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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Feb. 12, 2019) from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio, featuring all the last of the build to Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) in Houston.
Advertised for tonight: a gauntlet match between Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy, Mustafa Ali, Randy Orton, AJ Styles & Samoa Joe to determine who’s pod door opens last in their WWE title match at the PPV, 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 FEB. 12
I put away my jacket and now I’m standing in the cold. The winter’s hardly over, I’m just so sick of feeling old. I think I’ll go further away, where nobody can find me, where no one knows my name. I think I’ll run further every day, ‘cause I’m sick of feeling guilty for the things I can’t explain. But first, I think I’ll liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a graphic in memory of the legendary Pedro Morales.
We get a recap of last night’s closing segment with Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
Live in the arena, Charlotte Flair makes her entrance.
She says that she told us since day one that WrestleMania was her destiny and she really wants to tell us that her heart breaks for Becky Lynch, but it doesn’t. She leads a mocking “Becky!” chant before saying she thought she taught Lynch to be better than to get suspended, but here we are again, just like Survivor Series. When she got injured and dropped the ball, who did she choose as her replacement?
Becky chose Flair so the myth of The Man could continue, and everybody knows that Charlotte is the backbone of the division, the franchise player, and a winner. We think she’s Mr. McMahon’s favorite, but no, he was just making a smart business decision, choosing a future Hall of Famer over someone who’s just had a good few months. Flair gives Lynch a beat to come down before continuing, saying that the main event of WrestleMania is the biggest match of the year and you’re not gonna risk that on a flash in the pan.
And it’ll be like every other PPV she’s main evented, with us standing on our feet chanting “This is awesome!”, so boo her now. She wants to dedicate this history-making main event victory to her best friend, Becky Lynch. Oh, and by the way, she tells Ronda Rousey she’s got a front row ticket for her match against Ruby Riott at Elimination Chamber. She promises she won’t interfere but raises the spectre of a new champion and a new WrestleMania match.
She tells a single fan to shut up, points at the sign, and takes her leave.
Carmella and Naomi make their entrance for a three-way tag where the loser will be forced to start the Elimination Chamber match off with Boss and Hug Connection on Sunday.
Back from commercial, we see New Day deciding amongst themselves who will replace Mustafa Ali in the Elimination Chamber.
Big E is dressed as a hockey player for some reason, use this knowledge as you will.
The Iconics get another promo explaining what the tag titles mean to them, as do Fire and Desire and Fabulous Glow.
Fabulous Glow (Carmella & Naomi) vs. Fire and Desire (Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville) vs. Iconic Duo (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce)
Carmella and Royce to start, Peyton immediately tags Rose in. Collar and elbow, Mandy with a waistlock, standing switch, back elbow, tag to Deville, double whip into knee lifts, a mat slam for a cover and Carmella gets a front chancery and the tag. Double snap suplex, only one, Naomi shifts to a hammerlock, double wristlock, Sonya rams her into the corner but Naomi gets the boot up. Off the ropes, flapjack sends her to the apron and she lands a hard kick in response.
Off the ropes, Naomi hits a leg drop into the splits, tag to Mella. Suplex reversed with hard knees, Deville posing, disdainful shoves, snapmare reversed and Carmella lands on her feet and moonwalks for good measure! Duck a lariat, off the ropes, satellite headscissors and Naomi tags in! Sonya rolls over, tag to Rose and Naomi wants some but Mandy’s running scared!
Trying to tag the Iconics, no dice, Carmella heads her off at the pass and Naomi hits a plancha to the floor to send us to break!
Back from commercial, Deville is in control on Carmella with a bodyscissors, scraping her forearm across her face for good measure. Mella posts to her feet and rains punches down, ducks a lariat, off the ropes, double crossbody and both women are down and out! Referee Mike Chioda issuing the standing ten count, Carmella picks a kneebar and he breaks it as Rose runs in and pulls her partner out of the fire.
Tags made, Naomi with a springboard crossbody, fired up! Forearms, off the ropes, spinning sit-out jawbreaker! Springboard roundhouse kick to follow, decking Sonya with a forearm when she runs in and Mella hits the superkick! Set Mandy up...
Fabulous Glow win by pinfall with a split-legged moonsault from Naomi on Mandy Rose, ensuring that Fire and Desire will be one of the two teams that start the Elimination Chamber match.
Post-match, the Iconic Duo attack Naomi and Carmella! They put Naomi’s shoulder into the post and Mella’s face into Peyton’s knee! Drawing Carmella back up again, they throw her into the post as well and stand tall.
We get a Bayley promo from last night about Sasha Banks’ passion for wrestling and that her injury yesterday will not stop her from having the Hugger’s back.
Nia Jax & Tamina get a promo talking about how nobody’s walking out of the chamber and how dominant they are.
The Riott Squad get a promo where Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan explain their dedication to each other.
Commentary then shills for the WWE Network.
The Best Tag Team in the World make their entrance, and McMizTV with the Usos will be after the break.
Back from commercial, commentary reminds us New Day will be filling in for Mustafa Ali and we get a promo from Ali.
He says WWE has informed him that he’s not medically cleared for the Elimination Chamber and nothing hits harder and is more frustrating than your body giving up on you before your heart does. But this isn’t the end, he’s still holding the pen and writing his story, and it’ll take a whole not more than Erick Rowan slamming his head through a table to keep him down.
Shane McMahon and the Miz are in the ring to introduce us to McMizTV with a variant of the A-Lister’s usual MizTV patter. Last week the Usos sent a strong message and they received it, but they walk, talk, and act like champions, and that’s why Miz was busy last week, shooting promos for Miz & Mrs. And Shane, Shane will be on NCIS: LA with LL Cool J. McMahon freaks out a little and Miz said he only told him to tell family, and everyone in the crowd is family!
Shane pumps the Usos up and gives them their introduction. The Usos refuse to take a seat and an “Usos!” chant breaks out. They ask for some respect, they got the Best Tag Team in the World right here... or is it? The message remains the same, though, they see a wannabe tag team in the middle of the ring trying to be the Usos. McMahon says they’re not trying to be the Usos, but they are the Best Tag Team in the World.
The Usos ask if they ride, train, eat, bathe together before offering up the tag team test on them. The Usos ask favorite color, food, and sporting team and answer with aplomb. Miz tries the same, feeding Shane the answers on what he thinks is the sly but is very obviously whispering them at him like he’s calling spots. Miz asks if they should be talking about Mandy Rose and one of the Usos shoves Shane aside.
McMahon gets in his face and says he’s gonna hit him so hard his brother feels it, and the Miz holds him back. He begins talking and an Uso yanks the mic out of his hand and tells him to shut the hell up! They call themselves the Best Tag Team in the World, that’s disrespectful, because the Usos are a real tag team and welcome them to the Uso Penitentiary, dropping their mics.
Shane says the only thing that’s real is the tag titles, and he and Miz hold them up high, saying they’ll look real nice around their waist after Elimination Chamber when the Usos are beaten. We get a beat of silence... SUPERKICK PARTY!
New Day are shown walking backstage. Big E isn’t dressed like a hockey player anymore, but he is carrying a MASSIVE sausage over his shoulder.
We go to break on a replay of the video package covering WWE’s visit to the National Civil Rights Museum.
Back from commercial, Daniel Bryan makes his entrance for our Gauntlet Match.
He gets on the mic and says there’s a lot of people here who want him to lose his WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber, but we need someone like him to show us how to live our pathetic lives. We need him as WWE Champion. He doesn’t want to participate in the match, because it’s painful, it’s horrible, and it will likely shorten his career, but you see, he has to sacrifice.
His sacrifice is necessary to win the Chamber and--
Big E does the deal and the New Day make their entrance. They make their entrance but we’ll have to wait until after the break to find out which of them will be participating in the match.
AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton vs. Samoa Joe (Gauntlet Match)
Bryan and Kingston to start, circling, side headlock, shot off, Dan slides low and backs into the corner. Off the ropes, shoulder block, side headlock takeover, grinding his fist into Kofi’s face, reversal to a headscissors. Bryan looking for an escape, bridging out and floating over into a deathlock before grabbing Kingston’s neck and falling back into a deathlock bow-and-arrow!
Kofi pops out of it, Bryan runs to the floor and takes a breather with his intellectual peer Erick Rowan at ringside. Back inside, Kingston with a waistlock, reversed to a wristlock, arm wringer, Kofi fighting, rolling through, reversal, arm drag into a kneeling wristlock. Double wristlock attempt, Dan backs him into the corner and breaks with hard body blows and an uppercut.
Arm wringer, whip across, up and over, big arm drag, another one, into a pin and then a kneeling armbar on the kickout. Shift to a top wristlock, the American Dragon backs him into the ropes and lands a rolling solebutt for the break. Off the ropes, huge knee to the midsection, whip across, another knee to the gut! Another whip, another knee, and Bryan follows it up kneeling on his back and hooking his face.
Grapevine the legs for the Romero Special, one wrist secured, the other, pulling back on it and he falls back into full elevation! Back into a pin, side headlock when that only gets two, shot off, shoulder block, drop down, leapfrog, reverse leapfrog, huge corkscrew elbow from Kofi for a nearfall of his own! Side headlock, shot off, drop down, Dan passes him to the apron but Kofi skins the cat!
Pass Bryan to the floor, Kingston fired up, off the ropes... CORKSCREW TRUST FALL SENTON TO THE FLOOR AND TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, referee Jason Ayers is checking on Kingston while Bryan poses for the crowd. Stalking after Kofi, dragging him over for a cover, only two! Drawing Kingston up in the ropes, wrenching back on his face, off the ropes, running dropkick tangled in the ropes! Jockeying for position over the ropes, Kofi blocks a suplex with a headbutt, right hand, but when he steps through he gets caught with punches.
To the corner, smashing Dan’s face in, whip reversed into a knee to the midsection and Bryan hangs him over the ropes with a gourdbuster and follows it with Kawada kicks to the chest, headed up top... DIVING KNEE ACROSS THE BACK OF THE NECK FOR A NEARFALL! Dragging Kingston into the middle of the ring, he heads up top... NOBODY HOME ON THE DIVING HEADBUTT!
Kofi throwing elbows, a dropkick, leaping lariat, off the ropes for the Boom Drop and he follows it up with a standing senton atomico for two! Kingston with a kick, springboard crossbody, another two count! Bryan with a drop toehold that puts Kofi’s face into the turnbuckles, drawing him up, back suplex lift sets him up in the Tree of Woe and chest kicks ensue.
Baseball slide connects, cover gets two and again he back suplexes Kingston up top... THE BACK SUPERPLEX IS YOUR FIVE MINUTE WARNING BUT KOFI MANAGES TO TURN IT INTO KIND OF A WEIRD BULLDOG AND WE GO TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Bryan’s trying to get a cross armbar but Kingston has his hands clasped and gets his feet on the ropes for the break! Trading chops into uppercuts in the middle of the ring, the American Dragon with vicious headbutts to set up the chest kicks. The buzzsaw finale connects... NOT ENOUGH! Back suplex, Kofi lands on his feet and snaps off a Frankensteiner but Dan rolls through into a pin!
Trading pinning predicaments to no avail, Bryan takes him down into the omoplata... AND THE LEBELL LOCK IS IN! Wrenching back on it, Kingston fighting, crawling, reaching and he gets the ropes! A baseball slide sends Kofi to the floor and Dan follows out to the apron, lying in wait and hitting the diving knee strike! Throwing Kingston back inside, he climbs up top... AND DIVES RIGHT INTO A DROPKICK!
Kofi gets to his feet and tunes up the band but Rowan trips him up while referee Jason Ayers isn’t looking! Erick and Big E brawl on the floor and Xavier Woods adds a dropkick! AYERS THROWS NEW DAY OUT! Bryan over with a schoolboy... NO GOOD! Chest kicks in the corner, whip across, Kingston counters with a gamengiri but Erick throws him out over the timekeeper’s barricade while Jason isn’t looking!
Ayers has had enough... ROWAN’S GONE TOO! Bryan throws Kofi back inside and lies in wait... THE KNEE COUNTERED BY TROUBLE IN PARADISE! KOFI MAKES THE COVER! BRYAN’S OUT!
Kofi Kingston eliminates Daniel Bryan by pinfall with Trouble in Paradise!
Jeff Hardy out next and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Kingston has an armbar in but Hardy manages to counter and get out. Kofi ducks a lariat, knocks Jeff to the floor with a dropkick and drags himself out to the floor to follow it up with a springboard off the steel steps that misses! Hardy with a heel kick, the shirt is off, back inside and he perches up top... NOBODY HOME ON THE SWANTON!
Jeff recovers, Manhattan Drop to the double leg drop to the basement dropkick but Kofi reverses to a sunset flip pin for two! Catch the boot, Kingston eats the solebutt that follows but is able to duck away from Hardyac Arrest in the corner. Headed up top, the Charismatic Enigma climbs to meet him and they jockey for position a bit. Superplex denied, Kofi with clubbing blows and he hits a diving crossbody!
Hardy rolls through into a pin, ducks Trouble in Paradise but the SOS connects...
Kofi Kingston eliminates Jeff Hardy by pinfall with the SOS.
Samoa Joe out fourth and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Joe and Kingston are trading shots. Samoa pulls ahead, knees put Kofi into the ropes and he jaws at him, slapping disdainfully at his head. Drawing Kingston to his feet, decking him with a forearm, Kofi fires a headbutt and a series of kicks back, forearms, backing him into the corner, whip reversed and Joe nails him with the corner elbow into the gamengiri!
Only good for two, evil, sadistic intentions play out across Joe’s face and he pulls Kofi back up for a knee lift. Cobra Twist applied, a big lariat and only a two count! Grinding Kingston down, but he breaks with back elbows and sends Samoa to the floor where he takes him out with a plancha! Referee Jason Ayers counting but they make it back in and Joe runs Kofi over with a lariat... NOPE!
Getting frustrated, grabbing Kingston by the hair but he ducks a shot and fires forearms and kicks that back Samoa into the corner. Mounted punches in the corner, Joe with the Manhattan Drop to counter! Snapmare into a kneeling surfboard, jawing at Kingston while he tries to wrench his arms out of socket, but Kofi’s able to rise to his feet and hit a somersault back kick for separation.
Joe with the running senton, still only a nearfall! Clubbing hands from the apron, springboard... JOE SHOVES HIM TO THE FLOOR! Kingston crawls his way back inside, refusing to give up and Samoa straight up tries to wrench his skull off his neck with a standing neck crank! Kofi to his feet, he breaks the hold with a body blow, ducks a lariat and takes Joe off his feet with a dropkick!
Leaping lariat, he doesn’t get all of it but still gets a one count out of it. Samoa with the Coquina Clutch but Kingston steps up and reverses it...
Kofi Kingston wins by pinfall, reversing the Coquina Clutch into a pinning predicament!
JOE PICKS HIM UP AND SPIKES HIM WITH AN URANAGE! THE COQUINA CLUTCH IS BACK IN ON THE FLOOR!
AJ Styles is out fifth and runs Samoa off before checking on Kofi to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Kingston is still fighting and the match is on! Styles is reluctant to get in there with a man who can barely stand and personally checks with Kofi, but Kingston shoves him and he wants to go! Yelling about how it’s been eleven years, pie-facing AJ and finally the Phenomenal One decks him with a forearm! Smashing his face into the turnbuckles, right hands and boots, backbreaker for two and Kofi’s still fighting!
Hard whip puts Kingston’s sternum into the turnbuckles but he kicks out before one! Chest kicks from Kofi but AJ picks the leg and grabs a leglock, wrenching back and dropping another elbow for good measure! Kingston gets the ropes and forces the break, dragging himself up them until Styles comes over to pick his leg. Right hands, AJ kicks his leg out of his leg!
Snap suplex gets another two count but Kofi Kingston will not let his dream die tonight! Alternating punches from his knees, float over a suplex, schoolboy overrotated, folding press, Skayde Special, none of them do it! ROCK BOTTOM BACKBREAKER BENDS KOFI OVER AJ’S KNEE WITH AUTHORITY! Referee Jason Ayers backs Styles off while Kingston pulls himself up, and when he’s recovered AJ puts him into the turnbuckles.
Back body drop to the apron begets a right hand, Kofi with kicks to stagger in exchange. Both men on the apron now, Kingston right kicks to the bicep, backing off and charging in... AND HE KNEES THE RINGPOST HARD WHEN AJ STYLES EVADES! Ayers counting... BUT KOFI WILL NOT GIVE UP! YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE HIM OUT, ALLEN! Whip into the corner, leaping lariat, double leg to set him up top and he climbs after him.
STYLES GOES FOR AN AVALANCHE FRANKENSTEINER BUT KINGSTON HOLDS ON! Perching... SHADOWS OVER HELL DIVING SPLASH TO THE BACK ALMOST TAKES AJ OUT! Looking for SOS, Styles reverses... THE CALF KILLER IS ON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING! REACHING, PRAYING... HE CAN’T DO IT!
AJ Styles eliminates Kofi Kingston by submission with the Calf Killer.
AJ waiting for Randy Orton... RKO OUTTA NOWHERE! THAT’S IT!
Randy Orton wins by pinfall, last eliminating AJ Styles by pinfall with the RKO to earn the right to enter the Elimination Chamber match last.
That’s the show, folks!