Nearly four months after having knee surgery, Rey Mysterio is back.
Mysterio made his return to WWE programming on Friday night’s episode of SmackDown. Resuming his feud with Santos Escobar, Mysterio helped Carlito defeat Escobar in a street fight.
Mysterio provided backup after Legado del Fantasma’s Angel and Humberto got involved in the match. Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro had tried to even the odds, but they were fought off by Legado del Fantasma.
Mysterio then made his way out to the stage on crutches. After originally faking like he wasn’t cleared to compete, Mysterio used the crutches as a weapon against Angel and Humberto.
Following a confrontation between Mysterio and Escobar, Carlito spit an apple in Escobar’s face. Wilde and Del Toro took out Angel and Humberto, Mysterio gave Escobar a 619, and Carlito put Escobar through a table to get the victory.
The LWO (Carlito, Mysterio, Wilde, Del Toro, and Zelina Vega) celebrated together after the match.
Mysterio underwent surgery for a torn meniscus last November. Before having surgery, Mysterio had been working hurt for months. The expected timeline for his return was 6-8 weeks after surgery. Dave Meltzer reported on February 16 that Mysterio was close to being able to return and would be back in a few weeks.
In storyline, Mysterio’s injury was blamed on an attack by Escobar. Escobar turned against Mysterio and the LWO on the November 10 episode of SmackDown.
Rey Mysterio is getting closer to being able to return to the ring.
Mysterio underwent knee surgery for a torn meniscus in November and was expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks. He was hoping to return in time for the Royal Rumble, but that didn’t end up happening.
In the new edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer gave an updated timeline for Mysterio’s return:
Rey Mysterio’s return now looks to be in a few weeks. He was hoping for late January but is pretty close to being ready to return.
Mysterio had been working hurt for months before having surgery. In storyline, the injury was blamed on an attack by Santos Escobar. Escobar turned against Mysterio by attacking him on the November 10 episode of SmackDown.
The Mysterio vs. Escobar feud should resume when Mysterio makes his return to WWE television. Escobar is aligned with Angel (Angel Garza), Berto (Humberto Carrillo), and Elektra Lopez against Mysterio and the LWO.
The LWO includes Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, and Carlito.
WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio is hoping to be back in the ring in time for the Royal Rumble.
Mysterio has been out of action since undergoing knee surgery in November. The surgery was for a torn meniscus, and Mysterio was expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks.
During an appearance on Monday’s episode of the Bakers Bantering podcast, Mysterio said he’s hoping to return for the Royal Rumble or shortly after that. The Royal Rumble is taking place from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida on Saturday, January 27.
“I am really working hard on my physical therapy,” Mysterio said. “I just had knee surgery, thanks to Santos Escobar — and his time will come eventually. And I do hope that I can return for the Rumble, if not shortly after that. But I am working very hard to make my return as soon as possible.”
In storyline, Mysterio’s knee injury was blamed on an attack from Escobar. The two were former stablemates in the LWO. Escobar turned against Mysterio on the November 10 episode of SmackDown.
While appearing on the Christmas Party episode of K100 with Konnan & Disco Inferno last month, Mysterio said he was in week four of his 6-8 week recovery time.
Mysterio was WWE United States Champion before dropping the title to Logan Paul at Crown Jewel in November.
Dave Meltzer reported on Monday that Mysterio has re-signed with the company. PWInsider reported on the same day that Dominik Mysterio had re-signed with the company as well, with Dominik’s signing taking place last month.
Rey Mysterio has been associated with the WWE on and off since 2002. He made his latest return to the company back in 2018, and two years later started teaming with his son, Dominik. The two continued to team until last summer, when Dominik turned on Rey, leading to a match at WrestleMania this year that Rey won.
Mysterio is currently out of action with a knee injury. He was written out after Santos Escobar turned on him following WWE Crown Jewel, upset that Mysterio chose Carlito over him.
Since splitting from his father, Dominik Mysterio has joined the Judgment Day stable, closely aligning himself with Rhea Ripley. He is a two-time NXT North American Champion, most recently losing the title to Dragon Lee at NXT Deadline earlier this month.
Michin & Zelina Vega vs. Asuka & Kairi Sane has also been confirmed for tonight’s SmackDown.
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Randy Orton’s war against The Bloodline is set to continue on SmackDown tonight.
WWE has announced that a singles match between Orton and Jimmy Uso will take place on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. The match comes one week after Orton and Jimmy faced off in tag team action. In last Friday’s main event, Orton & LA Knight defeated Jimmy & Solo Sikoa.
In storyline, Orton is out for revenge on The Bloodline for causing the back injury that kept him out of action for more than a year. Orton underwent double fusion back surgery in 2022. He returned to the ring at Survivor Series last month.
Two weeks ago, Orton joined the SmackDown roster. WWE looks to be building toward Orton challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Reigns is also set to appear on tonight’s SmackDown. He’s returning to the show for the first time since retaining his title against Knight at Crown Jewel.
Tonight’s SmackDown is being held at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Here’s everything that’s been announced:
Roman Reigns returns
Randy Orton vs. Jimmy Uso
Michin & Zelina Vega vs. Asuka & Kairi Sane
US title contender’s tournament match: Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory
US title contender’s tournament match: Grayson Waller vs. Carmelo Hayes
Rey Mysterio had been working hurt for months before his match with Logan Paul at Crown Jewel.
Mysterio recently underwent surgery on his knee and is expected to be out of action for six to eight weeks.
On today’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, our own Dave Meltzer noted that Mysterio had been dealing with a torn meniscus for three months, confirming an earlier report from Haus of Wrestling.
“The deal with Rey is he’s going to be out for six to eight weeks. He had a torn meniscus for three months but the idea was because of the Logan Paul match, and also the angle, but mainly the Logan Pual match being in Saudi, he wanted to stay,” Meltzer said.
“Basically, the deal was he was going to stay for Saudi to lose to Logan Paul and then immediately do the angle with Santos, which felt rushed because they had to do it that way.”
On Friday’s SmackDown, Santos Escobar attacked Mysterio, dropkicking the steel steps into his knee. The angle was done to set up a group vs. group rivalry.
“It’s going to be group vs. group and it’s going to be Santos with partners against Rey with partners,” Meltzer continued. “I don’t know what they are going to do with the LWO name, which side gets it, maybe they’re going to feud over the name.”
“Carlito will be with Rey and Santos will be with, at least right now, Cruz (Del Toro) and Joaquin (Wilde). I don’t know where Zelina is going. So, that’s the situation there.”
On his Impaulsive podcast, Logan Paul addressed a viral spot from his Crown Jewel match against Rey Mysterio.
Fans credited Paul for “saving Mysterio’s life” in the match. There was a spot where Mysterio almost came up short on a springboard moonsault attempt. Though the move almost went wrong, Paul was still able to catch Mysterio and stop him from landing on his head.
Paul said on Impaulsive that, after watching the clip back, he thinks he and Mysterio both made a mistake during the move. Paul was positioned too far back and Mysterio didn’t clear enough ground on the moonsault attempt.
“Look, I’m going to come clean because I’ve seen all these positive headlines. ‘Logan saves Rey Mysterio.’ The Mexican community is going crazy. They’re praising me, saying I’m some sort of [hero],” Paul said. “And so I’m like, ‘Dang, I’m being recognized for doing something cool? I’ll take it.’ But then I looked at the clip. And upon assessing my performance, while I think I did save Rey Mysterio — I think I also almost killed Rey Mysterio.
“I think I was too far back for the move, and I think he didn’t clear enough ground for the move. That’s what happened. Like, I was too far back and he didn’t clear enough ground. We both, I think, made a mistake. I had to catch him, I had to catch him. And I wasn’t going to not catch him. So like, truthfully, while I like the headlines and I like being gassed up like this, I was just doing my job. But I’ll take it. I’ll take the praise.”
Paul defeated Mysterio in the match to win the United States Championship. It’s the first title that Paul has held in professional wrestling.
Crown Jewel was Paul’s first match since defeating Ricochet at SummerSlam. Paul vs. Mysterio was set up for Crown Jewel by a callout that Paul issued after his boxing match against Dillon Danis last month.
On last Friday’s SmackDown, there was an angle where Santos Escobar turned against Mysterio. Mysterio revealed today that he’s undergone a successful knee surgery.
Our Dave Meltzer has confirmed that Rey Mysterio’s knee surgery is legitimate.
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WWE star Rey Mysterio is recovering from a knee operation.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Mysterio stated that he underwent successful surgery on his knee. Mysterio said the surgery was done by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas at the Andrew’s Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Mysterio posted a picture of himself with one of his legs bandaged up after surgery. He didn’t reveal any specific details about the operation or how long he’ll be out of action. Haus of Wrestling reports that Mysterio is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks.
“Knee surgery was successful,” Mysterio wrote. “Now payback on @escobarwwe is on the horizon!”
There was an angle on SmackDown last Friday where Santos Escobar turned against Mysterio and attacked him. The turn came after dissension within The LWO. Carlito blamed Escobar for how Mysterio lost the United States title to Logan Paul at Crown Jewel. Escobar tried to help Mysterio in that match, but he accidentally left brass knuckles on the ring apron. Paul picked up the brass knux and used them to defeat Mysterio and become the new United States Champion.
The brass knux had been introduced into the match by a member of Paul’s entourage.
It’s Wrestling Observer Live Saturday with Jim Valley.
It finally happened, Santos Escobar turned on Rey Mysterio. Can you still get heat if everyone turns on Rey Mysterio? Not to be outdone, Asuka then turned on Bianca Belair and Charlotte and joined Damage CTRL. What does this mean for Survivor Series?
We also have Shingo Takagi channeling Stan Hansen at New Japan Lonestar Shootout, Rampage, Collision, and thoughts on being live at AEW Dynamite and Ring of Honor in Portland including Mark Briscoe, The Gunns and more. It’s another packed show, check it out!
After Bobby Lashley defeated Carlito on Friday’s SmackDown, the Street Profits joined Lashley in beating down Carlito. Escobar hopped on the apron, but paused, still angry after Carlito accused him earlier in the show of costing Rey Mysterio the United States title at Crown Jewel. Rey Mysterio made the save and scolded Escobar before tending to Carlito. Escobar then attacked Mysterio, who fought back.
On the apron, Mysterio seemed conflicted about what he had done and tried to bring Escobar to his feet. Escobar instead shoved Mysterio into the ring post, causing Mysterio to fall into the ring steps. Escobar dropkicked the steps and argued with Zelina Vega before leaving.
Backstage, Cathy Kelly asked Escobar why he attacked Mysterio. Escobar replied that Mysterio had it coming before he left the arena.
At Crown Jewel, Santos Escobar chased away a member of Logan Paul’s entourage who had introduced brass knuckles into the match. However, Escobar left the knuckles on the apron, allowing Paul to grab them and attack Mysterio to win the match.
Logan Paul sounds as though he plans on spending more time in WWE.
Following his defeat of Rey Mysterio for the United States Championship at Crown Jewel, Paul was asked by ESPN if the title win means he’ll be on WWE shows more often.
“I think I have to,” Paul said of spending more time on WWE programming. “You’re going to have to watch Raw. You’re going to have to watch SmackDown. I’m going to make some surprise appearances and show these wrestlers who’s the real king.”
“I have a bit of occupational ADHD,” he continued. “So, wherever my attention goes, wherever the people are the most entertained. And at the moment, that is the WWE, and [I’m] just focused on building my brands and protecting this belt, keeping it around my waist.”
Paul also told The Daily Mail after his win in Riyadh on Saturday that he’s considering training at WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando.
“Imagine if I go to the Performance Center in Orlando and train with the best? I have access to the best resources. It might be something I have to do, I’m all about legacy, and perhaps my legacy is to be made to WWE,” Paul said.
“I’m so stoked that Triple H and the company believes in my like they do,’ he added. ‘Hopefully, I can make them proud and I know I will. He’s super receptive to my ideas. I’m a content creator – keyword creator. I like to make stuff, I come up with ideas. When I pitch my ideas, he’s all ears all the time.”
“We bounce ideas off each other, we go back and forth and usually land on stuff that’s pretty epic. It’s super collaborative and I like that they give me the freedom to be who I am in their company.”
Paul’s performance at WWE Crown Jewel was addressed by our own Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio on Saturday. They noted that at one point during the match Mysterio was about to land head-first following a caperana, but Paul was able to catch him before he hit the mat.
“(Paul) saved Rey’s life once,” Meltzer said.
“He slid in on his knees to catch this guy and save his life,” Alvarez said. “He did a hell of a job in this match.”
“Rey really owes him some thanks on that one because Rey could have really been hurt on that move,” Meltzer continued.
On the final SmackDown before Crown Jewel, Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul will conduct a weigh-in for Saturday’s United States Championship match.
The title match was made after Paul called Mysterio out after defeating Dillon Danis in a boxing match last month. Paul is looking to win his first championship in WWE.
Tonight’s show was taped in Milwaukee last week. The episode will feature a singles match between Bianca Belair and Bayley. At Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, Belair challenges Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s Championship.
A Donnybrook Rules match is set for SmackDown. It will pit the Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch) against Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson). Pretty Deadly defeated the Brutes on the October 13 edition of SmackDown.
Kevin Owens and Austin Theory will also square off. Owens had a backstage interaction with Theory and Grayson Waller last week, during which Owens knocked them out.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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– The “Then, Now, Forever, Together” bumper aired, and it still included the Ric Flair “Wooo!” So, there’s that. Afterwards, a video package chronicling all of last week’s Roman Reigns/LA Knight developments aired. Kevin Patrick welcomed everyone in and Knight’s music hit. Knight then walked to the ring.
The LA Knight segment
God bless that Milwaukee crowd for sticking it out for a segment they saw that was almost identical … what … two hours before this happened live? You can’t avoid having to tape two episodes in one night when “Saudi Arabia” is on the itinerary as the town you’re making tomorrow, but this lacked the type of go-home fire you’d hope for a promo segment selling the next PLE main event. Part of that was the crowd, part of that was the redundancy. But they did what they could and it wasn’t terrible. My only whining moment comes in the form of this: Nobody with two feet and a heartbeat thinks Knight is taking that title off Reigns tomorrow, so WWE really didn’t have a way to somehow heat this thing up in a creative way on the final TV program before the Big Show? All told, it just feels like everyone involved could have done better and the segment only gets a passing grade because of how much raw talent Reigns and Knight have on the mic at this point.
Knight soaked up some crowd love before saying “Let me talk to ya!” Knight started by saying 1,200 days as champion is impressive. Knight talked about how quick it can be that those 1,200 days end. Knight talked about how he dropped Reigns with a BFT last week. Knight said it will be a hostile takeover because Knight is coming to take over everything Reigns stands for. Knight said, “It will be the end of Roman’s reign, yeah!” On cue, Reigns’s music hit and out walked Roman with Paul Heyman.
The two jawed at each other as they stood in the ring, off-mic, and Reigns’s music was still playing. Reigns started by saying he typically starts by telling the town to acknowledge him, but they already know who he is (or this was the second SmackDown they taped in one night and at least Reigns had the tact to not put them through the whole song and dance again, but I digress). Reigns talked about how surprised he was that Knight stepped up. Reigns said Knight “managed his time wisely,” and now Knight has all the people on his side. Reigns gave Knight credit for that and said it’s not easy to do that in this day and age. Reigns told the crowd to chant Knight’s name, which the crowd did, and Reigns followed that up by saying this is the last time the crowd will do that.
Reigns talked about how what he does is cinema and he is a mega-star. Reigns said he turned the business into a billion-dollar industry. Reigns called Knight a “cosplay redneck version of my cousin,” and it was a lazy shot, but still kind of funny. Reigns said he’s going to leave Knight in the desert. Knight responded by noting how Reigns must feel invincible. Knight said he isn’t coming at Reigns from the same angle everyone else did. Knight said “he’s not there to finish something, he’s there to start something (yeah!)”. Knight said he will cosplay the guy who is going to kick Reigns’s ass at Crown Jewel. Knight said he’s a megastar. Knight said he doesn’t do warning shots, so if Reigns is going to take his shot, he better make sure Knight is done for good. Knight closed things with his catchphrase and WWE officials came out to separate the two as things got a little feisty to end the segment.
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– Austin Theory was interviewed back stage and said he’s used to taking hits and said he has a confident face and a face that everyone wants to see. Theory Kevin Owens has a face only a mother can love. Theory then made a comment about how Owens has a face where he would have to wear a mask on Halloween, but joke’s on you (bro). Halloween already happened.
Kevin Owens defeated Austin Theory [7:20]
This was surprising in the sense that this was clearly set up to forward a story between Waller and Owens. Theory taking a loss like that doesn’t feel common in WWE these days, and if anything, I would have thought it would have been Waller taking a loss like this first, setting up a match between Owens and Theory. So, that’s refreshing in its own weird way. Anyway, the match was fine. The package suplex Owens hit from the second rope to kickstart the go-home sequence was great and to be honest, Theory looked better here than he has in a bit when it comes to WWE TV in-ring work. A three-minute commercial break in a seven-minute match never allows a viewer to get into a groove with it, but it was what it was.
Grayson Waller sat in on commentary. The two locked up to begin things and Owens tried to attack Theory, but the ref broke it up as Theory went to the ropes. They locked up again and Theory went to the outside. Owens followed and Theory rammed Owens into the ring and the commentary table. Back inside the ring, Theory took control with a series of strikes. Theory went for another punch and Owens caught him, only to punch Theory and clothesline Theory over the top rope to the outside. Owens followed that up with a clothesline, taking Theory to the floor. The show then went to a commercial break.
When the show returned, Owens slammed Theory into the commentary table and jawed at Waller. Theory took advantage of that and ran Owens into the ring pole. Back in the ring, Theory chop-blocked Owens. Theory lifted Owens, but Owens fought out of it and ultimately tried a Stunner, but Theory pushed Owens away and landed a rolling Blockbuster for a near-fall. Theory stomped on Owens and worked him over with punches. With Owens on the second rope, Owens hit a wild suplex, which was followed up with a pop-up powerbomb. Owens landed a Stunner and stared at Waller as he got the three-count.
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– Cathy Kelley interview Bianca Belair backstage. Belair didn’t get 10 seconds into her promo and Damage CTRL attacked Belair. WWE officials, included Nick Aldis ran onto the set and broke things up.
– A video recapping the Street Profits/LWO stuff from last week aired. Logan Paul was shown walking backstage and he ran into the Street Profits and Bobby Lashley. Paul walked out of the scene and Lashley was talking up the Profits but B-Fab came into interrupt things and then walked off with Lashley to talk.
Charlotte Flair & Shotzi defeated Chelsea Green & Piper Niven [2:58]
This means Charlotte and Shotzi will get a title shot, so cool it on any idea that they are new women’s tag champs. Still, I kind of/sort of like the Shotzi/Charlotte pairing. Even if this is just a vehicle for Charlotte to put “tag team champion” on her resume, Shotzi seems to be into it, which is fun. Not so fun is Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, as champs, taking a loss that felt more like a squash than anything else. I understand that WWE wants to make Green into, essentially, the female version of The Miz, but damn, man. Give her a win every now and then (yes, I know she picked up a win on RAW this week, but that was her first singles win since coming back to WWE, right?). Champions should never look as weak as especially Green does – even if the sole intention is “fun,” whatever that means.
Look at that. Shotzi was teaming with a mystery opponent, and who could have guessed it’d be Charlotte Flair after what’s happened in recent weeks?! Why not just announce this team ahead time? OK, I’ll shut up. Anyway, the match started with Niven and Shotzi and Niven had her way with Shotzi. Green tagged in after Shotzi was vulnerable and Green worked over Shotzi with some boots. Niven tagged back in, but Shotzi worked her way out and got the hot tag to Charlotte, who hit a cross-body on both Niven and Green. Charlotte hit a series of chops on both Green and Niven. Charlotte landed a suplex on Green and then got her hands on Niven, but Green got a blind tag in … only to run into a big boot from Charlotte, which was enough for Charlotte to get the win for her team.
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The Solo Sikoa/John Cena segment
I don’t know what that 90 second stipulation was that Cena referenced twice – and I also don’t know why Cena all of a sudden didn’t have a voice – but damn, man. On his way out, Cena throws his best out there as he’s ready to head into the (presumed) final match of this latest WWE run. The Taz line was a lot of fun, and makes even a little more sense now that Excalibur actually spoke Cena’s name on Dynamite this past Wednesday. Sikoa has a ways to go on the microphone (still, don’t think he’s not capable; the guy wasn’t bad when he was on his own during his NXT run), but this was some of the best use of Cena the company has put out there since Cena decided to come home for a couple months. Short, sweet, poignant, effective. The raspy voice was a blessing.
Paul Heyman accompanied Sikoa to the ring. Heyman began by saying it’s the end of days for Cena. Heyman said it wasn’t the way he wanted it to be. Heyman said it’s not his fault and nobody should blame Roman Reigns. Heyman said Cena picked a fight with the Bloodline. Heyman said there was no way they would let Cena get away with it. Heyman noted how Reigns turned to the soldier and the assassin, which is Sikoa. Heyman suggested that Sikoa could someday be the Tribal Chief and Cena will be a victim of Sikoa. The crowd booed heavily. Sikoa whispered something to Heyman and took the mic for himself.
Sikoa asked Heyman why he would waste his breath talking to the crowd. Sikoa said they weren’t there to talk to the crowd; they were there to talk to Cena face-to-face. Cena’s music then hit and Cena made his entrance. Cena entered the ring and Sikoa said he’s mad he has to “wait until tomorrow to fight you.” Sikoa said he got orders from Reigns, and that order was to give Cena a microphone to be able to say goodbye to the fans while he still could. Sikoa said after the Crown Jewel match, Cena won’t be able to talk to the fans. Sikoa then gave Cena the microphone as the crowd chanted “Let’s go Cena!”
Cena said, “That’s it?” Cena asked Sikoa if he knew who he was in the ring with. Cena said everyone has “been waiting for Sikoa to talk for a year, and that’s all you bring to the table?” Cena’s voice was raspy. Cena said he’s going to say goodbye – but not to them, but for them. Cena said the only reason Sikoa got a job in WWE is because of his cousin. Cena called Sikoa a “bargain basement Taz ripoff.” Cena told Sikoa to tape his thumb extra tight because it’s going up his ass tomorrow. Cena said “that’s my 90 seconds,” threw the microphone down and left to end the segment.
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– Damage CTRL were shown talking backstage. Bayley said Bianca Belair has never learned her lesson. Bayley teasted SKY vs. Bayley at Crown Jewel, but then said it was a joke. Nick Aldis came into the frame and said that Damage CTRL will be barred from ringside for the Bayley vs. Belair match. SKY also reminded Bayley that Bayley couldn’t handle SKY if she wanted to.
Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince) defeated Brawling Brutes (Butch & Ridge Holland) in a Donnybrook Rules match [12:21]
A good WWE-style brawl with a somewhat surprising outcome. With two wins in this program, I have to think both teams move onto something else, but what will that be, exactly? Pretty Deadly moves up the card (in theory), but the Brutes take yet another loss, which at this point, makes them look like they have even less credibility than they did going into the match – and that’s a shame because the Brutes are supposed to be tough guys, but for one reason or another, they never seem to come up on the winning end. Even so, this was fine. It’s WWE. There will be no blood. The spots will be overtly safe. Nothing wrong with that last part, of course – nobody should ever risk their health for this stuff. But if you watch no-DQ matches elsewhere, you’ll get something different. These four did all they could with what they had. No complaints on the work.
The Brutes jumpstarted the match by attacking Pretty Deadly in the aisle as the camera did its slow motion thing during Pretty Deadly’s entrance. The action spilled into the ring and Butch and Holland hit stereo 10 Beats on both Pretty Deadly members. Butch obtained a pair of Shillelaghs and the Brutes worked over both Deadly guys with them. With Prince leaning on a bar set up at ringside, Butch went for his finger-breaking spot, but Prince turned that into a suplex. From there, Pretty Deadly took control and posed to the crowd.
In the ring, Pretty Deadly worked over Holland with kicks and then got a hold of the Shillelaghs. They both went to hit Holland with them, but Holland caught them and threw them both over the top rope. Butch came back into the picture and landed a moonsault from the top rope onto everyone – including Holland – to send the show to a commercial break. Back from that break, Prince hit a Tornado DDT on Butch while Holland slammed Wilson onto a garbage can for a two-count. Holland, weirdly worked a Boston Crab, even though this was essentially a street fight.
Prince went for the save, but Butch worked an ankle lock on Prince. Prince and Wilson locked hands and fired up. Prince kicked Butch away and hit Holland’s back with a barstool. Pretty Deadly followed that up with a clunky double-team move, but Butch made the save on a pin attempt. Butch then chopped the hell out of Wilson. Prince got back at Butch and an elbow strike. Prince went to the second rope, but Holland cut him off and slammed Prince. Holland lifted Wilson, but Wilson countered into a modified face-buster. Butch fired up, but Wilson stopped his momentum with a clothesline and all four guys were down.
Wilson went for something, but Butch cut him off and hit his fingers spot. Prince brought a Shillelagh back and hit Butch with it. Prince went to the top, but Holland cut Prince off and powerbombed Prince through a table on the outside. Inside the ring, Butch landed a boot to Wilson’s head for a good near-fall. Holland grabbed a table from under the ring and the Brutes set it up inside the ring. Wilson rolled away from them and went to the outside. Wilson then ran Holland into a keg. Butch and Wilson were on the second rope, but Prince showed up with a glass bottle and slammed it on Butch’s head. Pretty Deadly then hit their finisher on Butch through the table and got the pinfall win.
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– Nick Aldis was walking backstage and ran into Paul Heyman. Heyman told Aldis to have a lot of medical personnel on hand at Crown Jewel because this is the most savage version of Roman Reigns that anyone will ever see.
The Rey Mysterio/Logan Paul Weigh-In
There is nothing intelligent to say about this. There is nothing constructive to say about this. There is silly. There is pro wrestling silly. And then there is what happened here. God bless.
Nick Aldis introduced both competitors. It looked like they were doing this in a storage shed in the back. Paul weighed in at 213 while there were piped in camera sounds. Mysterio weighed in at 175. Paul and Mysterio jawed at each other like they would at a real weigh-in, but nothing really came of it. Mysterio took a microphone and then slapped Paul. Paul came back and punched Mysterio … who then took the microphone and hit Paul in the way Paul was hit at the weigh-in for the Dillion Danis fight recently. That ended the segment.
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– Next week, Carlito will face Bobby Lashley. And that’s about all they had to say about next week’s SmackDown episode.
Bianca Belair defeated Bayley [13:18]
These two worked well together. It’s not that often we see Bayley work singles matches anymore – and it’s even more rare that we see her work meaningful singles matches – but she showed here that she can still very much hang. That super-plex spot was a little scary, but in all, this was a good and worthy main event. I kind of like that Bayley has become a sort of gatekeeper for babyfaces in WWE and in that sense, has taken a half-backseat role in Damage CTRL. If nothing else, it works to help put the babyfaces over with a sense of credibility. Good work from both women.
Bayley threw a shirt at Belair and attacked Belair to start the match. Belair rebounded with a series of shoulder-blocks on Bayley. Belair landed a pair of vertical suplexes on Bayley before hitting a Will Ospreay-esque standing moonsault for a two-count. Bayley rolled to the outside, where Belair chased her. Back in the ring, Belair hit a trio of bodyslams. With Bayley on the apron, Bayley kicked Belair, which took Belair to the outside, which then took the show to its final commercial break.
Back from break, Bayley still had the upper hand and hit an elbow from the apron onto Belair on the outside. Back inside the ring, Bayley went for a cover, but Belair immediately kicked out. Bayley worked a chin-lock. Belair fought out and hit a back-breaker to even things out. Belair fired up and hit Bayley with a series of punches. Belair planted Bayley for a two-count. With Bayley on the top rope, Belair hit a rough-looking super-plex that Bayley only barely got over for. All of that resulted in a two-count.
Belair went for another moonsault, but Bayley moved and dragged Belair outside by her ponytail. Bayley rammed Belair into the ring post. Bayley hit an elbow from the top rope and got a near-fall out of it. Bayley went to the outside and cleared off the commentary table. Bayley lifted Belair for a powerbomb, but Belair fought out of it and Bayley ran herself into the ring post. Belair followed that up with a dive onto the outside and then rolled Bayley back into the ring. Belair went for the KOD, but Bayley rolled out and into a pinfall attempt. Belair kicked out and whipped Bayley witih the ponytail. Belair hit the KOD for the win.
After the match, Belair KOD’d Bayley through the commentary table and that ended the show.
A United States Championship weigh-in is set for the Friday, November 3 WWE SmackDown episode.
On the eve of their battle for the United States title at Crown Jewel, US Champion Rey Mysterio & challenger Logan Paul will weigh-in on next week’s SmackDown. Paul attacked Mysterio during a backstage segment on this week’s episode.
Also announced for next week, Bianca Belair will have a tune-up match against Bayley before she challenges IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s Championship at Crown Jewel. Belair made her return to the promotion after a two-month hiatus on last week’s SmackDown, and the title match for Crown Jewel was made official on this week’s show.
Next week’s SmackDown is being taped this week as part of a double taping in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
SmackDown will return to Fox next week after airing on FS1 this week due to Fox’s coverage of the MLB World Series.
The announced lineup for next week’s episode, the go-home show for Crown Jewel:
United States Championship weigh-in with Rey Mysterio & Logan Paul
A match for the United States title is official for Crown Jewel.
Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul made it official for November 4 in Saudi Arabia after the two exchanged words on Friday’s SmackDown. Paul told Mysterio that he didn’t want to face him, as he had already beaten him last year at WrestleMania. However, he said he did want the United States Championship. Mysterio told Paul that he thinks Paul needs humbling. The segment ended with the two reluctantly shaking hands.
After Paul defeated Dillon Danis in a boxing match last weekend, he called out Rey Mysterio in the post-match interview, specifically saying that he wanted the United States title. He will also appear on Raw this coming Monday.
Paul last made an appearance at SummerSlam, defeating Ricochet in the opening match.
Here is the updated lineup for next month’s Crown Jewel:
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against LA Knight
World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defends against Drew McIntyre
Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley defends against Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, Shayna Baszler, and Zoey Stark in a fatal five-way match
WWE United States Champion Rey Mysterio defends against Logan Paul
After failing to win the WWE Women’s Championship in a triple threat at Fastlane, Charlotte Flair will battle IYO SKY for the title on tonight’s SmackDown from San Antonio, Texas.
Charlotte has yet to face SKY in a one-on-one match for the title on WWE television. The last time these two were in a ring together on TV, Charlotte teamed with Asuka to defeat SKY & Bayley on the October 6 edition of SmackDown.
Also set to appear on tonight’s show is Logan Paul. After Paul defeated Dillon Danis in a boxing match last weekend, Paul called out United States Champion Rey Mysterio. As a result, Paul said he plans to confront Mysterio tonight. We’ll see if Mysterio vs. Paul becomes official for Crown Jewel.
Mysterio’s stablemate Santos Escobar will also be in action as he takes on Montez Ford. The match was made after Ford, along with Angelo Dawkins, attacked Carlito on last week’s SmackDown.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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– A video recapping what happened with John Cena, LA Knight and the Bloodline last week aired to open the show.
– Kevin Patrick welcomed everyone into the show, per usual. He, along with Corey Graves, ran down what was announced for the card. Paul Heyman was standing in the ring alone and Heyman did his introductory schtick.
The Paul Heyman segment
This was one of Knight’s better promo outings in recent memory on WWE TV – and that is said while knowing entirely that the catalyst behind Knight’s quick rise in WWE has been his promo ability. He showed a bit more of an edge here, which was both welcome and mildly surprising. Heyman, as usual, was great, being the cocky heel before Knight showed up, because from there, Heyman immediately turned into the cowardly pest that he’s so good at being. I could do without another eye-rolling contract signing next week, but it ain’t like we’re running back Reigns vs. Zayn as a tune-up for Crown Jewel. So it goes.
Heyman recalled what Jimmy Uso did on Monday Night Raw. Heyman said Jimmy single-handedly cost Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes the Undisputed Tag Team Championships. Heyman then noted how the Los Angeles Times broke the story earlier in the day that Roman Reigns will face LA Knight at Crown Jewel for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.
Heyman said he’s just like everyone there – outside of the fact that he dresses better and makes more money than everyone else there. Heyman said what they have in common is that they are all fans of Knight. The crowd did the “Yeah!” thing after Heyman said “LA Knight,” and Heyman threw a fit, telling the crowd not to do that when he talks. Heyman said Crown Jewel will be the last time everyone will see Knight inside a ring. Heyman said Knight will get smashed at Crown Jewel by Reigns. On cue, Knight’s musit hit and the crowd went wild.
Knight said all Heyman has been doing is making “a whole lot of damn noise.” Knight said Heyman can take a walk because he needed Reigns’s ass out there. Heyman tried to leave the ring, but Knight stopped him. Knight called Heyman out for his threats. Knight asked Heyman what Reigns was going to do to him, but when Heyman tried to talk, Knight told Heymann to shut up. Heyman tried to leave the ring again. Knight stopped him and said if Heyman tried to leave, Knight would hit him so hard, his hair would turn back to gray, which was funny.
Knight asked Heyman if Heyman said the spear last week was a warning shot. Knight asked Heyman if he thought that was the right move. Knight said he doesn’t do warning shots. Knight said if anyone takes a shot at Knight, they better put Knight down for good. Knight said he can’t stop, won’t stop and he will not stop until he puts Reigns down in the ring and owns the Undisputed Universal Championship. Knight said Reigns should be scared. Knight said for as fast as he’s risen in WWE, it’ll be just as fast that he takes the title off Reigns.
Knight said next week, a contract signing will take place between Reigns and Knight. Knight told Heyman that he better make sure when he talks to Reigns, he better tell Reigns whose game it is (LA Knight’s, of course). Knight slammed the microphone into Heyman’s chest and walked out of the ring to end the segment.
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The Street Profits were shown backstage talking to Bobby Lashley. Santos Escobar then made his entrance for the next match.
Montez Ford defeated Santos Escobar [9:01]
A fine-enough match with a dumb finish. I can’t be the only one who feels like this iteration of the LWO has run its course and the Street Profits as heels simply isn’t the best use of the Profits … right? Ford did his best to work a heel style – and he was even given the bulk of the offense here – but both acts seem lukewarm at best. It feels like everyone involved on both sides needs a reboot. It’d be easy to think that comes for Escobar when he inevitably turns on Mysterio, but they just kicked off this Street Profits/Bobby Lashley thing, so the end could very much not be near. Blah.
The two locked up to begin the match. Ford had control early behind some kicks and aggressive elbows. Ford landed a nice-looking dropkick and taunted the crowd. Ford hit a high standing frog splash for a two-count. Escobar got back to his feet and worked his way back, but Ford kicked Escobar in the head as Escobar was perched on the top rope. That sent Escobar to the outside and it sent the broadcast to a commercial break.
Back from that commercial break, Ford had control. Lashley was shown watching the match backstage. Ford went for some type of springboard move from the second rope turnbuckle and it kind of/sort of looked like a modified bulldog. Either way, it kept Ford on the offensive. Escobar ultimately fired up and a super-kick forced Ford to the outside. Escobar landed a dive and rolled Ford back into the ring. Escobar went to the top and hit a cross-body for a two-count.
Escobar hit a double-knees and set up a Phantom Driver, but Ford got out of it and went to the top himself, but Escobar cut him off and landed a top-rope Frankensteiner. Dawkins pulled Ford to the outside and Escobar went for a splash and kind of half hit it? Either way, with the ref’s back turned, Dawkins ran Escobar into a ring post. The factions fought outside, complete with Escobar getting his revenge on Dawkins. As a result, Escobar rolled back into the ring and Ford rolled Escobar up for the win. A brawl broke out after the match, but Carlito ran to the ring with a chair to break things up.
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– Damage CTRL were shown backstage hyping up IYO SKY.
– The LWO were shown talking backstage and they were interrupted by Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega. Mysterio said he was going to go take care of business. Vega asked Rey if he wanted the rest of them to have his back, but Mysterio said “thanks, but no thanks,” and he’d rather go it alone on this night.
– Highlights of last week’s Pretty Deadly’s match aired. A vignette was shown and it featured Pretty Deadly getting the spa treatment. Wouldn’t you know it – the Brawling Brutes showed up and attacked Pretty Deadly during their spa. Ridge Holland finished it by telling Butch that they should go grab a pint.
– Backstage, Jimmy Uso, Heyman and Solo Sikoa were sitting together backstage. Jimmy said he was the starting quarterback at Raw, even though Reigns called the play. Uso celebrated and the camera cut to John Cena showing up and walking backstage.
The John Cena segment
And here, I thought we were going to get an actual John Cena match. Oh, well. Maybe that was for the best. I suppose this sets up Cena going away again, him introducing the “retirement” word into the discourse. All of that makes sense, of course, and when you look at this in a vacuum, I’m not sure you could have made better use out of Cena at this point. He has the social currency to lift people up (Knight, etc.), and it’s not like any of us should expect him to put on a six-star, 45-minute classic (to be fair, here, now, and probably ever). Here’s hoping he gets one more win. The 2,002 days stat was a wow-moment for me. You can’t say the guy isn’t selfless.
Cena said that San Antonio was sold out and it was fired up, so at least he can read a room. Cena said followed that by saying he was fired up. “Thank you, Cena!” chants broke out. Cena thanked the crowd. Cena said it was a rough day because he got hit with some harsh truths. Cena said he felt he should be honest with everyone. Cena brought up Roman Reigns’s streak as champion. Cena said today, he found out he has a streak of his own: 2,002 days since he last won a televised singles match. Cena said his last win was in 2018. Wow, I add parenthetically without typing parenthesis.
Cena said he’s been talking about retirement. Cena said it was time to face facts. Cena reiterated that it’s been a long time since he’s had a win. The crowd chanted “You still got it!” Cena said “Damn it, I believe in me, I believe in you and I believe in us!” Cena said he believes “in the beauty that is all this madness.” Cena said he could still go and the time is now to turn the match around. Cena said it’s going to be a bad night for “the next idiot to walk through that curtain.” Cena said whoever it is, they will get smoked. Naturally, Solo Sikoa’s music hit.
Sikoa got on the apron and fought Cena. Jimmy Uso ran down and attacked Cena, but Jey Uso showed up and took out Jimmy. Security got in the way and broke the brothers up. Back in the ring, Sikoa went for the Samoan Spike, but Cena countered with an Attitude Adjustment. Cena posed to end the segment.
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– An Alba Fyre/Isla Dawn video aired, so it’s nice to know SmackDown isn’t completely done with them, despite their absence.
– Kevin Patrick threw it to a video package of the tag team title match on Raw.
– Backstage, Nick Aldis gave Jey Uso a $10,000 fine and told security to escort Jey from the building. Adam Pearce was with them and Aldis had Pearce escorted from the building, too. Pearce was like, “Really!?” Aldis said yes and Pearce said, “Let the games begin.” To Survivor Series, we apparently go. Logan Paul then made his entrance.
The Logan Paul/Rey Mysterio segment
A few things to take away from all of this: One, why is Logan Paul so obsessed with the United States Championship, seemingly out of nowhere? Two, is Paul supposed to the heel? Probably, right? If so, why didn’t he attack Rey? Three, I understand why you’d put Logan Paul at the top of the hour because of his social media clout, but if you’re going to do that, wouldn’t you want more pomp and circumstance? So much of this felt ordinary, and I wasn’t expecting that. The match was all but already made, so it’s not like that announcement was shocking. Do I think they’ll have a good match? Sure. Did that help this segment? No.
Paul said that six days ago, he was in England, “beating the living daylights out of a scumbag.” Paul said he won his fight. Paul said it was a pathetic excuse for a fight. Paul said he should have known if he wanted real competition, he could have just had another WWE match. Paul then brought up people who “hide behind masks.” Paul said he already beat Rey Mysterio in his first-ever WWE wrestling match. Paul said the last time he wrestled Mysterio, LA Knight didn’t have a job, Roman Reigns still wrestled and Dominik was still Rey’s son. Paul said he knows who he is, and he’s a “WWE superstar, baby.”
Paul said Mysterio has something Paul needs. Paul said he needs the United States Championship. Paul said even though he beat up a deadbeat dad last weekend, at Crown Jewel, “he’s going to have to beat up another.” Mysterio’s music then hit. As Mysterio made his way to the ring, Michael Cole on commentary noted that Paul actually beat Mysterio in a tag match and not one-on-one. Mysterio said Paul reminds him of his son Dominick: A lot of natural ability, dripping with passion, incredible career ahead of him … and a big mouth.
Mytsterio said he thinks Paul needs humbling. Mysterio said he was reluctant with Dominik, but with Paul, he’s not going to hesitate to “whoop his ass.” Mysterio asked Paul if he wants the U.S. title. Paul said, “Si.” Mysterio said he would give Paul the opportunity at Crown Jewel. Paul extended his hand for a handshake and it looked like Rey would comply. Despite conventional wisdom, the two simply shook hands and Paul left the ring.
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Grayson Waller & Austin Theory defeated Dragon Lee & Cameron Grimes [6:03]
A six-minute match with two of those minutes coming during a commercial break. Maybe it’s easy to get bored with WWE programming, but I actually kind of like the Grimes/Lee duo, if only because it’s fresh. That said, this felt like a glorified squash for the Theory/Waller team, which was disappointing in its own right. Until Grimes got involved last week, I forgot he was still with the company. And I’d love it if that was an exaggeration, but it’s not. My fear now is that Lee got the call-up just to job out to any and everybody, but time will tell. For now, this wasn’t a move in a good direction. By the way, at the end of this match, it was about 9:30 EST, which meant that in the first hour-and-a-half of the show, we got about 15 minutes of wrestling. Do with that what you will.
Theory and Lee started the match, but Waller tagged in quickly. Waller was subject to a series of double-team moves from Grimes and Lee after Grimes tagged in. That included a wild Russian Leg Sweep combo that looked like it hurt. The action spilled outside and Grimes with Lee took control. The babyfaces returned to the ring and the show went to a commercial break. When the show returned, Waller was working over Lee inside the ring. Theory tagged in, but Lee landed a DDT on the heels and got the hot tag to Grimes.
Grimes hit a cross-body on Waller and fought off both Theory and Waller. Grimes got in a German Suplex on Theory for a two-count. Waller went to the outside and Lee hit a splash. Inside the ring, Grimes covered Theory for a two-count. Grimes lifted Theory, but Theory raked the eyes to break it up. Waller ran into the ring as Grimes rolled up Theory and Waller hit his finisher on Grimes. Theory then pinned Grimes for the win.
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The Kevin Owens interview
Cathy Kelley sat down with Owens and Kelley asked Owens what it felt like to be separated from Sami Zayn. Owens said it doesn’t feel great. Owens noted how they did a lot together and to be separated in the way they were separated, it hurt. Owens said he’s happy to be on SmackDown because it’s a clean slate and Owens said it’s bittersweet. Owens mentioned he has a lot of history with the Bloodline. Owens said he expects to cross paths with the Bloodline. Owens said he wants to have a singles match with Rey Mysterio and Sheamus. Owens said there are a lot of new faces to punch.
Owens asked Kelley if there was anybody she wanted him to punch. Kelley said she couldn’t answer that. Owens said that all he wants people to know is that this is the Kevin Owens Show. That’s how everything ended.
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IYO SKY defeated Charlotte Flair [16:04]
And the expected return of Bianca Belair happens. That said, I was at least a tiny bit surprised that IYO got the pinfall, no matter how she got it. This was a good match and very much main-event worthy, especially on a show like this, which didn’t feature much wrestling. These women wrestled – and wrestled well, to boot. I’ll tell you, when Charlotte wants to work, man, she can work. Call me a simpleton, but give these two 10 more minutes and no nonsense and let’s watch them work. Because under the right circumstances, that could be special. I digress. This was good, but we all knew it was little more than a conduit for bringing Belair back, which is fine, too. As for what’s next, only time will tell.
Charlotte took SKY down to start the match and SKY rolled to the outside. From there, the show instantly went to commercial. When the show returned, Charlotte was working the hell out of SKY. Charlotte’s momentum stopped when Bayley grabbed her leg. As a result, SKY landed a dive between the ropes onto Charlotte, who was on the outside, SKY then hit a missile dropkick for a one-count. SKY then worked a chin-lock.
Charlotte fought back and hit SKY with a kick to the head. Charlotte leapt at SKY and SKY moved. Ultimately, SKY flipped Charlottewith her legs over the top to the outside. SKY jumped at Charlotte, but Charlotte caught SKY and slammed SKY into the apron. From there, we got our (most likely) final commercial break of the night. Back from that break, the two were fighting on the top rope and it resulted in a tough sit-out powerbomb from SKY, who got a two-count out of it.
SKY landed a double-knees and then worked a cross-face, but Charlotte got up immediately and landed a lose German Suplex to slow things down. After the two got back on their feet, Charlotte hit a bunch of chops, the final of which took SKY down. Charlotte then landed a fallaway slam. Charlotte put SKY on her back and went to the second rope. From there, Charlotte hit another fallaway slam for a good near-fall. SKY was on the apron and went for a springboard dropkick, but Charlotte caught her and worked a Boston Crab. SKY rolled through for a two-count.
With the two of them on their feet, Charlotte went for a knee, but SKY moved and dropkicked Charlotte into the second turnbuckle. SKY went to the top and tried a moonsault, but Charlotte got her knees up for a nasty spot. Charlotte then landed a spear, but Bayley put SKY’s foot on the rope to ensure Charlotte wouldn’t get the pin. Charlotte attacked Bayley and threw Bayley over the announce table. Back in the ring, Charlotte went for another spear, but SKY had the title in her hand and Charlotte ran into that. As a result, SKY pinned Charlotte for the win.
After the match, Damage CTRL attacked Charlotte, but Bianca Belair made her return to get rid of Damage CTRL. The show ended with Charlotte and Belair standing tall.
