On tape from ThunderDome!
The Headliner
It has to be part of a work at this point, right?
Despite a 2020 run you’ll find very few critics of, Bayley still doesn’t have a match booked or segment announced for this weekend’s WrestleMania 37 shows. She hasn’t been on television since a “sweet tweets” bit on her talk show-within-the show on Mar. 5. The last time she wrestled was two weeks before that, and she hasn’t had a feud since putting Bianca Belair over before The EST’s Royal Rumble win.
To quote a great wrestling superhero, “wassup with that?” (or, if you prefer, the Kenan Thompson SNL gimmick, “what up with that?”).
While we keep our hopes up for someone to crash an impromptu edition of “Ding Dong, Hello!” in Tampa... someone like Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, or an old foe who would definitely fit in with the pirate-theme at Raymond James Stadium...
https://t.co/ucV2lV8Qo9 pic.twitter.com/Nf0rjfysIq
— KAIRI SANE⚓️カイリ・セイン (@KairiSaneWWE) April 7, 2021
We’d just like to remind you that despite by all accounts being healthy and available, a woman who’s spent more than two-and-a-half years of her WWE career holding a championship is not scheduled to appear on Night One, Night Two of WrestleMania 37, either of the Kickoff shows, or the special WrestleMania edition of SmackDown airing tonight (April 9).
I say...
The title scene
Ahead of their Triple Threat main event on Sunday night, Universal champ Roman Reigns, Royal Rumble winner Edge, and Daniel Bryan will all ‘address the WWE Universe” on tonight’s show. After Bryan stood tall over them last week, the Tribal Chief and the Ultimate Opportunist may want to do more than just talk.
Same goes for the person who will challenge Sasha Banks for her SmackDown Women’s title tomorrow night. The Boss hit Bianca Belair with a backstabber after Belair defeated Shayna Baszler a week ago.
Speaking of Baszler, she and her fellow WWE Women’s Tag Team champion Nia Jax, will continue keeping an eye on the competition... when they’re not bickering with each other over Jax’s boy toy Reggie, that is. Nia & Shayna will defend their belts on April 11 against the winner of April 10’s Tag Turmoil match between Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke, The Riott Squad, Natalya & Tamina & Lana & Naomi (and probably Carmella & Billie Kay by the time tonight’s show is over).
Big E doesn’t know what a NIgerian Drum fight is, but he’s in one this weekend. That’s the stipulation Apollo Crews has chosen for his latest attempt to take the Intercontinental title from Large Epsilon.
Not to bury the lede, but WWE kind of told us how to view the SmackDown Tag Team titles when they didn’t put them on the ‘Mania card. The Dirty Dawgs defend their straps tonight against three teams that have been jockeying for position for weeks: Rey & Dominik Mysterio, Otis & Chad Gable, and the Street Profits. Champs Ziggler & Roode teamed with Alpha Academy to beat Rey, Dom, Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins last week.
Other stuff to keep an eye on
- Tonight’s other “didn’t want to put it on a Kickoff show” match is the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. You can find a list of who’s booked for this “prestigious free-for-all” here. I’m pulling for SLAPJACK.
- “Justice for Sami”! That’s the name of Zayn’s soon-to-be box office smash and award-winning documentary, and something Sami’s probably screaming after Logan Paul locked him out of the gym this week. We still don’t know what role Paul will play in Zayn’s showdown with his old friend Kevin Owens this weekend, but maybe we’ll find out tonight.
It’s the WrestleMania 37 go home show (aka a special WrestleMania edition of SmackDown)!
What will you be looking for on SmackDown tonight?