Welcome to Smackdown LIVE from Madison Square Garden.
Out comes The Undertaker to a huge pop. The Undertaker says for the past 30 years, he’s considered MSG his home. He says he doesn’t know how much he’ll be able to come home anymore, but he says the titans who made a name for themselves in this arena will live on. He says it’s rewarding that The Undertaker took a little piece of their souls with them, but they won’t be forgotten because the echoes of their legacies will stay.
He says a new era is being ushered in before Sami Zayn interrupts. Sami calls Undertaker a legend and the history that he made in this arena was amazing. However, he says it shouldn’t be Undertaker opening Smackdown, but it should be Sami. Sami tells The Undertaker that the future is here and the future runs through him. Sami says that out of respect, he asks The Undertaker to turn around and leave the ring.
Sami says that The Undertaker needs to pass the torch and the future will be safe in his hands. Undertaker hands Sami the microphone and steps on the apron while Sami laughs and celebrates. Undertaker re-enters the ring and chokeslams him and poses.
Backstage, we see Shane McMahon and Chad Gable. He congratulates Chad for getting this far in the King of the Ring tournament and informs him that Elias has broken his ankle. Chad thinks he has a bye, but Shane says that Chad should be above wanting a free pass. He’s thinking about a new opponent for him and it can be from RAW, Smackdown or someone who’s already been eliminated and he’ll inform him who it is later.
The Miz vs. Andrade
The Miz and Andrade start with a series of arm drags and scuffling in the corner before Miz forces Andrade into an armbar. Andrade forces Miz into the ropes before Miz whips Andrade into the ropes to do his pose. The Miz gets a jackknife cover for two and then gets a facebuster. The Miz does Andrade’s pose. Miz then sends Andrade out of the ring.
Miz goes for a dive but Zelina cuts him off. Andrade goes for a clothesline but Andrade goes but misses and almost connects with Vega. Zelina scrapes Miz’s face, and Andrade takes advantage with a dropkick and a hard shot for a 2 count.
Back from commercial, Miz gets a knee to the gut and a clothesline for 2. The Miz then gets his chest kicks and a boot to the face. He continues his kicks in the corner and follows up with chops and more kicks.
The Miz gets a series of running knee strikes before Andrade looks for a corner strike, but misses and heads out the ring. The Miz gets a running kick and plants Andrade on the announcer’s table. He stares down Nakamura and then throws Andrade into him. Miz goes for a strike, but Zelina grabs Miz’s leg, allowing Andrade to get the back elbow for 2.
Andrade goes for the hammerlock DDT, but Miz reverses and gets the Skull Crushing Finale for the victory.
Winner: The Miz
After the match, Nakamura attacks Miz and hits the Kinsasha.
Backstage, we see Apollo Crews and Matt Hardy talking, and Shane McMahon asks if they’ve seen Gable. Gable approaches. Gable asks Shane if he has found an opponent for him, and Shane says he has. He also talked with Elias for his approval and he has approved. Shane says that Gable’s opponent is him.
Nikki Cross (w/Alexa Bliss) vs. Mandy Rose (w/Sonya Deville)
Before the match, Mandy Rose told Nikki Cross she’ll never look like her, and she’d be embarrassed to look like Nikki. She’s beautiful, and Nikki’s ugly. We then see a side-by-side photo of Mandy and Nikki on the titantron. Handsome men open the door for Mandy while men close the door on Nikki. She’s in the front of the line and Nikki is in the back. She looks like an oversized rat coming out of the Lincoln Tunnel.
Nikki runs down the ramp and wails on Mandy as the bell rings. Mandy attempts to escape but Nikki drags her back. She then jumps on her back and chokes her. Mandy escapes and gets a fallaway slam and gets a 2 count.
Mandy then gets a headlock before Nikki escapes. Nikki slams Mandy’s head into the turnbuckle repeatedly and forces her into the opposite corner. Nikki gets a corner clothesline.
Nikki goes to the top rope, but Sonya distracts her. Alexa drags Sonya off and then Nikki goes for a crossbody. She misses and Mandy goes for a knee, but Nikki rolls her up for the win.
Winner: Nikki Cross
Backstage, we see Bayley and she is approached by ember Moon. Bayley asks if there’s a problem. Ember says that Bayley talked about elevating the women’s division, and then she brings up attacking Becky with a chair. Ember asks what’s up with that. She suggests it may be Sasha’s influence. Bayley said she did what she did to elevate the division. Ember says she’s better than that.
She says she’s struggled to stay relevant as champion. Bayley asks her what she’d know about being a champion. Then, Bayley gets in her face. Ember says to save all of that for their match later tonight. Bayley says she’ll see her there.
Heavy Machinery vs. Jobbers
Tucker gets a scoop slam and an arm drag on Jobber 1 and gets a superkick on the other. Tucker whips one into the other and gets a rebound clothesline. Otis gets the tag and clothesline both. Otis then does the catepillar and gets the jumping elbow. The Compactor ends everything.
Winners: Heavy Machinery
Shane McMahon is backstage and Kevin Owens arrives. Shane says that he’s been reconsidering Owens’ $100,000 fine. Owens asks what the catch is. Shane says there’s no catch, but just a job. He places a referee shirt on Owens’ shoulder. Shane says the ability to be called king is important, just as Owens’ family is important to him.
Shane says if Owens does his job correctly, the fine gets wiped away. Owens almost asks what if he doesn’t do his job “correctly”, but just walks away and shakes his head.
We get a recap of Rowan’s attack on Roman.
Rowan says all his life people never understood him. He says the crowd is controlled by someone until last week. Rowan says everyone needs to look him in the eyes and see what it is that makes Rowan tick and what he’s capable of. Rowan’s a mastermind, a manipulator and a schemer, but all we see is a big brute who terrorizes. Roman’s music hits.
Roman enters the ring and hits a Superman Punch on Rowan. Roman goes for a spear, but Rowan blocks and sends him into the barricade. He goes for a clothesline, but Roman gets a big right and sends him over the barricade.
The two brawl throughout the arena. Roman gets a Superman Punch that stuns him. Rowan then picks up a fan and powerbombs him into Roman. Rowan says he’s got something to say.
Rowan then gets a running tackle on Roman and security while continuing the assault. Roman and Rowan continue to brawl. Rowan eventually gets the advantage before Roman gets another Superman Punch and more shots. Rowan then grabs a nearby camera and shoves it at Roman. Rowan leaves, but Roman eventually gets up with a look of determination as the crowd chants his name.
Bayley vs. Ember Moon
Ember starts with a one legged dropkick and an arm drag to Bayley out of the ring. Ember continues the attack outside and attempts a dive on top of the barricade, but Bayley cuts her off with a knee strike. Ember responds with some hard strikes and a step up enziguri. She then gets a springboard crossbody for 2.
Ember goes for a jacknife cover which gets 2. She then lifts her up for a powerbomb, but Bayley escapes with a rana. Bayley goes for a dive to the outside, but Ember responds with another kick. Ember goes for The Eclipse, but Bayley gets the Belly to Belly after she dodges.
Winner: Bayley
After the match, Flair enters the ring and points at the title. Bayley exits. Charlotte makes a 10 pose with her hands.
Backstage we see Owens with the referee shirt on. We also get a recap of Orton’s assault on Kingston from last week. We also see Kofi looking at a photo from Kofi’s boom drop on Randy Orton at the Garden a decade ago.
Out comes Kofi. He says it feels good to be back at the garden and this building will hold a place in his heart because his career changed forever when he whooped Orton’s ass all over the building. He says some people may have forgot what happened, but we get footage of what exactly happened. That’s a small taste of what Kofi will do to Orton at Clash of Champions.
We hear Orton saying stupid numerous times through the side entrance of the arena. Orton says Kofi keeps bragging about two things that he did in the past 10 years, which is win the world title and put him through a table. He says in the last decade, he’s won the world title 7 times, won the Royal Rumble twice and won Money In The Bank. He also says he’s only gotten by through being things that he’s not, which is faking a Jamaican accent and the power of positivity BS.
Kofi takes exception and approaches Randy, but Randy has a steel chair and hits him with it multiple times. He shoves him into the wall and attempts a draping DDT, Kofi fights back and gets chairshots of his own. Orton fights back and gets a knife edge chop which puts him on the table. Orton goes for another chairshot, but Kofi fights back. The table behind him breaks, so Kofi gets another table. Kofi hits him with the chair again. He gets the Boom Drop on Orton through the table.
Back from commercial, we learn that Roman and Rowan’s match at Clash of Champions is now a No Disqualification match.
Chad Gable vs. Shane McMahon
Shane starts with a side headlock and some shots that Gable easily escapes. Chad gets a German Suplex, and Owens quick counts him, giving Gable the swift victory. At least that’s what it appears. Shane then says the match is now 2 out of 3 falls.
Shane strikes Gable from behind and sends him face first into the announcer’s table. He then tosses him over the barricade. Back from commercial, we see Gable on the outside with Owens counting to 8.
Shane then gets some shots to the head and follows up with a Scoop Slam. Gable tries to get him in a waist hold, but Shane fights out. Gable gets Shane in a roll-up, but Owens pretends to check if the shoulders are down and only counts to 1. Shane then pins Gable for a fast 2 count.
Gable fights back with some shots and a kick. Gable then gets a front flip kick and a neckbreaker. Gable then gets a moonsault, but Owens does a very slow 2 count of which Shane kicks out.
Shane attacks Gable on the ropes and gets a shot from behind. He then gets a Torture Rack slam for a quick 2 count. Shane grabs a chair. He gives it to Owens. Shane attempts a low blow, but Gable has Shane in an Ankle lock and Shane taps.
Winner: Chad Gable
Owens says there was nothing he could do and then Shane attacks Owens from behind. Shane then says Owens is fired.
