Since writing, WWE has announced on their X account that MFT will be defending their WWE Tag Team Championship against Bakusai, Charlotte Flair will be taking on Women's United States Champion Jacy Jayne of Fatal Influence in a non-title match, and GUNTHER will be facing Finn Balor.
I'm not fully convinced that we'll see Bakusai as the new WWE Tag Team Champions by the end of the night, but I also can't confidently say that MFT will be able to hang on to them even if there are some shenanigans that ensue within the match. Now we want to hear from you: will there be new WWE Tag Team Champions crowned by the end of the night? Leave us your predictions down below in the comments section.
Cena says The John Cena Championship and The John Cena Classic are here and says on December 14, everyone will find out what happens to The John Cena Classic Championship because The John Cena Classic is a night of opportunity. He says a "record setting amount of "NXT" stars" will make their in-ring debuts on "Raw" (which is veeeeeery interesting...).
Cena reveals who the next invitee to The John Cena Classic: Charlotte Flair! Flair makes her way to the ring, and I will say that I think she's an excellent choice to take part in The John Cena Classic bringing some similar star power to Cody Rhodes.
Flair shakes Cena's hand and hugs him, then tells Cena that she tends to get emotional like her father. She tells Cena that for 10 years, she's been trying to figure out how to get across from Cena inside the ring. She says she doesn't know if she can break Cena's 17 World Championship record, then says she knows her father is at home bawling at the bar having a soda and expresses how much it means to be taking part in The John Cena Classic.
Flair says 2 years ago after WWE WrestleMania 41, Cena walked past her as she wasn't wrestling and debating whether she wanted to stay in WWE. She says Cena asked her what happened in Chicago, Illinois and recalls Cena telling her to own who she is. She thanks Cena for helping her find her passion again and says Cena did it because he believed in her when she didn't even believe in herself.
The live crowd tells Flair that she deserves it as Flair becomes emotional and says this new chapter for her starts in The John Cena Classic. She says she'll be excellent in The John Cena Classic and will win The John Cena Championship to bring about the end to some beautiful words.
Cena says he'll be going over his time, but tells Flair they've had conversations about Flair's brother Reid and she had to rebuild women's wrestling. She says Flair never had it easy but made it look easy, then says he said a while ago he needed to win his 17th World Championship to shake the hand of the person who wins 18 World Championships. He says he was always talking about Flair and hugs her, then raises her hand as the two share a lovely little moment between them in a lovely little opener to "SmackDown".
We then head backstage, where Rey Mysterio approaches Nick Aldis with another member of Team Mexico in mind for Team Mexico vs. Team USA in a Traditional 5-On-5 Survivor Series Matches. Cody Rhodes interrupts the pair and Rey leaves, with Aldis checking on Rhodes and asking if he's in a good place after his WWE Crown Jewel Last Man Standing Match against Randy Orton. Rhodes says his full attention is on WWE Survivor Series on November 28 (stay tuned for our live blog here!!), then says he has some names in mind.
Back at ringside, MFT makes their way out. Bakusai follows.
Kyoki and Tama Tonga begin the action. The bell rings and Kyoki levels Tama with a trio of crossbodies. Tama responds with a dropkick to Kyoki, but Talla Tonga tags in and whips Kyoki into the corner of the ring face first. Tama tags back in and delivers an overhand chop to Kyoki, but Kyoki responds with a head scissors to Tama and delivers a superkick to Talla from the ring apron. Haku sees an opportunity and uses his cane to hit Kyoki behind the knee with in order to trip him up (which is perfect timing, I was just waiting for the shenanigans to begin in this one here lol).
Back from the break, Shinsuke Nakamura tags in and knocks over Tama. He jams his boot into Tama's throat in the corner of the ring, but Tama whips Nakamura into the corner of the ring spine first. Nakamura then drapes Tama across the top turnbuckle and delivers a knee to his midsection.
Kyoki delivers a shotgun dropkick off the apron to send Talla crashing into the barricade spine first, and Nakamura runs over Tama with a Kinshasa in the ring. He pins Tama, but The War Raiders slide into the ring to attack Namakura and cause a disqualification.
Winners (and still): MFT (via no contest)
After the match, Erik and Ivar take out Nakamura in the ring and Talla on the outside. They throw Kyoki into Talla and connect with an assisted powerslam on Tama, then deliver a double powerbomb to Namakura and stand tall over him.
I don't know about you, but I for one am sick of seeing title matches (and just matches in general) end in disqualifications and no contest.
We then head backstage, where Cathy Kelley catches up with Finn Balor.
Back from the break, Damian Priest makes his way out. Axiom is already waiting inside.
The bell rings and Priest runs over Axiom with a boot as I sense a squash match in our imminent future. He lands an elbow on Axiom in the corner of the ring, but Axiom fires off kicks on Priest's thigh. Priest responds with a Razor's Edge to Axiom and pins him for the win.
Winner: Damian Priest
After the match, Nathan Frazer runs out to check on Axiom. Priest blindsides him with a massive chokeslam (like I'm talking Frazer got some MAJOR air time on it) and stands tall over both himself and Axiom. I can't even lie, I would really like to see WWE transition into Priest into a more meaningful storyline other than beating down Frazer and Axiom for two straight weeks.
We then head backstage, where Fatal Influence confronts John Cena about inviting Charlotte Flair to take part in The John Cena Classic. Cena responds by telling Fatal Influence this is the type of ruthless aggression The John Cena Classic needs and invites them to take part in The John Cena Classic. All I'm going to say as much as I'm a fan of Fatal Influence, I would NOT be doing people favors if they came up to be as confrontational as that.
Kevin Owens' music hits and he makes his way out. I will never, ever get sick of Owens and Zayn feuding with one another, as they are two of my all time favorite wrestlers and I love seeing them do their thing in their incredible verbal confrontations and matches. Zayn asks Owens what he's doing in the ring, and Owens tells Zayn to remember he isn't just talking to any other wrestler. He says he has a couple of wrongs he wants to make right including punching CM Punk in the face with a chain last Friday (pretty great match), then says there's other wrong he wants to make right.
Owens says for the last 25 years, he's told anyone who will listen that Zayn is one of the best to ever do it in professional wrestling (which I know for a fact Miles and I both agree!). He says he believes Zayn makes an excellent Undisputed WWE Champion and says he's proud of Zayn, and Zayn says that means the world to him.
Owens stops Zayn and says he's not done. He says the wrong he needs to make right is that 17 months of his career were taken from him as he wondered if he could ever get back in the ring. He says he doesn't know who he is without professional wrestling and says on August 21 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he came close to becoming the new Undisputed WWE Champion which didn't happen thanks to Zayn.
Owens shoves Zayn and says there's only one way to right that wrong as I'm reminded on how freaking good he is on the microphone. Gargano gets in Owens' face and says he had the worst year of his life, but Zayn was the only person who showed him the respect he deserves. Owens says he thinks Gargano is fine having gotten an Undisputed WWE Championship match the first time he stood up off the crate, then gets right in Zayn's face and says Zayn's Undisputed WWE Championship reign is on borrowed time.
Gargano attacks Owens and beats him down as Zayn slowly leaves the ring and saunters up the entrance ramp in deep thought. Owens delivers a Stunner to Gargano, then tells Zayn that his Undisputed WWE Championship reign is on borrowed time and he will be the one to end it before he dumps Gargano out of the ring and Zayn looks visibly displeased.
We then head backstage, where Cody Rhodes finds CM Punk watch what just happened in the ring backstage. Rey Mysterio approaches them to introduce the newest member of Team Mexico for Survivor Series: Rey Fenix.
Back at ringside, Jacy Jayne and Charlotte Flair both make their way to the ring.
Back from the break, Flair lands a Fallaway Slam on Jayne before Jayne calls for a discus lariat on Flair. Flair catches Jayne with a spear and ascends up the ropes, but Flair knocks Reid off the ring apron and fights off Henley. Paxley brawls with Henley as Bliss and Reid brawl with one another, but Michin and B-Fab go after Paxley and Bliss (because in William Regal's voice, WARGAMES!!!).
Bayley goes after Michin and B-Fab with a kendo stick, but Jade Cargill takes out Bayley. Stephanie Vaquer's music hits and she makes her way out to come to Bayley's aid, opening the door for Flair to deliver a Natural Selection to Jayne for the win in a match finish I didn't personally love (especially Vaquer's big return happening in the midst of it).
Winner: Charlotte Flair
After the match, Flair, Bliss, Paxley, Bayley, and Vaquer challenge Cargill, Michin, B-Fab, and Fatal Influence to a Women's WarGames Match at Survivor Series.
Back from the break, Cathy Kelley catches up with Flair, Bliss, Paxley, Bayley, and Vaquer. Vaquer reveals when Flair called her for back-up, she knew she was fully in.
Back at ringside, Tiffany Stratton makes her way out.
Stratton says everything looks better on her as she holds up the Women's Championship. She says she's a 2 time Money In The Bank briefcase holder and a 2 time Women's Champion, and while some people need boyfriends and others need reassurance from General Managers (as a shot at Chelsea Green), she only needs a briefcase as she calls Green her "ex-bff" (to quote one Taylor Swift, so high school).
Green's music hits and she makes her way out to stare down Stratton. She says she told Stratton how much Crown Jewel meant to her as Stratton stood next to her, then says she's been thinking about why Stratton chose to cash in against her at Crown Jewel. She says Stratton wanted to steal her moment, but Stratton says Green got too comfortable being in the same conversation as her. She says if Green wants the Crown Jewel ring, she can have it and tells her to enjoy the rest of her career in catering.
Green beats down Stratton, but Stratton regains the upper hand and hits Green with the Crown Jewel ring. She stands tall over Green, and while it wasn't the best segment in the world, it still ended up being a bit better than I thought.
Back at ringside, GUNTHER makes his way out. Finn Balor follows.
Back from the break, Balor ascends to the top rope but GUNTHER sends him crashing off it with a chop to his chest. Balor delivers an elbow drop to GUNTHER's chest and trips him up to send him crashing into the ring apron face first, but both men get back inside the ring.
GUNTHER cinches in a sleeper on Balor, but Balor gets his foot onto the bottom rope to break the hold. Balor dropkicks GUNTHER and ascends to the top rope, then sets up for a Coup De Grace on GUNTHER. GUNTHER avoids it and sends Balor crashing into the referee, opening the door for GUNTHER to land a chop on Balor, land a chop on his chest, low blow him, and connect with a power bomb for the win. That was certainly an ending to a match that happened, and I will leave it at that for now.
Winner: GUNTHER
