Category: SmackDown

The Rock And Pat McAfee Appeared On SmackDown

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returned (alongside Pat McAfee) to run down Austin Theory in Denver, Colorado on Friday night, and those in attendance at the “SmackDown” Hotel made a lot of noise for the returning People’s Champion, who hadn’t been seen on WWE television since 2019.

McAfee, who had appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” an hour away on ESPN and will co-host “College GameDay” from the same location on Saturday, made the journey to the Ball Arena to greet the WWE Universe, but was interrupted by former foe Austin Theory. After telling Theory he was just out there “enjoying the local laws,” McAfee brought out The Rock, who had appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” earlier in the day, to an objectively earth-shaking ovation from the Denver crowd.

The Rock soaked in the crowd’s adoration for a while before heading down the ring, taking off his jacket, and announcing that “The Rock has finally come back to Denver!” He soon had the crowd running down Theory as well, though those at home listened mostly to a muted broadcast as Fox opted to sensor the organic “holy s*” chants and somewhat less than organic “You’re an ahole” chants. Eventually, Theory tried to get the jump on Rock, but was denied and taken to the ground before the Hollywood star hit Theory with the People’s Elbow. The Rock then gestured for McAfee, who had been dancing and observing in the corner for the segment, to hit a People’s Elbow of his own. The pair celebrated in the ring while Theory was left laying.

In addition to his in-ring segment, Rock briefly encountered John Cena backstage, but as of this writing he has not been seen interacting with any current or former member of The Bloodline. During his “McAfee” appearance, Johnson said there had been plans for a match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, and said he’s open to a match with Reigns at WrestleMania 40. Johnson is also currently dealing with the Hollywood writers’ strike and its impact on his broader media endeavors.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

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WWE SmackDown Preview 9/15/2023

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX from the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

  • Grayson Waller Effect with John Cena
  • LA Knight vs The Miz

Two Companies Believed To Be In Best Contention For WWE SmackDown Media Rights

WWE is in discussions with various networks regarding the upcoming media rights agreements for Raw and SmackDown, which will expire in 2024 with USA Network and FOX.

The company has ended its exclusive negotiations period with USA and FOX, allowing to remain in talks with them and also talk with other networks.

During Monday’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Amazon and Disney are the two primary contenders in bidding for the television rights to SmackDown, as FOX is not interested in bidding to pay WWE $300 million per year for the show.

WWE is seeking a substantial increase in price for both Raw and NXT, with the expectation that these two shows will continue to air on the USA Network.

Source: eWn

WWE SmackDown Preview 9/8/2023

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX from TD Garden in Boston, MA.

  • AJ Styles vs. Jimmy Uso
  • Shotzi and Charlotte Flair vs. Damage CTRL’s Bayley and IYO SKY

WWE SmackDown Preview 9/1/2023

WWE will air live tonight on FOX from the GIANT Center in Hershey, PA.

  • John Cena returns
  • Jimmy Uso returns to the blue brand to discuss the ongoing turmoil within his family
  • Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar vs Austin Theory and Grayson Waller

John Cena To Regularly Appear On SmackDown In September & October

WWE announced today that John Cena, who will return to Friday Night SmackDown this Friday, September 1 at The Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., will also appear on SmackDown for seven consecutive weeks starting Friday, September 15 at Ball Arena in Denver through the end of October.

Cena will appear on the following dates:

  • Friday, September 1 – Hershey, Pa. – The Giant Center
  • Friday, September 15 – Denver – Ball Arena
  • Friday, September 22 – Glendale, Ariz. – Desert Diamond Arena
  • Friday, September 29 – Sacramento, Calif. – Golden 1 Center
  • Friday, October 6 – St. Louis – Enterprise Center
  • Friday, October 13 – Tulsa, Okla. – BOK Center
  • Friday, October 20 – San Antonio – AT&T Center
  • Friday, October 27 – Milwaukee – Fiserv Forum

Each night, Cena, in partnership with Make-A-Wish, will host children and their families in each city to experience a WWE event in-person.

As previously announced, Cena will appear at the WWE Superstar Spectacle at GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium in India on Friday, September 8.

Source: eWn

WWW Pays Tribute To Bray Wyatt And Terry Funk On SmackDown

WWE honored both Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt on Friday, opening  “WWE SmackDown” with a ten-bell salute after the passing of both stars this week. WWE Hall of Famer and hardcore wrestling legend Funk died on Wednesday, and Paul “Triple H” Levesque announced Thursday that Windham Rotunda, better known to fans as Bray Wyatt, had died as well. As previously reported, plans for “SmackDown” were scrapped after Rotunda’s death to add a “significant tribute element” to the show.

Michael Cole opened up the show as “SmackDown” went on the air. Members of the WWE locker room, as well as Levesque and even Impact star Erick Redbeard, formerly known as Erick Rowan during his time in WWE as a member of the Wyatt Family, stood on the stage, emotional. Cole said the broadcast would honor both stars’ legacies, a process that began with the ten-bell salute. A spotlight then showcased the rocking chair Rotunda used as the Wyatt character, empty on stage, before a video package honoring the star aired. The video showed highlights of Wyatt’s career, from his time leading the Wyatt Family to his time with various championships. Photos of Rotunda with his wife, JoJo Offerman, and their children were also shown.

Later in the broadcast, WWE aired a video package about Funk’s passing, as well, which was introduced to the live audience by Cody Rhodes. Both Funk and Wyatt also received packages showing the outpouring of grief for their passing on social media, alongside footage of their most iconic moments. Moreover, a series of QR codes — a reference to the White Rabbit storyline that heralded Wyatt’s return to WWE last year, led to various YouTube videos highlighting his career.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 8/25/2023

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX and emanate from the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

  • WWE Women’s Championship: IYO SKY (c) vs. Zelina Vega
  • Rey Mysterio vs. Grayson Waller in a US Non-Title Match
  • Jimmy Uso returns

John Cena’s WWE TV Return Revealed

John Cena is slated to make his return to WWE television next month. 

The last time the former WWE Champion competed, he went up against Austin Theory for the United States Championship but fell short in April at WrestleMania 39 on the opening night of the event.

The last time Cena appeared in front of fans was at the Money in the Bank PLE in London last month. During his promo segment, he encouraged WWE to bring WrestleMania to Europe. When Grayson Waller interrupted him, Cena laid him out. 

Cena sent in a pre-recorded video to talk about his feud with Edge, who celebrated his career with the company last week on SmackDown. 

Ryan Satin of FOX Sports reports Cena is set to appear on the September 1st episode of SmackDown from The Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He’s also set to travel to India with the company for the upcoming WWE Superstar Spectacle show at the GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium on Friday, September 8th.

Source: eWn

Edge To WWE SmackDown Crowd In Toronto: ‘This Is My Last Time In Front Of Y’all’

WWE fans still don’t have a concrete answer as to whether the “Rated R Superstar” is officially retired from the company, but Edge cut a promo to the “WWE SmackDown” live crowd after the broadcast went off the air following his match with Sheamus — a match many believe could be the star’s final match with the company — shedding at least a little bit of light on the situation.

In a video posted to  Twitter by a user named Dylan Melanson, Edge is seen speaking in the middle of the ring following his victory. “What I can say, is this is my last time in front of y’all,” he said, to a chorus of boos from his hometown crowd of Toronto. “I don’t think I could make it a full… to get here again for another match. I’m just being honest with you.”

Edge also instructed the crowd to “not let that be a downer,” because the fans gave him an amazing experience. He said he will never forget it.

“And when I’m 84-years-old and don’t remember much, you’re damn sure I’m going to remember this,” he said before thanking the crowd and walking out of the ring to his theme music.

Later, WWE’s official Twitter account would post a snippet of the speech, in which Edge says he doesn’t know what the future holds and needs to ask his family, who were sitting ringside, what they want him to do.

Before the match, Edge addressed the retirement rumors, saying “SmackDown” was the final match on his current WWE deal. As of this writing, neither the star nor WWE have commented on any official retirement.

Source: Wrestling Inc.