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WWE SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Apr. 1, 2022) with a live show emanating from American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, featuring the go-home show for this weekend’s WrestleMania 38 two-night extravaganza.
Advertised for tonight: Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and several lower card wrestlers compete in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Tonight’s episode of SmackDown also features Ricochet defending the Intercontinental title in a triple threat match against Humberto and Angel. Finally, Drew McIntyre’s sword Angela will be the special guest on Happy Talk, hosted by Happy Corbin.
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 APR. 1
War is peace? Sure, man. A retreat for the damned, a playground for the demented, a haven for those who walk this world bereft of heart and soul, but me? I’m just here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with Michael Cole welcoming us to the show.
We get a video package for Andre the Giant.
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in Memory of Andre the Giant
Brawling chaos to start as in any battle royal, Akira Tozawa gets dumped early and Damian Priest blasts Reggie off the apron into an elimination right after! Damian takes R-Truth out as well, Jinder Mahal eliminated but T-BAR skins the cat and saves himself!
He goozles Cedric Alexander but Shelton Benjamin saves his teammate and eliminates T-BAR with a knee! Drew Gulak and Madcap Moss brawling, and Moss eliminates Gulak! Happy Corbin saves his pal from elimination at Ciampa’s hands, Apollo Crews eliminates Cedric! Shelton goes to dump him, he lands safe on the apron and Commander Azeez drops Benjamin out of the ring and to the floor!
Tom takes Mansoor out with a knee, the Viking Raiders dump Apollo but Azeez and Shanky team up to eliminate Erik and Ivar! Big men squaring off, everybody else works together to eliminate them both! Eliminations coming hot and heavy, Ziggler eliminates Ciampa with a superkick!
Down to Balor, Ziggler, Roode, and Moss, struggling in the ropes, Madcap eliminates the Dirty Dawgz! Finn hangs in, Sling Blade but Moss sends him packing...
Madcap Moss wins, last eliminating Finn Balor.
Post-match, Madcap Moss cuts a promo about how he always loved Andre the Giant and wanted to follow in his footsteps, and he cracks a joke about Texans being dumb.
We get a recap of the events that lead to our Intercontinental Championship match tonight.
Ricochet makes his entrance and we go to break.
Angel Garza vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Ricochet (c) (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Lotharios double-teaming Ricochet from the jump, laying vicious kicks in. Ricky gets rolling, double Frankensteiner, cut off on the springboard and Carrillo with an avalanche hip toss! Lotharios hug and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ricochet gets a flurry of offense but the cousins grab him and taunt him. Double whip, enzuigiri, Humberto hits one in return for two! Mounted punches, Angel looking upset, cover attempt while Carrillo’s going up top and Los Lotharios bicker. Ricochet shoves them into each other, assisted Hurricanrana but Garza breaks it up!
Humberto tries to pin Angel with a schoolboy, they bicker more, the pace picks up, standing moonsault from Ricky but Garza breaks the pin up! Boot up on the charge, back body drop sends Carrillo to the floor, enzuigiri to Angel, champion goes up top but Garza cuts him off!
Kick from the turnbuckles, Humberto cuts him off this time, jockeying for position, Ricochet knocks them down, 630 splash on Garza, he runs over to Carrillo...
Ricochet wins by pinfall with Recoil on Humberto Carrillo to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of the Stone Cold / Kevin Owens feud.
Naomi and Sasha Banks make their entrance to send us to break.
Boss and Glow (Naomi & Sasha Banks) vs. Carmella & Queen Zelina Vega
The other two teams in the tag title match are at ringside for this match.
Banks finds herself overwhelmed on the apron, eventually she makes the tag and Naomi goes to work. Carmella breaks up a bodyscissors, Naomi dropkicks both of them, tag back to Sasha! Sandwiching them in the corner, Vader Bomb from the Boss, tag...
Boss and Glow win by pinfall with the split-legged moonsault from Naomi.
We get a little clip of Shayna Baszler sparring with Ronda Rousey to get her ready for WrestleMania and go to break.
Back from commercial, we get footage of Ronda Rousey being interviewed earlier today.
She says she’s angry but she’s not going to wear herself out, and until tomorrow she’s gonna relax, hang out with her family, feed her baby, and Charlotte Flair can either tap out or she’ll rip her arm off and give it to her family as a souvenir.
A video package for their feud follows.
Charlotte Flair makes her entrance and gets on the mic.
She says the video package was epic and she could watch it all day, and the masterpiece she’s created is more beautiful than Oscar-winner CODA. And we’ve seen that Ronda is very, very angry that no matter what submission she tries, she’ll destroy her.
Rousey’s acting like she has her anger under control and she’s cool, but we all know better. She talks about how she’s actually the cool one at some length.
Madcap Moss is shown polishing the Andre trophy backstage when the blade of a sword enters frame. He turns to see that it’s Happy Corbin holding Drew McIntyre’s sword and they have a laugh about it to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get a video package for Reigns/Lesnar.
Austin Theory ambushes Pat McAfee and leads him on a merry chase to the back! Theory ducks into Vince McMahon’s office and Pat kicks the door down! An angry Mr. McMahon storms out and asks him if he wants to get fired or have his match canceled, and McAfee backs down.
The Usos make their entrance to send us to break.
Jimmy Uso vs. Rick Boogs
Boogs literally curling Uso to set up a slam, Jimmy takes control for a beat but Rick does a military press into a fallaway slam! Austin Theory comes down and throws a drink at Pat McAfee. Finn Balor runs in and everything goes to hell...
The match goes to a no-contest, presumably.
And so we go to break.
Austin Theory & the Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) vs. Finn Balor, Rick Boogs, & Shinsuke Nakamura.
Match joined in progress, Theory gets a nearfall off a suplex to Nakamura! Boogs tags in, tossing Austin around for a swinging Karelin lift, cover for two! Balor tags in, nearfall, side headlock, shot off, drop down, Finn cracks a front kick across his jaw but the Uso do a cheap shot to cut him off!
The heels work Finn over for a bit and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Balor sidesteps a charge and the path is clear! Jey tags in and puts boots to him, Finn gets a dropkick in and tags are made! Nakamura in hot, lighting Theory up with kicks and forearms, fighting the Usos off, sliding German suplex to the floor!
Balor back on the apron and looking for the tag, he gets it, big elbow, clothesline sends Austin to the floor, off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO! Back inside, Theory cuts him off in the turnbuckles, fireman’s carry...
Austin Theory & the Usos win by pinfall with ATL from Theory on Finn Balor.
Post-match, Pat McAfee gets on the apron and confronts Theory, but Michael Cole convinces him to back down.
Happy Fellas make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for this year’s Hall of Fame ceremony.
Happy Fellas welcome us to Happy Talk.
Madcap Moss crows about winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in Memory of Andre the Giant. Happy says he’s quite euphoric and tomorrow he’ll destroy Drew McIntyre once and for all. The sword is an insurance policy, and in his hands it’s a dangerous weapon.
He could decapitate someone with it! He talks about it being named after Drew’s dead mom and says it needs a happy name, like euphoria. Corbin cracks a joke about how the sword and Drew’s mom have in common that he’s lost them.
Enter an angry Drew McIntyre.
He drops Moss with a single right hand and takes the sword back from Corbin, cutting the table in half and throwing chairs around all angry!
Commentary runs the WrestleMania card down for us.
That’s the show, folks.
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