After an intense 10-man battle royal, who will face Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania? We recap what you missed on WWE Smackdown Live.
Deja Vu
WWE Smackdown Live began with general manager Daniel Bryan coming out and hyping the crowd up for the night. He was joined in the ring by Smackdown Women’s champion Naomi, who was once again bestowed with “you deserve it” chants.
What came next, however, was heartbreaking. Just like Daniel Bryan had to vacate two titles in his career, Naomi was forced to relinquish the Smackdown Women’s championship due to her knee injury.
As she was walking to the back, out came the former champion Alexa Bliss. Pleased with what just transpired, although not with the crowd, Bliss told Bryan that she should be given the title back. Bryan, though, had a better idea. A match against the Irish Lass Kicker Becky Lynch for the vacant title.
New Women’s Champion
For the most part, it appeared that Becky Lynch would become the first two-time Smackdown Women’s champion in history. However, it was not to be. Alexa Bliss took advantage of a distracted ref and deliver a blow to Lynch’s throat. Bliss rolled up Lynch and got a three count with a hand full of tights to once again become champion.
After the match, Mickie James celebrated with Bliss. When James charged the ring, she was met with a face full of punches from Lynch. She was then sent to the outside with a kick to the stomach. The story between Becky Lynch and Mickie James is far from other.
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How do you train for two brothers?
Next, Breezango was set to tango with the Smackdown tag team champions American Alpha. When the champs attempted to enter the ring, they were attacked by Breezango. They attempted to take advantage of the stunned Jason Jordan, but he was able to tag in his partner Chad Gable. Tyler Breeze was tossed out of the ring and Fandango was in trouble. In an ode to the Steiner Brothers, American Alpha executed a Steinerizer for the three count.
Once the match ended, the Uso’s made their presence known from the crowd. With an excellent promo, the Uso’s made it clear they are coming for the belts. This could be the biggest threat to American Alpha reign yet. Like they said, “How they gonna train for two brothers, Uce!?”
Fighting throughout the arena
In a Falls Count Anywhere Match to finish their feud, Nikki Bella and Natalya went for a stroll in the Citizens Business Bank Arena. While Nikki attempted to introduce a table into the match Natalya stopped her, but couldn’t stop getting hit a few times with a kendo stick. Then the fight took to the crowd where Natalya took control and started to dictate the pace of the match. That is until she attempted a super plex, which Nikki Bella was able to counter.
When the match returned to ringside, Natalya attempted to powerbomb Nikki Bella through the announce table. The Fearless one was able to fight her way out of it, and deliver an Alabama Slam onto the exposed announce table for a two count.
When the commercial break ended, the two took their fight backstage. While this featured Nikki Bella tossing Natalya head first through a glass mirror, it had something more meaningful. Natalya tossed Bella into Maryse, who later came out with a metal pipe and attacked Bella. After Maryse was restrained by The Miz, Natalya made the pin to pick up the win.
It appears the rumors of The Miz and Maryse vs John Cena and Nikki Bella at Wrestlemania 33 are starting to turn into truth.
Win and you’re going to Wrestlemania
Wrapping up the show is the 10-man battle royal to determine who faces Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania. John Cena, AJ Styles, The Miz, Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin, Luke Harper, Apollo Crews, Kalisto, Dolph Ziggler, and Mojo Rawley are your participants.
Mojo Rawley was the first man eliminated, no surprise there. He was followed by Kalisto and Dolph Ziggler. Angry, Ziggler attacked Kalisto with a chair, which garnered Apollo Crews attention. Crews was then eliminated by Baron Corbin. Crews then stole the chair and chased Ziggler to the back.
Then in a series that saw almost all of the remaining superstars take each other out, The Miz was the last man standing. The Miz took advantage and attacked everyone in the ring. However, his showboating allowed John Cena to take advantage and eliminated him.
When the commercial break ended, we witnessed a spot we’ve seen at Backlash, and at Elimination Chamber. John Cena german suplexed AJ Styles, who was holding onto Dean Ambrose. It’s still an impressive feat. Corbin was trying to eliminate Ambrose, but the Lunatic Fringe pulled the rope down and Corbin went over the top. He then pulled down Ambrose, under the bottom rope, and hit him with an End of Days on the floor.
Before anyone has time to react, The Miz reappeared and tossed John Cena over the top rope. The Miz retreated through the crowd as Cena looked on in disbelief. With Ambrose down and out, AJ Styles and Luke Harper tried to eliminate each other. Ambrose then came two and flipped both men onto the apron. Harper pulled Ambrose onto the apron and after a kick to the jaw, eliminated him.
Harper and Styles are the last two men remaining. The Wyatt Family outcast and the Phenomenal One. The two men fought on opposite side of a ring post. Harper pulled Styles over the top turnbuckle and both men went to the ground. Although Styles clearly hit the ground first, the officials claimed that both men hit the ground at the same time. Daniel Bryan came out and declared that the match was a draw, and a winner would be decided next week. Harper then hit Styles with a Discus clothesline that turned the Phenomenal One inside out.
The show ended with Bray Wyatt, with Randy Orton at his side, laughing at what had just transpired.