Rishabh is an avid pro wrestling fan and a WWE writer at Essentially Sports with over a year?s experience in journalism. Having completed his Bachelor?s in Education at European International University, his research prowess is the most powerful tool in his skillset. For Rishabh, pro wrestling is not just sports entertainment; it?s an emotion. 

As an impressionable 7-year-old child, he believed that only The Undertaker could defeat his dad. Besides expressing his love for WWE in his articles, he teaches fitness and flow art. He is a certified Steelmaceflow artist and coach, teaching people how to do something beautiful with their strength.

They say when you turn your passion into your profession, you don?t have to work a day. Well, that has been my story. Grew up as a pro wrestling fan during WWE?s famed Attitude Era. It took the epic Ladder Match between Hardy Boyz, Edge &amp; Christian and The Dudley Boyz to convert me to a wrestling fan for life time and here we are. I would have bitten your hand off if you would?ve told me back then that I will covering my favorite form of sports entertainment for a living.

EssentiallySports was the beginning of this journey as a writer and I had a shining moment of personal and professional glory when The Bloodline?s Wise Man, Paul Heyman shared my article on his Instagram story. Since then I have taken up the role of an editor at ES for WWE division and continue to provide coverage of WWE?s biggest events as well as marquee PPVs from AEW. I?ve had the chance to cover events such as WrestleMania 39, SummerSlam, AEW?s All In and much more. Pro wrestling is on my mind 24x7 and when I have time away from work, I like to get into fantasy fiction reading and war documentaries online. You can find me tweeting about pro wrestling @blackbeard__11 on X and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherjeel-malik-70bb1a235

Carlito [https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=4640a176a0c3047d9&q=https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/carlito/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwizirjVkt6CAxViT2wGHfOTA58QFnoECAcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3c8aJ44o64i0-W4xbWj9R5] is not going to wrestle tomorrow at Survivor Series. This week on SmackDown tonight, he came out to address Santos Escobar and his attack on his friend, Rey Mysterio. [https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=4640a176a0c3047d9&q=https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/rey-mysterio/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiX6O3Lkt6CAxWKbmwGHQYEBn0QFnoECAgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1gQ7PWcBIHECMgRN2Aq0wi] He was scheduled to defend Mysterio’s honor at Survivor Series this weekend, but now that won’t be happening. After their heated segment on Friday Night SmackDown, Escobar sneakily attacked Carlito first at ringside, then backstage as well. The attack was so vicious that he ended up getting severely injured. Nick Aldis later informed that he had to cancel the match given Carlito’s unfit situation. He was going to postpone the match, but someone stopped him. DRAGON LEE COMES TO THE RESCUE Earlier, when Escobar was attacking Carlito backstage, Dragon Lee showed up and prevented any further damage. Again, when Aldis was about to remove Escobar vs. Carlito from the match card, Lee requested to give him permission to replace Carlito. [data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==] Therefore, it’s official now. Tomorrow at Survivor Series Wargames, Dragon Lee will take on Santos Escobar and try to defend his fellow Luchador’s honor by beating Mysterio’s attacker. 

<p>Carlito is not going to wrestle tomorrow at Survivor Series. This week on SmackDown tonight, he came out to address Santos Escobar and his attack on his friend, Rey Mysterio. He was scheduled to defend Mysterio&#8217;s honor at Survivor Series this weekend, but now that won&#8217;t be happening. After their heated segment on Friday Night&hellip;</p>


Monika Thapa

Monika Thapa | WWE Writer at EssentiallySports

EssentiallySports

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Santos Escobar’s Vicious Attack on Carlito on SmackDown Alters Plans for
Survivor Series WarGames

Siyari Debbarma is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With over 700 articles under her belt, Siyari is an expert in providing in-depth analysis and coverage of the game. Her throwback article on Dennis Rodman's plea for help garnered more than 3.5 million page views, a testament to her skill as a writer and journalist.

Siyari's expertise also extends to game coverage and lifestyle reporting on NBA players and their families. She brings a unique perspective to her articles, providing readers with a behind-the-scenes look at the personal lives of their favorite players. Her passion for basketball began when she started hooping in her senior year of school, and she has been a devoted fan of the game ever since.

Although Siyari admires players irrespective of their teams, the Golden State Warriors hold a special place in her heart. She is a huge fan of iconic names such as Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan, but her personal preferences have never swayed her from delivering detailed and impartial content to her readers.

When she's not covering the latest NBA stories, Siyari indulges in her love of reading, with a particular fondness for books on history and culture. She also spends time with her adorable cats and dogs, who keep her company when she's away from the court.

Caroline Joseph is a Primary Editor for the NBA division at EssentiallySports, who covers the post-retirement lives of basketball legends such as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and many more. From publishing companies to e-learning agencies and animation studios, she has worked with a plethora of content creation and curation groups over the span of a decade.  

Her fascination with these NBA icons began at the tender age of ten when she was entranced by the classic movie “Space Jam”. Her hobbies include a passion for writing science fiction and singing live on stage. Through her editorial lens, Caroline uses a meticulous approach to fact-checking and mentoring writers to achieve standard journalism practices.

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Pritha is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. After reporting on the luxurious lifestyle of celebrities for a year, she used that experience to cover the glamor side of the basketball world. She has expertly covered Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan's complicated love story and the lavish vacations of NBA superstars, among other off-court scoops. One of her articles on NBA icon Magic Johnson’s Italian vacation had very high ratios of fan engagement. Away from work, Pritha is an avid reader and loves to explore the world of art..

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Pritha Debroy

Saumya is the Lead Editor for the NBA Active division at EssentiallySports. With almost a decade of writing experience, Saumya embraced the editorial front with open arms at the ES NewsDesk. She monitors and covers NBA Trade Deadlines closely, supervising live coverage of games, and analyzes the speculations that go beyond the players’ on-court lives. 

She has a keen eye for the nuances that make basketball more than just a sport. Saumya ensures to weave the right words to capture the essence of each slam dunk, every strategic play, and the relentless pursuit of greatness by athletes who defy gravity. Her commitment to bring a fresh perspective &amp; shedding light on the untold narratives is her USP. 

When not at her desk, she’s busy lounging with her dog or whipping up new recipes. Join her in her journey as she explores the captivating world of the NBA.

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Caroline John is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. She holds a Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from a reputed university. With 8 years of experience in content writing and after judiciously covering the life of Shaquille O’Neal, she earned an exclusive interview with the CEO of Shaq’s Big Chicken franchise, Josh Halpern. Initially, it was the philanthropic versions of NBA icons LeBron James and O’Neal that drew her to start following the sport. And today, she has become a trustworthy voice covering the same names. Caroline never goes unnoticed! An article on Shaq, AKA DJ Diesel, and rapper GAWNE even caught the eye of the 4x NBA champion as he shared it on Instagram. When away from ES Desk, Carloline can be found immersed in books.

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Caroline John

Shriya Rajachandra is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. She earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism, Psychology, and Communicative English. Shriya previously interned at The New Indian Express, but her favorite journalist, Marcus Thompson motivated her to start writing about basketball. Her favorite team is the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry is her favorite player. She has a puppy named Dobby who is her emotional support bag during intense games.

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Anuj Talwalkar is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, who is marching towards touching 3000 articles. As a writer who specializes in game analysis, post-game pressers, thrilling perspective on players and their performances, he loves merging his passion for writing with the complex human-dramas that unfold everyone on-court. At ES, he is known for his quick coverage of breaking news, an expertise that is now inspiring the junior writers. His love for the sport blossomed a decade back after he started following match highlights. He holds a deep admiration for players like Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant, who gave their all in the arena, each time they stepped on court. When Anuj isn't playing some kind of ball outdoors, he likes to read about Sports Management and spend quality time with his family.

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Anuj Talwalkar

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<h2>WWE SmackDown 2021: Latest News, WWE Rumors, Results</h2>
Probably the most popular brand in WWE right now, SmackDown has come a long way since it started off as a brand extension to Raw. The Blue brand has seen some of the best Superstars to ever step foot in the ring and continues to host the best fights in WWE.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://mms.businesswire.com/media/20190812005320/en/737919/5/SmackDown_Crowd.jpg" alt="WWE? and FOX Sports Celebrate SmackDown's 20th Anniversary on October 4 | Business Wire" data-noaft="1" />

The event may be your weekly Friday Night watch, but you may not know why it started in the first place.
<h2>History</h2>
SmackDown was initially introduced in 1999 to compete with WCW?s Thunder that aired on Thursdays. This sub-branch to Raw was going to be a second home for WWE Superstars.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmJiZWIxYzEtNGZlZS00YTBmLWExZGItYThlMzIxZjIwYjNlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTA0NzE2MzA@._V1_.jpg" alt="WWE Smackdown! (1999-)" data-noaft="1" />

The first episode of SmackDown took place in a Raw ring until it got its own theme.<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span>

A young and fiery Dwayne ?The Rock? Johnson was moved to SmackDown to hold up the flag for WWE. These were arguably his golden years, where his segments were going viral.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/gallery_img_l/public/all/2016/11/004_8.26.99-004--6a6f334bf95da505967bcce6c00db032.jpg" alt="100 Definitive Photos of The Rock | WWE" data-noaft="1" />

The Rock made SmackDown his own brand and even claimed that it was named after him. This was due to his previously introduced catchphrase ?Laying the Smackdown?.<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span>
<h3>Victory over WCW</h3>
WCW Thunder could not compete with SmackDown at all and was forced to move to Wednesdays. Unlike the long and fierce battle between Raw and Nitro, SmackDown had won its side of the battle already.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/gallery_img_l/public/all/2017/10/006_WM16_04022000_0657b--4a46fccda63f677e23004a9dcbb0b13a.jpg" alt="Stephanie McMahon &amp; Triple H through the years: photos | WWE" data-noaft="1" />

Following WWE?s victory in the Monday Night Wars and the subsequent acquisition of WCW, SmackDown was moved to Friday nights in 2005. This was possible only because the popular show <em>Star Trek: Enterprise</em> had been canceled.

Taking its slot, WWE renamed SmackDown to Friday Night SmackDown to emphasize the change in airing day.

Since then, SmackDown has seen a steady rise in viewership. At its peak from 2002-2005, the show pulled in an average viewership of 5 million!

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/20200617231732/undertaker-wrestlemania.png" alt="You Pushed the Limits Yesterday" data-noaft="1" />

This made it the second-highest-rated series behind America?s Next Top Model.

The SmackDown Logo has now permanently adopted a blue theme, which is reminiscent of the one it originally started off with in 1999.
<h3>Lockdown Success</h3>
During the pandemic, the brand has been able to somehow maintain pre- lockdown numbers and is doing steadily well. The impressive rise in numbers following the introduction of ThunderDome is commendable.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/og_image/public/2020/08/20200821_SD_Vid_Seg11_InterconAlt--37d932e39ba9504ebaad96e043156148.jpg" alt="Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles ? Intercontinental Championship Match: SmackDown, August 21, 2020 | WWE" data-noaft="1" />

SmackDown, once being the subsidiary of Raw, has taken over the main show and is now the leading brand in terms of viewership.

The two brands compete annually at Survivor Series in a massive SmackDown vs Raw showdown.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/og_image/public/2020/05/20191011_Smackdown_TheFiend--273df341293e9636428bf3c0e3a9e9eb.jpg" alt="The Fiend? Bray Wyatt drags Seth Rollins to hell: SmackDown, Oct. 11, 2019 | WWE" data-noaft="1" />

The show is set to float through the pandemic in calm waters. If you ever need consistently good content every week, tune in to SmackDown every Friday Night.
<h2>WWE Smackdown Roster</h2>
The SmackDown roster has upheld its standards of having the best even today.

The WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is the dominant figure of the roster. His recent return has made him more popular than ever before.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/883/705/5b312eb73369f7714ee448e39700122a_crop_exact.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=1200&amp;q=75" alt="Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Roman Reigns, Raw Creative and More | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights" data-noaft="1" />

The SmackDown Women?s Champion Sasha Banks is another prominent figure in the division. Her massive feud with Bayley shot up the ratings for SmackDown.

Intercontinental Champion Big E also makes the headlines for this roster.

<img class="n3VNCb alignnone" src="https://cdn.gouki.com/scoreboard-image-wwe/d41ebc72f13d43d4b046486869db5af9.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" data-iml="30489" />

Other big names from SmackDown include Bayley, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Rey Mysterio, and Bianca Belair.
<h2>Where to watch WWE Smackdown?</h2>
You can watch WWE SmackDown live every <strong>Friday Night at 7:30 PM E.T.</strong> on traditional Streaming platforms and exclusively on <strong>WWE Network</strong> and <strong>Fox Network</strong>.
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Created By</td>
<td valign="middle">Vince McMahon<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Country of Origin</td>
<td valign="middle">United States Of America</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Original Network<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
<td valign="middle">Fox (Present)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Distributor /<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span>

Live Streaming</td>
<td valign="middle">WWE /<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span>

WWE Network, Fox Network<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">History</td>
<td valign="middle">1999- Present</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">First Event<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
<td valign="middle">April 29, 1999</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Date</td>
<td valign="middle">Friday nights at 7:30 PM E.T.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Location</td>
<td valign="middle">ThunderDome (Amway Centre), Orlando, Florida<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Live Streaming</td>
<td valign="middle">WWE Network, Fox Network</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">TV Channels</td>
<td valign="middle">Traditional Sports Streaming Channels<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

WWE SmackDown

WWE SmackDown 2021: Latest News, WWE Rumors, Results Probably the most popular brand in WWE right now, SmackDown has come a long way since it started off as a brand extension to Raw. The Blue brand has seen some of the best Superstars to ever step foot in the ring and continues to host the best fights in WWE. The event may be your weekly Friday Night watch, but you may not know why it started in the first place. History SmackDown was initially introduced in 1999 to compete with WCW?s Thunder that aired on Thursdays. This sub-branch to Raw was going to be a second home for WWE Superstars. The first episode of SmackDown took place in a Raw ring until it got its own theme.? A young and fiery Dwayne ?The Rock? Johnson was moved to SmackDown to hold up the flag for WWE. These were arguably his golden years, where his segments were going viral. The Rock made SmackDown his own brand and even claimed that it was named after him. This was due to his previously introduced catchphrase ?Laying the Smackdown?.? Victory over WCW WCW Thunder could not compete with SmackDown at all and was forced to move to Wednesdays. Unlike the long and fierce battle between Raw and Nitro, SmackDown had won its side of the battle already. Following WWE?s victory in the Monday Night Wars and the subsequent acquisition of WCW, SmackDown was moved to Friday nights in 2005. This was possible only because the popular show Star Trek: Enterprise had been canceled. Taking its slot, WWE renamed SmackDown to Friday Night SmackDown to emphasize the change in airing day. Since then, SmackDown has seen a steady rise in viewership. At its peak from 2002-2005, the show pulled in an average viewership of 5 million! This made it the second-highest-rated series behind America?s Next Top Model. The SmackDown Logo has now permanently adopted a blue theme, which is reminiscent of the one it originally started off with in 1999. Lockdown Success During the pandemic, the brand has been able to somehow maintain pre- lockdown numbers and is doing steadily well. The impressive rise in numbers following the introduction of ThunderDome is commendable. SmackDown, once being the subsidiary of Raw, has taken over the main show and is now the leading brand in terms of viewership. The two brands compete annually at Survivor Series in a massive SmackDown vs Raw showdown. The show is set to float through the pandemic in calm waters. If you ever need consistently good content every week, tune in to SmackDown every Friday Night. WWE Smackdown Roster The SmackDown roster has upheld its standards of having the best even today. The WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is the dominant figure of the roster. His recent return has made him more popular than ever before. The SmackDown Women?s Champion Sasha Banks is another prominent figure in the division. Her massive feud with Bayley shot up the ratings for SmackDown. Intercontinental Champion Big E also makes the headlines for this roster. Other big names from SmackDown include Bayley, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Rey Mysterio, and Bianca Belair. Where to watch WWE Smackdown? You can watch WWE SmackDown live every Friday Night at 7:30 PM E.T. on traditional Streaming platforms and exclusively on WWE Network and Fox Network.  Created By Vince McMahon?  Country of Origin United States Of America  Original Network? Fox (Present)  Distributor /? Live Streaming WWE /? WWE Network, Fox Network?  History 1999- Present  First Event? April 29, 1999  Date Friday nights at 7:30 PM E.T.  Location ThunderDome (Amway Centre), Orlando, Florida?  Live Streaming WWE Network, Fox Network  TV Channels Traditional Sports Streaming Channels?

Santos Escobar’s Vicious Attack on Carlito on SmackDown Alters Plans for Survivor Series WarGames

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