Tiffany Stratton defends her WWE Women’s Championship against both Nia Jax and Jade Cargill in a triple threat match as part of tonight’s WWE SmackDown from the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.
Stratton last defended her title two weeks ago in a no contest against Cargill due to a Jax attack. An altercation between the three last week led to Nick Aldis making this match for tonight. It will determine who heads to Crown Jewel: Perth to face Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer.
After defending his WWE title at Wrestlepalooza against Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes will appear on tonight’s show to address his upcoming Crown Jewel match against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
United States Champion Sami Zayn will hold another open challenge after successfully retaining against Carmelo Hayes last week.
The card is rounded out by Michin & B-Fab joining forces to take on Women’s United States Champion Giulia & Kiana James in tag team action.
The show began with the updated WWE signature open introduced this week. We then got shots of Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill, Nia Jax, and Sami Zayn arriving to the Kia Center.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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– Michael Cole welcomed us to tonight’s show as Booker T was introduced as his partner on commentary for tonight. Cole then tossed to a recap of what happened at last Saturday’s Wrestlepalooza.
Paul Heyman opens SmackDown
After the Wrestlepalooza recap ended, we returned to the arena with Paul Heyman in the ring. He did his usual “ladies and gentlemen” introduction as he said he’d paraphrase a pseudo-de facto secondary champion, “So, Orlando, what do you want to talk about?” Heyman asked if we’d like to talk about the World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins as the fans chanted “O.T.C.” at him.
Heyman said he’d love to talk about to Roman Reigns, but it’s disrespectful to speak of the injured after he got stretchered out of Paris following Bronson Reed’s attack. He then asked if we should talk about the man who will main event WrestleMania into the 2030s and 2040s, Bron Breakker. Heyman then turned his attention to the conspiracy theories and rumors about Brock Lesnar. Before Heyman could go on further, the theme of Cody Rhodes cut him off.
The Undisputed WWE Champion made his way down to the ring as the Orlando crowd cheered him on. Once Rhodes got into the ring, he took a mic and asked if we all got a chance to watch the Wrestlepalooza recap. He said that he made a mistake last week in calling Paul Heyman a “goon”. Rhodes called Heyman the most smartest man that he knows as he said that he’d go ahead and ask the question: tell him more about Brock Lesnar. Rhodes then had a still from Wrestlepalooza of Heyman introducing Lesnar before the match.
Rhodes said that the face on Heyman last Saturday, that it wasn’t the face of a guy treating it as a one-night thing. He asked Heyman if he was talking to the Oracle, to the Wiseman, or the Advocate? Heyman responded by saying that Rhodes was talking to the GOAT and that he respected him for confronting him about Brock Lesnar. He said that when Lesnar is around, everyone will be in danger. Heyman mentioned that Lesnar is not here, but the bad news for Rhodes, he’s got others here instead as Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed appeared.
As Breakker and Reed faced down the Undisputed WWE Champion, Rhodes tried to give the two advice as he asked “who is Paul Heyman loyal to?” Rhodes said he didn’t know for sure, but he said that it ain’t to the Brons. This then led to Rhodes attempting to fight the Vision’s deadly duo, but the numbers game got the better of him. Randy Orton made the save as he took the fight to Breakker and Reed. Orton delivered an RKO on Reed, while Rhodes clotheslined Breakker out of the ring.
An interesting open to this week’s show, and again, I’m left cold at the idea of seeing another Brock Lesnar match, as they teased a potential title match with him against Cody Rhodes. As for the now, it seems we’ll likely get Rhodes and Randy Orton fighting The Vision soon.
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WWE Tag Team Title No. 1 Contenders Match: The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) vs. Melo Don’t Miz (Carmelo Hayes & The Miz)
The match got underway with Ford and Miz as the legal men. As Ford tried to get at Hayes on the apron, Miz attempted to get an early rollup pin, to no avail. Hayes tagged in and tried to keep things going for his team, but he ate a high knee to the face from Ford. Dawkins entered the match as Miz tried to get involved. Miz got thrown onto a downed Hayes for his troubles. At ringside, Dawkins tried for a running attack, but was met by a dropkick by Hayes, as the action went to a break.
We returned to the action as Miz drilled Ford with a kneeling DDT for the near-fall. The cohesive unit of Hayes and Miz continued to work over Ford as they grounded him with an assisted double-team clothesline in their corner. With Ford struggling to get himself back up, Miz taunted Dawkins in the corner, but paid for it with a kick to the face from Ford.
Hayes got the tag as he delivered a cheap shot to Dawkins on the Street Profits corner. Meanwhile, Ford attempted to fight his way out of enemy territory and managed to do so after sending Miz out of the ring. Ford tried to tag Dawkins, but Miz pulled Dawkins from the outside. This allowed Hayes to hit Ford with the First 48. Hayes headed up top and looked for Nothin’ But Net, but Miz once again selfishly tagged himself in. This gave Ford the opening to get the tag on Hayes.
The Street Profits took command as Dawkins rocked Miz with his corkscrew elbow followed by a spinning neckbreaker. With Ford as the legal man, he took to the skies with his From the Heavens frog splash. As Ford pinned Miz, Hayes didn’t seem to be in a hurry to break up the pin as the Street Profits became No. 1 contenders for The Wyatt Sicks’ WWE Tag Titles.
After the match, The Wyatt Sicks appeared in front of the commentary table and simply stared down the victorious duo of Ford and Dawkins.
The Street Profits def. Melo Don’t Miz via pinfall
That was a decent match to start off the in-ring action tonight, and it seems we’re getting forward movement with the Miz/Hayes breakup if that finish is any indication, so it’s a win all around.
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– As Jade Cargill was interviewed ahead of her triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship, the Women’s World Heavyweight Champion, Stephanie Vaquer confronted her. Cargill said that storm would be coming Vaquer’s way at Crown Jewel. Vaquer responded by saying that she’d be ready.
Giulia & Kiana James vs. Michin & B-Fab
B-Fab opened the match by blasting James with some strikes, before she got taken down by a clothesline from the business associate of Giulia. B-Fab responded with a dropkick to James as she tagged Michin in. James managed to get the drop on Michin, which allowed Giulia to be tagged in. The Women’s U.S. Champion struck Michin with a kick, but was met with a hurricanrana by her hated rival. The tag was made to B-Fab, who kept Giulia grounded with a double team move.
Outside the ring, Giulia rolled out for the retreat and things broke down with the Women’s U.S. Champion getting waylaid by a dropkick from the commentary table by Michin, which took us into the commercial break halfway through this one.
SmackDown returned with B-Fab in trouble as James and Giulia teed off with a big boot, followed by a missile dropkick. James re-entered the match and maintained the upper hand on B-Fab with a punch. A missed elbow dropped allowed B-Fab to create some separation as she desperately tried to go for a tag to Michin. One final side kick from B-Fab finally got the hot tag from Michin.
Michin dropped James with a DDT, using Giulia as a base. As things broke down, Michin hit James with Eat Defeat, but that sent her to Giulia’s corner, which allowed the Women’s U.S. Champion to make the tag. Giulia flattened Michin with the Arrivederci Knee, followed by a Northern Lights Bomb with some added sauce for the pin and win.
Giulia & Kiana James def. Michin & B-Fab via pinfall
A fine enough tag match, but I’m kind of tired of the very limited Women’s U.S. Title picture where it seems like it’s just Michin as a frequent challenger to whoever is the champion. I think this is where some NXT call ups to bolster SmackDown’s women’s roster would do the most good. Giulia certainly deserves better than fighting the same two people every so often.
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– Backstage, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair were confronted by Zaria and Sol Ruca, who wanted to call their shot for the WWE Women’s Tag Titles. Bliss told the two that they needed to prove themselves as she told Zaria and Ruca to get in line. After the NXT duo left, Flair expressed joy in seeing Bliss telling off Zaria and Ruca the way she did.
– A preview for Crown Jewel was shown highlight the matches we’d be seeing, including Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins for the Men’s Crown Jewel Champion, plus John Cena vs. AJ Styles.
Drew McIntyre on his Wrestlepalooza defeat
McIntyre appeared with a walking boot following his loss at Wrestlepalooza.
McIntyre said that Orlando held a special place in him, as he talked about making his WWE return here, winning his 2nd WWE Championship in front of a bunch of screen. He then talked about how he should’ve been here as the new WWE Champion as he proceeded to got mad about the referee getting in the way at Wrestlepalooza. McIntyre claimed that the referee was being paid off by Cody Rhodes as Nick Aldis soon interrupted him.
Aldis said that McIntyre was making too many excuses, and that to acknowledge that people won some and lose some. As McIntyre continued to complain about the WWE medical team being supposedly on the Cody Rhodes payroll, Aldis said that he was done and left the surly Scotsman to his own devices. Before McIntyre could continue on, the returning Jacob Fatu interrupted him unexpectedly. Fatu marched his way down to the ring and confronted McIntyre face to face.
Fatu snatched the microphone from McIntyre and told him to “shut his ass up” and to “stop bitching”. He said that McIntyre came out every week to cry, complain and blame everyone else for his wrong doing. Fatu told him to sit his peg-leg ass down. McIntyre had his turn yelled at him for trying to put him out. As Fatu was doing his usual “all gas and no brakes” spiel, McIntyre surprised him with a headbutt. Fatu answered with a superkick to the face of McIntyre before he ripped the walking boot off of the Scotsman’s foot. Fatu then kayoed McIntyre with the boot as he left him laying.
This Fatu/McIntyre feud has the potential to be very interesting, so this has my full, undivided attention for when this match goes down.
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– While Tiffany Stratton was getting ready for the main event triple threat match, Stephanie Vaquer sized up her potential Crown Jewel challenger, like she did with Jade Cargill earlier.
– Sami Zayn was chatting with Fenix as he prepared for his U.S. Title Open Challenge match up next. He said he didn’t know who he’d be facing, as it could be anyone from Raw or SmackDown, or even NXT, as they’re in Orlando. Shinsuke Nakamura was briefly seen in the background watching Zayn in the shadows.
– We got another vignette for Solo Sikoa’s M.F.T. that focused on J.C. Mateo. Sikoa said that Mateo was loyal to him and that he’d be rewarded as long as he was part of the Family Tree.
U.S. Title Open Challenge: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Je’von Evans
Zayn’s challenger in the Open Challenge was revealed to be Je’von Evans from NXT. Evans’ opponent at NXT No Mercy tomorrow, Josh Briggs, was seen in the crowd watching.
The two combatants locked up to start as Evans dodged Zayn acrobatically before he got thrown around by arm drags from the U.S. Champion. In the corner, Zayn lifted Evans back up as the chain wrestling battle continued between the two. In the corner, Evans delivered a chop to the chest of Zayn and backed off. In response, Zayn got in some chops of his own on Evans. The NXT young gun answered with a high-flying springboard clothesline, folowed by a leaping rana off the top rope. Evans sent Zayn to the outside and looked like he was about to take flight. Zayn put a stop to that with a hard lariat that took us into the commercial break.
We returned with Zayn literally having Evans on the ropes with a chop. The challenger fought out and threw Zayn outside of the ring before he finally connected with a soaring dive over the top rope on the U.S. Champion. In the ring, Evans countered a Blue Thunder Bomb attempt and answered with a springboard enzuigiri that took Zayn out. On the top rope, Zayn and Evans had a skirmish, with the former winning out by sending the latter.
Zayn tried to go for a diving move off the top, but Evans ran up and delivered an avalanche hurricanrana that nearly won him the U.S. Title. In the corner, Evans tried to run at Zayn, but got caught with the Exploder Suplex. A Helluva Kick attempt was intercepted by a dropkick on the button by Evans. Another attempt at the Helluva Kick was once again countered by Evans, who dodged at the last second. This left Zayn stunned as Evans connected with the OG Cutter. One, two… NO!
Evans headed to apron for a springboard, but miscalculated, as he ended up in the corner as a result following a rollthrough. Zayn made him pay with a Helluva Kick, followed by the Blue Thunder Bomb for the one, two, three.
After the match, Zayn congratulated Evans on his effort and got the fans to cheer for the NXT upstart.
Sami Zayn def. Je’von Evans to retain the United States Championship
For the fourth week running, Sami Zayn’s U.S. Title Open Challenge is the highlight of the show. The matches have been fantastic since Zayn began the Open Challenge, and this week was no exception. Je’von Evans is my favorite of NXT’s prospects, and he had a great showing here in this one. Certainly match of the night, for sure.
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– Nia Jax was walking backstage on her way for our main event when Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre attempted to recruit her into the Secret Hervice to fill in for the injured Piper Niven. Jax emphatically rejected the offer by ripping up the flyer that Green gave her. She was then confronted by Stephanie Vaquer, who made it clear that whoever one between Jax, Tiffany Stratton, or Jade Cargill, she’d be ready for them at Crown Jewel.
– Damian Priest was accosted by Kit Wilson, who called him the “personification of toxic masculinity”. Wilson got a bit too pushy in calling Priest toxic, but ended up running into oxygen tanks. Priest turned around and got a Black Mass kick from Aleister Black. With Priest yet again left down and out, Black mockingly wished him a happy birthday before he left.
WWE Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Nia Jax vs. Jade Cargill
The match started off right away as Jax threw Stratton right into Cargill. She then slammed Stratton onto a fallen Cargill. The WWE Women’s Champion struck back with a double dropkick on Cargill and Jax as we took an oddly-placed commercial break just a minute into this main event bout.
We returned to SmackDown’s main event as Stratton flew into Jax with a suicide dive that she did not get all of. Jax recovered and pushed Cargill into the steel steps before she reentered the ring and took aim at Stratton in the corner with running charges. Cargill intercepted Jax with a shove as she then hit a modified pumphandle facebuster on Stratton. Cargill’s pin attempt was broken up by Jax. With Jax in the top rope, Stratton shoved Cargill and attempted a rollup pin. Cargill turned that into a submission hold as Stratton escaped the hold. Stratton tried for the pin, but got out of the way as Jax took off with a legdrop that ended up hitting Cargill instead.
Stratton headed to the top rope and hit a Swanton Bomb on Jax, but got put down with a superkick by Cargill which ended up actually making her fall onto the out-of-it Jax for the pin attempt. As Jax kicked out, we took one more commercial break as the action continued in picture-in-picture on the USA Network feed.
The main event returned from the break as Cargill and Stratton unexpectedly teamed up to deliver a double superplex onto Jax. With Jax still recovering, Stratton took Cargill down with the rolling senton as she then connected with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on the still-knocked out Jax. Cargill easily broke up the pin after avoiding Stratton’s moonsault. In the middle of the ring, Stratton countered Cargill’s powerbomb into a hurricanrana. As Stratton ran towards Cargill in the corner, she was caught and promptly dropped into a modified Jaded. One, two… Nia Jax saved the match by pulling the referee out at the last possible second.
Outside the ring, Cargill cleared the commentary table, but got thrown into the steel steps by Jax. The top half of the steps was cleared as Jax attempted some sort of elevated suplex from the steps. Cargill countered that into a samoan drop onto the base of the steel steps. Cargill was shown to have suffered a cut to her upper eyebrow in the midst of this.
In the ring, Jax got dropped by an Eye of the Storm from Cargill. Stratton broke up the count and tried a pin, which led to a “phantom kickout” from Jax and some miscommunication, as it appeared to be a botched pin. The true finish came when Stratton ended things with a Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Jax, as she retained her WWE Women’s Championship in the SmackDown main event.
After the match, Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer made her way down to the ring to get a better look at her opponent at Crown Jewel in two weeks. We ended the night on the two raising their respective titles and jawjacking at one another.
Tiffany Stratton def. Nia Jax & Jade Cargill to retain the WWE Women’s Championship
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That was a fine main event that seemed to pick up steam a bit as the match neared its conclusion, though the botched finish with the phantom kickout did kind of put a damper on things.
That being said, I liked this week’s SmackDown a lot more than previous weeks, and after a rather mediocre Wrestlepalooza show, that is a miracle in of itself. The in-ring action was mostly great, especially the continuing success of Sami Zayn’s U.S. Title Open Challenge and we got some set ups of interesting matchups to come in the near future. All in all, a better edition of WWE’s Friday night show than what we’ve seen recently.
