WWE SmackDown aired live from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. Universal Champion Roman Reigns and WWE Champion Brock Lesnar confronted each other during tonight’s episode. Charlotte Flair called Ronda Rousey to the ring tonight ahead of their SmackDown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 38.
SmackDown Results
- Rick Boogs & Shinsuke Nakmaura dè. Los Lotharios
- Drew McIntyre & Viking Raiders def. Shanky, Jinder Mahal, Happy Corbin
- Sasha Banks & Naomi vs. Liv Morgan & Rhea Ripley ended in a DQ (interference)
- Ridge Holland def. Kofi Kingston
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Brock Lesnar Attacked Roman Reigns
Universal Champion Roman Reigns came to the ring with SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and Paul Heyman. Reigns stood silently in the ring as the crowd chanted before eventually telling them to acknowledge their Tribal Chief.
Roman boasted about smashing Lesnar in Madison Square Garden and making him bleed everywhere. Heyman interrupted and claimed that Brock Lesnar has experienced a weather delay and will not be here tonight.
Reigns claimed that Lesnar is afraid because he is in god mode. Heyman interrupted again and announced that Lesnar has landed and is on his way. Roman and The Usos made their way backstage to their car. They made their way to their exit car but Lesnar showed up with a forklift. Lesnar smashed through the windows while cackling as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Lesnar tipped the car over. Roman and The Usos escaped to a truck and drove away. Brock ripped off the door and threw it at the truck. Lesnar then picked up his cowboy hat and picked up the truck door.
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar made his way to the ring and with the truck door. Lesnar leaned against the car door before booting it over. Brock said he is coming for Roman’s blood at WrestleMania and marched backstage.
Boogs & Nakamura Picked Up A Win
Los Lotharios (Angel & Humberto) faced Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs in the first match of the night. Humberto and Shinsuke started off the action. Humberto applied a Headlock and tagged in Angel. Los Lotharios isolated Nakamura in the corner and took turns beating him down as Boogs pleaded for a tag.
Humberto connected with an Enziguri and Angel followed it up with a flurry of strikes to Shinsuke’s face. Angel posed for the crowd before hitting a Splash in the corner. Humberto tagged in and Dropkicked Boogs off the apron. Humberto followed it up with a Clothesline on Nakamura for a close two count.
Boogs hopped back on the apron as Nakamura battled out of a submission hold. Boogs finally got the tag and took control of the match. Rick bench pressed Angel a couple of times before throwing him on top of Humberto. Boogs did some curls with Angel before planting him with a Powerslam for the pinfall victory.
Drew McIntyre Sent A Message To Happy Corbin
Drew McIntyre & Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) faced Happy Corbin, Shanky, and Jinder Mahal in a 6-man tag team match. Shanky beat Erik down to begin the match and tagged in Mahal. Erik hit Mahal with a Spinebuster and tagged in Ivar. Viking Raiders slammed Mahal to the mat as Madcap Moss watched on from ringside.
Jinder battled back and tagged in Happy Corbin. Ivar knocked Happy out of the ring and welcomed him back in the ring with some jabs to the face. Corbin shrugged them off and planted Ivar with a big Powerslam. Corbin slapped McIntyre in the face and then hid behind the referee as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
Back from the break, Mahal dragged McIntyre off the apron but he dropped him with a right hand. McIntyre stared at Corbin before getting into the ring. Ivar tagged in McIntyre but Corbin ran away and tagged in Shanky. Drew hit him with a couple shoulder tackles before throwing Jinder out of the ring.
McIntyre lifted Shanky up with ease for a Michinoku Driver and followed it up with a Claymore Kick for the pinfall victory as Corbin watched on in horror from outside the ring. McIntyre will face Happy Corbin at WrestleMania.
Sami Zayn & Johnny Knoxville Will Be Anything Goes
Sami Zayn cut a backstage promo about his WrestleMania opponent, Johnny Knoxville, tonight on SmackDown. Zayn noted that Johnny is so intent on bringing his world to WWE and challenged him to an Anything Goes match on Night 2 of WrestleMania 38. Knoxville later accepted the challenge in a cellphone video.
Natalya & Shayna Baszler Were Added To The Women’s Tag Title Match At WrestleMania
Sasha Banks & Naomi battled Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan this week. Women’s Tag Team Champions Queen Zelina & Carmella were ringside for the match. The champs will be defending the titles against these two teams at WrestleMania in a Triple Threat match.
Liv and Sasha started off the action. Banks went for an arm drag but Morgan landed on her feet and taunted The Boss. Sasha slammed Liv to mat and rolled her up for a two count. They both went for Dropkicks and popped back up for a stare down. Banks asked for a handshake but quickly got Morgan in a Headlock.
Naomi tagged in and hit Liv with splash for a two count. Rhea tagged in and got Banks up for a Vertical Suplex. Ripley held her up for a bit before dropping her to the canvas for a near fall. Liv tagged back in and continued to beat Banks down in the corner of the ring.
Liv sent Banks and Naomi out of the ring and Rhea leaped onto them as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Rhea got Naomi up for a Suplex but she escaped. Naomi connected with an Enziguri and both superstars fell to the mat.
Sasha Banks & Liv tagged in and The Boss hit Morgan with a running knee to the face. Banks hit Double Knees off the middle rope and went for the cover but Liv was able to kick out at two. Rhea Ripley tagged in and leveled Banks with a Dropkick off the top rope for a near fall. Rhea went for Riptide but Sasha countered into a Backstabber. Naomi followed it up with the slit-legged Moonsault but Liv broke up the cover.
Naomi and Banks perched Rhea up on the turnbuckle and joined her up there. Liv snuck up from behind for the Tower of Doom spot and everyone crashed to the canvas. Shayna Baszler & Natalya rushed the ring and attacked to end the match in a DQ. Baszler booted Ripley in the head and bashed her into the ring post. The champs joined in on the attack and cleared the ring. Natalya & Shayna Baszler pointed at the WrestleMania sign to signify they want in the title match.
Pat McAfee “Apologized” To Austin Theory
Pat McAfee took off his headset and walked away from Michael Cole as SmackDown went to a break. McAfee emerged from Vince McMahon’s office backstage and marched to the ring. He said fell in love with professional wrestling the first time he saw it. Pat referred to Michael Cole as the GOAT and started dropping catchphrases from legendary wrestlers. McAfee was about to do The Rock’s catchphrase before Austin Theory interrupted.
Theory entered the ring with a microphone and got right in Pat’s face. McAfee said he was told to apologize to Theory or he will lose his dream of a match at WrestleMania. Pat kept stopping himself before apologizing and Theory reminded him that these are Vince’s orders. McAfee apologized that Theory’s parents raised a douchebag and that he is a punk bitch. Austin laughed in Pat’s face before taking a selfie. Theory then shoved McAfree and said “you apologized!” before leaving the ring.
Ridge Holland def. Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston faced Ridge Holland tonight on SmackDown. Sheamus & Butch were ringside for the match. Kingston dominated early and hit a Crossbody outside the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break. Kofi ducked under a Clothesline and hit one of his own when SmackDown returned. Kingston followed it up with the Boom Drop and went for Trouble in Paradise but Ridge blocked it.
Sheamus hopped on the apron for a distraction and Butch shoved Kingston off the turnbuckle. The referee then kicked Sheamus & Butch out from ringside. Kingston rolled up Ridge for a two count and then hit a Double Stomp. Butch rushed the ring again for a distraction and Ridge hit a Powerslam for the pinfall victory.
Charlotte Put Rousey Through A Table
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair came down to the ring in the final segment of this week’s show. The crowd chanted “you tapped out!” and Charlotte joked that she couldn’t hear them. Flair claimed that she is the mountain Rousey has to climb to build a legacy here. Charlotte boasted about kicking Ronda’s ass last week and claimed that Rousey doesn’t have the spine to do this for long. Flair dared Ronda to come to the ring and Kayla Braxton even warned Rousey that it might be a trap.
Ronda ignored her and started walking down the entrance ramp. Rousey entered the ring with the SmackDown Women’s Champion and Flair grabbed a kendo stick. Ronda ducked and got in a few strikes. Rousey went for an armbar but Flair escaped. Rousey backed Charlotte into the ring post a couple times before applying an Ankle Lock. Flair had another kendo stick in the timekeeper’s area and choked Ronda with it to break the hold. Charlotte then Powerbombed Ronda Rousey through the announce table and posed on top of her to close the show.
