It’s Friday night once again and that means a brand new episode of WWE SmackDown and Ringside News has you covered with live play-by-play results coverage.
Start time for WWE SmackDown is at 8:00 PM EST. Match-by-match highlights and results from the show will take place on this very page. Feel free to leave any reactions in the comment section below.
Tonight’s SmackDown will see a fairly big main event match-up, as Daniel Bryan faces Jey Uso inside a steel cage! The stakes couldn’t be much higher for this, because if Bryan wins he gets a Universal Title shot at Fastlane, but if he loses he must acknowledge Roman Reigns as the greatest wrestler in the world and the tribal chief. We’re pretty darn excited about this one!
Elsewhere tonight, Bianca Belair faces Shayna Baszler. It has already been announced that Belair and her WrestleMania opponent, Sasha Banks, will face Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler at Fastlane for the Women’s Tag Team Titles, so this is meant to serve as an appetizer for this pointless feud.
As is fairly customary, that’s all WWE has announced about SmackDown ahead of time. We assume we’ll see more of the new and improved Apollo Crews and his feud with Big E, as well as The Street Profits quest to regain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, and the lovable Sami Zayn and his documentary crew. So join us for a fun couple of hours and sound off with your thoughts below. Enjoy!
SmackDown
Tonight’s SmackDown kicks-off with a hype video for Roman Reigns Vs. Edge at WrestleMania. Michael Cole is in the ring inside the ThunderDome. He says, as we know, the main event of WrestleMania may be Roman Reigns Vs. Edge for the Universal Championship… or maybe not. Not if his guest tonight has anything to say about it, then Cole introduces former WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan.
Cole reminds Bryan that he was originally scheduled to team with Edge to face Roman Reigns and Jey Uso at Fastlane, then asks why he opted to change those plans. Bryan says Cole is making a lot of assumptions. He was never asked if he wanted to team with Edge to face Roman and Jey at Fastlane. He says everyone knows he’ll do whatever is asked of him and he rolls with the punches, so they didn’t bother to ask. Bryan says Roman doesn’t mind because he’d rather not defend his title. Edge was fine with it because he’s already got his WrestleMania main event. Well it’s time he changes and does whatever he wants.
Bryan says that everyone wants to see Roman Vs. Edge, ThunderDome Vs. Attitude Era, but he doesn’t care about that. He wants the Universal Championship and the main event of WrestleMania. Bryan then points to the screen and we see a video package of him winning the Elimination Chamber match two weeks ago, only to lose to Roman Reigns in a Universal Championship match right afterwards. Then Edge came out and Speared Reigns and made it clear that he wanted Roman at WrestleMania.
Bryan says he’s lost a lot in his career. Been beaten up a lot in his career. He says you’d think after winning the Elimination Chamber for a third time, then fighting valiantly against Roman Reigns, that he’d be OK with losing to Roman. But, as Edge rolled into the ring and hit Roman with the Spear, then pointed to the WrestleMania sign, he never felt more like a failure. Bryan says he’s never had much ambition, in fact he famously hasn’t had any according to WWE testing, but this time it’s different.
Bryan says for the past year he has put other talent ahead of himself, put himself on the backburner. Yet when Edge was pointing at the sign he felt like a failure and realised that he had a lot more ambition. He was jealous and he wants it far more than they do. He’s wrestled more in the last three weeks than Edge and Roman have in the past year. He knows when he puts his mind to it, he is the absolute best. Tonight he steps into a steel cage with Jey Uso, and if he wins he goes on to face Roman Reigns at Fastlane. And that could well be his last chance at main-eventing WrestleMania. Bryan makes to speak some more but Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, and Paul Heyman interrupt and make their way to the ring.
*Commercial Break*
Roman, Heyman and Jey stand opposite Bryan in the ring. Reigns says he’s looking at the same guy, but Bryan doesn’t sound like the same guy. He laughs at the idea that Bryan is ambitious or driven, and says he isn’t, he’s an underdog, a lotto winner. Sometimes he gets lucky and it works out. He’s definitely not ambitious because men like him, and they are rare, are ambitious. He takes what he wants. Roman says Bryan doesn’t love wrestling either, he needs it because he has nothing else. Roman loves it though, he does it because people need and want him, not because he has to. Reigns says once Jey beats Bryan tonight he will know that he needs him, and then he can acknowledge him.
Jey takes Bryan’s microphone and tells him not to worry about the Universal Championship. Says this is as close as he’ll ever get to the Universal Title, that his Road to WrestleMania ends tonight. Jey tries to sucker-punch Bryan but gets Judo-tossed, then thrown from the ring. Bryan stares at Roman and smiles, but Reigns isn’t happy and he leaves with Jey pulling up the rear like a wounded dog.
Later tonight, Bianca Belair faces Shayna Baszler. After The break the Street Profits will be in action.
*Commercial Break*
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins are in the ring and out comes Sami Zayn. Sami says that last week the Profits pulled off a fluke win over him and Corbin but tonight the prove that it was a fluke. Corbin comes out and say they’re not partners or friends, and he refuses to be Sami’s partner. Corbin asks for a singles match and Ford says Dawkins’ schedule is free and Angelo likes it, and they agree to facing both them in singles match. Sami isn’t happy and says he didn’t agree to any of this, it must be a conspiracy theory.
Montez Ford W/Angelo Dawkins Vs. King Corbin W/Sami Zayn
Corbin drills Ford with a knee right out the gate, then whips him to the corner but Montez flips over the King and this a dropkick. Ford ducks a clothesline but runs into a big clothesline for a two-count. Corbin backs Ford into the corner and peppers him with right hands, then whips him hard to the opposite corner. Corbin lifts Ford and rolls him out like a yo-yo onto the mat.
Corbin takes a second to talk trash to Dawkins, which allows Ford to jump on his back with a sleeper. Corbin tries to sling Ford off but he lands on his feet and kicks him into the corner. Ford drops Corbin and hits a standing moonsault, then climbs the ropes but Zayn and his cameramen distract him. Ford jumps off but nobody’s home, then Corbin catches Ford with End of Days for the pinfall.
Winner: King Corbin
After the match, Corbin rolls out of the ring and Sami stops him and asks for help in his match for helping him. Corbin agrees and Zayn gets on the apron but Dawkins knocks him off and he hits Corbin, so the King turns and leaves Sami high-and-dry.
*Commercial Break*
Sami Zayn Vs. Angelo Dawkins W/Montez Ford
We return to find this match underway and Dawkins is slamming Zayn’s face into the turnbuckles. Zayn turns the tables with a headlock but gets shot off and dropped with a shoulder. Zayn and Dawkins do the usual duck/leapfrog spot until Dawkins hits a dropkick for a two-count. Dawkins rolls outside after Sami but gets slammed into the barricade. Zayn then knocks him into the apron before putting him back in the ring and hitting a forearm to the back of the head for a two-cout. Zayn stomps Dawkins in the head and talks trash, then unloads right hands. Zayn hangs Dawkins on the middle rope and drives a knee into his back to choke him.
Zayn talks trash to Montez on the floor, then hits Dawkins with a clothesline for a two-count and goes back to the cover a few times. Dawkins starts a comeback with a clothesline and some spinning forearms in the corner and a crossbody. Angelo hits the spinning double-arm neckbreaker for a near-fall. Zayn rolls to the apron and pulls Dawkins’ neck down on the rope. Sami counters Dawkins and hits an exploder suplex into the turnbuckles. Zayn wants to hit the Helluva Kick but he sees Montez Ford hamming it up for his cameramen and tells him to stop. Dawkins rolls Zayn up for the win.
Winner: Angelo Dawkins
Sami freaks out after the match and asks who’s fault that was. He shouts at his cameramen and says he doesn’t recognise one of them, he didn’t hire them, then hits him with a few knees and screams that he wants answers. Zayn holds his head, lookin confused.
Carmella is backstage and Reginald brings her a bottle of champagne. Carmella says she brought the lowly sommelier to the big leagues and he betrayed her in favour of Sasha Banks. He denies it but she slaps the champagne out of his hands and says he’s fired.
*Commercial Break*
Dominik Mysterio W/Rey Mysterio Vs. Chad Gable W/Otis
The match gets underway and they lock-up. Gable quickly takes Dominik’s back and slams him down, then lifts him and slams him again. Dominik runs into the ropes to send Gable flying off his back. Gable isn’t happy and he rushes back in but Mysterio grabs his wrist. Gable uses impressive wrestling to get out of the hold and take Dominik down. Gable hits a dragon whip, then drops a few knees on Dominik’s leg before applying a submission.
Dominik breaks free and hits Gable with flying knees, then hits a wheelbarrow roll into the turnbuckles. Gable counters Dominik and hits a tiger suplex for a near-fall. Gable goes up top and jumps for a moonsault but Dominik rolls out of the way and Gable lands on his feet. They exchange a series of roll-ups until Dominik scores the win!
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
As soon as the bell rings, Rey runs into the ring and hits Otis with a baseball slide on the opposite side. Rey then jumps off the apron onto Otis with a seated senton and knocks him over the announce desk. Rey and Dominik high-tail it as Gable and Otis watch on in fury.
We see a replay of last week’s promo between Seth Rollins and Cesaro, which resulted in Cesaro hitting Seth with The Swing for a solid minute. Seth is interviewed backstage wearing a pink suit and he says Cesaro’s swing went on forever and he doesn’t know why. Seth says Cesaro has never done that to anyone before, so why? He knows why, it’s because Cesaro is afraid of him and the movement. He wanted to embarrass and humiliate him and he won’t forget that. Buddy Murphy appears beside Rollins and says he would like to assist Seth with his situation. Rollins tells him to get out of his sight and Murphy leaves.
*Commercial Break*
Shayna Baszler W/Nia Jax Vs. Bianca Belair W/Sasha Banks & Reginald
The match begins and they lock-up and struggle for control. Belair lifts Baszler but the Queen slides down the back and takes a headlock. Baszler shoots her to the corner but Belair jumps over her and hits a dropkick. Belair looks for another dropkick but Shayna grabs the foot and tries to twist it but Bianca quickly rolls away and tries to pin Shayna to no avail. Baszler gets a hold of the wrist but Bianca breaks away and runs to the corner and tries to jump over her again but Baszler kicks her in the air. Baszler follows-up with a knee to the face in the corner and scores a two-count. Shayna takes the wrist and bends it in unnatural positions, then falls backward to snap the arm.
Banks looks concerned on the outside but Belair dodges a second running knee from Baszler and hits a one-arm scoop slam. Belair backs her into the corner and this repeated shoulder tackles, then lands a suplex. Belair kips-up and hits a back body drop, not selling the arm at all, and looks for the Glam Slam but Baszler rolls forwards, sending her out of the ring. Reggie tries to help Bianca up but she shoves him into Nia Jax, then Bianca rolls inside but gets hit with a knee by Baszler. Reggie apologises to Nia but she runs at him and he moves, so she hits Banks. Shayna grabs Belair from behind with the Kirifuda Clutch but she quickly lifts her onto her shoulders and this the K.O.D for the win.
Winner: Bianca Belair
After the match Belair berates Banks and Reggie and walks off. Banks then slaps Reginald and tells him to stop butting into her business.
Jey Uso is warming-up in Roman’s dressing room. Roman Reigns tells him it’s his job tonight to make sure the Universal Title is safe until WrestleMania. If he loses he’ll have to defend the belt at Fastlane and that’s fine but if he loses he’ll disgrace himself and the family. Jey says he’s got it.
*Commercial Break*
Murphy Vs. Cesaro
Seth Rollins comes out just before the match begins and watches this one from the announce desk. Cesaro rushes Murphy and lifts him up for a slam, then hits a deadlift gutwrench suplex for a one-count. Murphy hits the ropes and jumps but Cesaro catches him with a scoop slam. Murphy suckers Cesaro out of the ring and dropkicks him through the ropes, then hits a tope.
Murphy gets Cesaro back in the ring and hits a top rope crossbody for two-count. Cesaro shoves Murphy backwards into the buckles, then catches him with a European uppercut. Cesaro whips Murphy to the corners and hits uppercuts over and over, then a running kick to the face. Cesaro hits The Swing for a long time before transitioning to the Sharpshooter for the submission win.
Winner: Cesaro
Rollins gives Cesaro a fake applause from the announce desk and Cesaro smiles at him.
Reginald is walking with his suitcase backstage and passes Sasha Banks’ locker room. He knocks and asks her for another chance but she says no and slams the door in his face. Reggie then walks on down the hallway and Shayna and Nia are standing and Baszler says he reeks of failure. Baszler wants to fight him but Jax stops her and says he’s “kinda cute”.
*Commercial Break*
Apollo Crews comes to the ring and now he has a spear and two guys dressed in army gear flanking him. Crews speaks in a Nigerian accent and says everyone is telling him they don’t like the new him. Well the news is, this is the real him. He is a descendant of Nigerian royalty and a true African American. He says he has brought two real Nigerian Elite Guards with him. His father used to tell him about guards like them but he was ashamed of that heritage. His so-called friends would ask him if he lived in a jungle or rode a lion to school. He was ashamed.
Guards like them would leave people in a bloody mess and haunt them for generations. And the older he gets the more he realises history repeats itself. Big E disrespected him and he heard the voice is his ancestors telling him to stand up and take his heritage. So he knows Big E is at home and he’ll be back next week. Well he is not the same man Big E pushed aside, he doesn’t ask for opportunities, he demands them. He will stand before Big E and dominate him, leave him broken and humbled, and take the Intercontinental Championship.
Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville are arguing with Natalya and Tamina backstage. They want to know why they aren’t getting a tag title shot at Fastlane and Pearce says that’s just the choice that was made. Deville says she would have went with them instead.
Jey Uso is interviewed backstage and starts ranting about the Uso penitentiary but Daniel Bryan attacks him from behind and leaves him lying!
*Commercial Break*
We get a backstage segment of Ding Dong Hello with Bayley. She says she’s got a new segment in mind like Mean Tweets but, seeing as everyone loves her, it’s called Sweet Tweets. Bayley reads Tweets from people saying her talk show should main event WrestleMania, and that Sasha Banks would never get a talk show. The final card was not complimentary so she got up and slammed the door behind her.
Corey Graves is inside the steel cage and he reads us the rules of a steel cage match. They have a cameraman on top of the cage to give us a feeling of what it’s like. Graves says no matter who wins, they will leave a piece of themselves inside the cage. Daniel bryan makes his enrance, then Jey his. Just before the bell rings, Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman come out and Roman sits on the ramp to watch this one.
*Commercial Break
Steel Cage Match
Daniel Bryan Vs. Jey Uso W/Roman Reigns & PaUl hEYMAN
The match gets underway and Bryan runs at Jey and hits him with a forearm. Jey throws Bryan into the cage wall, then traps him between the ropes and cage and shoves his face into the mesh. Jey shouts at Bryan to acknowledge Roman, who gets off his seat and sates in Bryan’s face. Roman tells Jey “more”, and Uso lifts Bryan up to run him head-first into the cage. Jey asks for the door to be opened and he makes to leave but Bryan grabs his leg.
Jey pummels Bryan with right hands, then starts climbing the cage but Bryan chases after and drags him down to the top rope. They slam each other’s heads into the cage, then Jey jumps off and shakes the ropes to drop Bryan onto it. Jey then uppercuts Bryan off the ropes before running him into the turnbuckle. Bryan gives Jey a taste of his own medicine and slams him into the steel steps, then goes up top for a missile dropkick. Both men are down. Bryan hits a running kick to the arm of Jey, then wraps the arm over his shoulder and snaps it over his own.
Bryan then runs Jey into the steel cage shoulder-first a few times. Jey whips Bryan to the ropes but he jumps onto the top rope and starts climbing but Jey drops him into the tree of woe. Bryan stomps the knee of Bryan over and over that he hurt a few weeks ago at Elimination Chamber. Jey starts climbing but his arm is hurting. Bryan intercepts him and they’re both hanging over the edge. Jey slides down to the top rope and gets Bryan on his shoulders for a massive Samoan drop!
*Commercial Break*
We’re back live and Jey and Bryan are sitting on top of the cage and trading shots. Jey drags Bryan over the wall down to the top rope and Daniel brings Uso with him. Bryan hits the Yes Kicks while they’re both standing on the top rope, then Jey fires back with a superkick that knocks Bryan off. Jey follows-up with an Uso splash for a near-fall. Jey crawls towards the open door but Bryan grabs his ankle again. Jey climbs to his feet and hits an enziguiri, then Bryan fires back with a kick of his own, but Jey hits a superkick for another near-fall. Bryan pins Jey with a crucifix for a near-fall, then holds onto the crucifix position and elbows Jey’s head over and over.
Bryan tries to transition to the LeBell Lock but Uso wriggles away and clobbers Bryan with big right hands over and over. Jey looks at Roman sitting on the stage and figures out his next move. Uso starts scaling the cage wall but again Bryan climbs up behind and grabs his ankles. Bryan drags Jey down and climbs up and over himself but Jey drags him back inside. Bryan slams Jey into the cage a few times, then hits a butterfly superplex and rolls into the Yes Lock. Jey crawls to the ropes and gets it but there is no rope break. Bryan pulls back harder on the hold and Jey taps!
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Daniel bryan has secured his shot against Roman Reigns at Fastlane. Roman Reigns is not happy and Paul Heyman holds his head in his hands. Bryan climbs to the top of the cage and leads a Yes chant to end the show.
That’s it for this week’s SmackDown. Let us know what you thought of the show and we’ll see you back here tomorrow for all your wrestling needs. Until then, stay safe!