WWE SmackDown live results: Final stop before WrestleMania 40
On the eve of WrestleMania 40, SmackDown takes place from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia tonight.
The 2024 Andre the Giant Battle Royal is part of the SmackDown lineup. Andrade, Ricochet, Chad Gable, Bronson Reed, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Omos are among those advertised to compete in the match.
One day before he’s set to take on his twin brother at WrestleMania, Jey Uso will battle Solo Sikoa tonight.
A KO Show segment with Kevin Owens and Randy Orton is also set. Owens and Orton are both challenging Logan Paul for the United States title in a triple threat match at WrestleMania 40 night two this Sunday.
Zelina Vega will go one-on-one with Elektra Lopez after the two were part of the brawl between the LWO and Legado Del Fantasma last week. And New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) will face Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson).
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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– A video hyping WrestleMania began the show. The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal statue was shown. The building was set up without the big video screen and instead, a simple walk way. Kevin Owens’s music hit and Owens walked out for the first segment. 19,833 was the announced attendance. The Spanish Announce Team was also present for commentary.
The KO Show
Really not a lot to say about the first 20 minutes of the show. Owens and Orton chasing Paul up and down the side of I-95 is a fun hook for the rest of the show. WWE packed a lot of people into that arena and the crowd is hot. Philadelphia is a great wrestling town. Let’s see if that holds up until after midnight when, presumably, the Hall of Fame will conclude.
Owens soaked in the cheers as he stared at the WrestleMania sign and the crowd chanted “KO!” Owens eventually welcomed everyone into “a special edition of The Kevin Owens Show.” Randy Orton was officially introduced and out, Orton walked. The two sat in separate chairs and Owens outlined their WrestleMania match and noted how both Orton and Owens hate Logan Paul. The crowd chanted “Logan sucks!” Owens asked Orton to rate how awful Paul is and Paul started to talk into a microphone – from the WrestleMania stage across the street at Lincoln Financial Field.
Paul said he’s two steps ahead of Owens and Orton. Owens said the stadium is, in fact, right across the street. As a result, Owens and Orton threw their microphones down and left through the crowd to get to the Link. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller climbed out from under the ring and ran after Owens and Orton through the crowd. The show then went to a commercial break. When the show returned, Owens and Orton grabbed a golf cart and started the ride across the street. Waller and Theory chased them through the parking lot. The show went back inside the arena.
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– A video package set up the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Big Bronson Reed won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal [10:10]
I’m sorry, but 10 minutes for a battle royal just isn’t enough. I have all the love and respect for Andre The Giant and I’m all for a way to keep his name alive all these years later, but I’m not sure this is it anymore. Not only is it relegated to the SmackDown before Actual WrestleMania, but it’s usually nothing but comedy (and to be fair, this felt like more comedy than usual). Reed getting the win made sense as WWE seems to always want to do something with him, but they never appear to want to do it enough to, you know, actually do something with him. This might be the first step in a post-Mania push and that could be a lot of fun. As for this battle royal, I’m not even sure “fun” is an accurate word.
Pretty Deadly tried to go after Omos to start things off while everyone else stood around and watched. Omos eliminated Kit Wilson. Elton Prince then eliminated himself. The match started in earnest and Angel and Berto were immediately eliminated via Del Cruz and Wilde. Cameron Grimes was quickly eliminated. This was all within the first minute of the thing. Jinder Mahal and Apollo Crews were eliminated. The Creed Brothers got rid of Indus Sher. Omos slammed JD McDonagh and the show went to a commercial break. All of this happened before the three-minute mark.
Back form that break, a replay showed Omos accidentally eliminating himself while eliminating the Creeds. Ivar tossed out Cedric Alexander. Ivar eliminated Shante Thee Adonis. The final five were Otis, Bronson Reed, Ivar, Ricochet and Tozawa. The three big men squared off and Ivar and Reed hit dual cross body-blocks on each other. Ricochet jumped at Reed, but Reed caught him and placed Ricochet on the apron. McDonagh (who I did not see what still alive when I noted the final five) pulled Ricochet off the apron to eliminate him. Tozawa eliminated McDonagh and the final four was set at Otis, Ivar, Reed and Tozawa.
Otis did The Worm on Reed, but Ivar instantly eliminated Otis. Ivar lifted Tozawa and threw him onto Otis, but Otis didn’t catch him and Tozawa took a nasty bump. The final two were Reed and Ivar. Ivar executed a cartwheel at one point. He followed that up with a spinning back kick and things looked good for the viking. Ivar went to the top and missed a moonsault. Reed popped up and clotheslined Ivar over the top for the win.
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– Logan Paul was shown walking backstage at Wells Fargo instead of the Link. He was smiling.
– A video from The Final Testament aired. Karrion Kross mocked Lashley for having little to nothing to do at least year’s WrestleMania. Kross said he carried their conflict to a must-see fight and that got them both a match at ‘Mania. Kross was overly angry as the vignette finished up.
– Logan Paul’s music hit and Paul walked out of the entrance at Wells Fargo to a bunch of boos from the crowd.
The Logan Paul segment
A lot of nothing here. Paul is good at playing a heel who isn’t as smart as he thinks he is. Owens and Orton are a lot of fun in buddy mode. And while Paul got his comeuppance this time around, it’s hard to think he loses that U.S. title at ‘Mania considering how thick they are laying it on with Paul constantly being outnumbered by Orton and Owens. We’ll see.
Paul said Philly is trash as he spoke on the way to the ring. Paul kept saying mean things about the city. He said all he saw in the crowd was idiots. Paul said he will be wrestling two of the dumbest dudes in WWE. Paul said Orton has a brain the size of a peanut while Owens uses all his brainpower to digest his latest meal. Paul said he’s playing chess, a game of cat and mouse. The crowd gave him the “What?” treatment, but Paul kind of laughed it off. Paul said Waller and Theory will ambush Orton and Owens at the site of WrestleMania.
Video from inside Lincoln Financial Field was shown. Waller and Theory said they looked everywhere and they couldn’t find Owens and Orton. Paul was talking to them, but the lights came up and Orton and Owens were surrounding Paul at ringside. Paul tried to run away, but Owens caught him and rolled Paul into the ring. Paul took a Stunner. The crowd chanted “RKO” and Orton set up for it. Naturally, Orton landed the RKO on Paul and that ended the segment.
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– Dragon Lee was shown on the ground backstage, a victim of a recent attack. The LWO music hit and Rey Mysterio walked towards the ring with Zelina Vega. Dirty Dom and Andrade accompanied Elektra Lopez and Santos Escobar to the ring for the next match.
Elektra Lopez defeated Zelina Vega [2:35 of TV time]
Umpf. This was rough. Lopez never quite came along as far as some thought she might in NXT when it came to her in-ring work. And Vega just doesn’t wrestle all that much anymore. I’m not a fan of joining matches in progress, but perhaps that was on purpose here and it was for the best. The Andrade turn after the match felt inevitable, and here’s my two-cent guess that he replaces Dragon Lee on the ‘Mania card. Poor Dragon Lee. I really thought the WWE decision-makers were putting some fire behind him. Maybe after this weekend?
The match was joined in progress. The two traded blows. Vega gained momentum with some clotheslines. Vega hit a double knees and that was enough to get a two-count. Vega went to the second rope, but Lopez caught Vegan and landed Elektra-Fire for a two-count. Lopez went to the second rope, but Vega cut her off and hit the first part of a 619. Vega then hit the Hammerlock DDT, but Dom got on the apron to distract the referee. Rey pulled Dom off the apron and Lopez hit the Elektra Shock for the win.
After the match, Dominik attacked Mysterio and things seemed to be going the heels’ way, but Andrade fought back for Rey and cleared house. Andrade shook Rey’s hand and hugged him and Vega. Looks like Andrade and Vega might finally be back together.
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The Bianca Belair/Naomi/Jade Cargill segment
Boy, WWE is doing all they can to limit Cargill’s time on the mic, in the ring, and so forth and so on. At some point, someone is going to have to ask her to swim. Maybe that’s this weekend?
Belair and Naomi came to the ring first and Belair began by saying she has been fighting Damage CTRL longer than anyone. Belair said then Naomi showed up and reminded Belair why she was fighting in the first place. Naomi noted how Belair was “getting dragged every week.” Naomi then said they are going to WrestleMania, they pointed to the sign and everyone cheered. Belair said Damage CTRL’s problem is that they’ve been at the top for so long, they weren’t expecting anyone else to come through. Cue Cargill’s entrance.
Cargill began by thanking Belair and Naomi once she got in the ring. Cargill said Damage CTRL “stepped up and got stepped on” and now Cargill will get to show the WWE Universe what she is all about. Cargill said they will show why there’s “no damage control.” Cargill told Damage CTRL they are now “in the eye of the storm.” Cargill’s music then hit and the three women pointed at the WrestleMania sign to end things.
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– Jey Uso was shown backstage saying he will whoop up on his brother Solo Sikoa later. Jey said “yeet” and the crowd responded in kind with their own “yeet.” The show then returned back to the main stage, where Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate made their entrance.
– Backstage, Mysterio was told Dragon Lee won’t be cleared to wrestle this weekend. Andrade chimed in and said he would be his partner at ‘Mania. Carlito popped up and told them to take down Santos and Dominik (and don’t tell me this doesn’t have Zelina and Andrade turning heel all over it because if you do, I will not believe or agree with you).
New Catch Republic (Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne) defeated Grayson Waller & Austin Theory [7:27]
This was pretty good while it lasted. The commercial break didn’t do it any favors, but the four men worked hard and it felt like the first real match of the night (about an hour and 15 minutes into the program, mind you). I continue to believe that Dunne and Bate are darkhorses to win at least one set of those tag titles that we all seem to believe will be split up this weekend. Fingers crossed. As for Theory and Waller? It’s about time for something new, don’t you think?
Dunne and Theory started the match and Dunne quickly had control. Bate tagged in and landed a Senton. Waller tagged in, but Bate kept control with a head-scissors takedown. Bate then spun Waller and hit a flip dive onto Theory on the outside. When Bate tried to return to the ring, Waller caught him and hit a Tornado DDT on Bate on the apron. The heels posed as the show went to a commercial break.
The show returned and Waller hit a rolling Blockbuster on Bate for a two-count. Bate powered up and landed a vertical suplex to even things out. Bate got the hot tag to Dunne, who ran in and took out the heels with a series of enziguris. Dunne stomped on Waller’s hands and fired up the crowd. Dunne did the the fingers spot on Waller until Theory broke it up with a rolling dropkick. Things broke down and Waller punched Bate on the outside before going for a rolling … something … on Dunne inside the ring, and Dunne punched Waller. Bate tagged in and the duo did the Birming-Hammer on the heels for the win.
After the match, Judgment Day ran out and attacked both teams. This included Rhea Ripley, who watched as each member performed their finisher on members of both teams.
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– A Bayley/IYO SKY vignette aired.
The LA Knight segment
This guy is still getting massive pops and good for him. Video of last week’s angle with AJ Styles aired. Knight stood in the ring and the crowd chanted his name. Knight gave the “Let me talk to ya” line and everyone erupted. Knight kept saying “Yeah!” and the crowd ate it up. Knight took off his sunglasses and said he thinks Styles is phenomenal – “at not showing up and running away.” Knight stumbled and the crowd helped him along. Knight told Styles to grab his crying towel because all Styles has been doing is crying about Knight. Knight said he makes Styles interesting and he’s going to give Styles “three the hard way” as he boots him through the field goal posts. Knight closed with the “LA Knight, yeah!” catchphrase and that was it. No shenanigans.
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– Bobby Lashley’s group cut a vignette promo. B-Fab said there will be nowhere for the Final Testament to hide. Lashley chimed in and said this weekend, they will finish the Final Testament. Jey Uso then made his entrance and the crowd was way, way, way into it.
Jey Uso defeated Solo Sikoa via DQ [6:30]
An expected match from everything to the finish to whatever we saw. For only six-and-a-half minutes, this was as predictable as anyone could think it would be. Cody giving a go-home speech didn’t pack as much of a punch as the go-home angle on Raw did, but we’re already pretty much there. So, it’s hard to complain. At this point, it’s simply time to turn it up on all ends.
The match started with some back and forth. Sikoa was on the outside and Jey ran at him, but Solo cut him off with a strike. Sikoa then slammed Jey onto the ring apron. The show then went to the final commercial break of the night. When the show returned, Sikoa had the upper hand until Jey punched his way out of it. Sikoa eventually caught him and slammed Jey to take control. Sikoa ran at Jey, but Jey moved and Sikoa ran into the corner. Jey got the better of things with an enziguri and a hip attack.
Jey ran at Sikoa and Sikoa countered into a Samoan Drop. Sikoa set up for the spike, but Jey countered into a bunch of super-kicks. Jey hit a splash from the top and Jimmy ran down to attack Jey. Sikoa gave Jey the Spike. Cody’s music and Cody with Seth ran to the ring to take care of Jimmy and Solo. Cody took off his weight belt and whipped up on Jimmy and Solo. Cody gave Jimmy a Cross Rhodes. Seth had Cody’s belt and the crowd sand Seth’s theme song. Seth then hit Jimmy with the belt and Jey hit the Uso Splash on Jimmy.
Cody grabbed a microphone and said that tomorrow night, Seth Rollins and him are going to slap the Rock so hard, they will move his body from his soul. Cody finished up by saying on Sunday he’s going to dethrone Roman Reigns. Cody said he will finish the story and after that, a better one will begin. Cody pointed to the WrestleMania sign and the show ended.
