WWE SmackDown Results – Sep. 18, 2018 – Nakamura vs. Rusev for US Title

Sep 18, 2018

September 18, 2018
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com

In-Ring: The Miz, Maryse, Daniel Bryan

In the arena, it’s The Miz with Miz TV. He says he has some breaking news for everyone as it’s announced that Daniel Bryan will take on The Miz at the Super Show Down in Australia where the winner will face the WWE champion at a later date. The Miz gloats saying that he is superior to Daniel Bryan and he will go on to face the WWE champion.

But tonight, he has a big guest. He says he is a little nervous but he introduces his guest on Miz TV, Maryse as her music plays and she comes down to the ring. The Miz says it’s an honor to have her on the show. He calls her a reality mega star and says that she gave birth to the most beautiful child on the planet. He asks her how difficult it was to defeat Brie? Maryse says it’s the easiest thing she’s ever had to do and that Brie didn’t stand a chance against her. Maryse says that Brie’s heart wasn’t in it and The Miz says he feels like her heart isn’t in her relationship with Daniel Bryan anymore. Maryse says the only reason Brie married Bryan is to stay relevant in the company.

The Miz asks Maryse what’s next for her. Maryse says that for now, tonight is her last night on Smackdown Live. The Miz says she is leaving to go back to being mother of the century. The Miz says 5 months after giving birth, she looks like that. And some of these people gave birth 30 years ago and still don’t look good. The crowd boos as The Miz tells them not to boo a mother.

He calls out Daniel Bryan and out comes Bryan. Daniel Bryan says he can talk about him all he wants but he can’t talk about his wife. Bryan gets in the ring and the two fight. Bryan drop kicks The Miz and he falls onto Maryse. In comes a referee to check up on her as Daniel Bryan looks in disbelief to what he just did. Out come EMT’s with a stretcher. Bryan tells Maryse he is sorry. Maryse is on the ring apron and looks up laughing at him. The Miz goes for the skull crushing finale but Bryan fights out of it. Bryan clotheslines The Miz onto the outside of the ring.

Backstage: Daniel Bryan

Backstage, Daniel Bryan is asked how he saw their plan coming. Bryan says if The Miz calls him out, he is up to something. Because The Miz is a coward. He says he knew something was going on. But he didn’t think The Miz would go so slow to stage an injury with his wife just to get the slightest upper hand on him. And in Australia, his tricks won’t work and at Super Show Down, he will punch his ticket to an opportunity to the WWE championship.

Cesaro vs. Kofi Kingston

Kofi gets on the microphone and says that at Hell in a Cell, they proved there was place for just one day here at Smackdown Live. And it isn’t Rusev Day. It is The New Day. Xavier says that what is next is the fact that they will be defending their WWE world tag team championships against The Bar when they go to Australia for the WWE Super Show Down. Big E says “Crikey mate” as Xavier tells him if that was supposed to be an Australia accent, it wasn’t good. Kofi says it’s not good to say that but Big E tells him The IIconics tells him it’s cool. The New Day and The Bar proceed to make fun and insult each other.

Back from commercial and Cesaro has Kofi in a single leg Boston crab. Outside of the ring, Sheamus is taking selfies. Kofi gets out of it and gets Cesaro in a victory roll but Cesaro kicks out. Both men get up and an upper cut by Cesaro. He goes for the cover but Kofi Kingston kicks out. Cesaro goes to work on Kofi’s leg. Kofi gets up and nails Cesaro with an enzuigiri. A chop by Kofi who is wobbling on one leg but Cesaro throws Kofi in the corner. Kofi kicks Cesaro in the face and climbs the top rope but a standing drop kick by Cesaro slows Kofi down. Cesaro climbs the rope and goes for the gut wrench but Kofi hits him down and lands a tornado DDT. He goes for the cover but Cesaro kicks out.

Both men are back up as Cesaro runs towards Kofi but Kofi lowers the top rope and to the outside Cesaro goes. Kofi bounces off the top rope and lands on Cesaro. Kofi throws Cesaro back in and lands the SOS. He goes for the cover but Cesaro kicks out. Kofi runs towards Cesaro but Cesaro hits him in the leg and lands the Neutralizer. He goes for the cover and gets the win.

Winner: Cesaro

Backstage: Rusev, Lana, Aiden English

NOT a Happy #RusevDay…#SDLive @RusevBUL @WWEDramaKing @LanaWWE pic.twitter.com/3DJgABYHZW

— WWE (@WWE) September 19, 2018

Backstage, Rusev is with Lana and in comes Aiden English. Aiden tells Rusev he knows Hell in a Cell was a tough loss for them but he has good feeling about tonight. Rusev says that is right because he won’t be in the match. Aiden says he was doing his best on Sunday. Rusev says if that was his best, it simply wasn’t good enough, and Rusev walks away.

Aiden finds a stagehand backstage and tells him he created Rusev Day and all of their failures are because of Lana. He turns around and Lana is standing behind him. He begins to apologize but Lana tells him to stop. She says she is going to tell Rusev and walks away and Aiden follows her.

Backstage: Randy Orton

We cut to the production truck and Randy Orton is there with one of the producers. He asks him what is taking so long. Orton tells him to pull up the footage. Orton tells him he knows what happens if he angers him. They freeze frame on the shot from Hell in a Cell where Orton used the screwdriver on Randy Orton. Randy Orton asks the producer what he feels when he sees that, if he feels disturbed. The producer says yes. Orton says what is more disturbing is that everything he has done to Jeff Hardy pales in comparison to what he will do to his next victim.

Backstage: AJ Styles

WWE champion AJ Styles is backstage and he is asked about the ending of the match from Hell in a Cell. AJ Styles after everything Samoa Joe put him and his family through, the worst thing that could have happened would have been Joe winning the title. But maybe it was karma. AJ Styles says it will happen one more time in Australia, anything goes in Australia. AJ Styles says tonight he faces “Cien” Almas. He has to stop focusing on Samoa Joe because the last time he and Almas were in the ring together, Almas took him to his limits.

United States Championship
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Rusev

Backstage, Lana stops Rusev telling him she has something to tell him. Rusev tells her he is focused on being the champion and asks Aiden English if he will do the honors and walk in front of him. Out comes Aiden English and a loud “Rusev Day” chant from the crowd as he introduces Rusev.

The bell rings and we are under way. Both men lock up and Rusev takes Nakamura down with a shoulder block. Rusev goes for a body slam but Nakamura lands on his feet and kicks Rusev in the back of the right leg. He sends Rusev to the ropes but Rusev reverses it into an overhead suplex. He goes for the cover but Nakamura kicks out. Rusev kicks Nakamura to the outside. Nakamura back on the ring apron but he chokes Rusev using the ropes. He gets in the ring and a drop kick takes Rusev down.

Aiden English and Lana are seen arguing on the outside. Aiden gets on the microphone and starts to cheer on saying “Rusev Day”. A big boot by Rusev onto Nakamura. A clothesline by Rusev on Nakamura followed by a spin kick. Rusev goes for the Machka kick but Nakamura ducks and Rusev lands a big kick to the head. He goes for the cover but Nakamura kicks out. Rusev sends Nakamura to the corner as he runs towards him but Nakamura moves out of the way. Nakamura hits Rusev from behind. He lifts Rusev and places him horizontally on the top rope. He goes to kick Rusev but Rusev moves out of the way and Nakamura hits the turnbuckle instead. Rusev on the ring apron goes to suplex Nakamura to the outside but Nakamura lands on his feet. Both men fight on the ring apron. Nakamura climbs the top rope and a flying knee to the face as both men go down. Nakamura throws Rusev into the barricade and into the ring.

Nakamura goes for the Kinshasa but Rusev hits the Machka kick.

Aiden English gets on the ring apron and grabs the microphone as he starts to cheer Rusev on. Rusev tells him to get down as Nakamura rolls him up from behind and gets the win.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Aiden English attacks Rusev from behind with the microphone and starts to beat on him. Aiden says “Happy Rusev Day” and drops the microphone.

AJ Styles vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas

AJ Styles is in the ring during his entrance and Almas attacks him from behind but the bell hasn’t rung yet. The referee breaks it up as AJ Styles barely gets up. The referee rings the bell and Almas goes right after Styles. AJ Styles starts to fight back but a big boot by Andrade. A back breaker by Andrade as he goes for the cover but AJ Styles kicks out.

Back from commercial and a DDT by AJ Styles onto Andrade. Both men get up and exchange right hands but a spinning back elbow takes Styles down. Andrade goes for the cover but Styles kicks out. With the referee distracted, Zelina Vega slaps Styles. Both men back up, Styles goes for a big splash on Andrade and a forearm smash. AJ Styles goes for the Styles Clash but Almas reverses it into a back body drop. Almas climbs the top rope and goes for the moonsault but Styles moves and Almas lands on his fault and goes for a standing moonsault but Styles blocks it putting his knees up.

Styles runs towards Almas but he throws him over the top as Styles lands on the ring apron. Styles hits Almas and goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but Almas nails Styles as AJ is caught up in between the ropes. Almas climbs the top rope but jumps feet first onto Styles as both men go down onto the outside. Almas gets in the ring as Styles gets on the ring apron but Almas kicks him and Styles falls back to the outside. Almas goes for a high knee on AJ Styles but Styles moves out of the way and Almas lands on the outside. Styles sends Almas back in the ring and AJ with the forearm onto the back of the net. He goes for the cover but Almas kicks out.

AJ Styles goes for the Styles Clash but Almas grabs the ropes and lands on the ring apron. Almas knocks Styles down and jumps off the top rope and lands a drop kick onto Styles. Andrade with a double knee onto AJ. He goes for the cover but Styles kicks out. Andrade goes for the DDT but Styles goes for the cover, Andrade kicks out but AJ lands on his feet and somehow manages the Styles Clash. He goes for the cover and gets the win.

Winner: AJ Styles

After the match, Samoa Joe attacks AJ Styles from behind and they fight onto the outside. Samoa Joe goes through the crowd and leaves.

Billie Kay vs. Asuka

Billie Kay was accompanied by Peyton Royce and Asuka was accompanied by Naomi. The bell rings and Asuka goes after Billy but Billie grabs the ropes. The referee breaks it up and Billie attacks Asuka. She goes for the cover but Asuka kicks out. A big boot to the face on Asuka as Billie Kay goes for the cover but once more Asuka kicks out. Billie Kay goes for a suplex but Asuka reverses it into the Asuka lock and Billie Kay taps out.

Winner: Asuka

In-Ring: Becky Lynch, Paige, Charlotte Flair

WWE Smackdown Live general manager Paige is in the ring as she introduces the new Smackdown women’s champion, Becky Lynch. Paige hands Becky the women’s title and Becky says she is back where she belongs. She says from now on this is her show and this is her title. And there will be no more being left off the magazine covers, morning shows or anything like that. Becky says there is just one woman she needs out here and she calls out Charlotte Flair.

Out comes Charlotte and she gets in the ring. Charlotte says she is not out here to fight as Paige leaves the ring. Charlotte says she is here to show her the respect she didn’t show her at SummerSlam. She says at Hell in a Cell she beat her in the middle of the ring and she knows how much that women’s title means to her. Charlotte congratulates Becky on her win. Charlotte says Becky paid a steep price to get that title and she threw away more than just a friendship and she can’t wait until the Super Show Down in Australia for her rematch.

Becky tells her that she said she was second best but the title says other wise. She said that she was going to walk out of Hell in a Cell as champion but the title says otherwise. And on Sunday, she didn’t let her raise her hand because she knew she wanted to steal the spotlight on the biggest night of her career. But tonight she can raise her hands. Charlotte refuses and Becky says she would like for Charlotte to put the title behind her waist.

Charlotte says she has always shown her respect and she came out here tonight to show her the respect but no, she also wishes that there was a little bit left of her best friend inside of what this has become. Charlotte congratulates her. Becky says she was kidding. What she really wants is for Charlotte to call her queen. Charlotte turns around and Becky calls her a bitch. Charlotte turns around and knocks Becky down. Both women fight on the outside.

Becky throws Charlotte into the steel steps and over the announce table. She sends Charlotte back in the ring and locks in the Disarm-her followed by the Becksploder.