WWE SmackDown Results – Aug. 21, 2020 – ThunderDome, Styles vs. Hardy

Aug 21, 2020

August 21, 2020
Orlando, Florida (Amway Center)
Commentary: Michael Cole and Corey Graves
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com

Quick Match Results

Big E defeated Sheamus via roll up
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura (c) defeated Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado) via roll up reversal by Cesaro on Dorado
Beat the Clock Challenge: Sasha Banks defeated Naomi via Bank Statement in 3:39
Beat the Clock Challenge: Naomi defeated Bayley via Rear View
Intercontinental Championship: Jeff Hardy defeated AJ Styles (c) via swanton bomb to become the NEW champion

In-Ring: Vine McMahon, Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Retribution

WWE SmackDown kicks off with pyro in the arena and fans on the screens surrounding the ring.

Vince McMahon is in the ring and he welcomes everyone to SmackDown and to WWE’s ThunderDome. He says this Sunday at SummerSlam, we will never see it coming. But not only this Sunday but each and every week. As he is talking, the lights start to go out as The Fiend Bray Wyatt’s music hits.

Out comes The Fiend as he gets in the ring with Vince. They go face to face as The Fiend sticks out his tongue and starts to laugh. The lights come back on and out comes WWE Universal champion Braun Strowman. The group caled Retribution surround the ring apron with Braun Strowman and The Fiend in the ring.

Strowman and The Fiend nod their heads as The Fiend waves bye. The lights turn off, come back on and he is gone while Strowman is still in the ring surrounded by Retribution. They get in the ring and attack Strowman.

The SmackDown locker room lead by Big E run down to the ring and clean house. Strowman gets back up to his feet and he knocks down Drew Gulak and throws Jey Uso out of the ring. He looks at the rest of the WWE locker room and leaves the ring angrily.

Big E vs. Sheamus

The bell rings and we are under way as the WWE locker room surround the ring. A head lock by Big E as Sheamus sends him to the ropes. A shoulder block by Sheamus but both men still on their feet. A right hand by Sheamus followed by a knee to the body. He backs up but Big E clotheslines him to the outside.

Big E with a shoulder tackle onto Sheamus onto the steel steps. Big E gets Sheamus back into the ring and Big E still on the outside, right hands by Big E who gets Sheamus on the ring apron. Big E on the ring apron and a big splash. Big E gets back into the ring but Sheamus drops him onto the top rope. Sheamus climbs the top rope and a clothesline takes Big E down.

Sheamus gets Big E on the ring apron and right hands by Sheamus onto Big E. Sheamus with the Irish Curse backbreaker. He goes for the cover but Big E kicks out. The lights start to flicker on and off.

Back from commercial, Big E with a belly to belly. And a second belly to belly and a third belly to belly. WWE superstars are still around the ring. Big E runs to the ropes and a big splash on Sheamus in the middle of the ring. Big E goes for the Big Ending but Sheamus gets out of it, kicks Big E in the face. Sheamus goes for the Brogue Kick, Big E lifts Sheamus up but Sheamus lands on his feet and he hits a flying knee onto Big E. He goes for the cover but Big E kicks out.

Right hands by Sheamus but Big E slams Sheamus onto the mat. He goes for the cover but Sheamus kicks out. Sheamus rolls onto the ring apron as Big E goes for the spear but a knee to the face by Sheamus. Big E is down as Sheamus is still on the ring apron. Big E lifts Sheamus up and goes for the Big Ending but Sheamus gets out of it. Big E goes for the spear but Sheamus moves out of the way and Big E slams into the ring post. Sheamus with the White Noise on Big E.

Baron Corbin attacks Matt Riddle on the outside of the ring as a fight breaks out. Sheamus is distracted as Big E goes for the roll up and gets the pin.

Winner: Big E

Otis and Tucker are in the ring and they start to dance and celebrate with Big E.

Backstage: Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy is backstage and a medic is working on his right leg because Jeff was attacked from behind by someone earlier. They say his match against AJ Styles tonight is questionable.

Backstage: Lucha House Party, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura

Lucha House Party are backstage getting ready for their match as Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro attack them from behind.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship
Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado)

The bell rings and we are under way. Gran Metalik and Nakamura in the ring and Metalik with a hurricanrana. He runs to the ropes but a knee to the body by Nakamura. He throws Metalik in the corner and Cesaro is tagged in. Cesaro with an elbow as he goes for the cover but Metalik kicks out.

Cesaro sends Metalik to the ropes and Metalik acrobatically with a head scissors takes Cesaro down. Metalik jumps off the second ropes but Cesaro catches him and a powerbomb. He goes for the cover but Metalik kicks out. Cesaro lifts Metalik on his shoulders as Nakamura is tagged in. Nakamura goes for the cover but again Metalik kicks out.

Nakamura with a snap mare followed by a knee to the face. He goes for the cover but again Metalik kicks out. Cesaro is tagged back in and a body slam followed by a leg drop. He goes for the cover but Metalik kicks out. Nakamura tagged back in. They double team Metalik. Nakamura knocks Dorado off the ring apron and Cesaro is tagged back in. Cesaro lifts Metalik up and throws him onto the top rope. Cesaro climbs the second rope as both men are on the second rope. Metalik jumps off the top rope and a hurricanrana as Cesaro goes down.

Dorado and Nakamura are tagged in. Dorado off the top rope with a cross body. He stomps on Nakamura and delivers a drop kick onto Cesaro knocking him down. Dorado with a kick to the face. Dorado off the first rope and hits him with a moonsault. Dorado off the second rope with a moonsault. He climbs off the top rope and lands a moonsault. He goes for the cover but Cesaro breaks it up. Cesaro lifts Dorado up but Dorado throws him to the outside. Metalik comes in and flies over the top rope onto Cesaro on the outside.

Nakamura with the inverted exploder on Dorado. Nakamura rolls to the outside and stomps on Metalik. Nakamura gets back into the ring, he goes for a kick but Dorado rolls him for a cover but Nakamrua kicks out. Dorado with the springboard stunner as Cesaro is tagged in. Cesaro goes for the swing but Dorado reverses it into the cover but Cesaro kicks out. Cesaro lifts Dorado up but Dorado flips Cesaro and goes for the cover but Cesaro reverses that into the cover and gets the pin.

Winners: Still WWE SmackDown tag team champions, Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro

Kalisto gets into the ring and argues with Dorado as they push each other. Metalik breaks it up as both men continue to argue.

Backstage: AJ Styles

UNBELIEVABLE, @AJStylesOrg!! 😡#SmackDown #WWEThunderDome #ICTitle pic.twitter.com/HiLU88RlKM

— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2020

Jeff Hardy is backstage with the medic. We see a clip from earlier tonight when WWE members were fighting with members of Retribution, AJ Styles attacked Jeff Hardy’s leg from behind.

Kayla is backstage with AJ and she asks him about the footage. AJ says it clearly showed that AJ was showing some urgency as he was trying to get rid of urgency. And had Jeff tried showing that same urgency, he would not have been in the way. And it looks like Jeff won’t be able to compete and it’s just a shame. It reminds him of Jeff’s career, shameful. No matter where he has been, he wasted it. And last week he said he was standing on his feet but tonight he’s not. The Jeff Hardy story in a nutshell by AJ Styles.

In come Bayley and Sasha Banks. All three gloat together.

Backstage: Mandy Rose

Kayla is backstage with Mandy and she asks her how she is doing. Mandy says she doesn’t know, it’s been a rough week. SummerSlam is in a few days and despite all the bad and ugly, she has to believe there is still some good in this world. She looks at the camera and tells Sonya that they have been through a lot but so much of the good and beautiful, they went through it together. And today, she is choosing to believe that the Sonya she knows is still out there. She doesn’t know how she is feeling going into SummerSlam but the way she is feeling, she says to put it all behind them and go back to where they were and choose to see the good in her.

In-Ring: Bayley, Sasha Banks, Naomi

Out comes Bayley and Sasha Banks to the ring with Corey Graves in the ring. Corey asks if they are splitting up. They both say no at the same time. Corey mentions SummerSlam and how they will both take on Asuka. Bayley says there are only two people in the WWE capable of carrying two titles at the same time and that is them. Corey asks if she is implying that Asuka is incapable. And Asuka has beaten her in the past and it took both of them to knock her off.

Sasha tells him to hold up. She says Bayley and herself are good and they will destroy Asuka at SummerSlam. Corey says he is trying to get answers and understand the logic. Bayley says they are the most logical in the WWE and they are the champions. Corey says he did watch Raw and Bayley was happy to do the heavy lifting and fight Asuka first at SummerSlam. And it might not be logical as she seeks vengeance for Kairi Sane.

Bayley says her going first was just a suggestion. Sasha asks her in an angry way if she is trying to get her to fight first again. Out comes Naomi to the ring. Naomi says she can help them handle the situation. How about she faces the both of them tonight. Sasha starts to laugh and says she is on. Naomi asks which one wants to fight her first. Bayley says this doesn’t help SummerSlam.

Corey suggests a beat the clock challenge as Naomi says she likes that and asks again which one wants to go first. Bayley and Sasha begin to talk as Naomi dropkicks them both.

Beat the Clock Challenge
Naomi vs. Sasha Banks

The bell rings and Sasha knocks Naomi down. She goes for the cover but Naomi kicks out. Naomi with a headlock, she jumps off the top rope and goes for the cover but Sasha kicks out. Naomi with a full nelson slam. She turns it into a cover but Sasha kicks out. Naomi rolls Sasha using her legs around the ring.

Naomi throws Sasha to the outside and she jumps over the top rope landing on Sasha. Bayley and Naomi argue on the outside as Naomi throws Sasha back into the ring. Sasha grabs Naomi and places her horizontally on the second rope.. Double knees by Sasha. She goes for the cover but Naomi kicks out. A head lock by Sasha as Naomi gets out of it and a jaw breaker counter. Naomi on the ring apron and climbs the top rope and lands a cross body. Naomi lifts Sasha up and hands her on the top rope. Naomi jumps off the second rope and a kick to the head onto Sasha in the middle of the ring. Both women back up as Sasha gets the Bank Statement in. She goes for the cover and gets the pin.

Winner: Sasha Banks with 3:39 on the clock

Beat the Clock Challenge
Naomi vs. Bayley

The bell rings and Bayley with right hands onto Naomi. She goes for the cover but Naomi kicks out. More right hands by Bayley and a snap suplex. She goes for the cover but again Naomi kicks out. A kick to the body by Bayley as she sends Naomi into the turnbuckle. A snap mare by Bayley. She goes for the cover but again Naomi kicks out. A sliding clothesline by Bayley as she goes for the cover but once more Naomi kicks out. Bayley goes to pick Naomi up but right hands by Naomi.

A bulldog into the corner by Naomi. She runs towards Bayley but Bayley hits her with a clothesline. She goes for the cover but Naomi kicks out. Naomi goes for a flying knee but Naomi hits her with the Rear View. She goes for the cover and gets the pin.

Winner: Naomi

Sasha Banks slightly celebrates and smiles as she gets into the ring. Sasha Banks will defend her WWE Raw women’s championship second against Asuka at SummerSlam.

Asuka’s music hits as she comes out and starts yelling in Japanese. Asuka says in English she will be the empress of every title because no one is ready for Asuka. Sasha runs towards Asuka as Asuka knocks her down with a kick. Asuka gets into the ring and lands a kick on Bayley. She stomps on Bayley as Bayley runs away.

Backstage: Jeff Hardy

.@JEFFHARDYBRAND is CLEARED FOR ACTION!#SmackDown #WWEThunderDome #ICTitle @AJStylesOrg pic.twitter.com/lexEY7tEyT

— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2020

Jeff is backstage standing and the WWE medic says he could clear Jeff for the match and Jeff says this one legged man is going to become the Intercontinental champion again.

Backstage: Sonya Deville, Dana Brooke

“Disrespectful…” 👀 👀 👀#SmackDown #WWEThunderDome @SonyaDevilleWWE pic.twitter.com/LPSYHXifIY

— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2020

Kayla is backstage with Sonya as Sonya says she has nothing to tell Kayla. In comes Dana Brooke who says she is extremely sorry for everything she went through this week. Sonya says it’s nothing she can’t handle as she slaps Dana and says she’s disrespectful.

On-Stage: Sonya Deville

Sonya Deville comes out and says to cut the music. She tells Mandy she heard what she had to say and she gets it. She is second guessing her own challenge but that is what she said she was going to do. What she doesn’t understand is what Mandy wants. What is it that she wants? Because she is going to end up facing her one way or another, she can’t get around it. It’s going to be the both of them at SummerSlam and she wants to raise the stakes for SummerSlam. Sonya says it’s going to be in a no disqualification match and the loser is going to leave WWE. Because what she realized is that hair or no hair, she is sick of looking at Mandy’s face.

Deville says she needs to wipe her tears and bring her A game as she drops the microphone and leaves.

Backstage: Nikki Cross

We see a clip of the feud involving Braun Strowman and The Fiend with Alexa Bliss involved.

Nikki Cross is sitting backstage. She says herself and Alexa have been fans for a while and when they spoke on Tuesday, Alexa seemed a little off. She can’t put her finer on what it was but she was different. She talks like Alexa and acts like Alexa but the Alexa she knows, is warm and caring and funny. But that person she spoke to was not it. And it scares her because she has a feeling that something terrible is about to happen.

Intercontinental Championship
AJ Styles (c) vs. Jeff Hardy

The bell rings and we are under way. AJ goes after Jeff’s right knee but Jeff with right hands as the referee breaks it up. A back body drop by Hardy takes Styles down. Right hands by Jeff but AJ gets him into the corner. Jeff kicks him away and climbs the second rope but AJ attacks Jeff’s right leg taking him down.

AJ attacking Jeff’s right knee as he kicks him on the knee brace. AJ sends Jeff to the ropes but Jeff drops down to the mat. AJ keeps attacking the right knee. Jeff tries to go for a right hand as AJ moves out of the way and Jeff is dropped onto the mat. Jeff back up as AJ runs towards him but Jeff throws him over the top rope and AJ tries to land on the ring apron but falls onto the mat. AJ back up and with Jeff still in the ring, AJ drags Jeff’s right leg and slams it onto the bottom rope.

Back from commercial, both men in the ring and AJ continues to go after Jeff’s right leg. Jeff grabs Jeff’s right leg but Jeff turns and kicks AJ with his left leg. Hardy gets up and the basement dropkick. He goes for the cover but AJ kicks out. Jeff picks AJ up and slams him face first onto the mat. He goes for the cover but AJ kicks out again. Jeff goes for the Twist of Fate but AJ with an overhead kick.

Jeff back in the corner as he lands a back elbow onto AJ. Jeff jumps off the top rope but he can’t keep his balance and he falls off. AJ is on the ring apron, he goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but Jeff with a right hand of his own kicks AJ down. Jeff tries to climb the top rope again but AJ grabs his leg and AJ with the calf crusher in the middle of the ring but Jeff reaches the ropes.

AJ goes after Jeff’s right leg and kicks him down. AJ goes for the Styles Clash but Jeff with a kick to the face using the knee brace. Jeff lands the Twist of Fate on AJ Styles. Jeff climbs the top rope and lands the swanton bomb. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.

Winner: New WWE Intercontinental champion, Jeff Hardy

Kayla is in the ring with Jeff and she asks him what it means to once more be Intercontinental champion. Jeff says had you told him last year that he would be Intercontinental champion, he wouldn’t have believed you. He says he stands here with hope and hope for everyone struggling and he couldn’t have done it without the WWE Universe.

Backstage: AJ Styles

.@AJStylesOrg is LIVID after losing the #ICTitle to @JEFFHARDYBRAND on #SmackDown! #WWEThunderDome pic.twitter.com/02GXhkMslM

— WWE (@WWE) August 22, 2020

AJ Styles is backstage and he’s furious. He is yelling at Joseph Parks. In comes Kayla as he tells her that Jeff won using the knee brace.

Firefly Fun House

Bray Wyatt is in the Firefly Fun House and he says yowie wowie, what a night. He tells the camera to come closer. He says he loves us and not to be fooled. Love can actually be a really terrible thing. It’s made to trick you. Too much love a beautiful set of sunflowers into a wasteland. He pretends to talk on the phone and says take Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss for example. Let’s revisit a modern day Shakespearean tragedy. Braun and Alexa.

We see two of his puppets playing the roles of Strowman and Alexa. In comes Wyatt who yells cut and asks what is going on. That was not at all how it went down he says. Wyatt tells them to get lost as both puppets move out of the way.

Wyatt says love can only lead to pain and suffering. The only thing we can do is be more like him. The being built on rage and anger. And he cannot wait to get his hands on Braun. Wyatt pauses for a moment and asks what took him so long. In comes Strowman who beats up on Wyatt. He says he isn’t done with him and he drags Wyatt away.

Backstage: Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt

Back from commercial, Michael Cole says there was a brawl going on backstage involving Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. We cut to backstage as we see both men fighting. Braun goes to chokeslam Wyatt off a ledge as referees try to stop Braun but Strowman slams Wyatt off the ledge and Wyatt falls onto the concrete. WWE officials are with Wyatt as the ambulance is backing up.

They pull out the stretcher and place Wyatt onto it. They place Wyatt into the back of the ambulance and close the doors. The ambulance slowly takes off and stops. It begins to back up again. WWE officials are yelling telling the ambulance to leave and asking what they are doing.

The lights inside the ambulance turn red. WWE officials look stunned as the camera cuts back to the ambulance and The Fiend is standing in front of it. He looks at the camera and laughs.