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WWE SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (July 24, 2020) with a show at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. There won’t be any real fans in attendance, but we will see a Bar Fight between Jeff Hardy and Sheamus. Naomi’s appearance on Miz TV is also advertised, as well as Bayley and Sasha Banks addressing the championship landscape of SmackDown.
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 JULY 24
By still waters I lay down with the lambs, in pastures green I made peace with my soul. And I cared not for the night while my guiding star shone bright. By still waters I lay down, and I liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with Jeff Hardy cutting a promo backstage.
He admits he’s an alcoholic and talks about his scheduled Bar Fight against Sheamus tonight and his intent to slay his demons tonight by beating the holy hell out of him.
Sheamus gets an equal and opposite promo where he talks about putting Hardy where he belongs, wallowing on the cold, filthy hard floor of that bar, struggling to stand. But the ache in his head won’t be from a hangover, it’ll be courtesy of a Brogue Kick.
John “Bradshaw” Layfield chimes in with a promo of his own, saying the Bar Fight is gonna be a great match.
Sasha Banks and Bayley make their entrance and get on the mic.
Sasha talks about the definition of greatness and they show us a literal definition of the word with their picture next to it. They don’t just talk the talk, they walk it, and the women’s revolution started with them, and it’ll end with them. They’re officially ushering in a new era of greatness, and all the kids at home need to watch them and see that their dreams can come true, but no matter how hard they try, they’ll never be as great as they are.
Enter Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss.
Cross gets on the mic and berates them about stealing two wins at Extreme Rules, Glaswegian accent flying. Bayley says SmackDown is the land of opportunity, so Nikki can have her rematch as long as she beats a worthy adversary. A former SmackDown champion, a future Hall of Famer, and her own best friend, Alexa Bliss, winner gets a title shot next week!
Nikki shoves Alexa down and is hyped to fight as we go to break.
Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki Cross (WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
Circling, collar and elbow, Cross backs her into the ropes, Bliss turns her around and puts her in the corner, Nikki out with a waistlock, Alexa with a wristlock, reversed. Reversed back, Cross busting out some World of Sport evasions and Bliss following right with her into the stalemate. Charging in, schoolboy for one, again they stalemate!
Bliss with a side headlock, Cross with a side headlock takeover, headscissors counter, again they stalemate. Go-behind, Alexa with the side headlock, shot off, duck the elbows, shove Nikki to the mat! Off hte ropes, drop down, arm drag, arm drag, Cross gets an armbar. Bliss posts to her feet, she gets whipped into the corner, slips away, but Nikki blocks the big right hand!
Up top, tornado DDT blocked, DDT blocked, Cross decks her with a lariat! Another one, a third, a basement dropkick and she’s fired up! Stinger Splash, short whip into another, running bulldog... NOPE! Looking for the neckbreaker, Alexa counters with the Nodowa Otoshi and dropkicks her out of the ring!
Looking for a dropkick through the ropes, Cross gets her hung up in the ring skirt but can’t capitalize because Bliss kicks her! They brawl into Sasha and Bayley at commentary and we go to break.
Back from commercial, trading forearms over the ropes, Cross gets a handful of hair but Bliss kicks her to the floor. Off the ropes, slingshot dropkick, Alexa thinking about the countout win but Nikki beats the count. Snapmare into a top wristlock, kicks, double knees and Cross rolls out of the ring.
Bliss follows after and throws her into the barricade before clobbering her with a lariat and rolling back inside to take the count. Again Nikki beats the count and Alexa puts boots to her, cover for two. Pressing the attack, back to the top wristlock, stepping on her ribs for good measure. Cross struggling, in the middle of the ring, nowhere to go until she manages to throw Bliss aside.
Jawbreaker, throat thrust, forearms back Alexa into the corner! Smashing her face into the turnbuckles, tornado DDT blocked, Bliss hits the Yoshi Tonic... SO CLOSE! Up top, jockeying for position, no dice, and Nikki hits the Regal Cutter when they’re both back down on the mat but her ribs give out and she can’t maintain the cover!
Another Regal Cutter... BLISS KICKS OUT! Diving crossbody... NO WATER IN THE POOL! Bliss tries to capitalize...
Nikki Cross wins by pinfall with a small package to become #1 contender to the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Nikki Cross is vibrating with excitement backstage about her victory.
Alexa Bliss rolls up to give her a bottle of water and admits she got one over on her and says she earned it and she’s very happy for her. They hug, and Bliss says it’s time to focus on beating Bayley.
Firefly Fun House’s intro plays and warps and distorts as we go to cartoon version of the swamp briefly before getting a recap of the SWAMP FIGHT from Extreme Rules.
Bray Wyatt is in the Fun House and tells us that sure was fun. Family reunions warm his soul, and Braun Strowman came back home. He knows some of us are worried that he’s trapped in the swamp forever now, but it’s okay, that swamp is 100% certified organic. The lantern says some unintelligible stuff and Bray tells it he thinks it’s done for now and he can’t let him out again.
It’s his turn now, and he has been unleashed. We cut to footage of the Fiend for those of us who don’t get it, but Bray laughs it off and waves goodbye.
We get a recap of Riddle/Styles from last week.
Matt Riddle makes his entrance and we go to break.
Matt Riddle vs. Tony Nese
Riddle with a waistlock takedown into the rolling Karelin lifts and a high jump senton for two! Another senton, another two count, and Nese finally gets into it with an over the ropes bulldog and a springboard moonsault... NOPE! Bodyscissors applied, Matt posts to his feet and muscles him over for the Tombstone but Tony gets away from him!
Charging forearms in the corner set up the exploder suplex, off the ropes, Penalty Kick, hoisting him up...
Matt Riddle wins by pinfall with the fall-forward Tombstone Piledriver.
Post-match, he gets on the mic and says he’s kinda new here and doesn’t know how this works but he’s gonna give it a try, and he calls King Baron Corbin out.
Enter King Baron Corbin.
He says Riddle doesn’t get to just call him out, he’s gotta put in a formal request for an audience, and that request will be rejected because he doesn’t belong in his kingdom. Sure he’s got that new car smell, but that fades, and you’re left with a fratboy with no shoes who looks like he just rolled out of bed.
Baron puts out of a king’s ransom to anybody who can prove Riddle doesn’t belong here. Matt says he’s got it all wrong, he’s not a subject in his weird little kingdom, but he is the next special guest star on the Bro Show.
Nese attacks from behind and Riddle lays him out with a roundhouse kick!
Miz and John Morrison are backstage chatting about hashtags, with Morrison pitching ideas and Miz swatting them down.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, JBL gives us some more commentary on tonight’s Bar Fight, advising Jeff Hardy and Sheamus of the unique challenges of fighting in an actual bar.
Miz and Morrison are in the ring to welcome us to MizTV.
John announces his hashtag as #MoreMorrison and Miz introduces their guest, Naomi. They dance as she makes her entrance but she’s not impressed. They bring up #NaomiDeservesBetter and she says it’s not always easy to come out here with a smile on her face and push herself in the ring, but she’s got so much support and that’s what makes it worth it.
Miz and Morrison are confused because she gets so much support while she loses, and naturally she takes it poorly. She says she wasn’t trying to trend and maybe they need to consider WHY folks are so behind her, given that she’s stuck doing karaoke competitions and whatnot, and she’s been showing up and showing out for the last decade, consistent.
That’s why fans support her and why they want more for her. Morrison apologizes and says it’s gonna get worse, because Lacey Evans is their surprise guest. She gets in the ring and asks them if they’ve ever gotten their asses kicked so bad they got a pity hashtag to go viral? She says Naomi’s been here a decade and doesn’t have much to show for it, and that gets Naomi to shove her as she’s fixing her lipstick.
We got a brawl! Evans falls to the floor and backs off, face and teeth smeared red. She checks her face and storms off when she sees the damage.
We get a recap of the tag team tables match from Extreme Rules.
Cut to Big E pacing in front of a doctor’s room. Kofi Kingston comes out and says he’s gonna be out for at least six weeks, but at least he gets to spend time with his family. Big says to take his time and heal up and they’ll come for the titles when he’s back, but Kofi says he thinks this is the universe telling Big E that this is his time to shine.
E tries to wave it off but Kofi says Big has been completely selfless for the last six years, and here and now it’s about him showing the world what Big E can do. Again E waves it off but Kingston doubles down and asks him to put his meat on his meat.
Alas, that’s just the signal for a hug.
AJ Styles makes his entrance and joins the commentary booth to send us to break.
Chad Gable vs. Drew Gulak vs. Gran Metalik vs. Lince Dorado (WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
Lucha House Party working together in the early goings, taking Gable and Gulak out. Dorado with a leg pick on his partner, off the ropes, Drew with a trip and a slam on the floor! Metalik hits a Frankensteiner over the ropes and to the floor on the Legal Eagle! Gable from behind, German suplex, Gran lands on his feet, duck the lariat, arm drag, arm wringer, Chad whips him, handspring, duck a lariat, solebutt, ropewalk dropkick... GULAK BREAKS IT UP!
Dorado back in as well, striking on Drew in the corner, arm wringer, whip reversed, cartwheel, handspring, big boot, Frankensteiner sends Gulak to the floor! Fired up, off the ropes, Gable back in but Lince dives on Drew! Metalik to the apron, gamengiri on Chad but he cuts the attack off with a dropkick! Gable off the top... DIVING MOONSAULT SENDS US TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Gable with a back suplex on Metalik but Gulak breaks the pin up! Trading covers, Chad with a snap suplex on Drew for a nearfall. Dumping the Legal Eagle to the floor, back inside, the grapplers taking turns putting boots to Gran. Handspring back elbow wipes the impromptu alliance out, Dorado in, chopping away on Gulak!
Whip reversed, sidestep the charge, solebutt, quebrada... NOT ENOUGH! Setting Lince up top, he hits a diving crossbody for two! Handspring Stunner... METALIK BREAKS IT UP! Luchadors jawing at each other, Gable with an overhead exploder on Metalik and foreams on Dorado. Overhead exploder, rolling Koppu kick, another overhead exploder on Gulak! REGALPLEX FOR TWO ON GRAN METALIK!
Waistlock on Gulak, he converts it into the Gu-Lock in the middle of the ring! Hanging on while Chad does every trick in the book and gets the reversal into an ankle lock of his own! Drew crawling for the ropes, falling back in the grapevine, Dorado off the top with a splash... NOT HAPPENING! Superkick to Gable, going for the Super Crazy triple moonsault, one, two, Gulak cuts him off before the third!
Jockeying for position, Gable over, electric chair and he dumps Drew to the floor! GERMAN SUPERPLEX SENDS DORADO OUT OF THE RING! METALIK WALKS THE ROPES...
Gran Metalik wins by pinfall with the Gran Naniwa ropewalk elbow drop to become #1 contender to the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Post-match, AJ Styles gets in the ring and offers Metalik a handshake before slapping him in the face! Metalik fires back with a slap of his own and a springboard crossbody, holding the IC title high!
We get a video package for Otis and go to break.
Back from commercial, Kayla Braxton interviews the Artist Collective backstage.
They talk up their win and say their only regret was not putting Big E through a table as well. They say it’s not E’s time at all, it’s their time, and they’re gonna make all the teams on SmackDown go splat.
We get a video package building the Bar Fight up to send us to break.
Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus (Bar Fight)
Sheamus walks into the bar and asks the bartender if he’s seen Jeff Hardy. He has not, but Hardy calls out that he’s here and walks over. Jeff asks for a cup and waves the referee off, having a chat with Sheamus. He says his brother had to delete his WWE career, but he’s here to reclaim his, and sobriety has changed him.
The Celtic Warrior doubts this, calling him weak and pathetic. Hardy starts naming things around this bar, saying that he is them, but Sheamus says that actually, he’s the Bar, and Jeff is just a pathetic junkie. And we’re off! They brawl against the bar, Hardy getting an early advantage but Sheamus punches his way back in. Side slam into the bar, right hands, the Beats of the Bodhran follow before dumping Jeff on the floor. He orders a drink and Hardy comes flying off the bar with a lariat! Sheamus puts him into the brick wall, he puts the Celtic Warrior into barrels of Jameson and hammers him with basketballs from an arcade game!
Fighting deeper into the bar, putting Sheamus into the the walls of a hallway again and again. Sheamus gets a keg and cracks it across Jeff’s back! Choking him with the keg, slamming a bathroom door on him over and over again! He drags the Charismatic Enigman into the bathroom and slams his face into the sink before dragging him over to a urinal and giving him a swirly!
Hardy chokes and heaves as Sheamus pulls him over to the sink to show him his own reflection and call him a junkie some more. Jeff throws him into a toilet stall to get some breathing room and crawls back out into the hallway, still coughing and heaving as Sheamus gives chase. Hardy’s got a ladder! He rams it into Sheamus a few times before stone cold throwing it at him!
Crossbody off the bar, the Celtic Warrior catches him and rams him into the brick wall before dropping him! Sheamus grabs a Stratocaster off the wall and swings it, but Jeff ducks and the guitar shatters against the brick! Clubbing away, Hardy goes for a whip but it gets reversed and he crashes into a drum set to send us to break!
Back from commercial, Sheamus is yelling as Hardy struggles to extricate himself from the wreckage of the drums. He goes for a Brogue Kick but Jeff blocks it with the snare! Just falling on him, ugly fighting, dragging him back to the bar as they trade shots. Kick to the midsection, Twist of Fate!
Hardy picks up the ladder and sets it up against the wall of barrels before dragging the Celtic Warrior over and putting boots to him for good measure. Climbing the ladder, but the bartender attacks! Jeff elbows the guy and picks him up... POWERBOMB THROUGH A TABLE! Sheamus breaks a chair across Hardy’s back!
He puts his hat on the Charismatic Enigma’s face and goes behind the bar. He pours himself a beer and toasts Jeff, who remains flat on the floor and unconscious as he finishes his drink. Sheamus heads back over to Hardy and calls the ref, but when he pulls his hat off, Jeff’s face is painted and opaque contacts are in!
Hardy punches away and glasses him with a beer bottle! Jeff climbs the ladder and poses...
Jeff Hardy wins by pinfall with the Swanton Bomb.
Post-match, he puts Sheamus’ hat on his face and blinks his eyes back to normal.
That’s the show, folks.