The July 18th, 2017 edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL, and was the go-home show for Battleground on Sunday.
– SmackDown opens up with a brief promo video about the Punjabi Prison, then the Singh Brothers come out to the stage to introduce WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. The Champion comes out and makes his way into the ring with the Singh Brothers. They step into the inner part of the prison, as the outer part of the prison lowers from the ceiling. Jinder starts talking about how this structure will be the end of Randy Orton’s legacy on Sunday. The Singh brothers then explain the rules of the Punjabi Prison match for Sunday at Battleground. Jinder says he’s going to slam Orton off the top of the prison on Sunday, then talks to his people in Punjabi as the crowd chants USA. Orton’s music hits and he comes out to interrupt. Orton says the Singh Brothers are the only reason Jinder took his WWE Title in the first place, and on Sunday Jinder will make the mistake of locking himself alone with Orton. Orton starts climbing the outer structure, and tells Jinder that he has nothing to lose. Orton says he’s going to leave Jinder’s “jacked-up ass for dead” and take the WWE Title on Sunday, then leaves.
– John Cena is in the house tonight to discuss his Flag Match against Rusev at Battlegroudn on Sunday.
– AJ Styles & Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin & Kevin Owens in tag action is coming up later.
– Jimmy Uso def. Kofi Kingston: Kofi starts off fired up and stomps a mudhole in Uso in the corner. Kofi shakes his booty towards Uso then throws Uso outside. Kofi goes for a suicide dive on Uso but stalls on the top rope, then when Uso walks towards him he flips over onto Uso. Uso comes back with a slam onto the corner of the ring apron, then does it again. Back in the ring, Uso stomps on Kofi and keeps him grounded with a choke. Kofi tarts to come back but Uso drops him again with a spinning kick to the head. Uso charges at Kofi but Kofi stops him with flying knees. Kofi follows up with a dropkick and a flying clothesline, then the Boom Drop. Kofi goes for the Trouble In Paradise but Jimmy ducks and slams Kofi into the turnbuckle. Kofi and Jimmy trade strikes in the corner until Kofi drops Jimmy with a headbutt. Jey gets on the apron and distracts Kofi briefly. Kofi hits a flying crossbody on Jimmy off the top, but Uso rolls through and gets the pin on Kofi. The Usos retreat up the ramp as the New Day trash-talks them from the ring.
– Shane McMahon is backstage with Natalya, Lana, Tamina, Charlotte and Becky. Charlotte says she wants Lana tonight, which sparks argument between the women. Natalya proposes a match between Charlotte and Becky for later, which prompts Charlotte and Becky to argue. Shane books the match, and Becky and Charlotte will fight later tonight.
– Up next, Chad Gable will react to the news that Jason Jordan is heading to RAW and is Kurt Angle’s long lost son.
– The announce table recaps what happened between Kurt Angle and Jason Jordan last night, then we go backstage with Renee Young for an interview with Chad Gable. Gable says he was caught off guard by it, but Jordan called him after RAW and explained everything to him. Young asks what’s next for Gable, and Gable says he has some ideas but doesn’t reveal them. He says this is a great chance for everyone to see Chad Gable on his own.
– Mike Kanellis def. Sami Zayn: Maria is at ringside in Mike’s corner for his SmackDown in-ring debut tonight. We see a recap of last week’s segment with Maria slapping Zayn then Mike smashing a vase over his head. Zayn starts off in control and beats on Kanellis until he rolls outside for a breather. Zayn drops Mike at ringside with a clothesline then takes him back in the ring, where Zayn clotheslines Mike right back to the outside. Zayn throws Mike into the fan barricade, then takes Mike back into the ring for a T-bone suplex into the turnbuckle. Zayn gears up for the Heluva Kick, but Maria runs in the ring and stands in front of Mike. The ref orders Maria to leave, but she stalls. Mike takes advantage of the distraction with a sucker punch then a Michinoku Driver for the win.
– The American and Bulgarian flags are set up in opposite corners of the ring. John Cena comes out to the ring next with a mic, and he talks about how excited the WWE Universe is for Battleground on Sunday. Cena says that of everything we’ll see on Sunday, we’ll remember his flag match against Rusev. The crowd starts a USA chant as Cena explains the rules of the flag match. Cena cuts a pro-American promo, then grabs the American flag from the pole and waves it. Cena says on Sunday this flag will fly high. His music hits and he raises the flag in the air, but then Rusev runs in out of nowhere and attacks Cena from behind. Rusev boots Cena in the face then locks Cena in the Accolade. Cena tries to fight his way up, but ultimately isn’t able to. Rusev drops Cena, then grabs the Bulgarian flag off the ring post and takes it up to the stage with him.
– The American and Bulgarian flags are set up in opposite corners of the ring. John Cena comes out to the ring next with a mic, and he talks about how excited the WWE Universe is for Battleground on Sunday. Cena says that of everything we’ll see on Sunday, we’ll remember his flag match against Rusev. The crowd starts a USA chant as Cena explains the rules of the flag match. Cena cuts a pro-American promo, then grabs the American flag from the pole and waves it. Cena says on Sunday this flag will fly high. His music hits and he raises the flag in the air, but then Rusev runs in out of nowhere and attacks Cena from behind. Rusev boots Cena in the face then locks Cena in the Accolade. Cena tries to fight his way up, but ultimately isn’t able to. Rusev drops Cena, then grabs the Bulgarian flag off the ring post and takes it up to the stage with him.
– AJ Styles is backstage in his locker room warming up for his match later where he teams up with Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura walks in and points at AJ’s U.S. Title belt, and says one day he’d like to take that.
– Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch: Natalya is at ringside for this one. Becky goes for the Did-arm-her early on but Charlotte evades it. Charlotte takes control with a big boot and knee drops. Women’s Champ Naomi is backstage watching on a monitor. Charlotte goes for a Figure Four but Becky escapes, then comes off the middle rope with a flying forearm. Becky hits more strikes then a T-bone suplex.
– Charlotte and Becky shake hands after the match, then Tamina and Lana come down the ramp. Natalya drops Charlotte from behind while Tamina drop Becky. Tamina and Becky then turn on Natalya and Tamina drops her. Tamina and Lana stare each other down then Tamina leaves alone.
– Naomi is doing an interview backstage when Carmella interrupts. Carmella dismisses the interviewer Renee Young, and holds her Money In The Brank briefcase up in Naomi’s face and reminds her that she’s coming for the Women’s title.
– It’s time for The Fashion X-Files with Tyler Breeze and Fandango. Breeze is wearing a wig again. They receive a package, and it’s the decapitated head of their toy horse from last week. The package comes with a note that says “Battleground,” then we’re told that the saga will be concluded on Sunday.
– Kevin Owens & Baron Corbin def. AJ Styles & Shinsuke Nakamura: While Nakamura is making his entrance, Corbin runs down the ramp and hits Nakamura from behind. They brawl on the ramp, then Owens runs out and AJ runs in to meet him. They brawl all over the stage, then eventually AJ and Nakamura head to the ring and call Owens and Corbin down to start the match. All four men get in the ring and the ref calls for the bell. Styles and Corbin start off and Corbin goes for some high-flying offense early on but Corbin punches AJ out of the sky. Owens and Nakamura tag in and Nakamura stuns Owens with a kick to the head. Nakamura follows up with a snapmare and a knee drop. Corbin gets a cheap shot on Nakamura, then Owens follows up with a senton bomb. Corbin tags in and works over Nakamura then knocks AJ off the apron. Nakamura starts firing up, but he gets distracted by Owens on the apron and boots Owens in the face. Nakamura turns around into a slam from Corbin, then Corbin pummels on him. Nakamura fires back with knees and a spinning heel kick. Owens and Styles get the tags and Styles tackles Owens then pummels on him. AJ hits a series of strikes and a clothesline, then a running forearm shot. Styles hits a big sit-out facebuster and Owens kicks out at two. Owens tags in Corbin, and Styles quickly goes for the Calf Crusher on Corbin. Corbin gets out, then AJ elbows him in the face. Owens trips Styles from the outside, then Nakamura runs around and beats down Owens. Corbin rolls out and throws Nakamura into the timekeepers arena, then rolls back in the ring an attempts an End of Days on Styles. Styles escapes the move and hits some kicks on Corbin. Styles goes for the Styles Clash, but Owens breaks it up with a superkick. Owens follows up with the pop-up powerbomb for the win.
– Owens and Nakamura head back up the ramp as Nakamura stares them down from the ring and AJ recovers.
– SmackDown opens up with a brief promo video about the Punjabi Prison, then the Singh Brothers come out to the stage to introduce WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. The Champion comes out and makes his way into the ring with the Singh Brothers. They step into the inner part of the prison, as the outer part of the prison lowers from the ceiling. Jinder starts talking about how this structure will be the end of Randy Orton’s legacy on Sunday. The Singh brothers then explain the rules of the Punjabi Prison match for Sunday at Battleground. Jinder says he’s going to slam Orton off the top of the prison on Sunday, then talks to his people in Punjabi as the crowd chants USA. Orton’s music hits and he comes out to interrupt. Orton says the Singh Brothers are the only reason Jinder took his WWE Title in the first place, and on Sunday Jinder will make the mistake of locking himself alone with Orton. Orton starts climbing the outer structure, and tells Jinder that he has nothing to lose. Orton says he’s going to leave Jinder’s “jacked-up ass for dead” and take the WWE Title on Sunday, then leaves.
– John Cena is in the house tonight to discuss his Flag Match against Rusev at Battlegroudn on Sunday.
– AJ Styles & Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin & Kevin Owens in tag action is coming up later.
– Jimmy Uso def. Kofi Kingston: Kofi starts off fired up and stomps a mudhole in Uso in the corner. Kofi shakes his booty towards Uso then throws Uso outside. Kofi goes for a suicide dive on Uso but stalls on the top rope, then when Uso walks towards him he flips over onto Uso. Uso comes back with a slam onto the corner of the ring apron, then does it again. Back in the ring, Uso stomps on Kofi and keeps him grounded with a choke. Kofi tarts to come back but Uso drops him again with a spinning kick to the head. Uso charges at Kofi but Kofi stops him with flying knees. Kofi follows up with a dropkick and a flying clothesline, then the Boom Drop. Kofi goes for the Trouble In Paradise but Jimmy ducks and slams Kofi into the turnbuckle. Kofi and Jimmy trade strikes in the corner until Kofi drops Jimmy with a headbutt. Jey gets on the apron and distracts Kofi briefly. Kofi hits a flying crossbody on Jimmy off the top, but Uso rolls through and gets the pin on Kofi. The Usos retreat up the ramp as the New Day trash-talks them from the ring.
– Shane McMahon is backstage with Natalya, Lana, Tamina, Charlotte and Becky. Charlotte says she wants Lana tonight, which sparks argument between the women. Natalya proposes a match between Charlotte and Becky for later, which prompts Charlotte and Becky to argue. Shane books the match, and Becky and Charlotte will fight later tonight.
– Up next, Chad Gable will react to the news that Jason Jordan is heading to RAW and is Kurt Angle’s long lost son.
– The announce table recaps what happened between Kurt Angle and Jason Jordan last night, then we go backstage with Renee Young for an interview with Chad Gable. Gable says he was caught off guard by it, but Jordan called him after RAW and explained everything to him. Young asks what’s next for Gable, and Gable says he has some ideas but doesn’t reveal them. He says this is a great chance for everyone to see Chad Gable on his own.
– Mike Kanellis def. Sami Zayn: Maria is at ringside in Mike’s corner for his SmackDown in-ring debut tonight. We see a recap of last week’s segment with Maria slapping Zayn then Mike smashing a vase over his head. Zayn starts off in control and beats on Kanellis until he rolls outside for a breather. Zayn drops Mike at ringside with a clothesline then takes him back in the ring, where Zayn clotheslines Mike right back to the outside. Zayn throws Mike into the fan barricade, then takes Mike back into the ring for a T-bone suplex into the turnbuckle. Zayn gears up for the Heluva Kick, but Maria runs in the ring and stands in front of Mike. The ref orders Maria to leave, but she stalls. Mike takes advantage of the distraction with a sucker punch then a Michinoku Driver for the win.
– The American and Bulgarian flags are set up in opposite corners of the ring. John Cena comes out to the ring next with a mic, and he talks about how excited the WWE Universe is for Battleground on Sunday. Cena says that of everything we’ll see on Sunday, we’ll remember his flag match against Rusev. The crowd starts a USA chant as Cena explains the rules of the flag match. Cena cuts a pro-American promo, then grabs the American flag from the pole and waves it. Cena says on Sunday this flag will fly high. His music hits and he raises the flag in the air, but then Rusev runs in out of nowhere and attacks Cena from behind. Rusev boots Cena in the face then locks Cena in the Accolade. Cena tries to fight his way up, but ultimately isn’t able to. Rusev drops Cena, then grabs the Bulgarian flag off the ring post and takes it up to the stage with him.
– AJ Styles is backstage in his locker room warming up for his match later where he teams up with Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura walks in and points at AJ’s U.S. Title belt, and says one day he’d like to take that.
– Becky Lynch def. Charlotte: Natalya is at ringside for this one. Becky goes for the Did-arm-her early on but Charlotte evades it. Charlotte takes control with a big boot and knee drops. Women’s Champ Naomi is backstage watching on a monitor. Charlotte goes for a Figure Four but Becky escapes, then comes off the middle rope with a flying forearm. Becky hits more strikes then a T-bone suplex. Charlotte avoids another Did-arm-her attept, then drops Becky and goes up top. Charlotte goes for a moonsault off the top but Becky dodges it and locks Charlotte in the Did-arm-her. Charlotte tries to escape, but Becky keeps it locked on and Charlotte taps out.
– Charlotte and Becky shake hands after the match, then Tamina and Lana come down the ramp. Natalya drops Charlotte from behind while Tamina drop Becky. Tamina and Becky then turn on Natalya and Tamina drops her. Tamina and Lana stare each other down then Tamina leaves alone.
– Naomi is doing an interview backstage when Carmella interrupts. Carmella dismisses the interviewer Renee Young, and holds her Money In The Brank briefcase up in Naomi’s face and reminds her that she’s coming for the Women’s title.
– It’s time for The Fashion X-Files with Tyler Breeze and Fandango. Breeze is wearing a wig again. They receive a package, and it’s the decapitated head of their toy horse from last week. The package comes with a note that says “Battleground,” then we’re told that the saga will be concluded on Sunday.
– Kevin Owens & Baron Corbin def. AJ Styles & Shinsuke Nakamura: While Nakamura is making his entrance, Corbin runs down the ramp and hits Nakamura from behind. They brawl on the ramp, then Owens runs out and AJ runs in to meet him. They brawl all over the stage, then eventually AJ and Nakamura head to the ring and call Owens and Corbin down to start the match. All four men get in the ring and the ref calls for the bell. Styles and Corbin start off and Corbin goes for some high-flying offense early on but Corbin punches AJ out of the sky. Owens and Nakamura tag in and Nakamura stuns Owens with a kick to the head. Nakamura follows up with a snapmare and a knee drop. Corbin gets a cheap shot on Nakamura, then Owens follows up with a senton bomb. Corbin tags in and works over Nakamura then knocks AJ off the apron. Nakamura starts firing up, but he gets distracted by Owens on the apron and boots Owens in the face. Nakamura turns around into a slam from Corbin, then Corbin pummels on him. Nakamura fires back with knees and a spinning heel kick. Owens and Styles get the tags and Styles tackles Owens then pummels on him. AJ hits a series of strikes and a clothesline, then a running forearm shot. Styles hits a big sit-out facebuster and Owens kicks out at two. Owens tags in Corbin, and Styles quickly goes for the Calf Crusher on Corbin. Corbin gets out, then AJ elbows him in the face. Owens trips Styles from the outside, then Nakamura runs around and beats down Owens. Corbin rolls out and throws Nakamura into the timekeepers arena, then rolls back in the ring an attempts an End of Days on Styles. Styles escapes the move and hits some kicks on Corbin. Styles goes for the Styles Clash, but Owens breaks it up with a superkick. Owens follows up with the pop-up powerbomb for the win.
– Owens and Nakamura head back up the ramp as Nakamura stares them down from the ring and AJ recovers.
