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Welcome to the WWE Smackdown Report here on PWInsider.com!
We're almost live from London, England! Our hosts are Tom Philips, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton.
We open with a recap of the recent history between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, leading into tonight's match between the two where the winner will choose the stipulation of their WWE Title match at Money In The Bank!
Renee Young welcomes Daniel Bryan for our opening promo, and he YES dances his way to the ring for the raucous crowd. We can barely hear Renee over the crowd as she talks about his successful victory in his return match, record-setting run in the Greatest Royal Rumble, and victory over Big Cass at Backlash, leading into his disappointing loss to Rusev in the MITB qualifier. Daniel tells us to feel the energy from the fans, then says he was disappointed and doesn't like losing any more than anyone else, but when he came back, he was just happy to be back doing what he loves. Now, though, it's not enough to be back, he wants to be on top, and he'll have to scratch, fight, and claw every step of the way, but he will become the WWE Champion. Out comes Big Cass, soaking in a less than welcome reception from the crowd. He's been in the back listening to him run his mouth, and he's sick of it. He may hasve all the people fooled, but not him. He might be an inspirational story, and feed the fans nothing but crap, but he knows the real truth: his loss to Rusev was his first major setback since returning according to Renee, but he disagrees, because HE was his first major setback. He's the reason he lost to Rusev, and the reason he'll keep losing because he'll make sure he never achieves his aspirations again. He's man enough to admit he lost at Backlash, but he didn't tap out because he was in pain, it's because he wanted to get right back up and beat the holy hell out of him again, and that's what he did. He's going to keep beating him down because he won't be able to do anything in WWE without a seven foot shadow following him around. He lasted 75 minutes in the Greatest Royal Rumble, but what happened when he got in the ring? Oh, that's right: he big booted him in the face and eliminated him, proving again that Daniel Bryan is a loser. He's a loser, he should have stayed retired, and he should have been a stay at home dad and let Brie wear the pants in the family. Cass drops the mic and gets on the ring apron and stares down Daniel, who is standing his ground with a confident look on his face. Cass gets in, and Daniel starts hammering Cass with right hands and dropkicks him in the bad knee, then wraps it around the middle rope and ties it up, then puts the boots to the knee of Cass. The referees come out to break it up and help Cass out of the ropes, but Daniel goes right back after him and wraps his knee around the post over and over. He goes back in and clips the knee, then gets him in a heel hook, and Cass taps while the referees plead with Daniel, but he won't let the hold go, even with Adam Pearce trying to restore order. He finally releases the hold and Cass rolls out to the floor and hobbles to the back, apparently not prepared for what just happened.
Tonight: the New Day and the Bar face off, and one member of the winning team goes into the Money In The Bank match!
Money In The Bank Qualifier: The New Day vs The Bar
The Miz joins the commentary team for this match. New Day is represented here by Big E and Woods, who starts quick by outmaneuvering Cesaro and taking Sheamus out with a dive to the floor. That doesn't last long, as the Bar takes over with a series of power-based double teams. Double shoulderblock sends Woods to the floor as we go to commercial.
We're back, and Woods is still getting his face beaten in by the Bar. Woods backdrops Cesaro over the top rope, sending him sailing to the floor, and makes the hot tag. Big E comes in with big ragdoll suplexes on Sheamus. Sheamus gets the knees up when Big E goes for a splash, but Big E hits an STJoe for 2. Cesaro distracts Big E, who is rolled up by Sheamus for 2. Big E hoists Sheamus up, but double team and a double implant DDT puts Big E down for 2. Cesaro gets the Sharpshooter, almost loses it, almost loses it again, and then cinches it in right in the middle of the ring. Woods tries to help, Sheamus drags him to the floor, and Woods rams him into the post before breaking up the Sharpshooter. woods tags in and hits the Swinging DDT through the ropes for 2. All four men are in the ring, Big E tosses Sheamus and then wipes him out with a spear through the ropes to the floor, and Woods walks the ropes for the top rope elbowdrop for the win.
Winners: The New Day
Good match,and now one of the New Day gets to go to Money In The Bank...but which one??? Only one slot remains in the men's MITB match, but we don't have time to think asbout that, because tonight, we have a royal Mellabration!
The Bludgeon Brothers are here to let us know that family is a waste, friendship is a disease, and the cure is to BLUDGEON...and TIME'S UP.
Paige is on the phone telling Carmella she can't have a horse-drawn carriage, then her former friends Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville come in to complain about the qualifying match situation, and Paige says they have a qualifying match tonight with Becky Lynch. They think she's putting them in a handicap match, but it's a three way, and she wishes them luck.
Renee Young is backstage with AJ Styles, and wants to know what stipulation AJ will choose if he wins tonight. AJ says there's no if, it's WHEN he wins tonight. He rolls through a few different ideas, then starts combining different gimmicks, and Renee suggests making the ref dress up like Elvis. AJ says Nakamura may have forgotten how to speak English, but he knows the universal language of forearm to the face. Nakamura can't beat him in the house that AJ Styles built.
Andrade "Cien" Almas debuts...NEXT!
Andrade "Cien" Almas vs Jake Constantino
Jake is a local guy who gets too aggressive at the start and winds up getting worked over in brutal fashion by the former NXT Champion. Zelena Vega orders Almas to drill Constantino with the running double kneestrike in the corner. Almas with the hammerlock DDT to finish it in short order.
Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas
Good strong debut for the former NXT Champion. Vega gets a mic after the match saying they were expecting more from Smackdown, because they finally come to Smackdown, and they get...THAT? (indicating Constantino) Their message is clear: they didn't come here to play nice, they came here to take over.
Rusev and Aiden English are backstage enjoying their own dressing room and gloating over his win over Daniel Bryan last week. Rusev thinks they could have done better, but English says what do you expect, this is England. English has a new song picked out for when Rusev wins MITB, but Lana comes in before he can belt it out and tells him to save his voice, because soon, he'll have a ravishing new song to sing. She just found out that she has a MITB qualifier next week against Billie Kay, and for the first time ever, there will be a Mr and Mrs Money In The Bank. Rusev says that together, they'll rule all of Smackdown. Lana asks what day it will be, and he says RUSEV DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
We see Carmella's dressing room door, and we'll get her royal Mellabration...NEXT!
An old dude in colonial-era attire comes out to introduce the woman who beat Charlotte Flair twice, the Smackdown champion of all women, god save CARMELLA! A trio of royal guards with the big furry hats come out, with one of them holding the Women's Title belt on a pillow, then Carmella comes out, grabs her belt, and skips down to the ring to address her public. She wanted to give the fans the opportunity to show her how much they love her, so for the next ten seconds or so, they can feel free to shower her with as much love as she deserves for being the first Ms Money In The Bank and Women's Champion. The fans boo her (I just noticed she has a tiara hair clip, which is a nice touch), and she asks what's wrong with them for mobbing outside a hospital to catch a glimpse of a baby and they don't show the Princess of Staten Island the respect she deserves. She orders them to bow down before her, and a few do. She says the people remind her of the women on the Smackdown roster because none of them think she's good enough or deserve to be Women's Champion, but guess what, not-so-great Britain? Mella is money, and Mella is champion, and that makes her better than each and every one of the fans in the audience. She's better than Charlotte, Sasha, Becky, Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss, and even Ronda Rousey! She's even better than Trish Stratus and Lita combined! Oh wait, here comes Paige, and Carmella assumes she's out here to show her people how to properly treat a princess. Paige says it's great to be home, but she does have something to say to Carmella, and that's that she has a royal proclamation of her own: her opponent at Money In The Bank. Carmella says she isn't putting her title on the line at MITB, but Paige says she is, and it's going to be against THIS WOMAN! She motions to the entryway, and out comes Asuka! Asuka takes the mask off and smiles at Carmella, who grabs her belt, yells at Paige, and heads for the hills.
Renee Young is backstage saying that between this and Nia Jax vs Ronda Rousey, Money In The Bank is going to be huge. She brings in Nakamura, and says he's been unsuccessful in his attempts to beat AJ Styles so far, and asks what his chances are tonight. He asks what chance means, and Renee says it's his possibility of winning. Nakamura says she's using the wrong words because it is certain he will win, AJ Styles will lose, AJ will get a knee to the face, then another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and when he's done, his nose smashed, cheeks broken, jaw shattered, face gone, he will dishonor AJ Styles, then take his title.
Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Becky Lynch vs Mandy Rose vs Sonya Deville
Mandy and Sonya double team Becky rivght from the start, but thenb Mandy rolls Sonya up for 2. They face off and then Becky rolls Sonya up for 2 as we go to commercial.
We come back as Becky mounts a comeback, clearing Mandy out of the ring and dumping Sonya into the corner with a Becksploder. Sonya with a kneesmash to the face, then Mandy dumps Sonya to the floor and steals a cover on Becky for 2. Becky gets a small package for 2, but then Mandy gets Angel's Wings on Becky, and now Sonya tosses Mandy out of the way and steals a cover on Becky for 2. Becky and Sonya trade shots in the middle of the ring, but Mandy picks Sonya up in an electric chaiir and Becky dropkicks them both down. Now Mandy tries for another Angel's Wings, Becky counters to the Disarmer, and Sonya comes in and kills both women with a flurry of kicks before getting a 2 count on Becky. Mandy drills Sonya with a bicycle kick and gets an O'Connor roll on Becky for 2, but Becky reverses to the Disarmer for the tapout win.
Winner: Becky Lynch
Good match, told a great story of Becky fighting from behind to take this one.
Next week: Samoa Joe battles Big Cass and Lana takes on Billie Kay in MITB qualifying matches. Samoa Joe is backstage saying the only thing that's big about Cass is his mouth. He's faced fake tough guys like him all his life, and guys like him always come up short. He knows Cass mad it a habit to target guys smaller than himself, but now he's making Cass his target. His ambition tells him that briefcase and the WWE Title are his, and next week, we'll find out how truly big or small Cass is. He doesn't discriminate, Cass is only an obstacle, and one that he'll put to sleep. Next, we go to the Iconics where they share their disdain for London and Lana before saying Billie is a winner and the briefcase would be a great accessory.
And with that...IT'S MAIN EVENT TIME!
Winner Picks The Stipulation At Money In The Bank: AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Tom points out that their Wrestlemania match was about a month and a half ago, meaning they've already beaten it into the ground with three PPV matches and are now burying it in cement by running it on TV to set up yet their FIFTH match in just a couple of weeks. Nakamura gets the early advantage with some strikes, but AJ turns him inside out with a crisp dropkick and some chops in the corner. AJ with a big side backbreaker, Nakamura goes to the floor, and AJ follows him out with a slingshot forearm. Back into the ring...no wait, Nakamura drills him with a baseball slide to the floor and then a sliding kneestrike on the apron and quickly covers on the inside for 2, and we're at commercial.
We're back, and Nakamura is working AJ over with martial arts kicks. AJ is in bad shape as Nakamura chokes him in the corner with his boot, but he blocks a back suplex and...eats a running boot to the face for 2. So much for that. Sweet big boot, though. Nakamura gets a dragon sleeper as we see a slow motion replay of that boot cranking AJ's head back, AJ slips out, but Nakamura peppers him with a lightning fast flurry of strikes. Nakamura puts AJ on top for a superplex, AJ slips out and hits him with a Pelle kick, and both men are down. AJ finally fights back with his own flurry of strikes and a running forearm. Another in the corner rocks Nakamura, and AJ hits the atomic facebuster for 2. Nakamura slips out of the Calf Krusher, AJ avoids the Kinshasa, but Nakamura hits another running kneestrike and hits the landslide for 2. Nakamura puts AJ on the top for the kneelift, but AJ slips out and Nakamura connects with the top turnbuckle. AJ goes for the springboard forearm, but Nakamura knocks him off the top rope and drills him with a running knee. They go to the apron where Nakamura goes for a suplex to the floor, but AJ blocks and reverses, Nakamura comes down on his feet, then comes off the second turnbuckle with a kneestrike to AJ's face. Nakamura quickly cradles AJ up, but only gets 2. Nakamura sets for the Kinshasa and...AJ rolls through into the Styles Clash, but Nakamura kicks his way out. AJ hits a cradle shock driver onto his knee for 2. AJ goes for a diving forearm, but Nakamura gets his boot up right in AJ's face. Nakamura connects with Kinshasa, but makes a lax cover and AJ gets his shoulder up at 2. Nakamura can't believe it, but he lines up another...and runs into a spinkick from AJ. AJ goes for the Styles Clash and gets backdropped to the apron, Nakamura dodges, and AJ just stops short of killing the ref. Nakamura acts like he took a shot to the ding ding, and AJ spends enough time convincing the referee he didn't really do it that Nakamura is able to slip in behind and hit the full rotation suplex, followed by Kinshasa for the win.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Good match, but I gotta be honest, I'm just about done with this feud by this point. Nakamura gets to choose the stipulation for their match at Money In The Bank, and that does it for this week's show.
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