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WWE United States Champion AJ Styles (with the O.C.) vs. Ricochet.
They introduced the international announcing teams and among them was R-Truth and Carmella pretending to be a Canadian announcing team. Lots of Cosplay tonight. That was pretty funny. Drake Maverick showed up looking for Truth and Carmella but they were long gone.
Ricochet had a full body costume that appeared to be a tribute to DC Comics' Nightwing. He started off strong, including leaping off the apron and running across the shoulders of Gallows and Anderson to leap off and nail a dropkick on Styles. Styles catches him on the ropes and drilled him into the ring. Ricochet fought him off but was kicked in the bad leg and crashed to the mat. He was worked over for a long time, but began to mount a comeback, including a springboard, using only his good leg, into a flying legdrop for a two count.
Ricochet nailed a neckbreaker for a two count, the followed up with a standing shooting star press for another two count. Styles went to the ropes but was caught with a sunset flip style rollup off the ropes for another two count. He finally nailed Ricochet in the bad leg and sent him to the floor. Styles nailed a sliding kick to the outside to Ricochet's face. Styles brought him back to the ring and went for the Styles Clash. Ricochet avoided but was drilled across Styles' knee.
Ricochet came back with a shoulderblock in the corner. He nailed a series of rights but was kicked in the chest as he charged Styles in the corner. Ricochet went for a somersault into a move but his knee gave out. He rebounded with an enziguiri to the head for a two count. Ricochet went for a suplex, which made no sense given his knee was hurt and sure enough, it gave out. Styles snatched him in the Calf Crusher but Styles transitioned it into an Anaconda Vice. Ricochet nailed a Northern Lights suplex and then drilled Styles for another two count.
Ricochet went to the top. Styles nailed him but Ricochet fought him off. Anderson tried to get involved but was knocked off. Ricochet came off the top with a flip but Styles caught him in mid-air and hit the Styles Clash. The finish looked great.
Your winner and still WWE United States Champion, AJ Styles!
The match was good but it didn't feel like the blow-off to the story.
Styles was annoyed Ricochet returned to hit feel while the O.C. were celebrating so he ordered Anderson and Gallows to nail the Magic Killer.
The Street Profits were hyping up the show when Ric Flair strutted in. They started doing all of his trademark lines and everyone started wooing. It was hilarious and great in all the right ways.
WWE Smackdown Women's Champion Bayley vs. Ember Moon
Bayley found herself taking a lot of nice looking Moon offense early on as she really took the fight to the Champion. Moon locked Bayley in a modified bow and arrow, trying to wear down Bayley’s back. Bayley went for a neckbreaker but it was blocked. Moon failed with a bodypress off the ropes and was nailed with a clothesline for a two count.
Moon controlled the match until Bayley caught her in the ropes and was sent into the buckles. Bayley snapped her in the buckles. Bayley tied her to the tree of woe and nailed an elbowdrop for another near fall. She locked in an inverted Boston Crab, trying to force a submission.
Moon caught Bayley and swung her into the ropes. Moon went for a dive but was drilled as she hit the ropes. Bayley ascended to the top but Moon nailed her and hit a rana off the top rope into the ring. Moon nailed a double knee strike to the face for another two count.
Bayley went to the ropes. She went to kick off an advancing Moon but was pulled off into a powerbomb into the ring. Moon went to the ropes but Bayley tried to stop her. Bayley was knocked off but returned to catch Moon with a Bayley to Belly suplex off the top for the pin.
Your winner and still Smackdown Women’s Champion, Bayley!
A solid wrestling match, but the finish seemed to come out of nowhere.
Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon - Owens Must Leave WWE if he Loses
Elias was an outside the ring referee.
Shane McMahon stalled early. Elias and Owens argued at ringside and Owens was almost counted out. Owens returned to the ring, where he decked McMahon and hit a big cannonball in the corner. Shane went to the floor, but when Owens went for a dive, Elias blocked his path.
Shane nailed Owens and slammed him through the ropes into the ringside barricade. Shane worked over Owens. The crowd chanted, “Shane you suck” and “You can’t wrestle.” Owens made a comeback but was caught with a DDT after Shane escaped a pop-up powerbomb for a two count.
Shane locked Owens in a Sharpshooter but Owens escaped and nailed a pop-up powerbomb. Elias got on the ring apron, distracting the referee and preventing the pinfall. Owens had words with Elias, leading Shane to rolling him up for a two count.
Owens ended up with a chair and teased hitting Shane, but didn’t because it would mean the end of his career. Owens got in Elias’ face. Shane went to nail him from behind but Owens moved and he knocked Elias off the apron. Owens superkicked Shane and nailed a swanton. He went for a cover but Elias pulled the referee out. They had words. Owens came off the top with a swanton to the floor and wiped out Elias and the referee.
Owens began beating Elias with the chair and tossed him into the timekeeper’s area. Owens looked to use the chair on Shane but the referee had recovered so Owens stopped. The referee took the chair away, allowing Owens to kick Shane in the groin and score the pin.
Your winner, Kevin Owens!
This told the story you’d expect and it hit all the sweet spots.
They recapped The Roman Reigns storyline.
Charlotte Flair vs. Trish Stratus
Stratus got a nice reaction coming out. So did Flair.
They locked up aggressively with Flair backing Stratus into the ropes. Stratus kicked her off as she charged and nailed a Thesz Press. She used the ropes to springboard into a rana. Flair went for a figure four but Stratus kicked her off and sent her into the corner. The crowd chanted, “You still got it.”
Stratus advanced but was kicked in the gut. She went for a powerbomb but Stratus escaped and used a lucha style armdrag. Flair ended up outside the ring where Charlotte nailed a Thesz Press off the apron. Flair gained control and tossed Stratus into the barricade.
Flair brought Stratus back into the ring and smashed her face into the ring apron several times. She locked her in a modified surfboard, pulling on her hair for additional pressure. Charlotte tied up Stratus in the ropes, working her over. She continued trashing Stratus, mocking her verbally as she did it.
Stratus exploded with punches working over Charlotte, having had enough. Flair dumped her over the ropes, landing on the outside on her feet. Stratus was nailed with a big boot, crashing to the floor. Stratus recovered on the floor and was almost counted out but Flair dragged her back into the ring.
Stratus absorbed some punishment and finally fired back with a series of chops. She went for her handstand into the rana in the corner but was caught by Flair. Stratus pulled herself up and they battled on the top until Stratus caught her with a rana off the top rope into the ring.
Flair nailed a big boot for another pinfall. She began working on Stratus’ leg to set up the figure eight. Stratus rolled her up for a two count and locked in a figure four leglock of her own. Stratus then bridged up into the figure eight leglock on Flair, locking her in her own finishing maneuver. Flair made it to the ropes.
They faced off. Flair went for a spear but was caught and nailed with the springboard bulldog for a two count. They went back and forth until Stratus hit the Chick Kick for a close two count. Stratus went for another but was hit in the face with a big boot. Charlotte cinched in the figure eight in the center of the ring. Stratus finally tapped.
Your winner, Charlotte Flair!
A really great, well fought match with Stratus leaving it all in the ring and going out on her shield via the clean submission. If this was it for Stratus, she finished up with a great finale bout and Flair looked great as usual.
Flair left the ring. Stratus got a long, extended standing ovation. She went to the corners and saluted each side of the arena. She made her way to the top of the entrance ramp and bowed to the crowd.
This was, in my opinion, the best thing on the show thus far.
Coverage continues on Page 4!
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