:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58032645/20171218_SD_Ziggler__ed455393a793aecb94d6dbde9ba6aea4.1513656985.jpg)
WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 19, 2017) from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, featuring the fallout show from the Clash of Champions pay-per-view (PPV) that went down this past Sunday night in Boston.
Advertised for tonight: It’s time to get started on the road to Royal Rumble!
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. 19
Bloody century is upon thee, revolution, war and disease. Earthquake, the cities falling, catastrophe will kill the east. There will be fire, there will be famine, drought and plague. We will succumb in the arena, thumbs down to seal our fate. World scum, bloody century eclipses the sun. Blood scum, the generation of sin returns-- but me, I'm just here to liveblog this pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with a hype video detailing the controversial ending to the tag team match at Clash of Champions.
Live in the arena, Daniel Bryan makes his entrance. He welcomes us to the show and says before he gets into the PPV he wants to talk about the announcement of the women's Royal Rumble from yesterday. It's going to be huge, awesome, and a turning point in WWE history. They also have a great show tonight, with Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Jinder Mahal in the main event against Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, and AJ Styles.
Enter Shane McMahon. He greets Bryan and the crowd and agrees that yes, the women's Royal Rumble is unprecedented and it'll be amazing, but he wants to talk about Clash of Champions. They were there, in the ring, both special guest referees. He's been thinking about it and everything was going the right way when Orton hit Zayn with the most beautiful RKO he's ever seen and he went down to count, smiling, one, two, knowing that when he got to three they'd be gone forever, but that's not what happened.
As he was coming down for three, Dan tripped and landed on him, breaking the count. Shane could have counted to fifty. Bryan says that was an accident and McMahon says he knows that know but at the time he got heated. Zayn got Orton rolled up and Shane got down one, two, and then thoughts of what Owens did to his dad, what Sami did to save Kev, and what Owens and Zayn had screwed SmackDown at Survivor Series went through his head and his emotions got the better of him and he stopped counting.
Bryan's emotions then got the better of him and he got in his face, Sami rolled Orton up again, and Dan counted one two three quickly, thus Kev and Sami are still here. So, having explained what was going through his head, Shane wants to know what was going through Bryan's. Dan says he did what he did to protect Shane from himself, and this gets a rousing "Thank you, Daniel!" chant from the crowd.
McMahon says with all due respect he doesn't need protection from him, and Bryan says he does. He eats, sleeps, and breathes SmackDown but his passion turns him into a hothead,and Bryan protected not just him, but an idea, THEIR idea. He took the job as general manager because he believes in their shared vision of the land of opportunity for everyone. Not just for people Shane likes.
He may not like Sami and Kevin, but you threaten their livelihood, to take away the opportunity they promise to everyone? McMahon says he's been trying to figure it out and ruminating on the idea and he can understand how he personally has empathy for Owens and Zayn but he wants him to know to be very careful because as soon as they're done playing his heartstrings they're gonna stab him in the back.
And from a business standpoint he can't show favoritism to them because it'll come around and bite them right in the ear. Bryan scoffs at the idea of Shane McMahon taking a business point of view, asking if he's saying he should have done what's best for business? Because he's heard those words before, and he's struggled against those words. But he believes in Shane, in SmackDown, and in their shared vision.
But if he has a completely different vision, that's his prerogative, and if he wants to fire somebody, Shane should fire him, because he doesn't want to see Shane O'Mac turn into Mr. McMahon. Shane takes this in for a second and squares up to Bryan and tells him he respects him implicitly and trusts him, good luck with the show tonight.
Commentary hypes up the six-man tag Bryan was talking about as well as Usos vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin and we go to break.
Back from commercial in time for entrances.
Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin vs. the Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
Gable and Jimmy to start, Chad with a waistlock but Uso gets out and gets him in the corner for a tag. Jey in with a corner forearm, big slicing right, slamming his face into the turnbuckles, hard whip across to the other side, tag back to Jimmy. Arm wringer, quick tag, and Gable ends up rolling outside for a breather as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Shelton draws Jimmy up but Uso throws chops. Whip across, sunset flip gets Jimmy two, Benjamin with a kick, Jimmy small package, no dice. Lands on his feet out of a back suplex, throws an enzuigiri, tag to Jey! In hot, taking to Gable, also legal, O'Connor roll denied, Samoan drop connects! Running hip attack, passing Shelton to the floor but he catches Jimmy with a knee strike!
Gable with a schoolboy nearfall, Jey hits a superkick and climbs, Benjamin climbs after him, Uso shoves him down! Diving splash, the knees are up, Chad reverses to a cradle... JIMMY BREAKS IT UP! CHAOS THEORY ON JIMMY! Running knee clobbers Jey! Chaos Theory, blind tag to Benjamin, powerbomb lift...
Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin win by pinfall with a powerbomb / inverted bulldog combination on Jey Uso.
Commentary hypes up Dolph Ziggler's United States Championship Celebration and we see Charlotte Flair walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Charlotte Flair makes her entrance and we get a video package recapping Stephanie McMahon's historic brawl-stopping announcement of the historic first-ever women's Royal Rumble.
Charlotte gets on the mic and says the video gave her goosebumps. At Clash of Champions she retained her title and nothing makes her happier than having the honor to carry the title on her shoulder. (It's currently around her waist.) And Stephanie announced the first-ever women's Royal Rumble, but you want to know who helped? All of us, the fans, taking to our social media, chanting in the arenas and showing passion, and management listened.
And no matter who wins the Rumble, she'll be waiting to defend her title at WrestleMania.
Enter Naomi. She congratulates Flair on her title defense and says she's out here to be the first SmackDown woman to declare that she's going to be in the Royal Rumble! And she'll see Charlotte at WrestleMania.
Enter the Riott Squad. Naomi calls them the three stooges who won't be in the Royal Rumble, because the Royal Rumble isn't about sneak attacks, it's about every woman for herself and surviving the numbers game. She and Charlotte have survived everything they've thrown at them, so why not two of them, step up for a match so they can teach them how to rumble?
We go to break, and presumably we'll come back to the match.
Back from commercial and the match is in progress!
Charlotte Flair & Naomi vs. Riott Squad (Ruby Riott & Sarah Logan)
Flair in control on Logan, throwing chops with aplomb. Whip, Sarah gets a back elbow, ducks a boot and takes Charlotte's leg out from under her! Tag to Riott, snapmare, pick the leg, kicking at the hamstring, stepping over into a leglock, tag back to Logan, tearing away at the leg even further, elbowing at the back of the knee. Ruby tags back in, continuing to chop away, quick tag back to Sarah.
Stomp to the back of the knee, posting the knee from Flair's full height into the mat, but she tries again and Charlotte uses her momentum to get to her feet and tag Naomi in! Naomi in with repeated rights, wristlock roundhouse kick, she knocks Riott off the apron, Logan with a schoolboy, Naomi hits a scorpion kick, springboard enzuigiri and Ruby has to break the cover up!
Headbutt from Logan, whip, Naomi slides low and Sarah knocks Morgan off the apron. She turns around and runs into it...
Charlotte Flair & Naomi win by pinfall with Rear View from Naomi on Sarah Logan.
Backstage the New Day are in costume (Big E is an elf, Xavier Woods a reindeer, and Kofi Kingston a gingerbread man) with some stocking stuffers for all of us. Big feeds a man a pancake, Kingston goes to hand out a few shirt when Rusev Claus and Aiden "Frosty the Snowman" English roll up on them! Rusev is going to give the people what they really want, Rusev Day shirts! Rusev Claus has only one list, the naughty list, and everyone is on it, except Aiden!
English since a version of O Christmas Tree with the lyrics modified to be about Rusev Day and challenging New Day to a match. Rusev stomps E's pancakes and spits on them! Big tells him he's flapped the wrong jack and he's got a fight! Happy Rusev Day!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Dolph Ziggler makes his entrance.
He told us so. And anyone wondering "Why is Dolph in the title match", this is why, he says as he holds the title up. If you think him winning the title was out of nowhere, you haven't been paying attention for the last twelve years. For twelve years he's walked into work every day accepting every challenge thrown his way literally and figuratively.
Some guys might tell you they're the biggest, the baddest, or the most charismatic, not him, he's just the best. No one can do what he does in the ring, and if the United States Championship doesn't prove it to you, it's not his first one. Maybe you need a refresher course, and if so he plays a clip from Capitol Punishment 2011, where he beat Kofi Kingston for the same title with a sleeper hold.
You think that's it, he's just getting started tonight. He's also a five-time Intercontinental Champion, and we see clips of all those victories as well. What else? Oh yeah, he won Money in the Bank and cashed in to become World Heavyweight Champion. He's one of the most decorated superstars in WWE history, and night after night, year after year, he's proved it to himself and the rest of the world and he still goes unappreciated.
We're not worthy of his presence, none of us are. We don't deserve him, and you want something to remember him by? He looks at the title and sets it down in the ring... and leaves.
Daniel Bryan is in his office on the phone with someone when Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens roll up with a bottle of champagne to give to him to thank him for doing the right thing on Sunday. Sami says he didn't just do the right thing for them, but for their legions of devoted fans that know that they're the best thing of SmackDown. Bryan says he didn't do it for them or their fans, but for SmackDown, and he doesn't drink.
They play it off like they knew and bring up the elephant in the room, his grudge against Randy Orton for stealing his title as the centerpiece of the Authority who tried to break his mind, his body, and his soul. Ironically enough what Shane McMahon is trying to do to them! And, as a friend, they want him to know that Shane might try to do that to him next.
But the good thing is they're ready to get the last laugh, and Dan says they're delusional and if they don't stop gloating he might have to fire them himself. He orders them to get ready for their match.
New Day are walking backstage throwing pancakes at dudes to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Big E does the deal and New Day make their entrance.
New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. Rusev Day (Aiden English & Rusev)
Kingston and English to start, Kofi goes behind, standing switch, reverse to an armbar, arm drag, tag to Rusev. Duck the lariat, Kingston to the floor doing jumping jacks and dodging because he's the gingerbread man you see. Shaking his tailfeather at Rusev, he chases around the ring, Aiden heads in and gets caught by a dropkick and Rusev gets passed to the floor!
Big throws Rusev's sack of gifts to Woods and Kingston and they pull t-shirts out and throw them to the crowd! They eventually pull a pair of underwear with "Happy Rusev Day" written crudely on them in Sharpie when Rusev Day attack from behind to send us to break.
Back from commercial and Rusev is in firm control, choking Kofi over the ropes. Kingston throwing hands, off the ropes he gets absolutely clobbered by a lariat for a nearfall! Rusev throws Kofi into the corner but charges into a boot and a tornado DDT that puts him on the wrong side of the ring. Both men trying to regain their wits, crawling... tags made!
Woods in hot, flying forearms, kick to the gut, hangs him up on the middle rope and hits the dropkick! Whip reversed, boot up, Honor Roll caught and countered into a fireman's carry spinebuster! Kingston breaks the pin up, Rusev dumps him outside and Rusev Day have evil intentions for Woods! English dismantles the announce table, Rusev brings the pancakes over, Aiden gets some whipped cream out of the sack and loads the plate up!
Rusev carefully adds a single cherry, English draws Xavier up and tries to force him into the dish! KOFI TAKES RUSEV OUT WITH A COFFIN DROP! THEY PUT AIDEN INTO THE PANCAKES WITH A FLAPJACK! Woods passes English back into the ring, gamengiri connects, he perches up top, takes a few steps...
New Day win by pinfall with the Gran Naniwa elbow drop from Xavier Woods on Aiden English.
New Day celebrate dancing in the ring.
Commentary tosses to a preview of this week's episode of Total Divas.
AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and Shinsuke Nakamura are shown backstage talking strategy to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for Hideo Itami's debut on 205 Live tonight.
We get all our main event entrances, but the match itself will have to wait until after the break.
Back from commercial in time for the bell!
AJ Styles, Randy Orton, & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens, & Sami Zayn
Mahal and Orton to start, but Randy goes right past him to clear the apron! Uppercuts knock Jinder down and all hell breaks loose with Styles and Nakamura taking the fight to Zayn and Owens when they come back in. To the floor, Orton and Mahal join them, back suplex on the announce table and back in the ring for right hands and boots in the corner.
Whip reversed, duck the lariat, early RKO blocked and the lariat gets one instead. Tag to Shinsuke, knee lift, Jinder backs him into their corner and tags Sami in. Arm wringer into a kneeling armbar, Nakamura reverses to a wristlock of his own but Zayn gets in the ropes and the King of Strong Style does his weird break. Asking for more, Shinsuke hits a knee, a knee drop, front chancery, tag to AJ.
Styles looking for a suplex, Sami reverses, AJ floats over, waistlock, standing switch, single leg, Styles kips up into a Frankensteiner! Sami into the corner, tag to Orton, front suplex into the ropes, only two. Jinder tags in, trading shots, shoulder block, off the ropes for a knee drop, tag to KO. He puts boots to Randy to send us to break.
Back from commercial and Owens is in control on the Viper, locking him down with a reverse chinlock. Randy breaks free and KO throws a few punches before charging into a back elbow. Second pass puts his shoulder into the ringpost, Orton dumps Zayn to the floor and tags Styles in! Styles Rush, off the ropes but Jinder low bridges him to the floor!
Kev out after him, throwing him bodily into the barricade before taking him back in the ring for a senton and a cover that gets two. Crossface strike, choke against the bottom rope and a tag to Sami. Off the ropes, lariat, good for two and a tag to Mahal. He comes in with a stomp, slingshot knees into a choke, shoulder thrusts in the corner, AJ to the second and he lands a tornado DDT!
Tags made to Nakamura and Sami, jump kick connects, he fends Owens off with a flurry of strikes and an axe kick, chest kicks for Zayn, knees to the ribs and head, toss into the corner and Good Vibrations! Corner knee set up, the cover's good for two, roundhouse kick misses but the reverse roundhouse strikes true and gets a nearfall! Drawing him up, inverted exploder suplex attempted but Sami gets the ropes.
Countering a lariat, flying armbar but Zayn has his hands clasped! KO BREAKS IT UP WITH A SENTON! Randy runs KO off, Jinder DDTs the Viper, AJ with the Pele Kick and a slingshot forearm for Owens! Shinsuke pulls himself up, he's fired up... but the Singh Brothers run interference! Referee Mike Chioda ejects the Singh Brothers! RKO on Mahal! Both Singhs take the rope-hung DDT!
PHENOMENAL FOREARM FOR OWENS WITH A BIT OF HELP FROM THE VIPER! DIRECTING TRAFFIC...
AJ Styles, Randy Orton, & Shinsuke Nakamura win by pinfall with Kinshasa from Shinsuke Nakamura on Sami Zayn.
Styles, Orton, and Nakamura celebrate.
That's the show, folks.