Dirty Finishes at WWE Saturday Night Dominate Ahead of Clash in Italy | Deadspin.com Saturday Night’s Main Event left fans with more questions than answers. Taking place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the home state of Michael Jackson, SNME definitely wasn’t the thriller WWE thought it would be. The great news is that this was a well-paced show with minimal ads, unlike WWE’s counterpart on ESPN.
However, every match had a dirty finish, and some would argue the wrong person/team won at times. With only two weeks to build the PLE, Triple H and the creative team rushed to present us with five matches. With the bar set low, how did the superstars fare inside the squared circle?
Let’s hit the headlines.
Jade pins the Champ
Rhea kicked off the show to the biggest reception of the night to team up with Charlotte and Alexa Bliss. Jade Cargill, Michin, and B Fab, aka the ‘Takeover,’ entered the ring paying homage to Michael Jackson with their gear. The matchup started off awkwardly, but eventually everyone got their chance to shine. Michin got her fifteen minutes of fame, though, outshining all the other stars. The ending was a bit odd, with the babyfaces celebrating in the ring before Jade pushed them out of the way. Cargill hit Ripley with Jaded to score the victory and build momentum toward their next clash.
Jade and Rhea will collide this Sunday at ‘Clash in Italy’ for the WWE Women’s Championship. Since Jade got the win Saturday, by WWE’s booking, she will fall to the champ in Italy. We could’ve had Bliss or Flair take the pin, but Triple H wants Jade to look strong heading into her championship contest.
Sucking the So(u)l of the Arena
Fans in attendance were BOOING after Sol won by DQ against Becky Lynch in a non-title match. Sol Rucca lost her first two matches on the main roster and goaded the Women’s IC champ to a match at SNME. Lynch accepted, but said Rucca didn’t deserve a title shot, which was understandable. What doesn’t make sense is how this was booked. Rucca got her offense in early and dominated for a total of three minutes. She attempted her finisher called the ‘Sol Snatcher’, but hit the referee instead.
That same referee, Jessica Carr, had been in every PLE match of Lynch’s since WrestlePalooza. The champ has never liked her, and of course, some sort of shenanigans happens whenever Carr is around. This time, Carr called the match, and Rucca was given the win by DQ. In a backstage segment, GM Nick Aldis told Becky Lynch she is facing Sol for the title at Clash in Italy. They could’ve just had Rucca win in short fashion and then grant her a title match. Instead, this happened. Don’t be surprised if Rucca captures the title and soul of the crowd in her first win on the main roster. Stranger things have happened.
CERO MIEDO
That translates to ‘Zero Fear’ in English, and is the motto of Penta. Many fans (myself included) hoped we would see a title change hands in this match. Penta and ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page fought for the Intercontinental Championship. Page showed the world his arsenal and proved he could keep up with Penta. He gloated throughout the match, but Penta continued to use his aerial ability to his advantage. There was a moment where Page sent the champ over the announce table, and almost won by count-out. However, you cannot win the title unless it’s by pinfall or submission. The challenger got the champ back in the ring, but an exposed turnbuckle led to his demise. Despite kicking out of the Penta Driver, Page lost after being hit by a Mexican Destroyer off the top rope. Quite the PLE debut for the former NXT North American champ, and he’s impressing the higher-ups, so expect him to win the belt before the year is out.
Paige and Brie Bella are Still Untouchable
When Paige returned to WWE at WrestleMania 42 and won the tag titles with Brie Bella, the excitement couldn’t be contained. As weeks went on, it felt like this duo had a stranglehold on the women’s tag team division. A once-thriving division, including Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax, turned into a revolt against Paige. She is a great performer, but Triple H and co. are biding their time for Nikki to come back and the Bella Twins to turn on Paige. That didn’t happen tonight. Instead, this was an average match that ended in Brie reinforcing her tag partner’s pin for the victory.
The babyfaces cheated to win, so does that mean they’re turning? Probably not if WWE’s storytelling has anything to say about it. Nia Jax and Lash Legend are likely to get a rematch, whether it’s just them or several other tag teams. All four competitors have their strengths, but the WWE Universe wants to see Paige in singles action soon.
20/20 Vision
The main event between the Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) and the Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) was all sorts of fun. Between Paul and Ford’s athleticism, these two teams knocked it out of the park. That was until Bron Breakker showed up and got tossed over the announce table by Angelo Dawkins. Then, Paul Heyman put Theory’s foot on the rope after Ford flew off the top rope. Finally, Paul knocked out Ford with the brass knuckles which led to Theory going for a desperation pin and victory.
After the match, Bron Breakker speared the daylights out of the Street Profits as the Vision stood tall to end the show. WWE wants to rebuild the tag team division, but making the Profits look weak after being AWOL isn’t a great look. On top of that, they released the New Day and Motor City Machine Guns. On the bright side, the team of Enzo Amore and Big Cass is rumored to return this summer. Get ready to chant, “Bada bing, bada boom. Realest guys in the room. How you doin’?”
The End of an Era
Saturday Night’s Main Event began in 1985 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. WWE brought back the PLE in 2024, eventually giving Peacock exclusive rights to the show. WWE has one more SNME this year at Madison Square Garden, which is the most prestigious arena in pro wrestling history.
Their deal with Peacock expires at the end of 2026, and might be the end of the road for SNME. Look, it’s great to see the retro themes or the ring announcers doing their schtick with microphones hanging from the balances. However, when there were no title changes, multiple dirty finishes, and mediocre wrestling, is there any reason to continue it? This will certainly be a talking point among the pro wrestling media outlets for the next week, but it may be overlooked because…
A Chef’s Kiss in Italy
Looking ahead, WWE is presenting the first-ever PLE in Italy. ‘Clash In Italy’ takes place this Sunday in Italy at 2pm/ET, but it might as well be called ‘Rematch in Italy’. Two matches already took place at WrestleMania, one at Backlash, and one at SNME. Roman Reigns will clash with Jacob Fatu for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Tribal Combat match: Falls Count Anywhere stipulation where the loser acknowledges the other as the Tribal Chief.
Meanwhile, Gunther will look to put Cody Rhodes to sleep and become the new WWE Undisputed Champion. Out of all the title matches on this card, this looks to have the highest odds of a title change. That is, unless Randy Orton returns and seeks revenge.
Jade Cargill faces Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s title, and after tonight, it sure looks like we’re headed toward Ripley continuing her dominance. Another women’s bout added to the card was Sol Rucca taking on Becky Lynch for the Women’s IC title.
Lastly, Brock Lesnar is back, looking for Oba Femi’s blood after swerving the WWE Universe at WrestleMania 42. After losing to Femi, Lesnar put his gloves and boots in the ring, signaling his retirement. Instead, he did a sneak attack on Raw to set up this battle between two titans. Neither man can afford to lose, and that’s how you want it to be.
There could be one or two matches added before this Sunday, so tune in to Monday Night Raw and see what WWE has to offer. Friday Night SmackDown has been a chore to sit through, but with a PLE on the horizon, it could have some developments in store.
#Dirty #Finishes #WWE #Saturday #Night #Dominate #Ahead #Clash #Italy #Deadspin.com
Saturday Night’s Main Event left fans with more questions than answers. Taking place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the home state of Michael Jackson, SNME definitely wasn’t the thriller WWE thought it would be. The great news is that this was a well-paced show with minimal ads, unlike WWE’s counterpart on ESPN.
However, every match had a dirty finish, and some would argue the wrong person/team won at times. With only two weeks to build the PLE, Triple H and the creative team rushed to present us with five matches. With the bar set low, how did the superstars fare inside the squared circle?
Let’s hit the headlines.
Jade pins the Champ
Rhea kicked off the show to the biggest reception of the night to team up with Charlotte and Alexa Bliss. Jade Cargill, Michin, and B Fab, aka the ‘Takeover,’ entered the ring paying homage to Michael Jackson with their gear. The matchup started off awkwardly, but eventually everyone got their chance to shine. Michin got her fifteen minutes of fame, though, outshining all the other stars. The ending was a bit odd, with the babyfaces celebrating in the ring before Jade pushed them out of the way. Cargill hit Ripley with Jaded to score the victory and build momentum toward their next clash.
Jade and Rhea will collide this Sunday at ‘Clash in Italy’ for the WWE Women’s Championship. Since Jade got the win Saturday, by WWE’s booking, she will fall to the champ in Italy. We could’ve had Bliss or Flair take the pin, but Triple H wants Jade to look strong heading into her championship contest.
Sucking the So(u)l of the Arena
Fans in attendance were BOOING after Sol won by DQ against Becky Lynch in a non-title match. Sol Rucca lost her first two matches on the main roster and goaded the Women’s IC champ to a match at SNME. Lynch accepted, but said Rucca didn’t deserve a title shot, which was understandable. What doesn’t make sense is how this was booked. Rucca got her offense in early and dominated for a total of three minutes. She attempted her finisher called the ‘Sol Snatcher’, but hit the referee instead.
That same referee, Jessica Carr, had been in every PLE match of Lynch’s since WrestlePalooza. The champ has never liked her, and of course, some sort of shenanigans happens whenever Carr is around. This time, Carr called the match, and Rucca was given the win by DQ. In a backstage segment, GM Nick Aldis told Becky Lynch she is facing Sol for the title at Clash in Italy. They could’ve just had Rucca win in short fashion and then grant her a title match. Instead, this happened. Don’t be surprised if Rucca captures the title and soul of the crowd in her first win on the main roster. Stranger things have happened.
CERO MIEDO
That translates to ‘Zero Fear’ in English, and is the motto of Penta. Many fans (myself included) hoped we would see a title change hands in this match. Penta and ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page fought for the Intercontinental Championship. Page showed the world his arsenal and proved he could keep up with Penta. He gloated throughout the match, but Penta continued to use his aerial ability to his advantage. There was a moment where Page sent the champ over the announce table, and almost won by count-out. However, you cannot win the title unless it’s by pinfall or submission. The challenger got the champ back in the ring, but an exposed turnbuckle led to his demise. Despite kicking out of the Penta Driver, Page lost after being hit by a Mexican Destroyer off the top rope. Quite the PLE debut for the former NXT North American champ, and he’s impressing the higher-ups, so expect him to win the belt before the year is out.
Paige and Brie Bella are Still Untouchable
When Paige returned to WWE at WrestleMania 42 and won the tag titles with Brie Bella, the excitement couldn’t be contained. As weeks went on, it felt like this duo had a stranglehold on the women’s tag team division. A once-thriving division, including Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax, turned into a revolt against Paige. She is a great performer, but Triple H and co. are biding their time for Nikki to come back and the Bella Twins to turn on Paige. That didn’t happen tonight. Instead, this was an average match that ended in Brie reinforcing her tag partner’s pin for the victory.
The babyfaces cheated to win, so does that mean they’re turning? Probably not if WWE’s storytelling has anything to say about it. Nia Jax and Lash Legend are likely to get a rematch, whether it’s just them or several other tag teams. All four competitors have their strengths, but the WWE Universe wants to see Paige in singles action soon.
20/20 Vision
The main event between the Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) and the Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) was all sorts of fun. Between Paul and Ford’s athleticism, these two teams knocked it out of the park. That was until Bron Breakker showed up and got tossed over the announce table by Angelo Dawkins. Then, Paul Heyman put Theory’s foot on the rope after Ford flew off the top rope. Finally, Paul knocked out Ford with the brass knuckles which led to Theory going for a desperation pin and victory.
After the match, Bron Breakker speared the daylights out of the Street Profits as the Vision stood tall to end the show. WWE wants to rebuild the tag team division, but making the Profits look weak after being AWOL isn’t a great look. On top of that, they released the New Day and Motor City Machine Guns. On the bright side, the team of Enzo Amore and Big Cass is rumored to return this summer. Get ready to chant, “Bada bing, bada boom. Realest guys in the room. How you doin’?”
The End of an Era
Saturday Night’s Main Event began in 1985 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. WWE brought back the PLE in 2024, eventually giving Peacock exclusive rights to the show. WWE has one more SNME this year at Madison Square Garden, which is the most prestigious arena in pro wrestling history.
Their deal with Peacock expires at the end of 2026, and might be the end of the road for SNME. Look, it’s great to see the retro themes or the ring announcers doing their schtick with microphones hanging from the balances. However, when there were no title changes, multiple dirty finishes, and mediocre wrestling, is there any reason to continue it? This will certainly be a talking point among the pro wrestling media outlets for the next week, but it may be overlooked because…
A Chef’s Kiss in Italy
Looking ahead, WWE is presenting the first-ever PLE in Italy. ‘Clash In Italy’ takes place this Sunday in Italy at 2pm/ET, but it might as well be called ‘Rematch in Italy’. Two matches already took place at WrestleMania, one at Backlash, and one at SNME. Roman Reigns will clash with Jacob Fatu for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Tribal Combat match: Falls Count Anywhere stipulation where the loser acknowledges the other as the Tribal Chief.
Meanwhile, Gunther will look to put Cody Rhodes to sleep and become the new WWE Undisputed Champion. Out of all the title matches on this card, this looks to have the highest odds of a title change. That is, unless Randy Orton returns and seeks revenge.
Jade Cargill faces Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s title, and after tonight, it sure looks like we’re headed toward Ripley continuing her dominance. Another women’s bout added to the card was Sol Rucca taking on Becky Lynch for the Women’s IC title.
Lastly, Brock Lesnar is back, looking for Oba Femi’s blood after swerving the WWE Universe at WrestleMania 42. After losing to Femi, Lesnar put his gloves and boots in the ring, signaling his retirement. Instead, he did a sneak attack on Raw to set up this battle between two titans. Neither man can afford to lose, and that’s how you want it to be.
There could be one or two matches added before this Sunday, so tune in to Monday Night Raw and see what WWE has to offer. Friday Night SmackDown has been a chore to sit through, but with a PLE on the horizon, it could have some developments in store.
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