The February 21st edition of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, CA.
– SmackDown opens up with a highlight package detailing Bray Wyatt’s WWE Championship win, and Randy Orton’s pledge not to fight him. 10 SmackDown stars will face off tonight for the right to face Wyatt at WrestleMania for the World Title.
– SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan makes his way out to the ring and introduces Women’s Champion Naomi. Bryan talks about his experience in needing to relinquish a championship belt due to injury, and that now Naomi will have to do that due to the injury she sustained at Elimination Chamber. Naomi reluctantly hands over the Women’s Title belt to Bryan, and is emotional about the possibility she will miss her WrestleMania moment. SmackDown needs a new Women’s Champion, and Alexa Bliss comes out to help Daniel Bryan decide. Alexa proposes that she is given the Women’s Title since she can compete. Bryan says he won’t give it to her, but she will give her a match against Becky Lynch, and that match is right now.
– Alexa Bliss def. Becky Lynch: Becky hits some arm drags early on and controls the opening moments of the match. Becky continues working on Alexa’s arm until Alexa comes back with some elbow strikes. Becky comes back and dominates the next few moments of the match until there’s a ref bump and Alexa hits Becky in the throat. Alexa rolls up Becky for the three count to win the Women’s Title. After the match, Mickie James tries to beat down Becky, but Becky fights her off.
– Dean Ambrose cuts a promo backstage saying he’s going to try to break Baron Corbin’s tonight leg in retaliation for beating him down.
– Kalisto cuts a brief backstage promo saying he plans to head into WrestleMania strong.
– The Miz is backstage with Maryse. The Miz lists the movies he’s been in, but says his biggest role will be winning the Championship at WrestleMania.
– Natalya cuts a scathing promo on Nikki Bella mentioning her “silicone” and calling her fake.
– American Alpha def. Breezango: Breeze and Fandango attack the champions before the bell and control the majority of the opening moments of the match. Breeze works on Jordan until Fandango and Gable both get the tags. American Alpha throws Breeze outside, then hits the Steiner-style top-rope bulldog on Fandango for the win after a short match. After the bell, The Usos pop up in the crowd with microphones and call out American Alpha. They challenge them to a fight, but not tonight.
– AJ Styles is walking backstage where he brags to a random guy that he’s going to the main event of WrestleMania.
– Dolph Ziggler is in front of a green screen cutting a promo saying the new era of WWE is cancelled, because no one can replace him. Ziggler dropkicks the green screen and it “drops” to show a “backstage area.”
– Mojo Rawley cuts a promo backstage about his intent to head to WrestleMania.
– Luke Harper is in a dimly lit room where he also cuts a promo, saying that his years following Bray Wyatt will not stop him from going to WrestleMania.
– Nikki Bella does an interview backstage where she says she’s going to prove to Natalya tonight that she’s not just a pretty face.
– Natalya def. Nikki Bella: This one is a falls count anywhere match. Nikki hits a spear and a kick early on for a two count, then goes outside for some weapons. Natalya gets some offense in at ringside, but Nikki grabs a kendo stick and comes back. Nikki throws Natalya over the fan barricade an they brawl through the crowd. Natalya tries to suplex Nikki off of a platform onto the floor, but Nikki pushes her off and hits a flying roundhouse kick for a two count. Back at ringside, Natalya mounts a comeback and throws Nikki into the steel ring steps for a two count. Natalya tries to powerbomb Nikki through the announce table, but Nikki punches her way out of the powerbomb attempt. Nikki hits an Alabama Slam on Natalya onto the announce table for a two count. Back in the ring, Natalya gets Nikki in a Sharpshooter, but Nikki reaches the ropes. They leave the ring and brawl on the entrance ramp, where Natalya suplexes her before heading to the backstage area. They brawl on some production equipment and into the hallways of the arena. Natalya throws Nikki and she knocks over Maryse, who was walking by. Nikki throws Natalya head-first into a mirror for a two count. They brawl back out onto the stage where Nikki spears Natalya for another two count. Natalya drops Nikki on the ramp and goes for the Sharpshooter, but Nikki reverses and puts Natalya in an STF. Maryse comes out with a pipe and starts beating down Nikki. Maryse hits Nikki in the knee with the pipe several times, then Natalya puts her in the Sharpshooter for the win via submission.
– Baron Corbin cuts a promo backstage saying he loves destruction and inflicting pain, and he’s going to win in the battle royal tonight.
– Apollo Crews is in the dressing room where he cuts a promo about the upcoming battle royal, and says he’s especially going after Dolph Ziggler tonight.
– Bray Wyatt cuts a promo praising Randy Orton’s sacrifice of his title shot. Bray says Orton has earned the keys to the kingdom, and all of his secrets. Wyatt says whoever wins the battle royal tonight, will be his sacrificial lamb at WrestleMania.
– #1 Contender Battle Royal: Dean Ambrose is the last to enter and he jumps in the crowd of his 9 opponents and everyone begins brawling as the opening bell rings. Corbin drops several men until Mojo Rawley stops him and hits a running splash in the corner. Mojo goes to follow up with a second splash, but Corbin ducks and backdrops Mojo outside for the elimination. Kalisto starts laying people out with kicks. Ziggler and Kalisto start fighting on the apron where Ziggler starts grabbing at his mask, then superkicks Kalisto down to the floor for the elimination. Ziggler starts hitting Apollo Crews from the apron, but Crews kicks him in the head and Ziggler falls to the floor for the elimination. Mojo, Kalisto, and Ziggler have all been eliminated. Ziggler starts beating down Kalisto at ringside with a chair, which distracts Crews, and Corbin pushes Crews outside for the elimination. Crews takes the chair from Ziggler and chases him backstage. Back in the ring, Cena and Styles are going at it. Styles escapes an AA, and Harper superkicks Cena. AJ hits the Pele Kick on Harper, then The Miz takes advantage of his exhausted opponents with a series of dropkicks in the different corners of the ring. Miz hits a series of kicks on Cena, but Cena ducks the last one then throws Miz outside for the elimination. Cena suplexes both Ambrose and Styles at the same time, then hits a back suplex on Styles. Cena attempts a Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Corbin catches him with the End Of Days. Corbin charges at Ambrose, but Ambrose ducks and pulls down the rope, and Corbin is now eliminated. Corbin pulls Ambrose outside under the ropes and hits the End of Days on the ringside floor. It’s down to Ambrose, Cena, Harper and Styles. The Miz sneaks in the ring and throws John Cena over the top rope, which still counts as an elimination even though Miz himself was eliminated earlier. Cena tries to go back in the ring, but is hauled off by referees as The Miz runs through the crowd. Harper tries to eliminate Styles, but Ambrose knocks them both to the apron. Harper pulls Ambrose out to the apron next, and all three remaining competitors are now on the apron. Ambrose gets Styles on his shoulders, and Harper superkicks Ambrose. AJ falls back in the ring, but Ambrose falls to the floor at ringside and he’s eliminated. It’s down to Harper and Styles. Harper and AJ brawl up the turnbuckle on the corner until Harper falls into the ring. AJ follows Harper in the ring and starts working on him with kicks. Harper and Styles start fighting on the turnbuckle and apron again, and Harper appears to throw AJ out, but Mauro says there’s confusion about whose feet touched first. Referee Rudy Charles tells them that their feet hit at the same time. Daniel Bryan comes out next and declares the match a draw, and they’ll determine a winner next week. Styles shoves Harper, so Harper hits a discus lariat on AJ. Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton appear on the big screen, where Wyatt laughs at Harper as SmackDown goes off the air.
