Tag: SmackDown

WWE SmackDown GM Dealing With An Injury

It’s tough being an on-screen authority figure in WWE. A roster full of stars constantly getting into brawls in between segments, demanding things on the day of the show, and just being hard to deal with can be a real task. However, one figure in particular has been dealing with a very real problem.

PWInsider is reporting that “WWE Smackdown” General Manager Nick Aldis has been dealing with an injury as of late, with multiple WWE sources believing that he has a torn bicep that requires surgery. Another report was published later the same day by PWI confirming that Aldis not only had a torn bicep, but that he had undergone surgery for it, and everything went smoothly to the point that WWE doesn’t think Aldis will miss any upcoming appearances for the company.

Aldis later confirmed and commented on the injury via a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“Yes, I just got out of surgery for a ruptured bicep tendon, and yes, the sheets had it within minutes. God bless ’em. Must be a slow news day,” Aldis wrote. “Anyway it was a freak accident, I’m on the mend, and I will continue to fulfill my obligations.”

Before his time as “Smackdown” General Manager, Aldis was best known for his work as Magnus in TNA Wrestling, where he would not only win two TNA Tag Team Championship, but the TNA World Championship as well. With TNA having working relationships overseas during his time there, Aldis would win tag gold in both New Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH before leaving the company in 2015. He would enjoy a lot of singles success in his post-TNA career, winning the Global Force Wrestling World Championship in 2015, before going on to hold the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship for over 1300 days between 2017 and 2021. Aldis would make a brief pitstop back in TNA (then known as Impact Wrestling) before joining WWE as a backstage producer in August 2023 and being revealed as the Smackdown General Manager a few weeks later.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Asuka Reportedly Injured During Latest SmackDown

It hasn’t always been the smoothest road to WrestleMania 40, with plans involving The Rock, Cody Rhodes, and Roman Reigns changing a few times, while an injury to CM Punk also led to an audible regarding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match. Now, another injury has emerged to potentially throw a monkey wrench into WWE’s plans for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.

PWInsider reports that Asuka, one-half of the Women’s Tag Champions with Kairi Sane, suffered an injury to her knee on “SmackDown” this past Friday night. The news will not come as a huge shock to viewers, as Asuka could be seen limping during the closing angle of “SmackDown,” where she, Kairi, Dakota Kai, and WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY attacked Bayley following the latter’s match against Kai.

Asuka was subsequently pulled off the road this weekend, as a precaution, and is expected to undergo medical tests to determine the severity of the injury. At this time, it remains to be seen whether Asuka will be able to wrestle through the injury, or if she will be forced to take significant time off. It would be Asuka’s second notable injury in three years, after she was forced to miss 9 months of action from July 2021 to April 2022 due to an arm injury.

While no match had been announced for Asuka and Kairi at WrestleMania, it was expected that the duo would put their titles on the line on either Night One or Night Two of the event. Should Asuka be forced to miss significant time, she would become the second WWE women’s star forced off of Mania this year due to injury, joining Charlotte Flair, who suffered an injury wrestling Asuka back in December and is expected to be out till later this year.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 3/15/2024

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown, which airs live on FOX from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN.

  • WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio returns
  • Bayley vs. Dakota Kai
  • The Rock to appear

Jerry The King” Lawler is expected to be at SmackDown tonight in Memphis, but it has not been confirmed if he will appear on TV.

Jerry “The King” Lawler Reportedly Set For Friday’s WWE Smackdown in Memphis, Missing Convention

PWInsider reports that Jerry Lawler announced that he will miss The Big Event convention in New York as he is set to be at WWE SmackDown this Friday in his hometown of Memphis. He will appear at the taping but it’s unknown if he will be on camera.

Lawler said he was unable to get a flight after SmackDown to get him to NYC before the convention, so he had to back out.

WWE SmackDown Preview 3/8/2024

WWE SmackDown airs live tonight on FOX from the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas.

  • The Rock to appear
  • Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins will give their answer to The Rock and Roman Reigns on The Rock’s WrestleMania 40 challenge
  • Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross
  • WWE United States Champion Logan Paul returns

Rey Mysterio Returns To WWE On SmackDown

Rey Mysterio has returned to WWE following knee surgery.

During this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Mysterio made his return during Santos Escobar’s Street Fight match against Carlito.

As Escobar got the upper hand in the match, Mysterio came out to the ring on crutches. Mysterio wound up throwing down the crutches and took out Angel and Humberto Carrillo. This allowed Carlito to get the win over a distracted Escobar following a Backstabber, a 619 from Mysterio and then a slam through a table.

Prior to Friday night, Mysterio hadn’t been seen since the November 10th, 2023 episode of WWE SmackDown.

Source: eWn

Fox Blacks Out WWE SmackDown Bloodline Segment In Reported Effort To Avoid Crowd Sign

The Bloodline were once again the focal point of “WWE SmackDown” this week, as The Rock declined Cody Rhodes’ recent challenge for a match at WrestleMania. Instead, Rock thought it would be a better idea to have himself and Roman Reigns face Rhodes and Seth Rollins in a tag team match as one of WrestleMania 40’s main events. “The Great One” has been playing up his heelish antics as of late, so much so that Fox had to work around the crowd who weren’t happy to see Rock on “SmackDown.”

PWInsider reports that the random blackouts fans in the United States kept experiencing on the March 1 “Smackdown” wasn’t a technical problem, but was Fox themselves trying to censor a sign in the crowd that read “Die Rocky Die.” The fans also chanted “Die Rocky Die” at the former WWE Champion, causing the crowd to be dubbed over, and in some cases, completely muted due to the hostility of the chant.

The “Die Rocky Die” chant became infamous not too long after Rock’s 1996 WWE debut, as the fans didn’t respond well to the bland Rocky Maivia character being forced upon them. The chant would eventually lead to Dwayne Johnson shedding his babyface persona of Rocky Maivia and evolving into The Rock. He would join The Nation of Domination in 1997 to revolt against the WWE fans who booed him, deciding to forge his own path of not caring about anyone but himself. However, his natural charisma and attitude proved too much for the fans to remain against, and his entertaining villainy launched him into WWE’s main event scene and eventually becoming one of the most popular stars of all time.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Rock Acknowledges Roman Reigns, Lays Out WrestleMania Challenge On WWE SmackDown

Cody Rhodes, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns may be pulling double duty WrestleMania 40 weekend, following Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson issuing a challenge with set stipulations during the opening of Friday’s “WWE SmackDown.” The Rock also acknowledged his cousin, Reigns, as his Tribal Chief during the segment after Reigns interrupted Rock’s iconic “if you smell” catchphrase.

Rhodes had previously challenged the Rock to a one-on-one match during “The Grayson Waller Effect” at Elimination Chamber. Rollins did him one better and said he would team with Rhodes to take on the Rock and Reigns. On “SmackDown,” Rock said he wouldn’t be facing Rhodes one-on-one because everyone wants to challenge “The Great One.” He did challenge both Rhodes and Rollins to the tag team match the World Heavyweight Champion previously suggested at the premium live event, but with added stipulations.

Rock said that if Rhodes and Rollins win on WrestleMania Night One, the Bloodline would be barred from ringside during Rhodes’ match for Reigns’ title on Night Two. However, if the babyface team loses, Rock said the title match would be a “Bloodline Rules” match where anything goes. Rock said he was giving Rhodes the option to accept the challenge, but if he doesn’t, he said he is going to make sure Rhodes does not win the title.

There’s currently no word on if Rollins and Rhodes will acknowledge the challenge on “WWE Raw” on Monday, but Rhodes is scheduled to appear on the next three episodes of “SmackDown” alongside the Rock on the “Road to WrestleMania.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 3/1/2024

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX from the sold out Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

  • Fallout from Elimination Chamber
  • The Bloodline to appear with The Rock and Roman Reigns
  • Cody Rhodes to appear
  • Non-Title Match: Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors ((Kairi Sane and Asuka) vs. Bayley and Dakota Kai
  • Street Fight: Santos Escobar vs. Carlito
  • I would expect LA Knight retaliate against AJ Styles for his assault on Knight at Elimination Chamber

WWE SmackDown Preview 2/23/2024

WWE SmackDown will air tonight on FOX, taped last from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

  • Tiffany Stratton vs. Liv Morgan
  • Bron Breakker vs. Dante Chen
  • New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) vs. The Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh
  • Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) vs. The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins)
  • LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre
  • The Bloodline to appear