Former WWE United States Champion Jeff Hardy recently spoke to GuideLive.com to talk about various topics. Hardy is known for his wild antics during his matches and jumping off anything he can. This has led to his rise as a pro wrestler. Eventually, that will all catch up to him and he will have to retire from wrestling.

When asked about it, Hardy stated, “That’s one thing I don’t know. Because I truly do – especially like the Hell in a Cell match, and even now I have two beautiful daughters, a beautiful wife – but I truly do wrestle every match like it’s my last because even a live event could be my last match.”

Hardy stated that the craziest thing could happen within the blink of an eye and it could all be over. Thus, he tries to enjoy every match like it’s his last and love what he does which is entertain the fans.

As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Minneapolis, MN at the Target Center on the USA Network, Hardy kicked off a feud with Samoa Joe. This would be their first program under the WWE banner. They were together while in TNA which he touched upon when asked about working with Joe.

“Same thing with A.J. [Styles]. And it’s cool to think back then what we were doing in TNA, and to see us now in WWE. And after that intense moment of him interrupting my celebration, it’s going to be a great feud. So, I’m looking forward to what’s going to happen in the weeks to come.”

Last night on Smackdown, WWE proclaimed that Jeff Hardy is celebrating his 20th Anniversary with WWE this year. This is not entirely accurate, however, as Jeff is actually a little over 6 months away from his 25th Anniversary with the company.

In terms of his overall tenure in WWE, Jeff has been with the company for approximately 14 years. He’s had 3 different runs with the company from 94-03, 06-09, 17-present.

Jeff Hardy in WWE

A possible reason for why WWE decided to fudge Jeff’s anniversary statistics last night is the age he was when he started. Jeff’s first match with the promotion was a loss to Razor Ramon on Monday Night Raw taped on May 23rd, 1994. He was only 16-years-old at the time.

Jeff would wrestle 3 more times for WWE in 1994, losing to the 1-2-3 Kid, Jim Neidhart, and King Kong Bundy. Hardy would even get a win over Razor Ramon on an episode of Superstars in late 1995 after he had turned 18. The match would air in early 1996:

The Hardyz would receive their first WWE Tag Team Championship match against the Smoking Gunns on May 28th, 1996 on another episode of Superstars. By early 1997, the Hardyz were a regular part of WWE programming. Why WWE decided to tell their audience Jeff is celebrating his 20th Anniversary with the company in late 2018 was likely just to give Samoa Joe an excuse to interrupt his celebration and kick-start their rivalry.

Tonight’s episode of Smackdown will take place inside the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. Smackdown Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, has been confirmed to appear on the show.

Only 3 segments have been announced for tonight’s episode. Although traditionally Smackdown announces more matches and segments ahead of time than Raw, that has not been the case in recent weeks.

Edit: New Day vs The Bar in a non-title match has now also been announced for tonight.

Smackdown 11/27 Preview

Becky Lynch Returns to Smackdown

The most reaction-garnering Superstar on the roster returns to Smackdown tonight. Although she is still not cleared to compete, Lynch has evidently been cleared to travel, which is a good sign.

The last time Lynch was in a WWE ring she was hugging Charlotte Flair and picking her as her Survivor Series replacement. Since then, quite a bit has taken place on social media. It will be interesting to hear what Lynch might have to say regarding Rousey, Flair, and/or Nia tonight.

AJ Styles Responds To Daniel Bryan

Last week on Smackdown, Daniel Bryan delivered a promo explaining his actions from the week prior. Bryan won the WWE Championship after kicking AJ in the groin 2 weeks ago today. He said his dreams took over for him and that’s why he did what he did. Tonight, former champion AJ Styles will address both Bryan and the WWE Universe.

Jeff Hardy Celebrates 20-Years in WWE

Jeff Hardy and his brother Matt debuted in WWE in 1998. Tonight, Jeff Hardy celebrates the 20-year anniversary of the Hardyz in WWE. Such celebrations rarely take place on WWE programming without incident, however.

Last night’s episode of WWE SmackDown Live certainly brought a ton of surprises. After Becky Lynch’s injury, Charlotte Flair will now face Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series this weekend. Also, we have a new WWE Champion, and a new opponent for Brock Lesnar on Sunday. AJ Styles opened up SmackDown Live last night to cut a promo about his match with Lesnar.

Paul Heyman came out to interrupt Styles, instigating a match between Styles and Bryan later on that night. With the WWE Title on the line, Bryan turned heel and hit Styles with a low blow after the referee was knocked down. He then hit a flying knee for the WWE Title victory. The title change was obviously a huge surprise to fans.

Now, Bryan will face Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series this weekend due to the Champion vs. Champion format of the show. After SmackDown Live, however, Styles didn’t work his scheduled Mixed Match Challenge match on Facebook Watch. He was set to team up with Charlotte Flair against The Miz and Asuka.

Instead, Styles was replaced by Jeff Hardy, who teamed with Flair to defeat Miz and Asuka. There’s no news as to why Styles missed his MMC match, however, it’s likely in regards to the storyline after losing the WWE Title.

What do you think about Styles not working the MMC after losing the WWE Title?

Jeff Hardy Impersonates Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE’s YouTube channel has released this video of Jeff Hardy impersonating Shinsuke Nakamura while competing at a recent live event in Nottingham at the Motorpoint Arena. As a result of it, the crowd in attendance for the show was applauding and laughing at Hardy for his efforts. You can see the footage here:

Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles Stat

An interesting stat regarding the upcoming champion vs. champion match between Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and WWE Champion AJ Styles at the upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, November 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center has surfaced. WWE posted it in order to hype the match on Instagram. The stat was that both stars have been pinned only once since WrestleMania 34 back in April.

If you recall, Roman Reigns beat Lesnar at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event back in August while Styles lost to The Usos in a tag team match last month on an episode of SmackDown Live while teaming with Daniel Bryan. This isn’t the first time that Styles and Lesnar have wrestled each other at Survivor Series as they did last year with Lesnar winning with an F-5.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqBcKoUiXjQ/

Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton’s feud on SmackDown Live produced one of the hardest to watch segments in recent WWE memory. During an episode of SmackDown Live several weeks ago, Orton attacked Hardy before putting his finger in his ear piercing, and pulling on it. Many in the crowd were cringing and had their jaws dropped. The same could be said for those watching at home.

During their match at Hell In A Cell (HIAC), WWE took things a step further. Orton took a screwdriver, inserted it into the piercing, and again mangled Hardy’s ear. Hardy spoke to “The 11th Hour” recently to discuss the spots. He detailed the planning and conversation that went into it:

“We did the first earlobe deal, you know, with just the fingers and … actually one of the up and coming commentators – I think he’s from 205 Live – he had mentioned it as far as I said, ‘You can twist it too!’, but then he was like, ‘What if you use a screwdriver?’

“And then we kind of threw around ideas, and we both compromised on that certain screwdriver– to put it in, twist it, make it real tight and not rip it off! [Laughs] Yeah, watching that back with Randy’s face was … This is like, wow, they’re doing a good horror movie or something!

“And the fans knew it was coming, you know, because when they saw him trap my arms, they’d seen it before– and they knew it was coming again. So it was great. Overall, that match, I’m extremely proud of it.”

What did you think about Hardy and Orton’s screwdriver spot at HIAC?

Despite having been written off SmackDown Live due to injuries sustained at Hell In A Cell, Jeff Hardy is still competing at WWE Live Events. Hardy worked a WWE Live Event in Oklahoma City this past Monday night. He competed in a 6-person tag team match, teaming with AJ Styles and R-Truth. They defeated the team of Samoa Joe, Randy Orton and the United States Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura. He is scheduled this weekend’s WWE live events

There is no indication as to how long the WWE will keep Hardy off of WWE programming as they continue to sell the severity of the injuries suffered. WWE previously provided a storyline update on Hardy, stating that he had complained of “severe abdominal pains backstage.” It was then reported that he had begun to cough up blood whilst in transit to a hospital.

Woken Warrior

His brother, Matt Hardy, has also been in the news recently, with what appeared to be a retirement announcement.

Matt’s WWE contract expires next March. His future opportunities with the company allegedly depend on the continued treatment of his lower back and pelvis. If the treatment goes well, there may be a chance he could return to in-ring competition within the WWE.

As if undergoing treatment wasn’t enough, he and his family are undergoing a major clean up effort at the Hardy Compound, thanks to Hurricane Florence.

The LOYAL & INCOMPARABLE Señor Benjamin has been doing 16 hours workdays at The Hardy Compound since Saturday.

A TRUE WARRIOR. pic.twitter.com/VoirBGyjUs

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) September 19, 2018

Following last night’s Hell In A Cell event, the WWE has released medical updates on Jeff Hardy and Dolph Ziggler.

Jeff Hardy promised to deliver the “unexpected,” and he certainly delivered on that promise after working his way across one of the Cell’s support beams before attempting a splash on a prone Randy Orton, only for “The Viper” to move out the way. All that met Hardy on the way down was the table that Orton had, just moments ago, been laid across.

Engimatic Enigma

“Following his brutal Hell in a Cell Match against Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy was tended to by EMTs at ringside. [WWE Social Media Correspondent] Cathy Kelley then reported on Instagram that Hardy complained of severe abdominal pains backstage, prompting WWE medical personnel to have him transported to a local medical facility.”

Michael Cole would later inform the audience that Hardy began coughing blood on the way to the hospital.

Cathy Kelley rounded out the report, informing the WWE Universe that Jeff would be kept overnight for “further observation.”

Stealing The Show

Hardy wasn’t the only superstar to go flying from the Hell In A Cell last night. Both Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler found themselves victim to gravity, plummeting from the side of the cage after a tense exchange.

WWE had this update on Ziggler:

“After falling off the side of the Hell in a Cell structure during Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship Match against Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler was looked at by WWE medical personnel, but he refused to go to a local medical facility. Instead, Ziggler left the AT&T Center under his own power alongside tag team partner Drew McIntyre.”

Matt Hardy may have recently retired, but that hasn’t stopped his brother, Jeff, from looking ahead to tonight’s Hell In A Cell match up against his opponent, “The Viper” Randy Orton. Speaking with TalkSport.com, Jeff Hardy had this to say in anticipation of his first Hell In A Cell matchup, Jeff said he can’t wait to see what he can do in his first-ever Hell in a Cell match.

“Expect The Unexpected”

He promises that the encounter in the newly red Cell will be “memorable,” and that he intends to do “something that people won’t forget,” before stating, “I think my thoughts are too big for my size sometimes, but I’ve got a lot of good ideas of what I can do inside that structure and this Sunday is when we find what will happen.”

“It will be a very memorable Jeff Hardy match,” he declared, before adding, “Expect the unexpected.”

When thinking on the possibilities, Hardy said, “[…] when I found out I got really excited about it, like a youthful spark from a Jeff Hardy in his twenties. I never asked, but they sure are giving it to me, so we’ll see what happens.”

Daredevil Attitude

The anticipation for their caged confrontation has led Hardy to study the previous Hell In A Cell matches, with him observing that “Randy Orton has been in six or seven of them, which is crazy. He’s very familiar with the structure and I’m not, but I’ve got a lot of big ideas and I’m going to try and pull them off.”

As unforgettable as Jeff wants to make this match, let’s hope that the well-known daredevil doesn’t endanger himself in his attempts at making Hell In A Cell history.

Hell In A Cell takes place tonight and is available to stream on the WWE Network.

So who do you think is going to come away with a victory tonight? Randy Orton? Or Jeff Hardy?

WWE star Jeff Hardy was recently part of a media call to promote this weekend’s Hell In A Cell (HIAC) pay-per-view (PPV). Hardy talked about becoming a Grand Slam Champion, what’s left on his WWE bucket list, and possibly appearing as Brother Nero at HIAC. Here are the highlights:

Jeff, you’re the most recent addition to the list of Grand Slam Champions in the WWE in the modern format. Looking back at what you’ve accomplished so far in the WWE, what’s your next aim or ambition to achieve in the company?

“Well, you know, it’s coming up really soon. I mean, it’s just days away, and I’ve been talking about it for the last eight years. The one thing I’ve never done in the WWE is (participate in) the Hell In A Cell match, and here we are. I’m in the Hell In A Cell with Randy Orton, and so I’ve been asking for it all this time, and now I have to see what I can do inside there. It’s going to be very memorable; I’ll do something that people won’t forget. That’s one to knock off my list as far as things that I want to do.”

I was going to ask you that. You previously talked about wanting to participate in a Hell In A Cell match, something you never participated in. Is there anything else on your bucket list you’d want to cross off before you call it a day?

“I would like to win the world title again for sure. That’s probably the main thing; back when me and my brother returned at WrestleMania 33 we won the tag team championships. It’d be good now that we are doing solo deals, in singles competition to be the world champion again. That’s one thing for sure.”

Finally, I got to ask you about something the fans were expecting to see when you returned to the WWE. With Woken Matt returning to his Woken Universe, while we’ve seen a few glimpses, was there any discussion about Brother Nero appearing on WWE programming, and is there a chance the WWE fans can see the alter ego of Jeff Hardy?

“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I kind of feel like me wearing the face paint now, and breaking out the white contacts – it’s like a modified version of Brother Nero. And that might take a completely drastic turn this Sunday at Hell In A Cell. I might really go all out as Brother Nero. And who knows? You might even see Willow. He may pop up here. From the Broken Universe, anything is possible!”

Do you think Jeff Hardy will be appearing as “Brother Nero” at HIAC?

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Tonight’s episodes of Smackdown and 205 Live will take place in the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA.

In total, 7 matches have been scheduled for this week’s shows.

Smackdown 9/11 Preview

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1038937103663546368

Brie Bella vs Maryse

In a match Paige made official earlier this week, Brie Bella will face Maryse. This will be Brie Bella’s first single’s match in 2.5 years. Her opponent, however, hasn’t wrestled a single’s match since 2011 and last wrestled at WrestleMania 33.

Daniel Bryan and the Miz will likely be watching this match closely.

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs R-Truth

Paige also made this match official earlier this week. Almas is coming off of 2 straight losses to Daniel Bryan and could really use a win. In total, however, Almas is 6-3 in single’s matches on the main roster. His only losses have come to Bryan and AJ Styles.

As for R-Truth,  he picked up a win in the Smackdown main event last week against the Miz. Another win tonight and Smackdown General Manager Paige might consider R-Truth in contention for a single’s title.

Charlotte Flair vs Sonya Deville

Before Charlotte Flair defends her title against Becky Lynch at Hell in a Cell, she’ll have to get by Sonya Deville tonight. Under WWE’s “pin the champion” rules, however, if Deville is successful tonight she could get added to the Smackdown Women’s Championship match on the pay-per-view. Seems unlikely, however.

Becky Lynch will no doubt be nearby while this match is going on.

Smackdown Tag-Team Championship #1 Contenders Match
The Bar vs Rusev Day

Both the Bar and Rusev Day won triple-threat tag matches recently to advance to the finals of this mini-tournament. The winners will face the New Day for the tag titles at Hell in a Cell.

English and Rusev have been working well together recently but can they keep their hot streak going against the former multi-time champions the Bar.

Jeff Hardy vs Shinsuke Nakamura

Jeff Hardy will face Randy Orton at Hell in a Cell but will have a chance to settle unresolved business with the United States Champion tonight. It seems as though this is a non-title match.

Paige has announced this match will kickoff tonight’s show.

205 Live 9/11 Preview

https://twitter.com/WWEMaverick/status/1038950167494438912

Buddy Murphy vs Gran Metalik

Gran Metalik defeated Tony Nese last week on 205 Live. Tonight he’ll face Nese’s training partner Buddy Murphy.

Murphy will challenge Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship in Australia for Super Show-Down on October 6th. Alexander will likely be watching his match with Metalik tonight.

Cedric Alexander & Akira Tozawa vs Drew Gulak & Jack Gallagher

Even though Cedric Alexander is scheduled to defend his title against Buddy Murphy next, Drew Gulak is still trying to position himself for a title rematch. Alexander defeated Gulak at Summerslam.

Gulak has aligned with Jack Gallagher and others in an attempt to rid the division of its current champion. Tonight, Alexander has Akira Tozawa watching his back, however, in an attempt to even the odds.

Possible SmackDown Live Match Involving Jeff Hardy

WWE has already announced that Rusev and Aiden English will take on The Bar as part of the mini-tournament to determine the new #1 contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles on next week’s episode of SmackDown Live. The winners of next week’s match will challenge The New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles at the upcoming Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event.

The company also announced Charlotte Flair vs. Sonya Deville. Now, the company is teasing Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for Tuesday’s SmackDown as Hardy tweeted today: “Before I dive deep into Hell…I shall CLEANSE my soul. @ShinsukeN still lingers..so This Tuesday…He must be rendered #OBSOLETE”

Before I dive deep into Hell…I shall CLEANSE my soul. @ShinsukeN still lingers..so This Tuesday…He must be rendered #OBSOLETE

— #BrotherNero DELETED (@JEFFHARDYBRAND) September 8, 2018

Mick Foley – WWE Network News

WWE Network will be airing “Mick Foley: 20 Years of Hell” after the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on September 16. This will be one of Foley’s touring shows where he talks about the match and 20th anniversary of his Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker at King of the Ring 1998.

As noted, the WWE Hall of Famer is also slated to appear on this coming Monday’s RAW to promote Triple H vs. Undertaker at WWE Super Show-Down.

When the Ultimate Deletion match between Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt took place back in March this year, reports stated that the Officials were impressed by its success and we can see more from the Hardy Compound in the future.

However, with Matt’s in-ring future being in question, the chances of another Deletion match taking place anytime soon do not seem very bright.

During a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, Jeff Hardy talked about Matt and revealed that due to being on different brands, he doesn’t see his brother that often anymore. So he is not sure what’s going on with the former TNA Star.

Continuing on the topic, the former United States Champion said that hopefully, the whole thing is not over because he is going to miss it dearly if it is.

Jeff then claimed that he wants to be part of a Deletion match in WWE before he is done and hoped that there is one more out there so he can do a bigger Swanton bomb, out of a tree.

Apart from this, Jeff Hardy also talked about the early days of the Broken Character, his feud with Randy Orton and more. You can check out his full interview in the video below:

Jeff Hardy’s wish has been granted by Vince McMahon. A Hell in a Cell match between Hardy and Randy Orton has been announced for the upcoming WWE Hell in a Cell PPV. Hardy has stated in previous interviews that he has always wanted to compete in this match.

This has been a match in the making for a few weeks. If you recall, Shinsuke Nakamura beat Hardy to win the United States Title at the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena on the WWE Network. Following the match, Orton made his return after being on the sidelines due to a recent surgery to have an intense staredown with Nakamura and then laying out Hardy. Moving along, on an episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network, the company booked a rematch between Hardy and Nakamura that saw the finish once again have Orton cost Hardy the match. Then, Orton attacked Hardy once again in devastating fashion. Now, Hardy gets his revenge on Orton.

.@RandyOrton, @JEFFHARDYBRAND will see you in HELL! #HIAC #SDLive pic.twitter.com/DSnldInZjT

— WWE (@WWE) August 29, 2018

The Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, September 16, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas at the AT&T Center and will air on the WWE Network and some traditional pay-per-view outlets.

The Card

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe

RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss

The Miz & Maryse vs. Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella – Mixed Tag Team Match

Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton – Hell In A Cell Match

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

Although Jeff Hardy has accomplished so many goals that he has set out for himself in the pro wrestling business, there are still some that he’s still pursuing. The former WWE United States Champion was recently interviewed by the Kingston Whig-Standard to talk about various topics.

Goals Before Retirement

Hardy started in this interview that he still wants to wrestle in a Hell in the Cell match before he calls it a career as that’s one match he’s never been a part of. He also wants to be in a ‘Deletion’-style match which was the contest that Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt did as part of the Ultimate Deletion on their property.

“Hopefully we’ll get to do another one, one of these days. I can bring Brother Nero back to life. I would definitely, before I’m done, like to be the world champion.”

He added that he thinks he has what it takes as long as he can stay healthy and avoid injury then he thinks he is good to go for a couple more title runs.

His Painful Bump

Jeff Hardy is known for taking big chances while performing such as his ladder bumps. When asked which one stands out to him, he pointed out that it was a match with RVD where he had this idea he wanted to go through a table vertically off a 14-foot ladder.

“I did a swan dive off [the ladder] and he moved and I crashed and burned and the table exploded, and I knew, ‘OK, this is the one. I’m not gonna get up from this.’ I thought I had broken my lower spine. It hurt so bad and it knocked the wind out of me.”

Watch here: Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Van Dam (Title vs. Title Ladder Match)

Former WWE United States Champion Jeff Hardy left off where he stopped as if you recall, he was out of action for months after getting rotator cuff surgery in October 2017. However, he was able to make his return in April shortly after WrestleMania 34 and moved to the SmackDown Live brand.

The younger Hardy brother spoke with Click Orlando where he commented on his return to WWE following surgery.

“It was scary at first, very intimidating, like, every night ‘okay, this is the night.’ All those little clicks and cracks in there, I’m gonna hurt it again.” Hardy added that so far so good but did mention that he had more lower back and elbow issues than the rotator cuff surgery.

Hardy also talked about returning to the company last year at WrestleMania 33 with his brother Matt as he noted that it was pretty exciting and had this conversation before they returned due to working in other promotions at the time as they thought that they should be working in front of larger crowds rather than smaller ones outside of the WWE.

“It all worked out because we came back because we wanted to finish where we started which is in the WWE.” He added that it’s exciting to still painting his face and having good matches and feeling very healthy at this stage in the game of his pro wrestling career.

Hardy is slated to challenge Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Title at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view event that takes place on Sunday, August 19, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center and will air on the WWE Network.

What are your thoughts on Hardy’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.

Smackdown and 205 Live will emanate from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida tonight. 2 matches have been confirmed for Smackdown, including the 2nd semi-final match in the Smackdown tag-team tournament. Just one match has been announced for 205 Live tonight.

Smackdown Live 7/31 Preview

Jeff Hardy Confronts Randy Orton

Jeff Hardy wasn’t on Smackdown last week. He was out selling his injuries from Orton’s attack the previous week. 2 weeks ago on Smackdown, Orton attacked Hardy and tried to rip open his stretched earlobe. Last week, Orton cut a scathing promo on the WWE Universe and promised to end Hardy’s WWE return.

Jeff Hardy returns to Smackdown tonight and will confront Orton on the show.

What do you say @Zelina_VegaWWE ????? ? pic.twitter.com/yh6ahzuxeE

— CJ Perry (@TheCJPerry) July 30, 2018

Lana vs Zelina Vega

Andrade Almas defeated Rusev on Smackdown last week. This week, Lana has challenged Zelina Vega to a single’s match. It will be Vega’s first match on WWE’s main roster.

Lana won her last single’s match. She defeated Billie Kay in a MITB qualifying match. It was her first single’s victory on the main roster.

The Boys ARE Back in Town to take those #SDLive tag titles.. #ItsCominHome #TheBar #18seconds pic.twitter.com/7neiBgj3dE

— Sheamus (@WWESheamus) July 30, 2018

Smackdown Tag-Team Tournament
The Usos vs The Bar

Paige announced a 4-team tournament to determine who will challenge the Bludgeon Brothers at SummerSlam. Last week, New Day defeated Sanity to move to the finals of the tournament which will be held next week.

Tonight, two decorated tag-teams will fight for the right to take on the New Day in the finals.

Fallout From Samoa Joe’s Attack On AJ Styles

Samoa Joe will challenge AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. Joe made a point of attacking and choking out the champion last week.

We should get Style’s response to his new challenger tonight.

Becky Lynch and Carmella Segment

Last week, Becky Lynch defeated Carmella in a non-title match to earn a title shot at SummerSlam. Without James Ellsworth by her side, Carmella is going to be in tough with the surging Lynch.

Daniel Bryan’s Response to the Miz

Last week on Miz TV, the Miz threw a fake baby at Daniel Bryan before attacking him. As we build to a showdown between these longtime rivals, Bryan will be looking for payback tonight.

Expect the Miz to promote his reality show as much as possible.

205 Live Preview

Akira Tozawa and Lio Rush Segment

Tozawa and Lio Rush have been feuding as of late. Rush believes Tozawa is too complacent whereas he takes whatever he wants. Tozawa has been calling for a rematch with Rush but that decision lays in the hands of Drake Maverick.

Cedric Alexander vs the Brian Kendrick

Alexander will defend his title against Drew Gulak at SummerSlam but tonight he’ll have a tune-up match with Brian Kendrick. Gulak will likely be on hand to scout his upcoming opponent. He might even get involved in the match.

Last night’s (Tues. July 24, 2018) episode of SmackDown Live featured some great moments. Andrade “Cien” Almas was in action against Rusev, The New Day collided with Sanity once again and Samoa Joe emerged as the next opponent for AJ Styles’ WWE Title.

After SmackDown Live went off-air WWE held its tapings of 205 Live as well. When the Cruiserweights wrapped up their show, WWE put on a big Six-Man Tag Team dark match featuring some of SmackDown Live’s biggest stars.

WWE Champion AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan and Jeff Hardy took on the team of United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro). “The Phenomenal One,” Bryan and Hardy picked up the victory and sent the crowd come happy:

https://twitter.com/AStayAtHomeRad/status/1021952488306561024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1021952488306561024&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Fstar-studded-dark-match-happens-after-smackdown-goes-off-the-air-photo%2F

Former WWE United States Champion Jeff Hardy believes there is a good possibility that The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) could end up in the WWE before they retire from pro wrestling.

The younger Hardy brother recently spoke with Riju Dasgupta of sportskeeda.com. In this interview, he was asked about the Young Bucks coming to WWE one day.

“I feel like it’s a possibility. They’re so talented. I mean it’ll be great to mix it up with those guys in the WWE. They’re doing their own thing and in a way, that’s what’s so cool about it.”

He would continue by stating that they’re their own boss and that they can do what they want and nobody tells them what they can’t do.

Switching gears, Hardy was also asked if he originally thought that Bray Wyatt would be the right fit for the Final Deletion match against his brother Matt, which Jeff responded by saying yes as he thinks Bray’s perfect for that because he’s very open-minded and when you’re watching a lot of his promos you’re not sure what he’s talking about and what he means

“I was on the scene when they filmed that (The Ultimate Deletion). And I hope to be a part of the next one if there is one. And I think there will be.”

What are your thoughts on Hardy’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.

Smackdown and 205 Live this week will emanate from Evansville, IN.

3 matches have been confirmed for tonight’s shows thus far.

On 205 Live, a fatal 4-way match will take place to determine a new #1 contender to Cedric Alexander’s Cruiserweight Championship. Meanwhile, on Smackdown, Paige will announce who AJ Styles will defend his WWE Championship against at SummerSlam.

Smackdown 7/24

Paige Reveals AJ Styles’ SummerSlam Opponent

Smackdown General Manager, Paige, has announced she will reveal who Styles’ new challenger is tonight. Whether she announces a match to determine AJ’s next challenger or just announces a name outright isn’t yet known, however.

Styles’ last title defense came against Rusev at Extreme Rules. Rusev had won a gauntlet match on Smackdown to earn the title shot.

Non-Title Match
Becky Lynch vs Carmella

SummerSlam title match implications will be on the line tonight in a match between Becky Lynch and Carmella. This match was made last week with the stipulation that if Lynch is victorious she will earn a title match against Carmella at SummerSlam.

Lynch has gone 4-0 since Money in the Bank on Smackdown. She’s won single’s matches on 4 of the last 5 episodes of Smackdown. In that time she has defeated Billie Kay, Sonya Deville, Peyton Royce, and Mandy Rose.

Smackdown Tag-Team Tournament
The New Day vs Sanity

In a rematch from Extreme Rules, New Day take on Sanity tonight. The winner moves on to the finals of the 4-team tournament and will meet the winner of the Bar vs the Usos.

Sanity defeated New Day on the Extreme Rules Kickoff show but tonight is the match which has title implications on the line.

Why Did Randy Orton Almost Rip Jeff Hardy’s Ear Off?

Twice now we have seen Randy Orton target Jeff Hardy during a match against Shinsuke Nakamura. Why is Orton targetting Jeff Hardy? What is the status of Jeff Hardy’s earlobe following last Tuesday’s encounter with the Viper?

We will hopefully have answers to these questions after tonight.

Is WWE Building Towards The Miz vs Daniel Bryan At SummerSlam?

All signs point to the long-awaited Miz vs Daniel Bryan one-on-one match to take place at SummerSlam. Last week, Bryan crashed a mock-funeral Miz held for Team Hell No. This week should only further the tension between the two vastly different Superstars.

205 Live 7/24 Preview

#1 Contenders Match
Mustafa Ali vs Hideo Itami vs TJP vs Drew Gulak

Just one match has been announced for 205 Live tonight. Mustafa Ali, Hideo Itami, TJP, and Drew Gulak will battle for the right to face Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship.

TJP is the only former Champion in the match. Alexander defeated Mustafa Ali for the vacant title on the WrestleMania 34 Kickoff show. He also defeated Hideo Itami on the July 10th episode of 205 Live. He’s faced Drew Gulak 5x in the history of 205 Live. Alexander has won 3 of those matches to Gulak and lost the other two. Gulak’s only victories over Alexander were both in early 2017.

Smackdown and 205 Live tonight will emanate from the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The featured match will be a rematch from Extreme Rules between Shinsuke Nakamura and Jeff Hardy with the United States Championship on the line.

Only one match is confirmed for Smackdown, whereas two are confirmed for 205 Live.

Smackdown Live! 7/17

United States Championship
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs Jeff Hardy

At Extreme Rules on Sunday, Nakamura defeated Jeff Hardy after a low blow and a quick Kinshasa. After the match, Randy Orton inexplicably came out and targetting Hardy. Was he trying to send a message to the champion? Or does he have some grudge against Hardy?

WWE is reporting that Jeff Hardy demanded his contractually obligated rematch tonight.

#AndStill WWE Champion AJ Styles

At Extreme Rules, AJ Styles defeated Rusev. It was his 9th televised WWE Championship defense of this reign and 15th all-time.

What is next for the champion? WWE.com is teasing Styles’ next challenger could make themselves known tonight.

How Will Asuka React To Her Second Straight Loss To Carmella?

Carmella retained her title on Sunday by slamming Asuka’s head into James Ellsworth’s shark cage. Despite her second straight loss to Carmella in a Championship match, WWE is indicating Asuka might not be out of the title picture yet as we get closer to SummerSlam.

Will Team Hell No Bounce Back From Their Loss To The Bludgeon Brothers?

Before their match on Sunday, the Bludgeon Brothers attacked Team Hell No. Kane’s leg was in a brace and Daniel Bryan had to start the match alone.

Kane is still not medically cleared compete tonight.

205 Live 7/12

TJP vs Noam Dar

When Noam Dar returned to 205 Live two weeks ago, he defeated TJP in under 30 seconds. Previously, TJP had been complaining he wasn’t being given tough enough competition.

TJP demanded this rematch tonight.

Lio Rush vs Akira Tozawa

Lio Rush has been chastizing Tozawa as of late. He showed up on commentary during a recent match of Tozawa’s and then after the match told him he wasn’t doing enough to be successful.

Tozawa returned the favor to Rush last week during Rush’s match. Drake Maverick then made this match official for tonight.

Jeff Hardy has opened up on changing up his finishing move as of late.

Back in late June, a video surfaced of Hardy doing a twist of fate stunner to win his matches at live events instead of his usual Swanton Bomb.

During a recent interview with the Canton Repository, the WWE United States Champion explained why he hasn’t been doing the Swanton Bomb as much and it all comes down to his lower back hurting him to the point where he can’t do the Swanton Bomb finisher as much as he used to do so.

“Lately, my lower back has really been bothering me to the point where I haven’t been doing the Swanton as much in the live events just to protect it. I think looking forward I’m gonna have to be more like that, because nothing lasts forever. I’ve been real lucky, and naturally on TV I always want to go all out, but in the live events, I might have to hold back a little.”

He did bring up that he is glad to be able to use face paint as part of his character once again as he thinks its fun to for fans of his and the WWE to see because it’s original and unique each and every night. He added that while growing up as a kid while watching wrestling, he was a huge fan of Ultimate Warrior and Sting, which made him want to be a little bit of both of them.

Hardy is slated to defend his United States Title against Shinsuke Nakamura at the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view event that takes place on Sunday, July 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the PPG Paints Arena and will air on the WWE Network.

What are your thoughts on Hardy’s comments and changing up his finisher? Sound off in the comment section.

Jeff Hardy On Upcoming Title Defence

WWE revealed Shinsuke Nakamura’s return date during the latest episode of SmackDown Live, announcing that he will be challenging for the United States Championship at the upcoming Extreme Rules PPV on July 15th.

On the other hand, the Champion Jeff Hardy was in action again this week and defended his title successfully against the Miz after issuing an open challenge.

After the show, Hardy was interviewed backstage where he talked about his victory on the show and his upcoming title defense against the Japanese Star. You can check out his interview below:

Injured Star Returns To Action After 6 Months

Injured 205 Live Star Noam Dar made his in-ring return during the latest episode of the Cruiserweight Exclusive show where he faced off against the former Cruiserweight Champion TJP.

The match was the opening bout of the show and before it, the former Champion trash talked the crowd and talked about a big game. Though things didn’t go so well for him afterward and Dar ended up beating him in a quick fashion.

TJP got quite upset after the loss. He didn’t even stop by for a post-match interview with Dasha Fuentes and left the building. Noam Dar underwent a surgery for a torn meniscus and the Cruiserweight Star had been out of action since December.

Jeff Hardy will defend his United States championship against a competitor TBD tonight on Smackdown. Tonight’s event will take place inside the Century Link Center in Omaha, NE. It will be the second last show before the Extreme Rules pay-per-view on July 15th from Pittsburgh.

Smackdown Live 7/3/18 Preview

Team Hell No Kicks Off Smackdown

• Smackdown will kick off with Team Hell No in a talking segment tonight. They’ve been announced as the first segment tonight.
• Last week on Smackdown, Paige announced the newly reunited team will take on the Bludgeon Brothers for the Smackdown tag-team championships at Extreme Rules.
• We should get a preview of that match tonight as there is only one more episode left until the PPV.

AJ Styles vs Aiden English

• Rusev and Aiden English believe Styles took a cheap shot at English a couple weeks ago on Smackdown. English will get his shot at revenge tonight.
• With Styles taking on Rusev at Extreme Rules, expect the Bulgarian Brute to play a role in this match tonight.

Jeff Hardy US Open Challenge

• With title contender, Shinsuke Nakamura, out with a standard bomb-sniffing dog bite injury, Hardy will defend the title tonight against anyone daring enough to answer the challenge.
• Last week it was Eric Young who answered the challenge in Nakamura’s absence. Will it be someone else from Sanity tonight or a new contender altogether?

Becky Lynch vs Peyton Royce

• Lynch made Billie Kay tap out recently and now she’ll get a chance to do the same to another member of the Iiconics.
• Lynch seems to be on a bit of a win streak as of late.

Asuka vs James Ellsworth

• Inter-gender wrestling takes place tonight on Smackdown! Asuka will look to get her revenge on Ellsworth for causing the distraction in her title match with Carmella at Money in the Bank.
• Asuka and Carmella will meet again for the title at Extreme Rules.

New Day 3rd of July Pancake Eating Contest

• New Day will celebrate July 4th eve by eating a bunch of pancakes tonight on Smackdown.
• The trio says this is the start of a new annual tradition.

It looks like WWE United States Champion Jeff Hardy is still working through some injuries.

According to a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has been protecting Hardy by having him participate in short Fatal Four-Way matches at live events. The United States Champ has also been seen limping quite a bit during live shows as well.

Hardy began defending his United States Title against SAnitY member Eric Young on SmackDown Live earlier this week, however, that match turned into a Six-Man Tag Team match between Hardy and The Usos against SAnitY.

On a May 17th episode of SmackDown, Hardy injured his leg during his entrance. He has also been dealing with a nerve issue that has caused numbness in his fingers. There’s currently no news on if he expects to take time off to deal with these injuries.

Discussion: Do you expect Hardy to drop the US Title soon and take some time off?