The February 19th, 2019 edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA.
– Later tonight: Jeff Hardy, Kofi & AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton & Samoa Joe
– Shane McMahon comes out to the ring to open up the show. He gets on the mic and talks about how amazing their main event tonight will be. Shane talks about how impressed he was by the NXT debuts on RAW last night, and says they’re here on SmackDown tonight too. The Miz comes out to interrupt. The Miz says he’s sorry for interrupting, but he hasn’t sleep in two days and needs to get something off his chest. The Miz walks in to the ring and says it’s his fault they lost at Elimination Chamber. The Miz says he has a confession to make – he used Shane, to make his dad proud of him. Miz says the first time he ever heard his dad say he loved him is after he teamed up with Shane. Miz says it was the greatest moment in his career and life, and it was because of Shane. Miz says he messed up their Tag Title run, but he calls on Shane to set up a rematch between them and The Usos. The Miz leads the crowd in a “rematch” chant, and then The Usos come out to interrupt. The Usos say they’ll give Shane and Miz one more opportunity at the Tag Titles, but they don’t think Shane will accept the challenge because Miz is a joke and a failure. The Usos keep talking trash about Miz, and Shane tells them not to disrespect his partner. Shane says the match is on, in The Miz’s hometown at the Fastlane PPV in Cleveland, OH.
– We see a video package looking at Aleister Black’s career in NXT.
– Aleister Black vs. Adrade: Zelina Vega is at ringside for this one. Black and Andrade trade holds in the opening moments, and Black misses a spinning heel kick attempt. Andrade drops Black with a right hand then stomps on him. Ciampa and Gargano are shown backstage watching on a monitor. Andrade hits a chop to the chest in the corner, then a running knee to the face. Andrade runs the ropes but misses a shot, and Black dumps him outside. Black backflips off the ropes and sits down. Back in the ring, Aleister follows up with more offense, and Black reverses a DDT attempt into a roll-up for a one count. Black hits a flying knee strike off the top, and then a kick to the head and a German suplex for a two count. Andrade comes back with a boot to the face, then he hip tosses Black into the corner. Andrade follows up with the running knee strike in the corner for a two count. Andrade goes for the DDT, but Black reverses and slams Andrade into the turnbuckle. Black follows up with the Black Mass kick for the three count.
Winner: Aleister Black
– Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano do an interview backstage where they talk about making careers out of defying expectations. Gargano says they’re the future. Cesaro and Sheamus interrupt and say it must be “bring your NXT superstar to work day.” Cesaro says no one knows or cares who they are, and tells them to go back to NXT or RAW. Gargano says they aren’t here to set the bar, they’re going to break the bar. Cesaro and Sheamus laugh and walk off.
– The New Day runs into Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles backstage going over strategy for their match tonight. Kofi gives them pancakes and AJ eats one.
– Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano vs. Sheamus & Cesaro: Sheamus and Ciampa go back and forth in the opening moments until Ciampa hits a running big boot. Sheamus rolls outside for a breather, then Cesaro and Gargano tag in. Cesaro hits a big European uppercut on Gargano, then this one falls apart as the aprons clear into the ring. They spill out to ringside and Cesaro hits a backbreaker on Ciampa. Sheamus clotheslines Gargano down to the ringside floor, then they take things back in the ring. Cesaro works over Gargano, then Sheamus tags in and stomps on him, then he knocks Gargano off the apron. Ciampa looks for the tag but Gargano is down. Sheamus hits a running knee on Ciampa, then takes him to the top turnbuckle. Ciampa hits a sunset flip powerbomb on Sheamus off the turnbuckle, and Sheamus lands awkwardly on Ciampa’s knee. Gargano and Cesaro tag in, and Gargano knocks Cesaro to the outside. Gargano kicks Cesaro from the apron, then he hits a dive on Sheamus on the floor. Gargano leaps from the apron again and hits a hurricanrana on Cesaro. Cesaro rolls in the ring and Gargano hits the slingshot DDT for a two count. Gargano hits a headscissor takedown, then he applies the Gargano Escape. Cesaro fights up and hits a backbreaker on Gargano. Sheamus tags in and hits a backbreaker/knee drop double team in Cesaro. Ciampa gets in the ring to break up the pin, but The Bar throws him back outside. Sheamus hits a chokeslam backbreaker on Gargano for a two count. Sheamus wastes some time talking trash, and Gargano comes back with a superkick for a two count. Cesaro and Ciampa tag in. Ciampa springboards in over Gargano to roll up Cesaro for the three count.
Winners: Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano
– Samoa Joe is shown backstage taping up his wrists. The camera pans to show Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan and Rowan standing next to him.
– We go to a video package looking at Ricochet’s career in NXT.
– Still to come: Ricochet vs. Eric Young
– SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka comes out to the ring for an interview. She says she doesn’t want to talk about Becky and Charlotte anymore, she wants to know who is ready for Asuka right now. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville come out to interrupt. Mandy tells Asuka to take some advice from her, because she’s the most-talked about superstar in WWE. She hits the ring and we have a match.
– Asuka vs. Mandy Rose: This one is a non-title match. The opening bell sounds and Asuka connects with a leg kick and then a dropkick. Lacey Evans comes out to interrupt very early in the match. Lacey walks down the ramp and she turns around and heads backstage. Mandy takes advantage of the distraction and rolls up Asuka from behind for a two count. Mandy follows up with some strikes, then she takes Asuka into the corner. Asuka dumps Mandy outside, but back in the ring Mandy turns things around with a gut-wrench suplex. Asuka looks for a knee bar, but Mandy rolls outside. Asuka follows her out, and Mandy hits her with a knee to the face. Back in the ring, Mandy stomps on Asuka then wastes some time talking trash. Asuka comes back with shots to the face and then a missile dropkick off the middle rope. Asuka follows up with a spinning heel kick for a two count. Asuka hits a German suplex and a Shining Wizard for another two count. Asuka hits a knee to the face and Mandy starts selling that Asuka poked her eye. The ref pulls off Asuka, and Mandy pulls Asuka neck-first into the middle rope. Mandy rolls up Asuka for the three count.
Winner: Mandy Rose
– Mandy and Sonya celebrate on the ramp, and Asuka looks shocked.
– Charlotte is shown backstage watching on a monitor. She does a brief interview and shows bruises on her arm from Becky hitting her with crutches. Charlotte says Becky doesn’t exist anymore because she’s suspended. Charlotte says it’s one on one between her and Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania, whether Becky wants to face it or not. Charlotte says it’ll be the main event because she’s in it.
– The Miz approaches Shane backstage and thanks him for making their rematch. The Miz says he just got off the phone with his dad, and he’s going to be at ringside at Fastlane.
– Ricochet vs. Eric Young: Killian Dain and Alexander Wolf are at ringside for this one. Young and Ricochet trade take-downs and holds in the opening moments. Ricochet dropkicks Young to the outside. Ricochet looks like he’s going to do a suicide dive, but instead he bounces off the ropes and kneels in the ring. Back in the ring, a distraction from Wolf leads to Young getting some offense in on Ricochet. Young takes Ricochet into the corner for a hanging dragon sleeper, and then an elbow drop. Young misses a shot in the corner and Ricochet comes back with a lariat. Ricochet hits a hurricanrana and then a spear in the corner. Ricochet hits a flying uppercut off the top, and then a standing shooting star press for a two count. Young dodges a shot in the corner, but Ricochet connects with a dropkick that sends Young to the outside. Ricochet kicks Wolf off the apron, and then he hits a suicide dive on Young and Dain. Back in the ring, Ricochet kicks Young in the head and then goes up top. Ricochet hits the 630 splash for the three count.
Winner: Ricochet
– The New Day does an interview at the gorilla position. Woods talks about Kofi working for 11 years, and Big E makes a joke saying that’s longer than “Empire” has been on the air and “they’ve been doing some crazy things to keep that show interesting.” Kofi says he wouldn’t still be here if it weren’t for his brothers Xavier and Big E. Kofi says they’re going to keep the momentum going, and The New Day heads to the ring.
– We go to the same selfie style video from Kevin Owens that aired on RAW last night. He says he’s still rehabbing and enjoying as much time with his family as he can. He says he’s picturing his return to either RAW or SmackDown.
– Kofi Kingston, Jeff Hardy & AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy & Daniel Bryan: The New Day and Rowan are at ringside for this one. Before the match, WWE Champion Daniel Bryan gets on the mic. He calls out the small minded skeptics who have oppressed the great minds like him. Bryan says his opponent at Fastlane, will be none of the men in this match tonight, because he beat them all already at Elimination Chamber.
The opening bell sounds and it looks like Bryan and Kofi will start off, but Bryan immediately tags in Joe before engaging. Kofi hits a missile dropkick on Joe, then Jeff tags in and hits an axe handle off the turnbuckle. Joe hits an atomic drop, leg drop and then dropkick for a one count. Jeff looks for the Twist of Fate, but Joe escapes and slams Jeff down. Orton tags in and continues the offense on Hardy. Bryan tags in and hits a series of kicks on Jeff, then he tags Orton back in. Jeff hits a jawbreaker on Orton, then Kofi gets the tag. Kofi springboards in with a flying clothesline on Orton, then he knocks Joe and Bryan off the apron. Kofi connects with more shots on Orton, then he hits the boom drop. Kofi clotheslines Orton to the outside, then he goes up to the top rope. Before Kofi can leap, Bryan shoves him down to the floor. Orton picks up Kofi and back drops him on to the announce table. Back in the ring, Bryan tags in and puts he boots to Kofi. Orton tags back in and takes Kofi outside for another back suplex on the announce table. Orton rolls Kofi back in the ring, and Kofi starts fighting back. Orton misses a shot in the corner, and AJ gets the hot tag.
Bryan tags in too, and AJ hits a backbreaker on him. AJ knocks Joe and Orton off the apron, then he he drops Bryan. Orton runs in with an RKO attempt, but AJ kicks him away. AJ puts Bryan in the Calf Crusher next, but Joe breaks it up. Jeff takes out Joe, then Orton takes out Jeff. AJ clotheslines Orton to the outside, then Bryan rolls up AJ from behind for a near-fall. AJ escapes, but Bryan catches him in the Yes Lock. AJ reaches the rope to break the hold. AJ hits a Pele Kick and both men are down.
Kofi gets the tag and springboards in with a shot on Bryan, and then he hits a suicide dive on everyone else at ringside. Kofi hits a missile dropkick on Bryan, and Bryan rolls outside. Kofi goes up top and hits a suicide dive on Bryan and Rowan at ringside. Back in the ring, Kofi hits the Trouble In Paradise on Bryan for the three count.
Winners: Kofi Kingston, AJ Styles & Jeff Hardy
– The New Day celebrates with AJ and Jeff after the match. Shane McMahon comes out after the match and says that was amazing. Shane announces that Daniel Bryan will be defending his WWE Championship at Fastlane against Kofi Kingston. Bryan looks mad as Kofi celebrates and SmackDown goes off the air.
