Welcome to the September 3rd edition of Smackdown LIVE.
We begin with a recap of last night’s main event and Bayley’s heel turn.
Bayley’s music hits and she gets a mixed reaction. Bayley says that everyone should have seen what happened last night coming. She said she that no one should be surprised that she defended her best friend and that nothing has changed. Bayley says she’s trying to be the champion everyone wants her to be by giving people opportunities and hugging people.
Bayley says that she tries to make fans feel the way she did when she was a fan and now she has that opportunity because she’s the hero. Bayley says she is teaching kids the meaning of loyalty. That’s why she couldn’t turn her back on Sasha after things got rough. She is doing everything she can to put the Smackdown Women’s Title on the map. The fans deserve a champion with the same recognition that Becky Lynch gets.
Bayley will be that kind of champion for a long time, and will continue after she defeats Charlotte Flair. She speaks about being a role model before Flair interrupts. Charlotte scoffs at being called selfish. Flair says she is The Queen of selfishness. People say a lot about Charlotte, but what you see is what you get. There is no blindsiding, no confusion and no hugging.
Charlotte warns Bayley before Sasha’s music hits. Charlotte attacks Bayley and then goes after Sasha. Charlotte gains the advantage before Bayley takes her down from behind with a series of chair shots. Bayley hands the chair over to Sasha and she does the same. Sasha hands the chair back to Bayley and she continues the assault. Sasha and Bayley stand tall.
Ali vs. Elias
Elias starts with an armhold which forces him to the ground. Ali escapes and gets a knife edge chop which Elias takes head-on. Ali gets a roll-up at 1, and a jackknife cover which gets 1. Ali then gets a heel kick and goes for a suicide dive, but Elias catches him. He shoves him into the ring board and suplexes him on the steel.
Elias then shoves him in the barricade and launches him on the floor. He then lifts Ali over the timekeeper’s area. Back from commercial, Ali gets separation with a dropkick and a hard right.
Ali gets a series of punches and chops before Ali is forced into the corner. Kick to the face stuns Elias and he gets an X-factor for two. Alias dives and Elias takes some damage. Elias gets another shot and a knife edge chop. Elias goes for a superplex, but Ali fights him off.
Ali gets a 450 to Elias’ arm and then he gets a crossface. Elias goes on the attack and gets a sit out powerbomb for 2. Elias then gets a leg submission hold, but Ali escapes. Elias then shoves Ali’s leg into the post. Ali gets sent to the top rope and Elias goes for an attack, but Ali dodges and lands on his leg. Elias goes for a dive from the top turnbuckle but Ali catches him with a superkick.
Ali goes up for the 450, but Elias gets out of the way. Elias grabs Ali’s leg, but he fights him off. Elias still hangs on and Ali goes for an enziguri, but Elias dodges and gets a kneedrop and Elias gets the Drift Away for the victory.
Winner: Elias
Backstage, we get an interview with Samoa Joe and he is asked why he’s on Smackdown LIVE. Joe says last night was a minor inconvenience and he has to go through pretenders to his throne. He is laying out a path of destruction on his way to the throne. Joe says whoever comes from Smackdown in the King of the Ring will go to sleep, the WWE universe will bend the knee, and we will all call him king.
Backstage, we have Aliester Black. He says if the Mountain isn’t going to him, he will go to the Mountain. Black will be heading to the ring and see if there is anyone man enough to pick a fight with him.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
Rose starts by posing and shoving her head in Niki’s face. Cross starts with a series of strikes and then she gets a hurricanrana. Bulldog gets 1. Rose gets a hard right on Cross as Sonya distracts her and the two jump her in the corner.
Cross strikes Deville and gets a dropkick on Rose on the floor. Cross heads to the top turnbuckle and she gets a dive on both Deville and Rose.
Back from commercial, Rose taunts Cross and says she’ll never look like her. Bliss says no one wants to look like her and Rose tells her to shut up. Hot tag to Bliss and she runs wild on Deville for 2. Rose attacks from behind, but Cross comes in for the save. She goes for a suplex, but Cross gets a crossbody.
Deville has Bliss up on her shoulders but Bliss counters with a DDT. Bliss goes tot he top turnbuckle, but she sees Cross getting on Rose’s back on the outside. Rose knocks Cross into the ring post, but Alexa goes for Twisted Bliss on Deville. The distraction allows Deville to counter and Rose and Deville hit a double team move as Rose pins Bliss.
Winners: Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville (Fire and Desire)
Back from commercial, we got Chad Gable working out backstage. Joe bumps into him and apologizes. Gable says he’s preparing for his match. Joe says Gable would look like a big ass baby on the throne. He says that every insult Gable has head in his life is still being told to him now, and he says he is mentally weak. There is no room for mental weakness in the kingdom.
Out comes Randy Orton. Orton says in two weeks, there will be a new WWE Champion and that he will prove Kofi Kingston was never on his level. Last week, Orton set a trap for Kingston and he fell for it easily. The crowd chants for Kofi.
Orton said he loved the sweet sound of Kofi’s head bouncing off the floor. For weeks, he’s decimated the power of positivity. We get a video package of Orton and The Revival’s assault on The New Day.
Orton says he’ll tell Kofi what’s on his mind. No more traps, no more waiting at Clash of Champions and he calls out Kofi. Kofi comes out, but we see The Revival jumping him at the entrance ramp. Kofi fights off The Revival, but Orton clotheslines him from behind. He calls Kofi stupid as he stomps on Kofi relentlessly.
Orton tells Kofi he’ll beat him in front of everyone he cares about, and will do with the three most destructive letters in WWE. Before he can finish, Kofi continues to fight back but the numbers get to him. The Revival assist Kofi up for Orton to get the RKO.
We get a recap of the Roman Reigns saga.
Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan is announced for Clash of Champions. Still to come, Roman and Bryan go face to face.
Andrade vs. Chad Gable
Before the match starts, Zelina Vega tells Gable that from one vertically challenged superstar to another, she respects Gable’s fight. She says that if Andrade wasn’t in the tournament, she’d pick Gable to win the tournament. But unfortunately for Gable, Andrade is in the tournament. He will lose tonight, but there is no shame in losing to King Andrade.
Gable starts with a series of back holds, but Andrade responds with a huge back elbow. Gable is forced into the corner, but Gable reverses that into a sunset flip for a two count. Gable and Andrade trade holds before Andrade gets a kick to the gut. Gable whips Andrade to the corner where he gets a monkey flip. They fight on the opposite side of the ring before Andrade drops Gable outside the ring.
Back from commercial, Andrade and Gable trade blows before Gable gets the advantage. Gable gets a back kick and front flip kick. A rolling neckbreaker connects and Gable gets a teardrop suplex for 2. Andrade retreats but Gable forces Andrade to the top rope. Andrade forces Gable back down and Andrade gets the double stomp for 2.
Andrade goes for a German, but Gable reverses into a cover for 2. Andrade then goes for the Three Amingos, but he isn’t able to hit the third suplex. Gable responds by hitting two German Suplexes before Andrade gets a back elbow and the third suplex.
Andrade lands on his feet from the first moonsault attempt and goes for a second moonsault, but Gable gets the knees up. Gable goes to the top rope and he gets a moonsault of his own for a close 2 count.
Gable goes for an attack, but Andrade launches him into the turnbuckle. Andrade goes for the double knees but misses. Gable gets another German and covers Andrade, but Zelina distracts the referee. Andrade gets a back elbow off the distraction and Andrade goes for the Hamerlock DDT, but backdrops Andrade. Andrade turns that into a cover attempt, but Gable gets a cover of his own and Gable gets the upset.
Winner: Chad Gable
Out comes Aliester Black. Shelton Benjamin answers his challenge.
Aliester Black vs. Shelton Benjamin
Black starts with a series of major knee strikes that stuns the hell out of Benjamin. Benjamin gets a knee of his own that sends Black out. Benjamin and Black trade blows back in the ring and gets more strikes. Benjamin goes for a heel kick, but Aliester dodges and hits Black mass for the win.
Winner: Aliester Black
Backstage, we see Drake Maverick and his wife before a bunch of calamity happens. Bo Dallas pins Maverick from behind and he is the new 24/7 Champion.
New 24/7 Champion: Bo Dallas
Shinsuke Nakamura (w/Sami Zayn) vs. Jobber
Nakamura sends the jobber into the corner with a series of knee strikes. He gets him on the top turnbuckle for a knee to the gut. He gets the Kinsasha for the easy win. Sami Zayn was going crazy, cheering for Nakamura the entire match.
After the match, Dallas and Axel are in the ring with Drake Maverick, Gran Metalik and The Singh Brothers. Axel protects Dallas from attacks while Maverick rolls up Dallas from behind to win back the title. He sends Dallas and Axel out of the ring as he celebrates. R-Truth was hiding behind the throne set piece and he pins Maverick from behind to win his 14th 24/7 Championship.
New 24/7 Champion: R-Truth
Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan’s face to face confrontation is up next.
Daniel Bryan says a lot of things can be said about him, but one thing he is not is a liar. He always tells the truth, and he demands an apology from Roman Reigns for believing that he is a liar. He wants an apology for the accusations and for the spear last week. Out comes Roman.
Roman comes out but Erick Rowan attacks him from behind, sending him into the steel steps and dropping him face first on the apron. Bryan tries to stop him, but Rowan shoves him aside. He then powerbombs Roman into the ring post. Rowan gets a chokeslam after.
Rowan says the joke’s on Roman for thinking Daniel was responsible. He says that Daniel is worse than everybody else. He says he’s nobody’s puppet and he will not be controlled by Dainel. Rowan dares Bryan to step in the ring and slap him in the face like last week. He screams and yells for Daniel to slap him. Bryan looks confused.
Rowan says he’s proud of what he did to Roman, but he’s most proud of the pain he’s going to feel at Clash of Champions. He throws Roman out of the ring and smashes him with steel steps. He clears the announce table before Bryan asks him what he’s doing.
Bryan says Rowan is his friend, and Bryan slaps him. Rowan then chokeslams Bryan through the table and Rowan says no one tells him what to do. Never again. No one touches him. The referees tries to get him to stop the rampage. Smackdown then goes off the air.
