Swerve Strickland made his long-awaited return to the ring on May 15, and he did it in a way that immediately shifted attention toward his upcoming clash with Bandido. The moment came right after Bandido successfully defended the ROH World Championship against Blake Christian at Supercard of Honor.

As Bandido celebrated his victory, the situation quickly changed. Strickland appeared from behind and launched a sudden attack, catching the champion off guard. He dropped Bandido with a House Call, then followed it up with another for emphasis. The assault did not stop there. Strickland brought a chair into the ring, set it up, and delivered a devastating vertebreaker onto it, leaving Bandido laid out.

This marked Strickland’s first in-ring appearance in months. His last match took place in March on AEW Dynamite, where he came up short against Kenny Omega. That loss played a role in shaping the AEW World Championship picture, as Omega used the victory to secure a title opportunity against MJF at Dynasty.

In the weeks leading up to this return, AEW had been airing vignette segments focused on Strickland. These clips presented him causing chaos in a setting inspired by Bandido’s Old West persona, building tension between the two without direct physical contact. That build now has a clear payoff.

It has already been confirmed that Strickland and Bandido will meet at AEW Double or Nothing. Their match will take place in the opening round of the Men’s Owen Hart Cup tournament, adding stakes beyond personal rivalry.

While both have crossed paths in AEW before, they have rarely shared the ring. Their only AEW match together came in 2023 during the 21-Man Blackjack Battle Royal for the International Championship, which was won by Orange Cassidy. Outside of AEW, they have competed on opposite sides in tag matches, but their only singles encounter dates back to 2018, when Strickland defeated Bandido at an OTT event in Dublin.

Now, with momentum and intensity on his side, Strickland has made it clear that he is not returning quietly. His actions have set the tone for what could be one of the most talked-about matches in the Owen Hart Cup tournament.

Swerve Strickland Returns and Attacks Bandido at ROH Supercard of Honor

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AEW Dynamite saw a decline in overall viewership and key demographic ratings for its May 13 episode on TBS.

According to Wrestlenomics, the show drew 585,000 viewers. This marks a small decrease compared to the May 6 episode, which brought in 590,500 viewers. While the difference is not large, it marks a week-to-week drop in total audience.

It is worth noting that the May 6 broadcast was a three-hour special. The first two hours of that show, which were officially branded as Dynamite, averaged 590,000 viewers.

In the key 18-49 demographic, Dynamite posted a 0.10 rating for May 13. This is up from the 0.08 rating recorded the previous week. However, the Dynamite portion of the May 6 episode also achieved a 0.10 rating in the same demographic, meaning the latest episode matched that specific benchmark.

Although the decline is minimal in viewership and demo ratings, the biggest concern comes from the fact that Dynamite fails to reach 600,000 viewers for the third week in a row.

The show went head to head with the NBA playoffs on ESPN and the NHL playoffs on TNT and finished tied for 7th on the cable charts for the night in 18-49 and finished 16th on cable in terms of total viewers.

In terms of cable rankings, AEW Dynamite finished in seventh place for the night.

The show was also simulcast on HBO Max, although viewership numbers for streaming platforms were not released, leaving the total audience figure incomplete.

Most Viewed 5/13 AEW Dynamite Videos on YouTube

• Could this be a look into MJF’s BALD future?! – 113,000 views
• The Death Riders come to Will Ospreay’s aid against The Opps! – 105,000 views
• THE MACHINE IS BACK! Brian Cage answers The Jet’s TNT Open Challenge – 88,000 views
• Jon Moxley challenges Will Ospreay to be MORE DANGEROUS! – 84,000 views
• Orange Cassidy, Cope & Cage and Young Bucks vs FTR, Ciampa & The Dogs – 70,000 views

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GUNTHER has secured a major title opportunity following the May 15 episode of WWE SmackDown, defeating Royce Keys in an impromptu number one contender’s match. With the win, he is now officially set to challenge Cody Rhodes at Clash in Italy in Turin on May 31.

The situation developed earlier in the show when Rhodes entered the ring holding the contract that Paul Heyman had given him the previous week. Rhodes called out GUNTHER and demanded he come to the ring to make the match official. When GUNTHER appeared, he avoided signing the contract right away and instead told Rhodes to ask properly, slowing down the process.

The segment took a turn when Royce Keys interrupted. Keys made it clear that if GUNTHER was not going to sign the contract, he would step in and do it himself. This led to a heated exchange between the two, as both argued over the opportunity. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis then stepped in and made an impromptu match between GUNTHER and Keys, with the winner earning the title shot.

GUNTHER Defeats Royce Keys

The match served as the night’s main event and featured interference late in the contest. Solo Sikoa came to ringside and brought a steel chair into play, despite Keys previously stating he did not want any assistance. Keys reacted by throwing the chair at Sikoa, knocking him off the apron and removing him from the equation.

Moments later, GUNTHER regained control, stopped Keys’ momentum, and delivered a powerbomb to secure the pinfall victory. With that win, GUNTHER officially became the number one contender.

As a result, he will now face Rhodes for the championship at Clash in Italy, adding another high-profile match to the card.

In related developments, Jade Cargill stated that she intends to challenge Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s Championship at the same event, although that match has not been confirmed. What has been made official is a six-woman tag team match for Saturday Night’s Main Event, where Cargill will team with Michin and B-Fab against Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss.

GUNTHER Defeats Royce Keys in Impromptu No. 1 Contender’s Match

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WWE has confirmed a new six-woman tag team match for Saturday Night’s Main Event on May 23 following developments on the May 15 episode of SmackDown. Jade Cargill will team with Michin and B-Fab to face Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss at the event in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The match was made after tensions escalated on SmackDown. Cargill, who returned during last week’s show, made it clear on Friday that she is targeting Rhea Ripley and the Women’s Championship. She stated that she plans to face Ripley at Clash in Italy and intends to leave with the title.

Shortly after, Flair and Bliss interrupted and pushed for their scheduled tag team match against Michin and B-Fab to begin immediately. The bout went ahead but did not reach a clean finish. It ended in a disqualification when Cargill interfered by pulling Bliss out of the ring.

Following the decision, Michin and B-Fab continued the attack on Flair. Flair responded and managed to take down both opponents during the exchange. Despite that, the numbers advantage remained an issue throughout the night.

Later in a backstage segment, Flair and Bliss acknowledged they would need support to deal with Cargill and her allies. This development set the stage for the newly announced six-woman tag match.

Ripley, who moved to SmackDown after winning the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42, has been dealing with ongoing threats since her arrival. She has been targeted by the debuting Fatal Influence group and has attempted to align with Flair and Bliss. However, the partnership has been inconsistent. Bliss has shown willingness to work together, while Flair has struggled to fully commit to a team dynamic after years as a singles competitor.

Current Card For WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on May 23

• WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta vs Ethan Page
• World Tag Team Champions The Vision vs Street Profits
• Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss vs Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab

Six-Woman Tag Match Set For WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

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