WWE SmackDown 22th of September 2023

In-Ring Segment: John Cena
Cena says he’s been a lot of things since he returned. But he’s come back here to compete. Tonight, he wants a match. Cena asks the crowd if tonight is a good night to have a match. The crowd goes nuts. Cena says he’s angry at The Bloodline and thinks he’s found a partner for tonight. AJ Styles music hits.
Styles joins Cena in the ring and snatches the mic out of his hand. Styles tells the Bloodline if they want some, come get some. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa power walk to the ring. Sikoa and Uso hop up on the apron. Cena tears off his shirt. Styles gets ready for a battle. Uso and Sikoa walk away.

Backstage, Cena and Styles try to convince Adam Pearce to book a match for them against The Bloodline. Pearce says it’s complicated.

Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio w/ Zelina Vega vs. The Street Profits w/Bobby Lashley
Dakwins floors Escobar with a shoulder block. After a dropdown/leapfrog spot, Escobar lands a dropkick. Rey Mysterio tags in and runs into a dropkick by Ford. Mysterio lands a springboard splash. Mysterio sends Ford and Dawkins out to the floor. Dawkins drags Ford out of the way of a sliding splash from Mysterio. Escobar charges in and gets pounced into the stratosphere by Dawkins.
After the break, The Street Profits take turns working over Mysterio. Mysterio manages to tag in Escobar. Escobar clears the ring. Top rope ranna by Escobar. Ford kicks out. Ford counters the Phantom driver with a dropkick. While the referee is distracted, Lashley spinebusters Mysterio on the apron. Dawkins hesitates. Mysterio counters a powerbomb with a roll up for the win.
Winners- Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar
After the match, Lashley storms off.

Austin Theory rushes to the commentary desk and accosts Michael Cole for attributing the recent success of this past week’s SmackDown to The Rock. Theory rants about their segment having so many views because of him, not The Rock. Referees and officials pull Theory away from the desk.

Backstage, Adam Pearce walks into The Bloodline dressing room. He has a contract for a tag match against Styles and Cena at Fastlane. Jimmy tells Pearce they will sign it in the ring tonight. Heyman asks who gave the order. Uso doesn’t answer. Heyman is flabbergasted, so he whips out his phone and calls Roman Reigns.

WWE Women’s Championship Match: Iyo Sky (c) w/Damage CTRL vs. Asuka
Before the match, Charlotte Flair walks to the ring and sits at ringside to watch the match. The bell rings, and Asuka and Sky trade submission attempts. Neither woman can get an advantage. Sky flips to avoid a lariat from Asuka. Asuka offers Sky a handshake. Sky kicks Asuka’s hand away. Asuka goes up top, Sky cuts her off and sends her flying with an armdrag off the top. Asuka rolls out of the ring. Sky misses an Asai moonsault. Asuka kicks Sky in the head.
After the break. Sky goes up top. Asuka cuts her off and lands a few nasty Kawada kicks. Superplex by Asuka. Sky kicks out. Asuka locks Sky in a Kimura. Sky breaks the hold. Missile dropkick by Asuka. Pop up knee by Asuka. Asuka unload son SKy with a flurry of strikes, capped with a sliding knee. Sky kicks out. Asuka goes up top. Sky lands a springboard dropkick that sends Asuka out to the floor. Asuka stands up on the apron.
Sky tries a sunset flip bomb, but Asuka hooks the ropes. Sky powers Asuka off the apron to the floor. Asuka tries a head kick. Sky ducks, causing Asuka to kick the ring post with full force. Triangle moonsault by Sky. After the break, Sky gets a near fall after a German suplex. Asuka manages to rolls Sky into the Asuka Lock. Sky turns it into a pin. Asuka kicks out. Missile dropkick by Asuka. Sky and Asuka trade strikes. Asuka counters a strike from Sky into a flying armbar.
Sky tries to escape. Asuka transitions into the Asuka Lock. Sky struggles and manages to get to her feet. Asuka slams Sky back down to the mat and wrenches in the hold. Bayley puts Sky’s foot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Flair stomps over and decks Bayley for getting involved. In the confusion, Sky surprises Asuka with a running double knee strike followed by the Over the Moonsault for the win.
Winner and STILL WWE Women’s Champion, Iyo Sky!

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller vs. The Brawling Brutes
Hollands tosses Waller all over the ring. Butch and Waller land stereo ten beats of the Bodhren in Sheamus’ honor. After the break, Waller and Theory are taking turns working over Butch. Butch manages to tag in Holland. Holland suplexes Waller. Waller escapes a slam from Holland. Theory and Waller double chop block Holland. Waller tries the Rolling Thunder Stunner, but Holland breaks it up with a pounce. Theory tries a dive and gets caught in a press slam by Holland.
Theory kicks out of an Alabama Slam. Boston crab by Holland. Waller tries to get back in the ring to break it up, but Butch hops on his back and locks in a sleeper. Waller slams Butch into the ring post to break the hold. While Holland has Theory in the Boston Crab, Waller hits the Rolling Thunder Stunner. Theory follows that with A-Town Down for the win.
Winners- Austin Theory and Grayson Waller

Contract Signing
Adam Pearce is in the ring. Cena is first out. AJ Styles never joins him. On the ‘Tron, we see Sikoa and Uso beating up Styles. Sikoa dives off a platform onto Styles. Referees and officials check on him as Cena runs backstage.
After the break, Styles is stretchered out of the arena. Cena and the OC are there with him. Karl Anderson tells Cena that he told Styles not to get involved with this Bloodline stuff. Anderson joins Mia Yim in the ambulance with Styles. Cena is visibly upset as the ambulance pulls off. Back in the arena, Paul Heyman walks to the ring. Uso and Sikoa join him. Sikoa tosses all of the tables and chairs out of the ring.
Heyman says he’s holding a contract for Fastlane with John Cena’s name on it, but no partner. Uso rips the mic out of Heyman’s hand. Uso rants about this being what happens when you mess with The Bloodline. Cena runs down to the ring and beats up Sikoa and Uso. Cena picks up Sikoa for the AA. Uso superkicks Cena. Sikoa drops Cena with a Samoan Spike. Uso lands the Uso Splash. Uso signs the contract, as does Sikoa. After dropping the contract on Cena’s chest, Uso lands another splash. Uso throws up the one. Sikoa hesitates but does the same.