Tag: solo sikoa

Royce Keys reveals longstanding history with Jacob Fatu and The Bloodline 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Royce Keys unveiled his longstanding history with Jacob Fatu and The Bloodline. 

In an interview with Joey Karni, Keys initially discussed having to live up to expectations in his WWE debut. And the impact of making his first appearance at an event like the Royal Rumble which features notable talents from WWE and the industry. 

“It just meant a lot, just thinking about the names that came before you, living up to expectations. So, and while doing that, you got to create your own path. I did that. I mean, I made an impact in the (Royal) Rumble. It’s in history now. So, now we move forward and progress and take everything I want.”

Keys stated that WWE had already laid out a plan for him to skip NXT and directly work on the main roster after his January debut. He was further asked about potential alliances in WWE to which Keys responded that he has history with Jacob Fatu, and is familiar with The Usos and Solo Sikoa too. 

“Jacob Fatu and I have a history together. I’ve known that family for quite a while. So, The Usos, Solo, I’ve known that family a long time. So, there is some history there.”

Following his WWE debut match in January, Keys competed in dark matches which he later revealed was done on his request. He made his official SmackDown debut on April 10 against Berto.

On the SmackDown before WrestleMania 42, Keys won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Title match added to updated WWE SmackDown lineup

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga are set to defend their WWE Tag Team Championship on the upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown.

Earlier this month, Damian Priest and R-Truth won the Tag Team turmoil match to crown themselves the number one contenders for the WWE Tag Team titles.

With already a star-studded March 20 SmackDown scheduled, General Manager Nick Aldis recently announced that Sikoa and Tonga will now defend their titles against the number one contenders Priest and R-Truth.

The upcoming blue brand episode will also feature a Women’s Tag Team titles match between Nia Jax & Lash Legend against The Bella Twins.

WWE SmackDown updated lineup | March 20, 2026

The upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown is scheduled to take place on March 20, 2026, from the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

  • Men’s Tag Team titles: Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga defend against Damian Priest & R-Truth
  • Women’s Tag Team titles: Nia Jax & Lash Legend defend against The Bella Twins
  • Randy Orton will appear
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Kit Wilson calls out Jelly Roll
  • Motor City Machine Guns vs. Fraxiom

WWE Women’s Tag Team title match added to SmackDown lineup

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

WWE announced two new matches for the Friday, March 13 edition of WWE SmackDown.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and Lash Legend will defend their titles against Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair on the show.

Also added to the lineup, Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga will face Uncle Howdy and Erick Rowan.

Already announced for Friday’s show are a MizTV segment with Jelly Roll, Jade Cargill vs. Michin, and a contract signing for Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42.

Tonight’s show is set for the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The updated lineup is below:

WWE SmackDown (March 13, 2026):

  • Contract signing between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton for their WrestleMania 42 title match
  • Nia Jax & Lash Legend (The Irresistible Forces) defend the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair
  • Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga vs. Uncle Howdy & Erick Rowan
  • Jade Cargill vs. Michin
  • Miz TV returns with Jelly Roll as a special guest

Cody Rhodes: If my dad were still alive, Solo Sikoa would have been his guy

Posted on by Joseph Currier

If Dusty Rhodes were still alive today, his son Cody believes he would have been a huge fan of Solo Sikoa.

A new episode of Cody’s “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast debuted on Wednesday with Rey Mysterio appearing as the guest. During their conversation, they discussed how Dusty always spoke highly of Mysterio on commentary in WCW. Cody said that, as an old-school wrestling booker, Dusty would quickly become attached to wrestlers he saw something in. He thinks that same thing would have happened if Dusty were still around to watch Sikoa.

“I think classic wrestling booker, producer 101 sometimes is going, ‘That’s my guy. That’s my girl. There’s something about them.’ You saw something they did one night or two nights and whatever maybe and that’s my guy,” Cody said. “That’s what it was. It was, ‘That’s my guy.’ A couple matches in with Dean [Malenko], whatever, that’s my guy.

“And I wanted to bring this up because there’s someone today that I was watching, and I can’t believe I’m going to say it because I don’t have a great, like, interaction with him. But there was a guy I was watching and I shared it with one other legend backstage the other day because I thought if my dad was still alive, that’d be his guy. And it was Solo Sikoa.

“And I couldn’t figure it out. I’m like, he would just eat him up. Just something about exactly what you just said. Go out there and take what I have, but also we’re going to have a good time. We’re going to have a good time. Like, there’s pressure. You know when you get to those points when there’s pressure and it’s almost like that’s all there is. Well, this is just all pressure. And then there’s also, we’re going to have a good time.”

Sikoa, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi and younger brother of The Usos, is a former United States Champion and now holds the WWE Tag Team titles with Tama Tonga. He has not held his first World Championship yet but did work a WWE title program against Cody Rhodes in 2024.

Before passing away in 2015, Dusty Rhodes worked behind the scenes in NXT and helped shape the careers of some of WWE’s modern stars. He was especially important to Becky Lynch and would help pick her up whenever she felt discouraged.

Title match, Elimination Chamber qualifiers set for WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The road to Elimination Chamber officially kicks off on tonight’s post-Royal Rumble edition of WWE SmackDown.

WWE has announced that the first Elimination Chamber qualifying matches in both the men’s and women’s divisions will take place on SmackDown tonight. Both are triple threat matches. The women’s bout features Lash Legend, Tiffany Stratton, and Chelsea Green, while Randy Orton, Aleister Black, and Solo Sikoa will face off on the men’s side.

Elimination Chamber is being held in Chicago on February 28 and will decide WrestleMania opponents for the remaining World Champions that are not challenged by the Royal Rumble winners. With World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns already locked in for WrestleMania, the men’s Chamber winner will be challenging WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.

Women’s Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan has yet to reveal whether she’ll be challenging Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer or WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill at Mania. Tonight, Morgan appears on SmackDown as she contemplates her decision.

Along with these matches, WWE has announced that Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY will defend their Women’s Tag Team titles against Giulia & Kiana James tonight. The show is taking place from in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Spectrum Center.

WWE SmackDown (Friday, February 6) —

  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Lash Legend vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Chelsea Green
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Randy Orton vs. Aleister Black vs. Solo Sikoa
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY defend against Giulia & Kiana James
  • Women’s Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan appears
  • Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tama Tonga

MFTs win WWE Tag Team titles on SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

New WWE Tag Team Champions have been crowned.

The MFTs (Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga) won the titles on Friday’s SmackDown, defeating The Wyatt Sicks’ Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy. The finish of the match had Uncle Howdy at ringside attempting to take out Talla Tonga, who was in possession of Bray Wyatt’s lantern. Sikoa came in and took out Howdy with the Samoan spike as Tonga jumped Lumis from behind. He then connected with the cutthroat (running elbow) to pin Lumis for the titles.

The Wyatt Sicks had held the titles since the July 11 edition of SmackDown, where they defeated The Street Profits. By the end of the year, they had found themselves feuding with the likes of Solo Sikoa’s group. The MFTs have made the situation more personal in recent weeks by taking possession of the lantern that Wyatt once held.

On last week’s SmackDown, Howdy attempted to regain the lantern but Sikoa jumped him to prevent it from happening. But the distraction allowed Priest to give Sikoa the south of heaven, giving him the win to advance to the four-way number one contender’s match for the WWE title at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

WWE SmackDown live results: Survivor Series go-home show

Posted on by Marc Quill

On the eve of Saturday’s Survivor Series from San Diego, CA, tonight’s WWE SmackDown will feature a traditional five-on-five Survivor Series elimination match.

The bout will see Solo Sikoa’s MFTs against a team led by Sami Zayn that features the Motor City Machine Guns, Rey Fenix, and Shinsuke Nakamura as a weeks-long feud comes to a head.

The Last Time is Now tournament begins its final approach to completion with Jey Uso vs. Rusev, and LA Knight against a mystery opponent filling in for Sheamus, who had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. The winners advance to the semifinals.

Also expected tonight is an advantage match for Saturday’s women’s WarGames match with representatives from both teams set to face off.

**********

– Our show opened this week with a recap of the developments for the Womens’ WarGames match on last week’s SmackDown, which included AJ Lee joining Rhea Ripley’s team and Becky Lynch joining Nia Jax’s team.

– After the recap, we saw Asuka and Charlotte Flair walking backstage ahead of their WarGames advantage match later tonight. LA Knight was approached by Cathy Kelley about how Sheamus has been taken out of the Last Time is Now Tournament due to injury, with a mystery opponent to replace him. Knight was a bit miffed that he didn’t get a bye, stating that this tournament was starting to piss him off. Knight said he was planning to take out his frustrations on his mystery opponent.

Last Time is Now Tournament Quarterfinals: Rusev vs. Jey Uso

Rusev went on the attack on Uso immediately as the bell rang as he stomped away on his foe in the corner. He then connected with a suplex for an early pin attempt that Uso kicked out of. Uso tried to fight back, but Rusev caught him and slammed him down on the mat as we went to a break in the action.

Our match returned from commercial as Rusev had Uso trapped in a bearhug. The 2025 Royal Rumble winner struggled to break free from the hold, but did so eventually. Uso then began punching away at Rusev, finishing off with his signature Yeet punch. Uso attempted a Samoan Drop, but could not get Rusev up on his shoulders. The Bulgarian tried to apply the Accolade, but Uso fought out of it and forced his opponent to the outside. He then floored Rusev with a suicide dive through the ropes.

Back in the ring, Uso was finally able to hit the Samoan Drop on Rusev for a near-fall. Uso then targeted Rusev for a Spear. However, Rusev somehow kicked out at the count of one after Uso’s Spear. As Jey tried to head up top, he was intercepted by a Machka Kick from Rusev upon landing. One, two… not quite!

Rusev signalled that it was “game over” as he then put Uso in the Accolade submission hold. After a brief struggle, Uso was able to make it to the bottom rope to break the Accolade up. Rusev put Uso up on his shoulders and mocked John Cena as he looked like he was about to deliver an Attitude Adjustment. This gave Uso enough time to escape and then take out Rusev with a Spear, followed by the Uso Splash for the pin and win.

Jey Uso def. Rusev via pinfall to advance to the Last Time is Now Tournament Semifinals

It was your typical Jey Uso match. And given how divisive Jey can be as a wrestler, it’s interesting to see what the reaction will be if Jey were to be Cena’s final opponent.

**********

– Backstage, The Miz was complaining to Nick Aldis about the Last TIme is Now Tournament when R-Truth walked in. Truth was once again talking about his balls being in the running for Cena’s mystery opponent. In the midst of this, Miz sneakily stole one of the balls from Aldis, which led to him being the mystery opponent for LA Knight later on tonight.

– Damian Priest was interviewed about Aleister Black’s remarks about how his “code” was broken. Priest said that Black didn’t accomplish that, and the only thing that was accomplished by Black and Zelina was pissing him off. Zelina interrupted and told Priest that Black was thinking of bigger goals, but if Priest wanted more punishment, Black will be happy to oblige. After Zelina left, Rhea Ripley caught up with her old friend as she and Priest had a friendly chat.

Chelsea Green’s Women’s U.S. Championship Celebration

The new Women’s United States Champion was accompanied by Alba Fyre to the ring as they headed out to celebrate Green’s big win a few weeks back against Giulia. The ring was festooned with the Canadian, American, and Mexican flags, signifying Green’s Canadian heritage, her Women’s U.S. Championship, and the AAA Mixed Tag Titles, respectively.

“Welcome, patriots,” Green started her remarks, as she said that she was proud to be our first and fourth two-time “most dangerous Women’s U.S. Champion”. Green said that it was an honor to serve as the greatest Women’s Champion not only in WWE history or American history, but in the history of the continent of the North Americas. She said that it was now time to kick off this celebration with a “very, very expensive” display of pyrotechnics in her name.

However, no pyro was to be found as the WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill stormed down to the ring. Once Cargill entered the ring, she hit Alba Fyre with a pump kick before she turned her attention to Green and planted her with Jaded. Once Cargill left, the very expensive pyro went off while Green sulked in the ring.

An entertaining segment for sure, but not sure what this means with regards to Giulia’s standing on the SmackDown women’s roster if she’s not even going to get a rematch and we’re just moving right to Jade Cargill targeting Chelsea.

**********

– Backstage, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, along with teammates Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY were discussing plans ahead of Flair’s WarGames advantage match versus Asuka later tonight. AJ Lee appeared and stated that she’d make sure that her team would win WarGames tomorrow night.

– Jade Cargill was interviewed about her attack on Chelsea Green moments ago, declaring that it was a statement made to the entire SmackDown women’s locker room, and that if anyone had a problem with it, they could step up and get stepped on too. As Cargill walked off, B-Fab stared her down and said nothing. Michin then walked up to B-Fab and declared that she might have to step up to keep Cargill’s out of control attitude in check.

Last Time is Now Tournament Quarterfinals: LA Knight vs. The Miz

Knight went on the offensive early as he punched away at Miz before he took him down with a hard clothesline. With his foe stunned in the corner, Knight stomped on him and looked like he was about to drill him with an attack in the corner. Miz retreated and got sneaky in taking the advantage of the match. Knight got hit with a knee to the face by Miz, as he was then hit with a big leg to the back of the head across the middle rope.

Miz’s advantage was stalled by a swinging neckbreaker, but he got it back by throwing him across the barricade outside the ring, followed by a big boot, which was the cue for a break in the action.

This matchup continued from the break with Miz applying a resthold on Knight, which was quickly broken up. The two exchanged sleeper hold attempts until Knight planted Miz with a back suplex, which left both men struggling to get back up. Knight got up first and blasted Miz with punches, before he dropped him with a neckbreaker for the near-fall. Miz got a boot up on Knight and tried to go up top, but he was intercepted for the superplex and another near-fall.

Knight tried to go for the BFT, but Miz rolled him up for a pin attempt. He was then planted head first by a DDT for a near-fall. Knight countered a Skull-Crushing Finale attempt into an inverted DDT. Knight headed up top and tried to hit his signature leg drop, but he was caught by Miz into the Skull-Crushing Finale. One, two… Knight just able to kick out at two!

Miz decided to “pay homage” to John Cena by locking in the STF on Knight, who broke the hold by reaching the bottom rope. Knight looked like he was going to go for an STF of his own, but Miz retreated to the apron. With the referee distracted briefly, Miz poked Knight in the eye and had the rope-assisted roll-up pin on him. However, veteran ref Charles Robinson saw Miz cheating and stopped the count. Miz yelled at Robinson, which opened him up for Knight’s BFT and a swift defeat.

LA Knight def. The Miz to advance to the Last Time is Now Tournament Semifinals

A rather mediocre match, and in all honesty, this Last Time is Now Tournament has been largely a disappointment, which seems to be the unfortunate par for the course with regards to John Cena’s retirement year.

**********

– Becky Lynch chatted with her WarGames team and boasted about her 100% success rate when it came to WarGames. She said that when the door close, it’d be up to her. Nia Jax interrupted and said that it wasn’t about Becky, and that it was up to Asuka to gain the advantage for her WarGames team. Asuka said that the last time Charlotte Flair faced her, she was out for a year, which made her confident about her chances in the WarGames advantage match.

– Cathy Kelley was with U.S. Champion Ilja Dragunov, who was asked about Tama Tonga’s challenges. Dragunov said that if Tama wanted a shot at the U.S. Title, he was right here. Before Dragunov could go further, Tommasso Ciampa rudely interrupted him. He talked about how he took Axiom’s mask, and he was going to take the U.S. Title from Dragunov next. The U.S. Champion said Ciampa made a good point and he was going to think about it as he called his rival a “jackass” before walking off.

WarGames Advantage Match: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair

Flair and Asuka engaged in a chain wrestling duel to start off with neither woman able to gain a clear advantage so far. Flair took over as she kicked Asuka on the apron with a hard boot to the face. Asuka answered in kind with a boot to Flair’s face as we took a break in the action.

The match continued from commercial as Flair did her dodge over the top rope and then took off with the crossbody on Asuka for the two. Asuka responded with a flurry of strikes, but was hit hard in the face by a boot from Flair as she took a run at her. That, however, wasn’t enough to end the match.

Asuka and Flair exchanged strikes and chops, as the latter gained the upper hand in the battle of chops. Flair then did her somersault into a clothesline to keep Asuka grounded. She then headed up to the top rope and connected with a moonsault to Asuka for a near-fall. Flair connected with a German suplex on Asuka, but found herself taken out by a German suplex from her foe. A sliding knee by Asuka to Flair managed to turn the momentum briefly.

Jumping knee strike by Asuka to Flair was transitioned into an armbar submission. However, Flair used her strength to lift Asuka up into a sitdown powerbomb for yet another near-fall. Following this, Asuka rolled to the outside as a skirmish broke out in front of the announce table. Asuka disappeared from behind announce table and tried to catch Flair with the blue mist. Flair dodged it just in time, as Asuka ended up misting Berkeley the timekeeper instead.

Back in the ring, Asuka countered Flair’s Figure-Eight into an Asuka Lock submission. Flair rolled through and escaped the hold as she then finished Asuka off with her Natural Selection finishing maneuver to secure the advantage for her WarGames team.

Charlotte Flair def. Asuka

This was a great match and probably the best of the night on this week’s SmackDown. It’s also hard to believe that this is the first women’s match on Raw or SmackDown since the 11/17 edition of Raw. In any case, this was solid stuff.

**********

Survivor Series: WarGames final card

  • Intercontinental Championship: John Cena (c) vs. Dominik Mysterio
  • Women’s WarGames: Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and AJ Lee vs. Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax, Lash Legend, and Becky Lynch
  • Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Nikki Bella
  • Men’s WarGames: Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso), and CM Punk vs. The Vision (Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed), Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, and Brock Lesnar

Traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match: The M.F.T.s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, J.C. Mateo, and Talla Tonga) vs. Sami Zayn, Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley), Rey Fenix, and Shinsuke Nakamura

It was stated that this main event match would be presented commercial-free by Michael Cole before the match started.

This massive main event kicked off with Sabin and Sikoa as the legal men for their teams. Sikoa hit Sabin with a hard lariat before he punched him repeatedly. This gave the M.F.Ts the early edge as Sabin was dragged over to their corner by Sikoa. Loa was tagged in as he continued the attack on Sabin, up until Shelley was tagged in and he was floored by a tag maneuver from the MCMGs. Loa escaped his fate and tagged in Mateo, who found himself chopped down to size before Zayn entered the match for his team.

Mateo used his power to slam Zayn down for the early pin attempt, as he then hit a nice standing moonsault on his opponent. Tama entered the match and provided a distraction to the ref, which allowed Sikoa and Talla to get in a cheap shot on Zayn. The M.F.T.s continued to play the game of isolation on Zayn, which kept him away from his teammates.

Zayn leapfrogged over Sikoa and hit him with a clothesline. This gave Zayn the opening to tag Nakamura into the match. Nakamura hit Loa with a hard knee to the ribs, but he was dropped from behind by Mateo. Nakamura turned that around as he hit his signature sliding German suplex on Mateo. Sikoa broke up the pin as Zayn intercepted him. Things then began to break down between the two teams, as Sabin and Shelley teamed up to throw Talla over the top rope. The Motor City Machine Guns worked in tandem to take Talla down with a dive to the outside. Zayn and Fenix then teamed up to take out Tama and Loa with dives of their own.

Back in the ring, the Motor City Machine Guns scored the first elimination with a nice tandem pin combination to take Mateo out of the match. (JC Mateo eliminated via Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin pinfall) Tanga stepped in for his team and found himself on the receiving end of stereo superkicks from Shelley and Sabin. Nakamura was tagged in as he blasted Tama with an enzuigiri. Nakamura had Tama in sight for the Kinsasha, but Sikoa’s distraction was enough to give Tama the opportunity to hit the not-so-hidden blade of the Cutthroat to eliminate Nakamura. (Shinsuke Nakamura eliminated via Tama Tonga pinfall)

With both teams now down to four men, Tama and Loa joined forces to go on the offensive against legal man Rey Fenix, but couldn’t eliminate him even after a spinebuster. Fenix found himself on Loa’s shoulders, but he turned that into a rollup pin, which got the three and the elimination. (Tonga Loa eliminated via Rey Fenix pinfall) Talla Tonga made an impact right away as he crushed Fenix with a running charge.

Talla threw Fenix down with a pair of scoop slams as Sikoa then tagged himself into the match. Sikoa went for the Samoan Spike, but Fenix avoided it and Sabin entered the match with a tag. Sikoa hit a fierce uppercut on Sabin, and tried for a Samoan Drop. Shelley blind tagged himself in as he and Sabin hit Sikoa with stereo superkicks. As Shelley headed up top to set up Skull and Bones, Tama shoved him down to the outside, as Talla then made the tag and chokeslammed Shelley across the apron for the elimination. (Alex Shelley eliminated via Talla Tonga pinfall)

Sabin tried to go for a crossbody on Talla, but he was caught, and his sunset flip was countered into a hard clothesline by Talla, which earned him an elimination and a 3-2 advantage for the M.F.T.s. (Chris Sabin eliminated via Talla Tonga pinfall)

Fenix entered the match and mounted a bit of offense on Talla. He hit his feint kick on Talla and Sikoa as Tama tagged into the match. Fenix’s attempt of Goodbye Amigo was initially countered by Tama, but the Tongan was turned inside out by a hurricanrana. Fenix then leapt from the top rope to take out Sikoa and Talla outside. Back in the ring, Tama caught Fenix with the Cutthroat to get the eliminating pin, which left Zayn all alone for his team. (Rey Fenix eliminated via Tama Tonga pinfall)

Zayn was left by himself as he went after Talla right away. A huge uppercut from Talla snuffed out the attack as the gargantuan continued his attack on Zayn. Sikoa tagged in and was thrown into the corner for a running hip strike on the stunned Zayn. Tama Tonga was next to enter as he blasted Zayn with two running splashes. At that moment, Zayn woke up and hit Tama with a surprise Helluva Kick to earn the quick elimination. (Tama Tonga eliminated via Sami Zayn pinfall)

Talla didn’t let Zayn get a moment to breathe as he stomped away on him and then threw him into the ringpost. Talla left Zayn stunned right in front of the timekeepers’ area, and looked like he was about take Zayn’s head off. The Canadian avoided the boot from Talla, which sent him flying over into the timekeepers’ area. Zayn rolled himself back into the ring, which led to Talla being eliminated via countout. (Talla Tonga eliminated via countout)

Sikoa entered right away and hit consecutive Spinning Solos on a weakened Zayn for the close near-fall. The M.F.T.s’ leader headed up top and hit a big splash on Zayn, who once again kicked out. Sikoa propped Zayn up to the top rope and looked like he was going to hit an avalanche Samoan Drop, but that was turned into a sunset flip powerbomb by Zayn. One, two… NO! Zayn hyped himself up as he and Sikoa exchanged blows in the middle of the ring. Sikoa gained the upper hand with a headbutt to Zayn.

Zayn intercepted Sikoa’s running hip attack with an exploder suplex as he then had him in sight for the Helluva Kick. Sikoa reversed that into a superkick, but couldn’t land the Samoan Spike as Zayn rolled him up for the pin. Following that exchanged, Sikoa hit the Spike on Zayn to gain the victory.

The M.F.T.s def. Team Sami Zayn via pinfall (Solo Sikoa is Sole Survivor)

Sikoa celebrated his win, but found himself interrupted by the Wyatt Sicks’ blackout. Once the lights came back on, Sikoa found himself surrounded by the Sicks on the apron. Just as the producer credits popped up, Uncle Howdy snuck up on Sikoa and delivered Sister Abigail to him to end the show.

**********

Kind of a weak go-home to Survivor Series for SmackDown, which is a bit of a letdown after last week’s actually-great show. The Flair vs. Asuka match was the standout of the evening, and the M.F.T.s/Team Sami match was at least decent, though really nothing much to write home about. There wasn’t a U.S. Title Open Challenge either to keep things engaging (though, in fairness, this episode was taped last week after the live episode from last week).

Everything else seemed really dull, which is becoming a problem with regards to the Road Dogg-helmed SmackDown. It’s a problem that doesn’t really seem to be getting any better, unfortunately.

Solo Sikoa was scheduled to win WWE Raw match

Posted on by Bryan Rose

No unscheduled wins on Monday Night Raw.

Penta and Solo Sikoa were wrestling on Monday when Penta suddenly suffered an injury after a bad landing following a hurricanrana. After a few minutes, the referee stopped the match and Sikoa was awarded the victory, advancing to the next round of The Last Time Is Now tournament where he will take on Gunther. Although that results in a heel/heel matchup, according to Bryan Alvarez that was the planned outcome of the match despite Penta’s injury.

“Solo Sikoa was scheduled to beat Penta, so nothing changed in the tournament,” he writes.

The injury took place early in the match, around the four minute mark. According to Alvarez, once it was clear Penta had suffered an injury Wade Barrett threw the show into a commercial break as Joe Tessitore was being fed information. The match was originally scheduled to be around twelve minutes.

Two more quarterfinal matches in the tournament will air on Friday’s SmackDown. Jey Uso will take on Rusev, while a mystery competitor will face LA Knight. The winner of the touranment will face John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.

First semifinalists in WWE Last Time is Now tournament set

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Two of the final four competitors in The Last Time is Now tournament to determine John Cena’s last opponent are set following Monday’s WWE Raw.

Gunther and Solo Sikoa advanced in in the tournament with victories on Monday’s Raw and will face one another in the semifinals.

Sikoa advanced with a win over Penta on Raw in a bout that was stopped early after Penta suffered a legitimate shoulder injury. Gunther defeated Carmelo Hayes in his tournament bout to advance.

The remaining quarterfinals matchups will take place on Friday’s taped SmackDown show with Jey Uso vs. Rusev, and LA Knight vs. a mystery opponent (substituting for the injured Sheamus). Spoilers for Friday’s show revealing the mystery opponent are available here.

The eventual tournament winner will face Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, DC on December 13 in Cena’s final match.

No date has been announced for the semifinals in the tournament, with two weeks of WWE programming remaining before December 13. The matches could take place on the December 1 Raw, December 5 SmackDown, December 8 Raw, or December 12 SmackDown.

WWE The Last Time is Now tournament —

  • Semifinals: Gunther vs. Solo Sikoa, date TBA
  • Semifinals: LA Knight/mystery opponent winner vs. Rusev/Jey Uso winner, date TBA

Solo Sikoa’s surprise WWE Raw opponent revealed

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Solo Sikoa’s mystery challenger has been revealed.

Sikoa was booked to face a surprise opponent on Monday Night Raw in The Last Time is Now tournament to determine John Cena’s final opponent. That opponent has now been revealed: former WWE world champion Dolph Ziggler. The two fought in a competitive back-and-forth match, but ultimately the head of MFT won, advancing to the next round of the tournament.

Over the weekend, Nemeth stated that he was not part of the touranment, saying he and brother Ryan were focused on their work in TNA.

Ziggler signed his first WWE contract in 2004. He debuted on the main roster as “Nicky” in the Spirit Squad in 2005, then re-debuted under the Dolph Ziggler name in 2008. He went on to win a multitude of championships and achievements, including two World Heavyweight Championships and the 2012 Money in the Bank match. He left the company in September of 2023. 

Following some brief appearances using his real name of Nic Nemeth with New Japan Pro Wrestling, he signed with TNA Wrestling in January of 2024 and went on to win their world tag team and world heavyweight titles. He main evented TNA’s Turning Point app special last Friday night and is still carrying the Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy in TNA.

Updated WWE SmackDown lineup: Sami Zayn segment added

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Sami Zayn is set to continue his feud with Solo Sikoa and Sikoa’s Family Tree on WWE SmackDown tonight.

Last week, Zayn — despite not being medically cleared in storyline — saved Rey Fenix from an attack by Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga. Zayn was taken out by the MFTs on SmackDown a few weeks ago after losing his United States title to Ilja Dragunov. Sikoa’s group beat down all three of Zayn, Dragunov, and Fenix that night.

WWE has announced that Zayn will now have a message for Sikoa on SmackDown:

  • Though not medically cleared last week, Sami Zayn still charged the ring in an attempt to finally get his hands on Solo Sikoa and The MFTs. 
  • Now, Zayn has a message for Sikoa. Find out what chaos is in store, Friday at 8e/7c on SmackDown on USA. 

Sikoa has made it a mission for the MFTs to become champions again after Zayn dethroned him for the United States title this August. Zayn had a memorable run with the belt, holding open challenges every week until being defeated by Dragunov.

The MFTs have also had WWE Tag Team Champions The Wyatt Sicks in their sights in this quest for gold.

MVP Arena in Albany, New York is the venue for SmackDown tonight. Here is everything that’s been announced:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, November 14) —

  • The Last Time is Now tournament first round: Jey Uso vs. The Miz
  • The Last Time is Now tournament first round: LA Knight vs. a mystery opponent
  • Non-title match: WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill vs. B-Fab
  • Sami Zayn has a message for Solo Sikoa

Solo Sikoa retains United States title at WWE SummerSlam

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Solo Sikoa is still the United States Champion.

Sikoa escaped the cage at SummerSlam on Sunday thanks to help from the MFT, who frequently interfered on behalf of Sikoa during the steel cage match. Talla Tonga handcuffed Fatu near the top of the cage at one point. Jimmy Uso came out for the save, and Fatu managed to escape and slam the cage door on JC Mateo. But it was Talla Tonga that was the deciding factor, kicking the cage door into Fatu’s face as Sikoa crawled out of the door for the victory.

As Sikoa and Talla headed up the ramp after the match, Fatu set his sights on Mateo and Loa, taking them both out. He then went to the top rope and hit a giant moonsault off the cage, taking out both men.

Fatu has spent most of the summer feuding with his family, officially turning against Solo Sikoa at Money in the Bank. At Night of Champions, help from the debuting Talla helped Sikoa win the United States title. The build to their SummerSlam match had Sikoa name Fatu as a person of interest in a hit and run accident. Fatu, however, was able to convince police that Sikoa was behind it, leading to his arrest.

US title match added to WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A United States title match is the latest addition to the card for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend.

Solo Sikoa will put his championship on the line against OG Bloodline member Jimmy Uso at the Saturday, July 12 event in Atlanta. The match was made official this morning via a video that SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis posted on social media.

With assistance from the debuting Talla Tonga (Hikuleo), Sikoa won the U.S. title belt from Jacob Fatu on June 28 at Night of Champions. This is Sikoa’s first main roster title reign, and this match against Uso will be his first defense.

The announcement of this title bout comes after Uso & Fatu defeated Sikoa & JC Mateo on SmackDown last Friday. Fatu pinned Sikoa to get the victory, but Sikoa, Mateo, Talla Tonga, and Tanga Loa stood tall to end the show after laying out Uso and Fatu.

State Farm Arena is hosting the Saturday Night’s Main Event episode, with the card set to be headlined by Goldberg’s retirement match against World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. The show will be broadcast live on both NBC and Peacock starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (Saturday, July 12) —

  • Goldberg’s retirement match: World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against Goldberg
  • Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Seth Rollins vs. LA Knight
  • United States Champion Solo Sikoa defends against Jimmy Uso

WWE SmackDown live results: Night of Champions fallout

Posted on by Marc Quill

WWE SmackDown makes its return to two hours tonight with the fallout from Night of Champions, where a new King & Queen of the Ring were crowned.

Cody Rhodes defeated Randy Orton in the King of the Ring finals to earn himself an Undisputed WWE Championship rematch against John Cena, while Jade Cargill bested Asuka to become Queen of the Ring and Tiffany Stratton’s SummerSlam challenger for the WWE Women’s Championship. Both Rhodes and Cargill are set to appear tonight.

Also scheduled for tonight is Stratton herself as she selects who she will defend the title against at Evolution.

A new United States Champion was also decided at Night of Champions with Solo Sikoa capturing the belt from Jacob Fatu with the help of Tala Tonga, the former Hikuleo and newest member of Sikoa’s faction. Fatu will certainly be looking to get even on tonight’s broadcast.

Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

**********

– Following the WWE signature, we saw Solo Sikoa arriving to the arena with J.C. Mateo and the United States Championship in tow. As Sikoa noted that it was time to celebrate, Jacob Fatu jumped into the scene and attacked both Sikoa and Mateo in an ambush. Fatu took Mateo out of the car and threw him against the door as security led by SmackDown GM Nick Aldis appeared to get Fatu to back off.

Cody Rhodes opens SmackDown

The 2025 King of the Ring, Cody Rhodes, made his way to the ring to a huge ovation from the crowd, Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett recapped Rhodes’ victory over Randy Orton at Night of Champions to ssecure the crown.

With his crown in one hand and a microphone in the other, Rhodes asked the Pittsburgh crowd, ‘what do you wanna talk about?” Before starting, Rhodes gave a shout out to Cam, a young fan sat in Club 66, who was battling Leukemia. Once that was done, Rhodes said that the King of the Ring crown represented where we’ve been, mentioning past King of the Ring winners like Bret Hart, Booker T, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. He said it also stood for where we were going: the Main Event of SummerSlam in the form of a WrestleMania rematch against John Cena.

Before Rhodes could go on any further, “Voices” signalled the arrival of Randy Orton, the man who Rhodes defeated at Night of Champions. Orton started by reminding his friend that for weeks and weeks, he told Rhodes that he wouldn’t hesitate. But, at Night of Champions, he had Rhodes “dead to rights” and ready to rearrange his skull with a punt, but he hesitated. However, Rhodes pulled the trigger instead, something that Orton respected. Orton told Rhodes to promise him that he not squander the opportunity earn to go on to SummerSlam and kick John Cena’s ass.

Drew McIntyre made a shocking return for the first time since Saturday Night’s Main Event a couple of months ago. With mic in hand, McIntyre mocked Orton and Rhodes for having “beta male energy”, stating that “the alpha” — as in himself — has returned. McIntyre said Orton lost the psychological battle due to Rhodes supposedly “buttering him up” for months and stabbing him right in the back. He then turned his attention to Orton’s surgically repaired back, and pointing out how Rhodes targeted that surgically-repaired back.

McIntyre lambasted Orton for losing his edge as the Legend Killer, because that legend of Randy Orton was “dead”, as far he was concerned. McIntyre then turned his attention to “Super Cody”, stating that he wanted him to win at SummerSlam, because this was a match he was looking forward to, and because he wanted to be the one to rip that title off of Rhodes’ hands. As McIntyre turned, Orton delivered an RKO to him out of nowhere. Orton and Rhodes shared a tense staredown as the segment ended.

Very interesting opening segment, with Drew McIntyre’s big return and the gears being turned for a potential Randy Orton heel turn, which is kind of hitting the same beats as the Kevin Owens’ turn against Cody Rhodes last year. Still, when that turn does happen, it should be a good story, nonetheless.

**********

– Earlier Today footage showed Charlotte Flair talking to Nick Aldis, learning that she’ll be in a Women’s Tag Title qualifier match against the Secret Hervice and Michin & B-Fab, with the winner going on to Evolution II. Alexa Bliss appeared and revealed that she was going to be Flair’s partner for the match.

– Backstage, Drew McIntyre walked up and demanded a match against Randy Orton, but was informed by Aldis that Orton had left. However, McIntyre will get his shot at Orton next week at Saturday Night’s Main Event, which worked for him. McIntyre turned to see Jacob Fatu, and then left. Aldis informed Fatu that if he wanted a shot at Solo’s Bloodline, he could find a partner to take on two of them in tag team action. Jimmy Uso appeared and stepped up to be Fatu’s partner.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Qualifier Triple Threat: Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair vs. Secret Hervice (Alba Fyre & Piper Niven) vs. Michin & B-Fab

The match got underway with Bliss, Michin, and Niven starting off for their respective teams. Before Bliss could do anything, Flair blind tagged herself in as she then kicked B-Fab off the apron. Flair chopped away at Niven, but got hit with some chops by Michin. It was a kick frenzy by Michin that got stopped short, at least until Michin took out Flair outside the ring. Niven then took flight to take down Michin & B-Fab. Fyre then got her turn as she leapt from the top to wipe out Flair and B-Fab with a dive to the outside, which took us to a break.

We returned from break with Niven landing on Flair with a senton, but only getting a two count. A missed senton on Michin allowed B-Fab to enter the match with a tag. B-Fab took down Flair and Niven with kicks galore on both. Flair countered a neckbreaker attempt and tried for a Figure-Eight. B-Fab shoved Flair into her corner, which allowed Bliss to get the hot tag. Bliss was on fire and almost had B-Fab set up for Sister Abigail, but Michin made the save with a kick. Fyre caught B-Fab offguard with a Canadian (or Scottish?) Destroyer, as Niven then connected with the Black Hole Slam.

The Secret Hervice’s attempted double team was intercepted by Flair and Bliss. Flair condescendingly tapped Bliss on the head, which was counted as a tag by the referee. This allowed Bliss to enter as the legal woman and hit Twisted Bliss on Fyre to get the pin and win, qualifying for the Women’s Tag Title match at Evolution II.

Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss def. The Secret Hervice and Michin & B-Fab via pinfall

A decent match, but the finish with Charlotte’s attempt at being condescending towards Alexa Bliss kind of backfiring on her was a nice touch.

**********

– Earlier Today footage showed Nick Aldis admonishing the SmackDown tag division for causing chaos in the Wyatt Sicks vs. Street Profits WWE Tag Title match last week. This would end up with Andrade & Rey Fenix vs. FrAxiom booked for tonight, as well as an eight-man tag match being booked with the Wyatt Sicks against four stars from the SmackDown tag division.

Eight-Man Tag Match: The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Joe Gacy, Erick Rowan, & Dexter Lumis) vs. Berto, Johnny Gargano, Chris Sabin, & Montez Ford

Berto and Gacy got things going, as the latter blasted the former with a clothesline from the corner, followed by a running senton. Gacy looked to continue the momentum, but Berto caught him with a springboard elbow strike. Lumis got the tag and threw Berto around before Gargano entered the match. Gargano tried to make “peace” with Lumis, but ate a punch, followed by a slam for the two-count.

Uncle Howdy stepped into the ring, which led to all competitors stepping into the ring as things descended into chaos. Rowan tried to chokeslam Gargano and Berto, but got a stereo superkick from Sabin and Ford for his troubles. The SmackDown tag division stalwarts then kicked Rowan to the outside as Ford looked to get some momentum going. Rowan recovered and caught Ford before he threw him into a superkick by Lumis, leading to a commercial break.

We returned with the Wyatt Sicks working over Ford in their corner, as Lumis and Gacy did their “powerbomb into the opponent” spot. Lumis held Ford in a submission, but couldn’t maintain it. Chris Sabin got the tag and floored Lumis with a missile dropkick. Sabin used his speed to take out the entirety of the Wyatt Sicks in their corner, as he then unexpectedly teamed up with Gargano for a double kick on Gacy.

More chaos unfolded as we saw Ford take flight to wipe out Gacy and Lumis just near the entrance ramp outside the ring. Berto looked to soar, but got taken out by Uncle Howdy, who threw him over the ropes. In the ring, Howdy had Sabin right where he wanted him with the uranage as he then tagged in Rowan. The former Bludgeon Brother did what he does best and went on the attack, but Sabin dropped him with a slam. As Sabin looked to get a tag, Gargano had second thoughts and backed away from the apron as he locked eyes with Rowan. This left Sabin at the mercy of Rowan’s Iron Claw Slam to give the Wyatt Sicks the win here.

The Wyatt Sicks def. Chris Sabin, Johnny Gargano, Berto, and Montez Ford via pinfall

This was an alright tag match, though I enjoyed the concept of #DIY’s attempts of marshalling the SmackDown tag division to unite against the Wyatts unraveling because of the two (or at least Johnny Gargano in this particular match) actually being afraid of the Sicks.

**********

– We got a vignette from Giulia as she talked about her Women’s United States Championship victory last week on SmackDown. She stated that we were about to witness her beautiful madness as the Women’s U.S. Champion.

Tiffany Stratton chooses her Evolution II opponent

The WWE Women’s Champion made her way down to the ring to make an important decision regarding her opponent for Evolution II. Stratton said that since she became the Women’s Champion, she’s had a target on her back, but Nia Jax’s revenge wasn’t enough to stop her from becoming the Last Woman Standing. She turned her attention to Jade Cargill, the woman she’ll face at SummerSlam… but only after she defeats the opponent that she’l choose to face at Evolution II.

Stratton was interrupted by the 2025 Queen of the Ring herself, Jade Cargill. With a mic in hand, Cargill talked about how she was crowned Queen of the Ring by beating one of the best in Asuka. Cargill warned Stratton that she had a choice to make, and that if she chose wrong, Stratton might not make it to SummerSlam. But, it didn’t matter to Cargill, because she’d beat whoever she’d end up facing at SummerSlam. Stratton interrupted and revealed she a surprise for everyone… in the form of the WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus.

Once Stratus entered the ring, Stratton talked about how she invited her to the ring, stating “what would Evolution be without some Stratusfaction?”, as she then issued a challenge to the Canadian for title match at Evoltuion. Stratus talked about how the women had to fight just to have a single match on the card, but now at Evolution II, we’re going to have a card of incredibly talented women. Stratus gave thanks to Stratton for letting her kids see her in the ring, but those kids of hers haven’t seen their mom as a champion.

Stratton said that this wouldn’t be easy because this isn’t the Attitude Era anymore, and that whether it was Stratus at Evolution or Cargill at SummerSlam, the WWE would still run on Tiffy Time at the end of it all.

Trish returning as Stratton’s Evolution opponent borne out of a respect the two had when they teamed up at Elimination Chamber is at least a nice thread to follow up on for this match.

**********

– Solo Sikoa spoke from his “office” as he introduced the newest member of his family, Tala Tonga (the former Hikuleo), Sikoa said that this group was nothing like a bloodline, but it was now stronger than ever. Sikoa said that he and JC Mateo would join forces in their tag match later tonight, as he concluded that “his” family was now complete.

– Backstage, Trish Stratus was met by Jade Cargill, who warned her that if she defeated Tiffany Stratton at Evolution II, she’d be facing her at SummerSlam. As Stratus left, Naomi snuck up on Cargill with a shot using her Money in the Bank briefcase. SmackDown GM Nick Aldis, who’s had quite the busy night, checked up on Cargill afterwards.

FrAxiom (Nathan Frazer & Axiom) vs. Andrade & Rey Fenix

We got started with Andrade and Frazer mixing it up in the middle of the ring and neither getting a n advantage. Frazer dodged Andrade before he made the tag to Axiom as Fenix leapt into battle with a dive. Fenix landed on his feet after an attempted DDT from Axiom. All four men began to trade blows in the ring as Andrade got sent to the outside. Frazer and Axiom blasted Andrade and Fenix with repeated dives to the outside, which took us to the break.]

SmackDown resumed with Frazer having Fenix caught in a submission hold. FrAxiom used their unorthodox tag team offense to keep Fenix grounded at the moment. Fenix escaped out of an Axiom hold as he kicked Frazer off the apron. Fenix then took down Axiom with a flipping DDT before Andrade got the hot tag.

El Idolo was a house of fire against both Frazer and Axiom, as he then paid tribute to Eddie Guerrerro with the Three Amigos suplexes. Fenix followed up the homage to Eddie with a Frog Splash that only got a two-count. With a cry of “Animo!”, Fenix headed up top, but was intercepted by Frazer. A dogfight at the top rope saw Frazer floor Fenix with the superplex, followed by a supkerick. Cover by Axiom was broken up by Andrade, who shoved Frazer into the pin.

After another commercial break, we resumed with Frazer’s Phoenix Splash being adeptly dodged by Fenix as Andrade entered the match. With Frazer stunned in the corner, Andrade crushed him with the corner Meteora for the two-count. Andrade had Frazer in his sights for a high-risk maneuver and connected with the double moonsault. Axiom broke up the pin just in time as he then took Fenix out from the apron.

FrAxiom had Andrade caught with the Spanish Fly & Phoenix Splash combination maneuver. Rey Fenix made the last-second save by leaping onto Frazer followed by a codebreaker on Axiom. The makeshift team of Andrade and Fenix soon took advantage with the latterr hitting an Adios Amigo kick on Axiom, and the former blasting Frazer with a vicious spinning elbow. The finish came when Fenix leapt over a prone Frazer in the ring right into Axiom at ringside. This gave Andrade the opening needed to deliver The Message to Frazer for the three.

Andrade & Rey Fenix def. FrAxiom via pinfall

Just some fun and fast tag team action between two high-flying teams. I really enjoyed this one from start to finish. Just a lovely showcase for the SmackDown tag division.

**********

– Damian Priest confronted Aleister Black, wanting to talk to him about Ron Killings, as he revealed to Black that he’d be facing Killings next week on SmackDown. We also learned that at Evolution II, it’ll be Tiffany Stratton vs. Trish Stratus for the WWE Women’s Championship, as well as Jade Cargill vs. Naomi.

Next Week on SmackDown

  • WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits vs. The Wyatt Sicks’ Joe Gacy & Dexter Lumis
  • Ron Killings vs. Aleister Black

Solo Sikoa & J.C. Mateo vs. Jacob Fatu & Jimmy Uso

Sikoa tagged in Mateo to avoid Fatu’s wrath early on. Mateo took the brunt of the punishment from Fatu and Uso up until a thump brought Jimmy down to the ground. Sikoa entered the match and felt brazen enough to mock Fatu’s signature dance while he had Uso grounded with the Spinning Solo, which led to one final break in the action.

Our main event resumed from the commercial with Sikoa and Mateo having the advantrage over Jimmy Uso. Mateo got the tag and flattened Uso with a standing moonsault. In the corner, a prone Uso was squashed by a splash from Mateo. Another attempt at a splash by Mateo was missed, as Uso dodged and then delivered a Samoan Drop, which created some needed separation. Fatu got the hot tag as he unleashed an assault on Sikoa with the senton, followed by a splash in the corner.

Fatu cracked Sikoa with ten headbutts in the cornered, as he then caught his foe with a spinning elbow. Fatu blasted both Mateo and Sikoa with superkicks, which left them stunned in separate corners. Fatu took both men out with consecutive hip attacks. Uso and Fatu flew through the ropes with dives that ook out Mateo and Sikoa.

In the ring, Sikoa kicked Fatu with a superkick, as he had the Samoan Spike loaded. Fatu countered and planted Sikoa with the Impaler DDT. Fatu then brought an end to this match with the jumping moonsault from the top and the three to get the pin on the new U.S. Champion.

Post-match, Fatu wanted to continue his revenge on Sikoa as he cleared away the commentary table before he kicked Sikoa onto it. Fatu headed up to the top, but got intercepted by Tala Tonga, who emerged from the ring. Tala slammed Fatu from the top rope, as Tanga Loa soon joined in on the attack against Jimmy Uso. Tala crushed Uso with a superkick, as Mateo hit the Tour of the Islands afterwards.

This “family” soon turned their attention on Fatu, as Sikoa dropped him with the Samoan Spike. Sikoa ordered his men to drag Fatu towards the commentary table as they delivered the Shield Triple Powerbomb through the reinforced announce table. The Paul Levesque & Lee Fitting producer credits popped as SmackDown ended with Sikoa’s “family” standing tall.

**********

Pretty much a standard main event and big beatdown segment from Solo’s not-quite Bloodline group to end this two-hour SmackDown.

All in all, just a run-of-the mill episode of SmackDown, but the FrAxiom vs. Andrade & Fenix match was at least exciting and it’s always nice to see Drew McIntyre back in the fray, as well as the teasing towards a Randy Orton heel turn.

Solo Sikoa wins United States title, Hikuelo debuts at WWE Night of Champions

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Solo Sikoa is the new Untied States Champion thanks to help from his relatives.

At Night of Champions, Sikoa pinned Jacob Fatu to become United States Champion for the first time thanks to a ton of interference. JC Mateo came out first, but was taken out quickly. Tonga Loa, who had been out of action since Survivor Series with an injury, returned next but soon after was also taken out. Fatu had Sikoa pinned with a moonsault, but that was when Hikuleo made his WWE debut, chokeslamming Fatu through the announce table. Sikoa then pinned Fatu with the Samoan spike for the win.

Hikuleo was never identified by name, meaning he will likely get a new name moving forward. Michael Cole on commentary identified him as the brother of Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga. All three are the sons of Haku.

After weeks of dissension, Fatu turned against Sikoa during the Money in the Bank match last month. In the weeks after, Sikoa attempted to reconcile but Fatu would have none of it, setting up the United States title match for Saudi Arabia.

Hikuleo signed with WWE last year but hadn’t been used since finishing up with NJPW last June. He resurfaced two weeks ago in a match against Pretty Deadly’s Kit Wilson, then wrestled before last week’s SmackDown against an enhancement talent. Both times he was referred to as Hikuelo.