WWE SmackDown aired live from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. Ronda Rousey, Xia Li, Natalya, Sonya Deville, and Lacey Evans battled in a Fatal 5-Way to determine Liv Morgan’s opponent for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules next month. In addition to the takeaways below, Corey Graves was revealed as Pat McAfee’s replacement as he has joined College Gameday on ESPN full-time.
SmackDown Results
- Imperium def. Brawling Brutes
- Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah def. Toxic Attraction
- Ronda Rousey won the Fatal 5-Way to earn a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules
- Drew McIntyre def. Solo Sikoa via DQ
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Imperium def. Brawling Brutes In A Great Match
Imperium (IC Champion Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci) battled The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Butch, Ridge Holland) in a 6-man tag team match to begin the show. Imperium controlled the action early and isolated Ridge Holland in the ring.Gunther tagged in and booted Sheamus off the ring apron.
Butch tagged in and got Ludwig in an Armbar but Gunther broke it up with a giant chop. Sheamus and Gunther traded punches outside the ring but Vinci broke it up with a flying knee off the ring apron. The action returned to the ring and Vince whipped Butch into the turnbuckle. Giovanni followed it up with a Clothesline as SmackDown went to a break. The Intercontinental Champion had Pete Dunne in a submission hold when the show returned. Dunne escaped and tagged in the Celtic Warrior.
Sheamus unloaded the 10 Beats of the Bodhran on Ludwig Kaiser’s chest as the crowd erupted. Sheamus hit White Noise on Ludwig as the crowd cheered. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick on Vinci and then a Powerslam on Ludwig. Ridge tagged in and hit a lariat but Gunther broke up the cover. Gunther and Sheamus traded punches and battled out of the ring. Dunne went for a Blockbuster but Vinci beautifully countered into a Brainbuster. Vinci and Ridge tagged in. Ludwig and Giovanni hit the Imperium Bomb on Ridge Holland for the pinfall victory in a great match.
Solo Sikoa Joined The Bloodline, Drew McIntyre Interrupted
Sami Zayn came down to the ring with The Usos to welcome Solo Sikoa. Zayn played the role as the hype man and high-fived Jimmy Uso. Jey wasn’t interested in a high-five and noted that Roman Reigns is the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Jey boasted above Roman beating Drew McIntyre on his own turf at Clash at the Castle. The Usos introduced Solo Sikoa to the group and he made his way to the ring. Solo announced that he was here to stay before Drew McIntyre interrupted.
Drew marched down to the ring with a steel chair and everyone retreated besides Sikoa. Sami jumped in front of a chair shot before the Bloodline retreated. McIntyre shouted that he wanted a match against Solo tonight as SmackDown went to a commercial break. Later on SmackDown, Sami informed Solo Sikoa that he doesn’t have to go into the battle against McIntyre alone. Jey shouted “he know” and Sami hilariously responded with “I know he know”. It was decided that all of The Bloodline will be ringside for the match later tonight.
Opinion: Sami Zayn has always been great but he has become one of the most consistently entertaining performers WWE has to offer. He’s fantastic in the ring and his comedic timing during these segments is impeccable.
