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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Feb. 19, 2019) from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, featuring all the fallout from the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) that went down this past Sunday night in Houston.
Advertised for tonight: Daniel Bryan’s next WWE title challenger will be revealed, Charlotte Flair reacts to yet another Becky Lynch assault, 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. 19
Times change and people change with them, some people love to play the victim. Love to play the victim! You threw caution to the wind, washed away these few last years for nothing. Was it all for nothing? Keep it on wax! You’re not the only one who’s had to make sacrifices. We all had to make sacrifices. And time won’t heal shit when you’ve got your hands in my pockets, but in any case, I’ve got to liveblog this here pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with Shane McMahon making his entrance.
We get a recap of Kofi Kingston’s epic performance in the Elimination Chamber and commentary hypes up a six-man featuring the participants of the match before Shane gets on the mic.
He begins, welcoming us and hyping the NXT superstars from Raw last night and says they impressed him so much that they’re going to be on SmackDown, too, and he’s got a lot more--
Enter the Miz, somber and wearing a three-piece suit. He apologizes for the interruption and says he hasn’t slept in two days and he needs to get something off his chest. 48 hours ago at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, he lost the SmackDown tag team titles, and no matter where he goes he can’t shake the guilt. McMahon took a chance on being his partner and he knows his reputation, he knows why he was hesitant, but he took that risk.
But he has to be honest, he has a confession-- he used Shane, because he knew he could relate to the way he feels about his dad. When he fell injured at the Best in the World tournament, McMahon stepped in and won and when he offered a team Shane revealed being tag champs was his dream, and Miz says when he wins a title he does whatever it takes to make it the most prestigious, and this time, they did it together.
Two days later they stood in this ring and Shane surprised him by bringing out his dad, and as his dad walked out and the fans chanted, his dad said he was proud of him, that he loved him, and at this point Miz is lost for words for a moment. He says it was the first time he had ever heard his dad say that, and that was the best moment in his career and one of the greatest moments of his life, and all because of McMahon.
The A-Lister thanks his tag partner and then says he let Shane down two days ago, and he’s so, so sorry. He can’t change the past, but he can control the future, and he knows there’s no automatic rematch clause, but he’s Shane McMahon, and if there’s anybody that can make a rematch, it’s him. The crowd wants it, he knows he wants it, and Miz leads the crowd in a “Rematch!” chant to prove the point.
Enter the Usos. Whoa whoa whoa, they say, from the sounds of it, the WWE Universe wants the rematch. There’s no rematch clause, they say, but if Shane’ll just dig down deep and forgive Miz, they’ll give ‘em another shot. But let’s be real, there’s only one reason why he doesn’t want the rematch-- his boy Miz is a joke. A joke, a loser, a failure, a fraud, a wannabe A-Lister with c-list skills.
Think about that, they say, and they want Shane to find himself a better partner but McMahon speaks up and tells them they won’t disrespect his partner like that, so the rematch is on! At Fastlane!
Aleister Black makes his entrance, he’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial we get a video package hyping Aleister Black up ahead of his match.
Aleister Black vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
Collar and elbow, Almas with a wristlock, Black rolls through, trading leg picks and Andrade barely ducks the Black Mass! Circling, Cien with a go-behind, Aleister with a side headlock, shot off, slide low, leapfrog, Almas levels him with a huge chop and we see DIY backstage watching! Andrade putting boots to Black in the ropes, right hand, hard whip to the corner, running knee, only two!
Drawing Aleister up for chops, into the corner, whip across, sidestep the charge and Cien falls to the floor! Black off the ropes, springboard fakeout and he takes a seat in the middle of the ring to send us to break.
Back from commercial, both men are down and out and they rise to trade forearms. Off the ropes, elbows from Black, legsweep, off the ropes again for a sliding knee and he kips up! Fired up, looking for the quebrada... ALMAS DUMPS HIM TO THE FLOOR! Back inside, pulling Aleister up, looking for the DDT, countered into a pin, only one! Boot up in the corner, double boots, METEORA!
Roundhouse kick into a bridging German suplex... SO CLOSE! Drawing Cien up, he blocks a suplex, floats over the second try, boot up in the corner. Hip toss into the turnbuckles, he’s got Black where he wants him, off the ropes... DOUBLE KNEES IN THE CORNER CAN’T PUT ALEISTER BLACK AWAY! Andrade frustrated, trying to figure out what’s next, he rises to his feet as “Fight forever!” chants go up.
Looking for the DDT again, countered, fireman’s carry Snake Eyes, Cien practically bounces into place...
Aleister Black wins by pinfall with Black Mass.
Cut back to DIY watching backstage when an interview rolls up. Tommaso Ciampa begins, saying he knows a lot of people are meeting them for the first time, but they’ve made careers of defying expectation, and he loves the spotlight. Johnny Gargano adds that it’s crazy to think they went to war last year in this very building, and here they are together on SmackDown ready to show the world they’re the future.
The Bar roll up in purple urban camo and tell DIY no one cares and they should stay away from SmackDown. Sheamus and Ciampa get in each other’s faces, and Gargano says they’re not here to set the bar, they’re here to break The Bar, which gets the Bar laughing and smiling and walking off.
Jeff Hardy’s backstage opening and closing his eyes again when AJ Styles rolls up. Jeff says he wants to let bygones be bygones and just concentrate on winning tonight. New Day roll up, Kofi Kingston with a pancake branch in hand, that he extends to the other two babyfaces, who tentatively take pancakes and enjoy them.
Please note that Big E was sitting in Xavier Woods’ arms the entire time.
The Bar make their entrance, and shock, they’re wrestling DIY after the break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes up how we’re gonna find out who’s wrestling Daniel Bryan at Fastlane.
DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. the Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus)
Ciampa and Sheamus to start, circling, collar and elbow, the Celtic Warrior backs him into the corner and scrapes his forearm across Tom’s face! Ciampa fires back, waistlock, back elbow to break, uppercut sends him into the ropes, whip across, front kick, boot, off the ropes, big boot and Sheamus bails to the floor to regroup. Back inside, tag to Cesaro, he wants Gargano!
Tom tags out, “Johnny Wrestling!” chants faint but very audible, Gargano gets caught by waistlock takedown into a ride! The Swiss Superman fired up and taunting, into a kneeling wristlock, to his feet, mockingly cheering him on, Johnny reverses, off the ropes, tilt-a-whirl headscissors into an Oklahoma roll and Cesaro destroys him with an uppercut after he kicks out!
Tag to Sheamus, putting boots to Gargano on the apron and he comes in, double whip, duck the lariat, blind tag, pass Sheamus to the floor, boot up, and Tom clotheslines Cesaro to the floor! Running knee for the Celtic Warrior and Johnny takes him out with a tope! Tom with a dive... CESARO COUNTERS TO A BACKBREAKER AND WE GO TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Cesaro is in control on Ciampa with a reverse chinlock. Tom struggles to his knees and to his feet, jawbreaker to escape, boot up in the corner, to the second, dive... SWISS DEATH! Tag to Sheamus, Ciampa reaching, Celtic Warrior clears the apron, Tom rolls under an axehandle and gets caught by a huge knee! Set up in the turnbuckles, Sheamus climbs to join him, clubbing away, fireman’s carry but Ciampa fights out with elbows to the temple!
AVALANCHE SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMB AND SHEAMUS LANDS AWKWARDLY ON TOM’S BUM KNEE! Unable to capitalize, he tags Gargano in, off the ropes, headscissors sends the Swiss Cyborg to the floor, leap the lariat, kick from the apron, cannonball takes Sheamus out! Sidestep the charge, Cesaro eats barricade, Frankensteiner off the apron puts him into the edge of the ring and Johnny follows with the slingshot DDT... SO CLOSE!
Pulling Cesaro up, he shoves Gargano into the corner, up and over, roll-through enzuigiri, off the ropes, duck a lariat, From Dusk ‘til Gargano Escape! Wrenching back, but Cesaro gets to his feet and counters with a backbreaker! Still holding Gargano, another backbreaker... DEMOLITION DECAPITATION BUT CIAMPA BREAKS IT UP! The Bar dump him to the floor, Sheamus picks Johnny up, assisted Irish Curse... NOT ENOUGH!
Jawing at Johnny, he recovers... SUPERKICK FOR TWO! The path clear, Tom on the apron, Cesaro tags in, Ciampa gets away, Johnny with a schoolboy for two! Tag made, Ciampa in, slingshot...
DIY win by pinfall with an overrotated schoolboy pin from Tommaso Ciampa on Cesaro.
We go backstage where Samoa Joe is getting ready for the six-man and we pan to see that both Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan, his chest covered with fading welts, are present for their strategy session.
A video package on Ricochet follows, he’ll be in action against Eric Young later.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka makes her entrance (remember her?), she’ll be interviewed after the break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes up D-Generation X’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Asuka is interviewed in the ring.
She says she’s ready for a new challenge. She beat both Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at TLC, she made Becky tap out at the Royal Rumble, and she doesn’t want to talk about them anymore, she wants to know who’s ready for Asuka right now!
Enter Mandy Rose, with Sonya Deville right with her. She mocks Asuka and says if anyone’s ready, it’s her. She takes her jacket off and heads for the ring, and I guess we’ve got a match?
Asuka vs. Mandy Rose
Asuka slides low, circling, collar and elbow, Rose with a side headlock, shot off, champion hits a dropkick for one. Looking for a follow-up, Lacey Evans interrupts and again walks down and back up, Mandy with a shove, Russian legsweep... NOPE! Asuka gives chase, Rose bails to the safety of Deville’s arms (and who wouldn’t, really) before coming back in with knees and laying the champion out.
Upkicks stagger Mandy, but she puts Asuka into the corner for boots. The Empress tosses her to the floor and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Rose has a Cobra Twist in but Asuka’s able to reverse to an ankle lock! Mandy reaching, she gets the ropes and referee Mike Chioda forces the break! Clutching her knee, Rose bails and catches the champion with a knee to the face when she follows! Back inside, demanding the countout, but Asuka beats it! Mandy putting boots to her, drawing her up, rigth hand, jawing at her but the Empress fires a straight right back!
Palm strikes, lefts and rights, whip reversed, off the second with a missile dropkick and Asuka’s running hot! Uraken, another one, reverse roundhouse kick... NOPE! To her feet, German suplex connects, off the ropes for the sliding knee... STILL JUST TWO! The Empress cracks the hip toss knee off and that leaves Rose clutching her face and screaming about her eye! Chioda checking on her, pulling Asuka away and it was a ruse!
She puts the champion into the ropes...
Mandy Rose wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin.
We go backstage with Charlotte Flair watching on a monitor and an interview rolls up.
She shows her bruised up arm off and says that in typical Becky fashion, she’s made things worse for herself by showing up over and over, and she’s the most selfish person she knows. If she does it again, she’ll be arrested for criminal trespassing and be thrown in jail, and nobody what anybody wants, it’s a one-on-one match at WrestleMania, between her and Ronda Rousey, and it’s the main event because she is in it.
Shane McMahon and the Miz are backstage, and Miz says he just got a call from his dad, who will be at ringside for their tag title rematch.
Ricochet makes his entrance, he’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial and the match is in progress!
Eric Young vs. Ricochet
Ricochet with a waistlock, Young reverses to a wristlock, roll through, reversal and the One and Only takes him down into a kneeling armbar. Arm wringer, wrench, turning the wristlock, side headlock takeover reversed to a headscissors, stalemate! Collar and elbow, EY with a headlock, shot off, shoulder block, kip-up, catch a boot, pass off the ropes, flip over, roll-through, handspring headscissors into a dropkick!
Eric bails, Ricochet off the ropes, handspring into a backflip and the pose! Block punches, fire his own back, the King of Flight with a whip but EY holds onto the ropes and passes him to the apron. Shoulder thrust, Alexander Wolfe runs interference and Young cracks a right hand across Ricochet’s dome! Punches in the corner, to the second, hanging the One and Only up with a Dragon sleeper from the top!
Diving forearm smash across the back of the neck gets two and EY follows it up with a kneeling neck crank. Shift to a reverse chinlock, Ricochet fights to his feet but gets slammed right back down. Again he fights to his feet, again he’s taken back down, right hands to break, shoved into the corner, sidestep the charge! Ricochet staggered, lariat connects, off the ropes, forearm, snap off a headscissors takeover and he’s fired up!
Shoulder thrust, to the apron, springboard corkscrew uppercut, standing shooting star press... NOPE! Back elbow, whip across, Flair Flip, shoulder thrust from the apron, slide low, Ricochet kicks him out of the corner, rolling thunder dropkick sends EY to the floor! Triangle dropkick takes Wolfe out, off the ropes... SASUKE SPECIAL TAKES KILLIAN DAIN AND ERIC YOUNG BOTH OUT!
Dragging Eric back in the ring, Ricochet staggers him with an enzuigiri when he wakes up, heads up top...
Ricochet wins by pinfall with the 630 senton.
New Day are interviewed backstage.
Xavier Woods says this didn’t happen overnight, and Kofi Kingston’s been grinding this for eleven years, to which they cite things to show how long eleven years is. Kofi talks about how everybody on Twitter’s had his back and this is wild, and none of it would have happened without his brothers in New Day. They were the ones that pushed for him to be the guy in the Chamber, and he loves them.
But now, it’s time for him to introduce his other friend, first name Mo, last name Mentum, and they’re about to keep it going!
Big E does the deal, so I guess it’s time for our main event then.
New Day make their entrance and we go to break on a preview of Fighting With My Family.
Back from commercial, we get the same handcam promo we got from Kevin Owens last night on Raw.
We get the rest of the entrances for our main event and Daniel Bryan gets on the mic.
He says small-minded skeptics have oppressed the great minds through history-- Thomas Beckett, Joan of Arc, Socrates. And so too they tried to oppress him in the Chamber, but he survived because he follows a higher purpose, to enlighten and educate. And he’s going to do it once more, about his opponent at Fastlane, but he’s not going to tell us who it is, he’s going to tell us who it isn’t.
It’s not any of the men in this match tonight, because he defeated all of them inside the Elimination Chamber!
We go to break before the match can actually begin.
AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, & Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, & Samoa Joe
Kingston and Bryan to start, but Dan tags Joe in immediately. Samoa puts Kofi in the corner, pass aside, whip reversed, springboard dropkick for one! Arm wringer, tag to Hardy, off the second with an elbow to the arm, kick to the gut, whip reversed, off the ropes with a lariat! Manhattan Drop to the double leg drop to the basement dropkick, big splash for one!
Charismatic Enigma fired up, Twist of Fate blocked and Joe hits a facebuster and tags Orton in. Randy drags Jeff over and does the Garvin Stomp! Leg picks, stomp to the midsection, tag to Bryan. The American Dragon comes in with a front chancery, into chest kicks, cover for two. Tag back to the Viper, reverse chinlock applied, jawbreaker counters and Hardy tags Kingston back in!
Springboard clothesline, back elbows, a dropkick, off the ropes, leaping lariat and he’s fired up! Off the ropes, Boom Drop, calling for it, passing Bryan to the floor, off the ropes, lariat sends Orton to the floor! Up top, Dan shoves him off the turnbuckles and the New Day man crashes to the floor! Randy with the back suplex into the announce desk and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Bryan is in control on Kingston, raining down mounted punches and punctuating with slaps! Fired up and taunting, tag to Orton, he throws Kofi to the floor to set him up for the Viper! Another back suplex into the announce desk, back inside for a cover, only two and he follows it up with the reverse chinlock. Kingston struggling, flagging but not failing, rising to his feet and throwing elbows to break.
Randy whips him into the corner, sidestep the charge and he takes the post hard! The path clear for the tag, crawling, reaching... STYLES AND BRYAN LEGAL! AJ hot, forearms for everybdoy, landso n his feet off a back suplex, STO backbreaker! Leaping lariat, Ushigoroshi... NOPE! Calling for it, Fending Orton off, blocking the RKO, hitting an enzuigiri but Dan clocks him with a boot of his own!
Into the corner, Styles picks the leg and rolls through, the Calf Killer is on! Joe breaks it up, Twist of Fate for his trouble, Orton dumps Hardy, Styles lariats Randy to the floor, Dan from behind with an O’Connor roll! AJ with a pin of his own, the American Dragon tries to reverse into the LeBell Lock but he can’t get all of it! Styles out, Bryan charges, he wants the knee but AJ sidesteps and hits the Pele kick!
Tag to Kofi, in with an axehandle, off the ropes, back body drop tope con giro! Kick to Bryan, missile dropkick sends him to the floor and Kingston heads up top again... TRUST FALL SENTON INTO BOTH DAN AND ERICK ROWAN! Back inside, fired up, calling for it... TROUBLE IN PARADISE! HE DID IT!
AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, & Kofi Kingston win by pinfall with Trouble in Paradise from Kingston on Daniel Bryan.
New Day rush the ring and put Kingston on their shoulders!
Shane McMahon comes out to announce Daniel Bryan’s opponent for Fastlane... IT’S KOFI! KOFI’S GOT THE TITLE SHOT!
THAT’S THE SHOW, FOLKS!