Smackdown
Date: October 7, 1999
Location: Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York
Attendance: 12,133
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

We’re almost up to No Mercy and the card is starting to come together. The big story coming out of Raw is the British Bulldog being the most prominent heel in the company, which is quite the questionable move. Hopefully they find something a bit more interesting, though that might be asking too much. Let’s get to it.

Here is Raw if you need a recap.

Of note: during this taping, Droz was injured during his match against D’Lo Brown and would be paralyzed as a result, obviously never wrestling again. This was of course edited out of the broadcast, leaving the show a bit shorter than usual as they only had so much time to change anything.

We open with a tribute to Gorilla Monsoon, who passed away earlier this week. To say he was a huge factor behind the scenes in the company would be an incredible understatement.

Opening sequence.

X-Pac/Kane vs. Mideon/Viscera

X-Pac, still wanting to prove his worth, starts with Mideon as I question the value of fighting with Mideon in the first place. The flipping clothesline takes Mideon down and it’s off to Viscera, who misses a splash. Mideon comes back in and X-Pac fights back but won’t tag. Instead Kane tags him and dropkicks Viscera to the floor. The chokeslam finishes Mideon off at 2:41.

Post match the Acolytes run in and beat down X-Pac and Mideon.

The Rock is not impressed with the British Bulldog and mocks the sound of his bark. Right now though, the bigger issue is Val Venis running around with a Rocko sock in his tights. Tonight, Rock is playing director and showing Venis a movie about him taking a beating.

Post interview, Mankind thanks the Rock.

Post break, Mankind says he’s been thinking about sitting around and being a financial consultant, but instead, the Rock is fighting his battles for him. That’s what a friend does, so Mankind is going to fight the Rock’s battles when he faces the British Bulldog tonight. He’s going to take the microphone, turn it sideways and…and…hit him with it!

Hardcore Holly vs. Road Dogg

Their respective partners are here too. Dogg slugs away to start but gets knocked down, allowing Holly to kick him in the head. Some distractions on the floor don’t mean much and Holly grabs the chinlock to keep things slow. Dogg is sent outside for a beating from Crashs, naturally with the referee dealing with Billy Gunn. Holly goes up but dives into a raised boot, allowing the comeback to start. The shaky knee looks to set up the pumphandle slam but the seconds get in a brawl. That’s enough for Holly to grab the Falcon Arrow for the pin at 5:14.

Rating: D+. This was a good example of a match that made sense on paper as the story was there but the action was just dull. There was nothing here that made me want to see these teams fight, which is kind of the problem with the Outlaws in general. They could be entertaining, but then the bell rang and it doesn’t hold up very well.

Post match the brawl is on with the Outlaws cleaning house.

And now, sex therapy with Mark Henry. He hits on the therapist, then reveals that his first encounter was with his sister at 8 years old. And yes they still have, ahem, relations, as recently as a few days ago. Yep, this was about what you would expect.

Here is Jeff Jarrett, in waders, to walk into a mud pit. This is the only place for the women in the company to wrestle so tonight it’s Miss Kitty wrestling in the mud. You win by taking your opponent’s top off, which doesn’t sit well with Kitty. Oh and Jarrett will beat Chyna at No Mercy.

British Bulldog doesn’t care about what happened with Stephanie McMahon in England or what happens with the Rock tonight. He wants to be the WWF Champion…and here is Mankind to jump him.

There are a bunch of snakes in a room. Ok them.

Edge And Christian vs. New Brood

Match #3 in the Terri Invitational Tournament with Edge And Christian up 2-0. Cue Terri to make this a Texas Tornado match. The Hardys are sent into each other in the corner a d double hiptoss brings Jeff down. Stereo headbutts give Edge two and they head outside, with Matt hitting a DDT on the floor. Back in and a double suplex gets two on Edge, followed by Matt planting him for two more. Christian gets back in and Edge hits a spear for two on Jeff, who is sent outside. An assisted superplex drops Matt but Jeff is back in with the Swanton for a double pin on Christian at 6:12.

Rating: B-. Another match where these guys are being given the chance to go out there and do whatever they want, which makes for an entertaining match. The good thing is these matches are getting a bit longer every time and that makes things quite a bit better. The WWF knows what they have here and that is an encouraging sign for everyone’s future.

Val Venis admires himself in a mirror and pulls Mr. Rocko out of his jeans.

Here is Jeff Jarrett to introduce Ivory for the mud wrestling match. Miss Kitty gets in and we’re ready to go.

Ivory vs. Miss Kitty

I’m assuming this is non-title. Kitty rips off Ivory’s dress but gets her top taken off to lose at about 1:05. This was another level of dumb.

Post match the Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young show up and get thrown in the mud as well. Cue Chyna to kick Jarrett in with them, where Moolah and Young beat him up.

We look back at British Bulldog throwing a trashcan at Rebellion over the weekend and hitting Stephanie McMahon in the head. Vince McMahon and Test are not happy about the whole thing.

Shane McMahon says that Stephanie is suffering from amnesia. When asked about the Bulldog’s comments, he just walks away.

British Bulldog vs. Mankind

Bulldog jumps him to start and Mankind hammers away in the corner. The running knee connects and they go outside, where Bulldog gets in a headbutt. A whip sends Mankind into the steps for a nasty crash, followed by a chair to the head as I guess this is No DQ. Back in and a slam sets up the chinlock to keep Mankind down. A low blow makes it worse but Mankind is back with a double arm DDT for the double down. The Mandible Claw goes on but the referee gets shoved and then crushed in the corner. The match is thrown out at 6:10.

Rating: C. The problem here was very simple: there just wasn’t much for the Bulldog to do in the ring. He’s a generic brawler and feels out of place in 1999, as he doesn’t have much in the way of being a developed character. Other than “he’s British and mean”, what else does he have? It’s not a bad match by any means, but it’s really not interesting whatsoever.

Post match they fight into the crowd.

Jim Ross is with Steve Austin, who is shooting HHH themed targets. Austin is back to get his revenge and the WWF Title. He mocks the Game nickname and talks about how the title means everything. The name No Mercy is appropriate given what’s going to happen at the pay per view.

HHH goes into the room of poisonous snakes and opens one of the tanks.

Big Show vs. Big Boss Man

Michael Cole is on his own here as Lawler is off to “check on Miss Kitty”, which is code for “this match was taped for Heat and put onto the Smackdown taping to make up for the Droz accident”. Cole even updates us on Droz’s condition, acknowledging the terrible injury. Boss Man jumps him to start but gets sent into the buckle for his efforts. Boss Man actually fights back and manages a Boss Man Slam (not a great one but you could tell what it was) for two. Show is back up with a chokeslam attempt but Boss Man hits him with the nightstick for the DQ at 2:25.

Post match Boss Man tries to handcuff Show but the handcuffs don’t work. A chokeslam ensues instead. This was about all they could throw in from Heat (you could see the orange ring skirts) and it was fine for a last second replacement.

HHH is in the room with the snakes and talks about how he’s not afraid of them, just like he’s not afraid of the Texas Rattlesnake. Some of the snakes are put in a bag and HHH crushes it with a sledgehammer. HHH brings the bloody bag out to the stage and says this is nothing compared to what will happen to the other rattlesnake at No Mercy.

Val Venis is rather fired up to fight the Rock when Mankind runs in to jump him. The British Bulldog goes after Mankind and the villains leave him laying.

During the break, the Rock walked past Mankind and asked what’s wrong with him. Mankind tells him to go out there and win one for the Micker. Rock: “Who the h***’s the Micker? Idiot.”

The Rock vs. Val Venis

Rock jumps him to start and sends him out to the floor as this is apparently No DQ. They fight into the crowd with Rock knocking him right back to ringside. A swinging neckbreaker sets up a chinlock on Venis, who gets to the floor and tries to walk out. Rock isn’t having that and rams him into the set, followed by a suplex onto the ramp. Venis fights back at ringside, only to be sent hard into the steps.

Rock sends him over the announcers’ table but Venis is able to get in a spinebuster back inside. We hit another chinlock, this time on Rock, who is right back up with a fisherman’s suplex for two. Venis knocks him right back down and grabs a chair but here is Mankind to cut him off. Mankind swings the chair, which hits Rock by mistake. The Mandible Claw goes on so Venis kicks Mankind low. A Rock Bottom to Mankind sets up a Rock Bottom to Venis to give Rock the pin at 10:15.

Rating: C+. This was little more than a squash until the ending screwiness, which is what it should have been. Venis is not someone who is on the Rock’s level and suggesting that he could beat Rock in a straight up match would be beyond a reach. Mankind and Rock having issues isn’t a surprise, and now we get to see where they go next.

Rock poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Not much to see on this one, though they did have to make a quick change with the Droz tragedy. As usual though, outside of the Edge And Christian/Hardys match, there was only so much in the way of good action on the show. I did like the HHH promo save for the crushing of the snake as it was overkill, but at least they had a theme. Not a great show here, but it could have been far worse.

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Smackdown
Date: October 31, 2025
Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the night before Saturday Night’s Main Event and that means it’s time for the big push before the show. That could make for some interesting builds to tomorrow, including the final setup of Drew McIntyre challenging Cody Rhodes for the Smackdown World Title. That should be enough to carry this week, plus all of the holiday shenanigans. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We have a theme of the University of Utah vs. the University of Cincinnati football game tomorrow.

We look at Jade Cargill turning heel last week and attacking Tiffany Stratton.

Cue Stratton to say she wants Cargill out here right now but Nick Aldis says it can’t get physical. This brings out Cargill, with Aldis calling for security. Cargill says she wants the title so Stratton goes into the aisle for the brawl, with Cargill getting away before it gets started.

Video on Ilja Dragunov.

R-Truth, dressed as Santa Claus, gives the Motor City Machine Guns some candy. He doesn’t believe that it’s Halloween and leaves but Solo Sikoa comes in to mock the Guns. A tag match seems set for later.

US Title: Ilja Dragunov vs. ???

Dragunov is defending against….Nathan Frazer. Wait hang on though as Tommaso Ciampa comes to the ring, saying Dragunov can’t possibly give him the shot. Dragunov says it’s for everyone but Frazer was here first. Also Ciampa is a jackass. Frazer knees him down to start fast and a spinning enziguri sends Dragunov outside. The suicide dive connects but Dragunov is fine enough to hit a spinning chop back inside.

Frazer manages a necksnap across the top but a springboard is cut off with a jumping knee. Dragunov tells him that it’s nothing personal before giving him a German suplex on the floor. We take a break and come back with Dragunov rolling more German suplexes but missing the Constantine Special. Frazer’s running shooting star press gets two and they trade strikes to the head. Dragunov misses a charge out to the floor but is back in with a shot to the face.

The top rope backsplash misses though and Frazer’s frog splash gets two as we take another break. We come back again with Frazer fighting out of a powerbomb and kicking Dragunov in the head. A superbomb is countered into a super hurricanrana to send Dragunov outside, meaning it’s another dive. The phoenix splash gets two back inside as Frazer can’t believe the kickout. Frazer elbows him off the top but Dragunov is right back up with a nasty middle rope German superplex for two of his own. A powerbomb into the H Bomb retains the title at 18:51.

Rating: B. These guys beat each other up and it’s nice to see Frazer getting to show off a bit. Dragunov is the story again here though, as he continues to look like he leaves everything he has in the ring and that makes for some awesome moments. Do more of this, which seems to be the idea at the moment.

Post match respect is shown but Tommaso Ciampa runs in to jump Frazer again. During the break, Axiom and Johnny Gargano ran in to join the brawl, with Dragunov trying to break it up.

Post break, the brawl continues until Tama Tonga comes in to grab the title and stare at Dragunov.

Kit Wilson vs. Carmelo Hayes

And Hayes is now a good guy. Ok then. Wilson tries to jump him from behind to start and manages a running elbow. A cross arm choke lets Wilson call Hayes toxic before stomping him down. Something like a spinning DDT gets two on Hayes, who fights up and hits a springboard clothesline. Wilson bails out to the floor and gets taken out with a dive…and here is Miz to post Hayes. A top rope elbow gives Wilson two but the First 48 gives Hayes the pin at 3:11.

Rating: C. Not much to the match other than to establish that Hayes is now a good guy. That worked out well enough as he did fine in the role in NXT and it’s not like he’s set the world on fire so far. A feud with Miz has worked for others before and at least he has a nice starting point.

Post match Miz drops Hayes with the Skull Crushing Finale.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss aren’t worried about the Kabuki Warriors. As for tonight, Charlotte says Nia Jax is still in fear because she’s displaying classic Gemini behavior. Bliss isn’t sure what to make of that.

Nick Aldis won’t let Sami Zayn be ringside for the Motor City Machine Guns vs. MFTs as he isn’t cleared. Cody Rhodes comes in and pleasantries are exchanged. Aldis flat out asks Rhodes if he attacked Jacob Fatu and Rhodes gives a definitive no. He’s fine with the contract for the title match against Drew McIntyre.

Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss

Charlotte is here with Bliss. Jax jumps her from behind to start so Bliss gets in a slap to the face. That earns a big shout from Jax, who runs Bliss over. A hurricanrana is cut off but Jax misses a charge into the post. Instead she sends Bliss into the barricade and takes a bow as we take a break.

We come back with a splash in the corner setting up the running hip attack. Jax misses a second attempt and Charlotte offers a distraction, allowing Bliss to get in a neck snap over the ropes. Bliss strikes away and gets two off a basement crossbody. Jax is right back with a Samoan drop for two of her own, with the referee losing his shoe. Back up and Charlotte offers another distraction to break up the Annihilator, allowing Bliss to kick the leg out and get the pin at 9:35.

Rating: C+. This worked about as well as these two are ever going to do, as the size difference hurts it a good bit. What matters here though was that Charlotte and Bliss are still working together and turning into a rather nice team. They’re the team that the division has been needing and hopefully it can last for a long while.

The MFTs run into Rey Fenix, with Solo Sikoa asking if he’s looking for a fight. Fenix says no, because he wants to fight Talla Tonga. Sure.

Damian Priest says it’s now personal with Aleister Black and punishment is coming.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown.

Tiffany Stratton runs into Kiana James and Giulia. James says Stratton should have accepted their offer and Nick Aldis has to keep Stratton from jumping her. Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre come in, with Green not being happy about Giulia coming up on the record for longest Women’s US Title reign. Green wants a match and Giulia is in for next week. Nikki Cross pops in to scare them off.

Earlier today, the Utah Utes mascot beat the Cincinnati Bearcats’ mascot. Eh if they air like 30 seconds of it, fine enough for some crossover appeal.

MFTs vs. Motor City Machine Guns

Shelley and Mateo start things off with Shelley striking away and a missile dropkick/Downward Spiral combination putting Mateo down. The MFT’s are sent outside for the dives and it’s the Dream Sequence for two on Tonga. We take a break and come back with Shelley fighting out of a chinlock and hitting the Downward Spiral into the buckle.

That’s enough for the tag off to Sabin so house can be cleaned, including a tornado DDT to Tonga. It’s already back to Shelley, who knocks Tonga outside for a big dive from Sabin. Back in and Solo Sikoa offers a distraction, allowing Tonga to break up the Skull & Bones. The Cutthroat gives Tonga the pin at 8:42.

Rating: B-. As usual, the Guns are able to work well with anyone and that’s always fun to see. At the same time, I could go for seeing them have some more success, but they got their title win so now it seems to be time to have them job quite a bit. We’re also looking towards the MFTs coming after the Wyatt Sicks and the Tag Team Titles, so it makes sense for them to win here.

Post match the beatdown stays on so Rey Fenix runs in for the save, with Shinsuke Nakamura having to save him. This goes rather badly for Nakamura.

Drew McIntyre has no issues with the contract for Saturday Night’s Main Event and tells Nick Aldis to relax.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Nick Aldis is in the ring for the main event contract signing. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre join him but McIntyre says he can’t sign this. Rhodes certainly can and does, but McIntyre says it’s a one sided contract. If either of them get disqualified or counted out, Rhodes keeps the title and that’s not fair. Aldis is done with McIntyre’s games and threatens to replace him in the title match. McIntyre says ok and goes to leave but Rhodes tells him to sit down.

Rhodes knows what McIntyre wants: a clause that says if he gets counted out or disqualified, the title changes hands. That’s exactly what McIntyre wants and Rhodes is cool with it, so Aldis makes the change. McIntyre signs and talks about how he made the blueprint that Rhodes followed to end the story. He works to get everywhere he goes because he’s the real American Dream.

Rhodes says McIntyre did indeed write the blueprint but the difference is Rhodes walked away instead of getting fired. Rhodes: “Nice guys used to finish last. Then I showed up.” McIntyre cuts him off from leaving and says that the people will eventually turn on Rhodes too. He brings up Rhodes not being there to take his daughters trick or treating and that touches a nerve.

McIntyre asks what Rhodes’ daughters are named and the fight is on, with Rhodes missing a belt shot. A Claymore drops Rhodes and McIntyre puts him through the table. Some promises of taking the title end the show. They’ve got me thinking that a title change is possible and that’s a nice feeling to have.

Overall Rating: B+. I liked this show quite a bit with the good opener and solid main event segment. The World Title match needed the build to get ready for Saturday and they accomplished that rather well. This felt like a show where they were setting up things and then getting it done, which is what they needed to do. Solid show here and I want to see what happens tomorrow.

Results
Ilja Dragunov b. Nathan Frazer – H Bomb
Carmelo Hayes b. Kit Wilson – First 48
Alexa Bliss b. Nia Jax – Rollup
MFTs b. Motor City Machine Guns – Cutthroat to Sabin

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Smackdown
Date: October 24, 2025
Location: Mullett Arena, Tempe, Arizona
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re rapidly approaching Saturday Night’s Main Event and now we get to see what that might mean. We need to have something set for the show on the Smackdown side, which is what we will likely get here. There is a good chance this involves World Champion Cody Rhodes, who is still dealing with Drew McIntyre. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of last week’s show, focusing on Jacob Fatu being attacked and setting up Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes in a surprise main event.

Jimmy Uso thanks Rhodes for standing up for Fatu last week. Rhodes asks if Jimmy and Jey are ok. Jimmy appreciates that and is off to talk to Nick Aldis.

Here is Rhodes for a chat. He mentions the upcoming title match against Drew McIntyre at Saturday Night’s Main Event, including mentioning hitting McIntyre with the belt last week. Cue McIntyre, who can’t believe the fans are still cheering for Rhodes. McIntyre lists off a variety of things Rhodes has done to him and promises to destroy the story next Saturday. As for Fatu, yeah he hates the family, but he didn’t do it. McIntyre suggests Rhodes did it so Rhodes wants to fight right now, only for Jimmy Uso to run out and go after McIntyre instead. Things are calmed down but here are Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s for their scheduled match.

Post break, Uso and McIntyre brawl in the back again.

MFT’s vs. Shinsuke Nakamura/Rey Fenix

Tonga strikes away at Nakamura to start but Nakamura slips away, allowing the tags off to Fenix and Mateo. Fenix quickly sends him into the corner and it’s a double Good Vibrations, followed by a double COME ON as we take a break. We come back with Tonga flipping Fenix inside out with a clothesline before Mateo grabs a nerve hold.

That’s broken up and Fenix kicks him in the head, allowing Nakamura to come in and kick away. It’s right back to Fenix for another kick to the head as everything breaks down. Sikoa offers a distraction though and Talla Tonga chokeslams Fenix onto the apron. Back in and Tama gives Fenix a running elbow (the Cutthroat) for the pin at 11:27.

Rating: B-. I can go for Nakamura getting a spot on the show helping to put people over, as it’s a nice way to wrap up his time in the company. On the other hand you have Fenix, who is basically the rotating tag partner, which isn’t a great sign for his current or future status. Then you have the MFT’s, who seem likely to be going for the Tag Team Titles again soon.

Jimmy Uso talks to Nick Aldis, who puts him in a No DQ match with Drew McIntyre tonight.

Chelsea Green and Kay Lee Ray interrupt Giulia and suggests a merger. Kiana James comes in to say not quite, with Giulia not seeming impressed.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James

Non-title and Giulia is here with James. Stratton’s wristlock is quickly escaped with a flip so she does some flips of her own, followed by an armbar. Some running knees to the back send James outside, where Stratton forearms her in the face. Giulia offers a quick distraction though and James gets in a cheap shot as we take a break.

We come back with James hitting a running shoulder in the corner for two. Stratton manages a knockdown for a double breather though and the clothesline comeback is on. It’s too early for the Prettiest Moonsault Ever though and James grabs a Falcon Arrow for two. James goes up but gets knocked down, setting up a Swanton. The Prettiest Moonsault Ever finishes for Stratton at 9:53.

Rating: C+. James is a good choice for the role of annoying assistant who can wrestle a match if needed. That was the case here, but the problem is that the bigger star isn’t doing much. Giulia might be a champion, though she’s not exactly doing much these days. That’s going to need to change, though at least James is getting better.

Post match Giulia runs in to take out Stratton, with Jade Cargill making the save….and then laying Stratton out as well. The big beatdown is on as we have a long overdue heel turn.

Sami Zayn congratulates Ilja Dragunov on his US Title win last week and Dragunov says he respects Zayn. Now it’s time for Dragunov to keep up the US Open challenge because Zayn knows he is the man to do it.

Jade Cargill is tired of not being rewarded so she’s going with power. That starts with her winning the Women’s Title.

Here is Ilja Dragunov for his open challenge, but first he talks about how he didn’t know if he was going to be back from his injury. He doesn’t know how to quit though and now he’s back, so get the challenger out here.

US Title: Ilja Dragunov vs. ???

Dragunov is defending against….Aleister Black, with Zelina Vega. Dragunov strikes away to start but it’s too early for the Constantine Special. Instead Black knocks him outside for a hurricanrana from Vega to send him into the barricade. We take a break and come back with Dragunov fighting back and going up.

Vega offers a distraction though and Black gets up for a Meteora. Dragunov kicks him into the corner but gets kneed in the face for two. Back up and Dragunov connects with the Constantine Special as we take a break. We come back again with Dragunov’s missile dropkick connecting for two, followed by a backsplash for two more.

Torpedo Moscow is kneed out of the air though and a brainbuster gives Black two. Back up and Torpedo Moscow connects but Dragunov can’t cover. Vega trips Dragunov and gets ejected…and here is Damian Priest, complete with a bad eye. Dragunov used the distraction to hit another Torpedo Moscow and retain at 15:42.

Rating: B+. It didn’t quite hit some great level but this was two guys beating the fire out of each other for a long time. That’s what matters the most here as Dragunov gets to retain, despite needing a bit of a distraction, just like last week. Either way, Dragunov is likely going to do this for a few weeks, which is a nice way to get him back in the fans’ minds after such a long time away.

Post match Priest goes after Black and loads up a Conchairto. Vega makes a save though and Black bails into the crowd.

We recap Carmelo Hayes and the Miz blowing up.

Hayes is glad Miz helped him get here, but Miz went too far when things got physical. Now it’s time to for him to work on being Him. Kit Wilson comes in to call Hayes toxic and a match is set for next week.

Ilja Dragunov runs into Fraxiom, who would love shots at the US Title. Dragunov says that’s the point of the US Open Challenge and he’ll see them later. With Dragunov gone, DIY comes in to mock Fraxiom, with Axiom saying Gargano is scared to face him. Tama Tonga pops up to…make noises at Fraxiom.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss accept Bayley’s challenge for a Women’s Tag Team Title match on Raw. Nia Jax comes in to suggest that they’ll turn on each other and Jax vs. Bliss is set for next week.

Drew McIntyre vs. Jimmy Uso

No DQ. Uso starts the fight in the aisle and sends McIntyre into the barricade but McIntyre slugs away inside. Back up and Uso kicks him outside, where McIntyre cuts off a dive with a forearm. The fight heads into the crowd, where Uso snaps off a suplex. They go back to ringside, where Uso loads up a table and we take a break. We come back with Uso enziguring him out to the floor, where McIntyre snaps off an overhead belly to belly.

McIntyre cracks him in the back with a chair but the Claymore in the chair is cut off. A Whisper In The Wind gives Uso two and he chairs McIntyre down over and over. McIntyre fights up but charges into a Samoan drop through the table. Instead of covering though, Uso goes up and gets chaired out of the air. The Claymore gives McIntyre (who gives a great facial expression, which says “thank goodness that’s over”) the pin at 12:21.

Rating: B. I liked these two beating each other up, as while Uso didn’t win, he did get the revenge that he wanted here. There was no reason to believe that Uso was going to win without some huge interference, but at least it went as it should have. McIntyre gets momentum and Uso gets what he wanted, which is quite the nice result.

Post match McIntyre stays on Uso so Cody Rhodes makes the save. McIntyre Claymores Rhodes to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This show came together well and pretty much everything worked well. That’s a nice way to push the show towards Saturday Night’s Main Event, which should be a major event if given the chance. Rhodes vs. McIntyre is interesting, as it’s either going to be totally flat or have some kind of a twist. This show did a nice job of getting things ready, which is one of the most important parts in the whole thing. Nice show here.

Results
MFT’s b. Rey Fenix/Shinsuke Nakamura – Cutthroat to Fenix
Tiffany Stratton b. Kiana James – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Ilja Dragunov b. Aleister Black – Torpedo Moscow
Drew McIntyre b. Jimmy Uso – Claymore

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Smackdown
Date: October 17, 2025
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

We’re back in the states for Smackdown and the scheduled big match this week is Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre in a grudge match that has been built up for a long time now. We are also coming up on Saturday Night’s Main Event and that means the card is going to need to be set up. Let’s get to it.

Here is Crown Jewel if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Crown Jewel, including Seth Rollins beating Cody Rhodes in the Crown Jewel Title match. We also look at the Vision turning on Rollins the following night on Raw.

Here is Nick Aldis in the ring for a chat. He brings up the Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre match for later tonight, which is now a #1 contenders match to face Cody Rhodes, who joins us right now. Rhodes talks about the loss to Rollins, who has his own issues on Raw. As for tonight, Rhodes will handle Smackdown business, like that #1 contenders match. The road to Saturday Night’s Main Event runs through San Jose.

Solo Sikoa interrupts Rey Fenix in the back and the MFT’s beat him down.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. Zaria/Sol Ruca

Zaria and Ruca are challenging and NXT’s Blake Monroe (facing Ruca next weekend at Halloween Havoc) is here in the crowd. Charlotte and Ruca start things off with Charlotte flipping out of a wristlock. Ruca and Zaria get booted in the face and it’s off to Bliss for a dropkick to stagger Zaria. A big spinebuster plants Bliss and we take a break.

We come back with Bliss fighting out of a chinlock and elbowing Zaria down. Ruca is right there with a spinning belly to back faceplant but Bliss kicks her way out of trouble. The big tag brings in Charlotte for a high crossbody and it’s time to fire off the chops. Charlotte kicks Zaria in the face and snaps off a suplex for two.

Ruca is back in with a springboard clothesline but dives into a quickly broke Liontamer. The Sol Snatcher gets two with Bliss having to make the save. Zaria cuts off a hurricanrana from the apron and Ruca moonsaults onto Charlotte on the floor. Hold on though as Monroe offers a distraction, allowing Charlotte to chop block Ruca. The Figure Eight retains the titles at 12:07.

Rating: B-. Ruca and Zaria getting a title shot is a good way to go as they’re certainly a thing in NXT and have a story of their own. It’s not like there are a ton of teams on the main roster coming for the titles, so go with whatever you have available. It wound up being a good match as well, as Charlotte and Bliss continue to work well together.

Post match, respect is shown.

Cody Rhodes runs into Jacob Fatu, who promises he’s coming for Rhodes after tonight. Works for Rhodes.

Aleister Black is glad to be back with his wife, Zelina Vega, who describes them as the mirror that shows the infections around here.

We look back at Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s interrupting last week’s US Open Challenge.

Nick Aldis is in the back with the Miz, when Sami Zayn interrupts. The US Open Challenge seems to be off for tonight, as Aldis wants Shinsuke Nakamura to get a fair rematch but he’s not here tonight. Zayn says the challenge is important and he’s going to the ring. Miz leaves as well.

We look at Hulk Hogan’s Rock N Wrestling, which are being added to the WWE Vault YouTube channel every Saturday.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. ???

Zayn is defending against….well it was supposed to be the Miz, but Carmelo Hayes jumps him from behind. Then ILJA DRAGUNOV returns and we’ve got a title match. We get a handshake to start before they fire off the forearms. An exchange of clotheslines goes to Zayn but Dragunov is back with a running boot in the corner.

We take a break and come back with Zayn grabbing a tornado DDT but Dragunov blasts him with a running boot to the face out of the corner. Zayn wrestles him down for some slow rolling German suplexes. Dragunov plants him down but charges into a Michinoku Driver for two. They fight to the apron, with Zayn hitting an implant DDT to drive Dragunov’s shoulder into the ropes (that’s different) as we take a break.

We come back with Dragunov’s backsplash connecting for two and a top rope superplex plants Zayn again. Zayn cuts him off but misses the Helluva Kick, allowing Dragunov to muscle Zayn up with a suplex. The Constantine Special connects for Dragunov but the Torpedo Moscow is cut off with a boot to the head. The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Zayn two more and it’s Solo Sikoa time. That slows Zayn down and the Helluva Kick is countered into the Torpedo Moscow. The H Bomb gives Dragunov the pin and the title at 19:20.

Rating: B+. As tends to be the case with Dragunov, he gave this everything he had and it made for an awesome performance. That’s what you expect from him and I’m glad to see him finally win something on the main roster. While I’m sad to see Zayn’s Open Challenge come to an end, it wouldn’t have made sense for Dragunov to come back and lose so soon.

Post match the MFT’s run in and beat down both guys. Rey Fenix runs in for a failed save attempt. Solo Sikoa asks if we’ve all forgotten that they run Smackdown. The team will get everything his family lost and they will be champions again. The Wyatt Sicks pop up on screen to say seek and you will be find, but be worried about what is on the other side. That brings the Sicks up behind the MFT’s and the fans REALLY like this. Sikoa and company lose though.

Video on the Australia/Japan tour.

We look at the Women’s Crown Jewel Title match, with Stephanie Vaquer beating Tiffany Stratton.

Stratton isn’t happy with the loss but she’s moving forward. Kiana James comes in to say that attitude is why she wanted to represent Stratton. That doesn’t work for Stratton, who agrees to face James next week. So Rhodes and Stratton have both basically said that losing at Crown Jewel meant nothing, much like the show in general. Good to know.

Earlier today, Los Garza interrupted the Motor City Machine Guns and mocked them, with a match being set up for later tonight.

Motor City Machine Guns vs. Los Garza

Shelley and Angel start things off, with Sabin coming in with a missile dropkick into a Downward Spiral to send Angel outside. Back in and Angel gets in a shot of his own before avoiding Shelley’s charge in the corner. We take a break and come back with with Shelley still in trouble but managing to grab a neckbreaker. The diving tag brings in Sabin to clean house, with a crucifix getting two on Berto.

Everything breaks down and the Guns get the better of a slugout until Berto powerbombs Sabin for two. The Gory Bomb/slingshot flipping cutter combination gets two on Shelley and they go to the floor. Berto hits a big flipping dive but Sabin makes a blind tag. Stereo shots in the corner rock Angel and Skull & Bones connects for the pin at 9:26.

Rating: B-. That’s what I’ve been missing from the Guns, as they’re a guaranteed good match no matter who they face. It’s good to see them back in the ring, even if they aren’t in the title picture at the moment. They don’t take time to reheat so let them do their thing and get some momentum going. It’s not like they have anything better to do right now.

Fraxiom wants to find their spot but they aren’t sure how to make that happen. DIY comes in to laugh at them for saying nothing has changed in the last two months. A match is teased.

Jacob Fatu has been attacked in the back and is bleeding from the mouth. Post break Fatu is awake but won’t answer any questions about what happened.

Here is Drew McIntyre for his scheduled match with Jacob Fatu but instead he mocks Fatu’s injury. Nick Aldis comes out to threaten McIntyre if he did this but McIntyre denies the whole thing. Cue Cody Rhodes to say McIntyre knows what he did so let’s do this title match right now. The fight is on and we take a break before the opening bell.

Smackdown World Title: Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre

Rhodes is defending and in street clothes. We come back for the opening bell and McIntyre tosses him with an overhead belly to belly. Rhodes spears him down and hammers away but gets elbowed in the face for two. The Futureshock gets two and McIntyre pounds him down in the corner. Rhodes manages to fight back and scores with a Cody Cutter to send McIntyre outside. The suicide dive is cut off and McIntyre sends him into the timekeeper’s area, where Rhodes comes up with a belt shot for the DQ at 4:51.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time here and it was basically the best idea that they had given the circumstances. That’s perfectly fine, but it makes me wonder if Rhodes was the one behind the attack. He’s been frustrated due to the loss, he’s been very enthusiastic to face Jacob Fatu, and he was very direct in accusing McIntyre. Or maybe it’s someone else, but Rhodes seems to be a strong possibility.

Post match Rhodes loads up the announcers’ table but McIntyre rakes his eyes. They fight onto the table, where security breaks it up, only for Rhodes to dive off the top and take a bunch of people out to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Solid show here, even with the screwy change that wasn’t WWE’s fault. The wrestling was good tonight, with the US Title match being quite the fight and the opener being rather entertaining as well. They kept things moving here and I liked the show, which has me wondering where a lot of things are going, so nice job of setting up for the future.

Results
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Zaria/Sol Ruca – Figure Eight to Ruca
Ilja Dragunov b. Sami Zayn – H Bomb
Motor City Machine Guns b. Los Garza – Skull & Bones to Angel
Drew McIntyre b. Cody Rhodes via DQ when Rhodes used the title belt

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Smackdown
Date: October 10, 2025
Location: RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We’re on the road (and likely a boat or plane) this week as the show comes to Australia. In addition to being in a special location, we are also about twelve hours away from Crown Jewel, which should mean a strong push towards the pay per view. The Tag Team Titles are on the line as well here so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a look at the Crown Jewel titles being flown from Saudi Arabia to Australia for the show. So they can do this but not have them show up on Raw or Smackdown one time?

The men’s Crown Jewel title is in the ring and here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. Rhodes says we can talk about Seth Rollins, who has a doom and gloom thought about their upcoming Crown Jewel match. Then Rhodes heard Paul Heyman talking about the match and maybe Rollins is right. Maybe Rhodes is Rollins’ Achilles heel and maybe getting rid of the Vision is his responsibility. He thinks the people here love WWE (and the fans sing his name) and knows that there are people here who are ready to take this title from him or become the new star of the company.

He’s talking about people like Randy Orton, Rhea Ripley, Roman Reigns, Jey Uso or CM Punk, but he could be talking about Rollins as well. The fans boo and chant something about Rollins. Rhodes says he’s going to need Michael Cole to translate it. Cole has no clue but hands the microphone to Wade Barrett, who confirms the chant is “SETH IS A WA****.” Rhodes (who catches the mic with one hand) says that if the world revolves around Rollins, who is Rhodes in that world? He’s the one wrestler that Rollins cannot beat. This is a weird story, as it’s pretty much all about Rollins and Rhodes is just kind of there.

Chelsea Green comes up to Stephanie Vaquer in the back and offers her a spot in the Secret Hervice. Tiffany Stratton would never get such an offer, and here is Stratton to scare her off. Vaquer and Stratton still seem cool enough with each other before their match.

Cody Rhodes runs into Jacob Fatu, who says they’re cool but he’s coming for the title after Crown Jewel. Rhodes: “Good.” Rhodes leaves and Nick Aldis comes in to say he needs to talk to Fatu tonight. That’s fine with Fatu and Aldis leaves, with Drew McIntyre running in to jump Fatu (there is no way Aldis didn’t see him). Aldis cuts McIntyre off from crushing Fatu with a cart and McIntyre says he needs to talk to him tonight.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. ???

Zayn is defending against…Shinsuke Nakamura, who is back with his original music and seems to be the good guy version again. Somehow this is the first time the title has ever been defended in Australia. Not even on a house show? They fight over wrist control to start but neither gets anywhere so Nakamura kicks him down. The sliding German suplex in the corner drops Zayn again and we take a break.

We come back with Zayn winning a slugout but Nakamura gets in a suplex. A running kick to the face gives Nakamura two but Zayn springboards over him for a hard clothesline. The Michinoku Driver gives Zayn two and he exploders Nakamura into the corner. It’s too early for the Helluva Kick and Nakamura hits a middle rope knee to the back of the head for two of his own.

We take another break and come back with Nakamura kneeing him in the back of the head to send Zayn outside. An exploder sends Nakamura into the barricade and the Helluva Kick connects outside. Back in and Kinshasa connects but Zayn gets his foot on the rope. Scorpio Rising hits Zayn and Kinshasa is loaded up again…but someone in a hoodie pulls Nakamura to the floor for the DQ at 15:30.

Rating: B. These two have some excellent chemistry together but there is only so much that you can do when about half of the match is cut off by commercials. I do like that we got to see this again before Nakamura leaves WWE though, as he can still do well with just about anyone. Good stuff here, even with the issues holding it back.

And it’s…the returning Tama Tonga, complete with face paint. Cue all three of the MFT’s (all with face paint) to lay Zayn out. Nakamura’s save is cut off and Solo Sikoa strolls around ringside as the beatdown is on.

Drew McIntyre comes up to Nick Aldis, who makes McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu next week. Fatu comes in and the brawl is on.

Stephanie Vaquer/Tiffany Stratton vs. Giulia/Kiana James

James offers Vaquer a handshake but then knees her in the ribs instead. Not the best business offer there. Vaquer pulls her straight into the Devil’s Kiss and we take a break. We come back with James hitting a running shoulder in the corner and Giulia’s missile dropkick gets two. Vaquer enziguris her way out of trouble though and brings Stratton in to clean house.

Giulia offers a distraction but Stratton kicks James in the face. Back in and a quick northern lights bomb plants Stratton, with Vaquer having to make a save. An Alabama Slam lets Vaquer come back in as everything breaks down. Stratton makes a blind tag as Vaquer dives onto Giulia. That leaves Stratton to Regal Roll James into the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the pin at 9:29.

Rating: C+. They’re trying with Vaquer vs. Stratton but there is little that can be done to make their Crown Jewel match feel important. It feels like something that is only kind of happening and this didn’t really make it any bigger. I’ll take it over another Nia Jax match, but only by so much.

Post match we get the big staredown.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss come up to Zaria and Sol Ruca to grant them a Women’s Tag Team Title shot. Ruca and Zaria bump into each other, with the champs saying they have no communication. Charlotte and Bliss turn to leave and go different ways. Bliss: “Charlotte, this way.” Charlotte: “I knew that.” See, that’s how you make people like Charlotte. Instead of talking down to everyone and winning the Women’s Title over and over, she had a funny little moment with her partner that made her look human. Notice how much easier it’s been to watch her with Bliss?

Tag Team Titles: Street Profits vs. Wyatt Sicks

The Wyatts are defending and B-Fab is here with the Profits. The fight starts fast with Gacy being put down and a double flapjack dropping Lumis on top of him. Dawkins Pounces Lumis into the barricade and we take a break. We come back with Dawkins putting both champs on his shoulders (GEEZ) for a double Doomsday Blockbuster. Nikki Cross and B-Fab get into it on the floor, with Ford diving onto Erick Rowan. Back in and Ford misses his frog splash, allowing the Wyatts to hit the Plague and retain at 6:33. Not enough shown to rate but it was action packed while it lasted.

Post match the MFT’s come out for a staredown with the Wyatts and the fans REALLY like this. Nikki Cross gets up close to Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s leave.

We look at Carmelo Hayes and Miz splitting up last week.

Miz blames the split on Hayes, who didn’t want Miz to be the kind of mentor Miz never had. Melo missed.

Video on Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black.

Earlier today at the Kickoff Event, Seth Rollins walked off the stage with nothing to say. Even Paul Heyman seemed stunned.

Crown Jewel rundown.

Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest

Last Man Standing. Priest shrugs off some kicks to start and hammers away in the corner to knock Black outside. It’s already kendo stick time but Black kicks it out of Priest’s hands. That earns him a steps shot to the head and they fight up the aisle as we take a break. We come back with Priest kicking a kendo stick away from Black and whipping him into the barricade.

The steps are brought in and Black trips Priest face first into them, followed by a Meteora onto the steps (that looked good). Priest is up at seven and gives Black Snake Eyes onto the steps. They head outside with Priest being sent into the steps over and over. That’s good for another seven before Priest Pounces him over the announcers’ table. We take another break and come back again with Black having to beat the count for a change. Priest hits him with a kendo stick but Old School is kicked out of the air.

Black finds a chair on the floor but also finds a chokeslam onto the apron. A Razor’s Edge sends Black onto the announcers’ table (which doesn’t give) for nine so Priest does it again. Black kind of stumbles onto the floor, which counts as standing up so we keep going. They fight into the crowd and go to the tech area, where Zelina Vega pops up from the crowd. Priest will have none of Vega’s pleas for mercy but the distraction lets Black throw a fireball in Priest’s face. Black Mass off a crate and through a table gives Black the win at 18:15.

Rating: B. This was two hard hitting people beating the daylights out of each other and that worked well for a main event. I like Black and Vega being paired together as Vega going after the United States Title was beyond played out. This could be the trick that Black needs (it certainly worked for Andrade back in the day) so hopefully everyone can move on.

Black and Vega mock the injured Priest to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Rather strong show this week, even with the less than thrilling Crown Jewel being the focus. I liked the refocus on the MFT’s, who are fine as a midcard monster group, as they’ve been away long enough now. Just get us through the pay per view and build on what you did here, as the non-Crown Jewel stuff was quite good.

Results
Shinsuke Nakamura b. Sami Zayn via DQ when Tama Tonga interfered
Tiffany Stratton/Stephanie Vaquer b. Giulia/Kiana James – Prettiest Moonsault Ever to James
Wyatt Sicks b. Street Profits – Plague to Ford
Aleister Black b. Damian Priest when Priest couldn’t answer the ten count

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Smackdown
Date: September 26, 2008
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tazz

We’re still dealing with undertaker trying to stalk Vickie Guerrero and La Familia, though he might need to have more than just his arm show up this week. The other big story is Jeff Hardy still chasing HHH and the World Title, with their showdown at No Mercy coming up in less than two weeks. Throw in the question of who gets wrapped in bubble wrap this week and we’ve got a heck of a show. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Vladimir Kozlov deciding he wanted better competition and taking out Jeff Hardy and HHH last week.

Opening sequence.

Chavo Guerrero is in Vickie Guerrero’s office and is worried about the Undertaker choking him last week. Undertaker is coming for Vickie tonight so she sends him to get Big Show. Jeff Hardy pops in and says he wants Vladimir Kozlov but Vickie tells him to worry about No Mercy. Oh and their tag match tonight. Show comes in to put his arm around Vickie. This Undertaker hunts La Familia stuff is really not working.

HHH/Jeff Hardy vs. MVP/Brian Kendrick

HHH works on MVP’s arm to start and it’s off to Hardy for a top rope ax handle to the same arm. Kendrick comes in and gets headlocked but manages to take Hardy into the corner. That’s broken up rather quickly and MVP gets caught with the legdrop between the legs. HHH’s running clothesline sends MVP outside and Kendrick gets dropped onto him for the crash as we take a break.

We come back with HHH getting double teamed in the corner, followed by Kendrick hitting a dropkick for two. Kendrick misses a dive though and it’s Hardy coming in as JR calls this an “opening main event”. I’ll let you try to figure that out as Hardy misses a dive of his own for a rather delayed two, meaning MVP can come in. Some knees to the ribs slow Hardy down and Kendrick kicks him in the head for two.

MVP comes back in and slaps on a seated abdominal stretch, which is broken rather quickly. Kendrick hits a dropkick and the Whisper In The Wind, with the fans being VERY pleased. The big tag brings in HHH and everything breaks down. Hardy takes Kendrick out and MVP misses a big boot, leaving him to walk into the Pedigree for the pin.

Rating: B-. It definitely felt like a main event tag match and that’s a fine enough way to go. Hardy vs. HHH is already set for No Mercy and this was a way to move us towards the title match. The fans believe in Hardy and while it would have made more sense for him to get the pin, the result is what matters the most.

Video on the Great Khali, who is ready to face Vladimir Kozlov tonight.

Commentary thanks the fans for the CW for the last two years and the people who have worked with them over the years.

Classics On Demand: Sid/Ric Flair vs. Hogan/Piper at MSG. That sounds fun.

Here is Shelton Benjamin for a chat. He brags about being awesome in every way, which are as solid as the US Title on his shoulder. That’s why it bothers him to see R-Truth coming out here singing and dancing. What makes it even worse is the fans singing along with him…and here is R-Truth to interrupt. He asks Benjamin what’s up and Benjamin, with a bit of a quivering lip, walks out.

Brie Bella/Maria vs. Victoria/Natalya

Victoria shoves Maria down to start but she forearms her way out of trouble. Brie comes in and gets driven into the wrong corner, with Natalya wrestling her to the mat. A snap suplex gets two on Bella and Victoria comes back in for a full nelson. That’s broken up and Bella tries an anklescissors out of the corner but gets sent outside. Bella goes underneath the ring…and comes out from another side WAY too fast, apparently having grown to about eight feet tall and being incredibly flexible. Back in and Bella gets two off an X Factor before Maria’s high crossbody connects for the pin.

Rating: C. We’re getting pretty close to what is going on here and now it’s rather hard to hide the big twist. That’s what they’re showing here, which makes for an interesting future. It’s not like there is anything else going on here, but it’s nice to see some non-title feuds in the division for a change. The women can get a lot out of that kind of story, along with just offering some variety.

Video on Vladimir Kozlov.

Vladimir Kozlov vs. The Great Khali

Kozlov goes for the leg to start and gets forearmed in the back to cut that off. Instead Kozlov fires off the headbutts to the chest, only to get chopped in the head. A big boot sends Kozlov outside, where he avoids a headbutt into the post. Cue HHH to stare Kozlov down and Khali gets back inside, with HHH slugging at him. We’ll say the match was thrown out somewhere in there.

Post match the double beatdown is on until Jeff Hardy makes the save, with HHH grabbing a sledgehammer to chase the monsters away.

No Mercy rundown.

Chavo Guerrero warns Vickie Guerrero that Undertaker might get to her tonight but Big Show doesn’t want to hear this. We actually watch the video of Show beating Undertaker up, which played FOUR TIMES last week. Vickie sends Chavo to the ring for a match, which is quite the surprise.

Chavo Guerrero vs. Jimmy Wang Yang

During Guerrero’s entrance, Hurricane Helms pops up in an insert promo, telling him to run from the Undertaker. Yang dropkicks him to the floor to start but Guerrero is able to dropkick him out of the air. The armbar goes on before they go outside, where Guerrero stays on said arm. Back in and another armbar is broken up, with Yang scoring off a missile dropkick. The running spinwheel kick in the corner sets up a high crossbody for two but Yang misses the moonsault. Guerrero hits Three Amigos into a rolling Liger kick of all things for the pin.

Rating: C+. Yang is one of those valuable people who can go out there and make anyone look good. It’s kind of a shame that he’s stuck with a comedy gimmick and is little more than existing to help everyone else. You can do something else with him, maybe in a tag team, but that really doesn’t seem likely whatsoever.

Post match the lights go out and Guerrero panics.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Curt Hawkins/Zack Ryder vs. Colons

The Colons are challenging. Primo and Hawkins start things off with Primo sending him into the ropes and grabbing a jumping anklescissors. Carlito comes in and hammers away but misses a charge into the post, allowing the champs to start in on the arm. A hammerlock and slam stay on the arm, with Carlito being knocked into the corner to cut off a comeback bid.

Ryder slaps on another armbar until Carlito fights up for a sunset flip, only for Ryder to bring Hawkins back in. Carlito is dumped out to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Carlito fighting out of a chinlock and sending the champions (with a loud CRACK) into each other. Primo comes back in to slug away but gets rolled up by Ryder for two. Carlito gets a blind tag though and hits a Backstabber for the fast pin and the titles.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t overly entertaining and I rewound the ending a few times as I kept thinking I was missing something. Carlito and Primo aren’t exactly a red hot team but it’s not like Hawkins and Ryder were doing anything impressive anyway. It’s a nice way to send things over to MyNetworkTV as a title change always feels at least somewhat important.

Minor note: when Carlito gets the pin, he celebrates a bit, which should be the case when you win something. Do that more often.

Post match Jesse and Festus come out with the moving van.

We cut to the back where Chavo Guerrero is panicking over the Undertaker. Vickie Guerrero and Big Show are going to the ring, with Guerrero agreeing to join them out of fear.

During the break, Jesse and Festus moved some stuff into their van, which had Ryan Braddock and Kenny Dykstra.

Here are Big Show and the Guerreros for a chat. After some EXCUSE ME’s, Vickie calls out Undertaker, who has physically and mentally obliterated Edge. We look back at Unforgiven (sweet goodness move on) and come back to the arena, where Show promises to destroy the Undertaker.

The lights go out and Chavo disappears…and then Undertaker is choking Guerrero backstage. Show gives chase and we see Undertaker destroying Chavo even more. The screen goes to static so Tazz tries to go interview Vickie, but the lights go out again. Tazz is instantly back on commentary and Undertaker is alone in the ring with Vickie. A Tombstone ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. The title change was a nice moment and Hardy vs. HHH is being set up well, but egads this Vickie/Undertaker stuff is not working. Unfortunately that’s one of the dominant stories on the show right now and it’s making for such a dull portion week after week. I liked parts of the show, but once HHH and Hardy were gone, the interest went sailing out the window.

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Smackdown
Date: October 3, 2025
Location: Heritage Bank Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, Booker T.

We’re just over a week away from Crown Jewel, meaning it’s time to keep going with the build to the champion vs. champion matches. In this case though, we have Cody Rhodes teaming up with Randy Orton to face the Vision, which should make for a heck of a big time match. In addition, we have a contract signing and you know those always go well. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. Rhodes asks what the fans want to talk about but gets cut off by Paul Heyman, with the Vision. Randy Orton runs in to even things out a bit but Heyman hits the catchphrase instead of sending in the monsters. Heyman says they’re here to talk to Orton, who is a hard man to reach.

They knew that they could get Orton here by cornering Rhodes and, after mocking the RKO chants, Heyman moves to tonight’s tag match. Heyman wonders how it’s going to go, as Orton will either be thinking he could be a better champion than Rhodes or Rhodes will wonder where Orton was when they lose. Rhodes vs. Orton is going to happen someday and Wrestlemania wouldn’t shock me.

Miz yells at Carmelo Hayes for not helping him last week. Hayes tells them that this is done, and Miz should be happy because Hayes usually shoots first.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. ???

Zayn is defending against…Carmelo Hayes, who says they’ve done this before but this time there is no one holding him back. Cue Miz with a Skull Crushing Finale to Hayes though and it seems we’ll need a new challenger.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. Aleister Black

Zayn is defending and snaps off some armdrags to start fast. Back up and Black scores with a kick to the face to take over, followed by another to the chest. We take a break and come back with Zayn striking away in the corner and clotheslining him out to the floor. A springboard moonsault drops Black again and a Michinoku Driver gives Zayn two. Black goes with another kick though and gets two off a bridging German suplex.

The Blue Thunder Bomb is blocked and Black sweeps the leg into an Oklahoma roll for two. Zayn catches him on top though and gets in a superplex as we take another break. We come back again with Black kneeing him out of the air for two before striking away in the corner. Zayn misses a quick Helluva Kick attempt and gets Meteoraed down for two more. Cue Damian Priest for a distraction though and it’s the Helluva Kick into the Blue Thunder Bomb to retain Zayn’s title at 15:19.

Rating: B. You can almost pencil in Zayn for a good match every time he does one of these things and that’s the right idea. Black is a nice choice for something like this and the ending should set up at least one more big Priest vs. Black match. At the same time, I’m curious to see where Miz vs. Hayes goes, along with whomever Zayn gets to face next.

Post match Priest sends Black through a table.

Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre interrupt Sol Ruca and Zaria with Nick Aldis. Green wants them in the Secret Hervice but gets a match against them instead.

Chelsea Green/Alba Fyre vs. Sol Ruca/Zaria

Fyre backs Zaria into the corner to start but gets choked for her efforts. Zaria’s middle rope clothesline drops Fyre and it’s off to Green, who has about the same luck. Ruca gets two off an X Factor but Fyre gets in a cheap shot so Green can kick Ruca in the face. A gordbuster into a basement superkick gets two on Ruca, who pops right back up with a Sol Snatcher to pin Green at 3:49.

Rating: C+. Oh they know what they have with Ruca, who is coming off as more and more of a star every time she’s out there. She has the look, the athleticism and the charisma to become a big deal. If that continues to build, we very well could be in for a heck of a star run from her in the coming years. Zaria is a bit harder to figure out, but WWE seems to be ready to give Ruca a chance, as they should.

Charlotte and Alexa Bliss are impressed and sure, Ruca and Zaria might get a title shot one day.

We look back at Roman Reigns’ return on Raw.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are cool with each other.

Here is Nick Aldis to run the contract signing between Tiffany Stratton and Stephanie Vaquer. They stare at each other a bit and Vaquer says may the best woman win. Stratton says she’ll win because it doesn’t matter where they are, as it will ALWAYS be Tiffy Time. They both sign and Aldis hypes up the match before Stratton leaves. Cue Kiana James and Giulia to jump Stratton and say Vaquer isn’t a superstar just yet. James offers to represent Vaquer but Stratton is back up to pull James to the floor. Vaquer goes after Giulia, who escapes an SVB attempt.

Earlier today, Je’Von Evans talked to Nick Aldis, who thinks Evans has a big future on Smackdown. Rey Fenix came in to talk to Evans but Los Garza came in to mock them. A tag match was set for tonight.

Jacob Fatu is tired of hearing people whining, which is why he interrupted Drew McIntyre last week. He’s going to the top and McIntyre isn’t stopping him.

Je’Von Evans/Rey Fenix vs. Los Garza

Evans springboards into a rollup for an early two on Berto, who comes back with a dropkick for two of his own. Angel gets a blind tag and catches Evans with a kick to the head but Fenix comes in for a heck of a running flip dive. Evans hits an even bigger dive and we take a break.

We come back with Fenix slipping away from Angel and hitting him with a running shot to the face. Everything breaks down and Los Garza hit a powerbomb/World’s Strongest Slam combination for two on Evans. Back up and Evans kicks both of them down, including knocking Angel outside. Berto’s rollup with the ropes gets two but Fenix makes a blind tag. Evans’ top rope cutter drops Angel, leaving Fenix to hit the MMB for the pin on Garza at 9:09.

Rating: B-. I’m not sure what is next for Evans, but he’s another case where WWE seems to think quite a bit of him and that means he is likely going to be getting a lot more focus sooner than later. While it might be a bit too early for him, he is living up to the hype thus far and that is impressive. Fenix on the other hand is just kind of “the guy who teams with everyone else” and that’s only going to get him so far.

Damian Priest says he is the consequences for Aleister Black. Kit Wilson, in his wheelchair, comes in to call Priest out for his toxicity. Priest sends the wheelchair crashing into various things. He’ll also face Black next week, Last Man Standing.

Tala Tonga loves Solo Sikoa, who thinks there is still something missing.

The Street Profits, with B-Fab, are ready for the Wyatt Sicks next week and they’re fighting for each other. The Wyatts pop up on a screen behind them to point out the issues the Profits have been having.

Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes vs. Vision

Paul Heyman is here with the Vision. Orton and Breakker start things off with Breakker being knocked outside. We take an early break and come back with Orton fighting out of Reed’s chinlock. Reed gets sent shoulder first into the post, allowing the tag off to Rhodes. The Disaster Kick into a suicide dive connects but Reed is up at one back inside.

Breakker gets in a cheap shot from behind though and Rhodes is in trouble for a change. Reed knocks him down again and mocks Roman Reigns’ pose as we take another break. We come back again with Breakker powering Rhodes into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs. Breakker mocks the fans’ RHODES chants before raining down some right hands, mainly because Breakker is an awesome villain.

Rhodes slips out though and drops Reed, allowing the diving tag off to Orton. Powerslams abound but Reed catches Orton with the Jagged Edge. The Tsunami is broken up though and Orton gets in a superplex to Reed, with Breakker breaking it up. Breakker also breaks the barricade with a spear to Rhodes and take him out. Cue Seth Rollins to Stomp Orton, meaning Reed can hit the Tsunami for the pin at 15:16.

Rating: B. This was a good way to go with the main event and it felt like a main event tag match. Rollins coming in to screw Rhodes over makes sense, even if it came by attacking Orton. That’s a logical way to go and now we could be in for Orton getting some revenge sooner than later. Or maybe after Crown Jewel, which is the big deal that WWE is focusing on at the moment.

Post match Rollins wants to go after Rhodes again but Heyman says no, as Rhodes is in his head. Rollins goes in anyway and is promptly Cross Rhodesed to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This week saw a nice mixture of up and coming stars, plus some matches that helped boost the bigger stories around here. If nothing else, it was nice to see less of a focus on the Crown Jewel Title matches, as those are both pretty much set. The ending was a nice way to go and boosted up Rhodes vs. Rollins without hammering it into the ground again. Rather nice show here, and the future is looking nice around here.

Results
Sami Zayn b. Aleister Black – Blue Thunder Bomb
Sol Ruca/Zaria b. Chelsea Green/Alba Fyre – Sol Snatcher to Green
Je’Von Evans/Rey Fenix b. Los Garza – MMB to Garza
Vision b. Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes – Tsunami to Orton

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Smackdown
Date: September 26, 2025
Location: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Booker T.

We’re done with Wrestlepalooza and things have kind of reset, with Cody Rhodes retaining the Smackdown World Title over Drew McIntyre. Normally that would mean a new challenger emerging but instead we have Crown Jewel and champion vs. champion coming up for the next few weeks. Other than that, the Women’s Title is on the line in a three way so let’s get to it.

Here is Wrestlepalooza if you need a recap.

Long Wrestlepalooza recap, including a shot from the post show of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins having a staredown.

Here is Paul Heyman for a chat. He has a lot to talk about and paraphrases a “secondary champion” by asking what we want to talk about. The fans cut him off with an OTC chant but Heyman points out that Reigns was stretchered out of Paris by Bronson Reed. Maybe we should talk about Bron Breakker, who will be the star of the next ten years? Or maybe the conspiracy theories about Brock Lesnar? Either way, here is Cody Rhodes to interrupt.

Rhodes apologizes for calling Heyman a goon last week, so he wants to hear about Brock Lesnar. We look at a still of Heyman introducing Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza and Rhodes suggests that it wasn’t a one night thing. Is he talking to the Oracle, a wiseman, or an advocate? Heyman: “You’re talking to the GOAT.” The reality is that Lesnar is going to put everyone in danger but here is the Vision.

Rhodes says it’s about time they met, because he knows what it’s like to be the son of a legend. He grew up the son of a booker and was around all kinds of people in wrestling but he always knew where their loyalties lied. Where do Heyman’s loyalties lie though? No one knows, but they aren’t with Breakker. The fight is teased and Rhodes takes his watch off but the numbers get the better of him in a hurry. The beatdown is on until Randy Orton runs in for the save. That’s a heck of a tag match whenever they get around to it, along with the eventual Rhodes vs. Orton title match.

The Street Profits talk about how they have issues at times but the goal is always the same.

Street Profits vs. Carmelo Hayes/The Miz

For a future Tag Team Title shot. Miz rolls Ford up a few times to start and it’s off to Hayes, who gets his own rollup for two. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the Profits clear the ring but Hayes dropkicks Dawkins on the floor. We take a break and come back with Miz DDTing Ford for two and Hayes knocks Dawkins off the apron in a smart move.

Ford slips out of a belly to back suplex but Miz is right there to pull Dawkins down. The First 48 connects and Hayes loads up Nothing But Net, only for Miz to tag himself in. The argument is on, allowing the tag off to Dawkins. A Sky High into the frog splash gives Ford the pin at 9:28 (with Hayes glaring at Miz rather than making the save).

Rating: C+. Good enough match, with the Profits seemingly getting back on the same page. The question now is whether or not that is maintained at the title match, as the Wyatts are the reason for their strife in the first place. At the same time, Miz and Hayes are still having issues, which has been the case since they got together in the first place.

The Wyatt Sicks come out for the staredown.

Jade Cargill is tired of Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax so she’s ready to become champion. Stephanie Vaquer comes in and Cargill says she’s coming for her at Crown Jewel.

Giulia/Kiana James vs. Michin/B-Fab

B-Fab forearms at James to start and gets two off a basement clothesline. Giulia comes in for a running dropkick and sends B-Fab down hard, only for B-Fab to hit a running dropkick. Michin comes in and everything breaks down with the fight heading outside. Michin’s dropkick off the announcers’ table hits Giulia and we take a break.

We come back with James kicking B-Fan in the face so Giulia can hit a missile dropkick for two. B-Fab fights out of trouble though and it’s off to Michin to take over. Everything breaks down and Michin hits Eat Defeat on James. Giulia comes back in with the running knee though, followed by the northern lights bomb for the pin at 10:14.

Rating: C. Michin and B-Fab haven’t felt like viable challengers to Giulia so there wasn’t much of a reason to believe that they were going to win here. James was fine as backup for Giulia, who needs to string together a few wins. There are only so many challengers for the title, but Michin and B-Fab need to move on already as it doesn’t feel like they’re any kind of a threat to Giulia.

Sol Ruca and Zaria (from NXT) come in to ask Charlotte and Alexa Bliss for a Women’s Tag Team Title shot. Charlotte says you can’t just wave your hand and get a title shot, which Zaria finds funny. Bliss tells them to go prove themselves, with Charlotte liking the assertiveness.

Video on the Crown Jewel Title matches.

Here is Drew McIntyre, in a walking boot, for a chat. McIntyre talks about his history in Orlando, including returning to WWE in 2017 and winning his second WWE Title. He should be here with the title but Cody Rhodes was one step ahead. The referee cost him the title because it should have been a disqualification. Do the referees work for WWE or for Rhodes? Cue Nick Aldis to interrupt who says McIntyre shouldn’t make excuses because he’s better than that. That boot didn’t come from the WWE medical team but McIntyre calls himself a champion without a championship.

Cue Jacob Fatu and this should be interesting. Fatu takes the mic from McIntyre and tells him to shut up and stop b*******. McIntyre asks who Fatu thinks he is so Fatu hits his catchphrase. A Glasgow Kiss staggers Fatu, who is right back with a superkick and a shot with McIntyre’s medical boot. Yeah Fatu getting elevated like this is a good sign and he seems ready for the spot.

Stephanie Vaquer comes in to see Tiffany Stratton, saying they might face off at Crown Jewel. Stratton respects Vaquer, but will put her in the ground if they meet.

Rey Fenix and Sami Zayn are good after last week and Fenix is looking forward to finding out who is next for the US Open Challenge.

Solo Sikoa praises JC Mateo, who says he loves Sikoa.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. ???

Zayn is defending against…NXT’s Je’Von Evans (a young and talented high flier). As luck would have it, Evans’ opponent at tomorrow’s NXT No Mercy, Josh Briggs, is here too. They trade armdrags to start and Evans takes him into the corner for a chop. A top rope hurricanrana takes Zayn down but he cuts a dive off with a running clothesline.

We take a break and come back with Evans hitting a heck of a dive to take Zayn out on the floor. A spinning kick to the face gives Evans two so Zayn fights back and goes up. That’s fine with Evans, who runs up the corner for a super hurricanrana and another near fall. The springboard spinning splash misses for Evans but he misses a Helluva Kick. Evans’ top rope cutter connects for two but he misses a charge, allowing Zayn to hit the Helluva Kick. The Blue Thunder Bomb retains the title at 10:17.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a showcase for Evans, who went out there and gave it everything he had, even in defeat. Evans started off rough in his career but he has turned into a rather entertaining star as he’s figured a lot of what he needs to do. It was a fast paced match and Zayn had to wait for the opening to catch him, which made for a good story. Heck of a match here.

Chelsea Green offers Nia Jax in the Secret Hervice but Jax rips up the offer. Jax runs into Stephanie Vaquer and threatens her.

Kit Wilson complains to Damian Priest about his toxic, patriarchal attitude last week. Priest lunges at him and Wilson falls down. Priest: “B****** be tripping huh?” Aleister Black comes up from behind and kicks Priest in the head, followed by some mockery.

Women’s Title: Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax vs. Jade Cargill

Stratton is defending and gets knocked down to start, leaving Jax to shrug off Cargill’s running shoulder. Stratton dropkicks them both down and we take a break. We come back with Stratton’s suicide dive getting caught in the ropes so Cargill sends her back inside. Jax runs both of them over but gets caught on to. Cargill chokes Stratton but gets legdropped by Jax, leaving Stratton to hit a Swanton for two.

We take another break and come back again with a double superplex dropping Jax to leave everyone down. Stratton gives Cargill a Regal Roll and the Prettiest Moonsault Ever hits Jax, with Cargill making a save. Jaded hits Stratton so Jax pulls the referee out at two. Jax busts Cargill open so Cargill gives her a Samoan drop on the steps (geez).

We pause for the referee to try to close the cut on Cargill’s head but Cargill comes back in for the Eye of the Storm on Jax, with Stratton making the (late) save. Stratton covers and the referee just stops counting at two, with Jax clearly yelling at her as a result. Stratton pops up and hits The Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Jax to retain the title at 13:55.

Rating: C+. That botched kickout sequence at the end was terrible and brought things down a good bit. I’m assuming Cargill was supposed to make the save, but at least Stratton was smart enough to get up and hit the finish to get out of there. Either way, Stratton gets the two out of the way for the time being and can move on to the…well really the far less important match but it’s what we’re getting anyway.

Post match Stephanie Vaquer comes out for the staredown with Stratton to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I cannot bring myself to get into this Crown Jewel stuff as it feels so unimportant. I know it’s treated as a big deal at the time, but the whole thing is then basically ignored for eleven months. Why should I care about it if WWE doesn’t? That was one of the big focal points of this show, though the Zayn vs. Evans match was a lot of fun. It’s definitely not a bad show, but I’m really looking forward to moving on past the champion vs. champion stuff as it feels like such an unimportant side trip.

Results
Street Profits b. Carmelo Hayes/The Miz – Frog splash to Miz
Giulia/Kiana James b. Michin/B-Fab – Northern lights bomb to Michin
Sami Zayn b. Je’Von Evans – Blue Thunder Bomb
Tiffany Stratton b. Nia Jax and Jade Cargill – Prettiest Moonsault Ever to Jax

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Smackdown
Date: September 19, 2025
Location: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the last show before this weekend’s Wrestlepalooza and that means we’re going to be seeing Brock Lesnar before he faces John Cena. That likely means some serious violence, as tends to be Lesnar’s tradition. We’ve also got Sami Zayn defending the US Title against Carmelo Hayes. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Michael Cole starts welcoming us to the show but is told that he needs to head to the back for a sitdown interview with Brock Lesnar. As Cole goes to the back, Lesnar comes out to interrupt though and carries Cole around the ring. Then he puts Cole inside said ring, which draws Graves in for some attempted peacekeeping. Lesnar lays him out with an F5 and then grabs the camera to shout that he’s coming for John Cena’s blood. That’s not enough though as Lesnar hits another F5 on Graves.

Post break, Graves is still pretty much destroyed and we look at the segment again.

Lesnar is walking through the back and runs into the Vision. He says he and Paul Heyman should talk, with Heyman smiling and nodding. With Lesnar gone, Nick Aldis comes in to say this isn’t the time for the Vision. He has too much going on but Heyman says he’s here to broker a peace with the Usos. Aldis says Heyman likely knows that the Usos are already in Indianapolis, so Heyman says they’ll just enjoy the show.

Michael Cole is back on commentary and is rather disturbed by the whole thing.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. Chelsea Green/Alba Fyre

Charlotte and Bliss are defending. Charlotte drops Green to start fast and everything breaks down, with Green taking Bliss into the corner. We take a break and come back with Miz having joined commentary and Bliss diving for a tag. Fyre pulls Charlotte off the apron though, only for Green to miss a charge into the post. That’s enough for the tag to Charlotte, who tries to fight back but has her moonsault broken up. Charlotte saves Bliss from a double suplex and Natural Selection finishes Green at 7:54.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time here when you factor out the commercial but Charlotte and Bliss are turning into some rather dominant champions. Unfortunately that becomes a problem when they don’t have many high level teams to face, but I’m liking their matches more and more. It’s something that is working well and if they can keep that up, they might be able to break the curse that these belts seem to have.

B-Fab tries to get the Street Profits on the same page but Michin needs to talk to her. The Profits talk about wanting to get the Tag Team Titles back and things seem to be good. Ford leaves so Bo Dallas comes in to talk to Dawkins. That brings Ford back to cut Dallas off, with the Wyatt Sicks coming in to take out the Profits.

R-Truth, in a neck brace, explains how to order the ESPN App to Los Garza.

Fraxiom comes to the ring for a match but the Vision jumps them from behind, with Heyman saying Fraxiom reminds him of the Usos. Fraxiom is back in with some dropkicks to the floor and some dives so Nick Aldis comes out to make the match.

Vision vs. Fraxiom

We’re joined in progress with Breakker taking Axiom to the top but getting knocked down. Breakker hits a heck of a running clothesline and it’s off to Reed for a backsplash. It’s back to Breakker to load up the Super Spear, which is cut off by Axiom’s dropkick. Frazer comes in to kick Reed down and hit a frog splash for two. A Phoenix splash misses though and Reed hits the Jagged Edge. Axiom goes up after Reed but gets shoved off, right into a Super Spear. The Tsunami finishes Frazer at 3:57.

Rating: C+. This was a good enough match for a quick destruction as Fraxiom was only able to do so much here. That’s the right idea too as the Vision has their biggest match to date tomorrow and it’s nice to give them a bit of momentum on the way there. At the same time, it’s kind of a shame to see Fraxiom falling down the ranks, as they’ve gone from being a fun team close to the titles to this in just a few months.

Post match Heyman handles the announcement but the Usos pop up from Indianapolis, saying that it’ll be a different kind of match tomorrow.

We look at WWE stars appearing on ESPN programming.

Here is Nia Jax for a chat. She insults Toledo and talks about how this division is getting on her nerves. The reality is she is the alpha of this division and mocks Tiffany Stratton’s catchphrase in a funny bit. Then you have Jade Cargill, who looks incredible until the bell rings. Jax is the alpha but here is Stratton to interrupt. Stratton is sick of Jax running her mouth and doesn’t think Cargill is a superhero, but here is Cargill to shove her way to the ring. Nick Aldis comes in to calm it down, saying it’s a triple threat for the title next week.

R-Truth explains ESPN to the Motor City Machine Guns and Rey Fenix. Then he puts his phone in a toaster.

We look at the Lesnar beatdown again.

United States Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Sami Zayn

Zayn is defending and Miz is VERY enthusiastic about Hayes. They fight over wrist control to start until Hayes is back with a dropkick. Back up and Zayn punches him into the corner for some right hands but Hayes is right back with the Fadeaway. We take a break and come back with Hayes dropping a knee for two. Some chops against the ropes wake Zayn up and a middle rope ax handle puts Hayes down.

A tornado DDT gives Zayn two, followed by a Michinoku Driver for the same. Hayes is back up with a knee but his frog splash only hits raised knees. We take another break and come back with Hayes blocking an exploder. Instead he knocks Zayn down and hits the frog splash for two. Hayes’ First 48 gets two and the suplex cutter drops Zayn again. Zayn is right back up with a kick to the face and the Blue Thunder Bomb retains at 15:07.

Rating: B. This is exactly the point of the US Open Challenges, as you have Zayn out there giving Hayes a chance to showcase himself for a change. It helps that the match got some time rather than being rushed, making it feel like a struggle. I could go for a few months of this, and there is a good chance that’s what we’ll be getting.

Damian Priest storms into Nick Aldis’ office and wants Aleister Black next week. Kit Wilson, who was in Aldis’ office, accuses Priest of toxic masculinity. He is then thrown through a wall.

Cody Rhodes explains how to watch Wrestlepalooza.

We get the second half of the John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar history, starting with Cena becoming the biggest star in the world during Lesnar’s absence. Meanwhile, Lesnar became the UFC Heavyweight Champion and turned into an even scarier human being. Then Lesnar returned to WWE in 2012 and wrecked a bunch of people, including Cena in a long form squash at Summerslam 2014 (the first F5 had me screaming at my TV). We’ll get the last part on the Kickoff Show tomorrow.

Wrestlepalooza rundown.

We recap Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre.

Solo Sikoa talks about how Tonga Loa has been part of the team since the beginning and Sikoa let him down by not making him a champion. Loa confirms his love for Sikoa. That’s not a great sign for Sikoa’s future, as he and Loa were all alone here.

It’s time for the contract signing, with Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes joining Nick Aldis in the ring. Before they sign, Rhodes actually brings up their time as Tag Team Champions. The thing is though, not everyone cares about that and just want to see people fight. Lately, the only kind of warrior McIntyre has been is a keyboard warrior (the fans gasp at that) and McIntyre busts out his phone to post THANK YOU CODY. McIntyre talks about how Rhodes is a company man but he’s been in Rhodes’ spot before.

What happens when Rhodes loses? He’ll be in McIntyre’s spot, talking about how things used to be. They both sign in a hurry and the brawl is on again, with McIntyre getting the better of things. He teases the Claymore through the announcers’ table but stops, because it would cost him the match tomorrow. Rhodes gets back up and they brawl even more, with McIntyre hitting a Claymore to end the show. This was a simple segment, but it did boost the match up in a rather needed way.

Overall Rating: B-. The wrestling wasn’t exactly great this week, with only Zayn vs. Hayes going that well. At the same time though, they did a nice job of getting things ready for the pay per view. Wrestlepalooza is feeling like a major show and the contract signing helped it out a bit. There is going to be some pressure on them tomorrow, but this wound up being a good enough show to get them to the big event.

Results
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Chelsea Green/Alba Fyre – Natural Selection to Green
Vision b. Fraxiom – Tsunami to Frazer
Sami Zayn b. Carmelo Hayes – Blue Thunder Bomb

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Smackdown
Date: September 12, 2025
Location: Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re just over a week away from Wrestlepalooza and that makes it’s time to have Brock Lesnar around. With John Cena not here, it’s time to see who else Lesnar can smash, with Sami Zayn being a possibility. Other than that, Randy Orton is facing Drew McIntyre in what should be a good one. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of John Cena vs. Sami Zayn last week, with Brock Lesnar interrupting to take them both out.

Here is Lesnar to get things going and the fans aren’t wild on seeing him. Lesnar gets a mic but here is R-Truth of all people to interrupt. Lesnar tells him to shut up but R-Truth wants to be the first star to welcome him back. That makes Lesnar smile, but R-Truth makes the mistake of saying he used to be scared of him. Lesnar isn’t sure who R-Truth is so R-Truth says that John Cena is his older brother.

Lesnar: “How old are you and what is your name?” The reality is Lesnar is here to find Cena, but if R-Truth doesn’t know where Cena is, why is he here? R-Truth is here to defend his older brother, because his name is Ron Cena. He’s here to stop the disrespect from Lesnar, because Cena went nuts this year.

Super Cena is coming for Lesnar and he is filled with hustle, loyalty, respect, and tears from the kid he made cry a few months ago. Lesnar confirms R-Truth’s identity (with R-Truth getting confused for a bit) but points out that he’s missing a tooth. The F5 lays R-Truth out and Lesnar splits his pants in the process. Lesnar finds it funny and points out that he’s wearing blue underwear.

Sami Zayn is happy to restart the US Open challenge and he’s glad that someone is his first challenger. And it’s Rey Fenix. Ok then.

Solo Sikoa talks about the sacrifices he made to win the US Title, including attacking his own flesh and blood. Just to prove what? Sikoa snaps as he talks about losing the title but calms down to say he’s lost everything. Change is going to happen sooner than later and he’s going to get everything back.

US Title: Sami Zayn vs. Rey Fenix

Zayn is defending. An armdrag takes Fenix down to start but he’s back up with the rather bouncy armdrag. Zayn is sent outside and a tease of something like a 619 has him backing up as we take a break. We come back with Zayn hitting a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker but Fenix sends him outside. The big running corkscrew dive takes Zayn down and a high crossbody drops him for two back inside.

Back up and the Blue Thunder Bomb is countered into a hurricanrana, followed by a superkick to give Fenix two. Fenix misses a great looking moonsault but Zayn misses the Helluva Kick. A rolling DDT gives Fenix a VERY close two and we take another break. We come back again with Fenix slipping out of a fireman’s carry on the top.

Fenix kicks him down and hits the moonsault for two but backflips into a Blue Thunder Bomb to give Zayn his own near fall. The exploder sends Fenix into the corner but he’s back with a hurricanrana for (a slow) two. Fenix misses a springboard kick in the corner and gets explodered. Now the Helluva Kick can retain the title at 15:49.

Rating: B+. This was definitely in the vein of the John Cena US Open Challenge, as Fenix is someone talented with nothing to do but he gets a chance to let it all hang out here. Fenix was trying everything he could here and it was pretty easily his best match in WWE. If this is what we’ll be seeing from Zayn every week, we’ll be in for a great time.

B-Fab was interrupted by Giulia and Kiana James and cattiness ensued.

The Wyatt Sicks talk about the cracks in the Street Profits, who can either split up or be destroyed. So where do the Profits go from here? Follow the buzzards.

Giulia vs. B-Fab

Non-title. Giulia jumps her before the bell to start and sends B-Fab into the barricade. Back in and Kiana James stomps on B-Fab, allowing Giulia to hit the big knee. Michin runs in for the save. No match.

Aleister Black says Damien Priest can either keep fighting or give up.

Women’s Title: Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton

Stratton is defending and hits a dropkick to cut off a charging Cargill. Back up and Cargill snaps off a powerslam. Back up and Stratton sends her to the floor for a dive and we take a break. We come back with Stratton hitting a clothesline but having to hurricanrana her way out of a powerbomb. Stratton’s handspring elbow connects in the corner and a basement dropkick drops Cargill again.

A Swanton hits Cargill for two and she is sent outside, where Stratton’s baseball slide is cut off. Back in and Stratton hits a Regal Roll but the Prettiest Moonsault Ever is cut off. A Blue Thunder Bomb out of the corner gets two so Cargill seems to kiss her on the cheek. The ensuing rollup is countered into a rollup to give Stratton two and she hits an Alabama Slam.

Stratton’s Prettiest Moonsault Ever misses again and Cargill blasts her with a pump kick. They slug it out on the steps and Cargill misses a charge into the post, allowing Stratton to hit another basement dropkick. The moonsault to the floor misses though and Cargill tackles her through the barricade for the double countout at 11:10.

Rating: C+. It was better than their Summerslam match, but you could see that they were missing some stuff here and there. The double countout is designed to set up a rematch and I’ve heard worse ideas, as these two do have some chemistry together. The problem is they’re still both relatively inexperienced at this level (especially Cargill) and that’s creating some issues in their matches. Still though, not a bad idea for an ending, as the pay per view rematch should be better.

Post match Nia Jax runs in and takes them both out. That probably sets up a triple threat title match, because that’s what we do around here.

Nick Aldis is cut off by Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre, who want their title shot. Green thinks Charlotte is being protected and threats are made, with Aldis giving them the next Women’s Tag Team Title shot after NXT Homecoming next week. Aldis goes to leave but Miz comes in, only to be told that Carmelo Hayes has already talked to him about an opportunity. No specifics are given, but Miz is pleased.

We get a long and rather detailed look at John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, including training footage of their early days in OVW. They worked their way up through the ranks and had their own style but it was clear that they were going to be big deals. Lesnar would become the star first, while Cena took more time but wound up being a much longer term star as Lesnar was only around for about two years. They finally got together on the main roster and had a few matches but then Lesnar left due to the schedule. The night Lesnar left, Cena won his first title. Part two next week. As usual, WWE does these things incredibly well.

Rey Mysterio hypes up Worlds Collide but Dominik Mysterio interrupts, promising to win the Mega Title. Rey isn’t convinced but Dominik says how about Rey puts the title around his waist when he wins. Rey: “IF you win.” Finn Balor comes in and tells Dominik to prove himself by winning alone. Dominik isn’t sure.

Sami Zayn praises Rey Fenix but Carmelo Hayes comes in to say he’s got next. Works for Zayn, who tells him to not miss. Hayes is happy but Miz comes in and asks what that was. Apparently Hayes talked to Aldis about a title opportunity, meaning for the US Title. Miz freaks out and says he’s trying to guide him to the Tag Team Titles, but Hayes wants some trust.

Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton

Orton takes him into the corner for some right hands to start but seems to tweak his ankle coming back down. A clothesline puts McIntyre on the floor and we take a break. We come back with Orton favoring his knee but being able to hit a suplex anyway. Orton drops a knee but hurts himself in the process, allowing McIntyre to hit a chop block. The Figure Four stays on the leg but Orton turns it over and they head outside.

McIntyre goes to the eyes to cut Orton off though and drops him onto the announcers’ table. Another chop block cuts Orton down again and we take another break. We come back with McIntyre staying on the leg and taking him up the aisle to keep up the beating. Back in and Orton pokes him in the eye (the ensuing shrug is funny) but gets dropped without much trouble. The Figure Four is loaded up again but this time Orton kicks him into the post for the block.

Orton’s powerslam gets two and the fans are wanting an RKO. They head outside with Orton getting in the drop onto the announcers’ table but McIntyre manages a Claymore. Ont he way back in, Orton hits the RKO but McIntyre rolls outside. Back in and the hanging DDT connects and Orton loads up the Punt, with the referee cutting him off. Orton tries it anyway but hurts the knee, allowing McIntyre to shove him towards (but not into) the referee. The Claymore finishes Orton at 17:40.

Rating: B. This was a pay per view level match and it’s great to see McIntyre get a win in a pretty high profile match. McIntyre is pretty clearly next in line for Cody Rhodes and this was a good warmup match to get him there. Orton losing to anyone is a big deal so it’s nice to see this work out so well.

Post match McIntyre loads up the Claymore against the announcers’ table but Cody Rhodes is back. Rhodes beats McIntyre down and says he’ll see him at Wrestlepalooza. Dang that show is stacked.

Overall Rating: B+. I can go for a show that is built around the wrestling side of things and that is exactly what we got here. The focus was on the in-ring side of things, with the opener being rather awesome and the main event being pay per view worthy. The women’s match was good enough and the backstage segments in the middle made for some nice filler segments. Rather good show here, as you don’t get a pair of TV matches that good very often.

Results
Sami Zayn b. Rey Fenix – Helluva Kick
Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill went to a double countout
Drew McIntyre b. Randy Orton – Claymore

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