WWE SmackDown aired from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. Daniel Bryan faced Jey Uso in this week’s main event and Bianca Belair selected her WrestleMania opponent tonight.
SmackDown Results (2/26)
- Otis & Chad Gable def. Rey Mysterio & Dominik
- Apollo Crews def. Shinsuke Nakamura
- Tamina def. Liv Morgan
- Street Profits def. Sami Zayn & King Corbin
- Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso ended in a double count out
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Daniel Bryan Will Earn A Title Shot If He Beats Jey Uso
Universal Champion Roman Reigns kicked off the show with Paul Heyman and Jey Uso. Reigns boasted about his victory over Daniel Bryan at Elimination Chamber and claimed he operated at a higher level than anyone else in the ring. Roman said Edge got one when he hit him with the Spear at Elimination Chamber but he doesn’t really want this match.
Roman said he will give Edge a chance tp back out of the match and go back to his beautiful family. Daniel Bryan interrupted and mocked Roman for cowardly defending his title right after the Elimination Chamber match was over. Bryan added that he was baffled at how the Head of the Table decided to defend his title in the 2nd match of the night, and not the main event. Bryan suggested a title match at WWE Fastlane.
Jey got in Bryan’s face and said he was tired of Daniel’s excuses. Jey told Daniel that he will have to go through him if he wants another shot at the Universal Championship. Jey then attacked Bryan and beat him down. It was later announced that Bryan will earn a shot at the Universal Championship if he defeats Jey Uso later tonight.
Alpha Academy Picked Up A Win
Rey Mysterio and Dominik faced Otis & Chad Gable tonight on SmackDown. Otis and Rey started off the action and Otis connected with a shoulder tackle. Otis launched Mysterio around the ring and started unloading punches before Gable warned him to not get disqualified.
Chad tagged in and planted Rey with a Gutbuster. Mysterio connected with an Enziguri and made his way to the corner to tag in Dominik. Dominik hopped up to the middle turnbuckle and hit Gable with a Tornado DDT for a near fall. Mysterio tagged in and connected with a Senton.
Rey and Dominik hit a double 619 and then Rey quickly hopped to the top rope. Mysterio connected with a Splash and went for the cover but Otis broke it up at two. Otis slammed Mysterio to the mat and followed it up with a Splash off the middle turnbuckle for the pinfall victory.
Apollo Crews def. Shinsuke Nakamura
Apollo Crews came to the ring with some new ring gear and was sporting a scarf around his neck. Crews stated he has been nice, humble, and respectful for too long and he’s not receiving any of the same respect in return. Apollo said he is not from the streets, he is from Nigeria and is a real African American.
Crews explained how his family comes from royalty and how his grandfather ruled land in Nigeria. The colors of his new gear represent power, dominance, and wealth. Crews boasted about his attack on Big E last week and claimed that the Intercontinental Champion will never disrespect him again. Crews vowed to do the same to Shinsuke Nakamura tonight.
Apollo attacked Nakamura during his entrance and sent him into the steel ring steps as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Apollo was in control of the match and was stomping away on Nakamura in the corner of the ring. Crews planted Shinsuke with a Suplex for a near fall and then applied a Headlock in the center of the ring.
Nakamura battled to his feet but Crews connected with a German Suplex. Shinsuke hopped right up and hit a knee to the face that sent both superstars to the canvas. Nakamura connected with another knee to the face and went for the cover but Crews was able to power out at two.
Shinsuke hit the snap German Suplex for a near fall and then the action spilled out of the ring. Apollo sent Shinsuke into the steel steps and rolled him back into the ring. Crews used his scarf to send Shinsuke to the corner and hit him with the Angle Slam for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: I really liked Crews’ promo and hopefully this version of his character works out because the talent has always been there.
Tamina def. Liv Morgan
Tamina faced Liv Morgan tonight on SmackDown. Natalya and Ruby Riott were ringside for the match. Tamina dominated the action early and planted Liv with a Suplex for a near fall. Liv battled back and connected with an Enziguri. Liv hit Tamina with a Dropkick that sent Tamina to the corner. Liv hit another Dropkick off the second rope for a near fall. Tamina battled back with a slam for the pinfall victory.
Banks Will Face Belair At WrestleMania
Bianca Belair joined Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce in the ring. Reginald interrupted and said that Belair’s dream will dissolve into a nightmare if she picks Sasha Banks as her WrestleMania opponent. Belair got in Reginald’s face but Sasha Banks interrupted.
The SmackDown Women’s Champion made her way to the ring and told Reginald to stop speaking for her. Banks added that Belair isn’t the “EST” of WWE because she is the champion and #1. Sasha then told Belair that makes her 2nd best and cackled into the microphone before dropping it. Belair told Banks that she is going to make Banks eat her words at WrestleMania and pointed to the sign.
Street Profits def. Zayn & Corbin
King Corbin and Sami Zayn teamed up to battle Street Profits tonight on SmackDown. The SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Zigger & Robert Roode were shown watching the match backstage.
Corbin and Dawkins locked up in the middle of the ring. King Corbin went for his sliding Clothesline but Sami’ documentary crew was in the way as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Montez hit Corbin with an Enziguri and tagged in Dawkins.
Angelo leveled Sami with a Bulldog and went for the cover but Sami was able to kick out at two. Corbin got into the ring and Dawkins greeted him with a Dropkick. Zayn capitalized and planted Dawkins with a DDT for a near fall. Sami’s documentary crew got in Corbin’s face and started filming him. Corbin shoved them away but Montez flipped onto him. Dawkins planted Sami with a Neckbreaker and tagged in Ford. Montez hit Sami with the From the Heavens Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.
Cesaro Declined Seth Rollins’ Offer
Seth Rollins said that the letter he sent to WWE management and it trended on social media. Cesaro immediately interrupted and marched to the ring. Rollins told Cesaro that they go back a long way and give him a chance to make this right. Seth claimed that he did not call Cesaro “a loser” and Twitter blew that out of proportion.
Rollins told Cesaro that he is a star and is one of the strongest people to ever step foot in a WWE ring. Seth asked Cesaro why he seems to always come up short and wondered what he is missing. Rollins claimed that Cesaro was missing killer instinct and can give it to Cesaro.
Seth noted that he has already grabbed the brass ring and have accomplished things in WWE that Cesaro can only dream of. Rollins told Cesaro that it is never too late to start again and that all he has to do is “embrace the vision”. Seth told Cesaro to take a week or two to think it over but Cesaro opted to get Rollins in the Swing. Cesaro followed it up with an uppercut to end the segment.
Bryan vs. Jey Uso Ended In A Double Count Out
Daniel Bryan faced Jey Uso in the main event of SmackDown. If Bryan won the match, he would face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at WWE Fastlane.
Bryan started off the match in control and hit Jey with a few uppercuts in the corner of the ring. The action spilled to the outside and Jey focused his attack on Daniel’s injured knee. Jey drove Daniel’s knee into the announce table and then the steel ring post as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
Jey Uso was still in control after the break and planted Bryan with a Samoan Drop for a near fall. Jey made his way up the top turnbuckle and went for the Splash but Daniel got out of the way.
Bryan regrouped in the corner and unloaded some Yes Kicks. Daniel sent Jey out of the ring and hit him with a knee to the face. Back in the ring, Jey hit Bryan’s injured knee with a Dropkick and locked in a Half Crab in the middle of the ring.
Daniel escaped and caught Jey with a boot to the face. Bryan geared up for the Running Knee but Jey countered with a chop block. Jey followed it up with a kick to the face for a two count. Bryan connceted with a Butterfly Suplex and went for the Yes Lock but Jey grabbed the bottom rope before Daniel could lock it in.
Jey brought Bryan to the outside and launched him into the steel steps. Bryan and Jey then continued to fight and the referee counted them both out. Daniel tried to get Jey in the Yes Lock after the match but Reigns broke it up. Bryan applied the Yes Lock to Reigns but Jey broke it up with a Superkick. Roman leveled Bryan with a Spear and choked him out to end the show.
