– The show began with a new intro, complete with new song
and new logo. Michael Cole welcomed everyone into the show
and sent things to the ring, where Paul Levesque was
introduced. Levesque soaked up cheers and walked to the
ring.


– Levesque said it seemed like just yesterday, he went one-
on-one with The Rock on the first SmackDown, and now it’s
hard to believe they are where they are, 25 years later.
Levesque said there was no better place to be than in
Seattle, Washington, and there was no better way to start it
off than a match for the Undisputed WWE Champion. Levesque
asked the crowd if they were ready and welcomed everyone to
SmackDown. Drew McIntyre-level pyro shot off and the steel
cage was lowered.

– A video package setting up the Cody/Solo match aired. Both
wrestlers made their entrances and Alicia Taylor made formal
in-ring introductions. The bell rang about 15 minutes into
the show.

Cody Rhodes defeated Solo Sikoa to retain the Undisputed WWE
Championship in a steel cage match [16:19]


The expected outcome with, to be honest, a somewhat-expected
appearance from Roman Reigns. I was – and still am – curious
to see what the final segment of the show will be because
they made such a big deal out of the steel cage match
leading the show. With Reigns on hand tonight, you have to
think this won’t be the last time we see any of these
wrestlers tonight. As for the match, it was fine. Pretty
tame. Uneventful. Again that dreaded “E” word – “expected.”
Solo Sikoa deserves some credit, though, because he’s been
thrusted into this position and you can see him get better
and grow up in the ring in real time. Is this the same guy
we saw two years ago? Not at all. He’s much more refined now
and has learned the WWE Big Match style well. I can’t
imagine a third match between him and Rhodes at this point –
and if it does happen, it should be a very long time from
now – but in the meantime, what happens with Sikoa and
Reigns post-War Games unless The Rock shows up soon?


Cody had control early and hit his drop-punch twice. The two
traded strikes and Rhodes hit a bulldog before running Sikoa
into the cage four times. Cody ran at Sikoa and Sikoa back-
dropped Cody into the cage. Sikoa followed that up with a
hip-attack into the cage. Sikoa took control and put the
boots to Rhodes. Sikoa landed a flying headbutt as Cody was
draped upside down in a corner. Sikoa went for another one,
but Cody moved and tried climbing the cage, but Sikoa cut
him off. Cody was busted open on the forehead.

Sikoa threw Cody into a side of the cage. Sikoa followed
that up with a bunch of headbutts. Cody went for a Disaster
Kick, but Sikoa caught Cody and rammed Cody into the cage a
couple times. Sikoa lifted Cody for a powerbomb, but Cody
climbed up the cage and hit a Cody Cutter from near the top
of the cage and got a two-count out of it. Cody tried to
climb the cage again, but Sikoa grabbed Cody’s boot. Sikoa
pulled Cody back to the canvas and started climbing the cage
himself. Cody started climbing, too, and the wrestlers
fought on the top of the cage.


Cody rammed Sikoa’s head on top of the cage and tried to
climb over the top, but Sikoa stopped Cody and vertical-
suplexed Cody. Neither guy appeared to land great. Sikoa
covered Cody but only got a two-count. Cody slapped Sikoa
and Sikoa came back with a pair of Rock Bottoms for a near-
fall. Sikoa set up for a Samoan Spike, but Cody blocked it
and fired up, eventually hitting a Disaster Kick and a Cody
Cutter for a near-fall.

Cody set up for a Cross-Rhodes, but Sikoa countered and hit
a Hip Attack, a Samoan Drop and a Splash from the top rope
for a good near-fall. Sikoa followed up with another Hip
Attack, but it was in the corner where the cage door was and
Cody almost escaped. Sikoa lifted Cody, but Cody countered
into a Cross-Rhodes for a good near-fall. Cody climbed the
cage, got to the top and hit a cross-body on Sikoa for
another good near-fall. Cody asked the official to open the
cage door and made his way towards the door, but Sikoa
slammed the door in Cody’s face. Sikoa went for a Samoan
Spike, but Cody thwarted it and hit another Cross-Rhodes,
this time for the win.


After the match, the Bloodline surrounded the cage and they
all climbed into the ring. Sikoa landed that Samoan Spike on
Cody and the Bloodline worked Cody over, complete with a
moonsault from Jaco Fatu – both from the top rope and from
the top of the cage … except when Fatu got to the top of the
cage, Roman Reigns’s music hit and Fatu didn’t jump.
Instead, Reigns walked out and walked into the ring, closing
the door behind him. Reigns beat the hell out of Tama Tonga
and Tonga Loa until Sikoa stopped Reigns.

Ultimately, Sikoa ran into a Superman Punch and Fatu pulled
Sikoa out of the cage. Reigns invited Fatu to get in the
ring and Fatu slowly walked up the steps. Fatu shut the door
behind him, but as Fatu fired up, Sikoa pulled Fatu out of
the cage. From there, Loa and Tonga beat down Reigns until
Cody got back to his feet and gave a Cross-Rhodes to Tonga
and Reigns gave a spear to Loa. Cody and Reigns had a brief
moment until Reigns turned his attention back to Sikoa.
Reigns and Cody stood awkwardly together in the ring as
Cody’s music played to end the segment.


**********

– Cathy Kelley interviewed GM Nick Aldis backstage and Aldis
said everyone has been sequestered in their dressing rooms.
Sikoa asked Aldis for a match, but Aldis wasn’t sure what
the match would be. Aldis said he was going to try and find
some answers.

Michin defeated Piper Niven [2:02]

Welp, it appears that first match and subsequent nonsense
ran a bit too long because this was a lot of nothing (but
everything crammed into about three minutes). Hey, at least
they didn’t get cut entirely from the show. My guess is this
leads to Michin vs. Green sooner than later, but it is kind
of tough to see Niven take so many easy losses.

Niven ran at Michin, but Michin moved and Niven went to the
outside. Michin then hit a suicide dive. Michin then kicked
Chelsea Green in the head and looked for something under the
ring. Michin eventually pulled out a kendo stick and hit
Green with it. Niven then hit a dive on Michin and rolled
Michin back into the ring. Niven went to the second rope,
but Michin cut Niven off and hit a belly-to-back suplex from
the second rope on Niven. Michin followed that up with an
Eat Defeat for the win.


After the match, Green attacked Michin and the heels and
Green hit an Un-Pretty-Her on Michin, onto a trashcan.
Green’s music hit and Green waved to the crowd.

**********

– Photos profiling memorable SmackDown moments aired. Rob
Van Dam was then shown in the front row. Vickie Guerrero was
also shown. Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser were also in the crowd
and Gunther smirked as the crowd booed. It turned out Kevin
Owens’s mystery partner was someone who Waller and Theory
laughed at. Owens said his real partner couldn’t make it, so
“That’s Ricky (one half of Midnight Heat, in case you are
familiar with their independent work) and that’s my
partner.” The crowd chanted “Ricky!” A producer called Owens
over and told Owens his partner actually did make it, Owens
Stunned “Ricky” and Randy Orton’s music hit. Orton then
walked to the ring to be Owens’s tag partner.


Randy Orton & Kevin Owens defeated A-Town Down Under
(Grayson Waller & Austin Theory) [9:22]

Pure fun. Nothing more. Nothing less. That’s never a bad
thing. The Orton appearance was all but promised, so it
would have been a lot more fun if they would have stuck with
“Ricky” as Owens’s partner, but the go-home sequence with
Owens mimicking Orton was a good visual. Those two are due
for a program together soon, right? Who do you think turns
on whom?

The match opened with a lot of brawling on the outside, with
Waller back-suplexing Owens onto the commentary table a la
Randy Orton. The show cut to a picture-in-picture at one
point. When it returned, the heels had the advantage, but
ultimately, Owens got the hot tag to Orton, who hit his back
suplex onto the commentary table on both Theory and Waller.
Owens and Orton did all of Orton’s moves together as we went
to the home stretch and that concluded with Orton hitting an
RKO on Waller and Owens hitting a Stunner on Theory. Orton
then covered Waller for the win.


**********

– Nick Aldis announced that Sikoa challenged Cody and Roman
to a tag match at Bad Blood between those two and Sikoa and
Fatu. Cody walked in and said he’s done with The Bloodline
and The Bloodline is Roman Reigns’s problem. As a result,
Cody said he wouldn’t sign the contract for the tag match.

– More photos from more SmackDowns aired. Booker T and
Sharmell were shown in the crowd. Ditto for Sheamus and
Michael P.S. Hayes.

– A video of Tiffany Stratton, Pretty Deadly and Nia Jax
catching fish at the Seattle market earlier in the day
aired.

The Nia Jax/Bayley segment

I like the stip for this because a lot of things are in
play. Who has to leave SmackDown? Will someone actually be
forced to leave SmackDown? The stip doesn’t apply to
Stratton if she loses for her team, does it? Whatever it is,
count me among those who thing, as an immediate reaction,
that we’ll get the rematch between Bayley and Jax, but I’ll
be happy to be wrong. I get a kick out of snotty Bayley, so
it was nice to hear her lean into that for the first time in
a while, despite her being in a babyface role.


Jax was in the ring alone with a microphone and talked about
how she’s unstoppable. Jax listed off all her
accomplishments and said all of them were easy. Jax said
everyone in the locker room fears her and the crowd gave her
the “What?” treatment. Jax said Aldis told her she will
defend her Women’s Championship at Bad Blood, but she didn’t
know who the opponent was. She also didn’t care who her
opponent would be. Bayley’s music hit and Bayley walked out.

Bayley had a microphone and said, “Ding dong, you idiot,”
and it was kind of funny. The crowd chanted Bayley’s name.
Bayley said Jax has had the greatest year of her career, but
it wasn’t like Jax set the bar really high for herself.
Bayley got into the ring and walked up to Jax, saying she
wants her rematch. Jax, I think, said no, but the sound went
out. The two exchanged verbal jabs, I think, and Tiffany
Stratton’s music hit. Stratton walked out and said Bayley is
pathetic and is jealous that Stratton has the MITB
briefcase.


Bayley said something that made Jax and Stratton appear to
be at odds. Jax said Bayley wouldn’t have a prayer if she
ever faced Jax again. Naomi’s music then hit and Naomi
walked out with a microphone. Naomi said if they wanted a
fight, they could fight. Naomi said it’s been a while since
she’s held a title, and she wants to do it again. Naomi
challenged Bayley. Jax noted how both Bayley and Naomi wants
Jax’s title. Jax challenged Bayley and Naomi to a tag match
next week against Jax and Stratton. Whomever gets the win,
Jax said, will get the title shot at Bad Blood. Whomever
loses, though, will be forced to leave SmackDown
permanently. Naomi hit a hip attack on Stratton to end the
segment.

**********

– Aldis was shown walking backstage and Aldis told Kelley he
talked to Roman Reigns and Reigns wants to address the
situation in the ring at the end of the show.

– Ron Simmons and Teddy Long were shown in the crowd after
stills of more photos aired. William Regal was also on hand.
Bobby Roode was shown. And Damian Priest was just hanging
out in the crowd, too.

Andrade defeated Carmelo Hayes [9:51]

That Spanish Fly looked gnarly early in the match. Good for
Andrade getting back up from that. No way all this leads to
Andrade losing to Knight clean without Hayes having anything
to do with anything, right? Plus, there’s no way
Andrade/Melo ends as a five-game series, right? Or, well,
please? They’ve had five matches against each other and in
each match, they pulled out different spots, kept everyone
guessing who might win and developed a believability in
their disdain for each other based almost solely on them
simply just having a match one week. Knight can’t lose that
U.S. title anytime soon, one would think, so perhaps this is
just another chapter in the Andrade/Hayes feud and we’ve got
a lot more to come from it because a nine minute deciding
match just ain’t enough for this viewer. Fingers crossed.

Hayes attacked Andrade before the bell rang. But then the
bell rang and Hayes immediately had the upper hand until
Andrade just pushed Hayes off the top rope to the outside.
Andrade followed that up with a moonsault on Hayes on the
outside. Hayes came back and chopped Andrade, but Andrade
responded with a big boot and rolled back inside the ring to
break the count and then roll back outside to go to work on
Hayes. By that, I mean he stood on the barriade, but Hayes
popped up there with him and a Spanish Fly went down. It
looked like Andrade landed on his face. The show then went
to a second picture-in-picture and I feel like I’m covering
Rampage again.

Back from the PIP, Andrade went for a double-knees, but
missed. Hayes tried to capitalize, but the two traded move
and pin attempts. Andrade tried to lift Hayes, but couldn’t
quite get there and Hayes hit a First 48, but Andrade came
back with a spinning back elbow for a good near-fall.
Andrade went to the top and did the missed-moonsault-into-
another-moonsault spot, but Hayes got the knees up to
counter the second moonsault. Hayes went to the top, but
missed Nothing But Net. Andrade then hit a wild Destroyer
and Hayes sold fantastically.

Andrade fired the crowd up and landed the double knees in a
corner, but Hayes reached for the bottom rope to stop the
pin. Andrade went to the top, but missed a split-legged
moonsault. Hayes kicked Andrade’s head while the two were on
the top, but Andrade caught Hayes and kicked Hayes in the
head. All of this led to a The Message from the top on
Hayes, which made for a neat visual. That was enough for
Andrade to get the three count. LA Knight’s music hit
immediately and Knight walked out with a microphone. Knight
did the “Let me talk to ya!” bit and congratulated Andrade
for being the next contestant for the U.S. title. Knight
said Andrade hit the “hit it and quit it sweepstakes.”
Knight said he’ll drop Andrade on his head next week and
that everybody is saying “LA Knight … Yeah!” Knight’s music
hit to end the segment.

**********

– Byron Saxton interviewed Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair
backstage. Belair said they were excited to be there and
they were excited to have their titles back. Cargill said
they won’t let their titles go and if anyone wants them,
they can come get them (oh, so this is how the Motor City
Machine Guns will debut in WWE!). Nia Jax and Tiffany
Stratton walked in the frame and Jax threatened to do
something bad to Naomi. Jax reminded Cargill and Belair that
she beat both of them on her way to winning Queen Of The
Ring.

The Roman Reigns/Cody Rhodes segment

I’ve got to be in the minority, but the Seattle crowd kind
of compromised all this for me. In a different room and a
different town, a hotter crowd might have existed and turned
all this up to 11. That didn’t happen here. To be fair, I’m
not sure if that was because it wasn’t a great, fired up
crowd, or if they really didn’t quite know who to side with
when it came to Reigns and Rhodes. Either way, this was a
star-powered final segment and all told, the show simply
feels bigger whenever Roman decides to show up. SmackDown
needs it, too, because Raw has quietly turned into the
better weekly show over the last several months. I was into
Cody actually being done with the Bloodline when he said he
was earlier in the episode, but alas, a tag match awaits and
while it might not be what we all prefer, that’s what we’re
all going to get.

Reigns stuck up his finger and the crowd had his back as
they mirrored him. Nick Aldis was in the ring with Reigns.
Reigns soaked in cheers as the crowd chanted “OTC!” Aldis
started talking, but Reigns put out his hand. Aldis gave
Reigns the contract, but Reigns made a face and put out his
hand again. Aldis then handed over the microphone. The crowd
started another loud “OTC!” chant.

Reigns said he didn’t want to confuse anybody and said that
some things change, but not him. Reigns said he didn’t need
Aldis, he didn’t need a contract and he reiterated Bloodline
business is family business. Reigns said he definitely
didn’t need the help of Cody Rhodes and he got a mixed
reaction. Reigns said no matter if he has the Ula Fala or
not, he is the Tribal Chief – the only Tribal Chief. Reigns
this is his ring, his show and his WWE. On cue, Cody’s music
hit and Cody walked out in street clothes.

At this point, we were past the 10 p.m. EST mark, so welcome
back to USA, SmackDown. Cody took his time getting into the
ring. Once in the ring, Cody asked for a microphone. Dueling
“OTC!” and “Cody!” chants broke out. Cody had an issue with
Roman calling it his ring and his WWE. Cody said, “Well … it
was, but it hasn’t been since WrestleMania.” The crowd felt
a little confused as to what they should do. Cody dropped
his microphone. Reigns did the same. The two stared at each
other, but Sikoa’s music hit and Sikoa appeared with Fatu.
The two walked to the ring.

Sikoa and Fatu stood outside the ring, but Tonga and Loa
attacked Reigns and Cody from behind. Cody hit a Cody Cutter
on Loa and Reigns hit a Rock Bottom on Tonga. Reigns then
picked up the contract and signed it. Cody put his title
down and put out his hand for the contract, too. Reigns
handed over the contract to Cody and Cody signed it, too. So
the tag match for Bad Blood is on. Cody’s music hit and
neither Cody or Roman looked particularly happy. An
“Executive Producers” credit hit the screen and they were
Paul Heyman and Lee Fitting, which was sort of shocking to
see. The show then ended.

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