Dean Ambrose is first out the gate for Smackdown, taped in Des Moines, Iowa. He talks about his feud with Chris Jericho and how he’s gotten even with Jericho by destroying his lighted jacket. The lights go out with Jericho’s music playing, and when they come back on, he’s in the ring over a laid-out Ambrose. From there, he tries to put a straight-jacket on Ambrose and a fight ensues. Jericho gets the last laugh as refs break up the scuffle.
This feud just seems ridiculous honestly. To have a future hall-of-famer and a recent champion fighting over potted plants and jackets is childish and isn’t really helping either man. Jericho doesn’t need this feud, and Ambrose has to win it to maintain any semblance of momentum. Fortunately, both men know how to handle the microphone and be entertaining in any situation, but it would be nice to see Ambrose do something worthwhile.
Rusev is up next for a backstage segment complaining about his loss to Sin Cara on RAW.
Rusev def. Sin Cara
This one didn’t take long, as Rusev locks in the Accolade for the win with United States Champion Kalisto on commentary. Lana gets the distraction when she throws water on Kalisto. Rusev comes out looking incredibly strong by taking out both Lucha Dragons before leaving the ring area.
Point blank, Rusev needs to come out on top in this title feud. Going forward, he can help build back up the U.S. title, something he helped spark with John Cena a little more than a year ago. His winning the belt from Kalisto opens up plenty of options and also helps him recover from the League of Nations doldrums.
Next, Emma introduces Dana Brooke in an interview with Renee Young.
Dana Brooke def. Becky Lynch
This one had an awkward finish for an awkward match. It wasn’t very long, and it ended on a confusing and somewhat odd roll-up.
Dana Brooke’s main roster debut is somewhat confusing. She’s almost a henchwoman for Emma – even coming out to Emma’s music for this match – but Emma hasn’t been on the main roster herself for very long. It’s tough to see this having much of a future for Dana Brooke, but maybe she can make the best of it.
After a replay of the six-man tag match from RAW, we get a glimpse backstage for a conversation with The Club. AJ Styles tells Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson he’ll handle Roman Reigns if the World Heavyweight Champion gets involved in their tag match later.
Next is a New Day promo, accompanied by the requisite big pop. The Vaudevillains interrupt the proceedings.
Aiden English def. Kofi Kingston
English gets the upper hand in a very even match when his partner Simon Gotch gets involved. Even though the rest of the New Day, as well as the official, get things back in check, the distraction leads to a dirty win for English.
The Vaudevillains have been a pleasant surprise in this feud. Even if they weren’t the original choice, they’ve transitioned seamlessly into being the No. 1 contenders and have held their own, even on the microphones. It still doesn’t seem like the right move to put the tag belts on them right now, but this should be an entertaining match at Extreme Rules.
Now it’s Roman Reigns’ turn to tell the Usos that he will take care of AJ Styles if he tries to interfere later on.
Usos def. Anderson/Gallows (Disqualification)
True to the nature of this team feud, Gallows and Anderson set themselves up as the clear heels with dirty tactics throughout. The Usos got some textbook hot tags, but Gallows decides to end things with a chair shot to earn the DQ. That leads to Anderson and Gallows beating down the Samoan brothers.
It’s been really neat to see the unique story development for this feud between The Club and the Samoans. There’s no doubt that Gallows and Anderson are the heels on the tag side, but Styles is clearly the face on the singles front. Add in that all six men have developed a real animosity in a very short time, and these matches could be really special for the next couple weeks.
Here we get another backstage Goldango vs. Gorgeous Truth segment. Good to see that the WWE writers are incorporating other teams in the storylines, but this is a strange way to go.
Speaking of strange ways to go, next up is a “Make Darren Great Again” bit with Bob Backlund not understanding that Darren Young checks the time on his phone instead of a watch.
R-Truth/Tyler Breeze def. Fandango/Goldust
The teams tease an encounter between Goldust and R-Truth, but it isn’t to be. Somehow, in the end, Breeze and Fandango both turn on their partners, who are left laying in the ring after Breeze technically wins with a pin on Goldust.
This could just be to finally set up the Golden Truth team officially, but the other product of this mini-feud could be just as good. Breeze and Fandango have similar personas, and both could use some more meaningful screen time. Perhaps the tag division would allow them to do that.
After a vignette for the Puerto Rican Travel Agents – the Colons – Renee Young interviews Ric Flair and Charlotte backstage. The WWE Women’s Champion is upset about the decision that her father can’t be ringside at Extreme Rules
Cesaro/Sami Zayn def. Kevin Owens/The Miz
Things predictably break down into a finisher exhibition that includes Miz hitting the Skull Crushing Finale on his partner. The face team, also predictably, closes the show standing tall.
This Fatal Fourway at Extreme Rules is a really good one because the result isn’t easy to predict. The three challengers all seem like valid choices to carry the Intercontinental Championship – Owens as a recent and high-quality champion, Zayn as a fan favorite and Cesaro as the culmination of a push that began before his shoulder injury. As for Miz, it wouldn’t be surprising if the WWE left the white belt on him as a solid heel promo worker who can demand attention.
How did Ric Flair spend $1500 at a pizza place? More details here
