxton that Big E was officially back on SmackDown. Big E and Kingston then teamed against Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss in a winning effort.
In a video released on WWE’s YouTube channel and social media channels, interviewer Megan Morant also used the “officially back on SmackDown” verbiage in introducing Big E.
Big E and New Day stablemates Kingston and King Woods were originally split up in the 2020 WWE Draft, with Kingston and Woods being shifted to Raw and pushed as a tag team, while Big E remained on SmackDown as a singles competitor.
Big E would go on to win the Money in the Bank briefcase while still a member of the SmackDown roster, but cashed in on Raw’s WWE Champion Bobby Lashley. He was then officially drafted to the Raw brand in the 2021 WWE Draft in October.
Big E dropped the WWE title to Brock Lesnar in a five-way match at the Day 1 pay-per-view on January 1. His last televised Raw match came on January 10, a loss to Seth Rollins.
Woods is currently out of action after suffering a torn plantaris.
The Usos and The New Day are once again set to face off for the SmackDown Tag Team titles.
Jimmy & Jey Uso will defend their SmackDown Tag Team titles against New Day’s Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston in a street fight on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Woods & Kingston are getting another shot at The Usos’ titles after unsuccessfully challenging for them at Day 1 last Saturday.
Sami Zayn vs. Rick Boogs has also been announced for tonight’s SmackDown. Zayn is currently the number one contender to Shinsuke Nakamura’s Intercontinental title.
Zayn became number one contender by winning a 12-man gauntlet match on the Christmas Eve episode of SmackDown.
WWE hasn’t revealed when Zayn will be getting his title shot.
Tonight’s SmackDown is taking place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. With Universal Champion Roman Reigns cleared to return from COVID-19, he’ll have a face-to-face confrontation with WWE Champion Brock Lesnar tonight.
Raw’s RK-Bro came to last night’s SmackDown in Los Angeles for a match to determine the best tag team in WWE.
A non-title triple threat match between SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, The New Day’s Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston, and Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro headlined last night’s show. It was New Day who got the win, with Kingston pinning Jey Uso after he and Woods hit their backbreaker/double stomp combo.
New Day will challenge for The Usos’ SmackDown Tag Team titles at WWE’s Day 1 pay-per-view on New Year’s Day.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns didn’t appear at SmackDown last night, but Brock Lesnar was on the show to continue the build to their Day 1 title match. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair also faced off with Toni Storm in a non-title match last night.
The build to WWE Day 1 continues on tonight’s SmackDown from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
In last week’s main event, Universal Champion Roman Reigns defeated Sami Zayn in 16 seconds. Before the match, Brock Lesnar gave Zayn a vicious beatdown to ensure that Reigns would retain the title.
Lesnar challenges Reigns for the Universal title at Day 1.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair takes on Toni Storm in a non-title match tonight. Storm challenged Flair to a match two weeks ago, but Flair hit her in the face with two pies instead. Flair agreed to a non-title match after Storm hit her in the face with a pie last week.
Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro will make an appearance on SmackDown tonight as they face SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and New Day’s Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston in a non-title triple threat match. Plus, Naomi takes on Sonya Deville, and Xia Li makes her SmackDown debut.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Tonight’s show is in memory of Jack Lanza. They showed a graphic at the start of the show.
Sami Zayn and Brock Lesnar Segment
This was a fun opening segment. Zayn and Lesnar have a unique chemistry. Heyman was great in his role as well.
Sami Zayn came to the ring in a wheelchair with a neck brace and two male nurses. They recapped Brock Lesnar beating up Zayn and Roman Reigns defeating him last week.
Zayn claimed to be one of the toughest guys in the company. He pointed out that it took both Lesnar and Reigns to beat him. He claimed that it was another conspiracy. Zayn admitted he’s not upset about the German suplexes or beat down. He felt that Lesnar betrayed him and that hurts more than anything.
Zayn is furious and promises to sue Adam Pearce, Sonya Deville, the timekeeper, Lesnar, Reigns, and Paul Heyman.
Heyman interrupted and made his way to the ring. He mocked Zayn and started to introduce himself. Zayn noted he wasn’t done talking and complained that Heyman blocked the shot.
Heyman ignored Zayn and started talking again. Zayn heard enough and finally stood up. He got in Heyman’s face and noted Reigns isn’t at the show tonight. The fans booed Reigns not being at SmackDown.
Heyman admitted that Reigns is on a sabbatical and is training for his match at Day 1. Zayn yelled at Heyman and noted there was nobody to save him.
Suddenly, Brock Lesnar’s music hit to a big pop. Zayn sat back down in the wheelchair. Lesnar took the mic from Heyman and sat down in the middle of the ring on a chair. The fans broke into a “Suplex City” chant.
Lesnar apologized for beating Zayn up last week. Lesnar did Zayn a favor so he wouldn’t have to take on Reigns. Lesnar noted Zayn said they’re friends. Zayn admitted he thought they were friends. Zayn said they’re both Canadian Alphas.
Lesnar wants to be friends with Zayn and invited him to hunt and fish in Saskatchwan. Zayn was hesitant but eventually agreed. Lesnar and Zayn started to leave, but Heyman grabbed the mic. Heyman said he spent too much time at the dispensary, and the edibles must be kicking in. The fans erupted in cheers.
Heyman couldn’t believe what he was watching. He said a few years ago, Lesnar would take Zayn to suplex city and not Saskatchawn to go moose hunting. Heyman inadvertently pumped up Lesnar.
Lesnar snapped and attacked the male nurses. He then turned his attention to Zayn and kicked him out of the wheelchair. Lesnar then gave Zayn the F-5 to end the segment.
Michael Cole and Pat McAfee discussed tonight’s main event between The Usos, New Day and RK-Bro. They pushed that it’s to determine the best tag team in the WWE.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Lesnar in the back after the break. She asked him why he went to the ring. He told her to ask his advocate, Paul Heyman.
Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs defeated Los Lotharios (1:22)
They didn’t have a good match. They got no time and the finish came out of nowhere.
Boogs had the early advantage and ran wild Humberto and Angel. He gave Angel a press slam to the floor but struggled to get him up.
Boogs then spun around Humberto and slammed him down. Nakamura tagged in and hit the Kinshasa on Humberto for the win out of nowhere.
King Xavier Woods Crowning Moment
Kofi Kingston and King Xavier Woods revealed Woods’ new crown backstage. Drew Gulak, Ricochet, and The Viking Raiders joined New Day for their big moment.
Woods discussed taking on The Usos and RK-Bro in the main event. Woods promised to win and prove they’re the best tag team. The Viking Raiders seemed not to like that comment.
They recapped Drew McIntrye not participating in the Black Friday Battle Royal.
In the back, McIntrye approached Adam Pearce with his sword, Angela. Pearce noted a higher authority decided McIntyre couldn’t be in the battle royal. The higher authority also decided McIntrye couldn’t take Angela to the ring. McIntyre then put the sword through Pearce’s desk.
Sasha Banks approached Toni Storm backstage. Banks praised Storm for her accomplishments and talent. She believes Storm can beat Charlotte Flair if she keeps her cool and lets Flair snap first.
Drew McIntrye defeated Sheamus (7:21)
McIntrye and Sheamus had a good short hard-hitting match.
They showed Cesaro watching the match backstage and the commentators mentioned Ridge Holland.
Sheamus and McIntyre traded forearm shots at the start of the match. Sheamus briefly took over. He beat McIntrye on his chest, but McIntyre countered.
Sheamus recovered, rocked McIntrye with forearm shots, and tossed him to the floor. Sheamus missed a dive off the apron but rolled through. McIntrye then caught Sheamus with a belly-to-belly suplex.
Back from the break, Sheamus caught McIntyre with the Irish Curse backbreaker for a close near fall. Sheamus went for White Noise, but McIntrye slipped out and rocked Sheamus with a chop. He followed up with the future shock DDT and went for the Claymore. Sheamus countered the Claymore with a knee for a two count.
Sheamus went for the Brogue Kick, but McIntyre rolled him up for a near fall. Sheamus regained control and threw McIntrye into the corner. McIntrye bounced out of the corner and hit the Claymore on Sheamus to win.
In the back, Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss stole Pearce’s desk with McIntyre’s sword. Corbin and Moss didn’t appear again and there was no mention of Pearce’s missing desk and McIntyre’s sword.
Michael Cole and Pat McAfee discussed Jack Lanza’s passing. They aired a touching tribute video looking at Lanza’s career.
Paul Heyman was walking out of the arena when Kayla Braxton approached. Braxton noted Lesnar implied that Heyman’s his advocate. Heyman didn’t like that question and tried to leave. Braxton wondered what Roman Reigns is going to think. Heyman was furious and told her to stop.
Naomi vs. Sonya Deville
They didn’t end up having the match again. It turned into an angle to set up Xia Li making her SmackDown debut.
They recapped the Sonya Deville and Naomi feud.
Naomi grabbed the mic and told Deville to take the suit off and come to the ring. Deville entered the ring but demanded a mic. She noted she had some surprises and introduced special guest timekeeper Shayna Baszler and ring announcer, Natalya.
Before Baszler could ring the bell, Naomi attacked Baszler and Natalya. Deville and the heels regrouped and surrounded the ring.
Suddenly, Xia Li’s music hit, and she made her way to the ring. She had a grand entrance that included a special effect to make it seem like lightening was shooting out of her. Li and Naomi worked together to beat down the heels. Li rocked Deville with a kick to the head, but Baszler and Natalya dragged her out of the ring.
In the back, Riddle and Randy Orton were discussing their upcoming match. Johnny Knoxville and the cast of Jackass Forever approached. Orton wasn’t impressed and walked off.
They announced Migos make a special appearance at Day 1.
Championship Contenders Match: Toni Storm defeated SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair via DQ (3:18)
Flair and Storm had a fine match with some rough spots and a weak finish.
Flair had the early advantage, but Storm quickly took over. She caught Flair with a cross body for a two-count. The fans broke into a brief “Let’s go Toni” chant.
Flair fought back and went for the moonsault off the top rope, but Storm moved. Flair landed on her feet and hit a standing moonsault. In a funny moment, Storm rolled onto her stomach to avoid the moonsault, but Flair instinctively went for the pin with Storm still on her stomach.
Storm fired up and rolled up Flair for a near fall. She then used a small package for another near fall. Flair snapped and began to beat down Storm in the corner. Flair wouldn’t stop, so the referee called for the disqualification. After the match, Flair continued to attack Storm.
They showed Reggie Bush, Maria Menounos, X-Pac, and the cast of Jackass Forever at ringside.
The Usos walked to the ring for the main event.
In the back, Brock Lesnar approached Adam Pearce in his office. Lesnar thanked Pearce for the fine and suspension. He noted the money went to charity. Lesnar said the suspension gave him time to go hunting.
Lesnar tried to show Pearce a picture of a moose he hunted. He couldn’t find the picture, so he snapped his phone in half. Lesnar described hunting the moose and hanging it on his wall. Lesnar added that he named the moose Pearce.
The Usos noted they’re not worried about RK-Bro and New Day. They promised to win tonight and retain the titles at Day 1.
The New Day made their way to the ring for the main event. Cole revealed that fans voted RK-Bro the best tag team in the WWE in a Twitter poll.
Triple Threat Non-title match: New Day defeated SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro (18:55)
They had a good, fun match that the fans were into. They told a good story and built to Orton tagging in the match.
Michael Cole noted Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce invited RK-Bro to SmackDown tonight to determine the best tag team in the WWE.
New Day had the early advantage as they isolated Riddle on their side of the ring. Riddle and Woods traded stiff forearm shots until Jey Uso made a blind tag. The Usos jumped in the ring and beat down the four faces. They sent New Day and RK-Bro to the floor and hit a double suicide dive.
Back from the break, Kingston hit a crossbody on Jey for a near fall. Riddle made a blind tag and scored a near fall on Jey. The fans broke into a brief “We want Randy” chant.
The Usos dragged Riddle to their corner. Orton jumped in the ring, but the referee pushed him out. Jimmy took advantage and slammed Riddle into the ring post. The fans broke into a “Bro” and “Randy” chant. Jey slowed the pace down with a chin lock on Riddle. Riddle tried to tag Randy, but Jey pulled him back to his corner.
Jey missed a splash in the corner. Riddle went to make a tag, but Jey cut him off. Riddle fought back and went for the tag again, but Jimmy pulled Orton off the apron. The fans erupted in boos. They’re dying for Orton to get in the match. Jey went for a pin, but New Day made the save.
Back from the break, Riddle fought back against the Usos and went for the tag again. Kingston tagged in, jumped off Riddle’s back, and knocked Orton off the apron.
New Day isolated Riddle again. The fans broke into a loud “We want Randy” chant. Riddle and Woods traded chops in the middle of the ring. Riddle fought back and rocked Woods with a knee. He followed up with a Pele kick on Kingston.
Orton got the hot tag and ran wild on The Usos. He avoided a dropkick from Woods and gave him a back suplex on the announce table. Orton then gave Kingston a back suplex on the announce table too.
Orton gave Jey the draping DDT. Jey recovered and went for the splash but Orton avoided and Jey rolled through. Woods made a blind tag, but Orton hit the RKO on Jimmy. Jey then rocked Orton with a superkick. New Day took over and hit a backbreaker/foot stomp combo on Jey for the win.
Next week: SmackDown takes place from the All-State Arena in Chicago and features Roman Reigns return.
WWE has added a couple of matches to this Friday’s SmackDown in Los Angeles.
A non-title match between SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and Toni Storm will take place on Friday’s episode. In recent weeks, Charlotte has declined Storm’s challenges for a title match. Charlotte threw two pies into Storm’s face on SmackDown two weeks ago, but Storm got some revenge last week by hitting Charlotte with a pie to the face.
Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro will come to SmackDown for a non-title triple threat match against SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and The New Day’s Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston on Friday’s show.
Woods & Kingston are set to challenge for The Usos’ SmackDown Tag Team titles at WWE’s Day 1 pay-per-view on Saturday, January 1.
Randy Orton & Riddle defeated The Usos when the two teams faced off at Survivor Series last month.
Jeff Hardy vs. Baron Corbin had originally been scheduled for Friday’s SmackDown, but that will no longer be happening following Hardy’s release. The updated lineup for the episode is listed below:
Non-title match: SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Toni Storm
Non-title match: SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) vs. The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) vs. Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle)
Naomi vs. Sonya Deville
Xia Li debuts
Los Angeles’ Staples Center is hosting Friday’s SmackDown. It will be the last WWE show at the venue before it officially changes its name to Crypto.com Arena.
The New Day’s King Xavier and Sir Kofi were beaten down by The Bloodline in the show-closing angle of last night’s SmackDown.
A match between Woods and Jimmy Uso was set up for the main event after Woods issued a challenge to The Bloodline during the opening segment. If Uso won, Woods would have to acknowledge Reigns. If Woods won, Uso would have to bend the knee to King Woods.
Reigns accepted the challenge on Uso’s behalf. Woods rolled up Uso to get the win, but Reigns attacked Woods before Uso could bend the knee. Reigns blindsided Woods with a Superman punch, then The Usos attacked Kingston.
Woods tried to fight back against Reigns, but The Usos dropped him with a double superkick. The attack included The Bloodline targeting Kingston’s leg while making Woods watch on as they did it.
Reigns said he’s the king around here. And Reigns warned Woods that if he shows up next week, he’ll show Woods what a king looks like.
As WWE’s Universal Champion, Reigns is in line to face WWE Champion Big E in a non-title match at Survivor Series.
A SmackDown Tag Team title match is the latest addition to the card for Extreme Rules.
WWE has announced that The Usos will defend their SmackDown Tag Team titles against The Street Profits at Extreme Rules on Sunday, September 26. The pay-per-view is taking place at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
A Tag Team title match between The Usos and The Street Profits headlined last week’s episode of SmackDown. The Street Profits were on the verge of getting the win after Montez Ford hit a frog splash on Jimmy Uso, but Roman Reigns interfered to cause a disqualification.
Reigns put Ford in a guillotine after last week’s title match. The show ended with Finn Balor’s “Demon” character making its return as Balor came out to the ring and had a staredown with Reigns. Balor is challenging for Reigns’ Universal Championship at Extreme Rules.
A non-title match between The Usos and The Street Profits on SmackDown two weeks ago also ended with The Street Profits winning by DQ. After Ford hit a frog splash on Jimmy near the end of that match, Jey Uso broke up the pin, attacked Ford, and wouldn’t leave the ring. The Street Profits got the better of a brawl with The Usos after the match.
Here’s the updated card for Extreme Rules:
Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against “The Demon” Finn Balor
SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defends against Bianca Belair
United States Champion Damian Priest defends against Sheamus
Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defends against Alexa Bliss
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defend against The Street Profits
