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WWE SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Mar. 4, 2022) with a live show emanating from FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming WrestleMania 38 two-night extravaganza in early April in Arlington, Texas.
Advertised for tonight: Ronda Rousey will wrestle on SmackDown for the first time ever when she gets her hands on Sonya Deville.
Elsewhere on the card: Sami Zayn defends the Intercontinental championship against Ricochet, and The Usos put the tag team titles on the line against the Viking Raiders.
Come right back here at 8 pm ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on FOX. It will be below this line here. (Note: Going forward, there will be no ban on GIFs or images in the live blog threads. Feel free to post as you wish.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR MAR. 4
Swept away with the tide, through the holes in my hands. Crown of thorns at my side drawing lines in the sand while I liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you folks.
The show opens with Paul Heyman cutting a promo backstage.
He says tonight SmackDown is blessed not only with Roman Reigns’ presence, but our opportunity to acknowledge him.
Ronda Rousey and Sonya Deville have short dueling promos about their match tonight, as do the Viking Raiders and the Usos, and also Ricochet and Sami Zayn.
Ricochet vs. Sami Zayn (c) (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Ricochet right in with a victory roll... SO CLOSE! Side headlock, shot off, roll under, backflip headscissors sets up a dropkick and the One and Only is rolling! Zayn fires back with a big lariat, punches to the dome and Ricochet fights up with body blows and hits an enzuigiri for another deep two count!
Sami to the apron, a superkick staggers him, Ricky follows but gets caught... HALF AND HALF SUPLEX ON THE APRON SENDS US TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Zayn up top and Ricochet snaps off a Frankensteiner for a nearfall! Slingshot in, Sami reverses a Frankensteiner into a Liger Bomb... NOPE! Putting boots to the One and Only, he recovers and reverses the exploder into a victory roll pin for two!
Legsweep into a standing moonsault, cover... STILL NO! Superkick follows, Zayn rolls to the floor, Ricochet runs the ropes... SPACE FLYING TIGER DROP! Sami recovers, but—
Enter Johnny Knoxville.
He gets up on the apron and taunts Sami, Ricochet from behind...
Ricochet wins by pinfall with a Hurricanrana to become your new WWE Intercontinental Champion.
We get a recap of Vincent Kennedy McMahon’s appearance on the Pat McAfee Show and go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of Ricochet’s win because why not?
We see a frustrated Sami Zayn scream and throw stuff backstage.
Austin Theory makes his entrance and gets on the mic.
He introduces himself as Mr. McMahon’s protege and asks tells Pat McAfee that Vince set him up by being on his show. He’s always one step ahead and he always has a reason, and what is Pat gonna do when his mouth is wired shut? He says he’s Pat’s opponent at WrestleMania and he’s gonna beat him to a pulp, and slaps the headset off of him!
McAfee stands back up on the announce table and calls Austin a bitch.
Naomi makes her entrance, flanked by Sasha Banks, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Carmella and Zelina Vega get a promo about how important their tag title defense at WrestleMania is gonna be.
Carmella vs. Naomi
Carmella immediately bails to have her mask applied, Naomi cuts her off with a roundhouse when she returns to the apron, up top, Mella cuts her off and trips her up. Reverse chinlock applied, Naomi with some elbows, fireman’s carry jawbreaker, low-angle enzuigiri for a two count!
Putting Naomi into the corner, kidney shots, Zelina Vega running interference but Sasha Banks cuts her off and hits the Meteora against the steps! Enzuigiri takes Mella down...
Naomi wins by pinfall with the split-legged moonsault.
Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss are playing cards backstage with some randos and laughing.
Happy talks up his WrestleMania successes, winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in Memory of Andre the Giant and retiring Kurt Angle, and says he won’t rest until Drew McIntyre is also in the retirement home.
Drew McIntyre makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Happy and his poker bros are still watching backstage.
Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal
McIntyre laying chops in, Mahal ducks and drops him with a superkick for two! Drew recovers, jumping neckbreaker, fighting Shanky off, Jinder looking for Khallas, McIntyre breaks free and hits the headbutt! 3... 2... 1...
Drew McIntyre wins by pinfall with the Claymore.
Post-match, Drew is interviewed in the ring.
He says he doesn’t give a damn what Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin think, and neither does anyone else. Nobody likes or respects them in the locker room or in the crowd, and at WrestleMania, he’s taking Corbin out.
We go back to the poker room so Moss can mock McIntyre more but Corbin is all serious.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns from last week.
The Usos ambush Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs during their entrance and lay them out!
Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman make their entrance, joining the Usos on the stage.
Reigns gets on the mic and asks Miami to acknowledge him. He talks about Madison Square Garden, saying he’s gonna smash whoever steps up and send them to the back of the line like he’s been doing for the past year and a half, but Brock Lesnar’s title defense is a lot more interesting.
Lots of people don’t want Brock to make it to WrestleMania and reminds us that he stacked ‘em up and smashed ‘em last year and this year he’s calling his shot again. At WrestleMania, he’s gonna smash Brock Lesnar and then five million dollars worth of fireworks are gonna go off while he raises both title belts over his head.
And Brock won’t have a choice but to acknowledge him.
And so we go to break.
The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) (c) vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) (WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship)
Vikings hot out the gates, Ivar takes both Usos out with a cannonball to the floor! Back inside, Warbeard up top, 747 Splash... NOPE! Pop-up for the Viking Experience, Jey makes the save and then tags in! Double spinebuster, action to the floor, brawling with Erik and Jey puts him into the post before tagging out!
The Usos throw him into the timekeeper’s area and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Vikings hit a Hart Attack... NOPE! Back suplex, float over, Jimmy with the tag and he nails Erik with a superkick! Up top, diving splash, the knees are up! Tag to Ivar, Viking Experience... JEY BREAKS IT UP! I briefly investigate some cat business in the kitchen to make sure nothing’s broken and when I come back the Usos are making quick tags and looking for a finish...
The Usos win by pinfall with the 1D on Erik to retain the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
We see New Day driving their ATV backstage and they make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we see Sonya Deville getting ready for her match tonight.
Sheamus beats Big E down before the bell for their match, beats Kofi Kingston down too, and Ridge attacks the ATV with a chair and they steal the four-wheeler and drive off, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for the Undertaker’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
We see Sheamus and Ridge Holland destroying Big E’s ATV with sledgehammers.
A recap of Ricochet’s title win and Sami Zayn’s challenge to Johnny Knoxville follows.
Knoxville is interviewed backstage.
Johnny says Sami is a strange sad little man and he only came here to remind him that he’s a chump, but no good deed goes unpunished. He knows Zayn is watching but he’s put his body through insane situations and even broke his dick once backflipping a motorcycle, and he isn’t scared to fight him at WrestleMania.
In Happy Corbin’s poker room, Drew spikes a dart board with his sword and Corbin runs away.
Sonya Deville makes her entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes next week’s show up.
Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville
Charlotte Flair is at ringside for this one.
Rousey hauls off and slaps Deville in the face, off the ropes, lariat, flying armbar but Flair runs interference and Sonya takes Ronda’s legs out from under her! Strikes in the corner, Charlotte joins commentary, running knee... NOPE! Rear chinlock applied, grinding Rousey down, she fights to her feet and out with elbows!
Awkward triangle choke in the ropes, lighting Sonya up in the corner, judo throws follow, fireman’s carry, Piper’s Pit! Ronda applies the armbar...
Ronda Rousey wins by submission with her armbar.
Post-match, Charlotte and Ronda jaw at each other, Flair hits the ring but Rousey immediately grabs an ankle lock and the Queen taps! Ronda wrenches it and lets her go!
That’s the show, folks.
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