Tonight’s Smackdown Live! came to us tonight from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. After the decimation of Randy Orton at SummerSlam, it will be interesting how the Blue Brand will respond to the domination of Raw.
Here are the complete WWE SmackDown Live! Results for 23rd August 2016:
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Smackdown Live opens with a few of the guys in the locker room and AJ Styles coming in and bragging about his Summerslam win. He then mocks Dolph Ziggler over his loss to Ambrose, and Ziggler immediately attacks him. Cue the theme song.
Championship presentation
Smackdown Live kicks off with the tag team and women’s roster in the ring, and the 2 new championships. Shane and Bryan start off by talking about the Smackdown Women’s Championship. The crowd is largely in favour of Becky Lynch. Shane then states that there will be a Six-pack challenge at Backlash to determine the first ever Smackdown Women’s Championship. Moving to the Smackdown Tag Team Championship, Shane and Bryan announce that there will be a tournament culminating at Backlash, to become the new Smackdown Tag Team Championship.The hottest free agent Heath Slater comes out from the crowd and once more talks about wanting a contract, looking at the two new championship belts. Bryan says that Slater “isn’t equipped” to challenge for the Smackdown Championship. Shane then says that he isn’t equipped to challenge for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship either, but tells him that if he can find a partner in the locker room to challenge, and they win the tournament. Only then will Slater get a Smackdown Live. Slater departs and goes back.AJ Styles then interferes saying that he is the new face that runs the place, and he is attacked by Dolph Ziggler from behind. The other tag teams in the ring are forced to break it up.Segment rating: 6/10
#2 Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss
Naomi and Natalya are on commentary. Lot of back and forth between the two competitors in the beginning. Alexa gets frustrated after she is unable to pin Becky. Becky counters one of her moves to hit the dis-arm-her and make Alexa tap.
Winner: Becky Lynch by Submission
Match rating: 7/10
#3 The Usos vs The Ascension (Tag team championship tournament first round)
The first match of the tournament to crown the first ever Smackdown Tag Team Champions is underway. As soon as the bell rings, The Ascension attacks The Usos from behind just before they are ready. The Ascension seem to be in a fighting mood, as they are dominating the early part of this match.
The Usos make a slow but steady comeback, and unsurprisingly, defeat The Ascension for the win. Best performance we’ve seen from The Ascension in a long time. The Usos appear very confident going into the next round of the tournament
Match Rating: 5/10
#4 AJ Styles challenges Dean Ambrose for his WWE World Championship
Randy Orton was previously announced to come out, but instead, AJ Styles comes out. He seems to be in a mood to invade. But he finally comes out to address the Smackdown Live crowd. He is wearing the “Never Give Up” armband that Cena left in the middle of the ring saying “it looks better on me”. He starts bragging about his win over Cena once more.
He then announces that he is now the face that runs the place and that he should be the number one contender for the WWE World Champion. Ziggler comes out once more but is being stopped by referees and some backstage agents, one of whom is Jamie Noble. Bryan comes out angry telling the two superstars to stop. H
e tells AJ that he does deserve a number one contender spot, and so does Ziggler, despite losing at Summerslam, especially since he came so close. Bryan announces that AJ and Ziggler will face tonight. If Dolph Ziggler wins, then he will be added to the WWE World Championship match at Backlash, making it a triple threat match, against AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose.
Segment rating: 8/10
#5 Nikki Bella vs Carmella
Nikki Bella is officially part of Smackdown Live and is set to have her first singles match back on the main roster against Carmella. Renee Young interviews Nikki in the ring asking her how she feels to be back, and before she can say more than five words, Carmella attacks her from behind.
She then attacks her neck which was injured and continues the assault. The referees have to come in to stop the assault, and the crowd boos Carmella. Looks like a heel turn has happened. Carmella, when exiting, calls Nikki Bella a loser.
Segment rating: 6/10
#6 Randy Orton Live
A recap of the Summerslam bout between Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton is shown, including the end where Lesnar gave an F5 to Shane McMahon. Randy Orton comes out, with evident staples on his skull. He even shows the staples to the camera.
Heavy “Randy” chants from the crowd in Uncasville. He said he’d have rather been carried out on a stretcher than have the match end the way it did.He said that Shane McMahon coming out might have been right on paper, but implied that it was the wrong thing to do. He says that his and Lesnar’s path will cross again, and then lights go out and Bray Wyatt walks out.
He sits out on his rocking chair and asks Randy how his head is. He tells Randy that he is a great man, but just a man. Bray says that he is not just a man, but a god. He says that a god cannot die and that Randy will learn all about it in time. The lights go out, and Bray is gone.
Segment rating: 8/10
#7 Shane McMahon talks up Brock Lesnar
Camera cuts backstage, and the interviewer, Dasha Fuentes asks Shane backstage about Brock Lesnar, but he doesn’t appear willing to talk about it. But Sasha is persistent and asks him if he thinks Stephanie McMahon is taking the situation seriously when she said that there will be repercussions for Brock Lesnar.
However, Shane doesn’t believe either her or Brock are taking it seriously, ridiculing the 500$ fine that was slapped on Brock Lesnar earlier today. The persistent Dasha then asks for him more, and Shane says that the situation between Brock and him is far from over.
#8 Heath Slater finds a partner
Heath Slater is back in the locker room, and he asks WWE Hall of Famer, one of the Four Horsemen, Arn Anderson to join him. Arn Anderson gives him some advice, but when he finds out that he wasn’t Slater’s first choice, he departs. Rhyno then offers his services as a tag team partner for Heath Slater, saying that he needs the money from winning the tag team championships for putting an above ground pool at his house. Slater is euphoric.
Segment rating: 8/10
#9 American Alpha vs Breezango (Tag team championship tournament first round)
In a small backstage bit, American Alpha says their goal is to become the top tag team of Smackdown Live and become the first ever Smackdown Tag Team Champions. Chad Gable and Fandango start off the match. Alpha does a double suplex spot and also throw both members of Breezango out at the very same time.
Lot of close finishes and the crowd is clearly into it, and very much behind Alpha. Both teams were made to look very good, but Alpha hit the grand amplitude on Tyler Breeze for the pin, qualifying for the next round of the Smackdown Tag Team Championship tournament.
Match rating: 7.5/10
Dean Ambrose is backstage, wearing an unusually large hat. Dasha Fuentes asks him about the match tonight to determine the Number one contender for his WWE World Championship. He says that he didn’t know about it since he was upstairs, but says that he will have to come check it out for himself.
#10 AJ Styles vs Dolph Ziggler
It’s main event time. Ambrose makes his way to the commentary table. Out comes Ziggler, then AJ Styles. Dueling “AJ Styles” “Let’s go Ziggler” chants from the crowd. Styles throws Ziggler hard onto the turnbuckles that looks like a heavy whiplash effect when playing the replay in slow motion.
After the spot, AJ Styles appears to be in complete control of the match. Lots of amateur wrestling used in the match, as pointed out by the commentary team. Absolutely intense bout iwth quite a few near falls. “This is awesome” chants from the crowd.
AJ Styles finally hits the styles clash for the win. This makes Dean Ambrose vs AJ Styles the main event at Backlash for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. AJ confronts Ambrose who is sitting with the commentary. He snatches Ambrose’s headset out of his head and throws it down. They have a stare off and AJ leaves to close the show.
Match rating: 9/10
