:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56188379/20170814_SD_CenaJinder__be67e3471380a60eec0c1b5e5dde371c.0.jpg)
WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Aug. 15, 2017) from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, featuring the go home show to the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for this Sunday night in Brooklyn.
Advertised for tonight: John Cena vs. Jinder Mahal in a non-title match, 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 AUG. 15
Stowaways, and so they walked the plank; we were searching for the given treasure. Impatient hearts, the dream seemed too far, a raging sea causing fear and pressure. Shipwrecked but only for awhile, we'll build again, and I'll start by liveblogging this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a hype video for Jinder Mahal vs. John Cena.
The Singh Brothers make their entrance and give Jinder the usual big introduction. Mahal gets on the mic and points out that today is the day of independence for the greatest nation on Earth, India. Regardless of what you think, his inspiration, strength, and pride come from his people.
And not only do they celebrate their independence, they celebrate his reign as WWE Champion. And what better way to celebrate than by bringing out the dancers from his championship celebration to do another number? Jinder says all of the xenophobic people of Providence won't appreciate this, but he has a woman whose name I don't quite catch in the ring to sing the national anthem of India.
He says the people can expect him to beat their hero, John Cena, later on tonight. For years Cena had the weight of the company on his shoulders, but there's a new face-- the crowd interrupt him with loud "USA!" chants and he shifts to say he's the one that makes WWE the global phenomenon it is today, the reason people around the world subscribe to the WWE Network.
Two weeks ago, Cena faced Shinsuke Nakamura in what was called a dream match, but tonight his dream becomes a reality when he beats Cena more convincingly than Nakamura ever could. And at SummerSlam, he'll show Shinsuke why his destiny is to lose to the Modern Day Maharaja. He then addresses his people in Punjabi.
Enter Shinsuke Nakamura. Mahal yells at him for daring to interrupt him on this day, but the King of Strong Style keeps his cool and says today is indeed Indian independence day, but today in Japan is a day they commemorate those who have died in war and pray for peace. And Sunday, in America, is SummerSlam! And that'll be the day Jinder loses the WWE title!
Nakamura shakes with energy and pulls faces as the crowd gets behind him and he continues, pointing out that he will be the one winning the title.
Commentary hypes up the title match before telling us that AJ Styles will be apologizing for wiping Shane McMahon out with a kick last week.
Natalya and Becky Lynch are walking backstage, they'll have a wrestle after the break.
Back from commercial, we get another medical update on Ric Flair. He's resting comfortably in Atlanta but remains in critical condition, and everybody in WWE sends him their best wishes.
Naomi then makes her entrance to join the commentary desk for our match.
Becky Lynch vs. Natalya
Collar and elbow, Natalya gets a side headlock into a takeover, Lynch to her feet, reverses to one of her own, wrenches it in a little but Nattie shoots her off and eats the shoulder block. Off the ropes, arm drag rolled into a pin and Neidhart lands a forearm so Becky gives back as good as she got before going after the arm and forcing Nattie to roll outside.
Dropkick to the back of the head and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Nattie is in control with an abdominal strettch, slapping away at the Lasskicker's ribs. Lynch throws her away, elbow up on the charge and the lariat combo into the leg lariat connects. Rolling solebutt, exploder suplex, the Straight Fire forearm gets a nearfall! Going for Dis-Arm-Her but Neidhart rolls through and tries the Sharpshooter!
Becky rolls through herself, trying Dis-Arm-Her again but it's no good so she lands an enzuigiri after some jockeying for position. Climbing up top, the diving leg drop comes up empty! Her glutes! Nattie crosses the legs...
Natalya wins by submission with the Sharpshooter.
Post-match, Nattie locks the Sharpshooter on again, leading Naomi to get up from her seat and drive her off.
Enter Carmella, flanked by her friend that is a boy James Ellsworth as usual. She gets on the mic and points out that Naomi is champion and also Natalya is there as well. Plus her, Miss Money in the Bank, who wants to wish both of them the best of luck. Jimmy adds that whoever wins, loses, because obvious briefcase subtext.
Commentary informs us that tonight will see the finale of Fashion Peaks, as well as giving us a bit of hype for Cena/Mahal before sending us to break.
Back from commercial, we get a reminder about AJ apologizing later.
Tamina is complaining to Lana about not having a title match yet, and Lana says she's not ready. Tamina points out that Lana got shots and she clearly wasn't ready, to which Lana says everybody walks right past her and they don't fear her yet, but if she listens to Lana, she'll use her beauty and cunning and manipulate her way to helping Tamina to be force to crush.
They'll be unstoppable together, and only then will Tamina be ready to be champion.
Daniel Bryan is hanging out backstage when the Usos roll up. Bryan thinks they want him to be the third guy in their rap group, and Jimmy says they'll think about it, but they're here to figure out who they'll be wrestling at SummerSlam. Dan says they'll have Big E and Xavier Woods. The Usos ask for Woods and Kofi Kingston tonight, and Bryan hooks them up.
Rusev makes his entrance, he'll have a rematch against Chad Gable after the break.
Back from commercial in time for Gable's entrance.
Chad Gable vs. Rusev
Test of strength, Rusev with a kick right away, right hands and stomps in the corner, across to the other corner, Gable with the boot up, an overhead belly-to-belly suplex sends Rusev outside! Following after, the Bulgarian Brute puts the Olympian into the steps repeatedly as referee Bryan Nguyen counts, Rusev throws him over the table...
The match ends in a double count-out draw.
Rusev puts the Accolade on the table, where science proves that it hurts more!
He goes to get on the mic after leaving Gable for dead... RKO OUTTA NOWHERE!
The Viper stalks around the ring and poses on the turnbuckle.
Commentary shills for the WWE Network and hypes up Mahal/Cena once again. We see AJ Styles walking backstage, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a re-run of the announcement that SummerSlam will be returning to Brooklyn once again next year.
AJ Styles makes his entrance and gets on the mic. He goes to begin but the AJ Styles chants cut him off at first. He continues and asks Shane McMahon to come down.
Enter Shane McMahon. He thanks the crowd for their love and sends it right back at them before saying that if AJ invited him out here to apologize, he wants to be clear that there's no reason for an apology. He's special guest referee at SummerSlam for one reason and one reason alone, because he can take a hit and keep going, so no apology necessary.
Styles says he wants him to know the kick was totally accidental, but man-to-man, he wants to know if after what happened last week that he'll use it as some excuse to screw him over. McMahon says what happened last week was inadvertent, in the heat of the battle, and on Sunday he'll be wearing the black-and-white, and most officials, you can't touch.
But he's a little different, and he lets AJ know that if he pushes or shoves him, that'll be a whole different story. Last week was an accident, but if he puts his hands on him again, Shane'll put hands on him right back. Styles asks if that was a threat, but McMahon says it wasn't, he's saying that on Sunday, if it--
Enter Kevin Owens. He says that AJ stands here and says that last week was an accident but he's not so sure he didn't mean it. But that's besides the point, because he wants to know why Styles is getting so upset right now, when the referee is just telling him the rules. And KO personally loves those rules, because it means that on Sunday AJ can't go and get disqualified just by hitting the ref.
But while he's out there, he wants to make it clear to Shane that unlike AJ, who has something planned, if he were to collide McMahon in any way it'd definitely be an accident, and he wants to look him in the eyes and shake his hand so he knows it's the truth, because he knows Shane will call it right down the middle, which means he's getting his title back.
McMahon refuses the handshake, saying it wouldn't be appropriate and he recommends he shake AJ's hand instead. Kev is game to offer his hand up but Styles hesitates, pointing and jawing. Things get hot, a shoving match breaks out but McMahon can't break it up at first! He pulls AJ away by his fist, Owens charges in... A SUPERKICK TAKES SHANE OUT!
Shane McMahon writhes in pain as Owens begs off and takes his leave.
Commentary hypes up Cena/Mahal and Fashion Peaks again as well as Usos/New Day, before tossing us to break.
Back from commercial, Big E does the deal and the New Day make their entrance.
They get on the mic and Kofi says your boys have a very important title match on Sunday against (owl gimmick) the Usos. Woods asks what E thinks about that and he thinks it'll be a breeze. They do a bit about all the places the Usos can catch these hands, ending on what is I believe a Game of Thrones reference and saying that no matter what they'll still be tag champs, because New Day rocks and so on.
New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. the Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso)
Jey and Kofi to start, Kingston gets a snapmare and the tag, chaining offense together, quick tag back, leg drops ahoy, a fist drop, a senton, and Uso bails outside to regroup with his brother only to get hit with stereo baseball slides! The New Day put boots to the Usos on the outside and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Jey has a Japanese stranglehold in on Kingston, shifting to headbutts to the back of the neck when he looks to make his escape. Combination punches to a scoop slam, Kofi crawling up the ropes in agony and Uso hits another body slam for good measure. Looking for a third, Kingston slips behind and lands a back suplex!
Tags all around, Woods in like a house afire! Hanging Jimmy up on the middle rope for a dropkick to the back of the head, fending Jey off, putting Jimmy in the corner but he gets caught with a right and staggered on the apron. Enzuigiri follows, blind tag to Kofi, stereo superkicks! Jey makes the save, Xavier hits him with the rolling elbow but Jimmy dumps him outside and catches Trouble in Paradise into a fireman's carry!
Kingston slips out and puts him in the turnbuckles, backbreaker connects but Jey cuts Xavier off and the double stomp misses wide! Jimmy kicks his knee out from under him, makes the tag...
The Usos win by pinfall with stereo superkicks on Kofi Kingston.
Commentary once again hypes up Mahal/Cena, but up next is the last Fashion Peaks, after the break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for tonight's episode of 205 Live, which will feature a championship celebration for Akira Tozawa.
Fashion Peaks is up now, with Fandango talking into his phone about his experience with the aliens. He clarifies that the probe was mental and Tyler Breeze rolls up looking like the halfway point between the little Dutch boy and the Mountie. He asks what's in the future and Dango says they left a space rock in his... back pocket, and if he throws it he can see the future and help catch the culprits.
It hits the Ascension, who are here to return their terrible pie. Fandagngo picks through the pie and finds some hair, saying it's disgusting. He finds a used Band-Aid and some gluten, which leads Viktor to yell about being gluten free. They find a note last, which says "Two B". Fandango says this goes far beyond Fashion Peaks and the whole tag division is in danger.
He licks the note and stares dramatically into the distance with Breeze, and we get a screen telling us Breezango will return in twenty-five years, er, two weeks.
Cena/Mahal is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial in time for entrances.
Jinder Mahal vs. John Cena
Circling, Cena taking a moment to point out the atmosphere as the crowd begins the traditional "Let's go Cena!" / "Cena sucks!" dueling chant. Jinder offers a test of strength and John accepts, taking charge momentarily but Mahal pushes him back down! Shaking, trembling, Cena pushes back up and Jinder breaks dirty with a kick.
Side headlock, Cena shoots him off and lays him out with a shoulder block but Mahal backs him in the corner and again breaks dirty, this time with a right hand. Struggle against the ropes, Samir Singh runs interference while referee Mike Chioda's attention is elsewhere and pops John one in the face.
Brain chop from Jinder, he follows it up by dumping Cena outside where the Singh brothers mock the sixteen time champion as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Mahal lands a straight suplex on Cena! John ducks the charge and the followup lariat, hits the shoulder blocks into the fall-forward Blue Thunder Driver, "You can't see me!", Five Knuckle Shuffle but the Singh Brothers pull Jinder out of the ring before he can go for the Attitude Adjustment.
Cena chases Mahal around the ring and again the Singhs run interference, trying to keep him from getting back in the ring. Chioda sees it this time and throws them out! Jinder is beside himself and turns right around into the drop toehold and the STF is on! Mahal gets the ropes easily and John takes full advantage of the five count before breaking.
Charging in, Jinder with the back elbow but Cena gets underneath him with the fireman's carry! Slip out, jawbreaker over the ropes, calling for Khallas but he lands the running knee for a nearfall! Lying in wait, bidding John rise to his feet, but Cena blocks the cobra clutch! Turning it around, he catches a kick, Attitude Adjustment... NO GOOD!
John takes things to the second turnbuckle... AVALANCHE ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! BARON CORBIN BREAKS THE PIN UP!
The match goes to a no-contest, presumably.
Baron clobbers Cena with the briefcase but makes no effort to capitalize with a fallen Jinder Mahal, because it's not like the briefcase has a contract in it for a title match at any time or anything.
Oh wait, no, he remembered! Back in the ring, he's cashing in! The match is announced but Chioda is taking his sweet time to get Jinder to his feet...
Baron Corbin vs. Jinder Mahal (c) (WWE Championship)
Corbin goes to make sure Cena can't intervene with another briefcase shot but it gives Mahal time to recover...
Jinder Mahal wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin, retaining the WWE Championship.
Jinder celebrates with the Singh Brothers while Corbin loses his mind, utterly apoplectic at how bad a decision he just made.
We get a few recaps of what just happened to fill time.
That's the show, folks.