WWE SmackDown: Steel Cages and MITB Qualifiers

Despite Money in the Bank Qualifiers being the rage, Trick Williams and Baron Corbin battle in a cage on WWE Smackdown

Tommy "Milagro" Martinez

WWE SmackDown: Steel Cages and MITB Qualifiers

WWE Smackdown has plenty of action tonight as the men and women look to qualify for spots in the Money in the Bank PLE in a few weeks in New Orleans.  Also, the feud between Baron Corbin and Trick Williams takes another turn as they battle for the United States title in a Steel Cage match.

As Shelby-Liza Ndumbi is away on assignment, I’ll be covering what WWE is serving up

We’re coming to you from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Corey Graves and Michael Cole have the call, and we get a video promo of Corbin and Williams’ feud.

And now the steel cage is lowered as Your First Match of the Night is for the…

WWE United States Championship: Trick Williams (with Lil Yachty) (c) vs. Baron Corbin

Starting the show off with a match that’s really more of a main event, eh? Fine. Gotta say the WWE Booker AI™ seems buggy.

Both men make grand entrances, and once they’re locked in and the bell rings, we’re off to the races.  Williams is in control, and he wants to Whoop That Trick.  Corbin sends him to the steel and gets a DVD variation for a two count.  During Picture in Picture, Corbin controls the match until Williams turns it around for a short-lived spot.  They climb up top the cage and slug it out.  Corbin adjusts and gives a guillotine choke from up top, and nails a superplex to cover for a close two.

Williams tries to escape through the door, but Corbin cuts him off and kicks it in Yachty’s face.  Corbin hits a clothesline and a choke slam but can’t capitalize with a pin.  He goes to the door, and Yachty returns the receipt, and Williams hits a Trick Shot, getting another two count.

Digging deep, Williams’ second Trick Shot is sent to the cage, and Corbin lands with a Deep Six, but he still kicks out.  The End of Days is averted, and Williams hits a Book End, followed by another, and the hat trick of finishers assures…

Your Winner, And Still WWE United States Champion:  Trick Williams

Good match.  Not a great Steel Cage match, but… serviceable.  This shoulda been on the Main event, but again…Blame the WWE Booker AI™.

Cathy Kelley is with Nia Jax and Lash Legend, and Jax takes over the interviewing chores and makes sure Kelley takes notes how a real backstage reporter should do their job.

Nick Aldis finds CM Punk and wants him to talk in his office. He’s not in trouble (and where have I heard that before?)

He brings him to a waiting Kevin Owens and asks them to be (somewhat) civil and not sabotage their matches any further.  Punk agrees, but Owens is less than cordial on the matter.

Meanwhile, Chelsea Green has a panic attack over who will win MITB, despite besties Tiffany Stratton and Paige trying to calm her down. Now Nikki Bella goes full Mean Girl on the champ until her friends step in.  After that, Green says, “Never meet your heroes.”

But let’s head back to the ring for your…

Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Triple Threat Match: Giulia vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Lash Legend

All three women battle once the bell rings, and Legend with… (I’ll be generous even though it missed by a mile) a boot to Flair.  The action spills to the outside and then…

Ads (For those of you not familiar with my recaps, I despise ad breaks in the middle of the wrestling action. At least it’s not just AEW that does it.)

We come back, and the Queen is feeling it as she props Guilia in the corner, but Legend comes from behind, and it’s a Tower o’ Doom, as she covers Flair for a two count.

She dives, and Legend gives a fallaway slam, but Guilia is there with a missile dropkick.  The Beautiful Madness strikes away until Legend stops her and nails a Superplex.  Legend tosses Guilia out so she can cover, but Flair kicks out.  All three women go for broke, but the Bougie Bully delivers a Lash Extension on Guilin to earn her spot.

Your Winner, and Qualifying for the Money in the Bank:  Lash Legend

As Graves and Cole discuss the rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, we see a behind-the-scenes moment where Rhodes said, after the cameras stopped rolling.  That led to a moment earlier, before SmackDown started rolling, when Orton jumps in and wants an interview.

Meanwhile, Blake Monroe rubs salt in Giulia’s wounds, and she comes to blows. Aldis then announces that next week they will fight it out

Now Cole is with the Viper, and the interview is very uncomfortable.

The TL;DR is this: Orton wants his fifteenth world title, and Cody Rhodes is in the way.

Kelley runs into Sami Zayn, who’s playing the persecution card to the hilt that everyone is out to get him, and he wants to be the last good guy.  Just then, Finn Bálor is behind him and says he wants to beat him and get the title. Now Johnny Gargano and Candace LeRae demand to know when his title shot is coming.  Zayn agrees, but he needs him to have his back. Gargano is Ride or Die, but Candice ain’t buying it.

Let’s head back to the squared circle as your next match is a six-woman tag match between…

Chelsea Green, Paige, and Tiffany Stratton vs. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid)

Yeahhh. Just don’t care.

Not about Green, Paige, or Stratton.  But Jayne and company just don’t scratch my itch.  Maybe another year in NXT would have changed my tune, but right now this tune doesn’t do it for me.

But I gotta cover this, so allow me a Squared Circle Clerihew™:

*Ahem*

Fatal Influence claw and scratch
As they make sure their foes are outmatched.
Nikki Bella trips things up
As Jayne pins Paige. So sorry, buttercup.

Your Winners:  Fatal Influence

We see Damian Priest lay out R-Truth earlier in the week, and he is definitely not joking around anymore.

Kelley speaks to Gunther ahead of the Money in the Bank Qualifier match. That brings out Danhausen, and the Ring General ensures he doesn’t give him a chance to curse him.

We do see a moment where CM Punk channels his Harry Carey at Wrigley Field over the weekend, throwing the first pitch for a Chicago Cubs game.

Bank in Indy, Cody Rhodes comes out and asks Indianapolis what they want to talk about. Again, to keep with the TL;DR theme: The American Nightmare responds to Orton’s comments and promises he will not hesitate this time to kick his head off his shoulders.

Now the music hits, as fans enjoy the fact it’s Clobbering Time, and your Main Event is the…

Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Triple Threat Match: Finn Balor vs. CM Punk vs. Gunther

Gunther takes it to Punk and Bálor, and then both men double team.  He manages to give a double DDT to both men, and then flies to the outside.

During Picture in Picture, The Ring General gets back in control until Punk takes the fight to the outside.  After dealing with him, Gunther sets his sights on Bálor and wears him down, then goes back to Punk and sends him over the barricades.  Back in the ring, Bálor attacks with a flurry of offense until Punk gets back in and hits an elbow drop on Gunther for a two count.  All three go for broke, and Bálor and Punk give Gunther a double Boston Crab.  A shotgun dropkick followed by the coup de grâce, and Bálor covers, but Gunther pulls him out.  Punk hits the GTS, and Gunther follows with a powerbomb and gets a close near fall.

The Ring General signals the end, and as he and Punk jockey for position, Bálor delivers a coup de grâce to Gunther’s back, but Punk rolls him up to advance in one, two, and three.

Your Winner, and Qualifying for the Money in the Bank:  CM Punk

Bálor is dejected, but he and Punk show respect as the show comes to a close.

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