WWE has announced that SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode will defend their titles against Rey & Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania Backlash. The pay-per-view is taking place on Sunday, May 16.
Rey & Dominik are looking to become the first father and son team to hold Tag Team titles together in WWE history.
Ziggler & Roode have been SmackDown Tag Team Champions since winning the titles from The Street Profits this January.
On SmackDown’s go-home show for WrestleMania 37 last month, Ziggler & Roode retained their titles against The Street Profits, The Mysterios, and Chad Gable & Otis in a fatal four-way match. Ziggler & Roode also retained against The Street Profits on SmackDown three weeks ago. Last week’s SmackDown saw The Street Profits & Bianca Belair defeat Ziggler, Roode & Bayley in a six-person tag match.
The Mysterios defeated Otis & Gable on SmackDown two weeks ago.
This is the fourth match that’s been announced for WrestleMania Backlash. Here’s the updated card for the PPV:
WWE Champion Bobby Lashley defends against Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman in a triple threat match
SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair defends against Bayley
Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley defends against Asuka and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match
SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode defend against Rey & Dominik Mysterio
Tonight’s SmackDown features the fallout from WrestleMania 37.
New SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will likely appear tonight to address her emotional victory. Belair defeated Sasha Banks to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship in the main event of WrestleMania night one.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns successfully defended his title against Daniel Bryan and Edge in WrestleMania night two’s main event. Reigns pinned both Bryan and Edge after hitting Edge with a conchairto.
In other results, Apollo Crews defeated Big E to win the Intercontinental title with help from Commander Azeez. Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn and gave Logan Paul a stunner after the match. and Cesaro scored a victory over Seth Rollins. Natalya & Tamina won the Tag Team Turmoil match on night one but lost to WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler on night two.
Tonight, SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode defend their titles against The Street Profits. Ziggler & Roode retained the titles in a fatal four-way against The Street Profits, Rey & Dominik Mysterio, and Chad Gable & Otis last week. Rey & Dominik vs. Gable & Otis is also set for tonight’s show.
Tonight’s SmackDown will also feature Pat McAfee’s debut as a member of the show’s commentary team. He’ll be calling the action with Michael Cole.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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They recapped Roman Reigns defeating Edge and Daniel Bryan in the main event of WrestleMania night two.
Michael Cole welcomed the fans to a new era of SmackDown. Cole introduced his new broadcast partner Pat McAfee. Cole ran down his sports background and noted McAfee’s a former NXT superstar.
McAfee was a total heel and claimed fans are calling him Mr. Friday Night. McAfee is already annoying Cole.
McAfee did a good job his first night as a color commentator. He irritated Cole all night.
Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, And Paul Heyman Segment
Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, and Paul Heyman made their way to the ring. They piped in loud boos and “you suck” chants. Reigns asked Heyman to explain to the new viewer who he beat Sunday night.
Heyman talked about Edge and Daniel Bryan’s careers. He praised Reigns for his victory Sunday night.
Reigns noted he called his shot like Babe Ruth. He smashed them, stacked them, and pinned them.
Reigns believes management will never put him in a triple threat again because he beat a Hall of Famer and a future Hall of Famer. Reigns pointed out that now nobody wants to face him.
Reigns said they opened up his show, but now it’s time to go. They started to leave the ring.
Suddenly, Cesaro’s music hit, and he walked to the ring. He went face-to-face with Reigns. Cesaro grabbed a mic but Reigns just walked away before he could speak. Cesaro stood in the ring and watched them leave.
Reigns delivered a great promo as he usually does. It seemed odd that Cesaro just watched them leave before he could speak.
Cole and McAfee praised Cesaro and his victory over Seth Rollins.
Cole said they’re going to look at the single most impressive moment at WrestleMania after the break.
They showed highlights from WrestleMania weekend.
Cesaro approached WWE officials Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville. Cesaro was furious that Reigns disrespected him in the ring. He demanded a match with Reigns tonight and said it doesn’t have to be for the title.
Pearce seemed not to agree, but Deville cut him off. She promised to talk with Reigns about it.
They recapped Cesaro giving Seth Rollins the UFO at WrestleMania.
Rey Mysterio (w/Dominik Mysterio) defeated Otis (w/Chad Gable)
Mysterio and Otis had a fun short match.
Otis had the early advantage and dropped Mysterio with a press slam. Mysterio fought back with forearms and climbed to the top rope. Otis cut him off but missed a charge in the corner.
Mysterio responded with a senton off the top for a near fall. Mysterio attempted a springboard crossbody, but Otis caught him with a slam. Otis missed a splash off the second turnbuckle.
Mysterio recovered and hit the 619. Mysterio jumped off the second turnbuckle and caught Otis in a crucifix for the win.
Paul Heyman responds to Cesaro’s challenge after the break.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Paul Heyman and asked if Reigns will accept Cesaro’s challenge. Heyman said there was no rain delay on Saturday. He said it was angels tears because of what Reigns was going to do to Edge and Bryan.
Heyman said Cesaro has a million-dollar body but a 10 cent brain. Heyman decides to give the fans what they want. Tonight, Cesaro will take on Jey Uso in the main event.
They recapped Cesaro defeating Seth Rollins Saturday night.
Sami Zayn Segment
Sami Zayn made his way to the ring. They recapped Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn and Owens giving Logan Paul the stunner.
Zayn claimed that he got screwed at WrestleMania. He said Owens, the fans, and Michael Cole poisoned Paul’s mind. Zayn could feel that something was wrong with Paul, and it distracted him throughout the match.
Zayn demands vindication and calls out Owens. Zayn noted there are no toxic fans or Paul to distract him tonight.
Kevin Owens walked to the ring as they cut to a commercial.
Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn
Owens and Zayn had a good hard-hitting match until the finish.
Owens and Zayn brawled around ringside to start the match. Owens had the early advantage and dropped Zayn with a clothesline.
He followed up with a senton and attempted the cannonball.
Zayn avoided the cannonball and hung Owens on the top rope to take over. Owens responded with another clothesline and dropped Zayn on the top rope.
Owens placed Zayn on the top turnbuckle. He rocked Zayn with hard chops, but Zayn fought back. Zayn then hit a sunset bomb off the top rope for a near fall. On commentary, McAfee asked Cole the move’s name and said it was the coolest move he’d seen.
Back from the break, Zayn knocked Owens off the top rope. Owens avoided Zayn and rocked him with a superkick. Owens followed up with a Swanton bomb for a near fall.
Zayn rolled to the floor and tried to leave. Owens brought him back in the ring and attempted a pop-up powerbomb. Zayn avoided the powerbomb, but Owens hit a fisherman’s backbreaker.
Zayn tried to leave the ring again, but Owens went after him. Zayn slipped out of the ring again, and Owens tried to drag him back in the ring. Zayn poked Owens in the eyes and got counted out.
After the match, Owens brought Zayn back in the ring and hit the stunner.
In the back, the new Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews was with Commander Azeez. Crews bragged about winning the title and noted Big E’s not there tonight. He introduced Commander Azeez and said he’s a former member of the Nigerian guard. Crews didn’t mention his time on Raw Underground.
Bianca Belair’s Championship Celebration
The Street Profits made their way out as the crew set up the ring for Belair’s celebration with a blue carpet and balloons.
Back from the break, The Street Profits promised to win the tag team titles later. Montez Ford noted they’re out there for a different reason. He said WrestleMania was a historic night, but there’s a particular moment that he’ll be telling his grandchildren.
They aired an excellent video package looking at Belair vs. Sasha Banks from WrestleMania. Dawkins and Ford seemed legitimately emotional after they showed the video.
Ford then gave Belair a grand introduction. He called her the roughest, toughest person and the best part of his life. Belair noted that she never thought this moment wasn’t possible despite all the setbacks.
She admitted that if someone told her a year ago she would be in the WrestleMania main event, she’d agree. Belair’s not cocky. She just believes in herself. Belair said everyone has a little EST in them. She praised Banks and thanked her for the match. Belair noted Banks pushed her, and they both made history. She mentioned leaving Banks with a scar.
Belair pointed out they’re just getting started making history. In a touching moment, Belair and The Street Profits shared a hug. Belair then told them to win the tag team titles.
This was a good segment. Belair delivered a good promo.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Sasha Banks backstage. Banks was furious and looked at the scar on her side. She stopped talking and walked off in a rage.
Kayla Braxton then interviewed Bayley backstage. Bayley mocked Belair and promised to restore dignity to the title. She challenged Belair and promised to take her title.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode defeated The Street Profits to retain the titles
This was a good match.
Ford dropped Ziggler with a standing dropkick for a near fall. The faces isolated Ziggler on their side of the ring.
Ford avoided Ziggler, and he ran into Roode. Dawkins then hit the twisting splash in the corner and followed up with a bulldog.
Back from the break, Dawkins caught Roode with a back elbow, but Ziggler caused a distraction. Roode took advantage and hit Dawkins with a spine buster. The heels isolated Dawkins and cut him off from his corner.
Ford got the hot tag and ran wild on the heels. Ford hit a back suplex on Roode and followed up with a standing moonsault for a near fall. Ford hit a dive to the floor, taking out the heels.
Dawkins hit the spine buster on Roode. Ford then hit the frog splash, but Ziggler broke up the pin attempt. Ford beat Roode in the corner and didn’t notice Ziggler make the blind tag.
Ford whipped Roode into the opposite corner, but Ziggler hit the Zig Zag on Ford for the win.
They showed the footage of Cesaro giving Rollins the UFO several times throughout the night.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Cesaro in the back. She noted Paul Heyman insulted him earlier. He admitted that Heyman was right about some stuff but was wrong about one thing. Cesaro does belong in the ring with Roman Reigns.
In a great shot, they cut to Reigns with a perplexed look on his face. He couldn’t believe Cesaro thinks he belongs in the same ring as him. He urged Jey Uso to take care of Cesaro.
This wasn’t much of a match. They went a few minutes and didn’t have time to build to anything.
Tamina and Jax argued at ringside. Baszler had the early advantage and attempted to stomp on Natalya’s arm, but Tamina pulled her out of the ring. Jax distracted Natalya and Baszler rocked her with a knee.
Jax jumped on the apron and argued with the referee. Baszler almost ran into Jax but stopped herself. Natalya then rolled up Baszler for the win.
After the match, Tamina rocked Jax with a boot to the face.
In the back, Uso promised to defeat Cesaro tonight.
They recapped Jey Uso winning the Andre The Giant Battle Royal last week.
Cesaro defeated Jey Uso DQ
Cesaro and Uso had a really good hard-hitting, fast-paced match until the lame finish.
Cesaro caught Uso with a backbreaker for the early advantage. Uso fought back and attacked Cesaro’s arm. Cesaro knocked Uso to the floor and attempted a dive off the apron. Uso recovered and rocked Cesaro with a superkick.
Back from the break, Uso continued to work over Cesaro’s arm. Cesaro fought back, but Uso responded with a Samoan Drop. Uso attempted a suplex, but Cesaro reversed with a suplex.
Cesaro hit a cross body for a close near fall. Uso went back to the arm and hit a superkick for two-count. Uso climbed to the top rope, but Cesaro cut him off with a dropkick. Cesaro then hit a gut-wrench superplex for a near fall.
Uso went back to the arm, but Cesaro used a cartwheel to avoid the move. He then hit a springboard uppercut for a close near fall. Uso fought back and hit a back suplex into a neck breaker for another near fall.
Cesaro rocked Uso with a discus lariat for a near fall. Cesaro then gave Uso the giant swing. Suddenly, Seth Rollins jumped in the ring and attacked Cesaro to end the match.
Rollins walked to the top of the stage. He yelled at Cesaro that it’s not over between them.
WWE has announced that SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode will defend their titles against The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) on this week’s SmackDown. On last Friday’s special WrestleMania edition of the show, Ziggler & Roode retained their titles against The Street Profits, Rey & Dominik Mysterio, and Chad Gable & Otis in a fatal four-way match.
Before last week’s SmackDown Tag Team title match got started, a brawl broke out between the four teams when Ziggler & Roode attacked The Street Profits backstage. Ford hit a frog splash on Gable near the end of the match, but Roode blind tagged in. Ziggler gave Ford a superkick, then Roode pinned Gable to get the win.
The Street Profits had been trying to get a SmackDown Tag Team Championship rematch since losing the titles to Ziggler & Roode this January.
WWE has also announced that Rey Mysterio vs. Otis will take place on this Friday’s SmackDown. It will be the first episode of the show since WrestleMania 37.
A second title match has been added to the lineup for next week’s episode of SmackDown.
On this week’s Talking Smack, it was announced that SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits will defend their titles against Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode next Friday (January 8). Big E defending his Intercontinental title against Apollo Crews is also set for next Friday’s SmackDown.
The Street Profits retained their titles against Ziggler & Roode on SmackDown two weeks ago when Montez Ford rolled up Roode while holding onto his tights. Roode had done the same thing to Ford when Ziggler & Roode defeated The Street Profits in a non-title match in November.
Last night’s SmackDown saw The Street Profits host their “New Year’s Day Smoke-Tacular.” They made fun of Ziggler during the segment and were about to make fun of Roode, but Ziggler & Roode then attacked The Street Profits. They used a steel chair to attack both Ford & Angelo Dawkins, including hitting Ford’s leg with a steel chair as his leg was up against the ring post.
Ziggler & Roode were interviewed backstage after the attack. They demanded another shot at the SmackDown Tag Team titles. It was said on today’s Talking Smack that The Street Profits have accepted Ziggler & Roode’s challenge and the match will take place on SmackDown next Friday.
SmackDown makes a one-week shift to FS1 for tonight’s TLC go-home show.
SmackDown is airing on FS1 tonight due to college football’s Pac-12 Championship Game being on Fox. Tonight’s show will feature a SmackDown Tag Team Championship match with The Street Profits defending their titles against Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode.
Ziggler & Roode earned a title shot after defeating the champions in a non-title match a few weeks ago. Last Friday, Ziggler defeated Montez Ford in a singles match after Roode attacked Angelo Dawkins at ringside.
Bianca Belair goes one-on-one with Bayley tonight. Belair and Bayley have been taunting each other since their team lost at Survivor Series.
Ahead of challenging for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at TLC, Carmella will present a champagne toast tonight. Last week’s show ended with Carmella breaking a champagne bottle over Sasha Banks’ back after their SmackDown Women’s Championship match ended in a disqualification.
Sami Zayn also hosts the “first annual Sami Awards” tonight. Zayn tweeted that he’ll be giving out the awards because the Slammys are biased toward corporate favorites.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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SmackDown started with a recap of the Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens feud. It included Reigns beating down Owens backstage. Reigns also warned Owens’ wife and kids and told them to talk sense into Owens.
Kevin Owens’s music hit, and he made his way to the ring, which was surrounded by tables, ladders, and chairs. Owens called out Reigns, but he didn’t come out. Owens turned his attention to Reigns’ comments about his family.
Owens told his family not to watch his match with Reigns at TLC. He doesn’t want them to see what he’s going to do to Reigns Sunday night. He called out Reigns again, but he still didn’t come out.
Owens brought up Jey Uso attacking him. He pointed out that Reigns uses his family to do his bidding. Owens called Reigns a coward, and Paul Heyman appeared on the screen.
Heyman’s surprised that Owens is back after last week and wants more. He called Owens a martyr and said he’s dangerous because Owens will do anything to win the Universal championship. Heyman noted that Owens has to be eliminated.
Owens heard enough and cut off Heyman. Owens decided to go to the back and find Reigns since he won’t come to the ring. Owens jumped out of the ring and walked to the back. Heyman looked to the side disapprovingly as they went to break.
Back from the break, Adam Pearce tried to stop Owens from going into Reigns’ locker room. Owens pushed him aside but Reigns locker room door was closed. Suddenly, Reigns music started playing.
There was a monitor conveniently next to Reigns locker room door on an awkward angle.
Reigns made his way down to the ring as Owens watched on the monitor. Reigns wanted to show that he’s a good guy. He gave Owens the same chance as his family. He told Owens to acknowledge him as the tribal chief and head of the table. Reigns demanded Owens come to the ring and apologize, or he won’t even make it to TLC.
Owens marched to the ring, but Jey Uso jumped him from behind. Reigns and Uso then viciously beat down Owens in the aisle.
Referees and officials ran out and tried to stop them. Owens attempted to get up, but he fell. Reigns had a worried look on his face as he walked off.
This was a good opening segment.
In the back, Jey Uso, Reigns, and Heyman discussed beating down Owens. Uso was certain Owens wouldn’t be coming back from the beat down.
Reigns didn’t agree and told Uso to eliminate Owens. Uso walked off looking for Owens.
Actor Clarke Duke gave his opinions on the upcoming match. He was upset that Ziggler and Roode said funny isn’t money. He claimed his big house proves their theory wrong.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits defeated Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode to retain the titles
This was a good match. Both teams worked hard.
Ziggler distracted Angelo Dawkins, and Roode jumped him to start the match. The faces quickly recovered and took over. Montez Ford hit a back suplex and moonsault for a near fall. He knocked Roode off the apron and climbed to the top rope, but Ziggler cut him off.
Ford blocked the suplex attempt and climbed back up. Roode recovered and pushed Ford to the floor.
Back from the break, Ziggler scored a close near fall on Ford. Ziggler hit a splash in the corner into a Russian leg sweep from Roode for a near fall. The heels isolated Ford on their side of the ring.
Ford fought back, and Dawkins got the hot tag. Dawkins ran wild and hit a twisting neck breaker on Roode for a close near fall. Dawkins attempted a powerbomb, but Roode went for a Glorious DDT.
In a cool spot, Ziggler and Roode hit an assisted famouser for a very close near fall. The finish came when Ford hit the frog splash on Ziggler, but Roode broke up the pin attempt. Ford then rolled up Roode out of nowhere and held the tights for the win.
After the match, Roode and Ziggler were furious that they lost. They yelled at referee Charles Robinson and blamed him for the loss. Robinson got fired up and stood up for himself. He warned them that they could get suspended. Roode and Ziggler then back off.
In the back, Kevin Owens was looking for Reigns. Adam Pearce was trying to stop him again. Suddenly, Jey Uso attacked Owens with a chair and told him to stay down.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Bianca Belair. Belair is annoyed that Bayley is always talking about her. She promised to defeat Bayley later tonight.
The Riott Squad defeated Billie Kay & Tamina
This wasn’t a good match. Tamina dominated the faces for the majority of it.
Before the match, Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott tried to guess who Kay might choose to be her partner. Morgan hoped for Beyonce, Sarah Jessica Parker, or Wonder Woman.
Before the match, Kay announced her partner Tamina. Graves was excited about Kay and Tamina. He thinks they’ll make a great team.
Tamina dominated the faces and beat them down. She threw Morgan across the ring, and she landed right on her face. Tamina hit the Samona drop on Riott, but Kay tagged herself in to get the pin.
Morgan broke up the pin attempt. Morgan got the tag and ran wild. The faces knocked Tamina off the apron with a double dropkick. The Riott Squad then hit a missile dropkick/downward spiral combo for the win.
Carmella’s Champagne Toast
This was a fine segment, although it went a bit long and dragged at points.
Carmella’s sommelier was in the ring setting everything up for the toast. They recapped the Carmella and Sasha Banks match from last week. After the match, Carmella viciously beat down Banks.
Carmella made her grand entrance and her way to the ring. She had her sommelier choose the perfect champagne so she can toast her upcoming win. Carmella mocked the fans at home and said she’s better.
Carmella noted Banks is physically talented but mentally weak. She said Banks is drowning but not in the champagne she hit her with last week. The fans booed, and Carmella mocked them.
Carmella claimed that Banks got disqualified last week because Banks knew she couldn’t win. Carmella promised to win the title on Sunday. She demanded champagne to celebrate the moment. She had a sip and said it’s cheap like Banks.
Sasha Banks’s music hit, and the sommelier ran up the ramp. Of course, Banks appeared in the ring from the other side. She threw the champagne at Carmella and slapped the sommelier.
Suddenly, Carmella smashed a champagne bottle on Banks’ back and knocked her down.
In the back, Kevin Owens was in the trainer’s room, getting looked at when Jey Uso ran in. They brawled, but Uso ended up slamming Owens through a table and yelled at him to stay down.
There wasn’t much to the match, and it was kept short.
They recapped Otis and Gable losing to Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura last week.
Nakamura had the early advantage, but Gable coached from ringside. Otis used a slam to gain a brief advantage. Nakamura fought back and took over with a series of knees.
Nakamura rocked Otis with kicks, but it just fired Otis up. Otis hit a splash in the corner and went for the caterpillar. Gable jumped up and stopped Otis. He told him to give Nakamura a suplex.
Otis picked up Nakamura, but he used an inside cradle for a near fall. Otis recovered and hit a suplex. He followed up with the Vader Bomb for the win.
In the back, Sami Zayn was nervously getting ready for the Sami Awards. He realized the trophies weren’t polished and took off in search of polish.
Big E emerged from the back wearing a red bow tie. He picked up the envelopes and laughed hysterically.
Michael Cole excitedly wondered what Big E’s up to and can’t wait to see what he does next.
They showed the video of Drew McIntrye defeating 2020 with the Claymore Kick.
In the back, Gable and Otis celebrated his win. Gable didn’t understand why he stopped doing the caterpillar. Otis thought it was a test.
The Sami Awards
This was a fun segment. Zayn was good in his role here.
Sami Zayn came out wearing a stylish purple suit and spoke at a podium on the stage.
He talked about the previous Slammy Awards and noted the quality went down the last few years. He said it hasn’t been good since the late great Jack Tunney oversaw the awards.
Before Zayn gets to the awards, he recapped 2020, which only focused on his career.
The first award is for a comeback of the year. Zayn noted there are several possible winners, including Edge, Roman Reigns, and Sami Zayn.
Zayn introduced himself as the winner and said he couldn’t believe it. The next award is for the match of the year, which went to Zayn’s ladder match against AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy at Clash of Champions.
The final award was for Superstar of the Year. The award went to Big E, which surprised Zayn. Big E came out and accepted the award. Zayn said there had to be a mistake. Big E slammed Zayn on the table and threw him down the ramp.
Big E thanked the fans and celebrated his win.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Bayley in the back. She noted that she doesn’t need to brag about her past accomplishments. She pointed out that she ran cross country in high school and was the basketball team captain.
Bayley defeated Bianca Belair
Bayley and Belair had a good match.
Belair had the early advantage and taunted Bayley. She did a series of flips out of the corner and posed on the middle turnbuckle. She then did a backflip and rocked Bayley with a dropkick.
Bayley regained control and attacked the arm. Back from the break, Bayley was firmly in control and tossed Belair to the floor. Belair shoved Bayley into the steps and jumped back in the ring.
Belair hit a standing delayed vertical suplex and taunted Bayley. She followed up with a handspring moonsault for a near fall. Belair then hit a series of backbreakers and dragged her to the corner.
Belair climbed to the top rope, but Bayley cut her off. Bayley mocked Belair, but Belair recovered and hit a suplex. Belair ran wild and hit a spine buster for a near fall. Bayley fought back and tried using the ropes, but the referee caught her.
Belair rolled up Bayley for a two count. Belair then lifted Bayley into a powerbomb, but Bayley raked the eyes and hit the Rose Plant for the win.
Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, and Jey Uso Promo
This was a good segment.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, and Jey Uso made their way to the ring.
Back from the break, Reigns didn’t understand why Kevin Owens screwed up this opportunity. He said it was going to elevate his career.
Owens music hit, and he limped his way to the ring. Owens grabbed a chair and went after Uso. The heels quickly took over and viciously beat down Owens. Reigns continued to attack Owens with a chair.
Uso then slammed Owens through a table and set up a second table. Reigns then gave Owens a Samoan Drop through the second table.
Reigns then buried Owens under the pieces of the broken tables, ladders, chairs, and more tables.
Reigns and Uso destroyed Owens and then went to the back with Owens buried under the tables, ladders, and chairs.
In the back, Kayla Braxton interviewed Reigns, Heyman, and Uso in front of a monitor. Reigns started talking when Owens pulled himself out of the pile.
The heels were furious and walked off. In the ring, Owens grabbed a mic and promised to win the Universal title, or he’d die trying.
WWE has announced a few additions to the lineup for tonight’s episode of Raw.
WWE Champion Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre will face off in six-man tag team action tonight. Orton will team with The Miz & John Morrison against McIntyre & Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods).
McIntyre, The Miz, and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt have recently been positioned as potential challengers for Orton’s title. Miz holds the Money in the Bank briefcase and tried to cash in after McIntyre laid out Orton last week, but McIntyre stopped Miz. McIntyre said he’s going to be the person to take the WWE Championship from Orton. Later in the night, Orton dropped McIntyre with an RKO after McIntyre defeated Miz & Morrison in a handicap match. The Fiend’s laugh then played to close the show.
Kingston & Woods appearing on Miz TV with Miz & Morrison, Raw Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Nia Jax in a non-title match, and Ricochet vs. Mustafa Ali have also been added to tonight’s show. Plus, Jeff Hardy, Riddle, and Elias will face off in a triple threat second chance qualifying match to determine the final member of Raw’s Survivor Series men’s team.
A Moment of Bliss segment with McIntyre as the guest was originally announced for tonight’s show but is no longer listed on WWE’s preview.
SmackDown’s season premiere episode will include Daniel Bryan’s return to WWE television.
WWE has announced that Bryan will make his WWE ThunderDome debut as he kicks off this Friday’s season premiere edition of SmackDown. Bryan remained on SmackDown when he was drafted as the brand’s third pick during the second night of the WWE Draft this Monday.
Bryan and his wife Brie Bella welcomed the birth of their second child, a boy named Buddy Dessert Danielson, this August. Bryan hasn’t made an in-person appearance on SmackDown since June.
A SmackDown Tag Team title match has also been added to this Friday’s SmackDown season premiere episode. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits will defend their titles against Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode.
The Street Profits were SmackDown’s second pick during night two of the WWE Draft. They were the Raw Tag Team Champions when they got picked, but there was a segment on Monday’s Raw where The Street Profits and The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) swapped Tag Team title belts.
Kingston & Woods retained their Raw Tag Team titles against Ziggler & Roode on Monday. Ziggler & Roode were drafted to SmackDown on the episode and did a post-show interview where they said they’re coming after The Street Profits’ titles.
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship, The New Day (Big E, Kingston & Woods) vs. Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro in a six-man tag match, and Jeff Hardy vs. Lars Sullivan are also set for this week’s SmackDown. To celebrate the season premiere, Fox will also have a special 30-minute pre-show prior to SmackDown. It will begin on Fox at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time and will be hosted by Renee Paquette (formerly known as Renee Young in WWE) and Booker T.
The six-man tag is being billed as The New Day’s SmackDown farewell match. While Kingston & Woods were drafted to Raw, Big E is remaining on SmackDown.
Date: October 5, 2020 Location: Amway Center in Orlando, FL
The Big Takeaway —
Mustafa Ali is in Retribution.
As expected, Randy Orton will face Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship in a Hell in a Cell match. Orton handed McIntyre a rare loss in the main event, pinning him after an RKO in a six-man tag match.
Murphy turned on Seth Rollins but Rollins ultimately got the better of him. Rollins attacked until Aalyah begged him to stop.
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler successfully defended the tag titles against Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan.
Show Recap —
Randy Orton sat in a dimly lit room in the back (the one where he attacked everyone last week). Orton doesn’t remember a lot about his ambulance ride after Clash of Champions but he does remember the match. He remembers being ambushed by Big Show, Christian and Shawn Michaels.
He remembers Drew McIntyre punting him in the head and being driven off in an ambulance by Ric Flair. Orton felt nothing but darkness and pain in that moment. Twenty-four hours after that, McIntyre celebrated with those legends with a title he didn’t deserve and that made him sick. Those legends even played poker and toasted two of his opponents tonight.
Orton decided to repay the legends last week. He made them feel the darkness and pain that he felt at COC. Orton ran down what he did to each guy in great detail, including whispering to Christian to say to Edge for him.
Orton wished that McIntyre was there to witness it. McIntyre’s bill was not yet paid and wouldn’t be until Orton was the WWE Champion. Orton said McIntyre could attain the legacy he sought if he could survive Hell in a Cell against him.
At the precise moment that Orton issued the challenge, McIntyre barged into the room and attacked him until officials ran in to break it up.
This was certainly a different way to start the show.
Six-woman tag match: Raw Women’s Champion Asuka, Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke defeated Zelina Vega, Natalya & Lana (4:51)
Rose and Brooke matched this week with primarily blue gear. Rose picked up the pinfall win for her team with a knee strike on Lana.
After the winning team left, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler marched out. They confronted Natalya and Lana outside the ring. (Vega left.) Jax was going to put Natalya through the announce table but Lana saved her. This resulted in Jax putting Lana through the table instead (for the third time over the past few weeks).
During the match, the announcers talked about the draft and Samoa Joe made reference to GMs (who?) and officials working stuff out ahead of Friday. Tom Phillips mentioned that Adam Pearce was probably stressing out in the “war room.” Isn’t he on both shows?
R-Truth had a white board in the back with his mock draft. His picks included ninjas and Bray Wyatt’s puppets. He also had Vince McMahon going 5th to Smackdown. There was a custodian behind him and he thought it was Orton.
The custodian tried to attack with a mop but Truth ducked and ran away until he tripped over a mop bucket. The custodian pinned him to win the 24/7 title. It was Drew Gulak. He ran away.
MVP met with Mustafa Ali, Apollo Crews and Ricochet. MVP downplayed his loss last week and said they can win an occasional match but they never win the fight. He noted the importance of the draft and how much a move to Raw helped Crews.
MVP said he also had an opening in the Hurt Business tonight only and claimed his brand was a bigger opportunity than going Raw or Smackdown. After MVP left, Crews and Ali blew this off but Ricochet appeared to consider it.
Seth Rollins / Murphy segment
Seth Rollins and Murphy entered for their match. There was a long video recap of the Mysterio family angle. Rollins asked Murphy to hand him the mic but he didn’t because he wanted to get something off his chest. Murphy said he has done everything Rollins has asked of him and more but if Rollins wanted him to continue being his disciple, he needed to apologize.
Rollins couldn’t believe it. Murphy didn’t want the apology for him, he wanted Rollins to apologize to Aalyah. Rollins snatched the mic away and yelled at him. Rollins said he was the one who saved Murphy.
Rollins also noted that he could have shown way more DMs between Murphy and Aalyah, including the ones where she states her true feelings about Murphy and about her family. Rollins stressed that he was the messiah and Murphy was the disciple.
Dominik and Humberto Carrillo ran out and attacked. They cleared the ring and they each hit dives which led to break.
The match began during the break and Rollins quickly gained control on Dominik. Rollins and Murphy couldn’t get along. Rollins wasn’t happy about Murphy tagging himself in. Carrillo tagged in as they argued and took them down with a flying crossbody. There was some back-and-forth until Carrillo wiped out both guys with a nice dive.
However, Carrillo came off the top and Murphy caught him with a mid-air V-Trigger for the pinfall win. Murphy marched off without Rollins after the match. (Two straight matches with the same finishing move, basically.) The match was only about five minutes or less.
Braun Strowman confronted Adam Pearce. He knew Raw Underground wasn’t happening but wanted a match tonight. Pearce said he wasn’t on Raw so he couldn’t do that, but he could give him an exhibition.
Strowman didn’t know what that meant. Pearce said if he could find him an opponent, Strowman could have an unsanctioned match. Strowman was happy with that. He left. Keith Lee, who happened to be nearby, told Pearce to sign him up.
[Second hour]
Rollins confronted Murphy in the back. Rollins wanted Murphy to apologize to him. If he doesn’t apologize by 10:00pm tonight, there would be hell to pay.
KO Show
Owens said he was normally excited to interview his guest but that wasn’t the case tonight. He said it was true that you change when you encounter the Fiend. He felt the anger and agony and dread. He knew tonight wouldn’t be about having a chat so he chucked the furniture from the ring. They aired a replay of Wyatt attacking him on Smackdown.
Owens couldn’t describe how bad the mandible claw felt. He also wasn’t sure why these dark souls kept attacking him, between Aleister Black and Wyatt. Owens wondered if the Brood or the Ministry of Darkness would come after him next. He called out Wyatt.
Wyatt appeared on the screen and said, “bonjour.” Wyatt thanked him for having him on his show and said it was always nice to have new friends, whether it was to play catch with or bury bodies together. Wyatt sang a song for Owens about friendship.
Wyatt invited Owens to sing. Owens wasn’t interested. Owens said maybe they could have been friends before he attacked him. Owens wasn’t going to get brainwashed like Alexa Bliss and didn’t want to wait until Friday to fight. Owens called him to the ring.
Wyatt said the situation with Bliss was none of Owens’ business. That was between her and him. Wyatt said Owens had no idea what he’s gotten himself into but on Friday, he’ll find out. Wyatt excitedly said bye and see you later.
Owens wanted a fight so he left the ring and began making his way up the ramp but was attacked from behind by Black. Black laid him out with a Black Mass.
I don’t like the Fiend stuff but Owens and Bray were good here and it helped build the Smackdown match.
Charly Caruso interviewed McIntyre. McIntyre said he beats up Orton every time he’s in the building. He accepted Orton’s HIAC challenge. McIntyre said Orton would be locked in the cage with him and he would send Orton to hell.
“Exhibition” match: Braun Strowman vs. Keith Lee ended in a double countout (1:14)
Phillips said normal rules would apply in this match but the result wouldn’t count toward either man’s win-loss record.
It ended quickly via double countout. Lee tried a shoulder block but Strowman didn’t budge. Lee knocked him back a bit with a second tackle, so Strowman came right back with a “dropkick” which knocked Lee from the ring. Strowman chuckled him into the steel steps and the ref counted to ten for the countount.
Strowman was pissed so he tackled Strowman through the barricade. Officials ran out to stop Strowman from doing more. Lee emerged to his feet like nothing happened so they got into it again. Lee drove Strowman into the video boards before spearing him off the stage. Officials checked on both men as they showed several replays.
It would be nice if Lee could string together some wins, but I thought this segment was just fine.
There was a new Bianca Belair video to show off why she’s the smartest. She rinsed three other women in a trivia game and called herself the new GOAT (over Michael Jordan).
Truth, Akira Tozawa and Drew Gulak fought inside a dumpster. Truth somehow emerged as the new 24/7 champion. This was very dumb.
US Champion Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin (w/MVP) defeated Apollo Crews & Ricochet (w/Mustafa Ali) (9:43)
MVP cut a pre-match promo. He blamed last week’s loss on Retribution and warned “T-Bag” about the Hurt Business. Crews, Ali and Ricochet interrupted. Ali thought it was funny that he blamed the loss on Retribution’s logo appearing on the tron. Ricochet interrupted his buddies because he wanted to address MVP’s offer. Ali and Crews seemed a little worried.
Ricochet acted as though he might accept but gave it a pass and laughed at Hurt Business for believing him. Ali and Crews laughed too. Ricochet said he hasn’t run from them before and wasn’t about to tonight. MVP told Lashley and Benjamin to put a special beating on Ricochet.
They went to break less than two minutes into the match. The good guys were in control before the break and the bad guys were in control after.
Lashley won it for his team by tapping out Crews with the Hurt Lock (full nelson).
(After the match, Ricochet could be heard telling Hurt Business that they were going to keep going after them until they were tired of them. Hurt Business laughed at them.)
No Cedric Alexander again.
Murphy found Aalyah standing in a random area in the back. (There was a “Deadline to Apologize” graphic on the screen with a timer counting down. That made me laugh. He has under 13 minutes left.) Murphy apologized to her. Aalyah said he needed to worry about Rollins, not her. She wondered if he was seriously considering apologizing to Rollins. He wasn’t sure.
Ali approached the Hurt Business. They couldn’t believe he approached them alone. Ali said he would also be alone in the ring later and invited MVP to bring Lashley and Benjamin so he could go after all of them. MVP was amused. Lashley was about to go after Ali but MVP stopped him.
Seth Rollins / Murphy segment
Rollins entered the ring in a better mood and invited Murphy to the ring. Murphy entered. Rollins said he can apologize and they can move forward. Murphy didn’t say anything. Rollins told him that he knows what happens to people when they stand in the way of the greater good. Rollins made Murphy the man he was today and all he needed to do was apologize.
Rollins got angrier the longer Murphy didn’t respond. (It is now 10:00pm) Rollins grabbed him by the beard and demanded that he apologize.
Murphy tackled Rollins and hammered away. The fight spilled out the outside and over the announce desk. Rollins fought back for a moment but Murphy got the better of him. Rollins tried to attack with a kendo stick but Murphy ducked, grabbed the stick, and attacked.
Rollins pleaded with him to stop but Murphy hit him repeatedly with the stick while demanding that he apologize (to Aalyah). Rollins called out for Aalyah (who wasn’t there) and apologized. Rollins was wearing a leather jacket as Murphy attacked him, so he actually took his jacket off as he apologized again to show he was sincere.
Murphy believed him and dropped the stick. Rollins attacked him and gouged him in the eye. Rollins attacked repeatedly with the kendo stick.
Rollins grabbed a chair but Aalyah was in the ring tending to Murphy. She asked him to stop. Dominik ran out to check on Aalyah. Rey and Angie soon followed as Rollins walked to the back. The family wondered why Aalyah would do that. Dominik pointed at Rey’s eye to remind her of what they’ve done.
Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeated Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan to retain the Tag Team Championships (10:00)
Baszler did the viscous arm stomp spot to Ruby early in the match. Byron Saxton wondered if the ref should call off the match after that. Baszler continued to work the arm and was still in control after a break. Ruby ducked a kick and used a schoolboy for two.
Morgan made a hot tag and hammered away at Baszler but Jax made a blind tag. Morgan sent her into the buckle with a rana and used running corner strikes on both opponents until Jax cut her off with a clothesline. Ruby tagged back in and gave Baszler a DDT. Morgan blind-tagged in and used a foot stomp for two. Jax ran over Morgan before Ruby knocked down Jax with a kick.
The slight distraction allowed Baszler to catch Ruby with a knee strike. She followed with the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission win. (Morgan tried to save but Jax stopped her.) Baszler held onto the hold after the match until Morgan forced her off.
The Street Profits cut a pretty good backstage promo on Randy Orton. They spoke of their admiration for the legends that Orton took out. They stated that Edge and Christian taught them that they could have fun and still be the champs. They also said that when they go after Orton, it won’t be outta nowhere. McIntyre joined them and they walked off together.
Mustafa Ali vs. MVP (w/US Champion Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin)
MVP was frustrated so he brought Lashley and Benjamin in the ring with him (two minutes into the match). Before they could attack Ali, the lights flickered and the Retribution logo appeared on the screens.
The secondary Retribution members surrounded the ring with Slapjack. T-Bar and Mace watched from the ramp.
MVP asked Ali to join them in fighting Retribution. Ali agreed and got ready to fight.
Ali then left the ring and confronted T-Bar and Mace. MVP was happy to see this.
Ali turned around and smirked at Hurt Business. MVP realized what was happening. Ali sent Retribution after them. Retribution laid out Hurt Business.
Ali posed in the ring with Retribution standing behind him.
The announcers wondered how long Ali was part of this.
Six-man tag match: Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode defeated WWE Champion Drew McIntyre & Raw Tag Champions The Street Profits (10:17)
McIntyre was in control and Montez Ford hit a flip dive and they went to break less than a minute into the match.
Ford tagged in after a break and ran wild on Ziggler until Roode tagged in and cut him off with a spinebuster. Orton tagged in and gave Ford a backdrop on the announce desk. Orton taunted McIntyre so Ford gave him a DDT. They each tagged out and McIntyre tossed Ziggler around with suplexes.
McIntyre attacked Orton, who was not the legal man, until Ziggler and Roode swarmed him. Angelo Dawkins blind-tagged in as McIntyre headbutted Roode. Ziggler superkicked McIntyre before Dawkins cradled Ziggler for two. Ziggler countered a spinebuster into a DDT before tagging Orton.
Orton gave Dawkins a draping DDT. Dawkins came back with a spinebuster before tagging Ford. Ford hit a frog splash and almost pinned Orton but Roode and Ziggler broke up the cover. Everyone traded moves until McIntyre wiped out Ziggler with a Claymore kick.
McIntyre sized up Orton but Roode got in his way so Roode ate a Claymore kick instead. Orton nailed McIntyre with an RKO for the pinfall win. Pretty good match.
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton are set to face off in a six-man tag match.
WWE has announced that McIntyre will team with Raw Tag Team Champions The Street Profits against Orton, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode in a six-man tag match on Monday’s episode of Raw. This past Monday’s show ended with Orton attacking Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Big Show, and Christian after they got involved in his ambulance match against McIntyre at Clash of Champions. Orton also warned McIntyre earlier in the night that things between them aren’t over until he says they’re over.
Roode returned to WWE television on Raw this week and lost to McIntyre in the main event. McIntyre had issued an open challenge to anyone who hasn’t challenged for his title before. Ziggler told Adam Pearce that he knew the perfect person to answer the challenge.
The Street Profits retained their Raw Tag Team titles against Andrade & Angel Garza at Clash of Champions.
WWE is also hyping that Kevin Owens has invited Bray Wyatt to appear on the KO Show on Monday’s Raw. On SmackDown tonight, Owens appeared as part of the brand-to-brand invitational and hosted the KO Show with Alexa Bliss. After asking Bliss about how she’s been changed by The Fiend, Owens was attacked by The Fiend and put in the Mandible Claw.
Owens will face The Fiend on SmackDown next Friday. Next Friday’s SmackDown is also night one of the WWE Draft. The draft will then conclude on the Monday, October 12 episode of Raw.
For the first time in months, Robert Roode appeared on WWE television tonight.
Roode returned on the post-Clash of Champions episode of Raw and answered WWE Champion Drew McIntyre’s open challenge. McIntyre retained his title after hitting a Claymore on Roode.
Prior to McIntyre hitting the Claymore, Roode gave him a Glorious DDT after Dolph Ziggler interfered. McIntyre kicked out and then countered when Roode went for the move again.
Tonight was the first time Roode has wrestled since March’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, which was one of the last WWE shows to take place as scheduled before the company’s events began to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was announced in June that Ziggler & Roode had been traded to the Raw roster. They were previously on SmackDown.
McIntyre’s open challenge was announced during tonight’s opening segment. It was said that only wrestlers who haven’t challenged McIntyre for the title before were eligible to answer it. Ziggler later told Adam Pearce that he had the perfect guy to answer the challenge.
After retaining his title against Randy Orton in their ambulance match at Clash of Champions, McIntyre kicked off tonight’s Raw alongside Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Big Show, and Christian. Orton appeared on the video screen and interrupted them. Orton warned that things between him and McIntyre are only over when he says they’re over.
Michaels, Flair, Big Show, and Christian all had some involvement in McIntyre vs. Orton at Clash of Champions. Tonight’s show ended with Orton entering the Legends’ Lounge while wearing night vision goggles and wielding a steel chair. He turned the lights off and then laid out Michaels, Flair, Big Show, and Christian.
It was announced tonight that Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode are both now members of the Raw roster. WWE said that Ziggler and Roode were the wrestlers Raw got in return for AJ Styles being traded to SmackDown last month.
WWE announced on May 22 that Styles had been traded to SmackDown for “future considerations.”
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre opened tonight’s Raw before being interrupted by Ziggler. After informing McIntyre that he and Roode were now on Raw, Ziggler said that McIntyre owes him one. Ziggler mentioned his history teaming with McIntyre and took credit for bringing McIntyre back to WWE and the success he’s had since then.
Ziggler said he knows McIntyre needs a challenger for Extreme Rules — and all he’s asking for from McIntyre is a WWE Championship match.
McIntyre called Ziggler’s version of events revisionist history and said Ziggler has been losing a lot without McIntyre watching his back. McIntyre said Ziggler is extremely talented, but he’s become an entitled jackass.
McIntyre brought up that Ziggler gave him the nickname the Scottish Psychopath. He then asked if Ziggler can imagine what he’ll do and how far he’ll go to remain champion. McIntyre wanted to know if Ziggler still wanted this match. When Ziggler said yes, McIntyre announced that he’ll defend the WWE title against Ziggler at Extreme Rules.
Extreme Rules is taking place on Sunday, July 19. This is the first match confirmed for the pay-per-view.
A tag team gauntlet match headlined WWE’s final build to Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
Heavy Machinery starred in the gauntlet match, defeating The New Day, The Lucha House Party, The Usos, and The Miz & John Morrison, but it was Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode who won the Elimination Chamber advantage.
Miz & Morrison attacked Heavy Machinery after being eliminated in the gauntlet match. Ziggler & Roode then came out as the final team. As Otis was going for The Caterpillar on Roode, Ziggler hit him with a superkick and pinned him.
Ziggler & Roode will be the last team to enter the Chamber during Sunday’s SmackDown Tag Team title Elimination Chamber match.
A new match was also added to the Elimination Chamber card last night. Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak will face off at the PPV.
WWE has announced that SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Miz & John Morrison, The New Day, The Usos, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode, The Lucha House Party, and Heavy Machinery will face off in a gauntlet match on SmackDown tomorrow night. Those are the teams that will face off for the SmackDown Tag Team titles in an Elimination Chamber match at Sunday’s pay-per-view.
The team that wins the gauntlet match will enter the Elimination Chamber last on Sunday.
Kofi Kingston and Seth Rollins starred in pre-Elimination Chamber gauntlet matches over the last two years, though those respective gauntlet matches were won by Randy Orton and Braun Strowman.
Miz & Morrison won the SmackDown Tag Team titles from The New Day at Super ShowDown last week.
Tomorrow’s SmackDown is taking place at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley & Sasha Banks will face Naomi & Lacey Evans in a rematch from last week. WWE has also announced that Bray Wyatt will host a Firefly Fun House segment on the show.
New SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Miz & John Morrison are set to defend their titles inside of the Elimination Chamber.
During tonight’s SmackDown, it was announced that Miz & Morrison will defend their titles against The New Day, The Usos, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode, The Lucha House Party, and Heavy Machinery in an Elimination Chamber match on Sunday, March 8.
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is taking place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
After winning the SmackDown Tag Team titles from The New Day at Super ShowDown, Miz & Morrison appeared on SmackDown tonight. They were interrupted by the Elimination Chamber match announcement and then lost a non-title match against The Usos.
This is the second Elimination Chamber match that’s been confirmed for this year’s Elimination Chamber PPV. Shayna Baszler, Asuka, Natalya, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan will also face off inside of the Elimination Chamber to determine Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch’s challenger for WrestleMania 36.
Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn & Cesaro challenging for Braun Strowman’s Intercontinental title in a three-on-one handicap match has also been announced for the Elimination Chamber PPV.
The Wells Fargo Center is advertising participants for next month’s Elimination Chamber event.
Earlier this afternoon, a tweet posted by the Wells Fargo Center Twitter account said that the headline match would be Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Shinsuke Nakamura, King Corbin, and Robert Roode in an Elimination Chamber match. The winner of the match would go on to face the Universal Champion at WrestleMania. WWE has yet to officially confirm the match.
The current Universal Champion is The Fiend Bray Wyatt. However, he has a title match against Goldberg at Crown Jewel later this month in Saudi Arabia. It is likely that the winner of this match would face the winner of the Elimination Chamber match.
The match would tie a number of feuds together. Braun Strowman defeated Shinsuke Nakamura last week to win the Intercontinental championship on SmackDown. Roman Reigns has been primarily feuding with Baron Corbin over the last several months, though Robert Roode and his tag team partner Dolph Ziggler have also been involved, associating themselves with Corbin.
Elimination Chamber will take place on March 8th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
