WWE SmackDown spoilers, results, live updates (July 18, 2014): Battleground go home show

WWE Friday Night SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (July 18, 2014) from Fayetteville, North Carolina, with a taped show on the SyFy channel featuring the go home show to the Battleground pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for this Sunday night in Tampa, Florida.

Because SmackDown is a taped show, you can simply go read the spoilers to know everything that happens (find them by clicking here). We will provide results with a live blog below anyway.

You can use this space to discuss all the events as they occur, however, and it's probably going to enhance your viewing experience. In fact, I know it is because we're a lot of fun around here.

Enjoy the show!

__________________________________

SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG

- Dean Ambrose was out first, pissed off about getting his ass kicked on Raw this week. For two years he heard Seth Rollins was the smart one -- "look at the big brains on Seth" -- and agreed with his smarts considering Rollins recruited Kane and Randy Orton to help him. But if he thought the beating would knock Ambrose out of their match at Battleground, he's not as smart as they think. But to hell with all that, let's get it on here. Naturally, Rollins popped up on the Titantron and put over Ambrose for having guts but nothing else. He talked about their match being a marquee attraction. He would come out and beat Dean up tonight but he tweaked his knee on Raw, so he's not medically cleared. They continued going back-and-forth for a minute before Rollins revealed Ambrose would face Kane later in the night.

- Fandango & Fandango vs. Sheamus & Dolph Ziggler was next. They were pushing the new Miz character hard. Remember, no one can touch his moneymaker. They gave them some time and the babyfaces went over after a chaotic finish that saw Ziggler hit the Zig Zag on Miz.

- Nikki Bella was introduced as special guest referee for a match between Eva Marie and Alicia Fox. Hilariously enough, neither wrestler got a TV entrance. Only Nikki did. Eva and Alicia locked up a few times and were forced to break when they got the ropes. Nikki was forced to work, basically. Eva started going after Nikki after a supposed slow count on a pinfall attempt. Nikki didn't respond but when she turned around, Fox kicked her in the gut. This was a really weird sequence. Alicia and Eva did a little back patting over Nikki after and that was that. "Nikki's not a good referee, that's what we learned," JBL said.

- Stardust showed up to act weird. Goldust did the same. They were talking about dimensions. I think there was a Twilight Zone reference in there.

- Chris Jericho vs. Luke Harper was next. Bray Wyatt cut a promo calling Jericho a liar and saying there is no turning back now. "When it is your fate that is hanging in the balance, it will not matter if you're one feet or one hundred feet off the ground, Chris. It will be too late. Don't worry about saving us, Chris; just worry about saving yourself." That led into the match. This was a really good match, one of the best matches Harper's had since he's been around. Jericho went over with a roll up despite attempted interference from Erick Rowan. The Wyatt Family tried to beat "Y2J" down after the match but The Usos ran in to make the save.

- Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger were out. Colter said Lana would have to pay for slapping him on Raw. But that's for another time. Instead, he talked about being tired of the "peg-legged" Russians propping up Vladimir Putin -- "if that is his name" -- and while he's been critical of his government, he's an American. That's for him to do, not Lana and Rusev. At Battleground, Swagger will be "crush proof". Uncharacteristically bad promo from Colter. Tripped up a lot, misfired on his timing, and generally failed to bring across what he was trying to say. Lana and Rusev hit the stage. They talked but said nothing. Instead, Swagger and Rusev just waved their flags at each other.

- Alberto Del Rio was out. They did an inset promo that featured Del Rio saying "the Intercontinental championship has eluded me for a long time" but that he'll win it this Sunday. That's a hilarious line. His match was with Kofi Kingston. He also got an inset promo, saying his greatest career accomplishment has been winning the Intercontinental championship. I don't think many fans would agree. They had a match and Del Rio worked really stiff. He went over clean and the commentators put him over as a favorite in the Intercontinental championship battle royal.

- Fandango came upon Summer Rae and Layla. They were disgusted with him. His plan to get them back? To win the Intercontinental championship. They told him to pound sand. Bo Dallas showed up and was, of course, the most amazing character in history.

- AJ Lee and Paige were out to team up with each other next against Summer Rae and Layla. Summer started the match doing the splits, so AJ kicked her in the back. Good stuff. AJ and Paige went over in a short match when AJ made Summer tap to the Black Widow. They teased dissension after the match but when Paige grabbed AJ up and brought her in, it was for a hug.

- They did another commercial spot for Sonic, this time using The Usos and Hornswoggle. It was awful.

- Seth Rollins and Kane met backstage to talk. Rollins said he just wanted to get on the same page and make sure tonight was all about Dean Ambrose. Kane said he had something in store. Rollins was happy about the talk as Kane walked off. Then he came back and told Rollins not to get any ideas about cashing in the contract at the show this weekend.

- Main event was next. Kane did the pyro nonsense but Ambrose attacked while it was happening. That's nice character work. I couldn't pay complete attention to the match because there was some guy in the crowd in front of the hard camera who was laying in punches on some kid and the kid was selling like Dolph Ziggler. The match was nothing special -- from what I could see -- and it ended in predictable fashion when Rollins ran in and attacked Ambrose for the disqualification. Rollins was moving just fine on the knee, so there you go with that. They set up the steps in the ring. Rollins did the Curb Stomp on Ambrose there and posed with the briefcase standing atop the steps as the show faded out.

End.