Tag: tiffany stratton

Jelly Roll vs. Kit Wilson, Women’s US title match set for next WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Jelly Roll will be in action next week.

The music star demanded and got a match for next week’s SmackDown in Pittsburgh against Kit Wilson after Wilson laid out Jelly Roll following during a slam poetry read-off. The Bella Twins will also be in action, and the Women’s United States title will be on the line.

Jelly Roll answered Kit Wilson’s callout and immediately demanded a fight. Wilson rejected the offer and instead proposed a slam poetry read-off, which was designed to insult Jelly Roll’s weight loss among other issues. After Jelly Roll fired off with some comebacks involving Wilson’s mother, Wilson retaliated by laying out Jelly Roll and striking him with a diving elbow. Later in the show, Jelly Roll recovered enough to walk up to Nick Aldis demand a match, which he got for next week.

The Bella Twins and Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss will meet after the latter team interfered in the twin’s WWE Tag Team title match against champions Lash Legend & Nia Jax, causing a DQ. The three teams brawled after the match but much like last week, the segment ended with Jax and Legend standing tall.

Giulia will defend the United States title against Tiffany Stratton, indicating on this week’s show that she was upset that Stratton had embarrassed her the previous week. The segment also hinted at dissension between Kiana James and Giulia.

WWE SmackDown (March 27)

  • Jelly Roll vs. Kit Wilson
  • Women’s US title match: Giulia defends against Tiffany Stratton
  • Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. The Bella Twins

Latest report on Tiffany Stratton’s WWE WrestleMania 42 plans

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Tiffany Stratton is going to WrestleMania 42, according to latest reports.

Stratton came up short in both the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber matches, where the winners earn guaranteed WrestleMania title opportunities. However, a report from Bodyslam+ indicates she is currently planned to face Giulia for the Women’s United States Championship at the event.

According to Ibou of the Self Made Sessions Podcast, the match was originally planned as a triple threat involving Giulia, Stratton, and Jordynne Grace. However, Grace suffered an ankle injury last week.

The SmackDown star built a rapport with the WWE fanbase during her three year NXT run in 2021. Tiffany Stratton further solidified her reputation in her feud with Becky Lynch in 2023 for the NXT Women’s Championship. She was officially moved to the main roster in 2024 and a year later won the WWE Women’s Title. 

In October last year, Stratton suffered a knee injury that sidelined her for a couple of months. She made her return to the Royal Rumble and was one of the finalists before being eliminated by Liv Morgan. 

Tiffany Stratton felt ‘kind of stale’ during WWE Women’s title run

Posted on by Ian Carey

Tiffany Stratton described her character as being kind of stale during a recent interview.

Stratton was a guest on No Contest Wrestling recently and, when asked whether she is currently more of a babyface or a heel, said she plans to lean more into her heel side going forward, explaining that she felt her character had become “kind of stale.”

“I feel like for the past year, I was kind of stale. I felt like there weren’t any crazy storylines after I won the title, and I kind of want to bring back some spunk. So we’re going to be even more heelish Tiffany. We’re going to play around with some things. So I’m excited for that.”

Later in the interview, when asked if there was anything she misses about her time in NXT, Stratton said she misses wrestling as a heel.

“I miss how my character was down in NXT. I do miss being a heel. I love being a heel and wrestling as a heel. I feel like right now I wrestle as a babyface. I love to just be free. As a heel, I feel more like I can be free and just kind of be like full Tiffy, whereas kind of right now I reel it back.”

“I do miss wrestling as a heel, doing backstages and promos as a heel. I would say that’s the biggest thing that I miss in NXT.”

Stratton was later asked what fans can expect from her in 2026. She said she hopes to be part of a strong storyline.

“I hope to hopefully get a really good storyline, one where people can really sink their teeth into it. I feel like I’m kind of missing that right now.”

Up next, Stratton will compete in the Women’s Elimination Chamber match on Saturday, February 28 at the United Center in Chicago. She joins Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Kiana James, and Raquel Rodriguez in the bout.

Stratton’s full interview with the No Contest Wrestling podcast is available below. The video is cued to her appearance.

Tiffany Stratton set to compete in bodybuilding event

Posted on by Ian Carey

Tiffany Stratton has announced that she is going to take part in a bodybuilding contest soon.

Stratton revealed on TikTok that her second-ever bodybuilding event will take place in nine weeks. The 26-year-old says she fell in love with bodybuilding before starting her WWE career, but had not been able to continue with it after signing with the company.

Stratton said:

“I am currently nine weeks out from my second bodybuilding show ever. I’m going to step on stage again and just kind of see where things are at.

I remember I fell in love with bodybuilding and then I got signed by WWE so I couldn’t really do both at the same time but I feel like now I’m in a position where I feel I can balance it now.”

Stratton did not reveal specific details regarding the event.

Before returning to bodybuilding, Stratton is scheduled to compete in the Women’s Elimination Chamber match on February 28 in Chicago. She qualified for the bout by defeating Chelsea Green and Lash Legend in a triple threat match on the February 6 SmackDown. She joins Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Rhea Ripley as those who have qualified for the match thus far.

Stratton’s TikTok post is available below.

https://www.tiktok.com/@tiffanystrattonwwe/video/7608641128753122590?lang=en

First two wrestlers qualify for WWE Elimination Chamber

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Tiffany Stratton and Randy Orton are heading to the Elimination Chamber.

Friday’s SmackDown marked the first two Elimination Chamber qualifying matches, which take place on February 28 in Chicago. Tiffany Stratton was the first to qualify for the women, defeating Lash Legend and Chelesa Green. Stratton won after reversing the un-pretty-her and hit the PME on Green for the win.

In the main event, Randy Orton defeated Aleister Black and Solo Sikoa, who before the match was looking for the MFTs which were nowhere to be found. The finish had Sikoa looking to go for the samoan spike, only for Orton to counter with the RKO for the win.

Qualifying matches continue this Monday on Raw, with Rhea Ripley earning a spot in a women’s qualifying match that has yet to be fully announced. Next week’s SmackDown will see Cody Rhodes battle Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu for the men’s qualifier and Alexa Bliss, Zelina, and Giulia in the women’s qualifier.

The winner of the men’s Elimination Chamber will challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42. The winner of the women’s Royal Rumble, Liv Morgan, hasn’t decided which champion to challenge just yet.

WWE SmackDown live results: Elimination Chamber qualifiers begin

Posted on by Marc Quill

The stars of WWE SmackDown begin their road to WrestleMania 42 tonight from Charlotte, NC, with the Undisputed WWE Championship title picture now even more volatile following last Saturday’s Royal Rumble.

That picture, and the WWE Women’s title picture, will become a bit more clear with the kickoff of Elimination Chamber three-way qualifying matches. One will feature Randy Orton vs. Aleister Black vs. Solo Sikoa while the other will see former Women’s World Champion Tiffany Stratton vs. Lash Legend vs. Chelsea Green.

Women’s Rumble winner Liv Morgan will also make an appearance as she has yet to decide who she will face at WrestleMania 42.

The WWE Women’s Tag Team titles will be on the line as Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY defend against Women’s United States Champion Giulia & Kiana James.

WWE men’s United States Champion Carmelo Hayes will continue with his title defense open challenge seres.

Shinsuke Nakamura will take on Tama Tonga to round out the show that kicks off at 8 pm Eastern.

**********

– Over a shot of Charlotte’s skyline, Joe Tessitore introduced us to tonight’s show as he tossed to a recap of last Saturday’s Royal Rumble event.

Drew McIntyre opens SmackDown

The Undisputed WWE Champion arrrived to the arena with a smile on his face, but before he can even be properly introduced, Drew McIntyre was attacked from behind by a vengeful Cody Rhodes. McIntyre’s hated foe wanted to get revenge for the champion’s involvement in the Royal Rumble that got him eliminated. As a gaggle of officials came out to separate the bitter rivals, McIntyre was forced to retreat as Rhodes stood tall inside the ring.

Rhodes took the mic and said that things would never be the same, despite McIntyre’s best efforts. He said that for the first time, he can’t in good conscience point at the WrestleMania thanks to McIntyre’s interference. Rhodes discussed CM Punk and Roman Reigns making their WrestleMania main event official this past Monday, stating that the two of them were both glad that he wasn’t in their “you-know-what measuring contest”, because he didn’t get the nickname of “Raheem” for no reason. He talked about how much WrestleMania meant to him, and how he was born in Charlotte. “Imagine my discomfort returning here without the championship,” said the hometown boy. Rhodes said that McIntyre wasn’t mad that he wasn’t champion, but rather because Rhodes was the champ. He concluded by promising that his shame and discomfort would be McIntyre’s downfall, and that the Undisputed WWE Champ wouldn’t make it to WrestleMania.

I quite liked that Rhodes was understandably fired up after getting screwed out of the Royal Rumble by McIntyre and responded in kind with the attack. I am curious if this means we’ll see some kind of ultimate blowoff to this at Elimination Chamber instead of WrestleMania. What I didn’t like, however, was the “Raheem” meme being acknowledged, and the context it was mentioned in. To put it simply, it doesn’t take much to put two and two together to know that having the top babyface imply what he said, even in a joking manner, is a huge no-no. And that’s especially given the implications (the “you-know-what measuring contest”) coming from what was said by Rhodes and the timing of when it was said — this being Black History Month. Really, just a bad call all around.

**********

– Backstage, Giulia and Kiana James were interviewed ahead of their Women’s Tag Title Match against RHIYO coming up next. James again made it clear that winning the tag titles was part of the plan of making Giulia a triple champion.

– Elsewhere, Nick Aldis was admonishing Cody Rhodes for his attack on McIntyre, as he told him to control his emotions because he was set for an Elimination Chamber qualifier match for next week. Rhodes promised to control his emotions before leaving for the night, led by a group of referees.

WWE Womens’ Tag Team Championships: RHIYO (IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley) (c) vs. Giulia & Kiana James

Ripley and James started off this match with a test of strength, as the challenger flinched when Ripley was about to punch her. Giulia stepped up to Ripley as the legal woman, but wanted to face IYO SKY. Ripley obliged that request and tagged SKY in as we got some joshi action here early.

Giulia stomped at SKY’s head and mocked her taunt as she grabbed at her hair. SKY dodged an attempt at a throw by Giulia and hit her with an impressive shotgun dropkick. SKY got slammed down by Giulia, but couldn’t capitalize, so Kiana James involved herself by dropping SKY’s throat across the top rope. James tagged in and took over against SKY on the outside. James held SKY in position outside as Giulia hit her with a dropkick from the apron, which sent us to a break in the action.

This Papa Johns-sponsored match returned from commercial as SKY got blasted with a missile dropkick from Giulia for a near-fall. James tagged in as she and Giulia failed to hit a double team move on SKY. James tried to get the sneaky entry back into the ring to stop SKY from tagging Ripley, but couldn’t get it done. SKY tagged Ripley in, who was a house of fire as she cleared house on Giulia and James. SKY dove to the outside to take Giulia out right in front of the annunce tables.

Back in the ring, Ripley slammed James face-first like a pancake, but that wasn’t enough. James escaped a Riptide attempt and powerbombed SKY right on Ripley. Giulia and James hit a combination of their signature moves — the Arrivederci Knee and 401K — on SKY, but couldn’t capitalize. Giulia attempted a Northern Lights Bomb, but SKY reversed it. Ripley with the blind tag as she headbutted Giulia, followed by the Riptide. SKY finished this match off with the Over The Moonsault to pick up the win and retain the Women’s Tag Titles.

RHIYO def. Giulia & Kiana James via pinfall

This was a fun opening contest from start to finish. The brief glimpses we got of IYO SKY and Giulia facing off was a good appetizer for when we do get these two in one-on-one action down the line. There’s just something about the SKY/Ripley pairing that works so well, and it translates to their tag matches being really entertaining.

**********

– Ilja Dragunov was interrupted by the Miz, who claimed that he went to Nick Aldis and got a U.S. Title Open Challenge match. Carmelo Hayes then appeared, and stated that Miz didn’t deserve a shot at the U.S. Title, as he then offered to face him in a non-title match coming up next.

Carmelo Hayes vs. The Miz

Hayes started off hot as he hit his springboard clothesline on Miz. However, the former WWE Champion got the advantage as he flattened Hayes with an elbow afterwards. Miz worked over Hayes in the corners, but got hit with a kick to the back of the head, followed by a springboard leg drop. Hayes battered Miz with a chop in the corner, as he then stomped away on him for a bit before the referee backed Hayes off. Miz clipped at Hayes’ legs as another springboard clothesline attempt, before he hit him with a running clothesline, which took us to an awkwardly-placed ad break.

We returned from commercial as Hayes attempted to fight back against Miz with a series of furious strikes that forced his foe into the corner. Hayes connected with La Mistica on Miz, which sent him out of the ring. Hayes hit a dive from the ring to the outside on Miz, as he then attempted a frog splash. Miz got his knees up to block Hayes’ splash and nearly got the win on the pin, but only got two instead.

Miz teed off with his kicks, but failed to hit the last one as Hayes dodged it. The U.S. Champion countered a Skull-Crushing Finale attempt and cracked him right in the jaw with a superkick for the near-fall. Hayes pulled himself back up and headed to the top, as Miz turned that around and hit a slingshot sitdown powerbomb. One, two…. NO! Miz sized Hayes up, but couldn’t connect with the Skull-Crushing Finale. Hayes tried for First 48, but got countered into another Skull-Crushing Finale attempt. Somehow, Hayes avoided the impact at the last second and finally hit FIrst 48 to pick up the victory.

Carmelo Hayes def. The Miz via pinfall

That was a great match, yes, but that ending sequence where Hayes reversed the Skull-Crushing Finale into a First 48 was silky smooth and highlights why I enjoy watching Hayes in action every week. He just doesn’t miss.

**********

– Tiffany Stratton was interviewed about nearly winning the Royal Rumble, as she promised to get herself back on the winning track by way of qualifying for the Elimination Chamber. Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre showed up and taunted Stratton, but were told off as the former WWE Women’s Champion got ready for her Chamber qualifier coming up next.

– The Wyatt Sicks interruption played as Bo Dallas talked about Solo Sikoa’s theft of the lantern. Dallas said Sikoa was scared of being left in the dark all by himself, which is why he stole the lantern. Dallas mentioned that fear doesn’t show up when everyone’s together, it shows up when you’re all alone. He chuckled as the video ended.

Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Chelsea Green (w/ Alba Fyre) vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Lash Legend (w/ Nia Jax)

Green slapped Stratton and Legend to start this match off, which led to her getting bashed around by both the women she slapped. Stratton and Legend stood face-to-face and got ready for their own battle. Stratton leaped at Legend but was grabbed and used as a battering ram of sorts to take Alba Fyre out of the apron. Stratton recovered and forced Legend to the outside, as she then dove onto both Legend and Nia Jax.

Back in the ring, Green tried to steal Stratton’s pin and yelled at her. Legend tried to get involved, which forced a temporary alliance between Green and Stratton to clothesline her out of the ring. That alliance ended as it began as she headed to the top and took out Stratton and Jax with a dive to the outside. Green did her salute, but got rocked by a big boot from Legend, which took us into the break.

We returned from commercial as Legend lifted Stratton over her head and slammed her onto a prone Green before she splashed onto both women, but couldn’t get the win off of this. Stratton recovered and used Green as an impromptu stepping stone to kick Legend in the corner. Stratton caught Legend with a rough dropkick as she reversed an Un-Pretty-Her attempt from Green. On the top rope, Stratton hit Green with a superplex, as she rolled through with the uranage. Legend broke up the pin and tried for the Lash Extension, but couldn’t capitalize.

Legend caught Stratton and hit a buckle bomb, followed by the chokeslam for the near-fall. Meanwhile, Green leapt from the top rope and hit a Coast-to-Coast dropkick on both Stratton and Legend. Nia Jax pulled Green out as she made the pin, which led to a scuffle between her and Fyre at ringside. Things broke down as Green and Stratton heaved Legend over the timekeeper’s area with a toss. In the ring, Green attempted an Un-Pretty-Her, but was reversed by Stratton, who finished this match off with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever.

Tiffany Stratton def. Chelsea Green & Lash Legend via pinfall to qualify for Elimination Chamber

That was a bit of a rough match to watch. Moves looked rough and it seemed like nobody really clicked with anyone in this contest.

**********

– As Randy Orton was being interviewed about his Elimination Chamber qualifier, Aleister Black interrupted and talked about how we’ve said goodbye to two great wrestlers in John Cena and AJ Styles, and it was fortunate that Orton was still around.

– A video package highlighting the stars of NXT and their performance in the men’s and women’s Royal Rumbles was shown.

Kit Wilson’s Lesson in Toxic Masculinity

Kit Wilson made his way to the ring and got ready to teach us all a lesson in toxic masculinity. He talked about being in the Royal Rumble last week, and it disgusted him. He called everyone in the Rumble “toxic”, and stated that “they” didn’t want him in the Royal Rumble because of what he represents. Wilson called himself a man who moisturizes and a man who listens, as well as a man who moves his hips in a particular way. Wilson called the Charlotte crowd toxic as he then challenge anyone who was in the Rumble to face him right now to prove themselves.

Oba Femi made his way to answer Wilson’s challenge, garnering a great reaction from this crowd.

Oba Femi vs. Kit Wilson

Wilson yelled at Femi, and got met with a hard strike from the former NXT Champion. Femi repeatedly hit Wilson in the corner with running elbows a-plenty before he put an end to this match with a Fall From Grace.

Oba Femi def. Kit Wilson via pinfall

Not much to say here other than if Femi is booked as strong as he’s been booked, then he’ll be a cornerstone of WWE’s main event scene for years to come.

**********

– Damian Priest and R-Truth were seen watching Femi’s match as Drew McIntyre rudely bumped into Truth. Priest said that McIntyre have had their problems, but it seems like the champ has his own problems to deal with, so he wasn’t going to add to that.

Drew McIntyre, Interrupted

The Undisputed WWE Champion made his way down to the ring and got ready to speak his mind, at least until Jacob Fatu attacked him in the ring. Fatu flattened McIntyre with a running hip attack as he then clotheslined him out of the ring. Fatu hit a suicide dive on McIntyre and battered him at ringside. Officials tried to stop Fatu, but found themselves in the path of his destructive force. Fatu struck at McIntyre, and forced him to run away through the crowd. Fatu stood on the announce table and taunted his foe in victory.

After the break, Nick Aldis told Fatu that he’d be in an Elimination Chamber qualifier match next week if he desperately wanted to get a shot at Drew McIntyre.

McIntyre getting attacked by both Fatu and Rhodes tonight seems to make it clear that their business with the champion is far from done, so I do wonder how that will play into Elimination Chamber, assuming both men qualify.

**********

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tama Tonga (w/ J.C. Mateo & Tanga Loa)

Tama hit Nakamura in the ribs and got the early advantage with strikes to the head of his opponent. Tama missed with a running strike into the corner, which allowed Nakamura to hit him with a knee to the ribs while Tama was prone on the top turnbuckle. On the opposite corner, Nakamura did his signature “stomp” on Tama, but he got hit with a modifed Flatliner afterwards. Outside the ring, Tama slammed Nakamura across the announce table and draped him on top of it. Tama got on the timekeeper’s area barricade and hit Nakamura with an elbow drop, which took us to a break in the action.

This match returned from break as Nakamura hit Tama with a sliding dropkick, followed by a set of strong-style kicks that rocked his foe. Nakamura then hit a nice enzuigiri to Tama, before he connected with the sliding German suplex in the corner. Nakamura continued momentum with the diving knee strike, but couldn’t get the win just yet. Tama found momentum with a reverse DDT, as he then hit the running splash into the corner. Tama hit a double underhook facebuster on Nakamura for the near-fall as he then had him in position for a move of some sort.

Nakamura reversed that attempt into a suplex, that sent Tama scurrying out of the ring. Nakamura took J.C. Mateo out with a baseball slide, but fell victim to a jumping DDT from Tama back in the ring. Tama lifted Nakamura on his shoulders, but got countered into a side suplex from the King of Strong Style. Both men struggled to their feet and went back and forth with clubbing blows. Nakamura got the best of Tama with his trademark spinning wheel kick, and delivered a Michinoku Driver for the near-fall. As Nakamura had Tama in sight for Kinshasa, J.C. Mateo distracted the referee long enough for Tanga Loa to grab at his legs. Tama recovered and hit an unelevated Cutthroat, followed by one last one for the victory.

Tama Tonga def. Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall

That was an alright match, but the inevitable M.F.T. interference put a damper on things.

**********

– Fraxiom and the Motor City Machine Guns were walking backstage, as Candice LeRae approached the four and told them to look at what happened to Johnny Gargano lying on a box marked “NXT”. LeRae talked about what Axiom did to Gargano after he beat him last week, but didn’t get any sort of sympathy from Fraxiom and the MCMGs.

– As RHIYO talked about their victory earlier tonight, they were interrupted by Nia Jax and Lash Legend, who appeared to call their shot for the Women’s Tag Titles.

– A defeated Kit Wilson sauntered about backstage and noticed Matt Cardona, as he blamed him for his shortcomings. Cardona, who was chatting with Apollo Crews, told Wilson that he was always ready for a challenge.

Liv Morgan makes her presence known

The 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble winner was introduced by Nick Aldis in the ring, as she made her way alongside fellow Judgment Day cohort Raquel Rodriguez.

Morgan said that we were now in the presence of the “greatest Royal Rumble winner of all time”. She said she wasn’t just the greatest, as she called herself the hottest, funniest, smartest, and most iconic woman in the history of WWE. Morgan said that all of that came with a lot of power, but she didn’t have a lot of time to make a certain decision. Morgan said she could choose Stephanie Vaquer or face Jade Cargill. Morgan said that WrestleMania wasn’t the only thing on her mind, but that there was a huge elephant in the room. Before she could say what that was, Rodriguez took her mic and said that she had something to say instead. However, they were both interrupted by the arrival of WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill.

Cargill said that she didn’t care if Morgan won the Royal Rumble, and that she didn’t care if she was on SmackDown. Cargill said that if Morgan chose her, she’d beat her ass at WrestleMania before she turned her attention to Rodriguez. Morgan interrupted and talked about how she could pick Stephanie Vaquer and ensure Raquel Rodriguez would beat Cargill instead. This led to Jordynne Grace interrupting proceedings.

Grace said that Morgan did what she had to do to win the Rumble, but if she could get Cargill to defend her title, maybe it’ll be Grace who Morgan might end up facing at WrestleMania. Morgan interrupted and got told to shut up by both Cargill and Grace. Mr. Aldis talked about how if Morgan was available to talk, she was available to fight, which led to a tag match between Cargill and Grace versus Morgan and Rodriguez to be booked.

Not really my cup of tea, with this style of segment, mainly because of how Morgan’s style of promos isn’t really for me.

**********

Jade Cargill & Jordynne Grace vs. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez

This match started in progress after the commercial break, as Rodriguez was battering Grasce with elbows to the chest. Grace got lifted by a back suplex from Rodriguez, but she avoided a diving bomb. However, Morgan tagged in and tried for the Three Amigos. Grace countered on the third of the Amigos and delivered a suplex of her own. Grace flattened Morgan with a series of lariats, followed by repeated scoop slams. The cover by Grace, but Rodriguez interrupted the count. As Grace sent Rodriguez out of the ring, Morgan attempted ObLIVion, but was blocked by the strength fo Grace.

Cargill “accidentally” hit Grace with a superkick after Rodriguez got out of the way. Meanwhile, Rodriguez had an accident of her own as she hit Morgan with a kick as Cargill got out of the way. As Cargill and Rodriguez were staring down, Grace pushed the latter onto the former and pulled off the roll-up for the win.

Jordynne Grace & Jade Cargill def. Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan via pinfall

This match was a bit on the short side, but the friendly fire finish playing into Grace and Cargill’s feud, as well as a potential Judgment Day rift worked well.

**********

– Sami Zayn was met by Rey Fenix, who consoled him after his Royal Rumble loss, but both were interrupted by Trick Williams, who called himself the Michael Jordan to Zayn’s Charles Barkley. Williams talked about how he was the guy who gets things done around here. Fenix told Williams that he had a big mouth and he’d shut him up if he kept it up. Williams responded to Fenix, saying he’d do it “any time, any place.”

– Elsewhere, Jade Cargill and Jordynne Grace were at each other’s throats following their tag match, as Nick Aldis told the two there’d be a WWE Women’s Title match next week on SmackDown, with Cargill set to defend against Grace.

– A recap of Roman Reigns & CM Punk’s fiery confrontation on Raw was shown, as we got official confirmation of Punk defending the World Title against Reigns at WrestleMania in ten weeks time.

Drew McIntyre has something to say

Now with seemingly no interruptions to hamper him, Drew McIntyre talked about how both Jacob Fatu & Cody Rhodes should be banned from the Elimination Chamber qualifiers for what they did to him earlier. He also took credit for dashing Sami Zayn’s dreams at the Royal Rumble before he finally turned his attention to Reigns and Punk’s promo from Monday night.

McIntyre talked about how he was been through hell to get the Undisputed World Title and that he’d never go part time. He put over the heritage of his Undisputed WWE Title, and that he didn’t blame Reigns for choosing Punk. McIntyre said that while Reigns and Punk were busy aura farming, he has the entire roster climbing the Elimination Chamber for the right to be the Undisputed WWE Champion.

As McIntyre was making his exit, Trick Williams interrupted to a huge ovation of “Whoop That Trick” chants. Williams said maybe he was just here to watch the main events and kicking up his lemon pepper steppers. Willams said that maybe McIntyre was worried about the wrong people, when he should be worried about him, the man who will take the WWE Title at WrestleMania.

McIntyre warned Willaims to walk before running, because if he interrupted him again, McIntyre promised he’d stick Williams’ “lemon pepper steppers” where the sun didn’t shine.

So, how was McIntyre’s response to essentially being treated as a third wheel on Monday by Reigns and Punk? He tried his best, yes, but it’s still an uphill battle to get ahead of it given how big the Punk vs. Reigns match is being sold as. Meanwhile, it’s nice seeing Trick Williams get into these big main event situations, as it’s clear as day that he’s being viewed as a big star.

**********

Next Week on SmackDown

  • WWE Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Jordynne Grace
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: RHIYO (IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley) vs. Lash Legend & Nia Jax
  • Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Alexa Bliss vs. Giulia vs. Zelina
  • Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn vs. Jacob Fatu
  • Trick Williams vs. Rey Fenix

Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Solo Sikoa vs. Randy Orton vs. Aleister Black

Prior to the match, Sikoa was seen wondering where his M.F.T.s allies were, but they were nowhere to be found, as he made his way down to the ring alone.

Sikoa tried to get Black to team up on Orton, but it was a double-cross. Orton went for the RKO early, but couldn’t connect. Sikoa pulled Orton out of the ring and threw him into the ring post. Black hit his moonsault from the apron on Sikoa, as he then countered an attempted back suplex to the announce table and instead took Orton out with a clubbing blow. This took us into the break.

We returned from break as Orton stomped on Black while he had Sikoa trapped in an ankle submission. This opened both men up to Orton’s Garvin-style stomps, as Sikoa found himself in the corner being battered by punches. Black stopped Orton from attacking further, but got himself in the crosshairs of Orton’s punches in the corners instead. Black escaped his predicament and hit Orton with kicks across the chests, followed by punches to the ribs.

Black pulled Orton to the middle of the ring and worked him over until he was pulled out of the ring and thrown into the barrricade by Sikoa, who briefly stared Trick Williams down before he entered the ring. Sikoa kept Orton grounded with chops and punches as he pointed at the WrestleMania sign. Orton recovered and hit Sikoa with a series of clotheslines, but couldn’t hit the scoop powerslam, as Sikoa dodged it. Black entered the fray and got dropped with a pop-up Samoan Drop by Sikoa for the near-fall, as we took one more break in the action.

We returned to our main event as Orton hit a superplex on Black, but it put him in prime position for Sikoa to drop down on him with a splash for the near-fall. Black and Sikoa got themselves on their feet and traded strikes, but it was the Samoan who got the upper hand. Sikoa missed with the running hip attack, as Black hit him with the top rope Meteora. Orton got back in the ring and hit Black with clotheslines. Sikoa avoided the draping DDT from Orton, but he couldn’t avoid being dropped across the commentary table by Orton. Black also got dropped with the back suplex for his troubles.

Back in the ring, Sikoa was left stunned long enough to fall victim to Orton’s draping DDT. Orton had Sikoa in sights for the RKO, but Black kicked him hard. Sikoa recovered and caught Black with the Spinning Solo. One, two… NO! Sikoa attempted a Samoan Spike, but Black avoided it and got Sikoa with a big knee, followed by a bridging suplex for the two. Black hit Sikoa with a running knee, and almost got caught with the RKO. Black reversed it and attempted Black Mass. Orton dodged and got Black with the RKO, but the momentum sent him rolling out of the ring.

Sikoa snuck up on Orton and looked like he was going to get him with the Samoan Spike, but he got hit with an RKO instead. One, two, three. This one’s done.

Tonight’s show ended with Orton celebrating his win.

Randy Orton def. Solo Sikoa & Aleister Black via pinfall to qualify for Elimination Chamber

**********

Weird opening promo from Cody Rhodes aside (and I’ve said my piece on it above), this was an entertaining SmackDown, and a hot Charlotte crowd really added to it. The matches tonight were all at least decent and the Elimination Chamber build is taking shape well, even though it’s early on.

The Women’s Tag Title Match was my pick for top match of the evening. There’s just something really enjoyable about the Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY tag team and it brings out the best in both women, as well as the people they face in the ring. Lots of exciting action to be had there. The other matches were good and nothing really dragged.

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

Brie Bella, Tiffany Stratton among surprises in women’s WWE Royal Rumble match

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Brie Bella was among the notable names in this year’s women’s Royal Rumble end.

Bella entered at number 29, making her first appearance in a WWE ring since 2022 when she competed in that year’s Royal Rumble. She reunited with her sister Nikki Bella, who has been on television for most of the last year, but both ended up being eliminated by Lash Legend.

Another notable return was Tiffany Stratton, who had been off television since losing the WWE Women’s Championship to Jade Cargill last fall. She entered at number 30 and made it to the final two.

NXT stars in this year’s match included Lola Vice, Sol Ruca, Kelani Jordan, and NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne. A sequence toward the end of the match had Jayne eliminate Jordan. Ruca immediately followed with a sol snatcher on Jayne and eliminated her. 

The final three participants in the match were Ruca, Stratton, and Liv Morgan. Stratton eliminated Ruca as all three were on the apron, but Morgan used the opening to hit oblivion on Stratton, eliminating her to win the Rumble match.

Natalya’s alter ego, Nattie, also had her in-ring debut on Saturday. Coming out to a new theme, she went after Maxxine Dupri but also confronted Becky Lynch, who she ended up eliminating in a surprise. She was eventually eliminated by Morgan.

Tiffany Stratton posts ‘throwback’ clip of scary WWE practice moment

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On her TikTok account today, Tiffany Stratton gave fans a glimpse at what it looks like when WWE wrestlers practice for a match.

The clip is from Stratton’s NXT days when she was preparing to compete in a ladder match at Stand & Deliver 2023. During practice the night before the show, Stratton rehearsed a spot where she was supposed to fall off a ladder to the outside. The spot went wrong and Stratton was lucky to avoid a serious neck injury.

@tiffanystrattonwwe

& guess what I tried it again and the same thing happened😭

♬ original sound – Tiffany Stratton

“Throwback to when I almost broke my neck the night before a big match,” Stratton wrote. “[And] guess what I tried it again and the same thing happened.”

Indi Hartwell, Roxanne Perez, Zoey Stark, Gigi Dolin, and Lyra Valkyria were the other competitors in the match. The show itself did not go entirely according to plan either. When Stratton tumbled off a ladder to the floor, everyone else failed to catch her. She thankfully was not injured, and Stratton does not blame the other wrestlers for what happened.

Stratton had better ladder match success when she won Money in the Bank in 2024. She later cashed in to become WWE Women’s Champion — with Stratton holding the title for more than 300 days before losing to Jade Cargill last month.

Tiffany Stratton names former WWE rivals as her inspirations

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Tiffany Stratton has moved on from her past rivalries and revealed that Charlotte Flair and Trish Stratus are two of her biggest inspirations in professional wrestling.

A few days before her Saturday Night’s Main Event loss against Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton went sneaker shopping with Culture Kings where she discussed how Flair and Stratus influenced her career. Reflecting on their impact, the 26-year-old claimed that both women played a significant role in shaping her journey in WWE,

Charlotte Flair was a big inspiration for me. She was who I saw on my TV screen, I related to her. Trish Stratus as well. When I got into wrestling I found out who Trish Stratus was, and I really related to her, because I feel like we have similar stories. People look at us and have the preconceived notions, like we’re just pretty faces, blonde hair, but when we get in the ring we get stuff done.”

Earlier this year at Evolution 2025, Stratton faced and defeated Hall of Famer Trish Stratus, while she also secured a win over Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 41 solidying her status as a promising young talent.

Tiffany Stratton names the perfect place to host WrestleMania

Last month in an interview with with Sidewalks Entertainment, Tiffany Stratton called Las Vegas as “sports entertainment capital of the world” before naming it as the perfect place to host WrestleMania.

“Last year was actually my first WrestleMania ever. I was super nervous. It was in Las Vegas, so I felt like it was the perfect state for my first ever WrestleMania. I feel like Las Vegas is iconic. It’s the sports entertainment (capital) of the world, so it was the perfect place to host WrestleMania.”

Tiffany Stratton wants to ‘headline’ prestigious London, UK arena

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

After performing at several prestigious arenas across the globe, 26-year-old Tiffany Stratton now has her sights set on headlining the O2 Arena in London, UK.

The O2 is widely regarded as one of the most recognized and respected venues globally. Following past WWE shows and the recent AEW Forbidden Door event, former WWE Women’s Champion, Tiffany Stratton now aims to main-event the arena. Speaking to Culture Kings recently, Stratton opened up about the arenas she would like to headline next.

“I would love to wrestle and headline in my hometown of Minnesota, we’re actually going there for SummerSlam next year so I’m excited for that. Maybe London, is it The O2? Maybe I could headline The O2 and have the (Union Flag) on my gear, I think that could be iconic. “

Prior to her loss against Jade Cargill at the November 1st edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Stratton also lost against Stephanie Vaquer at Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia. While not confirmed yet, the Buff Barbie is now expected to go on a hiatus to recover from an injury.

Tiffany Stratton names her inspirations in WWE

In her appearance on Culture Kings, Stratton named former rivals Charlotte Flair and Trish Stratus as two of her biggest inspirations in pro-wrestling.

Charlotte Flair was a big inspiration for me. She was who I saw on my TV screen, I related to her. Trish Stratus as well. When I got into wrestling I found out who Trish Stratus was, and I really related to her, because I feel like we have similar stories. People look at us and have the preconceived notions, like we’re just pretty faces, blonde hair, but when we get in the ring we get stuff done.”

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event live results: CM Punk vs. Jey Uso

Posted on by Jeff Moss

The vacant WWE World Heavyweight title will find a home with either CM Punk or Jey Uso on tonight’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event from Salt Lake City, Utah.

The title was vacated by Seth Rollins after an injury suffered at last month’s Crown Jewel. Punk was originally set to challenge Rollins while Uso earned the shot by winning a battle royal on Raw.

Punk held the title for a matter of minutes at August’s SummerSlam before Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and defeated him. Uso is looking for his second title run and first since June of this year.

WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will defend his title against Drew McIntyre in a match where Rhodes can lose the title by DQ or countout.

WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton will defend against the recently turned heel Jade Cargill who is in search of her first WWE singles title.

In a three-way, WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio will defend against past challengers Penta and Rusev.

Tonight’s show airs exclusively on Peacock domestically and on Netflix outside the United States.

**********

You can bet there were a lot of people in WWE hoping the Blue Jays won the World Series last night so that Saturday Night’s Main Event didn’t have to go up against the Baseball Birds. Fortunately, we live in 2025, so double screens it is and let’s get into Saturday Night’s Main Event!

After everyone arrived to work safely (with Penta stopping for a coffee) and Micheal Cole running down the card, the show began with a video package recap that ran down the card.

Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes [c] vs. Drew McIntyre

McIntyre got cranky a few weeks ago and put Rhodes’ head through the announce table with a Claymore. After Rhodes shooed away the little cartoon birds that were circling his head, he and McIntyre went to war at Wrestlepalooza. Rhodes won that bout, but via a controversial call by the official. McIntyre then beat Jacob Fatu to again become No. 1 Contender to the Undisputed WWE Title. This time though, McIntyre had a plan, which he put into action on Smackdown and got Rhodes to agree that the title could change hands on a DQ or Count out.

Lillian Garcia read us the tale of the tape, with McIntyre insisting she call him the “Real American Dream” and we were off. Rhodes charged off the bell, but McIntyre dodged it and hit a back elbow. Rhodes sent McIntyre into the corner and the two started trading chops.

McIntyre went for a suplex, but Rhodes reversed it with one of his own and McIntyre rolled out of the ring, trying to lure Rhodes into a count out. Rhodes didn’t bite though and McIntyre got back in at 9. The two locked up and McIntyre tried to throw Rhodes into the official to cause a DQ. Rhodes pulled up though and remained qualified.

McIntyre kept trying to goad Rhodes into getting DQ’ed, but it wasn’t working. Instead he went for a kick in the gut and laid Rhodes out on the ropes. McIntyre then bit Rhodes’ forehead without the Ref seeing. Rhodes fired up and started throwing jabs and kicks at McIntyre. He got too agressive with stomps in the corner and almost shoved the ref when he broke it up.

McIntyre came back and threw Rhodes into the ringpost. On the outside, he tossed Rhodes over the barricade to try and get the count out. Rhodes made it back into the ring at 8 though. McIntyre started throwing punches and hit a belly-to-belly throw across the ring.

McIntyre put Rhodes in an upper octopus huld, but Rhodes fought out of it and went off the ropes to be struck by McIntyre for a two count. The two started trading forearms and McIntyre hit a high back body drop for another two count.

McIntyre took a moment to mug for the crowd before climbing the turnbuckles. Rhodes met him there though and they threw hands on the top rope. Rhodes got McIntyre up and landed a mean looking superplex.

After some punching, Rhodes landed a powerslam on McIntyre and started powering up. He hit a Disaster Kick and then a Cody Cutter for a two count. Rhodes hit a Bionic Elbow and charged, but McIntyre caught him with a spinebuster and sit out powerbomb.

McIntyre rolled out of the ring and grabbed the title belt. Cody ripped it out of his hands and tossed it to the ref. That opened him up for a Claymore kick, but McIntyre could only get a two count. Rhodes rolled out of the ring and McIntyre set him up in front of the announce table. Rhodes caught him with a fist in the gut and put them both back in the ring.

McIntrye then knocked Rhodes off the ring apron and through the announce table looking for a countout, but Rhodes made it back at 9.5. McIntyre set himself up for another Claymore, but Rhodes ducked it. McIntyre tried a future shock, but Rhodes dodged and went up the turnbuckles. Before he could do anything though, his knee buckled and he fell to the mat clutching it.

Rhodes tried again and hit a supercutter, but McIntyre kicked out at two. Rhodes set up CrossRhodes, but McIntyre kicked him in the face and sent him into the corner, squashing the official in the process. McIntyre hit a Glasgow Kiss, but the ref was still out. Using that to his advantage, McIntyre grabbed the belt again.

McIntyre went to hit Rhodes with it, but Rhodes ducked and the two collided with crossbodies in the center of the ring. The ref continued to nap.

McIntyre went for the belt again, but Rhodes managed to DDT him on the belt and then throw it out of the ring. The ref then began to stir in time to see Rhodes hit a CrossRhodes and get the pin to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Match Result: Cody Rhodes defeated Drew McIntyre

Decent match from these two to kick things off. There were more than a couple moments where I thought that McIntyre had it in the bag, but Rhodes pulled it off nicely. I give it 7 Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s out of 6.

WWE Women’s Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton [c] vs Jade Cargill

In January, Stratton cashed in the Money in the Bank contract on Nia Jax to put the title on her shoulder. She’s sucessfully defended it against Jax, Charlotte Flair and WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. Stratton also beat Cargill at Summerslam. However, that wasn’t enough for Cargill who stepped in to save Stratton from an attack by Giulia and Kiana James, only to turn on the champion and lay a beating on her. It was a subtle move, but she seemed to to be communicating that she wanted another title shot. Because wrestling, she got it and here we are.

Before the match, Smackdown GM Nick Aldis checked on Stratton to make sure she was 100% for the match. She said she was. Hey, that’s great. Extremely relevant actor and comedian Pauly Shore was shown in the audience, as was Post Malone. Expect to see him vs Jelly Roll at Summerslam next year.

Right off the bell, Stratton jumped Cargill. Cargill easily reversed it though and began sweeping legs and throwing stomps. She grabbed Stratton and flattened her with a huge chokeslam. Gargill then hit a pumphandle flip slam for a two count.

Cargill threw Stratton across the ring and into the corner. She charged, but Stratton moved. Stratton went up top, but Cargill knocked her into a tree of woe, wrenching the knee of Stratton. Cargill pulled Stratton out of the ring and dropped her headfirst onto the ring apon (the prettiest part of the ring!).

Cargill laid Stratton out on the stairs, but Stratton caught her and tripped her face first into the steps. Stratton threw Cargill into the ring and went up top again, but Cargill met her there. Statton threw Cargill off and hit a swanton, but only got a two count.

Clutching her bandaged knee, Stratton got up, but Cargill clotheslined her back down and hit a blue thunder bomb for the customary two count. Cargill landed a fallaway slam and then another, keeping the pace in her favour. She hit another, but Stratton kicked out at two.

Cargill hit a sit out powerbomb for another two count, then a pair of Power Bomb Classic’s. Cargill hit a Jaded and then sat on Stratton for the 1-2-3 to become the new WWE Women’s Champion!

Match Result: Jade Cargill defeated Tiffany Stratton

Good for Cargill! She’s got money written all over her and it’s time she ascended to that upper echelon. She was aggressive and powerful through the whole match. Stratton did a good job making a fight out of it and the Cargill era is here. 16 Addison Barger’s out of 10

During the break, it was announced that the next Saturday Night’s Main Event (and the preceding Smackdown) will come from my hometown of Montreal, Quebec! If I start the GoFundMe now, I might be able to afford tickets!

Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat Match: Dominik Mysterio [c] vs Penta vs Rusev

Can we all just agree that Mysterio is the best thing going in WWE right now? Ok, good. What we didn’t know at the time was when Dom was up on that pole 20 years ago, he got a great view of what Rey Mysterio and his real father Eddie Guerrero were doing in the ring. He’s channelled that into multiple titles including the AAA Mega Championship and the WWE Intercontinental Title.

On Raw, Rusev and Penta had their Intercontinental Title No. 1 Contenders match interrupted by the arrival of their Starbucks order as El Grande Americano, Rayo Americano and Bravo Americano attacked them. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce threw up his hands and said “all right, everybody into the pool!” and made this Triple Threat Match.

As the bell rang, Rusev and Penta attacked Mysterio, taking turns stomping and punching him. Mysterio rolled out and Rusev dropkicked Penta. Rusev went for the cover, but Mysterio returned and broke up the count. Rusev put Penta out and turned his attention to Mysterio, suplexing him repeatedly.

Rusev picked up Mysterio like a small child and threw him across the ring like a small child. Mysterio rolled out of the ring, Rusev followed and Mysterio put his head into the ring post. Penta dove through the ropes and took out Rusev. Then Mysterio did the same and took out Penta.

Back in the ring, Penta and Mysterto battled in the corner with Penta delivering his drop headstand kick for a pin attempt. Rusev pulled Penta out of the ring and threw a lariat before tossing him into the barricade. He threw Penta into the barricade again and Mysterio dove at Rusev through the ropes. Rusev caught him and slammed his head onto the newly-repaired announce desk.

Rusev took a moment to connect with the Intercontinental Title Belt, saying “I’m coming for you” before entering the ring and kicking Mysterio in the back. Rusev went for a lariat, but Mysterio tripped him and went for a 619. Rusev caught him though and slapped on the Accolade. Panta broke that up with a superkick to Rusev.

Penta hit a backbreaker for a two count and then threw some kicks at Rusev as he tried to stand up. Penta went for a springboard, but Rusev caught him and slammed him for a two count of his own. Rusev set up Penta on the top turnbuckle, but Penta fought out of it. Rusev pulled Penta off the ropes, seemingly hurting his knee.

Mysterio brought a chair into the ring and pulling a page from his real father, threw it at Rusev and pretended he hit him. The ref did nothing, since there is not DQ in tha triple threat. Pentat took out Mysterio with a Mexican Destroyer then hit a tornado DDT on DDT on Rusev.

Penta went for a Destroyer on Rusev, but he caught him and hit an Alabama Slam. Penta hit a big sit out driver, but Rusev kicked out at two. Penta went up top again and leapt off, but Rusev caught him with a kick to the gut. He put the accolade on. and the bell rang!

Everyone seemed very confused, with Rusev thinking he won, but the camera caught Mysterio with a hammer in his hand. He hit the bell to cause a distraction. That made Rusev very very mad and he ragdolled Mysterio around the outside of the ring.

Mysterio shoved Rusev into the steel steps and then climbed back into the ring with the bell hammer. Penta stopped him though, grabbed the hammer and went to hit Mysterio. Mysterio ducked and Penta took out Rusev with the hammer. Mysterio took out Penta and then hit a frog splash on Rusev to get the pin and retain the Intercontinental Title.

Match Result: Dominik Mysterio defeated Penta and Rusev

Very fun match! It did not drag anywhere like a lot of Triple Threats can. Penta and Rusev would have both been great IC Champs, but Mysterio continues to steal the show. From the Eddie chair spot to the ringing of the bell, he’s pure entertainment. 27 George Springers out of 10.

Next, a promo aired for December’s Saturday Night’s Main Event aired, speculating on who John Cena’s final opponent will be. It was announced that starting one week from Monday (November 10th), at RAW in Boston, a 16-man “The Last Time Is Now” tournament will begin, with the winner facing Cena in his final bout. What was intriguing, was it mentioned the possibility of the tournament including someone (or someones)”who doesn’t even work here.”

PS – how do you not call it “The Last Tournament Is Now”

WWE World Heavyweight Title Match: CM Punk vs Jey Uso

A few RAW’s back, Punk beat Jey Uso and LA Knight to receive the right to face Seth Rollins for his World Heavyweight Title. Unfortunately, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed decided they had enough of Rollins’ giant should pads and turned on him, delivering a beating so bad that Rollins was put out of action with a totally real maybe for sure kinda legit injury (you never know with Seth. We’ve been fooled before).

Anyway, RAW General Manager and plaid sport coat enthusiast Adam Pierce stripped Rollins of the title and the next week, Uso earned his way back into the hunt by winning a Battle Royal. So that brings us to tonight where Uso looks to regainthe title and Punk wants to get a taste of his first gold since returning to WWE almost two years ago.

Lillian Garcia did her thing and the crowd was clearly behind Punk, even though there was a lot of Yeeters out there. The bell rang and we were off. Punk a Uso circled each other, both looking for an opening. Uso blinked first and the two tied up.

Punk ran Uso into the corner and backed off, leading to another tie up, which the ref broke up in the corner. Uso gave Punk a little shove and Punk tried to quickly hit a GTS, but Uso wriggled out of it. They tied up again, this time with Punk working Uso’s arm with a wristlock.

Punk went for a cover, but only a two. He put a headlock on Uso and transitioned to working the arm again. He came off the ropes, but Uso intercepted with a crossbody. Uso stomped Punk, keeping him off his feet. Uso wrestled Punk to the mat, but couldn’t get a count.

Uso seemed confused with the crowd started chanting “CM Punk” and it opened him up for Punk to try to get another GTS. He didn’t and Uso rolled out of the ring.

After a moment, Uso climbed back in through the ropes and tied up again. Punk started throwing forearms and dopped a few elbows for good measure. Punk hit a neckbreaker, but couldn’t get a cover. Uso seemed dazed as Punk started throwing chops. Punk charged and Uso caught him in a Samoan Drop that was so hard, it took Uso’s shirt off.

Uso went for a spear, but Punk caught him and hit another neckbreaker. The pace of the match was slow and controlled by Punk, who put a crossface on Uso in the middle of the ring. Uso fought out of it and thew hands. Punk sent him off the ropes, but Uso grabbed them and Pink drop-kicked the air.

Punk grabbed Uso and connected with a GTS, but Uso fell out of the ring with the momentum. Instead of just going and getting him, Punk decided to stay shocked for a few minutes. He jumped out and grabbed a water bottle, dumped it on Uso to wake him up, and then thew him back in the ring. Weird.

Punk hit a suplex on a limp and dazed Uso, but could only get a two. Punk put Uso on the top turnbuckle and tried for a superplex. Uso blocked it though and headbutted Punk back to the mat. Uso went for a stomp, but Punk moved out of the way. Not missing a beat, Uso threw a bunch of right hands, knocking Punk down in the corner.

He thew a hip at Punk and went for a spear, but Punk caught him with a GTS attempt. Uso got out of it and hit the spear and then an Uso Splash, but Punk kicked out at two. Uso went back up top, but Punk met him with a fist. Punk landed a superplex, but took a bunch of damage to do it.

The two traded blows in the center of the ring. Punk came out on top, throwing Uso into the ropes and hitting him with a clothesline and then a dropkick. Punk threw a high knee into a bulldog and called for the GTS.

He got Uso on his shoulders, but Uso got out of it and superkicked Punk out of the ring. He followed that with a suicide dive and the ref started counting. Uso got back in first and the Punk followed to reset the count. Punk then rolled out on the other side to catch his breath.

Uso climbed out and charged, hitting a spear and driving Punk through the barricades. Uso dragged Punk back into the ring and hit another Uso splash, but Punk got the knees up. He hoisted Uso up and hit a GTS, but Uso kicked out at 2.5!

Punk set up Uso for a piledriver, but Uso countered and hit a GTS on Punk! Then Punk got up and hit Uso with a spear! Punk got to his feet first and hit another GTS on Uso, who collapsed onto Punk’s shoulders. Uso was playing possum though and locked in a sleeper hold in the center of the ring!

Punk rolled it over into an anaconda vise but Uso grabbed the ropes, breaking the hold. Punk dragged him back to the center of the ring and Uso hit a pair of superkicks. he went for a spear, but Punk caught him for a pair of GTS’s. With that, Punk pinned Uso to get the victory and become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion!

Match Result: CM Punk defeated Jey Uso

Fun show! Not quite PLE-level, but definitely better than the average TV show. Lots happened, the matches had stakes and there was no sure fire winners, with each victory being well earned. 50 Trey Yesavage’s out of 25. Also, apologies again to Goldberg, we just ran out of time.

WOL: Are Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens the same character?

Posted on by Jim Valley

Image: WWE

It’s the Saturday edition of Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.

Drew McIntyre stood tall over Cody Rhodes to end their SNME contract signing on Friday’s WWE SmackDown.

The story for tonight is “Drew is in Cody’s head.” Didn’t Kevin Owens play mind games with Cody, too?

KO and Drew are very similar characters: heels who tell the truth and seemingly challenge for the WWE Title at least once a year. Are Drew and Owens pretty much the same character?

Plus, Jim talks the NJPW Super Junior Tag League, CMLL, AEW Collision, WWE Universe vs. The Sickos, Mike Rotunda and more.

Check it out.

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Tiffany Stratton reaches new WWE Women’s Championship milestone

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton has set a major new record.

Following her title win over Nia Jax earlier this year in January, Stratton has now officially entered the history books. The promising young talent is now the third-longest reigning women’s champion of all-time. Stratton celebrated the feat by sharing the stat on her social media.

At 299-days into her reign, Stratton now ranks behind only Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch, both of whom held the title for 420 and 399 days, respectively. Not much behind their reigns, the 26-year-old is quickly climbing the ranks and could soon reach that milestone following her title defense against Jade Cargill at Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1st, 2025.

Stratton won the 2024 Women’s Money in the Bank briefcase and successfully cashed it on January 3, 2025 against Nia Jax. She has since then had multiple title defenses, most notably at WrestleMania 41, Evolution 2025, SummerSlam 2025, and many more.

She was last involved in a Crown Jewel Championship match against Stephanie Vaquer in Perth, where the youngster failed to earn the victory.

Interestingly, Stratton is also the longest-reigning champion amongst all the active title-holders on the roster, across both the men and women’s divisions.

Tiffany Stratton names the perfect WrestleMania location

A few weeks ago, during an interview with Sidewalks Entertainment, Tiffany Stratton opened up on WrestleMania in Las Vegas, before calling the city as the “sports entertainment capital of the world.”

Naming it as the perfect location to host WrestleMania, the Buff Barbie said, “Last year was actually my first WrestleMania ever. I was super nervous. It was in Las Vegas, so I felt like it was the perfect state for my first ever WrestleMania. I feel like Las Vegas is iconic. It’s the sports entertainment (capital) of the world, so it was the perfect place to host WrestleMania.”


WWE SmackDown live results: Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre conflict continues

Posted on by Marc Quill

After last week’s impromptu match, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre will both be in the building for tonight’s SmackDown from Tempe, Arizona.

McIntyre won last week’s title match by DQ after he hit Rhodes with the title belt. With their rematch at November 1’s Saturday Night’s Main Event now official, both men will advance their storyline tonight.

In a non-title match, WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton will look to return to her winning ways when she takes on Kiana James. The business associate to Women’s U.S. Champion Giulia found herself in this match after having some choice words for Stratton last Friday.

Ilja Dragunov became the new United States Champion last week by defeating Sami Zayn in an open challenge. Dragunov has vowed to continue the open challenge series and make his first title defense tonight.

A grudge match between Fraxiom and DIY was originally made for tonight but isn’t listed on the official WWE.com preview for the show. We’ll see if that bout is still on.

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

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– Over a live shot of the Mullett Arena in Tempe, AZ, we were taken to a recap of last week’s chaos with Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre and an injured Jacob Fatu.

– After the recap, Rhodes was shown arriving backstage as Jimmy Uso welcomed him. Jimmy thanked Rhodes for sticking up for Fatu last week.

Cody Rhodes opens SmackDown

The Undisputed WWE Champion headed out to the ring to address the challenge of Drew McIntyre at Saturday Night’s Main Event next week.

”So, Tempe, Arizona, what do you wanna talk about?” asked Rhodes before he turned attention to what he did to McIntyre last week, something he described as being “uncharacteristic of him”.

Before Rhodes could continue, Drew McIntyre himself interrupted and remained incredulous that the crowd would cheer for Rhodes over him. McIntyre ranted about the crowd cheering for Rhodes no matter what he did, even with the title belt strike last week. McIntyre said that this had now become about him finishing the story, and he’d do it next week.

McIntyre again deflected blame for the Jacob Fatu attack, trying to insinuate Jimmy Uso as the culprit. Rhodes angrily interrupted and challlenged the Scotsman to a fight. As McIntyre and Rhodes got ready for a fight, Jimmy Uso leapt from the barricade and went on the attack. Security poured in to break up the skirmish but not before Uso got in a dive between the ropes on McIntyre.

With order being attempted to be restored, Solo Sikoa and The M.F.T.s made their way to the ring for our opening contest, which was coming up next.

A wild and chaotic opening buoyed by Jimmy Uso’s anger-filled attack on McIntyre, which will undoubtedly set up our main event for tonight.

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– Backstage, McIntyre yelled at Nick Aldis to do something, but Jimmy Uso again attacked as security stopped the chaos once more.

The MFTs (JC Mateo & Tama Tonga) (w/ Solo Sikoa & Rey Fenix)

Nakamura and Tama started off this match. Tama went on the attack against Nakamura with a series of strikes, but he found himself downed by a knee to the gut. Fenix and Mateo tagged in and had their turn of the action.

Fenix launched himself from the rope with an elevated armdrag as Nakamura entered the match with a tag. The two showed impressive teamwork in the corner at Mateo’s expense, which forced the M.F.T.s to retreat to ringside as we took a commercial break.

Our match returned as Tama stopped Fenix’s atrempts to reach his corner with a fierce lariat. Mateo re-entered the match and slammed Fenix with a bomb as the M.F.T.s continued the momentum. Fenix created some needed separation with an enzuigiri as Nakamura got the hot tag.

Nakamura atrempted to lift Mateo, but to no avail. Mateo answered with a twisting back suplex that kept Nakamura grounded. As Tama tagged in, Fenix made his presence known with a springboard on Tama. He followed that up with the Goodbye, Amigo tightrope kick. Things broke down further, which led to Fenix leaping onto Tama and Mateo on the outside.

As Fenix tried to go up top, Solo Sikoa created a distraction, as Talla Tonga chokeslammed Fenix onto the apron. This weakened Fenix for Tama’s Hidden Blade-style running elbow for the three and the win for the M.F.T.s

Match Result: The M.F.T.s def. Rey Fenix & Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall

Not a bad first outing for the “Bloodline with a new hat”. A decent tag opener for sure.

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– Backstage, Jimmy Uso spoke with Nick Aldis and through all this, we learned that our main event tonight would be Jimmy taking on Drew McIntyre in a No Disqualification match.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James (w/ Giulia)

Stratton wrenched James’s arm to start us off, as the two got into a bit of a stalemate afterwards, owing to both women’s gymnastics backgrounds. Stratton connected with consecutive armdrags on James before she again went after the arm with a submission. James attempted to fight back with a forearm strike, but she found herself taken down by a dropkick. A running hip strike against a stunned James across the middle ropes sent her to the outside. Stratton continued the punishment with a right hand strike. Giulia provided a distraction by stepping up to Stratton, which allowed James to throw the WWE Women’s Champion into the barricade, as we took a break in the action.

We returned to our match as James flattened Stratton with a running big boot to the face, but couldn’t put her foe away. James punched at Stratton, who responded with a jawbreaker that took her and Giulia’s business manager down out. Both women struggled to get up as they then battered away at one another with strikes to one another. Stratton got the better of James and nailed the handspring elbow into the corner, followed by her signature Alabama Slam. Stratton connected with the Rolling Senton, but couldn’t capitalize with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever.

James responded with a Falcon Arrow but again only got a near-fall in the process. In the corner, James placed Stratton on the top rope, but couldn’t get the Superplex as she was shoved aside to the canvas. Stratton soared with a Swanton Bomb, as she followed that up with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the victory.

After the match, Stratton’s victory was cut short as Giulia attacked with the Arrivederci Knee. Before Giulia could dole out more damage, Jade Cargill ran in and sent Giulia scurrying with a pump kick. As Giulia and James backed off, Cargill offered a hand to Stratton, who accepted the help of her former foe. However, that seemed to be an all-too-fleeting moment as Cargill abruptly smashed Stratton with a clothesline. The embittered Cargill refused to let up with her attack on Stratton, throwing her around at ringside into the steel steps and ring post.

With Stratton unable to defend herself, Cargill stomped away on her behind the announce table as referees and officials led by Jamie Noble tried and failed to stop the assault. As Stratton’s leg was planted along one of the steel steps, Cargill stomped on it before she walked off.

Match Result: Tiffany Stratton def. Kiana James via pinfall

A good match, but the real story was Jade Cargill’s heel turn, which was much needed for her as she was feeling kind of stale as a face. Could be what’s needed to refresh SmackDown’s flagging women’s division.

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– Sami Zayn congratulated Ilja Dragunov on his U.S. Title victory last week, as he passed on the U.S. Championship Open Challenge onto the new champion. In Zayn’s mind, Dragunov was the right guy to carry on the legacy of these Open Challenges as he hyped up the champ.

– Jade Cargill was asked about her actions as she said that this world does not reward patience and she was ready to take what was hers: the WWE Women’s Championship.

U.S. Title Open Challenge: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Aleister Black (w/ Zelina Vega)

Before the match, Dragunov addressed the crowd, stating that he missed the fans after being out for so long. He thought he’d never see the light at the end of the tunnel, but he said that he’d never give up. Dragunov declared that he’d defend the title with all his obsession and proudly continue the U.S. Open Challenge. “Tonight, pain shall entertain you,” Dragunov said.

Black and Dragunov locked up to begin the match before the challenger attempted to take control with his fierce kicks. Black countered the Constantin Special with a kick before Zelina Vega threw Dragunov into the barricade with a hurricanrana. Black absolutely pasted Dragunov with a running kick to the face from the apron to send us to the break.

We returned from commercial with Black and Dragunov exchanging fierce blows, as the U.S. Champ connected with an enzuigiri. Dragunov followed that with a running strike to the corner on a stunned Black. Dragunov then threw Black around with repeated German suplexes followers by a unique rotating suplex for the near-fall.

As Dragunov headed to the top rope, Vega created a distraction, which allowed Black to stop Dragunov’s attack. From the top, a Black Meteora stunned Dragunov. Suplex attempt was turned into a rollup by Dragunov for the two. Black once again drove a knee to the back of Dragunov, but couldn’t get the three. Black failed to connect with some sort of springboard attack, as Dragunov struck with the Constantin Special and this match went to a second break in the action.

The match returned with Dragunov taking off from the top rope with a dropkick on a prone Black. He then flew from the top with a sentin for a two. Dragunov had Black targeted for the Torpedo Moscow, but was met with a knee to the face. One, two… not quite!

Black had Dragunov in his sights for the Black Mass, but he missed and fell victim to a Torpedo Moscow instead. Dragunov got up and attempted to finish this off with an H-Bomb, but Zelina Vega pulled at his leg. This earned Vega an ejection from the match. At that moment, Damian Priest marched down to the ring, with eyes on revenge on Black. Priest removed his sunglasses to reveal a burn mark as Black was distracted long enough for a Torpedo Moscow from Dragunov and the the three.

Post-match, an irate Priest attacked Black as he got two chairs and cleared away the commentary table as he looked to dish out some ultimate damage. Zelina Vega leapt onto Priest’s back and scratched at the burnt eye, which allowed Black to escape a most grisly fate.

Match Result: Ilja Dragunov def. Aleister Black via pinfall to retain the United States Championship

A fantastic Open Challenge match. I’m glad Dragunov is continuing it. However, I’m not too hot on the Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest feud continuing longer than it needs to.

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– Carmelo Hayes was interviewed about his attack on The Miz last week. Hayes said that everyone was expecting him to say he was happy to attack the Miz, but he wasn’t going to do that because revenge was a double-edged sword. Hayes noted that he was ready to get his career back on track with thanks to the support of the people and he owes it to get back to being “HIM”. Kit Wilson interrupted and trashed Hayes for being a proponent of “toxic masculinity”, and found himself set for a match against Hayes on next week’s SmackDown.

– Ilja Dragunov met with Fraxiom and said that the Open Challenge would continue. #DIY taunted Fraxiom, who called Gargano and Ciampa a scared duo. Tama Tonga then appeared and mocked Fraxiom as he did his signature “yeah yeah yeah” taunt.

– Nia Jax appeared to question Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss’s friendship, which led to a match between Bliss and Jax to be made for next week.

No Disqualification Match: Jimmy Uso vs. Drew McIntyre

Things got going right away as Uso and McIntyre brawled at ringside for a bit before the action spilled into the ring. McIntyre pummeled Uso in the corner with strikes, before he found himself lit up with chops to the chest. McIntyre struck Uso with a hard kick to the chest, as he then continued the punishment with a clubbing blow to the back. Uso fought back and clotheslined McIntyre to the outside. He then followed this up with an attempted suicide dive that was met with a forearm from the surly Scotsman.

At ringside, Uso slammed McIntyre’s face across the steel steps, which sent McIntyre retreating into the crowd. Uso followed suit and the fight continued into the stands. McIntyre attempted a DDT onto the floor, but got countered into a suplex by Uso. McIntyre was thrown back over the barricade into the ringside area afterwards. Uso obliged the crowd’s demand for tables by pulling one out from underneath the ring, which was suitable enough for our final commercial break of the evening.

We returned to SmackDown’s main ewvent with McIntyre lifting Uso onto his shoulders, but instead getting blasted with a kick to the head. Outside the ring, Uso tightrope walked across the barricade in the hopes of nailing a splash, but he got caught by McIntyre, who threw him for a belly to belly suplex onto the floor.

McIntyre grabbed a steel chair from the timekeepers area and immediately struck Uso in the ribs before whacking his foe across the back with it. McIntyre unfolded the chair and smashed Uso’s face on the seated portion. He set Uso up for a Claymore, but a drop toehold instead sent the Scotsman face first onto the chair. Uso fired himself up and hit a Whisper in the Wind onto McIntyre for the two-count.

Uso grabbed the chair and went to town on the fallen McIntyre with repeated strikes before he set up the Slim Jim-branded table. As Uso tried to grab at McIntyre, he was caught by surprise with a Future Shock DDT for yet another near-fall. McIntyre tried to go for another Claymore, but he was intercepted with a Samoan Drop onto the table that broke it on impact. Uso tried to go up top for an Uso Splash, but McIntyre threw a chair in his face to counter it. This allowed McIntyre to finish things off with a Claymore Kick for the pin and win in our main event.

After the match, McIntyre placed Uso’s neck across a chair and pressed on it, which led to officials running down in the hopes of breaking it up. Just then, Cody Rhodes ran down and mixed it up with McIntyre, as he thrw him over the timekeeper’s area. McIntyre recovered and took out Rhodes with a Claymore as the Levesque & Fitting producer credits signalled the end of the show.

Match Result: Drew McIntyre defeated Jimmy Uso via pinfall

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Standard SmackDown main event followed by standard post-match shenanigans to top of a moderately good show. This Rhodes/McIntyre feud is at least a hot one, but I’m feeling a bit cold on it, if we’re being honest.

Other than that, tonight’s show had some decent-to-great in-ring action that buoyed everything else, and I dare say that SmackDown has been better than above-average as of late. Ilja Dragunov’s U.S. Title Open Challenge and a needed heel turn for Jade Cargill were the standouts of tonight’s show, in my view.