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Smackdown
Date: February 3, 2023
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Michael Cole
We’re done with the Royal Rumble and the main event of Wrestlemania is set. That being said, there is a Sami Zayn sized road block on the Road To Wrestlemania and I’m not sure how they are going to deal with it. You can almost guarantee Zayn is getting the Elimination Chamber title shot, but dang it’s going to be a fun right on the way there. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of Sami Zayn finally turning on the Bloodline with a chair shot to Roman Reigns, but Jey Uso couldn’t bring himself to help with the ensuing beatdown.
The Bloodline, minus Jey Uso, and everyone but Paul Heyman ignores questions about Jey. Heyman says they cannon confirm or deny Jey’s Bloodline status at the moment.
Opening sequence.
Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament: Imperium vs. Braun Strowman/Ricochet For a future Smackdown Tag Team Title shot. Strowman shoves..

Impact Wrestling
Date: February 2, 2023
Location: Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt
It’s the start of a new month and we are well on our way to No Surrender. Last week saw Rich Swann win a #1 contenders match to earn a shot at Josh Alexander later this month, but it still feels like we are coming up on Steve Maclin as the really big bad. Odds are we see more of the build this week so let’s get to it.
Opening recap.
Opening sequence.
Bullet Club vs. Kevin Knight/Kushida Knight and Ace start things off with Bey’s headlock not getting him very far. Knight misses a charge into the corner and Bey stomps him in the back, only to get caught with a springboard spinning crossbody. It’s off to Kushida to start in on the arm but it’s right back to Knight, whose springboard is dropkicked out of the air. Austin comes in to stomp Knight down for two and he kicks away at Knight in the corner. The Club starts taking turns on Knight, with Austin ..

That’s the big stuff. We are rapidly approaching WrestleMania 39 and that means the card needs to be either set up or close to set up. While the matches might not have been announced on television as of yet, there might be something different going on behind the scenes. As a result, WWE could have a strong idea o what is coming at the biggest show of the year, and now we might know a lot more about what they have planned.
So far, there are three matches confirmed for WrestleMania 39. Those matches are:
• Undisputed WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns(c) vs. Cody Rhodes
• SmackDown Women’s Title: Charlotte(c) vs. Rhea Ripley
• Raw Women’s Title: Bianca Belair(c) vs. Elimination Chamber winner
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the following matches are considered “locked in” for the card but have yet to be announced:
• John Cena vs. Austin Theory (it is not clear if this will be for Theory’s United States Title)
• Women’s Tag Team Titles: Damage Ctrl(c) vs. Ronda Rousey/S..

That’s a different way to go. We are less than two months away from WrestleMania 39 and that means it is time to start getting the card ready for the show. The show’s main event is already set and you can probably guess a bit more of the card from here. However, there are some matches that might take you by surprise and now we might have another one ready for the card.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The Big One: WWE Officially Sets Main Event For Elimination Chamber (And It’s Special)
Back on the December 30, 2022 SmackDown, Ronda Rousey lost the SmackDown Women’s Title to Charlotte. Rousey has not been seen since, including in last weekend’s Women’s Royal Rumble. However, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rousey is expected to team with Shayna Baszler to challenge Damage Ctrl for the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Baszler and Rousey had teamed together in the weeks before Rousey’s absence, though they never challenged for the titles.
This could be a heck of a fight. Check out the c..

That’s the big one. We are just over two weeks away from Elimination Chamber, which is the final stop on the Road To WrestleMania 39. The show will feature a pair of the event’s namesake matches, which will feature twelve wrestlers between the pair. That should be enough to carry the show, but now we have something else to add to the card which should be even bigger.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: So Close: Former WWE Star Opens Up On Nearly Winning World Title, Moving Forward
The show closing angle from the Royal Rumble saw Sami Zayn turn on the Bloodline by hitting Roman Reigns in the back with a chair. Zayn attacked Reigns again the following week on SmackDown and challenged him for a title match at Elimination Chamber. The Bloodline attacked Zayn, allowing Reigns to yell at him in the corner, accepting the match in the process. WWE officially confirmed the match later that night.
This is going to be a big one. Check out the angle and some of Zayn’s better moments:
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It’s a new way to go. According to a report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, the 2023 Royal Rumble event was said to have been the “easiest” that it’s has been in a long time, with regard to putting the show together. This is due to the lack of creative involvement from Vince McMahon.
This year’s Royal Rumble was the first under Triple H and the report states that there was a good feeling about the show in the end, including the morale among talent. Furthermore, it was said that from a day-to-day and weekly basis, the atmosphere is much more laid back. One of the only reminders of Vince’s influence remains the “Vince’s office” directional sign that hasn’t been changed since he left but points to a section of the backstage area that is completely different.
Vince has been notorious for changing things at the last minute and creating a sense of chaos and unease right before a show goes on the air. The report further states that the process of the Rumble itself was the easiest in a long..

That’s a relief. There are all kinds of reasons for a wrestler to miss time from television and some of them are more serious than others. One of the worst reasons is an injury of some kind, as you do not know when they are going to be back. On the other hand, there are times when a wrestler is out of action due to a storyline injury, which means the return should be a lot faster. Thankfully the latter is the case in a current situation.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Almost Time: Samoa Joe Opens Up About Possible Retirement From Wrestling
On the December 21, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite, Swerve Strickland and Mogul Affiliates attacked Keith Lee, including Strickland hitting a top rope double stomp to crush a cinder block over Lee’s chest. Lee has not been see on AEW television since the attack. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lee’s absence is only due to the storyline injury and he is expected back soon to feud with Strickland.
Lee is a star. Check out what he can do in AEW..

That would have been different. The rise of AEW has changed the way the wrestling world works, as the company allows wrestlers to have a new place to go. After so many years of WWE dominating the landscape, it is a change of pace to have another large scale company around. It has given several wrestlers another place to go and that might have kept a popular wrestler’s career going.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: A Good Sign: How Cody Rhodes Has Been An “Outstanding” Success Since WWE Return
Samoa Joe appeared on a recent episode of the Sessions and revealed that he was considering retirement from wrestling after his second release from WWE. Joe had suffered two concussions in short order and was dealing with health issues related to them. He then spent a year and a half doing commentary for WWE, allowing him to heal up and recover before being released for the second time. Joe also praised Michael Cole for the work that he does under such pressure. Joe wrestled for WWE from May 2015 until Ap..

He’s a hit. There are few ways to gauge how successful a wrestler has been but you can often tell when someone is a success or not just by the feeling. That is not enough for a business though as they are going to need something more concrete. One of the most telling ways is merchandise sales, and a recently returned star is doing quite well in that regard.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The Boss: Update On Vince McMahon’s Current Work In WWE
Cody Rhodes returned to action at the Royal Rumble last weekend, winning the men’s namesake match. As a result, Rhodes will go on to WrestleMania to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title. According to Fightful Select, Rhodes’ merchandise sales were “outstanding” at the Royal Rumble and following Monday Night Raw. Rhodes competed on Monday Night Raw, defeating Finn Balor in the show’s main event.
Rhodes is on a roll. Check out what he has been doing lately:
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That’s a They’re On It: Update On WWE Planning Major International Showchange. The biggest wrestling story of the year so far has been Vince McMahon ending his retirement after about five months to return to WWE. McMahon’s return has led to several questions, including a lot of people wondering if he will return to his former position in WWE creative. That is still something that remains unclear, but we now know how things went at one of the most important shows of the year.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: They’re On It: Update On WWE Planning Major International Show
According to Fightful Select, McMahon was not backstage at the Royal Rumble, which was described as the least hectic the event has been in years. This was mainly due to McMahon not being there to make several last minute changes as he was known to do. WWE executives have insisted that McMahon is not working with creative or in talent relations and his sole purpose at the moment is working on the sale of the company.
It was a go..

They have a plan. WWE is an international wrestling promotion and that means they need to try and find a way to expand into as may new markets as possible. There are various places around the world that have long since been strongholds in WWE, but the company can always find new people to watch. Now they have their eyes on a new location, including a possible major live event.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: They’re On Deck: Several More Details On NXT’s Participation In The Royal Rumble
WWE CEO Nick Khan addressed the company running a future live event in India during WWE’s 4th quarter financial earnings call. Khan said that WWE is waiting for a merger between Zee and Sony India to be completed before the company runs an event in the country. While Khan did not give a specific date, he did say that the hope would be in April. WWE had planned a major event in India for January but it was held off, reportedly due to the looming merger.
WWE has been to India before. Check out some of their ti..