WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on the USA Network from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
John Cena has officially confirmed that the 2025 Royal Rumble will be his final appearance in the iconic match. In a post shared via WWE’s X (formerly Twitter), Cena revealed that his upcoming participation in the Royal Rumble on February 1, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will mark the last time he competes in the event.
Cena, who previously announced that 2025 would be his final year as an active WWE performer, made sure to emphasize the significance of the moment, calling it a “history-making” event.
“In 2025, there will be myriad of history-making events,” Cena said. “The last time I will ever compete in a Royal Rumble event is February 1, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, and you want to make sure you’re there. It is my last Royal Rumble as the road to WrestleMania kicks off, February 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana. Act fast as tickets are on sale this Friday. The last time is now and you should hurry up because after this, you can’t see me.”
While it’s unclear if Cena will appear in any matches prior to the Rumble, speculation continues to swirl, especially given the upcoming shift for WWE Raw to Netflix in January. Cena has an extensive legacy in the Royal Rumble match, having competed in it eight times since his debut in 2003. He won the match in both 2008 and 2013, and has had several notable finishes, including runner-up spots in 2005 and 2010 and third place in 2018.
This announcement adds even more excitement to the road to WrestleMania 40, with fans eager to see Cena one last time in one of WWE’s most anticipated annual events.
WWE NXT tonight on The CW.
Dakota Kai has returned to WWE.
On this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, Kai teamed up with her Damage CTRL mates (IYO SKY and Kairi Sane) to defeat Pure Fusion Collective (Sonya Deville, Zoey Stark, and Shayna Baszler).
Kai hasn’t been seen on WWE television since July after suffering a torn meniscus. Kai suffered the injury on the same leg where she tore her ACL last year. Kai was initially suspected to be out of action for eight to 10 weeks.
Damage CTRL is still missing one member, with Asuka recovering from an injury. She reportedly suffered the injury prior to WrestleMania 40 on an episode of “WWE SmackDown.” A date for her return has not been announced.
WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
According to a report from Pwinsider, the current plan is for both RAW and SmackDown to expand to three hours in January 2025.
RAW moved from 3 hours back to 2 last month for the rest of the year. The plan seemed to always be that RAW would then move back to 3 hours in January when the show makes the move to Netflix.
Now it appears that SmackDown on Friday night’s on the USA Network will also expand to 3 hours
While this is not confirmed just yet, there has been some talk of calling up talent from the NXT brand to help fill six hours of weekly television on the two main brands.
For years, the three-hour format has been a topic of debate among fans, with some embracing the extra content and others feeling it sometimes stretches thin. How WWE will balance the additional time without affecting pacing and viewership will be something to watch closely.
As January 2025 approaches, WWE fans can expect more announcements regarding this programming shift, as well as potential tweaks to the structure of RAW and SmackDown to maximize engagement and entertainment value in the new, extended format. For now, the prospect of a three-hour SmackDown is already stirring curiosity about how WWE will use the added time to shake up storylines and push its Superstars to new heights.
The Original Bloodline has fully reunited with Sami Zayn on last night’s WWE SmackDown.
After an opening segment that saw Reigns reject a reconciliation with his former “Honorary Uce” and subsequently appear to lose the trust of The Usos, Reigns came to the ring on his own during the main event segment to confront Solo Sikoa. Reigns challenged his cousin to a singles match, but Sikoa laughed in his face, challenging him instead to find four more others backstage ready to support him in a war. Reigns asked Sikoa if his intention was WarGames, saying Sikoa only had three men beside him; Sikoa then claimed Zayn had joined his side in the battle, prompting Zayn to emerge at the top of the ramp. Zayn stood and watched as Reigns was attacked by The Bloodline, with The Usos coming down to save their cousin.
Sikoa called for Zayn to deliver the Helluva Kick to Reigns, but Zayn instead kicked Sikoa’s head, allowing for Reigns to hit a spear, and then The Original Bloodline fought the rest of the mutineers to clear the ring. Zayn and Reigns stared one another down as The Usos threw up the ones, the former raising his own finger and visibly asking Reigns “Are you in, or are you out?” Reigns finally raised a finger with the other three, signaling that at least for now, the band is back together.
As the segment closed, commentary stated clearly that Reigns, Zayn and The Usos would meet Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and the one-time Guerrillas of Destiny at Survivor Series in a WarGames match. It remains unclear whether a fifth man will be added to each side, but the reiteration of the five-on-five format WWE has used in main roster WarGames matches thus far suggests there are more participants to come.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
In a major announcement that’s sure to shake up the WWE women’s division, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis last night unveiled a brand-new title: the WWE Women’s United States Championship. This groundbreaking addition introduces a fresh opportunity for the roster to vie for championship gold, and it aims to further showcase the depth of talent in WWE’s women’s division.
The creation of the Women’s United States Title signals WWE’s commitment to expanding opportunities for its female Superstars. Much like the iconic men’s United States Championship, this new belt is expected to elevate its holder, rewarding both in-ring prowess and fan support. The decision underscores WWE’s ongoing focus on giving the women’s division its own unique platforms, something the fans have been clamoring for as the roster’s talent continues to grow.
As the Women’s U.S. Title enters the picture, speculation is already swirling about who might become the inaugural champion. With so many rising and established stars in the SmackDown women’s division, the competition promises to be fierce. Fans can look forward to new rivalries, fresh storylines, and perhaps even some surprises along the way as WWE continues pushing the boundaries of its women’s division.
Stay tuned, as more details will likely emerge in the coming weeks, including a possible tournament or match to crown the first-ever WWE Women’s United States Champion. With the addition of this title, SmackDown’s women’s division just got even more exciting!
WWE SmackDown airs live tonight on the USA Network from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
Karl Anderson will be out of action for six to nine months.
Anderson took to Twitter this week to announce that he underwent surgery. He captioned his tweet with, “See you after WrestleMania.”
On the latest edition of his “Talk N’ Shop” podcast, Anderson revealed that he underwent surgery for a torn rotator cuff tendon and a partially torn labrum. He said,
“It happened two months ago. I felt something in a match, and didn’t think anything of it because that’s what we do. The next week, something else happened in a match again. ‘That hurt a little worse,’ but still thought nothing of it because that’s how we’ve always rolled. We had three or four more matches, and each other, progressively, I realized, ‘This thing hurts.’”
Anderson added, “I wasn’t able to sleep at night because it was aching and throbbing. ‘Let me tell somebody.’ I talked to the WWE doctors who handled it right away and they immediately scheduled me for an anthrogram. They immediately saw it was a torn rotator cuff tendon and a partially torn labrum.”
Source: eWn
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