WWE SmackDown LIVE RESULTS: Andre The Giant Battle Royal slammed as ‘joke’ ahead of Wrestlemania 40
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THE Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal disappointed some fans after WWE Smackdown last night.
Reed strategically ousted Ivar from the ring during their match, clinching victory. This outcome seemed inevitable, given WWE's admiration for the Australian talent's stellar performances.
The win, to some, felt somewhat anticlimactic, considering the absence of several notable contenders from the Battle Royal.
"I don't know which one is more of a joke now," one fan as the event aired. "The hall of fame or the Andre the Giant Battle Royal."
"It saddens me greatly to see how devalued the Andre the Giant Battle Royal has become over the years," another disappointed fan in Spanish. "What should be a match that propels the winner has turned into a contest of little relevance for the victor and of little interest for the spectator."
The brutal beatdown may foreshadow their highly-anticipated WrestleMania rematch.
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A storm is coming
Jade Cargill is the newest SmackDown superstar, and she’s declared her allegiance to Bianca and Naomi.
Jade channeled Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter with a leather outfit and black cowboy hat.
The arena lit up when Jade made her grand entrance in the arena.
The rise and fall of Damage CTRL
Bayley reflected on her time in Damage CTRL before deciding to leave the group.
She created the group with Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai to “takeover the WWE.”
The trio soon declined when Iyo Sky brought in her best friends Kairi Sane and Asuka.
Bayley began to feel left out and tension only rose when she overheard Iyo say that the group “outgrew” her.
The two will fight it out this weekend at WrestleMania once and for all.
WrestleMania kicks off tonight
The WWE’s biggest annual event kicks off tonight, just hours after the last SmackDown event.
All the actiontook place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Waller and Theory lose control
Grayson Waller and Austin Theory took control over their tag team match against the New Catch Republic.
Waller and Theory took an early lead but Tyler Bate was able to take Waller down.
Tyler tapped Pete in and the duo only got stronger. Pete pulled a dirty move by pushing Waller’s fingers back in an attempt to break them.
The NCR was able to get the best of Waller and Theory, winning the match.
Judgement Day interrupts!
Just as the match was about to end, the boys of Judgement Day sabotaged the match.
They went head to head against NCR as Waller and Theory fought to regain their strength on the floor of the ring.
What is the full WrestleMania 40 match card for night two?
- WWE Undisputed Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs Cody Rhodes (stipulation decided on Night 1)
- World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs Drew McIntyre
- WWE Women's Championship: Iyo Sky (c) vs Bayley
- Triple Threat match for the WWE US Championship: Logan Paul (c) vs Randy Orton vs Kevin Owens
- Singles match: LA Knight vs AJ Styles
- Six-Man Philadelphia Street Fight: The Pride (Bobby Lashley, Angelo Dawkins, and Montez Ford) vs The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Akam, and Rezar)
What is the full WrestleMania 40 match card for night one?
- Tag team match: The Rock & Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins (if Rock & Reigns win the main event of Night 2 will be Bloodline Rules/ if Rhodes and Rollins win Bloodline will be banned from main event on Night 2)
- Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs Becky Lynch
- WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs Sami Zayn
- Six-Pack Ladder match for WWE Tag Team Championship: The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Damian Priest) (c) vs #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs The Awesome Truth (R-Truth and The Miz) vs New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) vs A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller)
- Singles match: Jey Uso vs Jimmy Uso
- Six-woman tag team match: Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi vs Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane)
- Tag team match: Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee) vs Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio
What live stream and TV channel is WrestleMania 40 on?
WWE WrestleMania 40 will be for subscribers in the US.
While in the UK, WrestleMania 40 will be live on the WWE Network and on TNT Sports Box Office.
A little taste of WrestleMania?
Randy and Kevin were not taking Logan’s trash talk as the two were quick to interrupt his confident trash talk.
Randy pulled his signature RKO move, leaving Logan lifeless in the ring.
It only took the duo a few minutes to knock Logan down which begs the question – Does Logan have a chance at WrestleMania?
What do Kevin Owens and Randy Orton have in common?
Kevin Owens and Randy Orton may be united under their love for WWE, but that’s not the only thing they have in common.
Kevin revealed that the two have bonded over their intense hatred for Logan Paul.
I guess all Kevin and Randy had to do to summon their enemy was say his name, because Logan immediately entered the ring to taunt his enemies.
When to watch WrestleMania
WWE WrestleMania 40 unfolds over a span of two evenings, on Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, 2024.
Commencing at 7 pm ET/midnight BST each night, the festivities kick off with a plethora of electrifying matches.
The esteemed venue for both nights is the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
What to look forward to on WrestleMania 40, continued
The outcome of this clash carries significant ramifications for WrestleMania 40's second night.
Should The Rock and Reigns emerge victorious, Reigns' title showdown with Rhodes on the following night will transpire under Bloodline Rules.
But if Rhodes and Rollins prevail, The Bloodline will be barred from ringside during the main event.
What to look forward to on WrestleMania 40
On Night 1, The Rock takes center stage in a tag team bout alongside his cousin, WWE Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns.
Their adversaries, Royal Rumble victor Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, await them in the opposite corner.
Fight recap from tonight's SmackDown
Here is a small recap of the fights that went down tonight:
- Andre The Giant Battle Royal
- The KO Show w/ Kevin Owens – Special Guest: Randy Orton
- Zelina Vega vs. Elektra Lopez
- New Catch Republic vs. Grayson Waller & Austin Theory
- Jey Uso vs. Solo Sikoa
'Can you feel that?'
Cody Rhodes grabbed the microphone after defeating Jimmy Uso and asked the crowd if they could feel the power of WrestleMania in the arena.
"I am going to dethrone The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns," Cody announced.
"My dream is to become champion and this Sunday , know this, that wen this story ends, another one begins," he added.
Will Rhodes and Rollins be able to defeat Reigns and The Rock?
Rhodes and Rollins take control!
Rhodes and Rollins took over the match and cornered Jimmy.
Jey turned against his twin brother as Jimmy begged for mercy.
Rollins whipped Jimmy with a belt as Jey jumped on him from the top rope to finish him off.
Jimmy winced in pain as the three commanded control of the ring.
Jimmy comes out of nowhere!
Jey almost had Solo after he jumped from the top ring onto Solo's lifeless body.
Unfortunately for Jey, his twin brother Jimmy came out of nowhere to save Solo.
To make things even more intense, Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins came out of nowhere to take down The Bloodline.
The main event is on!
Solo and Jey are leaving everything in the ring during tonight's main event match.
Jey came out of the gate strong by pouncing on Solo, but Solo was quick to throw him out of the ring.
Jey lost some enthusiasm but came back with a roundhouse kick that crumbled Solo.
Jey had Solo pinned to the ground, but Solo kicked out before the match could be called.
Fans sound off on the Usos
Fans are sounding off on The Bloodline feud as tension will come to a head during this weekend's WrestleMania.
Solo Sikoa enters the ring
Solo Sikoa has entered the arena and is completely serious ahead of his match against Jey Uso.
The brothers have been feuding ever since The Bloodline was torn apart.
Jey Uso in your city!
Jey Uso is in Philadelphia and has finally graced the SmackDown ring.
He will be fighting his brother Solo Sikoa in tonight's main event and will face off against his twin Jimmy during WrestleMania.
LA Knight gets his trash talk on
LA Knight told the audience that his rival AJ Styles is "phenomenal" at not showing up.
"You should be bowing at the altar of LA Knight," he added as the crowd screamed in agreeance.
Give it up for LA Knight!
WWE fan-favorite LA Knight is in the building and the crowd is hysteric!
Last week, LA Knight faced off in a rogue battle against AJ Styles.
LA was dressed as a security guard and was able to pull a fast one on AJ, running him out of the arena.
The two will battle it out again during day two of WrestleMania.
The rise and fall of Damage CTRL
Bayley reflected on her time in Damage CTRL before deciding to leave the group.
She created the group with Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai to "takeover the WWE."
The trio soon declined when Iyo Sky brought in her best friends Kairi Sane and Asuka.
Bayley began to feel left out and tension only rose when she overheard Iyo say that the group "outgrew" her.
The two will fight it out this weekend at WrestleMania once and for all.
Judgement Day interrupts!
Just as the match was about to end, the boys of Judgement Day sabotaged the match.
They went head to head against NCR as Waller and Theory fought to regain their strength on the floor of the ring.