Credit: WINC
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX opens up with the entire roster on the stage to pay tribute to WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson, who passed away at the age of 79 this past Wednesday. A graphic in memory of Patterson is on the big screen. WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, Hall of Famer and Patterson’s friend Gerald Brisco, and others are on the stage. We go to ringside to Michael Cole and Corey Graves. Cole remembers Patterson and asks everyone to stand in a moment of silence for a ten-bell salute. After the salute a “thank you Pat!” chant breaks out. We cut to the standard SmackDown intro video.
– We’re live from The ThunderDome in the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida as Michael Cole welcomes us. He hypes tonight’s show and sends us right to the ring.
– Kayla Braxton is in the ring with a mic. She talks about tonight’s tag team main event and says her guest has agreed to this exclusive interview. She gives a grand introduction to WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, and out he comes with Jey Uso and Paul Heyman.
Reigns stops on the stage and raises the title in the air as the pyro goes off. They head to the ring as fans boo. Cole and Graves hype Reigns and Uso vs. Kevin Owens and Otis for later tonight. Reigns tells Kayla if she’s got an announcement, she should do it right. He nods at Heyman, who leans over to Kayla’s mix and gives his own grand introduction for Reigns. Kayla apologizes. She brings up last week’s comments to Jey and mentions how he’s become a commanding figure here in The ThunderDome. She asks what happened last week. We go right to a video package with highlight from last week, including Reigns talking down to Jey in the ring, then Jey attacking Otis from behind with a steel chair, Owens stopping Uso from attacking Daniel Bryan in the back, Owens confronting Uso and Reigns in the back, and Reigns telling Uso to make Owens fear him ahead of their main event. We also see Uso attacking Owens with a chair in the match, and Owens turning it around, taunting Reigns while he watched from the back.
We come back and Kayla seems to annoy Reigns. She says this is the biggest thing she’s ever been a part of, the biggest thing in her career, and she has these stupid questions. He says they could’ve had Cole done this, but they let her talk to the Tribal Chief and she blows it. Kayla asks if Reigns is possibly using Jey as a pawn, manipulating him. Reigns says those are stupid words for stupid people. He means no disrespect but he’s not the kind of man to manipulate. He goes on with some praise for Uso, then mentions how they’ve given Kayla opportunities, even with Heyman helping her on Talking Smack, but she’s blowing it. Reigns tells Heyman to handle this amateur.
Heyman goes on about how Jey has helped with the ratings because Reigns has given him, given the family, opportunities. He goes on until the music interrupts and out comes Owens. Owens says it’s been established that they don’t fear each other and he sees no point in waiting until later tonight. He figured since Reigns didn’t come to him last week, he’d come to him now and they can settle it. Owens enters the ring but Jey stands up to him. Jey says they run this show and they accept. Owens says he wasn’t talking to the bus boy, he was talking to the head of the table. What do you say? If not now, let me think of… Owens has just the place. TLC. Owens says let’s not stop there, let’s get a table in there since Reigns is the head of the table. Let’s get a ladder and some chairs for a TLC match, Reigns can put the title on the line, and they can settle this like men. Or they can do it right now because that’s fine too. Owens taunts Reigns as fans cheer. Owens drops the mic and waits for a fight.
Reigns says Owens wants it because it would be good for his career, to be on the island of relevancy. Reigns says he and his cousin do not fear anyone. Jey said they accept, so the head of the table accepts. Reigns says he’d whoop Owens’ ass if he was the man he used to be, but there’s a time and place for everything and that’s not right now. Reigns says he’s not a savage anymore, he’s a gentleman, and there’s a lady in the room. He tells Owens to grow up. Reigns drops his mic and exits the ring with Heyman and Uso as his music hits. Owens watches from the ring but asks for the music to be cut. Owens says he just wants Reigns to know that he will grow up when Reigns grows some balls. Owens says Reigns might call himself a gentleman but right now it’s clear to everyone that he’s just a b—h. Fans pop while Reigns shows some restraint and just walks ahead to the back.
Natayla wins with the Sharpshooter.
Winner: Natalya
After the match, the music hits as Natalya celebrates. Bayley, still down from the submission, crawls to the edge of the apron and yells at Belair as she laughs from ringside.
Bryan cradles Sami for the win.
Winners: Daniel Bryan, Big E and Rey Mysterio
After the match, the babyfaces celebrate as the music hits. Bryan, Big E and Mysterio gather on the ramp while the heels try to recover in the ring. They rush back in the ring and the two sides face off. A big brawl is about to break out as Nakamura and Sami charge but get sent flying to the floor. Ziggler dances around, thinking he’s just gotten over. He turns around to see the winners staring him down. He pleads and offers a hand to shake but they’re not interested. Ziggler drops to his knees and begs some more. He tries to sucker Bryan in but gets hit with an Atomic Drop. Rey then nails 619 as Ziggler falls into the ropes. Big E scoops Ziggler for the Big Ending in the middle of the ring. Bryan’s music hits again as they pay tribute to Patterson and Bryan leads a “Yes!” chant.
– Still to come, our tag team main event.
– Kayla is backstage with Kevin Owens. She brings up the TLC match and asks why Roman Reigns draws his ire so much. He goes on about how he used to respect Reigns so much. No matter what Reigns was always one of the boys, but something changed and it’s despicable. Owens says he himself is certainly not perfect, but he’s tried to make amends and be courteous to everyone else, from the crew to the wrestlers and everyone else. A door opens and Kalisto walks out of a room, apparently confused about where he’s at. Owens tells him they’re live and there’s some sort of awkward comedy here with Kalisto’s hat. Owens goes on about how bad Reigns is but he won’t curse for the sake of FOX. Otis comes up with some comedy and Owens laughs. He asks Kayla to give them a minute. Otis gets hyped up about getting his hands on Reigns and Jey Uso tonight. Owens says that sounds good to him.
– We see Carmella and Sasha Banks in separate areas backstage, getting ready for their segment. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get another video on Pat Patterson, featuring more Twitter tributes from various wrestlers.
– This week’s Match Flo sponsored video from Progressive features a look at Carmella’s recent attacks on Sasha Banks, and Banks’ recent surprise attack.
– Cole and Graves are joined by Carmella and SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks now, for their War of Words interview segment. They are both in different areas backstage. They interrupt Cole and talk some trash between each other to start the interview. Banks says Carmella wishes she could be like her. Carmella calls her a Nicki Minaj wannabe. Cole brings up how long they’ve known each other, going back to their early training days. Banks gives her some praise but knocks her for going from guy to guy. Banks says there’s a reason they’ve never faced one-on-one and that’s because Banks is in a different league, and Carmella will never be there.
Carmella thinks Banks is jealous. Carmella says Banks looks at her and her blood boils with jealousy. Carmella says Banks worked her whole life, worked her butt off, to become a WWE Superstar when Carmella just walked in and became a success overnight with half the effort. Carmella says Banks is right, she’s nothing like Banks, she’s superior in every way and Banks can’t handle it. Carmella says she’s not only the hot chick that is going to embarrass Banks, she’s going to take her title. Banks says Carmella can have a title shot if she wants it, at TLC. Banks promises that Carmella has never been in the ring with a badder b—h than she. Carmella laughs at Banks and cuts her feed off as Banks looks on.
Corbin wins with the End of Days.
Winner: King Corbin
After the match, Corbin stands tall with Blake and Cutler at ringside as his music hits. We go to replays. Dominik and Rey are furious. They return to the ring to check on Murphy as Corbin, Blake and Cutler stand together on the stage.
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits are backstage hyping up tonight’s main event. Robert Roode comes up and knocks them for talking about everyone else’s business, except what he and Dolph Ziggler did to them last week. Cesaro appears and the verbal shots continue. The Profits ask Cesaro and Roode where their titles are. The yelling continues to end the segment.
Roman breaks up a pin attempt and won’t let go of the Gullitone on KO, and they are DQ’ed.
Winners by DQ: Kevin Owens and Jey Uso
After the bell, Reigns keeps the submission locked in as Owens fades. Reigns breaks it and turns his attention to Uso. Uso goes to the timekeeper’s area and brings two steel chairs in. Owens is crawling around the ring, trying to grab Reigns’ leg. Reigns and Uso each have a chair now. They take turns delivering huge chair shots to Owens’ back now, while he’s down on the mat. Reigns tells Uso to finish Owens now. Uso places his chair over Owens and goes to the top, delivering the big Uso splash on top of Owens and the chair. Reigns then nails Uso over the back with the chair out of nowhere. Uso yells out in pain. Reigns unloads on his cousin with the chair, driving it into him while he’s down.
Reigns kneels down over Uso and Owens, yelling and taunting them, placing the title belt over Owens’ body. He talks more trash as a shocked Heyman looks on from ringside. Reigns says Owens tried to make him a monster and mess with his family, so now Reigns is going to take his manhood and his livelihood, and Owens and his family will fear Reigns. The referee tries to get Reigns to back off. Reigns stands tall over Owens and Uso as fans chant “you suck!” at him. Reigns raises the Universal Title in the air as SmackDown goes off the air with his music playing.