Liv Morgan met a fan who was upset following her loss on Friday’s SmackDown.
WWE on social media posted a short video of Morgan meeting the fan, who Liv Morgan identified as Kylie, backstage following her loss to Rhea Ripley. She hugged Kylie, who says she is ten. Morgan then told Kylie that in eight years she could join WWE and they could win the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles together.
Morgan lost to Rhea Ripley on Friday’s SmackDown. Following the match, one of the cameras cut to Kylie crying. A picture on social media showed Morgan hugging the fan before she went to the back.
Ripley defeated Morgan with an inverted cloverleaf. She is set to meet Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania next month. Ripley taunted Flair during the match, cutting a promo on her as she worked over Morgan.
Before taking part in Saturday’s women’s Elimination Chamber match, Asuka and Liv Morgan will face off on SmackDown.
WWE has announced that Asuka vs. Morgan will take place on SmackDown this Friday. The match was made official after Morgan challenged Asuka on social media.
Asuka, Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Nikki Cross, Natalya, and Carmella will be the six participants in the women’s Elimination Chamber match at this Saturday’s pay-per-view. The winner earns a Raw Women’s Championship shot against Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39.
On Raw earlier this week, Asuka, Cross & Carmella defeated Morgan, Rodriguez & Natalya. Asuka attacked everyone in the match, including her own partners. The match ended with Asuka submitting Morgan.
WWE will be at the Bell Centre in Montreal for back-to-back nights this Friday and Saturday. The updated lineup for SmackDown can be seen below:
Intercontinental Champion Gunther defends against Madcap Moss
Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya & Shotzi
Ricochet and Liv Morgan are entering this year’s Royal Rumble.
Ricochet qualified for the Royal Rumble on SmackDown Friday, defeating Top Dolla. Morgan announced during the show that she would be entering the women’s Rumble. The show is set to take place on January 28 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Friday’s show had Ricochet defeating Top Dolla in a match set up last week after Ricochet made fun of Top Dolla last for botching a dive two weeks ago. After Ricochet defeated Top Dolla, he extended his hand to Ricochet. They shook hands, but it ended up being a swerve as Hit Row turned on Ricochet, attacking him until Braun Strowman hit the ring for the save.
Morgan cut a promo on Friday promising to win the Royal Rumble, even if she draws number one.
Kofi Kingston thus far is the only other person confirmed in the Rumble match, declaring his status last month.
Liv Morgan and Sonya Deville’s feud will continue on the November 4 WWE SmackDown with a No DQ match.
Following an angle on this week’s SmackDown show where the two brawled backstage, WWE has added Morgan vs. Deville in a No DQ match to next week’s SmackDown lineup.
Already announced for next week’s show, Gunther will defend the Intercontinental Championship against Rey Mysterio.
Due to next Saturday’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia, the November 4 SmackDown show is being taped tonight in St. Louis.
SmackDown will also return to Fox next week after this week’s show was bumped to FS1 due to Fox’s coverage of the MLB World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Here is the updated lineup for next week:
WWE SmackDown, Friday, November 4, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Fox —
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Rey Mysterio
Liv Morgan appeared on Wednesday’s episode of Chucky on SYFY and the USA Network.
Morgan played herself on the show but was not able to make it out of the episode alive. As the show came to a conclusion, Chucky pulled out a butcher’s knife while sitting on Morgan’s lap and proceeded to stab the former SmackDown Women’s champion multiple times.
Fans have been uploading Morgan’s scenes to social media.
Earlier this year, Morgan expressed her desire to be killed by Chucky during an interview with TV Insider.
“I love Chucky. I’m also petitioning to get myself on Chucky Season 2,” Morgan said. “I tell the guys at work, ‘Can you guys help me out? We’re on the same network.’”
“I would be OK with any role, but I really want to be killed off. I want to be killed by Chucky,” she continued.
“I loved Chucky growing up. So if he kills me, that’s like, goals for me right there. I don’t even need a big part. I just want to be killed by Chucky.”
This was not Chucky’s first brush with a professional wrestler either. He was involved in a WCW segment with Rick Steiner in 1998 as well.
A WWE star is set to appear on an upcoming episode of USA Network and Syfy’s “Chucky” television series.
It was announced today that former SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan will appear as a guest star on the Wednesday, October 26 episode of “Chucky.” It’s the fourth episode of the show’s second season.
The appearance was revealed in an interaction between Morgan and the “Chucky” Twitter account:
“I feel like I turned into a horror buff as I got older, but I’ve been a fan of the ‘Child’s Play’ franchise my entire life,” Morgan said. “I’ve seen every movie and season one of ‘Chucky’ was something that I just loved. My fandom for ‘Chucky’ runs very, very deep — I have like, three Chucky dolls in my home.”
There was also a collaboration between WWE and “Chucky” when the Chucky doll was a special guest at last year’s NXT Halloween Havoc.
Morgan lost the SmackDown Women’s Championship to Ronda Rousey at Extreme Rules last Saturday. Their extreme rules match ended with Morgan passing out in a submission.
The “Chucky” cameo is the second acting role Morgan has been announced for this year. In June, it was revealed that Morgan will make her film debut in “The Kill Room.” The movie is a darkly comic thriller. Morgan will play “an art purist who bemoans the vapidness of art dealers.”
Ronda Rousey says that she pitched a more extreme finish to her SmackDown Women’s title match with Liv Morgan at WWE Extreme Rules.
In a gaming stream on her YouTube channel, Rousey says that she pitched for Morgan to powerbomb her into thumbtacks, and for Morgan to pass out in her armbar face down into the tacks, but that unspecified WWE officials nixed the idea.
“I pitched the finish to be on thumbtacks. [Liv] would put down thumbtacks, she’d powerbomb me onto the thumbtacks. And as a repeat of our finish from before, I’d go for the armbar on the thumbtacks, but they’d start counting the pin. And I’d have to push up onto my one shoulder, like, into the thumbtacks to keep the armbar on. And Liv would be biting her hand, trying not to tap, and then pass out face down into the thumbtacks with her hand there to protect her face. But they said, ‘We can’t do thumbtacks any more, like, legally, we can’t purposely injure people and cut their skin and stuff.’
Rousey says that she also pitched pins or screws for her finish idea in place of tacks, but that hose ideas were turned down as well.
“So I was like, what about little maple leaf pins? They said no. I was like, what about screws? They’re on their side on the ground? They said no.”
Rousey also talked about the baseball bat that she and Morgan used in their match, describing the care that she had to take not to injure Morgan in swinging the weapon.
“It’s a bat, you know? You kind of have to be careful how you hit people with it,” Rousey said. “And I felt bad, because Liv was in a position where I had to be whacking her with a bat. And I’m like, ‘If I hit her in the back I could really mess up her spine, if I hit her in the rib I think I’ll break a rib, so I’ll just keep hitting her in the ass.’ So I kept whacking the s— out of her butt. So I kind of felt bad, her butt must look bad…” said Rousey.
Rousey defeated Morgan at Extreme Rules to reclaim the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Morgan had defeated Rousey at Money in the Bank on July 2 to win the title after cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase she won earlier in the night. Morgan also won a rematch at SummerSlam on July 30.
Ronda Rousey is once again a WWE women’s champion.
At Saturday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view, Rousey regained the SmackDown Women’s Championship by defeating Liv Morgan in an extreme rules match. Morgan passed out in a submission to lose the title.
Morgan was able to put Rousey through a table by hitting a senton from the top rope during the match, but Rousey kicked out when Morgan went for a pin. When Rousey tried to go for an armbar, Morgan fought it off and prevented Rousey from locking in the hold. But Rousey was able to eventually apply a biceps crusher where she put a piece of the broken table behind Morgan’s head. The referee called for the bell when Morgan passed out in the hold.
The loss puts an end to Morgan’s three-month reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion. The reign began when she defeated Rousey for the title at Money in the Bank this July. Morgan cashed in on Rousey after winning the briefcase earlier that night.
Morgan retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Rousey at SummerSlam in a match that had a disputed finish. The referee missed Morgan tapping out to an armbar and instead counted a pin.
This is Rousey’s second time holding the SmackDown Women’s Championship. She’s also held the Raw Women’s Championship once during her WWE career.
A rematch from SummerSlam is now set for Extreme Rules.
Ronda Rousey won a five-way elimination match on Friday’s SmackDown to earn a SmackDown Women’s Championship match against Liv Morgan. The finish of the match had Sonya Deville submitting to an ankle lock after Lacey Evans, Xia Li, and Natalya were eliminated.
After the match, Rousey met up with Shayna Baszler backstage. Rousey said that she knew that Baszler was upset about losing at Clash at the Castle, but then told her that there was one thing better than winning: revenge.
Rousey successfully retained the SmackDown Women’s Champion at Money in the Bank against Natalya when Morgan cashed in, pinning Rousey to win the championship. The two then met at SummerSlam, where Morgan retained. The finish had the referee seeing Rousey’s shoulders pinned to the mat while applying an armbar, but didn’t see Morgan submit beforehand.
Extreme Rules will take place on October 8 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Baszler won a gauntlet match on Friday’s SmackDown to earn a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Clash at the Castle on September 3. She will face current champion Liv Morgan.
The gauntlet match had Raquel Rodriguez pin Sonya Deville, Xia Li, Shotzi, and Natalya. However, going into the last match with Baszler, Rodriguez’s leg had been worked on by Natalya. The finish had Baszler locking in the kirifuda clutch, but Rodriguez reversed, pinning Baszler’s shoulders on the mat for a nearfall. Baszler then picked up the win with a rolling cradle.
Morgan retained the title at SummerSlam despite tapping out to Ronda Rousey’s armbar submission. The referee in that match instead counted Rousey’s shoulders to the mat, neglecting to see Morgan tap out.
Here is the current card for Clash at the Castle:
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
Ronda Rousey attacked Liv Morgan following a disputed finish at SummerSlam.
The finish had Rousey going for an armbar, with Morgan trying to escape from the hold. Morgan had Rousey’s shoulders on the mat. The referee started to count, but didn’t see Morgan tapping before he counted to three. He awarded the match to Morgan, who retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship in the process.
After the match, Rousey complained to the referee about the decision. Rousey then attacked Morgan, putting her in an armbar. When the referee told her to let go, Rousey attacked the referee, also putting him in the armbar. The segment ended with WWE officials coming to the ring to break things up.
Morgan cashed in her Money in the Bank briefcase and defeated Rousey at the pay-per-view earlier this month after Rousey successfully retained the title against Natalya. A rematch was made for SummerSlam. The two teamed together on Friday’s SmackDown, defeating Natalya and Sonya Deville.
Liv Morgan is confident that WWE is “in great hands” following the recent management changes stemming from Vince McMahon’s departure.
Morgan was interviewed by the Mirror on Monday shortly after news broke that Triple H had been named the new head of WWE creative.
“We’re excited. We’re in great hands,” she said.
Regarding Vince McMahon’s departure from the company, Morgan said that it felt sudden but she’s excited to be working with Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon.
“We all owe so much to Vince. So if he felt like it was time, then it was time. We’re also excited to be working with Stephanie and Nick [Khan, the other co-CEO). Stephanie was born into this business, so there’s literally no one better for the job than her,” Morgan continued.
“We’re all so excited and we’re just ready to go to work. We’re all just ready to take it to the next level.”
Morgan won the SmackDown Women’s Championship earlier this month at Money in the Bank in Las Vegas. She also spoke about what winning the title has meant to her.
“It was breath-taking to do something that I’ve been working my whole entire life for. It was fulfilling and just weird at the same time,” she said.
“The response from the fans and seeing how excited and happy they were just meant so much to me. I really wanted to give them something to believe in and I feel like throughout my career sometimes the fans believed in me so much when I felt like I wasn’t giving them anything to believe in. So I really wanted to do that for them.”
“My first ever accolade, my first ever big win. So it was just incredible.”
What’s sure to be an interesting episode of SmackDown takes place from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts tonight.
Tonight’s show is taking place just hours after Vince McMahon announced that he’s retiring as WWE’s chairman and CEO. McMahon is also no longer WWE’s head of creative. Stephanie McMahon will open the show after being named the co-CEO and Chairwoman of WWE.
Brock Lesnar was scheduled to appear on SmackDown tonight ahead of his Last Man Standing match against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam, but Lesnar walked out of the show after learning news of McMahon’s retirement. We’ll see if a new challenger emerges for Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
SummerSlam is taking place on Saturday, July 30. The build to the pay-per-view will continue tonight with SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey going face-to-face.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ludwig Kaiser has also been announced for tonight’s show. Plus, WWE is hyping that Max Dupri’s sister Maxxine Dupri will debut as Maximum Male Models reveal their beachwear line.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
Stephanie McMahon Thanks Vince McMahon Segment
This was a short segment. Stephanie McMahon discussed her father’s retirement.
Stephanie McMahon was already in the ring to start SmackDown. She welcomed everyone and emotionally announced Vince McMahon’s retirement earlier. The fans erupted in loud boos. She noted he thanked the fans and everyone in the back. The fans broke into a loud “Thank you, Vince” chant. She said the fans were getting ahead of her. She spoke for a few more minutes and then started a “Thank you, Vince” chant.
Michael Cole and Pat McAfee didn’t mention Vince’s retirement. Cole only mentioned it being a historical night.
**********
Street Profits Segment
This was a fine segment, and the fans were into it. It was a typical opening segment where a bunch of people interrupted each other. It was a fitting way to start the post-Vince McMahon era.
The Street Profits’ music hit to a big pop. They made their entrance through the crowd. Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford mentioned challenging for the Unified tag titles at SummerSlam. They promised to win the titles next Saturday.
Theory’s music interrupted, and he walked out. Theory claimed nobody cares about the Street Profits. He promised to cash in his MITB briefcase and doesn’t care if it’s Roman Reigns or Brock Lesnar.
The Usos made their way to the ring and were furious that Theory mentioned Reigns’ name. The Street Profits laughed at Theory. Theory mocked Ford and said he and his wife would leave SummerSlam without their titles. Ford heard enough, and a brawl broke out.
Madcap Moss ran down to even the odds. The faces cleared the ring of the heels. Dawkins hit a huge dive onto the Usos and Theory to end the segment.
Later, they announced Madcap Moss & The Street Profits vs. Theory & The Usos in the main event.
*********
They recapped Shinsuke Nakamura defeating Ludwig Kaiser and Gunther chopping Kaiser after the match.
Ludwig Kaiser (w/Gunther) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura (9:27)
Kaiser and Nakamura had a good match. The story of the match revolved around Gunther yelling at Kaiser. Gunther chopped Kaiser after the match despite winning.
Kaiser had the early advantage as he beat down Nakamura. Nakamura fought back and hit a knee for a near fall. Kaiser recovered after Gunther yelled at him. Kaiser then hit a running knee for a two-count.
The fans broke into a faint “Nakamura” chant. Nakamura hit a running knee in the corner, sending Kaiser to the floor. Gunther yelled at Kaiser again to motivate him. Kaiser grabbed Nakamura’s leg and dropped him on the apron. He then sent Nakamura into the ring steps.
Back from the break, Kaiser was firmly in control. Nakamura recovered and caught Kaiser with an enziguri. He followed up with a running knee and a sliding German suplex using the ropes. Kaiser rolled to ringside, and Gunther continued to yell at him.
Nakamura threw Kaiser back in the ring, but Gunther got in his face. Kaiser caught Nakamura with a small package for a near fall. Nakamura regained control and set up for Kinshasa. Gunther caused a distraction, and Kaiser rolled him up. The finish came when Kaiser sent Nakamura into the ropes. Gunther punched Nakamura and Kaiser hit a DDT for the win.
After the match, Kaiser expected praise, but Gunther gave him another hard chop instead.
**********
In the back, SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey were getting ready for their face-to-face segment.
Ronda Rousey and Liv Morgan Face-to-Face Segment
This was a fine segment. They kept it short and did it backstage instead of in front of the fans.
Back from the break, they recapped Liv Morgan cashing in her briefcase and beating Rousy to win the SmackDown title.
In the back, Kayla Braxton introduced Morgan and Rousey. Rousey sent Braxton away and got in Morgan’s face. Rousey praised Morgan and promised to win the title. The fans booed.
Rousey expects Morgan to shake her hand after she loses. Morgan promised to retain her title and beat Rousey again. The fan cheered.
*******
Pat McAfee-Happy Corbin Brawl
McAfee was awesome in the segment and cut a passionate promo.
At ringside, Pat McAfee and Michael Cole discussed Morgan vs. Rousey at SummerSlam. Suddenly, Happy Corbin ran out and attacked McAfee. Cole screamed for help. Corbin beat down McAfee and ran to the back.
McAfee got to his feet and chased after Corbin. The fans popped big for McAfee. McAfee and Corbin continued to brawl in the back until officials broke it up.
Back from the break, Cole discussed Corbin’s attack as they recapped the angle.
McAfee walked back to the ring to a loud “McAfee” chant. He grabbed the mic and mocked Corbin. McAfee noted Corbin couldn’t make any more excuses. He started a “Bum Ass Corbin” chant. McAfee was furious and promised to beat Corbin at SummerSlam. He then returned to commentary for the rest of the night.
********
They recapped the Viking Raiders and New Day feud.
The New Vicious Viking Raiders defeated Jinder Mahal & Shanky via countout (1:31)
This was terrible. They went just over a minute with a weak countout finish.
New Day joined Cole and McAfee on commentary. Woods and Kingston praised the Raiders and mentioned them being former ROH tag team champions. Woods was wearing a unicorn mask.
Mahal was briefly in control with a kick to the head. Ivar fought back and sent Mahal to the floor. They brawled around ringside until Ivar tossed Mahal into New Day and jumped back in the ring. The referee then counted Mahal out for the finish.
*******
Sonya Deville approached Adam Pearce in his office. Deville mocked Pearce for everything going wrong, including Lacey Evans walking out of her match last week. Pearce then announced Deville vs. Raquel Rodriguez for later.
*******
The Brawling Brutes made their way to the ring.
Brawling Brutes and Drew McIntyre Segment
This was a fine segment. They set up McIntyre vs. Sheamus for next week in a good old-fashioned Irish Donnybrook fight for a title shot at Clash at the Castle.
Sheamus noted he planned on beating Drew Mcintyre tonight and earn a title shot at Clash at the Castle. However, Sheamus demanded McIntyre not bring the sword to the ring. Sheamus showed footage of McIntyre cutting the top rope with his sword two weeks ago.
McIntyre’s music hit, and he made his way to the ring. Sheamus sent Butch and Ridge Holland out of the ring. McIntyre wondered what happened to Sheamus’ passion. He noted one of them should be challenging for the Universal title at Clash of the Castle. McIntyre added that the current champion is holding the titles hostage. He said the other option isn’t any better. McIntyre demanded a match with Sheamus right now.
Sheamus teased accepting the match but not tonight. Instead, he challenged McIntyre to a good old-fashioned Irish Donnybrook fight. He added that McIntyre couldn’t bring the sword. Sheamus then revealed a table of Shillelaghs.
Adam Pearce came out and made the match official for next week. McIntyre then cut Sheamus’ shillelagh in half, and the pyro went off.
*******
In the back, Paul Heyman approached The Usos. The Usos were angry that they have to tag with Theory tonight. He told them to use Theory to their advantage to win the six-man tag team main event. After the match, he wants them to leave Theory face down.
*******
Raquel Rodriguez defeated Sonya Deville (3:39)
Rodriguez and Deville had an okay match. Rodriguez dominated the short contest.
Rodriguez dominated Deville and toyed with her. Deville took over with back elbows. She slowed the pace down, but Rodriguez broke free. Rodriguez hit a fall-away slam and a corkscrew elbow for a two-count.
Deville attempted a DDT. Rodriguez held on and tossed Deville across the ring. Rodriguez missed a tackle in the corner, and Deville hit a DDT for a near fall. Deville hit a series of kicks until Rodriguez hit the powerbomb for the win.
********
They showed an Usos vs. Street Profits video package.
They recapped Lacey Evans’ promo insulting the fans last week.
Lacey Evans vs. Aliyah
The match didn’t end up happening again.
Evans slowly walked to the ring. She grabbed the mic and mocked the fans. She’s not surprised that Tom Brady left the city. The fans erupted in boos. Evans added that nobody in Boston accomplished anything. She noted there wasn’t a person in the building that could walk a mile in her shoes.
Aliyah tried to get in Evans’s face, but Evans demanded the fan’s respect. Suddenly, Evans rocked Aliyah with the women’s right to end the segment.
*******
In the back, Kayla Braxton interviewed Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett said he’s honored to be the special referee at SummerSlam and hinted that Usos and the Street Profits tried to bribe him. Jarrett added nobody could sway him and called Usos vs. Street Profits the greatest tag team match in history.
*******
The Usos made their way to the ring for the main event.
In the back, Sofia Cromwell debuted as Maxxine Dupri with the Maximum Male Models. She mentioned her brother Max Dupri, but he wasn’t there. Maximum Male Models debut the beachwear next week.
Madcap Moss & The Street Profits defeated Theory & The Usos via DQ (16:48)
This was a good six-man tag team match until the weak DQ finish. The big news was Brock Lesnar showing up and attacking Theory to end SmackDown.
The Usos and Theory argued before the match. The Usos were still upset that they had to tag with Theory.
The Street Profits had the early advantage. They sent The Usos to the floor with dropkicks. Moss then knocked Theory off the apron as they went to a commercial.
Back from the break, Theory took over and backed Moss into the corner. He slowed the pace down and isolated Moss on the heels side of the ring. Dawkins got the hot tag and briefly ran wild.
Jey caught Dawkins with a superkick, who stumbled out of the ring. Ford tagged in and caught Jey with a flying cross body for a near fall. The heels recovered and beat down Ford. Jimmy grabbed Ford and tossed him over the barricade.
Back from the break, the heels were firmly in control. Jey knocked Dawkins off the apron with a superkick. Moss tagged in and ran wild. He caught Theory with a fallway slam and a tackle on Jey in the corner.
Jimmy rocked Moss with a superkick for a close near fall. He tried to tag Theory, but he backed off. Theory then jumped off the apron and started to leave. Jey cut Theory off and beat him down.
The Street Profits and The Usos fought at ringside. Dawkins hit a huge dive, wiping out Ford and the Usos. Theory didn’t leave after all and got back in the match.
In the ring, Theory scored a near fall on Moss. He set up for the A-town down, but Moss slipped out. Moss caught Theory with a tackle. He went for a second tackle, but Theory hit him with the briefcase for the disqualification. They actually had to do that spot twice because Theory couldn’t get the briefcase in time on the first attempt.
After the match, Brock Lesnar’s music hit to a huge pop. McAfee made a very subtle reference to the rumors of Lesnar leaving the arena.
Lesnar got in the ring and gave Theory the F-5. Lesnar then attacked Theory with the briefcase and gave him a second F-5 on the briefcase. Lesnar posed in the ring to end SmackDown.
********
Next Week: On the eve of SummerSlam, Drew McIntyre takes on Sheamus in a Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Street Fight. Lacey Evans goes one-on-one with Aliyah. Plus, The New Day takes on The New Vicious Viking Raiders.
On the road to SummerSlam, SmackDown takes place tonight at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns cut a promo last week ahead of his title defense against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Theory showed up to tease that he’ll cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase after Reigns and Lesnar’s Last Man Standing match.
Tonight, Theory goes one-on-one with Madcap Moss.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan takes on Natalya in a non-title championship contender’s match tonight. Morgan celebrated winning the title last week until Natalya interrupted. Natalya pointed out that she injured Ronda Rousey at Money in the Bank and Morgan took advantage. Eventually, Rousey came out and beat Natalya with the ankle lock.
A singles match between Angelo Dawkins and Jimmy Uso is also set for tonight. The Usos are defending their Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles against The Street Profits at SummerSlam. That match will have a special guest referee — and we’ll find out tonight who that referee will be.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
Pat McAfee Segment
Michael Cole was standing in the ring to start SmackDown. He then introduced his broadcast partner Pat McAfee to a big reaction. Cole mentioned that McAfee recently signed a multi-year extension.
McAfee came to the ring without a neck brace. He noted he’s happy to be in Orlando tonight. He apologized to the fans for having to listen to Corey Graves last week because of his injury. They showed footage of Happy Corbin attacking McAfee after Money in the Bank. Last week, Corbin and Graves mocked McAfee by dancing to Shinsuke Nakamura’s music.
McAfee mentioned knowing Corbin before they were in the WWE. He claimed Corbin was humble and a hard worker, but he changed. McAfee noted the show isn’t TV-14 yet. He promised to beat Corbin at SummerSlam.
Corbin interrupted on the big screen. He told McAfee to go back behind the commentary table where he belongs. Corbin added that’s he a fighter, and McAfee used to punt footballs. He claimed he got a rash from sitting at commentary last week or from the fans. He said it could even be monkeypox. Corbin’s staying away from McAfee until SummerSlam because of his rash.
McAfee said Corbin faked monkeypox. He’s going to see him at SummerSlam. McAfee felt it was time to move on and introduced SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan.
*******
Championship Contenders Match: SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan defeated Natalya (9:16)
Natalya and Morgan had a fine match. It was rough in some spots, and they seemed on different pages. .
Morgan took over with a dropkick on Natalya and scored a series of near falls. Natalya fought back and went for the sharpshooter on the apron. Morgan escaped and went for oblivion, but Natalya blocked it. She then gave Morgan a slingshot into the ring post.
Back from the break, Natalya had Morgan in a backbreaker submission. Morgan broke free and hit a missile dropkick. Morgan did a kick-up and ran wild on Natalya. Natalya recovered and hit a release German suplex for a close near fall.
They struggled on the top rope until Morgan slipped out. Natalya got back to her feet and hit a sit-out powerbomb for near fall. She locked on the ankle lock, but Morgan broke free. She then hit oblivion for the win.
After the match, Kayla Braxton interviewed Morgan in the ring. Braxton noted Rousey had a more dominant win over Natalya last week. The fans booed. Morgan admitted she’s the underdog going into SummerSlam but promised to retain the title.
********
In the back, Megan Morant interviewed Theory. Theory admitted he has a lot of enemies, including Bobby Lashley and Dolph Ziggler. Paul Heyman interrupted. Heyman pointed out that he’s responsible for the biggest break in Theory’s career.
Heyman tried to convince Theory not to cash in at SummerSlam. Instead, Heyman wants to work with Theory. He wants to schedule a title match with Roman Reigns at a later date. Heyman added all Theory has to do is not cash in and let him handle everything. Theory thanked Heyman, but he’s cashing in against Reigns or Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam.
*********
The New Day Segment
This was a fine segment. New Day, Shanky, and Jinder Mahal set up a trap for the Raiders. New Day were good in the segment.
The Viking Raiders music hit, but The New Day came out instead. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods came out dressed like the Viking Raiders.
Back from the break, they recapped The Viking Raiders beating down Jinder Mahal, Shanky, and The New Day last week. New Day made fun of the Raiders. Kingston pointed out that Woods sounds like a pirate. They mocked the Raiders and added they watched all the Thor movies.
The New Vicious Viking Raiders’ music hit, and they walked onto the stage. New Day screamed that they were imposters. The Raiders promised to break the New Day. New Day made fun of the Raiders again, and Woods sang part of “U.G.L.Y.”
The Viking Raiders heard enough and started walking to the ring. Woods pulled out a horn. Suddenly, Mahal and Shanky jumped The Raiders. The Viking Raiders took off as New Day and Shanky danced around Mahal in the ring. Cole claimed the Raiders fell for New Day, Mahal, and Shanky’s trap.
********
In the back, Kayla Braxton interviewed Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser. They recapped Kaiser losing to Shinsuke Nakamura last week and Gunther chopping Kaiser. Gunther won’t tolerate failure. Braxton announced that Kaiser takes on Nakamura in a rematch next week. Gunther yelled at Kaiser to take off his jacket. Gunther then gave Kaiser a vicious chop that left Braxton shocked.
*********
They recapped Lacey Evans’ heel turn from last week.
Lacey Evans vs. Aliyah
Evans and Aliyah didn’t have a match. Evans cut a promo instead and walked out. Evans got a lot of boos but also a “What” chant.
During Evans’s entrance, they did a ton of quick shots of the audience. Evans demanded they restart her music. The fans booed Evans loudly. Evans took the mic and said she’s better than the fans.
Evans mentioned serving her county, and the fans broke into a loud “You suck” chant. She’s disgusted with the fans. Evans called herself an American hero, and the fans started a “What” chant.
Evans claimed she felt terrible for offending the fans. She tried to apologize, but the fans wouldn’t accept. She then told them to go to hell and walked out of the ring. Aliyah just stood in the ring and watched.
*********
They recapped Drew McIntyre defeating Butch last week.
Drew McIntyre defeated Ridge Holland (w/The Brawling Brutes) (3:24)
McIntrye and Holland had a fine match. They originally announced McIntyre vs. Sheamus for a title shot at Clash at the Castle. As Sheamus entered, Samantha Irvin announced Ridge Holland instead. Cole and McAfee were confused. Butch jumped out of the ring and rang the bell. The match became McIntyre vs. Holland without an explanation or angle.
McIntyre was firmly in control early and hit the then beats of bodhran. He looked right at Sheamus. Cole yelled that McIntyre did it better than Sheamus. Sheamus caused a distraction, and Holland pushed McIntyre into the ring post.
Holland slowed the pace down with a chin lock. McIntyre broke free and ran wild. He set up for the Claymore, but Butch interfered. McIntyre recovered and hit white noise while looking at Sheamus. Cole thinks McIntrye did it better. McIntyre then hit the Claymore for the win.
*********
Theory walked to the ring for his match with Madcap Moss.
Back from the break, they recapped Brock Lesnar’s appearance on last Monday’s Raw.
In the back, Megan Morant interviewed Madcap Moss behind the curtain. Paul Heyman Interrupted. Heyman pointed out that he was responsible for the biggest break in Moss’s career. He added that Theory cashing in at SummerSlam would be bad for business.
Heyman noted that Moss injured Happy Corbin a few weeks ago. He tried to convince Moss to hurt Theory tonight. Heyman promised Moss a scheduled title shot against Roman Reigns if Theory gets injured. Moss responded that Heyman seems very worried about Theory cashing in at SummerSlam.
Moss made his entrance, and they went to another commercial.
Back from the break, they showed a Maximum Male Models video package. They debut the 2022 Beachwear collection next week. Plus, Max Dupri’s sister Maxine Dupri debuts.
Madcap Moss defeated Theory via DQ (11:55)
Moss and Theory had a good match until the weak finish. On commentary, Cole pushed that this is a match between the future of the WWE.
Theory was briefly in control with a shoulder tackle. He went for a leapfrog, but Moss caught him in mid-air. This spot was almost a disaster. Moss caught Theory but nearly dropped him on his head. They stumbled around for a bit. Moss was able to regain his balance and hit a fallaway slam.
They fought around ringside. Moss charged at Theory, but he avoided Moss with a leapfrog. Moss crashed hard into the ring steps.
Back from the break, Theory hit a rolling dropkick for a near fall. Theory took over with a chin lock to slow the pace down. Moss fought back and rocked Theory with a shoulder tackle. He followed up with a stiff clothesline and a shoulder tackle in the corner.
Theory tried fighting back, but Moss hit a spine buster for a close near fall. Theory stomped on Moss’ leg and hit a back suplex for a two-count. The fans broke into a “Theory sucks” chant.
Theory went for another rolling drop kick. Moss fought back and rocked Theory with shoulder tackle sending him out of the ring. Moss went after Theory. Theory grabbed the briefcase and hit Moss for the disqualification.
After the match, Theory promised to be the next WWE Undisputed Universal Champion. Sami Zayn interrupted with his arm in a sling. Zayn noted Theory was insulting The Bloodline by claiming he would win the title. Zayn demanded Theory apologize.
Theory mocked Zayn and pointed out he had his arm in a sling. Suddenly, The Usos music hit to a big reaction. Theory ran back to the ring, but Moss jumped him and sent him into the ring post.
**********
Angelo Dawkins (w/Montez Ford) defeated Jimmy Uso (w/Jey Uso) (7:00)
They announced Jeff Jarrett as the special referee at SummerSlam for The Usos vs. Street Profits title match.
Dawkins and Jimmy had a good match. They did another controversial finish as Jimmy had one shoulder up, but the referee didn’t see it.
Sami Zayn joined Cole and McAfee on commentary.
Jimmy had the brief advantage and sent Dawkins to ringside. Jimmy set up for a suicide dive, but Dawkins cut him off. Dawkins then tackled Jimmy over the barricade.
Back from the break, Jimmy was firmly in control and hit the Rikishi splash. Dawkins recovered quickly and rocked Jimmy with a right hand. Dawkins fired up and hit a flying elbow. He followed up with a twisting neck breaker for a near fall.
Jey tried to interfere, but Dawkins knocked him off the apron. Jimmy then collided with the referee. Dawkins rolled up Jimmy and had the match won, but the referee was down.
Jimmy hit a superkick and had the match won, but Charles Robinson was still down. Jimmy yelled at Robinson to get up. Dawkins recovered and hit a sit-out powerbomb for the win. It was a controversial finish since one of Jimmy’s shoulders wasn’t down for the count.
Adam Pearce came out and admitted that no athlete wants to lose because of bad officiating. Pearce then announced Jeff Jarrett as the special referee at SummerSlam. They showed a Jeff Jarrett video package.
The Usos and The Street Profits brawled to end SmackDown.
**********
Next Week: Brock Lesnar returns to SmackDown. Plus, Ronda Rousey and Liv Morgan go face-to-face.Ludwig Kaiser takes on Shinsuke Nakamura. Also, Maximum Male Models debuts the 2022 Beachwear and Maxine Dupri debuts.
Any fallout from a strange incident at a Sunday WWE live event in Sacramento, California, involving Natalya is said to be resolved, according to our Dave Meltzer.
As has been the case on recent live events, Natalya was working against SmackDown Women’s Champion Morgan and Ronda Rousey in a three-way for the title. In the clip seen below from Sunday, Morgan hit her finisher on Natalya and got the pin. Natalya then sprung up, pointed at Morgan, said something, and immediately rolled out of the ring.
Inaceptable departe de Natalya. No se porque la siguen utilizando teniendo tanto roster femenino en proceso de construcción. #wwe#LivMorganpic.twitter.com/aiiiIrQlQ3
Natalya later addressed it on Twitter, saying, “I’m breaking character right now, but I actually said THANK YOU. If you must know” before deleting the tweet.
On Monday’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer said “there was an issue. It had nothing to do with Liv Morgan at all.”
While he didn’t have the specifics, he said it was cleared up that night and is “over and done with.” He said that while Natalya was mad, there are no issues between them. Even though Rousey was involved in the match, she wasn’t mentioned during Meltzer’s explanation.
On Monday, Natalya replied to another outlet’s story on the match, saying:
