WWE SmackDown aired live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Xia Li made her SmackDown debut during tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Charlotte Flair battled Toni Storm in a Championship Contender’s match. New Day, The Usos, and RK-Bro competed in a a tag team Triple Threat match in the main event.
SmackDown Results:
- Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs def. Los Lotharios
- Drew McIntyre def. Sheamus
- Toni Storm def. Charlotte via DQ
- Sonya Deville vs. Naomi ended in a no contest
- New Day def. RK-Bro, The Usos in a Triple Threat Tag Team match
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Paul Heyman Motivated Brock Lesnar To Attack Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn came down to the ring in a wheelchair with some male nurses. Sami claimed that he was the toughest man in WWE history. Zayn was in a wheel chair following Brock Lesnar’s attack last week. Paul Heyman interrupted and Sami Zayn said he wasn’t done talking. Zayn got up from his wheelchair and shouted that he was not finished talking. Sami said that he knows Roman Reigns isn’t here tonight and Heyman claimed that he was away training. Zayn threatened to rip Heyman’s head off because there is nobody here to save him.
Brock Lesnar’s theme and The Beast made his way to the ring in overalls as Heyman hid behind Sami and the nurses. Brock Lesnar grabbed a steel chair and entered the ring. Brock approached Heyman and extended his hand. Lesnar wanted the microphone and not to shake Paul’s hand. Brock took a seat across from Sami and asked how he was doing.
Zayn told Lesnar that he wasn’t great. Brock poked fun at Sami’s wheelchair and male nurses. Sami told Brock to shut his mouth and Brock apologized. Lesnar wondered if Sami was really in that much pain and required a wheelchair. Lesnar was about to take Sami away on the wheel chair for a vegan dinner before Heyman interrupted.
Paul said the edibles must be kicking in because three years ago Sami would have been taken to Suplex City. Heyman added that Lesnar will most likely be the future champion and Brock got fired up. Lesnar beat the nurses down and booted Sami Zayn out of his wheelchair. Brock followed it up with an F5 to Sami Zayn as Heyman watched on with a grin on his face.
Kayla Braxton went to interview Lesnar backstage but he told her to ask his advocate, Paul Heyman. Braxton later asked Heyman if he was Brock’s advocate and he told her to stop asking that. She wondered how Roman Reigns will react to what happened tonight and Paul looked distraught as he walked away.
Nakamura & Boogs Picked Up A Win
Los Lotharios (Humberto & Angel) battled Rick Boogs & Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Humberto and Boogs started off the action. Boogs hit a big shoulder tackle and sent Angel to the floor. Humberto went for a Headlock but Boogs blocked it. Boogs spun Humberto around and dropped him to the mat. Shinsuke Nakamura tagged in as Humberto crawled to the corner but Angel was on the floor outside the ring. Nakamura hit Humberto with the Kinshasa for the pinfall victory.
Drew McIntyre def. Sheamus
Drew McIntyre faced Sheamus this week on SmackDown. Before the match, Adam Pearce told McIntyre that he could not bring Angela the sword with him to the ring. McIntyre put the sword through Pearce’s desk and made his way to the ring.
Sheamus controlled the action early and hit McIntyre with 10 Beats of the Bodhran. McIntyre fell to the floor and Sheamus went for a Clothesline off the ring apron. McIntyre ducked and planted Sheamus with an overhead throw as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Sheamus went for White Noise but McIntyre escaped. Drew connected with the Future Shock DDT and geared up for the Claymore but Sheamus countered with a knee to the face for a close two count. McIntyre hit the Glasgow kiss but Sheamus responded with a headbutt of his own. Sheamus sent McIntyre to the corner but Drew bounced off the turnbuckle and leveled Sheamus with the Claymore for the pinfall victory.
Xia Li Debuted & Helped Naomi
Sonya Deville battled Naomi tonight on SmackDown. Before the bell, Sonya Deville said she has a couple surprises and announced Natalya as the special guest ring announcer, Shayna Baszler as the timekeeper. Naomi beat Shayna down and booted Natalya off the apron. Sonya Deville retreated to of the ring and told Natalya & Baszler to attack Naomi.
Xia Li made her debut with a very cool entrance and got in the ring with Naomi. Xia attacked Deville and brawled with Natalya. Kai knocked Shayna out of the ring and booted Sonya in the face. Naomi dragged Sonya to the corner but Shayna & Natalya dragged Deville out of the ring.
Toni Storm def. Charlotte via DQ
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair battled Toni Storm in a Championship Contender’s match. Toni would earn a title shot if she defeated the champion. Earlier on the show, Sasha Banks had a conversation with Toni Storm backstage and hyped her up for the match.
Charlotte leveled Toni with a forearm to the face to begin the action. Storm responded with a Dropkick and then a Hip Attack in the corner of the ring. Toni connected with a Crossbody and went for the cover but the champ kicked out at two. Charlotte leveled Toni with a big boot and dragged her to the corner.
Flair climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for the Moonsault but Toni got out of the way. Charlotte then went for the standing Moonsault but the whole sequence was botched. Flair brought Toni to the apron and booted her against the ring post until the referee called for the bell. Charlotte hit Toni with a boot to the face after the match.
New Day def. RK-Bro & The Usos
The Usos, New Day, and RK-Bro battled in a Triple Threat Tag Team match. The Usos cut a promo and vowed to win tonight. A terrified Adam Pearce and Brock Lesnar had a conversation backstage before the main event. Lesnar told Adam that he named a hunted moose after him and hung it on his cabin wall. Brock tried to show Pearce a picture of the moose but couldn’t figure it out on his flip phone and broke it in half.
Kofi Kingston and Riddle started off the action. Kingston took control and New Day isolated Riddle in the corner. The Usos knocked everyone out of the ring and hit a couple Suicide Dives. Jimmy and Jey got back into the ring and posed for the crowd. Kingston hit a Crossbody for a two count. The Usos took control of the match and took turns beating Riddle down. Jey went for the cover but Kofi Kingston broke it up at the last moment as SmackDown went to a final commercial break.
King Woods and Riddle were battling in the ring when SmackDown returned. Woods connected with a Suplex and went for the cover but Riddle was able to kick out at two. Woods quickly applied a Headlock on Riddle in the middle of the ring. Randy Orton eventually got the tag and delivered a Powerslam to both Jimmy and Jey. Orton bounced Jey’s head off the announce table and then slammed Woods on top of the table. Orton did the same to Kofi and got back into the ring.
Orton hit Jimmy Uso with the draping DDT and set up for the RKO. Jimmy slowly stumbled to his feet but countered the RKO into a roll-up. Orton kicked out but Jimmy caught him with a Superkick. Uso climbed to the top rope but Orton rolled out of the way. King Woods tagged himself in and Orton hit Jey with an RKO. Jimmy hit Orton with another Superkick before turning around into one from Woods. Kofi tagged in and hit a Double Stomp for pinfall victory.
