Tickets for the December 30, episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX are getting increasingly more difficult to come by, and it is all thanks to John Cena.

On last week’s SmackDown, Cena appeared on the titantron to announce that he will team with Kevin Owens on the final SmackDown of the year.

The former opponents will face off against the Bloodline’s Sami Zayn and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

Cena Still Drives Business

Often considered by many to be arguably the last drawing name in wrestling, it should come as no surprise that Cena is moving tickets.

During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Cena’s involvement in the show is proving to be a draw.

“We always say, and it’s true, ‘It’s the brand and not the guy’, but John Cena is the exception. They’ve sold 4,000 tickets in Tampa since he was announced on that show, which is amazing. You know, he is the exception to the rule. If you’re wondering, ‘Is anyone a draw?’ It’s like, well, he is.”

Dave Meltzer.

The December 30, SmackDown will mark Cena’s first televised match for WWE since Summerslam 2021, where he lost to Roman Reigns.

SmackDown

John Cena will keep his streak going on the final SmackDown of this year, by having a WWE match every year since 2002.

Other names promoted to appear for the show include SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, Bray Wyatt, and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos.

Solo Sikoa Vs. Sheamus will also take place on the show, in the second singles collision between the two.

Sikoa defeated the former WWE Champion on the October 21, episode of SmackDown.

*cue the horns*

John Cena will come home to WWE for the second time this year. He was on RAW in June to celebrate his 20th anniversary in the company. He will be appearing on the final SmackDown of the year. The show will be live from Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL on December 30.

According to Variety, the announcements of Cena’s return will begin airing in a few weeks. No further details are known at this time.

John Cena at WrestleMania 39

There’s been speculation that Cena will wrestle at WrestleMania 39. The “Show of Shows” will take place in Los Angeles on April 1 and 2, 2023.

Logan Paul texted Triple H to request a match with Cena at WrestleMania 39. A match with Austin Theory is very likely. Cena has said that Theory is his current favorite WWE wrestler and also said he’s the wrestler that most needs to an Attitude Adjustment.

• Shawn Michaels Reveals WrestleMania Match He Came Up With In The Middle Of The Night

This list of dream matches for Cena includes Theory and Paul and few other opponents.

We will likely know by the end of the final SmackDown who his opponent will be.

WWE Superstar Scarlett was close to having her first match in over a year for the company this week, before being pulled from the SmackDown post-show dark match.

Scarlett was released from WWE in November 2021 along with her husband Karrion Kross but both returned in August of this year.

Since then, Kross has been prominently featured on TV but Scarlett is yet to have a televised match in a WWE ring.

Dark Match

After this week’s SmackDown went off the air, Braun Strowman, Madcap Moss, Matt Riddle, and Liv Morgan defeated Joaquin Wilde, Cruz del Toro, Damian Priest, and Zelina Vega.

Sources who spoke to 411 Mania have said that the original plan was for a six-person tag, pitting Riddle, Strowman, and Morgan against Priest, Kross, and Scarlett.

Plans for Kross and Scarlett were set “long before Friday’s taping” but the Smokeshow was never told about her match.

A source said that if Scarlett was told about the match at the taping, it would have been “news to her.”

It is believed that there was an internal error or the match was just pitched and shot down before Friday’s taping.

Scarlett in the Ring

Despite being a trained wrestler in her own right, Scarlett has had just a handful of matches in WWE.

During the Boxing Day 2016 episode of Raw, Bordeaux was used as enhancement talent and was quickly squashed by Nia Jax.

Last year, Scarlett, now with her own character, competed in a dark match for the June 25, 2021, SmackDown taping, in a losing effort to Shotzi.

Braun Strowman and Ricochet were opponents on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX, but proved to be formidable allies after the show.

During the show, Ricochet got a huge win over Strowman to advance to the finals of the SmackDown World Cup Tournament.

Ricochet, representing the United States, will face Santos Escobar (Mexico) in the finals on next week’s show, with the winner earning a title match against Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER.

After SmackDown

Ricochet’s win over Strowman was far from clean, as GUNTHER and Imperium were at ringside and ensured that Braun did not win the match.

After the match, Imperium attacked Strowman, and while at first conflicted, Ricochet made the save on the man he had previously beaten.

Once SmackDown went off the air, Braun and Ricochet teamed up to face Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.

Despite their differences on TV, Strowman and Ricochet got the win to send the crowd home happy.

Punishment?

Strowman’s loss came as a shock to some fans, but it may have been more than just WWE’s creative plans that caused this booking decision.

After losing to Ricochet, his first loss since returning to WWE in early September, fans online speculated that this was a punishment for the former Universal Champion.

Strowman earned considerable heat with fans and wrestlers after his ‘flippy floppy’ comments on Twitter, in which he mocked indie wrestling and wrestlers.

It has been reported that while Strowman has been nothing but good at WWE events ‘Social Media Braun’ has proven to be a problem for WWE’s higher-ups.

Tonight’s episode of SmackDown will have a touch of class added to the broadcast as Lacey Evans will be making her return to TV.

PW Insider reports that Evans will be part of a six-pack challenge, with the winning earning a title shot at WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.

The Sassy Southern Belle will face Xia Li, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Sonya Deville and Shotzi.

This will mark Evans’ first match in close to two months, and only her third televised match since July.

Evans’s Wild Year

In 2021, Evans was on the cusp of becoming Raw Women’s Champion, before she was pulled from programming due to her pregnancy.

Mere months after giving birth, Evans returned to SmackDown on the April 8, episode, initially as a babyface.

The former U.S. Marine spoke about being a mother and her time serving her country but was moved to Raw shortly after and as a heel.

Before she could appear in person on the red brand, Evans was moved back to SmackDown, and despite being listed as a heel, returned as a face.

After failing to win the Women’s Money in the Bank briefcase, Evans would turn heel once more, attacking Aliyah.

SmackDown

Evans’ return to TV isn’t the only big thing coming to tonight’s SmackDown in Indianapolis.

It’s been confirmed that the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos will put their titles on the line against the New Day.

The SmackDown World Cup Tournament will also begin tonight.

Shinsuke Nakamura will face Santos Escobar on the show, and there will also be an appearance by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

Plenty has been planned for Bray Wyatt on tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX, which will be Wyatt’s first appearance on WWE TV in over a year.

Wyatt returned at the WWE Extreme Rules 2022 Premium Live Event, after weeks of ‘White Rabbit’ teasing his return.

Bray closed out the show, with several characters from the Firefly Fun House being portrayed by people at last weekend’s event.

Wyatt on SmackDown

It was confirmed during this week’s Monday Night Raw that Wyatt will be on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Fightful reports that the former Universal Champion will be a “focal point” of tonight’s show. A mask will be used, which is referred to as the ‘Uncle Howdy’ mask within the company.

The Uncle Howdy term is also expected to be used on WWE TV, given that WWE trademarked the term this month, alongside ‘Uncle Harper.’ There are also plans to have the abandoned Firefly Funhouse set aesthetic be used.

Other Plans

Tonight’s SmackDown will also see LA Knight face mån.sôör, in the former’s first match back under the Knight name.

An intercontinental Championship contender’s match between Sheamus, Ricochet, Solo Sikoa, and Karrion Kross will decide GUNTHER’s next opponent.

The Bloodline’s Sami Zayn will also be in action when he faces Kofi Kingston.

MVP, Xavier Woods, Shotzi are all scheduled to be in town for the show despite not being advertised for SmackDown.

Tonight’s episode will be the second SmackDown of this current season and take place from the King Center Smoothie, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Fans of Wade Barrett who tune in to SmackDown should enjoy his commentary while it lasts, as he won’t be on the brand for long.

Barrett, a five-time former WWE Intercontinental Champion, made his SmackDown commentary debut on last night’s episode on FOX.

The move is part of WWE’s new lineup of commentary teams across SmackDown, Raw, and NXT, in line with the season premieres of each brand.

Back to NXT

Wade Barrett brings a unique perspective to the SmackDown commentary team, but his appearances on the show will end within months.

In a tweet responding to the move, Barrett said he was thrilled to be working with Michael Cole, but said that he will be back in NXT one day.

PW Insider reports that this is the case and that Barrett will leave SmackDown when Pat McAfee returns.

McAfee has been absent from programming for weeks since taking a role with ESPN’s College Game Day.

The NFL punter, who competed at this year’s WrestleMania is said to be well-liked within WWE, and his enthusiasm has also been commended.

There’s no word on what this will mean for Booker T, as the two-time WWE Hall of Famer has replaced Barrett in NXT.

In-Ring Return?

Barrett has been a commentator for WWE for two years, but some remain hopeful for an in-ring return.

From 2010 to 2016, Barrett wrestled for WWE and is perhaps best remembered for his role as leader of the Nexus.

Speaking last year, Barrett teased an in-ring return, telling NXT colleague Vic Joseph that it will not take much to get him competing again.

While both Matt Riddle and Damian Priest weren’t part of the Extreme Rules go-home SmackDown, they did get to compete in a dark match after the episode.

The main event of this week’s season premiere episode of the Blue Branded show saw Gunther once again putting the IC title on the line against Sheamus.

At one point during the bout, Gunther tapped out to a Clover Leaf from Sheamus but the referee didn’t see it and the match continued.

The ending of the bout saw Giovanni Vinci, Ludwig Kaiser, Butch and Ride Holland all coming out to the ring side. These four brawled as Gunther hit Sheamus with a shillelagh and picked up the win.

What Happened After SmackDown

Damian Priest and Riddle came out and had a fun match after the cameras stopped rolling. Priest tried to walk out of the bout at one point but the Ultimate Bro brought him back.

The ending of the match saw Riddle hitting an RKO on the Judgement Day member and then pinning him for the victory.

This was the final episode of SmackDown before the upcoming Extreme Rules PPV. WWE dropped many more White Rabbit clues on the show and teased the reveal at the upcoming PPV.

• 10 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (10/7): IC Title Match, White Rabbit, Go-Home Show For Extreme Rules

This week’s episode of SmackDown featured some big developments including the first official tease for the Logan Paul vs. Roman Reigns match at Crown Jewel.

The main event of the show was an action-packed fatal four-way match that saw The Brawling Brutes defeating three other teams to become the new #1 contender for the Unified tag titles.

Though the action didn’t end here for the crowd in the Honda Center, Anaheim, CA, and they got to see another match after SmackDown went off air.

First Ronda Rousey who was part of the show early on came out to address the crowd. Natalya interfered and attacked Rousey from behind. The former UFC star, however, managed to get the upper hand at the end.

After this segment, Bobby Lashley came out to defend his title in a dark match at SmackDown. Mr. Money In The Bank Theory was his opponent.

Lashley successfully defended his title against the young star before his title defense on Monday. You can check out a video capturing both the segments below:

Triple H has been trying to bring relevancy back to the mid-card titles since taking over creative. Lashley has defended his title in a number of exciting matches in the past few weeks and in the spree, he will be facing Seth Rollins on Raw.

• 8 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (9/16): Logan Paul, Fatal 4-Way, Title Match, Extreme Rules

WWE taped the September 2 episode of SmackDown from Detroit alongside tonight’s episode of the show. It featured the final build for the Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre Clash at The Castle match and more.

You can check out the full spoilers for the show below:

• Karrion Kross wrestles first match since his WWE return and defeats Drew Gulak.
• Ronda Rousey cuts an in-ring promo calling out Adam Pearce. They talk about her suspension and how it was lifted because she paid her fine. Her arrest was unwarranted as it was not a criminal act and she is reinstated immediately. Pearce tells Ronda that he would fire her if it was in his hands. The WWE producer calls her “The single biggest bitch he’s ever met,” leading to Rousey locking him in an armbar.
• Hit Row defeats Maximum Male Models in a tag match. Humberto and Garza attack Hit Row after the bout and The Street Profits make the save.
• Happy Corbin comes out for a promo. He trash talks Detroit and issues and open challenge. Shinsuke Nakamura accepts the challenge and defeats him via pinfall.
• Butch defeats Ludwig Kaiser in a singles match. Gunther and Sheamus come face to face but Ludwig breaks it up and leads Gunther away. Butch apparently had his Bruiserweight gear back for this bout.

• Viking Raiders face The New Day in a Viking Rules match. Raiders win the match after putting Kofi through double-stacked tables.
• The Usos and Sami Zayn hosted a Championship Celebration for Roman Reigns. Reigns pulls up in the arena but gets taken down with a Claymore as soon as he gets out of the car. Drew McIntyre then heads to the ring and clears it of the rest of the Bloodline. He puts Jimmy Uso through the announce table and Jay through the Barricade. McIntyre emphasizes WWE as ‘World WRESTLING Entertainment.’

Former NXT UK champion Butch apparently got his old gimmick back during tonight’s double SmackDown tapings in Detroit before the Clash At The Castle PPV.

This week’s episode of SmackDown saw a confrontation between the current IC champion Gunther and the #1 contender for his title Sheamus.

The Intercontinental champion had Ludwig Kaiser on his side while Sheamus was accompanied by Butch and Ridge Holland.

The ending of this segment saw Butch attacking Kaiser. Sheamus and Gunther later broke them up. The IC champion then had a stare down with the Celtic Warrior before he left the ring.

Though this wasn’t the last of these two groups fans saw on the night. They came out again during the second set of SmackDown tapings.

Pete ‘Butch’ Dunn

The tapings for next week’s SmackDown saw Butch taking on Ludwig Kaiser in a singles match. Though what’s interesting is that the former NXT UK Champion, previously known as Pete Dunn brought back his old ring attire for this bout:

Dunn has been teasing the return of his old character after Triple H took over WWE creative. He recently changed his name on Twitter to suggest the same.

This SmackDown appearance seems to be another sign that Pete Dunn will be returning to his roots sooner rather than later. He might even get his old ring name back after the Clash At The Castle PPV.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens got to share a touching moment after this week’s episode of SmackDown from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The final segment of this week’s show featured a confrontation between the WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns and the #1 contender for the title Drew McIntyre.

The promo segment turned into a brawl towards the end. When McIntyre first tried to hit Reigns with a Claymore Kick, Sami Zayn interrupted and took the hit instead.

Roman Reigns then tried to hit a Spear on his opponent but the Scottish Warrior managed to counter. He hit a Claymore this time, and the show ended with McIntyre holding up the titles.

After the show went off air, Kevin Owens came out and shared a moment with his longtime best friend. Owens said that he is proud of Sami and that Zayn is finally getting the recognition he deserves.

Though Kevin also mentioned that the former El Generico is too good to be ‘Roman’s bitch.’ Riddle then came out and got the two stars to hug.

The fans then got to see a tag team match where Kevin Owens teamed up with Riddle. They defeated the team of Butch and Ridge Holland. You can check out photos and videos from the dark segment below:

Kayla Sparks recently spoke with SEScoops Correspondent Steve Fall about her work with AEW and WWE, and also reflected on appearing on SmackDown and Rampage in the same night.

Double Duty?

On February 23, 2022, AEW taped the February 25 episode of Rampage. That night of tapings featured two Kayla Sparks matches; one on Dark: Elevation and the other on Rampage. 

Kayla competed against Serena Deeb in The Professor’s Five Minute Rookie Challenge Match. Kayla would go on to lose this match at the tapings, however, that Friday she would also pop up on SmackDown.

On the February 25, 2022 episode of SmackDown, Sparks was featured on the Los Lotharios kiss came. Later that night, the episode of Rampage that Sparks appeared on aired. This made Sparks the first person to ever appear on SmackDown and Rampage on the same night.

How It Came Together

Kayla reflected on this experience when speaking with SEScoops Correspondent Steve Fall:

“See, that means a lot to me. Thank you. I mean, I’m still blown away. I’m still it’s so mind blowing that that even happened. Like I just, you know, ever since I came back to wrestling, my goal is like WWE, and you know, AEW, has been great to me too. So any opportunity that, you know, comes my way. I’m just always hustling and grinding and just, you know, take what I can. And so that actually was a that was all luck, I guess, or the universe if you believe in all that like the signs and stuff, which I’m like, I’m silly, I believe in all that stuff. 

Filming Both Shows

But like it was, where was I? I was in Bridgeport, Connecticut for AEW Rampage that night. I actually had to two matches, I was on AEW Dark: Elevation with Nyla Rose, Diamante. And that was like a trios match, and that was earlier, and then later on. I you know, you saw on there I wrestled Serena Deb, who I was really excited to wrestle her because she’s, she actually was in like, the women’s revolution. Like I have so much like respect for her. And I, I mentioned that, like, you know, it’s just awesome to see her still in the ring and killing it. But yeah, that was crazy to be on Rampage. 

So they filmed it that Wednesday. And then Friday, I knew I was going to WWE. I was invited there for extra work, not knowing what you know what to expect. And they said, ‘Hey, we want you to be in the crowd for that Los Lotharios kiss cam.’ And I was like, ‘Okay.’ And then in my mind, I knew I’m like, ‘Oh boy, this is gonna be crazy.’ Because Friday, you know, Smackdown airs live at 8pm on FOX, and then Rampage was going to air at 10. And I knew my heart was racing, because I remember leaving the arena that night. Like all giddy and excited. 

Only a few people knew like to check, my wrestling dad knew. And he was really excited. So I remember rushing to the hotel after Smackdown to get there in time so I could watch the live or the Rampage match. And I remember my phone just blowing up, which is still surreal that that happened.”

Possible Fears With Working Both Shows

Kayla continued by talking about her fears regarding working both shows for two competing companies. 

She said, “Yeah, I mean, everyone, both WWE and AEW have been so, you know, so awesome with me, and nobody I was actually scared of that. Like, ‘Oh my god, what are they gonna think.’ Like, you know, like, I’m just trying out like, whatever opportunity comes up. 

You know, they totally respect that and it shows like that, you know, I have so much like love for wrestling that you know, it’s just it’s cool to see. You know, all my peers and stuff with WWE and AEW have been amazing. So I’m just happy I could make you know, have that moment happen.”

Continuing The Relationships

Since then, Kayla has continued to do extra work for WWE, along with doing some promotional work for them on her social media pages. 

She reflected on being able to work for WWE and said it was like being a kid in the candy store because of her love of wrestling since a young age.

“I’m like, I’m just so excited to like be a part of WWE and every time they invited me back I was just like you said like a kid like kid in the candy store. Like that’s how I always am because I like I said I grew up watching wrestling. It’s been like my passion my dream. You know, I had wrestler posters on my wall. 

I went, you know, to all the shows when they used to come to Albany, my hometown for the MVP arena, which I’m hoping that you know, I can’t believe I don’t know if you noticed, but MVP arena, WWE and AEW are both going to be there. Coming up soon, next month in September AEW’s coming there. And then WWE’s coming there in November. But that would be that’d be a full circle moment, if they invited me back to go to either one would be cool. 

But yeah, As you mentioned Serena to and I actually I’m really looking forward to next month when AEW comes to the MVP Arena in my hometown. They haven’t announced it yet but I’m going to have a match with Serena Deeb for the Immortal Championship Wrestling Woman’s Title that I have so I can’t wait for that,” Sparks said.

Watch Steve’s interview with Kayla Sparks here:

Tonight, WWE SmackDown on FOX will descend on the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina for the latest installment of the show.

After some monumental changes to WWE’s management and several returns, fans are interested in what will happen on the show in this post-Vince McMahon era of the company.

WWE’s Head of Creative Triple H will be running things behind the scenes, and thanks to a report, we have an idea of what will be taking place during tonight’s two hours of the blue brand.

Karrion Kross’ Return

On last week’s SmackDown, Karrion Kross and Scarlett returned to WWE, with the former NXT Champion attacking Drew McIntyre.

Kross’ abrupt appearance at the end of last week’s show also saw him stare down with Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, making it clear he wants to be champion.

According to Fightful, Kross will be on tonight’s show, “with full presentation” including his hourglass entrance.

The Contract Signing

Tonight’s SmackDown will continue the build to WWE Clash at the Castle, which will see SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan defend against Shayna Baszler.

The pair will have a contract signing tonight, where Morgan will still wear a sling, selling her kayfabe injury from Baszler earlier this month.

Ronda Rousey has been scheduled to get involved with the contract signing in some way.

And More

Fightful also reports that there is a table spot planned for tonight’s SmackDown on FOX.

Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, the Street Profits, and Roman Reigns are all tentatively scheduled for the show, though the card as always is subject to change.

The historic July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown has wrapped up and here’s what transpired when the FOX broadcast went off the air.

This was the first WWE show following Vince McMahon’s retirement. The action was held inside the TD Garden in Boston, MA.

In the main event, the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos teamed with Money in the Bank briefcase holder Theory to take on the Street Profits and Madcap Moss.

The show also featured a face-to-face meeting between SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey. The two will clash at SummerSlam on July 30.

Following The Broadcast

Once WWE SmackDown went off the air this week, there was a dark match between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. The two will be competing in a Shillelagh Match on next week’s episode of SmackDown.

The dark match in Boston, however, was a street fight to give the fans in attendance something extra. McIntyre picked up the victory and yes, a table was involved.

There was also an unaired moment during a commercial break. Following Sonya Deville’s loss to Raquel Rodriguez, Ronda Rousey made her way out and added insult to injury.

Here’s the footage courtesy of SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall:

Early plans for the July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown have been revealed.

Tonight’s show for the blue brand will emanate from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.

Advertised for the show is the return of Brock Lesnar, Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey having a face-to-face meeting, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ludwig Kaiser, and Maximum Male Models unveiling the 2022 beachwear collection.

Here is what WWE reportedly has cooked up behind the scenes going into tonight’s show.

Early SmackDown Plans

Fightful is reporting that Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Theory, Adam Pearce, Street Profits, New Day, and Maximum Male Models have all been written into the show as of this afternoon.

The report notes that Roman Reigns’ locker room has been prepped for a segment. There’s no word on if Roman will show up tonight.

It’s also been said that the beachwear collection segment set for tonight could have some SummerSlam merch incorporated.

It’s also been reported that Drew McIntyre is set to “smash some tables.”

In an off-air backstage note, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan will be making the trip to Boston for tonight’s show.

Keep in mind that things change within WWE at a rapid pace, so these tentative plans could be modified or scrapped altogether.

Keep it locked on the SEScoops homepage for live coverage of WWE SmackDown tonight.

One WWE superstar on the SmackDown roster has a brand new theme song.

WWE officials have no problem switching things up when it comes to its characters. This ranges from gimmick overhauls to smaller tweaks in order to see a vision through for a superstar.

This doesn’t just apply to the NXT developmental brand. Superstars on both Raw and SmackDown have undergone numerous changes.

In the case of this young WWE superstar, it’s fresh entrance music.

Raquel Rodriguez Has New Theme Song

Raquel Rodriguez wasn’t featured on the FOX broadcast of the July 15 episode of Friday Night SmackDown. She was, however, in action for a dark match against Sonya Deville before the show went on the air.

When Raquel made her entrance, fans noticed new theme music for the promising star.

WWE has been quick to push Rodriguez as a young prospect on the blue brand. She gave Ronda Rousey all she could handle on her main roster debut.

Rodriguez also competed in the 2022 women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

Take a listen to Raquel Rodriguez’s new theme song below:

WWE SmackDown has wrapped up but fans inside Dickies Arena got to see a dark match.

This week’s episode featured the return of WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns. We also witnessed the heel turn of Lacey Evans as she buried the fans due to lukewarm reactions and nailed Aliyah with the Women’s Right.

Newly crowned SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan also appeared and addressed the WWE Universe.

Once Cameras Stopped Rolling

Once the FOX broadcast went off the air, fans in Fort Worth, TX were treated to a special match. It was WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley taking on Money in the Bank briefcase holder Theory.

Lashley ended up winning the match and high-fived the fans on his way out of the arena.

A championship rematch between Lashley and Theory is set for WWE SummerSlam on July 30. Lashley defeated Theory at MITB on July 2 to capture the WWE United States Championship.

The rematch will be held inside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

The status of Vince McMahon for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown has been revealed.

Vince has once again found himself in the headlines as The Wall Street Journal has issued another report revealing more nondisclosure agreements. McMahon allegedly paid $12 million in hush money to four women over the last 16 years.

The report notes that one former WWE talent allegedly refused further sexual advances after Vince coerced her into giving oral sex. The star in question was then said to have been demoted and WWE didn’t renew her contract in 2005 once sexual relations with Vince stopped.

Her settlement was for $7.5 million.

Vince McMahon’s WWE SmackDown Status

PWInsider is reporting that Vince McMahon is inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX for tonight’s (July 8) edition of Friday Night SmackDown.

Vince will be at the helm for his usual creative duties. There’s no word on whether or not he will be appearing on TV.

McMahon stepped back as the CEO and Chairman of WWE amid the board’s investigation into his first reported $3 million hush pact. While Stephanie McMahon is the interim CEO and Chairwoman, Vince has retained his duties on creative.

SEScoops will be providing live coverage of tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown, so be sure to keep it locked on the homepage for updates throughout the evening.

A big-time WWE superstar will be making his return this Friday.

WWE is known for having larger-than-life characters. Some feel that the star power has been running thin, however. We’ve seen key injuries to the likes of main eventers such as Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.

There have also been megastars that have taken reduced schedules but one major name is set to return.

Roman Reigns Returns This Week

Roman Reigns is the WWE Undisputed Universal Champion. Fans haven’t been able to see much of him, however.

That’s because Reigns inked a new deal with WWE that will allow him to work fewer dates. He hasn’t been seen since successfully defending his title against Riddle on the June 17 episode of SmackDown before being laid out by Brock Lesnar.

WWE has announced that Roman Reigns will be back on the July 8 episode of SmackDown in Fort Worth, TX.

It’ll be interesting to see what he’ll have to say after being attacked by Lesnar during his last appearance.

The two will face off with the WWE Undisputed Universal Title on the line at SummerSlam on July 30 in Nashville. It’ll be a Last Man Standing match.

The July 1 episode of WWE SmackDown has come and gone but there was a dark match after the show.

During this week’s edition of the blue brand, we found out who would be the final participant in this year’s men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. It ended up being Madcap Moss who defeated Ezekiel, Happy Corbin, and The Miz to earn his opportunity.

We also got quite the tease of a tag team possibly breaking up. Kayla Braxton dropped a potential bombshell rumor that The Street Profits haven’t been getting along.

Once Cameras Stopped Rolling

Once the FOX broadcast went off the air, Riddle and Seth Rollins had a singles match. Both men will be participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match on July 2 in Las Vegas.

Rollins and Riddle have been at each other’s throats in the buildup to Money in the Bank. It’s led some to speculate that it’ll lead to a match at SummerSlam but that hasn’t been confirmed at this time.

For now, it looks like they’re starting a string of dark match and live event battles.

There was also a dark match before the show aired. Shinsuke Nakamura took on Humberto in singles action.

One rumor surrounding a WWE SmackDown superstar has been squashed.

The rumor mill spreads across many industries and the wrestling business is no exception. This has been heightened even further by social media.

Some have even gone as far as to blatantly lie about a credible source issuing a report.

Unfortunately, that seems to be the case here but rest assured it is bogus.

Aliyah Rumor Killer

Aliyah was scheduled to compete in a Money in the Bank qualifying match on the June 24 episode of WWE SmackDown against Shotzi. She ended up being replaced by Tamina and on the WWE broadcast, it was revealed that Aliyah suffered an injury.

Rumors started spreading that a credible wrestling journalist reported that Aliyah was pulled from the match after being sent down to the WWE Performance Center due to a poor showing in a rehearsal for the match with Shotzi.

That rumor is simply not true as the journalist never reported it.

The real story is Aliyah is in fact dealing with an injury. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio confirmed that WWE’s reasoning for pulling her from the match isn’t a storyline.

Details on the injury are scarce at this time.

That’s a wrap for the June 24 episode of WWE SmackDown and there was a little something for the fans in attendance after the FOX broadcast.

This week, the blue brand saw Drew McIntyre and Sheamus team together against The Usos. They were fighting to keep their spots in the Money in the Bank ladder match as Paul Heyman pulled some strings behind the scenes.

Drew and Sheamus emerged victorious and will indeed be featured in the MITB match.

We also saw a women’s MITB qualifier between Tamina and Shotzi. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura was the first match on the show and that was also a qualifying match.

Shotzi and Sami are moving on to Money in the Bank on July 2.

After The Broadcast

Once SmackDown went off the air, there was a dark match. It was WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Natalya.

The two had been featured in an in-ring segment during the live airing. It ended with Natalya throwing a baby stroller at Ronda.

Rousey ended up scoring the victory via armbar in their dark match.

There were also two WWE digital exclusives. Featured were interviews with Raquel Rodriguez and Lacey Evans. The two defeated Sonya Deville in a handicap match.

Join us as we run down The Good, The Bad and What The Heck?! moments from this week’s SmackDown.

Plus, we’ll name the show’s MVE (Most Valuable Entertainer).

Subscribe to the SEScoops YouTube Channel and comment below to let us know what you think!

WWE SmackDown will be getting an added boost from some Monday Night Raw talent.

The June 24 episode of SmackDown is in the books. Drew McIntyre and Sheamus have been readded to the Money in the Bank ladder match after being forced to defeat The Usos in order to get back in the match.

Sami Zayn also qualified for the match after he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura. On top of that, Shotzi earned her place in the MITB match by beating Tamina.

Raw MITB Participants Appearing on SmackDown

Just before the main event of this week’s SmackDown started, it was announced that all Raw Money in the Bank participants on the men’s and women’s sides will be making their way to the July 1 episode of SmackDown.

This will be the go-home show before Money in the Bank, which takes place the following evening.

There are still two participants left to determine for the men’s MITB match, while only one spot remains for the women’s ladder match.