Cody Rhodes Roman Reigns

Live WWE SmackDown Updates, Results, & Reactions

AEW

AEW's Dante Martin suffers serious injury at ROH Supercard of Honor

ROH Supercard of Honor continues on, with shocking title changes and returns taking place during the show. In the case of Dante Martin, however, he’ll be spending the night rehabilitating what looks to be a serious ankle injury. Martin was taken out on a stretcher as the Reach for the Sky Ladder Match came to an end this evening.

The injury spot occurred when Penta El Zero M delivered an INSANE! Canadian Destroyer of a bridge constructed of ladders, tumbling both men through four tables set up at ringside. Martin was noticeably in pain as officials surrounded him – the first signs that an injury was present.

Read more about this story here.

WWE

Butch Miller of The Bushwhackers hospitalized in Los Angeles

Unfortunately, not everyone in Los Angeles for WrestleMania weekend is celebrating at the moment. Butch Miller of the legendary WWE Hall of Fame team The Bushwhackers has been hospitalized, according to a new report from PWInsider.

It was noted that Miller had traveled all the way from his home in New Zealand to reunite with his brother, Luke Williams. The two hoped to attend signing events throughout the weekend, like WrestleCon. Miller fell ill and has since been in the hospital.

Stay tuned for updates.

Vickie Guerrero

Vickie Guerrero reacts to WWE bringing back The LWO

As noted in the earlier coverage of SmackDown, a special moment backstage brought soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio together with Legado del Fantasma for a touching throwback. Santos Escobar and his faction explained that if The Judgment Day wants to play the numbers game again at WrestleMania, they will be there to back Rey up.

In response, Rey presented them with t-shirts that initially had their logos obscured from the audience’s view. They turned them around as a group to reveal “lWo” (Latino World Order) shirts – a nod to Eddie Guerrero and the faction he formed in WCW to mock the ever-popular nWo.

Vickie Guerrero, Eddie’s widow, has since taken to Twitter to respond to the tribute.

“This is amazing!!!! #LWO is back!! Brilliant…..fucking brilliant….@WWE
Eddie is smiling from above and taking a seat in the corner of the top rope!!”

Naomi

Trinity Fatu, f.k.a Naomi in WWE, spotted backstage at ROH Supercard of Honor!

Nigel McGuniess making his return to pro wrestling as a commentator for ROH isn’t the only big story coming out of Supercard of Honor. Fightful Select has revealed that Trinity Fatu, formerly recognized as Naomi during her time in WWE, was backstage during the pay-per-view.

Trinity, who recently trademarked the name “Trinity Starr,” has been rumored to be going to AEW for some time now. Her presence at SuperCard of Honor will surely only fuel those rumors!

Read more about this story here.

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes have their final confrontation before WrestleMania 39

Per usual, Roman Reigns makes his long trek to the ring. The crowd also gives him a mixed reaction, especially when he holds up the “we the ones” finger.

Roman hands the WWE Universal Title to Paul Heyman and smiles. The crowd is giving a loud “Roman” chant! It appears we may have a split audience when it comes to ‘Mania! Roman calls out to L.A., but instead of saying to acknowledge him, he says he doesn’t care about any of them. Addressing Cody, he says to acknowledge him!

Roman holds up the WWE Championship above his and Cody’s head. Cody stares him down as the show comes to an end. That’s all, folks!

Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes spills his heart out to the Los Angeles crowd

Cody Rhodes makes his entrance first. Before Roman Reigns makes his way out to the ring, Cody grabs a mic and gets a somewhat mixed reaction from the crowd. Cody says this is the end of the road, and they sit at the precipice of history with WrestleMania this weekend. He recalls how the media started earlier this week and how he’s kept up with his diet and training, so that way, everything is taken care of, and he can claim the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

A Cody chant breaks out. Rhodes says he’s 100% prepared for this weekend. Now that they’ve talked so much, Cody is ready to start fighting! He says they can talk about anything now, including 2 Pac, inspiring him to drop a few lines from “California Love.” Cody is proud that he can be himself around the WWE Universe and admit that there’s something broken inside of him, but he can improve things this weekend.

Cody points out that WWE has forced the idea that Roman is the guy for 11 years, but it only truly paid off at year 8. He says that Roman likes to tell everyone that people think they’re the guy until they meet the guy. He will be that guy – the successor and the new head of the table.

Here comes Roman!

Cody Rhodes

The main event segment between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns is next!

“All Rhodes lead to Roman” is up next as we’re nearing the end of the show! Stay tuned!

WrestleMania

WWE announcers run through the WrestleMania card

Night One:

  • United States Championship: Austin Theory (c) vs. John Cena
  • SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
  • Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: The Usos (c) vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens
  • Becky Lynch, Lita & Trish Stratus vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky)
  • Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul
  • Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
  • Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy vs. Viking Raiders

Night Two:

  • Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
  • Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka
  • Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus
  • Hell in a Cell: Edge vs. Finn Balor
  • Brock Lesnar vs. Omos
  • Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez vs. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya & Shotzi vs. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville
Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre and Sheamus come out on top

We’re back, and Imperium has the advantage with tag team offense on Sheamus. A two-count follows. Ludwig stays on him with a headlock, but Sheamus gets an Irish curse backbreaker out of it. He gets the hot tag on Drew as the crowd pops!

Drew hits Vinci with a couple of clotheslines and two belly-to-belly tosses. Neckbreaker from McIntyre to both men, followed by a nip-up. Drew counts down for the Claymore kick but Sheamus gets the tag, causing more strife between the two. Vinci pushes Sheamus into Drew, forcing him off the apron. Vinci and Kaiser hit a high/low but still only secure a two-count.

Sheamus sets up for the brogue kick as the crowd chants. He hits it! Drew hits Ludwig with the claymore! And that’s all she wrote, folks – Drew and Sheamus get the win.

Sheamus

Drew McIntyre & Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci

Vinci and Kaiser make their typical entrance, looking ripped as ever. Gunther is watching along backstage as the match gets underway. McIntyre starts out by going right after Vinci, but they trade some reversals until Drew hits a clothesline and a chop. Ludwig tags in and comes in, stomping down Drew. Drew comes into the ropes and tags in Sheamus, who comes in hot with an axe handle and an attempt at a powerslam. Ludwig hits back with a forearm but gets tossed to the apron.

He’s right where Sheamus wants him! The ten beats of the Bodhran follow, but Drew tags in when Sheamus is gaining his advantage. This starts some heat with the two babyfaces – they start shoving each other. Imperium takes advantage but not for long, getting tossed out of the ring as we head to a commercial.

Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre and Sheamus make their entrances

Drew and Sheamus come out, prepared for their match against Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. This Saturday, Drew and Sheamus challenge Gunther in a triple-threat match with the Intercontinental Title on the line!

Santos Escobar

Legado del Fantasma and Rey Mysterio meet up backstage

Rey thanks Legado del Fantasma for their help last week battling off The Judgment Day. They tell him it’s no big deal considering he’s one of the most legendary WWE stars of all time. Furthermore, Legado del Fantasma explains that if Judgment Day tries to play the numbers game again, they’ll be there to fight ’em off. Rey gives them t-shirts, and they’re revealed to be the “Latino World Order,” a callback to Eddie in WCW. The crowd pops!

Dominik Mysterio

A video package is shown highlighting Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 39

We see a video package that highlights the bitter relationship that’s progressed between Dominik and Rey Mysterio. Of course, they’ll wage war tomorrow night to see who comes out on top.

Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio looking sharp ahead of the WWE Hall of Fame

We see Rey Mysterio backstage in a snazzy suit and a flashy mask, talking it up with JBL.

Raquel Gonzalez

Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville vs. Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler

We see Baszler make her entrance, and then the bell rings to start the match. Deville convinces everyone to go after Shayna first, so they work together to send her out of the ring. Nattie and Rodriguez exchange reversals but Deville runs in and takes advantage, kicking Rodriguez in the face. Natalya gets the sharpshooter in on Deville but Baszler is back in, securing a sleeper on Nattie. Rodriguez backs them both into the corner and powers them both onto her shoulders. But she takes a bit too long, and Deville comes in with a chop block that sends her crumbling.

Devllie is taking over now, sending Raquel into the ring post shoulder-first. Deville comes off the top rope but Raquel catches her and sets up for the tejana bomb. Baszler runs in but gets thwarted off. Raquel hits her finisher on Deville and gets the 1-2-3!

Raquel Gonzalez

The four-way women's match is next up on the card!

Raquel Rodriguez makes her entrance as we head into the next commercial break. Next up, Raquel vs. Sonya Deville vs. Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler in a four-way match.

Cody Rhodes

We get a video hype package highlighting Cody Rhodes ahead of his WrestleMania main event

This was a solid one – it showed Cody’s growth since his first stint in WWE.

Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley is your winner!

Back from the break, and Lumis is eliminated! The ring has cleared out a bit more since we went to the commercial. Ali attempts to throw out his rival, Dolph Ziggler, but the two end up battling on the apron with kicks. LA Knight takes Ali by surprise and kicks him out of the match. Karrion Kross locks in the Kross jacket, incapacitating LA Knight. Bobby Lashley locks in a hurt lock nearby, leading to a staredown between Kross and Lashley. They clash, reversing one another until Kross is just barely hanging on the ropes.

Suddenly, Moss is tossed out by Bronson Reed. We get some random glitches with the camera feed, but when it comes back to the live feed, Reed and Strowman are staring down. Lashley tosses out Ziggler! All three of the huge men start colliding, with Lashley attempting a hurt lock on Strowman. Reed comes in with a splash on both men. The Brawling Brutes show up and start taking over, but as Butch goes for his finisher on Gargano, he gets hit with a tornado DDT that spikes him.

LA Knight comes back and tries to send out Gargano, but he’s unsuccessful. Both Gargano and Santos Escobar are tossed out. Ridge Holland is out, but his elimination isn’t in vain, as he catches Butch to help him stay in. Oh no, Butch is still out! Reed nearly eliminates LA Knight, but it isn’t so. We’re down to the final 4 – Knight, Reed, Lashley, and Strowman. Reed picks up Knight and tosses him over the top rope. The crowd is infuriated! They cheer for LA Knight even though the action continues in the ring.

Strowman catches Lashley in his signature running powerslam. Reed is still dominating, though, and tosses out Strowman. Lashley avoids his big splash and hits Reed with a spear. It goes back and forth for a moment, but Lashley wins and celebrates with his trophy.

Rick Boogs

Rick Boogs showing up as the action unfolds

We’re back, and Braun Strowman is making his way to the ring! Good for him, also getting an entrance.

Corbin is out quickly. Dexter Lumis is pretty much just glaring people down in the corner while the mayhem unfolds. Hit Row is teaming up on Lashley, but it doesn’t end well for them – they both get eliminated. Joaquin Wilde is out next. We see both Angelo Dawkins and Erik eliminated by the Maximum Male Models. They try to follow it up by eliminating Otis, but Lumis comes out of nowhere and sends out ma.ce. man.soor is thrown out by Gargano, followed by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows being eliminated.

Otis is starting to stand out as a favorite, with several eliminations. I jinxed him! Rick Boogs just threw the big boy out. Elias is thrown out by Los Lotharios, inspiring Boogs to toss out both Angel Garza and Humberto.

SmackDown

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is about to start!

Everyone else has to come to the ring as a collective except for Bobby Lashley, who gets his typical entrance with pyro. We head to commercial.

Rhea Ripley

Video hype package for Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair

We see all the way back to Rhea Ripley’s win at the 2023 Royal Rumble up until now – the eve of their WrestleMania 39 match.

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns arrives to the Crypto.com Arena

We see The Bloodline talking backstage as Roman Reigns enters the room. Everyone rises as Reigns takes his seat, allowing them to do the same.

Coming up next is the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal!

Ricochet

Ricochet steals a quick victory

Back from the commercial, all four men are battling in their respective corners of the ring. Erik hits Ford with a superplex off the top rope while Gable sends Ricochet flying with a belly-to-belly toss off the top. Ford is back to his feet and hits a clothesline on Erik. He follows it with a European uppercut on Ricochet and a kick/crossbody on Erik.

Ford is taking over now, but Ricochet surprises him with a flying clothesline. Gable rolls Ricochet into a German suplex and bridge pin, but he only gets a two count. Erik hits Ford with a stiff knee to the chin, following it up with a uranage on Gable into Ford’s back. Ford reverses a back suplex and hits an enziguri. He soars over the top rope with a senton splash on all three men, following it up with a frog splash. Ricochet out of nowhere with a 450 splash on Gable for the win!

Chad Gable

Chad Gable vs. Erik vs. Montez Ford vs. Ricochet

This four-way match gets started off at a quick pace, as one may expect considering the participants. Erik throws strikes at Ricochet while Gable focuses on Ford. The two high-flyers manage to throw Gable and Erik outside the ring and battle one another with their quick offense. Gable does a silly little dance and gets double dropkicked out of the ring by Ricochet and Ford. They do the same to Erik. Their attempts at splashes to the outside are reversed and they get slammed into the mat by Erik and Gable.

Back inside the ring, Gable is in control of Ricochet, delivering a dragon screw before Eirk comes in to take over. He knocks down Gable and aims for Ricochet. Erik clubs Ricochet down but get hit with a flying clothesline as we go to another break.

MontezFord

The Street Profits and The Usos have a staredown

A four-way match is next, and as Montez Ford is making his entrance, he and Angelo Dawkins have a staredown with The Usos. Their history is mentioned by the commentators as we head into commercial.

Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens confront The Usos

The Usos grab the mics and tell L.A. that The Bloodline is now in their city. Jimmy says tomorrow night marks the biggest tag team match of all time at WrestleMania, but here comes Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens!

Sami has his own mic and walks out onto the stage alongside his best friend. Zayn tells The Usos that they’re right we’re only one night away from ‘Mania, but tonight, Zayn assures The Usos that there is nothing left unsaid between them. Kevin tells The Usos that he’s conflicted about their ‘Mania match because there’s a lot of history between them all. Not even the obvious parts over the past year, The Usos were some of the most welcoming people on the main roster.

When The Usos started doing Roman Reigns’ bidding, Owens lost respect for them. At the Royal Rumble, they almost ended his career (now, Kevin is getting fired up!), and that’s where he draws the line. Owens says, “It ain’t paranoia; at WrestleMania, we’re taking your titles!”

Jimmy says that The Usos showed them love when they showed up because that’s who they are, but now, they have no love for Owens and Zayn. He says they’re the only conflicted ones cause they keep going back and forth on their relationship. Zayn says blood isn’t the only thing that makes you family – loyalty makes you family.

Jey asks Zayn what he knows about loyalty. Zayn says he was loyal to The Bloodline for a long time, but The Usos were the disloyal ones because they put their bloodline over the fact that Roman never respected them. He notes that Roman never made it clear but The Usos are the ones who do all the heavy lifting for the faction. Zayn emphasizes that they will defeat The Usos at ‘Mania and end The Bloodline, so they can go back to being The Usos that everyone used to love.

Jey tells Zayn it will be the same thing that it always is. Owens and Zayn will lose the big match, and Kevin will stab Zayn in the back again. Meanwhile, The Usos will still be the longest-reigning tag team champions of all time.

Jey Uso

SmackDown is off to an "ucey" start!

The Usos are coming out first! Here we go!!!

SmackDown

Final card for WWE SmackDown

WWE SmackDown is right around the corner, and the current card for this WrestleMania edition of the show is stacking up.

  • Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes confront one another ahead of WrestleMania
  • Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
    Announced participants include:
    Bobby Lashley
    Johnny Gargano
    Dexter Lumis
    Rick Boogs
    Dolph Ziggler
    Elias
    Mustafa Ali
    Xavier Woods
    Madcap Moss
    Luke Gallows
    Karl Anderson
    Baron Corbin
    Bronson Reed
    Karrion Kross
    LA Knight
    Cedric Alexander
    Shelton Benjamin
    ma.ce
    man.soor
    Top Dolla
    Ashante “Thee” Adonis
    Ridge Holland
    Butch
    Angel
    Humberto
    Santos Escobar
    Joaquin Wilde
    Cruz Del Toro
  • Drew McIntyre & Sheamus vs. Imperium
  • Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville vs. Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler in a four-way match

Stay tuned for the live coverage and reactions, starting at the top of the hour!

Cash Wheeler

FTR teases clash with the Impact World Tag Team Champions

FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) has one of the biggest nights of their career this Wednesday when they challenge The Gunns (Austin and Colten) for the AEW World Tag Team Championships. If they are unsuccessful, FTR leaves AEW for good, but they aren’t hesitating to think up new opponents to face if they’re on the way out.

A picture snapped earlier today shows Harwood and Wheeler face-to-face with the Impact Tag Team Champions The Bullet Club (Chris Bey & Austin Ace). Bullet Club won the titles back on February 25, 2023 by defeating The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin).

Nigel McGuinness

Major return to Ring of Honor at tonight's Supercard of Honor

A Ring of Honor alum has made his way back to the promotion! During tonight’s Supercard of Honor pay-per-view, Nigel McGuniess made his comeback by joining the color commentary team for the entirety of the night.

McGuiness, a former ROH World Champion and ROH Pure Champion, had his most recent ROH stint between August 2011 and December 2016, serving primarily as a commentator and on-screen authority figure. He then transitioned to WWE to serve as a commentator for NXT and NXT UK.

Keep up with live coverage of ROH Supercard of Honor at this link!

Rey Mysterio

Witness Rey Mysterio preparing to go into the WWE Hall of Fame

WWE’s WrestleMania weekend kicks off in less than an hour with the go-home edition of SmackDown followed by the annual Hall of Fame ceremony. The 2023 class is made up of some of pro wrestling’s most influential stars like Stacy Keibler, The Great Muta, and Rey Mysterio. “The Biggest Little Man” is just getting started this weekend, too, as he’s set to face his son in a one-on-one match at WrestleMania 39 Night One.

Leading up to tonight, WWE cameras followed Rey and got his thoughts on how he’s feeling with such a prestigious honor awaiting him.

“When days like these come by, when they’re special and important, you really – at least, I know I never really have time to really enjoy the moment and it only happens afterwards when it’s all said and done. I feel like I’m ready.”

Even with a lifelong dream coming together this evening, Rey still has his mind focused on battling his son, Dominik, in their father vs. son match tomorrow night.

“I’m consumed with the match I have tomorrow, the Hall of Fame, and whatever is going on on SmackDown today. I feel like I have a lot on my plate but I like working under pressure. You’re hoping that, one day, they recognize you by being part of the legends that are in the Hall of Fame … You never really think it’s going to happen when you’re still active.

NXT

WWE NXT Battleground will go head-to-head with AEW Double or Nothing

Remember those good ol’ days when WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite were going head-to-head on Wednesday nights? Are you ready to relive that contentious time among the divisive portion of wrestling fans, even if it’s just for a day? Well, do we have news for you!

This May, WWE NXT will be returning to traveling shows, with their first scheduled event – NXT Battleground – taking place on May 28th, 2023 in Lowell, Massachusetts. This, however, just so happens to be on the same day as AEW’s biggest event of the year, Double or Nothing.

At this time, no official matches have been named for the events, though AEW storylines are hinting that there will be a four-way match for the AEW World Championship among the “four pillars” of the company, AEW World Champion MJF, Jungle Boy, Sammy Guevara, and Darby Allin.

You can read more about this story here.

Bret Hart

Bret Hart isn't a fan of one of wrestling's most traditional moves

Bret Hart has never been one to mince words, and his latest comments during an interview with HNLive kept the tradition alive when speaking on chops. The classic wrestling move made most famous by “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair sees wrestlers slapping their opponent on the chest with as much ferocity as they’re capable of dishing out. But for Bret, he thinks the whole spectacle of it all is “stupid.”

“That’s not what wrestling is. It’s not about hurting yourself. It’s not about coming back to the dressing room and feeling…everyone knows that it’s not real, right? They all know what’s going on. So why are you letting someone slap you and chop you and whip you across the chest and hurt you and you’re in pain all night and you wake up the next day with blisters all over your chest and then do it again the next night?”

“The Hitman” continued on with the subject, pointing to the legendary Flair as the only man that he ever allowed to chop him.

“He usually got to me in the end where I would tell Ric, ‘you can give me one chop in the match to get it over with,’ but as far as the match goes, I’m not going to sit there and stick my chest out for some guy to slap me on the chest for an hour.”

Read more about this story here.

WWE

Transform your face into your favorite WWE Superstars!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for professional wrestling fans: WrestleMania season! And a new way to get in on all the fun from a digital angle is with Snapchat. Starting today, the app has adopted an AR lens to transform faces into popular WWE stars.

Some of the stars available include WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, The Miz, and Cody Rhodes. Additionally, Twitter users are celebrating the ability to add WWE accessories to their Bitmojis. You can see some fun examples below:

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns gives update on how long he might be with WWE

This Sunday, the chips are down, and all the gold is on the line when Cody Rhodes challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Night Two of WrestleMania 39. But what lies ahead for “The Tribal Chief” if he is unsuccessful in defending the gold?

Speaking with AP News, Reigns hinted that his time in WWE might continue for the foreseeable future even if he isn’t recognized as the top dog. One of the biggest motivating factors in considering his future is the money Reigns continues to make at the top of the card.

“I feel good. I take care of myself. I’m not running around doing anything crazy. I raise children and dominate the wrestling game. If they keep cutting these insane checks, I’ll stay around.”

Past reports have revealed that Reigns is making upwards of $5 million per year with his WWE salary.

Read more about this story here.

SmackDown

WWE stars prepare for SmackDown's Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

We’re just hours away from WWE SmackDown, and this week’s WrestleMania edition of the show will feature the annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, where 28 superstars will attempt to throw all others over the top rope to earn the prestigious, golden Andre the Giant memorial trophy.

Before the bout gets underway, some of the participants are taking to social media to discuss the approach they’re taking to having to battle so many men at once. For Ali, he thinks victory is as simple as speaking it into the universe.

“You lucky duckies. I’m going to give you the biggest secret that will guarantee you success. If you want to win the big one, all you have to do is say it! Watch this; I’m going to say it: I’m winning the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. That’s right, it doesn’t even matter who else is in this match.”

Rick Boogs, who returned from injury on January 30, 2023, is hoping for his first big singles win in WWE.

“It’s Rick Boogs here, and I’m just going to say something – I’m at SmackDown, and I’m feeling fired up! And that’s because I had six cups of coffee before entering the Crypto arena, but because tonight is the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, I’m feeling a little frisky. You know what I’m saying? I’m ready to dig my claws in someone!”

As for returning WWE stars Humberto and Angel Garza, they kept their words short and sweet. It’s more about the in-ring action for Los Lotharios.

“Tonight, we do our talking in the ring,” Humberto said.

Randy Orton

Major Update on Randy Orton's WrestleMania 39 Status

In recent weeks, reports have pointed to “The Viper” Randy Orton returning to WWE at WrestleMania 39 after his near-year-long absence from the ring. Orton has now been sighted in Los Angeles, giving those reports additional weight, but a new update from Dave Meltzer may subvert some of the hopes fans had about Orton’s comeback.

“Just an update on Randy Orton. Don’t expect him doing matches any time soon as he’s a ways away from recovering from his back issues.”

It was noted in November that the 14-time WWE Champion’s back issues required surgery. Still, even after the procedure, it was reported that the extent of his injuries might permanently keep him from the ring.

Read more about this story here.

AEW

MJF to be presented the "key to town" of Oyster Bay, NY

Though he’s known as “The Salt of the Earth” for good reason, most AEW fans in MJF’s hometown of Long Island, NY, still stand behind the current AEW World Champion. So much so, in fact, that the town of Oyster Bay, New York, will be honoring MJF with a “key to town” this Monday, April 3 for his accomplishments in pro wrestling and other “charitable endeavors.”

Additionally, the date will henceforth be known as “Maxwell Jacob Friedman day” in the town of Oyster Bay.

If you thought MJF was full of himself before, we can rest assured that this will inflate the champ’s ego even more.

SmackDown

Good Evening!

Good evening, everyone!

Ahead of tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown, major news has emerged that Vince McMahon signed a contract to return as WWE’s Executive Chairman for a two-year term. Reports indicate that Vince will be present for both nights of WrestleMania this weekend, but whether he will appear on-screen remains a mystery.

AEW fans have something else to look forward to next week beyond the major Tag Team Championship match between FTR and The Gunns. Tony Khan has promised fans a “huge announcement” will be made this Wednesday night on Dynamite, with rumors pointing to a new television show or an international show possibly being revealed.