:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57923039/20171208_SD_AJJinder__e08e84d0c7539f406f1560452a630478.0.jpg)
WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 12, 2017) from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, featuring the go home show to the upcoming Clash of Champions pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for this coming Sunday night in Boston.
Advertised for tonight: AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal come face-to-face, Kevin Owens vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR DEC. 12
All the pumping's nearly over for my sweet heart. This is the one for me, time to meet the chef. Oh boy, the running man is out of death. Feel cold and old, it's getting hard to catch my breath; 's back to ash. Now, you've had your flash boy, the rocks, in time, compress your blood to oil... your flesh to coal. Enrich the soil, not everybody's goal. Me, for example, I'm here to liveblog this pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of last week's main event.
Backstage, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn are handing out flyers when they roll up on Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin to tell them about their Yep! Movement and how they're gonna Occupy SmackDown. They give RD Evans two and carry on their way.
In the arena, AJ Styles makes his entrance. He welcomes us to the House That AJ Styles Built and says normally he's cool and collected but he can't eat, he can't sleep, all he can think about is defending the title on Sunday. He doesn't want to lose what he's finally got back, and that's probably how Jinder Mahal felt. But what good is being champion if you're not a fighting champion?
So he WILL defend his title against a man that held it for six months, a man who did anything and everything to hang onto it. For example, the Punjabi Prison Match. A home field advantage, AND he had the Great Khali help him! Plus the Singh Brothers, so you know Jinder will do anything and everything to get it back, and the truth is, he agrees with him, he knows what it's like--
Enter the Singh Brothers. They apologize for the interruption and say usually they introduce the Modern-Day Maharaja at this time, but not tonight. For those of you that missed it, they roll footage of Jinder beating them up after their handicap loss to Styles two weeks ago. AJ says that was cruel and he kinda feels sorry for them, so c'mon down and he'll hug it out.
They hug each other and Styles stops 'em and calls 'em into the ring. He indeed hugs one Singh and then the other but stops a double dip. They thank him for his support and says the real reason they're out here is to tell him that on Sunday they want to be in HIS corner at Clash of Champions. As far as they're concerned, Jinder will be wrestling AJ alone and they're done with him.
He's a disgrace to the 1.3 billion people of the great nation of India. AJ encourages them to keep going and they do, complaining about Mahal traveling first class while they're packed in like sardines, talking about how he can't tell them apart (/collar tug) and they made them kiss his feet! His feet that smelled like cheese and garlic mixed with butter chicken.
Styles says it seems like they have some real beef with Jinder, but if they're really angry with him, why were they at his side like usual in India? They got caught on social media! The Singhs profess that they're done, finished, over with, and AJ offers a handshake, which one of them accepts when Jinder's music hits.
Styles tells him not even to bother, he knows what's going on here. These two dingleberries come down here trying to convince him they don't work for him anymore? Yeah right. But he likes what they said about them fighting one-on-one, and they were right... HE HEADBUTTS BOTH SINGHS IN TURN AND DUMPS THEM OUTSIDE! HE LIES THE BELT IN THE RING LIKE A LINE TO CROSS AND BIDS MAHAL TAKE IT FROM HIM!
Jinder gets on the apron and jaws at him but he chooses to back off and tend to the Singhs instead of stand and fight with the Champ That Runs the Camp.
Commentary hypes up Kevin Owens vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for later and we see the Riott Squad walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial in time for the bell. Or actually in time for a recap and to see that Natalya has joined the commentary desk.
Charlotte Flair vs. Ruby Riott
Flair in with a waistlock takedown, another, looking for a third and she has to snap it off low-angle but she gets it. Distracted with the Riott Squad but she manages to get back on task with a kick and a fallaway slam and Ruby heads outside for a breather to send us to break.
Back from commercial and Riott is in charge, putting Charlotte into the turnbuckle and hitting a senton only to find the knees up! STO backbreaker in return, running kick, Sarah Logan to the apron and Flair knocks her off and dumps Ruby out after her before following and laying Liv Morgan out! Turning around to see Nattie jawing at her, forearm, she cleans house on everybody at ringside but Neidhart clobbers her with a lariat...
Charlotte Flair wins by disqualification.
The Riott Squad take the champion in the ring and try to set her up but she throws hands to try and even the odds... and that damn numbers game prevails. They take Charlotte outside and sling her into the steps and then into the barricade! Morgan and Logan take the bottom step and lean it over Flair looking to take her out like they did Naomi... NAOMI IS BACK AND MAKES THE SAVE!
DOUBLE DROPKICK! She slings Ruby into the ring, forearms flying, whip... REAR VIEW! The Riott Squad decide discretion is the better part of valor... BUT TAMINA, LANA, AND CARMELLA ATTACK FROM BEHIND! Riott & co. take their leave up the side.
Commentary informs us that Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler will be after the break.
Back from commercial we get a bit of hype for WWE Week on USA.
Backstage, Daniel Bryan is on the phone with Shane McMahon saying he has everything under control and he'll be on commentary for the main event to keep an eye on things. Kev and Sami roll up on him and leave a flyer and he hangs up to take a look at it.
Bobby Roode has joined the commentary booth.
Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler
Collar and elbow, Corbin backs Ziggler into the corner and breaks dirty with a slap, getting a shove in return and he punches Dolph clean to the mat! Corner avalanche, followup denied, and Ziggler puts Corbin hard into the post! Roode gets up and removes his robe, heading into the ring, lying in wait, kick to the gut, Glorious DDT...
Dolph Ziggler wins by disqualification.
Corbin with the goozle, Bobby breaks it... Glorious DDT on Corbin!
The Bludgeon Brothers will be in action after the break.
Back from commercial we get a clip from Fashion Files where the Ascension are giving Breezango a pep talk and the hot cops agree to wrestle Bludgeon Brothers.
Bludgeon Brothers (Harper & Rowan) vs. Colin Delaney & Juan Francisco de Coronado
Colin and Rowan to start, Erick throws a dropkick and rams him in the corner! They wipe Delaney out with a Luke discus lariat and Rowan press slams the Chikara Grand Champion back in the ring where the Brothers double team him to hell with the Brodie Bomb! Back to Colin...
Bludgeon Brothers win by pinfall with the double crucifix powerbomb on Colin Delaney.
Commentary hypes up Owens and Sami's Yep! Movement and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn make their entrance.
Owens begins, saying the Yep! Movement has arrived, and Zayn says it's surreal, talking about the energy in the building, and that it's as if the entire WWE Universe is finally standing side by side with them against WWE management and they stand united in the name of change. He says management finally took things one step too far and rolls the footage of KO getting chained to the bottom rope last week.
Kev says you think Stephanie and Vince are ruthless, but after their nine months on SmackDown, there's no doubt-- Shane is the worst McMahon of them all. Not only did he handcuff him to the rope like a common criminal, he made himself the guest referee at Clash of Champions with a stipulation where if they lose, they get fired from the entire WWE? Shane is nothing but a madman on a rage bender, trying to humiliate them and get them to lose their jobs because he couldn't defend his family's honor.
But it's time to show that this business is bigger than McMahon and his family's honor, because it's time to fill the ring and occupy SmackDown! They cajole people to come down and nobody does... until Daniel Bryan comes out with no music. Well, slightly delayed music. Owens welcomes him as the inspiration for the Yep! Movement and Sami says they thought they'd get hundreds of people but it doesn't matter since they have Bryan.
Dan asks them what they're doing. Zayn says he knows what they're doing and Kev spells it out as analogous to the Yes! Movement, talking about how they were degraded and treated unfairly just like he was. Bryan says they're nothing like him, and if anything this proves it-- the Yes! Movement was never about him, it was about the fans and what they wanted and deserved.
Sami agrees with the slight caveat that it's a little more about what they want and deserve. KO asks Bryan if he's drinking Shane's Kool-Aid and talks about how he clearly wants to screw them at Clash of Champions. Zayn talks about how they worked for years and years on the indies and this ruthless tyrant wants to take it away from them like that? Dan says he and Shane have an agreement where they have each other's backs, and despite all of what they've said, he recognizes their talent.
He's going to make sure their match on Sunday is fair and that they have an opportunity to prove that they belong. If they lose, there will be no excuses. He doesn't know if Shane will agree, but he trusts he'll have his back, and at Clash of Champions, there will be a second guest referee and that man is him!
Commentary hypes up Usos vs. Rusev Day and we go to break.
Back from commercial in time for entrances and to see that New Day have joined the commentary booth.
Aiden English then continues the Twelve Days of Rusev, starting at the eighth day with eight Aiden songs, seven boards a-breaking, six machka kicks, five Plovdiv keys, four of the lads, three unhindered Jinders, two Rusev shirts, and a massive win over the New Day.
The Usos enter and cut a promo about how Rusev Day is on the naughty list, but say they weren't and Santa landed on their roof, what kind of presents would he bring? Singing lessons, a toupee, a new tag partner, a new tan? But at Clash of Champions, it ain't about New Day, it ain't about Rusev Day, and it ain't about no trout it's about that Day One Ish.
This brings Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin down, Chad being sick of days-- they're for the weak, which is what they all are. Shelton says the only day that matters is Sunday, because they're coming to collect those titles and King Kong ain't got ish on them, Uce. Gable says that's training day, and they'll train them like dogs to get pinned and bring the titles to their masters, Gable and Benjamin.
We go to break before the match actually begins.
Back from commercial and the match is in progress!
Rusev Day (Aiden English & Rusev) vs. the Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
Rusev is in control, putting a bear hug in on Jey! He tries to knock Jimmy off after breaking the hold but fails, turns around, catches a kick but gets caught by the second go! Crawling, tags made! Jimmy in hot, lariats, midsection superkick, popping and locking to a right, Samoan drop follows and he's fired up! Got him in the corner, English up on a charge, he goes for a dive... right into a superkick! Rusev breaks up the pin!
Jey passes Rusev to the floor but gets clocked with a right on a dive! Jimmy with a baseball slide, kind of two-stagey and Aiden intervenes, the Machka Kick connects, Aiden English ready to capitalize...
Rusev Day win by pinfall with Director's Cut from English on Jimmy Uso.
This leads into a recap of AJ Styles and Jinder facing off from earlier to set up an interview with the Champ That Runs the Camp. He says the Sings weren't fooling anybody and he doesn't need anybody's help to beat the odds-- JINDER MAHAL BLINDSIDES HIM! Another shot in and Mahal tells him on Sunday he will NOT beat the odds before slamming him back to the floor.
Commentary sends us to break.
Back from commercial, commentary shills for the WWE Network and hypes up Clash of Champions in doing so.
Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura make their entrances and are interviewed about their guest referees on Sunday. Orton says he can't speak to their motivations but he can speak to his own and it's quite simple. He doesn't like either of them, they're obnoxious and self-entitled, and on Sunday they're gonna do everyone a favor and make sure those two idiots lose their jobs.
Shinsuke agrees with a "Yep!" and that's the interview.
His match against Kevin Owens will be after the break.
Back from commercial, we're told that 205 Live will feature Ariya Daivari vs. Cedric Alexander.
Daniel Bryan joins the commentary booth at this time.
Kevin Owens vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Owens right away with kicks to the ribs and chest, overhead elbows, side headlock applied, Nakamura tries to shoot him off but KO slides short and goes to one knee. Breaking with taunts, knife edge chop, Shinsuke returns a forearm and Kev presses the attack, whip, Nakamura catches himself short and kicks his chest in. Off the ropes, Owens takes a breather on the floor and suckers Shinsuke in to ram him into the apron a few times!
Back inside, running senton gets a nearfall and Owens goes to the reverse chinlock, grounding the King of Strong Style. To his feet, body blows, KO decides on a mat slam and a stomp to set up a crossface blow and another cover, again just two. Another stomp, knee in the corner, a chop, whip reversed and Nakamura hammers him with a corner knee and forearms to set up the rope-hung knee but Owens sidesteps and snaps Shinsuke's face over the turnbuckle!
Throwing him into the barricade, KO is in firm control as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Owens has the reverse chinlock but Nakamura is getting to his feet and throwing hands. Kev clubs him down, throws a knee, and drops a knee across his throat. Charging over, KO gets the boot up, short-arm lariat gets two, mounted punches into a stomp, going for a running senton... the knees are up! To their feet, trading forearms, Owens with a whip, Shinsuke ducks a lariat and lands the single leg dropkick!
Duck another lariat, strike rush, follow it with a sitout gourdbuster and the King of Strong Style is rolling! Chest kicks, Owens catches one but eats the roundhouse from the other! Charging knee, more knees in the corner as referee Jason Ayers counts, Good Vibrations, fireman's carry sets up the corner knee lift but it's only good for a nearfall. Setting Kev up top, elbows, climbing to join him, and Owens knocks him down with headbutts.
Perching up high, senton atomico... THE KNEES ARE UP! Inverted exploder denied with elbows... and Owens shoves Ayers by accident! Waistlock, DANIEL BRYAN GETS UP AND TAKES THE SHIRT OFF JASON'S BACK! Pop-up powerbomb denied, Nakamura hits a flying heel kick, Bryan slides in... ONLY A NEARFALL! Sami in to jaw at him, Orton comes in to wipe him out but they end up brawling on the floor.
Nakamura fired up but he gets distracted by Sami, off the ropes...
Kevin Owens wins by pinfall with the pop-up powerbomb.
Sami and Kevin celebrate up the ramp. We get a replay of Bryan's impromptu stint as referee with Byron Saxton trying to sell us that he hesitated and cost Shinsuke the victory.
Owens and Zayn are interviewed from the ramp. KO says nobody, no Shane McMahon, not Shinsuke Nakamura, and not Randy Orton will take this away from them, because they are the absolute best, not just on SmackDown, but in the entire WWE, and he kisses his pal to punctuate it.
That's the show, folks.