Tonight’s WWE SmackDown opens with footage from earlier today of Jinder Mahal doing a photoshoot with Randy Orton’s WWE Title belt. SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon walks up and says titles are earned around here. Jinder talks about how he will beat Orton at Backlash. Shane tells him to worry about what’s happening tonight – a match against Sami Zayn. Shane takes the title to give back to Orton. We cut to the SmackDown opening video.
In the Arena:
We’re live from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California with Tom Phillips, JBL and Byron Saxton. Shane McMahon makes his way to the ring as fans cheer.
Shane says since everyone is fired up, he introduces the newest member of Smackdown, the United States Champion, Chris Jericho. Chris makes his way to the ring.
Chris says this is a special night because he is giving everyone what they want. He will give everyone what they need. This is the new Show of Jericho… Smack it down, man.
Shane says everyone is thrilled that he is on Smackdown. There is a locker room full of people for dream matches. Shane tells Chris that he will be defending the United States Title against his nemesis tonight… Kevin Owens.
AJ Styles makes his way to the stage.
AJ comments on his old friend turned bitter enemy. AJ says things have changed since they were on the same show. AJ tells Chris that he is standing in the House that AJ Styles Built. AJ says he does not forget about the past. He brings up the Y2AJ shirts and then he says it would mean nothing more to him than to take the title from Jericho at Backlash, if Jericho is still the champion.
Chris asks AJ if he saw Kevin tap out to the Walls of Jericho. He says there is a new Face of America and Chris Jericho be that name. Chris asks AJ if he knows what happens when you think he cannot beat Kevin Owens tonight? Does AJ know what happens when you don’t think he will retain the United States Title?
We will not find out because Kevin Owens’ music plays and he comes out to the stage.
Kevin says this is the most pathetic thing he has seen in his career. Shane McMahon, Chris Jericho, and AJ Styles arguing about things that don’t matter. All that matters is tonight and he gets his rematch where he will take back what is his, the United States Championship. He asks Chris if he thought the Festival of Friendship was bad, did you think Wrestlemania was bad? Wait until tonight. Kevin tells AJ to get out of his ring because he does not belong in it.
AJ leaves the ring and he attacks Owens. Chris wants it to continue while officials and Shane McMahon try to separate them.
Jinder Mahal and the Singhs walk in the back as we go to commercial.
– We are back and Tom Phillips reveals AJ Styles will be banned from ringside in the main event tonight.
– Footage of Baron Corbin attacking Sami Zayn on Talking Smack last week is shown.
Jinder Mahal w/ The Singh Brothers vs. Sami Zayn
They lock up and Mahal with a wrist lock. Zayn with a reversal into a wrist lock. Zayn with a hammer lock but Mahal with an elbow and kick. Zayn leaps over Mahal and hits a head scissors. Mahal with punches and he sends Zayn over the top rope to the apron but Zayn with a kick and he flips over Mahal to get back into the ring and then he hits a drop kick. Mahal goes to the floor.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Mahal gets a near fall. Mahal with elbows to the head and we see Zayn getting knocked off the apron into the ringside barrier during the commercial break. Zayn with punches but Mahal with a tilt-a-whirl slam for a near fall. Mahal with a series of knees and he chokes Zayn.
Mahal with a back elbow for a near fall. Mahal with a back elbow or two followed by a short arm clothesline. Mahal with a chin lock. Mahal sets for a superplex but Zayn blocks it and he punches Mahal and knocks him off the turnbuckles. Zayn comes off the turnbuckles but Mahal moves and Zayn lands on his feet. Mahal with a Harley Race knee for a near fall.
Zayn with clotheslines and then he hits an elbow and goes to the turnbuckles and kicks Mahal and hits a double jump cross body for a near fall. Zayn gets distracted by one of the Singh brothers and Mahal with an inside cradle for a near fall but Zayn reverses and gets a near fall. Mahal blocks the Blue Thunder Bomb but he hits a tornado DDT after running the ropes with a wrist lock.
Zayn sets for the Helluva Kick but Mahal is pulled to the floor. Zayn is tripped by the other Singh and Mahal hits the Cobra Clutch Slam and gets the three count.
Winner: Jinder Mahal
Backstage:
Becky Lynch walks in the back and she sees James Ellsworth, Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina. Natalya says they are here to protect Becky from Charlotte. Natalya reminds Becky she was the first woman drafted to Smackdown. Becky should be getting title matches instead of Charlotte. Carmella says they will watch Becky’s back. Natalya wants her to join them and they can make this their women’s division. Becky things about it as they walk away.
– Tye Dillinger walks in the back as we go to commercial.
Backstage:
Dolph Ziggler is not impressed with a promo about Shinsuke Nakamura making his Smackdown Live PPV at Backlash in a few weeks. Shane McMahon interrupts putting over Nakamura. Ziggler says he was “real impressed” with his entrance.
– We go live inside the arena where Aiden English asks for the spotlight. English sings about being the “Picasso of pain.” He gets interrupted by Tye Dillinger’s theme.
Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English
English quickly connects with a running high knee to Dillinger in the corner. Dillinger fires back with a big forearm off the ropes, a clothesline and big stomp to the face. Dillinger with stomps to English as the crowd repeatedly chants “10” with him. Dillinger with a firemans carry into a facebuster over his knee on English to get the pinfall.
Winner: Tye Dillinger
After the match, Dillinger makes his exit as we get replays. English throws a fit in the ring.
– Still to come, the United States Title is on the line. Back to commercial.
Backstage:
Chris Jericho is walking in the back and he is asked by Renee Young about his match against Kevin Owens. Chris tells Ronnie to… He sees Aiden English and he wants to know why he is crying and there is no crying on Smackdown. He talks about all that is positive about Aiden. Chris asks Aiden if he knows what happens when you cry on his show. Chris tells Aiden he made the list, and Aiden cries more. Chris puts Ronnie/Renee on the list too.
– We take a look back at the end of the match between Charlotte and Naomi last week and the post match attack.
Backstage:
Charlotte is in the interview area and she is asked about what happened last week. Charlotte says they stopped the inevitable last week. She may be tagging with Naomi tonight, but the Smackdown Women’s title is her destiny. Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina appear in the interview area and they attack Charlotte and send her into storage cases. Carmella taunts Charlotte as they get in her face now. Tamina welcomes her to SmackDown. Natalya says they will see her out there later tonight. They walk
Naomi and Charlotte Flair vs. Carmella and Natalya
We go right to the ring and out comes SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi as Greg Hamilton does the introduction. Naomi dances as we go to commercial.
Naomi starts the match off alone and Naomi with an atomic drop to Carmella. Naomi kicks Carmella in the leg. Carmella kicks back but Naomi kicks Carmella harder. Naomi blocks a kick and she connects with Speedball kicks and sends Carmella to the mat. Natalya tags in. Naomi with a head scissors but Natalya escapes. Naomi with a side head lock and goes for a sunset flip using the ropes and she gets a near fall. Naomi wtih an arm drag but Natalya with a slingshot atomic drop and she runs over Naomi’s back but Naomi with a drop kick.
Naomi goes for a baseball slide but Natalya stops her and slams Naomi’s head into the steps and Natalya cheers for herself. Naomi is sent face first into the mat. Carmella tags in and the send Naomi to the mat and Carmella gets a near fall. Carmella with an Edge-O-Matic and she punches Naomi in the middle of her back. Carmella gets a near fall. Natalya tags in and she kicks Naomi in the corner.
Naomi and Natalya both go down.
Charlotte’s music plays and she walks gingerly to the ring.
Natalya keeps Naomi from mkaing the tag for a moment but Charlotte tags in and she knocks Carmella off the apron and then she chops Natalya many times and hits a neck breaker. Charlotte with a boot to the head. Carmella tries to stop Charlotte from applying the figure four and Charlotte with a chop. Charlotte is sent to the apron and she sends Natalya into the turnbuckles. Charlotte kicks Carmella off the apron but Natalya with a discus clothesline and we go to commercial.
We are back and Carmella with a sleeper but Charlotte backs Carmella into the turnbuckles. Carmella pulls Charlotte to the mat and she kicks Charlotte and gets a near fall. Carmella misses the Bronco Buster in the corner and Naomi tags in and hits a springboard cross body. Naomi with a round kick to Carmella followed by a spinning sit out jaw breaker. Naomi with Rear View and Natalya distracts the referee. Naomi takes care of Natalya but Ellsworth distracts Naomi and Carmella with a rollup for the three count.
Winners: Natayla and Carmella
After the match, Naomi starts brawling with Carmella until Natalya and Tamina rush the ring. Tamina and Natalya double team Charlotte while Carmella takes Naomi to the corner. The music hits and out comes Becky Lynch. The “welcoming committee” waits for her to enter the ring. Becky looks to stand with them as she looks down at Charlotte. Becky faces them and goes to shake Tamina’s hand. Fans boo as they shake. She also shakes Carmella and Natalya’s hands, hugging Natalya. Ellsworth puts his hand out next but Becky proposes a hug. She shoves Ellsworth into Tamina and starts brawling with the group. Becky stomps on Carmella but turns around to a superkick from Tamina. Carmella tosses Naomi to the floor. Natalya holds Becky while Tamina hits her. Charlotte is also tossed to the floor. Natalya holds Becky while Carmella decks her next. The group stands tall in the middle of the ring as Carmella’s music hits and fans boo.
We go to commercial.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Sin Cara
They lock up and Dolph goes for the legs but Cara with a waist lock. Ziggler gets to the ropes and Cara releases the hold. Cara with a waist lock. Ziggler wtih an elbow to the head. Cara with a cross body and a kick followed by a chop. Cara with a springboard back elbow. Cara with forearms and he hits a quebrada. Ziggler with a kick to the knee but Ziggler is sent to the apron and Cara with an enzuigiri. Cara with a suicide dive.
Ziggler with a neck breaker hanging Cara on the middle rope and he gets a near fall. Ziggler with an elbow drop and he gets a near fall. Ziggler with a neck breaker attempt but Cara blocks and goes for a suplex but Ziggler escapes and gets a near fall. Ziggler with a drop kick. Cara with a rollup into a one arm power bomb and he gets a near fall. Cara goes for a quebrada but Ziggler gets his knees up. Ziggler with a super kick and Ziggler gets the three count.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
We go to commercial.
– We are back and Lana will be dancing into our homes very soon.
– Noam Dar says things have not been the same since he broke up with Alicia Fox. Tonight, he will be delivering a gift straight to Rich Swann’s face.
We go to a “Law and Order” style video for Tyler Breeze and Fandango and they are the “The Fashion Files”.
Tyler is hunting and pecking a report when Fandango appears and talks about a bigger case than Ascension. They talk about the Uggos. They talk about all of the offenses committed by them. Tyler says the big bust goes down May 21st at Backlash. Fandango says it is in the Windy Apple.
WWE United States Title Match: Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho
We go to the ring and out comes WWE United States Champion Chris Jericho for tonight’s main event. Kevin Owens is out next for his rematch from Payback. AJ Styles has been banned from ringside. We go to commercial.
Jericho and Owens with punches followed by a back elbow from Jericho. Owens with punches but Jericho with a drop kick. Jericho stomps on the injured hand. Jericho slams the hand into the ring steps multiple times and then he sets to kick the stairs into the hand but Owens gets back into the ring and he kicks Jericho. Owens punches Jericho and chokes him in the corner. Owens with more kicks to Jericho. Owens with a back senton for a near fall. Owens chops Jericho in the corner. Owens with an Irish whip but he runs into a boot and Jericho with a missile drop kick and he punches Owens.
Jericho with kicks and chops. Jericho with an Irish whip but he misses a splash into the corner and he hits the turnbuckles and goes to the floor. Owens sees Jericho against the ringside barrier and he goes to the floor and hits a cannonball for a near fall.
We go to commercial.
We are back and they exchange chops. Owens with punches and he goes for the Pop Up Power Bomb but Jericho avoids it. Jericho goes for the Lionsault but Owens gets his knees up. Owens misses a cannonball and Jericho hits a Lionsault but he does not capitalize immediately and Jericho can only get a near fall. Jericho with a double leg take down but Owens powers out of a Walls of Jericho attempt. Jericho gets Owens over for the Walls of Jericho. Owens gets to the ropes.
Owens blocks a springboard drop kick and drops Jericho on the top rope. Owens gets a near fall. Owens slaps Jericho and tries for a pop up power bomb but Jericho counters with a rana and he locks in the Walls of Jericho. Owens gets to the ropes again and Jericho has to release the hold. Jericho misses a baseball slide and Owens with a super kick and then he hits a DDT on the floor. Jericho is sent back into the ring and Owens with a super kick and he gets a near fall. Owens picks up Jericho but Jericho with an inside cradle for a near fall. Owens with a kick and he hits a pop up power bomb and Owens gets the three count.
Winner: Kevin Owens
After the bell, Owens takes his title and rolls to the floor as we go to replays. Owens starts heading to the back as officials and paramedics come out to tend to Jericho. Owens comes back and hits another pop-up powerbomb. Owens picks Jericho up, yells that he was never his best friend, then pushes him back to the mat. Fans boo as Owens raises his title in the middle of the ring. Referees back Owens out of the ring as Jericho is being checked on. Owens leaves and stops to raise his title on the stage. Jericho is helped out of the ring and to the ramp. The new United States Champion comes back and knocks Jericho down. Owens wraps a steel chair around Jericho’s head and rams him into the ring post. Owens makes his exit with the title and SmackDown goes off the air with Jericho yelling in pain.
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