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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 5, 2017) from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Clash of Champions pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for later this month in Boston.
Advertised for tonight: Sami Zayn facing possible consequences, Charlotte vs. Tamina, New Day vs. Rusev Day, The Bludgeon Brothers in action, 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. 5
In these days that pass before me, there was an anxious feeling that would hold me down, tearing me inside, bleeding my spirit. This is the turning point, the rising of the tide; no fear inside. This is the change that takes the suffering away. No more wasting time, because I'm here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with SmackDown's intro video.
Live in the arena, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn make their entrance. Owens gets on the mic and welcomes us to the Sami & Kevin Show and Zayn corrects him as usual, suggesting that it be the Kevin & Sami Show. KO says when he's as great an athlete as they are, you never stop learning, and what he's learned over the past few months is that when you're the victim of a McMahon family vendetta, they will stop at nothing to get their pound of flesh.
Just ask Daniel Bryan, right? Or Bret Hart? Or "Stone Cold" Steve Austin! Better yet, just ask them, because let's face it, they're better than any of the guys they just mentioned, and that's why they're the latest objects of the McMahon family wrath. Case in point, last week Shane McMahon, who is supposed to have the WWE Universe's best interests in heart, tried to end Kev's career by way of his vessel of destruction, Randy Orton.
Sami says it's funny, because history repeats itself, and not that long ago it was Stephanie McMahon who used Randy Orton to do his dirty work. Owens talks about how Orton had every door opened for him while they scratched and clawed for everything they got and Shane can't get over how they humiliated him at Hell in a Cell and how he failed at Survivor Series.
Zayn says the embarrassing part is his plan didn't even work, and KO picks it back up saying he knew what he had to do last week when he made the match no disqualification with Sami barred from ringside-- he'd have to beat Randy up so bad he'd no longer be an option for Shane, to show the world he's not afraid of the Viper or the vendetta, and to do that he had to outsmart McMahon.
And, let's be honest, it's that hard to outsmart a man blinded by his own shortcomings like Shane is. Sami says he knows McMahon is born and bred into the business, but even the best of us need a reminder, and right now, he's in the ring. He rolls out and points out that he's outside the ring, what they in the business sometimes call ringside.
At ringside you might see a terrible announce team, ring announcer, bell man, his name might be Steve, an up close look at the WWE Universe, which isn't the most pleasant sight in the world tonight and then, he says as he gets the ramp, right around here, that's something very different. This area is where he laid waste to Randy Orton with a steel chair, and you can call that attack whatever you want, heinous, vicious, cowardly, but you definitely can't say it happened ringside.
Thus, Shane McMahon needs to watch his words more carefully. You want him and Owens to conform to the system, well they'll follow your rules and still win! The crowd maybe doesn't react how he'd like and he doubles down-- RKO OUTTA NOWHERE ON KO IN THE RING! Sami is stunned and Shane McMahon makes his entrance before he can make a break for it!
Shane thanks him for his tutorial as to what is ringside and says he wants to clear a few things up. For one, he doesn't have a personal vendetta against them. And also they felt disrespected for not having anything at Survivor Series? At Clash of Champions he has something for them-- they'll face the duo of the Viper, Randy Orton and a partner of his choosing.
But Sami's so hopped up with energy that he wants to give him something to do tonight, and that's a one-on-one match with... let him think for a second... Randy Orton! Oh, and once Owens gets his faculties about him, he's more than welcome to join him at ringside, in fact he's gonna insist on it, because KO is gonna be handcuffed to the ropes!
Commentary hypes up Baron Corbin vs. Bobby Roode and New Day vs. Rusev & Aiden English, and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a bit of hype for John Cena's media appearance in support of his new film.
Backstage Sami and Kev are freaking out, Owens complaining he can't even turn his neck and asking Zayn what happened. When he's informed of the match KO is stoked about the chance for revenge and Sami mentions the handcuff stipulation and Owens is as upset as you'd imagine. He knows how to fix this, though, and he's gonna go talk to Daniel Bryan.
Aiden English and Rusev are in the ring, and Aiden informs us that every day is Rusev Day, much like how every day is Caturday. But at this time of year, there's a very special Twelve Days of Rusev, and he sings a riff on the Twelve Days of Christmas, starting with "a tag team victory" and moving through "two Rusev shirts", but before he can get to the third day of Rusev, Big E does the deal and New Day make their entrance, slinging giant pancakes into the crowd.
New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) vs. Rusev Day (Aiden English & Rusev)
English and E to start, test of strength but Aiden feints a kick and follows with an overhead elbow, waistlock, trying for a takedown but Big pops his hips, throws him off, and makes the tag. Kingston in with a Penalty Kick, English gets a punch in, whip, boots up, Kofi with a double jump crossbody for two! Duck a lariat, leaping lariat, Kingston is fired up but Rusev drags his partner out of the ring!
Kofi fakes out a dive and New Day celebrate in the ring with pelvic thrusts to send us to break.
Back from commercial and English is in control with a reverse chinlock on Kingston, singing while he works. Kofi throws elbows and a jawbreaker to escape, lunging for the tag but Aiden takes him back into his corner and tags Rusev in. Bear hug, wrenching it in and letting Kingston suffer until he breaks free with a headbutt, at which point the Bulgarian Brute catches him with a spinning wheel kick!
Whip to the corner, boot up, Kofi looking for the tag but Rusev cuts him off and passes him into a neutral corner. Kingston busts out the Trevor Lee double stomp, tags made! E in like a house afire, the trifecta of belly-to-belly suplexes gives way to the hip swivels and the big splash and he lies in wait but Aiden counters the Big Ending with a rake of the eyes and tags Rusev back in.
Rusev charges in, Big hits the corner Rock Bottom and tags Kofi in, thinking about dives but Rusev yanks him to the floor and puts him into the steps... KOFI KINGSTON HUGE WILD TURNING TRUST FALL DIVE! But back in the ring, Rusev is able to capitalize...
Rusev Day wins by pinfall with the thrust kick from Rusev on Kofi Kingston.
Commentary recaps the breakup of Hype Bros from last week, and we go to an interview with Mojo Rawley backstage.
He says everybody keeps getting on him for what he did to Zack Ryder. His boy Gronk keeps getting on him, but why doesn't anybody ask what Zack did to him? The second Ryder got hurt he went and won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in Memory of Andre the Giant by himself. The second things are going his way, Zack comes back to drag him down like dead weight.
But Mojo is a serious competitor, he's nobody's tag team partner because he's a superstar, and if there's anybody in the locker room, in the arena, anywhere, that has a problem with what he did to Ryder, they can shove it.
Commentary hypes up Zayn/Orton and we go to break.
Back from commercial, commentary informs us there will be a four-way tag title match at Clash of Champions.
Daniel Bryan is backstage listening to Carmella, Lana, and Tamina bickering. Carmella says getting rid of Ellsworth justifies giving her a spot at Clash of Champions, but Lana says her "Samoan Soldier" deserves a shot at Flair, but Bryan says he's sorry but the title match is already set. Well, Carmella could join it if she hands over the contract, which she has named Frankie.
The Riott Squad roll up and Ruby starts talking about how they've made the earth move, she even pinned the champion, and she hasn't been put in the match? Liv Morgan calls Bryan superficial and prejudiced against blondes, and Sarah Logan agrees, adding that he's biased against southerners, and Ruby says in any case he didn't let them come here to be a bunch of afterthoughts.
This gets everyone bickering again and Bryan hollers at them to stop it before saying they'll all be at Clash of Champions, because he's making the title match a lumberjack match.
In the locker room, Bobby Roode is getting ready when Baron Corbin rolls up on him, asking him how he feels about their PPV match becoming a triple threat. Bobby says he knows he can beat Corbin one-on-one, but with Dolph Ziggler added, his chances, mathematically speaking, go down by a third. Baron says his chances of winning go down as well, but he's the only one that matters.
Dolph Ziggler rolls up in a camo hat and says he's been added to the match because he's a two-time world champion, five-time Intercontinental Champion, and he's cashed Money in the Bank in. And, mathematically, both their odds just dropped to zero.
Commentary hypes up an appearance from the Bludgeon Brothers and we go to break.
Back from commercial in time for entrances. (One of the enhancement talent gentlemen here is “Pretty” Peter Avalon.)
Adam James & Josh Carr vs. Bludgeon Brothers (Harper & Rowan)
Rowan with a reverse roundhouse for one as Harper runs the other off the apron, lariat on the floor polishes him off, big corner elbow, tag made, Erick with the spinning World's Strongest Slam, Luke slaps him across the face and he slams his partner on the poor guy...
Bludgeon Brothers win by pinfall with the double crucifix powerbomb.
Commentary tosses us to the special preview of Charlotte Flair's appearance on the Psych movie.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are in the locker room and Sami is rambling at him asking if he's spoken to Daniel Bryan and talking about how they might be able to lawyer up when Owens cuts him off and says that Bryan said he'd think about it. Zayn asks what that means and Kev says they'll just have to find out.
Commentary hypes up Corbin/Roode and we go to break.
Back from commercial in time for entrances, we see that Dolph Ziggler has joined the commentary team for this one.
Baron Corbin vs. Bobby Roode
Collar and elbow, Corbin forces Roode into the corner and breaks with a disdainful slap and a poke to the chest. Roode grabs a side headlock and gets shot off into a lariat, returns chops and leg kicks, whip reversed, basement dropkick takes out the knee and a second knocks him to the floor. A double axehandle keeps the Lone Wolf off the apron and Bobby waits for him to come around only to get caught with a punch to the face.
Corbin in, repeated punches to the face, hard whip into the corner followed by a lariat, and Baron grabs a half nelson neck crank to ground the Glorious One. Roode to his feet, body blows to break free into chops and leg kicks again, off the ropes and Baron goozles him but Bobby is able to escape the chokebreaker and get a foot up. Up and over, double lariat and both men are wiped out on the mat.
Ziggler gets up from commentary and heads in the ring "for a closer look", referee Dan Engler warning him off the entire way... ZIG ZAG ON ROODE!
Bobby Roode wins by disqualification.
A Zig Zag for Corbin as well!
Backstage, Natalya is talking to Carmella, Tamina, and Lana, stoked that they're gonna be at ringside for her title match at Clash of Champions. Carmella points out that they're lumberjacks and Nattie insists that she'll have their back the way they have hers, and they have "a right to defend themselves" as lumberjacks, and she needs to know that they'll do the right thing if she ends up outside at the Riott Squad's mercy.
Neidhart plays on their fond(?) memories of the Welcoming Committee and asks if they're gonna let three "stray cats" ruin a title match, are they? The Riott Squad rolls up and Nattie plays it off like they're just welcoming them and thanks them for taking Becky Lynch and Naomi out, putting them over as the epitome of beauty, brawn, and brains, saying she's honored to share a spotlight with the most powerful women in WWE.
At this point, Natalya books it and leaves the other six women staring each other down.
Commentary promises us a preview for the WWE Championship match at Clash of Champions and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for a man who Kevin Owens once powerbombed off the stage appearing at Tribute to the Troops before tossing to the promised video package about Jinder Mahal vs. AJ Styles.
Charlotte Flair vs. Tamina
Collar and elbow, Charlotte with a waistlock, Tamina with a back elbow to break and she puts Flair's face into the the turnbuckles. Charlotte returns the favor, follows with a chop, arm wringer, holding onto the wristlock but Snuka counters with a mat slam. Scoop slam denied, off the ropes with a back elbow, a boot follows but the pin only gets Charlotte a two count.
Whip into the corner, Flair Flip, shoulder thrusts from the apron, but Tamina gets a double leg pickup to put her in the corner for shoulder thrusts of her own. Over her back, ramming the Queen into the turnbuckles and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Tamina has Charlotte locked down with a rear chinlock but Flair gets to her feet and breaks. Whip to the corner, sidestep the charge but Snuka clobbers her with a lariat after and gets a nearfall off of it. Scoop, Charlotte floats over, kneeling neckbreaker follows and then the chops hit home, backing Tamina into the ropes.
Whip reversed, Flair with a schoolboy pin to no avail. Snuka thinking Samoan drop, denied, the big boot connects and Charlotte puts the figure four on...
Charlotte Flair wins by submission with the Figure Eight.
Natalya gets on the mic and congratulates Flair on her victory but says she should enjoy her last taste of victory because she's taking the title back, and the Queen will bow down to her. Take a look around the ring, it's a little taste of a lumberjack match and her head should be on a swivel, because she--
Enter the Riott Squad. Ruby Riott gets on the mic and asks Nattie to hold on, saying for once she agrees with her, and they should give their beloved champion a preview of what's in store for her. But what's a preview without the stars of the show, so break out your popcorn and take a sip of your soda, because the Riott Squad is here for your feature presentation.
Logan drops the Rogue line from the X-Men cartoon about being as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs and Liv says no one is safe when a riot is about to break out, but Tamina takes the first shot on Sarah! We don't get a full-on brawl, however, as their respective allies pull them apart and Charlotte gets out of Dodge, holding the title high on the stage.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are walking backstage when they roll up on Daniel Bryan. Kev thanks Bryan from the bottom of his heart for hearing him out, and Dan says he's considered their appeal. On one hand, they think it's embarrassing to have Owens shackled like a rabid dog, but on the other it's important to make sure there's no interference in the match, so... he agrees with the Commissioner.
A security guard holds the shackle up and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are at ringside with Daniel Bryan, still protesting the handcuff stipulation on the main event. Bryan says if he doesn't do it, he'll be suspended, and that does the trick, Owens allows himself to be handcuffed to the bottom rope.
Commentary runs down the card for Clash of Champions and Randy Orton makes his entrance, but we go to break before the match proper.
Back from break in time for the bell.
Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn
Circling, collar and elbow, Orton gets Zayn in the corner and pummels him as referee Mike Chioda warns him off. Dumping Sami onto the floor, he throws him over the announce table and follows that up with the back suplex into the barricade. Back inside, Sami bails on the side Owens is handcuffed on and has a breather. Trying to blindside the Viper, he gets cut off and punched a few times.
To the outside, Randy rams him into the barricade but Zayn is able to come back with chops momentarily before Orton absolutely drops him with an uppercut. Face smash into the announce table a few times, and the back suplex finds home right on a monitor! Clutching his back, a nasty welt rising up already, Zayn manages a dropkick to send Orton back outside and put him into the steps after.
In the ring, cover comes up empty and Sami throws a couple crossface strikes before dumping the Viper to the floor again, whereupon we go to break.
Back from commercial, Zayn has a reverse chinlock in but Orton is struggling, so he breaks to kick him a few times and mock him, saying he's not afraid of the Viper. Whip into the corner, Randy comes charging out with lariats, he ducks one in return, snap scoop powerslam and Sami rolls to the apron. Thinking about the rope-hung DDT, Zayn counters and heads under the ring for a moment, stopping Randy short with a punch.
He gets bolt cutters out, but he's not gonna go all Max Rockatansky on Orton, he just wants to cut his friend free. Orton cuts him off and puts KO into the post, but Sami's able to stop him from doing worse. Back in the ring, up top, the Viper cuts him off and crotches him on the turnbuckles before climbing to join him... SUPERPLEX! But Orton can't capitalize and Owens has the bolt cutters!
He's free... to get dropped with a lariat on the apron. Zayn tries to come to his aid and Randy catches him with the rope-hung DDT and goes to that special place... but gets distracted by KO and schoolboy pinned for a nearfall! RKO denied, Helluva Kick caught...
Randy Orton wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin.
Owens attacks him from behind and puts boots to him! Mounted punches, Sami joins him and they keep the beatdown going... SHINSUKE NAKAMURA MAKES THE SAVE! A strike rush into an axe kick for Zayn, a pair of kicks for Owens... KINSHASA! Orton hits the RKO on Zayn for the exclamation point!
Nakamura and Orton shake hands and stand tall, but we have four minutes of show left, so they have to vamp and Shinsuke throws KO into an RKO of his own. Randy pulls Sami into place... KINSHASA!
They pose on the turnbuckles.
Cut backstage to Bryan and Shane, where Dan asks if McMahon is done punishing them, and Shane says he's just warming up, and he's gonna be the special guest referee at Clash of Champions. And if Owens and Zayn lose, they're fired. Not just from SmackDown, but from all of WWE.
That's the show, folks.