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WWE SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Aug. 7, 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 Bray Wyatt address The Fiend’s attack on Alexa Bliss. We’ll also see Matt Riddle vs. Sheamus, Jeff Hardy vs. King Corbin, and Sonya Deville as a special correspondent on The Dirt Sheet.
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 AUG. 7
It’s time to make up your mind, get in the cellar. Are you going to betray yourself, or come join us up on the dais? The conspiracy that’s forever unfolding in your head, it’s just not real, unlike this pro wrestling show I’m about to liveblog.
The show opens with a recap of the SWAMP FIGHT from Extreme Rules that eventually drifts into being a recap of the build for the presumptive match between Braun Strowman and the Fiend at SummerSlam.
This segues into a new episode of Firefly Fun House.
Bray Wyatt wants to address haters sliding into his DMs over what happened to Alexa Bliss last week, saying it’s not his fault, but rather Braun’s. How could he let something so horrific happen to someone he cares so much about? All he had to do was give Him what he wants! And He’ll be here later with someone very special.
He’s waiting for Strowman, and Bray’s advice is to just give Him what he wants.
Matt Riddle vs. Sheamus
Circling, collar and elbow, Sheamus backs him into the corner but Riddle shoves him away! Go-behind, looking for a bodyscissors sleeper hold but the Celtic Warrior makes the ropes and forces a break! Sheamus with a side headlock takeover, waistlock reversal, he slips out and Matt takes him down with a leg pick.
Back to the headlock, Riddle gets him in the ropes and forces the break. Knees to the ribs from the Celtic Warrior, into a standing armbar, trying to ground the Bro down. Reversal, Riddle looking for a Fujiwara armbar, wishboning his fingers, but Sheamus fights out. Hossing him up, release powerbomb plants Riddle and Sheamus takes a second to recompose himself!
Right hands, whip blocked, Matt back body drops him to the apron but the Celtic Warrior snaps his neck across the top rope and hits the Beats of the Bodhran! Riddle knocks him to the floor after and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Sheamus hits a pair of Irish Curses, holding onto the second before hitting a third... NOPE! Reverse chinlock applied, Riddle fights to his feet, body blows get a knee to the gut, back suplex, Matt lands on his feet and kicks the Celtic Warrior’s head off! Punches, reverse a lariat to the Pele kick, kip-up!
Fired up, Riddle with charging forearms, overhead exploder suplex, off the ropes, Penalty Kick, high jump senton... STILL NO! Another senton, Matt climbs up top after, moonsault, nobody home! WHITE NOISE! RIDDLE KICKS OUT! Headed to the corner, calling for it, Riddle sidesteps the Brogue Kick... EVEREST GERMAN SUPLEX FOR A NEARFALL!
Lining him up for a knee, Sheamus counters to a schoolboy and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker after! Riddle sidesteps, the Celtic Warrior eats the post shoulder-first! Action to the floor, chest kicks in front of the announce table... Chad Gable charges down the entry and bumrushes Riddle! Referee Dan Engler has no choice...
Matt Riddle wins by disqualification.
Post-match, Riddle immediately turns the tables on Gable, smashing his face into the announce table over and over before throwing him into the steel steps!
After Riddle takes his leave, Sheamus Brogue Kicks Chad and gets back on the mic.
He berates Gable at length for ruining his opportunity in a feeble attempt to earn King Baron Corbin’s bounty, and Brogue Kicks him again to make his point clear.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, King Baron Corbin is hanging out backstage with some woman when Sheamus rolls up to threaten to kick his head off his shoulders and stick his crown up his royal ass if he interferes with one of his matches again.
Corbin says he’s lucky he’s busy with Jeff Hardy or he’d put a dent in his skull right now.
Miz and John Morrison are in the ring to welcome us to this week’s edition of the Dirt Sheet, and this fades into a recap of Sonya Deville assaulting Mandy Rose from last week.
Their mics go out a few times and they tell Retribution they’re not even scheduled tonight, and they’re giving last week’s victim a platform via satellite... Mandy Rose’s hair!
It’s a wig with googly eyes glued onto it and a falsetto voice provided by Miz and Morrison.
They interview her hair at length about the trials and tribulations of... being hair... and they ask the crowd to give her a hair yeah.
I dunno.
Eventually Miz says the real victim deserves our attention and introduces Sonya Deville.
Actual Sonya, no puppet, in a quite fetching suit, to boot.
Anyway, she doesn’t understand why everyone is so confused— she said she was gonna make Mandy’s outsides as ugly as her insides, and when she says she’s gonna do something, she does it. Did she enjoy it? Absolutely she did. She says she would apologize, but she just doesn’t feel bad at all, and she has literally no respect for Mandy anymore. She broke her inside over a haircut? C’mon.
She says everybody’s waiting for Mandy’s music to hit but she knows it’s not and Miz and Morrison say she’s been radio silent on social media. Deville says all Rose has is her looks and a Bumpy award for making out with Otis. They all make fun of how they look as a couple until—
Heavy Machinery hit the ring and beat the boys up!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Lucha House Party get an inset promo where they talk up Lince’s match here.
Cesaro vs. Lince Dorado
Cesaro backs him into the corner, whip across, up and over, handspring away, off the ropes, satellite caught into a backbreaker by the Swiss Superman! Uppercuts ensue, upkicks from Dorado but he runs right into a lariat! Pop-up, satellite headscissors, the lights dim, off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO CAUGHT, POWERBOMB ATTEMPT BLOCKED, LINCE JUMPS OFF THE BARRICADE AND HITS A FRANKENSTEINER!
Sunset flip back inside, only two, enzuigiri from the apron, springboard caught into another backbreaker from the Swiss Superman! Cover for two, looking for a standing surfboard but Dorado hits a mule kick to block. Jawbreaker, lighting him up with punches in the corner, whip reversed, boot up on the charge.
Backflip sets up a handspring Stunner! Going for the Super Crazy trifecta of moonsaults, one, two, Shinsuke Nakamura runs interference... CESARO GOES FOR A RAZOR’S EDGE BUT LINCE COUNTERS INTO A HURRICANRANA! No good, Cesaro gets him in position...
Cesaro wins by pinfall with the Neutralizer.
Commentary informs us that Heavy Machinery vs. Miz and Morrison has been booked for later tonight.
We go backstage where Otis is apoplectic and Tucker is trying to soothe him when an interview rolls up.
Otis says he can handle jokes on him, he’s heard ‘em all, but he won’t stand for disrespecting his peach, and when you get him angry, no one is gonna be laughing.
The Fiend makes his entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, the Fiend is in the ring with Alexa Bliss, who’s wearing an outfit covered in spikes.
He silently goes to lock the mandible claw on her but she gently pushes him away and he breaks.
Braun Strowman’s voice comes over the tron.
He says he doesn’t give a damn about Alexa, all he cares about is destroying the Fiend. He knew there were only two ways he was coming out the swamp, either the most evil son of a bitch anybody’s laid eyes on, or the man with the satisfaction that he spit in the devil’s face and laughed at him, and now you’re looking at the most evil son of a bitch etc.
He got pushed to his breaking point and let what was scratching and clawing inside of him out and fulfilling his destiny. He’s the thing nightmares are made of, the monster, and the Fiend can have whatever he wants at SummerSlam, if he only he faces his fears and faces the monster.
And so we go to break.
King Baron Corbin vs. Jeff Hardy
Circling, Hardy ducks a lariat, right to the Manhattan Drop, right hands, wristlock, shoulder thrusts, duck another lariat, off the ropes, forearm clobbers Baron! Manhattan Drop to the double leg to the basement dropkick, cover for two! Corbin with a right hand, pass to the floor and back in, Twist of Fate blocked and he hammers Jeff with a lariat for a deep two!
Action spills to the floor, Baron hammers Jeff with strikes over the announce table, back inside, cover for two. Grounded armbar, grinding Hardy down, shoving him into the corner, pass out and when he goes to come back in he gets clobbered with a dropkick! Beating him down against the barricade, the Charismatic Enigma running hot, back inside... DEEP SIX FOR TWO!
Blocking End of Days with right hands, Corbin fires back with an Alarm Clock knee that sends Jeff spiraling out of the ring! Sheamus comes down and blasts Jeff Hardy with a Brogue Kick! Referee Drake Wuertz has to call it...
Jeff Hardy wins by disqualification.
The two heels bicker as we go to break.
King Baron Corbin vs. Sheamus
Match is joined in progress, Sheamus in control and beating Corbin down. Pummeling him in the corner, whip across, front kick cuts him off but the Celtic Warrior sends him to the apron with a knee strike! Drawing him up for the Beats of the Bodhran but Baron won’t stay still and let himself be manhandled into position!
A lariat takes Sheamus out on the floor, Corbin smashes his face into the announce table and Sheamus returns the favor! Back inside, Sheamus up top, nobody home and Baron hits a side slam for two! Putting him into the post, mounted punches, half nelson chinlock applied. Sheamus fights to his feet, Corbin pushes him back down and ends up dropping him with a lariat!
Matt Riddle springboards in for a distraction, setting Sheamus up...
Sheamus wins by pinfall with the Brogue Kick.
Bayley is pensive backstage but turns the smiles on when Sasha Banks rolls up to check on her.
She says she’s cool but she wishes Sasha had checked with her before booking her in a match against Asuka on Raw this week. Banks reiterates that they have the gold, they did it themselves, and not only are they role models, but Bayley is HER role model.
A crew member rolls up to tell them they’re needed in the ring for a video conference with Stephanie McMahon and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Big E is interviewed backstage.
He says he’s been a man who made log roll to the ring, pour a box of cereal over the eager adult, he’s been an entertainer, and now he gets to answer what could have been if they passed him the ball. The support from the WWE Universe, the co-sign from Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods could be perceived as a weight, but they don’t hold him down, they lift him up, and he assures us we’re gonna get all of him.
In the ring, Sasha Banks and Bayley are present for their video conference with Stephanie McMahon.
She puts over their accomplishments and they thank her for their positive feedback and talk about how they want to be role models for little girls like Stephanie’s daughters. Stephanie’s tone turns critical and she says they’ve gotten everyone’s attention, including hers. They beg off, saying they know what’s best for business and they pay attention to what she and her husband do.
She tells them to relax, they may have found a loophole in a stipulation, but she doesn’t hold a grudge and she doesn’t want to lecture them or punish them, she just wants to challenge them, and that’s why Banks is going to defend her title at SummerSlam, possibly against Asuka, and Bayley will face off against the winner of a three-brand battle royal next week.
Backstage, Miz, Morrison, and Sonya Deville are chatting when an interview rolls up for the boys.
They refuse to apologize for their sophisticated commentary earlier and they say outsmarting Otis is like playing chess against a pot-bellied pig.
And so we go to break.
Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight) vs. the Miz & John Morrison
Tucker and Morrison to start, John laying forearms in, Knight picks his leg right into a cover and follows it up with a waistlock and into the takedown. Morrison with kicks, Tucky clobbers him with a right hand as the lights flicker again. Tags made, Otis shrugs off Miz’s kicks and chops, tearing his shirt off fired up, headbutt, belly bump, tag made.
Heavy Machinery Bushwhacker marching to set up a stereo belly bump and Knight dives off the apron with a cannonball that takes Miz and Morrison out and sends us to break.
Back from commercial, Miz has Knight locked down and blasts him with a knee and a kick. Tucky fighting out of the corner, but a double stomp-assisted inverted facelock backbreaker stops him in place! Morrison laying kicks in, Miz tags back in, double backbreaker for another two count. Another tag, Knight cuts the double team off and the path is clear... OTIS TAGS IN!
Dozer hot and heavy with lariats and elbows, a pop-up drop, scoop and a slam! Overhead belly-to-belly suplex, Stinger Splash, Morrison is down and out! CATERPILLAR BUT MIZ BREAKS IT UP! Tucky pulls the A-Lister out of the ring but the heels sidestep and he splats into the barricade! Miz puts Otis into the steel steps!
Mandy Rose is here! She attacks Sonya Deville and the match breaks down into chaos with everybody brawling in the ring.
The match goes to a no-contest, probably, although no announcement is made.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, the participants of the last match are doing a pull-apart brawl backstage when the lights go out.
Masked figures come to ringside and wreak havoc with baseball bats, lead pipes, and crowbars, sending the announce team scurrying. They say this is their house now and you might wanna go home, running some camera operators down in the process. They hit the crowd up next, beating some folks up unmerciful.
Two of them tip the announce table over for reasons, and then they spraypaint the lexan and the ring rather ineffectually before getting a chainsaw out and cutting the ropes.
Why?
Who knows.
That’s the show, folks.