The September 11, 2018 edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA, and was the go-home show for Hell In A Cell.
– This week’s broadcast opens up with an 11-bell salute and moment of silence to remember the September 11th attacks.
– Jeff Hardy comes out to the ring to kick off the show, and he’s got a mic. Jeff talks about facing demons and overcoming them, and how this Sunday he is going to overcome another demon inside Hell In A Cell. But that’s Sunday, and tonight Jeff says he has to conquer another demon from his recent past – Shinsuke Nakamura. Jeff tells Nakamura to get out here and face him, and then Jeff says on Sunday he’s going straight to Hell.
– Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: Jeff starts off strong with a jawbreaker, and things quickly fall out to ringside. Jeff springboards off the ring steps for a splash on Nakamura against the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Nakamura fights back and tries to keep Hardy grounded with a chin lock. Hardy fights up and repeatedly slams Nakamura’s head into the turnbuckles. Jeff looks for a jawbreaker, but Nakamura stops him with a knee to the face. Nakamura lays into Hardy now with knees to the body. Hardy starts to fight back, but Nakamura shuts him down with a spinning kick to the head. Nakamura looks for a shot in the corner, but Hardy dodges it and hits the Sling Blade, and both men are down. They fight into the corner and Jeff hits the Whisper In The Wind. Jeff goes back up for the finish, but Nakamura gets up and knocks him out. Nakamura sends Hardy crashing down out to ringside, and Nakamura takes a breather in the ring. Nakamura brings Jeff back inside and then lays into him with kicks in the corner. Nakamura follows up with a running knee to the face, and Hardy looks hurt. Nakamura looks for the Kinshasa, but Jeff dodges it. Nakamura misses a couple of kicks, and Jeff capitalizes with a Twist of Fate. Jeff goes up top for the Swanton Bomb, but then Randy Orton comes from nowhere and knocks Hardy down to the ringside floor.
Winner via DQ: Jeff Hardy
– Orton beats down Hardy at ringside after the match and repeatedly slams him into the ring steps. Orton grabs a steel chair and continues the beating on Hardy back inside the ring. Orton gives Hardy some time to recover as he wants to hit the RKO. Jeff gets up and dodges Orton, and Jeff grabs the steel chair. Jeff immediately tees off on Orton with the chair, and then hits he Twist of Fate. Jeff goes up and hits the Swanton Bomb off the top on Orton.
– We go backstage to The Miz for a backstage interview. The Miz corrects the interviewer on technique, and then introduces his wife Maryse. The interviewer points out that Maryse has her first singles match in 7 years tonight, in our main event against Brie Bella. The Miz says Brie and Daniel Bryan married each other because they couldn’t find anyone else, and it’s just a marriage of convenience. Miz says Bryan can’t even fight his own battles, so he has Brie do it for him.
– Still to come: Charlotte vs. Sonya Deville
– We go to a pre-taped video of AJ Styles inside the empty arena before SmackDown started. AJ says that Joe knows how to get under his skin, but mentioning his family. AJ says he knows Joe has a family too, but he won’t stoop to that level. AJ says Joe’s strengths will also be his weaknesses, because when the bell rings nobody has the upper hand on AJ Styles. AJ says on Sunday, the talking stops. At Hell In A Cell, AJ is going to show Joe just how phenomenal he is, because this is the house that AJ Styles built.
– Charlotte vs. Sonya Deville: The opening bell sounds and they fight back and forth early on until Sonya grabs the hair for a cheap shot. Sonya continues the offense now until Charlotte fires back with a big boot. Sonya rolls outside for a breather. Back in the ring, Sonya tries to mount some offense, but Charlotte shuts her down with a back suplex. Sonya and Charlotte trade strikes now until Charlotte hits a backbreaker and slams Sonya down. Sonya comes back with some knees to the body and then she looks for a triangle choke. Charlotte lifts up Sonya and powerbombs her down for a two count. Charlotte follows up with the Figure Eight for the win via submission.
Winner: Charlotte
– After the match, Charlotte poses with some fans at ringside for a selfie, but then someone in the crowd attacks Charlotte from behind. Charlotte falls down, and the woman pulls off her glasses and black wig to revel that it’s Becky Lynch. Becky hops the fan barricade and beats down Charlotte on the ramp. Referees separate them, an Becky says on Sunday she’s taking back her Women’s Title.
– We go to a pre-taped promo from Samoa Joe. AJ says he has a bedtime story, and this one is about AJ Styles. Joe pulls out a big story book, and reads off a rhyming poem about AJ. Joe talks about AJ forgetting his family, and his plans to destroy him on Sunday. Joe says he’ll become the new dad to AJ’s kids, and at the end of the book Joe shows a drawing of himself with AJ’s wife and kid.
– The New Day comes out to ringside and sits at their own broadcast table at ringside. They send us back to Kofi Kingston, who wants to interview The Bar backstage. The Bar walks off without noticing Kofi as Kofi makes fun of them.
– The Bar vs. Rusev Day: The Bar starts off strong in this one against Rusev, trading frequent tags and keeping the Bulgarian Brute down. Rusev finally fights off Sheamus with a big boot, and then Aiden English tags in and hits a big cross-body off the top. English keeps control of the match until Cesaro causes a distraction and Sheamus knees English in the head from behind. Cesaro tags in and works over English now. Sheamus tags back in and they both stomp on Aiden in the corner. The Bar exchanges more tags, and Cesaro keeps English grounded now with a chin lock. Sheamus comes back in and looks for a spear in the corner, but English dodges it and Sheamus crashes into the ring post. Cesaro and Rusev get the tags, and Rusev unloads with right hands on Cesaro. Rusev hits a splash in the corner and then a spinning heel kick. Cesaro tries to fight Rusev off, but Rusev catches him with a kick to the head for a two count. Rusev locks in the Accolade, but Sheamus breaks it up. Cesaro uppercuts Rusev back down, then Sheamus tags in and they hit a double DDT for a two count. Sheamus hits a tilt-a-whirl powerslam for another two count. Sheamus goes for a big boot on Rusev, but English runs in and takes the shot for Rusev. Rusev comes off the ropes with a big boot on Sheamus and he covers for the three count.
Winners: Rusev Day
– Lana steps in the ring to celebrate the win with Rusev and Aiden after the match. Rusev Day will now take on The New Day at Hell In A Cell for the Tag Titles. Rusev and Aiden talk some trash to The New Day at ringside at their broadcast table.
– R-Truth and Carmella come out singing R-Truth’s “What’s Up” song.
– R-Truth vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas: The opening bell sounds and Almas immediately takes the fight to Truth and hits a series of strikes in the corner. Almas runs off the ropes and R-Truth catches him with a hurricanrana. Almas comes back with a springboard kick for a two count. Almas follows up with some knees to the head to keep Truth grounded. Truth fights back and Almas grabs on to the ropes, then Zelina Vega runs in the ring and distracts R-Truth. Carmella pulls Zelina outside, and Almas hits a cheap shot off the distraction and rolls up R-Truth for the three count.
Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas
– Almas and Vega immediately head up the ramp as Truth gets to his feet in disbelief.
– Asuka and Naomi are backstage for an interview, and Naomi thanks Asuka for having her back last week. Naomi says Asuka feels the glow, but Asuka thinks she was asking her to “go.” Naomi explains her “glow” catch phrase, and they walk off together.
– Brie Bella comes out with Daniel Bryan, and our main event is up next.
– Brie Bella vs. Maryse: Daniel Bryan and The Miz are both at ringside for this one. The opening bell sounds and Maryse avoids engaging early on by heading out to ringside repeatedly. Brie gets on a microphone and calls Maryse a coward. The Miz gets a microphone and yells at Brie for calling his wife a coward, and says Brie doesn’t deserve to be in the same ring as his wife. The Miz says neither Brie nor this city deserve to see this match with Maryse in it. The Miz declares that this match is over, and they’ll see Brie and Daniel at Hell In A Cell. The Miz and Maryse start walking off, but Brie goes and grabs Maryse and takes her back in the ring. Daniel chases off The Miz, while Maryse hits a cheap shot on Brie for a two count. Maryse wastes some time and Brie applies the Yes Lock. The Miz reaches in and pulls Brie out of the ring down to the ringisde floor, and the ref calls for the DQ.
Winner via DQ: Brie Bella
– Daniel Bryan charges at Miz and beats him down around ringside. They fight back into the ring, and Miz shoves Daniel into Brie at ringside, and Brie is hurt. As Daniel checks on Brie, The Miz grabs him from behind and throws him into the ring steps. Maryse beats down Brie at ringside while Miz takes care of Bryan. Maryse throws Brie back in the ring, but Brie tackles her and pummels on her. The Miz gets in the ring, but so does Bryan and he lays into Miz with a series of kicks in the corner. Miz dodges a shot from Bryan, so Brie hits Miz instead, and then Bryan clotheslines Miz out of the ring. Daniel and Brie lead the crowd in a “Yes” chant as Miz and Maryse retreat up the ramp. The announcers plug Hell In A Cell again, and Daniel and Brie pose in the ring as SmackDown goes off the air.
