Tag: SmackDown

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.

WWE SmackDown Preview 8/18/2023 – 25 Years Of Edge Celebration – Edge Retiring?

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live on FOX from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON.

Tonight’s episode of “WWE SmackDown” might be Edge’s final match in the company he’s been part of since 1998. “The Rated R Superstar” claims that he doesn’t know if it’ll be his last outing.

According to the “Wrestling Observer Newsletter,” Edge’s trainer and friend, Ron Hutchison, reportedly claimed that the WWE Hall of Famer is pretty sure that he’ll hang up his boots after “SmackDown.” Edge hasn’t expressed this viewpoint publicly in the lead-up to the show, but he has given fans some information about where his mind is at.

Earlier this week, Edge addressed the retirement rumors by admitting that it’s the last match he’s contracted to compete in, and the fact it’s taking place in Toronto, Canada has led to speculation that it’ll be his farewell bout. However, while he admits that wrestling has become difficult for him, he’s still torn about retiring. WWE hasn’t advertised the match as Edge’s retirement either, presumably because the Superstar still doesn’t know if he’s going to hang up his boots when it’s all said and done.

The “Wrestling Observer Newsletter” report notes that Edge signed a three-year deal when he returned to WWE in 2020. However, that contract was supposed to have expired months ago, but it’s possible that he signed an extension. While Edge has openly stated that tonight’s bout is the last match on his current contract, it’s currently unknown if that means he’ll become a free agent afterward. WWE signs lots of retired Superstars to Legends deals, after all.

  • Edge 25 years celebration
  • Edge vs. Sheamus
  • The Grayson Waller Effect with guest United States Champion Rey Mysterio

The Bloodline Saga Continues, Jey Uso Says His Out Of The WWE

On the latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown, the ongoing family drama within The Bloodline continued to unfold. Jey Uso, still reeling from his twin brother Jimmy Uso’s betrayal at WWE SummerSlam 2023, confronted Jimmy face-to-face.

Roman Reigns, flanked by Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman, first addressed the crowd in the ring. Roman called for Heyman to get Jimmy, who was unaware of Jimmy’s whereabouts. Jimmy appeared at ringside shortly thereafter, before getting into the ring. Roman proceeded to extend various offers to Jimmy, who declined, asserting that his actions at SummerSlam 2023 were not connected to Roman.

Jey Uso then made his entrance, seeking answers from his brother. Jimmy opened up, revealing that his betrayal was rooted in his love for Jey and not jealousy, and that he feared that if Jey would have become the ‘Tribal Chief,’ he would have been corrupted, much like Roman Reigns.

Following an emotionally charged exchange, Jimmy left the ring after asking his twin brother to take him out if that’s what he felt was needed. Jey, however, administered a superkick to Roman Reigns, leading to a skirmish involving Solo Sikoa. Jey fought back against Solo and Roman, eventually executing a Spear on Roman.

Meanwhile, Jimmy, seemingly conflicted, was making his way up the entrance ramp during this time and did not come to aid of his twin brother. Jey, who overcame the odds himself anyway, asked Jimmy to hold on. As both twins made their way toward each other, Jimmy extended his arms for an embrace, only to be taken out by a superkick.

Jey ended the episode by announcing his departure from both The Bloodline and WWE, leaving through the stands at the Saddledome.

Source: eWn

WWE SmackDown Preview 8/11/2023

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

  • Fallout from SummerSlam
  • New commentary team of Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves
  • Hail to the Chief segment featuring Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso
  • WWE United States Championship: Austin Theory (c) vs. Santos Escobar
  • AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross

WWE Shakes Up Commentary Teams, Michael Cole To Call Both Raw And SmackDown

WWE has played host to many iconic commentators in its long history, but at this point there may be no announcer more closely tied to WWE than Michael Cole. That’s despite Cole’s work often being divisive among WWE fans over the course of his now 25-plus-year tenure with the company. No matter how one feels about Cole, audiences should get ready to hear a lot more of him as a result of WWE’s latest commentary team shake-up.

As reported by Variety, Cole and current “WWE SmackDown” broadcast partner Wade Barrett are set to make the jump to “WWE Raw,” while current “Raw” announce team Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves are swapped over to “SmackDown.” However, rather than a straight-up trade, Cole will also remain part of the “SmackDown” team, working alongside Graves and Patrick.

The commentary team changes take effect this coming Monday, August 7. For now, it does not appear any changes have been made to the planned announcers for tonight’s SummerSlam premium live event. Most PLEs have been called by Cole and Graves since Triple H became Chief Creative Officer, with few exceptions. According to Variety’s sources, this move is not a sign WWE has lost confidence in Patrick, and they feel working with Cole will be to his benefit.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 8/4/2023

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown live on FOX, takes place at the Wright State University Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio.

  • Jey Uso to appear ahead of his Tribal Combat Match, as he challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam
  • Asuka, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair to appear. Asuka will defend the Women’s Championship in a Triple Threat Match against Belair and Flair
  • LA Knight vs. Sheamus. Both men will clash in singles action ahead of their participation in the SummerSlam Battle Royal on Saturday night