It’s another edition of WWE SmackDown, in case you forgot about it with all that’s happening. I’m sure everyone will be half-watching this one at most, so what better a time for a recap page~? I’ll be giving you the live play by play of the whole show as always so watch this space~!
Sasha Banks opens the show, her big rematch with Bayley is starting out the show! It gets the video package treatment to give people time to tune in.
We see an interview backstage with Bayley afterwards, talking about the emotions the video brought back. The joy of wrapping her chair around her head, the anger of Sasha forcing her to sign the contract for their Cell match. But she’s sad they didn’t show that every time she wins a title, she loses it immediately. Says that this rivalry will end the way it started, with Sasha crippled in the ring by her own failure. She then makes her way out to the ring.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bayley
Taking so long to start that I’m starting to think there will be a commercial break before the bell rings. But it does happen and they lock-up! Right into the corner, they exchange control until there’s a break. Bayley with a shove, Sasha with a chop and forearm, grabs the wrist, springs off the top rope for a Lucha Arm Drag, cover for a 1 count. Battle for a backslide now, Sasha kicks off the buckles to get in front of her but Bayley with a trip and a 1 count. Sasha hoists up, trying for a Victory Roll, Bayley is blocking it but Sasha reverses into a Bank Statement but Bayley quickly gets the ropes and powders before the commercial break.
We come back to see Bayley try a Baseball Slide, Sasha avoids it, slips into the ring for a dive of her own, Bayley tries to catch her on the apron but Sasha is ready and slips past her to rip her off and she lands facefirst on the apron! Sasha with a Tiger Feint Kick on the apron, takes her inside, Pullover Meteora for a nearfall! Bayley rolls to the apron, Sasha with a Meteora against the post! She tries a second one but Bayley pops her up with her legs and Sasha lands hard, facefirst on the apron! Bayley rolls her inside for a nearfall! Stomps her around, Guillotine spot at the bottom rope for a nearfall! Side headlock cinched in.
Sasha kicks her around to the corner, Bayley tries a back body drop but Sasha holds onto the top rope, there’s her headscissor drive into the buckle, Meteora for a nearfall! Bayley with a huge clothesline comeback for a 2 count of her own. Bayley takes her up top, Sasha fights back and knocks her to the mat, yet another Meteora! She uses those like Omega used to use V-Triggers. Commercial break. We come back to see Sasha up top but Bayley is able to cut her off. She looks to suplex her off, but Sasha slips beneath her, pulls her off for a Powerbomb but Bayley counters with a rana into the announce table!
Takes her inside and goes up top but Sasha stops her, grabs a wrist and rips her to the mat! Sasha with a brutal running knee, taking HERSELF to the outside! And then she leaps off the steps for an elbow drop to the face of Bayley! Rolls her inside, up top, beautiful Frog Splash for a nearfall! Pulls her up, Backstabber, tries the Bank Statement but Bayley counters with a Bayley-To-Belly attempt, Sasha counters THAT into the Bank Statement but Bayley grabs the ropes, forces Sasha outside and kicks her into the barricade!
She then throws her back inside, before retrieving a kendo stick. She tosses it into the ring, makes the ref deal with it, then brings a steel chair into the ring! Sasha kicks the chair out of her hand, takes her down and throws the chair away but Bayley is able to get her from behind with a Backstabber! Bayley-To-Belly!! NEARFALL! Bayley up top again, lands the Flying Elbow Drop for another nearfall! Battle back and forth, exchange of counters ends with Bayley nailing a Russian Legsweep for another 2 count.
Bayley takes Sasha into the Bank Statement now! Sasha tries to pull herself over to the ropes, Bayley is trying to kick off of them but Sasha counters into a Jacknife Cover for 2, they spill to the apron, Sasha low bridges a charge and sends Bayley into the post! Brings her into the ring, Backstabber into the Bank Statement and Bayley has to tap!
Winner: Sasha Banks
That was awesome. These two have such absurd chemistry, I hope they get to keep having matches like this for years.
As Sasha celebrates on the stage, Carmella attacks her from behind and lays her out with a superkick and an X-Factor. Man, she sure isn’t going to have the same kind of match with her at all.
Kevin Owens and Jey Uso are backstage, Kev is trying to get on Jey’s good side but he’s rubbing Jey the wrong way. He wants to check in on him because their partners at Survivor Series but he clearly has enough on his mind.
Jey is now at a different part of backstage being interviewed. We see a video of last week’s events with Jey joining up with Roman Reigns. Afterwards Jey explains that he did what he had to do. He says it wasn’t personal, considers DB his friend, but he’s not blood. Interviewer gives him sass about falling in line, Paul Heyman shows up and asks if Roman Reigns authorized this interview. He answers for her that he did not. Paul says Roman wants Jey. Kayla says Heyman has a better spot in the family than Jey does and he’s pissed off that she’s still throwing shade.
Rey Mysterio gets attacked by King Corbin backstage. Dominik runs him off.
Heyman is explaining to Jey backstage that he does respect him but he has to ask permission for Roman before doing these things. Jey seems appalled, wants to go talk to him. Paul says he’ll talk to him first. Roman enters the hall. He explains there’s a chain of command here, if he wants to do something, talk to him. If he can’t find him, talk to Paul. Jey says Owens was telling jokes. Roman says it sounds like they were disrespecting him. Disrespecting Jey is disrespecting Roman and disrespecting Roman is disrespecting their whole bloodline. Roman asks Paul if he knew about this. Heyman tells him nervously that he learned about it as it was happening. Roman says he’s supposed to know everything so he can handle it.
Qualifying match up next, Rey vs. Corbin. Atleast they’re still going with that, when he got laid out I kinda assumed Dominik would be subbing in. But they’re both dressed about the same as they come out and Rey enters the ring alone.
King Corbin vs. Rey Mysterio
Rey charges in, Corbin gets him with an immediate Spinebuster! Batters him around the ring, slams him facefirst into a buckle. Pulls him to the apron for a big shot. Back in the ring, Rey tries to fight back but a right hand drops him. Corbin stands on his throat for a few moments. Corbin knocks Rey to the floor. Poses as Rey is struggling to rise. Corbin slips outside to go after him. Forearm. Charges, Rey side-steps and Corbin ends up ramming into the steps! Rey takes the fight to him, brings him into the ring. Forearms to the face, hits the ropes, Corbin stops him with a back elbow.
Corbin looks for a chokeslam, Rey counters with a sunset flip out of the air for a nearfall. Spinning headscissors takes Corbin to the floor. He seems to be prepping for a dive when Seth Rollins’ music hits and he comes to the stage. Commercial break. They’re fighting on the outside as we come back, Rey brings Coribn into the post. Into the ring, Springboard Splash! Rey with the boots up off a charge once, twice. Springboard Moonsault Press but Corbin catches him out of the air, Argentine Backbreaker! Nearfall. Rey fights out of a hold and tries for a crossbody but Corbin catches him again, series of backbreakers into a World’s Strongest Slam for a nearfall.
This is a very slow moving match as Corbin is just beating and beating on Rey. Running punch to the face. And another. Aaaand the third is ducked, Rey runs at him and gets pulled right up into a Bear Hug, this is kinda agonizing. Rey with headbutts and a bite to try and break the hold, Corbin slams him into the buckle but sells the bite. Rey with a West Coast Pop off the second rope, Basement Dropkick, Springboard West Coast Pop for a nearfall! Rey rolls out of an End of Days attempt, trips him into the ropes, tries for 619 but Corbin ducks out of the ring. He turns and attacks Dominik from behind for some reason. Rey with a Baseball Slide, Tope takes him out. Rey throws him into the ring, Corbin gets him with a shot to the gut.
Rey with another rana into the ropes, hits the 619 but now Rollins is attacking Dominik! Rey goes out there to throw Seth into the barricade! Murphy and Aalyah come down but Rey is yelling at them, says Murphy shouldn’t be here. He re-enters the ring and turns right into a fairly unorthodox End of Days for the win.
Winner: King Corbin
That was a bit of a slog.
Women’s qualifier now.
Natalya vs. Ruby Riott vs. Zelina Vega
They go at it, Nattie trips Zelina up and pulls her out of the ring, Ruby gets Nattie with an inside cradle back in the ring. Natalya with a body slam. Looks for the Surfboard. She has it in now. Zelina sneaks in and pins Natalya for a 2 count, forcing her to break the count. Zelina with a Headscissor, a lotta spins before she gets her! Ruby with an STO to Vega. Goes up top, Natalya tries to stop her, she punches her away, looks for a senton to Zelina but she rolls out of the way.
Natalya gets Ruby into a Sharpshooter but a Vega bulldog breaks that up, running knee to Riott, Headscissor Driver! Ruby rolls out of the ring. Nattie with a roll-up on Zelina for a 2 count. Zelina ducks a Discus Clothesline, sunset flip for a 2 count, Natalya trips her into the Sharpshooter. Zelina crawls towards the ropes, Natalya pulls her away. Ruby goes in and locks Zelina in a Kimura as Vega is already in the Sharpshooter! Natalya lets go right before Zelina taps and so Ruby wins.
Winner: Ruby Riott
What a screwy finish.
Street Profits go up to Big E, chanting “Big! E Rocks!”. E says they want some schooling before Survivor Series. He has them huddle just to tell them that Kofi and Woods will beat ’em up. They all share a big cackle. Billie Kay joins in on the laughing for some reason. She gives them her headshot and resume for some inside info on Raw. Angelo tells her they were on Raw for that same period and hands it right back.
Seth Rollins vs. Otis
Quick battling it out, Otis whips Rollins hard into the corner, then gets a few waistlock takedowns slamming him hard, Rollins has to powder. Murphy is coming out once again, slowly trekking down the ramp. Seth back into the ring, but he gets back body dropped to the floor, right in front of Murphy. He just stands there… MENACINGLY as Seth stares. Otis with a huge shoulder block and throws him inside. He stops to stare himself before entering the ring, Rollins with a Slingblade for a nearfall.
Otis staggers to the corner, Seth with a charging shoulder thrust but he accidentally hit his gut and he’s got him jigglin’. He gyrates around, Seth with a chop but he just keeps on with the thrusts and the Dusty style dancing. Charging back elbows, whips him, Pancake! Bounces him off the corner, Spinning Bodyslam! Charges, Seth with a boot up. He comes off the top with a crossbody but Otis catches him out of the air with a Fallaway Slam! Avalanche in the corner, and now he’s whipping his head around. Looking for the Caterpillar – but Murphy goes up on the apron? Off the distraction, Seth hits a Superkick leading into The Stomp, that’s that!
Winner: Seth Rollins
Murphy is still staring daggers through Seth. Mysterios backstage are beside themselves.
Seth catches up to Murphy backstage after a commercial break. He says he knows what he saw tonight. Wants him to tell him if he saw what he thinks he saw. Murphy answers “Messiah – Disciple”. Seth is overjoyed and wants him to say it again so he does. Seth says he knew that he’s understand, the Mysterio family would never accept him but he does. Welcomes him back home. Says they’ve got work to do! Seth leaves and Aalyah rushes in to shove him around and ask what the hell he’s doing. Murphy tells her she needs to trust him. This is for the greater good.
Lars Sullivan has a sit-down interview with Michael Cole, says he hates bullies. He’s been bullied his entire life for the way he looks, talks and dresses. Also for his forum posts. He says people would kick him, steal his lunch and call him ‘freak’. The other kids would watch and laugh at his expense. At thirteen years of age he started lifting weights and learned how to take care of himself, gained 50 lbs of muscle in 18 months and the bullying stopped. In fact he became the bully.
He bullied the bullies and that was so much fun. He did the same to the kids who would just stand there and watch, he got them too. They deserved it. He learned that he could bully whoever he wanted and make them do whatever he wanted, make them eat dirt, glass, bugs… he laughs. He could do whatever he wanted. Including this; he just up and roars and seemingly peaks a mic. Says he loves that intimidation and cackles.
Owens backstage says he speaks his mind, it’s a bad habit. If Roman Reigns, Jey Uso or their special counsel has a problem with it, they can deal. Says what happened with Bryan last week was out-of-hand. He’s done a lot of bad things for his family but he chose to do it because he’s his own man, that’s more than he can say from Jey Uso. Tells him the beating that’s coming for him is 100% from him.
Kevin Owens vs. Jey Uso
Owens with a side headlock, gets shot off but hits a shoulder block. Lock-up. Jey with a wristlock. Owens gets him with a forearm, body slam and a senton for a 2 count. Roman is watching backstage, match spills to the outside, Owens avoids a tope suicida and then hits a senton off the apron before the commercial break! As we come back, Jey has retaken control in the ring. Jey pounds on him, whips him, Kev with a kick off a back body drop attempt, drops his neck across his knee for a 2 count!
Owens goes up top. Paul Heyman is coming out though for the distraction, Jey with a running big boot drops Owens to the floor! He hits the ropes for the suicide dive! Brings him into the ring. Superkick drops him! Mounts him for punches. Jey with a chinlock. Owens fights to his feet and breaks it for a superkick of his own! Owens sidesteps a charge and Jey hits the post, Owens with another superkick setting up for the Cannonball! Owens goes up top, Swanton Bomb for a nearfall! Rare to see that move straight-up land, which actually helps it as a nearfall on the rare instance that it works. Pop-Up Powerbomb attempted but Jey slips behind him, Superkick, Neckbreaker for another nearfall!
Jey goes up top. Owens tries to scale too but gets knocked off, Jey leaps off and has to roll-through, Pop-Up Powerbomb! But Jey barely gets his foot up on the ropes for the break. Roman Reigns’ music hits, immediately off the distraction Jey with a headbutt low blow! Yet another Superkick, he goes up top for the Uso Splash and that’s that.
Winner: Jey Uso
Very solid match, felt like it was a bit hurt by time constraints of it’s position like a lot of WWE tv main events but good all the same. Roman Reigns goes out to the stage to stand alongside Jey afterwards, he raises the title up as the show goes off the air.