Generation NXT - NXT LIVE recap for July 18, 2023

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams head to the ring to start tonight's show. Carmelo admits last week was a miss, and Trick admits they should have won. Carmelo says last week was 4-on-2 and they were seconds away from beating the most dominant team in WWE until Ilja Dragunov got involved. Dragunov shows up as if on command and tells Carmelo that he did not mean to put his nose in his Carmelo, and that what Carmelo fails to understand is that Priest could have cashed in on him and taken his NXT Championship. He says he wanted to prevent that and face Carmelo at The Great American Bash, and Carmelo not only let him down, but he lost control. Carmelo says he had everything under control and that he is ready for Dragunov while he is in awe of his "maniac pace." Dragunov says he makes the fans feel something and that all he will make Carmelo feel is defeat, but Carmelo reminds him that he feels a lot of things as NXT Champion and that their match will be a fight. He says there is no one more qualified to face him at The Great American Bash, and that he will be champion for a long time and he will be swimming in victory. Dragunov tells Carmelo he will have to hit harder than ever before to beat him, for he cannot control him. Carmelo says that after their match, it will be champagne for one person and "just pain" for the other.

Backstage, Mustafa Ali meets with Wes Lee regarding his title defense against "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, stating the ink has not even dried for their match yet. Wes Lee says he is read for Dominik and Rhea Ripley, but Mustafa Ali wants to be sure he faces Wes Lee.

In footage from earlier today, Tony D'Angelo is released from prison, where Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo is waiting for him.

Nathan Frazer and Dragon Lee beat Los Lotharios (Humberto Carillo and Angel Garza). After the match, Angel Garza yells at Humberto Carillo, and Humberto shoves back, saying the loss was his fault before leaving through the crowd with Garza following him.

We hear from Baron Corbin, who asks what he has gotten into and why he was not satisfied with where he was as it was easy, comfortable and safe, then decides that he must evolve or die. He says he needs to be feared, to be respected and to be champion. When he approaches the man in the black hoodie, he sees himself, and he realizes he must do this as himself and not as another gimmick.

We see footage from "NXT Anonymous" where Booker T tells Roxanne Perez that Blair Davenport is cold and calculated and that if she gives her one inch, she can take a mile and take her out.

Kiana James beats Gigi Dolin after Gigi tries to use Kiana's business bag against her only for Kiana to plant Gigi head-first onto the bag.

Backstage, Axiom and Scrypts confront Bronco Nima and Lucien Price, and this leads to Scrypts challenging them to a match next week, much to Axiom's chagrin, as Axiom wants to accomplish things on his own.

We see footage of Ivy Nile taking down the Diamond Mine banner backstage.

Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews Eddy Thorpe, who says that his NXT Underground match put him on the map when Meta-Four (Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, Lash Legend, Jakara Jackson) shows up and presents him with a signed 8x10 of Noam Dar, which Thorpe tears up. Oro Mensah tells Eddy Thorpe to keep his ego in check, but Eddy tells Mensah that he is more of a fighter than a talker, and referees have to step in before things get physical.

Bronco Nima and Lucien Price beat Axiom and Scrypts after Scrypts turns on Axiom and attacks him from behind. Scrypts leaves with Nima and Price after the match.

Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo and members of Tony D'Angelo's family are in the ring for Tony's homecoming. He talks about how Gallus got Tony locked up and almost took over the streets of NXT, then welcomes D'Angelo back to NXT. Tony D'Angelo declares that he is back and thanks Stacks for coming up with a master plan to free him and brags that Gallus (Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, Wolfgang) had no clue what was going on, then says that Stacks is not the rat that everyone thought he was. We see footage from two months ago where Stacks and D'Angelo come up with a plan where Stacks comes up with the plan to fake stabbing D'Angelo in the back and convince Joe Coffey that he is going to sell D'Angelo out. We see D'Angelo and Stacks hatch the plan to get Joe Coffey comfortable and then spring it into action, then Gallus shows up. A furious Joe Coffey calls Stacks and D'Angelo the lowest forms of life he has ever meet, and while D'Angelo may be a free man, he will make D'Angelo he was back in a prison cell. D'Angelo mentions that Joe Coffey had control and lost it, and Stacks says that Mark Coffey and Wolfgang will lose the NXT tag team titles. D'Angelo then tells Gallus to shine the tag team titles up for them as they will take their titles. Mark Coffey says Gallus is dead serious when it comes to their titles, and Wolfgang says they will not make it to The Great American Bash. Gallus gets in the ring, and when Joe Coffey pulls out a bat, the D'Angelo family pulls out crowbars. Gallus ends up on the losing end of a brief brawl, and Mark Coffey ends up going through a table.

Backstage, Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams run into Schism (Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, Jagger Reid, Ava). Joe Gacy says there is no reason to target them with their negativity, and that their union will end when Carmelo loses the NXT Championship. Ilja Dragunov shows up and confronts Gacy, and that leads to a brawl.

Thea Hail beats Elektra Lopez with the Kimura Lock. After the match, Thea Hail says she feels unstoppable after making Elektra Lopez tap out like Tiffany Stratton did, and she wants another chance at the NXT Women's Championship, as she knows she can beat Tiffany. Thea Hail calls Tiffany Stratton out so she can kick her ass, and Tiffany shows up and tells Thea she does not get to call her out because it is rude and she is totally superior to her. Tiffany calls it cute that Thea Hail learned one move and thinks she can take on the world, then accepts her challenge as it will be the easiest title defense after having beaten her. Before Tiffany can leave, Thea Hail demands that their rematch be a stipulation match, but Tiffany says says she is the one who can add stipulations to their match and she cannot make her. Thea grabs Tiffany and makes her submit and add the stipulation.

Backstage, Rhea Ripley and "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio are met by The D'Angelo Family (Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo), who wish Dominik luck tonight. Lyra Valkyrie then shows up, and Rhea Ripley tells her to prove she is the badass she is telling everyone that she is following her recent loss to Jacy Jayne. Lyra says that when she faces Jacy Jayne again, she will.

We hear from Gable Steveson, who contemplates his future and announces that he will decide his future next week.

Oro Mensah beats Eddy Thorpe. During the match, Jakara Jackson distracts the referee so Lash Legend can place a very distraught Noam Dar in the ring, and as that happens, Dijak shows up and attacks Eddy Thorpe on the outside. Eddy Thorpe is able to get back in the ring in time, but Oro Mensah is able to get the win.

We see Dana Brooke and Kelani Jordan backstage. Kelani is mad at herself for losing against Cora Jade last week, then we see the two of them practice gymnastic routines. Dana says Kelani is about to break out, and both admit they learned a lot from each other. Meanwhile, Cora Jade is not impressed with either Dana or Kelani, and says gymnastics will not help her next week.

Backstage, Blair Davenport and Roxanne Perez are interviewed. Blair says she decimated Roxanne once before, but now she will do it front of friends and family. She says that Roxanne had a good year last year, but she is here and Roxanne does not belong in NXT anymore. Roxanne says she is everyone thinking she is some easy target, and while she may not be six foot tall or able to overpower anyone, there has been a rage building up inside her and Blair has added to it. She says she will have to show a side of herself that the fans have never seen before to beat Blair Davenport, and that Blair does not know what is coming to her. Blair says Roxanne does not even believer herself and that she will hurt her. Blair then tells Roxanne to go home as she does not belong in NXT anymore. Roxanne takes her microphone off and leaves her part of backstage, and Blair continues to mock her.

"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio beats Wes Lee to become the NXT North American Champion. During the match, Dominik tries to run away with the North American Championship, but Wes Lee does not let him. Soon after, Finn Balor distracts the referee and Damian Priest tries to lay out Wes with the North American title only to eat a Cardiac Kick. Wes Lee goes up top, but Rhea nails him with the Women's Heavyweight Championship, and Dominik is able to make the pinfall attempt and get the win.

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for January 20, 2023

The show starts with The Bloodline making it to the arena. The Usos do their handshake with Sami Zayn, but when Sami goes for a fist bump from Roman Reigns, Roman leaves him hanging, much to Sami's surprise.

Sheamus and Drew McIntyre beat The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik) to advance to the semi-finals of the SmackDown Tag Team Contender's Tournament.

Backstage, Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman check on things when Sami Zayn asks for some of Roman's time. Sami asks about the frosty greeting from earlier, and Roman says that Sami is covering things up and tells him to set it straight. Sami admits that he feels a bit slighted after last week's match with Kevin Owens and says that he did not know the plan, but he has put all that behind him. Roman tells Sami to leave, as he does not want to hear Owens' name and feels he does not need to run anything by Sami Zayn.

We hear from Raquel Rodriguez, who says that everything is bigger in Texas and that she is making the women's Royal Rumble the biggest moment of her career, and she is counting down the time until she wins the match and main events WrestleMania in front of friends and family.

Before the next match, LA Knight says Bray Wyatt cannot decide if he is or is not Uncle Howdy, then says that he can tell Bray Wyatt exactly who he is. He then says that he will make Bray Wyatt think that he should not have come back, because it is his game, and that he will end Bray Wyatt whether it is pitch black or in daylight.

LA Knight quickly beats Brent Jones despite the mind games on the TitanTron by Bray Wyatt. After the match, we see the Firefly Fun House, where the puppets suddenly come back to life and Bray Wyatt is back in his kids' show gimmick. Bray Wyatt says he has missed everyone and that he cannot wait to have friends with his friends once again. Rambling Rabbit admits he is cool with LA Knight and that he is scared of the dark. Bray asks who would name their kid "LA Knight," then tells Rambling Rabbit that it is normal to be afraid of the dark, as there are things in the dark that want to eat him, then says LA Knight should be scared of the dark. Uncle Howdy's image then appears on the old television, with Howdy saying "I told you so" and "All you need is a little push." Bray Wyatt then says he hopes LA Knight understands that he is the one who opened the door and that whatever comes out of it is his problem.

Hit Row (Top Dolla and Ashante "Thee" Adonis) beat Los Lotharios (Humberto Garcia and Angel Garza) to advance to the semi-finals of the SmackDown Tag Team Contender's Tournament after Adonis distracts the referee and B-Fab distracts Humberto.

We hear from Brawn Strowman, who says that he has made a career out of chucking bodies around and that the men's Royal Rumble was made for him, and that anyone who gets in his way will get these hands.

Charlotte Flair heads to the ring. Charlotte says that Sonya Deville has a real problem with her, and tells Sonya that if she has a problem with her, she can say it straight to her face. Sonya shows up and says she only cares about what she deserves, which is a title opportunity, and says Charlotte thinks she is unworthy. She says that if everyone got off their high horse, they would realize she is a star every time she heads to the ring and that people need to shut up and listen every time she speaks. Sonya says that it took six people to rip her off of Charlotte before asking Charlotte how arrogant she is. Charlotte says she has always told Sonya she is a star, then calls Sonya out for saying the rest of the division is not before saying Sonya tapped out. She then tells Sonya to focus on the women's Royal Rumble, then says that if Sonya wants to fight her, she will fight her tonight. Sonya declines, saying there is no reason for her to do it unless there is something in it for her, and dares Charlotte to put the SmackDown women's title on the line. WWE official Adam Pearce shows up to address Sonya, and as soon as he does this, Sonya attacks Charlotte from behind.

Backstage, Roman Reigns talks with Paul Heyman. Heyman tells Reigns that he has always supported the visions for the island of relevancy, and asks Roman to consider that when it comes to Sami Zayn, it is better to have him in the castle "pissing out than pissing in."

We see a vignette for Lacey Evans.

Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci) beat The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland and Butch) to advance to the semi-finals of the SmackDown Tag Team Contender's Tournament.

Backstage, Sami Zayn is met by Paul Heyman, who tells him that Roman Reigns would like to see him now.

We hear from "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler, who tells the fans to imagine being in the Royal Rumble while injured. She says the women's division should stay away from her, because she will not just eliminate them, but tear them apart limb by limb.

We see a video package celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first episode of Raw.

We hear from Karrion Kross and Scarlett. Kross says that in one week, he will step into the ring with Rey Mysterio. He says that normally, he gets really amped up before a fight, but this time, not so much. He says Rey cannot figure out whether to be a family man or the greatest of all time, and that he cannot be both. He says that he will take Rey out followed by everyone in the men's Royal Rumble match. Kross then says time is running out for everyone.

Zelina Vega guests on commentary for the next match (and declares for the women's Royal Rumble match).

Legado del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde and Cruz del Toro) beat Maximum Male Models (Mace and Mansoor) to advance to the semi-finals of the SmackDown Tag Team Contender's Tournament.

Backstage, Sami Zayn meets with Roman Reigns again. Roman says it is no secret that he has a temper, and that he puts people in their place to counsel that anger. He says that he did not hear Sami Zayn and that Sami just wanted communication. He admits that Sami is a perfectionist and concentrates about the details, and says that one does not become the greatest without focusing on detail. Sami thanks Roman for understanding, and Roman says that this is on him. Roman says he expects the same love and loyalty that he gives out, but Sami reminds Roman that he is the head of the table and that there is nothing without him, and tells Roman that he will put what is best for The Bloodline first. He asks Roman to tell him what to do, and that he will do it. Roman asks Sami to find The Usos, find out that the SUVs are in place and that the private jets are ready to go while he, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman head to the ring for the contract signing. Sami says it is done and thanks Roman. Roman says he owes Sami a fist bump, and gives him one.

Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa ahead to the ring for the contract signing for his match against Kevin Owens for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship. WWE official Adam Pearce oversees the contract signing. All of a sudden, Kevin Owens tosses Solo Sikoa out of the ring from behind and hits Roman Reigns with a stunner. The Usos show up, but Owens fends them off as well. Owens then gets back in the ring and puts Roman Reigns through the table in the ring with a pop-up powerbomb, much to the horror of Paul Heyman. Owens then approaches Heyman, takes the contract from him and signs it. Sami Zayn then shows up. Owens smiles and tosses the contact to him, then flees through the crowd to end the show.

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for September 30, 2022

Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa beat Ricochet and Madcap Moss. After the match, Madcap Moss grabs Sami by the jaw, and Solo Sikoa beats him up in the corner for it.

Backstage, Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa are met by Jey Uso. Jey says he is here to make sure Solo is doing alright, then tells Sami that he can see through him and that if he thinks about putting the family in jeopardy, he will get him. Sami tells Jey that he will have to take it up with Roman Reigns.

We hear from Karrion Kross and Scarlett. Kross says that Drew McIntyre has been trying to lure him out of the darkness for quite some time, and that McIntyre has been on top for some time as well. Kross says he is the kind of guy one has to put in the hospital to put down, and at Extreme Rules, he will take McIntyre to a point of no return, as they both want the same thing and only one has it; because of that, they are bound together through suffering. He says that once the world knows what he has seen through the cards and McIntyre is out of the way, he will soon become undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Kross says that when the strap is on, he will drag McIntyre through hell and leave him lying to burn away forever when he has had enough. (Right after this, a QR code is show; it leads to this.)

Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews Austin Theory. Theory says that Brock Lesnar and Tyson Fury may have ruined his cash-in attempts, then calls Wales "Europe's version of Winnipeg." He then says Drew McIntyre embarrassed himself more than he did to himself before McIntyre shows up behind him. McIntyre watches Theory as Theory says that he is not very smart, then McIntyte puts his hand on Theory's shoulder and says "You. Me. In the ring. Now."

Austin Theory is accompanied to the ring by Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) before the next match.

Drew McIntyre beats Austin Theory by disqualification after Otis pulls McIntyre out of the ring to throw him into the ring steps. After the match, Austin Theory, Chad Gable and Otis gang up on McIntyre before Johnny Gargano runs into the ring and fending off all three men only for the numbers game to take over. Kevin Owens soon shows up to even the numbers game.

Backstage, Max Dupri is met by Maximum Male Models (Mansoor, Mace, Maxxine Dupri). Mansoor and Mace say they will make Dupri proud, and Maxxine Dupri says it will be when they break the Canadian record for the longest pose. The pose is soon ruined by Hit Row (B-Fab, Top Dolla, Ashante "Thee" Adonis), and they start over.

Backstage, Shotzi says that Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky) showed what they were all about - a bunch of scheming jackals - and says she will shove her nose and her boots wherever she wants. She says Bayley will find out what it is like when her boots stomp all over her.

Hit Row (Top Dolla and Ashante "Thee" Adonis) beat Los Lotharios (Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza).

Someone is seen holding a sign saying "REVEL IN WHAT YOU ARE" behind the announce table.

Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey, who says that she could still kick Liv Morgan's ass and that she is still the most dangerous woman on the planet.

Drew McIntyre, Johnny Gargano and Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory and Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) is official for later tonight.

"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey beats Natalya with the ankle lock. After the match, Liv Morgan shows up with a baseball bat and stands in Ronda's way. Both women brawl, but Ronda hits Liv with Piper's Pit. Both women then fight over the bat, then security steps in. At this point, Ronda has the baseball bat, and she teases hitting security with the bat before leaving. Liv Morgan gets up and goes after Ronda, and security has to separate both of them.

Backstage, Drew McIntyre, Johnny Gargano and Kevin Owens have a conversation. The three of them agree that Austin Theory needs his ass kicked, then Kevin Owens only to run into Maximum Male Models, then Sami Zayn. After telling Maximum Male Models (Maxxine Dupri, Mansoor, Mace) that one of their hands needs to be higher to be more effective, Owens tells Sami he needs a new shirt.

Backstage, Shinsuke Nakamura checks out Mansoor and Mace posing, as does Sonya Deville.

Imperium (GUNTHER, Giovanni Vinci, Ludwig Kaiser) head to the ring. Kaiser says there have been few things more insulting to the mat than the presence of The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch). Vinci says none of them exhibit the qualities of a champion, and that GUNTHER is what a champion looks like. GUNTHER says that he will beat Sheamus next week and grind him down for the final time and enjoy the look of defeat in his eyes when he breaks his spirit once and for all. He then says Imperium will obliterate all three of The Brawling Brutes before Sheamus shows up. Sheamus says Imperium loves talking a big game about The Brawling Brutes, then says that while Ridge Holland and Butch are stuck in Florida, he is here, and he is more than happy to kick all three of their heads right off their shoulders. Sheamus pulls out a shillelagh as Vinci and Kaiser charge at him and lays them out with it, then confronts GUNTHER. Sheamus tosses the shillelagh out of the ring and tosses his hat off, then both men brawl. Sheamus nails GUNTHER with a knee to the jaw, but Vinci and Kaiser stop the Brogue Kick, allowing GUNTHER to rip Sheamus's shirt off in the corner and chop him several times before hitting him with a powerbomb. As Imperium leaves, Sheamus grabs the microphone and says "Is that all you got?" He tells GUNTHER he will have to do better than that, then Vinci and Kaiser gang up on Sheamus. GUNTHER then knocks Sheamus out with his own shillelagh.

Backstage, Bayley says Shotzi loves to run her mouth, then says she beat Bianca Belair, not Shotzi. She says she will shut Shotzi up all by herself, then become Raw Women's Champion at Extreme Rules.

It is announced that WWE Hall of Famer, Japanese wrestling legend and former Japanese politician Antonio Inoki has passed away earlier today at the age of 79. (In memory of Antonio Inoki, 1943 - 2022.)

Shotzi arrives in her trademark tank for the first time in months before the next match.

Bayley beats Shotzi. After the match, Bayley hits Shotzi with another Rose Plant before putting a ladder out from underneath the ring and placing Shotzi in the middle of it. As Bianca goes up top, Bianca Belair shows up. Bayley retreats, but as Bianca saves Shotzi, it proves to be a cheap shot. Bianca gets Bayley up for a K.O.D., but Bayley escapes over the top rope.

Backstage, as Maximum Male Models (Maxxine Dupri, Mace, Mansoor) are about to break the record for the longest pose in Canada, Max Dupri bumps into Mansoor, throws his leather belt down, and says this is not for him.

Kevin Owens, Johnny Gargano and Drew McIntyre beat Austin Theory and Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis). After the match, Drew McIntyre hits Austin Theory with a leather strap.

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for September 9, 2022

It is announced that Corey Graves will be replacing Pat McAfee on commentary, as Pat McAfee has college sports obligations for the next couple of months.

Imperium (Gunther, Gionvanni Vinci, Ludwig Kaiser) beat The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch) in a six-man tag match.

WWE acknowledges the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Sami Zayn and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) head to the ring. After Sami Zayn gets the crowd fired up, Jey Uso proclaims that Roman Reigns has successfully defended the undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle, and that Drew McIntyre does not know how deep their bloodline runs. Jimmy Uso then introduces the man who helped Roman keep the undisputed WWE Universal title at Clash at the Castle: Solo Sikoa. Solo Sikoa says that if anyone comes for his family, he will come for them; if anyone causes problems, he will finish them. Solo then says that he is here to stay, and that the bloodline just got bigger and stronger. Drew McIntyre suddenly comes to the ring with a chair. Sami and The Usos leave the ring, but Solo Sikoa stands his ground and takes a chair shot. Drew aims for Solo's back, but Sami Zayn takes the shot for him. Solo, Sami and The Usos retreat. McIntyre tells Solo Sikoa that he wants him tonight, and Solo Sikoa tells McIntyre that if he wants a fight, he has it.

Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah beat Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne).

It is announced that "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey has been disciplined via an internal investigation, the results of which will not be disclosed, following what happened between her and WWE official Adam Pearce last week.

Drew McIntyre vs. Solo Sikoa is official for later tonight.

Liv Morgan is seen watching the next match from the skybox.

"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey beats Natalya, Xia Li, Lacey Evans and Sonya Deville in a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match to become #1 for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship.

Backstage, The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) get Solo Sikoa pumped for his match with Drew McIntyre when Sami Zayn shows up. Solo thanks Sami for the help earlier, and Sami tells Solo that they all have his back. Jey Uso says that Solo needs to do this on his own, and Solo agrees. When Solo tells Sami that he would ask him if he needed help, Jey changes plans and says they are all going out to the ring as a foursome.

Backstage, "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler meets with Ronda Rousey. Shayna gives Ronda good luck against Liv Morgan, and Ronda tells Shayna that the only thing better than winning is revenge and to let her know when she is ready to break some bones.

Hit Row (Ashante "Thee" Adonis and Top Dolla) and The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) beat Maximum Male Models (Mace and Mansoor) and Los Lotharios (Humberto Carillo and Angel Garza) in an eight-man tag match that also sees B-Fab almost throw down with Maxine Dupri.

Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) head to the ring. Chad Gable announces that they are back on SmackDown and thanks the crowd for their warm response even though they are being booed, and says they are here to ruin Braun Strowman's return to SmackDown like he ruined their potential tag title opportunity on Raw. He says that they had the match won and that if Otis had seen Strowman coming, he would have left him laying. He also says that much like himself, Otis is a superior athlete, then says Seattle, Washington known nothing about superior athletes because they couldn't keep the Sonics, which causes the fans to rain down boos on Alpha Academy. Before Gable can say much else, Braun Strowman shows up and beats up Otis. Gable attacks Strowman from behind, but it has no effect and Gable gets booted. Otis goes at it with Strowman in the corner, but it does not faze Strowman for long. Gable gets powerbombed, and Otis suffers the same fate.

Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews Drew McIntyre. McIntyre says Clash at the Castle should have been the biggest moment of his life after 21 years in the business and he should be standing undisputed champion, but he is not champion because of Solo Sikoa. McIntyre tells Solo Sikoa that Roman Reigns may be happy for him, but actions have consequences and he will not like the consequences of his actions.

Solo Sikoa vs. Drew McIntyre ends with The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) beating up The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) and Sami Zayn for interfering and Karrion Kross suddenly putting McIntyre in the Kross Jacket to end the show.

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Layin 'da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for May 27, 2022

The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) head to the ring to start tonight's show. Jimmy has everyone raise one finger to the sky and thank Roman Reigns, and Jey thanks Roman for letting them beat RK-Bro on their own (even though Roman interfered). Jey also announces that this is the 12th anniversary of their debut in WWE, and states that he never thought they would still be in front of WWE fans today. He also thanks the fans for their support through the years. The crowd chants "Usos," then Jimmy says that through the last twelve years, they also realized that they did not need anybody, including the fans, and that they just needed each other and now they are dripping in all the gold. They also brag about injuring Randy Orton and laying out Matt Riddle so badly that kids were crying. Suddenly, Shinsuke Nakamura shows up and challenges The Usos for the tag team gold. He also says that his partner wanted them on their own, but he asked to join him. When The Usos ask who his partner is, Matt Riddle shows up. Riddle and Nakamura brawl with The Usos, but The Usos overpower them until Riddle is able to hit them with a Floating Bro. From there, Riddle and Nakamura come out on top.

Backstage, Shotzi asks why Raquel Rodriguez has another shot at "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey and asks the rest of the locker room why they are being passed up. Xia Li and Aliyah leave, but Shayna Baszler and Natalya agree with her.

Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews Shinsuke Nakamura and Matt Riddle. Riddle says that their tag team is Randy Orton's idea, and Nakamura says that while Riddle is no Rick Boogs, they will dominate. Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews Shinsuke Nakamura and Matt Riddle. Riddle says that their tag team is Randy Orton's idea, and Nakamura says that while Riddle is no Rick Boogs, they will dominate.

Before the next match, Shotzi, Natalya and "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler head towards the ring, but Shotzi remembers to get her helmet. When she tries to open the door, she finds out that the door is locked. Aliyah has the key to the women's locker room on the other side.

Raquel Rodriguez vs. "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey ends with both women being attacked by Natalya and "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler. Rousey and Raquel come out on top in the brawl.

Raquel Rodriguez and "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey beat Natalya and "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler. (The Chingona Bomb is now known as "The Tejana Bomb.")

It is announced that Money In The Bank will be held in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods). Kofi Kingston says that they are keeping their third man a secret, and Xavier Woods says everyone has been wanting to team with them and that their third man could be anybody. Woods says they have the element of surprise and that they will not be outnumbered when they take on Sheamus, Ridge Holland and Butch.

Madcap Moss returns next week.

Backstage before the next match, Jinder Mahal cannot find Shanky. Suddenly, he finds Shanky dancing, and has to get him to the ring.

Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel) beat Jinder Mahal and Shanky after Shanky bonks Angel on the head as he tries to flirt with ring announcer Samantha Irvin. After the match, Jinder Mahal blames Shanky for their loss, then Shanky tries to flirt with Samantha Irvin after Jinder walks away.

Backstage, Max Dupri meets with WWE official Adam Pearce. Pearce tells Dupri that he is officially part of SmackDown due to his contract being legal and binding, and Dupri says the hunt for his first new client is on.

The USA Games Powerlifting Team of Special Olympics Arkansas is seen in the front row.

It's time for The Kevin Owens Show. After stating that he will beat Ezekiel so badly at Hell In A Cell that he will never return, he then introduces tonight's guest: Sami Zayn. After both men catch up on things, Sami Zayn says that Elias and Ezekiel are the same person. Owens hugs Sami and says he knew he would have his back just like he did when Sami Zayn had to deal with the conspiracy theory. Owens then asks Sami to join him on Raw so they can call out the liars, but Sami says he has a lot on his plate on SmackDown before inadvertently calling Owens "Uce." Sami blames it on being near The Usos, but Owens tells Sami he is not in The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso). Owens also tells Sami that he looks like a moron, but Sami takes offense to this and say that Elias and Ezekiel are two different people. This leads to Owens calling Sami a moron again and Sami calling Owens a liar. Owens asks why The Usos left him high and dry and says that if he introduces them again, they won't leave him high and dry again. Owens proceeds to introduce them, and they fail to show, and Owens says they could care less about him. Sami tells Owens he does not know what he is talking about and leaves, and when Owens tries to catch up to him, Sami shoves him away, then tells him to go back to Raw and stay there. When two backstage workers show up to take down the set for Owens' show, one of them gets a Stunner and the other man gets one seconds later.

Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser beat Ricochet and Drew Gulak. After the match, Gunther boots Ricochet in the face before commanding Kaiser to kick Gulak in the chest again.

Backstage, Sami Zayn meets with The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) and asks them what he is to them and what they really think of him. He then asks he if could be an honorary member, and The Usos like the idea.

WWE acknowledges Memorial Day, which is next Monday.

Before the next match, Sheamus says that The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) do not have the guts to reveal their mystery partner, then says that regardless of who they have, they will get a beating from a couple of brawling brutes. He then says that he, Ridge Holland and Butch will put them on bed rest next to Big E after they cut them down from root to stem. The New Day show up, and Xavier Woods says that tonight will be an unfair fight after the physical specimen that they have found. The New Day then reveal their mystery partner: Drew McIntyre.

The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) and Drew McIntyre beat The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch). After the match, Drew McIntyre celebrates with The New Day.

This week on Talking Smack: Shotzi! Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel)! Drew McIntyre and The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)!

Raw Deal - Raw recap for May 16, 2022

Before the next match, MVP says the fans will witness a spectacle of destruction and that Bobby Lashley got a little too big for his boots and claimed the WrestleMania spotlight for himself while Omos is the future of WWE and greater than Lashley could ever be. He then expects Lashley to put up "one hell of a fight" because that is the kind of man he is, then says the outcome is a forgone conclusion because of all the damage Omos can do to Lashley and that he expects Omos to brutalize Lashley worse than at WrestleMania Backlash. MVP says "The All Mighty Era" ends tonight and the fans should be blessed to be in "The Era of the Nigerian Giant, Omos." When Lashley heads to the match for the next match, he is attacked from behind by Cedric Alexander. Referees rush in as Omos joins in on the brawl, then Lashley is able to get in the ring.

Bobby Lashley beats Omos in a steel cage match after Omos throws Lashley into the steel cage wall so hard that the wall comes down and Lashley just walks off the wall. Lashley's win is allowed to win despite the nature of how he won.

Before the next match, Austin Theory says that he cannot figure out what makes Mustafa Ali think their match will happen and that he cannot go through it unless he has someone that he can trust to call this down the middle: The Miz. The Miz then shows up and takes over as special guest referee. The Miz then shows up and takes over as special guest referee. Theory then says that something does not seem right and that it does not feel right for Mustafa Ali to lose to him, and tells him to expect the unexpected. He then says that instead of him, Ali will be facing Veer Mahaan instead.

Veer Mahaan beats Mustafa Ali with the Million Dollar Arm followed by the cervical clutch. After the match, Theory and Miz take selfies near Veer, who keeps Ali in the cervical clutch. Veer then proceeds to tear down the commentary table, but Rey and Dominik Mysterio show up. Rey and Dominik double-team and overpower Veer.

Backstage, Becky Lynch meets with WWE official Adam Pearce, saying that Naomi and Sasha Banks have suddenly left and that tonight's Six-Pack Challenge should not happen and that she should just be made #1 contender to the WWE Raw Women's Championship. Adam Pearce says that she will still be facing Asuka tonight and that this match will be for #1 contendership instead. (Naomi and Sasha Banks leaving is referring to rumors that Nai and Sasha have walked out of tonight's show due to creative differences between Sasha Banks and Vince McMahon and a lack of respect given to both Sasha and Naomi as women's tag team champions.)

Matt Riddle beats Jimmy Uso after Jey Uso gets ejected from ringside for giving Jimmy Uso leverage on a pinfall attempt and Riddle pins Jimmy Uso with an inside cradle after Jimmy argues with the referee.

In backstage footage from earlier today, Kevin Patrick interviews Liv Morgan, who says that Rhea Ripley will not get away with her attack on her last week. Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel) show up and try to put Liv Morgan on their kiss cam, but "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles and Finn Balor tell them to buzz off. Styles proposes that they watch each other's backs, and Finn says that if they don't, The Judgment Day will pick them apart. Styles asks if she wants them to be at ringside, but Liv Morgan says she will think about it.

We hear from The Judgment Day (Edge, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley). Damian Priest says the fans do not get it yet and that they should rise and show respect to them. He says they do not take orders and do what they want when they want, and if anyone wants to step up, they will face nothing but punishment. Rhea Ripley says she has enjoyed every single second of this and that they are all done being everything the fans want them to be. She says nothing is hold her back and that it is time for complete and utter eradication. Edge says his saints of fate do not take name or say lies, and then says that there are some people out there who are tired of pretending. He tells those people to stop pretending and join their moment. He says they are power, and says that after what they have done to the fans' favorites, there are others who will be wanting to join them. Edge says The Judgment Day could use "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles' abilities, but he panders to the fans. After Edge says that pandering to the fans gave him nothing but broken bones after the fans left, he tells Styles, Finn Balor and Liv Morgan to join his moment or else they will lie at their feet again and again.

Liv Morgan accompanies "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles and Finn Balor to the ring before the next match.

"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles and Finn Balor beat Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel).

Backstage, Kevin Owens is met by Alpha Academy, who has the results from Ezekiel's DNA test, which cross-references the DNA from the Soloc up with one of Elias' hair. Unfortunately, the sample was contaminated by barbecue sauce. Otis takes the blame after Owens mentions that Otis ate ribs at catering last week, and when Gable says they will do more tests, Owens says further tests that will make them look like fools. Gable says that he will expose Ezekiel in the middle of the ring next week.

Alexa Bliss beats Sonya Deville. After the match, Sonya Deville argues with the referee and slaps him.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring. After stating he has been told Seth "Freakin'" Rollins is not here, he hopes that Seth is listening. He says that last week, he tried to move forward, but Seth Rollins attacked him and told him he would never take away anything from him ever again. Cody wants to know what he took from Seth Rollins, as he did not dilute a legacy or cross a personal line, and says that Rollins' biggest threat is himself, as he is stuck in a purgatory of his own design and is bent on pulling him in with him. He talks about Rollins' rise in WWE while he was on his way out, saying that Rollins proved there was a glass ceiling in the first place as he won his way to the top while he endured being Stardust. He says that one learns to love and reinvent from loss, and the number one thing he has learned is that he will never be "The American Dream" while asking why he should not embrace the nightmare. Cody says that he lost his way to the top, then asks if Seth will not give him a second chance after two losses, then Seth will have to kill him and that he will have to kill him in a third match in Hell In A Cell. Rollins is then seen backstage on the TitanTron, and Rollins says stealing his spotlight and cheating to beat him was not enough before asking him for one more match in Hell In a Cell. He says Cody is stupider than he looks and that he has made the biggest mistake of his life, as anyone who faces him in that match is changed forever. Rollins says that he will exploit his insecurities and expose him as the fraud that he is. He then accepts Cody's challenge, then Cody tells Rollins that he will see him in Hell.

Backstage, Sarah Schreiber interviews Asuka, who says Becky Lynch cries like a big baby before saying she will give her a reason to cry, as she is ready for the Raw Women's Champion and Becky is not ready for her.

Kevin Owens guests on commentary for the next match.

Ezekiel beats Chad Gable after reversing a pinfall attempt into one of his own.

Backstage, R-Truth and Tamina look for Akira Tozawa. R-Truth throws the divorce papers into a random trash can and Tozawa pops out, then Dana Brooke shows up and thanks R-Truth for serving Reggie divorce papers. R-Truth then makes it clear he wants the 24/7 Championship, then Dana Brooke runs away only to run into Carmella, who calls her a sorry excuse for a competitor and wife and says she is not a real champion while she herself is a real champion who is still relevant and has a husband who can't get enough of her. Dana Brooke tells Carmella that the last time she was relevant was when "the chinless guy" James Ellsworth worked in WWE. Carmella says Dana talks a big game, and Dana says that Carmella says that she should know because Corey Graves did, but could not cut it, and that she cannot cut it either. All of a sudden, R-Truth chases after Dana. Dana runs away, but R-Truth runs into Carmella. R-Truth asks Carmella for her help in getting the 24/7 Championship back, but Carmella says she will only do it when the time is right and that she wants Dana.

Lacey Evans head to the ring. She says she respects the men and women of the armed forces, then asks the fans to stand up and give the armed forces a round of applause with her. The fans do and even start a "USA" chant. She also thanks the fans for their warm welcome back, then thanks the members of the armed forces in the crowd that she knows what they have been through and thanks them for their service. Lacey then says that trying to find success is hard, but that everyone has what it takes inside of them to break a cycle and to work and to win. She then says she is not better than the other female Superstars, but none of them are better than her.

Backstage, Matt Riddle says there is nothing stopping him and Randy Orton from coming to SmackDown this week and unifying the tag team titles. We then hear from The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso). Jimmy says RK-Bro's (Randy Orton and Matt Riddle) luck has run out, and both Jimmy and Jey say that they will have all the gold.

Bianca Belair guests on commentary for the next match.

Asuka beats Becky Lynch to become #1 contender to the WWE Raw Women's Championship. During the match, Becky Lynch confronts Bianca Belair, and when Asuka attacks Becky, Becky tosses Asuka at Bianca, then kicks at Bianca before getting back into the ring. As the ref deals with Bianca, Becky tries to use Asuka's parasol as a weapon only for Asuka to spit green mist into her face and kick her with a buzzsaw kick to the head for the win.

This week on Raw Talk: Austin Theory! Bianca Belair! Rey and Dominik Mysterio!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for April 1, 2022

We see a video package for the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Madcap Moss last eliminates Finn Balor to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. After the match, Madcap Moss says he looked up to Andre the Giant ever since he was a little kid and he always wanted to follow in his footsteps, and he did it. He then says a battle royal named after the smartest Texans is called a "cattle royal."

Ricochet retains the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Humberto and Angel following a top rope 630 splash on Angel into a Recoil on Humberto after Humberto and Angel argue over who wins the title during the match.

We see a video package of the events leading up to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's appearance on The Kevin Owens Show at WrestleMania.

Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, Natalya and "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler watch the next match from ringside after it is announced that they along with Naomi, Sasha Banks, Queen Zelina and Carmella will compete for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania.

Naomi and Sasha Banks beat Carmella and Queen Zelina.

In footage from earlier today, Kayla Braxton interviews "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey at her personal training grounds. Ronda says she is expertly handling her anger until WrestleMania, when Charlotte Flair will either tap out or lose her arm when she rips it off and gives it to her family as a souvenir.

We see a video package of the events leading up to "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania.

Charlotte Flair shows up. She says that what she has done to "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey is better than any Oscar-caliber movie and that Ronda is angry that she will destroy her regardless of what submission she puts her in. She says that Ronda is acting like everything is cool, but everyone knows better, and says she is what is really cool compared to Ronda. Charlotte says she will take Ronda to school and teach her what cool is really all about.

Backstage, Happy Corbin pranks Madcap Moss with Drew McIntyre's sword.

We see a video package for Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar in a WWE Championship and Universal Championship unification match at WrestleMania.

As Rick Boogs plays Shinsuke Nakamura to the ring, Austin Theory shows up from behind the barricade and trips Pat McAfee off the commentary table. Pat McAfee chases Austin Theory to the back. Once again, Austin Theory hides in Vince McMahon's office, but McAfee kicks the door in. McMahon confronts McAfee and tells him to do his job.

Rick Boogs vs. Jimmy Uso ends in a no-contest. During the match, Austin Theory shows up and toss a fan's drink at Pat McAfee, but when he runs away, Finn Balor grabs Austin Theory, sends him into the ring, and proceeds to beat him up. This ends the match.

Austin Theory and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) beat Shinsuke Nakamura, Rick Boogs and Finn Balor in a six-man tag match after tripping Finn Balor off the top to stop the Coup de Grace. After the match, Pat McAfee gets on the ring apron, but gets back down tot he commentary table as Austin Theory dares McAfee to hit him after Michael Cole talks McAfee down.

It's time for Happy Talk. Madcap Moss says tonight's edition is a special edition that will be "extra happy," and after Moss celebrates his Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Corbin brags about stealing Drew McIntyre's sword Angela. Corbin calls it his "lucky WrestleMania sword" before running down his list of WrestleMania moments and proclaiming that he will beat Drew McIntyre once and for all, and calls what is "a fancy accessory" for McIntyre a "dangerous weapon" and "insurance policy" for himself. Corbin says that the sword deserves a happy name like "Euphoria," then Corbin says that McIntyre's sword and his late mother have something in common in that McIntyre lost them both. McIntyre shows up, knocks out Madcap Moss on the ramp, then grabs a chair and throws it at Corbin before swinging Angela at Corbin, forcing Corbin to flee. McIntyre then throws multiple articles of furniture out of the ring before chopping a table in half with Angela.

Here are the top ten moments for tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for March 25, 2022

Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews Brock Lesnar. He says he had paid some fines and bought some vehicles, and that he cannot have physical contact with Roman Reigns unless provoked. Lesnar then proclaims he will hang out in Roman's locker room for "a good provoking," then takes a look at the room before sitting down and crushing a table with the heels of his boots.

Shinsuke Nakamura beats Jimmy Uso after Rick Boogs sends Jey Uso into the ring post to save his guitar, distracting Jimmy Uso and allowing Nakamura to hit the Kinshasa for the win.

Brock Lesnar is seen in Roman Reigns' locker room drinking champagne and eating grapes. He throws the champagne bottle at the wall after being dissatisfied with the taste of the champagne.

WrestleMania 38 is eight days away!

It is announced that Shad Gaspard will be posthumously given the 2022 Warrior Award at the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony.

Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews Drew McIntyre. McIntyre says it is personal between himself and Happy Corbin, and since he has returned from injury, he has made his life hell, and while he could have taken him out at anytime, he wants to do it at WrestleMania where the most eyes are watching. He says that he will wipe the smug grin off of Corbin's face at the event.

We see a video package of Happy Corbin's rise from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the world. Backstage, Happy Corbin talks about his rise to the top with Madcap Moss as well as his plans to embarrass Drew McIntyre, saying that a movie could be made about this. Moss says the movie could be called "Bald Fellas," but Corbin does not approve of the joke.

Before the next match, Kofi Kingston re-introduces King Woods.

King Woods beats Ridge Holland with an inside cradle.

We hear from Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns. Roman talks about his and Paul's sightseeing trip through Brooklyn, New York, then warns Brock Lesnar to get out of his locker room before be beats him up and leaves him bleeding all over Brooklyn.

We see a video package chronicling the feud between Charlotte Flair and "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey.

"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey heads to the ring. Rousey says that next weekend, Charlotte Flair will be giving the title to her instead of her having to take the title after she makes Charlotte tap out, then calls Charlotte out to the ring. Charlotte shows up on the TitanTron instead, saying she is not in the "low-rent city" of Brooklyn, New York tonight and that she does not answer when the contender calls because she is the champion. Ronda says she knows exactly who she is, and that she broke her first arm at 14 years old and liked it so much that she counted the arms she broke until she eventually lost count. Charlotte says she has run out of ways to hurt Ronda and would have to toss her off the Brooklyn Bridge to get any satisfaction. Ronda tells Charlotte she is not her, saying that beating her would be the biggest win of her career while beating Charlotte would be part of a lost count.

Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews Brock Lesnar in Roman Reigns' locker room. Lesnar tells Kayla to get Roman, as he is running out of things to smash. Lesnar then throws a lamp and breaks it.

Angel beats Ricochet in an Intercontinental Championship Contender's Match with a schoolkid pin following the distraction by Humberto. After the match, Ricochet says it is not going down like that and calls out Humberto, daring him to get in the ring with him for a match. (The woman on the kiss cam before the match is independent wrestler Leila Gray.)

Humberto beats Ricochet in an Intercontinental Championship Contender's Match by count-out after Garza rolls underneath the ring and grabs Ricochet's foot to keep him from getting back in the ring.

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews Sami Zayn. Sami says he has been feeling good about things, but now that his match with Johnny Knoxville is an anything goes match, Knoxville has no idea what he is in for. He also says that he has dreamed of ways to hurt Knoxville at WrestleMania. Sami says that Knoxville will experience punishment in a way that has never been seen in a WWE ring before.

Austin Theory knocks the headset off Pat McAfee's head, and McAfee chases Theory all the way to Vince McMahon's office, where Theory locks the door and hides.

It is announced that Triple H has retired from in-ring competition following his heart attack back in September.

Sasha Banks beats Queen Zelina, Rhea Ripley and "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Bazler in a Fatal 4-Way match with a Banks Statement on Queen Zelina. Naomi, Liv Morgan, Natlaya and Carmella are at ringside during the match, but are ejected from the match during the commercial break following an eight-woman brawl.

Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman arrive at the arena. Paul tells Roman he does not feel well. Roman says they will be fine, but Brock Lesnar will not.

Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns head to the ring. Heyman tells Roman that Brock Lesnar is in Brooklyn, New York at the same time as Roman, but Roman tells Heyman not to be afraid as this is only a bad thing for Brock Lesnar, and threatens to put Lesnar' head through a wall if he is still there. Roman's locker room is shown on the TitanTron, but Lesnar is nowhere to be found. Lesnar is then shown with a pickaxe smashing the windows of Roman and Heyman's SUV. Roman tells Lesnar that weapons will not be allowed at WrestleMania before Lesnar heads towards the ring through the crowd. Security stand between Lesnar and Roman, but Lesnar lays security out with a chair. The Usos show up, but they, Roman and Heyman retreat when Lesnar gets in the ring. Lesnar then chases off Pat McAfee and Michael Cole before celebrating on the announce table. Roman then appears on the TitanTron and says that Lesnar will acknowledge him as the undisputed WWE Champion.

This week on Talking Smack: The New Day (King Woods and Sir Kofi Kingston)! Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel)! Sasha Banks and Naomi!

Here's the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for March 18, 2022

In memory of Scott Hall "Razor Ramon", 1958 - 2022.

Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) head to the ring to start tonight's show. As they do, it is announced that Pat McAfee is not allowed to put his hands on Austin Theory and that he must apologize to Theory or else he will lose his WrestleMania match and his job. Roman says that tonight is the first night he will see Brock Lesnar since he smashed him in Madison Square Garden. Suddenly, Lesnar lets Roman know that Lesnar's flight has been grounded due to weather-related reasons and that Lesnar will not be here tonight. Roman says that Lesnar is scared of him, because he is greatness on a different level and there is no man who can touch him. Suddenly, Heyman finds out that Lesnar is here after all and that he is on his way. Everyone heads to the back.

Backstage, Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) get into their black SUV. Suddenly, Heyman rams a forklift through the SUV's windows.

In footage from the commercial break, Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and The Usos are safe in the SUV, but Brock Lesnar is revealed to be driving the forklift as he lifts the SUV up and turns it on its side. Roman, Heyman and The Usos get in a light brown truck, but Lesnar finds the truck and rips a back door open as the truck speeds off. Lesnar then heads to the ring with the door in his hand. Lesnar says "Excuse me. I'm a little riled up," then tells Roman that he has unleased "a bipolar beast" and that he can run and hide, but in two weeks, he will do more than blow the doors off. He tells Roman that he is coming for blood and that he had best be prepared.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs beat Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel).

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews Happy Corbin, Madcap Moss, Jinder Mahal and Shanky. Corbin says that nothing makes him easier than bringing Drew McIntyre down a notch and that WrestleMania weekend will be the best weekend of his entire life. Madcap Moss makes a joke saying that an episode of "Happy Talk" that puts everybody to sleep is called "Nappy Talk." Nobody else is amused.

The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik) and Drew McIntyre beat Happy Corbin, Jinder Mahal and Shanky after Corbin refuses to wrestle McIntyre and tags in Shanky before running away.

Backstage, we hear from Sami Zayn, who says he is not happy because Johnny Knoxville ruined his life through juvenile pranks and stunts, and says he will show him what it means to step into his world. He then says that if Knoxville has the balls to step into the ring with him, then their match at WrestleMania Sunday will be anything goes.

Carmella and Queen Zelina watch the next match from the commentary table.

Naomi and Sasha Banks vs. Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley ends with Natalya and "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler laying out both times. Carmella and Queen Zelina both get in the ring and help Natalya and Shayna, but Natalya and Shayna make it clear they want their titles, too.

We hear from Johnny Knoxville, who says that he has done some dumb things, but he is still standing. He says that Sami Zayn may not be a good person, but he is a good competitor, and if he wants to make their match anything goes, he accepts.

Pat McAfee is told that he has been summoned to Vince McMahon's office by Michael Cole.

WrestleMania 38 is 15 days away!

Backstage, Sonya Deville tells Natalya and "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler that she loved what they did earlier and mentions that they have proven themselves to be a dominant force, and that they are added to the Women's Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania.

Backstage, Pat McAfee leaves Vince McMahon's office. Pat McAfee then heads to the ring. He talks about how he happened upon professional wrestling for the first time on USA Network and how his life changed immediately, as he saw something that inspired him and shaped him forever. He says that he found the thing that he thought he was put on earth to do, and after other professions got in the way and he retired, he got a call from Michael Cole asking to work on SmackDown. As he talks about how he has wanted to tour from city to city and meet the millions of fans of the WWE, Austin Theory shows up. After two false starts, Pat McAfee says he is sorry for whupping his ass, that his parents raised a douchebag, that he made him relevant and that he is "a punk bitch." Austin Theory shoves Pat after saying "You apologized!" and leaves.

We see Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs in their Toyota Tundra TDR Pro. This time, they go mountain biking in the woods.

Ridge Holland beats Kofi Kingston after Sheamus and Butch get ejected from ringside and Kofi throws Sheamus' cane out of the ring. Butch runs at Kofi, and the distraction allows Ridge to hit Northern Grit for the win.

Charlotte Flair heads to the ring. Charlotte says she showed "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey why she is the most decorated woman in sports entertainment history and that nobody has caused Ronda more pain than she has. She also talks about how she had Ronda seconds away from tapping out until referees pulled her off of Ronda, and says that this is a taste of what is in store for Ronda at WrestleMania as Ronda watches from backstage. Charlotte calls herself the mountain that Ronda has to climb and says she kicked Ronda down to the bottom of that mountain, and says that when she loses at WrestleMania, she will leave to have another baby because she does not have the spine to be a champion like her. She then dares Ronda to get in the ring with her so she can embarrass her in her hometown. Ronda heads to the ring and ignored Kayla Braxton's attempt at an interview as she does, and Charlotte produces a Kendo stick. Charlotte swings and misses, and the two women brawl. Charlotte avoids an ankle lock by hitting her with a Kendo stick and chokes her out with it, then powerbombs her through the announce table.

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for February 25, 2022

Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship and the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania is officially announced as a title unification match.

Michael Cole interviews "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey in the ring to start tonight's show. Ronda says she broke her hand, rehabbed it, broke her other hand, rehabbed that hand, then had a daughter. She says that she wanted to punch her ticket to a second WrestleMania to set an example for her daughter after what her mother did to become a judo champion. Ronda also says she wants to be the first woman in two years to tap out Charlotte Flair, then Charlotte shows up after some still photos of Ronda at Elimination Chamber are shown. Charlotte tells Ronda she gave a little taste of a welcome back that she says was "so much fun" and gave her mercy at Elimination Chamber because she felt sorry for her, then says she will not do it again when she taps her out with the Figure Eight at WrestleMania. As Charlotte says that the bright side of it all is that Ronda will work on having a second child, Ronda is hit with a chop block by Sonya Deville. Charlotte then trips Ronda from the outside and rams her leg into a ring post. When Sonya gets in Ronda's face and asks her why she is such a failure, Ronda judo throws her out of the ring.

Backstage, Adam Pearce informs Sonya Deville that next week, she will go one-on-one with "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey.

The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E) beat Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel). Before the match, Los Lotharios kiss a woman in the front row for their kiss cam. (This woman is Kayla Sparks, who would appear on AEW Rampage later that night.) The New Day head to the ring on an ATV, and at the end of the match, The New Day hit the Midnight Hour on Angel after Angel has to beg Big E not to run over Humberto with the ATV.

Sam Roberts is seen with The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) backstage.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs are seen riding across northern California in a Toyota Tundra TRO PRO and going kayaking.

WrestleMania 38 is 36 days away!

Backstage, Sheamus and Ridge Holland stop The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E) on their ATV, telling them that if they show up for fight night, they will need the ATV to carry them out. The New Day laugh and drive off.

Backstage, Sam Roberts interviews The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso). Jey Uso says tonight's contract signing is for the biggest WrestleMania match of all time, and Jey Uso says that Roman Reigns will "put that work" on Brock Lesnar like they will "put that work" on The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik). As The Usos joke that they can smell The Viking Raiders a mile away, The Viking Raiders attack them and demand a SmackDown tag team title shot.

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews Xia Li. Xia Li says she has waited for this moment for his whole life after working hard in NXT, and while she is nervous, she is confident, for she is "The Protector" and Natalya will need protecting.

Xia Li beats Natalya in her main roster debut match.

Sami Zayn shows up in a gold tuxedo and heads to the ring. Sami Zayn says that justice is served, that you cannot keep a good man down, and that he is Intercontinental Champion again, and that he was the target of a large conspiracy to keep the title from him. He says that "they" will persecute him any chance he gets, but he knows that no matter what "they" throw at him, he can overcome all of it. Sami says he is more than happy to give Shinsuke Nakamura a title rematch, but he is too busy picking up the pieces of his knee cap that he shattered, and therefore, he has no problems with holding an open challenge. Johnny Knoxville suddenly shows up and says that since Sami Zayn crashed his celebration, he felt he should return the favor. Sami tells him to leave, but Knoxville reminds him that he threw out an open challenge. Sami tells Knoxville that he does not belong her and that while he is playing mind games with him, but he can through him. Knoxville asks Sami if he wants to be a fighting champion or if he does not have enough balls. Sami drops the mic as the crowd starts a "no balls" chant, then stares down Knoxville before teasing leaving. He then runs back into the ring and attacks Knoxville before hitting him with the Helluva Kick. Referees have to keep Sami from Knoxville afterwards, and Sami soon hits Knoxville with another Helluva Kick.

Backstage, Adam Pearce meets with Sami Zayn when Ricochet shows up and steps up for an Intercontinental title match. Sami tells him to get to the back of the line, but Adam Pearce makes it official for next week, much to Sami's chagrin.

Naomi guests on commentary for the next match.

Sasha Banks beats Shotzi with the Banks Statement. After the match, Naomi says that everyone is looking at the next WWE Women's Tag Team Champions in her and Sasha.

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss. Corbin says Moss has the strongest neck in the world, or else Elimination Chamber would have been a disaster. He then says Drew McIntyre will have to deal with him in a WrestleMania-caliber match and it will happen tonight. He says that McIntyre swung a sword at him and disrespected him and Moss, and tonight, he will show McIntyre who the better warrior is and that is no joke.

Before the next match, Happy Corbin says the next match is a WrestleMania-caliber match and asks Drew McIntyre if he wants to embarrass himself in Hershey, Pennsylvania, then says Madcap Moss is tough as nails and an inspiration after landing on his head and continuing to fight. He then tells Moss to get on the apron and tells him that he has this match, as it is "only Drew McIntyre." Moss gets in the ring, but Corbin attacks McIntyre from behind and Moss joins in.

Drew McIntyre beats Madcap Moss.

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey, who says that for all the times Sonya Deville messed with her and bullied Naomi, she will show what happens when authority figures step out of line.

Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) head to the ring. In the ring, Adam Pearce oversees the contract signing, and security guards are also present. Heyman says we have come to a point in history where there is no way to embellish or exaggerate the enormity of this year's WrestleMania main event, and that this match is the single-biggest match in history. He says that this is the biggest match on the biggest stage, and is bigger than Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. The Rock, and the night Brock Lesnar conquered The Undertaker's undefeated streak. Heyman says that Roman will solidify his "greatest of all time" status against Brock Lesnar in a title unification match, then gets down to the business at hand and states that security is here to protect Brock Lesnar from his own impulsiveness and from Roman Reigns. He then says "And this, ladies and gentleman, is what they call a cliffhanger," before the show immediately fades to a commercial break. After the commercial break, Brock Lesnar heads to the ring. Lesnar admits he has to contain himself and admits that he is impulsive, but says that if security will stop him from jumping across the table and kicking Roman and Heyman's asses, they have another thing coming. He says the only thing stopping him is himself and the contract, and that he will sign the contract so he can kick their asses and get paid for it. Lesnar then signs the contract and tosses it at Roman, then Heyman says he has had it with Lesnar's disrespect and that if he wants to make it personal, he will make sure Lesnar loses the WWE Championship next week at Madison Square Garden. Roman then signs the contract before stating that the WWE Champonship is his and that Lesnar does not even realize this because he will smash him at WrestleMania and absolutely everyone and everything around him is his. After Roman says all of the security in the ring works for him, Lesnar flips the table and lays out all of security.

This week on Talking Smack: The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik)! Sonya Deville!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for February 11, 2022

WWE official Sonya Deville - whose left arm is now in a cast - welcomes everyone to tonight's show, then acknowledges Ronda Rousey's attack on her last week. She says people like Ronda and Naomi think they can do anything without consequence because they have no respect for authority and says that there will be consequences for actions regardless of who does them. She announces that she has gone to the Board of Directors and proposed that Ronda Rousey be fined $100,000 and suspended indefinitely, but WWE official Adam Pearce shows up with an e-mail from Board Chairman Vince McMahon. Vince makes it clear that he knows what Sonya has been doing and says that she has been abusing her power, and that he will exercise some of his by declining Sonya's proposal and announces she cannot lay a hand on Naomi tonight, even during her match. The e-mail also announces that if Sonya disobeys, her job will be in serious jeopardy. Naomi then shows up and asks Sonya if she had ever been ripped a new one by her boss before saying that while she can't touch Naomi, the e-mail said nothing about putting a hand on her. Naomi then slaps Sonya in the face.

Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel). Angel says they are not only the most lethal lovers, and Humberto says they are the most serious competitors. Angel says that they will not lose again because they are "The Lethal Lovers." When Los Lotharios come out, they have a "kiss cam" where they kiss a woman in the front row.

Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel) beat The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E).

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik). They are suddenly attacked by The Usos before they can get much of a word in, then The Usos take away their helmets.

Backstage, Michael Cole interviews Roman Reigns. Roman says that if he were in WCW, everyone would be winning and they would still be in business. He says that Brock Lesnar and Goldberg are both old news and that nobody cares about Goldberg because he is here and he is the best Universal Championship of all time, and that he would smack Goldberg out of WWE, too. Roman says all the pressure is on Goldberg, not him, because while Goldberg could have had a chance two years, everything has changed now and he is unbeatable. He then says he will "Goldberg" Goldberg.

Natalya beats Aliyah with the Sharpshooter in a pinfall or submissions only "Dungeon Match" when Aliyah finds out that she cannot break the hold by grabbing the bottom rope. After the match, Natalya attacks Aliyah, but Xia Li runs in and overpowers Natalya.

WWE looks back on the life and career of Rocky Johnson for Black History Month, with narration by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

It's time for In-Zayn. Tonight's guests are Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs. We see footage from earlier today where Johnny Knoxville writes the word "loser" on a poster of Sami Zayn and puts a "Sami Zayn Forever" shirt through a wood chipper for copyright infringement, saying it is not over between himself and Sami Zayn. Sami says he will not dignify the video clip, as Knoxville has spent too much time getting in his head and it is time to reclaim the WWE Intercontinental Championship and host his live podcast. Sami then goes on to mock the intelligence of the New Orleans, Louisiana fans before Rick Boogs introduces Shinsuke Nakamura. Sami Zayn accuses Nakamura of ducking him while he is #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship, then says he cannot wait to see the look on Nakamura's face when he beats him next week to reclaim the title. He also accuses Nakamura of secretly working with Johnny Knoxville, but Nakamura stops him and asks him if he saw the movie being made called "Jackass Defeated." Sami says he had a lot of respect for Nakamura until Nakamura suddenly decided to have Rick Boogs with him and side with Johnny Knoxville, then says Rick Boogs can work out and play guitar all he wants. Boogs tells Sami to shut up, then gets shocked when he goes for the microphone. Sami then hits Nakamura with a Helluva Kick from behind when Nakamura tends to Boogs.

Backstage, Happy Corbin talks with Madcap Moss - who is sporting a black eye - about his match tonight, but Madcap Moss says he will sit the match out due to the black eye he got from Drew McIntyre's Claymore Kick, saying he could do with "a little Clay-less."

Happy Corbin beats Cesaro.

Backstage, Madcap Moss tells the trainer that his vision is bad, but when the trainer tests his vision, Drew McIntyre's sword is in front of him. McIntyre catches Moss in a lie, then reminds him that their match at Elimination Chamber is falls count anywhere and anything goes.

Backstage, Michael Cole interviews Goldberg. Goldberg admits he has listened to some of the naysayers and that it has affected his game, but he has turned the page and he does not give a damn about what anyone has to say. He says that his match with Roman Reigns will be everlasting and call upon "the old Goldberg," and while Reigns may want to call himself several nicknames and change himself, he is still the same Goldberg and their match has been a long time coming. As for Roman's claims of beating Goldberg, Goldberg says Roman is his next victim, and after he destroys Roman, Roman will acknowledge him and he will walk into WrestleMania as Universal Champion against Brock Lesnar. As for Roman's claims of wanting to "Goldberg" Goldberg, Goldberg says "Good luck with that, kid," and says there is only one Goldberg.

Charlotte Flair retains the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship against Naomi. After the match, WWE official Sonya Deville gets in the ring and mocks Naomi only for Naomi to beat her up. Charlotte Flair gets back in the ring and hits Naomi with a big boot, and when Sonya proceeds to stomp on Naomi, Ronda Rousey runs into the ring. Naomi beats up Charlotte, then goes for Sonya's other arm before Charlotte helps Sonya out of the ring.