By Jason Powell
WWE Smackdown on USA Network
Taped earlier today in London, England at the O2 Arena
[Q1] Smackdown opened with a recap of Jinder Mahal winning the six pack challenge to become No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship and his attack on Randy Orton at Payback… Pyro shot off on the stage and the broadcast team of Tom Phillips, JBL, and Byron Saxton checked in…
Randy Orton made his entrance and was introduced by ring announcer Greg Hamilton. Orton said he didn’t lose because of Bray Wyatt “or that damn refrigerator” at Payback, he lost because Mahal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.
Mahal’s entrance music interrupted Orton. Jinder and the Singh brothers walked onto the stage. Mahal said he didn’t steal anything, he simply took what he will win at Backlash. He showed off the promotional pictures he took with the championship belt. Jinder said he will take the title back to his people and a statue of his likeness will be made.
Mahal told the fans they will no longer disrespect him or his homeland. “I will cleanse your ignorance with my greatness,” Mahal said while walking toward the ring. He said the age of the Maharajah will begin at Backlash. Jinder was about to speak to his people in his native tongue, but he was interrupted by the entrance music of the New Face of America.
Kevin Owens walked out and said no one cares about the House or Horrors or India. There were some laughs from the crowd. Owens told the fans not to get too excited because no one cares about England either, which drew boos. Owens said he didn’t just regain his U.S. Championship last week, he ended the career of Chris Jericho.
Owens said Jericho couldn’t even last two hours of Smackdown Live because of him. Owens said he intends to end the career of AJ Styles at Backlash. Owens said once that’s done, he is going after the WWE Championship because the next thing on his list is to become the Face of WWE. Owens repeated himself in French “just because I can.”
AJ Styles made his entrance and said that Owens can brag about what he did to Jericho, but neither Jericho nor Owens were as good as him. Styles said Owens will never be the face of Smackdown Live. Baron Corbin came out and started to speak, but Sami Zayn came out without music and attacked him from behind. A brawl broke out. Orton attempted a hanging DDT on Mahal, but Singhs prevented it. The babyfaces stood tall in the ring to close the segment…
Powell’s POV: An obvious setup for a six-man tag match. Jinder’s push continues to intrigue me, yet I’m still waiting for him to actually shine on the platform he’s been given. His promo was the least impressive of the bunch. By the way, I’m filling in for Jake Barnett tonight, but he will be back tomorrow with the Smackdown Hit List and as my co-host for Dot Net Weekly.
[Q2] The broadcast team hyped Dolph Ziggler confronting Shinsuke Nakamura, and Becky Lynch vs. Natalya… [C] The broadcast team announced the expected six-man tag match with Orton, Styles, and Zayn vs. Owens, Mahal, and Corbin for later in the show…
Carmella, Tamina, and James Ellsworth stood in the ring. Ellsworth told the fans they don’t deserve to see such beauty and they are not on the same level as him and the women with him. Carmella introduced Natalya for her match. Naomi made her entrance and told the crowd to make some bloody noise. Naomi introduced Becky Lynch for the match.
Charlotte made her entrance just before the match was about to start. Charlotte said she doesn’t need someone to introduce her because she doesn’t need an introduction. She let out a “woooo”… [C]
1. Natalya (w/Carmella, Tamina, James Ellsworth) vs. Becky Lynch (w/Charlotte, Naomi). Charlotte stood with Naomi in the corner of Lynch.
[Q3] Tamina climbed onto the apron when Lynch was setting up for a move. Naomi ran over and shoved Tamina. Charlotte grabbed Naomi from behind and held her back. Natalya pulled a distracted Lynch off the ropes and pinned her…
Natalya defeated Becky Lynch in 3:00.
The broadcast team hyped Ziggler confronting Nakamura, and the next installment of the Fashion Files… [C]
Powell’s POV: The broadcast team seems to be being paid by the mention of “The Welcoming Committee” based on the number of times they feel the need to say the name. Here’s hoping that Charlotte pulling Naomi back is a sign that they don’t intend to turn her babyface and this is all some sort of a ruse.
The Lana chair dance video aired and she’s still listed as coming soon to Smackdown Live…
Backstage, Charlotte and Naomi bickered with Charlotte telling Naomi that she’s the reason that Lynch lost. Lynch showed up and tried to play peacemaker. Naomi said she would snatch Charlotte bald. Charlotte asked if she was going to glow on her. Lynch said they needed to out bound the bond of their opponents in a six-woman tag match at Backlash. Naomi agreed to bond. Charlotte said “whatever because I’m the greatest…at bonding”…
The latest Fashion Files video aired. There were footprints shown in paint backstage at the 02 Arena. Tyler Breeze was dressed like an English cop while Fandango was dressed like Sherlock Holmes. They identified the substance as face paint and said only the “Ugos” were crazy enough to wear it. Breeze said they haven’t worn face paint in months. They heard a commotion coming from a locker room and entered the room to find the Ascension duo apparently trying to get fired up. Breeze closed the door. Fandango said the Ascension case was reopened…
Luke Harper made his entrance for a match against Erick Rowan… [C]
Powell’s POV: I want to like the Fashion Files videos because I think Breeze and Fandango have been underutilized, but they just aren’t doing it for me.
[Q4] Rowan’s entrance was partially televised…
2. Luke Harper vs. Erick Rowan. Harper performed a tilt a whirl slam for a two count. Rowan came back with a uranage for a two count of his own. Rowan showed frustration over not getting the pin. Rowan grabbed his sheep mask and wound up to use it as a weapon. The referee took it from him. Rowan took advantage of the ref being distracted with the mask to poke Harper in the eye before slamming and pinning him…
Erick Rowan pinned Luke Harper in 4:15.
Powell’s POV: A battle involving two henchmen with undefined characters. Who are these guys? Why did they fall on opposite sides of the Bray Wyatt split? Why are they feuding now? These are basic questions that creative needs to answer or both guys will continue to spin their wheels.
Dolph Ziggler headed to the ring in non-wrestling attire. Ziggler told the crowd they are all hypocrites. He said it’s been eight long years that he’s been coming to the ring and doing what he does, sometimes even twice a night. Ziggler said he’s won multiple titles, headlined pay-per-views, and he’s even a movie star.
Ziggler said the fans don’t appreciate him and instead treat him like a contagious disease. “But who do you cheer for?” Ziggler asked. The fans chanted Nakamura. Ziggler said they are hypocrites for cheering for a guy who has never had a match. The fans chanted NXT. “This will all be edited out, so…” Ziggler replied. Funny.
[Q5] Ziggler said Nakamura’s music hits and the fans sing along like they are supposed to. Ziggler said he suffers for his art in the ring, but he doesn’t call himself The Artist. Ziggler said he’s the strongest man to ever set foot in the ring because everything he’s ever done he has done himself because he never needed any of the fans. “You never cared,” Ziggler said. The fans responded with another round of Nakamura chants. Ziggler said the fans never cared then, but they will now. He called out Nakamura.
Shinsuke Nakamura made his entrance. Ziggler remained stone faced as Nakamura danced at ringside and eventually entered the ring. The fans chanted Nakamura again. “Enough of the theatrics, man,” Ziggler said. “It’s been almost a month of you sashaying your way out to this ring. If you’re going to stand toe to toe in this ring, it’s either time for you to put up or…”
Nakamura took the mic away from Ziggler and told him to shut up. Nakamura said if Ziggler wants to see what he can do he would show him now. Nakamura removed his jacket. Ziggler did the same. A referee stood between them. “Nope,” Ziggler said over the house mic. “We do this when I say so. And I’m gonna expose you for the fraud that you are at Backlash.”
Ziggler threw his jacket in the face of Nakamura and then attacked him. Nakamura fired back with a couple of punches and then threw a few knees to Ziggler’s side. Nakamura ducked a punch, threw two more of his own, and caught Ziggler with a kick. Ziggler rolled to ringside. He teased returning only to leave the ring…
Powell’s POV: This was much better than their last encounter and not just because of the physicality. Ziggler’s mic work was better. His lines about the fans not caring felt a little cliche, but his delivery and the overall promo was stronger.
Backstage, Zayn stood between Orton and Styles and said they needed to talk strategy. Zayn was all fired up and talking a mile a minute. He asked them to visualize. He said he could hear them being announced as the winners. When he opened his eyes, Styles and Orton were gone…
Powell’s POV: Harmless if it’s a one-time skit, but I hope this doesn’t mean that Zayn’s pest character isn’t following him from Raw.
A New Day video aired with old school video game graphics that labeled the other Smackdown tag teams as “booty” and them as the winners. They are still listed as coming soon…
The Ascension stood in the ring for a match. Tyler Breeze and Fandango made their entrance. The UK crowd still loves the Fandango song…
[Q6] 3. Fandango and Tyler Breeze vs. The Ascension. JBL put over the chances of Fandango and Breeze in the tag title match at Backlash, but he said they were just plain weird. Late in the match, Breeze took out Konnor with a kick, then Fandango performed his top rope leg drop on Viktor and pinned him…
Fandango and Tyler Breeze defeated The Ascension in 2:40.
After the match, the Usos came out and said they weren’t going to rush the ring yet. They said that Breeze and Fandango would be beat down and slapped down in 12 days. They continued with the 12 days theme by talking about all the things Breeze and Fandango could do with their backs. They closed the promo with their line about it not being paranoia, it’s the Usos…
Powell’s POV: Good intensity from the Usos during the promo. Breeze and Fandango looked a little soft for just standing there and taking it, but perhaps that’s by design since they are the underdogs going into the match.
The broadcast team hyped Renee Young and JBL hosting Talking Smack with guests Ziggler, the Usos, and Mojo Rawley… Brian Kendrick cut a backstage promo to hype his 205 Live match with Akira Tozawa…
Backstage, Rawley hyped up a group of children while giving them a tour. He sat down on the interview set and told them about Andre the Giant. He said he wanted to tell them about a boy who was different and people treated him differently and bullied him. Mauro, er, Mojo said that boy took what was different and made it special. He pulled the veil off the Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal trophy. One of the kids kicked him and he pretended to be mad before saying it was funny. He took them off for the rest of the tour…
A Rusev video aired. He recalled saying that he wanted a title shot or he would go home. He said he hasn’t heard anything from Shane McMahon. He said he doesn’t like being ignored. He said he wanted an answer and would get one when he comes to Smackdown Live next week…
The heels made separate entrances for the main event…
[Q7] [C] The babyface trio made their separate entrances for the six-man tag match…
4. Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and Sami Zayn vs. Jinder Mahal (w/The Singh Brothers), Kevin Owens, and Baron Corbin. The crowd chanted for Styles as he started the match with Corbin. Mahal and Orton ended up in the ring together, but Mahal tagged out immediately. Orton worked over Owens and went for an RKO, but Owens ducked to ringside. [C]
[Q8] The heels isolated Zayn heading into another break. [C] Corbin worked over Zayn coming out of the break. Styles took a hot tag and the crowd popped. Styles put Corbin in the Calf Crusher, but Owens broke it up. Orton and Owens squared off a Zayn dove onto Corbin and Mahal at ringside. Zayn rolled Corbin back inside the ring. Styles set up for a Phenomenal Forearm, but Owens pulled him down from behind, which led to Corbin getting a near fall.
The heels took turns working over Styles. Owens put the boots to him and yelled, “It’s my title.” Styles came back with a face first slam and then tagged in Orton just as Owens tagged in Mahal. Orton power slammed Mahal and then did the same to Corbin. Orton performed a hanging DDT on Owens. Orton set up for his finisher, but he was distracted by the Singh brothers.
It was rapid fire finisher time. Orton hit the RKO on Owens, but Mahal grabbed Orton from behind and performed the Cobra Clutch Slam and pinned him clean…
Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens, and Baron Corbin defeated Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and Sami Zayn in 21:50.
Powell’s POV: A good main event with the right finish. Mahal needed a win over Orton and the broadcast team was quick to point out that he could take the title from Orton that quickly at Backlash. Overall, a livelier UK crowd for a show that was better than Monday’s Raw in the same venue. I will have more to say about Smackdown in my member exclusive audio review tonight, and be sure to check out Jake Barnett’s Smackdown Hit List on Wednesday. Join Zack Zimmerman for 205 Live coverage on the main page.
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