Category: SmackDown

Emma (Tenille Dashwood) returned to WWE on Friday Night SmackDown

Another former WWE star returned to the company tonight on Friday Night SmackDown.

As was noted last week, Ronda Rousey wanted to face all challengers and she issued an open challenge for this week. Before her match Friday night, Rousey was in full-blown heel mode as she talked about being an active champion. 

After Rousey’s promo, Tenille Dashwood was revealed as her opponent and she is back to using the name Emma. This is Emma’s first time in a WWE ring in almost 5 years. Emma was very competitive but after raking the eyes, Rousey won after hitting the Piper’s Pit and the armbar submission.

Emma took to social media and reacted to Friday night’s match.

“5 years ago today I was heartbroken feeling like my dream had come to an end. Today my heart is so full! I’m overwhelmed by the amount of support I have. You guys are the best. Now… I’ve got some unfinished business to take care of!” wrote Emma.

Before last night’s match, Emma’s last WWE match was on the October 23, 2017 edition of “Raw,” where she lost to Asuka. A day earlier, on October 22, she lost to Asuka at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs.

Emma recently left Impact Wrestling after three years with the company. During her time there, she held the Impact Knockouts Tag Team Titles.

After her WWE release and before Impact Wrestling, Emma had a stint in Ring of Honor. She was part of the ROH Women of Honor Title 2018 tournament. A year later, Emma made her All Elite Wrestling debut at AEW All Out 2019. She was one of the participants in the Casino Battle Royale. The winner ended up being former AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose.

WWE is now interested in bringing back “several” more former WWE Women’s Superstars including Tegan Nox. Nox was released on November 18, 2021. 

WWE SmackDown Preview 10/28/2022

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown is live from the Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO at 8/7c on FS1. SmackDown is airing on FS1 due to the MLB World Series airing on FOX.

WWE SmackDown Preview 10/21/2022

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown live from  the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA at 8/7c on FOX.

I’m sure there will be more on the feud between Drew McIntyre and Karrion Kross, plus more from Bray Wyatt.

Backstage Latest on WWE’s Storyline Plans for Bray Wyatt’s “Wyatt 6” Faction

Bray Wyatt is the most talked about name in WWE this week, as his storyline plans remain a mystery.

Wyatt made his return over a week ago at Extreme Rules, and he spoke for the first time as himself during SmackDown, but the show ended with his promo being cut off by the mysterious video on the titantron, leaving fans wondering what was going on. There’s also speculation that Wyatt will command a new “Wyatt 6” faction. According to a WWE source, the entire storyline is still being worked out.

Dave Meltzer was asked about some of the suspected names for Wyatt’s faction during an appearance on TSN Radio’s “Sunday Night’s Main Event” broadcast.

Meltzer said, “I think they are gonna be a faction but I’m not sure who is gonna be in it. I’ve certainly heard names for a faction but then I heard other people say those aren’t the names. And someone even told me it’s not even all worked out exactly how it’s all gonna go down. I think it’s a faction. As far as who’s playing what, I don’t know. It’s being kept like that for a reason. I think they are trying to keep it secretive…”

Joe Gacy as Huskus, Grayson Waller as Mercy the Buzzard (Waller has denied this speculation), and Alexa Bliss as Sister Abigail are among the names that have been circulated. There is also a hint that Liv Morgan will become a darker character. There has been rumors of Erick Rowan’s comeback, particularly following a recent interview in which he stated that he is open to a WWE return because he has unfinished business.

Based on what Meltzer has gathered about the speculated names, it appears that most, if not all, of the individuals listed above, will not be part of the group.

Source: PWMania

Bray Wyatt Delivers Heartfelt Words To Live Fans On WWE SmackDown

Bray Wyatt poured his heart out as he addressed his 18-month absence from the wrestling business on this week’s “WWE SmackDown” in New Orleans, LA.

Wyatt walked through the same shining door as he did at Extreme Rules, with a lantern in hand, and to brand new theme music. However, he wasn’t wearing a mask and was dressed simply in a t-shirt and jeans. Wyatt would then blow out the lamp before greeting some fans in the ringside area. 

In the ring, Wyatt was showered with thunderous “Welcome back!” chants as he looked genuinely moved.

“I am incredibly grateful and really, really nervous,” Wyatt began. “I never thought this would happen. This right here, this is just me, OK? This is a version of me I never got to introduce to you guys before. This is just me, genuinely being me for the first time.”

Wyatt then teared up as he touched upon the emotional hurdles he’s had to battle during his time away from WWE.

“I just want to share with you; this past year, I lost a lot of things,” Wyatt said. “I lost my career, I lost my self-confidence, I lost two people who were very, very close to me. And I lost my way. I got to a point where I thought that everything I did here [in WWE] was meaningless. I felt like nothing I ever did mattered to anyone, but I was wrong. Once I was done feeling sorry for myself and went back into the world, all I heard was people saying, ‘Thank you, Bray. When are you coming back home?’ Every once in a while, I would meet some truly remarkable people, who would tell me, ‘Thank you, Bray, I was in a time of need and felt weak but I found your words. I just wanted to thank you for saving my life.'”

At this point, a huge “Thank you Bray” chant broke out at Smoothie King Center, as Wyatt continued to tear up. 

“I can sit here and look at all of you and say you were all there when I was weak, vulnerable, and down,” Wyatt continued. “Thank you; you all saved my life. You wouldn’t let me alone. Every time I tried to run away and hide, you would always find me and chase me. You are the reason…” 

Suddenly, Wyatt’s speech was cut short and the lights went out. The Wyatt 6 moth logo then appeared on the screen, following which Wyatt’s new creation, introduced at Extreme Rules, spoke directly to him.  

“Oh little one, my little one,” said the masked figure. “Come with me, your life is done. Forget the future and the past. Life is over. Breathe your last. You have no idea who you’re dealing with. But you will.” 

The show went off the air following the mysterious video. Fans on social media believe the masked figure could be the brains behind the Wyatt 6 stable, which is rumored to include the likes of Bo Dallas, Joe Gacy, Alexa Bliss and Grayson Waller. While, there’s a lot of speculation regarding Wyatt’s new character, and whether he’ll actually be part of a stable, we could get more answers during next week’s “SmackDown” in Toledo, Ohio.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Former And Current WWE Stars Rumored For Bray Wyatt’s New Stable

Bray Wyatt made his return to WWE at the end of Extreme Rules 2022 to a chorus of “Holy s***” chants, as this was the first time a live audience had seen the three-time world champion since Night Two of WrestleMania 37. The return also strengthened the rumors that Wyatt will once again have a faction around him, as mysterious individuals wearing costumes resembling characters from Wyatt’s previous Firefly Funhouse segments appeared in the crowd. The stable is rumored to be known as the Wyatt 6, playing into Wyatt’s current name and handle on Twitter.

In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer seemingly confirmed that the Wyatt 6 is in WWE’s immediate plans, and suggested several names that have been discussed to portray the various characters. These include at least two call-ups from “NXT” — Joe Gacy, who is currently leading a faction known as Schism and whose character has been frequently compared to Wyatt, as Huskus the Pig Boy, and Grayson Waller as Mercy the Buzzard, potentially identified by his Hawaiian shirt at Extreme Rules. There are also rumors that former Wyatt Family member Erick Rowan will be playing Rambling Rabbit, though Meltzer emphasized that these are just rumors, while Bo Dallas, Wyatt’s real-life brother who is reportedly making his return to WWE, could be playing The Fiend himself.

As for Sister Abigail/Abby the Witch, who has been part of Wyatt’s mythology since the character’s beginnings, the names mentioned by Meltzer include Alexa Bliss, who famously transformed into a dark supernatural character aligned with Wyatt during his most recent run (and turned on him during his last WWE match), and Liv Morgan, who seemed to tease a darker side to her character when she smiled while being choked out by Ronda Rousey at Extreme Rules.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Update On Charlotte Flair’s WWE Return

Fans can expect to see Charlotte Flair back on WWE television soon, based on a new report. 

Flair hasn’t wrestled since she lost the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship to Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania: Backlash in May. She then took time off for her wedding with AEW’s Andrade El Idolo.

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that “Charlotte Flair is scheduled to return soon.”

It’s unclear what WWE has planned for her, but she will be part of the SmackDown brand.

Source: EWrestlingNews

WWE SmackDown Preview 10/7/2022

Tonight’s season premiere of WWE SmackDown live from DCU Center in Worcester, MA at 8/7C on FOX. Final show before Saturday night’s Extreme Rules premium live event

Zelina Vega is slated to make her WWE television return on tonight’s episode of SmackDown as she was spotted at the Boston Airport

WWE Announces Changes To Commentary Teams For NXT, RAW & SmackDown

WWE has officially announced changes to the commentary teams for all three brands – RAW, NXT, and SmackDown. 

Kevin Patrick & Corey Graves will be the commentators for Raw while Cathy Kelley is back and will work as an interviewer and Byron Saxton. For SmackDown, the team is Michael Cole & Wade Barrett, while NXT’s team will be Vic Joseph & Booker T.

Pat McAfee will return to the WWE announce booth following his commitments to ESPN’s College GameDay.

WWE issued the following:

WWE announces updates to commentary teams

Today WWE announced that Raw, SmackDown, NXT and Premium Live Events will all have updated announce booths starting with this week’s season premieres. The news was first reported by Variety on Thursday afternoon.

On Friday Night SmackDown, the commentary table will be headed by Michael Cole with Wade Barrett doing color commentary. Samantha Irvin will be the ring announcer, and interviews will be conducted by Kayla Braxton and Megan Morant.

On Monday Night Raw, Corey Graves will still be providing his colorful insights and will be joined by Kevin Patrick on play-by-play. Mike Rome will continue to announce from the ring, and Byron Saxton will transition from the commentary booth to backstage interviews. Also joining Saxton in backstage interviews is none other than Cathy Kelley in her return to WWE.

Over on NXT, Vic Joseph will be assisted by six-time World Champion and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. Alicia Taylor will still provide her exceptional voice to ring announcing, and McKenzie Mitchell will once again be conducting interviews.

On the Premium Live Event side, Michael Cole and Corey Graves will come together again to announce from the booth.

Pat McAfee will return to the WWE announce booth following his commitments to ESPN’s College GameDay.

A New White Rabbit QR Code Airs On SmackDown

The QR codes for the “White Rabbit” continue.

During Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown, a new QR code aired at the end of a Karrion Kross vignette, which teased a rebirth of sorts.

When the QR code was scanned, it led to a WWE.com link that featured a video of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. At one point, the pigs were butchered. Additionally, the Big Bad Wolf was wearing Granny’s clothes. The video ended with a Morse code that translated to “Azazel Reborn.”

For what it’s worth, Azazel is part of Jewish folklore who was associated with the scapegoat rite. He is referenced in Christian and Islamic folklore and is sometimes considered to be a “fallen angel.” Fans of Marvel likely know Azazel as the name of a mutant teleporter from Chuck Austin’s run in the early 2000s.

The WWE.com video also features the White Rabbit in the corner and has the filename of “TS_10E6.” With that being said, episode six of The Simpsons in season 10 has a segment where the town of Springfield gets drugged thanks to Homer. At that point, Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” plays as they all hallucinate. The filename also includes a phone number (8554895099) that if you call, it plays a distorted audio clip. When it’s played in reverse, it says, “Bravo. Echo. Lima. Alpha. India. Romeo. I am the way into the City of Woe. I am the way into the eternal sorrow.” The first six letters are military alphabet for “Belair.”

Interestingly, WWE’s QR code URL was titled wwe.com/1911, which fans immediately connected to an image of Firefly Funhouse Bray in a Mad Hatter hat with the numbers 19/11. You can view the old image here. 

The source code of the WWE.com URL also features the message, “Drink More Ovaltine,” which is in reference to “A Christmas Story” where Ralphie gets a Little Orphan Annie Secret Society Decoder Pin and uses it to decode a message that is an advertisement for Ovaltine.

The Wyatt teases didn’t end there. Later on “SmackDown,” a fan standing directly behind announcers Michael Cole and Corey Graves held up a sign that read, “Revel in what you are.” Wyatt had tweeted this exact message in 2019 while appreciating Rob Schamberg’s artwork for The Fiend. 

As noted earlier, the big White Rabbit reveal is expected to take place at next Saturday’s Extreme Rules premium live event. 

Sources: Wrestling Inc. and EWrestlingNews with credit to Ryan Satin