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WWE SMACKDOWN TV REPORT
MARCH 3, 2023
WASHINGTON D.C.
AIRED LIVE ON FOX
Announcers: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
[HOUR ONE]
-After the Smackdown opening, Michael Cole introduced the show as cameras panned the audience.
-The Bloodline music played and Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso, and Paul Heyman walked out. Cole said Reigns has ruled WWE for 915 days. He said for the first time since Cody Rhodes won the Royal Rumble match, Reigns will confront Cody. The WrestleMania graphic appeared on the screen. Six minutes into the show at this point, after standing in the ring a while, Reigns asked Washington D.C. to acknowledge him. Then Cody Rhodes’s music played. Reigns slowly turned his head toward the entrance stage.
Cody made his way to the ring to cheers. A brief “Cody” chant rang out before he lifted his mic. He told Reigns that regardless of what Heyman might have told him, he’s not invading or looking to engage in reckless negotiations. “I’m here to have a conversation with my WrestleMania opponent, one-on-one, man-to-man.” He said he sees no reason for his “compatriots” to be there “unless you feel you need them here.” Reigns laughed, then looked up and told Heyman, “Wiseman, leave us.” Heyman had some words off-mic for Reigns. Reigns said, “Solo goes too.” Heyman placed the title belts on Reigns’s shoulders. Heyman, Solo, and Jimmy all left.
Reigns asked Cody if that makes him more comfortable. Reigns dropped the belts to the mat in front of them and put his hands in his pockets. He said, “So, what do you want to talk about?” (a riff on Cody’s signature opening line). Cody said, “Fair enough, let’s talk about you.” Cody said Reigns’s reality has become reality and superseded hyperbole. He told Reigns he wanted to tell him something about himself he may or may not know.
He said Reigns has become a bit of an impossible mountain to climb. He said that’s sort of become his thing, though. He said people said he wouldn’t be more than Randy Orton’s understudy, or he wouldn’t survive Stardust, or “there was no way 10,000 people would pay to see me and my buddies’ little indy show.” He said he has continued to punch it through the goalposts. He said for others it might be impossible, but “just not for me.” Reigns soaked up his words. A loud “Cody!” chant rang out. Reigns laughed and said, “He’s good. That was good. It’s like you were rehearsing that all week. That was flawless.”
He leaned over and pointed at one of the belts and asked if he has won that one. He asked if he’s even competed for one of them or been in the main event of WrestleMania before. “Because I’m pretty sure I’ve done did all of that,” he said. He said he was groomed since he was a little boy not only by his own father, but by Cody’s father too.
When Cody looked like he was getting upset, Reigns told him to relax because he has too much love and respect for that man to degrade him. “We spent a lot of time together,” he said. He said Dusty was the first person to put confidence in him. He imitated Dusty telling him that he has it “and you couldn’t get rid of it if you wanted to.” He said they talked about everything including a lot of what was going on in his life. He said Dusty told him about being the face of the company and main eventing. “Do you want to know what he used to always say about you?” Reigns asked. “Nothing. He never said anything ever about you… It was like you did not exist.”
He said he misses him and he wishes he was still around, and he knows Cody feels the same way. He picked up the title belts and told Cody that if there was anything Dusty didn’t teach him, he will.
Cody said, “Oh my god. I’m not even playing on the same field. This is not chess. You didn’t send Mr. Heyman to Raw to get inside my head. You sent him to relay and convey a real life situation. You sent him to tell the truth. If that’s the truth, then the truth is one of the fabled Dusty’s kids is better than Dusty’s actual kid. If that’s the truth, then you were the son he always wanted. And that changes absolutely everything because it’s not just a dream, it’s not just an urge or a want or a desire or some story that needs to be finished. This becomes a necessity.” He said the only way he can exist is by beating him at WrestleMania. He said, “So absolutely, Roman Reigns, sir, champ, may the best man win.” He offered a handshake. Reigns shook his head and eyed Cody as if he might’ve surprised him a bit there. He began walking to the back. When he looked back at Cody, he smiled, but when he wasn’t looking back at Cody, his expression was that of concern.
(Keller’s Analysis: Excellent segment. Cody and Reigns were both great. This is what I was hoping to see and why I wasn’t down on Sami Zayn not getting the WrestleMania spot. I was so eager to see Cody bring his confidence and experience to a setting like this, with the support of the WWE infrastructure and playing off of Reigns and Heyman. Roman’s words were great. The crowning touch on this segment was how Reigns acted after Cody finishes talking. The way he didn’t sell what Cody said when he turned to Cody, but the way he looked rattled as if thinking he has ignited something dangerous whenever he wasn’t in view of Cody was just masterclass stuff.) [c]
(1) RHEA RIPLEY (w/Dominik Mysterio) vs. LIV MORGAN
Ripley and Dominik walked out first. When Liv made her entrance, Cole said she issued the challenge last week for this match. They showed an inset interview from last week where Liv told Megan Morant that some would say it’s insane to challenge Ripley, “but that’s exactly what I live for.” She then smooched toward Megan and giggled and said, “Watch me.” Cole talked about Morgan being motivated from her frustration with entering the Rumble at the same time as Ripley, and lasting until near the end before Ripley won. A couple minutes in, Morgan dropkicked Ripley out of the ring. Liv leaped through the ropes toward Ripley on the floor, but Ripley shoved her out of mid-air and Liv went splat on the floor. Ripley turned to the camera and had a few words for Charlotte. They cut to a break. [c]
Morgan scored a near fall with a Meteora after the break. Ripley came back and landed a Rip Tide followed by an inverted cloverleaf for the tapout win.
WINNER: Ripley in 8:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Morgan pre-match inset promo was so off-putting. What was she going for there? A good decisive win for Ripley otherwise.)
-Wade Barrett plugged that Sami Zayn would face Solo Sikoa in the main event later.
-A commercial aired for John Cena returning to Raw. [c]
-Backstage, the Bloodline was hanging out. Heyman was saying something to Jimmy about Dusty Rhodes. Reigns interrupted and asked Jimmy if he’s talked to Jey. Jimmy shifted uncomfortably in his seat and said he did. Reigns asked what he said. Jimmy said he’s a hot-head and he just needed some time. Reigns asked how much time. Jimmy said he was doing better today than yesterday, but he needs time. Reigns said he’s running out of patience. Jimmy said he’d tell him. Reigns said, “Not Jey, I’m running out of patience with you.” Jimmy looked up at Reigns and thought for a second, took a breath, and said, “I’ll let him know.” He nodded at Reigns and got up and left.
-Cole said the cracks are opening up and paranoia is setting in. Barrett said it will be resolved. Cole threw to a sponsored video package on last week’s match between Rey Mysterio and Karrion Kross, plus Dominik telling Rey he’s a disgrace as a father.
-Santos Escobar confronted Dominik and Ripley backstage. Dominik asked if they have a problem. Escobar said Rey should’ve smacked him last week, but he understands why he couldn’t. “But guess what?” he said. “I can.” He said Adam Pearce agrees with him. He told Dominik if he’s half the man he says he is, he’ll meet him in the ring. He blew a kiss to Ripley as he walked away. [c]
(2) SANTOS ESCOBAR vs. DOMINIK MYSTERIO (w/Rhea Ripley)
When Cole said Ripley was Dom’s protector, Barrett said Cole sounded like a bitter old man and he should let love blossom. Cole said he’s a little hurt over the fact that Barrett called him old. Cole said Dominik was given everything he ever wanted from his dad. He said he went to the best schools and played the best sports with the best equipment. He said Rey trained Dominik; he wasn’t a deadbeat dad. He said they were the first father-son tag team champions in WWE history. He said Dom went on to call Rey a deadbeat dad and a loser. He said Santos is going to pull the trigger and punch Dominik in the face.
Santos took it to Dominik early. Cole said he’s been around Rey and his family for close to 25 years and has known Dominik since the day he was born. He said he has never seen anything out of the ordinary regarding how Rey was as a father to Dominik. Dominik took control when he yanked Santos by his trunks into the corner turnbuckle. He dove onto him at ringside. They cut to a break. [c]
Back from the break, Dominik was still in control. Cole said he’s all for Dominik trying to branch out on his own and carve out his own path, but he didn’t have to disrespect his father in the process. Barrett told him to get out of dad mode. Escobar made a comeback. Dom begged off. Escobar and Dom collided mid-ring. Both were down and slow to get up. Dominik pulled out brass knuckles out of his boot. Meanwhile, Ripley gave Escobar a Riptide at ringside as the ref was scolding Dominik. Cole exclaimed for the referee to turn around and do his job. Dominik then landed a top rope frog splash on Escobar for the win. Cole said if Dominik wants to earn respect, he should try winning on his own, not taking shortcuts, and hiding behind his girlfriend. He said he’s walking out of the arena with that smug look on his face.
WINNER: Dominik in 8:00.
[HOUR TWO]
-Dom grabbed the mask Escobar brought to the ring and tore it apart as he and Ripley worked their way up the aisle. Rey Mysterio’s music played. He came out and confronted Dominik and demanded the mask. Dominik told him to hit him and then he’d give him the mask. Rey said he’s not going to hit him. Dominik threw it on the floor and turned and left. When Rey bent to pick it up, Dom punched him. Cole said, “Come on, cheap shot!”
-They went to the announcers. Cole emphatically called out Dom for spitting in the face of his dad. Barrett told Cole to take a deep breath. He said Dom is bigger than Rey and Rey should back off. Cole threw to a clip of Sami Zayn on social media earlier walking the concourse in the arena cutting a promo about the Bloodline crumbling from within. He said he knows how it works in the Bloodline and tonight’s match against Solo isn’t about wins and losses, it’s about sending a message. He said the Bloodline is not getting rid of him, and he’s taking the Bloodline down. He took down his hood and fans surrounded him and cheered and chanted “Sami!”
(Keller’s Analysis: What a cool setting to have Sami record that in the concourse as fans began to realize it was him and gather around and cheer him. It was like a one-person flash mob wrestling promo. I also love Cole’s emphatic disgust with Dominik. The point of everything Dominik is doing is to get heel heat, and if the announcers no-sell or are nonchalant or just move on – as AEW’s announce team did after a backstage baseball bat attack on Rampage last Friday – it totally undercuts the whole point of the angle. Cole gets it right.)
-Drew McIntyre made his ring entrance. [c]
-McIntyre stood mid-ring and said he doesn’t have a match at WrestleMania yet. He called out Gunther. Sheamus came out instead. Fans cheered. Drew looked perplexed. Sheamus said, “What are you doing? Huh? What do you think you’re doing, going behind my back like this?” Drew said it’s nothing personal. Sheamus said it’s personal because Drew knows how much that Intercontinental Title means to him. Drew told him to calm down. Sheamus got in Drew’s face and told him not to dare to tell him to calm down. He said he knows that he wanted a shot at Gunther for that title. Drew said he doesn’t have to get his permission to do this. He asked if he needs his permission to wipe his ass next. Sheamus said Drew is a back-stabbing bastard. Fans reacted. Drew looked at Sheamus and said friends tell the truth to friends. He said he had his chance and he lost twice. L.A. Knight’s music interrupted.
Knight stood on the stage and said, “Let me talk to ya’.” As Sheamus and Drew argued mid-ring off-mic, Knight said they should be listening to him. He said they cannot have an L.A. WrestleMania without L.A. Knight. New Day’s music interrupted. Kofi Kingston mocked Knight crying about how you can’t have WrestleMania without L.A. Knight. Kofi said Knight wants a match at WrestleMania, but he can’t even win a match on Smackdown.
Karrion Kross walked out with Scarlett. Knight hit Kofi from behind as Kofi was watching Kross at ringside. When Knight went after Xavier, Sheamus knocked Knight to the floor. Sheamus turned around as Drew made a move toward him. Drew then landed a running leap over the top rope at Kofi, Xavier, and Knight. Kross then threw Sheamus shoulder-first into the ringpost. He and Scarlett were the final two standing in the ring as his music played. Cole said the pressure of WrestleMania season is in full swing as everyone is jockeying for position.
-Cole hyped the Sami-Solo main event.
-They went to Cole and Barrett at ringside. He hyped NXT Roadblock and hyped some of the matches and the appearance of Shawn Michaels on “The Greyson Waller Effect.” A commercial aired for the NXT special next Tuesday. [c]
-A clip aired of a backstage brawl from earlier in the day with Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey attacking Natalya and Tegan Nox.
(3) TEGAN KNOX (w/Natalya) vs. SHAYNA BASZLER (w/Ronda Rousey)
Rousey came out with Baszler wearing an arm sling. Baszler took Rousey’s place in the match. Baszler beat Nox with an armbar tapout.
WINNER: Baszler via tapout in 2:00.
-Backstage, Gunther told Kayla Braxton it’s a disgrace he has been left waiting to find out who will challenge him at WrestleMania. She asked if he’s concerned. He said his only concern is not having a worthy opponent at WrestleMania to do battle for the great prize that is the Intercontinental Title “on the grandest stage of them all.”
-As Cole talked about the length of Gunther’s reign, Bobby Lashley’s music played. Cole and Barrett were surprised. As Lashley walked out, Cole said it has to be WrestleMania season if Lashley is there. He asked why. The Firefly video clip aired. [c]
-A clip aired of the Bray Wyatt-Lashley segment from Raw earlier in the week.
-Back live in the ring, Lashley said Bray has been telling him to run, “but I don’t run from anyone.” He said he decided to play his little kid games with the “Muscleman Dance.” He said if you have a problem with someone, you come see them face-to-face. He said since Bray won’t meet him on his home turf of Raw, he came to Smackdown. “If you’re man enough, I’m here, so come see me,” he said. Uncle Howdy attacked Lashley from behind. He made some noises (that sure sounded like Bo Dallas). Lashley fought back and chokeslammed him. He set up a spear as fans chanted “Bobby! Bobby!” The lights went out and when they came back on, Howdy was gone. Cole said he escaped. Lashley looked around. Barrett called it bizarre and surreal.
-They went backstage to Reigns, Heyman, and Jimmy. Jimmy told Reigns that Jey told him he needs a little more time. Reigns asked Jimmy if that’s what he said. Jimmy said he actually told him to leave him alone. Reigns said, “I don’t understand how he could do this to you after everything I’ve – after everything we’ve done for him, right?” He said they’ve been there for him and had his back. He said this didn’t start happening until Sami came around. He said he’ll fix the Sami problem once and for all. He told him to be out there with Solo tonight and get rid of Sami. “If you get rid of Sami, Jay will come home,” he said. “Can you do that?” Jimmy said he can. Reigns told him to do it for the Bloodline. Jimmy got up and left. Reigns rubbed his temples. Heyman said it was wonderful. Reigns twitched and said Jey has one week. He asked if he understands. He said if Jey isn’t back next week, he’s not going to blame Sami, he’s going to blame Jimmy. Fans “ohhh’d.” [c]
-They went to Cole and Barrett at ringside. They hyped next week’s Smackdown line-up: Kofi vs. Kross vs. Sheamus vs. Knight vs. McIntyre in a Fatal Five-way and The Viking Raiders vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet.
(4) SOLO SIKOA (w/Jimmy Uso) vs. SAMI ZAYN
As Solo and Jimmy walked out, Cole said the Bloodline is on the verge of implosion unless those two can stop it. They showed Reigns and Heyman watching a monitor backstage. Barrett said The Bloodline is the most successful group in WWE history and Reigns’s job is to maintain that success. Sami came out with his original music again. He looked haggard. They cut to Reigns and Heyman again. Heyman studied Reigns nervously. Sami charged into the ring and attacked Solo aggressively before the bell. He ducked a charging Jimmy and sent him over the top rope. Sami then landed a running flip dive onto both Solo and Jimmy. Fans cheered. They showed an uptight Reigns again watching backstage. As Solo re-entered the ring, the ref called for the bell 46 minutes into the hour.
When Sami went after Solo at ringside, Jimmy had words for him. Solo then attacked Sami and threw him into the ringpost and then into the time keepers’ area. [c]
Solo was in control in the ring after the break. Cole talked about Reigns’s “marching orders” for Jimmy. Solo dominated for a while. Sami eventually made a comeback. He landed a tornado DDT for a one count. Sami climbed to the top rope and landed a flying crossbody for a near fall. Sami landed a Blue Thunder Bomb a minute later for a two count. Cole said if Sami got a three count there, Reigns would’ve “blown a gasket.” Jimmy pulled Solo out of the path of a Helluva Kick. Solo hit a Samoan Spike and scored the pin. They showed Reigns smiling backstage.
WINNER: Solo in 8:00.
-Cole said he was afraid to say that the night wasn’t over for Sami. Solo and Jimmy attacked Sami. Jimmy yelled at Sami that it’s his fault so “now you gotta get got.” He put the chair around Sami’s neck. Solo was going to charge at him, but Jimmy asked Solo to let him do it. Sami removed the chair and threw it at Solo. He side-stepped a charging Jimmy and then hit a Helluva Kick. Cole said Sami continues to chip away at the cracks in The Bloodline. Sami was about to bash Jimmy across his back with a chair, but Solo intervened. Sami bailed out into the crowd. Cole said the cracks, thanks to Sami, are turning into seismic crevices. Cole said the Roman Empire might be crubling on the Road to WrestleMania. They cut Reigns looking furious backstage as Cole talked about the trouble Jimmy will be in if Jey doesn’t return to Smackdown next week. Barrett said Jimmy failed to get rid of the Sami problem which continues to fester. Sami’s music played as fans chanted “Sami!” and Jimmy hung his head and Reigns rubbed his reddened face backstage.
(Keller’s Analysis: Tremendous closing match and angle.)
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