WWE is in Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions tomorrow afternoon. Today’s episode of Smackdown is therefore airing live on Netflix. Here is your live recap.
Michael Cole announces that starting next week Smackdown will be back to two hours a week.
Tiffany Stratton, Nia Jax, The Street Profits, Zelina Vega, Giulia, Jade Cargill and Asuka are all shown arriving at the arena. Michael Cole is on commentary with Wade Barrett.
Cody’s music hits. He heads to the ring. Before he can say anything, Randy Orton’s music plays and The Viper arrives. In the middle of the ring is the King of the Ring crown on a pedestal. There are dueling chants going on. Orton praises Rhodes and Jey Uso for a Match of the Year performance on Raw this past week.
*** The broadcast freezes with We’ll Be Right Back Messaging **
The feed remains down for over 40 minutes. When it returns Michael Cole apologizes but there is no explanation or recap of what we missed.
Solo tells JC Mateo backstage that he wants to give Jimmy Uso one more change. To realize how hard it is to go it alone. Solo wants the world to know that The Bloodline is just getting started.
Jimmy Uso versus JC Mateo
Jimmy dives through the ropes onto Mateo. As Jimmy attempts to climb back into the ring Solo grabs him by the ankle tripping him up. Although Mateo has made it back to his feet Jimmy jumps and has to roll through the aborted leap. JC catches him in a Tour of the Islands. Solo bends down to chat to Jimmy. He helps him up. Solo asks Jimmy if he is ready to come back now. He puts his arms out. Instead of hugging him, Jimmy slaps him in the face. JC attacks from behind. Solo goes for the spike but Fatu rushes the ring. Fatu takes out Mateo. He has a staredown with Solo. Solo rolls out of the ring. Jimmy and Fatu take on The Bloodline forcing them to flee the ring.
Winner: JC Mateo
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa address the other tag teams on Smackdown saying they cannot allow the Wyatts to win the belts after everything they have done to build the division. GM Aldis arrives. He tells Andrade to find a tag team partner to battle Gargano and Ciampa.
Giulia has a message for Zelina. She think she owns the United States Championship but she doesn’t. She will teach her that. Zelina fires back in her promo saying she will have to pry the title from her hands to get it.
Zelina Vega (c) versus Giulia – United States Championship Match
Vega hits Giulia with double knees to the back in a corner then hits a Meteora for a two count. Giulia slams Vega down from the top rope but Zelina hits Code Red. Giulia gets her feet on the bottom rope. Vega misses a moonsault off the top rope. Giulia clobbers Zelina with two running knees and the Northern Lights Bomb for the victory.
Winner: … and new United States Champion, Giulia.
Charlotte and Alexa Bliss run into each other backstage. They bicker over whether they should have each other’s back. Charlotte doesn’t want any friends of allies.
Wade Barrett interviews the finalists for Queen of the Ring, Asuka and Jade Cargill. Cargill isn’t given a great reception. The fans seem to be behind Asuka. Asuka tells Cargill that power isn’t everything. Naomi arrives. Fans boo. “You two can fight over the crown but I have all the power,” she says. She gets on the apron warning Jade to proceed with caution. Jade runs over Asuka as she takes a swipe at Naomi. Asuka attacks Cargill and the crowd goes wild. She leaves Cargill laying.
Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis decide they need to do something soon about the Women’s Tag Team Championships since Liv Morgan is injured. Aleister Black interrupts. He was a rematch based on what happened last week. Ron Killings interrupts him. He wants John Cena again. When Killings leaves the GMs turn their attention to Black who just quiets them with a finger in the air as he follows Killings out the door.
DYI versus Andrade and Rey Fenix
Tommaso Ciampa misses a running knee in a corner. Leaping back kick and a Muscle Buster Bomb from Fenix. Andrade pins Ciampa with The Message.
Winners: Andrade and Rey Fenix
Ron Killings is in the ring. He wants some respect on his name. He ain’t letting what John Cena did last week to ride or slide. As Killings stares at the entrance way, Black nails him with Black Mass. Black sits down beside Killings. “I guess in a way we are even now, Ron,” says Black.
The Street Profits are interviewed by Byron Saxton. They are going to eliminate the only threat they have: The Wyatts. Before they step out into the arena B-Fab stops them. She wants them to know if needed, she has their backs.
The Street Profits (c) versus The Wyatt Family – WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Eventually all of the other WWE tag teams come out to watch the match. Dawkins shoves Loomis into a bunch of those teams on the floor. DIY drag Dawkins out of the ring. A brawl erupts on the floor. The match is thrown out. Erik Rowan finally enters the fray taking out everyone to save his Family members. MCM and Fraxiom kick Rowan out of the ring.
Winners: Disqualification
Jimmy and Fatu run into each other in the parking lot. Jimmy tells Fatu he doesn’t need his help. Fatu tells Jimmy the same message. Jimmy says it is all about respect. He should have stepped up to Solo as Fatu did a long time ago. They exchange smiles and part ways.
Tiffany Stratton (c) versus Nia Jax – WWE Women’s Championship, Last Woman Standing Match
It doesn’t take long for things to hit the floor. Nia is ripping the stairs up. Tiffany leaps off the apron…and hits the stairs herself. Nia didn’t even move a muscle. Nia gives Tiffany a Samoan Drop on the announce table. Nia pulls a kendo stick from under the ring. Tiffany kicks it out of her hands. Tiffany cracks the stick over Nia again and again. They trade kendo stick blows. Nia jumps off the apron splashing Tiffany through a table. Tiffany using the barricade to get back to her feet at nine. They battle up the entrance way. Nia charges at Tiffany. Tiffany rolls out of the way well before it is time to do so. Nia crashes into the massive LED screen.
Tiffany takes a steel chair whacking Nia over her back. Nia gets possession of it bashing Tiffany with it. Nia puts a steel chair over Tiffany and hits the Anihilator. Tiffany is up by nine. Nia is about to put Tiffany through a table with a Samoan Drop. Tiffany turns it into a power bomb. Both women get up but Naomi comes racing down to the ring with her MiB briefcase in hand. Tiffany stops Naomi from cashing it and brains her with the briefcase. She its Nia too and lands her moonsault on both Jax and Naomi. Nia makes it to her feet so Tiffany bashes her with the briefcase which sends her off the apron and through two tables below. Nia doesn’t make it to her feet by ten.
Winner: …and still WWE Women’s Champion, Tiffany Stratton.
Cena comes down to the ring. He calls Punk a loser because he has been outplayed.
Cena’s ‘Thug Life’ theme begins playing. Punk comes out dressed like Cena during that time. On the screen it says: Punk Life. Punk reveals his brass knucks says: Drug Free.
Punk starts talking about ‘Basic Punk-A-Nomics’. Because Cena stole his Pipe Bomb he is ripping off Cena’s Word Life to cut promos, rhymes on Cena.
“I don’t adjust your television set. Your eyes are working just right. This clown plagiarized my pipe bomb, so now I’m stealing word life, and you had to rip me off to cut your best promo, just to distract from the fact that we all see you move in slow mo.”
“Remember when he used to rap? Yeah, you deserve all the criticism. You’re like a Teemu McLemore, but with Mackel less rhythm.”
“He said, I’m a problem. He called me a player, hater. Let’s be honest. John Cena has buried more talent than The Undertaker.”
“That’s why he’s the champ and he went and lost all his respects. But hey, John, I get it. I’d retire too if this place rehired my ex.”
“If you never said your prayers, ate your vitamins or fixed your bald spot, you wouldn’t be a pro wrestler. You’d be a Boston mall cop.”
“He gets good movie roles that much is a fact but then we see Batista act and we really we realize that John ain’t that same shirt, same hat, man, your persona state tragic. You’re like a fish belly, white Hulk Hogan but somehow more problematic.”
“When it comes to best in the world I’m your vessel because millions chant my name and that you they chant you can’t wrestle you.”
“Get it in while you can. In six months, he’ll be gone and I’ll still be here having fun. He won’t have time for you little people anymore. He’ll be busy washing underwears for James Gunn.”
“He’s a superhero now and he works for DC but no matter how hard you tr you still always be the Marine to me.”
“And that’s straight to DVD. Better find a PS3. I now understand…You can’t see me.”
“It’s a hell of a catch phrase, John, but now it’s all done because we all see you and we’re looking at a washed up bum.”
“14 years ago today I dropped a legendary pipe bomb and you tried to make it all about you because that’s what you do, John. You’re a leech, you’re a phony, you’re a fraud, you’re a ass kiss. 17 time world champion but ain’t never been in my class.”
“Before you go, John, there’s one more wish to make. Tomorrow night you’re going to lose to Kendrick, because bitch, you’re my Drake.”
