Credit: WINC
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX opens live from the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia as Michael Cole welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by Pat McAfee. They hype tonight’s main event for the right to rule SmackDown with King Xavier Woods vs. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a non-title match. Cole notes that Kofi Kingston is not here tonight due to the MCL sprain suffered last week in the attack by The Bloodline.
Sasha Banks, Aliyah and Naomi vs. Shayna Baszler, Shotzi and Natalya
Aliyah gets the hot tag and goes wild. Natalya gets her in a Sharpshooter and uses the rope for more leverage, but Naomi knocks her off and Aliyah pins her for the win.
Winners: Sasha Banks, Naomi and Aliyah
After the match, Aliyah begins celebrating as Banks and Naomi join her. The music hits and we go to replays. Cole and McAfee hype Team SmackDown vs. Team RAW’s Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Carmella, Queen Zelina Vega, and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Rhea Ripley. Naomi, Banks and Aliyah celebrate as fans cheer them on.
Sami Zayn is backstage now, talking to his fellow Team SmackDown members about how he is the Team Captain and will do anything he can to ensure victory. The camera zooms out and we see Sami is just ranting to himself in the mirror. Jeff Hardy appears behind Sami now. Sami asks Hardy how much of that pep talk he just saw, and Jeff says he’s been there the whole time. Sami asks what he thought of it. Jeff says it sucked and it sucked real bad. Sami isn’t thrilled with Jeff’s answer.
– We see Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman walking backstage. Back to commercial.
Post break we get a recap of Aliyah pinning Natalya to win the match. Aliyah is happy in the back as she’s interviewed by Megyn, she can’t believe she won her first WWE match. Sonya Deville comes up and asks Aliyah how long she’s known Naomi, then dovetails into cutting her from Survivor Series then heads off taking a fake phone call.
We get a recap of last week when Roman Reigns and the Usos abused Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston. Kayla walks up on Roman and Heyman backstage, shocking Heyman again. Roman asks if Kayla is here to acknowledge her tribal chief, or flirt with the wise man. No one cares what Kayla wants, and tells Heyman to smarten up Kayla. Heyman says that’s the toughest assignment he’s been given but he’ll try his best. He’s upping the ante against Xavier Woods tonight, Woods will acknowledge Roman as the chief, but if Woods is able to win Roman will bend the knee to Woods. And if Roman violates the stipulation you can strip him of the Universal title and banish him from Smackdown. Since we’re in the Commonwealth of Virginia the verbal agreement is legally binding.
Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs vs. Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza
Nakamura takes out Angel, kicks Humberto but gets tied up coming back in. Angel tags in, Nakamura takes a Total Elimination and Los Lotharios win.
Winners: Los Lotharios
In the back Adam Pearce asks why Sonya Deville took Aliyah off of the Survivor Series team, she doesn’t really answer, then heads out. Here comes Sami Zayn, he demands Jeff Hardy be removed from the Survivor Series team. Pearce agrees they should make the team stronger, Sami Zayn will wrestle Jeff Hardy tonight, and the loser is off of the team. Pearce has some unnamed goon now.
Back to the ring, here comes Charlotte Flair. She takes her sweet time getting to the ring, and she’ll have promo time when we come back from this break.
We get a hype package for WrestleMania, then commentary tries to hype up the main event. Charlotte is still in the ring, but now she’s got a mic, God help us all. She addresses Becky Lynch, and all the gimmick adjustments she’s gone through and asks who she really is? There’s nothing natural about Becky (That has to be a rib of a line given who’s delivering it). Charlotte gives Becky a few props for her accomplishments but at Survivor Series Becky will get a new nick name, “Becky Uh Oh”. God this is painful. Charlotte is trying to add Uh Oh to the end of everything, this could backfire on her quickly. Charlotte says she can beat everyone who’ll step through the ropes, a few weeks ago Shotzi stepped up and lost but still became a star. Charlotte tries to christen herself The Star Maker. But here’s the thing, and that brings out Toni Storm to no reaction. Toni appreciates all that Charlotte has done as champion, but the reality is Charlotte doesn’t actually do any of that.
Becky Lynch defended her title just over a week ago, while Charlotte has yet to notch a single title defense since joining Smackdown. So how about Charlotte put her money where her mouth is and defend her title against Toni tonight. The crowd seems to want it, Charlotte just says “Absolutely not” and heads out.
Kayla is in the back, she’s got Xavier Woods for an interview. She asks how he’ll do without Kofi Kingston at his side, Woods says he wont acknowledge Roman, then takes off the crown and drops the accent. He says the New Day has had a rough week between Kofi’s injury and Big E taking an apron powerbomb. But he’s about to storm the Island of Relevancy and plant his flag there.
To the ring, and either Jeff Hardy or Sami Zayn will be missing Survivor Series after this one. The match will be up after this break.
Aliyah is in the back talking to someone on the phone about being kicked off the Survivor Series team. Here’s Mustafa Ali, he talks about falling from big highs before Ricochet comes up and interrupts him and says Ali is a liar before complimenting Aliyah and tells her to remember she won tonight. Aliyah heads off with Ricochet while Ali’s attempts to drag others into his cynicism and misanthropy falls on deaf ears yet again.
Match time, here comes Sami Zayn.
Sami Zayn vs. Jeff Hardy – Loser Kicked off Survivor Series Team
Hardy wins with the Swanton.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
In the back Hit Row talk. They enjoy being on Smackdown, they do a bit of rapping putting themselves over.
Jinder Mahal and Shanky then do some rapping in Hindi. Jinder then mocks Hit Row in lyrical format, before dubbing Hit Row Cringe Row. Given what those two just did I’d trust them to know fellow purveyors of cringe. That sends us to break.
Kayla is backstage with Ridge Holland now. She asks about his praise for Sheamus on last week’s show. Ridge says he was speaking from the heart as Sheamus really is his idol and where he’s from in England, he never thought he’d leave those streets until he saw Sheamus doing what he did – fighting the way he fought but making a living at it.
Holland never knew he could make good money fighting people but Sheamus showed him the way and he’s now proud to follow in his footsteps. Cesaro comes over and says he’s sorry to interrupt, but he couldn’t help but overhear and as he and Sheamus are like brothers, Sheamus’ attitude lately has been off. He warns Ridge to be careful what he wishes for. Ridge is aware of their relationship and is calling his shot as he and Sheamus will be a far better tag team than The Bar ever was. Ridge says if Cesaro doesn’t like what he’s saying, he can take it up with Sheamus because he will be here next week.
– Cole and McAfee lead us to a RAW Rebound replay from this week’s show.
King Woods vs. Roman Reigns
Woods gets the springboard elbow but The Usos drag him out as he’s making the cover and jump him for the DQ finish.
Winner by DQ: King Woods
After the match, The Usos continue to jump him with the steel steps. The Usos take his crown and place it on Roman’s head as the Bloodline poses.
