For the first time since July 2021, The Usos are no longer tag team champions.
In the main event of WrestleMania 39 night one, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn defeated The Usos to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles. The victory marks the start of Owens & Zayn’s first tag team title reign in WWE.
Zayn pinned Jey Uso after three straight Helluva Kicks while Owens took out Jimmy Uso with a stunner.
There was a near fall during the match where Zayn became the first person to ever kick out of The Usos’ 1D. Owens also kicked out after being given stereo top rope splashes by The Usos.
With WrestleMania being held in Los Angeles, Owens and Zayn wore gear paying tribute to their time in LA indie promotion PWG. The tribute included both Owens and Zayn having the PWG logo on their gear.
The Usos reign as champions lasted nearly two years after winning the SmackDown Tag Team titles at Money in the Bank 2021. They later became undisputed champions when they won the Raw Tag Team titles in May 2022.
Owens & Zayn vs. The Usos was the first-ever tag team title match to headline WrestleMania.
Night one of WrestleMania ended with Michael Cole questioning if The Bloodline is crumbling before our eyes. Roman Reigns is defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 night two on Sunday.
Date: April 1, 2023 Location: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA
Show Recap —
KICK-OFF SHOW
(I do not plan on recapping the entire 2-hour pre-show, but I’ll add anything notable.)
The pre-show panel took place outside the stadium with Kayla Braxton, Booker T, Wade Barrett, and Peter Rosenberg.
There were video packages for Charlotte Flair/Rhea Ripley, Austin Theory/John Cena and for WrestleMania itself. Gabriel Iglesias joined the panel. He spoke about a few of the matches before speaking about how proud he was to see Rey Mysterio go into the Hall of Fame.
Maria Menounos joined the panel, spoke about what a big fan she was and did her Dusty Rhodes impression which she said Ric Flair has asked her to do.
Actor Rafael Amaya joined after a Rey Mysterio/Dominik Mysterio video package. Amaya spoke passionately about Dom disrespecting his family, but his back was turned to the camera as he spoke to the live crowd, so the announcers had to reel him in and Rosenberg pulled him back to the table.
Stephen A. Smith joined the panel and he was excited to be at his first WrestleMania. He claimed to be watching wrestling since the first WrestleMania. Booker asked if he would ever step in the ring. Smith said no but did say what a big fan he was of managers like Bobby Heenan and Paul Heyman and mentioned next year’s WrestleMania.
Johnny Knoxville, wearing a Sami Zayn t-shirt, spoke to Cathy Kelley. Knoxville still can’t stand looking at Zayn and wasn’t convinced that he was a “good guy” now. He thought Kevin Owens would be pulled down by Zayn and the Usos would win.
Nothing happened for like 30 minutes until Boxer Ryan Garcia joined the panel to discuss Logan Paul but he also wanted to talk about Rey Mysterio.
There was a Roman Reigns/Cody Rhodes package earlier and the pre-show ended with a package and discussion of The Usos against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
Time for WrestleMania. Enjoy the shows, everyone.
WRESTLEMANIA 39 — MAIN SHOW
Becky G sang America the Beautiful.
The WrestleMania intro included Kevin Hart.
It’s still daylight as the show is kicking off in L.A. The stage is very impressive looking.
The Miz and Snoop Dogg stood in the ring. Miz said he and Snoop had a lot in common. For example, Snoop had been in over 80 movies while Miz was in Marine 4, 5 and 6. Snoop was okay with this comparison and put over the fans. Miz plugged the two main events — Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley and the Usos vs. Owens and Zayn — before introducing Austin Theory.
Corey Graves congratulated Michael Cole on announcing his 22nd WrestleMania, the most of any announcer.
********
Cole mentioned the number of wishes granted by John Cena for Make-A-Wish and there was a video highlighting WWE’s history with Make-A-Wish. They cut to a bunch of kids on stage whose wish was to go to WrestleMania.
John Cena’s music hit and he embraced the kids as part of his entrance. Cena got a huge reaction. This is Cena’s 16th WrestleMania and Cole noted he was trying to win the same title he won in his first Mania against Big Show.
Austin Theory defeated John Cena to retain the United States Championship (11:19)
Cena was in charge early until Theory bit his ear. This frustrated Cena who complained to the referee and Theory decked him from behind. Theory used vertical suplexes, a blockbuster and a rolling dropkick for two.
Cena dodged another dropkick attempt and applied an STF, which really got the crowd going, but Theory again bit Cena to get out of it. Cena went for an AA but Theory slipped out and hit a DDT for two.
Theory held a headlock but Cena got to his feet and hit his usual comeback which delighted the crowd. Cena hit the five-knuckle shuffle with his bald spot in full view but they accidentally knocked over the referee as Cena had Theory in the AA position.
Theory tapped to the STF but the ref was still down. Cena let go so Theory followed with a low blow and A-Town Down for the pinfall win.
The crowd really wanted Cena to win so you can imagine how this finish went over, especially without any big nearfalls or anything. The match was ok at best.
********
Titus O’Neil joined commentary for the upcoming match.
Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match: The Street Profits defeated Braun Strowman & Ricochet, Alpha Academy and The Viking Raiders (w/Valhalla) (8:29)
The Raiders got to show off before posing for the camera. This is normally where they’d go to commercial but instead, they were waiting for the replay to end so Strowman could take them out.
Chad Gable gave Strowman a crazy impressive Chaos Theory suplex and the crowd gave him an ovation. He yelled, “Thank you!”
Ivar tried a moonsault but Angelo Dawkins moved. Strowman followed with a splash on Ivar but everyone broke up the cover. Otis gave Strowman a World’s Strongest Slam. There was a massive tower of doom spot where four people held up Montez Ford long enough for Ricochet to fly off the top and knock the group over.
Strowman ran around the ring, knocking everyone over but Dawkins actually cut him off by hitting his own shoulder tackle. Ricochet then wiped out Dawkins and Erik with a shooting star press to the outside.
Ricochet tried an SSP in the ring but Dawkins got his knees up. Dawkins held RIcochet on his knees while Ford hit a frog splash, which looked great, and Dawkins pinned Ricochet. The Profits celebrated and the big crowd celebrated with them.
This was a very fun spot fest match and the crowd was really into it.
********
(I won’t mention it every time, but as usual, they are airing commercials after the matches.)
Xavier Woods was in the back with Liv Morgan, Butch, Ridge Holland and Tyler Breeze. Woods ran a simulation on WWE 2K23 which determined that Seth Rollins would beat Logan Paul.
Seth Rollins defeated Logan Paul (16:16)
Paul entered on a (slow) zip line and he was mic’d up to brag about it as he entered. There was a mascot dressed as a Prime energy drink who they focused on to take attention away from Paul who was removing his harness.
Musical composer Jasper Randall was on the stage to lead the crowd in singing Rollins’ theme. The audio was phony but the real crowd started singing once Rollins entered to his song.
Paul wore blue and yellow, Rollins wore all pink. The Prime mascot remained at ringside.
Rollins was in control for a bit until Paul chucked him from the ring and followed later with a Buckshot lariat (which they’re calling a Maverick lariat). Paul also punched Rollins in the stomach and the announcers noted the screw that was embedded in his hand.
Paul was in control but he missed a step-up moonsault and Rollins made a comeback which included three consecutive suicide dives. Rollins stomped Paul’s right hand into the steel steps (the same hand that’s knocked out Rollins previously).
Paul countered a Pedigree and they traded cradles until Paul punched Rollins with the right hand. It took Paul too long to make a cover and Rollins kicked out. Paul might’ve been going for a stomp but Rollins caught him and hit a sit-out powerbomb for two.
Paul was in danger so the Prime mascot pulled him out of the ring. The mascot ripped off his face covering to reveal that it was Paul’s buddy KSI. Paul shoved Rollins into the ring post and placed Rollins on the announce table.
Paul dove off the top rope but Rollins popped up and yanked KSI onto the table and Paul crashed through KSI. (This was clever because Paul was busy posing which is why he didn’t notice Rollins moved.)
Rollins pulled Paul into the ring and hit a Pedigree for a close nearfall. The crowd was on its feet.
Paul hit a Go To Sleep (which Cole called by name) and a frog splash for two.
Paul tried to do the coast-to-coast dropkick but Rollins superkicked him out of mid-air and followed with a curb stomp for the pinfall win.
This was a pretty fun match and the crowd loved it. They were very happy that Rollins won. (Paul checked on his dead mascot friend after the match.)
********
Lynch, Lita and Stratus had a Sin City-inspired entrance.
Six-woman tag team match: Trish Stratus & Tag Team Champions Becky Lynch & Lita defeated Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY (14:35)
The teams faced off before the match which led to the babyfaces removing the heels from the ring and the match started once Lynch and Kai were in alone.
Damage CTRL worked over Lynch until she made a hot tag to Lita who hit SKY with a headlock driver for two. SKY distracted the ref so Kai knocked Lita from the top rope and the heels took over again. Damage CTRL hit Lita with superkicks in stereo but Lita kicked out.
Lita dropped Kai and SKY with a double DDT before making a hot tag to Stratus. Stratus looked good taking out Kai and Bayley before hitting Kai with a neckbreaker for two.
Lynch and Lita assisted Trish in bringing Kai down from the top with a leg scissors onto her teammates. Stratus followed with a spinebuster for two. Trish and Lita did poetry in motion before Lynch hit Kai with a diving leg drop for two. Lynch applied a Disarmer but it was broken up.
Everyone traded spots including Trish hitting Stratusfaction and Bayley giving Stratus a Bayley-to-belly. This led to SKY knocking everyone out with a moonsault off the top to the outside.
Everyone brawled in the ring until Lita gave SKY a Twist of Fate and Stratus gave Kai a Chick Kick. Lita hit a moonsault on both Kai and SKY.
Lynch gave Bayley a Man-handle slam off the middle rope for the pinfall win. This was fine.
********
Bad Bunny joined the Spanish announce table for the next match and he got a nice crown response.
Dom’s entrance featured a video of him being escorted out of prison which cut to a live shot of him back driven into the arena in a prison inmate van. Dom had new entrance gear including a Rey Mysterio mask. He was escorted to the ring by four officers as he removed the mask.
Cole screamed about how this was the most ridiculous thing he’s seen and that Dom hasn’t earned the right to wear a Lucha mask. Graves told him to calm down.
Rey was driven to the stage in a low rider by Snoop Dogg to Eddie Guerrero’s theme. Rey’s theme hit as he exited the vehicle.
Rey was introduced as a WWE Hall of Famer. Rey wore red and yellow, Dom wore black and purple. Angie and Aalyah were shown at ringside.
Rey Mysterio defeated Dominik Mysterio (14:30)
Dom tried to use his size at the start but Rey has obviously seen that before and he chucked Dom from the ring. Rey avoided a charge and sent Dom into the middle turnbuckle. As Dom was bent over, Rey removed his belt and whipped Dom in the ass with it. The crowd loved that.
Dom went outside and complained to his mom and sister. Dom grabbed Aalyah’s drink and chucked it in her face. Aalyah was about to jump the barricade but Rey stopped her and that allowed Dom to deck Rey and take over. Dom worked over Rey and caught his dad with a nice Michinoku Driver for two.
(Cole yelled that Dom wouldn’t be here without Rey and Graves responded, “I wouldn’t be here without my dad.”)
Dom got in his mom’s face so she slapped him and Rey drove him into the ring post. Rey kissed Angie. Rey gave Dom a springboard crossbody for two.
Damian Priest and Finn Bálor suddenly appeared at ringside.
It looked like Rey went for a seated senton but Dom flipped him onto the bottom turnbuckle which looked impressive and brutal. The ref quickly checked on Rey and they showed Bad Bunny reacting on commentary.
Dom went for three amigos but Rey slipped out after the first suplex and knocked him onto the middle turnbuckle. Rey hit a 619.
Rey went to the top but Bálor distracted the ref while Priest knocked Rey off the top.
Legado Del Fantasma ran out to even the odds and Santos Escobar wiped out Priest with a suicide dive.
Dom hit Rey with a 619 as the crowd booed. Dom hit a frog splash but Rey kicked out.
Dom exposed the top turnbuckle but as the ref put it back together, Dom grabbed a steel chain.
Bad Bunny took the chain away and Rey dropkicked Dom onto the middle rope.
Rey hit a 619 and frog splash for the pinfall win. The crowd popped big for the win.
Rey helped Angie and Aalyah into the ring and they celebrated together. (Dom, Bálor and Priest looked on disapprovingly at the Mysterio family as Cole said, “this is what Dom gave up for those bozos.”)
This was exactly what it should’ve been.
********
George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers was shown at ringside.
Cole said this was the first time in WrestleMania history that the match competitors, referee (Jessika Carr), and ring announcer (Samantha Irvin) were all women.
Rhea Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship (23:34)
Charlotte had the early edge which the announcers chalked up to her experience but Ripley took over and targetted the back. Charlotte tried fighting back but Ripley hit a German suplex for two. Charlotte came back with a backbreaker, clotheslines and chops.
Charlotte went for a flying crossbody but Ripley rolled through and tried a Rip-tide but Charlotte spiked her with an impressive-looking DDT for two. Charlotte tried a figure four but Ripley countered into a cradle for two before both women knocked each other down with big boots. Ripley responded with strikes but Charlotte cut her off with a fallaway slam.
Charlotte went up for a moonsault but Ripley ran up and brought her down with a super release German suplex for two. Charlotte came back with Natural Selection for two. Charlotte tried a spear outside the ring but Ripley moved and she went shoulder-first into the ring steps.
Ripley set up for Rip-tide but Charlotte hit a German suplex of her own. Ripley hit back elbows and a release German suplex where Charlotte landed right on her face. (They showed multiple replays of this.) Charlotte came back with a big boot anyway for two.
Ripley spilled to the outside the ring so Charlotte hit a moonsault to the outside. Ripley avoided a spear in the ring and hit a Rip-tide for a close nearfall. (The ref also avoided getting speared.) Charlotte tried a small package for two.
Ripley applied the Prism Trap (standing inverted cloverleaf) but Charlotte slipped out of it and drove Ripley into the turnbuckle, where they narrowly avoided colliding with the referee again. Charlotte hit a spear for a nearfall.
They traded forearms but Charlotte booted Ripley and applied a figure four but Ripley quickly got a rope break. Charlotte tried a fallaway slam off the middle rope but Ripley blocked it and drove her face-first onto the post.
Ripley hit a Rip-tide off the top for the pinfall win. The crowd popped huge for the win.
(Charlotte did the thing where she smirked despite losing while watching Ripley celebrate.)
This was paced like a big-time main event and they delivered with a really good match.
********
A rare backstage segment tonight. Byron Saxton interviewed Austin Theory. Theory said he made John Cena believe and asked us “do you believe in Austin Theory now?”
Miz and Snoop Dogg were in the ring and Miz announced an attendance of 80,497.
Snoop said the only thing better than those numbers would be if Miz had a match tonight. Miz agreed and mentioned that he put out an open challenge all over social media. He wasn’t surprised that no one answered because everyone was afraid of him.
Pat McAfee entered. Cole freaked out while Graves was annoyed.
McAfee shook hands with Snoop. He said he lived on social media and he didn’t see Miz issue an open challenge. He wore his WrestleMania tank top and challenged Miz to a match. Miz said he would love to but he was the host and didn’t have the power to make matches. McAfee said his tiny balls were showing.
Snoop made the match official.
Pat McAfee defeated The Miz (3:37)
Miz yelled at Snoop as the bell rang to start the match. Snoop brushed him off and asked the ref to open the ropes for him to leave. McAfee went after Miz and hit a spinebuster.
McAfee knocked Miz from the ring and Miz wanted to leave. He shoved George Kittle on his way out so Kittle jumped the barricade and clotheslined Miz (which should’ve been a DQ). McAfee hit Miz with a dive off the top and followed with a punt for the pinfall win. McAfee and Kittle celebrated together.
********
It’s 11:15 pm ET.
The announcers ran down the card for night two of WrestleMania 39.
There were some commercials, a video package for the tag title main event and another commercial.
********
Lil Uzi Vert entered to perform a song ahead of the Usos’ entrance.
Owens entered first for his team, followed by Zayn. Zayn got a particularly big reaction and the crowd sang his song.
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn defeated The Usos to win the Undisputed Tag Team Championships (24:17)
Zayn and Jimmy Uso were going to start but Jey Uso tagged in to start instead. Jey, with an assist from Jimmy, got the advantage over Zayn. Owens complained to the ref but went back to his corner.
After about five minutes, Zayn fought off both Usos and tagged in Owens who wiped out both Usos with a senton to the outside. Owens gave Jimmy a frog splash off the apron and a frog splash to Jey in the ring for two. Jey blocked a stunner and hit a lifting neckbreaker for two.
Owens tried a senton bomb but Jey got his knees up and Jimmy (who made a blind tag) followed with a splash for two. Owens dodged a Jimmy running hip attack, hit two superkicks and a cannonball. Jey tried to attack Owens so Zayn gave him a brainbuster on the apron. Owens hit Jimmy with a senton bomb for a nearfall.
Zayn raised his finger in the air and gave Jimmy an Uso splash for a nearfall. The crowd sang “Olé.” (Cole actually mentioned that El Generico would be proud.)
Zayn hit Jimmy with a Blue Thunder Bomb but Jey had made a blind tag and hit a jumping superkick for two.
Jimmy hit Zayn with a superkick, Jey hit a superkick, and they both hit superkicks but Owens broke up the cover. Jimmy sent Owens out of the ring with another superkick.
The Usos hit Zayn with a double superkick but Zayn just barely kicked out by rolling his shoulder up.
Jimmy tagged in and they hit double superkicks again for two.
Jey tagged in and they went for 1D but Owens tripped Jimmy. Zayn cradled Jey for two.
Owens wanted to powerbomb Jimmy on the announce table but Jey saved him. Jimmy and Jey gave Owens a double chokeslam through the announce table (as Zayn was down in the ring).
The Usos gave Zayn a 1D which seemed like it might be the finish but Zayn kicked out. Cole freaked because no one had kicked out of the 1D. The crowd buzzed.
Jey hammered away at Zayn who was not fighting back. Jey hit a Helluva Kick (or at least his version of one). Jey yelled at Zayn but Zayn grabbed him and hit an exploder into the turnbuckles.
Owens reemerged on the apron and Zayn made the tag. Owens gave pop-up powerbombs to both Usos. Zayn gave Jimmy a Helluva Kick while Owens gave Jey a stunner for a nearfall. The crowd is on its feet.
All four men got to their feet and the two teams hammered away at each other. Owens handed out superkicks but Owens ate superkicks and the Usos superkicked Zayn off the apron.
The Usos gave Owens a double splash but Owens kicked out.
The Usos superkicked Owens against the turnbuckle. They set up a big spot but Zayn yanked Jimmy out of the ring and tossed him over the announce table. Owens dropped Jey with an avalanche fisherman’s buster. Owens tagged Zayn.
Zayn and Jey were the legal men.
Zayn hit Jey with a Helluva kick and another. Owens dropped Jimmy with a stunner.
Zayn gave Jey another Helluva kick for the pinfall win.
Zayn and Owens are the tag team champions. The crowd erupted. Zayn’s wife was in tears. Owens was in tears. Owens and Zayn hugged.
Zayn and Owens posed with the titles as fireworks went off (I believe the first fireworks display of the night, now that it’s no longer daylight).
The crowd sang along with Zayn’s song as Owens and Sami posed with their titles.
This will be the first tag team match to go on last at the event since Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff at WrestleMania I and the first tag title match ever to headline a WrestleMania. Sami Zayn spoke about the significance of the match headlining in an interview with Ariel Helwani earlier this week.
It is insane because if you think about it, If we do go on last, which again remains to be seen, it would be the first time since WrestleMania I. And it would be the first tag team title match of all time. So, that’s something.
Meltzer addressed reasons why Owens & Zayn vs. The Usos should headline the show on Saturday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.
Meltzer said
I think it’s the way to end the show, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn go over in Los Angeles, same city. I think they are going to pull out a lot of great stuff. I’ve seen Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens in matches on far smaller platforms pull out some incredible stuff and this is the biggest match of their lives. And quite frankly, the biggest match of The Usos lives too. So, I expect a performance commensurate with the biggest match of four people’s lives who are all very good.
WWE WrestleMania 39 Night one lineup (Saturday, April 1) —
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos defend against Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defends against Rhea Ripley
Becky Lynch, Lita & Trish Stratus vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY)
Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
WrestleMania Showcase match: Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. The Street Profits vs. Chad Gable & Otis vs. The Viking Raiders
United States Champion Austin Theory defends against John Cena
The Undisputed Tag Team title match is officially a go for WrestleMania 39.
Monday’s Raw had Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come out to officially challenge The Usos for WrestleMania next month in Los Angeles. Jimmy Uso initially rejected their challenge. However, Jey said that it could give them the opportunity to finally take care of Zayn and Owens. The two teams ended up getting into a brawl that ended once footage was shown of Roman Reigns entering the arena.
Zayn has been targeted by The Bloodline ever since he turned on them at the Royal Rumble. In the weeks that followed, Jey Uso appeared conflicted as to whether or not he should leave The Bloodline. However, he made his intentions clear earlier this month when he laid out Zayn, realigning with his brother and The Bloodline.
Since turning on The Bloodline, Zayn has attempted to join forces with former friend Kevin Owens, who repeatedly rejected Zayn’s offer until last Friday’s SmackDown, when they joined forces to ward off an attack by The Bloodline.
WWE WrestleMania 39, Saturday, April 1 & Sunday, April 2, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —
Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns defends against Cody Rhodes
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair defends against Rhea Ripley
Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair defends against Asuka
United States Championship: Austin Theory defends against John Cena
Last night’s SmackDown ended with Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn standing tall over The Usos.
Days after turning against Zayn, Jey Uso explained his actions last night. Jey said he didn’t want to betray Zayn. But when choosing between family and Zayn, he had no choice. Jey called Zayn selfish for not falling in line and doing what Roman Reigns wanted. Jey said Zayn isn’t blood and never will be.
Cody then made his way out when The Usos started to address him. The Usos threatened to take out Cody and prevent him from making it to WrestleMania. As a two-on-one brawl was about to begin, Zayn ran in to help even the odds.
A brawl broke out that spilled into the crowd. After getting back to the ringside area, Cody and Zayn were able to clear the ring of both Usos.
Also last night: Rey Mysterio was revealed as the first inductee for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class. A fatal five-way match that was supposed to determine Gunther’s challenger for WrestleMania ended in controversy. The Judgment Day battled Legado del Fantasma. And Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley had a confrontation ahead of their WrestleMania title match.
In a match that featured a raucous Montreal crowd, two referee bumps, and appearances by both Kevin Owens and The Usos, Roman Reigns retained the WWE Undisputed Universal title by defeating Sami Zayn at Saturday’s Elimination Chamber.
Zayn was looking for his first WWE Championship while Reigns’ multi-year run at the top of WWE continues. He now moves on to defend against Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles.
For Zayn, his path to Los Angeles will likely be by Owens’ side but how they get there isn’t yet clear.
Reigns picked up the win after multiple chair shots and a spear to Zayn.
As expected, the atmosphere in Zayn’s hometown for the match, and especially at the start, was unlike anything WWE has experienced in quite some time. After the bell rang, the two just stared at each other as the crowd got louder and louder with chants like “F**k you, Roman.”
It only grew as the match went on which included Reigns talking to Zayn’s wife and his family that were sitting at ringside. Reigns played to the crowd throughout the match, both soaking in the atmosphere and taking time to antagonize the fans.
Zayn had his moments, hitting a sunset power bomb for a close near fall and later countering a Superman punch with an exploder suplex. However, Reigns countered a helluva kick attempt with a Superman punch for a near fall.
Zayn nearly had the match won, landing another exploder suplex, followed by his own Superman punch followed by the helluva kick for another near fall. Zayn had another opening when Reigns ran through the ringside barricade followed by Zayn quickly getting him back in the ring and getting another near fall after a blue thunder bomb.
The first referee bump came when he was crushed in the corner, followed by a Zayn helluva kick and a visual pinfall on Reigns. That sequence led to Jimmy Uso running in and delivering three superkicks and a frog splash. A second referee entered the fray and counted a close near fall to the chagrin of Paul Heyman and Uso.
Reigns had another close pinfall as he connected on a spear after Zayn helluva kicked Uso off the apron. Later, the second official was taken out of the match following an accidental Reigns Superman punch.
Heyman then gave a chair to Reigns which led to the reappearance of Jey Uso. He and Reigns stared each other down and Reigns then handed him a chair to finish Zayn off in a scene reminiscent of the end of the Royal Rumble. Uso teased hitting Reigns and after the two argued, Reigns facepalmed him and questioned why he was hesitating. Uso then got speared by Zayn after Reigns moved out of the way and was out of action the rest of the way.
Multiple chair shots followed to Zayn and after a spear, the first official got back in the match to count the pin to give Reigns the win.
After the match, Jimmy Uso got back into things and attacked Zayn, leading to Kevin Owens coming out. As Jimmy Uso went out to meet him, Owens threw him into the barricade. He then delivered a spear and stunner to Reigns before delivering another stunner to Jimmy Uso and then a pop-up power bomb through the announce table.
Owens then began stalking Reigns back inside the ring with a chair, leading to Heyman punching Owens’ back to distract him. Owens then gave him a stunner and after deliberating, he stepped out of the way to allow Zayn to hit one more helluva kick.
Zayn then stared at Owens who stared back at him going to the back as the show came to an end. The next stage in their post-Bloodline relationship is expected to lead into WrestleMania as the assumption is that they will challenge The Usos for the Tag Team titles.
Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer run down SmackDown.
Alvarez and Meltzer discussed the big storylines from SmackDown, primarily the angle between Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, and the rest of The Bloodline. You can watch their review in full below.
Alvarez recapped the major storyline from Friday’s show, which saw Paul Heyman ask Jimmy Uso to try and contact his brother. Jimmy was unable to do so and walked to the ring alone to defend the SmackDown Tag Team titles by himself. However, Jey arrived and the two ended up retaining their titles. After Jey told Jimmy backstage he was still conflicted, Jey met up with Sami Zayn, who told Jey that he shouldn’t go down with the ship and there’s a way out of this, saying he acknowledged him. The two fist bumped.
The end of the show saw Paul Heyman tell Jimmy Uso for him and his brother to stay away from the Elimination Chamber event next weekend.
The main event of Friday’s show saw Madcap Moss defeat Rey Mysterio, Karrion Kross, and Santos Escobar in a four-way match to determine the next challenger for Gunther’s Intercontinental title. The two will meet on next week’s show.
The build to Elimination Chamber continues on tonight’s SmackDown from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defend their titles against Braun Strowman & Ricochet tonight. Tension continues to build in The Bloodline since Jey Uso walked out on them at the Royal Rumble. He’s had no contact with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns or anyone else since the Sami Zayn beatdown. Last week, Jimmy Uso was confident his brother would show up for the title defense tonight, but Reigns disagreed.
Zayn attacked Reigns later that night to a huge pop. Reigns blamed the problems in The Bloodline and Jey’s absence on Zayn. That led to Reigns agreeing to defend his title against Zayn at Elimination Chamber in Montreal.
Tonight’s episode also includes a fatal four-way match to determine the next challenger for Gunther’s Intercontinental title. Rey Mysterio, Karrion Kross, Madcap Moss, and Santos Escobar will compete in the match.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
– A video package recapped The Bloodline-Sami Zayn angle, notably Jey Uso walking out on The Bloodline.
Paul Heyman-Sami Zayn Segment
Heyman and Zayn were excellent in this segment. They both played their roles great. It was also the first part in a series of segments furthering The Bloodline storyline. Tonight was all built around Jey’s role in The Bloodline. The strong storyline was the highlight of the night.
Paul Heyman was already standing in the ring with the titles at the start of SmackDown. Heyman noted that since Brock Lesnar beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30, he doesn’t make predictions: he makes spoilers. He promised to make spoilers tonight.
Heyman pointed out that Roman Reigns is facing an attack from SmackDown and Raw. Heyman turned his attention to Sami Zayn, and the fans broke into a loud “Sami” chant. He asked the fans if they could imagine Zayn as the Undisputed champion, and the fans popped. Heyman laughed and announced the first spoiler. Zayn’s not at the show tonight. The fans booed.
Heyman mentioned that the island of relevancy is also facing an attack from Cody Rhodes on Raw. He mocked Rhodes for claiming he just wanted to challenge for a title, but everyone makes it personal. Of course, it’s personal. Heyman didn’t know Dusty Rhodes raised an idiot.
Heyman noted that without the titles, there’s no Bloodline, no Paul Heyman, and no Roman Reigns. Suddenly, Sami Zayn appeared behind Heyman to a huge reaction. The fans broke into a “Sami” chant. Zayn noted Heyman’s alone without the Bloodline because Reigns’ days as champion are over. The Bloodline is crumbling.
Everyone in the group knows it’s over. Zayn wondered what would happen to the Bloodline. He speculated if Jimmy and Jey would stay with their abusive cousin. He added that Solo Sikoa’s thinking for himself. He mocked Heyman for the way he looks at Reigns. Zayn said that it was weird.
Zayn promised to beat Reigns for the titles in eight days in Montreal. The fans broke into another “Sami” chant. Zayn pulled Heyman in for a hug and told him to tell Reigns not to worry about Cody. Zayn’s going to beat Reigns for the titles at Elimination Chamber.
*********
Drew McIntyre & Sheamus defeated Hit Row (w/B-Fab) (2:53)
McIntyre & Sheamus pretty much squashed Hit Row. They set up a match with The Viking Raiders for next week.
Earlier today, Hit Row approached Adam Pearce. They were mad that Ricochet and Braun Strowman entered the tournament. They claimed they beat Drew McIntyre and Sheamus and should have gone to the finals. Pearce decided to set up this match instead.
After a bad start, Hit Row took over and isolated Sheamus on their side of the ring. Sheamus tried to give Ashante “Thee” Adonis the ten beats of Bodhran, but Top Dolla made the save. Sheamus gave Top Dolla that beating instead.
Sheamus took over and hit white noise on Adonis. He set up for the Brogue Kick when Top Dolla tried to jump in the ring. McIntyre cut him off with a claymore kick. Sheamus then hit the Brogue kick for the win.
After the match, a Viking Raiders vignette played on the screen. They called out McIntyre and Sheamus for next week.
********
– In the back, Jimmy Uso called his brother Jey but didn’t get an answer. During the next match, they showed an inset of Jimmy calling Jey again without an answer.
*******
Lacey Evans defeated Carmen Harrass (2:07)
Evans dominated and won easily in another squash match. The crowd was dead. So far, the new version of Evans isn’t catching on with fans.
The finish came when Evans hit the women’s right and locked on the cobra clutch for the win.
******
– In the locker room, Jimmy Uso called Jey Uso again but couldn’t get ahold of him. Jimmy claimed that tonight was the biggest night of his career, and he couldn’t go without his partner.
Paul Heyman was sitting next to him. Heyman noted that a psychopathic Canadian cornered him, and Jimmy wasn’t there. Jimmy was trying to find Jey. Not even Solo’s there tonight. He asked Heyman to defend the titles with him. Heyman told Jimmy he was on his own. Jimmy still believes Jey’s going to show up. Heyman was skeptical.
**********
– The Progressive Match Flo of the week recapped Natalya winning the fatal four-way last week to earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber.
– In the back, Sonya Deville was speaking with Adam Pearce. Deville was furious that she’s not in Elimination Chamber. Pearce tried to explain that she had a title shot last week.
Chelsea Green approached Pearce. She was looking for the SmackDown manager to file a complaint against the Raw manager. That was funny. Pearce noted he’s the same manager. Green claimed to have facial amnesia. Eventually, Pearce made Green & Deville vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan for later.
********
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defeated Ricochet & Braun Strowman to retain the titles (13:16)
The Usos and Ricochet & Strowman had a fun match that dragged in the middle but picked up toward the end. The story of the match was Jey Uso showing up dramatically at the last minute. It was a well-done angle.
Jimmy came to the ring alone for the title defense. They did the special ring introductions. The ring announcer Samantha Irvin was great as she introduced Jimmy defending the titles on his own.
Suddenly, Jey Uso appeared in the crowd to a giant pop. Jey walked to the ring and hugged Jimmy to another big pop. Irvin finished the introduction.
Jey and Ricochet had an excellent exchange to start. Jey took down Ricochet with a shoulder tackle. Ricochet briefly fought back, but The Usos regained control.
Strowman and Ricochet worked together. Strowman threw Ricochet into Jimmy and sent him to ringside. The Usos regrouped. Ricochet maintained control and hit a standing moonsault for a near fall.
The Usos picked up the pace and hit a pop-up Samoan drop as they went to a break.
Ricochet and Jey traded shots, with Jey hitting a hard right. Jimmy went for a splash in the corner, but Ricochet caught him with a clothesline. Strowman and Jey tagged in, but Strowman ran wild. He sent Jimmy to ringside and hit a running splash in the corner.
Jey sent Strowman over the top rope and hit a superkick. He followed with a suicide dive and another superkick. Jey scored a near fall with a flying cross body. Jey rocked Strowman with a superkick, but he fell into his corner. Ricochet hit a springboard crossbody, middle rope moonsault, and shooting star press for a two-count.
Ricochet rocked Jimmy with a jumping knee, setting up Strowman’s running power slam. Ricochet hit a Swanton bomb off of Strowman’s shoulders. Ricochet had the match won, but Jey broke up the pin attempt. The fans broke into a “this is awesome” chant.
At ringside, Strowman charged at Jey. He crashed into the announce table when Jey moved out of the way. The finish came when Jey made a blind tag. Ricochet hit the shooting star press on Jimmy, but Jey hit the flying splash on Ricochet for the win.
*********
– Rey Mysterio discussed the fatal four-way and promised to win.
– Back from the break, The Usos were walking backstage. Jey said he always has Jimmy’s back. Jimmy wants to know if Jey’s still in the Bloodline. Jey’s not sure and walked off. Paul Heyman showed up. Jimmy claimed Jey didn’t say anything about staying in the Bloodline. Heyman seemed skeptical.
*********
Natalya-Shayna Baszler/Ronda Rousey Segment
Natalya talked about the Elimination Chamber and Shayna Baszler. She noted Shayna Baszler took her out of action. Natalya bragged about returning and taking Baszler’s place in the Elimination Chamber. She mocked Baszler for being a Ronda Rousey knockoff.
Shayna Baszler came out and entered the ring. Baszler’s frustrated with everyone mentioning Rousey. Baszler talked about her accomplishments.
Ronda Rousey walked out and entered the ring. She teased a confrontation with Baszler. Instead, they beat down Natalya and Shotzi, who tried to make the save.
******
– In the parking lot, Jey Uso ran into Sami Zayn. Zayn knows Roman Reigns will remember Jey’s actions at the Royal Rumble.
Zayn thanked Jey for walking out at the Rumble. He doesn’t know how, but he’s going to beat Reigns. He knows Jey wants to see Reigns lose the titles. Zayn then acknowledged Jey Uso. Zayn put out his fist, but Jey told him to leave. They finally did a fist bump to a big pop. This was a tremendous backstage segment.
******
– LA Knight spoke with Megan Morant. He refused to talk about the Pitch Black match and stormed off.
Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan defeated Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green (4:09)
Deville and Green isolated Morgan on their side of the ring. Morgan avoided Deville, who knocked down Green. Rodriguez got the hot tag and hit a fallaway slam on Deville. She followed with a twisting elbow for a near fall.
Deville tagged in Green, but she didn’t want to be in the match. Rodriguez hit the powerbomb, and Morgan followed with oblivion. Rodriguez then power bombed Morgan onto Green for the win.
********
– Madcap Moss admitted things haven’t been going his way. Emma told him that he looked great. Moss credited Emma with looking so good. He promised to win the four-way later.
Michael Cole Interviews Charlotte Flair
Michael Cole had a sit-down interview with Charlotte Flair earlier today.
Cole discussed Flair and Rhea Ripley’s past and their upcoming match at WrestleMania 39. They talked about Ripley challenging Flair to a match three years ago at WrestleMania. They never mentioned it was for the NXT Championship. Flair noted Ripley was impressive, but she was green, and Flair won. Cole wondered if Ripley was on Flair’s level now. Flair believes it takes more than three years to get on her level. Flair promised to put Ripley in her place at WrestleMania.
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Fatal Four-Way Number One Contenders Match: Madcap Moss (w/Emma) defeated Karrion Kross (w/Scarlet), Rey Mysterio, and Santos Escobar (w/Zelina Vega) (12:57)
Madcap Moss got the surprise win in the fatal four-way main event. All four guys worked hard, with Mysterio and Escobar being the highlights.
Gunther and Imperium watched the match from the sky box.
In an inset interview, Santos Escobar promised to prove why he deserves a title shot next week.
Mysterio and Kross fought on one side of the ring as Escobar and Moss traded shots on the other. Kross sent Moss to the floor and tried to focus on Mysterio. Escobar and Kross argued over beating up Mysterio. Kross threw Escobar out of the ring.
Mysterio caught Kross with a seated senton. Escobar sent Mysterio into Kross, hitting a hurricanrana. Moss recovered and ran wild on Escobar and Kross.
Escobar and Mysterio squared off one-on-one. Escobar caught Mysterio with a dropkick. Mysterio fought back and set up for the 619, but Kross made the save.
Back from the break, Moss ran wild with running shoulder tackles on all three. Moss then hit a spinebuster on Kross for a near fall. Mysterio took out Kross with a DDT. Escobar took advantage and hit the Phantom Driver on Mysterio, but Moss broke up the pin attempt.
Moss and Escobar fought on the top rope. Escobar got the better of Moss and hit a hurricanrana for a two-count.
Mysterio hit the 619 on Kross, but Scarlet tripped him up. Kross hit Mysterio in the back of the head, knocking him out. Escobar then tackled Kross to ringside. Moss took advantage and hit a flying elbow for the surprise win.
Moss challenges Gunther for the Intercontinental title next week.
********
Jimmy Uso-Paul Heyman Segment
In the locker room, Paul Heyman approached Jimmy Uso. He just got off the phone with Roman Reigns. He admitted that Jimmy was right that Jey would have his back. He told Jimmy that they had Montreal figured out.
Reigns have a special assignment for The Usos. He wants them to stay home to watch Elimination Chamber because you get a different perspective from watching TV. Heyman implied that Reigns saw Jey and Jimmy’s exchange about the Bloodline and Jey talking to Sami Zayn. Jimmy was skeptical.
*******
Next Week: Drew McIntyre & Sheamus take on The Viking Raiders. Plus, Natalya & Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler. Intercontinental Champion Gunther defends his title against Madcap Moss.
Hey there! It’s an earlier Friday night post stream! I will be here to talk about WWE SmackDown and also go over my event experience from what I was able to watch on AEW Rampage! Tune in for a good time and some wrestling conversation!
The first SmackDown of 2023 takes place tonight from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.
WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos will defend their titles against the team of Drew McIntyre & Sheamus. The title match was planned for a few weeks ago, but that changed when McIntyre went down with an injury. McIntyre returned last week to save Sheamus from a Bloodline beatdown.
Charlotte Flair made her shocking return to SmackDown last Friday and promptly defeated Ronda Rousey to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Flair returned moments after Rousey retained the title against Raquel Rodriguez.
The new SmackDown Women’s Champion makes an appearance on tonight’s episode to celebrate her win.
Ricochet goes one-on-one with Top Dolla in a Royal Rumble qualifying match. Last week, Ricochet and a bunch of the guys made fun of Top Dolla for messing up a dive. Top Dolla shoved Ricochet when he felt they went too far.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Bloodline Segment
As Micheal Cole and Wade Barrett opened the show, Sami Zayn, Solo Sikoa, and The Usos ran out. They went crazy at ringside, destroying random stuff.
Roman Reigns music hit, and he made his way to the ring with Paul Heyman. They recapped Kevin Owens & John Cena defeating Reigns & Zayn last week. Cole noted Reigns was furious about losing, so he sent The Bloodline to invade Raw.
Reigns demanded the fans acknowledge him. The fans popped and cheered the Bloodline. He then turned his attention to Zayn. The fans popped for Zayn and broke into a “Ucey” chant. Zayn took the mic and talked about making 2023 their year. He added that they started right with wins on Raw.
Reigns doesn’t want to talk about this year. He wants to talk about last year. Reigns noted he never loses because it’s not in his makeup. He realized that he didn’t lose last week. The fans booed when Reigns blamed Zayn for losing. He added that Zayn lost, not him.
Reigns calmly began asking Zayn if he wants to be him. Maybe, Zayn wants to be the tribal chief. Reigns lost his cool and started yelling at Zayn.
Kevin Owens’ music hit, and he walked out onto the ramp. Owens thinks Reigns’ problem is with him and not Zayn. Owens challenged Reigns to a title match at the Royal Rumble. Reigns just wants Owens to leave. Owens agreed to go. As he walked away, he told Zayn that he’d see him when he digs his balls out of Roman’s pocket.
*********
New SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair arrived at the arena.
Kingston and Escobar had a fun, fast-paced match. However, the story revolved around Royal Rumble eliminations. So it was odd when Kingston and Escobar tried not to get eliminated, even though it doesn’t apply here.
Earlier today, Escobar interrupted Kayla Braxton interviewing Kingston. Escobar mentioned Kingston’s Royal Rumble history with avoiding eliminations. They argued, leading to the upcoming contest.
Escobar sent Kingston to ringside with a forearm. Kingston wouldn’t let his feet touch and did a handstand to the steps as a preview for the Royal Rumble. Kingston rocked Escobar with a kick to the head and sent him over the top rope. Cole noted that would be an elimination in the Rumble.
Back from the break, Escobar was firmly in control with a running knee in the corner. Kingston recovered and hit a second rope missile dropkick. Kingston sent Escobar over the top rope, but he landed on the steps. Of course, that proves he would avoid elimination in the Rumble. As he celebrated, Woods played the trombone, scaring Escobar, who jumped off the steps with both feet hitting the floor.
Kingston fired up and hit the SOS for a close near fall. They fought on the top rope, but Kingston knocked off Escobar. As Kingston jumped off, Escobar rocked him with a knee to the face.
Kingston then hit a double foot stomp for another close two-count. He followed with the boom drop and set up for trouble in paradise. Joaquin Wilde and Zelina Vega caused a distraction. That allowed Escobar to hit a superkick and the phantom driver for the win.
*******
Michael Cole announced Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble.
Sami Zayn tried to enter the Bloodline locker room. Heyman wouldn’t let him into the room. The Usos then walked by and ignored Zayn. Heyman noted he warned Zayn last week.
********
Liv Morgan talked about the Royal Rumble and promised to win even if she’s number one.
Kayla Braxton spoke with LA Knight. They recapped the Bray Wyatt-LA Knight-Uncle Howdy angle. Knight promised to defeat Wyatt at the Royal Rumble in the Pitch Black match.
********
Mixed Tag Team Match: Karrion Kross & Scarlet defeated Madcap Moss & Emma (3:09)
The match had no heat or crowd reactions except for one spot when Kross broke up a pin attempt. It felt thrown together and rushed.
They recapped Emma slapping Scarlet last week.
Kross and Scarlett made their entrance as they went to a break.
Back from the break, they joined the match in progress. Moss and Emma didn’t get an entrance.
Kross and Moss went back and forth but quickly tagged in the women. Emma ran wild on Scarlet and had the match won. Kross jumped in and broke up the pin attempt. That got the most heat in the match. Emma slapped Kross, leading to Moss running wild on Kross. Kross regained control with a forearm to the back of the head. At ringside, Scarlet sent Emma into the ring post while Kross locked on the Kross Jacket in the ring for the win.
After the match, Kross and Scarlet put a Rey Mysterio mask on Moss.
*********
A video package recapped Charlotte Flair’s return last week and her defeating Ronda Rousey for the title.
Charlotte Flair Segment
Charlotte Flair made her way to the ring. She got a good reaction coming out. She mocked Rousey, leading to a loud “Thank you, Charlotte” chant. Flair mentioned being a 14-time champion. It doesn’t matter if the fans boo or cheer Flair; she’s never complacent. A champion always needs to be ready for the unexpected.
Sonya Deville interrupted, and the fans broke into a “whoop that trick” chant. Deville mocked Flair for beating Rousey after she had a match. Deville then challenged Flair to face a fresh fighter. Flair asked the fans, and they erupted in a “whoop that trick” chant.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defeated Sonya Deville (6:46)
Deville jumped Flair to start the match. Flair fought back and sent Deville to ringside as they went to a break. Deville took over during the break by working over the knee. She slowed the pace with a chin lock.
Flair broke free and caught Deville with a kick to the head. After a series of chops, Flair hit a back suplex. Flair avoided a running knee. She then did a forward flip into a clothesline for a near fall. Deville briefly fought back. Flair recovered and hit a spear. She locked on the figure eight for the win.
********
A video package recapped Cody Rhodes’s return to WWE and suffering his injury before Hell in a Cell.
They aired a Lacey Evans vignette. They showed her beating up a bunch of women at the performance center with the cobra clutch.
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Ricochet defeated Top Dolla (w/Ashante “Thee” Adonis & B-Fab) (1:56)
Somehow, Ricochet had a bad match. They only got two minutes, and Top Dolla was in control for most of it. The story revolved around Top Dolla’s botch a few weeks ago.
Cole used the word “botch” and talked about it the entire match. Hit Row turned heel and attacked Ricochet after the loss.
Michael Cole mentioned Top Dolla botching the dive a few weeks ago. He noted that the botch was trending for several days, and fans were making fun of him. Cole explained that Top Dolla shoved Ricochet when he made fun of him too.
Ricochet went for a springboard, but Top Dolla cut him off. Dolla continued the beat down with a boot to the face. Ricochet fired up and gained control. The finish came when Ricochet hit the shooting star press for the win.
After the match, Top Dolla and Ricochet shook hands. Suddenly, Adonis rocked Ricochet with a superkick. B-Fab caught Ricochet with a knee to the face. Hit Row beatdown Ricochet until Braun Strowman ran down for the save.
*********
In the Bloodline locker room, The Usos headed to the ring for their upcoming match. Roman Reigns turned to Paul Heyman and demanded to see Sami Zayn.
After the break, Zayn entered the locker room. He acknowledged Reigns as the tribal chief and apologized. Reigns refused to accept his apology. Reigns noted he should control his temper better. Nobody has the right to talk to Zayn that way in public like Reigns did earlier. Surprisingly, Reigns apologized instead. Even Heyman was surprised that Reigns was sorry.
Reigns admitted that Kevin Owens was right. He’s mad at Owens, not Zayn. Reigns isn’t worried because he has a solution. Heyman then announced Zayn vs. Owens for next week. Zayn accepted the match and promised to beat Owens. Reigns asked Zayn to stay and watch the title match with him.
WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos (w/Solo Sikoa) defeated Drew McIntyre & Sheamus to retain the titles (13:14)
The Usos retained the titles in a hard-hitting, fast-paced main event with tons of near falls. Two near falls, in particular, got a big reaction because the fans thought it was the finish.
They showed Sami Zayn, Roman Reigns, and Paul Heyman watching in the Bloodline locker room several times. It turned into a funny running joke by the end.
The Usos took over when Jimmy interfered from the apron, allowing Jey to hit a Samoan drop on McIntyre. The Usos isolated McIntyre on their side of the ring. Jimmy slowed the pace with a chin lock. McIntyre broke free, but Jimmy yanked him down by his hair.
McIntyre ended up on the apron. He tried fighting off The Usos, but they overwhelmed him. McIntyre rocked Jimmy with a clothesline at ringside. Jey took advantage and caught McIntyre with a suicide dive.
Back from the break, Sheamus was running wild on The Usos. Apparently, the hot tag happened during the break. Sheamus was on his own as he gave Jey the ten beats of the bodhran. Jey rocked Sheamus with a superkick, allowing Jimmy to hit a splash for a near fall.
In the Bloodline locker room, Zayn had a bucket of popcorn. He offered Reigns and Heyman popcorn as he talked about the action in the ring. They gave him weird looks.
In the arena, The Usos went up for a double splash, but McIntyre and Sheamus cut them off. McIntyre and Sheamus hit white noise on each Uso off the middle ropes.
McIntyre fired up, hitting a dive over the top rope onto The Usos. McIntyre then hit the claymore on Jey, but Jimmy broke up the pin attempt to a big reaction. After taking out McIntyre, the Usos hit a double superkick on Sheamus and the 1-D. That appeared to be the finish, but McIntyre broke up the pin attempt with another big reaction.
They went back to The Bloodline locker room. Now, Zayn, Reigns, and Heyman each had their own bucket of popcorn.
In the arena, Sikoa pulled out McIntyre and hit the spinning Solo onto the barricade. Butch and Ridge Holland ran out and fought Sikoa to the back. Sheamus fought The Usos on his own for several minutes. The finish came when Jimmy rolled up Sheamus, and Jey held him down from the apron for the win.
Zayn celebrated The Usos winning by throwing his popcorn all over the locker room. Reigns and Heyman gave him weird looks for making a mess.
The Usos celebrated their title win as SmackDown went off the air.
********
Next Week: Sami Zayn goes one-on-one with Kevin Owens. Plus, Intercontinental Champion Gunther defends his title against Braun Strowman.
Drew McIntyre was originally scheduled to team with Sheamus, as the two had defeated The Usos on SmackDown two weeks ago. However, McIntyre revealed in a tweet Monday afternoon that he is ‘medically disqualified’ to compete on Friday.
“Unfortunately I am medically disqualified to compete this Friday on #Smackdown,” McIntyre wrote. “I don’t like to miss any shows as everybody knows but I promise I’ll be back soon.”
The Usos defended the titles successfully against the team of Matt Riddle and Kevin Owens on Monday’s Raw. Originally, The Usos were to defend the titles against Riddle and Elias, however The Bloodline took out Elias prior to the match.
Date: December 5, 2022 Location: Capital One Arena in Washington, DC
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Show Recap —
The Bloodline entered to start the show.
They showed footage from earlier today of Bloodline arriving at the arena. Byron Saxton tried interviewing them but Matt Riddle blew past them on his scooter. The Bloodline didn’t appreciate that and said they’d take out Riddle tonight.
Elias happened to be nearby and asked what the commotion was about. Sikoa attacked him from behind and Bloodline laid him out. Zayn chucked upon realizing Elias was hurt.
Back in the ring, the Usos announced that the tag title match was cancelled — but they were still happy to defend their titles any time.
Riddle interrupted. He said it wasn’t very “Ucey” to run from a fight. Zayn told him, “hold up my dog” and the crowd was amused. Zayn called himself an Uce-ologist and he would decide what was Ucey and what wasn’t. Zayn said Sikoa and the Usos were both Ucey and the crowd said it along with him. Zayn suggested Riddle go home.
Riddle said he found himself another partner and there will be a title match tonight.
Kevin Owens entered.
The Usos (w/Solo Sikoa & Sami Zayn) defeated Matt Riddle & Kevin Owens to retain the Undisputed Tag Team Championships (14:06)
Owens was in control through an early commercial break but the Usos used a referee distraction to take control over Riddle through a second commercial break (eight minutes into the match).
Owens made a hot tag immediately after the break and hit Jimmy Uso with a Swanton Bomb for two. Jimmy blocked both a stunner and pop-up powerbomb and hit a superkick. Jey and Riddle tagged in and exchanged strikes until Riddle sent Jey out of the ring. Owens was about to go after him but Sikoa stood in his way so Riddle wiped out Sikoa with a dive.
Jimmy made a blind tag while Riddle was distracted by Zayn and the Usos gave him a 1-D for the pinfall win. Usos retain.
— The Usos put the boots to Riddle after the match. Owens attacked the Usos with a chair before chasing them and Zayn to the back.
Riddle was alone in the ring so Sikoa attacked him, hitting him with the Samoan spike and running hip attack. Sikoa put Riddle’s head and neck through a steel chair and hit another running hip attack.
Medical staff put Riddle on a stretcher as Sikoa calmly walked away like nothing happened.
(Either the crowd was pissed or they piped in a ton of fake booing.)
The announcers said that Drew McIntyre was medically disqualified from wrestling on Friday’s Smackdown so the Usos will defend instead against Sheamus and Butch.
********
There will be two triple threat matches tonight and the winners of those matches will face next week to determine Bianca Belair’s next challenger.
Rhea Ripley cut a promo saying she would win her matches and beat Belair, then the whole locker room would be calling her “Mami.”
********
JBL hosted his invitational poker tournament backstage. There were two tables and those participating (or just watching) were: Baron Corbin, Chad Gable, Otis, Dominik Mysterio, Mia Yim, Shelton Benjamin, Akira Tozawa, Dana Brooke, Tamina, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and AJ Styles.
Dexter Lumis and Johnny Gargano showed up and Lumis plopped his bag of money on the table. JBL didn’t know what was in the bag and said Lumis and Gargano weren’t invited. Lumis dumped all the money from the bag on the table and JBL happily invited him to play.
********
Bayley entered but before she could say or do anything, Becky Lynch interrupted and entered through the crowd.
Lynch mentioned that it’s been three years since they’ve had a singles match together and also gave Bayley credit for carrying the company through the Thunderdome era. Bayley told the crowd to cheer that but they didn’t.
Bayley told her to stop reminiscing. She was annoyed that the spotlight was always on Lynch when she was around and complained because the fans don’t respect her. The crowd chanted for Becky.
Lynch said two-thirds of Damage CTRL was successful because they had two champions and one loser. Lynch said if Bayley won her match tonight, maybe she’d finally be able to go one-on-one with The Man.
As Lynch left, Ripley entered for the match and they had a staredown in the aisle.
********
Triple Threat Match: Bayley defeated Rhea Ripley and Asuka (15:17)
Ripley wiped out Bayley and Asuka with a dive off the apron ahead of a break.
[SECOND HOUR]
Ripley and Bayley worked together on Asuka but Asuka chucked Bayley from the ring before hitting Ripley with strikes and a Codebreaker for two. Asuka hit both women with Yes Kicks but Bayley caught her in a cradle for two. Ripley headbutted Bayley before Asuka gave Bayley a German suplex.
Asuka knocked down Ripley with a kick but Bayley yanked Asuka out of the ring before she could follow up. Bayley wanted to work with Ripley again but Ripley didn’t trust her so they exchanged strikes until Asuka knocked them both down with a nice-looking double Codebreaker. Asuka tried to pin each woman but they both kicked out.
Asuka hit Bayley with a missile dropkick and applied the Asuka Lock but Ripley broke it up. Asuka put Ripley in an armbar but Bayley nailed Asuka with a diving elbow drop for two. Bayley gave Asuka Bayley-to-belly but Ripley broke up the cover.
Ripley repeatedly headbutted Bayley and hit a Northern Lights Suplex for two. Ripley went after Bayley outside the ring but Bayley dodged and Ripley splatted hard on the mat.
Asuka and Bayley had a back-and-forth exchange that led to Bayley hitting Rose Plant for the pinfall win. (Asuka got the most offence in the match but took the pin.)
— Ripley attacked Asuka after the match and laid her out with Riptide.
There was a messy exchange early on but this was pretty good for the most part. The crowd was fairly quiet for it.
********
Bobby Lashley will face Seth Rollins next week in a US title number one contender’s match.
Seth Rollins / Bobby Lashley segment
Rollins entered. He cut a short promo and twice led the crowd in signing his song before Lashey entered. The crowd chanted for Bobby.
Lashley wanted to hear what Rollins had to say but told him to choose his words wisely. Rollins thought Lashley hasn’t been the same since losing to Brock Lesnar. Rollins knew what that was like but wondered why Lashley was so obsessed with Lesnar.
Rollins thought maybe Lashley was scared of Lesnar but figured he was actually jealous of Lesnar. Rollins said Lesnar had the career that Lashley wanted. Lashley grabbed him by the collar and basically warned him to watch it. Rollins didn’t listen and said Lashley can’t beat Lesnar.
Lashley attacked Rollins and they got into a brawl. Officials ran down to break it up but they kept breaking apart.
Eventually, Lashley went for a spear but Rollins dodged it and Lashley speared producer Petey Williams by mistake. (The announcers mentioned Williams by name. They also said Lashley would likely get fined.)
********
Austin Theory did an interview with Saxton before Mustafa Ali appeared to mock him. Theory basically called Ali a loser and told him to just quit. Ali said he wasn’t a quitter like Theory and said he had to fight for every opportunity. Theory had enough of him and challenged him to a match to end this once and for all.
They aired a trailer for the upcoming Ric Flair documentary.
********
At the poker tournament, Gallows called Gable a nerd for folding. They yelled “nerd” and “shoosh” at each other until Corbin told them to stop because he was trying to win but couldn’t get a read on Lumis.
Corbin called with a straight but Lumis won the hand with a full house (aces and jacks). Corbin accused Lumis of cheating and threatened him so Lumis put an axe on the table. Corbin backed down.
At the other table, Tozawa won a big hand and was taking his chips but Dominik tried to take some. Tozawa called him out on it but Dom told him this was his show so he could have whatever he wanted and if Tozawa had a problem with that, he’d have to deal with Judgment Day.
Tozawa didn’t care and told Dom he was the problem. They got in each other’s faces and Dom mocked him for being short like his deadbeat dad. JBL suggested they take their fight outside. Tozawa told Dom he’d see him in the ring.
********
United States Championship match: Austin Theory defeated Mustafa Ali by disqualification (8:01)
This went through a break and ended in a DQ. They messed up a spot where Ali set up for a hurricanrana off the ropes but they fell over and landed awkwardly. The result could have been much worse. Ali followed right up with a tornado DDT that spiked Theory.
Theory fought back and hammered away at Ali in the ropes as the referee told him to stop. Theory didn’t listen so she pulled him off Ali when Dolph Ziggler suddenly superkicked Theory for the DQ.
— Ali confronted Ziggler for ruining his opportunity. As they argued, Theory decked Ziggler from behind before driving Ali into the ring post. Theory laid out Ziggler with A-Town Down as the crowd booed.
(So far, every match has been followed by a post-match beat-down.)
********
Miz approached JBL outside the locker room because he wanted to play in the tournament. JBL didn’t know he played cards but invited him in as long as he paid the buy-in. Miz didn’t have it because he was cash short at the moment but claimed he’d be good for it. JBL didn’t believe him and politely turned him down. Miz offered up his Rolex but JBL told him it was fake.
Corbin appeared to win a hand with four kings but he had extra cards. AJ Styles called him out on it and they got into an argument. JBL yelled at him for ruining his tournament. Styles told Corbin to get his gear on so they could fight in the ring.
Everyone left so I guess the tournament was over. Gargano figured they won and had Lumis collect all the money. Lumis chucked a handful of cash at the dealer who took it and ran off.
********
Cathy Kelley interviewed Bianca Belair who said she’d be ready for any challenger.
[THIRD HOUR]
They showed footage of Riddle being loaded into an ambulance to be taken to a local hospital.
Six-man tag team match: AJ Styles, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows (w/Mia Yim) defeated Alpha Academy & Baron Corbin (w/JBL) (14:30)
The heels gained control ahead of a break and worked over Styles after the break. A distraction allowed Corbin, the illegal man, to hit Styles with Deep Six but Gable only got a two count. Styles dropped Otis with a Pelé Kick and tagged in Anderson who ran wild on Gable. Anderson hit a spinebuster but Corbin broke up the cover and gave Styles a backbreaker.
Styles decked Corbin moments later and Gallows dropped him with a boot. Otis gave Gallows an impressive overhead suplex before Styles hit Otis with a Phenomenal Forearm. Gable suplexed Styles and rolled up Anderson for two. Anderson hit an uppercut and tagged in Gallows.
Gallows saved Anderson from Gable’s Chaos Theory and they gave him a Magic Killer for the pinfall win. Fun match, particularly the last few minutes.
(JBL missed the tag and was screaming about the illegal man getting the pin, even though that’s not what happened. He accused them of cheating like they cheated at poker.)
********
Alexa Bliss was shown warming up backstage. Lilly the doll was with her. (Bray Wyatt’s logo flashed on the screen behind her for a brief moment.)
********
Saxton interviewed Candice LeRae who spoke about her issues with Damage CTRL. LeRae said she was a new mom and has so much more to fight for now.
Gargano and Lumis showed up. Gargano bragged about their winnings in the poker tournament (LaRae was surprised they won). Gargano showed her how much money Lumis won and he had to stop her short of saying “what the f**k” when she saw the money. LaRae left the interview so they could deal with the giant bag of money.
Tozawa took most of the match but he missed a diving senton (landing hard as a result) and Dominik followed with a frog splash for the pinfall win.
— Judgment Day was going to attack Tozawa afterwards but the Street Profits ran out and Judgment Day bailed.
********
Adam Pearce approached Lashley as he was leaving the arena. Pearce wanted to address what happened earlier (spearing Petey Williams) and Lashley couldn’t believe he was serious. Pearce didn’t want to punish him but warned him that it can’t happen again.
Lashley said he was punishing the lion for one of his guys jumping in the lion’s den. Lashley understood Pearce’s request but warned him to keep his guys out of his way.
********
Next week on Raw:
Lashley vs. Rollins – US title number one contender’s match
A small portion of the crowd buzzed when Bliss’ face turned serious and she set up for Sister Abigail but Lynch blocked it. (She never went for it again.) The first few minutes were mostly between Lynch and Bliss with Cross getting involved in spurts until they got rid of her. Cross eventually drove Lynch into the steps and gave Bliss a neckbreaker outside the ring.
Cross had Bliss in a rest hold after a break but Lynch jumped in and hit Cross with strikes, a bulldog, and a leg drop off the middle rope for two. Bliss wiped out Lynch and Cross with a dive off the apron (the same thing Ripley did in her match earlier) and covered Cross for two.
They did a tower of doom spot where Lynch powerbombed both opponents out of the ropes and covered Cross for two. Cross gave Lynch a high cross but Bliss broke up the cover. Cross shoved Bliss into the side of the ring and squished her with a crossbody against the ring.
Cross set up for a swinging neckbreaker off the middle rope but Lynch brought them both down with a diving leg drop. (Cross had to wait a long time for Lynch to set up so this didn’t look good.) Lynch covered Bliss for two.
Lynch gave Cross a Man-handle slam on the apron but Dakota Kai and IYO SKY yanked Lynch out of the ring before she could make a cover. Lynch tried fighting them off but they powerbombed her through the announce table.
With Cross still down, Bliss hit Twisted Bliss for the pinfall win.
Bliss faces Bayley next week and the winner earns a title shot against Belair.
(There was some good stuff in the match but they seemed off for a lot of it. The crowd cheered for Lynch at the beginning but were dead silent for the match itself until the finish.)
Tonight’s SmackDown features the final build to Survivor Series: WarGames.
Saturday’s men’s WarGames match will pit The Bloodline against The Brawling Brutes, Drew McIntyre & Kevin Owens. Tonight, Sheamus & McIntyre take on The Usos in a WarGames advantage match.
Bianca Belair reveals the final member of her WarGames team tonight. The women’s WarGames match features Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim, and a mystery partner facing Damage CTRL, Nikki Cross & Rhea Ripley.
The SmackDown World Cup continues with both semifinal matches taking place on tonight’s show. The Brawling Brutes’ Butch goes one-on-one with Legado Del Fantasma’s Santos Escobar, while Ricochet will look to advance to the finals as he takes on Braun Strowman.
Plus, SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler team up against Shotzi & Raquel Rodriguez. Shotzi is set to challenge Rousey for the title tomorrow night.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
Becky Lynch Returns
In a short, simple, and good opening segment, Becky Lynch returned to a big reaction. They didn’t draw it out and quickly brought out Lynch for a brawl.
Bayley, IYO SKY, Dakota Kai, Nikki Cross, and Rhea Ripley were already standing in the ring to start SmackDown. Wasting no time, Bayley demanded that Bianca Belair announce their fifth partner.
Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Mia Yim made their way to the ring. Belair kept it short and noted they didn’t come alone.
Becky Lynch made her return to a big reaction. Lynch jumped in the ring and got in Bayley’s face kicking off a wild brawl. Lynch sent Bayley out of the ring. Ripley teased fighting Lynch, but she backed off. The fans broke into a loud “Becky” chant.
**********
Wade Barrett and Michael Cole ran down tonight’s lineup.
SmackDown World Cup Semi-Final: Santos Escobar (w/Zelina Vega & Legado Del Fantasma) defeated Butch (w/The Brawling Brutes) (9:12)
Escobar finally got a chance to shine on the main roster in this fun opening match.
In an inset interview, Santos Escobar promised to defeat Butch and advance to the finals.
Zelina Vega joined Cole and Barrett on commentary. She teased going after The Bloodline someday.
Using joint manipulation, Butch worked over Escobar’s arm. Escobar recovered and took over with a dropkick. He briefly slowed the pace down, but Butch fought back. The pace picked up with Butch chopping Escoboar against the commentary desk. Back in the ring, Escobar regained control after pushing Butch off the top rope. Butch took a nasty fall, hitting the apron on the way down.
Butch caught Escobar with a German suplex back from the break. He followed with a moonsault off the apron, taking out Joaquin Wilde and Cruz del Toro. Escobar recovered and caught Butch with a suicide dive. Escobar and Butch fought on the top rope until Butch snapped Escobar’s fingers.
Butch took out Del Toro and Wilde with a moonsault off the top rope. He followed with a middle rope tornado DDT on Escobar for a near fall.
Backstage, The Bloodline attacked Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens. The Brawling Brutes watched the attack on the big screen in the arena.
Sheamus and Ridge Holland ran to the back to make the save. However, they left Butch without any help. Del Toro and Wilde interfered again, leading to Escobar hitting the Phantom driver for the win.
Santos Escobar advances to the SmackDown World Cup finals.
*********
They recapped the Bray Wyatt and LA Knight angle.
Bray Wyatt Segment
Wyatt got another giant reaction. The fans broke into a loud “Wyatt” chant. Wyatt knows people look at him like a rabid dog. He can hear the whispers and feels the people looking at him.
He added that everyone wants him to be a monster. Everyone wants him to be The Fiend. The fans popped for the mention of The Fiend. He doesn’t want to be The Fiend anymore, which got boos. Wyatt claimed that he didn’t attack LA Knight last week.
The lights went out. An Uncle Howdy video appeared on the screen. It included highlights of Wyatt’s career. With a tear on his face, Uncle Howdy told Wyatt to wake up.
Megan Morant spoke with LA Knight. He talked about the attack and noted he didn’t believe Wyatt.
********
The Viking Raiders (w/Valhalla) defeated Hit Row (w/B-Fab) (2:45)
The Viking Raiders looked strong as they squashed Hit Row.
Sarah Logan is now known as Valhalla.
The Raiders had the early advantage as they beat down Ashante “Thee” Adonis on their side of the ring. Adonis tweaked his knee, as he tagged in Top Dolla.
Top Dolla briefly ran wild until Ivar knocked him out of the ring. Adonis missed a crossbody but landed on his bad knee. The Viking Raiders took advantage and hit Ragnarok for the win.
*********
Michael Cole discussed Dominik Mysterio attacking Rey last night on Thanksgiving. He was disgusted with Dominink’s actions.
They showed footage of Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley showing up at the Mysterio home for Thanksgiving. Dominik smashed a family picture and broom over Rey’s injured leg.
***********
Someone attacked LA Knight again backstage.
SmackDown World Cup Semi-Final: Ricochet defeated Braun Strowman (3:44)
Ricochet and Strowman had a short, fun big man-little man contest. Surprisingly Ricochet won, but he needed Imperium’s help. Ricochet didn’t turn and sided with Strowman after the match.
Ricochet enraged Strowman with a slap to the face. Strowman backed Ricochet into the corner. Ricochet used his speed to avoid Strowman. He followed with a series of dropkicks, including one off the apron. After Ricochet celebrated, Strowman sent Ricochet flying over the commentary table with a tackle.
Strowman was firmly in control with a splash in the corner. He then tossed Ricochet across the ring. Suddenly, Gunther and Imperium ran out to cause a distraction. Ricochet took advantage and used a crucifix to pin Strowman for the win.
After the match, Imperium attacked Strowman until Ricochet ran back for the save. They overwhelmed Ricochet, but Strowman cleared the ring.
Strowman helped Ricochet to his feet to a huge pop. Ricochet advances to the World Cup finals next week.
********
As Sami Zayn was about to enter The Bloodline locker room, Kevin Owens approached him. Zayn told him to leave, but Owens gave him some advice. He noted that The Bloodline would eventually turn on Zayn. Owens told Zayn to strike first. Jey Uso was secretly listening in the background.
After Owens left, Jey approached Zayn and asked if he had talked to anyone yet. Zayn lied and denied speaking to anyone. He entered the locker room, but Jey was furious.
********
They showed an excellent War Games video package. They went over the War Games rules too.
Megan Morant tried to interview Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi. Suddenly, Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler jumped them. They slammed Rodriguez’s arm into the giant road case. Rodriguez screamed in pain and fell to the floor.
Back from the break, Cole announced that they rushed Rodriguez to the hospital with a possible broken arm.
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler entered the ring. Rousey assumed there wouldn’t be a match tonight since they injured Rodriguez. Instead, Shotzi came out for the match anyway.
They did an injury angle with Rodriguez and said she went to the hospital. She came out during the match anyway. Even with the injury angle, having Rodriguez tap felt like a mistake.
Shotzi decided to fight without a partner. Shotzi ran wild early until Baszler caught her with a knee to the face. The heels took over, targeting Shotzi’s bad arm.
Despite Cole claiming Rodriguez went to the hospital, Rodriguez’s music hit. She ran down and jumped in the ring. Rodriguez ran wild until Rousey went after the arm. Baszler forced Shotzi to watch as Rousey made Rodriguez tap to the armbar.
Kayla Braxton spoke with Shotzi in front of the trainer’s room. She called Rousey and Baszler bullies. She’s used to bullies but never had anyone watching her back before. Shotzi noted Rodriguez has a broken arm and a dislocated elbow. She vowed to win the title and get revenge for Rodriguez.
*********
They showed Jey explaining something to Jimmy backstage.
For the War Games Advantage: Drew McIntyre & Sheamus (w/Kevin Owens & The Brawling Brutes) defeated The Usos (w/Sami Zayn & Solo Sikoa) (17:36)
They started with a slow pace, but it turned into a wild match by the end. They told multiple stories, mainly Jey Uso’s issue with Sami Zayn. Earlier in the night, Jey overheard Owens talking to Zayn, but Zayn lied to Jey about it. Zayn’s unaware that Jey overheard the conversation. With McIntyre and Sheamus winning, the face team has the advantage in the War Games match.
McIntyre and Sheamus were in control early as they sent The Usos to the floor. Back from the break, Jey made a blind tag and sent Sheamus to the floor by pulling down the top rope. Zayn got in Sheamus’ face, but Jey pushed him away. Jey got in Zayn’s face. Zayn was confused as Owens pointed out that The Bloodline doesn’t really like him.
McIntyre tagged in and ran wild with a neck breaker on Jey. He followed with a spinebuster on Jimmy. McIntyre set up for the Claymore kick, but Jey grabbed his leg, allowing Jimmy to hit a superkick. The Usos took over and threw McIntyre into the steps.
The Usos were firmly in control back from the break. Jimmy hit the Umaga splash in the corner and posed. He went for it a second time, but McIntyre rocked him with a knee.
Sheamus got the hot tag and ran wild. He caught Jey with the Irish Curse backbreaker and seventeen beats of bodhran. Jey pulled the legal man Sheamus out of the ring. In the ring, McIntyre caught Jimmy with the Claymore, but Jey responded with a superkick.
Sheamus caught Jey with a knee for a two-count. He set up for the Brogue kick, but Zayn jumped on the apron. Sheamus knocked Zayn down. Jey took advantage and rocked Sheamus with a superkick for a near fall.
Jey climbed to the top, but Sheamus cut him off. Zayn interfered and knocked Sheamus off. Jey hit the flying splash for a close near fall. A brawl broke out at ringside with Jimmy, Sikoa, Holland, and Butch.
Zayn tried to give the tag team belt to Jey, but Owens stopped him. Zayn pushed Owens out of the way. Owens then grabbed Zayn and threw him into the ring. However, the referee caught Zayn and sent him to the back. As the referee was distracted with Zayn, Owens hit Jey with the stunner allowing Sheamus to hit the Brogue kick for the win.
McIntyre, Sheamus, Owens, Holland, and Butch have the War Games advantage tomorrow night in War Games.
*******
Next Week: On FS1, Ricochet takes on Santos Escobar in the SmackDown World Cup final.
Tonight’s SmackDown from Indianapolis, Indiana features SmackDown’s fallout from Crown Jewel and the start of its build to Survivor Series.
A high-stakes tag team title match will kick off the episode. The Usos are defending their Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles against The New Day. If The Usos win, they’ll be poised to break New Day’s record and become the longest-reigning tag team champions in WWE history.
The Usos are coming off a successful title defense against The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch) at Crown Jewel.
The SmackDown World Cup tournament begins tonight with Santos Escobar taking on Shinsuke Nakamura in a first-round match. The tournament’s winner receives a future title shot against Intercontinental Champion Gunther.
Nakamura teamed up with Hit Row a few weeks ago to defeat Legado Del Fantasma, leading to tonight’s contest.
Plus, Raquel Rodriguez, Sonya Deville, Liv Morgan, Lacey Evans, Shotzi, and Xia Li compete in a six-pack challenge. The winner will become the number one contender for Ronda Rousey’s SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos defeated New Day to retain the titles (23:51)
Not a surprise, but this match rocked. They worked a long match, so it started slow but picked up toward the end.
They showed Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, and Solo Sikoa watching from their locker room. Later, Michael Cole mentioned that Sami Zayn wasn’t at the show tonight.
The fans broke into an “Ucey” chant before the bell. There was a short “New Day Rocks” chant too. The Usos briefly isolated Kofi Kingston but New Day quickly took over. After sending The Usos to the floor, Kingston wiped them out with a trust fall dive.
Kingston and Jimmy were trading shots as they came back from the break. The Usos took over after Jey caught Kingston with a suicide dive. They cut Kingston off from his corner and beat him down.
The fans erupted into a loud “We want Sami” and “Sami Uso” chant. On commentary, Michael Cole mentioned that Sami Zayn’s not at SmackDown tonight because he’s dealing with a personal issue.
Jimmy slowed the pace down with a chin lock. Kingston broke free with a middle rope dropkick. He dumped Jimmy to the floor and fought off Jey. Kingston went to make the tag, but Jimmy pulled Xavier Woods off the apron.
Back from the break, Woods tagged in and dominated The Usos. He caught Jimmy with a side Russian leg sweep and scored a near fall on Jey. Woods and Kingston hit a series of moves on Jey ending with Woods hitting a top rope leg drop for a close two-count. Kingston hit the boom drop but missed the trouble in paradise. Jey made a blind tag, but Kingston hit the SOS for a near fall.
The Usos ran wild with double superkicks on New Day. They followed with the double-flying splash on Woods for a very close near fall. The Usos were frustrated. They set up for the 1 D, but Kingston pulled out Jimmy. First, New Day hit the midnight hour on Jimmy on the floor. In the ring, New Day hit the midnight hour on Jey for a very close two-count. The fans thought that was the finish.
The Usos and New Day met in the middle of the ring and traded shots. Jey sent Woods to the floor and took him out with a superkick into the timekeeper’s area.
Kingston fought off The Usos. The finish was incredible. Kingston dove off the top rope, but The Usos hit the 1 D in mid-air for the win.
Cole pushed that The Usos will become the longest reigning champions by Monday.
After the break, Reigns congratulated The Usos for their victory in the locker room. Reigns noted he had something to take care of tonight and needed them by his side. He’s going to deal with this in the ring. He hugged Jimmy and then gave Jey a slightly longer hug.
********
World Cup First-Round Match: Santos Escobar (w/Zelina Vega, Cruz del Toro, and Joaquin Wilde) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura (8:20)
Escobar vs. Nakamura was fun while it lasted. It wasn’t spectacular, but a solid 8-minute match. There was a ton of interference in setting up the finish.
Cole promoted Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Great Muta on New Year’s Day.
They went to a break after a minute of action. Escobar hit a dropkick, but Nakamura took over and tossed him into the barricade.
Nakamura rocked Escobar with an enziguri back from the break. After a flurry of offense, Nakamura hit the sliding German suplex off the middle rope. Escobar fought back by attacking Nakamura’s injured knee.
Legado del Fantasma caused a distraction. Nakamura recovered and took out the heels. Nakamura climbed to the top rope, but Escobar cut him off. He then hit a middle rope phantom driver for the win. Escobar advances to the semi-finals in two weeks.
*******
They showed a Veteran’s Day video package.
LA Knight/Bray Wyatt Segment
Megan Morant spoke with LA Knight in the back. Knight was complaining about not being in the World Cup. Bray Wyatt’s images flashed on the monitor behind him as he spoke.
He turned around, and Bray Wyatt was standing in front of him. Wyatt got a massive pop when he showed up on screen.
Wyatt said he’s sick of pretending he’s not proud of the horrible things he did to people. Knight got in Wyatt’s face. Suddenly, an image flashed across the screen again. Wyatt knocked Knight down and walked away. Knight jumped to his feet, looking for Wyatt to end the segment.
********
Number One Contender’s Six-Way Match: Shotzi defeated Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Sonya Deville, Lacey Evans, and Xia Li (11:24)
At one point, everyone seemed lost and confused. There was a lot of standing around. The finish was a mess after a badly botched table spot and a flat finish.
Everyone fought all around ringside. Morgan and Deville took the focus as they battled in the ring. Morgan set up the ring steps, but Deville dropped her on the steps instead.
Li caught Shotzi with a kick to the spine back from the break. Li and Evans went back and forth in the ring. Everyone else was lying around the ringside area. Morgan fired up and ran wild on Li and Evans. She caught Rodriguez with a DDT, but Deville tried to steal the pin. Morgan broke up the pin attempt.
Rodriguez hit the Texana bomb on Li, but Deville pulled her out. The fans broke into a “tables” chant. Rodriguez set up a table in front of the steps. She set up for something on Devile but Morgan dove off the barricade. They were supposed to crash onto the table, but the spot got botched badly. They completely missed and just fell under the table. Rodriguez, Morgan, and Deville just lay on the ground. Wade Barrett tried to cover it up by saying Rodriguez hit the side of the table.
In the ring, Shotzi hit the Never Wake up on Evans for the pin in a flat finish. Shotzi takes on Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s title at Survivor Series.
*******
Emma approached Shotzi backstage to congratulate her on her win. Emma was looking for Madcap Moss. Shotzi assumed Emma’s crushing on Madcap. Emma blushed and walked off, looking for Moss.
Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey approached Shotzi. Shotzi turned her back to Baszler. Baszler jumped her and choked her out.
********
Kayla Braxton interviewed Ricochet about his first-round World Cup match against Mustafa Ali next week. He promised to regain the title. Imperium showed up. Gunther wants Ricochet to win the tournament so he can beat him again.
*******
They recapped Omos vs. Braun Strowman from Crown Jewel.
The Progressive Match Flo of the week was Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross from Crown Jewel.
World Cup First-Round Match: Braun Strowman defeated Jinder Mahal (1:38)
Jinder Mahal cut a promo before the match. He promised to win the World Cup and then the title. No man can stop him.
Mahal jumped Strowman before the bell. He had the early advantage until Strowman recovered and easily beat him with a powerbomb. Strowman advances to the semi-finals in two weeks.
********
Zelina Vega (w/Legado del Fantasma) vs. B-Fab (w/Hit Row)
The match didn’t happen. The Viking Raiders and Sarah Logan returned to attack both teams.
Legado del Fantasma was waiting in the ring as Hit Row entered. The lights went out, and The Viking Raiders’ music hit. Erik, Ivar, and Sarah Logan hit the ring. They beat up everyone except for Vega, who escaped through the crowd. The Viking Raiders and Sarah Logan posed to end the segment.
********
Roman Reigns Special Moment
Earlier in the night, Reigns said he had business to take care of in the ring. When they got in the ring, he began to address The Usos, but The Brawling Brutes and Drew McIntyre interrupted. Reigns never dealt with whatever was his business.
Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sola Sikoa, and Paul Heyman entered the ring to a positive reaction. The fans broke into a loud “Ucey” chant. Reigns demanded Indiana acknowledge him. Heyman took the mic and buried Indiana. The fans booed, and he said they were not very ucey. Heyman praised The Usos and mocked The New Day.
Reigns admitted it’s not easy being his cousin. He was always the star of the family. Reigns began to address The Usos when The Brawling Brutes interrupted. Ridge Holland and Butch are tired of the Bloodline having the numbers advantage.
Sheamus returned to a big pop. He cut a promo on Reigns, but his mic wasn’t working. Reigns laughed at Sheamus for the mic cutting out. The Brawling Brutes jumped into the ring, and a brawl broke out. The Bloodline overpowered them.
Drew McIntyre ran out for the save and to even the odds. SmackDown ended with all eight guys brawling.
*******
Next week: The first round of the World Cup concludes with Mustafa Ali vs. Ricochet and Butch vs. Sami Zayn. Plus, Shotzi goes one-on-one with Shayna Baszler.
At Saturday’s Crown Jewel pay-per-view, WWE revealed that Jey Uso is potentially dealing with an injury.
Michael Cole stated on commentary that Jey Uso believes he has a broken wrist. Cole said Jey will be getting an MRI done on Monday.
Cole said Jey suffered the injury while wrestling on WWE’s European tour this past week.
Jey still wrestled at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia despite the potential injury. The Usos retained their Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles against The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch) at the pay-per-view. The finish of the match was The Usos hitting a Super 1D on Butch to get the victory.
Cole said Jey will also wrestle when The Usos defend their Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles against The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) on next Friday’s episode of SmackDown. If The Usos win, they’ll be poised to break The New Day’s record as the longest reigning tag team champions in WWE history.
