Welcome to Ringside News’ coverage of WWE Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. Please keep refreshing throughout the show for constant updates once it kicks off at 8:00 PM EST.
WWE Friday Night SmackDown will be the company’s last chance to make an impression on television before the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on Sunday. They have a loaded show prepared so let’s see what to expect.
Click here for last week’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown results if you need to get caught up.
Tonight’s Friday Night SmackDown will include a gauntlet match. All of the tag teams in the Elimination Chamber match this Sunday will do battle. The winner will get the final spot in the Chamber match.
Bayley and Sasha Banks will also face Lacey Evans and Naomi in a rematch from last week.
There will be a Firefly Fun House segment as well. This one will likely include Bray Wyatt building his feud with John Cena. Those two are going to battle at another WrestleMania this year.
Also scheduled for tonight’s show is A Moment Of Bliss. Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss will welcome the nWo onto the show as Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman drop by.
A Moment Of Bliss
They started off by running down some WWE Hall Of Fame inductees from this year. Bliss brought up the Kabuki Warriors and said that they know where to find them if they’ll stop hiding out on RAW. Then they brought out Hall, Nash, and Waltman.
Scott Hall said “Hey Yo” and there was a pop.
Bliss congratulated them on being two-time HOFers. Nikki Cross said she’s their biggest fan 4 Life. Then she wanted to take a selfie. So that’s what Nikki did.
Bliss wanted to know what they should call Waltman because he’s been called so many things. He said “just call me a hall of famer.” Then Alexa Bliss brought up the nWo’s past with Goldberg.
She asked Kevin Nash what Roman Reigns needs to do to beat Goldberg at Mania. Nash said he forgot that he beat Bill Goldberg and they all laughed. He said he spoke to Roman on the phone this week. He said that he’ll need two things to beat Goldberg: Scott Hall and a cattle prod.
There was an awkward moment and then Shinsuke Nakamura and crew came out with Sami Zayn on the mic. Zayn said they all love the nWo and 1997 was a great year, but it’s time to start living in the future and the future is Cesaro, Zayn and Nakamura.
He was all about beating Braun Strowman at Elimination Chamber.
Zayn put over Hall and Nash for being former IC Champions and then he stopped at Waltman. He said that X-Pac knows how much the IC Title weighs because he carried their bags for years. Nash said Sami looks like “Seth Rogan after two weeks of stomach flu.”
Zayn threatened to hit them. The nWo said that they can’t be touched and they had a bit of a stand-off. Bliss and Cross were just watching in the corner as the 6 men were about to fight.
Then Sami Zayn said if it’s a fight they’re looking for it’s not gonna happen. He said they want “to get the rub” from them. It’s not going to happen. They are laser focused on their objective to destroy Braun at the chamber.
Then Braun came out. Cesaro rushed Braun and then he launched Cesaro into the staging. He hit a headbutt on Nakamura and then Sami had nowhere to run.
Sami went in the ring and he hid behind Alexa Bliss until he was able to leave. Then Braun Strowman got the mic and said that all three of them are gonna get those hands… and it’s gonna be too sweet.
Then Strowman got the rub from the nWo and they all too sweeted in the ring.
Bayley & Sasha Banks vs Naomi & Lacey Evans
Evans started taking abuse very early on. Banks and Bayley tagged in and out. Bayley went around the ring and Naomi took her out with a right hand. Banks kicked Naomi against the barricade. Bayley went back to her corner and kicked Evans while Banks threw Naomi into the barricade again.
When we came back from commercial, Banks was working on Lacey Evans’ ankle. Then Bayley tagged in and continued working on the Lady Of WWE’s Leg.
We had another glitch that’s either for Killer Kross’ debut or Mustafa Ali’s repackaging… or aliens are trying to contact human through SmackDown.
Naomi got the tag and she hit a corkscrew plancha on Bayley and Banks. She hit a springboard crossbody for a two count. She kicked Banks a few times. Then Banks landed a kick of her own. Naomi hit a scorpion kick and a bulldog into the turnbuckle.
Banks was sent out of the ring again and Naomi landed a kick. Bayley distracted Naomi off the split legged moonsault and then Banks got the pin while using the ropes.
Winners: Bayley and Sasha Banks
The New Day hyped the gauntlet match backstage with Kayla Braxton. Kofi talked about “Recreating KofiMania.” He said he’s not about thinking about the past. They’re focusing on the Elimination Chamber now.
Banks and Bayley were backstage and upset that the Bellas are going into the HOF before them. Bayley said she’ll skip Mania so she’ll go right into the Hall Of Fame. It’s all about the role model era of dominance.
Sheamus vs Apollo Crews
Shorty G and Apollo had a little skit in the gorilla position. G said to just say the word if he needs help because they’re both out to stop Sheamus. Apollo just left and no sold a handshake.
Sheamus started early and Crews went to the top and hit a crossbody for a two count. He hit a standing moonsault for another two count.
Suddenly, Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick and won.
Winner: Sheamus
Drake Maverick told Drew Gulak that he wants to face Daniel Bryan. Gulak explained to Maverick some of his weaknesses. Then Daniel Bryan showed up and challenged him to a match at Elimination Chamber.
Carmella & Dana Brooke vs Fire & Desire
Dolph Ziggler showed up with Mandy Rose and that got a lot of heat.
Mella got to moonwalk and she locked up with Mandy. Then Rose brought Mella to the corner and tagged Sonya who hit a shining wizard for a two count.
Sonya wrapped up Mella until Carmella got out and hit the Mella-Go-Round and then she nailed some dropkicks and made the tag.
Mella and Brooke hit a double hip toss and Brooke kicked Sonya in the face. Dana did a flipping elbow smash and a kick. Ziggler distracted Dana and Mandy tagged in without her realizing and she hit a kick and got the win.
Winners: Fire & Desire
Firefly Fun House
The Firefly Fun House was decorated in defaced John Cena pictures. Ramblin Rabbit brought up how Cena squashed Wyatt 6 years ago at Mania. It was quite an apparent exposition.
Bray said that time can either hurt or heal you. Without John Cena the Firefly Fun House wouldn’t exist. He thanked John and forgave him.
However, there is a catch because John Cena also helped create something else. A being built on pain and fueled by vengeance. He is waiting at WrestleMania and unlike Wyatt, The Fiend is not so forgiving. Life is a circle no matter how bright you paint yourself the dark side comes again, but that’s the beauty of a circle. Round and round we go.
King Corbin was cutting an interview and Elias played guitar. Corbin grilled him.
Otis
Otis walked up to Mandy and apologized about being late for Valentine’s Day saying that she’d be late. Then Mandy said it’s too late because “a woman doesn’t appreciate being stood up like that.”
The Miz & John Morrison vs The New Day vs The Usos vs Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode vs The Lucha House Party vs Heavy Machinery – Gauntlet Match
The New Day were out first. Then out came Heavy Machinery.
Kofi and Tucky started off a bit show as they felt each other out. Then Big E took the tag, but he wanted Otis. So, Otis took the tag. They had a couple of big collisions in the ring and then Otis hit a power slam.
Tucker and Otis got New Day up for double vertical suplexes and then they clotheslined Kingston over the top rope and shoved Big E out. Otis hit New Day with a slingshot double clothesline as they went to commercial.
Otis slammed Big E again and they both needed to get back to their feet. Big E tagged Kofi. Then Tucker took a tag. Kofi lit up Tucky for a bit and hit a Boom Drop.
Tucker took Kofi out by slamming him on his neck outside. Then they hit the Trash Compactor on Big E for the win.
Heavy Machinery Win
Lucha House Party are out next. They worked fast and Tucker took a tag as Dorado flipped around him. Then Tucky got a two count off of a shoulder block.
Metalik took the tag and hit a splash off the ropes for a two count. Otis tagged in and he soaked in their double team chops so he his a double shoulder tackle and the Lucha House Party went flying.
Then Lucha House Party did some good lucha things and hit a double springboard splash to the outside.
They continued and Heavy Machinery took control again. Otis slammed Tucker onto Dorado for a two count. Then Tucky slapped on a half crab.
Tucker hit a turnbuckle when Dorado moved and Otis took the tag. He stopped Dorado from making it to Metalik. He slapped on a bear hug and Michael Cole loved it. He really put over that bearhug.
Dorado was kept from the tag and he hit a springboard stunner on Otis who got down to one knee, but he tagged Tucker and Metalik came in, too. Metalik flipped around and kicked him and hit a bulldog and a missile dropkick for a two count.
Lince Dorado took a tag and hit a splash for a two count. Then he chopped Tucky. Soon Tucker took over and he hit a massive throw on Dorado. Otis took the tag and he hit a splash and a Caterpillar. He go the 3 count.
Winners: Heavy Machinery
The Usos are out next. Jimmy soon had Tucker down in an arm submission when we came back from commercial.
Jey took a tag and they hit everyone with Superkicks. Suddenly, Tucker turned a pin around into a roll-up for a three count.
Winners: Heavy Machinery
The Miz & Morrison are out next.
The Miz and Morrison got to work on an already tired Heavy Machinery. Tucker hit a desperation clothesline and crawled toward Otis.
The Miz yanked Otis off the apron and then Tucker ended up in the corner eating Yes Kicks and a knee strike or two. Morrison took the tag and then Morrison hit a corkscrew splash for the two count.
Suddenly, Tucker somehow rolled Morrison up for a three count. Then they beat the crap out of Tucker. Otis took some damage too. Mandy Rose watched on the screen and Dolph said he’ll take care of him. Otis took a ride through the barricade where he stayed for a while.
Winners: Heavy Machinery
Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode are out next.
Tucker hit a suplex on Roode. He was beat up and selling hard. Ziggler took the tag. Then the Show Off hit a dropkick on Tucker for a two count.
Roode took the tag and hit a neckbreaker on Tucker for another two count. Ziggler took the tag next and he just toyed with Tucker.
Otis started getting to his feet and he took out Roode as he bounced him off the announce table. Otis was selling big time as he made his way to his corner.
“This place is gonna explode if Otis can somehow make it there,” Michael Cole said. Then Otis took the tag and people did pop.
Otis hit a shoulder tackle or two and a back bodydrop. Ziggler got blasted off the apron and then Roode kicked Otis, but he just soaked it in. He just danced as Roode hit him. Then Otis hit a suplexes and threw Roode across the ring.
Roode kicked Otis in the face, but Dolph made a tag and was pushed off the apron. Otis didn’t realize that Dolph was legal. He hit a Superkick and won the match.
Winners: Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode.
Now Roode & Ziggler will enter the Elimination Chamber match last this Sunday.
