WWE invades the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY, for tonight’s absolutely stacked episode of SmackDown, and here’s what’s on tap for the show.
- Our Tribal Chief Roman Reigns returns
- Gauntlet match to determine number one contenders to the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: LWO vs. Brawling Brutes vs. Pretty Deadly vs. Street Profits vs. Gallows & Anderson.
- AJ Styles & Michin vs. Karrion Kross & Scarlett
- The Grayson Waller Effect with guest Charlotte Flair.
- Zelina Vega vs. IYO SKY
Stay tuned for updates…
******
We see an extensive video package recapping the recent developments in The Bloodline Saga, before Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa are seen pulling into the building. Kayla Braxton tries to get some words from either person, but they walk past her.
******
#1. Tag Team Gauntlet Match: Winners and NEW No. 1 Contenders: Pretty Deadly
- The Brawling Brutes def. The Street Profits
- The Brawling Brutes def. The O.C.
- The Brawling Brutes def. LWO
- The Brawling Brutes def. Hit Row
- Pretty Deadly def. The Brawling Brutes
Following the match, Sami & KO came out to the ramp. Pretty Deadly and the champs traded some barbs.
******
We shoot to The Bloodline locker room, where a nervous Paul Heyman is sitting next to Roman Reigns with Solo Sikoa standing in the background. Heyman asks Roman Reigns if he’s heard from Jey Uso yet.
Reigns brushes off the question and points out that when you’re The Tribal Chief, people contact you, not the other way around. He says Jey Uso should be contacting him. He tells Heyman to go find Jey and talk to him. Paul E. replies, “Yes my Tribal Chief!”
******
#2. Zelina Vega vs. Iyo Sky – Winner: Zelina Vega
Bayley kept running interference, but accidentally ended up costing Iyo Sky the match.
******
After a recap of last week’s events, we see Bianca Belair confront Adam Pearce backstage. Belair tells him that she’s now gonna take things into her own hands, right or wrong.
******
Backstage, Shotzi Blackheart tries to get Bayley, who is calming down Iyo Sky, to put her MITB spot on the line. Sky accepts on her behalf, and Bayley isn’t happy.
******
Next up is ‘The Grayson Waller Effect,’ and after introducing Charlotte Flair, Waller says he is honored but is nervous. He brings up her return last week. As Flair talks about her 15th and eventually 16th World Title, she is interrupted by Bianca Belair.
Belair rants about not getting her rematch and Charlotte getting one immediately upon her return, but Charlotte refuses to apologize, saying she never got her rematch against Rhea Ripley either. Belair retorts that she went and hit for three months.
As things get more heated, Belair drops a threat… regardless of who wins between Flair and Asuka, she will be there waiting for them.
******
Backstage, Paul Heyman walks up to Jey Uso, gloating about being right about everything he said last week. He says Jimmy kicked him on purpose and Jey knows it because Jimmy don’t miss. He has the most accurate kick in WWE — next to Jey.
“Paul E. ‘the snake-oil salesman'” keeps smooth-talking him and then apologizes. Jey Uso says, “I’m sorry too, O.G. I’m sorry that … if I’m in, you’re still out.” He glares at “The Wise Man,” who flashes a big smile back at him and walks off.
******
#3. AJ Styles & Michin vs. Karrion Kross & Scarlett – Winners: Karrion Kross & Scarlett
******
Back in The Bloodline’s locker room, Roman Reigns asks Paul Heyman about Jey Uso, who simply shakes his head no to suggest Jey won’t, as Reigns expected, “fall in line.”
Solo moves no more than a smidge, and Heyman gets scared and runs off. (Paul E. is friggin amazing). Solo then asks Reigns if he should handle this. Reigns says not yet, there’s plenty of time.
******
Backstage, Cameron Grimes, being interviewed by Kayla Braxton, is attacked by Baron Corbin.
******
Rey Mysterio introduces Santos Escobar as someone who could win the Money in the Bank ladder match a few weeks from now. Escobar comes out and expresses his gratitude to Mysterio, and there’s a lot of Spanish talk, but it’s a nice little promo before out comes LA Knight (YEAAAHHHHH!!!), and the crowd is going wild.
LA Knight blindsides Rey Mysterio, but Escobar takes Knight out and forces him in position for the 619. Mysterio goes for it but Knight retreats.
#4. LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar – Winner: Santos Escobar
The crowd was behind LA Knight here… Knight attacked Escobar afterwards, but Mysterio came out to the save, and Knight escaped. (I hope to god this is all leading to LA Knight as Mr. MITB).
******
Backstage, Jey Uso, gearing up for Judgement Day, comes across Sami Zayn sitting on a production box. Jey stops. Sami pops up to his feet, looks at him and smirks in an understanding type of way. No words are exchanged. Sami walks off smiling and Jey keeps on as well.
******
Our Tribal Chief Roman Reigns, flanked by Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa, graces Lexington, Kentucky, with his presence. “ACKNOWLEDGE ME!”, demands the Undisputed Champion.
Immediately, out comes Jey Uso. Reigns says everyone there is waiting for Jey’s decision, so is he IN, or OUT? Jey says, “You tell me, Uce…” Pointing to Paul Heyman, he continues, “It’s either gonna be him, or it’s gonna be me.”
Reigns tells Jey that as The Tribal Chief, he can have anyone he wants as his Wise Man. He says Heyman is HIS Wise Man. not The Bloodline’s, not Jey’s, HIS. Reigns says that Jey has been groomed over the past three years to be the next Tribal Chief, to hold down the fort, but the time has not come yet. Reigns explains how Jimmy is the problem, not Heyman, not himself.
Out next is Jimmy Uso, who retorts, saying Roman Reigns indeed is the problem. Reigns tell them how e has gotten them to a whole another stratosphere in WWE. He tells Jey you can’t be The Tribal Chief and a twin at the same time. Reigns then asks Heyman that when they named Jey the ‘right hand man’, who was the only one to have a problem with it. Paul E. points at Jimmy.
Jey, in disbelief, demands to know whether this is true. A seemingly ashamed Jimmy admits it is true, and Jey starts to lose his shit. Jey layeth the verbal smackdown on Jimmy, saying that he expected something like that from Roman, not him. All this while, Jey has been trying to keep up with Jimmy, the prom king, the player of the year, the most likely to succeed. Jey adds that when Jimmy got hurt, it was a blessing in disguise; it allowed Jey to really step up. He main evented pay-per-views. All because of the Tribal Chief.
Jey goes, “So guess what … you out!… “And I’m out, too!” JEY SUPERKICKS REIGNS!! HOLY SHIZNITT!! Heyman checks on Reigns, and Solo tries to take out the Usos, but Jimmy superkicks him. Jimmy & Jey follow with a double superkick. As Solo is taken out, the Tribal Chief is irate. Jimmy & Jey take him out with a double superkick. They stand tall.
AND SCENE!
