– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown opens with a look at Becky Lynch’s Royal Rumble performance and her confrontation with WrestleMania 35 opponent RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey on last night’s RAW.
– We’re live from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona as Tom Phillips welcomes us. He’s joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton.
– We go right to the ring and out comes Becky Lynch. Greg Hamilton does the introduction.
Becky takes the mic as fans chant her name. Becky talks about how things didn’t work out for her at the start of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view but she went back out and won the women’s Rumble on one leg. Fans chant her name again. Becky goes on about being on the pre-show last year and says she will be the main event this year. Fans chant “you deserve it!” and she thanks them. Becky says she will break Rousey’s arm in front of the entire world, and she will be carried out knowing that if she doesn’t walk into WrestleMania believing it. The music interrupts and out comes Charlotte Flair.
Flair congratulates Becky on making it off the Kickoff. Flair mocks Becky a bit and fans chant for Becky in response. Flair says she’s proud of Becky too. Flair says Becky wasn’t even in the Rumble but somehow she got herself in and won. Flair says maybe Becky learned something from her. Flair says Becky grew into The Man by learning from The Queen. Flair says it was she who brought Becky to the main event. Flair says she’s so happy she could do all of this for Becky – the main event, the fans. Becky drops Flair with a sucker punch. Becky exits the ring as her music hits. Flair runs out of the ring and drops Becky from behind on the ramp. Flair unloads but Becky fights back.
Flair sends Becky knee-first into the barrier. Officials are out to break them up but they keep brawling. Fans chant “let them fight!” now. Becky breaks free and takes Flair down again at ringside. Fans chant “Becky’s awesome!” as officials break them up again. Becky’s music hits as they have words.
– Still to come, WWE Champion Daniel Bryan will be here. Also, a celebration for the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions. We see new WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura backstage. He will defend against R-Truth. We go to commercial.
WWE United States Title Match: R-Truth vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Back from the break and out comes R-Truth with Carmella. We see how Nia Jax stole the #30 men’s Royal Rumble spot from Truth on Sunday. Truth says he got jacked up thanks to Jax. Carmella says they worked hard to win Mixed Match Challenge and Truth deserved to be in the Rumble. Truth says he would’ve won if she didn’t attack him, we all know it and so do the McMahons, which is they they’ve given him this title shot. Out next comes new WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura.
The bell rings and Nakamura immediately levels Truth. Nakamura with a reverse exploder suplex now. Nakamura charges for a Kinshasa but Truth goes for a Lie Detector, barely connecting. Nakamura rolls to the floor for a breather as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Nakamura has Truth in the corner. Nakamura places him over the top turnbuckle and delivers a high knee, and another. Nakamura with another knee for a 2 count. Truth counters a move and rolls Nakamura up for the pin to win the title. It looks like they may have botched the pin there.
Winner and New WWE United States Champion: R-Truth
– After the match, Nakamura argues with the referee as there is some confusion. Truth is announced as the winner and the new champion. Carmella enters to celebrate with Truth and Nakamura can’t believe it. Rusev and Lana interrupt the celebration. Fan chant “Rusev Day!” now. Rusev says none of this is right. He took the title from Nakamura previously because the title deserved better, and if it deserved better than Nakamura then it definitely deserves better than Truth. Rusev proposes they have a match right now, if Truth isn’t too tired. Carmella and Lana argue. Carmella shoves Lana to the mat. Rusev and Truth face off in the middle of the ring. They shove each other. Truth grants Rusev the title shot. We go to commercial.
WWE United States Title Match: Rusev vs. R-Truth
Back from the break and Rusev has R-Truth grounded in the ring. We see how Rusev almost got the pin during the commercial break.
Rusev keeps control and takes it to the corner. Truth counters and rolls Rusev up for the pin to retain.
Winner: R-Truth
– After the match, Shinsuke Nakamura drops Truth at ringside and rolls him back in. Rusev stares at Truth and starts stomping on him. Nakamura and Rusev double team Truth in the middle of the ring now. Rusev with a big Machka Kick while Nakamura holds Truth. Fans boo. Nakamura with a Kinshasa to Truth.
– We get a look back at what happened with Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch earlier tonight. We see Lynch backstage limping to her SUV. Kayla Braxton stops her and asks why she refused medical attention. Becky says she is fine and doesn’t need to spend anymore time on the shelf. She hops in the SUV and drives off.
Rey Mysterio vs. Samoa Joe
We go to the ring and out comes Rey Mysterio. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and R-Truth is in the trainer’s room getting iced up. He says he’s good. We go back to the ring and out comes Zelina Vega. Vega says she knows Rey was responsible for having her banned from ringside last week for the match against Andrade. Vega goes on talking trash to Rey until Andrade attacks Rey from behind. Andrade beats Rey down and hits the Three Amigos suplexes like WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero. Rey turns it around and goes for 619 but it’s blocked. Andrade stomps away as Vega barks orders from ringside. Andrade with the Hammerlock DDT in the middle of the ring. Andrade and Vega make their exit
– Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson confront Rusev backstage, asking what the hell happened out there. They’re not happy with how Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura beat R-Truth down. Rusev tells Anderson to go back to catering and take his girlfriend Gallows with him. Anderson says Nakamura and Rusev wouldn’t do so well against a couple of good brothers. Nakamura appears and accepts the challenge. Gallows and Anderson walk off. Rusev gets in Nakamura’s face and says he will team with him one time, but Nakamura better not screw him over. Rusev walks off.
– Shane McMahon and The Miz are backstage walking with their titles. Shane says Miz is going to love what he has planned for their celebration. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we see video of The Rock and Paige at the Sundance Film Festival for the “Fighting with My Family” premiere.
– We go to the ring and out comes new SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Miz and Shane McMahon.
Shane gives a shout-out to Phoenix for a pop. Fans chant his name. Fans chant for Miz now. Miz points to how there’s no champagne or balloons. He say they’re in Phoenix and Phoenix is ready to party with the champs. Shane says they don’t need champagne, confetti or streamers because he has something far bigger planned for Miz. Shane thanks Miz for Sunday and says he’s been thinking of how he can pay Miz back. Shane promises Miz will never forget this moment for the rest of his life. Shane shows us a video package he had put together, showing their journey together to the win on Sunday at the Royal Rumble.
Shane has something else Miz will remember for the rest of his life. Shane introduces Miz’s dad and out he comes, George Mizanin. Shane and Miz raise his arms in the air as he enters the ring. Fans chant “Mr. Miz!” now. Miz says he thought his dad was flying out this morning. Shane says he called him and asked him to be a part of this. Shane says George has something special to say. George tells Miz he loves him and is very proud of him. They hug in the middle of the ring. Miz thanks Shane. Shane says he’s getting a little emotional but they also have to focus on some business. Shane wonders who they will defend their titles against. He says there will be a four-way elimination match to crown the new #1 contenders. And that match starts now.
Elimination Match to Crown New #1 Contenders: The Usos vs. The Bar vs. The New Day vs. Heavy Machinery
The Usos are out first, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Kayla Braxton approaches Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose backstage because they have something to share. They declare their spots for the Elimination Chamber match to crown the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Rose talks about how it’s not easy being her. Rose gave Kayla footage of Naomi, Sasha Banks and Tamina Snuka on the WWE Tough Enough season that Rose was on. Naomi called Rose weak. Kayla asks if that’s why Rose tried to end Naomi’s marriage. Deville says it’s more than that and Rose hasn’t been the same since then, we didn’t see what Naomi said after the cameras ended. Deville says she will never forget it and it made Rose cry. Rose says she cried until she developed a complex and her boyfriend dumped her. Naomi ruined her relationship so she tried to ruin hers. Rose says this will never end but right now she is focused on the Elimination Chamber. Rose says when they win the titles, Naomi will be the last thing on her mind. We go back to the ring and The Bar, Cesaro and Sheamus, are watching The New Day toss pancakes. The winners of this match will challenge Shane and Miz at Elimination Chamber. Out next comes Heavy Machinery, Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic.
Otis starts off with Jey and drops him. Kofi Kingston and Big E are on the apron while Xavier Woods watches from ringside. Kofi comes in and goes at it with Otis. Otis drops down on Kofi and keeps him down. Big E tags in and meets Otis in the middle of the ring They hit the ropes and collide with clotheslines. Big E goes for the abdominal stretch but Otis fights him off. They collide again. Big E charges and Otis catches him for a scoop slam. Tucker tags in and they double team Big E. They clear the ring and we go to commercial.
Back from the break and Cesaro slams Jimmy. Sheamus comes in and keeps control for a 2 count. We see Shane and Miz watching backstage. Cesaro comes back in with a Sleeper on Uso. Jimmy gets an opening. Sheamus tags in and knocks The New Day off the apron. Jey tags in and unloads on Sheamus, then drops Heavy Machinery off the apron. Jey with a Samoan Drop for a 2 count. Sheamus sends Jey over the top to the floor. Big E tags in and Sheamus mounts him in the corner. Kofi tags in and they double team Sheamus. Kofi covers and pins Sheamus but Cesaro breaks it up. Big E rocks Cesaro and clotheslines him to the floor. Otis tags in but Kofi kicks him. Otis catches Kofi in mid-air. Tucker tags in for the Compacter. Tucker pins Kofi and The New Day has been eliminated.
Jey comes in and faces off with Tucker. Jey sends Otis off the apron and then dumps Tucker to the floor. The Usos run the ropes but Cesaro tags himself in. Jimmy leaps out and takes Heavy Machinery down. The Bar double teams Jey at ringside and tosses him over the barrier into the timekeeper’s area. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Cesaro has Tucker down. The Usos are laid out on the outside. Sheamus tags in but Tucker fights back. Sheamus charges but Tucker clotheslines him. Otis and Cesaro tag in. Otis unloads and also splashes Sheamus in the corner, twice. Otis with an overhead belly-to-belly on Cesaro. Otis splashes The Bar in the corner at the same time. Otis does the Caterpillar and drops an elbow on Cesaro for a 2 count. Tucker tags back in for the double team but Sheamus grabs his leg from the floor. They still manage to double team Cesaro but Sheamus breaks the pin up. Sheamus sends Otis to the floor. Tucker sends Sheamus to the floor. Cesaro with a boot to Tucker. Jimmy tags in and flies off the top for a crossbody to Tucker for a 2 count. Otis catches Uso’s superkick but gets dropped off the apron with an enziguri. Sheamus forces Jimmy out with a tag. Sheamus with a Brogue Kick to Tucker for the pin. Heavy Machinery has been eliminated.
Jimmy ends up nailing a big dive to Cesaro on the floor. Jey flies off the top with a Superfly splash on Cesaro for the pin.
Winners and New #1 Contenders: The Usos
– After the match, The Usos vs. Shane and The Miz is now official for Elimination Chamber. The Usos celebrate as we see the champs watching backstage.
– We see WWE Champion Daniel Bryan backstage walking. He stops and slaps a sandwich out of the hands of a staffer. We go to commercial.
– Back from the break and out comes WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. We see how Rowan helped Bryan retain over AJ Styles at the WWE Royal Rumble on Sunday.
Bryan asks if we know who won on Sunday. Fans respond with a “Becky!” chant. Bryan says the fans won, their children won, their children’s children won because he won. Bryan says a win for him is a win for every person on Earth because he is The Planet’s Champion. Bryan knocks the fans and says he found someone who sees the truth in everything he says. This person came out on Sunday for the greater good. Bryan introduces Rowan and out he comes. His Titantron has the recycling logo in place of the “O” in his name.
Bryan calls for a pop for Rowan but fans boo. Bryan expected that. Bryan goes on about how Rowan’s hands might be dirty but he’s an enlightened man of the Earth, he’s Bryan’s intellectual peer, and that’s how Rowan is able to see through the facade of all the fans, of AJ. Bryan says even someone as ignorant as AJ is right sometimes. Bryan says AJ was right last week when he called Bryan a hypocrite. Bryan says he’s a hypocrite because he carries around this – the WWE Title belt. Rowan brings a trash can into the ring. Bryan says the title is a symbol of excellence but also a symbol of excess. It’s gaudy, made from cheap labor and worst of all, it’s bound to the skin of a cow that had her life taken from her. Bryan has named that cow Daisy.
Bryan goes on about Daisy giving her life for the title and fans chant for Daisy. Bryan says he and Rowan stand against this symbol. He drops the WWE Title in the trash can and calls it trash. Bryan says he promised to change the world but to do that we need new symbols. Rowan takes the bag off his back and pulls out a new WWE Title belt. Bryan says this is the new symbol of excellence, our new WWE Title. It looks like it’s made out of cardboard or some kind of recyclable materials. Bryan says the fans are ignorant. Bryan says the title is made from 100% sustainable hemp, carved from a naturally fallen tree. The music interrupts and out comes AJ.
AJ asks if Bryan thought he was going to sit back and watch him throw the WWE Title in the trash. AJ asks if Bryan smoked the prototype for the title. AJ goes on walking to the ring but the music interrupts and out comes Randy Orton. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Mustafa Ali is out. He starts in on about what he’s done but Orton reminds him he was eliminated by a woman at the Rumble. Ali responds but Samoa Joe’s music hits and out he comes to interrupt. Jeff Hardy is also in the ring. Joe says he came to put a champion to sleep and the others should get out of his way. Joe takes shots at Hardy and Ali. Bryan and Rowan go to the floor to watch as Joe enters. Joe gets in AJ’s face and AJ decks him. Orton drops Joe with the RKO. Bryan rants about how none of them will get a WWE Title shot. The brawl continues in the ring as Bryan rants about how he will be champion forever. Triple H appears on the big screen and announces that Bryan will be defending the WWE Title against all of these Superstars, inside the Elimination Chamber. Bryan throws a fit and a “yes!” chant starts up. Orton tosses Ali to the apron. Hardy unloads on Orton, then Ali unloads on Orton in the corner. Rowan and Bryan retreat. Ali tosses Hardy out. Joe fights AJ through the crowd. Orton drops Ali at ringside. Hardy is down against the barrier. Ali fights Orton up the ramp as Bryan and Rowan watch from the stage. Rowan charges Ali and Orton as SmackDown goes off the air.
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