Let’s get into the results:

WWE Women’s Tag Team titles: Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY (c) def. Guilia and Kiana James

Carmelo Hayes def. The Miz

Elimination Chamber qualifier: Tiffany Stratton def. Lash Legend and Chelsea Green

Oba Femi def. Kit Wilson

Tama Tonga def. Shinsuke Nakamura

Jade Cargill and Jordynne Grace def. Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan

Elimination Chamber qualifier: Randy Orton def. Solo Sikoa and Aleister Black

Notes:

Drew McIntyre attempts to open SmackDown, but Cody Rhodes attacks him. His best line refers to CM Punk and Roman Reigns having a d*** measuring contest and they’re glad he isn’t in it because there’s a reason he’s nicknames ‘Raheem’ – that’s a wild line if I’ve ever heard one!

He threatens that Drew will not make it to WrestleMania. His focus is squarely on the WWE Undisputed Heavyweight champion.

Nick Aldis asks Cody Rhodes to leave the building, threatening to pull him from next week’s Elimination Chamber qualifier if he doesn’t. He leaves.

Aleister Black interrupts Randy Orton’s backstage interview to tell him it’s great WWE still has him after two legends retired… “at least one part of you.”

Kit Wilson gave another stupidly entertaining promo before Oba Femit turned up to destroy him.

McIntyre tries to come out and talk again, this time Jacob Fatu appears and beats the brakes off of him.

Johnny Gargano was laid out depressed backstage. Axiom and Motor City Machine Guns had zero sympathy despite Candice LeRae’s please.

Nia Jax and Lash Legend interrupt Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY talking backstage and insist they are heading to see Nick Aldis to get their title match.

Rare Apollo Crews sighting! He’s standing with Matt Cardona as Kit Wilson gives him a frustrated dressing down backstage.

Raquel Rodriguez accidentally gives Liv Morgan the big boot during their tag team match…

Sami Zayn was meandering backstage looking depressed. Rey Fenix tried to cheer him up, but Trick Williams arrived to deliver some more slander. It did more for Fenix v Williams than anything else; Zayn said nothing.

Jordynne Grace vs Jade Cargill for the title next week is made.

Drew McIntyre finally does speak. He addresses the digs Reigns and Punk made against him Monday night on RAW. He also makes a compelling argument for why his world title has the most prestige. After a cracking promo, Trick Williams arrives as McIntyre is leaving and they exchange some words which ends with Drew firing a warning to the NXT export’s way.

Analysis:

Both of the Elimination Chamber qualifying matches went the way you’d think, but next week it’s Rhodes vs Fatu vs Zayn and that’s two title challengers that will have to suffer a setback somehow. One has to fear for Zayn’s direction in WrestleMania season now.

WWE has an adundance of options for the top matches right now. They have fresh options too, but it appears it’s going to be Cody Rhodes and McIntyre battling once more with potentially a third wheel added to the equation; likely Fatu.

Oba Femi and Trick Williams are right there with plenty of fan interest, but Rhodes is certainly WWE’s guy and it’s hard to argue against it.

Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan encountered yet more difficulties after their Royal Rumble fiasco and tense talks on Monday. Morgan is almost certainly facing Stephanie Vaquer at WM41, but it feels like they are going to find a way to put Raquel in there.

Personally, the Vaquer title reign has been underwhelming and some of that is not her fault. She hasn’t been given the tippy-top opponents that helps cement a new star.

Overall it’s a decent SmackDown that keeps us ticking along nicely to Elimination Chamber, although Cody Rhodes’ ‘Raheem’ reference might be the most noteworthy part of it!

Let’s get into the results below:

John Cena, Sheamus and Rey Mysterio def. Judgement Day

The Last Time is Now tournament: Solo Sikoa def. Dolph Ziggler

Women’s Intercontinental title: Maxxine Dupri def. Becky Lynch (c)

The Last Time is Now tournament: Gunther def. Je’Von Evans

Notes:

John Cena opens the show to a wild reception. Dom Mysterio interrupts Cena’s emotional speech and manages to get a rematch for the Intercontinental title for Survivor Series.

Finn Balor and JD McDonagh come out to back up Dirty Dom and beat down Cena. Sheamus and Rey Mysterio – to a big pop – make the save and it becomes a six-man tag-team matchup.

During the commercial break, Andrew Schultz and members of the New York Giants got into an altercation at ringside.

Bayley rejected Asuka’s offer to join their War Games team.

The pop for Dolph Ziggler was legitimately huge.

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Alexa Bliss made a plea to Charlotte Flair only to be interrupted by Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax and Lash Legend for another beatdown. Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY attempted to make the save, but to no avail. It took Charlotte Flair arriving with a kendo stick to save the day and seemingly confirm she’ll help her friend.

AJ Lee costs Becky Lynch her Intercontinental title after distracting her allowing Maxxine Dupri to win.

Latest on The Last Time is Now tournament: Will be Gunther vs Carmelo Hayes or Bronson Reed and Solo Sikoa vs Finn Balor or Penta

Analysis:

An all-star six-man was a great way for Cena to bow out in Madison Square Garden. The finish had three beats of the bodhran, three five knuckle shuffles, A double 619, a brogue kick and finally an attitude adjustment. Great stuff.

Amazing pop for Ziggler. All those years his talents went underused, I’m sure that moment will stick with him forever. For those that haven’t been watching TNA by the way, he very, very much still has it.

Lash Legend’s footwork during the Charlotte Flair save was really poor. Her timing was all off; she rushed over to Flair and threw a wide closeline before The Queen could really get in, then kept rushing to punch Flair but pulled her punches back awkwardly when Flair was busy with Jax. Not the smoothest watch at all.

Good booking in the Becky Lynch/Maxxine Dupri title match. The way they built up Dupri getting ready and picking her spot for the rematch, she had to deliver a performance and really, for her character to ever be taken serious as a threat, she had to win. She did deliver a great display (aided by a fantastic dance partner in Becky) and got the win. Having AJ Lee further things with Becky to help her do it was perfect.

The fan reaction to Rhea Ripley and AJ Lee coming face-to-face and agreeing to a chat backstage was money.

Gunther looked excellent in his first outing since SummerSlam. He’s since had nose surgery and patiently waited for the right moment to return – this was it. An absolute banger with Je’Von Evans, who continues to show he is one of the major future players in this industry, reminded everyone exactly who Gunther is.

The main event saw both male War Games teams come face to face with Paul Heyman’s vision (and Drew McIntyre) first out.

The babyfaces then arrived and put a beating on the heels until Brock Lesnar’s music shockingly hit.

After The Beast decimated both Punk and Rhodes, Roman Reigns returned to make the save and, eventually, spear Bronson Reed through the barricade to close the show with, for some reason, the NYPD scurrying around ringside trying to keep the peace.

You expect a certain level of RAW when they hold the event at MSG and I feel WWE delivered tonight. They had the star power, they had the memorable moments and no real lulls in the action. A very good show.

The Scot has been appearing on NXT for over a year at this point as part of the brand’s partnership with NXT.

He made his WrestleMania debut by appearing as Randy Orton’s mystery opponent at the 41st iteration of the event earlier this year to great success, even in defeat.

According to Fightful Select, Hendry has finally signed a contract with WWE realising a career-long ambition at 37-years-old.

Age has precious little to do with it though. Hendry has been one of the most popular performers in the entire industry over the past two years-plus.

His Royal Rumble appearance earlier this year was also incredibly well received and it seemed the only question was how long did he have left on his TNA deal before he could officially sign.

Hendry had one spell as TNA world champion in early 2024, but has challenged for the NXT world title since.

One has to imagine the Scot will spend a bit more time in NXT given his popularity on the brand. Just this week he accompanied Thea Hail during her victory over Alba Fyre.

But then, Royal Rumble season and then WrestleMania 42 are not too far away and WWE must be tempted to utilise one of the best babyfaces in the business right now.

And it can happen very suddenly, something Hendry explained to Ariel Helwani when he secured his match with Orton earlier this year.

“I found out about a week before,” Hendry said. “I had to sit on this for a week! I was in the airport and I got a text from Triple H saying ‘can you talk.’ And, I was at WWE World. I was scheduled to be there signing things. I thought it was maybe something to do with the Slammys or he might want a promo at WWE World. So, I expected that was what the call was going to be.

“Triple H says, ‘I’m sure you’re aware that Randy needs an opponent and that threw me off completely. I was in a state of shock. But, I knew there was a job to be done and I know when I approach these things I want to bring as much value as possible. I want this to be the best moment we can possibly make. And, I’m so proud of what we did out there.”

During that episode, Copeland told tag team partner Christian Cage that he needed to “step away to find himself,” after witnessing FTR attack his wife Beth Phoenix in a shocking post-match angle.

The 52-year-old’s hiatus has sparked curiosity among fans given his return to action after nine years in retirement has hardly gone smooth health-wise.

However, according to PWInsider, Copeland is currently in London, England, filming for the movie “The Beekeeper 2”, alongside Hollywood star Jason Statham.

Copeland’s involvement in the movie is expected to keep him occupied for the majority of November.

The Beekeeper 2, an action movie featuring Statham as a retired government assassin, began filming approximately a month ago.

Recent scenes were shot in Canary Wharf, and production has since moved to Greenham Common, a former Royal Air Force station.

Notably, explosions and a “gigantic fireball” were used on set, prompting concerned residents to contact West Berkshire Council.

Cage is still around in AEW while Copeland is away, but he does not have a match scheduled for Full Gear at this time of writing.

Copeland has dabbled in TV a fair amount over the past decade with his main success coming in the TV show Vikings.

The veteran has dealt with a torn triceps during his WWE return and then a broken leg since he joined AEW. The Canadian has already stated that he believes he is wrestling his final contract.

He told Newsweek earlier this year he probably has 18 months left:

“Not much longer. The schedule is far better than what it used to be. If you asked me to try and pull off over 200 days a year that I pulled before, there is absolutely no way because the recovery takes too long now. I’ll have a match and it’ll take me a good week to finally start walking normal.

“I’ve realised now, I’m 51 years old, I figure I have until maybe 53, the end of this contract, and then it’s probably time to call it a day and get out while I can still limp away [laughs]. Lick my wounds and do a whole lot of yoga after,” Cope stated during the interview.

Still, many talents have come and gone in the past couple of years. Karrion Kross and his wife Scarlett Bordeaux were two high profile departures recently who have yet to find a new permanent home.

According to PWInsider.com, Santos Escobar has agreed to a new contract with the company, just one day after his previous deal expired.

This development comes as a surprise, given that Escobar had reportedly turned down a previous offer from WWE due to concerns about how he was being used creatively.

According to the report, WWE made Escobar a significantly higher offer than before, which ultimately led to the two sides coming to terms.

Escobar enjoyed a very brief spell of free agency and it was thought by many inside WWE that the Mexican star would sign with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

The 41-year-old has been with WWE for six years, with his greatest success undoubtedly coming as part of the NXT brand. He won the Cruiserweight Championship shortly after his debut and created the Legado del Fantasma stable.

However, since being called up to the main roster in 2022, Escobar’s career has been somewhat inconsistent, with limited in-ring opportunities and often finding himself in storylines with other latino wrestlers.

Despite this, Escobar has had his moments, including a notable tag team match at WrestleMania 40 alongside Dominik Mysterio against Rey Mysterio and Andrade, the latter of whom has also recently depoarted the company and now wrestles for AEW.

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Wrestling Intel can confirm Escobar is highly thought of in WWE and he is one of their most trusted names when it comes to press junkets and promoting the company, particularly in those latino markets WWE so covets.

Finding the right story to keep his star shining bright appears to be the main problem but with the new era LWO seemingly disbanded and no longer his rival, maybe the time is right.

According to a report by PWInsider, the couple was scheduled to appear on AEW’s Collision show, but they left the taping about an hour before the event was set to start.

The reason for their departure was reportedly due to a disagreement over the booking of their match.

The duo was scheduled to face Tay Melo and Anna Jay, and were expected to lose the match. Newell and Alize were said to be unhappy with the booking given they had already lost their debut match the previous week.

They felt that losing again would not be beneficial to their careers, and therefore decided to leave the taping. They were replaced by Hyan and Maya World, who stepped up on short notice. PWInsider reports that AEW was appreciative of Hyan and Maya’s willingness to fill in, and that they gained points internally as a result.

Alize took to social media to express her thoughts on the situation, stating they “have SOOOOOOOO much to say”.

She also re-tweeted fan comments about the team needing credible wins, suggesting that she and Newell were looking for more meaningful victories in the ring. Newell re-tweeted Alize’s comment, as well as the same fan tweets, but has not commented publicly on the matter herself.

Fightful have since clarified that Newell and Alize left AEW due to a desire for more time in the match, rather than a refusal to lose. It’s possible that both things could be true, but a relatively quick loss when trying to establish themselves is certainly something that won’t appeal to a talent.

Neither Newell nor Alize were believed to be under contract with AEW, which may have given them more flexibility to make decisions about their appearances and match bookings.

Newell was of course known as Tegan Nox during her WWE run. She spent seven years in the company and three on the main roster but unfortunately for the Welsh star, she was plagued with serious knee injuries during that time.

As she looks to rebuild her career, let’s hope bridges haven’t been totally burned with AEW and the tag team continue to work elsewhere. Newell has already insisted this will be her final year in pro wrestling.

“I told everyone at the beginning of the year, this is my last two years in wrestling. We’re already a year gone. I want to have fun this last year,” she said on her twitch stream.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred during a KnokX event in Los Angeles in August, where Jackson slammed wrestler Stuart Smith, also known as Syko Stu, to the mat, causing significant injuries.

According to reports, Jackson had to be restrained by several other wrestlers after he continued punching a clearly unconscious Smith.

The incident was sparked by a brief altercation between the two earlier that day, in which Smith had hit Jackson with a beer can as part of a promotional stunt for the event. Jackson had stated in a livestream prior to the event that he intended to get his revenge on Smith.

Smith suffered a head injury, various injuries to his jaw, lost teeth, and had a laceration on his lip as a result of the incident. Jackson was arrested and bail was set at $50,000.

His father, UFC legend Rampage Jackson, condemned his son’s actions on social media, stating that he thought it was part of the show, but later realised it was a serious mistake.

Rampage Jackson also revealed that his son had suffered a concussion from sparring only days prior to the incident and should not have been involved in any physical activity.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office is seeking a sentence of up to seven years for Jackson.

The incident has raised concerns about the safety and regulation of professional wrestling events, as well as the potential consequences of promoting violence and aggression in the sport.

Jacob Fatu, one of the most exciting and popular Superstars in WWE, was reportedly not cleared to compete on Friday night’s episode of SmackDown due to a non-wrestling-related injury. However, according to PWInsider Elite’s Mike Johnson, Fatu’s injury may not be as significant as initially reported. The Samoan Werewolf is recovering from a dental procedure, and WWE is hopeful he will be back “very soon.”

Fatu has been embroiled in a rivalry with Drew McIntyre for the past few weeks, and they were scheduled to face off in the main event of SmackDown on Friday with the winner becoming the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship. However, when Fatu was supposed to make his entrance, the camera cut to the backstage area, and he was trapped underneath a steel truss, laying on the floor beside a pool of his own blood and some of his teeth.

Initial Concerns and Updated Timeline

Prior to Friday’s SmackDown, BodySlam.net reported that Fatu was dealing with a “non-wrestling-related injury,” and there was concern it would keep him out of action “well into 2026.” This would have represented a significant, long-term loss for the blue brand. However, Johnson’s report indicates that Fatu may not miss much time, which is a welcome relief for WWE fans.

Since making his WWE debut last year, Fatu has established himself as a fan favorite, starting off as a heel in Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline and winning the United States Championship at WrestleMania 41 by beating LA Knight. With the fans getting more and more behind him, though, the decision was made to make Fatu a babyface, and he completed the transition at Money in the Bank by turning on Solo.

Future Prospects and WWE Championship Picture

Fatu eventually dropped the U.S. title to Sikoa, but he came out of that rivalry for the better, as he is now in the main event mix for SmackDown. While Fatu has hit a bit of a speed bump, all signs point toward him being in the WWE Championship picture once he is cleared to return from his injury. WWE fans can expect to see Fatu back in action soon, and his return will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the WWE Championship landscape.

For more information on Jacob Fatu’s injury and WWE return, visit Here

The WWE Universe is abuzz with the latest news and updates on some of its top superstars. According to recent reports, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins is set to undergo surgery on a shoulder injury suffered during his win over Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at the Crown Jewel premium live event in Perth, Australia.

As reported by Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer, Rollins’ injury is quite severe, and he will likely be out for a few months. Meltzer stated, “He’s having surgery, that’s 100 percent. And when they open up, they’ll find out, they don’t know all the damage in his shoulder, and they will find out the damage when they open him up, and when they do the surgery, they’ll have an idea.” The WWE is hopeful that Rollins will be able to return in time for WrestleMania 42 in April.

Rhea Ripley’s Injury Worse Than Expected

Rhea Ripley, one of the cornerstones of the women’s division, suffered an injury during a mid-air collision at WWE’s SuperShow in Tokyo, Japan. Although Ripley downplayed the injury in a tweet after the event, it has been reported that the injury is worse than initially thought. Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer reported that Ripley broke her nose during the incident.

Ripley was injured when Raquel Rodriguez launched IYO SKY into her during a tag team match. Despite the injury, Ripley managed to return to the ring in a closing segment where multiple superstars celebrated AJ Styles after his likely final match in Japan. The WWE will be hoping that Ripley won’t be sidelined for too long, given her importance to the women’s division.

Jacob Fatu Likely to Miss Survivor Series

Jacob Fatu, the former WWE United States Champion, is reportedly set to miss the upcoming Survivor Series premium live event due to a dental procedure. According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer, Fatu’s procedure will keep him out of action for a while, but he is expected to return before the end of the year.

Fatu was set to challenge Drew McIntyre in a No. 1 contender’s match on SmackDown, but he was attacked backstage and left bleeding from his mouth, writing him off of television for the time being. While this setback may delay Fatu’s ascent, it’s expected that he won’t be gone for too long.

For more information on these updates and other WWE news, visit Here

The return of WWE’s quarterly Saturday Night’s Main Event shows this year was expected to bring a sense of excitement and novelty to the wrestling world. However, instead of serving as smaller premium live events during months with no major pay-per-views, these shows have been added to an already stacked schedule, making everything feel less special. According to wrestling experts, this oversaturation of events has led to a decrease in the overall impact of each show.

The Predictable and Uneventful SNMEs

While some PLEs have been stronger than others, the SNMEs as a whole have been predictable and uneventful, with the exception of Goldberg’s retirement match on the last installment in July. This lack of excitement has left fans and critics alike wondering if WWE is simply phoning in these events. However, with the next installment on November 1, just weeks ahead of Survivor Series: WarGames, there is still potential for it to be the most important one yet if booked properly. As noted by wrestling analysts, a well-planned event can make all the difference in reinvigorating the fan base.

A New Opportunity for Excitement

If Seth Rollins is out indefinitely, a marquee match pitting him against CM Punk at the show is evidently off the table. Since Punk already earned a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship on last week’s Raw, the next SNME should be where he faces a credible challenger in Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, or someone else from the Raw roster to determine the new champ. This alone will make SNME worthwhile, but WWE can double down by making it a must-see event by booking Drew McIntyre to win the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes as well. As Bleacher Report notes, this would be a significant move, with the potential to reinvigorate the McIntyre character and leave fans buzzing about a second massive title change in the same night.

A Potential Game-Changer

Doing so would effectively get Rhodes back in chase mode, reinvigorate the McIntyre character, leave fans buzzing about a second massive title change in the same night, and set the stage for an equally exhilarating Survivor Series. With the right booking, the next SNME can be a game-changer for WWE, providing a much-needed boost to the fan base and setting the stage for a thrilling end to the year. For more on the latest WWE news and analysis, visit Here.