WWE crowns a new champion after SmackDown goes off the air

Modified Jun 08, 2024 03:20 GMT

A title changed hands after SmackDown went off air [Image Credits: WWE.com]

After this week's Friday Night SmackDown went off the air, WWE crowned a new champion. Andrade defeated Ricochet to become the new Speed Champion.

The Speed Championship was created earlier this year, with male superstars from all three WWE brands being allowed to challenge for it. Matches on Speed have a time limit of five minutes and are broadcast on X/Twitter.

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During the Speed tapings in April 2024, Ricochet became the inaugural Speed Champion, defeating Johnny Gargano in the final. Following this week's SmackDown, the 35-year-old's reign as the inaugural Speed Champion ended, courtesy of Andrade.

Andrade with the Speed Championship:

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During the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble Match, Andrade returned to the Stamford-based company as a surprise entrant. Shortly after, he was placed in a storyline with Dominik Mysterio, as he briefly aligned with the former NXT North American Champion and the Legado Del Fantasma. However, he eventually betrayed Dominik and turned babyface.

At WrestleMania XL, Andrade teamed up with Rey Mysterio to defeat the team of Dominik and Santos Escobar. He is currently involved in a storyline with Legado Del Fantasma with Angel trying to recruit the 34-year-old superstar into the faction.

Meanwhile, Ricochet is involved in a storyline with Ilja Dragunov and Bron Breakker over on Monday Night RAW.

About the author

Soumik Datta is a professional wrestling journalist who has been following the business for more than a decade.

In 2017, Soumik joined the Sportskeeda Wrestling team and is best known for his work with the WWE team. He has previously contributed to the Sportskeeda AEW, MMA, and the football team where he specifically covered the Major League Soccer.

In 2024, Soumik crossed 50 million reads for Sportskeeda WWE. While working under Sportskeeda MMA, he interviewed prominent UFC fighters, including Justin Gaethje, Sean O'Malley, and Cory Sandhagen, among others. He is also being followed by John Cena on X (formerly Twitter).

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Edited by Debottam Saha