That right there was the closing shot of last week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
As is the case every time our Tribal Chief graces the television screen, last week’s SmackDown ended with jaws dropped, minds blown, and social media broken. This week, we witness the next chapter in The Bloodline Saga, and it is a critical one… Jey Uso makes his choice.
Plus, another new championship will be presented to the recently crowned RAW Women’s Champion, Asuka.
Also, on tap for tonight are a couple of qualifying matches each for the Men’s & Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match:
- Men’s MITB Qualifying Match: Santos Escobar vs. Mustafa Ali
- Men’s MITB Qualifying Match: Butch vs. Baron Corbin
- Women’s MITB Qualifying Match: Bayley vs. Michin
- Women’s MITB Qualifying Match: IYO SKY vs. Shotzi
Stay tuned for our live coverage and chat it up in the comments….
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Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa are kicking off the show, and as they get to the ring, they are interrupted by Jey Uso. Jey says he’s let a lot of things fly over the past few years. However, Solo stabbing his older brother is just not done. He says he doesn’t know if he can forgive Solo for that. He asks Solo to “say what you need to say to me, O.G.”
Instead of Solo, it’s Heyman who responds. Heyman says it is Jimmy who has caused all this. Paul E. tells Solo to stand back and assures Jey that there is no physical threat. Heyman adds that Jey doesn’t have to follow Jimmy just because he’s the “older one.” In fact, Jimmy betrayed The bloodline because he thinks he is the leader, but he also knows that it’s Jey who is the “right-hand man.” It’s Jey who is being groomed as the next “Tribal Chief.” And Jimmy has always resented Jey for that.
Jey has an opportunity to bring back gold to The Bloodline tonight. It’s not tag team gold. The Usos do not exist anymore, says Heyman. Heyman adds that Jey will challenge Austin Theory for the United States Championship. And when he wins the title, Roman Reigns will acknowledge him. But he needs Jey’s answer – now.
Jey doesn’t say much but does say, “I’ll take you up on that U.S. challenge though, O.G.” Heyman isn’t satisfied. He extends his hand but Jey replies, “Hey, I’ll get back to you on that.”
AND SCENE.
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#1. Santos Escobar vs. Mustafa Ali (MITB Qualifying) – Winner: Santos Escobar
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Backstage, Sami Zayn approaches Jey Uso to talk some sende to him. He reminisces about how his days in The Bloodline are some of the fondest of his life, and the only reason he doesn’t make Jey laugh anymore (which makes Jey smile) is because of the “Tribal Chief” and Paul Heyman. He urges Jey to do what his heart tells him to do.
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The NXT Women’s Tag-Team Champions, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, are out nect for an in-rig interview with Kayla Braxton, but they are instantly interrupted by Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler, the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Rousey says that Fyre & Dawn’s title belts are not legit and that the division isn’t big enough for both teams.
Fyre & Dawn propose a title vs. title match. A brawl breaks out, and while the heels gain the upper hand, the babyfaces fight back retaliate. Rousey and Baszler are forced to retreat.
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We see a touching video package in memory of The Iron Sheik.
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#2. Bayley vs. Michin (MITB Qualifying) – Winner: Bayley
After the match, we see Scarlett appear out of nowhere at ringside, who blows some red powder into AJ Styles’ eyes. Karrion Kross sneaks up Styles from behind with his Cross Jacket submission finisher. Kross leaves Styles laying.
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After getting Bianca Beair to agree to leave Asuka alone for her championship presentation in lieu of a rematch, Adam Pearce is standing in the ring with a podium and the new WWE Women’s Championship. Asuka is introduced and presented with the new title belt, Charlotte Flair’s music hits.
Charlotte tells Asuka that while she does respect her, she’s coming for her title. Asuka goes for the mist, but Charlotte avoids. The women engage in a short back-and-forth brfore Asuka retreats.
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Back from the break, Adam Pearce is backstage talking on the phone in a phony way (see what I did there). He’s talking to “someone” in an obviously fake manner before he says that Charlotte vs. Asuka would be a huge match for Money in the Bank. However, Bianca Belair walks up to him, and he gets off the phone. Belair acts like a karen, but like, a black karen, before Pearce promises to fix this.
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Backstage, Paul Heyman approaches Jey Uso again, explaining to him how when the time is right, he will be anointed as the “tribal chief.” Jey’s happy, but he still doesn’t shake Heyman’s hand. When asked why he is so happy, Jey says that if he’s in the Bloodline, Heyman is not. Heyman, with all of the fat that surrounds his neck, does the big gulp.
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#3. Bum Ass Corbin vs. Butch (MITB Qualifying) – Winner: Butch
Before the match, NXT Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams were introduced as special guests, sitting ringside in the crowd. We were shown footage of Bum Ass’s attack on them on NXT. Bum Ass proceeds to cut a horrible promo on them.
After he lost, Bum Ass went to ringside and was taken out by them.
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#4. Iyo Sky vs. Shotzi (MITB Qualifying) – Winner: Iyo Sky
Bayley interfered to help Iyo Sky pick up the win.
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The Brawling Brutes were seen all happy after Butch’s win, before we saw Cameron Grimes attack Bum Ass out of nowhere backstage.
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Austin Theory, in a backstage interview with Kayla Braxton, talks about how he was the last one informed about his own title defense. He talks about how that’s disrespectful, but that he makes no excuses, and he’ll beat Jey Uso tonight, just like he beat John Cena at WrestleMania. He takes a shot at Roman Reigns too before saying that if Paul Heyman is looking for new clients soon, he better check Theory out tonight.
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In a backstage segment, Sami & KO are seen having a discussion, before they are interrupted in quick succession by Pretty Deadly, the Brawling Brutes, Gallow & Anderson, the Street Profits, and more. They are all demanding a shot at the Undisputed Tag Team Championships, and as Adam Pearce appears to calm down the situation, KO explodes, talking about how everyone’s demanding title shots and how he’s claustrophobic. I love KO. Pearce sets up a gauntlet match for the No. 1 contendership.
I love KO. He just made a typical, choreographed, comical, phony, WWE backstage segment actually hilarious to the point I can’t stop laughing.
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#5. Austin Theory vs. Jey Uso (United States Championship) – Winner: Austin Theory
The WWE Universe was incredibly hot for Jey here, and we saw some great back-and-forth action before the referee got knocked out. Pretty Deadly arrived to assist Theory, but they were taken out by Jimmy Uso. Huge pop! Suddenly, Solo appeared. He tried to Samoan Spike Jimmy. Jey stopped him, and as Solo was preoccupied with Jey, Jimmy went for the superkick. Solo ducked just in time, and Jimmy accidentally superkicked Jey. Jimmy & Solo took each other out, and it was just enough time for Theory to recover, another ref to show up, and the 1-2-3! What a goddamn sequence!
After the match, Paul E. & Solo stood on the ramp. In the ring, Jimmy apologizes to Jey, who shoves him. As Jimmy continues to apologize, Jey makes his way past Paul E. & Solo. Paul E. apologizes to Jey before Jey and Solo staredown. As Jey proceeds further, Paul’s expression turns to that of a wicked smile, and he asks Siri to call Roman Reigns.
