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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Aug. 7, 2018) from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view scheduled for later this month in Brooklyn.
Advertised for tonight: AJ Styles returns to confront Samoa Joe, the tag team tournament comes to a close with The Bar vs. The New Day, 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. 7
The power of what has been before rises to trap you within. A magic carpet ride, a genie, maybe more, a city of heavenly sin. Sleep with the devil and then you must pay; sleep with the devil and the devil will take you away. Oh, gates of Babylon. You can see but you’re blind, someone turned the sun around but you can see in your mind the gates of Babylon. You’re riding the endless caravan, but me, I’m just here to liveblog this pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with Randy Orton making his entrance.
He gets on the mic and says last week Jeff Hardy called him out, asking how that turned out for him before proceeding to roll tape of his attack on the Charismatic Enigma. He says the question is, “Do you still believe?” and that he could have warned the squeamish to turn their heads, but seeing people writhe is half of why he did it in the first place.
He’s here to dismantle our favorites’ identities and become so violent that we’ll want to change the channel. (I dunno, Randy, I’m a deathmatch girl, I have a pretty high tolerance. Try me!) But we won’t, because we believe in heroes, and we think that Hardy is going to come down and save the day right now, but he won’t because the Viper erased the Enigma.
Randy complains about not getting the respect he deserves from anyone, in the crowd or in the back, and gives us a history lesson. He started the youngest man in the locker room and became the youngest world champion ever. He’s a thirteen time world champion, he’s main evented every major show on multiple occasions, but we still don’t respect him?
Sometimes in life you have to make choices. We’ve all made our choice, he says, and so has he, so he’ll erase every superstar that we choose to believe in, starting with Jeff Hardy. Piece by piece by piece, but it’s not his fault, it’s on each and every one of us. Call him what you want, Apex Predator, Viper, even Legend Killer, but the only thing you need to call him is the three most destructive letters in sports entertainment, RKO.
We see the Bar talking strategy backstage momentarily before cutting to Becky Lynch stretching. Charlotte Flair rolls up and they both try to talk at once but Becky less Charlotte go first. She says she wasn’t trying to ruin Lynch’s moment, and Becky says she gets it, they both want the same thing, but it put her in a tough position-- she wanted to be happy for Flair but she also wanted Carmella to herself, and now the hill she has to climb got a little bigger, but that’s okay.
At SummerSlam she’ll prove she’s the best by beating the best, and Charlotte says that means a lot and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She asks if they’re okay for their tag match tonight and Becky says of course, they’re not Sasha and Bayley.
Carmella makes her entrance to get on commentary and we go to break.
Back from commercial in time for entrances.
Billie Kay & Peyton Royce play a word association game while cutting promo during their entrance, running down the city they’re in, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch.
Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair vs. the Iconic Duo (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce)
Lynch and Kay to start, waistlock, into a wristlock, tag to Flair and she comes in with a diving double axehandle. Chops back her into the corner, tag back to Becky, double whip to a doulbe hip toss, one for an interfering Royce as well and Lynch goes for Dis-Arm-Her only for Peyton to drag her partner out of the ring. Tag to Charlotte, she hits a slingshot plancha onto both her opponents and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Kay is in control but Flair reverses to a small package for two! Stereo boots leave both women down and out and crawling to their corners... tags made! Lynch in hot with lariats, following with a leg lariat, combat roll, rolling solebutt, uppercut, exploder suplex and she’s fired up! To the second, diving lariat, only a nearfall! WRistlock, Dis-Arm-Her applied but Billie breaks it up!
Charlotte tags in, perches up top... AND WIPES BOTH ICONICS OUT WITH A MOONSAULT! Figure four applied, bridging back....
Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair win by submission with the Figure Eight from Flair on Peyton Royce.
Backstage, New Day are interviewed.
Big E says last week they were dynamite on commentary and this week they’re trying something different. A besuited Kofi Kingston puts on a blonde wig to become a backstage interviewer named Kramer Kingman and grills his partners about the Bar. Xavier Woods says they smell like rancid meat and they’ve beat them before and they’ll beat them again. And as for the Bludgeon Brothers, E says they’re no stranger to danger and they’ll make sure the Bludgeons bow down to the power of positivity.
We cut to an on-location shoot with Miz where he says it seems like all he does is give, and after a week of negotiations, he’s decided to give something to Daniel Bryan, the gift of relevancy in a match at SummerSlam.
Cut to AJ Styles backstage walking to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Flair and Lynch are walking backstage and Charlotte is talking in effusive terms about how much she loves tagging with her. Becky is more pensive, saying things will be a little different at SummerSlam, to which Flair says they’ll just have to be great against each other then, and they have an awkward tea salute.
A recap of Samoa Joe’s feud with AJ Styles follows.
Live in the arena, AJ makes his entrance. He says a lot goes on between these ropes, trash talking and contested manhoods, and when that happens, it gets personal. Last week Joe made it personal by talking about his family, so here’s the thing-- he wants to be one of the greatest WWE superstars FOR his family, and that doesn’t make him special.
We all make sacrifices as family, that’s what he’s supposed to do as a father and as a real man. He’s away from home over 200 days a year, he misses sports, birthdays, his 18th anniversary with his wife was on Sunday even, but the reality is his wife is basically as single parent because he can’t be there, but the point is to give your kids what they need, that’s why you’re here.
Trust him, when his little one falls down he wants to be there to pick them up and wipe their tears from their face. That’s what pisses him off the most-- Samoa knows his wife and kids and long before this was the House That AJ Styles Built, they shared a cockroach-infested apartment complex and stale pizza together, and Joe threw over a decade of friendship away in a few seconds.
So here’s the thing, he’s not gonna let him put his hands on this title. Screw that, actually, at SummerSlam Joe isn’t walking out WWE Champion, in fact he’ll be lucky to walk out at all, period.
We go back stage with Lana, training ahead of her rematch with Zelina Vega. Rusev rolls up and puts his hand on her shoulder before saying she was right last week, he should be more supportive, and that’s why he’ll be in her corner tonight to make it a Happy Lana Day. Lana thanks him, and Aiden English rolls up, hands up in a gesture of peace.
He just wants to apologize, and after that, if he wants to hit him, hit him. He says it hasn’t been fair to any of them, but he had their best intentions at heart and he doesn’t know who he is without them and he’s here to say he’s sorry. Rusev looks to Lana, she gives him the nod and all is forgiven! Rusev Day are back together!
They go to leave but Rusev stops short and asks Aiden to hang back during the match.
Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial in time for Rusev Day to make their entrance.
Lana vs. Zelina Vega
Lana rushes in, backs Vega into the corner for some shoulder thrusts, whip denied, right hand and Zelina bails for a breather. Slingshot dropkick from the Ravishing Russian to take things back inside, pick the leg, upkick counters, clubbing blows get one and Vega grabs a reverse chinlock. Keeping Lana grounded, hitting her with a mat slam when she threatens to get to her feet and following that up with a stomp to the back of the neck.
Whip reversed, knee lift, straight suplex for one as Lana gets back into it, repeated elbow drops, stomp to the head, smash her face into the turnbuckles from one corner to the next. Kick to the midsection, one-handed bulldog only gets a nearfall. Another straight suplex, one more for the road, drawing her back up and Andrade gets involved, allowing Zelina to hit a Codebreaker of sorts.
Rusev takes him out, Vega kicks him in the head and Almas recovers in time to put him into the post, but Zelina turns around into a roundhouse kick! Lana heads up top but English inadvertently spears Cien into her and knocks her off the top! Vega charges in...
Zelina Vega wins by pinfall with double knees in the corner.
Aiden is visibly upset at having screwed things up again and leaves on his own.
Shinsuke Nakamura is interviewed backstage. He questions the idea that he has to defend against Jeff Hardy, since he’s been erased, but he’ll fight whatever’s left of him. R-Truth and Tye Dillinger roll up, and Truth demands a title match at SummerSlam. Nakamura asks why he’d do that, and Ron says he’s going to earn the match by pinning Carmella. Tye sputters and Truth says he’s not going to wrestle Renee.
Shinsuke says something in Japanese to him and Ron is shocked, saying the match with Carmella is off and he wants Nakamura tonight!
Byron Saxton is shown getting up from the commentary desk and we go to break.
Back from commercial we’re told that R-Truth vs. Shinsuke Nakamura has been made official for later tonight.
Byron Saxton is in the ring and introduces the Miz... on the video screen. He asks if Miz is afraid and the A-Lister cuts him off and calls him a second-rate commentator. Saxton changes to ask if Miz & Mrs. will have the same kind of success as Total Bellas, and Miz says they’ve had more viewers in two episodes than the entire third season of Total Bellas.
He then puts over all the accolades they’ve gotten and Byron asks about the SummerSlam match, to which the A-Lister plugs tonight’s episode of Miz & Mrs., which Bryan should watch to learn how to resuscitate his career. Saxton tries one more time, invoking their history going back to the original NXT in 2010. Miz says he’s been too busy to think about Daniel Bryan, and he should be WWE Champion.
He grows increasingly unhinged, saying he’s done sharing the spotlight with someone who hasn’t earned it and rails against Bryan for calling him soft. He’s not hiding from anybody, and at SummerSlam he’ll expose Dan for being beneath him, like he’s always been. He tells Byron to go find “that bearded bozo” to hear from him while he eats kale or wha--
BRYAN ATTACKS! HE’S PUNCHING MIZ’S FACE IN JUST LIKE HE SAID HE WOULD! ONE OF MIZ’S GUARDS GLASSES HIM WITH A VASE FULL OF FLOWERS AND THE A-LISTER RUNS OFF!
Commentary hypes up our tag tourney finals and Shinsuke Nakamura makes his entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial in time for R-Truth to make his entrance.
R-Truth vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Circling, Nakamura in with kicks and knees, backing Truth into the corner for some Good Vibrations. Beckoning him in, Ron rolls through him and taunts him with a bit of dance. Leapfrog, Frankensteiner, the splits and a leg lariat! Off the corner, flying forearm, big hip toss but Shinsuke ducks the scissors kick and lands a kick to the back of the head of his own.
Catch a lariat, roll into a cross armbar, then the triangle choke, Truth reaching, and he gets the ropes! Putting boots to him, devastating knees to the ribs, stomps to the head, following those up with a guillotine choke and then the inverted exploder suplex. Fired up...
Shinsuke Nakamura wins by pinfall with Kinshasa.
The Bludgeon Brothers cut a promo about their two potential challengers and the test that awaits them tonight, after which they will be waiting and excited, ready to break them mentally and physically.
The tag champs make their entrance, they’ll have a match after the break.
Back from commercial in time for the bell!
Bludgeon Brothers (Erick Rowan & Luke Harper) vs. 3SK (Alechi Lee, Julio Rivera, & Pavel Koslov) (Handicap Match)
Rowan dumps Koslov to the floor and wipes his entire team out with a crossbody! The champs beat them up a bunch, drag Pavel in the ring, tag made...
Bludgeon Brothers win by pinfall with a diving lariat / powerbomb combo on Pavel Koslov.
Commentary runs down / hypes up the SummerSlam card as announced.
The Bar make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial in time for New Day to make their entrance.
New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) vs. the Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus) (WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Tournament Finals)
E and Cesaro to start, mat grappling, reversals ahoy until Big tosses him off and swivels his hips. Cesaro with a side headlock, shot off, drop down, leapfrog and E drops him with an uppercut! Tag made to Kingston, off the ropes, roundhouse kick, monkey flip, big dropkick, only two! Tag to Sheamus, in with an uppercut, Kofi floats over a suplex, dropkick, monkey flip denied and the Celtic Warrior puts him atop the turnbuckles before clubbing him to the floor!
Cesaro legal, back in the ring with a reverse chinlock on Kingston, back to Sheamus, top wristlock and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Kofi breaks free with a back body drop, the path is clear to tag E back in, Cesaro tags Sheamus in and Kingston gets away for the tag! Overhead belly-to-belly suplexes, the full trifecta, off the ropes, a lariat puts the Swiss national to the floor but the recovery lets the Celtic Warrior get a big knee in! Big with the huge Rock Bottom out of the corner... NOPE!
Scooping him up for Midnight Hour, Sheamus slips out, leapfrog lariat into SOS... STILL NO! Off the ropes, Kofi slides low, pulls Cesaro to the apron and Big goes for the apron splash... CESARO ROLLS AWAY! Kingston off the apron, Sheamus catches him... FINLAY ROLL ON THE FLOOR! Tag to Sheaus... ASSISTED BRAINBUSTER?! E KICKS OUT! Putting boots to him in the corner, tag to Cesaro, wishbone the legs, quick tag right back.
Another wishbone, a third and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Sheamus has a half-crab in on E but chooses to break and stomp before setting him up in the corner. Climbing to the second mounted punches, Big clubs him in return to block and Cesaro tags in for a boot! CESARO HITS THE SUPERPLEX! BOMBS AWAY KNEE DROP FROM SHEAMUS CAN’T PUT E AWAY! Pick the legs, turning him over for the cloverleaf but Big kicks him off and momentum carries the Celtic Warrior to the floor!
Cesaro throws Sheamus back in the ring, tags made all around and Kofi comes in hot with lariats! Fired up, off the ropes, Boom Drop, Sheamus goes to the floor... TRUST FALL SUICIDE DIVE! Up top, diving double stomp but the Celtic Warrior breaks it up! Cesaro from behind, back suplex, Kingston lands on his feet, Trouble in Paradise caught, tag made, double backbreaker... NOPE!
Sheamus calling for it, Brogue Kick sidestepped, elbow in the corner, Cesaro with the blind tag, Kofi dropkicks Sheamus and tags E in! Up for the finish, Cesaro rushes in, dumps him, spike White Noise... KINGSTON BREAKS IT UP! The Celtic Warrior puts Kofi into the barricade! Cesaro and E rise to their feet and trade right hands, double leg into the giant swing!
Stepping through and the Sharpshooter is locked on! Reaching, stretching, but Cesaro repositions him in the middle of the ring! Kofi tries to make the save, Sheamus pulls him out, tornado DDT off the barricade but Kingston’s wiped out all the same! E posts on his hands and crawls to the corner but Cesaro repositions him into an arm-trap crossface! Big gets to his feet and hosses Cesaro up, Kingston makes the tag!
Shifting him around...
New Day win by pinfall with Midnight Hour on Cesaro, winning the tournament and becoming #1 contenders to the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
New Day celebrate their victory.
We see the Bludgeon Brothers watching from in the crowd, they turn and leave.
That’s the show, folks.