The week ends here with Friday Night SmackDown. And as always, I’ll be here with you throughout the night to give you the live play-by-play of the show as it airs. So watch this space for the WWE SmackDown Recap!
Daniel Bryan opens the show! He comes out holding a steel chair. Says everyone saw the truth, the reality. Everyone saw something that Roman said would never happen. Everybody saw Roman tap out. He said he’d rather die than tap out! But good news, Roman Reigns is alive and he tapped out to Daniel Bryan!
In a perfect world, what that would mean is that he’d be standing in this ring right now as Universal Champion, knowing that he was headed to the main event of WresrtleMania. But neither of those things are true because Edge hit him across the head with a chair. Over the past couple of weeks Edge claimed he wasn’t doing this the right way, telling him he should stand by and let everyone have their dream match. He’s had enough, he’s tired of doing things the right way and have a dream match they didn’t even earn!
Says he earned that title shot, he earned that win at Fastlane and he earned his spot at WrestleMania. But he’s willing to earn it all again. He doesn’t want anyone to give it to him, he wants a rematch with Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship tonight! And he won’t leave ’til he gets it. So Bryan has a little sit-in as we go to commercial break. WWE SmackDown Recap will resume when the show does.
We come back and the sitting continues!! I got chills!!
A minute passes, Adam Pearce comes to the stage. Says he can’t give him a rematch. Bryan asks if he saw Roman tap out, he can show it to him. Pearce says he saw it but the referee’s decision is final. Reigns’ next title match is against Edge. Bryan says how about give him the winner of Reigns vs. Edge at Mania? Pearce says he knows that’d be unfair to do to anyone. Bryan says there’s kind of a double standard here, is that too hard for Edge and Roman, is that it? How about this, Night 1 you have Edge vs. Roman Reigns, Night 2 the winner faces Daniel Bryan!
Loud piped in “Yes” chant. Before Pearce can answer, Edge’s music hits and storms down the ramp passed Pearce. Stomps into the ring and demands a mic. He says the last month he’s sat back and watched Bryan act like a knight in shining armor. Talking about how this could be his last Mania, EVERY match could be Edge’s last! This Mania is ten years to the day he announced his retirement! Tells him he lost to Reigns twice and he doesn’t deserve that match at Mania, calls him a son of a bitch. Bryan tries to double leg him but Edge blocks it and spears him! Slowly grabs the chair and hits Bryan with it before leaving.
WWE SmackDown continues and we see Roman Reigns’ office backstage.
He has Heyman and Jey to go deal with Adam Pearce, tells Jey to use force if he has to do.
And now, for our opening match here 24 minutes into the show…
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Lock-up, Nak with a headlock, reversed. Shinsuke shoots him off, knee to the gut. Drives him into the corner, batters and gets him with the Good Vibes! Rollins slips to the apron, Hot Shot! Goes up top but Nakamura blocks him, knee to the gut. Slides outside and pulls him to the apron for a running knee to the face. Flying Knee to the back of the head sends him to the floor! Throws him back in as we go to commercial break, WWE SmackDown Recap will resume when the show does!
Seth fights out of a headlock, hits the ropes, Slingblade for a 2 count! And another cover for another 2. Rollins whips him to the corner but Nak rebounds out with a dropkick! Shinsuke with a combination of blows, Stun Gun and an Axe Kick to the back of the head sends him to the mat! Sliding Knee! Seth with the boots up off a charge but Shinsuke grabs them, spins him into the ropes for the Ishimori German Suplex! Nearfall! Rollins sidesteps a corner charge, Springboard Knee to the face lands flush! Falcon Arrow for a nearfall!
Dragon Whip from Nak, hoists him onto his shoulders, Fireman’s Carry Driver a nearfall! Wants the Kinshasa, Rollins side-steps, Rolling Elbow nailed! Nak blocks a punch and gets him in the Cross Armbreaker, but a Backlund Bomb breaks it! Curb Stomp for the win!
Winner: Seth Rollins
Not as good as their Fastlane, but a strong TV match all the same. Seth attacks Nakamura afterwards and wants another Stomp but Cesaro’s music hits! He makes his return and rushes down for the save! Seth charges him but Cesaro suplexes him, Very European Uppercut! And he wants to Swing him again but Seth blocks it and powders, scrambling up the ramp!
Adam Pearce has been brought to the office. Paul says he was pressured tonight to make a very bad decision, which he did not make and they thank him for. Roman stands up to him and says they don’t thank him, he thanks them. Says you only get him at WrestleMania for one night and one title defense. Now you can thank them. Pearce says he understands his point but everyone will have his decision by the end of the night.
Big E and the Street Profits make their way down quite goofily for our next match on the WWE SmackDown Recap. But first a very angry Seth Rollins challenges Cesaro to a match at WrestleMania! He promises he will never be swung by Cesaro again, never ever ever – Cesaro jumps him from behind and starts a-swinging him backstage!! And of course he accepts the challenge.
Big E & Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy & Apollo Crews
Dawkins and Otis start out. E wants so badly to get at Crews though. Not much of note happens, Ford comes in and dropkicks Otis but he stays upright. Ford whizzes around him for a bit but Otis lands a Powerslam! Gable tags in, Dragonscrew Legwhip! Going for the legs again, Ford kicks him away, Springboards onto him but Gable turns this into a beautiful Northern Lights Suplex! 2 count. Crews tags in, powers Ford up but he escapes, enziguri! Simultags to Gable and Big E, E with an overhead belly to belly sends Gable flying repeatedly, wicked high running splash!
Wants the Big Ending, Gable counters with an armbar, throws him to the corner, charges but gets laid out with the uranage! Crews breaks up the pin, Dawkins with a huge punch to Crews, Alpha with a Discus/German combo to Dawkins, Ford takes Alpha to the outside for the big tope! But Crews manages an Olympic Slam to Big E for the win!
Winners: Apollo Crews & Alpha Academy
Cool stuff!
As the WWE SmackDown Recap rolls on, we get a replay of Sami Zayn’s attack on Kevin Owens.
Adam Pearce meets up with Edge in the hallway. Edge asks what kind of ship he’s running. He outlasted 29 other men, including Daniel Bryan at the Rumble. Bryan lost twice to Roman. What is there to think about here? Pearce’s job is to get all the facts and make his decision. Tonight that’s exactly what he’ll do. Edge says he hopes he makes the right decision or else.
Kevin Owens makes his way to the ring for the KO Show.
He says he has one thing he wants an answer to. Sami comes out and says he flew off the handle, yes, he’s sorry. Kev says that’s not the answer he wanted. Sami says he knows his question though, because Kevin CAN in fact still be in the documentary! And next week he’ll be doing the red carpet premiere of the trailer for his documentary, showing the WWE conspiracy against him! (He’s doing the Canadian ‘again’ whenever he says it) And he’s got Logan Paul on-board for it.
Kevin says he doesn’t care about his documentary, about Logan Paul, if he’s sorry about last week – Sami mocks him. Says he owes HIM an apology! Because he acts like he’s on his side but he’s not, he’s like everybody else! He thinks he’s crazy! Owens demands he shuts his mouth! The only reason he’s allowed him to stand in this ring this long without beating him senseless is because he needs an answer and he will give it to him now.
The question is – Kevin and Sami one-on-one at WrestleMania, yes or no?
Zayn says they need to be working together, this is a mistake but Kev demands – yes or no?! Sami say fine. Yes. Owens says that wasn’t that hard, was it? That was the only reason he let him stand in the ring without beating him senseless, so – Owens attacks Sami, drives him out of the ring, Clothesline on the floor, drags him back into the ring, Stunner!
Daniel Bryan comes up to Adam Pearce and tells him he already knows the right decision. All he has to do is make it.
Bianca Belair with a promo says she was the bigger person on Sunday so she can be the better person at WrestleMania. Says Sasha is the Boss, the Blueprint, the Standard but Bianca’s just a little better.
Bianca Belair vs. Natalya
Belair with a dropkick as the bell rings. Shoulder thrusts in the corner, whip reversed. Floatover, shoulder tackle. Nattie slips out of the ring. Bianca takes her into the ring, Nattie avoids an attack, exchange of pinning combinations. Bianca hoists her up for a big bodyslam. Goes up top. Sasha Banks’ music hits and she distracts Belair, Tamina nails Bianca on the apron and takes her to the floor. Commercial break, WWE SmackDown Recap will resume when the show does.
Nattie has Bianca in a Surfboard as we come back. Bianca fights back, forearm, wants a Powerbomb, Nattie with a rana reversal! Cover for a 2 count. Pulls her up, drives her into the corner, forearms until she falls. Takes her up top, Nattie wants a Tornado DDT but Belair reverses into a Northern Lights Suplex! Bianca with a series of shoulderblocks! Kip-up. Spinebuster, stacks her up for a 2 count! Handspring Moonsault, Natalya was trying to roll out of the way but she got enough that they have to do a nearfall off of it.
Nattie wants a Sharpshooter, IMMEDIATELY reversed into an inside cradle for a nearfall. Natalya with a Discus Clothesline for a nearfall! Wants her Glam Slam, Natalya rolls into a cradle but Belair reverses for a nearfall, meet-in-the-middle spot! Belair powders and falls to the floor. Sasha Banks stands at the announce table and taunts Belair. Bianca slaps her across the face! Back into the ring, blocks Discus, nails her and takes her up for the KOD! And that’s that.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Sasha rushes into the ring shortly after for a special Barefoot Backstabber! WWE SmackDown Recap continues.
Edge comes into Roman’s office. Jey wants to kill him. Reigns says that takes a lot of balls to come in here. Says if he doesn’t get to the point he’ll let his pitbull off his leash. Edge says Bryan wants to ruin everything. If Roman has the stroke that he thinks he has, maybe now’s the time to use it. Because now he doesn’t have to beat Roman, he can beat Bryan if he’s involved.
Uh… no? No that’s not what this means, you’d have to beat both of them two nights in a row buddy.
Next up on the WWE SmackDown Recap…
Dolph Ziggler vs. Rey Mysterio
Inset promo, Rey says he thought he’d accomplished everything in WWE but the ultimate accomplishment is becoming tag team champions with his son. Lock-up as the bell rings, Dolph drives him into the corner. Kick to the gut. Charges but Rey side-steps him, Tijeras! Dolph picks a leg, Rey with an enziguri takes him to the ropes! Wants a 619 but Dolph with a back elbow cuts him off. Pulls him up with a Powerbomb, Rey ranas him to the floor! Flies at him off the apron for a rana but Dolph catches him! Sends him flying with a huge stunt bump past the barricade! Dominik checks on him, Ziggler with a cheapshot superkick takes him down! Commercial break!
Ziggler with a back body drop as we come back. Choking Rey on the bottom rope. Takes Rey up top, wants a superplex. He blocks it. Headbutt takes him to the mat. West Coast Pop! Whip, ZIggler with a sunset flip but Rey rolls through, Buzzsaw Kick for a nearfall! Dolph with a corner whip, Rey with the boots up. But Rey counters a rana and throws him down, Fameasser for a nearfall!
Superkick ducked, Mysterio drop toe holds him to the ropes! Wants the 619 but Roode rushes into the ring to block him off, Dominik rushes in, gets deposited but Rey dropkicks Roode to the floor, wants a tope onto him but Dolph gets him with a great Zig Zag out of the air! Nearfall?! What the hell? Wants another but Rey turns it into a trip to the ropes and a 619 for the win!
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Neat stuff.
And to conclude WWE SmackDown Recap, out comes Adam Pearce and then Roman Reigns for our final segment. They pipe in “You Tapped Out” chants which tells me Roman can’t possibly have THAT much stroke around here.
“They” are still “chanting” it when we come back from commercial break. Edge also makes his way out for this answer. And of course there’s Daniel Bryan.
Adam Pearce says he understands why the two of them don’t want to have two matches on the same night, why they don’t want to wrestle two nights. What Bryan says also makes sense, he’s right that there’s a double standard. Says Roman is right that he will only defend it once at Mania. The three of them will compete in a triple threat match.
Fight breaks out, Roman takes out Bryan with a spear and him and Jey go to take him out with a chair, but Edge spears Roman and Jey! Now Edge takes the chair to everybody. He ends the show sitting tall on the chair.