Tag: wwe saturday night’s main event

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event is set for the Bell Centre in Montreal on January 24, 2026.

Four matches are set for the show, including a four-way match where the winner will earn the right to challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. Randy Orton, Trick Williams, Damian Priest, and Sami Zayn all won qualifying matches to secure their spots in the four-way.

Also on the card, former New Japan Pro Wrestling stars face off as AJ Styles wrestles Shinsuke Nakamura. The match was added to the lineup on Friday’s SmackDown.

For the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles, Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY will defend against Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez of The Judgment Day.

Additionally, Cody Rhodes will take on Jacob Fatu after Fatu interfered in the Three Stages of Hell match, causing Rhodes to lose his title.

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

***************************

The night is Saturday. The event is Main. The time is now!

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event from Montreal, Quebec, Canada (mere literal steps from my own door) kicked off with Stephanie McMahon on the host’s desk solo because Joe Tessitore was apparently stuck in an airport due to weather. Speaking of weather, she mentioned that it was dang cold (-7f) but hot in the building! She then asked if Montreal was ready in French. I think that’s a legal thing. 

After the opening video package, the traditional footage of wrestlers arriving to work was shown, but with a twist. In this footage, most were shown in the building having coffee or looking at Montreal Canadien’s Stanley Cup trophies. 

Cody Rhodes vs Jacob Fatu

The first match of the evening looked to set a brutal tone early with a shirtless Fatu yelling at Rhodes through the camera before stomping down to the ring. Rhodes arrived to a huge ovation wearing the skull mask/helmet he borrowed from HHH. All of my heart wishes he’d start wearing it all the time and revert back to “Dashing” Cody, but we can’t all get what we want. 

Fatu jumped Rhodes as he climbed into the ring (See? Should have kept the helmet on, Cody!) and the two started brawling. The ref was knocked over right away and the bell hadn’t even rung yet. Officials flooded the ring and tried to calm it down for some reason. Then security arrived to pull apart the guys who were about to fight anyway, confirming, as always, that there is no one as inept as a WWE security guard.  

Fatu went into a zone formerly held by Ken Shamrock and leapt off the ringpost, taking out Rhodes, the officials and security. Rhodes got to his feet and the two brawled up the ramp. Rhodes threw Fatu back into the ring to clothesline him right back out again. Rhodes landed a suicide dive and then posed on the announce desk. 

He cleared the desk, but Fatu tried to get out through the crowd. Rhodes followed and they brawled in the crowd. Fatu backdropped Rhodes on the concrete, but Rhodes got up and tossed him into some road cases. Fatu dumped Rhodes into the lower bowl seats and the fought up the steps towards the dreaded concessions area. 

Rhodes threw a garbage can or three at Fatu while Jaime Noble begged them to stop. Fatu started choking Cody and a poor security guard who got in the way ate a slam through a table from Fatu. Rhodes fought back and the fight moved back into the stands. They brawled back down the steps with Fatu bending Rhodes around the railing. 

They made it back to the floor with “twenty security guards” in tow. They climbed up on some boxes and another guard who got in the way got tossed to the floor. Suddenly, Drew McIntyre appeared and did what twenty guards could not and took out Fatu. He then powerbombed Rhodes off the boxes and through a table. 

McIntyre then wandered over to the ring and climbed inside, taking in the fruits of his labor. 

Match Result: Cody Rhodes vs Jacob Fatu never got started, so no contest? I guess?

Fun brawl, but I was kinda looking forward to the match. Also, I have to ask, why didn’t someone just ring the bell? Is there some rule I don’t know about where everyone has to be calm and cool before a match can officially start? Any way, a great, raucous start to the nights festivities.

-Back from break, we got a promo for WWE2K6 that will have a “Monday Night War” edition as well as an “Attitude Era” edition. I’ll just come out and say it: AREN’T THEY THE SAME THING?!?!

They recapped the brawl we all just saw (for all) and Drew McIntyre stomped through the back to talk with Cathy Kelly. McIntyre said that anyone coming for his title can expect the same treatment he just gave Fatu and Rhodes.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY [c] vs Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez

RHIYO got a big pop as expected, but surprisingly, given her heelish nature, so did Liv Morgan. LIllian Garcia did her thing as only she can do and All seemed right with the world for a moment or two. 

Sky and Morgan kicked things off literally as Morgan ate a dropkick. She bounced back though, throwing a back elbow out of the corner. Perez tagged in and they went for a double suplex, but Sky fought them off and took out Perez with a chop block. 

Perez tried to crawl out of the ring, but Sky caught her. The ref took a moment to fix the ring apron for some reason and Morgan snuck in a quick choke of Sky on the ropes. Morgan tagged in and hit a codebreaker, but Sky kicked out at two in the ensuing cover. 

Morgan threw Sky around with some Three Amigo’s suplexes, but again, Sky kicked out while Ripley salivated on the apron. Perez came back in and laid some elbows into the back of Sky’s head. Sky reached for a tag, but Perez held her back, stomping her ankle. 

Sky counted with a rollthrough double stomp, and two hot tags were made. A smiling Ripley stepped into the ring with Morgan and immediately threw her at the ground a lot. She hit a fallaway slam and let out a scream before dropkicking Morgan clear across the ring. 

Ripley went for a Riptide, but Morgan countered into a codebreaker. Ripley caught her though and picked her up for a Razor’s Edge. Morgan wiggled free and tagged in Perez, but Ripley did not care. She headbutted Morgan and then dropped a big boot into Perez’s face. 

Ripley dragged Perez up the turnbuckle, but Perez fought back and Morgan grabbed a blind tag. She ran across the ring to knock Sky off the apron and Perez countered Ripley into a headscissor from the top rope. Morgan then hit a codebreaker, but Ripley kicked out at two. 

Morgan and Ripley stayed legal with ripley getting Morgan up and landing a Razor’s Edge. Sky punctuated it with a missile dropkick, but Perez snuck by Ripley and broke up the pin. Perez went for an around the world head scissor that put Ripley on the mat head first. 

Sky tagged in with a prone Morgan in the corner and charged for a Bullet Train, but Morgan dodged it and hit a spinning crucifix for a two count. With Ripley on the outside, Perez and Morgan double teamed Sky until she fought back and took out Morgan. Perez went for a sunset bomb, but Sky countered with a kick to the face. 

Sky went up top for Over the Moonsault, but Perez got her feet up and hit a Pop Rocks. Perez went for the cover, but Sky kicked out at 2.75.

Ripley came back in and picked up Perez. She head butted her and then hit a Rip Tied. She tagged Sky who naked her over the moonsault and went for the pin. Before the ref could count to three though, Raquel Rodriguez arrived and dumped Ripley on him. 

She dragged Sky to the outside for a powerbomb and then suddenly Stephanie Vaquer hit the ring and got the best of Rodriguez with a kick over the barricade and then a splash in the crowd. 

Back in the ring, Perez tried to steal one by pinning Sky, but Sky kicked out. Perez tagged in Morgan who it an Oblivion. Ripley tagged in blind and nailed her with a Riptide before stacking her up and getting the 1-2-3 to retain the titles. 

Match Result: Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY defeated Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez

That was a killer match! Everyone got a chance to shine and the interference was minimal and made sense. The crowd has hotter than fresh poutine and it was a joy to watch. 17 Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches out of 10.

-Back from a commercial, they went right into the next match which by process of elimination was:

AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura

It’s likely you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the wrestling world not looking forward to this match. AJ arrived with his special Japan mask and Nakamura made his entrance like it was Black & Gold NXT, both popping the crowd huge. 

The bell rang and they took it in, taking their time to lock up. Nakamura grabbed a headlock, but Styles shot him off the ropes and they locked up again. This time, Nakamura went for a side headlock takedown. They wrestled through a few technical exchanges before Styles went for a leapfrog off the ropes, but Nakamura hit him with a dropkick. 

They reset and locked up again, with Nakamura pushing Styles to the ropes. He backed off at the ref’s request and the two eyed each other. Nakamura told Styles to “come aaaaaaaahnnnnn!” and he did, landing a dropkick and a backbreaker. 

Styles pushed Nakamura to the corner and Nakamura punched him in the gut. Styles responded with an elbow, sending Nakamura to the outside. Styles then leapt over the ropes onto him, squishing him into the floor. Styles tossed Nakamura back into ring and caught a kick to the back of the head. 

Nakamura laid Styles over the ropes and hit him with a running knee. Nakamura then dropped a knee onto Styles face, keeping control of the pace of the match. Nakamura grabbed a headlock and shoved Styles into the corner and stood on his neck. Nakamura went for a stomp, but Styles rolled though and popped up with a clothesline. 

Styles hit a sliding forearm and then hit a neckbreaker, but Nakamura kicked out of the cover at two. Styles went for the Styles Clash, but Nakamura was having none of it and countered with a running knee. He started kicking Styles in the chest until he dropped to the mat. 

Nakamura hit a sliding German suplex off the second rope and then nailed Styles with a flying knee. Styles kicked out of the cover though. Nakamura set up for Kinshasa, but Styles got out of the way and pulled him down for a calf crusher. Nakamura screamed in pain and crawled to the ropes to break the hold. 

Styles wrapped Nakamura’s knee around the ropes and wrenched it before dragging him to the middle for another calf crusher. Styles held it on for what seemed like 10 minutes, but Nakamura wouldn’t tap. Nakamura almost made it to the ropes, but Styles pulled him back and tried to reset the calf crusher. Nakamura used that to turn the tables slap on a triangle choke. 

Styles lifted Nakamura up for a Styles Clash, but Nakamura got out of hit. Styles then hit a massive knee into the chin of Nakamura, knocking him senseless. Styles got to his feet first and limped over to Nakamura on the mat. 

Styles picked him up and the two started trading forearms. Styles hit a Pele kick, but that opened him up to a Kinshasa to the back of the neck. Nakamura went to the corner and went for another Kinshasa, but his knee gave out. Styles hit one of his own, but Nakamura grabbed the ropes to stop the count. 

Styles hoisted Nakamura up on his shoulders and hit a spinning slam for a two count. Styles went for a a suplex, but Nakamura countered and tried another sliding German, but again his knee gave out on him. Styles hit him with a running knee to send him to the outside. Styles pulled him back in and went for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Nakamura caught him and hit a driver for a 2.5 count on Styles. 

Styles threw a back elbow, but Nakamura took him down with a sling blade. Styles hit another Pele kick, sending Nakamura back to the mat. Both men were down, with Nakamura clutching his leg. 

Styles got to his feet and so did Nakamura. The two traded chops and forearms and kicks to the hamstrings. Nakamura threw a headbutt and when Styles lunged he caught him in an armbar. Styles rolled it through into a pinning combination, but Nakamura kicked out, then kicked Styles. 

Nakamura went for a Kinshasa, but Styles blocked it and set him up for the Styles Clash. Nakamura got out of it and went for another Kinshasa, but Styles dodged and Nakamura hit the ringpost. Styles leapt up and landed a Phenomenal Forearm followed by a Styles Clash to finally put an end to it, 1-2-3.

Match Result: AJ Styles defeated Shinsuke Nakamura

Holy crap in a hat that was amazing! What a match! I’m so glad these two had a chance to have this match after some of their lesser ones. It was back and forth the whole way and told an incredible story the way that only these two could tell. If some of the newer talent in the back wasn’t taking notes on that match, I bet HBK has them doing it on Monday. 57 Montreal Road Work Pylons out of 10.

-The scene shifted back to the Host desk and Stephanie McMahon. She caught everyone up on what’s happend so far in the show. She then set up the Fatal Four Way Main Event and threw to footage of Sami Zayn arriving to work to a huge ovation. She then threw to the match that started right–

— after a promo for Wrestlemania in Las Vegas and then some commercials.

Undisputed WWE Title No. 1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match: Randy Orton vs. Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest vs. Sami Zayn 

Orton made his way to the ring first, ensuring us that the people in his noggin were still talking to him. Priest took one look at Orton’s entrance and said “you call that sauntering?” and walked with purpose to the ring. Williams was next, but really he was just the cooldown entrance for Sami By God Zayn. 

I’m not selling this short when I say that when the “let’s go” in Zayn’s music hit, the Bell Centre and most of downtown Montreal shook like the stands at a Metallica show at Olympic Stadium (google it). Zayn made his way to the ring, soaking in every bit of hometown energy he could. 

At home, Kevin Owens silently watched, a single tear forming in the corner of his eye as he fondly reminisced about all the times he powerbombed Zayn onto the ring apron (the francophonest part of the ring!) 

The bell rang and Williames bailed from the ring. Orton went for an early RKO, but missed, sending Priest out. That left Orton and Zayn to kick things off while the crowd screamed. Williams grabbed Zayne by the ankle and dragged him out of the ring. Orton followed and took out Williams. Priest launched himself off the steps and took out Orton and Williams. 

In the ring, Priest and Zayn fought, with Priest tossing Zayne from corner to corner. He went for a suplex, but Orton got involved with a headbutt, sending him back out. Orton and Zayn locked up with Orton throwing him into the corner. Zayne reversed it, feeding Orton some punches of his own. 

Williams chose then to make his presence known, stomping on Orton and shoving him out of the ring. He then turned his attention and fists to Zayn, punching him and soaking up the boos. Williams threw Zayn into Orton then hit a neckbreaker on Zayn for a two count. He threw Zayn into the corner, bouncing him off the turnbuckle. 

Zayne then fired up and threw some chops, but Williams hit him with a spinning kick. That allowed Priest to slam Williams for a two count. Priest then set up Zayn for a piledriver, but Zayn countered with a tornado DDT. The ole’s started in earnest as Zayn caught a returning Orton in a blue Thunder Bomb attempt. Orton blocked it though and landed a powerslam before clotheslining Williams out of the ring. 

Orton grabbed Priest and dropped him with a dripping DDT. Williams came back in just in time to get kicked in the gut, which allowed Zayn to hit the Blue Thunder Bomb on Orton for the legally required two count. Orton crawled to the corner and Zayn charged for a Helluva kick, but Williams interrupted him. 

Priest threw feet at Williams who slid out of the ring. Priest followed and charged, but Williams hit a Book End on the barricade, which gave Zayn a chance to land a dive on both of them through the ropes. 

Orton picked up Zayn on the outside and Zayne countered it, slamming him on the announce table. Zayne scrambled back into the ring and hit a Helluva Kick on Priest, but Williams pulled the ref out of the ring before the three count could fall. 

Orton then grabbed Williams and slammed him onto the announce table. Then he grabbed Zayne and did the same. Then he grabbed Priest and they shared a nice soda pop. NO! He slammed him on the table as well. Then for good measure, he did it again to Williams. 

Orton tossed Williams back into the ring, but Williams rolled away. That left Orton open for a rollup from Zayn, but only a two count. Orton then hit the ring post off of a charge as Zayn got out of the way. Zayn went up top, but Orton moved. Orton went for an RKO, but Zayn dodged it. Zayn fired up and went for a kick, but Orton landed an RKO. Williams ran in and grabbed Orton, tossing him out to try and pin Zayn, but Priest broke it up before the ref could count to three. 

Priest and Williams traded shots on the ring apron, with both knocking each other silly so Orton could hit a double draping DDT off the ropes. Orton got pumped up for an RKO, but Williams blocked it and threw Orton at Priest who hit a chokeslam. Williams tried to steal one again, shoving Priest out of the way for a two count. 

Priest rolled out in time for Zayn to hit Williams with an exploder in the corner. Zayn ran for the helluva kick, but Williams moved and Zayn tweaked his knee on the ropes. Williams went up top, but Zayn ran up and grabbed him. Priest then hit Zayn and got him with a Razor’s Edge. Priest then turned his attention to Williams, which left Priest open for the Helluva kick and Zayn made the pin to get the victory and head to the Royal Rumble against Drew McIntrye for the WWE Undisputed Championship! 

Match Result: Sami Zayn defeated Randy Orton, Trick Williams and Damian Priest

After the match, Drew McIntyre tried to get the drop on Zayn, but Zayn saw it coming (probably becuase he’s seen wrestling before) and tossed him out of the ring. Zayn then stood tall with fireworks and a massive crowd ovation as the show went off the air.

That was one of the best Saturday Night Main Events they’ve done so far. Four great fights, three great matches two awesome outcomes and the one and only Sami Zayn. 107 Canadiens Stanley Cups out of 24!