Live WWE SmackDown Updates, Results, & Reactions

We’ve come to the end of another Friday night, ladies and gents! We have Monday Night Raw coming up soon, but next Friday will be one of the biggest nights for WWE this year when the 2023 draft begins. Who will find a new home brand, which teams will be split up, and which Championships will belong to which shows? The draft then continues the following Monday, May 1 edition of WWE Raw.

Next week’s SmackDown will also include a massive WrestleMania main event rematch when Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defend their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against Jimmy & Jey Uso. The ongoing issues with The Bloodline and KO/Sami have been threading through WWE for over a year now, so it will be interesting to see if this is a definitive ending for the problems between them.

We’ll see you next week, folks!

This evening, an intense tag team matchup between Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. The Viking Raiders Ivar & Erik took place on the blue brand. During their battle, an eyebrow-raising moment occurred where Braun Strowman grabbed his partner, Ricochet, and tossed him over the ropes and into the ring. It appeared they were trying to do a tandem maneuver of some sort, but since Ivar wasn’t close enough when Braun threw Ricochet, he just came tumbling into the ring.

Since then, the internet has reacted to the comical botch, including Ricochet! The high flyer retweeted a video of the incident and wrote the caption:

Y’all know he just be throwing me 🙅‍♂️😅

Y’all know he just be throwing me 🤷🏽‍♂️😅 https://t.co/aIOaZ9A3oi

— Ricochet (@KingRicochet) April 22, 2023

Tonight’s episode of SmackDown included several memorable moments, but when the announcers went over the card for the upcoming Backlash premium live event, a strange match was revealed to be added to the show—Omos vs. Seth Rollins. This is peculiar, considering that the two men haven’t had any sort of build to a match or rivalry in recent weeks.

Other matches confirmed for the show this evening include Rhea Ripley defending the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Zelina Vega and Bronson Reed vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory in a triple-threat match for the United States Championship.

#WWEBacklash in Puerto Rico is going to be 🔥

Which match are you most excited for? pic.twitter.com/QWs0KXZVvA

— WWE (@WWE) April 22, 2023

After the match, The Usos hit the 1D through a wooden table in the middle of the ring. Solo’s music hits and The Bloodline pose inside the ring as SmackDown goes off the air this week.

Riddle and Solo trade shots as we return from the break. Sikoa with the advantage, but his attempt at a uranage on the chairs is thwarted. He hits a Samoan drop instead for a two count. He grasps a steel chair and wraps it around his head to try for the running hip attack in the corner. This is what injured Riddle for months (kayfabe). Riddle moves and tosses the chair at Solo’s head. He tosses him into another chair in the corner and then wacks Riddle multiple times with the kendo stick. He keeps on Solo with a chair to the back and a knee to the chair that bounces it off of Solo’s head.

He sets up the chairs so the seats are exposed and uses an exploder suplex on Solo to crash him through. A two count follows; not quite enough yet! Riddle throws a bunch of chairs onto Solo but he slides out of the ring. Riddle meets him there but is tossed over the announce table. Sikoa tries to push the table over on Riddle again but he won’t allow it! Matt fights back with his leg muscles. On top of the announce table, he connects with a knee to Solo’s face. He throws the announce table on top of Solo! Suddenly, The Usos appear and beat down Riddle to save Solo. Riddle somehow fights back against everyone, using a springboard floating bro on the outside of the ring to take out Jimmy and Jey.

Riddle climbs back inside as Solo emerges from under the announce table. Riddle is absolutely shocked! He runs over to attack but is caught in a uranage on the ring apron. Solo picks up Riddle for the Samoan spike but Matt switches into a ripcord knee. No! Solo hit him with the Samoan spike out of nowhere for the 3 count. The Bloodline wins it again.

Riddle doesn’t make a traditional entrance and comes in with a sneak attack on Solo! He drills him with forearms, but the advantage doesn’t last long. Solo comes back with strikes and a hard elbow off the ropes. Riddle Irish whipped into the ropes but he catches Solo with a triangle chokes on the ropes. Sikoa carries him into the middle of the ring and slams him into the mat with a powerbomb to break the hold.

Solo leaves the ring and grabs multiple kendo sticks and chairs. Riddle tries to grab a chair but Solo stomps on his hand and wacks him with the kendo stick. Riddle is slow to get to his feet, but when he does, he hits a kick on Solo to stagger him. Solo sends Riddle out of the ring but Riddle grabs a kendo stick to get some hits in on Solo. Riddle goes for a table to the delight of the crowd but Solo shuts him down. He uses a knee and tosses Solo into the steps, then delivering a broton (senton) off the steel steps onto Solo. We’re off to the last break!

As we get ready for the main event of tonight, we see a video recapping what has been happening between The Usos and Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens over the past few months. Next week, it all comes to a head when The Usos get their WrestleMania rematch to challenge KO & Sami for the Undisputed Tag Titles.

The Bloodline is here! The Usos are out first as we see a rundown of the upcoming WWE Backlash card. The Usos come to the ring and tell the crowd they’re now in their city. They say they don’t know how they feel after their loss at WrestleMania, but they know what they’re going to do now. They know what’s next for The Usos, and that’s the six-man tag team match at Backlash, but even more, the rematch against KO & Zayn next week. The Usos say they’ll dedicate their victory to Roman Reigns and next week, the Tag Titles are coming back to The Bloodline.

They say the same fate awaits Riddle tonight. Solo Sikoa will destroy Riddle tonight, they say! And Solo’s music hits as he enters the ring. Our main event is up next!

Back from the break, Woods hits multiple chops, including multiple hits to Woods’ back in the corner. Woods tries to hit back but eats a right to the face to ground him. Woods winces in pain as the crowd rallies behind him. He’s chopped right back down to the mat for another two count. Double underhook suplex from Gunther gives another two, but Woods looks like he’s barely hanging on after the beatdown. Gunther picks Woods off the mat and yells that he doesn’t belong in the same ring.

Woods explodes back with a slap to the face and several strikes in the corner. They start going back and forth with shots, but Xavier slides through Gunther’s leg and delivers a running lariat. Gunther comes out of the ring but Xavier delivers a dropkick through the ropes and a senton over the top. He eats a chop from Gunther, but he still keeps the advantage by kicking Gunther off the turnbuckle. Huge leg drop from Woods! But, no! It was such a close two count!

They struggle back to their feet. Woods is put in a sleeper hold turned into a powerbomb. Woods reverses it and hits a wheelbarrow slam followed by a crucifix bomb for another close two! He keeps trying to pin Gunther but it’s turned into a sleeper hold that takes Woods out of consciousness. Gunther retains by KO.

We get the official introduction, and this one is going down! They lock up, and Gunther powers him into the corner. He gets Woods on the ground in a headlock, but when Xavier escapes, he uses a forearm to the back instead. Xavier with his won headlock, but he’s pushed into the ropes. They trade forearms, but Woods finally gets hit in the chest!

Backstage, we see Riddle getting interviewed. He’s asked about why he wants a no DQ match with Solo Sikoa tonight if he’s going to be in the main event at Backlash soon. He says there’s no reason why not – after what Solo did to him this past Monday, he’s planning to leave Solo under a table.

Coming up next is Xavier Woods challenging Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship!

Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville come out with microphones, with Deville telling the crowd to shut up and show disrespect. Green says the normies in the crowd don’t know what it’s like waking up every morning as winners. Deville calls for another replay from Monday and then squirts some water and an infuriated Liv.

Liv and Chelsea start. Liv with a shotgun dropkick that causes Green to immediately tag out. Liv with a sunset flip but it’s reversed. Liv comes back with an enziguri and then tags in Raquel. Rodriguez gets Irish whipped by Liv and splashes Sonya in the corner. She keeps up with shoulder tackles on Sonya, but then Chelsea is tagged in. Raquel keeps control of her too, slamming her into the mat and then tagging in Liv.

However, Chelsea actually tosses Raquel out of the ring and tries for a suicide dive. Raquel catches her, but all of a sudden, Sonya comes over and jumps on Raquel to send her tumbling. Liv then hits her over-the-top-rope move – a senton over the top to take out Green and Deville. Back inside the ring, Green hits a devastating russian leg sweep off the middle rope, but her attempt at using the ropes for a leveraged pin is caught by the ref. Deville is tagged in and she hits a tandem vertical suplex with Green onto Liv. They continue playing dirty, with Chelsea choking Liv in the corner and Deville following it with a boot to the face.

They try for another teamed up vertical suplex, but Liv actually reverses it into a double neckbreaker. Raquel is tagged in! She hits elbows, uppercuts, and clotheslines on everyone in sight. Raquel delivers a fall away flam on Chelsea, followed by a corkscrew elbow, but Deville breaks the cover up before the three. Liv tags in as Raquel tries to his a superplex. She nails it! Liv with a dropkick off the top rope! Everyone is wiped out at the moment.

Liv runs over and uses a backstabber on Liv. Deville with a kick on Liv. Raquel with a kick on Deville. Raquel is tossed over the top rope. Liv throws water in Chelsea’s face and rolls her up with a little assistance from Raquel for the 3 count! The Champs retain as the heels are blistering mad at ringside!

We see a reminder that next week, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defend the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles against The Usos next Friday on SmackDown.

We then see Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez backstage as they prepare for their Women’s Tag Team Title match. Liv is at a 10, hyped up, but Raquel tells her to save it for the ring. Here come the champs! Their defense against Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville is next.

Erik is in control when we return from the break thanks to a distraction from Valhalla. Ricochet slowly works his way out of a seated headlock, but Erik uses another takeover to keep him grounded. The high-flyer makes it up with some punches, but he still can’t quite make it to Braun. Ricochet reverses a back suplex and finally tags in the monster of all monsters! He cleans house, setting Erik up in the corner and hitting a splash followed by a dropkick.

Braun calls for the Strowman express and makes his way around the ring with shoulder tackles. Valhalla causes another distraction, allowing Erik to nail three knees straight to Braun’s chin. Ivar off the top with a huge splash! They still only get a close two count! The Viking Raiders are fought off by Braun, who shoulder tackles them away. Ricochet gets the tag! He hits kicks and a springboard elbow, but he is halted by a kick from Ivar. Ricochet with a knee and a kick to Ivar. Braun tags in, and the two hit tandem offense one right after the other. They finish with Ricochet climbing on Braun’s shoulders and delivering a swanton bomb for the three count!

The Viking Raiders come down next with Valhalla in tow. Braun and Ivar start things out, trading blows back and forth. Braun is caught up in the corner eating elbow after elbow as the crowd boos. Braun returns with his own clubby blows in the corner of the ring. An Irish whip to the other side, followed by and elbow to the neck from Strowman. Ivar and Strowman clash with shoulder tackles. Erik gets a bit of a distraction in, allowing Ivar to regain the control. A short-arm clothesline from Braun to Ivar. Erik got a blind tag in, so Erik climbs in and they break Braun down together.

Strowman manages to tag Ricochet in, who comes in with his typical high-flying style. He hits a roundoff back-handspring to the outside on The Raiders as we go to another commercial.

Next up, we see Adam Pearce backstage talking to Zelina Vega. Vega says she can’t control where she goes in the draft but she can do something now. She wants Rhea Ripley at Backlash one-on-one. She says that since it’s in Puerto Rico and she’s the only Puerto Rican woman on the roster, she wants the opportunity. Pearce says she will get back to Zelina with an answer soon.

We see a hype video for the return of Shinsuke Nakamura, followed by a promo by Karrion Kross backstage. He says that you can live so many different lives, and the cards are what have guided his path. He battled Drew McIntyre, Madcap Moss, and Rey Mysterio, and similar to them, Kross plans to take away his honor. “Tick tock,” Kross says.

Braun Strowman and Ricochet start making their way to the ring! They battle The Viking Raiders next!

After the match, Damian gets on the mic and says this Monday in Chicago, Bad Bunny will be back. He hopes this visit goes better than the last time Bunny was in WWE. He laughs and walks off with Balor.

Next, we see a replay of last Friday when Solo Sikoa defeated Riddle and then threw the announce table on top of him. We see The Usos and Solo Sikoa walking into the arena. Time for another commercial!

We return with Santos and Damian trading shots in the middle of the ring. Santos with chop after chop to regain control, but no! He eats a hard super kick for a close two count. He stays on Santos with a headlock down on the mat. The crowd rallies, helping Santos make it to his feet. Damian puts him back in the corner of The Judgment Day but Santos fights back. Damian stops his momentum with running elbows in the corner. As he attempts another, Santos dropkicks him in the face and starts inching towards Rey.

Balor and Rey both tag in! Rey with a left scissors and a seated senton from the top. He hits a springboard crossbody on Finn and gets another two count, but Finn gives him some kicks. Inziguri sets Rey up for a 619, but Damian runs in and tries to hep. Rey sends him out of the ring and hits the 619! Santos Escobar with a splash and tries to get the pin, but Finn isn’t legal! Damian is! South of Heaven chokeslam and The Judgment Day wins the match.

We see a recap of Judgment Day’s attack on Bad Bunny two weeks ago on Raw. Bunny returns to Raw this Monday to address the attack.

Santos Escobar and Rey make their way out to the ring together in some red, white, and blue LWO shirts. Rey and Finn Balor get things started. Finn immediately tries for a kick but gets hit with forearms. Leg scissors from Rey, which Finn answers with a kick. Rey reverses with a sunset flip and basement dropkick. They’re starting off quickly! Priest is tagged in and shoves Rey into the corner.

Several stomps follow in the corner from Priest. He hits Rey with a stiff right and delivers a jumping elbow in the corner. Finn and Damian trade tags to deliver tandem offense, but it only secures a two-count. Finn drills Rey with forearms, followed by a seated headlock. Rey tries to elbow his way out, but he’s dragged into the other corner. He keeps fighting back, hitting a wheelbarrow bulldog on Finn.

Rey tags in Escobar! He hits flying forearm strikes and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Finn. A clothesline in the corner follows, but Damian runs in. Santos maintains control still, hitting offense on both men until it’s just Priest and Escobar. Santos tosses Rey into Damian with a seated senton. They try for an attack outside the ring, but Rey is avoided. Escobar tries for another splash on the outside but eats an elbow instead. We’re off to a commercial break!

Let’s gooooo! Friday Night SmackDown begins now! We see the intro video and some pyro as Michael Cole welcomes us to the show.

First out is The Judgment Day!

LA Knight is one of the promising up-and-comers of WWE; he’s even being named a favorite to win the 2023 Money in the Bank men’s ladder match. Looking even further ahead into the future, which Champions does LA Knight see himself challenging if he does earn that MITB briefcase? In a new interview with KTAL NBC 6, Knight listed some of the stars he has his eye on having a match with.

“Dream matches, you think about people from the past who aren’t doing it anymore. There are a couple of those. Everyone is talking about it again, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, that makes me look at Roman Reigns. Even Gunther, with the Intercontinental Championship. Austin Theory for the United States Championship. Any one of those guys, who I could take a piece of gold off of, that would be my dream match.”

You can read more about this story here.

We’ve got a big night ahead on WWE SmackDown, one week ahead of the WWE Draft and just a couple of weeks out from the Backlash premium live event. A video was posted to the WWE Twitter page in the past hour that highlights what we can look forward to on this episode of the blue brand:

Two HUGE Championship Matches headline what will be an important night on the blue brand as we move one step closer to #WWEBacklash!

Here is your preview for tonight's #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/4wVlJQNLX7

— WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2023

You can see the current card for the 4/21 SmackDown below:

• Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar vs. Damian Priest & Finn Balor
• No DQ match: Riddle vs. Solo Sikoa
• The Viking Raiders vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan (c) vs. Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green
• WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Xavier Woods

Chris Jericho has been committed to AEW since the company’s genesis, appearing as the top star at the initial AEW reveal press conference in January 2019. He was also the first AEW World Champion, and it appears his strong connection to Tony Khan remains unwavering.

With reports of an upcoming meeting between Chris Jericho, Tony Khan, and the polarizing CM Punk, a new interview has emerged where Wade Keller of PWTorch calls Jericho Tony’s “closest confidant.”

Jericho is the closest confidant of Tony Khan right now, when it comes to things that include him, but go beyond him…I don’t know how often [but] there’s times where it’s like, ‘where’s Tony?’ ‘Oh, he’s in Chris’ hotel room, or he’s off in this restaurant booth talking to Chris’ or wherever they talk.

And it’s not just about Chris Jericho stuff, like Jericho is a sounding board. There are people in that company who tell Tony, ‘listen to Chris, listen to Chris, he’s been around.’ You can’t trust anybody 100% but Chris isn’t like some secret agent who’s sabotaging AEW.”

You can read more about this story here.

When it was revealed Ted DiBiase Jr. had stolen millions of dollars from The Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs in Mississippi, most of the internet reacted in shock and disgust. But one person, Ted’s father, posted a rather ill-timed picture of himself shoving money into the mouth of an enhancement talent’s throat not long after the news broke. He added the caption, “Everybody’s got a price.”

The tweet has since been deleted, but it understandably caused an uproar on social media before being taken down. DiBiase Sr. is now issuing an apology online with an explanation, writing:

I’d like to personally issue an apology for an untimely post that was published through my social media channels earlier today. As you know, I try to share the nostalgic memories from my wrestling career as a way for fans to revisit their childhood memories. Since my time is limited due to travel requirements, the posts are approved by me ahead of time and scheduled for a later date.

Our family is currently navigating a difficult season, and while we cannot speak to these events puiblicly, we appreciate your prayers during this time. Please know that I truly appreciate the love and support from the fans! You have been a part of our family for more than 40 years, and for that, I could never thank you enough.

You can read more about this story here.

Big news dropped this week that former WWE superstar Ted DiBiase Jr. is being charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, wire fraud, theft, and money laundering. If convicted, the former World Tag Team Champion could face decades in prison.

As DiBiase awaits his trial, he has been released on bond, and footage has reached social media. As seen below, he keeps his words short and sweet and centered around religion when responding to a reporter.

Jesus loves you, brother. God bless you, man. That’s it.”

You can read more about this story here.

Ted DiBiase released from on bond as he awaits his trial. pic.twitter.com/dNNDcGAlQ4

— Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) April 21, 2023

Though he’s best known for being a member of The New Day, Xavier Woods has seen his fair share of success as a singles superstar. Woods is the most recent winner of The King of the Ring, and tonight, he’s on his way to an Intercontinental Championship match against Gunther.

As Woods entered the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio this afternoon for SmackDown, he dished out a powerful promo about why the WWE Universe should consider him a legitimate threat to Gunther’s Intercontinental Title.

Of course, I’m ready for tonight. I’ve been ready for this match for years. I’m about to go against Gunther, the most dominant Intercontinental Champion that we have had in recent times, and I’ve heard people say, ‘Oh, Gunther is going to destroy you. He is going to obliterate you! The thing is, I have seen Gunther destroy people. I’ve seen Gunther destory Ricochet, I’ve seen him destroy Shinsuke, I’ve seen him destory Sheamus, I’ve seen him destroy Drew McIntyre, but the thing that nobody wants to talk about is I’ve beat all those guys, too.

So, tonight, when I face Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship, he’s not going against somebody who’s not ready for this, he’s going up against the main guy that should have had a shot to begin with. And remember this one very important thing – throughout every major battle in history, a General has bowed to his King, and tonight is not going to be any different.

.@AustinCreedWins is tired of being overlooked and is ready to make a statement TONIGHT on #SmackDown. 😳 pic.twitter.com/EuWzX0GOVs

— WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2023

WWE SmackDown continues shaping up to be a must-see episode; it was just announced that two additional matches will be taking place tonight. One will see LWO and The Judgment Day members face off in tag team action when Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar team up to battle Damian Priest & Finn Balor. It’s also been revealed that Riddle and Solo Sikoa will settle their differences in a no-disqualification match!

You can see the SmackDown card below:

• Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar vs. Damian Priest & Finn Balor
• No DQ match: Riddle vs. Solo Sikoa
• The Viking Raiders vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan (c) vs. Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green
• WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Xavier Woods

BREAKING NEWS: @MeganMorantWWE announces two new matches for #SmackDown tonight!@reymysterio & @EscobarWWE vs. @ArcherOfInfamy & @FinnBalor@SuperKingofBros vs. @WWESoloSikoa in a No DQ Match pic.twitter.com/Z2vbM04Ncx

— WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2023

Charly Arnolt, formerly recognized as Charly Caruso in WWE, is facing criticism online for her career change and the comments associated with the move. Caruso noted during an interview that her decision to leave ESPN has to do with feeling like she was “stifled” when expressing herself, especially during controversial topics in sports like transgender athletes playing. She has since moved to Outkick, a multimedia brand under the Fox umbrella. Fox is well-known for advocating for a more conservative outlook on the world.

“You know, I’m a very opinionated person, I always have been. That’s something I really love about myself, and I just felt like at ESPN I was a little bit stifled. There was a lot of conversations and issues that have really just permeated the world of sports, and really just society in general, that I was not able to speak up about. And it made me very uncomfortable, because I felt like I wasn’t being true to myself.

“So then, here’s a place like Outkick that really the idea of cancel culture does not exist. And you have a guy like Clay Travis who really stands behind everyone at the company and says ‘Listen, you can say whatever you want as long as you are convicted in what you’re saying, and you really believe in it, you have nothing to worry about.’”

You can read more about this story here.

The heel persona of Trish Stratus is back in full force after her captivating promo this past Monday on WWE Raw about her legacy. And her first target is clear: Becky Lynch, but when did Stratus grow disdain for “Big Time Becks?” In a new interview, Stratus notes how it didn’t take long before she felt disrespected by her.

“I took a keen interest in Becky Lynch last summer when they did a live event in Toronto and we got into an exchange of words. People were interested, and I thought, ‘that’s interesting in how interested they are in this.’ I did a post right before WrestleMania saying, ‘It’s so cool,’ Lita and Becky are lying, ‘they march to their own beat.’

“I saw a lot of me in Becky. I see the drive, the passion, and, unequivocally, will not accept anything less than excellence. That is what I did. I see it in her. I admired and I loved that, but then being with her. They say don’t meet your heroes, not that she was my hero, I should be her hero. I was like, ‘Cool, okay cool.’ It was just too much and she was very patronizing on that end.

You can read more about this story here.

This is a reminder to all AEW fans that Rampage will actually be skipping its typical Friday night timeslot this evening and will air this Saturday at 10 pm EST on TNT. It appears like it’s going to be an eventful episode, too, with matches scheduled like Jon Moxley vs. Christopher Daniels and a AAA Mega Championship match between El Hijo del Vikingo and Dralistico.

You can see the current card for AEW Rampage below:

• AAA Mega Championship: El Hijo Del Vikingo (c) vs. Dralistico
• We hear from TBS Champion Jade Cargill
• Jon Moxley vs. Christopher Daniels
• FTR, Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett vs. Varsity Athletes & Slim J
• Kiera Hogan vs. Julia Hart
• We hear from The Hardy Boyz, HOOK, and Isiah Kassidy

TOMORROW on #AEWRampage at the SPECIAL TIME of SATURDAY at 10pm ET/9pm CT on @tntdrama, we will hear from #TheHardys @JEFFHARDYBRAND & @MATTHARDYBRAND, #FTW Champion @730hook & @IsiahKassidy 👀 pic.twitter.com/NtXXj8hssd

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 21, 2023

Tonight’s SmackDown will be an episode highlighted by two championship matches: an Intercontinental Title match and a WWE Women’s Tag Team Title match. We can also expect to see the next chapter in the budding story of Shinsuke Nakamura and Karrion Kross, who made it clear last week through a personalized tarot card that Shinsuke is next on his radar. Perhaps another confrontation between the LWO and Judgment Day is also on its way.

You can see the current lineup for WWE SmackDown below:

• The Viking Raiders vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan (c) vs. Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green
• WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Xavier Woods

.@Gunther_AUT hasn't been pinned since joining #SmackDown over one year ago. @AustinCreedWins hasn't lost 1v1 since August 2021.

Which streak will end when the #ICTitle is on the line TONIGHT?

📺 8/7c on @FOXTV pic.twitter.com/ZnFfDU67pm

— WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2023

We’re back, folks! Happy Friday to everyone, and cheers to another great weekend ahead. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown emanates from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, as we continue the build to the Backlash premium live event.

Major news broke earlier today that CM Punk is indeed returning to AEW on June 17, 2023, which is also believed to be the date of AEW’s new rumored show to be premiering. Punk is supposed to meet Chris Jericho and other important AEW figures in the near future to discuss the dynamics of how they will work together going forward.

We also received an update on Charlotte Flair’s whereabouts after being absent from WWE since her WrestleMania 39 match with Rhea Ripley. Apparently, Flair is traveling internationally with her husband, Andrade El Idolo, but will return at an undisclosed date.