Tag: solo sikoa - Page 3

WWE SmackDown live results: Solo Sikoa returns

Posted on September 27, 2024September 27, 2024 by Colin McGuire

One week after Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns pledged to have each other’s backs when they take on The Bloodline at Bad Blood, Solo Sikoa will return to SmackDown tonight.

Last week, Sikoa was absent while the rest of The Bloodline went to a no contest with The Street Profits & Kevin Owens in a six-man tag match. It will be Sikoa & Jacob Fatu vs. Rhodes & Reigns at Bad Blood on Saturday, October 5.

Also on tap for SmackDown, Bayley and Naomi will go one-on-one to determine who will challenge Nia Jax for the WWE Women’s Championship at Bad Blood. Jax & Tiffany Stratton took on Naomi & Bayley last week and lost as Naomi & Bayley pinned Jax at the same time, setting up tonight’s bout.

Carmelo Hayes and Andrade will extend their series to six matches tonight. Andrade currently leads the series at 3-2. He lost to LA Knight in a U.S. title match on last week’s show. Afterwards, Hayes confronted Andrade backstage and the two brawled.

Michin and Piper Niven will wrestle as well ahead of Michin and Chelsea Green’s dumpster match on SmackDown next Friday.

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

**********

– Michael Cole welcomed everyone into the show and instantly, Randy Orton’s music hit. Orton then walked out.

The Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes/Bloodline segment

The slow burn between Owens, Orton and Cody is sort of fun, but I do worry that it has a short shelf life. Does this also mean that Orton and Owens ultimately turn heel? It was nice to see Orton back on SmackDown – the show has missed his star power and he instantly makes any TV show he’s on more intriguing, if only because it’s hard ever 100-percent trust him in any situation. Also of note: Sikoa has gotten a lot better on the mic since settling into this role as the leader of The Bloodline 2.0. He feels a lot more comfortable getting heat on the mic and he feels more and more like an actual player as each week passes. It might not come in large doses, but incrementally, he deserves a lot of credit for growing into this role.

Orton started by saying it’s been a minute and he’s missed being in a SmackDown ring on Friday nights. Orton then formally welcomed everyone into Friday Night SmackDown. The crowd chanted “Randy!” Orton said he could count the amount of people he trusts in this business on one hand, but Cody Rhodes is one of those people he can trust. Orton said it’s interesting that Cody is teaming that Roman at Bad Blood and it doesn’t sit right with him. As a result, Orton asked Cody to come out and give Orton an explanation. Cody’s music hit and Cody made his entrance.

The crowd chanted “Cody!” after Cody joined Orton in the ring. Cody then asked Oklahoma City and Randy Orton what they wanted to talk about – but not until after the crowd broke into a “Randy!” chant. Cody said he might look like a fool by teaming with Roman Reigns, but Cody then asked Orton if he’d rather be a fool or a coward. Cody talked about how Roman gave Cody his word multiple times and he hasn’t lied yet. As such, Cody said he’s going to take Roman at his word. Cody said the fans will also take Roman at his word. “OTC!” chants broke out.

Cody noted how he’s standing there with The Apex Predator and The Legend Killer and because of that, Orton should understand because it’s time for the legend of the Bloodline to be killed. Cody said he hopes it’s not a problem for Orton and extend his hand. Orton shook Cody’s hand. Orton said it’s not a problem – unless Cody makes it a problem. On cue, Kevin Owens’s music hit and Owens made his entrance wearing an RKO shirt. Before Owens could speak, Solo Sikoa’s music hit and the Bloodline made their entrance.

Sikoa had a microphone and spoke while standing in the entrance way. Sikoa started by telling Oklahoma City to acknowledge him. In response, everyone booed. “OTC!” chants followed those boos. Sikoa said he knows Roman gave Cody his word and Cody should trust Roman because Cody will need Roman. Sikoa said Owens and Orton won’t be any good for Cody at the end of the day. Sikoa rightfully pointed out that each time Cody tried to take out The Bloodline alongside Orton and Owens, they couldn’t take The Bloodline out. Sikoa said the reason Cody will team with Reigns is because Owens and Orton always let Cody down.

Owens chimed in and told Sikoa to “shut his stupid face.” Owens challenged The Bloodline to a team match. Cody tried to make it a six-man tag, but Owens said no to that, stopping Cody from talking and issuing the challenge. Owens’s music hit without Sikoa responding and the segment ended.

**********

– Nia Jax and Tiffany Strattong were backstage and Jax was annoyed. Jax said she doesn’t understand how they didn’t get rid of either Bayley or Naomi last week. Jax grabbed Stratton by the neck and Stratton apologized for last week. Jax said if it ends bad for Jax, it will end really, really bad for Stratton. Jax then smiled and said they could be friends again after the intensity lessened. The camera stayed on Stratton’s face long after Jax left and Stratton looked angry.

Bayley defeated Naomi to become the No. 1 contender for the WWE Women’s Championship. [10:01]

This was a good match and I’m glad they got 10 minutes. The post-match stuff with Naomi has me thinking we’re on our way to a turn, and it’ll be welcome because Naomi has been spinning her wheels since coming back as a babyface. Maybe a heel turn could give her act a spark that kicks things into gear. The Jax/Bayley rematch combined with the elongated Stratton angry face from her segment with Jax makes me believe we might be getting that Stratton cash-in sooner than later, which is another good thing, too, because I have officially lost all patience for all things MITB, even though we’re only a few months removed from it. Anyway, lots of good stuff all around.

Naomi went for an early pin, but Bayley thwarted it. Naomi kept trying until Bayley almost went to punch Naomi but stopped herself because the two are friends. Naomi pushed Bayley repeatedly until Bayley pushed back. Bayley eventually landed a clothesline for a two count. Bayley went for a running knee, but Naomi countered with a bulldog. Naomi super-kicked Bayley and Bayley rolled to the outside, where Naomi hit a corkscrew plancha before the show went to a commercial break.

The show returned and Bayley hit an Elbow on Naomi to reset things. Bayley followed up with a back suplex and a suicide dive onto Naomi, who was on the outside of the ring. Back in the ring, Naomi hit a Rearview for a nice near-fall. The two got to their feel and traded blows until Naomi kicked Bayley in the head twice. Naomi planted Bayley for a two count. “This is awesome” chants began. Naomi kicked Bayley and went to the top for a Blockbuster. Naomi tried to follow it up with a suplex, but Bayley countered into a suplex of her own. Bayley then sunset-flipped Naomi into the bottom turnbuckle, but it didn’t quite go as planned. Still, Bayley got a two count out of it.

Bayley went for a Bayley to Belly, but Naomi countered and Bulldogged Bayley into a turnbuckle. Naomi went to the top and missed what she was going for. Bayley then hit the Bayley to Belly. Bayley rushed to the top and landed her signature elbow, which was good enough for the win. After the match, Naomi looked upset as she walked to the back.

**********

– Footage of the weird post-match stuff between LA Knight and Andrade aired. Andrade was walking backstage and ran into Knight. Andrade said real men shake hands to show respect and as such, Knight lost Andrade’s respect. Out of nowhere, Carmelo Hayes took Knight out and Andrade looked confused. Hayes told Andrade, essentially, to meet him in the ring.

Carmelo Hayes defeated Andrade [16:48]

Boy, this was great. I feel like each week, I say it’s my favorite in their series, but … well … I think this was my favorite in their series. Plus, they got nearly 17 minutes. Great stuff. A clever finish, too, because it felt like Melo had to get the win to even the series, but these guys had already pulled out all the stops. So, how does he do it? LA Knight with an accidental distraction. I’ll say this right now: Game 7 will need at least a half hour, so put that on a PLE and get out of the way, Hunter. Please? I half wonder if that weird post-match moment from last week between Knigth and Andrade was never scripted, but took on a life of its own, so they thought they’d lean into it this week. Perhaps we’ll never know. Either way, this was a great match and I have to think it’ll end up being the match of the night. Maybe even the match of the week in WWE. These guys are just so good together.

Andrade had control to begin things and went for a double-knees, but Hayes moved and draped Andrade over the second rope. Amazingly, Hayes ran at the draped Andrade and Andrade pulled off a powerslam while being draped on the second rope onto the apron. Hayes sold back pain and the show went to a picture-in-picture. The show returned and Hayes had the upper hand with a springboard clothesline. Hayes worked a chin lock. Andrade worked his way out of it and chopped Hayes, but Hayes responded with punches of his own. The two eventually hit simultaneous clotheslines to reset the match. “This is awesome!” chants began.

Back on their feet, the two traded blows. Andrade ultimately landed a dragon-screw leg whip, but Andrade quickly ran into a First 48 from Hayes for a two count. Hayes was bleeding from the mouth. Hayes went for a double-knees, but Andrade moved and hit a leaping forearm to take back control. Andrade then landed a double-knees for a good near fall. Andrade went for The Message, but Hayes countered into somewhat of a springboard DDT for another good near fall. The show then went to a second commercial break during the match.

The show returned and Andrade climbed to the tope rope, but Hayes cut Andrade off. Hayes tried to set up for a super-plex, but Andrade headbutted Hayes to the canvas. Andrade then commenced the double-try moonsault spot and he connected enough for a two count. “This is awesome!” chants broke out. Andrade set up for a suplex, but Hayes countered with a Facebuster and some sort of cutter and Hayes nearly got the victory. Hayes went to the top, but Andrade cut Hayes off. Andrade set up for a super-plex, but instead, Hayes turned things into a neck-breaker/cutter from the top for a very good near-fall. “Holy s%$@!” chants started.

Hayes went for a Nothing But Net, but Andrade moved and hit a spinning back elbow that caused Hayes to roll to the outside. With Hayes on the outside, LA Knight’s music hit and Knight ran out, but Andrade stopped Knight from attacking Hayes. Hayes took advantage of that and rolled Andrade up for the win. Hayes ran to the back after the win and Andrade and Knight exchanged words inside the ring. Knight extended his hand for a handshake, but Andrade walked away and the crowd booed.

**********

– Owens and Orton were talking in the locker room. Cody Rhodes walked in and asked Owens to talk, but Owens said he couldn’t at the moment because they were getting ready for their match. Owens stood up and told Cody to not interfere in their match later on. Orton said if they need the help, Orton would love Cody to help and he’d talk to Owens to let him know Orton gave Cody the OK to help.

– An AJ Styles vignette aired. Turns out, he’ll return next week.

Michin defeated Piper Niven [8:58]

Hey, it was a lot better than that three minute match these two had a couple weeks ago. The right person went over, considering how Michin is the one competing next week in the Bad Blood go-home edition of SmackDown. It being a Dumpster Match, I do wonder how much of a role Niven might play, but maybe Michin will bring some help of her own. The creative minds have done a good job building this program between Michin and Green. It isn’t often WWE takes time to develop things with their mid-card women, but things appear to have turned a corner in that respect, and that’s great. Next week’s showdown between Green and Michin should be a lot of fun.

Michin ran at Niven to start the match, but Niven fought back and ultimately shoulder-blocked Michin to the ground. Niven ran into a boot from Michin. Niven came back with an attempted splash, but Michin rolled to the outside where Chelsea Green distracted Michin and Niven hit a Cannonball on Michin. The show went to a commercial break. The show returned and Niven shoulder-blocked Michin through the air. Niven followed it up with a Cannonball in the corner and got a two-count.

Niven went for a splash, but Michin moved and hit a ton of kicks and chops. Michin hit a Crucifix Bomb and that was enough for a two count. Michin ran the ropes and Niven caught her for a Sidewalk Slam. Niven dragged Michin to a corner and went for a Niven Bomb, but Michin moved. It didn’t matter because Niven came back with a Michinoku Driver and earned a near-fall. Michin went to the rop, but Niven cut her off with a slap to the head. Green distracted the referee and Michin kicked Green off the apron. Niven, in the meantime, missed a Cannonball attempt on the outside. Niven returned to the ring and Michin hit Eat Defeat for the win.

**********

– Next week, AJ Styles returns. Also on tap, #DIY, The Street Profits and The Bloodline will compete in a triple threat ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Plus, the Dumpster Match between Green and Michin will go down.

– Naomi was walking backstage and Bayley apologized for beating her earlier. Naomi said Bayley wasn’t sorry, but it was OK, because if Naomi would have won, she wouldn’t be sorry either. Naomi said they’ll run it back someday eventually. Naomi kept walking and Stratton walked into the picture. Stratton said Naomi will have a good view of Jax beating down Bayley. Naomi then said she’d go to GM Nick Aldis to make a match between Naomi and Stratton for next week.

– A recap of the cinematic angle between Cody and Roman aired before the main event.

The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu) defeated Kevin Owens & Randy Orton [15:05]

Lots of nonsense to finish this thing up, but the Bloodline had to win to give them credibility going into their showdown with Roman and Cody next weekend. I love the way Fatu is booked in WWE. At some point, I thought they’d cool him off as they built the new Bloodline, but they really haven’t. Instead, he’s the only guy who won’t sell the suplex onto the commentary table from Orton. Instead, he’s the one who bounces right back from big moves from big-name wrestlers. It works and I wonder where he’ll be in six months. I also kind of wonder why this didn’t main event the go-home edition of SmackDown next week. Maybe they have something better planned, but it felt like this would have been a good way to set up the PLE if they weren’t going to have Roman on the show. That said, I probably just answered my own question because my guess is Roman pops up next week to finish the build. Anyway, a good main event. Chaotic for a WWE main event, but that’s not a bad thing, especially considering how monotonous this show has become in recent months.

Owens and Fatu started the match and Fatu took Owens down quickly, but Owens came back with an elbow and a Senton. Sikoa tagged in and ran into a bunch of Owens’s strikes. Sikoa quickly rebounded and took Owens down. As a result, Owens tagged in Orton, much to the delight of the live crowd. Fatu wanted the tag because of that and Fatu tagged in. “Solo sucks!” chants began. Orton kicked Fatu, but Fatu fought back and clotheslined Orton over the top rope to the floor. Fatu followed Orton to the outside, but Orton caught Fatu and dropped Fatu onto the commentary table, but Fatu no-sold it. Orton, ever the professional, proceeded to drop Fatu on the table three more times to make his point. Orton then did the same to Sikoa and the show went to a commercial break.

The show returned and Sikoa was working over Owens inside the ring. The two fought on the top rope and Sikoa fell off the top, so Owens went for a Swanton, but Sikoa got his knees up. Fatu tagged in and Fatu whipped Sikoa into Owens in a corner before Fatu followed it up with a hip attack of his own on Owens in a corner. Fatu whipped Owens into a corner and before long, Fatu ran Owens into the heel corner and tagged Sikoa into the match.

Sikoa jawed at Owens and stomped on him. Fatu hit Owens while the referee had his back turned and Orton got mad and ran into the ring, but the ref sent him back to his corner. Sikoa ran the ropes, but Owens caught him. Eventually, Owens punched his way out of a lock up with Sikoa and Orton received the hot tag. Orton came in and cleaned house, complete with a snap powerslam on Sikoa and Fatu. Orton hit his draping DDT on Sikoa. Orton set up for an RKO, but Fatu tried to intervene. It was enough for Sikoa to follow up with a Samoan Drop on Orton.

Sikoa went to the outside and Owens got up on the apron, asking for a tag. Owens became the legal man and Owens ran around the outside of the ring, clotheslining and Swanton-ing everybody. Owens landed a frog splash on Fatu on the outside. Owens went to the top and hit a Swanton on Sikoa inside the ring, but it was good enough for only a near-fall. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa ran to ringside and as a result, Sikoa landed a Spinning Solo on Owens for a near-fall. Cody’s music hit and Cody came out and took care of Loa and Tonga. Tonga found himself in the ring and Orton gave Tonga an RKO.

Things broke down and the heels threw Cody into the referee, which kept the referee from counting after Owens hit a Stunner on Sikoa. Owens was angry about that and then turned into a bunch of super-kicks from Fatu. Sikoa pinned Owens for the win. After the match, Cody tried to say he was sorry, but Owens was very mad and Orton tried to reason with everyone. Ultimately, Owens hugged Cody as the “Executive Producers – Paul Levesque/Lee Fitting” graphic came up to end the show.

Roman Reigns & Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu set for WWE Bad Blood

Posted on September 13, 2024September 13, 2024 by Bryan Rose

Roman Reigns is ready to get his hands on The Bloodline.

A tag team match pitting unlikely partners Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu was made official for next month’s Bad Blood event on October 5 in Atlanta during Friday’s SmackDown. Despite saying earlier in the show he had no intention of signing the contract, Rhodes signed after he and Reigns got the better of a sneak attack by Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga.

The open of the show saw Rhodes defeat Sikoa in a steel cage match to retain the WWE Championship. However, Fatu and the rest of the Bloodline attacked Rhodes after the match, leading Reigns to come out for the save. Fatu, who was outside of the cage, entered as he and Reigns had a staredown. However, he was pulled away by Sikoa before it could go any further.

A show-long storyline saw Nick Aldis attempt to sign the tag team match for Bad Blood. Cody Rhodes, however, told Aldis that he wouldn’t sign it as after tonight, he was done with the Bloodline.

Nia Jax on Friday announced she would be defending the WWE Women’s Championship at Bad Blood. However, a tag team match on next week’s SmackDown will determine who she faces. It will be Nia Jax & Tiffany Stratton teaming together to take on Bayley and Naomi.

WWE Bad Blood 2024 (Saturday, October 5) —

Hell in a Cell match: CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre
Roman Reigns & Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu
Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against Rhea Ripley
Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor

WWE SmackDown live results: Rhodes vs. Sikoa on USA Network return

Posted on September 13, 2024September 13, 2024 by Colin McGuire

On the first SmackDown on USA Network after leaving Fox, tonight’s show will open with a rematch of the SummerSlam 2024 main event — but this time in a steel cage.

Cody Rhodes will take on Solo Sikoa with the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line. Rhodes defeated Sikoa at SummerSlam to retain the title in a Bloodline Rules match after Roman Reigns interfered. This time, the two will meet in a steel cage match while the first 30 minutes of SmackDown are scheduled to air commercial free.

Also tonight, Kevin Owens and a mystery partner will take on A-Town Down Under (Grayson Waller & Austin Theory). Last week, Owens beat Waller & Theory in a handicap match, but the heels attacked him afterwards.

Then, with their series tied at two wins apiece, Andrade and Carmelo Hayes will square off against one another. Hayes is currently on a two-match winning streak against Andrade. Both men are aiming for a shot at LA Knight’s United States title.

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

**********

– The show began with a new intro, complete with new song and new logo. Michael Cole welcomed everyone into the show and sent things to the ring, where Paul Levesque was introduced. Levesque soaked up cheers and walked to the ring.

– Levesque said it seemed like just yesterday, he went one-on-one with The Rock on the first SmackDown, and now it’s hard to believe they are where they are, 25 years later. Levesque said there was no better place to be than in Seattle, Washington, and there was no better way to start it off than a match for the Undisputed WWE Champion. Levesque asked the crowd if they were ready and welcomed everyone to SmackDown. Drew McIntyre-level pyro shot off and the steel cage was lowered.

– A video package setting up the Cody/Solo match aired. Both wrestlers made their entrances and Alicia Taylor made formal in-ring introductions. The bell rang about 15 minutes into the show.

Cody Rhodes defeated Solo Sikoa to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship in a steel cage match [16:19]

The expected outcome with, to be honest, a somewhat-expected appearance from Roman Reigns. I was – and still am – curious to see what the final segment of the show will be because they made such a big deal out of the steel cage match leading the show. With Reigns on hand tonight, you have to think this won’t be the last time we see any of these wrestlers tonight. As for the match, it was fine. Pretty tame. Uneventful. Again that dreaded “E” word – “expected.” Solo Sikoa deserves some credit, though, because he’s been thrusted into this position and you can see him get better and grow up in the ring in real time. Is this the same guy we saw two years ago? Not at all. He’s much more refined now and has learned the WWE Big Match style well. I can’t imagine a third match between him and Rhodes at this point – and if it does happen, it should be a very long time from now – but in the meantime, what happens with Sikoa and Reigns post-War Games unless The Rock shows up soon?

Cody had control early and hit his drop-punch twice. The two traded strikes and Rhodes hit a bulldog before running Sikoa into the cage four times. Cody ran at Sikoa and Sikoa back-dropped Cody into the cage. Sikoa followed that up with a hip-attack into the cage. Sikoa took control and put the boots to Rhodes. Sikoa landed a flying headbutt as Cody was draped upside down in a corner. Sikoa went for another one, but Cody moved and tried climbing the cage, but Sikoa cut him off. Cody was busted open on the forehead.

Sikoa threw Cody into a side of the cage. Sikoa followed that up with a bunch of headbutts. Cody went for a Disaster Kick, but Sikoa caught Cody and rammed Cody into the cage a couple times. Sikoa lifted Cody for a powerbomb, but Cody climbed up the cage and hit a Cody Cutter from near the top of the cage and got a two-count out of it. Cody tried to climb the cage again, but Sikoa grabbed Cody’s boot. Sikoa pulled Cody back to the canvas and started climbing the cage himself. Cody started climbing, too, and the wrestlers fought on the top of the cage.

Cody rammed Sikoa’s head on top of the cage and tried to climb over the top, but Sikoa stopped Cody and vertical-suplexed Cody. Neither guy appeared to land great. Sikoa covered Cody but only got a two-count. Cody slapped Sikoa and Sikoa came back with a pair of Rock Bottoms for a near-fall. Sikoa set up for a Samoan Spike, but Cody blocked it and fired up, eventually hitting a Disaster Kick and a Cody Cutter for a near-fall.

Cody set up for a Cross-Rhodes, but Sikoa countered and hit a Hip Attack, a Samoan Drop and a Splash from the top rope for a good near-fall. Sikoa followed up with another Hip Attack, but it was in the corner where the cage door was and Cody almost escaped. Sikoa lifted Cody, but Cody countered into a Cross-Rhodes for a good near-fall. Cody climbed the cage, got to the top and hit a cross-body on Sikoa for another good near-fall. Cody asked the official to open the cage door and made his way towards the door, but Sikoa slammed the door in Cody’s face. Sikoa went for a Samoan Spike, but Cody thwarted it and hit another Cross-Rhodes, this time for the win.

After the match, the Bloodline surrounded the cage and they all climbed into the ring. Sikoa landed that Samoan Spike on Cody and the Bloodline worked Cody over, complete with a moonsault from Jaco Fatu – both from the top rope and from the top of the cage … except when Fatu got to the top of the cage, Roman Reigns’s music hit and Fatu didn’t jump. Instead, Reigns walked out and walked into the ring, closing the door behind him. Reigns beat the hell out of Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa until Sikoa stopped Reigns.

Ultimately, Sikoa ran into a Superman Punch and Fatu pulled Sikoa out of the cage. Reigns invited Fatu to get in the ring and Fatu slowly walked up the steps. Fatu shut the door behind him, but as Fatu fired up, Sikoa pulled Fatu out of the cage. From there, Loa and Tonga beat down Reigns until Cody got back to his feet and gave a Cross-Rhodes to Tonga and Reigns gave a spear to Loa. Cody and Reigns had a brief moment until Reigns turned his attention back to Sikoa. Reigns and Cody stood awkwardly together in the ring as Cody’s music played to end the segment.

**********

– Cathy Kelley interviewed GM Nick Aldis backstage and Aldis said everyone has been sequestered in their dressing rooms. Sikoa asked Aldis for a match, but Aldis wasn’t sure what the match would be. Aldis said he was going to try and find some answers.

Michin defeated Piper Niven [2:02]

Welp, it appears that first match and subsequent nonsense ran a bit too long because this was a lot of nothing (but everything crammed into about three minutes). Hey, at least they didn’t get cut entirely from the show. My guess is this leads to Michin vs. Green sooner than later, but it is kind of tough to see Niven take so many easy losses.

Niven ran at Michin, but Michin moved and Niven went to the outside. Michin then hit a suicide dive. Michin then kicked Chelsea Green in the head and looked for something under the ring. Michin eventually pulled out a kendo stick and hit Green with it. Niven then hit a dive on Michin and rolled Michin back into the ring. Niven went to the second rope, but Michin cut Niven off and hit a belly-to-back suplex from the second rope on Niven. Michin followed that up with an Eat Defeat for the win.

After the match, Green attacked Michin and the heels and Green hit an Un-Pretty-Her on Michin, onto a trashcan. Green’s music hit and Green waved to the crowd.

**********

– Photos profiling memorable SmackDown moments aired. Rob Van Dam was then shown in the front row. Vickie Guerrero was also shown. Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser were also in the crowd and Gunther smirked as the crowd booed. It turned out Kevin Owens’s mystery partner was someone who Waller and Theory laughed at. Owens said his real partner couldn’t make it, so “That’s Ricky (one half of Midnight Heat, in case you are familiar with their independent work) and that’s my partner.” The crowd chanted “Ricky!” A producer called Owens over and told Owens his partner actually did make it, Owens Stunned “Ricky” and Randy Orton’s music hit. Orton then walked to the ring to be Owens’s tag partner.

Randy Orton & Kevin Owens defeated A-Town Down Under (Grayson Waller & Austin Theory) [9:22]

Pure fun. Nothing more. Nothing less. That’s never a bad thing. The Orton appearance was all but promised, so it would have been a lot more fun if they would have stuck with “Ricky” as Owens’s partner, but the go-home sequence with Owens mimicking Orton was a good visual. Those two are due for a program together soon, right? Who do you think turns on whom?

The match opened with a lot of brawling on the outside, with Waller back-suplexing Owens onto the commentary table a la Randy Orton. The show cut to a picture-in-picture at one point. When it returned, the heels had the advantage, but ultimately, Owens got the hot tag to Orton, who hit his back suplex onto the commentary table on both Theory and Waller. Owens and Orton did all of Orton’s moves together as we went to the home stretch and that concluded with Orton hitting an RKO on Waller and Owens hitting a Stunner on Theory. Orton then covered Waller for the win.

**********

– Nick Aldis announced that Sikoa challenged Cody and Roman to a tag match at Bad Blood between those two and Sikoa and Fatu. Cody walked in and said he’s done with The Bloodline and The Bloodline is Roman Reigns’s problem. As a result, Cody said he wouldn’t sign the contract for the tag match.

– More photos from more SmackDowns aired. Booker T and Sharmell were shown in the crowd. Ditto for Sheamus and Michael P.S. Hayes.

– A video of Tiffany Stratton, Pretty Deadly and Nia Jax catching fish at the Seattle market earlier in the day aired.

The Nia Jax/Bayley segment

I like the stip for this because a lot of things are in play. Who has to leave SmackDown? Will someone actually be forced to leave SmackDown? The stip doesn’t apply to Stratton if she loses for her team, does it? Whatever it is, count me among those who thing, as an immediate reaction, that we’ll get the rematch between Bayley and Jax, but I’ll be happy to be wrong. I get a kick out of snotty Bayley, so it was nice to hear her lean into that for the first time in a while, despite her being in a babyface role.

Jax was in the ring alone with a microphone and talked about how she’s unstoppable. Jax listed off all her accomplishments and said all of them were easy. Jax said everyone in the locker room fears her and the crowd gave her the “What?” treatment. Jax said Aldis told her she will defend her Women’s Championship at Bad Blood, but she didn’t know who the opponent was. She also didn’t care who her opponent would be. Bayley’s music hit and Bayley walked out.

Bayley had a microphone and said, “Ding dong, you idiot,” and it was kind of funny. The crowd chanted Bayley’s name. Bayley said Jax has had the greatest year of her career, but it wasn’t like Jax set the bar really high for herself. Bayley got into the ring and walked up to Jax, saying she wants her rematch. Jax, I think, said no, but the sound went out. The two exchanged verbal jabs, I think, and Tiffany Stratton’s music hit. Stratton walked out and said Bayley is pathetic and is jealous that Stratton has the MITB briefcase.

Bayley said something that made Jax and Stratton appear to be at odds. Jax said Bayley wouldn’t have a prayer if she ever faced Jax again. Naomi’s music then hit and Naomi walked out with a microphone. Naomi said if they wanted a fight, they could fight. Naomi said it’s been a while since she’s held a title, and she wants to do it again. Naomi challenged Bayley. Jax noted how both Bayley and Naomi wants Jax’s title. Jax challenged Bayley and Naomi to a tag match next week against Jax and Stratton. Whomever gets the win, Jax said, will get the title shot at Bad Blood. Whomever loses, though, will be forced to leave SmackDown permanently. Naomi hit a hip attack on Stratton to end the segment.

**********

– Aldis was shown walking backstage and Aldis told Kelley he talked to Roman Reigns and Reigns wants to address the situation in the ring at the end of the show.

– Ron Simmons and Teddy Long were shown in the crowd after stills of more photos aired. William Regal was also on hand. Bobby Roode was shown. And Damian Priest was just hanging out in the crowd, too.

Andrade defeated Carmelo Hayes [9:51]

That Spanish Fly looked gnarly early in the match. Good for Andrade getting back up from that. No way all this leads to Andrade losing to Knight clean without Hayes having anything to do with anything, right? Plus, there’s no way Andrade/Melo ends as a five-game series, right? Or, well, please? They’ve had five matches against each other and in each match, they pulled out different spots, kept everyone guessing who might win and developed a believability in their disdain for each other based almost solely on them simply just having a match one week. Knight can’t lose that U.S. title anytime soon, one would think, so perhaps this is just another chapter in the Andrade/Hayes feud and we’ve got a lot more to come from it because a nine minute deciding match just ain’t enough for this viewer. Fingers crossed.

Hayes attacked Andrade before the bell rang. But then the bell rang and Hayes immediately had the upper hand until Andrade just pushed Hayes off the top rope to the outside. Andrade followed that up with a moonsault on Hayes on the outside. Hayes came back and chopped Andrade, but Andrade responded with a big boot and rolled back inside the ring to break the count and then roll back outside to go to work on Hayes. By that, I mean he stood on the barriade, but Hayes popped up there with him and a Spanish Fly went down. It looked like Andrade landed on his face. The show then went to a second picture-in-picture and I feel like I’m covering Rampage again.

Back from the PIP, Andrade went for a double-knees, but missed. Hayes tried to capitalize, but the two traded move and pin attempts. Andrade tried to lift Hayes, but couldn’t quite get there and Hayes hit a First 48, but Andrade came back with a spinning back elbow for a good near-fall. Andrade went to the top and did the missed-moonsault-into-another-moonsault spot, but Hayes got the knees up to counter the second moonsault. Hayes went to the top, but missed Nothing But Net. Andrade then hit a wild Destroyer and Hayes sold fantastically.

Andrade fired the crowd up and landed the double knees in a corner, but Hayes reached for the bottom rope to stop the pin. Andrade went to the top, but missed a split-legged moonsault. Hayes kicked Andrade’s head while the two were on the top, but Andrade caught Hayes and kicked Hayes in the head. All of this led to a The Message from the top on Hayes, which made for a neat visual. That was enough for Andrade to get the three count. LA Knight’s music hit immediately and Knight walked out with a microphone. Knight did the “Let me talk to ya!” bit and congratulated Andrade for being the next contestant for the U.S. title. Knight said Andrade hit the “hit it and quit it sweepstakes.” Knight said he’ll drop Andrade on his head next week and that everybody is saying “LA Knight … Yeah!” Knight’s music hit to end the segment.

**********

– Byron Saxton interviewed Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair backstage. Belair said they were excited to be there and they were excited to have their titles back. Cargill said they won’t let their titles go and if anyone wants them, they can come get them (oh, so this is how the Motor City Machine Guns will debut in WWE!). Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton walked in the frame and Jax threatened to do something bad to Naomi. Jax reminded Cargill and Belair that she beat both of them on her way to winning Queen Of The Ring.

The Roman Reigns/Cody Rhodes segment

I’ve got to be in the minority, but the Seattle crowd kind of compromised all this for me. In a different room and a different town, a hotter crowd might have existed and turned all this up to 11. That didn’t happen here. To be fair, I’m not sure if that was because it wasn’t a great, fired up crowd, or if they really didn’t quite know who to side with when it came to Reigns and Rhodes. Either way, this was a star-powered final segment and all told, the show simply feels bigger whenever Roman decides to show up. SmackDown needs it, too, because Raw has quietly turned into the better weekly show over the last several months. I was into Cody actually being done with the Bloodline when he said he was earlier in the episode, but alas, a tag match awaits and while it might not be what we all prefer, that’s what we’re all going to get.

Reigns stuck up his finger and the crowd had his back as they mirrored him. Nick Aldis was in the ring with Reigns. Reigns soaked in cheers as the crowd chanted “OTC!” Aldis started talking, but Reigns put out his hand. Aldis gave Reigns the contract, but Reigns made a face and put out his hand again. Aldis then handed over the microphone. The crowd started another loud “OTC!” chant.

Reigns said he didn’t want to confuse anybody and said that some things change, but not him. Reigns said he didn’t need Aldis, he didn’t need a contract and he reiterated Bloodline business is family business. Reigns said he definitely didn’t need the help of Cody Rhodes and he got a mixed reaction. Reigns said no matter if he has the Ula Fala or not, he is the Tribal Chief – the only Tribal Chief. Reigns this is his ring, his show and his WWE. On cue, Cody’s music hit and Cody walked out in street clothes.

At this point, we were past the 10 p.m. EST mark, so welcome back to USA, SmackDown. Cody took his time getting into the ring. Once in the ring, Cody asked for a microphone. Dueling “OTC!” and “Cody!” chants broke out. Cody had an issue with Roman calling it his ring and his WWE. Cody said, “Well … it was, but it hasn’t been since WrestleMania.” The crowd felt a little confused as to what they should do. Cody dropped his microphone. Reigns did the same. The two stared at each other, but Sikoa’s music hit and Sikoa appeared with Fatu. The two walked to the ring.

Sikoa and Fatu stood outside the ring, but Tonga and Loa attacked Reigns and Cody from behind. Cody hit a Cody Cutter on Loa and Reigns hit a Rock Bottom on Tonga. Reigns then picked up the contract and signed it. Cody put his title down and put out his hand for the contract, too. Reigns handed over the contract to Cody and Cody signed it, too. So the tag match for Bad Blood is on. Cody’s music hit and neither Cody or Roman looked particularly happy. An “Executive Producers” credit hit the screen and they were Paul Heyman and Lee Fitting, which was sort of shocking to see. The show then ended.

Rhodes vs. Sikoa cage match to kick off WWE SmackDown’s USA Network return

Posted on September 12, 2024September 12, 2024 by Joseph Currier

A steel cage match is kicking off WWE SmackDown’s return to USA Network.

After finishing its run on Fox last week, SmackDown returns to USA Network this Friday night. Paul “Triple H” Levesque posted a video today announcing that Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa’s steel cage match for the Undisputed WWE Championship will open the episode.

Tomorrow night, LIVE from Seattle, @CodyRhodes vs. Solo Sikoa in a Steel Cage for the Undisputed WWE Championship will kick off #SmackDown’s monumental return to @USANetwork at 8/7c.

As for the rest of the show… you’ll just have to wait and see. pic.twitter.com/l32zCEvdwc
— Triple H (@TripleH) September 12, 2024

Rhodes vs. Sikoa is a rematch from SummerSlam, where interference by the returning Roman Reigns helped cost Sikoa the match. Reigns has not appeared on WWE programming since being powerbombed through the announce table by The Bloodline on SmackDown four weeks ago.

At Bash in Berlin on August 31, Rhodes defeated Kevin Owens to retain the Undisputed WWE title. Sikoa cut a promo on SmackDown the night before the PLE declaring that he was coming after whoever won.

SmackDown is back on USA Network as part of a five-year deal between WWE and NBCUniversal. The deal also calls for WWE to have four prime time in-ring specials on NBC per year.

This Friday’s SmackDown episode is taking place from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Here’s everything that’s been announced:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, September 13) —

Steel cage match: Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Solo Sikoa
Kevin Owens and a mystery partner vs. Grayson Waller & Austin Theory
Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes

Cody Rhodes to defend WWE title against Solo Sikoa in cage match on next WWE SmackDown

Posted on September 6, 2024September 6, 2024 by Ethan Renner

Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship in a steel cage match on the premiere of SmackDown on USA Network.

WWE announced during this Friday’s SmackDown that Rhodes will defend his title against Solo Sikoa inside a solid steel cage as SmackDown makes its return to USA Network for the Friday, September 13 episode.

SmackDown GM Nick Aldis made the title bout official during an in-ring promo segment between Rhodes and The Bloodline on Friday’s episode.

Two additional matches are set for the return of SmackDown to USA.

After defeating A-Town Down Under in a triple threat match on this week’s show, Kevin Owens will find a mystery partner to team with on next week’s show against A-Town Down Under’s Austin Theory & Grayson Waller.

Also set for next week, the series between Carmelo Hayes and Andrade will continue with another singles match. The pair are 2-2 in their four singles meetings in recent months on SmackDown. It was heavily implied that the winner of next week’s contest will get a shot at LA Knight’s United States Championship, although that has not been officially announced.

The lineup for the Friday, September 13 WWE SmackDown on USA —

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Solo Sikoa in a steel cage match
Kevin Owens & a mystery partner vs. A-Town Down Under (Grayson Waller & Austin Theory)
Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade

WWE SmackDown live results: Cody Rhodes responds to Solo Sikoa

Posted on September 6, 2024September 6, 2024 by Colin McGuire

Before moving back to USA Network next week, SmackDown closes out its five-year run on Fox with tonight’s episode from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Cody Rhodes retained his Undisputed WWE Championship against Kevin Owens at Bash in Berlin last Saturday. Tonight, Rhodes will respond to Solo Sikoa’s challenge for a title match. Rhodes defeated Sikoa at SummerSlam last month, but he got help from a returning Roman Reigns. Sikoa, along with his Bloodline stablemates, took out Reigns on SmackDown a few weeks ago.

Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa & Jacob Fatu are scheduled to face The Street Profits & DIY in an eight-man tag match tonight.

For the first time since losing the WWE Women’s Championship to Nia Jax at SummerSlam, Bayley will be in action tonight against Jax’s cohort Tiffany Stratton.

Finally, after weeks of vignettes, Giovanni Vinci will make his return.

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

**********

– Michael Cole welcomed everyone into the show as live shots of Edmonton were shown outside the building.

– Bayley and Giovanni Vinci were shown backstage, arriving to the venue. Cody was then shown signing autographs backstage.

– A recap video of the stuff between Cody and Kevin Owens from Bash In Berlin aired. Cody’s music hit and we went to the first segment.

The Cody Rhodes/Bloodline segment

It felt like Sikoa vs. Cody was where we were headed once Roman Reigns was (supposedly? maybe?) pulled from the first SmackDown on USA (at least from the promotional materials). And so, to paraphrase Tina Fey, we go to there. That doesn’t necessarily mean Reigns won’t be there, but perhaps it’ll be booked as a surprise. Anyway, this was formulaic, especially considering how many show-opening segments we’ve seen Cody lead – and especially considering how many show-opening segments we’ve seen Cody lead with the Bloodline, no matter the incarnation. I hope WWE took note of how positive the crowd responded to the potential of Cody facing Jacob Fatu instead of Sikoa. We’re slow-walking our way there, but here’s hoping after the steel cage match next week, we’ll feel significantly closer to that eventual match.

The crowd chanted Cody’s name and Cody soaked it in before asking Edmonton what they wanted to talk about. Cody noted how it’s an extremely large crowd and he told everyone to say hello to each other. Cody said “Canada’s own” Kevin Owens had a hell of an outing at Bash In Berlin. Cody then welcomed Michael Cole back to SmackDown. The crowd chanted Cole’s name. Cody said he could go on, but he knew he’d get interrupted. Instead, he extended an invitation to the Bloodline. On cue, Solo Sikoa’s music hit and Sikoa walked out flanked by the rest of the Bloodline.

Sikoa stepped into the ring while the rest of the faction stayed outside of it. Sikoa asked Cody if he was done running his mouth. Sikoa asked Cody if he was done playing around as the crowd chanted “We want Roman!” Sikoa asked Cody if he was ready to defend his title against a real challenger. Sikoa said he could have been champion and he had Cody beat at SummerSlam, but Roman Reigns got in the way. As a result, Sikoa said he deserved a rematch.

Cody said on the season premiere of SmackDown next week there should be an Undisputed WWE Championship match. The crowd responded in kind by chanting “We want Roman!” louder. Cody called Sikoa unhinged and the No. 1 contender and said Sikoa does deserve a title match. But twist! Cody said he wasn’t talking to Sikoa; instead, he was talking to Jacob Fatu. Cody told Fatu to step up. Fatu did just that as the crowd chanted “Step up!”

Sikoa mouthed something to Fatu off mic and while Fatu stood on the apron, Fatu shouted he loved Sikoa and Sikoa was his Tribal Chief. Fatu then hopped down off the apron and the crowd booed. Cody said it was worth a shot. Cody noted how every second and every minute, Sikoa gets better. Cody said the WWE revolves around Cody’s championship. The Bloodline hopped into the ring and looked like they would attack Cody, but #DIY and the Street Profits ran in to save Cody. Nick Aldis popped up and told everyone to settle down. Aldis proclaimed the eight-man tag match the main event for later. Aldis then said next week’s main event will be Cody vs. Sikoa for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Aldis said the title match next week will be best for business, which means the match will be in a steel cage. Cody’s music hit to end the segment.

**********

– Pretty Deadly were backstage with Tiffany Stratton. Next week, Pretty Deadly hopes to premiere “Pretty Deadly: The Musical.” Nia Jax walked in and asked Stratton about how it looked like she wanted to cash in on Jax last week. Stratton said Chelsea Green was spreading those rumors about her and Stratton would never lie to Jax. Stratton asked Jax to be in her corner tonight and Jax said she would be there for Stratton.

Bayley defeated Tiffany Stratton [10:12]

I didn’t think I’d like how they’re stretching out the Stratton vs. Jax stuff, but I’m not not entertained so far. Plus, the Stratton/Pretty Deadly pairing makes way more sense than anyone ever imagined, so once Jax and Stratton have their day, Stratton should be fine flanked by those two guys. As for this match, it was pretty good. Stratton was consistent and clean while Bayley was … well, Bayley, which is a good thing. With Charlotte out, Becky gone and Sasha in AEW, it has fallen to Bayley to carry on that wave of women who got to the main roster around the same time and she’s been carrying that flag admirably. Plus, she was in need of a win, so as Michael Cole said, weirdly (considering their storyline history), it was nice to see something good happen to Bayley. Indeed.

The two locked up to begin the match. Eventually, Bayley roughed Stratton up and messed up Stratton’s hair. Bayley then worked Stratton’s arm and landed a running forearm for a two-count. Bayley went to the top, but Stratton cut her off. Stratton then kicked Bayley and hit a basement dropkick on Bayley, who was on the apron. The show went to a commercial break after that.

The broadcast returned and Stratton still had the upper hand, complete with her back handspring splash spot. Stratton ran at Bayley and Bayley clotheslined the hell out of her. Stratton responded with a dropkick and a draping hip attack for a two-count. Stratton dragged Bayley to a corner and worked on Bayley’s arm until Bayley ran Stratton into a ring post. Bayley then supplexed Stratton on the outside. Back inside the ring, Bayley landed a clothesline and a belly-to-back suplex before a running knee got Bayley a two-count.

Bayley went to the top rope and connected with a flying elbow, which was good enough for a near-fall. Jax then walked down the aisle without music. Jax’s appearance distracted Bayley and Stratton took advantage of that with an Alabama Slam. A handful of seconds later, Bayley hit a Bayley-To-Belly and Stratton rolled to talk to Jax. Bayley then hit a suicide dive on Jax. Jax was mad jawed at the referee. In the meantime, Stratton rolled up Bayley, but the referee was too busy being distracted. From there, Bayley followed it up with a Rose-Plant and got the win.

**********

– Kevin Owens was shown backstage and Grayson Waller and Austin Theory walked into the frame. Theory mocked Owens for losing to Cody at Bash In Berlin and they noted how Owens didn’t help Cody earlier in the show. Owens said he and Cody are fine and called Theory and Waller idiots. Owens called Waller and Theory a great team repeatedly and asked them if they wanted to have a triple threat later in the show. Waller noted how it would basically be a handicap match and Theory and Waller reiterated that they were best buds, so the match shouldn’t be a problem.

– A Legado Del Fantasma vignette aired. Santos Escobar didn’t appear happy while the rest of the faction was excited. Escobar asked why Berto and Angel were happy with their win last week because their win last week didn’t involved titles. Escobar told them not to be happy with merely success. Escobar said they make their own success and everyone agreed everything is falling into place for the faction, and man, if they concluded that after one win against Apollo Crews & Baron Corbin … . Anyway, they were happy as the segment ended.

Apollo Crews defeated Giovanni Vinci [0:03]

Wow. What?

The crowd didn’t really know what to do with Vinci as he took his time before starting the match, mugging for the camera. The bell rang and Crews rolled him up for the surprise win. Vinci was indignant.

– Chelsea Green was shown talking to Nick Aldis backstage and Michin walked in. Green called Michin trash and Michin recalled out Green got a knee to the face on NXT this week. Aldis made a one-on-one match between Green and Michin for later. Green pouted and walked away.

– Corey Perry, an Edmonton Oiler, was shown in the crowd.

Kevin Owens defeated Grayson Waller and Auston Theory [9:44]

You know what? Since Kevin Owens fancies himself the Meta Wrestler on these shows, why wouldn’t he just leave the match and force Theory and Waller to fight each other? That team’s dissolution has been teased now for months. Owens does so many things with a wink and nod these days. Why not just let the two heels go at it and laugh at them? Anyway, the match was fine. The A-Town Down breakup is really overstaying its welcome, but perhaps there is something big planned for one (or both) of those guys. Owens gets a win back after losing to Cody last weekend, but he got it from perpetual losers, and those losers are losers he constantly runs into week after week. Can we get Owens away from A-Town Down Under? Can we get A-Town Down Under away from each other? Please?

Waller came out wearing a Florida Panthers jersey. The camera kept cutting to Perry (angle alert!). Owens quickly got out ahead, beating both Waller and Theory up on the outside of the ring. Theory and Waller eventually fought back and Waller brought out a table from under the ring. Waller went to do something with it, but Owens instead powerbombed Waller through the table. Owens posed on the ring apron and the show took a commercial break.

Back from the break, a highlight was shown of Perry holding Theory while Owens punched Theory. Waller sold pain from the table spot and Owens pounded on Theory. Owens clotheslined Theory and hit a Senton on Theory. Owens followed that up with a cannonball and went to the top rope. Owens landed a Swanton and covered Theory, but Waller finally got involved again and broke up the pin attempt. Waller pounded on Owens. Waller ran into a right hand from Owens, but Theory came back with a Rolling Blockbuster on Owens. Waller tried to pin Owens, but Theory broke up the pin attempt and the heels argued.

Theory and Waller put the beef aside and worked over Owens in the a corner. Owens fought back with a noggin knocker, but Theory came back … only for Owens to hit a Rolling Senton on Owens. Waller broke up a pin attempt, but Owens suplexed Waller from the second rope and Theory broke up the ensuing pin attempt. Theory was first to his feet, but Owens hit a Stunner on Theory and that was enough for the win. After the match, Waller attacked Owens. Before long, Theory joined in and and hit A-Town Down on Owens. Waller followed that up with a Rolling Flatliner. A-Town Down celebrated to end the segment.

**********

– An Andrade/Carmelo Hayes vignette aired.

– Michael Cole spoke from the commentary table about being on FOX for five years. Corey Graves, alongside Cole, echoed Cole’s sentiment, referencing the Thunderdome era! Graves spoke about being grateful for being the lead commentary man on Friday nights the last bunch of months. Cole then thanked FOX for all they did and set up a video recapping the show’s run on FOX, which was a really nice touch from WWE.

The LA Knight/Andrade/Carmelo Hayes segment

This was pretty good. It never occurred to me that perhaps Melo and Andrade could work their feud into a title picture, but I like that idea, and good for them for turning their thing into this thing. In some ways, I hope they stay away from a triple threat (even though that seems inevitable), but if they go that route and Knight retains his title, perhaps that leads to even more heat on the Andrade/Melo program. Andrade received mixed reactions from the live crowd, which surprised me a little, but nobody wants to see anyone get mouthy with Knight, so … well, wrong place, wrong time, I guess. Still, this was a welcomed surprise segment.

LA Knight’s music hit and out came the guy to another loud pop for the 793rd week in a row. Knight soaked in cheers after his music faded out. The crowd then chanted his name until Knight hit them with the “Let me talk to ya!” Knight said he’s about 30 days into his U.S. title reign and he’s had two successful title defenses. Knight referenced D.C., Berlin and Edmonton, saying he’s international.

He was rambling about how nobody can beat him and Carmelo Hayes’s music hit. Hayes walked out with a microphone and said if anyone should be bragging, it should be Hayes because Hayes keep stealing the show with Andrade. Hayes got into the ring and reminded Knight that he’s beaten Andrade two-straight and that means he’s next in line for a U.S. title shot. Knight said he isn’t worried about having the match of the night; he’s worried about winning. Hayes was talking and wouldn’t you know it: Andrade’s music hit. He walked out with a microphone.

Andrade said he knows Hayes beat him twice, but he also beat Hayes twice, too. Hayes said nobody remembers that and Andrade said not only does he remember, but everyone else does, too. The crowd cheered. Andrade said he deserves a shot at Knight’s title. Knight said he didn’t have time to listen to Hayes and Andrade argue. Andrade reminded Knight that Andrade was once a U.S. Champion. Andrade spoke in Spanish and Knight said he didn’t understand a word Andrade said, but Andrade needs to check his tone. The three got physical and Knight hit a BFT on Andrade. Hayes jawed at Andrade and Knight, naturally, gave Hayes a BFT as well to end the segment.

**********

– Waller and Theory were walking backstage and ran into Aldis. Waller asked Aldis for a tag match between A-Town Down and Owens and a partner of Owens’s choice.

Chelsea Green defeated Michin [3:56]

Tough beats for Michin these last couple weeks. First, she takes that finisher from Jax inside a trashcan; then, she loses to Chelsea Green in the middle of the ring. More importantly, that crowd was doing nothing for Michin, no matter how hard she tried to get them engaged. It was tough to watch. Still, Green and Michin getting television time like this is a good thing and it spreads out the women’s division outside of a title picture, which, again, is a very good thing. The women worked hard here and attention should be paid, even if it was for only four minutes. This leads to Michin vs. Niven, right?

Michin had control early but sold stomach pain from last week’s match with Nia Jax. Green quickly took note of that and went after Michin’s midsection. Cole noted how both women are both former TNA Knockout Champions. What a time. Green hit a shotgun dropkick for a two-count and followed that up with a body-scissors. Michin came back with a head-scissors takedown and a shotgun dropkick of her own. Michin tried to fire up the crowd, but the crowd wasn’t very kind.

Michin set up for her finisher, but Piper Niven got on the apron to distract Michin. This eventually led to Green being on the outside and Michin hit a suicide dive onto Green. Michin went to get back in the ring, but Niven distracted Michin again. Green kicked Michin off the apron and Niven hit a running Senton on Michin on the outside. Back in the ring, Green hit the Un-Pretty-Her for the win.

**********

– A video recapping the Cargill & Belair tag title win from Bash In Berlin aired.

– Next week, that A-Town Down Under vs. Owens and a mystery partner will take place. Also on tap, Andrade vs. Melo No. 5 will go down. And, of course, Sikoa vs. Cody in a steel cage will headline the show.

– Byron Saxton interviewed the babyface team for the main event in the locker room. Johnny Gargano said that #DIY and the Profits aren’t family, but they have a lot of respect for each other. Ciampa said the Bloodline have held the tag titles hostage before. Dawkins chimed in and said if teaming with #DIY means they can stop the Bloodline, they like it. The Bloodline made their entrance for the main event.

The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Jacob Fatu & Tonga Loa) defeated The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) & #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) [11:00]

Predictable, but affecting nonetheless. Sikoa isn’t going into his world title match a loser next week, and the Bloodline needed a strong comeback moment after kind of being buried in the mix over the last couple weeks. Jacob Fatu, man. The money is in him vs. Cody (nee, Roman or The Rock), but I have a feeling we’re going to take a long, winding road to get there. Fatu has exceeded every single expectation I had for him in WWE, and boy, I had a lot of them. Maybe this sets up #DIY vs. the Profits? Probably. They made a good point before the match, saying the Bloodline held those tag belts hostage for a long time a few years ago; I hope that’s not the case this time. In the meantime, it’s on to USA. I very much appreciate that because if nothing else, SmackDown won’t be pre-empted by AHL hockey or Philadelphia Eagles preseason games on USA and I won’t have to annoy my coworkers here more than I already do. It’s been fun, FOX. Onward, we go.

All eight men brawled to start the match. The babyfaces got the best of the exchange and the heels retreated to the outside. Dawkins and Loa started the match proper in the middle of the ring. Ford tagged in and shoulder-blocked Loa to the ground. Ford then kicked Loa and hit a standing frog splash for a one-count. Tonga tagged in before long and worked over Ford with a series of strikes. Gargano tagged in and slingshot-speared Tonga. Ciampa tagged in and hit a running knee on Tonga. Fatu executed a blind tag and elbowed the hell out of Ciampa. Fatu tagged in Sikoa and Sikoa ran Ciampa into the commentary table. Sikoa posed on top of the table to take the show to its final commercial break on FOX.

Back from that break, the heels were working over Ciampa until Ciampa suplexed Tonga. Sikoa then tagged in, but Ciampa kicked Sikoa and tagged both Dawkins and Gargano, who hit a bunch of double-team moves on Sikoa. Nobody knew who the legal man was. Things broke down and Ford landed a splash on Fatu on the outside. Gargano took out Tonga. Dawkins hit a neck-breaker on Sikoa. Ciampa then tagged back in, but Sikoa caught Ciampa and slammed Ciampa for a good near-fall. Tonga went to the top, but Ciampa crotched Tonga. Ciampa went to the top and suplexed Tonga onto the other six guys in the match in a very fun spot.

The crowd chanted “Holy sh–!,” which was muted. Back in the ring, Ford tagged in and went to the top to hit a 450 splash on Tonga, but Fatu broke up the pin attempt and drove Ford into a ring post. Fatu dragged Tonga to the corner to tag in and then Fatu hit a fury of moves on all the babyfaces. Fatu landed an Impaler on Ford and tagged in Sikoa, who landed the Samoan Spike on Ford – twice! – for the win. The Bloodline posed in the middle of the ring to end the show.

Cody Rhodes to respond to Solo Sikoa on WWE SmackDown

Posted on September 2, 2024September 2, 2024 by Bryan Rose

Cody Rhodes is heading to SmackDown.

It was announced during Raw that the final SmackDown on Fox this Friday will see Cody Rhodes respond to Solo Sikoa. On last week’s show, a video was shown of Sikoa saying that no matter who wins the WWE Championship match at Bash in Berlin, he is coming after the Undisputed WWE Championship.

"Whoever is the champion after tomorrow, the Tribal Chief is coming for you.”

The champion of tomorrow’s Undisputed WWE Title Match at #WWEBash in Berlin better keep their head on a swivel!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/iv8ROzESUq
— WWE (@WWE) August 31, 2024

“Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens — I don’t give a damn which one of you wins,” Sikoa said. “Because whoever is the champion after tomorrow, the Tribal Chief is coming for you.”

Rhodes went on to defeat Owens to retain the title in the opening match of Saturday’s premium live event in Berlin.

The last time Rhodes and Sikoa met was at SummerSlam when Rhodes scored the win after Roman Reigns made his return to WWE, taking out Sikoa with a Superman punch. Several weeks later, Sikoa and his Bloodline got the better of Reigns after Jacob Fatu returned, taking out Reigns by powerbombing him through the announce table.

Here is the updated card for SmackDown:

Tag match involving The Bloodline, DIY, and The Street Profits
Giovanni Vinci returns
Cody Rhodes to respond to Solo Sikoa

Solo Sikoa wants another shot at Undisputed WWE Championship

Posted on August 30, 2024August 30, 2024 by Joseph Currier

Despite his loss at SummerSlam, Solo Sikoa may be sticking around the Undisputed WWE Championship picture.

A promo aired during Friday’s SmackDown where Sikoa declared that — no matter who leaves Bash in Berlin with the title — he’s coming after the Undisputed WWE Championship. Cody Rhodes is defending the belt against Kevin Owens at Saturday’s PLE.

"Whoever is the champion after tomorrow, the Tribal Chief is coming for you.”

The champion of tomorrow’s Undisputed WWE Title Match at #WWEBash in Berlin better keep their head on a swivel!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/iv8ROzESUq
— WWE (@WWE) August 31, 2024

“Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens — I don’t give a damn which one of you wins,” Sikoa said. “Because whoever is the champion after tomorrow, the Tribal Chief is coming for you.”

The main event of SummerSlam on August 3 was Rhodes retaining his title against Sikoa. Roman Reigns returned during the match, laying out Sikoa with a Superman punch and spear. It was Reigns’ first appearance since dropping the Undisputed WWE Championship to Rhodes at WrestleMania.

While Reigns was off TV, Sikoa made himself the new Tribal Chief and reshaped The Bloodline with the additions of Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Jacob Fatu. There was an angle on SmackDown two weeks ago where Sikoa’s Bloodline laid waste to Reigns and powerbombed him through the announce table.

Fight Game: AEW All In preview

Posted on August 23, 2024August 23, 2024 by Garrett Gonzales

John LaRocca and I are back to talk about the major topics in the world of wrestling on this week’s Fight Game Podcast. Jeremy Finestone from Speaking of Strong Style joined us in the last half of the show to go over the fallout from this year’s NJPW G1 and preview Sunday’s AEW All In.

We recorded this show live on the F4W YouTube free channel, which you can watch below.

We kicked off with our Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down winners and losers of the week before going through our Top Five topics which included:

The upcoming PPV/PLE schedule over the next three weeks
The continuation of the Judgment Day saga in WWE
If Solo Sikoa is still relevant in the Bloodline storyline
G1 Climax 34 fallout and predictions for Wrestle Kingdom
AEW All In preview

Click Here to Listen (sub needed)

Bloodline Rules stipulation added to WWE title match at SummerSlam

Posted on August 2, 2024August 2, 2024 by Bryan Rose

Bloodline Rules are on for SummerSlam.

The opening of Friday’s SmackDown saw WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and challenger Solo Sikoa meeting face-to-face in the ring. When Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa came in through the crowd, Sikoa issued the Bloodline Rules challenge. Rhodes said it wouldn’t be the smartest idea, but he accepted the new stipulation for Saturday’s match.

Bloodline Rules was first brought up as part of WrestleMania 40’s storyline. The Rock & Roman Reigns faced Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins with the stipulation that if Rhodes & Rollins lost, Bloodline Rules would be in effect the following day when Reigns defended the WWE title against Rhodes. The Rock won the match for his team, setting up the stipulation the following day.

Despite interference from The Bloodline, including Rock, appearances by John Cena, Seth Rollins and The Undertaker allowed Rhodes to pin Reigns, ending his 1,316 day reign as champion.

Here is the updated card for SummerSlam:

Bloodline Rules: WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Solo Sikoa
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damien Priest defends against Gunther (Seth Rollins is special guest referee)
WWE Women’s Champion Bayley defends against Nia Jax
WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against Rhea Ripley
WWE U.S. Champion Logan Paul defends against LA Knight
WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn defends against Bron Breakker
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre with special guest referee Seth Rollins
Jelly Roll to perform

WWE SmackDown live results: SummerSlam go-home show

Posted on August 2, 2024August 2, 2024 by Colin McGuire

On the eve of SummerSlam, the main event’s participants will go face-to-face on tonight’s SmackDown from Cleveland, Ohio.

Cody Rhodes is set to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against Solo Sikoa on Saturday. Tonight, the two will meet face-to-face for one final confrontation before the PLE. Sikoa and The Bloodline have attacked Rhodes, Randy Orton & Kevin Owens multiple times over the last month on the way to SummerSlam.

The Bloodline’s Tama Tonga & Jacob Fatu are taking on WWE Tag Team Champions DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) for the belts tonight. Fatu & Tonga won a number one contender’s gauntlet last week to earn the title shot.

A Women’s Tag Team title match with Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill challenging Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn is also set for the episode. Plus, Logan Paul will receive a Cleveland homecoming before defending his United States title against LA Knight at SummerSlam.

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

**********

– Corey Graves welcomed everyone into the show as a shot of the Cleveland Browns Stadium was shown.

– Logan Paul pulled up backstage in a Prime truck. Paul shook hands with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis. Cody Rhodes’s music hit and we went to the first proper segment.

The Cody/Bloodline segment

This was all right. I could be in the minority, but for me, this match just hasn’t clicked for me. Still, I can see WWE trying – and Sikoa, especially, has gained something in all of this – but I can’t buy into Cody losing at SummerSlam, even if it is now going to be a Bloodline Rules match. Speaking of that, Sikoa noted how Cody keeps talking about his WreslteMania match being a Bloodline Rules match … but has he? I don’t seem to recall Cody bringing that up a ton in this build, but maybe my brain is fried. Either way, the Bloodline Rules makes tomorrow’s main event at least a little more intriguing.

Cody soaked in “Cody!” cheers and then asked Cleveland what they wanted to talk about. Cody said he wanted to talk to Solo Sikoa and Sikoa’s music hit. Out walked Sikoa, who was alone. Loud “We want Roman!” chants began. Sikoa pointed to the crowd and Sikoa said, “Cleveland, Ohio, acknowledge me.” The crowd chanted “Solo sucks!” Cody said he saw a chip on Solo’s shoulder and what Solo has done hasn’t been easy. Cody said from a distance, he almost admires what Solo has been able to do. Cody said tomorrow night at SummerSlam, the bell is going to ring and when it rings … Solo cut Cody off and asked him if he was done.

Solo said Cody was wasting his time. Cody said he wasn’t done and Solo was a self-appointed Tribal Chief while Cody is the actual WWE Champion. Cody named-dropped Randy Orton and Kevin Owens and said if he loses to Solo, he can’t repay his debt to Randy and Kevin. Cody said he wants to pay them back with Solo’s blood. Cody referenced beating Roman at WrestleMania in a Bloodline Rules match. Solo called Roman a weak Tribal Chief. Solo said Solo is not weak, Solo is dangerous. Solo said he’s going to show Cody how dangerous he is at SummerSlam. The crowd started a “What?” chant and Jacob Fatu began walking through the crowd. Tama Tonga appeared as well. Tonga Loa followed suit.

In the midst of this, Sikoa asked Cody if he wanted the match Saturday to be a Bloodline Rules match. Cody spoke to all the members of the Bloodline and called Fatu a mean name. Cody accepted making tomorrow’s match a Bloodline Rules match. Solo asked Cody if he knew what Solo could do before SummerSlam. Solo said tonight, the tag titles come back to the Bloodline while tomorrow, Cody’s title comes back to the Bloodline, too. Cody said he won’t have to fight Solo’s family; all he’ll have to do is defeat the Tribal Chief and since the Tribal Chief isn’t there, he’ll settle for the wannabe. Cody’s music hit and the segment ended.

**********

– A Carmelo Hayes vignette aired and he spoke about Andrade. Melo said all Andrade does is quit and switch teams. Melo said the next time he and Andrade wrestle, Melo will win because when Melo shoots, he doesn’t miss. Andrade then made his entrance for a match against Hayes.

Andrade defeated Carmelo Hayes [16:06]

It would have made sense for Hayes to win and even the series but I had a gut feeling we might get another Andrade win. I like it. As for the match, I prefer their first bout, but that could also be because it kind of came out of nowhere. The expectations here were higher, and I’m not sure they lived up to it. Still, they made use of the increase in time they got and some of the near-falls towards the end were a lot of fun. The first match felt like a sprint; this felt a bit bloated. How will No. 3 go?

The match opened with a fury of action, topped off with some tough chops exchanged. Andrade got the upper hand with a dropkick and went for a vertical suplex, but Hayes countered into an inside cradle for a one-count. Andrade returned the favor for a two-count. Andrade went for his finisher, but Hayes pushed him away and rolled to the outside. The show then went to a commercial break.

The show returned and Hayes ran Andrade into the ring steps on the outside. Hayes put the boots to Andrade. Back inside the ring, Hayes hit a super-kick for a two-count. Hayes then worked on Andrade’s arm. Andrade worked his way out and landed a chop, dragon-screw and a forearm. Andrade went for a double-knees, but Hayes moved. Andrade went for a springboard move, but Hayes cut him off. Hayes followed up with a suplex and and went to the top, but Andrade cut him off. Andrade hit a super-plex from the top and both guys were down as the show went to a break.

Back from the break, Andrade fired up and pushed Hayes over the top to the outside. Andrade followed that up with a moonsault from the second turnbuckle onto the outside. Inside the ring, Hayes hit a Spacebuster out of nowhere. Andrade came back with a back elbow and the double moonsault spot, which resulted in a good near-fall. Andrade worked a figure-four until Hayes got to the ropes for a break. Hayes came back with a pair of super-kicks. Hayes went to the top, but Andrade moved. Hayes went for a roll-up but Andrade countered with one of his own and got the surprise win.

**********

– Legado Del Fantasma was shown backstage and Santos Escobar was chewing out his faction. Escobar said their fortunes will turn by beating Apollo Crews tonight.

Santos Escobar defeated Apollo Crews [3:33]

This was sort of a nothing match, but it continues to be nice to see Crews and Corbin get some TV time. I can’t say this makeshift feud feels particularly interesting, but it does give everyone involved something to do and there’s something to be said for that.

Escobar attacked Crews with a boot to begin the match. Baron Corbin appeared at ringside to cheer Crews. Escobar hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a two-count. After a minute or so, Crews came back with a belly-to-belly suplex and followed that up with a series of clitheslines. Corbin hit Angel on the outside of the ring. Inside the ring, Crews hit a standing moonsault for a two-count. Crews went to the top and someone grabbed Corbin from under the ring. Escobar landed a Phantom Drive on Crews inside the ring for the win.

**********

– Cargill & Belair were interviewed backstage. Belair said they had been waiting for their match with Fyre & Dawn. Belair said they will walk out with the tag belts.

The Logan Paul segment

Meh. Maybe it’s on me tonight because I feel like I might be being too negative on this fine evening, but this does not feel like a big deal go-home show. I expected more from these two, and if the crescendo was going to be Knight driving off with Paul’s truck … maybe do something sinister to Paul’s truck to punctuate the whole thing? Oddly, Paul didn’t get the response I think everyone involved was looking for in his hometown. The crowd started hot, but the more he talked, the more he lost them. Conversely, the Knight pop was there to begin with, but it didn’t hold as he roamed around backstage. Everything just felt less than what it could have been.

Paul said “Cleveland, I’m home,” and the crowd booed loudly. Paul said he had never met a guy so eager to take a belt off him and it turns out Knight isn’t Paul’s type. Paul said Knight is delusional if he thinks he’s going to beat Paul in his hometown. The crowd chanted Knight’s name. Paul said he inspires and represents Cleveland. Paul said, “I am Cleveland.”

Paul said he’s had two title defenses in 273 days. The crowd was a bit subded as Paul said he can’t relate to the audience because he actually made it. Paul introduced the people he had in the ring, whom he called “Cleveland’s finest.” Aldis chimed in saying the people in the ring weren’t important, but Paul said Aldis doesn’t know anything. Paul unveiled a banner of himself and it was defaced with a big “Yeah!” LA Knight’s music then hit and Knight walked out.

Knight taunted Paul as the crowd said “Yeah!” Knight said they were 24 hours away from Paul losing his title. Knight called Paul out for being from a suburb of Cleveland and not actually Cleveland. Knight said he’s going to give Paul a gift – another banner. Knight walked to the back and ran into Pretty Deadly, who were going over their musical. Knight walked away from them and asked people if they had a banner. Knight found the Prime truck Paul came to the venue in. Knight drove off in the Prime truck as Paul threw a fit to end the segment.

**********

Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair defeated The Unholy Union (Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn) via DQ [7:33]

I’m not a fan of these types of finishes, but I didn’t expect to see one here. Also on the plus side, this inserts Davenport into an important program and I’ve been wondering of SmackDown would ever get around to doing that. So, I can’t complain too much. Also worth nothing: Cargill is getting better. It’s hard to see, because we don’t see her work that much, but her selling has improved a lot during this run with Belair and she feels like a more complete wrestler than she was. Good for her.

Fyre and Dawn tried to jumpstart the match, but Cargill and Belair countered it with stereo fallaway slams. Cargill and Dawn began the official match and Cargill had control before she tagged in Belair, who went for a suplex, but Fyre ran in to break it up. Things broke down and all four women were in the ring. Cargill and Belair landed stereo guerrilla press slams and the show went to a break.

The show returned and Fyre was working over Cargill. Fyre kicked Cargill in the midsection and hit a backstabber. Dawn tagged in and landed a splash for a good near-fall. Cargill came back with a double suplex on Dawn and Fyre and then Belair received the hot tag. Belair hit a double cross-body and took out both opponents. Belair landed a moonsault on Fyre for a two-count and Cargill ran in. Cargill and Dawn fought on the outside and Fyre rolled up Belair for a two-count. Out of nowhere, Blair Davenport showed up and ran Cargill into the ring steps to end the match. The heels took out both Cargill and Belair after the match, throwing Cargill over the commentary table.

**********

– Tiffany Stratton was shown crying over her MITB briefcase. Nia Jax showed up and gave Tiff her own MITB briefcase on the condition Stratton doesn’t cash in. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven showed up and Green blamed Stratton for Green not winning the MITB ladder match. Stratton said green isn’t Green’s color and left. We then went back to the ring for the main event.

The Bloodline (Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga) defeated #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) to win the WWE Tag Team Titles [9:15]

This was shorter than I expected, but the outcome was, indeed, expected. Good for Jacob Fatu, though, who’s been through it and now has WWE gold around his waist (or Sikoa’s shoulder). That said, I’m a bit tired of WWE playing hot potato with their tag belts, so I could go for a nice long title run from Fatu and Tonga. The match was fine, but nothing particularly memorable outside of Fatu popping up after taking a Poison-Rana. When it comes to Gargano and Ciampa … hey, at least they got a title run, right?

Tonga and Ciampa started the match with Tonga getting the best of it. Tonga threw Ciampa into a ring post and Ciampa was down on the outside of the ring as the show went to its final commercial break. Back from break, Gragano received a hot tag and Gargano took Fatu and Tonga out with a fury of moves. Gargano hit a spear on Tonga for a two-count. Ciampa tagged in and landed an Air Raid Crash on Tonga for a good near-fall.

Ciampa chopped Tonga, but Fatu got in a blind tag and ran right into Ciampa. Fatu hit a hip attack on Ciampa and tagged in Tonga, who hit a splash. Tonga went for a cover, but Gargano broke it up. Outside the ring, Fatu ran at Gargano, who was up against the ring steps, but Gargano moved and Fatu ran into the steps. Gargano tagged in and #DIY hit a Shatter Machine. Solo Sikoa hopped on the apron and hit a Samoan Spike on Ciampa as the referee was distracted. Tonga tried to capitalize, but Gargano kicked out of a pin attempt.

Fatu and Tonga beat down Gargano and give the world the No. 1 pose. Gargano came back with a series of super-kicks on everyone. Tonga was taken out by a suicide dive from Gargano. Gargano then hit a Poison-Rana on Fatu, but Fatu got right back up and hit his pop-up Samoan Drop. Fatu landed a moonsault and the implant DDT for the win. The Bloodline posed as Sikoa held the tag titles on his shoulders to close the show.

Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa Undisputed title match official for WWE SummerSlam

Posted on July 17, 2024July 17, 2024 by Josh Nason

The heated rivalry between Cody Rhodes and The Bloodline will continue at next month’s WWE SummerSlam as the promotion officially announced Wednesday that Rhodes will defend his Universal title against Solo Sikoa.

Rhodes agreed to the bout at the end of last Friday’s SmackDown, pending GM Nick Aldis’ storyline approval. A brawl then broke out between Rhodes, Sikoa and the rest of The Bloodline members. Randy Orton attempted to assist Rhodes, but was taken out and put through a table as Rhodes was forced to watch.

The PLE is set for Saturday, August 3rd from Cleveland, Ohio’s Browns Stadium.

After Roman Reigns’ defeat to Rhodes at this year’s WrestleMania, the former record-setting champion has disappeared and Sikoa subsequently elevated himself as the new Tribal Chief with the rapidly-changing faction that now includes Tonga Loa, Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu.

In a trios bout at this month’s Money in the Bank, Sikoa pinned Rhodes to help put the match into motion. The two have wrestled several times since March 2023 with two of them on TV (Raw in March 2023, SmackDown in June 2024). Sikoa has yet to beat him.

Rhodes has defended the title three times since his WrestleMania win.

Here’s the current SummerSlam card with both official and expected matches based on recent TV:

WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Solo Sikoa
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damien Priest defends against Gunther
WWE Women’s Champion Bayley defends against Nia Jax
WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against Rhea Ripley
WWE U.S. Champion Logan Paul defends against LA Knight
CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

The Latest: Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa at WWE SummerSlam, Logan Paul, Joe Hendry

Posted on July 13, 2024July 19, 2024 by Denise Salcedo

Welcome to another episode of The Latest with Denise Salcedo breaking down the biggest wrestling news headlines of the week so far.

TOPICS:

–Cody Rhodes to defend WWE title against Solo Sikoa at SummerSlam

— Logan Paul’s return set for next week’s WWE SmackDown

— Stephanie Vaquer to appear at WWE house shows in Mexico

— Intercontinental title match announced for WWE Raw

— Will Ospreay vs. MJF to kick off AEW Dynamite 250

— Joe Hendry discusses NXT, Shawn Michaels and Slammiversary

Cody Rhodes to defend WWE title against Solo Sikoa at SummerSlam

Posted on July 12, 2024July 12, 2024 by Ethan Renner

Cody Rhodes agreed to a title defense against Solo Sikoa at SummerSlam in a chaotic closing sequence on Friday’s SmackDown.

Jacob Fatu of Sikoa’s Bloodline faction attacked Tag Team Champions Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano following their title defense over A-Town Down Under in the SmackDown main event, setting the stage for a promo from Sikoa.

As Sikoa spoke surrounded by Fatu, Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa, Rhodes entered and announced that he wanted to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sikoa at SummerSlam, pending official approval from GM Nick Aldis.

Rhodes then offered not to wait until SummerSlam, and squared up to The Bloodline. Rhodes quickly fell victim to a four-on-one attack. Randy Orton ran in for the save, but was put through the announce table by The Bloodline.

The Bloodline also tied Rhodes up in the ropes and forced him to watch as his ally Orton was put through the table. Video of the show-closing angle is embedded below.

ACKNOWLEDGE THEM!! 😤☝️#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/do28YtXFps
— WWE (@WWE) July 13, 2024

Solo Sikoa pins Cody Rhodes at WWE Money in the Bank

Posted on July 6, 2024July 6, 2024 by Joseph Currier

Solo Sikoa is all but confirmed as the next challenger for Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

In the main event of Money in the Bank, Sikoa pinned Rhodes to win a chaotic six-man tag team match. The victory looks to set up Sikoa challenging for Rhodes’ title at SummerSlam. Dave Meltzer first reported last month that Rhodes would be facing Sikoa at the August 3 event.

Sikoa teamed with Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga to defeat Rhodes, Randy Orton & Kevin Owens on Saturday night. The match was Fatu’s WWE in-ring debut. He starred in the match, including saving Sikoa at the end when Rhodes looked to have Sikoa beat with a series of Cross Rhodes. That allowed Sikoa to get the victory after laying out Rhodes with a Samoan spike.

SOLO SIKOA just pinned CODY RHODES! 😲😲😲#MITB pic.twitter.com/OxVjZcmVGg
— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2024

A low blow from Tonga Loa on Kevin Owens while the referee was down also helped The Bloodline win the match. Fatu, Tonga, and Loa have all been added to the new-look Bloodline by Sikoa since he took control of the faction and anointed himself as the new Tribal Chief. Sikoa kicked Jimmy Uso out of The Bloodline and also turned against Paul Heyman.

Before Money in the Bank, Sikoa cut a promo on SmackDown vowing to bring the Undisputed WWE Championship back to The Bloodline. Sikoa said Roman Reigns “was not man enough” to defeat Rhodes at WrestleMania 40.

“I’m going to take back our Undisputed WWE title from Cody Rhodes,” Sikoa said. “And if Roman Reigns wants that back, he can try and take it from me.”

Reigns has been away from WWE programming since his WrestleMania loss to Rhodes.

Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio is the venue for SummerSlam 2024.