SmackDown: WrestleMania indecisiveness

Featuring some discussion about WrestleMania matches by Royal Rumble winners and champions, this February 5th episode of SmackDown has a Triple Threat match for the Intercontinental Championship.

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To start off the show, we get a recap of the events of the Royal Rumble, specifically the fact that Edge and Bianca Belair were the winners of the Royal Rumbles. Roman Reigns, flanked as usual by Jey Uso and Paul Heyman, makes his entrance. He mentions nothing of Paul Heyman’s inability to unhandcuff him promptly at the Rumble, and instead talks about how he beat Kevin Owens like he said he would. He says enough about the past, let’s talk about the future.

Roman says that Edge is the future, but he’s wondering why Edge even bothered to go to Raw and NXT when clearly he is the important champ. He wonders why Edge is making the Head of the Table wait, and calls him out. Paul Heyman says Edge is in the ThunderDome, but the Rated-R Superstar doesn’t come out. A WWE worker comes and tells Heyman that Edge isn’t even here tonight. Roman shows a rare moment of frustration, asking why Edge is playing games with him. He says the last man to play games with him was named Kevin Owens, and he’s gone forever. Roman says that Edge will give him his decision by the end of tonight in a very threatening tone, and he says it twice, so you know he means business.

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Dominik Mysterio (w/ Rey Mysterio) VS King Corbin

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Corbin attacks Dominik and Rey as they make their entrance, tossing Rey off the stage into a floor light. When the match officially starts, Corbin looks to keep up his attack, but Dominik catches him with a drop toehold that sends him into the turnbuckles. Corbin goes for his ring-around-the-ringpost clothesline, but Dominik catches him with a dropkick. He keeps up the assault with a rollup into another dropkick for a 2 count. Corbin regains control with a stunning spinebuster and a series of well placed punches before choking Dominik on the middle rope.

Corbin tosses Dominik into the opposite turnbuckle and delivers a corner clothesline for 2, and locks in a submission. Dominik fights out of it but gets caught with a back elbow for his troubles. Corbin taunts Dominik, beats him down, and locks in another submission that Dominik fights out of before dumping Corbin to the outside. The younger Mysterio launches himself over the top and takes out the King as we go to commercial.

When we come back, with Rey now at ringside, Dominik is looking to deliver a crossbody to the King, but he gets caught. Corbin looks for a suplex, but Dominik turns it into a neckbreaker, followed by a standing moonsault for 2. He looks to keep up the attack, setting Corbin up for the 619. Unfortunately for him, Corbin catches him with a Deep Six for 2. Corbin goes for a clothesline, but Dominik reverses it into a monkey flip attempt. Corbin reverses that and stacks Dominik up on the top rope, but Dominik instead hurricanranas Corbin to the outside.

Rey crawls under the ring as Dominik delivers a suicide dive to the King before returning to the ring. When Corbin tries to go after Dominik, Rey emerges from under the ring and grabs his leg, allowing Dominik to hit the 619 followed by a Frog Splash for the win.

Winner via pinfall: Dominik Mysterio

Match Rating: 3/5

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Kayla Braxton interviews Big E, who isn’t worried about taking on both Apollo Crews and Sami Zayn later tonight in a Triple Threat match for his Intercontinental Championship. He says they simply aren’t ready for him.

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Daniel Bryan VS Cesaro

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Cesaro’s info banner says that he speaks 5 different languages. I’ve got nothing to say about that; that’s just plain cool. Bryan starts off with some hard kicks and uppercuts, and he immediately targets the left arm of Cesaro. He tosses him to the outside and the jumps off the top rope onto the Swiss Cyborg, before bringing him back into the ring and delivering a missile dropkick. Bryan breaks out the Yes! Kicks and turns a Very European Uppercut attempt into a backslide, but Cesaro catches him with an uppercut that slows him right down.

Cesaro continues the assault with more uppercuts, but Bryan slips him right into the Yes! Lock. Cesaro gets out of it and lands some hard knees. With his head a little busted open, he goes for the Neutralizer, but Bryan turns it into a back body drop. Cesaro lands on his feet and looks for a springboard uppercut, but he gets caught with a kick to the gut and then one to the head from Bryan for a close 2 count.

Bryan shows some aggression with his stomps and then looks for the running knee, but Cesaro turns it into a vicious backbreaker, and follows it up with an abnormally fast Giant Swing. Cesaro locks in the Sharpshooter right off of the Swing, and Bryan has no choice but to tap. Cesaro shows some lovely sportsmanship by giving Bryan a fist bump.

Winner via submission: Cesaro

Match Rating: 4/5

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Backstage, Kayla Braxton interviews the winner of the Royal Rumble, Bianca Belair. Kayla shows us a lovely video of Bianca’s family’s reaction to her victory last Sunday. Bianca talks about how much her family means to her, and that she wants to make them proud. She says she’ll be ready to make her decision soon, in regards to who she’ll be facing at WrestleMania.

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Bayley VS Ruby Riott (w/ Liv Morgan)

With a rejection-denying Billie Kay on commentary, Bayley takes the fight right to Ruby, shoving her into the corner. She taunts her opponent, earning her a right hand. Ruby delivers the Riott Kick early, but only gets a 2 count, which just makes no sense at all. Ruby keeps up the assault, beating Bayley down and whipping her into the corner. She looks to headscissor Bayley into the turnbuckle, but Bayley catches her and delivers Snake Eyes.

Bayley delivers an elbow drop for 2 and locks in a submission. Ruby fights out by spearing Bayley into the corner and headscissoring her head into the turnbuckles. She stacks Bayley onto the top turnbuckle and then delivers probably the most brutal avalanche arm drag I’ve ever seen. Bayley looks for the Bayley-to-Belly, but Ruby turns it into a rollup for 2. Bayley kicks Ruby and sends her out to the apron before going for a sunset flip powerbomb.

Ruby fights out of that attempt, but Bayley hangs her up on the ropes and then locks in a submission. Kay leaves the announce desk to try to help her, but Liv Morgan pulls her away and tells her Ruby is fine. Ruby escapes the hold and looks for the Riott Kick, but Bayley turns it into her Face Plant finisher, which gets her the 3 count.

Winner via pinfall: Bayley

Match Rating: 3/5

After the match, Kay approaches Bayley with her resume, which Bayley takes a look at.

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Bianca Belair makes her entrance, and she talks up both of her possible opponents for WrestleMania, Asuka and Sasha Banks. She is interrupted by Reginald the sommelier, who says that Bianca could never beat Sasha Banks, because she couldn’t even beat Carmella. Carmella comes out and says that Reggie can get a little overzealous with his accusations, but the principle is there. She says she could beat Belair any day, but she’s interrupted by Sasha Banks.

Banks completely ignores Carmella, praising Belair’s accomplishments. She reminds her however, that she is not the best, as Sasha is champ. Belair seems about to make her decision, but Reggie interrupts her, saying that she’d never beat Banks. Belair responds by whipping poor Reggie with her hair, and tossing him out of the ring. Personally, I hope Belair just tricks everyone and challenges Io Shirai.

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Sami Zayn sprouts some conspiracy theories to Kayla Braxton, saying that tonight, the slights against him end when he wins “his” Intercontinental Championship back, in front of his documentary crew. I’m fairly certain that this will be the greatest documentary of all time once it’s finished.

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Alpha Academy VS Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler

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With the Street Profits offering some high-pitched and high-octane Zoom commentary, Ziggler starts off against Gable, who takes control with some fancy mat wrestling. Ziggler looks to overpower him and tag in Roode, but Gable shoves him away. Ziggler delivers a dropkick and tags in Roode, who delivers a knee and a powerful suplex for 2. He locks in a chinlock, but Gable fights out and rolls Roode up for 2.

Gable looks for an ankle lock, but Roode kicks him away. Gable tags in Otis, who runs over poor Roode and tosses him across the ring. Ziggler tries his luck but gets decapitated by a discus clothesline. Otis squishes Roode in the corner with an avalanche, delivers the Caterpillar, and tags in Gable. Ziggler shoves Otis into the ringpost and goes to superkick Gable, but Gable catches him and delivers Chaos Theory. He turns around right into Rode, who delivers the Glorious DDT for the win.

Winners via pinfall: Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler

Match Rating: 3/5

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Today is the 33rd Anniversary of when Andre the Giant screwed Hulk Hogan out of his WWF Title. Hogan, for some reason, makes a connection from his match to Edge’s decision that apparently will be made tonight. He joins us over video and says that both Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns are in a heap of trouble (brother).

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Sami Zayn VS Apollo Crews VS Intercontinental Champion Big E for the Intercontinental Championship

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Sami Zayn runs out of the ring immediately, and Crews rolls up Big E from behind for 2. Big E takes out Crews with a back elbow, and Sami comes back in and chops Big E, who tosses him with a back body drop. Crews grabs Big E and tosses him with a series of German suplexes for 2, and Sami comes back in to attack Crews this time. Crews fights back with a short arm clothesline to Sami, and then delivers corner splashes to both his competitors. Big E delivers clotheslines to both men before dumping Crews to the apron.

Big E looks for a spear, but Sami grabs his leg. He regrets it, as Big E goes outside and slams Sami into the apron. Crews jumps over the ropes to land on Big E, and he climbs back onto the apron to deliver a moonsault to Big E as well. Sami launches himself off the steel steps to attack Crews as we go to commercial.

When we come back, Sami is beating down Big E in the ring. He chokes the champ on the ropes, and he takes out Crews as he tries to re-enter the ring. He reminds his doc crew to keep the camera on him as he goes for a Blue Thunder Bomb, but Crews catches him with a missile dropkick. Big E tosses Crews with a series of belly-to-belly suplexes as a thank-you for saving him from the Blue Thunder Bomb.

Big E looks for his Big Splash, but Sami locks in a sleeper hold. Big E wipes Sami to the ground and delivers the Big Splash to both of them. He tries for the Big Ending on Crews, but Crews catches him with an enziguri. Crews looks for an attack in the corner, but Big E tosses him to the outside and catches Sami with a uranage for 2. Big E brings Sami to the apron and delivers the Big Splash to him there, but Crews catches him with a dropkick on the outside. He goes back inside and delivers a Frog Splash to Sami for a close 2.

Crews looks to toss Sami with a suplex, but Big E suplexes him, and Sami goes halfway across the ring. Big E is the first to get up, and he looks to spear Sami on the apron. Sami catches him with a knee and then delivers the Helluva Kick, but Crews pulls him off the champ, breaking the pin. He gets in Crews’ face, but Crews beats him down and tosses him into the timekeepers area. Crews goes back into the ring to attack a fallen Big E, but the champ was playing possum, and he picks Crews up to deliver the Big Ending to retain his Intercontinental Championship.

Winner via pinfall and STILL Intercontinental Champion: Big E

Match Rating: 4/5

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Edge makes his entrance, and tells us about his experience in rehab; how every second, he dreamed of coming back and winning the Royal Rumble. He begins to talk about who he’s going to pick as his WrestleMania opponent, but he’s interrupted by Roman Reigns and his lackeys.

Heyman carefully hands Reigns his microphone, and he sends Jey Uso backstage. Reigns goes on the whole usual spiel about acknowledging him, telling Edge to name him as his opponent at WrestleMania. He says nothing, but Kevin Owens grabs Roman from behind and delivers a Stunner. The show ends with Edge leaving the ring silently with a playful grin on his face.

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