This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown aired live on the USA Network from the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE, and is the go-home show before Sunday’s Backlash PPV.
– Daniel Bryan is in the ring to welcome us to SmackDown and discuss the new SmackDown Women’s Tile. He invites Becky Lynch out to the ring to talk about why she wants to win the belt. Natalya interrupts and says Becky’s promo is boring, and that she’s supposed to be the star of SmackDown. Alexa Bliss and Carmella come out next, and the three of them get in Becky’s face. Naomi and Nikki Bella come out to back up Becky. They start going at it and Daniel Bryan leaves the ring. The babyfaces come out on top, but Nikki is down.
– Dean Ambrose is in the back in the catering room and he’s not pleased with the quality of the food or coffee. He pours a bunch of sugar in someone’s coffee and leaves.
– Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan are in the back talking about the SmackDown women’s division. Shane botches his promo when talking about the six-pack challenge and the six-woman tag match tonight. The Miz walks in and complains about having to wrestle tonight. Bryan calls him out for walking away from Ziggler last week when he challenged him. Bryan says if he doesn’t want to work his match, he’ll be stripped of the title.
– The Miz def. Apollo Crews: Dolph Ziggler is on commentary, making fun of Miz for not fighting him last week. The Miz controls the opening moments of the match until Crews hits a dropkick that sends Miz rolling to the outside, then follows up with a moonsault off the apron onto the IC Champion. Back in the ring, The Miz hits a backbreaker and a neckbreaker for a 2 count. Crews pins Miz for a two count with a sunset flip, and Miz answers with a big boot and a flying clothesline. The Miz comes off the top rope but Crews catches him with a belly to belly overhead suplex. Crews comes back with a splash in the corner and a flying clothesline, then goes to follow up with a suplex but Miz thumbs his eye and rolls outside. The Miz slaps Ziggler at ringside, Crews slides outside but Miz dodges his kick and pushes Crews into Ziggler. Back in the ring, Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale for the ring then runs up the ramp. Ziggler has his title belt in the ring, and tells Miz to come get it if he wants it. Miz sends Maryse in to get it instead.
– Renee Young is on the set of Talking Smack talking to AJ Styles. AJ is still mad about last week, and freaks out at someone for letting them air the footage of what happened last week.
– The Usos are in the back talking about the Tag Title tournament, and preparing for their match tonight.
– The lights in the arena cut out and we see a pre-taped segment with Bray Wyatt on his rocking chair cutting a promo on Randy Orton.
– Natalya, Alexa Bliss, & Carmella def. Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch, & Naomi: Naomi starts things off with a series of kicks on Alexa for a two count. Becky and Carmella get the tags and Becky cleans house. She hits a flying clothesline and then a flying forearm in the corner. Natalya pulls Becky outside and drops her behind the ref’s back. Carmella chokes Becky on the middle rope, then once again behind the ref’s back Natalya gives Becky a kick to the head. The heels tag turns tagging in and working on Becky. Nikki gets the hot tag and lays out Alexa. She hits a spinning kick off the middle rope for a near-fall on Alexa. Carmella tags in and NIkki hits a Fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker for a two count when Natalya breaks the tag. This clears the aprons and ends up with Alexa hitting a knee rop and a moonsault on Nikki. Becka takes Alexa to the outside. Back in the ring, Carmella locks Nikki in the Code of Silence for the win.
– American Alpha def. The Usos: They shake hands, but as soon as American Alpha turns around they beat them down. Within two minutes, Gable and Jordan hit the Grand Amplitude for the win. The Usos shake hands with them after the match, but then beat down the winners. Gable sells a knee injury after the beat down.
– Randy Orton gets interviewed in the back about Bray Wyatt, and tells a story about a man in the woods getting bitten by a snake. He says at Backlash, Bray Wyatt won’t know what hit him.
– Fandango is in the ring saying that his partner Tyler Breeze isn’t here tonight, so he’s going to dance in the ring with a random girl who was standing in the corner. He says he doesn’t like her dancing, then Demon Kane interrupts. Fandango says he wants Kane to dance an wants to “feel the fire in his belly.” Kane chokeslams him and leaves.
– AJ Styles yells at some random guys in the back who he thinks were taking a picture of him. It was a picture of the guy’s family, but AJ smashes him phone anyways and reminds them that he’s the face who runs the place.
– Rhino & Heath Slater def. The Hype Bros: Slater and Ryder start things off. Mojo gets the tag and continues working on Slater. Ryder gets the tag and they double team both Ryder and Rhino. After more beating on Slater, Rhino gets the tag and hits a spinebuster on Ryder. Slater tags himself in and is now in the ring with Ryder while Rhino and Mojo brawl outside. Ryder goes for the Broski Boot on Slater but Rhino pulls his partner out of the way and Ryder gets crotched on he ropes. Rhino tags himself in and Gores Ryder for the win.
– Deam Ambrose and AJ Styles head out to the ring to talk to each other. Ambrose excuses the interviewer standing between them, and proceeds to air the footage from last week of Ambrose crotching AJ on the top rope. AJ is very displeased with the footage airing again, and Ambrose explains that he was just trying to give him a high pitched voice to go with his “soccer mom haircut.” AJ says he’s going to take Ambrose’s title belt on Sunday, just like he took Cena’s headband by beating him clean in a WWE ring. Ambrose says he beat AJ before and he’ll beat him again. Ambrose calls him “the face that comes in second place,” so AJ delivers a kick to the groin of Ambrose. AJ stands over Ambrose as SmackDown goes off the air.
