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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (May 1, 2018) from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, featuring the go home show to the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for this Sunday night in New Jersey.
Advertised for tonight: Shinsuke Nakamura wants an apology from AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy joins Miz TV, a six-woman tag team 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 MAY 1
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, was just me here to live blog this here pro wrestling show.
It’s Geno in for Claire this week.
They opened with a replay of Greatest Royal Rumble, showing Shane McMahon getting thrown through a table by Braun Strowman. They cut to Paige, who said he wouldn’t be here tonight.
Then she turned her attention to the AJ Styles-Shinsuke Nakamura situation. Because of both their actions, she made the upcoming WWE championship match between the two at Backlash no disqualification.
The Miz in the ring already, getting big cheers from Montreal. They started chanting at him but I couldn’t quite make it out. He responded by saying “you do know I took Maryse to Hollywood, right?” They booed that.
Then he welcomed everyone to Miz TV before saying Daniel Bryan is banned from Miz TV. That was booed, like Miz has the power to do such a thing.
Next, he told Seth Rollins he will be taking the Intercontinental championship back at Backlash. During the course of this, he called Monday Night Raw the “B” show. Finally, he introduced his guest for this evening, United States Champion Jeff Hardy.
Miz refuses to shake hands because Jeff slapped hands with some fans. Then he asked Jeff if he was a better champion and Hardy ran him down. “If you were better than Seth Rollins, you would have won at the Greatest Royal Rumble ... like I did,” Hardy said.
“What arrogance,” Miz replied.
He cut to video of Hardy’s debut, interrupting Randy Orton. “I wonder what Randy Orton thinks about that...”
Miz tried to introduce “The Viper” but Orton cut him off, much to his chagrin. “You interrupted me,” he said.
“So?”
Nice.
Miz tried to instigate an issue between the two, but Orton said they were cool as far as he’s concerned. The fans cheered this, and were perfectly happy about it. Miz then brought up the SmackDown Top 10 List that has totally disappeared and did his best to again create issues. Orton had to smack him down but he did eventually get around to telling Hardy that he’s going to take the U.S. title back at Backlash.
“You can try,” Jeff responded.
Miz was disgusted by the way they came to a mutual agreement. He wondered what happened to “The Viper.” Just then, Shelton Benjamin hit the scene, all full of piss and vinegar.
He brought up the very good point that he beat Orton last week, so if anybody deserves a shot at the U.S. title it’s him. A big brawl broke out.
Back from break and, naturally, Paige made a match.
Randy Orton & Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz & Shelton Benjamin
Your standard tag team match. The Miz got a ton of heat. He was stealing Bryan’s moves once again, this time doing the corner dropkicks. Orton was super over. He did a double draping DDT to both Miz and Benjamin before hitting Shelton with an RKO. He followed that up by tagging Hardy in so he could hit the Swanton Bomb to score the pin for the team.
Orton & Hardy def. Miz & Benjamin
As Hardy’s music played and they started celebrating, Orton hit the RKOOUTTANOWHERE to a big pop.
The IIconics were interviewed by Renee Young. Carmella was supposed to be there but wasn’t. Peyton Royce did an impression of Renee that was very, very bad. Her Canadian accent was really Minnesota, per Renee. It was bad.
Peyton and Billie dismissed Young before introducing Carmella themselves. They put her over big and she thanked them for the great intro. “Together, we’re pretty much invincible,” she proclaimed.
‘Mella is money, the future is iconic, so on and so forth.
Tom Phillips tells us they aren’t going to let Daniel Bryan wrestle right now because his chest was so messed up at Greatest Royal Rumble they’re worried about some kind of infection. Thanks, Roderick Strong!
The Bar were walking backstage saying they’re now “official SmackDown Superstars.” They even had two pieces of paper, I guess contracts. They ran into The New Day.
“Who do we have here?”
“Who?”
You know how it goes.
Cesaro and Sheamus change their tune, saying they always wanted to be on SmackDown and they’re going to flatten New Day like pancakes. Xavier Woods summoned “Mr. Bootyworth,” who came bearing pancakes. Cesaro wondered if they were poisoned.
He threw the cakes.
New Day were LIVID.
Sheamus brought up a match and Big E answered by screaming in his face. “I’m not talking to you,” Sheamus said. “I’m talking to you,” he said to Woods.
“Sheamus ... tonight ... your soul ... is MINE.”
Shang Tsung forever.
They cut to Rusev and Aiden English, who were about to break out some new words for the Rusev Day song. Then Lana showed up. Huge pop from Montreal, who broke into a chant for her. English exited stage left.
She said she was concerned. Rusev Day is great and all but he keeps losing. Something is holding him back.
Rusev wondered what could possibly be holding him back.
Aiden showed up again to grab the jacket he forgot. When he left again, Lana sort of tilted her head. The message seemed clear.
Big Cass out in the ring.
“For those of you who don’t know, I’m from New York City.” That got a big boo. He said they have a reputation there, like they’re better than everybody else. That’s because they are, he says. He knows he’s better than all the fans and he knows he’s better than Daniel Bryan.
Cass goes into the pitch that a “real” WWE Superstar is tall and big and strong. “Might makes right” or something or other. He even said that when he wrestles Bryan it won’t be a five-star match, it will be a five-second match.
He doesn’t need to worry about wrist locks or any of that nonsense. He’s just going to beat Bryan up. He called D-Bry out “so I can kick your teeth down your throat right now.”
Bryan’s music hit and ... a little person dressed as Bryan came out.
Cass said he looks a little taller tonight.
Then he made short jokes.
The guy kicked Cass a few times and Cass laughed it off. More jokes. Then he called “scene” and put the little person over, saying “he’s available for bookings, contact his agent, please.” He told him to “soak this in” and then put the mic down and got ready.
You can guess what came next.
Yep, a big boot to the face.
Then he beat him up, a lot of punches. Stood over him. Slapped him around. Montreal called him an “asshole” for it. Referees finally ran down to put an end to it.
Renee Young in the ring, introducing AJ Styles.
Before the interview can start, the fans chant his name. Renee steps back to let it happen for a bit.
Even when she started in, they wouldn’t stop. She asked about the “no disqualification” stipulation and they finally quieted when it came time to answer. He said Nakamura can play his games but that’s the benefit of a No DQ stip. He’s out here trying to retain his gold while Shinsuke is more interested in “the wrong jewels.”
Yeah, he loves hitting Styles in the twig and two berries.
Renee lets AJ know that his challenger wants an apology. “I should have left him sucking sand in the Arabian desert,” was his response to that. He brought up Nakamura even going after his friends and this Sunday none of it matters because there won’t be rules. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s an eye-for-an-eye, a tooth-for-a-tooth.” He plans to leave Shinsuke with a look of sheer torture by the time he’s done.
“So you’re saying that there’s not going to be an apology,” Renee wonders.
I laughed.
Styles starts saying he should come out himself if he wants one but it’s Samoa Joe’s music who hits. He’s out to “Joe” chants. They’re big fans of his in Montreal, it seems.
Briefly, a “TNA” chant breaks out.
Joe calls out Styles for losing focus. Says he should be focused on Joe beating up Reigns and proving he’s a failure. He says the referee might have apologized but still, Brock Lesnar won and that’s that.
Then he said once he’s done with Reigns, he’s coming to beat down Styles or Nakamura, it doesn’t matter which one, just whoever has the WWE championship.
“OOOOH, BELIEVE THAT.”
His music played but then Nakamura’s theme hit. They focused on Joe getting ready next to the stage entrance, eager to engage. Instead, Shinsuke came up from behind Styles in the ring and I’ll give you two guesses what he did but you’re only going to need one.
LOW BLOW.
Nakamura teased Kinsasha from behind Styles, then didn’t do it while rushing to the other side of the ring. Then he teased it again and this time delivered on it.
He is AMAZING in this heel role. Coming for you balls and not at all sorry for it.
Becky Lynch was pacing and talking to herself backstage. She’s upset that she’s been losing and what to do about it. Asuka showed up to say “forget about last week.” Then Charlotte came into the picture saying she owes all of their opponents for what they’ve done to her.
She’ll teach them a lesson in respect. Lynch says “yes, but don’t be a hero.”
Asuka mentions all three and then says “Avengers, assemble!” The crowd didn’t react to it, but it was cute. Charlotte and Becky enjoyed it. They sipped some tea.
Sheamus vs. Xavier Woods
They played up the size difference right away, the idea, of course, that Sheamus wanted this because Woods is smaller than E. That’s how they worked the match too. Sheamus dominated with his strength while Woods tried to use quickness and guile to gain the advantage. Late in the match, Cesaro interfered and it led to chaos on the outside. Eventually, Sheamus went out to get Woods, threw him back in, and when he got back in the ring, Xavier rolled him up to score the pinfall.
Woods def. Sheamus
Big pop for that finish.
They showed Absolution making fun of Becky Lynch backstage last week. Then cut to Paige backstage with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville reuniting with her.
Mandy said it’s awesome and Sonya said they know why they were called in. “Who is it going to be?” Paige picked Mandy. They celebrated, thinking she had just given Rose a SmackDown tag team title match.
Instead, Paige said they have to earn that and actually she picked Rose to wrestle Lynch in a singles match next week. Sonya wondered about Absolution. Paige said “it’s dead.”
Awkward silence followed.
They ran a promo package for Andrade Almas and Zelina Vega. She said she knew they were wondering when they’ll arrive but they don’t get to know. Then she said “very soon SmackDown Live will change forever.”
I thought we didn’t get to know?
Charlotte & Becky Lynch & Asuka vs. Carmella & The IIconics
The open of this match was all about Carmella not wanting anything to do with Charlotte until she looked vulnerable, then she was eager to tag in and taunt the former champion. But when “The Queen” recovered and avoided any offense from the current champ, she ran scared. They did a good job building to a tag where Carmella had no choice. The crowd was super into it. Naturally, the heels took the edge by ganging up and put the boots to Charlotte. That just gave them time to build to a hot tag to Asuka, who ran wild to the delight of the crowd. The action broke down into the chaotic mess that six-person tag matches usually do. That included Charlotte hitting a great spear and then a moonsault to the outside. Back in the ring, Asuka put Royce in the Asuka Lock and got the tap to give her team the victory.
Charlotte & Becky & Asuka def. Carmella & The IIconics
Montreal was hot for everything. Well done all around here.
That’s how we head to Backlash.
End.