SmackDown Live came to us from Detroit, Michigan tonight and this was undoubtedly the best episode of SmackDown this year. The show was incredible from start to finish and not only featured stellar matches but incredible promos too.
Let’s get straight to the results from this very special episode of SmackDown Live.
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AJ Styles (C) vs James Ellsworth (for the WWE World Championship)
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James Ellsworth immediately went for the No Chin Music as soon as the bell rang but AJ easily blocked hit and hit him with a fury of strikes capped off with a spinning lariat. Styles then pinned Ellsworth for the win.
AJ Styles def. James Ellsworth
Styles viciously beat up Ellsworth after the match, first sending him face-first into the middle rope before taking him outside and sending him headfirst into the announcer’s table before launching him into the steel steps.
AJ then sent Ellsworth neck-first in the bottom part of the ring. AJ then looked to be leaving away but he returned as he was half-way up the ramp. He came back and hit a snap suplex into the barricade.
AJ cut a promo after the match, saying he just sent Ellsworth back to the island of misfit toys. Styles then announced then he was done with 2016 and was looking forward to 2017. At this point Dolph Ziggler’s music hit. Ziggler came out and said that his title shot was still left before AJ could look forward to 2017. AJ mocked Ziggler, calling him a loser. Ziggler hit back by saying that Styles needed 4 tries before he could beat James Ellsworth.
Baron Corbin’s music hit at this point. As Corbin entered the ring, AJ Styles left. Corbin confronted Ziggler, telling him that he didn’t deserve a chance at the title next week. He then hit Ziggler with a cheapshot before hitting the End Of Days and laying Dolph Ziggler out.
We saw Dolph Ziggler backstage with Daniel Bryan afterwards, demanding a match with Baron Corbin. Bryan told Ziggler he could have it if he put his title shot next week on the line and Ziggler agreed.
The Miz (C) vs Apollo Crews (for the WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Apollo Crews started off at a frantic pace immediately putting The Miz of the backfoot. Crews showed his spectacular athleticism early on hitting the Miz with a spectacular dropkick. He then avoided a dropkick from The Miz before hitting him with a baseball slide dropkick to the outside before hitting a spectacular standing moonsault from the apron to ringside sending the Miz scurrying to Maryse as we headed to commercial.
We came back from commercial to see Apollo Crews still dominating the Miz. He got a nearfall with a roll-up before hitting a spinning back body drop for another nearfall. The referee then ejected Maryse for trying to interfere as Crews rolled Miz up for another nearfall.
He then hit a stalling German Suplex for another nearfall. Crews then went for another spinning back body drop but Miz landed on his feet and poked Crews in the eye before hitting the Skull Crushing Finale for the win.
The Miz def. Apollo Crews
Renee Young came into the ring to interview Miz after the match and asked him about his obsession with Dean Ambrose. Miz spun it back on Renee, confronting her about her real life relationship with Ambrose, commenting “after all, you’re the one sleeping with him.”
Natalya addresses the rumours
Natalya came out next and told the crowd that she was tired of the rumours before calling out Nikki Bella. Carmella’s music hit soon after Nikki’s.
Carmella came out and told Nikki to stop dreaming about the Saturday Night Live after-party and see that Natalya attacked her. She also added that silicone may have leaked into Nikki Bella’s brain. Carmella then told Nikki that Natalya had told her that she was tired of all the tired of all the attention Nikki was getting and that no one cared about the Bellas.
Natalya then charged after Carmella who ran away. She then turned around and told Nikki, “I did it, you b*tch”. She added that she was wrestling royalty and Nikki was not. Natalya then told Nikki that she may have been beautiful on the outside, but there was no substance to her which was why John Cena would never marry her.
What a promo from Natalya. Blew me away. Hats off. That was savage.
Dean Ambrose vs Luke Harper
Harper tried to get off the blocks quickly but Ambrose countered what was thrown at him before launching Harper out of the ring as we went to commercial.
We came back from commercial to see Harper hitting a spinning slam on Ambrose before locking in a modified Crossface. Ambrose managed to break out of it, sort of, before Harper hit him with a backbreaker before putting him an Argentine Backbreaker Rack. Ambrose eventually broke out again and hit a massive clothesline to Harper.
Ambrose then looked for a running forearm but Harper picked him out and hit him with a modified Snake Eyes to the middle rope before hitting a Superkick sending Ambrose rolling out of the ring. Ambrose somehow got back up as Harper was speaking to Bray and Randy and launched himself from the top rope into Wyatt and Orton.
Ambrose got back into the ring only to get hit by a sitting Powerbomb by Harper. Harper then went to finish Ambrose off with the spinning lariat but Ambrose ducked and rolled him up for the win.
Dean Ambrose def. Luke Harper
Ambrose got jumped by Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt after the match. Then beat the hell out of him before Orton and Wyatt delivered the Sister RKO to Ambrose. The lights then went out and the Wyatt Family disappeared.
As Ambrose struggled to his feet, Miz’s music hit and he came out and hit Ambrose with a Skull Crushing Finale to really rub the salt in his wounds.
Alexa Bliss vs Miss Mascaras
Alexa was forced to compete against a masked luchadora tonight.
Miss Mascaras was all over Alexa during the early stages. She schooled Alexa with her ground game as the crowd chanted “Si”.
Alexa finally got in some offense with a running forearm before she got a 1-count from the cover. Alexa then screamed at Miss Mascaras and pounded her on the back before Miss Mascaras locked her into a Dis-Arm-Her to make her tap out.
Miss Mascaras (Becky Lynch) def. Alexa Bliss
After the match Miss Mascaras took off her mask, revealing herself to be former SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Becky Lynch.
Mojo Rawley vs Curt Hawkins
Ryan Phillipe joined the commentary for this one, for some reason.
Hawkins rolled out of the ring almost as soon as the match began only for Mojo to follow him out and run after him. Hawkins got back inside the ring and jumped Mojo Rawley as soon as he got back in. Hawkins hit a sweet clothesline before going for a running forearm.
Rawley countered and drove Hawkins into the corner before hitting with running corner splashes before hitting him with a running forearm to pull off the win.
Mojo Rawley def. Curt Hawkins
Baron Corbin vs Dolph Ziggler (Winner faces AJ Styles next week for the WWE Championship)
AJ Styles was at ringside for this contest, keeping a close eye on who he would have to face next week.
Corbin beat off an early flurry from Ziggler before using his size to take the fight to the former world champion. He took him out to ringside to beat him up in front of the announcer’s table so that Styles could have a good look.
Corbin then rolled Ziggler back into the ring and the Showoff fought back briefly before Corbin sent him chest first into the corner turnbuckle. Corbin then used to bottom rope to his advantage as he worked on Ziggler’s shoulder and arm before sending Ziggler crashing into the corner once again as he got a 2-count off the ensuing cover.
Corbin continued his impressive performance as he drove Ziggler shoulder-first into the steel ring-post before rolling out of the ring and hitting Ziggler with a running forearm as he lay on the middle turnbuckle as we headed to another commercial break.
We came back from commercial to see Corbin missing a corner spear and going shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. Ziggler immediately hit the Famouser afterwards and got a nearfall off the following cover.
Corbin tried to hit a Powerbomb after this and Ziggler reversed it into a pinning combination but only got a 2-count. Corbin then hit a devastating STO, laying Ziggler out again. He then almost decapitated Ziggler with a brutal short clothesline. Corbin went for another one, only for Ziggler to reverse it into another pinning combination for another nearfall. Corbin hit another devastating clothesline after this, getting yet another nearfall.
Ziggler then hit the Zig Zag out of nowhere but Corbin somehow kicked out. He then met Corbin on the top rope for a Superplex but Corbin pushed him off and hit a devastating Deep Six for another nearfall.
A frustrated Corbin then took Ziggler to ringside and drove him into the barricade, before repeating it again. He then sent Ziggler crashing into AJ Styles before getting hit by a Superkick as the referee rang the bell after the 10-count.
Draw - Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler got counted out
An irate Styles took a steel chair and laid out both Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin with repeated steel chair shots.
