Author: Eric Lynch

The July 25th episode of WWE SmackDown aired live on the USA Network from The Coliseum in Richmond, VA.

– New U.S. Champion Kevin Owens down to the ring first to open up the show. Owens gets on the mic and talks about taking back his U.S. Title from AJ Styles, and says he will now resume defending that title with the pride and honor it deserves. Owens says he’s reinstating the Kevin Owens United States Title Open Challenge, and it begins next week. Owens says there’s no way he would ever defend his title in front of a bunch of hicks from Richmond, and this brings out AJ Styles. Styles steps into the ring, and Owens says he must be here to congratulate him and say Owens was the better man. AJ says nope, he’s here to get his rematch. Owens repeats that he won’t be defending his title tonight, and this brings out the returning Chris Jericho! This is Jericho’s first appearance since May. The first-ever Undisputed Champion comes out to the ring and announces that it’s the return of Jericho, drink it in man. Owens demands to know why Jericho is here, but Jericho politely tells him to be quiet over and over. Jericho says he’s back to get his rematch for the U.S. Title right here and now. AJ tells Jericho that a lot of things have happened since Jericho left due to injury, and says AJ is next in line for the U.S. Title. Jericho says AJ is butting in line ahead of him, and do you know what happens when you try to cut in front of Y2J? AJ Styles just made The List. Owens starts walking to the back, and Jericho tells him to get back to the ring but Owens declines. Shane McMahon comes out to the stage before Owens can get behind the curtain. Shane says both AJ and Jericho have legitimate claims to the U.S. Title, so they’ll both get shots at it tonight in a triple threat match against Owens. The crowd pops big for the announcement and everyone heads backstage.

.@shanemcmahon has spoken! Both @AJStylesOrg AND the returning @IAmJericho get their #USTitle rematch in TONIGHT'S #TripleThreat! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/zQysPIPkAU

— WWE (@WWE) July 26, 2017

– Baron Corbin and Shinsuke Nakamura are getting ready to head to the gorilla position next.

– Shinsuke Nakamura def. Baron Corbin: The action spills out to ringside early where Corbin clotheslines Nakamura down to the floor. Back in the ring Corbin does his best to keep Nakamura grounded, but Nakamura fights his way up and drops Corbin with kicks. Corbin drops Nakamura again, and Nakamura fires up and delivers several kicks and knees to Corbin. The finish comes when Nakamura hits the Kinshasa for the three count after a short but competitive match.

– Women’s Champ Naomi is backstage for an interview which quickly gets interrupted by Natalya. Natalya says Naomi is disgracing the Women’s title, but Naomi thinks Natalya is stuck in the past and says she will retain her title at SummerSlam. Natalya leaves, then Carmella walks in with her Money In The Bank briefcase to taunt Naomi with it.

– Charlotte & Becky Lynch def. Lana & Tamina: Lana starts off against Becky, but she quickly tags in Tamina. Becky drops Tamina with kicks, but Tamina comes back and drops Becky then tags in Lana. Lana puts the boots to Becky in the corner then puts her in a shoulder lock on the mat. Becky gets up to her feet and Lana takes her back down with a fist full of hair. The crowd chants “you can’t wrestle” at Lana as she tags in Tamina. Tamina works on Becky in the corner until Becky fights out with an elbow and a spinning kick to the head. Charlotte tags in and cleans house. Charlotte hits several chops to the chest of Tamina, then drops her and hits a knee drop for a two count. Tamina comes back with a superkick then Lana tags in. This leads to Charlotte knocking Tamina off the apron, then Charlotte turns around and hits a big boot on Lana for the win. Lana looks confused after the match, and Tamina is not happy with Lana and shouts at her before leaving.

– WWE Champion Jinder Mahal comes out to the ring without the Singh Brothers, who are selling their injuries from Battleground. Jinder gets on the mic and says all of you people doubted him just like Orton doubted him, and now he has taken Orton’s legacy from him. Jinder demands to know who’s next for him and who he’ll be facing at SummerSlam. He begins to address his people in his language, and is then interrupted by John Cena’s entrance. Before Cena can say anything, Mahal tells Cena that he knows what Cena is about to say, but Cena stops him. Cena says he’s not going to doubt Jinder, but instead wants to congratulate Jinder. Cena says he respects that Mahal is in the best shape of his life and that the WWE Title means so much to him that he’ll do whatever he can to keep it. Cena says this is a congratulations, but also a heads up that he doesn’t care if he has a giant or a band of merry men because at SummerSlam he’s facing Super Cena. Cena says he’s walking out of SummerSlam a 17-time Champion, then tells Mahal “you can’t see me” and leaves. Before Cena can make it to the back, Daniel Bryan comes out to interrupt. Bryan says Cena doesn’t make the matches around here, but Bryan will make one. Bryan books John Cena vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a singles match next week to determine who gets a shot at Mahal’s WWE Title at SummerSlam.

– Owens approaches Shane McMahon backstage to complain about being put in the triple threat match against Styles and Jericho tonight. Owens says Shane doesn’t like him and doesn’t want him to be the U.S. Champ. Shane says this match is about putting on a great show for the fans tonight, and not Shane doesn’t care who the U.S. Champ is as long as it’s being defended on SmackDown.

– Sami Zayn & Tye Dillinger def. Aiden English & Mike Kanellis: English treats us to a song before the match. Maria is at ringside in Mike’s corner. English gets the advantage over Zayn early on, then tags in Mike who stomps a mud hole in Sami. Mike hits a big boot on Sami then tags in English. Sami and English trade strikes until Sami dumps him outside then gets the hot tag to Tye. English slides back in the ring and Tye drops him, then Tye takes out Mike too. Zayn tags in and hits the Heluva Kick on Mike for the win.

– The New Day is heard over the PA system in the arena, but then we hear some commotion. We cut to the stage where we see The Usos attacking The New Day from behind. The Usos beat down the New Day members all over the stage, and deliver multiple superkicks to Big E. The Usos admire their work on the stage before heading backstage.

– AJ Styles def. Kevin Owens & Chris Jericho: Jericho and Styles team up on Owens right off the opening bell. Owens rolls outside then Jericho and Styles go at it. Owens comes back in and takes out Styles, leaving Owens alone with Jericho. Jericho unloads with offense on Owens then hits a missile dropkick off the middle rope. Styles comes back in and goes to work on Jericho as Owens rolls outside to recover. Styles dumps Jericho to the outside, then Owens drops Styles with a superkick and pummels him with right hands. Owens knocks Jericho off the apron, then he hits a senton drop on Styles, followed up by a leg drop. AJ fights back with punches and chops, but Owens shuts him down with an elbow to the face. Styles gets Owens in the Calf Crusher until Jericho breaks it up with a Lionsault onto Styles. Jericho cleans house and delivers a series of chops to the chest on AJ. Owens drops Jericho, then Styles throws Owens to the outside. Styles then hits a springboard 450 splash onto Jericho, but before he can pin Owens throws Styles outside and pins Jericho himself for a two count. Styles pulls Owens outside and slams him into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Styles goes for the Styles Clash on Jericho, but Jericho escapes and puts Styles in the Walls of Jericho. Owens runs in but Jericho snatches him and throws him into AJ, knocking AJ out to ringside. Jericho drops Owens and puts him in the Walls of Jericho, but AJ runs in and breaks it up. Jericho hits AJ with the Codebreaker and pins for a two count. Jericho slaps AJ across the face, and AJ comes back with a flurry of strikes. Jericho drops AJ then goes for the Lionsault, but Owens hits the ropes and Jericho wipes out. Owens hits the cannonball splash on AJ then on Jericho. AJ hops up and elbows Owens, then Jericho kicks Styles, Owens superkicks Jericho, then AJ hits the Pele Kick on Owens. AJ springboards up to the top rope but Jericho dropkicks AJ off and AJ falls down to ringside. Owens grabs Jericho and hits the Pop-Up Powerbomb for a near-fall. Owens goes up top an hits the frogsplash on Jericho, but AJ throws Owens outside before he can pin. AJ pins Jericho instead and scores the three count to win the U.S. Championship. AJ is bleeding inside his mouth. Owens freaks out at ringside and throws stuff around as AJ makes his way to the back holding up the U.S. Title belt. Owens gets on the mic at ringside and says this wasn’t fair that Jericho was here and that McMahon made him defend his title in a triple threat match. Owens says AJ stole his victory, and says the fans dislike him because he’s better than they ever will be. Owens says he wants his rematch next week, one on one. AJ kisses the U.S. Title belt on the stage as SmackDown goes off the air.

The July 24th edition of WWE RAW aired live on the USA Network from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

– RAW GM Kurt Angle comes out to the ring first to kick off this week’s broadcast. Angle recaps last week’s revelation that Jason Jordan is his son, and he talks about how he’s been making up for lost time with his son in the last week. Angle says Jason is getting an opportunity to show what he’s got on RAW tonight, and it’s up to Jason what he does with the opportunity. Angle changes the subject to Brock Lesnar and is about to announce Lesnar’s opponent for SummerSlam when he gets interrupted by Braun Strowman’s entrance. Strowman comes down to the ring and tells Kurt that he better be Lesnar’s opponent. Samoa Joe interrupts next and he comes down to the ring to introduce himself to Strowman face to face. Roman Reigns interrupts next and comes down to the ring. Reigns reminds everyone that he retired The Undertaker, and says he should be the one to face Lesnar. Angle gets in the middle of the three men in the ring and announces that he’s changed his mind about Lesnar’s opponent at SummerSlam. Angle says now the main event of SummerSlam will be a Fatal Four-way for the Universal Title between Brock Lesnar, Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman. Samoa Joe is not pleased with Angle’s decision but Angle says his decision is final. Strowman says he doesn’t care what kind of match it is, he just cares about piling bodies. Reigns tells Strowman to shut up and punches him, but Strowman grabs both Reigns and Joe by the throats. Joe and Reigns take Strowman outside and dump him over the fan barricade. Joe then turns his attention to Reigns and they brawl around ringside. Joe takes Reigns back into the ring where they trade strikes until Strowman runs back in. Strowman drops Joe then throws Reigns into the ring post. Angle calls for help from ringside and security runs out but Strowman starts decking all of them. Strowman throws one of the security out of the ring down to the floor. Joe grabs Strowman from behind and puts him in the Coquina Clutch. Angle calls for help from the locker room and several wrestlers come down to try o help. Reigns spears Strowman while Joe has Strowman in the Coquina Clutch and they all go down. Several wrestlers manage to hold back Joe, but Strowman drops Reigns in the ring. Wrestlers then help hold back Reigns as Strowman walks off.

Even the ENTIRE #RAW locker room can't separate #SummerSlam opponents @WWERomanReigns, @SamoaJoe and @BraunStrowman!!! @RealKurtAngle pic.twitter.com/91W7ZYjRrF

— WWE (@WWE) July 25, 2017

– Elias Samson def. Finn Balor: Samson is in the ring for a song before the match but once again is interrupted by Balor’s entrance. This one is a No DQ match. Balor starts off strong and dumps Samson outside then follows up with a dropkick through the ropes. Balor beats down Samson around ringside and dropkicks him into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Samson fires up and starts working on Balor’s injured shoulder. Samson rolls outside and grabs a steel chair and brings it in. Balor hits Samson while he’s climbing in the ring and the chair falls outside. Balor starts to fire up but Samson shuts him down and goes back to working on the bad shoulder. Balor gets Samson down and repeatedly stomps on him, then he grabs the chair from ringside. Balor goes to hit Samson with it but Samson blocks it with a boot to Balor. Samson grabs the chair and nails Balor with it. Samson continues working on Balor’s shoulder, then sets up the chair between the turnbuckle pads in the corner. Samson goes to throw Balor into the chair, but Balor reverses and sends Samson into the chair. Balor repeatedly stomps on Samson then kicks him in the face from the apron. Balor climbs out to the ringside and hits a running dropkick on Samson that sends him flying into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Balor grabs the steel chair and repeatedly hits it over Smson’s back. Balor follows up with a running dropkick in the corner, then another one. Balor goes up top and hits the Coup De Grace, but before Balor can pin the lights go out. When they come back on, Bray Wyatt is in the ring and he’s got a hold of Balor. Wyatt hits the Sister Abigail on Balor, then Samson climbs ontop of Balor for the win.

– After the match, Bray Wyatt crawls over to Balor who is out cold. Wyatt stares at him, then the lights go out again.

– We cut to the announcers and a graphic promoting Jason Jordan’s RAW in-ring debut tonight.

– Bayley and The Hardy Boyz are in a commercial about the return of Sonic’s pretzel-dogs.

– We come back to the announce table, where Cole introduces a video package about the reveal that Jason Jordan is Kurt Angle’s long lost son.

– Backstage, Kurt Angle does an interview with Renee Young where he says Jason Jordan wanted to prove on his own that he’ll be a successful singles competitor. Emma interrupts and says she wants more opportunities, so Kurt books her in a match against Nia Jax tonight.

– Enzo Amore is backstage when he gets approached by The Big Show. Enzo tells Big Show he has a plan, and he’s going to show Cass he’s not scared of him.

– Big Cass def. Enzo Amore: Enzo cuts a brief promo before the match. Cass immediately drops Enzo and dominates the opening moments. Cass goes for a fallaway slam but Enzo reverses into a sleeper. Cass backs Enzo up into the corner to get him off, then chokeslams him down. Cass follows up with some elbow drops and kicks. Enzo tries to fire up but Cass shuts him down with a running big boot for the win. Cass starts to beat down Enzo after the match, but he’s interrupted by Big Show. Cass throws Enzo at Big Show then big boots Big Show as he steps into the ring. Cass beats down Big Show and hits four Empire Elbows on Show. Cass continues to stomp on Big Show then taunts him before leaving.

– Alexa Bliss does an interview backstage where she says no matter who wins out of Sasha Banks and Bayley tonight, the real winner is Alexa because she’ll beat either one of them at SummerSlam.

– Nia Jax def. Emma: Emma takes a cheap shot at Nia across the ref early on, then stuns Nia with some dropkicks. Nia throws her down then tackles her. Nia follows up with some running spashes in the corner and an elbow drop. Nia hits a running senton bomb for the win.

– Akira Tozawa does an interview backstage about his match being called off last week. Titus walks in and says he knows Tozawa wants his hands on Daivari, but he needs to let his shoulder heal. Titus says he got Tozawa’s match against Daivari tonight cancelled out of concern for Tozawa’s health. Tozawa is not happy to hear the match is cancelled, and storms off towards the gorilla position.

– Akira Tozawa comes out to the ring and Titus follows him out and is asking Tozawa to reconsider. Tozawa gets fed up and shoves Titus, then gets on the mic and calls our Daivari. Neville comes out to the stage instead. Neville takes credit for injuring Tozawa and says he can’t stand toe to toe with the king of the cruiserweights. Neville comes down to the ring and gets in Tozawa’s face, so Tozawa drops him with a right hand. Tozawa goes up top and hits a senton drop off the top rope onto Neville. Daivari then runs in and beats down Tozawa. Daivari then turns his attention to Neville and beats him down too.

– Bayley and Sasha Banks are backstage talking about their match tonight. Bayley says they’ve had matches before and they’re still friends, and that won’t change tonight. Sasha says she can’t wait to get her hands on Alexa Bliss, but Bayley says maybe she will be the one who gets her hands on Alexa at SummerSlam. Sasha says the best woman will win tonight.

– Jason Jordan does an interview backstage where he says he’s grateful to compete on RAW tonight, and he’s able to handle the pressure. Jordan says he still can’t believe that his hero Kurt Angle is his father.

"My hero is my father…imagine you just had one of the wildest dreams, and it came true." – @JasonJordanJJ #RAW pic.twitter.com/H1J3pV8dqz

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) July 25, 2017

– Rollins approaches Ambrose backstage to give a pep talk for their match tonight. Ambrose says he still doesn’t trust Rollins and walks off.

– Bayley def. Sasha Banks: This winner of this one will get a shot at Alexa Bliss’ Women’s Championship at SummerSlam. Alexa joins the commentary table before the match. Sasha misses a dropkick early on and Bayley rolls her up for a couple near-falls. Sasha slaps Bayley across the face, then Bayley comes back with ha running clothesline. Bayley goes up top but Sasha knocks her down and Bayley falls down to the floor at ringside. Back in the ring, Bayley comes back with a slam, but Sasha shuts her down with a slap and running double knees to the back. Sasha gets Bayley in the Banks Statement but Bayley fights out. Sasha and Bayley trade strikes in the middle of the ring until Sasha drops her and hits another double knee strike to the back. Sasha goes up top and misses, and Bayley capitalizes with a running knee to the face. Sasha comes back with a Shining Wizard and both women are down. Bayley and Sasha trade right hands, and Bayley drops Sasha with an elbow. Sasha comes back with a knee to the face, then goes up top. Bayley climbs up, but Sasha throws her down to the mat and hits a frogsplash for a two count. Bayley reverses Sasha’s pin into a pin of her own, and scores the three count for the win. Bayley will now be facing Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam for the Women’s Title.

– After the match, Alexa Bliss comes down to the ring. Alexa and Bayley stare each other down then Alexa leaves.

– Curt Hawkins does an interview backstage where he says he’s tired of hearing about Jason Jordan, and he’s going to give people something new to talk about after he beats Jordan tonight.

– Jason Jordan def. Curt Hawkins: Hawkins slaps Jordan across the face to start, and Jordan immediately suplexes him down then pummels on him. Jordan delivers another suplex, but Hawkins stars to fire back with strikes. Hawkins starts talking trash to Jordan, then Jordan fires up and slams Hawkins into the corner. Jordan follows up with a belly to belly overhead suplex, then hits a spear in the corner. Jordan lifts up Hawkins in a back suplex position then spins him into a neckbreaker for the win.

.@RealKurtAngle must be proud as his son @JasonJordanJJ claims the victory in his #RAW in-ring debut! @TheCurtHawkins pic.twitter.com/ciFfbCiJ3l

— WWE (@WWE) July 25, 2017

– The Revival comes out to the ring for an interview. They dismiss the interviewer and say they’re here on RAW to take their rightful place as the new top tag team. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson interrupt and say they object to The Revival calling themselves top guys because all they see are a couple of top nerds. With that, we have a match.

– The Revival def. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson: Anderson slaps Dawson across the face early on. The Revival starts off strong against Anderson until Gallows gets the tag. Anderson and Gallows clothesline both Revival members outside and stare them down from the ring. Back in the ring, Dawson hits a big uppercut on Anderson then tags in Wilder. Sheamus and Cesaro are shown backstage watching. Anderson comes back with a flying clothesline then tags in Gallows. Gallows cleans house and hits a running splash on Dawson then a big boot. Gallows hits another big boot, then tags in Anderson. They go for the Boot of Doom but Dash breaks it up. The Hardy Boyz’ music hits and they come out to the stage. This distracts The Revival, then distracts Gallows and Anderson and The Revival hits the Shatter Machine on Anderson for the win.

– Matt and Jeff hit the ring after the match and brawl with The Revival. They hit the Whisper In the Wind on Dash, then Matt hits the Twist of Fate and Jeff goes for the Swanton but Dawson pulls Wilder outside to safety.

– We go to the locker room where The Miz gives the Miztourage a pep talk for their match.

– Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose def. The Miz, Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas: Ambrose takes Axel down early on and lays into him with elbow shots. Rollins tags himself in and goes to work on Axel with strikes. Bo Dallas tags in and Rollins takes him down with a hip toss then kicks him in the face. Dallas comes back with a running elbow, then he tags in the Miz. Miz delivers some elbows to the head of Rollins then works on keeping him grounded with a chin lock. Rollins fights out and hits the Sling Blade on Miz. Miz comes back with a jawbreaker, then Ambrose tags in. Miz tags in Axel who kicks Ambrose in the head, but Ambrose comes back with a knee. Rollins tags in and they double team both Axel and Dallas, while The Miz hides at ringside. Dallas hits a cheap shot on Rollins and The Miz capitalizes by stomping on Rollins. Axel comes in and continues the offense on Rollins. Miz tags back in and hits the Daniel Bryan style kicks on Rollins. Rollins comes back with a clothesline, then slams Axel into the corner and dodges an attack by Dallas. Ambrose tags in and starts clearing house, then hits a suicide plancha onto Miz at ringside. Back in the ring, Ambrose and Dallas trade strikes, then Axel comes in. Miz gets the blind tag then hits the Skull Crushing Finale on a distracted Ambrose. Miz pins but Rollins breaks it up. Rollins and Ambrose dump Miz to the outside, then they hit suicide dives onto Axel and Dallas. Back in the ring, Miz goes for the Skull Crushing Finale on Ambrose again, but Rollins breaks it up with a knee to The Miz. Ambrose follows up with the Dirty Deeds on Miz for the win. Ambrose and Rollins celebrate after the match, but Ambrose leaves Rollins hanging on the first bump as he leaves up the ramp alone and RAW goes off the air.

WWE Battleground 2017 took place on July 23rd from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA and marked the return of the Punjabi Prison match.

Kickoff Show:

– The WWE Battleground Kickoff pre-show opens up with Renee Young, David Otunga, Sam Roberts and Jerry Lawler. We see the Punjabi Prison structure hanging high above the ring as fans are getting seated in the Wells Fargo Center.

– John Cena does an interview backstage where he says tonight’s flag match is like nothing we’ve seen before. Cena says tonight either the American flag will be standing tall, or Cena will be laying flat on his back. Back to the panel, Lawler and Sam predict that Cena will win, but Otunga thinks Rusev will bring it.

– Carmella joints the pre-show panel and says she’s already beaten everyone in tonight’s Fatal 5 Way Elimination Match to crown the new Women’s #1 contender. She predicts Natalya better win, and she better watch her back if she does.

– AJ does an interview backstage where he says he’s confident in his match tonight. We cut to Kevin Owens who was watching on a monitor, and he cuts a promo on taking back his U.S. Title tonight.

– Mike & Maria Kanellis are backstage getting ready to come out.

– Aiden Engllish def. Tye Dillinger: After some back and forth action in the opening moments, English takes control and grinds Dillinger into the mat. English sings a little while he has Dillinger in a hold. Dillinger finally fires up and hits a dropkick as the fans rally behind him. English escapes a Tye Breaker attempt and retreats to the floor. English and Dillinger brawl at ringside, then back in the ring Rye hits a spinebuster for a two count. English hits a crossbody but Tye rolls through for another two count. English avoids another Tye Breaker, then the two trade quick strikes and pin attempts. English snatches Tye and hits the Director’s Cut for the win.

WWE Battleground 2017:

– The New Day def. The Usos: The Usos’ tag titles are on the line in this one. Kofi immediately nails a dropkick on Jey Uso right off the bell and takes control. Woods and Kofi trade tags and work over Jey until Jimmy tags himself in. The Usos turn it around on Woods with the help of some cheap shots behind the ref’s back. Jimmy hits the Umaga Splash on Woods for a two count. The Usos keep control as the fans try to rally for Woods, and Jey boots him in the face for another two count. The USos use more double teams on Woods to keep control Jey takes Woods up top for a superplex but Woods fights him off with headbutts. Woods hits a missile dropick off the top then Kofi tags in. Kofi hits the Boom Drop on Jimmy but Jimmy avoids the Trouble In Paradise. The action spills outside and Woods goes for the “trust fall” suicide dive, but The Usos catch him and powerbomb him onto the floor. Back in the ring, Jimmy goes for the big splash but misses. Woods fires up but Jimmy blocks the Honor Roll then tags in Jey who hits a Samoan Drop on Woods for a two count. Woods tries to fire up and boots Jey to the head then goes up top. Woods goes for the flying elbow, but Jimmy kicks him in the mid-air. Jimmy applies the Tequila Sunrise but Woods gets out. Uso argues with the ref, then Kofi tags and they they hit the Midnight Hour on Jey but he kicks out. Kofi springboards in but eats a superkick from Jimmy. The Usos climb up both turnbuckles, but Woods takes Jey out. Jimmy leaps towards Kofi but Kofi dodges him and fires back with the Trouble In Paradise. Woods follows up with a flying elbow off the top for the win, and the New Day are the new Tag Team Champs! The New Day celebrate with their titles up the ramp.

– Shinsuke Nakamura def. Baron Corbin via DQ: Corbin gets in Nakamura’s face and trash-talks him which prompts Nakamura to strike first. Corbin tags Nakamura into the corner but Nakamura fights out. They both take breathers on the outside, then charge at each other and Corbin hits a big right hand. Corbin drops Nakamura and stomps away, then applies a bear hug. Nakamura fights out and catches Corbin’s arm in an armbar attempt, but Corbin powers his way out. Corbin hits a big boot for the two count, then they brawl around ringside. Back in the ring Corbin beats down Nakamura until Nakamur fires up and hits some knee strikes. Nakamura hits a reverse vertical suplex then goes for the the running knee to the face, but Corbin dodges it and catches Nakamura in the Deep Six. Corbin pins and Nakamura kicks out at two. Both men stumble up to their feet and they trade punches in the middle of the ring. Nakamura gets the upper hand and decks Corbin with a kick. Nakamura gears up for the knee strike, but Corbin doesn’t get up. Nakamura picks Corbin but Corbin then hits a mule kick to the groin of Nakamura.

– After the match, Corbin starts heading to the back with his Money In The Bank briefcase, but Corbin has second thoughts and heads back to the ring. Corbin nails Nakamura with the briefcase and beats him down, then leaves and heads to the back as the ref checks on Nakamura.

– Kevin Owen is shown backstage getting ready for his match tonight.

– Natalya def. Lana, Charlotte, Tamina, Becky Lynch: Natalya strts off and drops Charlotte as the other women brawl in the ring. Tamina and Lana form an alliance and send everyone else outside except Charlotte. Lana and Tamina double team Charlotte for a two count, then Becky runs in. Becky runs in and Becky hits a T-bone suplex on Tamina while Charlotte hits a fallaway slam on Lana. Natalya runs in and stomps on Charlotte then dropkicks her, then Becky grabs Natalya and suplexes her. Lana runs in but Becky dodges her and hits a T-bone suplex. Tamina runs in and Becky attempts a T-bone suplex on her, but Tamina fights out and boots Natalya in the face. Charlotte takes out Tamina, then rolls up Natalya but Natalya gets out and lariats Charlotte. Becky takes out Natalya then locks Charlotte in the Did-arm-her after some struggle. Tamina breaks it up, then spears Charlotte to the outside. Lana rolls up Becky, but Becky fights out and puts Lana in the Did-arm-her. Tamina breaks it up and goes for a Samoan Drop on Becky, but Becky gets out and puts Tamina in the Did-arm-her. Tamina taps out and she’s the first one eliminated. Immediately after, Becky puts Lana in the Did-arm-her and Lana taps out for the elimination . Natalya runs in and immediately rolls up Becky unexpectedly and grabs the tights for the three count, and Becky is eliminated. We’re down to Natalya and Charlotte. Charlotte tackles Natalya then picks her up the hard way for a powerbomb. Charlotte goes to follow up with a moonsault off the top but Natlaya blocks it with her knees. Natalya shoves Charlotte head-first into the middle turnbuckle, then rolls up Charlotte for the win. Natalya is now the #1 contender for Naomi’s Women’s title. Naomi hops in the ring with her Women’s title and goes to shake hands with Natalya, but Natalya declines and walks away.

– AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens: The action spills outside early on where AJ throws Owens into the fan barricade, but Owens comes back and throws AJ into the ring post. Owens crotches AJ on the ring post, then takes him in the ring where Owens tries to keep AJ grounded. AJ tries to fire up with a series of strikes, but Owens plants him with a DDT. AJ comes back with a flying clothesline and goes for a Samoan drop, but Owens fights out. AJ goes for a back suplex, but Owens fights out of that too and hits AJ with elbows. AJ comes back with a power facebuster for a two count on the challenger. AJ hits the fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker overh is knee for another two count. AJ goes for a springboard but Owens dodges and hits the cannonball splash in the corner. Owens takes AJ up top but AJ punches him and goes for a sunset flip powerbomb. Owens hangs onto the ropes, so AJ picks up Owens differently and does the torture rack. AJ drops him down for a two count. Owens fights back again and once again takes AJ to the top turnbuckle. AJ slides through Owen’s legs and slams his head into the turnbuckle. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Owens sees it coming and rolls outside and trips up AJ onto the apron. A ref bump leads to Owens booting AJ in the face. Owens goes for the popup powerbomb but AJ escapes. AJ goes for the calf crusher, but Owens escapes and locks AJ in the crossface. AJ escapes and locks Owens in the crossface, but Owens reverses into a pin and the ref counts three. Both men’s shoulders appeared to be on the mat for the pin, but Owens is declared the new U.S. Champion.

– Jinder Mahal is backstage warming up when the Singh Brothers approach him for a motivational talk. Jinder says he alone will trap and punish the Viper tonight.

– John Cena def. Rusev: This one is a flag match, where you must retrieve your flag from the ring post then mount it up on the stage. Rusev takes control early and goes up for his flag, but Cena runs up and bulldogs him off the turnbuckle. Cena starts going up for his flag, but Rusev drops Cena down to the mat then delivers some elbows to the face. Rusev whips Cena into the corner and hits a running splash, then goes up for his flag. Cena gets up and grabs at Rusev’s legs, but Rusev comes down with an elbow on Cena’s head. Cena starts to fight back with strikes but Rusev drops him with a DDT. Cena comes back with some running should blocks then a back suplex. Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle then attempts the AA, but Rusev escapes. Rusev comes back with a spinebuster, then throws Cena to the outside. Cena knocks Rusev off his corner and after some struggling Cena locks Rusev in the STF. Rusev taps out but it doesn’t do him any good in a flag match. Cena grabs his flag off the post, but then Rusev hits a boot to the face on him. Rusev grabs his flag and tags it out to ringside, but Cena follows him out and lariats him down. Cena comes back and beats down Rusev at ringside. They brawl up the ramp and Rusev hits a fallaway slam on Cena on the stage, then sets up some tables. Rusev and Cena brawl all over the stage and ramp until Cena drops Rusev and grabs his flag. Cena start crawling to the podium with the flag in his hands. Rusev grabs a part of the podium and bashes Cena over the head with it, then locks him in The Accolade. Cena blocks Rusev from planting his flag, so Rusev puts him in the Accolade again. Cena fights out, then picks up Rusev for the AA. Cena climbs up onto the podium and gives Rusev the AA off the podium through the tables. Cena climbs up and plants the American flag for the win.

– We go to the latest Fashion Files segment, which is styled like The X-Files. The Ascension walks in and says “it was them all along,” but Fandango doesn’t believe them and sends them off. The Ascension leaves, then the lights cut out and Breeze and Fandango get attacked. When the lights come back on, we see Fandango being dragged off-screen. “To be continued.”

– Sami Zayn def. Mike Kanellis: Sami dumps Mike to the outside early on and goes for a suicide dive, but Mike dodges him. Sami gets distracted by Maria, and Mike sucker punches him from behind. Back in the ring, Mike takes control until Sami dumps him outside and successfully hits the suicide dive. Back in the ring it’s all Zayn until Maria runs in and distracts him. The ref finally gets Maria out and Zayn hits the T-bone suplex and Heluva kick for the win.

– We go to the announcers, then the Punjabi Prison starts lowering from the ground.

– Jinder Mahal (c) def. Randy Orton: This one is a Punjabi Prison match for Jinder Mahal’s WWE Championship. Jinder attacks Orton right off the jump and calls for the door to open, but then Orton grabs him and they continue brawling through the ring. Orton gets the better of Jinder and tries to exit, but Jinder pulls him back in and the ref closes the door. Jinder beats down Orton until Orton catches him with a Fallaway Slam. Jinder and Orton both try to get out of another one of the doors, but neither of them gets out and the ref locks it. Orton throws Mahal into the cage but Mahal leap and grabs it and starts climbing. Orton pulls him off and crotches Mahal on the top rope. Orton DDTs Jinder off the middle rope and calls for the door, but Jinder stops him. Three of the doors are now locked shut. Orton goes for an RKO on Jinder but Jinder blocks it with a knee to the face. Jinder goes for the Cobra Clutch slam, but Orton reverses it into an RKO. The Singh Brothers run in and pull Jinder outside then pull the door shut and Orton is now trapped in the inner cage while Jinder is outside with the Singh Brothers. Orton starts climbing out of the inner structure, then Orton climbs across to the outer structure. Orton and Jinder are now fighting on the wall of the outer structure, trading elbows and headbutts. Orton slams Jinder’s head into the wall and Jinder falls down to the floor. The Singh Brothers then grab Orton by the feet to pull him down to the mat, then they start pummeling on him. Jinder finally gets up and joins in on beating down Orton, then starts climbing. Orton gets up and drops the Singh Brothers then suplexes one of them. Orton pulls down Jinder by the foot then throws him into the wall. Orton gets distracted by the Singh Brothers, then Jinder grabs a kendo stick and lays into Orton with it. Orton grabs a kendo stick of his own then starts smashing Jinder and the Singh Brothers with it. Orton starts climbing, and one of the Singh Brothers climbs out through a hole in the cage and latches on to Orton through the cage so he can’t keep climbing. Orton starts punching the Singh Brother and on one of the punches the Singh Brother falls off the cage wall all the way down through an announce table! Jinder climbs up and starts fighting with Orton on the wall. Jinder pulls Orton down and beats on him, but Orton is able to grab a chair from under the ring and he drops Jinder and the other Singh Brother. Orton start climbing the outer cage, but then Jinder’s music hits again and The Great Khali comes out! Khali shakes the outer cage while Orton is on top and Orton falls back on the inner side of the cage. Khali climbs up the cage while Orton is on the inside of the cage, and Khali chokes Orton through a hole in the cage. This allows Jinder to climb up past Orton and makes his escape outside for the win. Jinder and Khali celebrate on the ramp. Khali takes the WWE Title belt from the ref and hands it to Jinder and Jinder raises it above his head. Jinder and Khali celebrate with the Title Belt on the stage as Battleground goes off the air.

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.

#TheViper @RandyOrton thinks @WWE Champion @JinderMahal is NUTS for choosing the #PunjabiPrison stipulation at #WWEBattleground! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/qBV0TFcVHy

— WWE (@WWE) July 19, 2017

– 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.

The July 11th edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX, and was the second-to-last episode before Battleground.

– The SmackDown broadcast begins with footage from AJ Styles’ U.S. Title victory over Kevin Owens at a Madison Square Garden house show last weekend.

– AJ Styles comes out o the ring to kick off SmackDown. AJ discusses winning the U.S. Title at MSG, then issues an open challenge to anyone in the back who thinks they can take the strap from him. John Cena’s music hits and Cena storms down to the ring. Cena gets on the mic and accepts the challenge, and Styles says let’s get it on. A ref and a ring announcer run in to the ring, and we have a title match.

– AJ Styles (c) vs. John Cena – No Contest: AJ’s U.S. Title is on the line in this one. Before referee Charles Robinson can call for the opening bell, Kevin Owens comes out to the stage with a mic. Owens says he’s the rightful owner of the U.S. Title, and he tells Cena to go away again because nobody missed him. Owens says nobody wants to see Cena vs. AJ again. Cena says it’s not that nobody wants to see him, it’s that Owens can’t see him. Cena says he’s going to run through Owens, then he’s going to run through AJ, but then out of nowhere Rusev runs in and spears Cena. AJ pulls Rusev off Cena, but then Owens runs in and takes out AJ. Rusev locks Cena in The Accolade, then Rusev and Owens leave.

– Back from commercial, we’re told Shane McMahon has announced a tag match for later of AJ & Cena vs. Rusev & Owens.

– The Singh Brothers come out to the stage to introduce WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. He’s in action next in a non-title match.

– Jinder Mahal def. Tye Dillinger: Jinder drops Tye early on and follows up with some knee drops. Jinder works over Tye in the corner and throws some more knees and chops. Dillinger fires up and hits some punches in the corner, but Jinder shuts him down with a flying knee to the face. Jinder immediately follows up with the Cobra Clutch slam for the win after a mostly one-sided match.

– After the match, Jinder gets on the mic and expresses his disgust that the American fans boo him while they cheer that snake Randy Orton. Jinder says they can boo him all they want, but the 1.3 billion people of India know he’s the best Champion of all time. Jinder says Orton won’t be making his life a living hell, it’ll be Jinder bringing hell to Orton’s life. Jinder says next week, he’s bringing the Punjabi Prison to SmackDown.

– Xavier Woods def. Jey Uso: The New Day and Jimmy Uso are all at ringside. Xavier takes control early on with a big right hand, then chokes Jey over the middle rope. Jimmy Uso trips Xavier behind the ref’s back, then Jey shoves Kofi off the apron. Big E, Kofi, and Jimmy Uso all get in the ring, and the ref ejects them all from ringside. Woods tries to take advantage of the distraction with a rollup from behind, but Jey evades it and hits a superkick. Jey comes off the top for a splash but Woods blocks it with the knees. Woods hits a kick to the head then a flying elbow for the win. Jimmy hits the ring immediately after the match and Woods retreats to ringside. The New Day comes out to the stage to celebrate with Woods after.

– Shane McMahon is backstage on the phone when Naomi walks in and interrupts. Charlotte, Becky, Natalya, Lana and Tamina all walk in and interrupt, and they all want Women’s Title shots. Shane says they’re going to compete in a five-way match at Battleground to determine the new #1 contender for the Women’s title. Shane tells them to get their attitude out in the ring, and books Becky and Charlotte vs. Tamina and Natalya in tag action later tonight. Carmella walks in next and says her lawyer is working on getting James Ellsworth reinstated. Carmella hands Shane a paper from lawyer but Shane rips it up and Carmella storms off.

– Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin – No Contest: Nakamura jumps Corbin before the bell at ringside as Corbin is making his entrance. Corbin and Nakamura brawl all over ringside and into the crowd until refs come break it up. Corbin retrieves his Money In The Bank briefcase from the ringside floor and retreats to the back.

– AJ Styles and John Cena exchange words in the locker room. AJ says he intends on holding onto the U.S. Title for a long time. Cena says he understands AJ wanting to fight the best, but tonight Cena has AJ’s back in their tag match.

– Tamina & Natalya def. Charlotte & Becky Lynch: Becky and Tamina starts off and Becky hits a flurry of strikes early on. Kicks and leg drops from Becky before she tags in Charlotte. Charlotte goes for a German suplex, but Tamina elbows her off and headbutts her down. Natalya tags in and continues to work over Charlotte with strikes. Becky and Tamina tag in and Tamina and Natalya briefly double-team Becky with kicks. Tamina puts Becky in a headlock and Lana comes down to the ramp to ringside for a closer look. Natalya tags in and the heels once against double-team Becky. Natalya goes for a splash in the corner but Becky blocks it with a boot to the face and tags in Charlotte. Charlotte hits some chops to the chest of Natalya then a boot to the face. Charlotte follows up with a knee drop and a T-bone suplex, but then she gets distracted by Lana on the apron. Tamina apparently tagged in when Charlotte and the camera weren’t looking, then she hits a superkick on an unsuspecting Charlotte for the win. Lana celebrates with Tamina and Natalya on the ramp.

– Maria is backstage knocking on a locker room door. Chad Gable answers, and Maria asks for Sami Zayn to come out. Gable says he’s not there, and Maria tells him to pass along the message to Zayn that the first lady of SmackDown is looking for him.

– Sami Zayn finds Maria and Mike Kanellis backstage, and Maria demands and apology. Zayn says he already apologized and he’s sick of apologizing, and it seems they should apologize since they’re always in his way when he has something to do. Zayn points out that he actually wrestles matches on Smackown, and asks what Mike does here. Mike takes offense to this and slaps Zayn across the face, then smashes a vase full of roses over his face. Maria tells Zayn that’s the power of love, and sometimes love hurts.

– Fandango and Tyler Breeze star in a Walker, Texas Ranger inspired edition of The Fashion Files. They approach Zack Ryder and fail at lassoing him. Mojo Rawley comes over and asks what he just walked into. Ryder and Mojo argue over Mojo eliminating Ryder from the Battle Royal last week. Mojo tells Ryder to get his head back to reality and leave the Fashion Police alone. Ryder says maybe Mojo is right, and maybe the Fashion Police should come back to reality too. The Hype Bros leave, and Breezango realize their toy horse has been stolen. They blame it on ghost aliens, and an X-Files graphic featuring Breeze and Fandango shows.

– AJ Styles & John Cena def. Kevin Owens & Rusev: Rusev hits a running shoulder block on Cena early on that drops Cena. Rusev rolls outside to celebrate with his Bulgarian flag, allowing Cena to recover in the ring. Rusev rolls back in the ring and Cena drops him with a shoulder block of his own, then whips Rusev in the corner and hits a running bulldog. Owens tags in and boots Cena in the midsection then stomps on him while he’s down. Rusev tags back in and the heels briefly double team Cena behind the ref’s back. Rusev and Cena trade punches as Cena tries to fight his way over to tag in AJ. Rusev drops Cena with a kick to the head then goes up top. Rusev goes flying for a splash but Cena rolls out of the way and tags in AJ. AJ tees off on Rusev with elbows to the face and a clothesline. AJ hits a running forearm shot, then takes a moment to taunt Owens. Rusev fights back with an elbow to the face. AJ goes for the Calf Crusher but Owens breaks it up. The distraction from Owens leads to Rusev kicking AJ in the back of the head for a two count. Owens tags in and works on keeping AJ grounded. AJ fights his way up to his feet but Owens levels him with a clothesline for a two count. Owens drags AJ over to his corner and tags in Rusev for the double team. Rusev follows up with a kick to the head/shoulder for another two count. Rusev taunts Cena then hits a running elbow drop on Styles. Rusev gets AJ in a bear hug until AJ punches and headbutts his way out. Rusev goes for a back suplex but AJ escapes and hits a kick to the head. Cena and Owens get the tags and Cena hits a running shoulder block and a back suplex on Owens. Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Owens then goes for the AA, but Rusev breaks it up. Rusev kicks Cena in the head, then AJ hits the Phenomenal Forearm on Rusev and a Pele kick on Owens. Cena follows up with the AA on Owens for the win. After the match, Cena raises Styles’ hand and they celebrate the victory. Cena and AJ stare each other down, then AJ holds up his U.S. Title and SmackDown goes off the air.