Welcome to Ringside News’ coverage of WWE SmackDown Live. Please keep refreshing throughout the show for constant updates once it kicks off at 8:00 PM EST.
Daniel Bryan wants to meet with Roman Reigns to clear the air it looks like that’s exactly what is going to happen between those two.
Meanwhile, Shane McMahon also wants to put matters to rest with Kevin Owens. The former Universal Champion has a $25 million wrongful termination lawsuit against Shane that everyone probably wants to get out of the way.
Kofi Kingston will face Brock Lesnar on SmackDown Live next week. We’re unsure if this will mean a new champion will be crowned on Fox, but we will hear what Kofi has to say in a sit-down interview.
Also, Charlotte Flair will team with Carmella this week to take on Bayley and Sasha Banks in a tag team match.
Opening Segment
Erick Rowan came down prepared to make a statement to the WWE Universe. Rowan said destroying Daniel Bryan last week was a work of art and he was getting plenty of heat and “you suck” chants.
He wanted respect and said that fans see him as less than human. He said things have changed now and what matters now is whether you can destroy and dominate. He said Roman and Daniel Bryan knows he’s right and they’re afraid.
Then Daniel Bryan’s music hit and he got a face pop. Bryan walked out in full gear and said if Rowan wants respect then “fight me right now.”
Daniel Bryan vs Erick Rowan
Rowan took the action to the outside and took control over Daniel Bryan. Then they returned to the ring where Rowan slapped on a submission hold to keep Bryan down for a bit.
Bryan tried to mount a comeback, but Rowan took him down with a spinning kick. Rowan continued his assault which included Bryan nearly making it back to the ring before the referee’s 10 count.
Eventually, Bryan cut Rowan down a bit with a chopblock and then he wrapped his leg around the ring post a couple of times. Bryan hit a dropkick to the leg and went back into the ring to continue working on Rowan with another set of dropkicks. Rowan caught Bryan’s third running dropkick and slammed him down for a two count.
Rowan applied a bearhug at that point to wear Bryan down. Then Rowan hit a powerbomb for a two count.
When we came back from commercial, Erick Rowan was still in complete control. Then Bryan pulled down the top rope and sent Rowan outside. Rowan caught Bryan’s suicide dive and Daniel sent him into the ring post.
Bryan hit a missile dropkick when they went back inside and he hyped himself up before nailing some Yes Kicks.
Rowan caught Bryan on a dive, but Daniel transioned it from a guillotine into a LeBell Lock. Suddenly Harper was there and Bryan hit a suicide dive.
Harper hit him and tossed him back in where Rowan hit an Iron Claw Slam while Bryan’s foot was wrapped in the ropes. That was weird. Then he hit another one for a three count.
Winner: Erick Rowan
After the match, Rowan and Harper went to clean off the announce table and then Roman Reigns came out for the save. Roman hit a Superman Punch and a drive by, but the numbers game caught up with him. They were about to put Roman through the table, but Bryan woke up.
Daniel took out Harper with a running knee and then Rowan was trying for an Iron Claw Slam, but Roman speared Erick Rowan. Daniel Bryan grabbed the mic and asked if people wanted to see himself and Roman kick Rowan and Harper’s “disrespectful asses?” Then the fans popped.
Kofi Kingston Interview
Kingston tried to get Michael Cole to be more enthusiastic, but it didn’t work.
Kofi was asked why he accepted Brock Lesnar’s challenge. He said that he’s a fighting champion and there’s no way to prepare for Lesnar. Kofi’s on the top of his game and he’s defeated a lot of top guys, so he feels pretty good.
He always feels pressure, but he also feels like this is an amazing opportunity for WWE and Fox so he wants to face Lesnar. He said that people think Lesnar is going to come in and have his way with him and walk out as champion, but he’s not going to let it go down that easily.
Kofi was pretty confident that he’ll defeat Brock Lesnar. “I feel good.”
Chad Gable vs Mike Kanellis
Chad Gable said that Corbin said that he’ll always come up short. That’s a short joke, but his run in the KOTR tournament was no joke. Suddenly, Mike Kanellis came out to cut him off.
Kanellis said he’s sorry to cut him short, but he’s out here to prove to his pregnant wife that size does matter.
Gable hit a belly to belly and a rolling German suplex before applying an ankle lock. It was literally over as fast as it took to read this.
Winner: Chad Gable
Suddenly, Elias was on the screen calling Gable “shorty.” Then he sang a little song about how Gable is an underdog, but if it were up to Elias, Gable would be fired. That was it.
Charlotte Flair was looking for Charlotte Flair and R-Truth said he hasn’t seen her. Mella came out and said that it’s okay. Then they talked about their tag team match tonight.
Charlotte Flair & Carmella vs Bayley & Sasha Banks
Carmella and Sasha started off the match and they wrestled around trading control a couple of times before Banks threw Mella out of the ring. Bayley took the tag and jumped out to stalk Carmella before hitting a forearm and driving her head into the announce table.
Then they returned to the ring where Bayley continued the abuse. Charlotte eventually took the tag and lit Bayley up with some chops. Flair tried to slap on a figure four, but Banks broke it up with her double knee drop. Then Banks avoided a figure four herself.
Mella took the tag and hit a cross body on Banks before landing a Superkick for a two count that was broken up by Bayley. Carmella sent Bayley out of the ring and then Sasha locked on the Banks Statement.
Charlotte Flair just stood there while Mella tapped.
Winners: Sasha Banks & Bayley
R-Truth picked up Carmella and ran off as a bunch of jobber women ran after her. Bayley and Banks tried to gang up on Flair and then Becky Lynch came out to fight both of them off.
Ali vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Sami Zayn gave a good intro for Nakamura and it was good to see him finally out of that neck brace.
This was not pretty for Ali from the get-go as he quickly took a post on the outside of the ring.
Ali mounted a comeback, but Shinsuke hit a back heel kick to take him down quickly. This was followed by a sliding snap German suplex. Nakamura tried for a Kinshasa, but Ali nailed a Superkick for a two count.
Nakamura caught Ali on the top turnbuckle and brought him down. Ali nearly got a pinfall and then he nailed a tornado DDT before climbing up top again before Zayn pulled Nakamura out of the ring. So, Ali nailed a dive over the referee on Nakamura.
Then Ali went back in and ate a Kinshasa for the loss.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
The New Day vs B-Team
They were hyping the possibility that The New Day could get split up with the draft.
The B Team were far more aggressive than we’re used to seeing out of them. They took Woods out of the ring and then they did a “B Train” where they ran around the ring. Big E joined the train to take Axel out.
Big E soon took the tag and they hit a Midnight Hour on Bo Dallas for the win.
Winners: The New Day
They showed Fire & Desire backstage. Mandy was handing out issues of Maxim Australia where she’s on the cover. Otis asked her for a selfie and started perving out to the magazine which Tucker seemed to approve of.
Kabuki Warriors vs Fire & Desire
Mandy Rose apparently handed Corey Graves a signed Maxim magazine so he was pretty distracted here.
Asuka and Sonya started things out and then Kairi Sane took the tag. Deville landed a right hand on Sane and dumped her out of the ring. Mandy grabbed the magazine and said she’ll never look like her. Kairi wiffed a kick, but connected with the second one and kicked the magazine away.
Then Kairi hit a sliding elbow when they got back in the ring. Deville knocked Sane down from the apron and Mandy nearly got the pinfall.
Asuka finally got tagged back in and she hit a hip attack in the corner on Rose before hitting a bulldog and a sliding elbow, but Deville broke up the pinfall. Rose nearly stole a roll-up pin and then the Kabuki Warriors hit a Codebreaker followed an InSane Elbow for the win.
Winners: Kabuki Warriors
Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens
Shane came down with his attorneys and invited Kevin Owens out. Shane said he could keep Owens in court for years and then he offered him a clean slate.
Owens called Shane an idiot and said this makes him sick. Then he said that makes him sicker is being in the same locker room as him. Owens said that this is all about seeing Shane McMahon’s ass get fired.
Then Kevin Owens suggested one final match. If Owens wins then Shane’s gone from WWE. He said there’s no catch. Instead, this will be a ladder match.
Backstage, Becky Lynch was doing an interview with Kayla Braxton in the final moments and Banks jumped her. The two brawled in the back until Banks took control and smashed Lynch all around the backstage area until officials pulled Banks off of her.
That’s how SmackDown says goodbye to the USA Network.
