August 14, 2018
Greenville, South Carolina
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
In-Ring: Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Paige
Smackdown Live kicks off with Charlotte Flair coming down to the ring followed by Becky Lynch and WWE Smackdown Live women’s champion Carmella.
The women’s champion kicks off by saying what’s more absurd than having her defend her title at SummerSlam is Paige having her come out tonight for a face-to-face with them. Carmella says she is constantly punished for being a great women’s champion but she is the champion so life is good.
Carmella says poor Becky Lynch because she doesn’t stand a chance now. Becky asks her if she wants her to say she doesn’t want Charlotte in the women’s title match at SummerSlam. She says she’ll say it but only because Charlotte is a great athlete. Carmella cuts her off and says Charlotte is great and won every women’s title there is to win but Becky was the first Smackdown women’s champion. But that’s only because Charlotte was on Raw.
Charlotte cuts in and says it’s over. The lies, cheating and manipulating all end at SummerSlam. And that in order to beat Asuka, she had to dig up James Ellsworth. And she wonders why the WWE universe doesn’t respect her. Charlotte says maybe it’s because she’s a diva living in a women’s era. Carmella says she is a diva and she is damn proud of it. Carmella says she has something they will never have. She says to compare her beauty to theirs. Compare her body to theirs. Compare her charisma to theirs. Oh and she’s the women’s champion and they’re not.
Paige’s music hits and out comes the Smackdown general manager. Paige says her job as general manager is to create the best competition as possible for SummerSlam. And she wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity if she didn’t beat Carmella so the WWE universe owes Carmella a big thank you. The crowd starts to chant “Thank you ‘Mella”.
Paige says that she knows all three of them will steal the show at SummerSlam and as the general manager, it’s her job to build the best competition for Smackdown live. And why wait until SummerSlam. Paige tells Carmella to get to the commentary table as Becky and Charlotte will be in a tag team match right now and out comes Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
The bell rings and we are under way with Charlotte and Deville as the legal women. A number of reversals by both women ends with the both of them face to face. A chop to the chest by Charlotte in the corner. She tags Lynch in as both women double team Deville.
A leg drop by Becky followed by a quick elbow and another leg drop. She goes for the cover but Sonya kicks out. Sonya attacks Becky and gets a tag in on Mandy. A drop kick by Mandy. Becky gets up and a drop kick of her own as she tags Charlotte in. Both women tag team Rose as Charlotte goes for the cover but Mandy kicks out.
Charlotte goes for a body slam but Rose catches her by the hair and drops her down. She tags Sonya in but Charlotte throws her to the outside of the ring. Charlotte tags Becky and Lynch elbows Sonya on the outside. She throws Sonya into the ring and goes for the cover but a kick out.
Lynch tags Charlotte in who goes for a quick cover but Deville kicks out. Both women get up and a kick to the knee by Deville who tags Mandy in. Rose beats on Charlotte in the corner and tags Sonya back into the ring. Charlotte sends Sonya to the ropes but Mandy tags herself in. She gets in and kicks Charlotte in the face taking her down.
Back from commercial and Sonya has Becky in the corner. She beats on Becky and tags Mandy into the ring. Becky goes for the Becksploder but Mandy reverses it into a bodyslam of her own. She tags Sonya in and she goes for a headlock submission.Becky gets out of it and goes for the tag but Sonya catches her. Becky hits her with an enzuigiri and both women are down.
Mandy is tagged in as Becky clotheslines her down. A spinning kick and the Becksploder onto Mandy Rose. A flying forearm as she goes for the cover but in comes Sonya to break it off. Becky kicks her to the outside. She goes back to Mandy and locks in the Disarm-her as Mandy Rose taps out.
Winners: Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch
Video: The Miz and Maryse
We cut to The Miz and Maryse delivering a video message from their home. They hype up their television show and announce that the USA Network have picked-up their show for a second season.
Backstage: Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair
Backstage, Charlotte and Becky are talking. Charlotte tells Becky they were great but she didn’t have to do it all by herself. Becky apologizes about it and walks away.
The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Triple Threat – Handicap Match
Harper and Rowan take two of the three men out to the outside of the ring. A double crucifix onto the third wrestler. They go to the outside and simply beat down on two of the men. Back in the ring, they double team the third man as their music hits. The match never officially started.
Video: Daniel Bryan and The Miz’s Feud (Part 1)
Part 1 of a 3 part series airs involving the history of the feud between The Miz and Daniel Bryan.
SAnitY vs. The New Day
The bell rings and Big E starts off with Eric Young and Young runs after Big E and Big E with an overhead slam. He tags Kofi in as Kofi jumps over Big E and lands on Young. He goes for the cover but Young kicks out. Kofi runs to the ropes but Wolfe lowers the top rope as Kofi lands on the outside. Wolfe beats on Kofi and throws him into the ring. Wolfe is tagged in as he beats on Kofi and tags in Killian Dain.
In the ring. Dain puts Kofi on the top rope. Dain goes to suplex Kofi but Kofi fights him off. Kofi runs towards Dain but a Dain catches him with a drop kick. Killian with a fisherman’s suplex on Kofi. He tags Wolfe in and a big splash by Wolfe. He goes for the cover but Kofi kicks out.
Back from commercial and Dain is beating on Kofi but Kofi with a reversal into a tornado DDT. Kofi tags in Woods and Dain tags Wolfe in. Woods with a flying forearm takes Wolfe out. Wolfe in the corner and Woods with a DDT. He goes for the cover but Eric Young with an elbow drop breaks up the cover.
Dain comes in and throws Big E and Kofi off the ring apron. Young is tagged in and he drops Woods onto Wolfe’s knees. He goes for the cover but Woods kicks out. Young tags Dain in. Woods with a chop to the chest onto Dain but Dain takes Woods down. He goes for the cover but in comes Big E who breaks it out. Kofi flies off the top rope and takes Wolfe and Young out on the outside. Woods tags Big E in and they double team Dain with the Up Up Down Down. Big E goes for the cover and gets the win.
Winners: New Day
Video: Daniel Bryan and The Miz’s Feud (Part 2)
Part 2 of a 3 part series airs involving the history of the feud between The Miz and Daniel Bryan.
Backstage: Samoa Joe, Paige
Will @SamoaJoe be "professional" when #WWEChampion @AJStylesOrg addresses the @WWEUniverse tonight on #SDLive? pic.twitter.com/CY8jZB0Yka
— WWE (@WWE) August 15, 2018
Backstage, Paige knocks on Samoa Joe’s door and he asks her what’s up. She tells him that AJ Styles will be in the ring tonight to address the WWE universe and that he had the same opportunity but refused. Joe says he’s shy. Paige tells him she doesn’t want him to ruin her main event at SummerSlam and be professional when AJ Styles goes to the ring tonight.
Joe says professional? She likes his killer instinct, his unpredictability. How is he supposed to be unpredictable if he tells her what he’s going to do. Joe tells her to enjoy her night and he will enjoy his as he goes back into his locker room.
Aiden English vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (w/ Zelina Vega)
Aiden English is in the ring and he sings about how bad things come to an end and how he let his friends down. Backstage, Rusev and Lana are watching.
Back from commercial, English is on the top rope and a big splash on Almas. He goes for the cover but Almas kicks out. Almas slides to the outside and just as English goes to get him, Almas drops English neck first onto the ropes. Almas gets into the ring and hits him with the hammerlock DDT. He goes for the cover and gets the win.
Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas with Zelina Vega
Zelina gets on the microphone and says that come this Sunday, it will be the end of Rusev Day. And the end of Lana Day. Zelina says she will expose her for what she really is and that is dead weight which is dragging down her husband.
Rusev’s music hits and out come Rusev and Lana. Rusev says that they are acting like they just won the power ball. He tells Andrade that his luck runs out on Sunday. And Zelina, she will find out why Lana is the best, Lana is number 1.
Lana gets on the microphone and says together, they will crush them. Because this year, SummerSlam falls on what day? The crowd answers with Rusev Day.
Backstage: AJ Styles, Paige
Backstage, AJ Styles is with Paige. She thanks Styles for being here and she tells him that she needs him and Joe to stay professional. She says that he needs to keep it together, he is the champion. AJ says he made his wife a promise and he intends to keep it.
Video: Daniel Bryan and The Miz’s Feud (Part 3)
Part 3 of a 3 part series airs involving the history of the feud between The Miz and Daniel Bryan.
Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin
Back from commercial, Benjamin has Hardy in a headlock but Jeff starts fighting back. Shelton gets Hardy back down and goes for the cover but Hardy kicks out. Shelton gets Jeff back in a headlock. Jeff fights out of it but Shelton drops him back down.
Jeff gets out of it and gets to his feet. He climbs the top rope and whisper in the wind takes Benjamin down. He goes for the cover but Shelton kicks out. Both men back up and exchange right hands. Hardy takes Benjamin down with a drop kick and goes for the cover but Shelton kicks out again.
Hardy with a neckbreaker and he goes to the top rope. Up goes Benjamin who knees Jeff in the face. Benjamin with a suplex off the top rope and he goes for the cover but Jeff Hardy kicks out. Shelton runs towards Jeff but a sling blade takes Shelton down. Jeff connects with the Twist of Fate as he goes for the cover and gets the win.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Shinsuke Nakamura’s music hits. Jeff is distracted as Benjamin goes to attack Jeff but Hardy takes him down. In comes Nakamura who attacks Jeff from behind. Nakamura runs towards Jeff but Hardy catches him with the twisto f fate. Jeff gets on the top rope and hits him with the swanton bomb.
Randy Orton is seen lurking from behind the entrance curtain.
In-Ring: AJ Styles, Samoa Joe
WWE Smackdown champion AJ Styles is in the ring. AJ says that he is blessed because for 20 years he has been able to travel the world and wrestle against the best. He says he learned a lot but nothing more important than the lesson he learned after winning the WWE championship. He says there’s a reason why that title is so hard to hold. Because there’s a lot of pressure and Samoa Joe hit his pressure points. He’s a mastermind and it started when he blindsided him in the ring. A video package airs of Joe attacking AJ Styles.
AJ says he thought he knew him but then he stabbed him in the back. And after that he stabbed him in the heart. They air a video package of Samoa Joe talking about AJ’s family. AJ says he got him to talk about something very private and personal which is his family. And he felt as a man, as a father and as a husband, he had to defend himself. But he got emotional. He said AJ went to a dark place. A place where he wanted to rip his head off. But after that he got home where he could hug his family and his wife told him he can’t lose his head and has to remain focused.
Samoa Joe’s music hits and out comes Joe. Samoa Joe takes out a letter and tells AJ that is a wonderful tale he told everyone. But they both know what he said is not true. He tells AJ to relax. Joe says he has nothing left to say except that he has a letter from a member of the WWE universe.
He reads the letter saying “Dear Joe, two weeks ago I heard the things that you said about AJ Styles and his family. Your remarks were disgusting and made me physically ill. Not because they were wrong but because they were true. I used to be the biggest AJ styles fan in the world but now it’s clear, AJ never wanted children. Maybe he never wanted a wife either. And that’s why AJ is such a great champion because hell do anything to say away from his family.
“At SummerSlam, I pray that you win so AJ can know the feeling of losing the thing he loves the most. Because I lost him a long time ago. My sincerest gratitude, Wendy Styles.”
Samoa Joe walks away as Smackdown goes off the air.
Quick Match Results
– Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
– The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Triple Threat was a squash that never started
– The New Day defeated SAnitY
– Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Aiden English
– Jeff Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin