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WWE SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Apr. 24, 2020) with a show at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. There won’t be any fans in attendance, but we will see a celebration of Triple H’s 25 year career in WWE. There will also be two Money in the Bank qualifying matches (Lacey Evans vs. Sasha Banks, Drew Gulak vs. King Corbin), Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross defending the women’s tag titles against Carmella & Dana Brooke, and a look at the history between Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt.
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on Fox. 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 APR. 24
Through my anatomy, dwells another being, rooted in my cortex, a servant to its bidding. Brutality now becomes my appetite, violence is now a way of life, the sledge my tool to torture as it pounds down on your forehead, but enough of that— we’re gonna be talking plenty about Triple H’s career as I liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens right into a Triple H 25th Anniversary retrospective hype reel.
New Day make their entrance.
They get on the mic and talk up their tag title victory with Kofi Kingston (rightfully) giving Big E all the credit for winning them solo. E gets sexual, Kofi cuts him off, and they talk about all the great teams they have more reigns than, like the Hart Foundation, British Bulldogs, New Age Outlaws, Demolition, Edge and Christian.
But he’s not bragging, he just wants to put it in context, and then Big goes on a weird Tom Brady tangent until Lucha House Party interrupt.
They just wanted to congratulate the New Day for becoming eight-time tag champs, but they hate sitting in the back watching opportunities go to all the other tag teams, so they want to be the first teams to challenge—
Enter the Miz and John Morrison, who literally walk right past Lucha House Party.
Miz takes issue with them claiming the titles as the result of a singles match, and then they complain together about their title defenses not being fairly adjucated and point out that New Day have never beaten them in an actual tag team match.
Miz says they don’t deserve the titles and the entire tag division, and New Day make the titles look like jokes. They want their titles back here and now, and this leads Lucha House Party to get in the ring and Gran Metalik to yell in Spanish. Miz asks Morrison to translate, to which he says Gran said he respects the Miz on several levels.
E points out that’s not what he said, and Lince Dorado starts to give the real translation but—
Enter the Forgotten Sons.
Steve Cutler introduces himself and his boys and complains about being treated like trash after serving his country. They’re the ones that are gonna reign over the SmackDown tag team division. Miz berates him and demands respect, but Jaxson Ryker calls him a poser who played a marine in the movies but he’s a real life marine.
They attack, we get a big ol’ brawl, Miz and Morrison make a break for it as Forgotten Sons destroy the babyfaces. RYKER POWERBOMBS KOFI ONTO BIG E!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a video package covering HHH’s first year in WWE.
Miz and Morrison are walking backstage all angry when they run into an interview.
They say they’re gonna get a match against Lucha House Party tonight.
King Baron Corbin vs. Drew Gulak (Money in the Bank Qualifying Match)
Circling, collar and elbow, Corbin shoves Gulak out of the ring and he returns for some mat grappling. Leg pick takes him down, side headlock but Baron shoves him right off. Jawing at each other, into the ropes, Drew trying for strikes but Corbin’s elbows make him immediately regret it. Right hands, back to a leg pick, basement dropkick!
Kick to the arm sends Baron to the floor, baseball slide sends him into the announce table and a shotgun dropkick sends Corbin over the desk as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Gulak in control, hammerlock applied, Corbin forces himself out of it, out and back in, big lariat, only two! Baron with forearms, Drew looking to pick the leg again, schoolboy for two! Corbin with a knee, wrist-clutch back suplex slam, putting boots to him in the corner. Trading forearms, duck a lariat, shotgun dropkick turns the tide!
Goozle, Gulak rolls through into a sunset flip... NOPE! Back elbow, off the ropes, crossbody... STILL NO! Action to the floor, dragon screw into the steel steps! Back inside, Gulak off the top with a diving lariat! Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura attack Daniel Bryan at ringside! Drew goes to help his pal, Corbin blindsides him...
King Baron Corbin wins by pinfall with End of Days, qualifying for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Post-match, Sami Zayn’s boys get in the ring and hold Gulak up for Corbin to smash him in the face with the scepter!
Commentary talks about Rob Gronkowski going back to football but still having to defend the 24/7 Championship and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a Money in the Bank hype reel.
Daniel Vidot vs. Sheamus
Squash match city, folks. Sheamus just pummels the crap outta this dude...
Sheamus wins by pinfall with the Brogue Kick.
Chapter three of the Jeff Hardy Redemption documentary is up now, covering his 2017 return to WWE up until his injury.
Miz and John Morrison make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get a HHH video package covering the D-Generation X invasion of WCW Nitro.
Sheamus interrupts commentary and rips the headset off of Michael Cole’s head, staring him down as he cowers.
Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado) vs. the Miz & John Morrison
Miz and Dorado to start, collar and elbow, the A-Lister backing him into the corner, break dirty with a punch but Lince ducks and lays kicks in. Big chop, springboard but Miz clips his wings with a boot! Double leg, tag and a catapult, slingshot elbow drop from Morrison. Right hand, Canadian backbreaker rack but Dorado slips out with an arm drag and makes the tag!
Springboard into a falling splash off of Lince’s shoulders for two! Tag back to Dorado, off the ropes, rolling Alabama Slam into a running knee as Johnny SmackDown takes control again! Arm wringer, tag to Miz. Double gutbuster, fired up, trading punches, the A-Lister coming in with stomps and mocking the Lucha chant.
Tag from Morrison, snapmare, off the ropes with a boot and then another running knee, standing shooting star press, only two! Trading strikes, John with a leg pick into grounded punches with a kick-ass rolling transition! Whip across, handspring Stunner but Miz gets the tag! Leg pick, kick him off, tag to Metalik! Springboard crossbody, chops and kicks, off the ropes, slide under the boot, handspring comes up empty and the A-Lister kicks him in the mush! Gran kicks him back, lucha bulldog, up top, diving moonsault but the boots are up! Metalik thinks fast...
Lucha House Party win by pinfall with a victory roll pin from Gran Metalik on Miz.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a hype reel for WWE’s social outreach programs.
Lacey Evans vs. Sasha Banks (Money in the Bank Qualifying Match)
Evans goes after Bayley and Banks takes full advantage to press the attack. To the floor, Lacey puts her into the barricade, back to Bayley and again she pays as Sasha throws her right hand into the post hard. Back inside, cover for two, punishing her in the corner, nobody home on the double knees! Evans kicking away, clutching her injured arm, but Banks posts her and kicks her hand into the steel!
Perched up top, Meteora connects... NOPE! Standing backhammer, reverse chinlock, drop toehold puts Banks into the turnbuckles! Bronco Buster to the back, smashing her face into the turnbuckles! Headed up top, jockeying for position, Banks kicks her hand again! Tenryu Powerbomb for two and right into the Bank Statement crossface!
Lacey rolls through for the break, backslide, only two. Again targeting the bad hand, off the ropes... WOMAN’S RIGHT OUTTA NOWHERE! BAYLEY PUTS SASHA’S FOOT ON THE ROPES FOR THE BREAK! Evans drags the champion to the apron, the Boss thinks fast, schoolboy for about a six count but referee Danilo Anfibio is busy with Bayley!
Evans from behind with the little cutout of her daughter that Bayley and Sasha brought to the ring in hand...
Lacey Evans wins by pinfall with a Woman’s Right with a blatantly loaded fist, qualifying for the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Post-match, Tamina lays Bayley out with a superkick on the stage!f
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a video package recapping the history between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman.
A video package for the whole Mandy/Otis/Sonya/Dolph saga and some qualifiers involving them for next week.
Carmella is shown backstage warming up when Dana Brooke rolls up to chat about her competing in a qualifier and a tag title match tonight, to which Mella admits she may have inspired her.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get another Triple H video, this time covering his quad tear in 2001 and return to competition in 2002.
Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (c) vs. Carmella & Dana Brooke (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
Brooke and Cross to start, challenger in hot with a dropkick that sends Nikki to the floor. Crossbody off the apron from Carmella for Bliss but Cross gets right on her! Dana with a dive on Nikki and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Carmella striking away on Bliss, moonwalk into the Bronco Buster, big kick, Cross makes the save! Brooke with a handspring back elbow on Nikki on the floor, Mella with a schoolboy for two! Alexa with the hard right hand, snapmare, headed up top, diving crossbody but Cross is legal now!
Back and forth, quick tags...
Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross win by pinfall with an assisted DDT to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
We go to break on the promise of Triple H being live next.
Back from commercial we get some hype for next week’s show.
Triple H makes his entrance (to The Game) and gets on the mic.
He says it’s hard for him to believe it’s been 25 years—
Enter the Heartbreak Kid himself, Shawn Michaels.
He’s got two words for you— social distancing. He wanted to invite a bunch of Triple’s friends and colleagues but under the circumstances that was impossible. He talks about how they’ve been friends the entire time Hunter has been around and says he never really got a chance to thank him for his 25th anniversary show.
HHH says that was a wild night and HBK asks what his favorite moment was. Hunter says it’s hard to boil it down to just one moment but Michaels presses him and then complains about never getting a 25th anniversary celebration. Triple says when he gets to the office heads will roll and Shawn talks about how everything they did as D-Generation X worked flawlessly.
Hunter agrees and we get a video package of D-X bloopers. Michaels talks up all the great moments in HHH’s career and says despite him being Mr. WrestleMania, his accomplishments pale in comparison, which sets up a montage of all of Hunter’s WrestleMania losses. Mr. H’s asks how many losses Shawn has had but Michaels brushes him off.
HHH changes tactics to talk up all his great opponents, from the Rock to Mick Foley to HBK, and this leads to Shawn complaining about Stephanie No Fun interrupting their good times. Hunter’s phone rings and he answers it, and of course it’s his wife, Mrs. No Fun herself. She called in specifically to complain about Michaels bringing her up and now mocking her as she speaks.
He hangs up and waves it off and Shawn moves on to Ric Flair, calling Evolution a special moment. What do you know, the Nature Boy calls in to congratulate Hunter on 25 years! He tells hi not to let Shawn superkick him at the end of the segment and he’s moved to tears as he hangs up.
Again HHH’s phone rings and we go to break on the sound of sobbing.
Back from commercial, Road Dogg has called in and Hunter has trouble getting him to hang up. Michaels says we’re running out of time and Triple H says it’s cool, Fox have told him he can go as late as he wants.
Enter Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
He congratulates Paul on 25 years and says normally he’d come down and give him a great big bear hug. He talks about how they promoted the Gobbledy Gooker and his debut went wrong and compares HHH’s performance to that. He recounts the Katie Vick angle before telling Hunter he loves him.
The screen goes dark.
Crickets chirp.
That’s the show, folks.