WWE Re-Shoot Ending of SmackDown With John Cena & Logan Paul

Friday evening’s edition of WWE SmackDown saw a heated in-ring confrontation between John Cena and Logan Paul. The 17-time world champion and the social media star are set to do battle at the upcoming Clash in Paris Premium Live Event on the 31st of August.

With less than two weeks to go until the much-anticipated bout, WWE sought to turn up the heat on the pair’s rivalry. However, the closing moments of the show were so badly botched that the company chose to edit the ending that was originally shown live on Netflix, fixing the error by the time SmackDown was aired in the USA.

Friday’s SmackDown was broadcast in front of an exceptionally vocal crowd at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Fans were determined to enjoy every moment of the first-ever televised WWE event in the city – and they particularly loved Cena’s face-to-face segment with Paul during the show.

Cena tore into Logan as the pair went back-and-forth on the microphone in the centre of the ring. The 48-year-old referred to Paul as “a parasite”, who was only in WWE so that he could promote his own brand.

Credit: WWE

John even went as far as to leave the ring to knock over the Prime Hydration Station, a display promoting the drink that Logan co-owns. Cena wasn’t done there, though, as he slammed his younger foe for taking the spotlight away from other potential opponents on his retirement tour. He went on to name five other WWE acts that he would prefer to face in place of Paul.

Cena’s burial of Logan was completed when he ended the segment by planting Paul in the centre of the ring with his Attitude Adjustment finisher. Their interaction was so one-sided that Logan was always likely to come looking for retribution before the end of the show.

That proved to be the case, as Paul was booked to sucker punch Cena in the show’s concluding angle. Taking advantage of the fact that Cena was busy speaking to SmackDown General Manager, Nick Aldis, about an upcoming match with Brock Lesnar, Logan was supposed to leave the Irish capital with the upper hand in the pair’s rivalry.

WWE Forced to Re-Shoot Logan Paul Botch on SmackDown

However, when the time came to shoot the show-closing angle, Paul visibly failed to connect with his punch on Cena. As the angle was being broadcast live, the veteran went along with the script and sold the punch as though it had landed. Since making his in-ring debut at WrestleMania 38 in 2022, Logan has impressed fans and pundits alike with how quickly he has adapted to the world of professional wrestling. With that said, Friday’s punch to Cena is one that he would like to be able to take back.

Thankfully, he had that chance. WWE were clearly unhappy with how the angle looked on television, as they ordered the segment to be re-shot before it aired stateside on the USA Network. As can be seen in the side-by-side comparison below, the botched punch was nowhere to be seen on the US broadcast, with the incident shot from a completely different angle. On his second attempt, Logan’s punch looked far more convincing.

On most weeks, the edit wouldn’t have been possible, as SmackDown typically airs simultaneously on both Netflix and the USA Network. Fortunately for both WWE and Logan, Friday’s broadcast taking place in Ireland meant that there was a three-hour delay between the live show ending on Netflix and the beginning of the American airing. Producers made full use of the extra time to ensure that the angle looked as good as possible on its second airing.

There will be no second chances when the duo meet in their grudge match at Clash in Paris, though, with the PLE set to air live worldwide on both Netflix and Peacock.