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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (April 30, 2019) from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for next month in Hartford.
Advertised for tonight: Becky Lynch vs. Bayley, Kofi Kingston responds to Kevin Owens, Money in the Bank announcements, 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 APRIL 30
Is breathing just the ticking of an unwinding clock? Just counting down the time it takes for you to comprehend the sheer magnitude of every single precious breath you’ve ever wasted? So much misery. So much indifference to so much suffering that we can become tempted by appeals to hatred. But this world ain’t nothing more than what we make of it, and I’m going to spend my night liveblogging this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with Michael Cole introducing WWE Champion Kofi Kingston.
He makes his entrance by himself with a plate full of pancakes. Cole talks up his career and his achievement in defeating Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania and asks if he ever thought he’d get that title match. Kofi says he’s learned that you’re gonna have highs and lows and you gotta fight through those lows and keep on pushing. He’s so glad he chose to fight through because he’s standing here as our WWE Champion.
He’s so proud that he got to do that next to his brothers Big E and Xavier Woods because without New Day, none of this happens. They’re the guys that proved that the impossible is possible! Cole says he speaks for the entire WWE Universe when he calls Kingston’s win a magical moment and there are few superstars that have ever had a moment of that caliber. He goes on to call it perhaps the greatest WrestleMania moment ever and runs footage of the match.
Kofi says he can’t believe he got to share that moment with his family and it’s the greatest moment of his life next to the birth of his kids and his wedding. Cole talks about the target on his back and Kevin Owens taking his shot last week and we get a recap of KO’s turn. Kingston says a lot of people have said he should have seen it coming and he does put a lot of the blame on himself.
But New Day believe in giving people a chance to change if they want to change and they believed that Kev genuinely wanted to change. He says if Owens wanted a title match, all he had to do is ask and he would have gladly given it, so since KO said, as he was stepping on his head, that he was coming for the title, let him come, and let them do it at Money in the Bank!
Enter Kevin Owens.
He accepts the challenge and says Kofi did give everyone a WrestleMania moment they’d never forget, and the WWE Universe loves a great moment. He won the title on the grandest stage of them all and it was so great, it doesn’t get any better than that... but moments end, they’re fleeting, and now that they saw that moment they won’t admit it but the fans don’t believe that he’s actually championship material.
And KO looks into his eyes and hears his voice and Kofi doesn’t believe he’s championship material either. He’s in over his head and the water keeps rising, he’s drowning-- WOODS ATTACKS OWENS FROM BEHIND! KO superkicks Xavier and runs off when Kofi runs down to save his friend!
Commentary promises an announcement with regards to the tag titles from the Hardy Boyz later tonight.
Bayley makes her entrance, she’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial, Kofi Kingston is talking to Xavier Woods in the medic’s office.
Kofi reassures him he’s got this and that Woods should worry about healing up before he tries to save Kingston again.
Bayley vs. Becky Lynch
Collar and elbow, Lynch with a judo throw but Bayley gets right back up and in her face. Circling, back to the lockup, Becky with a side headlock, shot off, shoulder block, off the ropes, drop down, Lynch stops short and dumps her to the floor. Hugger with a bulldog over the middle rope, back in, off the ropes, cut off by a flying shoulder block and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Lynch with an attempted armbar takedown but Bayley flapjacks her into the turnbuckles and hits a northern lariat for two. Whip into the corner, charging forearm, thrown off, Knee Trembler... NOPE! Forearms in the ropews, Bayley running hot but Becky dodges another knee and heads up top. Perching, missile dropkick gets two!
Lynch follows with uppercuts, a knee, an exploder suplex, charging forearm in the corner, whip across, Hugger ducks a lariat and hits a neckbreaker drop! Both women down and out, referee Jason Ayers counting, Bayley with a small package for two and she kicks Lynch away before hitting a back suplex! Up top, diving elbow... BUT THE KNEES ARE UP! Arm trapped...
Becky Lynch wins by submission with Dis-Arm-Her.
Charlotte Flair is here and lays Becky out before throwing Bayley into the ringpost and giving herself a round of applause!
Aleister Black is in a dark room talking about fear.
He says it’s a powerful paralyzing tool and it’s in man’s nature to fear what we don’t understand. His opponents try to figure him out and by the time they think they’ve got it he’s got the three count and any hope of conquering that fear has simply left this earth. What happens is they take one look into his eyes and they don’t like the abyss that stares back because it unveils a truth about themselves that allows them to fade to black.
The Hardy Boyz make their entrance, Jeff walking with one crutch, to send us to break.
Back from commercial, the Hardy Boyz are interviewed.
Jeff explains his injury, saying it’s easier to show us, and he runs footage of Lars Sullivan attacking. He says he has trouble walking on his own to the point where he needs surgery and he’s going to be out for a long, long time, and Matt says it’s hard to say this but they have to vacate the tag titles. Jeff begins vowing to get them back but of course...
Enter Lars Sullivan. He goozles Matt and dumps him to the floor before turning to Jeff, who’s struggling to leave the ring. Matt returns to save his brother but gets rammed into the corner and eats a Freak Accident. Jeff is cornered and ready to use his crutch as a weapon but here comes R-Truth with a chair for the save! Lars swats the chair out of his hand and pops him up for a huge Freak Accident!
Sullivan follows it up with his Liger Bomb and roars.
Commentary hypes up the rest of the show and we go to break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes Money in the Bank up and recaps the announced Money in the Bank participants.
SmackDown’s men are announced by commentary and they are Mustafa Ali, Finn Balor, Andrade “Cien” Almas, and Randy Orton and we’re informed those four men will be in a tag match later.
Asuka & Kairi Sane vs. ??? & ???
Kairi starts off with the dark-haired one, who pads her head and shoves her off and earns a big chop in return! Sane catches a boot, dragon screw, tag to Asuka, whip across, drop down, rolling solebutt, axe kick, bulldog, single-leg dropkick! Probing kicks to the head, buzzsaw blocked, duck a roundhouse and she hits one of her own! Redhead tagged in, big right hand!
Asuka fires back with slaps and a rolling solebutt, running hip attack, German suplex connects! Chest kicks, the buzzsaw roundhouse, her partner breaks it up! Assisted Codebreaker into a blockbuster, back to the legal woman with an inverted DDT and the tag...
Asuka & Kairi Sane win by pinfall with the diving elbow from Sane.
We see Fire and Desire watching backstage and they say one of them is in Money in the Bank. Mandy Rose says it should be Sonya Deville because she way more skilled and Deville says she sees what she’s trying to do but Rose should be the one in the match because she almost won the title in the first place and she should finish the job. They hug, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Roman Reigns makes his entrance.
We get a recap of the Big Dog’s last few weeks before he gets on the mic. He says you only get one shot at making a first impression so he figured on his first night on SmackDown he’d do exactly that, so he knocked out Mr. McMahon. That wasn’t the plan, it didn’t have to be him, but he wanted to get the point across that he’s still the Big Dog and SmackDown is his yard now.
Enter Shane McMahon. He insists Greg Hamilton give him a short and low-key introduction before saying he just wanted to remind Roman that this may be his yard, but the McMahons own the land. Reigns says no, Vince owns the land, and when they were in the ring together, Roman was on his feet and McMahon on his back. Shane says we all know he knocked a national treasure to the ground but it was Reigns who was face-down last week.
Roman points out Shane had Elias’ help and asks if he can come down here and do it on his own. McMahon says he’d love to slap Reigns around but he doesn’t have the time because he’s got to fly to Michigan to see a coach that the crowd doesn’t like very much and working to get into shape for his steel cage match against the Miz. But if Roman wants a fight there are tons of guys in the back looking for a fight, and he’ll send two of them out.
Enter the B-Team.
Shane says the B-Team also want to make a great first impression, so Roman will be wrestling both of them in a handicap match. Reigns scoffs at the originality of it all and asks what’s next, a blindfold or a hand tied behind his back? Shane says he’s right, actually, the match needs something extra, like a special guest referee enforcer... who is Elias.
We go to break before the match begins.
Roman Reigns vs. the B-Team (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel) (Handicap Match)
Axel to start, arm wringer, dragging Reigns towards the corner but the Big Dog fights out. Tag to Dallas, go-behind to a side headlock and Bo takes a knee to grind Roman down. Shot off, drop down, big chop, Samoan drop attempt but Curtis runs interference and Dalls gets him into the corner for punches. Tag made, whip into a DDT for two, quick tags as they work the Big Dog over in the corner.
Bo with a charging lariat but Roman fires back a boot and a Samoan drop for two! Elias running interference as ringside enforcer, the B-Team take full advantage and beat Reigns down on the apron and to the floor. The Drifter runs Roman over and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Dallas is in control with a reverse chinlock and Elias warns the timekeeper to ring the bell when he says to ring the bell. Bo continues to wrench the chinlock in, Reigns gets out, whip to the corner and he takes Dallas down with a lariat! Tag to Axel, sidestep into the post, more lariats for Bo, whip reversed on Curtis, leaping lariat lands true!
Big Dog fired up, corner lariats ensue and Bo eats the big slicing right when he tries to make the save. SAMOAN DROP / DDT COMBO TAKES BOTH GUYS OUT! Superman Punch takes Dallas out, one for Axel as well but Elias yanks referee Mike Chioda out of the ring before the three! Drive-By connects on Bo but Elias throws Roman apron to barricade, back inside... PERFECTPLEX AND A FAST COUNT CAN’T KEEP THE BIG DOG DOWN!
Curtis drags Roman up as Elias heads to the floro in a panic and gets his guitar. Back inside, but Roman’s recovered and hits a Superman Punch! He rolls through a schoolboy, Chioda is recovered...
Roman Reigns wins by pinfall with a spear on Curtis Axel.
Commentary hypes up the Kevin Owens Show with Xavier Woods for later.
We go backstage to see Finn Balor and Mustafa Ali talking before their match to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get a replay of last night’s episode of Firefly Fun House.
Randy Orton gets a picture-in-picture promo during entrances where he says there’s nothing more lethal than the combination of Money in the Bank and the letters RKO.
Zelina Vega gets a live promo spot where she puts her guy over and then passes the mic to him. Almas says he’s got no respect for Finn Balor nor Mustafa Ali, but Randy Orton is a 12-time world champion, so anytime he wants to learn something, tag him in and he’ll teach him something.
Andrade “Cien” Almas & Randy Orton vs. Finn Balor & Mustafa Ali
Orton and Ali to start, collar and elbow, into the corner and Mustafa breaks dirty at Ryan Tran’s count only to get shoved off the apron to the floor by the Viper as we go to break!
Back from commercial, Orton hits the snap scoop powerslam on Ali... NOPE! Dragging him up by the hair, kick to the midsection, whip but Mustafa hits the pop-up dropkick right to Randy’s throat! Crawling for the tag, the path is clear... TAGS MADE! Balor in hot, flying forearm, clear the apron, whip reversed, sunset flip roll-through to a dropkick, gamengiri for Randy!
Double leg into the double stomp back to Almas, fired up, charging chop, whip reversed, up and over, big knee from Andrade but Finn fires a gamengiri back that knocks him to the floor! Off the ropes... STEREO DIVES WITH ALI TAKING ORTON OUT AT THE SAME TIME! Back inside, Balor climbs but Vega has his boot. He fends her off but Cien snapmares him off the top and hits the running knees in the corner!
Cover gets two, hammerlock DDT reversed, suplex reversed, Ali blind tag, Sling Blade connects...
Finn Balor & Mustafa Ali win by pinfall with a 450 splash from Ali on Andrade “Cien” Almas.
Orton with the RKO outta nowhere on Balor! Ali knocks the Viper out of the ring with a pair of kicks and stands tall!
Backstage, Ember Moon is interviewed about being in Money in the Bank and she says she’s going to climb the ladder and win. Carmella rolls up to “not so fast” her and say she’s also in the match and going to win a third time no matter what it takes to win.
Commentary recaps the eight women in the ladder match and Corey Graves about has an aneurysm over Mandy Rose and Alexa Bliss both being in the match.
Kevin Owens makes his entrance and we get a recap of our opening segment to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Kevin Owens is in the ring with an empty chair and few of the usual Kevin Owens Show accoutremonts.
He gets on the mic and welcomes us to the Kevin Owens Show and addresses that, saying the signs and graphics and desk, all that pageantry is crap the New Day would do, but guess what? He doesn’t need that, because this is his show and he IS the show. Before he was so rudely interrupted earlier, he was trying to make a point-- that what he was saying earlier was the truth and Kofi Kingston is in way over his head.
But don’t worry, help is on the way and he is that help, because at Money in the Bank he’s going to relieve Kofi of his burden and he’s positive that he’s going to win the WWE Championship. But enough about Kingston, he had a great idea earlier tonight for his guest, to have the great Xavier Woods on the show. He doesn’t know if he’s still willing or able to come out and talk, he asks Woods to humor him and come down for a chat.
Xavier doesn’t come down, so Kev pulls his plan B out-- an Xavier Woods action figure. One of the many, many pieces of crap merchandise New Day have been shilling for years. He stands the action figure on the chair and says he doesn’t look as happy as he usually does and asks if he’s lonely. Well good news, he was part of a battle pack and Big E is also here in action figure form with a bandaged leg!
Owens says the figures are useless pieces of trash and kicks the chair over, saying he knows exactly what’s in their hearts and on their minds anyway, and he thinks--
Enter Kofi Kingston, no music, no hype.
He takes his shirt off and charges the ring! WE GOT A FRYE/TAKAYAMA BRAWL! DOUBLE LEG INTO GROUNDED PUNCHES, KOFI’S UNLOADING! KO bails... Superman lariat off the steel steps! Continuing to hammer him with punches, he passes Owens over the announce table! HE THROWS AN OFFICE CHAIR AT KO! Owens hits an eyepoke and makes good his retreat!
Kofi stands tall in the ring as KO skulks off through the crowd.
That’s the show, folks.