[WWE intro music plays]
[John Cena] Then.
-[Flair] Woo! -[glass shatters]
[The Rock] If you smell…
-[bell tolls] -[Cena] Now.
-♪ The King of Kings ♪ -♪ You can't see me ♪
[Cena] Forever.
Together.
[music fades]
♪ Who better than me? I don't see nobody ♪
[Cole] Let's get this party started.
Let's kick off WrestleMania Weekend
live from the Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles.
WrestleMania SmackDown on Fox is sponsored tonight by Progressive,
a triple threat of protection with home, auto, and more.
And tonight, for the final time before their epic clash Sunday night
in the main event at WrestleMania, challenger Cody Rhodes,
Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns,
face-to-face live tonight.
[Wade] And also tonight, it is the return of a WrestleMania Weekend staple,
the André the Giant Battle Royal is back.
Which Superstar will lift the prestigious trophy?
♪ Get wrecked if you wanna be cocky ♪
♪ I'm the best, ain't nobody can top me ♪
♪ Uso! ♪
["Done With That (Day One Remix)" playing]
♪ Yah-Hoo ♪
♪ Down since ♪
♪ Day one ish ♪
♪ Down since ♪
[Irvin] Please welcome the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions,
Jimmy and Jey, The Usos.
[Cole] For 621 days, Jimmy and Jey Uso
have been the Tag Team Champions.
However, heading into tomorrow night, WrestleMania Saturday,
where The Usos defend the titles
against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn,
all the pressure is on them, Wade,
as they set the stage for the weekend for the entire Bloodline.
♪ Down since ♪
♪ Day one ish ♪
♪ Down since ♪
♪ Day one ish ♪
♪ We been down since ♪
♪ Day one ish ♪
[Cole] It is tomorrow night, The Usos
defending against KO-Mania and WrestleZaynia.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Can they knock off The Usos?
Oh.
[music fades]
[crowd booing]
Hey, hey.
The Bloodline is now in your city.
[crowd cheering]
So, here we go.
Tonight is the last SmackDown
before the biggest tag team match of all time
on the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMa--
["Worlds Apart" playing]
[crowd cheering]
♪ Let's go! ♪
[crowd vocalizing to music]
[crowd cheering]
All right, Uce.
Hey, you're right.
You're right.
We're one night away
from the biggest Tag Team Championship match in WWE history.
That's tomorrow night.
Tomorrow night…
we put an end to all of this once and for all.
But tonight…
before we take your Tag Team Championships
away from you tomorrow,
tonight, we are gonna make sure
that there is nothing left unsaid between us.
So let's lay it all out on the table then.
Yeah, because there's something I need you guys to know.
See, I'm actually…
I'm actually pretty conflicted about what we have to do tomorrow night,
because there's a lot of history between us,
and it goes beyond what happened the last seven or eight months.
See, because when I first started in WWE, the first two guys
that made me feel welcome were the two of you.
You guys made me feel like I belonged in that locker room.
I remember bringing my son on the road with me,
and when he was backstage, you guys would hang out with him, play with him.
And I remember thinking, "Those are guys
I can look up to," and I did.
I did, just like everybody in the locker room did.
That is…
until you started doing your cousin's bidding,
and then… and then I-I… and then I lost all respect, and then…
it only got worse at the Royal Rumble when the two of you--
Look at me when I'm talking to you.
[crowd exclaiming]
When the two of you tried to take my career, my livelihood,
what I do to provide for my family, you tried to take it away!
If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be standing here today,
but I am!
[crowd cheering]
So, you didn't want to look at me earlier. You better look at me now
when I say this because tomorrow night there's a part of me
that doesn't want to do what I have to do,
but there's also a part of me that can't wait to do it.
And I could tell, I look into your eyes and I look into your eyes,
I hear it in your voice.
You guys know what's going to happen tomorrow night.
And, boys, let me reassure you, it ain't paranoia.
We are taking your Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania!
[crowd cheering]
[laughing]
You know what, Kevin?
You absolutely right, Uce.
When you first came here, hell yeah, me and Uce showed you love
'cause that's the kind of people we are.
With The Usos standing right in the middle of this ring
right in front of you two, we ain't got no love for you,
and we damn sure ain't got no love for you.
[crowd booing]
Talking about, "We conflicted."
Man, the only two conflicted is you two chumps, two of you.
"I want to be with you." "I don't want you."
"You my brother." "You not my brother."
This right here, this is brotherhood.
This is what you two wish that you had.
This right here is family, homie.
This right here is blood, homie. This right here--
This is something you keep forgetting.
You talk about blood, you talk about blood.
Guess what?
Blood's not the only thing that makes you family.
Loyalty makes you family.
Hey, what you know about loyalty, Sami?
Huh?
[indistinct]
What do-- [chuckles] What do I know about loyalty?
You.
Maybe-Maybe I need to remind you something, pal.
I was loyal to you from day one.
I was loyal to all of you the whole time.
You were the ones who chose blood over loyalty
because you chose Roman Reigns.
You chose him because he was blood, even though
he's never been loyal to you, and he's never been loyal
especially to you.
[crowd cheering]
Hey, Jey. Here's something Roman never told you.
The pressure, the weight of The Bloodline, it's always been on the two of you,
so I'm gonna do one last favor for both of you.
I am gonna put you out of your misery because guess what,
at WrestleMania, we are taking
your Tag Team Championships from you.
And when we do, that's the end.
That's the end of Roman Reigns. That's the end of The Bloodline.
That's the end of all of it.
And then you two can go back to just being you.
To being the guys that Kevin talked about all those years ago.
The guys that everyone in the locker room loved,
the guys that everyone in the stands loved.
You guys can go back to just being The Usos.
You just are not gonna have
those WWE Tag Team Championships with you anymore.
[crowd chants "Ucey"]
You hear them.
Yeah, you hear them. Yeah, you hear them.
He hears them too.
You hear them, so what I'm saying is true.
I know you know.
I know you know. That's what's gonna happen at WrestleMania.
I know you know.
[fans shouting]
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.
That ain't it.
I'ma tell you what it is.
It's gonna be the same thing with you two that it always is.
You gonna lose the big match,
and Kevin Owens is gonna stab you in the back again.
On me.
Meanwhile, we gonna keep on doing what we've been doing
for the past 600 days.
By this time tomorrow night, you will be standing in the ring
with the greatest of all time, the eight-time Tag Team Champs.
-Yes, sir. -The longest-reigning
Tag Team Champions in WWE history.
Yes, sir.
Man, I'm so sick of y'all talking about The Bloodline gonna fall.
Welcome to WrestleMania. Right?
Hey, this right here is BloodlineMania.
[crowd cheering]
On me. On me.
And after tomorrow night, after that match, when the smoke clear,
they gonna say,
"And still
your WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions,
Jimmy and Jey, The Usos!"
♪ Down since ♪
♪ Day one ish ♪
[Cole] Tomorrow night at WrestleMania,
will The Usos set the tone for the weekend for the entire Bloodline
and continue to reign as Tag Team Champions?
Or will Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn,
who have never held tag team gold in the WWE,
finally slay the beast?
[Wade] Tomorrow cannot come soon enough, Michael Cole.
That has to be the most fired up
and passionate KO I have ever seen.
That does not bode well for the brothers Uce,
but Jey Uso is unshakable in his confidence.
We are heading to BloodlineMania.
♪ Down since ♪
♪ Day one ish ♪
♪ Down since ♪
[Cole] Emotion, passion,
brotherhood, friendship.
It all comes to a head tomorrow night.
["Bring the Swag" playing]
♪ I bring the swag like nobody can ♪
♪ Don't mean to brag ♪
♪ What about it? Yeah ♪
♪ I bring the swag like nobody can ♪
♪ It's in the bag, man, I got it, yeah ♪
[Cole] Well, two teams who have had some unbelievable matches together,
The Usos and the Street Profits.
♪ International, run the globe Hyperdrive and no cruise control ♪
♪ Got the life and they losin' fold Losin' fold ♪
♪ I stay 100, I keep it homegrown ♪
[bell rings]
[Irvin] The following contest
scheduled for one fall is a Fatal 4-Way Match.
Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by Angelo Dawkins,
he is one half of the Street Profits,
Montez Ford.
[Cole] Well, talk about setting the tone for WrestleMania
and the WrestleMania Showcase matches.
Montez Ford will participate in a Fatal 4-Way.
And, Wade, we're getting everybody ready for WrestleMania.
[Wade] Yeah, this is a massive moment ahead of WrestleMania
Fatal 4-Way Matches.
One individual from each team competing in the Men's Showcase matchup
will be competing next.
This is massive, building momentum ahead of WrestleMania.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Tonight, WrestleMania SmackDown on Fox
is sponsored by Progressive Insurance.
Save when you bundle auto, home, or motorcycle insurance.
["It's About to Go Down" playing]
[Irvin] And their opponent,
accompanied to the ring by Braun Strowman,
from Las Vegas, Nevada, weighing in at 207 pounds,
Ricochet!
[Cole] Well, this is a Fatal 4-Way Matchup, traditional,
but tomorrow night, WrestleMania Saturday over at SoFi Stadium,
30 minutes up the road, we're gonna have
a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team match, a WrestleMania Showcase.
[Wade] Indeed. What a massive moment this is
for these four teams or the four individuals of those teams
to build a little momentum, put a storm cloud in the heads…
[bell rings]
…of their opponents ahead of WrestleMania Saturday.
[Cole] Again, like tomorrow night, Fatal 4-Way rules.
First person to pick up a pinfall or submission
will win this matchup.
There are no disqualifications.
There are no count-outs.
So let's talk about tomorrow night and the Showcase match.
Wade, who do you think is gonna come away with the victory?
[Wade] Well, I've got to go with the powerhouses in this matchup,
the combined powerhouse team
of the Viking Raiders, although this match
is not quite starting in that direction.
[Cole] Ricochet and Montez Ford, two high-flyers…
squaring off.
Ricochet, who's had, uh, quite the year here in WWE.
Remember, he was the last Intercontinental Champion
before Gunther won back in June.
[Wade] Yeah. And the world changed really fast
once Gunther got his hands on that championship.
[Cole] Montez Ford, who loves to have fun, one half of the Street Profits, of course.
And Montez Ford has all the potential in the world,
all the tools, many believe he will be a champion one day.
[crowd boos]
[Wade] Yeah, absolutely. A future breakout, Montez Ford.
What a way to get that started by victory at WrestleMania.
[Cole] Well, Chad Gable gonna do his own little dance move here.
[crowd cheers]
At Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Oh, and a double dropkick sends Chad out of the ring.
Sixteen thousand, three hundred fifty-seven jam-packed here tonight
as we kick off WrestleMania Weekend.
Erik now of the Viking Raiders, the powerhouse, and Ricochet
and Montez Ford continue to work well together.
[Wade] Too fast, too smooth.
[crowd cheering]
[Ford] All right, all right. Let's go, let's go.
[Cole] And Ford and Ricochet launching themselves over the top rope.
Caught, however, by Gable and Erik.
And nice throws by both of them outside the ring.
Tomorrow night, it's our--
-There ain't nothin' you can do. -[referee] Hey, hey. No, guys. Hey, hey.
Guys. Hey, hey, guys.
[Cole] Of course, a combustible situation, Wade,
because the, uh, their teammates are all surrounding the ring as well.
Ricochet driven into the steps by Gable.
No count-outs, as I mentioned earlier.
[Wade] Seems to be some form of loose alliances being formed
already in this matchup.
Gable and Erik not too keen to do battle with one another,
combining their strengths.
[Cole] And Ford bounced off the ring post.
And now Gable sends Ricochet into the corner.
Oh, and a blow right to the spine of Ricochet by Chad Gable
of the Alpha Academy.
Oh!
[Wade] Nasty Dragon Screw.
That'll take you out right ahead of Mania.
-There we go. -[Cole] What were you saying
-about alliances? -[Wade] The loose alliance is over.
[Cole] Erik blasting Gable.
And now Erik of the Viking Raiders, former Tag Team Champion,
going right after Ricochet.
[Wade] Watched on by the creepy Valhalla who apparently sends
the messages of the Viking Gods to Erik and Ivar.
They won't be impressed with that, though.
[Ivar and Valhalla yelling]
[Cole] Valhalla up on the apron.
Again, no disqualification.
Erik tried to take advantage of the distraction.
He turns Ricochet inside out.
Fatal 4-Way action continues here on WrestleMania SmackDown.
[Cole] We are back live on WrestleMania SmackDown.
Fatal 4-Way Matchup underway.
Ricochet and Gable and Montez Ford and Erik of the Viking Raiders.
[Wade] This one has been swinging back and forth throughout the break.
A little taster of what will come tomorrow, WrestleMania Saturday.
[Cole] Yeah, tomorrow's a Fatal 4-Way tag team matchup, a WrestleMania Showcase.
Ivar's excited, pounding on our announce desk.
Meanwhile, Chad Gable sends Ricochet flying
with a belly-to-belly from the top rope.
And now all four men are down in the middle of the ring.
[Wade] Yeah, this one has to be up for grabs now.
Four men are down. You have to take your opportunity.
And once again, Chad Gable, how well-rounded is this man? Boom!
[Cole] Gable, one of the most gifted technical wrestlers in WWE today.
[Wade] Huge impact down the spine of Ricochet.
[Cole] And a huge crowd here tonight in Los Angeles,
16,357 on hand as we kick off WrestleMania Weekend.
And Montez Ford starting to pick things up.
[Wade] Physique ten, athleticism ten, charisma ten.
Kicks are a ten too.
This guy can do everything, Cole.
[Cole] Montez Ford, crossbody.
Gable missing wildly.
Runs into a backhand by Ford.
[crowd cheers]
Ricochet!
[Wade] Simply cannot blink around--
[Cole] What a German suplex! Bridge into the cover.
Erik breaking things up.
And tomorrow night, Wade, you can have four more men
involved in this type of action.
[Wade] Oh man, this is just textbook perfection.
You will never see a finer German suplex executed
than that of the Olympian, Chad Gable.
-[Strowman] Come on, Rico. Go, go. -[Dawkins] Come on.
[Cole] Erik rising to his feet,
as Angelo Dawkins of the Street Profits looks on.
[Wade] And this does not bode well for anybody.
[Erik] Get up!
[Cole] Montez Ford back to his feet, misses wildly.
Oh, and caught a knee right in the jaw.
-[Erik shouting] -[Cole] Gable…
planted by Erik, right into the back of Ford.
Stacks up Gable for the win,
who kicks out.
Cover now on Ford by Erik.
Hook of the leg, and a kickout at two.
[Wade] Well, speak to the durability of Chad Gable.
After such a huge impact,
still able to kick out.
How do you kick out from something like that, Michael?
Here's the problem now, you've got a frenzy and a feral
coming your direction in the form of Erik, the Viking Raider.
[Cole] Montez, step-up enzuigiri right to the back of the neck,
drives Erik out of the ring.
-Fighting for his life at this point. -[Cole] Montez Ford gonna fly.
[crowd cheering]
The speed of Ford.
Top rope from the heavens!
Ricochet, 450.
-Cover. -[crowd] One, two, three!
Ricochet with the win.
-[bell rings] -["It's About to Go Down" playing]
[Irvin] Here is your winner,
Ricochet.
[Cole] That's just a taste, Wade, of tomorrow night, because tomorrow night
it's a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match where that man Strowman
will be involved, and Angelo Dawkins will be involved,
and Otis will be involved, and Ivar will be involved.
[Wade] Well, just action everywhere you look in the ring.
Montez Ford with incredible athleticism, but never to be outdone.
SmackDown's weekly miracle man.
[crowd cheering]
Ricochet gets the job done like only he can.
[bell rings]
[Cole] It's about tomorrow night.
WrestleMania Saturday
as WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.
[crowd cheering]
♪ It's about to go down ♪
[Cole] Big weekend for The Bloodline.
We saw the, uh, passion from The Usos earlier on tonight to kick off
Friday Night SmackDown.
♪ It's about to go down ♪
-[music ends] -[crowd booing, cheering]
[Cole] Well, tension is building because could this be the final time
The Bloodline is together in this form?
Later on tonight, Roman Reigns face-to-face with his challenger
on WrestleMania Sunday, Cody Rhodes.
Roman and Cody live tonight.
♪ No, wait a minute ♪
[Wade] We've got The All Mighty himself, Bobby Lashley putting together
some final preparations.
Big night for him and a lot of other Superstars.
Why?
Because coming up it's the one we've all been waiting for,
the WrestleMania Weekend staple,
André the Giant over-the-top-rope Battle Royal,
and it's coming up next.
[hip hop music playing, fades]
[Irvin] The following is the 30-woman
Royal Rumble match.
[Cole] The last woman standing main events WrestleMania
for the championship of her choosing.
[Graves] Looks like Mami's in for a long night.
This is becoming a slugfest.
[tense, dramatic music playing]
[Cole] On instinct alone, Morgan
eliminated by Rhea Ripley.
Rhea's going to WrestleMania.
[triumphant music playing]
One hour, one minute, eight seconds.
Rhea Ripley sets the record.
[Rhea] I get to choose whichever champion I want to face at WrestleMania.
Three years ago, I challenged the winner of the Royal Rumble Match,
Charlotte Flair.
I challenged her to a match at WrestleMania,
and she… she put me in my place.
The normal flow here is that Charlotte Flair is at the top.
[man] There are few better in the world than Charlotte Flair.
[Cole] Record-setting 14-time World Champion.
[Charlotte] I am walking into my seventh WrestleMania,
and at all seven,
I was either the challenger, the champion,
but I've always been the star.
Now Rhea Ripley wannabe the champion, wannabe the star,
and she can't become the champion until she goes through me.
[Rhea] Your SmackDown Women's Championship,
I want.
Hell, I need it.
I don't only want to be a star, but I bloody need to be a star,
and you're gonna learn to fear me.
[Charlotte] The only thing that I fear is my own potential.
[Rhea] Enjoy everyone bowing down
because they're about to rise to Rhea Ripley.
[Charlotte] Diamonds are forever, and so is Charlotte Flair.
Woo!
[Cole] Rhea Ripley says she needs
the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Rhea Ripley says she needs to be a star.
The question is, will she have the star-making moment tomorrow night
when she takes on one of the greatest of all time,
the 14-time Women's Champion, Charlotte Flair,
at WrestleMania Saturday?
[bell rings]
[Irvin] Ladies and gentlemen, it is time
for the annual WrestleMania tradition.
The André the Giant Battle Royal!
[Cole] This is always an exciting time for the Superstars here at WWE.
An opportunity to win the André the Giant Battle Royal.
♪ No competition, number one, the ace ♪
[Wade] This really can be used as a springboard to bigger opportunities.
Use tonight as a launch pad.
[Cole] Well, you see, Wade, Baron Corbin, who once won
the André the Giant Battle Royal.
It really launched his career after that victory a number of years ago.
The prestigious Battle Royal paying homage
to the late, great André the Giant.
[announcer] "The Eighth Wonder of the World," André the Giant.
[narrator] Larger than life.
-Look at the size of the giant. -Seven-foot-five.
[narrator] Unmatched in power.
André the Giant towered over the competition
with a nearly 15-year undefeated streak.
Everywhere he went, people turned out to see him.
There was just something magical about him.
[narrator] The first-ever inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame,
André holds the record for most Battle Royal victories in WWE history,
including a dominating performance at WrestleMania II.
And in 2014, WWE established the André the Giant Battle Royal,
a yearly tradition that brings the same awe and excitement
that André himself brought to the ring.
Tonight, who will make their mark in history
as the winner of the 2023 André the Giant Battle Royal?
[dramatic timpani intro playing]
[crowd cheering]
["All Mighty" playing]
[pyrotechnics whistling]
[Irvin] Making his way to the ring,
from Denver, Colorado, weighing in at 273 pounds,
"The All Mighty,"
Bobby Lashley.
[Cole] Wade, right before we went on the air tonight, Bobby Lashley
was getting a pep talk back in the locker room area
by Daniel Cormier.
Former UFC champion, a commentator, and of course,
a massive WWE fan.
[Wade] Wow, that is absolutely massive.
It's all building to this. Who will claim the first crown
of WrestleMania Weekend?
André the Giant Battle Royal is next.
[Cole] It's WrestleMania Weekend here in the Los Angeles area,
celebrating everywhere including the world-famous Santa Monica Pier.
The WWE logo on the Ferris wheel.
It has been quite the week already and we still have
WrestleMania to come both tomorrow and Sunday night.
♪ Flexing and focused, I'm leaving dem All looking stressin' and folded ♪
♪ How am I hot But I'm dressing the coldest? ♪
♪ Impressing the suckaz That said I was bogus ♪
[Cole] Well, uh, the master of the mist is here.
The Great Muta will be enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Still to come tonight after Friday Night SmackDown.
["Monster of All Monsters" playing]
And immediately after SmackDown tonight, over on Peacock,
you can check out the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The ring is filled with WWE Superstars
for the André the Giant Battle Royal.
[Wade] All right, Cole. Quickly, take your pick.
Who's winning this one?
[bell rings]
-[Cole] Top Dolla. -[Wade] Why?
[Cole] 'Cause he can't go over the top rope.
Here we go. Matchup's underway.
Who's gonna win the prestigious
André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal?
And of course, this is a matchup
that has launched many careers over the years.
-[Wade] Wait a second. -[Cole] Corbin eliminated.
[Wade] Corbin was telling me earlier this was his springboard back to success.
-He won this match in 2016. -[Corbin] Are you kidding me?!
[Wade] Climbed the ladder of success.
Well, that backfired in his face, didn't it?
[Cole] And he didn't last too long.
Corbin extremely upset, but he won't be repeating
as winner this year.
Braun Strowman is in this matchup.
He is a former André the Giant Battle Royal winner.
Madcap Moss as well.
[Wade] What a mass of humanity. How on Earth?
I think I've counted 32 Superstars, somewhere in that realm, anyway.
[Cole] First-ever winner was Cesaro of this Battle Royal.
Jey Uso, who we saw earlier, won this event a couple of years ago.
And there's Lashley.
Many, uh, would pick Lashley to be the, uh, odds-on favorite,
but Top Dolla going right after The All Mighty.
[Wade] Going for the big guns. I like it, Top Dolla.
That is how you make a name for yourself in this industry.
That is how you climb the ladder of success.
[Cole] Now, Ashante "Thee" Adonis of Hit Row is also helping out
Top Dolla with Bobby Lashley.
And there goes Dolla!
[Wade chuckles]
-[Wade] Well, your pick was wrong. -[Cole] Yeah, very.
[Wade] Apparently he's been working on his weaknesses.
And Ashante is thrown out for good measure.
Hit Row, you're outta here.
[Cole] And Bobby Lashley cleaning house already.
There goes part of Legado Del Fantasma.
[Wade] Joaquin Wilde taken out.
This is an angry Bobby Lashley.
He's not on the WrestleMania card, and he's livid about it.
This is about making a statement for Bobby Lashley tonight.
[Cole] Bobby Lashley has had a hell of a year here in WWE.
[Wade] Every year is a hell of a year when you're Bobby Lashley.
Well, there's my pick, a little glimpse of him, "The Megastar,"
LA Knight.
This is his town, and what a way to break open WrestleMania Weekend
than with an LA Knight Megastar Mania victory.
[Cole] I thought you picked Corbin? Oh!
Remember, you're eliminated when you go over the top rope
and both feet hit the floor,
which has happened there, and the Maximum Male Models,
-Mace and Mansoor… -[Wade] "O-teez," he's the new one, right?
[Cole] Well, no, I don't think he's officially part yet.
I don't think Maxxine will like this too much if Otis is eliminated.
Mace over the top rope.
He's gone.
[Wade] By that weirdo Dexter Lumis.
[Cole] You should be, uh… Oh, there he is.
You should be a Maximum Male Model
with that suit you're wearing tonight.
There he goes. Goodnight, eliminated.
[Wade] Back in my heyday, I would have made
a good Maximum Male Model.
Back in my abs days of about 2015.
They're long gone, though.
[Cole] Yeah, and you're old now. And, uh…
[Wade] Hey, old guys can be models too, right?
[Cole] The field beginning to thin out.
There goes, uh, Karl Anderson…
of the O.C.
And also eliminated, big Luke Gallows.
And Otis standing out so far in this Battle Royal.
[Wade] How do you throw someone out the size of Otis?
That is a question that we might not get the answer to this evening.
[Cole] Elias, who's in this matchup with, I guess, his protégé, right, Rick Boogs?
[Wade] Yeah, you know what?
I think Rick Boogs eyes up Elias as a possible mentor.
A little more experience
when it comes to Elias.
They're a couple of guys I can see having a big future together here.
-Here we go. -[Cole] Rick Boogs helping Elias out.
Trying to eliminate Otis over the top rope.
-The power of Boogs. -[Wade] Boom.
Entire ground just shook when Otis landed.
[Cole] Oh, and Elias!
[Wade] Don't celebrate too early in a matchup like this.
[Cole] Eliminated by Los Lotharios, and now Rick Boogs is ticked off.
And there goes, uh, Angel eliminated.
[Wade] I think Dolph Ziggler has clung on to the bottom rope
from the very start of this matchup.
[Cole] Well, he's a veteran.
Oh, goodnight! Boogs eliminated everybody.
André the Giant Battle Royal continues.
[Boogs yelling]
[Cole] It is WrestleMania Weekend, it is WrestleMania SmackDown,
and this is the André the Giant Battle Royal,
a WrestleMania Weekend tradition,
as Dexter Lumis is eliminated by Madcap
who won the André the Giant Battle Royal last year.
[Wade] Xavier Woods eliminated by Karrion Kross,
one of the powerhouses in this matchup.
[Cole] And there is the, um… well, very positive lately, Ali.
[Wade] He's been quite optimistic.
I've liked this change in persona from him.
Upbeat.
[Cole] Quite the rivalry with Mr. Ziggler as well.
[Wade] Things starting to pick up, perhaps, for Mr. Ali.
[Cole] Ali trying to hang on. Remember, over the top rope,
both feet hit the floor, you are eliminated.
Seen many a career take off after winning this event
over the years.
Oh, and look at Butch go.
Starting to fire up.
[Wade] Perhaps the most tenacious individual in the locker room.
[Cole] And tonight, Friday Night SmackDown on Fox is sponsored by Progressive.
And was that…
[crowd cheering]
…LA Knight eliminating Santos?
-[Wade] Oh no. -[Cole] No, it was not.
[Wade] Kross Jacket applied.
[crowd booing]
[Cole] LA Knight, the, uh, fans here in Los Angeles…
not liking that as well.
Now the Hurt Lock on Ziggler by Lashley.
And Kross and Lashley now showing up one another.
That was Escobar-- No, Escobar is still in the ring.
Who did Knight eliminate?
Wasn't able to quite see.
But nonetheless, Lashley now trying
to lock the Hurt Lock into Karrion Kross.
[crowd chanting "Bobby"]
Bobby chants.
[Wade] Two alpha males going at it.
[Cole] Kross…
hanging on.
Lashley trying for the elimination.
[Wade] Bronson Reed, though, someone
we've neglected to talk about thus far,
but this man is a wrecking ball of humanity.
Three hundred and thirty pounds of bad attitude.
[Cole] And Strowman just plowing through Boogs, who's eliminated.
Strowman's won this event in the past.
[Wade] Two biggest men left in this matchup.
[Cole] Showdown between Reed and Strowman.
[Wade] Big E has got to be loving this.
We're getting big meaty men about to slap meat.
[Cole] And Ziggler sent over the top rope and eliminated by Lashley.
[Wade laughs] It's getting better, Cole.
[Cole] Oh, and a big boot to Reed by Strowman.
And Lashley now hammering away on the Monster of All Monsters.
[Wade] Every time you take a look at Bobby Lashley,
he's taking control of this matchup.
And once again, overpowering the Monster.
Who does that?
[Cole] Hurt Lock by Lashley.
Couldn't quite get the hands closed.
[grunts]
[Cole] Bronson Reed with a splash.
[Wade] Sandwich time.
[Cole] Ridge Holland and Butch--
[Wade] Tip of the cap.
[Cole] …of the Brawling Brutes.
[Cole] Reed's still on his feet.
Now down to his knees.
[Wade] Brawling Brutes smartly working together.
Ridge catching a straight one.
[Cole] Butch with a kick to Gargano.
Gargano, of course, will be in this building tomorrow morning--
Oh my goodness!
Part of NXT Stand & Deliver.
[Wade] Cannot wait for that one.
[Cole] One o'clock start time on the East Coast.
Gargano caught.
Planted by LA Knight.
Gargano…
hanging on.
[Wade] Refusing to be defeated.
[Cole] Kross!
Escobar!
[Wade] Everybody bringing their best to the start
-of WrestleMania Weekend. -[Cole] Gargano!
Lashley planting Johnny Wrestling!
[Wade] It's like a damn war zone in that ring, Cole.
[Cole] Gargano eliminated by The All Mighty. Strowman.
Butch…
hanging on.
Bronson Reed.
Look at the power of Ridge Holland.
[Wade] Didn't quite have the balance against the big Aussie,
and Ridge is out of there.
[Cole] And Butch is still in this matchup.
Well, was in the matchup.
Although Ridge still holding on.
Butch not yet eliminated.
And Butch is back in things.
[Wade] That's some solid teamwork right there from the Brawling Brutes.
[Cole] Now Butch is gone.
[Wade] Ridge can't be everywhere at the same time.
[Cole] We're now down to LA Knight, Bronson Reed, Braun Strowman,
Bobby Lashley.
Four men remain in the André the Giant Battle Royal.
Knight hanging in there.
[crowd cheering]
[Wade] Yes.
You hear the people.
Give them what they want. They want LA Knight.
[Cole] Well, you're supposed to be unbiased.
You're a journalist.
[Wade] Not when it comes to The Megastar.
He's my guy, Cole.
[Cole] LA Knight trying to eliminate Reed.
Now Reed trying to turn the tables on Knight.
[Wade] Four Superstars running on fumes at this point,
barely able to stand up. Oh no!
[Cole] Oh no!
[crowd booing]
[Wade] Bronson Reed is the most unpopular man
in the city of Los Angeles right now.
[Cole] Lashley, Strowman, Reed remain.
The final three in the André the Giant Battle Royal.
[crowd cheering, chanting]
Oh, Strowman.
The power.
-Lashley up top and planted. -[Strowman shouting]
A running powerslam by the Monster of All Monsters.
And now Bronson Reed.
Reed!
Strowman still hanging on.
Reed tried to eliminate Strowman.
[Wade] Strowman having to be as nimble
as he's ever been in his life.
[Cole] Strowman's done.
We're down to Bronson Reed and Bobby Lashley.
[Wade] They just don't make 'em like Bronson Reed.
The powerhouse, the size, the speed.
And we're about to see the greatest move in WWE, Cole.
Tsu…
No!
[Cole] Nobody home.
Bobby Lashley.
Spear! Down goes Reed.
[Lashley shouts]
Lashley over the top rope,
trying to hang on.
[Wade] Reed thought he had it won.
-[Cole] Reed eliminated. -[crowd cheers]
-[bell rings] -Bobby Lashley is the winner.
["All Mighty" playing]
[Irvin] Here is your winner,
"The All Mighty,"
Bobby Lashley.
[Cole] You called it from the start, Wade.
Bobby Lashley's been in a mood, and Bobby Lashley
wins the André the Giant Battle Royal.
[Wade] Well, he simply made himself undeniable tonight.
When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade.
Bobby Lashley just did the incredible.
[crowd cheers]
[Cole] Bobby Lashley winning the André the Giant Battle Royal.
What a performance by Lashley.
My word, never in doubt from the perspective of Bobby Lashley.
He made himself the favorite from the very beginning
and brought home the bacon tonight.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are 48 hours away
from the main event of WrestleMania Sunday.
Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed Championship
against this man, Cody Rhodes.
["Victorious" by ALIBI Music playing]
[Rhodes] Everyone thinks the decision
to return to WWE was difficult.
It was not.
♪ I may be down but I'm not out ♪
♪ Look into my eyes, there's no doubt ♪
♪ I found my place against the grain ♪
♪ Count every loss It's always gain, gain ♪
[Rhodes] I am not the same person I was when I started this journey
over 15 years ago.
Every little piece on this broken road, every splinter
on this upwards ladder has been unequivocally, 100% worth it.
♪ Crawling out of the ashes victorious ♪
♪ No moment's ever wasted ♪
♪ So close I can almost taste it ♪
♪ Because I've thought it For a long time ♪
-♪ This life is not mine ♪ -[crowd chanting]
[announcer] Cody Rhodes tore the pectoral muscle right off the bone.
[Rhodes] The biggest thing is how it weighs on your mind.
I have to finish the story.
♪ I may be down but I'm not out ♪
♪ Look into my eyes, there's no doubt ♪
♪ I found my place against the grain ♪
♪ Count every loss It's always gain, gain ♪
[McAfee] The American Nightmare's journey to the dream
begins once again.
[Rhodes] All the doubt, all the struggle, it's worth it.
[Cole] Cody is going to WrestleMania.
♪ No moment's ever wasted ♪
♪ So close I can almost taste it ♪
♪ Because I've thought it For a long time ♪
♪ This life is not mine ♪
It's not just a dream. This becomes a necessity.
I have waited my whole life.
I will wait no more.
It's not just those who've got the Rhodes' blood.
It's every single person who has followed me until the end.
At WrestleMania,
I become the first Rhodes
to ever say he is champion.
♪ No moment's ever wasted ♪
♪ So close I can almost taste it ♪
♪ Because I've thought it For a long time ♪
♪ This life is not mine ♪
[crowd cheering]
[music fades]
[crowd cheering]
["Less Than Zero" by The Weeknd playing]
[Cole] Tonight marks the most remarkable night for Roman Reigns
at 943 days as Undisputed Champion.
The question is, can Cody Rhodes make history?
Can he end the run of Roman Reigns at WrestleMania Sunday in the main event?
And for Cody Rhodes,
as he sits and contemplates what awaits him over the next two days,
he's trying to do something that his legendary father,
the Hall of Famer, the late, great Dusty Rhodes
was never able to accomplish, to hold the biggest prize in our business.
And tonight, Cody Rhodes will go face-to-face with Roman Reigns
on WrestleMania SmackDown live.
["Trap Queen" playing]
[bell rings]
[Irvin] The following contest
scheduled for one fall is a Fatal 4-Way Match.
Introducing first, accompanied to the ring
by Liv Morgan,
Raquel Rodriguez.
[Wade] And ahead of the WrestleMania Sunday Fatal 4-Way tag match,
four women will compete in a singles Fatal 4-Way Matchup,
representatives of that match at WrestleMania, and that is next.
["Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett playing]
[Cole] WrestleMania SmackDown on Fox is sponsored by Progressive Insurance.
Save when you bundle, auto, home, or motorcycle insurance.
[Irvin] And their opponent, accompanied to the ring
by "The Baddest Woman on the Planet,"
"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler.
[Cole] So, much like the matchup we saw a little bit earlier tonight,
this is a chance to build momentum before the WrestleMania Showcase match
that comes your way on WrestleMania Sunday.
[Wade] Yes, indeed.
Four top tag teams competing to win that matchup at WrestleMania Sunday,
and you have to think, Michael Cole,
the winner of that particular matchup at WrestleMania
has to put themselves in the conversation at least for an opportunity
-at the Tag Team Champions… -[bell rings]
-[Cole] No doubt. -[Wade] …at some point down the road.
[Cole] Interesting that Raquel, Sonya's team, and also Natalya's team
had to qualify for the Fatal 4-Way at WrestleMania
while Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler were, uh, placed into the matchup.
[Wade] That's rubbed the locker room up the wrong way,
but Ronda Rousey is a global crossover star.
WrestleMania is about the biggest stars in the industry.
So I don't have any problem with that decision at all.
Good call from management.
[Cole] Fatal 4-Way rules.
The first woman to gain pinfall or submission will win this matchup.
Natalya sets a record this weekend at WrestleMania.
She heads into her eleventh WrestleMania event.
[Wade] Wow. Handful of world records that Natalya already holds.
She simply keeps adding to them.
Most experienced woman in the locker room against
the powerhouse of the locker room, Raquel.
Oh.
[Cole] Sonya Deville with a big kick.
Natalya looking to pick up the win. Deville makes sure
it doesn't happen with a running bulldog.
Cover now on Natalya by Sonya,
and a kickout.
Chelsea Green, Sonya's partner looking on.
Cover now on Raquel, and a kickout as well.
[Wade] What an interesting combination
Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green are.
Chalk and cheese if you ask me.
Deville is a smart cookie, knows how to grab an opportunity
when it presents itself.
[Cole] Natalya perhaps looking for the sharpshooter now,
looking to step through, turn things around on Sonya Deville.
Natalya, sharpshooter.
If Sonya taps, this one would be over.
[yelling]
[Wade] This is how you make a statement.
Although, the black belt badass herself,
Shayna Baszler, has different ideas.
[Cole] Yeah, the Submission Magician in her own right
looking to take Natalya out, who's firing away in the corner.
[Wade] What a terrifying proposition.
Imagine fighting Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey at the same time.
[Cole] Oh, look at Raquel Rodriguez.
The power of Raquel with Baszler and Natalya on her shoulders.
[Raquel shouting]
Oh.
[Wade] I don't care how big and strong you are,
joints are always a weakness.
[Cole] Oh!
Raquel with a big boot.
[Wade] Just pure dominance from Raquel.
This is what we've come to know from her for years,
dating back to her days in NXT.
[Cole] Oh, but Sonya Deville sends her shoulder-first into the post.
[Wade] Calculating and manipulative,
picks her moments to perfection does Deville.
[Chelsea] Come on, Sonya!
[Cole] And Sonya with an opportunity
at the second rope, caught by Raquel Rodriguez.
Man, she is so strong.
Shayna runs into a boot by Raquel.
Cover now on Sonya Deville off the Tejana Bomb,
-and a win by Rodriguez. -[bell rings]
["Trap Queen" playing]
[Irvin] Here is your winner, Raquel Rodriguez.
[Cole] Raquel Rodriguez builds momentum toward WrestleMania Sunday
in the Fatal 4-Way tag team match, a WrestleMania Showcase.
[indistinct shouting]
Ladies and gentlemen, immediately following SmackDown
tonight on Peacock, it is the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Rey Mysterio goes into the Hall of Fame this year.
Coming up next, we're gonna show--
Oh, there's JBL, another Hall of Famer.
Up next, we're gonna show you Mysterio and the punch heard round the world
when he took out Dominik last week.
Meanwhile, it's all about WrestleMania which goes Hollywood.
[indistinct]
[Cole] Could this be the final night Roman Reigns is champion on SmackDown?
[Wade] Well, before that, tonight, Cole, the Tribal Chief
is gonna be face-to-face with the WrestleMania challenger,
Cody Rhodes, one last time as all roads lead to Roman.
I cannot wait till WrestleMania Saturday, tomorrow, because finally,
after a year, Rey Mysterio is finally going to get his hands
on his son, Dominik, in a match.
Here is our Progressive Match Flo.
[announcer] Match Flo is sponsored by Progressive,
a triple threat of protection with home, auto, and more.
Jefe, I hate you.
You're gonna hit me.
[speaking Spanish]
Get your ass up and be a man.
I'm ashamed to be your son.
And the only Hall of Fame you deserve to be in
is the Deadbeat Dad Hall of Fame.
[crowd boos]
I should've been Eddie's son.
Dom, listen to me, okay?
Just listen.
[dark, dramatic music playing]
I'm the one that matters.
I'm not gonna fight you.
-You will. -[Rhea] Pathetic.
[Dominik] Jefe, you're gonna give me
what I want and face me at WrestleMania.
I have my mom and my sister here with us tonight.
Did you know that you married a deadbeat?
You sat there, every night, while he abandoned me.
So, that makes you a deadbeat mom.
Oh! You better sit down because you're too stupid to understand.
Dominik.
Mom, shut up!
[crowd cheers]
[triumphant music playing]
You pushed me. You don't disrespect your mother like that.
You wanted a fight at WrestleMania?
You're on.
[crowd cheers]
[Dominik] What kind of father hits his own son?
My entire family is a disgrace,
and the Mysterio name will be mine at WrestleMania.
[announcer] The most emotional weekend of Rey Mysterio's life awaits.
619!
It's-- Oh, it's Dominik.
[dramatic music playing]
[Graves] Dom now teeing off on his dad.
Legado Del Fantasma have arrived.
[Dominik] The Mysterio name will be mine at WrestleMania.
["Less Than Zero" playing]
[Cole] I've been asking for this for months.
Finally, tomorrow night, at WrestleMania Saturday,
the dad Rey Mysterio's gonna give his son
an ass-whooping he deserves.
♪ I couldn't save you From my darkest truth ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Escobar] I almost had him.
[speaking Spanish]
Yeah, yeah, you're right.
You wanted to see us?
Yes. Uh…
[speaking Spanish]
I want to thank you guys for having my back
last week on Raw with The Judgment Day.
-Always. -Of course, [speaking Spanish].
That's the least we can do for a man, una leyenda,
that we admire and respect.
A Hall of Famer.
Salón de la Fama.
[chuckles]
And as a father, it breaks my heart
to see what you've been going through with your son.
I just hope…
I hope, espero de corazón,
that you teach him a lesson
at the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Yeah. Una lección.
A lesson he will never forget.
And… if Judgment Day tries to play the numbers game again,
we got your back.
[speaking Spanish]
Gracias.
But if we do that, we do it in style, con estilo.
-Style? -What?
-I can bring my flashy clothes. -I mean, talkin' about it…
[speaking Spanish]
-[chuckles] -That's yours. That's yours, baby.
[speaking Spanish]
Yeah. Please.
It's all you.
-Por favor. -[chuckles]
No.
For real? For real?
[speaking Spanish]
Yeah, yeah, it's official.
We are the new--
[cheering, laughter]
[crowd cheers]
[speaking Spanish]
Esto es estilo, eh?
-[speaking Spanish] -Por favor.
[chuckles]
["Hellfire" playing]
[Cole] Oh, this time, Rey Mysterio willingly joining
The Latino World Order, a group from the WCW days,
once formed by the late, great Eddie Guerrero.
Here tonight, on WrestleMania SmackDown, it's Fight Night.
[bell rings]
[Irvin] The following is a tag team match scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, representing the Brawl--
["Gallantry" playing]
[Irvin] Introducing first, the team of Sheamus
and Drew McIntyre.
[Cole] Every time we have one of these matches,
we always say the same thing.
"How are these guys gonna get along
when they're opponents at WrestleMania?"
You know what, Wade, they're not gonna get along.
[Wade] Of course, they're not.
They can't be in the same vicinity as each other right now
without coming to blows.
How the hell is this supposed to work?
[Cole] They have a common enemy tonight, however, so perhaps,
maybe, just for a moment, they can take out all their frustrations
on Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci
of the Imperium.
McIntyre and Sheamus meet Gunther in a Triple Threat
at WrestleMania, but they've got tag action before we get there,
live, next, on WrestleMania SmackDown.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] WrestleMania is sponsored by Snickers.
Snickers satisfies.
And by WWE 2K23.
WWE 2K23 has arrived, and this time it's even stronger
with the all-new WarGames and the "Never Give Up" 2K Showcase,
where fans can play through key moments of John Cena's 20-year career.
Pick up your copy today, and play as Bad Bunny,
with Deluxe and Icon Editions.
So there is Kaiser on the right and Vinci on the left.
[Irvin] And their opponents, representing Imperium,
Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.
[Cole] Their marching orders are simple. Take out Sheamus and Drew tonight
so that their-- the ring leader, "The Ring General,"
Gunther, the Intercontinental Champion, has an easier time of it
in the Triple Threat Match on WrestleMania Sunday.
[Wade] My only prediction for that Triple Threat Match,
WrestleMania Sunday, is it's gonna be the hardest-hitting
Triple Threat in history.
As we see "The Ring General,"
Gunther watching over the troops as they hopefully, from his perspective,
do a number on Drew and Sheamus this evening.
[Cole] Very proud champion.
Longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of this century.
-Won the title back in June of last year. -[bell rings]
And now Drew McIntyre, who I believe told Sheamus he could start the match,
decided he wanted to start it on his own,
and goes right to work on Vinci.
[Wade] Yeah, things not gonna go smoothly between Drew and Sheamus tonight,
but they better keep their wits about them against a very game Imperium
who have won gold everywhere they've gone.
[Cole] You know, Wade, the world has talked about the match
between Gunther and Sheamus back in September
at Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, and how physical it was.
Many have called it the match of the year in 2022.
Now you're gonna add McIntyre to that mix?
This may be one of the hardest-hitting matchups
we'll ever experience in WWE.
[Wade] Undoubtedly. It's gonna be three guys who are gonna need
a bunch of ice packs when the matchup is over.
Conquering Gunther, though,
a man who has been seemingly unstoppable
for, what, nine months plus?
[Cole] Yeah, but this is the problem. There's no champion's advantage
WrestleMania Sunday, Wade.
[Wade] Well, that was exactly why Gunther was so furious.
He has to defend in a three-way matchup against two guys
who he says lose all the time, which isn't technically true.
-But I get the sentiment. -[Cole] Sheamus made the tag.
[Cole] And again, if Sheamus pinned or submitted McIntyre,
he'd win the Intercontinental Championship
and Gunther wouldn't even have to be involved in the decision.
[Wade] Well, Gunther losing the Intercontinental Championship
after such an epic and historic reign would be a massive travesty,
but it might be the only way you can pry that championship
away from the big Austrian.
[Cole] You know, Sheamus has never held the Intercontinental Championship.
[Wade] It's the one blemish on his record.
It's the only thing I personally got over Sheamus.
He's won everything but that.
It's my one bragging right at the pub.
I'm hoping it stays that way.
[Cole] And 10 Beats of the Bodhrán now in front of over 16,000
in Los Angeles tonight.
Meanwhile, that man, McIntyre…
[crowd crescendos]
[crowd] Ten!
…once won the Intercontinental Championship
when he was 24 years old.
[Wade] Back in "The Chosen One" days.
Drew did not look too impressed, but--
[Cole] Tag.
[Wade] Sheamus, I think, was setting up for a Brogue Kick there.
[Cole] McIntyre did admit however that it was too early
when he won the title the first time around.
And now these very experienced veterans, McIntyre and Sheamus,
as we expected, things beginning to implode, and Imperium
trying to take advantage.
[Wade] Simply cannot keep your eyes off Imperium.
There is the problem for Drew and Sheamus.
You have to focus on the task in hand.
-[Cole] Oh! -Get yourself to WrestleMania first.
[Cole] Glasgow Kiss. Kaiser over the top rope.
Tag team action continues, as Gunther looks on.
[Cole] And we are back on WrestleMania SmackDown,
16,357 to kick off WrestleMania Weekend in Los Angeles.
Cover by Kaiser on Sheamus,
and a kickout.
This is a tag match, and Sheamus and McIntyre,
who are opponents WrestleMania Sunday
against Imperium's Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship,
taking on Imperium's henchmen of Vinci and Kaiser,
as Gunther looks on.
[Wade] Vinci and Kaiser are doing a hell of a job of softening up
the opponents for Gunther ahead of his matchup,
his championship defense on WrestleMania Sunday.
This is going to perfection for the Imperium lads.
[Cole] Side headlock by Kaiser on Sheamus.
And Sheamus now-- Oh wow.
The Irish Curse backbreaker by Sheamus.
[Wade] One of the most durable Superstars in history,
a man who it's almost impossible to beat down.
[stomping on steps]
McIntyre trying to fire himself up outside the ring.
Of course, the issues between these two long-time friends
and rivals over the years--
Tag made by McIntyre-- Sheamus upset that Drew McIntyre would step in
and try to win the Intercontinental Championship,
the one title that has eluded Sheamus in his entire career.
Oh, great belly-to-belly throw by McIntyre.
[Wade] Now, this is a relatively fresh McIntyre full of anger,
looking to make his mark on Imperium--
[Cole] Neckbreaker by McIntyre.
[Wade] Send a message to Gunther along the way.
[Cole] Another one.
And a kip-up.
Speaking of Gunther, if he can knock off both McIntyre
and Sheamus at WrestleMania, imagine what that does
to the lore of "The Ring General."
[Wade] I mean, as if it couldn't get any higher than it already is.
[crowd] Three, two, one!
[Cole] Going for the Claymore, and Sheamus said, "Uh-uh."
[Wade] That's a little payback right there.
Sheamus was trying for the Brogue earlier tonight.
[referee] Hey, hey, easy, guys.
-How do you feel about that? -[indistinct]
How does it feel when you get it?
[Cole] And Vinci from behind drills Sheamus into McIntyre.
Now the Imperium.
[Wade] Nice high-low.
[Cole] Cover to put Sheamus away,
and a kickout by Sheamus.
[Wade] Just brilliant synchronicity from Imperium.
Kaiser on the outside attacking Sheamus while that shot came in
from Giovanni Vinci.
This is textbook tag teamwork.
[Cole] Oh, and a nice knee by Sheamus.
Down goes Vinci.
Sheamus now trying to close in on a victory.
[crowd cheering]
[Sheamus and crowd shouting "Brogue"]
Brogue! Brogue! Brogue!
[shouting]
[Cole] Sheamus looking for the Brogue Kick!
[Wade] Connection.
[Cole] Claymore!
Cover!
[crowd] One, two, three!
[bell rings]
["Hellfire" playing]
[Irvin] Here are your winners,
the team of Drew McIntyre and Sheamus.
[Wade] Well, it took a long time, but they finally got on the same page,
albeit too briefly, I suspect.
[Cole] Gunther defends the Intercontinental Championship
against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in a Triple Threat Match
on WrestleMania Sunday.
However, we kick off WrestleMania tomorrow
with WrestleMania Saturday.
And who's gonna kick off the weekend?
None other than the greatest of all time, the 16-time World Champion,
John Cena, as John Cena takes on Austin Theory
for the United States Title.
John Cena's first WrestleMania,
he won the United States Championship.
He tries to do it again tomorrow in the opening match
of WrestleMania Saturday.
[Wade] And many are calling Charlotte Flair the greatest of all time,
but Rhea Ripley is the best bloody woman on planet Earth.
These two collide for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
[Cole] Will we see the beginning of the end of The Bloodline,
as The Usos put their record-setting Tag Team Championship reign
on the line against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn?
[Wade] Box office entertainer Logan Paul has conquered
every environment he's entered, but this is the world
of Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
Rollins is out for blood.
Worlds will collide on WrestleMania Saturday.
[Cole] And by this time tomorrow night, Rey Mysterio
will be an official Hall of Famer, but he's also a father,
a father who is going to take out months of frustration on his son.
Father-son, Mysterio versus Dominik.
But now, WrestleMania Sunday.
[Wade] Yes, and Raw Women's Champion
Bianca Belair is "The EST of WWE,"
but "The Empress of Tomorrow," Asuka, is a woman for the bigg-est moments.
These two collide with gold on the line WrestleMania Sunday.
[Cole] One of the most massive matchups in the history of WrestleMania,
"The Beast" Brock Lesnar, "The Nigerian Giant" Omos.
Can Brock solve Omos on Sunday?
[Wade] And when the devil comes to fight "The Demon," it could only take place
in the most sadistic structure in WWE.
Edge versus Bálor, Hell in a Cell.
[Cole] And our main event of WrestleMania Sunday,
Roman Reigns, an historic reign as Undisputed Champion,
will it continue, or will "The American Nightmare"
realize the American dream?
Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes for all the marbles Sunday
at WrestleMania.
♪ Who better than me? ♪
♪ I don't see nobody ♪
[Cole] Well, ladies and gentlemen, coming up next,
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns go face-to-face
for the final time before their matchup.
All Rhodes Lead to Roman live, next.
♪ Like there ain't nobody Who better than me? ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Rhodes] Wrestling has more than one royal family.
["Kingdom" by Downstait playing]
♪ Adrenaline in my soul ♪
♪ Every thought out of control ♪
♪ Do it all to get them off their feet ♪
♪ Crowd is here, about to blow ♪
♪ Waitin' for me to start the show ♪
♪ Out the curtain, lights go up I'm home ♪
[crowd] ♪ Whoa! ♪
♪ My father said when I was younger ♪
♪ Hard times breed better men ♪
[Irvin] Please welcome the winner
of the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble match,
"The American Nightmare,"
Cody Rhodes.
[Cole] You know, ladies and gentlemen, Cody Rhodes is gonna try
to do something that no one's done since December of 2019,
that is pin Roman Reigns and win the Undisputed Championship.
It's the main event in 48 hours at WrestleMania Sunday.
But I want to tell you a story about Cody Rhodes.
[fireworks]
When Cody Rhodes was 19 years old, Wade, he came to Hollywood.
He wanted to be an actor.
In fact, his dad, the Hall of Famer, the late, great Dusty Rhodes
nicknamed Cody "Hollywood," but it didn't work out for Cody Rhodes.
And he went back home with his tail between his legs realizing
he did not accomplish his goal.
Now he's back in Hollywood, two decades later,
looking to live that dream.
[Wade] "Go West, young man,"
were the words of Dusty Rhodes.
Well, finally, it's coming true for Cody.
-[music ends] -[crowd cheers]
[crowd chanting "Cody"]
So…
Los Angeles, Inglewood, Hollywood…
what do you want to talk about?
We could talk about how we are at the end of the road.
This is it.
We sit at the precipice of the biggest event
in sports entertainment history.
WrestleMania is here.
[crowd cheers]
And on this ride, all of you have sat shotgun with me
so you've seen all my cards are on the table,
no ace left in the hole.
I get here this week, the media starts, the appearances start,
the teleconferences start.
You start to think about scheduling your workout,
making sure your nutrition's all dialed in,
leaving no stone unturned so that when I show up on Sunday,
I execute, I do what I've been telling you I can do,
and I become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
[crowd cheers]
[crowd chanting "Cody"]
So, when it comes to Sunday, the actual day of WrestleMania
for myself, as an athlete, as a man,
I can tell you I am the most prepared I have ever been.
But in the spirit of full transparency, here in this moment,
speaking to you, holding this microphone,
I feel wildly unprepared.
Like when I say, "What do you want to talk about?"
we could talk about literally anything.
We could, because you guys want a showdown, you want a duel.
We've talked enough.
The fight needs to start.
You know what I'm saying?
[crowd cheers]
I could talk about gratitude, how damn grateful I am
that you welcomed me back.
Not only you welcomed me back,
you let my audience come with me.
Thank you, guys, so much.
You allowed me to be me, to be emotional, and here I am,
I'm projecting perfection.
I'm trying to be poised, trying to be composed, but usually,
that's an indication that something is broken inside.
And I'm not alone when I say something is broken inside.
Maybe the only medicine for me is Sunday defeating
Roman Reigns.
[crowd cheers]
And speaking of our champion, the last time we stood face-to-face,
he laid the titles down in front of me,
told me I couldn't even be the guy in my own company, which is odd
because Roman Reigns is an 11-year, tens of millions of dollars investment
on the behalf of WWE telling you that he's the guy,
and it only started paying off in year eight.
[crowd exclaiming]
Oh, it's all good.
I thought we were shootin' here, cowboy.
There's something else that Roman Reigns likes to say.
This one stuck with me.
He said, "Everybody thinks that they're the guy
until they meet the guy."
So allow me to introduce myself, Roman Reigns.
I'm not just Dusty's son, I'm not Dashing, I'm not Dust,
but I am your successor.
I am the next Head of the Table.
I am "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes,
and I am the next Undisputed Universal Champion.
[crowd cheering]
This Sunday at WrestleMania,
I finish…
["Head of the Table" playing]
[fireworks]
[crowd cheers]
[indistinct]
[chuckles]
[crowd cheering]
[music fades]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chants "Cody"]
[chants fade]
[scattered jeering]
Los Angeles…
[crowd cheering]
You know what, Wiseman?
Yes, my Tribal Chief?
I don't care about any of them.
[crowd boos]
You see, it's not their turn.
It's yours.
Cody Rhodes…
acknowledge me.
-[microphone clattering] -[crowd shouting]
[scattered jeering, cheering]
["Head of the Table" playing]
[Cole] There is nothing left to be said.
Will Cody finish the story?
Will Roman continue his reign?
That's WrestleMania Sunday,
but WrestleMania Saturday begins tomorrow.
The Hall of Fame is next. begins tomorrow.