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WWE Friday Night SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (July 7, 2023) with a live show emanating from Madison Square Garden in New York City, featuring all the fallout from this past Saturday’s Money in the Bank event.
Advertised for tonight: After being pinned by Jey Uso at Money in the Bank, Roman Reigns heads to Tribal Court for the “Trial of the Tribal Chief.”
Also on the card: Sheamus challenges Austin Theory for the United States championship, AJ Styles goes one-on-one in a rematch against Karrion Kross, Edge appears as a guest on Grayson Waller’s talk show, and more!
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: Links to illegal streams are prohibited. Pics and GIFs are allowed.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR JULY 7
I am the one who preys on weak, I offer everything they seek and I am the one who comes richly endowed, harvesting crops of fields that others have plowed. I am the one, lascivious, and I’m here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of the Bloodline Civil War main event to Money in the Bank last weekend.
The Usos make their entrance and get on the mic.
Jimmy talks about how they said Roman Reigns can’t be beat, but guess what happened at Money in the Bank, baby? He got beat! 1-2-3!
Enter Paul Heyman, flanked by Solo Sikoa.
He gives himself an introduction and says he serves as defense counsel in this tribal trial, and he offers defense number one, but the Usos tell him to shut his mouth. Heyman says there’s only one man in WWE that can get him to stop talking.
Enter Roman Reigns, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Roman Reigns stands in a hostile ring as “You got pinned!” chants rain down.
Roman demands that Madison Square Garden acknowledge him, and he says yeah he got pinned, but he’s still the Tribal Chief. He reminds the Usos that neither of them are the Tribal Chief, and he’s having trouble understanding why he’s here. He didn’t call for Tribal Court, so this isn’t legitimate and his time is being wasted.
He asks who has the authority to put him on trial but the Usos aren’t playing his game and they won’t be manipulated like every other time, and they have a video package of Roman’s wrongs to play. Reigns watches it and seems confused and hurt, saying he didn’t want to be that guy, but he was forced to be that guy.
He didn’t want to lower himself, but he did it for Jey and for Jimmy and for all the people in the crowd. He says he was a WrestleMania main eventer before the Bloodline and he bent his moral compass for the family, to represent them, and this is what he gets?
They compile footage of his worst moments to embarrass him? His daughter’s in the back looking at him and not understanding who he is, because of them. He takes the weight of the world and he lifts them all up, he has five kids, do they really think he needed to take on theirs too!
He doesn’t need this in his life, he doesn’t need money or power, and right about now umbrella service sounds real nice to him. He doesn’t want it. He doesn’t need it. He’s done with all of it. He takes his lei off and holds it in front of Jey, shaking and almost crying as he puts it around Uso’s shoulders, ceding the position of Tribal Chief.
He takes the Universal Championship off and slings it aside, kneeling in front of Jey, wracked with sobs, actually crying, prompting Uso to reach down and console him... AND REIGNS UPPERCUTS HIM IN THE GENTLEMAN’S AREA! Jimmy’s had enough and tees off on Roman, putting boots to him until Solo pulls him away and puts him down with the Samoan Spike!
Sikoa grabs the lei and stares at it briefly until Reigns approaches and holds his hand out. Solo hesitates for a long moment... JEY WIPES THEM BOTH OUT! Solo pulls him away, Spinning Solo takes Uso down! Roman hits a Superman Punch and goes to teh floor, clubbing away at Jimmy as Sikoa clears the announce desk!
Jey tries to save his brother but Solo lights him up! He crucifies Jey in the ropes and Roman blasts Jimmy with the title, hammering him over and over with the main plate of the belt right to the forehead! Throwing Jimmy into the steps, they smash him with the steel!
Finally Jey breaks free of the ropes and attacks but he’s easily overwhelmed and throwng into the table! Roman tells Solo to finish him, he draws Jimmy up, Reigns buries Jey in office chairs, road agents Adam Pearce, Jason Jordan, and Shawn Daivari are at ringside to tell him off but they can’t change fate... SOLO SPLASHES JIMMY THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE DESK!
Paul Heyman puts the lei back on the Tribal Chief and he holds the title high to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we see Jimmy getting stretchered into an ambulance, escorted by Jey and the Latino World Order.
Austin Theory (c) vs. Sheamus (WWE United States Championship)
Sheamus in with a fireman’s carry, Theory escapes with elbows but gets caught by an early Irish Curse and clotheslined to the floor! Celtic Warrior off the top, diving shoulder block to the floor and we go to break!
Back from commercial and she’s my girlfriend now, how can I focus on this silly match? Theory tries for the Beats of the Bodhran and fails, Sheamus clobbers him with a lariat, Bombs Away knee drop, only two! Elbow drop from the champion for two, wrist-clutch stomps, up top and jockeying for position but Austin slips out!
Backbreaker rack, spin-out powerbomb, only a nearfall and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Sheamus with a slam, he wants the High Cross but Theory gets away, rolling thunder dropkick countered into a powerbomb for two! Cloverleaf applied, Pretty Deadly run down to run interference! Elton Prince eats the Beats of the Bodhran, A-Town Down reversed into a knee... NOPE!
Pete Dunne and Ridge Holland come in to neutralize Pretty Deadly! The match breaks down...
Austin Theory wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin and a handful of tights to retain the WWE United States Championship.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a little recap of WWE’s history in Madison Square Garden.
Grayson Waller is in the ring to host the Grayson Waller Effect.
He talks about being in the most famous arena in the world and says that Edge has an announcement tonight that will be bigger than anything that’s ever happened here.
Edge makes his entrance and takes a seat.
He greets New York and Grayson cuts him off and demands he make his announcement. Edge prevaricates and Waller says he must be embarrassed to save it and asks why he’s even back here in WWE. Edge says it’s because of the crowd and he stands up to talk to them.
He talks about his history in WWE and how his first PPV appearance was here and he says New York is a city of hard workers and big dreamers, two things that he is. That’s why he and New York work, and Grayson interjects to say that that’s exactly why Edge is retiring again!
Edge talks about how Waller stood eye to eye with John Cena a week ago and now he’s here with him, so someone somewhere sees something in him, but he’s only been here for half a hiccough and hasn’t even had a match yet, so it’s time to sink or swim. Edge isn’t retiring and he talked to the powers that be and he’s gonna have a match tonight...
...against Grayson Waller!
A recap of the Bloodline brawl follows and commentary promises a medical update on Jimmy Uso before we go off the air tonight.
The OC make their entrance and we go to break.
AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross
Kross overwhelms AJ early, Krosshammer connects, Krossjacket attempt, Styles posts up and escapes with a Stunner! Pele kick connects, back body drop to the apron, big forearm, Scarlett tries to pull AJ off the apron but Mia Yim runs over and takes her out!
Styles lines him up...
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Phenomenal Forearm.
Asuka makes her entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Asuka gets on the mic and crows about how nobody is ready for Asuka.
Enter Bianca Belair.
She charges down on the attack, rushes under a lariat, brawling, mounted punches, Charlotte Flair makes the save and she and Bianca brawl on the floor! Asuka goes up top to dive on them, but IYO SKY runs in with the briefcase! Bayley helps her attack, Roseplant sets up the moonsault!
Bayley wants to get referee Jason Ayers for the cash-in but Bianca pulls her out of the ring and beats her down as Charlotte takes IYO out and Asuka regroups on the ramp!
Edge makes his entrance and we go to break.
Edge vs. Grayson Waller
Circling, collar and elbow, Waller breaks loose and taunts, and Edge drops him with shoulder blocks! Impaler style gutbuster, pumphandle gutbuster, Karelin lift follows! Clubbing blows, big fallaway slam, but Grayson checks him with a knee and follows with a lariat on the floor as we go to break!
Back from commercial, Waller with a DDT... NOPE! Edge with some forearms, Grayson comes back with a knee, falling axhandles, rear chinlock with a knee to the back and then an elbow drop! Laying Edge out, elbow drop off the top... KNEES ARE UP! Big boot from the vet, follows it with a flapjack and Waller rolls to the apron!
Edge slides under the ropes and powerbombs Grayson to the floor as commentary informs us that Jey Uso has returned to the arena! Back inside, Edge off the top with a huge crossbody for two! Looking for the Impaler, Waller blocks, fireman’s carry, Edge slips out, trading boots, Waller hits the flipping Killswitch... STILL NO!
Off the ropes, Grayson catches him with a rolling elbow, only two! Edge gets the Impaler DDT but can’t finish it! Out and back in, rolling thunder, Edge counters...
Edge wins by pinfall with the spear.
Post-match, Edge gets on the mic and tells Waller he’s strong.
Roman Reigns is cradling the lei in his office like rosary beads when Paul Heyman rolls up to tell him Jey Uso is back in the building and he’s looking for him.
Reigns says he won’t have to look long, because he’ll be in the ring, waiting for him.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes up next week’s show.
Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, and Solo Sikoa are in the ring together, and Roman gets on the mic.
He says we’re gonna do this one more time, and demands Madison Square Garden and all of New York acknowledge him.
Jey Uso makes his entrance through the crowd!
He slides in the ring with a chair and beats Roman down, Van Daminator and chair shots for Solo as the Tribal Chief runs away! Uso picks up the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship and grabs a microphone. Roman tells him to put it down, Jey say you’re looking at the judge, jury, and executioner right now.
Now he has to get Roman, and this is trial by combat now. He doesn’t give a damn about brothers or wise men, he just wants Reigns one-on-one so he can whoop his ass one more time!
Reigns fumes.
That’s the show, folks.
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