Solo Sikoa advanced in the “Last Time Is Now” tournament on Monday Night Raw, but not under the circumstances anyone expected. His quarterfinal match against Penta ended abruptly after Penta suffered a legitimate injury just minutes into the bout, forcing the referee to wave off the match.
The injury occurred after Penta hit a hurricanrana and landed awkwardly. Commentary quickly shifted tone as Wade Barrett threw the broadcast to a commercial so that officials could assess the situation, while Joe Tessitore received word of the stoppage. The match was originally laid out to go roughly twelve minutes but ended at around the four-minute mark.
Despite the sudden finish, the planned result did not change. According to Bryan Alvarez, Solo Sikoa was always booked to defeat Penta and advance, meaning the stoppage did not alter the tournament in any way. Alvarez noted, “Solo Sikoa was scheduled to beat Penta, so nothing changed in the tournament,” confirming that the original bracket stood as intended.
This tournament will crown John Cena’s final opponent for his retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13. Sikoa’s win moves him into the semifinal round, where he will face GUNTHER.
Two more quarterfinal bouts are scheduled to air on Friday’s SmackDown: Jey Uso vs. Rusev, and LA Knight vs. a mystery opponent. The winner of the tournament will challenge Cena in what is being billed as his last-ever match.
