Tonight’s WWE SmackDown opens up with a look at Shane McMahon and AJ Styles. They show footage from last week, including where Styles was fired by Daniel Bryan.
– Daniel Bryan is backstage with a staffer making arrangements for tonight. AJ Styles appears and he’s all smiles. He asks where Shane McMahon is. Bryan doesn’t agree with AJ being here and says if it was up to him, he would still be fired. Bryan says Shane sees this as an opportunity to show people how a man handles things instead of coming from behind. Bryan warns AJ that he has no idea what’s coming to him at WrestleMania. Bryan says Shane is on his way to the arena. AJ says last week felt so good he’s going to do the same this week.
– We’re live from Uncasville, CT with Tom Phillips, David Otunga and JBL. Phillips says Mauro Ranallo is out sick this week.
– We go to the ring and out comes AJ Styles. He talks about putting Shane McMahon through the car last week and accepts Shane’s challenge for WrestleMania 33. AJ goes on and says he’s meeting Shane in the parking lot tonight and if we thought last week was bad, it can go to phenomenally worse tonight. AJ drops the mic and his music hits.
– Still to come, The Miz and Maryse have a never-before-seen episode of Total Bellas. We go to commercial.
– Back from the break and Bryan is on the phone with Shane. Bryan informs Shane that AJ will be waiting for him in the parking lot. It sounds like Shane has a plan. Bryan says he supports Shane 100%. Baron Corbin walks in and wants to know about Dean Ambrose accepting his challenge for WrestleMania. Bryan says he hasn’t heard from Ambrose in a few weeks, thanks to Corbin. Corbin thinks he has the night off but Bryan books him in a match against Randy Orton.
– We see NFL star Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots at ringside.
SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: The Usos vs. American Alpha
We go to the ring and out comes SmackDown Tag Team Champions Chad Gable and Jason Jordan. Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso are out next.
Back and forth to start. Jordan takes Uso to the corner and tags in Gable for a quick double team and a 2 count. Uso turns it around and in comes Jimmy. Gable takes him down by the arm. Gable and Jordan keep control with quick tags as Jey looks on for a tag. Jordan tags in for another double team. Jey runs in but they nail a double dropkick. The Usos end up on the floor as the champions stand tall. We go to commercial.
Back live, Jey whips Gable with force into the corner. Jimmy gets the tag and prevents a hot tag to Jordan. Gable tosses Jimmy back, Jey tags in and Jey attacks Gable. Gable counters, goes under the legs of Jey and then kicks him away. Jimmy pulls Jordan off the ring apron to prevent the hot tag and Gable gets tossed out. Jimmy levels Gable with a clothesline on the outside. The referee starts the count. Gable rolls in and Jimmy gets the tag. Jimmy sends Gable face first into the corner and Gable falls down in the tree of woe. Gable avoids a charge from Jimmy sitting up. Jordan with repeated belly to belly suplexes on both Usos. Jordan with a charge to Jimmy in the corner and Jordan slams Jey to get a two count. Jordan has Jey up. Jimmy with a superkick to Jordan. Jey rolls up Gable for a two count. Jey with a superkick on Gable (who is now the legal man). Jey comes off the top catching Gable with a splash and a very close two count as Gable powers out. Jordan prevents a double splash by both Usos. Jordan tosses Jey off the top rope. Jordan has Jey up in the electric chair. Gable off the top with a bulldog. Jordan covers and Jey breaks it up. Jordan with a belly to belly to Jey on the floor. Jimmy with a shot to Jordan off the ring apron. Gable with a moonsault off the corner, but he gets sent into the crowd. Jordan with a spear to Jey. Jordan tosses Jey back in. Jimmy pulls at the leg of Jordan. Jey with a superkick to Jordan to get the win.
Winners and new WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions: The Usos
– Backstage, we see AJ Styles waiting on the arrival of Shane McMahon.
– Randy Orton vs. Baron Corbin will take place later tonight. John Cena will also be in action taking on Fandango. Never before seen “Total Bellas” footage is up next.
– We are back and Luke Harper says he has seen what Sister Abigail can do. She can turn a normal man into a madman. You have opened a Pandora’s Box Randy Orton. Next week, he will destroy Randy Orton.
– We go to footage of Total Bellas Total Bulls***. We see Maryse being Nikki and Brie and then John Cena as the Miz comes out of the house and comments on rules that have been broken.
Baron Corbin vs. Randy Orton
We go to the ring and out comes Baron Corbin. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and we see Corbin’s recent attack on WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose. Randy Orton is out next for his first match against Corbin. They lock up and go at it. Corbin drops Orton first with a shoulder. They run the ropes and Corbin blocks an RKO attempt. Corbin goes to the floor for a breather.
Corbin comes back in and they go at it. Orton takes control and stomps away while Corbin is down. Orton keeps control and sends Corbin back to the floor. Orton reaches for Corbin over the top rope but Corbin runs him into the ring post. Corbin comes back in and stands tall over Orton. Corbin talks some trash and fans boo as we go back to commercial.
We return live and Corbin has Orton grounded in a modified headlock. Corbin catches Orton with a clothesline and gets a two count off a pinfall attempt. Orton catches Corbin with boots in the corner and connects with a series of clotheslines. Corbin avoids a snap powerslam attempt, kicks Orton in the ribs, slides out and this time Orton catches him with the powerslam on his way back inside. Orton with a full nelson slam on Corbin for a two count. They brawl to the outside. Orton sends Corbin into the steel steps. Orton rolls in, pulls Corbin through the ropes and connects with his spike DDT. Orton is setting up for an RKO. Corbin counters and connects with Deep Six for a two count. Corbin misses a shot on Orton on the outside and goes shoulder first into the steel steps. The crowd is distracted by something. Dean Ambrose is standing on top of a forklift distracting Corbin. Orton then jumps up and connects with an RKO on Corbin, gives a nod to Ambrose and gets the pinfall.
Winner: Randy Orton
After the match, Dean Ambrose gets inside the ring and asks Corbin if he wants a match for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania? Ambrose tells Corbin he has one. He picks up Corbin and connects with Dirty Deeds.
– Becky Lynch vs. Carmella is advertised for later tonight.
– Backstage, AJ Styles is still waiting for Shane McMahon. Back to commercial.
– We are back and the Dean Ambrose versus Baron Corbin Intercontinental Title Match is going to happen at Wrestlemania.
Backstage:
Renee Young is backstage with Randy Orton. She asks for his response to Bray Wyatt’s message last week. Orton says he doesn’t know how to get rid of Wyatt once and for all. Last week, when he bathed himself in Sister Abigail’s ashes, he didn’t expect that. The lights start flashing, and Renee runs off. Orton demands that Wyatt show his face. The screen goes black. When the lights come back on, Orton is surrounded by people wearing sheep masks. Orton tries to fight them off, but the quickly beat him down. They hold Orton up, and Bray Wyatt charges in. Wyatt speaks in tongues and waves a stick over Orton. Wyatt says Orton exposed his one flaw: Abigail. What Orton didn’t know is that one flaw would become his greatest strength. She’s one with him, and her power lives inside of him. Wyatt is stronger than he could have ever imagined. Wyatt thanks Orton and chuckles. Wyatt then sings, “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands.” We go to commercial.
Fandango vs. John Cena
Back from the break and out comes Fandango. He’s accompanied by Tyler Breeze, who is dressed as Nikki Bella. John Cena is out next.
Fandango takes the mic before the match and has Breeze toss fashion tickets at Cena, one for wearing jorts. Fandango says he will expose Cena for being the lousy wrestler that he is tonight. Fandango tries to get a pop for Breezy Bella. Cena points to the stage and out comes the real Nikki Bella as her music hits.
The bell rings and Fandango tosses more tickets at Cena in his face. Cena runs the ropes and hits shoulders. Cena with the big slam and the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Breeze enters the ring but Nikki runs in and spears him. Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment on Fandango while Nikki plants Breeze. Cena applies the STF on Fandango while Nikki applies the Fearless Lock on Breeze for the win.
Winner: John Cena
– AJ is shown backstage waiting for Shane.
– Still to come, Carmella vs. Becky. Back to commercial.
Becky Lynch vs. Carmella
Back from the break and out comes Becky Lynch. Natalya is on commentary. Carmella is out next with James Ellsworth.
Becky strikes first but the match falls apart early on as Natalya and James Ellsworth get involved. Natalya enters the ring and drops Becky for the disqualification.
Winner by DQ: Becky Lynch
After the match, Mickie James comes down as does SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. A brawl breaks out. Ellsworth tends to Carmella. Becky comes off the top and Carmella pushes Ellsworth in front of her. Ellsworth goes down. The segment ends with Bliss standing tall in the middle of the ring with the title in the air.
– The announcers plug the WrestleMania 33 card.
– Still to come, more “Total Bellas” footage from The Miz and Maryse. Back to commercial.
– We come back to WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville cutting a promo to hype tonight’s 205 Live episode. He will be facing Mustafa Ali.
– They show another “Total Bellas” parody segment with The Miz and Maryse knocking John Cena and Nikki Bella.
– Renee is backstage with AJ asking what his intentions are waiting for Shane to arrive. A limo pulls up and AJ approaches it but out steps Rhyno and Heath Slater instead.
In the Arena:
We go to the ring and out comes Shane McMahon to a pop. Shane heard AJ is looking for him but here he is in the ring. We cut backstage to Renee informing AJ that Shane wants to talk to him in the ring. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Shane is in the ring. He talks about how AJ could’ve brought anything to him discuss but whatever problem he had is now worse after last week’s actions. Fans chant for AJ to come out. Shane calls him to the ring. The cameras show AJ walking from the back.
AJ hesitates but makes his way out with a mic. AJ admits he made a mistake by going off the deep end. He apologizes but fans boo. Styles tells Shane not to listen to the fans. AJ says Shane did him a favor by giving him a WrestleMania match. AJ says Daniel Bryan was right about Shane not being like the rest of the McMahon family. AJ says for that, he’s going to enter the ring, look Shane in eyes, sincerely apologize and shake his hand. Fans boo.
AJ enters the ring but Shane attacks him into the corner. AJ retreats to the floor and Shane follows. AJ attacks Shane and launches him into the barrier with a suplex. AJ takes apart the announce table but Shane suplexes him.
Shane nails AJ with a monitor and places him on top of the announce table. Shane goes to the top rope and stands for a big pop. Shane leaps and puts AJ through the announce table with a big elbow. A “holy s–t” chant starts up. Referees come to check on them as we go to replays. We come back to Shane on his feet at ringside. He points up at the WrestleMania banner and drops to one knee as his music plays. Shane stands back up over AJ as we go to another set of replays. Shane heads to the back while AJ recovers in the debris. Shane clutches his ribs and points up at the WrestleMania sign as SmackDown goes off the air.
