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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (July 25, 2017) from The Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia, featuring the fallout show from the Battleground pay-per-view (PPV) that went down this past Sunday night in Philadelphia.
Advertised for tonight: Time to see how the road to SummerSlam shapes up!
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 JULY 25
Riding painted horses, oh the kids they love it so; you can see it on their faces, how they love the wind to blow. Minding my own business, like my mama always said, I'm just here to liveblog this pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with newly crowned United States Champion Kevin Owens making his entrance.
He gets on the mic and talks about regaining his title from "that thief" AJ Styles. Now that he's your United States Champion, he can go back to defending the title with the pride and the honor that it deserves. And so he's reinstating the Kevin Owens United States Championship Open Challenge, and it begins n...ext week.
The crowd boos and he asks if they're mad, before making himself clear and saying there's no way he'd ever defend his title in front of a bunch of hicks from Richmond, Virginia.
Enter AJ Styles. Owens orders his music cut and says he better be out to congratulate him and admit that he's the better man. Styles says nope. He came out here to get his rematch for that United States Championship. Kev sputters a bit and says he literally just said he's not defending his title tonight against AJ or anyone.
ENTER CHRIS JERICHO! He gets on the mic and says it's the return of Jericho, welcome back, man! KO sputters some more as Chris tells him to be quiet over and over, finally shutting him up. He tells him to shut his mouth, this isn't Montreal, it's America, and he's sick of hearing him yakking, since the last time he was on SmackDown he left on a stretcher thanks to him.
But after a few months of rehab, CrossFit, drinking a few beers, he's back, and he's back to get his rematch for the United States Championship right here, right now (Van Halen is kicking ass in America?), tonight! AJ tells him he's happy he's back and has his sense of humor, but a lot of things happened while he was out, and right now he's the next guy in line for a title shot.
Jericho proceeds to put Styles on the List of Jericho, telling an anecdote about a guy who cut him in line at the grocery store and got punched in the face and put in the Walls of Jericho on him in aisle seven in front of the canned corn. Kevin Owens slinks away during this, as Y2J does the whole big sell before putting him on there.
Chris calls Kev out and tells him to get back in the ring--
Enter Shane McMahon. He asks Owens to hang around a minute since this concerns him and the United States Championship. Shane polls the crowd and says both Jericho and Styles have legitimate rematches coming and they'll both get their opportunities... at the same time. As of right now, the US title will be defended in a triple threat match between Owens, Jericho, and Styles!
A main event match of that magnitude doesn't happen at WrestleMania, nor at SummerSlam, it happens tonight, right here in Richmond, Virginia! KO is apoplectic!
Shinsuke Nakamura and Baron Corbin are shown walking backstage, they'll have a Battleground rematch after the break.
Back from commercial we get some more hype for a song from a man who was once powerbombed by Kevin Owens but who is not on the show tonight.
Baron Corbin vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Circling, throwing probing punches at each other and Nakamura scores with a kick, keeping the pressure up and striking the big man at all angles until he's down on the apron. To the outside, knee to the jaw, guillotine knee drop across the back of the neck and Shinsuke's fired up! Thinking Kinshasa on the ramp and Corbin lays him out with a lariat!
Back in the ring, the cover gets a nearfall, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Baron has a half nelson neck crank locked on, grounding the King of Strong Style. Nakamura fights to his feet and out with body blows, knee in return, back in the corner, sidestep the charge, Corbin out and back in, off the ropes, single leg dropkick levels the Lone Wolf!
Shinsuke sizing him up, chest kicks, catches the last one, big slap from Corbin but Nakamura lays him out with a boot! Punishing knees, probing kicks, forearms in the corner, just pushing Baron around the ring. Setting him up in the corner for the big knee lift, Shinsuke pops up to the second rope for a jumping kick... only a nearfall!
Kinshasa sidestepped, a kick ducked, Corbin hits the chokebreaker... NOPE! Cravate knees on the mat, Baron with the one foot pin, mocking Shinsuke's mannerisms, another charging knee on the mat. In the corner, charge, in and out, off the ropes, Deep Six connects... NOT ENOUGH!
Short-arm transition to End of Days, Shinsuke slips out, passes him to the corner, roundhouse kick, inverted powerslam dodged, rolling elbow, kick to the back of the knee, Kinshasa to the back of the head, Nakamura calls for it...
Shinsuke Nakamura wins by pinfall with Kinshasa.
Shinsuke celebrates in his inimitable fashion, and commentary hypes up our US Championship main event, before telling us that Jinder Mahal is going to demand a new opponent for SummerSlam, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Naomi is interviewed backstage.
She says Natalya is tough as nails and proved that on Sunday, but she won't let her disrespect her like she did by ditching the handshake. Nattie rolls up and says that Naomi has tarnished everything a WWE championship stands for, turning the title into a kid's toy and having no respect for the legends that came before her.
So at SummerSlam, she's going to take the title and restore honor to the women's division. Naomi tells her she's so stuck in the dirty dungeon of the past that she can't see the now, and the women's revolution is about the future. She respects tradition, and she didn't tarnish the title, she earned it and added some of herself to it, and at SummerSlam, Natalya's going to be blinded by the glow.
Nattie walks off and Carmella rolls up to remind Naomi that she and her Money in the Bank contract are looking to the future.
Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair make their entrances, they have a tag match after the break.
Back from commercial in time for their opponents' entrances.
Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair vs. Lana & Tamina
Lana and Lynch to start, circling, collar and elbow, Becky grabs an armbar but Lana gets the tag before she can take her to the mat. Tamina in, collar and elbow, Snuka uses her strength to force Lynch into the ropes and breaks dirty. Bit of a struggle, Becky trying the armbar again, doesn't get it, fires a kick, right back to it but Tamina powers through and backs her in the corner.'
Mule kick, the Lasskicker climbing, another but Snuka has it scouted and trips her to the mat! Lana tags in, Lynch well on the back foot, elbow connects, straight suplex gets a two count and Lana starts laying knees into her back before grabbing a kneeling armbar of her own. Becky fighting back, body blows, scoop lift but the Ravishing Russian slips out and hits a mat slam for another two count.
Taking Lynch to the corner, Tamina tags back in and runs her over with a lariat. Face to turnbuckles, elbow up on a charge, pick the boot, leg-feed enzuigiri, Charlotte gets the tag! Elbows all around, chops on Snuka, backing her against the ropes, duck the lariat, kick the arm, lariat of her own, and she struts.
Knee drop gets a nearfall, Tamina floats over on a scoop, fires a kick off and tags Lana in. Flair boots Tamina off the apron...
Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair win by pinfall with a big boot from Flair on Lana.
Tamina is awful mad at Lana for taking the pin there, yelling at her and slapping the apron before leaving, and ordering her to come along.
Commentary hypes Jinder's demand for an opponent up and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of the Punjabi Prison Match from Battleground.
Enter Jinder Mahal, NOT flanked by the Singh Brothers tonight. Great Khali is also not with him, unless he's very good at hiding. He gets on the mic and says he crushed the legacy of Randy Orton and the legend of the Modern-Day Maharaja was born on Sunday. He holds the title high and continues, saying Orton relied on hope, agreeing to face him on his terms, his match, his turf, hoping to beat him at his own game.
But just like all of you people, Randy underestimated him, the WWE Champion. And he will stay WWE Champion as long as he desires, and now he demands to know his opponent for SummerSlam, to find out whose hopes he'll crush. But first, silence while he speaks to his people in his language of Punjabi.
Enter John Cena. He goes to talk and Jinder cuts him off, saying he knows exactly what he's gonna say, the he doesn't deserve to represent the 1.3 billion people of India, that he needed all this help, and Cena tells him to stop, saying he's a Maharaja but as a mind-reader he's a piece of crap, and he wasn't going to say any of those things.
In fact, he's the one guy who will congratulate him face-to-face. He may not like what happened, but he's big on respect, and he respects that he's in the best shape of his life, and he respects that the WWE Championship means so much to him that he'll do anything to keep it. It's not some moral shakedown, it's a congratulations... and it's a heads-up.
They've never been formally introduced, he may only know him from pistachio commercials, but he's John Cena, and he doesn't care how many allies he has, he's giving him a heads-up that it ain't gonna be enough, because at SummerSlam, he's facing SuperCena, which means he's walking out of SummerSlam a 17-time champion. It was nice to meet you, you can't see him, hit the trumpets!
Cena walks off, but Daniel Bryan makes his entrance! He says first of all he wants to congratulate both of them on their victories at Battleground. It's clear that as far as John is concerned, he's on a quest to make history, but he doesn't make the matches, that's Bryan and Shane's job.
And here on SmackDown, opportunities are earned, even if your name is John Cena. So that said, he performed brilliantly at Battleground, and next week he'll face a man that performed beautifully earlier tonight, Shinsuke Nakamura! In a #1 contender's match!
Commentary hypes our main event again, but first, a tag match featuring Sami Zayn and Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English and Mike Kanellis, after the break.
Back from commercial, Shane McMahon is on the phone when Kevin Owens rolls up.
He says they don't like each other and he needs to admit he put him in this triple threat because he doesn't like him. He runs his opponents down and says the worst part is he can lose the title without being pinned, and that's not right nor fair. McMahon brings up their rematches and admits that he doesn't like Owens and doesn't care who's champ, as long as it's defended on SmackDown.
But what he does care about is giving the best matches possible, and the triple threat is going to be amazing. KO says he doesn't give a damn about the audience and if Shane wasn't commissioner he wouldn't give a damn about him, either.
Aiden English is in the ring for his usual singing intro.
Aiden English & Mike Kanellis vs. Sami Zayn & Tye Dillinger
English and Dillinger to start, collar and elbow, Aiden backs Tye in the corner but the Perfect Ten backs him off with chops. Off the ropes into a back elbow, tag to Zayn and we go to break.
Back from commercial, English has Zayn in a reverse chinlock, grounding him. Sami gets to his feet but Aiden cuts him off and passes him into the corner for the tag. Kanellis in with a kick, face into the turnbuckles, whip across, big charging lariat, back across for another, off the ropes once more for a big boot, only good for two.
Tag to English, he comes in stomping but Zayn fights back, firing forearms off. Aiden charging in, he gets dumped and Dillinger tags in. Running English over, whip, blind tag, back body drop to Aiden but he fights Mike off with aplomb. Face to the turnbuckle, mounted punches, diving double axehandle to English, blind tag, climbing, up and over, boots, Zayn charges in...
Sami Zayn & Tye Dillinger win by pinfall with a Helluva Kick from Zayn on Mike Kanellis.
Commentary hypes up our main event once again and we toss to the New Day doing a photo shoot backstage.
They'll be celebrating their title win after the break.
Back from commercial, Big E does the deal but is interrupted by the sounds of a scuffle!
The Usos are beating the crap out of Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston, dragging them to the stage! Jimmy draws Woods up and slams his face into the stage, and they double-team throw Kofi into the EDGE OF THE LED BOARD! They drag Kingston deeper up the ramp and Big E comes out swinging only to be laid out with a superkick!
He stumbles to his feet... STEREO SUPERKICKS! Referees swarm the entranceway as the Usos jaw at the fallen New Day!
Commentary hypes up Cena/Nakamura (typing these never gets old!) next week and we cut backstage to where the King of Strong Style is being interviewed.
He thinks about it for a second and says next week, John Cena can't see him, which means he'll see Jinder at SummerSlam.
We get our main event entrances and head to break.
Back from commercial in time for the bell to ring.
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens (c) (WWE United States Championship)
Jericho and Styles beat on Owens out the gate and dump him outside! Y2J with a schoolboy pin for two, struggling, reversing flash pins, O'Connor roll from AJ and KO comes back in with a right hook to break it up and roll the Phenomenal One outside. Charging at each other, Chris and Kevin throwing hockey punches! Off the ropes, scout the back body drop, block the Codebreaker, kick the Walls of Jericho away!
In the corner Jericho gets a boot up, missile dropkick, only one and Styles comes back in to smash Y2J's face into the turnbuckles. Front chancery, struggling over a suplex, Chris blocks, off the ropes and AJ passes him to the apron and shoves him to the floor only to be run over with a lariat from Owens.
Mounted punches on the mat, stomp in passing, KO reminds AJ that he's the champ, punching away. Hard whip to the corner, Styles goes in ribs-first painfully but the cover is only good for two. Overhead elbows, another stomp, Owens punches Jericho off the apron and lands a senton on AJ for a nearfall.
Leg drop follows, only two and he draws Styles to his feet for a right hand that rocks the Phenomenal One. Outside, kicking at Chris for good measure before coming back in, but the time let AJ recover and he backs the champ off with chops. Whip reversed, a back elbow wipes Styles out, but it's only good for a two count.
Off the ropes, AJ hangs on, catches KO's leg, roll-through to the Calf Killer! He's wrenching it in... LIONSAULT TO BREAK IT UP! Jericho pins Styles... NO GOOD! Off to break we go!
Back from commercial and Owens and Styles are both out on the mat but AJ stirs first and uses the ropes to get to his feet. Kicks to the head, Jericho back in and Styles has chops for him. Whip reversed, back body drop, Y2J backing AJ in the corner with chops. Whip across, corner lariat, setting the Phenomenal One up top but KO comes over and gets Chris in the electric chair.
Y2J slips out, thinking Walls of Jericho but Owens kicks him away and drops him with a wicked right hand. Styles throwing a right from the apron, low bridge, Chris is in position, springboard 450 splash... OWENS STEALS THE PIN... NO GOOD! AJ puts KO into the barricade and comes back in the ring, drawing Jericho to his feet.
He's thinking Styles Clash, gets him up but Y2J reverses into the Walls of Jericho. Kev in to break it up, Chris goes for it on him, catapults Owens into Styles and locks the Walls of Jericho on! KO struggling in the middle of the ring and AJ slips back in, Chris breaks, Codebreaker... NOT ENOUGH!
All three men down and out, Owens rolls outside and Jericho crawls over to AJ, drawing him up for punches. Styles Rush, backfist ducked, thinking Lionsault but KO grabs the ropes and stops the springboard! Owens hits the cannonball on both men in turn and Styles catches him with a forearm, Jericho hits an enzuigiri, KO lands the superkick, AJ ends the sequence with the Pele kick!
AJ to the apron, springboarding but Jericho wipes him out with a springboard kick! Owens with the superkick, off the ropes, pop-up powerbomb... CHRIS JERICHO LIVES! The champion climbs the turnbuckles, frog splash but AJ throws him off...
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with a lateral press on Chris Jericho, winning the United States Championship!
Styles holds the title high while Owens looks on in disbelief, clutching his head.
KO throws a tantrum, dismantling the announce table and knocking the steel steps over! He throws a chair at the apron and gets the mic from the timekeeper, losing his mind, not even able to form words into it, all while AJ celebrates on the ramp.
Kev bids everyone shut up and listen to him, that this isn't fair. It's not fair Jericho was here, it's not fair Shane forced him to defend in a triple threat, it's not fair that Styles stole his victory, and it's not fair that these people dislike him because he's better than they ever will be, but you know what's fair?
Him getting his rematch next week, one-on-one, Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles, and when that happens, whether he likes it or not, he's taking his United States Championship back.
Styles kisses the belt.
That's the show, folks.