– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown opens live from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia as Tom Phillips welcomes us. He’s joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton. The announcers go over tonight’s show. Erick Rowan will sit down with Michael Cole. Also, Daniel Bryan will be here to address Rowan. Plus Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair and Baron Corbin’s King of the Ring Coronation.
The New Day vs. The Revival and Randy Orton
We go right to the ring and out comes The New Day – WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods. Out next are the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Revival, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder. Randy Orton is out next as Greg Hamilton does the introductions. Orton and The Revival march to the ring as we see stills from Orton’s loss to Kofi at WWE Clash of Champions.
Dawson pushes the platter of pancakes off the turnbuckle post as they pose in the corner. The bell rings and Big E starts of with Dash. Dash charges but Big E immediately launches him over his head. Big E with forearms to the chest while he’s down on the apron. Big E runs and splashes Dash on the apron. Big E brings it back in for a quick pin attempt. Woods tags in for the double team as Big E slams him onto Wilder for a 2 count. Dash turns it around and in comes Dawson for a quick double team. Dawson takes Woods to the corner and chops him. Woods unloads out of the corner. They run the ropes and Woods nails a big forearm to drop Dawson for a 2 count.
Wood sends Dawson into their corner and in comes Kofi for a double team. Dawson rocks Kofi with a right hand and in comes Orton for the double team. Orton whips Kofi into the corner but Kofi jumps back out with a dropkick. Woods comes in and they double team Orton with several moves. Big E tags next and runs the ropes for a big splash on Orton. Woods fights off The Revival. Big E slams Orton with a belly-to-belly. Kofi tags back in. Fans clap and chant for The New Day now. Orton ducks Trouble In Paradise and rolls to the floor for a breather. The New Day stands tall in the ring as we go to commercial.
Back from the break and The Revival double teams Woods after turning it around during the break. Dash keeps Woods grounded and works on his leg now. Dawson comes back in and keeps Woods down, focusing on the knee. Orton tags in and stomps. Woods unloads with chops but Orton drops Woods with thumbs to the eye. Orton takes Woods back to the corner and works him over. Orton stomps away on Woods’ knee now.
Dawson tags back in and taunts Kofi and Big E. Dawson goes to work on Woods’ knee again. Woods finally makes a comeback but Dash dumps him out of the ring on the floor. Orton, the legal man now, slams Woods back onto the announce table. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Kofi gets the tag to run wild on his opponents. Kofi goes back to work on Orton and unloads with signature moves. Dash runs in but Kofi dropkicks him. Orton grabs Kofi but he slides out and hits a SOS for a 2 count as Dawson breaks it up. Dawson grabs Kofi but Kofi tosses him out of the ring. Big E levels Dawson on the outside but Dash nails a big DDT on the floor to Big E. Dash trips Woods on the apron and he falls to the floor. Kofi dropkicks Dash off the apron. Kofi runs the ropes to leap out but Kofi stops him and hits the second rope draping DDT.
Orton takes his time and drops down to stalk Kofi but he stops and gets up. Orton tags in Dash and Dash tags in Dawson instead. They go to do the assisted RKO Machine but Big E takes Orton out and sends him into the ring post. Kofi gets free and Woods nails a big flying elbow to Dash. Kofi ends up hitting Trouble In Paradise to Dawson for the pin.
Winners: The New Day
– After the match, The New Day starts celebrating until Brock Lesnar’s music hits. Lesnar and Paul Heyman come to the stage for a pop. Lesnar stares down at the ring as The New Day looks on. Kofi turns to Big E and Woods, and sends them out of the ring. Kofi stands tall in the middle of the ring with the title, staring Lesnar down. Lesnar slowly marches to the apron as Kofi looks on. Heyman stands with Lesnar and takes the mic from the apron. Heyman introduces himself. Lesnar enters the ring and Heyman continues his intro. Heyman says Lesnar stands in the way of the longevity of Kofi’s title reign. Heyman says Lesnar has authorized him to inform Kofi that this is a bad day for The New Day, yes it is. Heyman goes on to challenge Kofi on behalf of Lesnar, with the title on the line, during the SmackDown Fox premiere on Friday, October 4. Heyman hands Kofi the mic and fans start chanting for him. Kofi says he promised to be a fighting champion, so he accepts. Lesnar charges at Kofi and drops him with a F5. Lesnar looks down and laughs at the champ. Lesnar drops the WWE Title next to Kofi and exits the ring as his music hits. We go to replays.
– Still to come, Michael Cole will speak to Erick Rowan. We go to commercial.
– Back from the break and Kayla Braxton is with Sasha Banks and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley backstage. Banks calls RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch a jealous wannabe and isn’t worried about facing her at Hell In a Cell, because Lynch has never been in a Cell match before. They talk about Sasha’s match against Charlotte Flair tonight and Bayley says Sasha will answer any questions in the ring. Banks and Bayley walk off.
– We get a look at how Luke Harper returned at WWE Clash of Champions to help Erick Rowan win a No DQ match over Roman Reigns. Michael Cole is in the back with Rowan for a sitdown interview. Rowan is surprised Cole knows his name. Cole asks why Harper returned at Clash of Champions. Rowan says Cole needs to go ask Harper if he wants to know something about him. Cole asks Rowan about the attacks on Reigns. Rowan says they were just done to scare Reigns. Cole says Rowan tried to kill Reigns. Rowan suggests Cole lower his tone because he no longer allows anyone to speak to him like that. Rowan says he’s been over-looked and under-appreciated for far too long, but most importantly he’s been disrespected. Rowan says people like Cole, Reigns, Daniel Bryan and the rest of WWE may think he’s just some good in the background, but he’s not a puppet. Rowan says he’s not a follower, he’s a leader. Cole asks why Rowan betrayed Bryan after all he did for him. Rowan says Bryan’s biggest mistake was thinking they’re intellectual equals. Rowan goes on about how he’s better than Bryan and Reigns, and says everyone will learn to never disrespect him again. That’s the end of the interview. Still to come, Bryan will address Rowan.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ali
We go to the ring and out comes Ali. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Sami Zayn to the stage, still wearing his neck brace. Sami mentions being hurt but he’s still here to do the introduction for the man he’s liberated. He goes on about demanding respect and mentions Nakamura’s win over The Miz at Clash of Champions. Out comes WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura for this non-title match. Sami talks Nakamura up on the mic as they head to the ring.
Sami brings up Ali’s recent win over Nakamura and says luck probably had something to do with it, but that was before Nakamura met Sami. Sami goes on about how Nakamura is a different man now. Ali rocks Nakamura as he gets closer to him. Sami tries to grab Ali from behind and the double team starts as they set Ali up. Sami yells at Ali some more as Nakamura waits in the corner. Sami continues to talk Nakamura up as he hits the Kinshasa on Ali. Nakamura and Ali stand tall as Nakamura’s music hits. The match never started.
– The camera shows Kevin Owens walking through the crowd. He takes a seat as we see Shane McMahon watching backstage. A referee walks in and tells Shane someone is here to see him. Shane says he’s going to take care of Owens. He walks out of the office and a man hands him legal papers. You’ve been served, the man says. Shane reads the papers and doesn’t look thrilled. Shane walks off and we go back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we see Kevin Owens sitting in the crowd, cheering.
– Shane McMahon makes his way out, holding the legal papers he was served with earlier. Shane calls for security to come out. He points out Owens in the crowd and security marches over to him.
Shane stands on the turnbuckles and faces Owens in the crowd as Hamilton does his grand introduction. There’s a spotlight on Owens now. Shane says it’s no coincidence that he was served these papers tonight. Shane calls Owens to come to the ring so they can discuss these papers, because Owens obviously has something to say. Owens quickly makes his way to the ring and enters as security stands between them. Shane tells security they can leave so he and Owens can do this man-to-man.
Shane says he’s holding the largest wrongful termination lawsuit in history. Shane says Owens will be awarded $25 million if he wins. Shane goes on and Owens interrupts him, telling him to shut his stupid mouth and calling him a dumbass. Shane says he barely read the papers and Owens’ case is weak, just like him. Owens says he has a strong case and he goes on about how Shane has ruined SmackDown. Owens brings up how Shane fined him for attacking special referee Elias, but then Shane attacked him from behind like a coward last week when he was the referee for Shane’s match against Chad Gable. Shane didn’t get fined, he fired Owens for being insubordinate. Owens says he wasn’t being insubordinate. He goes on and gets a “you tapped out!” chant going at Shane. Owens says he’s tried to reason with and fight Shane, he even tried to help him last week, but now all he wants to do is hurt him, and the best way to do that is hit him in his wallet and his pride. Owens says this is about a lot more than money. Owens has a legitimate case and he can tell Shane knows it. Owens says Shane didn’t read the papers good enough because in the papers, it says Owens gets to come back to SmackDown when he wins, look Shane in the face in front of everyone, and say: Shane McMahon, you’re fired!. Owens drops the mic and exits the ring, hopping back over the barrier and walking through the crowd. Owens stops on the stairs and looks back at Shane in the ring.
– Daniel Bryan is backstage thinking.
– We see Charlotte Flair backstage. WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair appears and fans pop. We go to the vignette for AOP and then a commercial.
Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks
Back from the break and rapper Offset of Migos is in the ring, wearing a robe belonging to WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, who he is friends with. Greg Hamilton introduces Offset and he get somewhat of a hometown pop. Offset says he’s glad to be home but he’s here to introduce The Queen. Out comes Charlotte Flair. Offset meets her on the ramp and hugs her on his way to the back. Flair hits the ring and poses. Out next comes Sasha Banks with SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley.
The bell rings and they face off in the middle of the ring. Flair with a boot to the gut first. Flair takes Banks from corner to corner. Flair keeps control and hits a big suplex out of the corner. Bayley gets caught trying to take the turnbuckle pad off. Flair tosses Banks to the floor and Bayley checks on her. Flair follows and rocks Banks as Bayley distracts her. Banks takes advantage of another distraction and shoves Flair into the ring post. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Banks looks to turn it around but Flair boots her. Flair with a clothesline and several big chops. Flair ends up catching Banks in a big fall-away slam. Flair blocks a boot in the corner and drives a knee down into Banks’ leg. More back and forth between the two. Flair catches Banks in a Crab. Banks eventually rolls Flair with a 2 count. Banks with a big knee and some trash talking. Flair ends up knocking Banks off the apron with a big boot. Bayley checks on Banks in front of the announcers now.
Flair goes to the top for a big moonsault, nailing it on Banks and Bayley at ringside. Flair stands up and gets a pop. Bayley ends up providing another distraction, allowing Banks to roll Flair up for a 2 count. Flair comes back and applies the Figure Four. She goes to bridge it but Bayley runs in and attacks her for the DQ.
Winner by DQ: Charlotte Flair
– After the match, Banks and Bayley double team Flair. Carmella runs down to make the save. Carmella superkicks Banks out of the ring. Flair drops Bayley with a big boot and sends her out next to Banks. Flair’s music hits as she stands tall with Carmella.
– Still to come, Baron Corbin’s King of the Ring coronation.
– Back from the break and out comes Baron Corbin to the ring. The ring is set up with Corbin’s King of the Ring throne and robe. We get a video and come back to Hamilton introducing Corbin as the King of the Ring. A royal tune plays as a staffer places the robe on Corbin, then hands him the crown. Corbin asks for a mic.
Corbin says he knows most everyone wanted anyone but him as the king, but now they realize he’s the king they needed, someone they can believe in, a ruler that exemplifies everything it takes to be king – dominance, strength, but he’s also generous and fair. Corbin says he won the tournament with honor and for that, he should be shown the respect and adoration he deserves. Corbin says if he’s not, he will show us that he can rule with an iron fist. As his first act, Corbin wants to recognize someone – his opponent from last night, Chad Gable. The music hits and out comes Gable.
Corbin greets Gable with a joke on his height, and keeps them coming. Corbin goes on mocking Gable and cracking jokes on how short he is. Gable tackles Corbin into the throne and beats on him. Gable grabs the scepter and nails Corbin with it, then breaks it over his back. Gable destroys everything else as Corbin screams from ringside. Gable rips up the robe next and Corbin’s not happy, throwing a fit from the ramp. Gable grabs the crown and places it in the middle of the ring, then stomps on it as Corbin looks on. Gable’s music hits as Corbin looks down at what is left of his crown. Corbin starts crying and that’s the end of the segment.
– The announcers plug tomorrow’s WWE NXT USA Network premiere and lead us to a promo.
Heavy Machinery vs. The B Team
Back from the break and out comes Heavy Machinery, Tucker and Otis. The B Team waits in the ring, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas.
Tucker starts off with Axel and slams him. They go at it and Tucker slams Axel a few more times. Tucker tries to fight off both opponents when Axel turns it around. Axel stomps away in the corner and in comes Dallas. Dallas unloads and Axel comes back in. Axel drops Tucker with a big DDT for a 2 count.
Axel keeps Tucker grounded now as fans try to rally. Axel with more offense until Tucker lands a huge clothesline. Otis gets the hot tag as Dallas comes in. Otis runs wild on The B Team. Otis slams Dallas and drops Axel with a big shoulder. Dallas rocks Otis but Otis just takes that and another kick, and starts dancing. Otis with a headbutt. Otis gets hyped up and launches Dallas over his head. Otis with a running splash to Dallas in the corner.
Otis calls for the Caterpillar and hits it on Dallas. Tucker tags in and kicks Axel in the face. Tucker joins Otis and they hit the Compactor on Dallas for the pin to win.
Winners: Heavy Machinery
– After the match, Tucker and Otis stand tall and celebrate as their music hits.
– We see Daniel Bryan walking backstage. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we see what happened earlier with Brock Lesnar and Kofi Kingston. Lesnar vs. Kingston is confirmed for the SmackDown Fox premiere.
– We go to the ring and out comes Daniel Bryan with a serious look on his face.
Bryan takes the mic and fans chant his name. Bryan says a lot of the people chanting his name are the same ones who accused him of being behind the attacks to Roman Reigns. Bryan understands why but he wants to be clear – good or bad, he has never lied to the people. Bryan says he stands before us tonight exonerated for the heinous attacks on Reigns. Bryan says he’s not here to talk about that, he’s here to talk about Erick Rowan.
Bryan goes on about how Rowan feels disrespected and invisible. Bryan says he’s the one who saw Rowan, he saw Rowan’s potential, his talent, how intelligent and special he was. Bryan says he didn’t just see Rowan as his equal when they won the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, he treated Rowan as his equal, and as his friend, because Rowan is his friend. Rowan’s music hits and out he comes with a mic.
Rowan tells Bryan to stop because he’s sick of hearing Bryan speak. Rowan says Bryan always had him stand behind him and Bryan always did the talking. Rowan goes on as he enters the ring, pointing out how Bryan never asked him how he felt about anything. Rowan gets in Bryan’s face and looks down at him, saying he will never be disrespected. Bryan tells Rowan to do something about it because there’s nothing physically he can do that’s worse than breaking up their friendship, betraying him and lying to him. Bryan drops the mic and tells Rowan to do something. Luke Harper suddenly attacks from behind.
Rowan watches as Harper destroys Bryan. They go to do the double team when Roman Reigns’ music hits. Reigns runs past Harper on the ramp and hits the ring to deliver a Superman Punch to Rowan. Harper comes to the apron but Reigns rocks him off with a right hand. Reigns with a Drive By to Rowan. Reigns turns around to a big boot from Rowan on the outside. Harper and Rowan double team Reigns on the outside now. Harper helps as Rowan powerbombs Reigns into the ring post on the floor. Harper pulls up the padding on the floor now. Security runs down but Rowan and Harper take them out, then slam some of them on the exposed concrete. Rowan breaks free the barrier wall at the timekeeper’s area and holds it up as Harper whips Reigns into it. Harper and Rowan continue tearing up the announcer’s area at ringside. Rowan grabs Bryan and headbutts him. Harper manhandles Bryan some. Harper and Rowan slam Bryan through the announce table with a double chokeslam now. Rowan yells out about how they will not be disrespected as we go to replays. A referee checks on Bryan as Rowan and Harper stand over him. SmackDown goes off the air.
Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.
