Smackdown begins and we see Smackdown Tag Team Champions Big E and Xavier Woods on commentary. Out comes Shame McMahon and he says he was glad Kevin Owens was not there. He also claims that Owens was hiding on social media and challenged Shane to a match at Summerslam. Shane accepts and claims that Owens said he would quit WWE if he lost against him. However, he brings footage of Owens quitting after losing a match against Seth Rollins last year. Shane says that if Owens wants to quit, he wants it in writing.
Kevin comes out and states that Shane is smart and that last year was the lowest point in his career. However, he says that the man he was then isn’t who he is now and that there is no bigger spotlight than Summerslam. He says he won’t be quitting because he is going to beat the hell out of Shane. He asks why wait until Summerslam when they can do it tonight. Shane says if he attacks him, he forefits his match against him. Then, Shane says that he is going to be in action tonight against Roman Reigns.
We cut to commercial, not before seeing Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura walking backstage.
Back from commercial, we see Shane McMahon backstage and allows Drew McIntyre to be the special guest referee, Elias to be the ringkeeper, and Shane himself will be the special guest ring announcer.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Apollo Crews
Shinsuek starts in a headlock and Apollo gets a shoulder block. Crews then gets a standing moonsault and then hits the delayed vertical suplex for a two count. Apollo clotheslines Nakamura outside of the ring and hits a moonsault outside of the ring. Back from commercial, Apollo gets a biciculy kick and a jumping clothesline. He then gets the Samoan Drop from a 2 count. However, Shinsuke responds with kick to the back and hits a Sliding German. Nakamura is preparing for the Kinsasha, but Apollo responds with an Enziguri and an Olympic Slam for a close 2 count.
Apollo goes to the top rope but Shinsuke tops him with a knee to the gut. He goes for another Kinsasha but Apollo responds with a huge slam. Apollo goes for a standing moonsault, but Shinsuke dodges and inally gets the Kinsasha for 3.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
After the match, Shinsuke continues to assault Apollo and hits another Kinsasha.
Backstage, we see Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Mandy tells Sonya that she talked to Shane and said they have a match against the IIconics next week. If they win, they will be granted a future women’s tag team title opportunity.
Backstage, we see The Miz, and the MizTV segment with Shawn Michaels is next.
Back from commercial, we see a vignette of Ali. He says he has to rewrite his story because the story has taken a turn on him. He got injured, replaced, and forgotten. He knows his injury cost him everything, but he’s not going to let that define his story. However, he says he’s grabbing a pen and writing the story of him eventually becoming WWE Champion. He’ll use his own blood to write his story.
We cut to The Miz and we get a recap of last night’s RAW. Then he introduces his guest, Shawn Michaels. The Miz asks Shawn how his experience was at RAW reunion. Shawn says he has been both young and old, and like Stone Cold, he says we are all like family. He says he enjoyed every second of it. Shawn also mentioned Seth Rollins and how fun it was to be with him. He says that Seth has every intention of burning it down. Out comes Dolph Ziggler.
Dolph Ziggler says that he wants to be put out of his misery and The Miz says he’d be happy to punch him in the face again. Shawn says to give Dolph a moment. Dolph says we all used to idolize Shawn Michaels. He states he had a chance to go off into the sunset as the greatest performer ever, but instead, he shuffled back in front of the crowd whenever he got a chance. He states that his return match, just like Goldberg, was embarrassing. He says when he came back to the ring last November, he broke his heart because of his embarrassing performance.
Shawn says that he will admit it, and that it was embarrassing. But he says what’s more embarrassing is working your whole career, giving it all you got, and still left with nothing but being known as a 2nd rate Shawn Michaels wannabe. Dolph says there is only one 2nd rate Shawn Michaels and he’s looking at him because he was only known for kissing ass. The Miz gets in Dolph’s face and says that if he has a problem to do something about it. Dolph tries to cheapshot Miz but Michaels punches him. Then, Ziggler superkicks Shawn from behind. Dolph stares at The Miz.
Ember Moon vs. Charlotte Flair is next.
Ember Moon vs. Charlotte Flair
Ember and Charlotte trade a series of holds before Bayley comes out. Ember pins Charlotte from behind for the quick distraction victory.
Winner: Ember Moon
Ember and Bayley stand side by side on the outside, but Ember shoves Bayley into the ring and Charlotte gets a big boot. Ember gets the Eclipse on Charlotte from the outside, and hits another one on Bayley and leaves them both on the ground.
Up next is Kofi Kingston’s Summerslam challenge.
Back from commercial, we see Roman Reigns preparing for his match later tonight. We get a plug for Kofi Kingston’s triple threat WWE Championship title defense against Dolph Ziggler and Samoa Joe this Saturday and the special live event, Smackville. Michael Cole comes out commentary as Byron Saxton is absent due to the passing of his father.
Kofi says he wants to call out this man before he comes out and attack him when he’s not looking. He wants to call out Randy Orton. Kofi says that the two of them have a lot of history together. He remembers November 16, 2009 when in Madison Square Garden, they were chanting his name after whooping his ass all over the arena. We cut to a video package of that moment. He says that moment still gives him goosebumps because that was supposed to be the moment that pushed him to the main event, but it didn’t happen.
Kofi then says Orton used his influence to hold him back out of the main event scene, and it almost worked, until it didn’t. Ever since that moment, Kofi kept pushing, grinding and using the power of positivity and became what he never wanted him to be, WWE Champion. Orton admits to Kofi’s claim, but he says that he was doing him a favor because he wasn’t ready then, and not ready now. He says that title is a fluke and he never had to work hard to get where he’s at because he’s Randy Orton. He said he never had to fake a Jamaican accent, throw pancakes or shake his ass.
He’s won titles, Royal Rumbles and main evented WrestleManias. He says if it wasn’t for Orton taking out Ali before the Elimination Chamber and Kofi taking his spot, he’d never be in that WrestleMania slot. Orton says he can take that title from Kofi Kingston whenever he wants. Kofi says to put that claim up for grabs. Orton accepts his challenge, but he says that his 11 year fairytale at Summerslam will end after he hits the RKO.
Samoa Joe comes out for his match against Kofi and Orton walks back to the ring to scout the match.
Kofi Kingston vs. Samoa Joe
Kofi and Joe begins with a series of holds before reaching a stalemate. Joe works over Kofi’s arm and shoulder before Kofi escapes with a swift kick to the face. Kofi has Joe in an armlock and Joe clasps his hands together to protect himself before slamming Kofi to the ground. Joe hits a sharp knife edge chop and follows it up with a headbutt. Kofi fights back from the corner and hits some chops of his own before he gets grounded with another headbutt.
Kofi puts Joe on his back with a jumping forearm and then sends him to the outside with a dropkick. Kingston then hits a jumping dive over the top rope. Kofi hits a corner forearm and a series of punches before Joe sends Kofi face first off the top turnbuckle.
Back from commercial, Joe has Kofi in a headlock. Kofi fights back and hits a series of chops before hitting the boom drop. Kofi hits the jumping forearm and Orton comes and tries to hit an RKO but Kofi escapes. Joe tries to get Orton from behind but he eats an RKO. Kofi hits the Trouble in Paradise on Orton and stands tall.
Winner by DQ: Kofi Kingston
Out comes Finn Balor. We get a video package of Bray Wyatt’s attack on Balor 8 days ago. He says he doesn’t know how Wyatt mind works and doesn’t know if he was there to settle an old score or a new one. He says that Bray is more twisted than ever, but he says he’s not backing down. He challenges Bray to a match at Summerslam. We get a Firefly Fun House segment. Bray says that he’s a big fan of Finn, but The Fiend isn’t a fan.
Bray says The Fiend accepts Finn’s challenge for a match at Summerslam. He says while Finn is an extrordinary man, The Fiend isn’t a man at all. The Fiend is a power, The Fiend remembers and he says to let me in.
We cut to a video package of the 24/7 Title changes on RAW. Backstage, we cut to an interview with Charlotte Flair. She says it is a disgrace she isn’t on Summerslam and that Bayley choosing Ember Moon is a disgrace. She demands to be at Summerslam and says she will be at Summerslam. She adds that her opponent will be better than Ember Moon.
Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens
Shane introduces Roman and Kevin, and Kevin says he will run through everybody to get to Shane. Roman questions if Kevin can run through him and says he’s going to whoop everyone’s ass. Roman and Kevin tie up and get caught in the corner before Drew breaks it up. Kevin gets a side headlock before Roman forces him into the corner again. Drew lightly shoves both of them. Roman punches Drew and sends him out of the ring. Kevin takes out Elias. Roman and Kevin then corner Shane.
Drew attacks Roman from behind while Elias jumps Kevin. Drew and Elias hold Roman down while Shane attacks him. Shane prepares for the spear, but Kevin sends Shane to the barricade. Back in the ring, Kevin superkicks Drew and Elias. Roman hits the spear on Drew and Kevin gets the Stunner on Elias. Roman gets Shane before he can escape, and brings him back in to hit the Superman Punch. Kevin finishes him off with the Stunner. The crowd chants one more time and Owens obliges. That’s Smackdown.
