The WWE Universe will have to remain on #BrockWatch a little longer.
Despite teasing that Brock Lesnar’s SummerSlam opponent would be announced on this week’s SmackDown, the live crowd in Toledo, OH, left Tuesday’s taping with no more knowledge of who Lesnar would be facing at the August pay-per-view than everyone at home. Instead, the announcement will be inserted into the SmackDown broadcast in post production.
WWE Main Event
– Cesaro beat Curtis Axel with the Sharpshooter
– Baron Corbin beat Sin Cara with the End of Days
– The Golden Truth beat the Ascension with their finish
– WWE United States Champion Rusev submitted Apollo Crews with the Accolade
SmackDown
– Seth Rollins beat Jey Uso after hitting the Pedigree. WWE Champion Dean Ambrose was the special guest ring announcer and egged on Rollins during the match. Ambrose and Rollins got into an altercation after it was over, but Rollins backed off.
– Zack Ryder beat Sheamus with an elbow drop. Ryder came out to an updated version of his theme music. Ryder challenged Rusev after the match, and the match was later announced for this Monday’s Raw. Rusev did an promo mocking both Ryder and the United States.
– Natalya ambushed Becky Lynch in the ring before Lynch’s match could get started. The two women brawled with Natalya getting the upper hand with the Sharpshooter until refs pulled them apart.
– Enzo Amore and Big Cass came out doing their usual schtick. They talked about teaming with John Cena against The Club at Battleground. The Club interrupted them and set up a match between Enzo and Styles.
– AJ Styles beat Enzo Amore with the Styles Clash.
– Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens went at it verbally in a mostly comedic segment backstage.
– I-C Champion The Miz beat Kalisto after hitting the Skull Crushing Finale
– Sasha Banks did a backstage interview, and was interrupted by WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte and Dana Brooke. Brooke vs. Banks was announced for Raw.
– In the show’s main event, Sami Zayn beat Chris Jericho with a roll-up. Kevin Owens was on commentary and got involved with the finish, inadvertently giving Zayn the win. Owens beat down Zayn after the match.
– The dark match was Ambrose, Enzo & Cass going over The Club.
– Air Date: June 30, 2016 – Location: AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, FL
– The Big News:
Cesaro won an opportunity at the U.S. Championship but promptly lost that title match to Rusev. They announced Rusev would defend his title again on Raw against Titus O’Neil. Also, Dean Ambrose beat The Miz in a non-title champion vs. champion match.
– Show Recap:
They started with a cold open and promo for a Fatal 4-Way match to determine a number one contender for the US Title (with the title match also taking place tonight). This was followed by a segment where each guy cut a promo “earlier tonight” about the match.
It started with Cesaro driving up to the the building. He began cutting a promo immediately upon leaving his SUV, saying he was inviting his opponents to the uppercut party. Next was Apollo Crews, who was working out. Crews said he was the underdog, but sometimes the impossible becomes possible.
Next was Sheamus and his wacky moustache (and beard). Sheamus didn’t know why Crews was in the match but would have fun kicking his head off. Finally, Alberto Del Rio said he didn’t know who Crews was before Monday, and was going after his old comrade Rusev. This was pretty goofy, but at least it was different.
Mauro Ranallo, Byron Saxton and David Otunga were the commentators again. Because of the skeleton crew, I guess, a generic man was the ring announcer. They never mentioned his name.
U.S. Title #1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way: Cesaro beat Alberto Del Rio, Apollo Crews and Sheamus via submission
There was a cool spot where Del Rio had the armbar on Sheamus but Crews nailed him with a standing moonsault. Crews took out himself and Sheamus from the ring with a running crossbody. Cesaro gave Del Rio the big swing and applied the sharpshooter for the tapout win.
The match went about 11 minutes and it was fine. It was somewhat surprising to see Del Rio tap. It felt like Crews or Sheamus would get back in, but they didn’t.
Afterwards, Del Rio attacked Cesaro, sending him into the steel steps followed by the double footstomp. As some referees checked on Cesaro, Rusev marched to the ring. He congratulated Cesaro for achieving the greatest honour a man can receive – a match with him. Rusev didn’t want to wait and challenged Cesaro to the title match right now.
After a break, the referees continued to check on Cesaro. They began taking him to the back, but Rusev called him a coward, so Cesaro stopped, turned back toward the ring, and accepted the match.
U.S. Title Match: Rusev (w/Lana) beat Cesaro via submission
With Rusev sitting on the top rope, Cesaro hit an uppercut and dropkick to send him out of the ring, followed by a cannonball. He tried a crossbody in the ring, but Rusev caught him, hit a swinging side slam and somersault senton for a near fall. Cesaro came back with uppercuts and a clothesline for two.
Cesaro tried countering an Accolade into the sharpshooter, but he was in too much pain, so Rusev was able apply the hold. Rusev tried pulling back on the Accolade the way he did to Kalisto, but Cesaro rolled through into a pin attempt for a close near fall. However, Rusev caught him with a side kick and applied the Accolade for the submission win.
It was only about 7 minutes but good while it lasted. The announcers put over how much pain Cesaro must’ve been in throughout. The crowd got into Cesaro as the match went on and there was also “Rusev sucks” chants.
Renee Young caught up with Rusev and Lana backstage. Rusev said Independance Day should be Rusev Day. He said while Americans would be stuffing their faces with processed meats and shooting off fireworks in the name of Rusev, he would be with Lana on an island away from this country. Renee informed him that he has to defend the title against Titus O’Neil on Raw. Lana said, “Rusev crush” and they left.
The first 37 minutes of this show was devoted to all of the above mentioned U.S. Title stuff. They aired a video package of the special olympics deal from Raw and showed Dana Brooke walking backstage.
Dana Brooke beat Billie Kay via pinfall
No entrance for Billie Kay. Ranallo mentioned that Kay was from Australia and this was her debut. Sasha Banks watched backstage. Kay made a brief comeback, but this was basically a squash. Brooke won in 3-4 minutes with a Samoan Driver. They used as many camera cuts as possible to save this one.
Renee found Banks backstage. Banks reminded us that she made Brooke tap out. She cut a pretty good promo, saying she has a long history with Charlotte and Charlotte knows she’s breathing down her neck. Banks was interrupted by Summer Rae, who said everyone was sick of her and she hopes they get drafted to different brands. Banks challenged her to a match tonight.
MizTV with Dean Ambrose
Maryse introduced Miz, who said this could be the last MizTV on Smackdown because of the draft. People cheered. He then said that MizTV could be exclusive to Smackdown. People booed. He was about to introduce his guest Dean Ambrose, but before he could, Ambrose came out anyway.
Ambrose brought a Cuban sandwich to the ring. He blamed his busy schedule for not having time to eat because they’ve been running him around like crazy. Miz was mad he had a sandwich. Ambrose said he needed to keep his strength up because he just won the title and has a triple threat match coming up.
Ambrose said he was a fan of MizTV and mocked his fancy set. Miz said the only thing the Ambrose Asylum had was the plant and Ambrose told him not to talk about Mitch that way. They asked the crowd if they’d rather see the Asylum and they cheered. Miz put himself over for remaining IC champion despite his schedule. Ambrose responded by calling himself the champion.
Miz called him a joke because while Miz looks like a champion, Ambrose doesn’t, and called him a black mark on anyone who holds a championship in WWE. As Miz ranted, Ambrose continued eating and had mustard stains on his mouth. Ambrose got in his face and said he could see where this was going, and they both put down their titles like they were about to fight.
Miz took off his white suit jacket, so Ambrose used it to wipe his mouth. Maryse grabbed the jacket it, tossed it over Ambrose’s face to blind him, and Miz knocked him down with a boot. Miz and Maryse left, while Ambrose sat up and continued eating his sandwich.
The people seemed to like Ambrose, but he didn’t come off great here. He obviously got his revenge later in the show, but he was punked here by Miz and Maryse, and then he kept eating his sandwich on the ground like a bum.
Erick Rowan & Braun Strowman (w/Bray Wyatt) beat two jobbers via pinfall
Strowman got the pin after about a minute. The Wyatt Family posed but they were interrupted by New Day on the screen. Kingston cut a promo in the vein of Bray Wyatt, and asked Bray what he fears. Big E wondered if he feared soap or women with big ol’ booties.
Big E told Bray to expose himself, but Kingston didn’t want to see Bray exposed. Big E agreed and told Bray to keep his sheep in its barn. Bray laughed and said he loved how everything was a joke to them. He pointed out Xavier Woods’ apparent concern and said the devil calls out for him. “Run.”
Sasha Banks beat Summer Rae via submission
Summer knocked Banks off the apron with a big boot and they went to commercial less than two minutes into the match, even though nothing else happened since the previous commercial break. Summer had the heat after the break and the crowd chanted “Let’s go Sasha.” Banks came back with running clotheslines and a kick to the crotch (I think).
Banks missed a running double knee attack, and Summer hit a wheel kick for a two count. Banks missed the double knees again and Summer hit a DDT for two. Banks finally did hit the double knee strike, followed by a crossface for the tapout win after about 8 minutes.
They aired a video package from Raw highlighting the stuff with Rollins, Ambrose, Styles, Cena, etc, including Rollins promo on Reigns.
Non-Title: WWE Champion Dean Ambrose beat IC Champion The Miz (w/Maryse) via pinfall
Ambrose was all over Miz early and was about to go for a suicide dive, but Maryse pulled Miz out of the way. Ambrose went right back after him and tried Dirty Deeds, but Miz sent him to the outside. Ambrose promptly followed with a clothesline. Maryse tried to distract Ambrose, but that didn’t work either.
Miz was eventually able to toss him into the barricade and then went to commercial (3 minutes into the match). After the break, Miz worked over Ambrose’s leg as fans chanted “Let’s go Ambrose.” Miz went for the skull crushing finale but Ambrose countered into a rollup for two, followed by a neckbreaker.
Ambrose came back with fists, chops, a clothesline, running forearm, bulldog and la magistral cradle for two. Ambrose tried a diving dropkick but Miz caught him (sort of) and applied the Figure Four. Ambrose got to the ropes and followed with a suicide dive.
Miz then countered a rebound clothesline and hit skull crushing finale for a near fall. Miz went for a double axe handle off the top but Ambrose countered into Dirty Deeds for the win. Pretty good match that went about 15 minutes.
– Final Thoughts:
This was a skeleton crew show and it sure felt like it. Still, the US title stuff and the main event were both good.
This week’s Smackdown featured a skeleton crew because the majority of the top stars are in Honolulu, Hawaii, for Wednesday’s house show after which they head to Japan for two days. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose for the WWE title headlines the July 1st show, while Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE title headlines night two. Asuka vs. Natalya for the NXT Title, John Cena vs. AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Chris Jericho, and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens are also on the tour.
Smackdown results:
– Cesaro won a four-way over Apollo Crews, Sheamus, and Alberto Del Rio to become the top contender for the U.S. title.
– U.S. Champion Rusev then beat Cesaro to retain. Rusev vs. Titus O’Neil was announced for the July 4th Raw.
– Dana Brooke beat Billie Kay of NXT fame.
– The Miz TV segment with Dean Ambrose built to a WWE Champion vs. IC Champion match as the main event of the show.
– Erick Rowan & Braun Strowman won a squash match.
– Sasha Banks beat Summer Rae.
– WWE Champion Dean Ambrose beat I-C The Miz to retain.
– Air Date: June 23, 2016 – Location: Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, AZ
– The Big News:
There was no acknowledgement of the Roman Reigns wellness policy violation or suspension. There was also no mention of what happened with Jerry Lawler this week. Smackdown did feature Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins for the first time ever, and it delivered.
Show Recap:
They started with a video package recapping Dean Ambrose’s night at Money in the Bank and Raw. They officially announced Ambrose vs. Rollins vs. Reigns at Battleground. The commentary team was Mauro Ranallo, Byron Saxton and David Otunga. The Raw/Smackdown podiums were on the stage too, even though they were never used.
Seth Rollins Promo
Rollins said all of our parents told us that we can accomplish our goals if we work hard, but MITB was proof that they’re all liars. Nobody works harder than him and he proved it when he came back early from his injury and pinned the paper champion Roman Reigns. Rollins said Ambrose snuck up behind him and stole his title.
Rollins said he would prove again that he was, and always will be, the best member of the Shield. Tonight, he wanted to prove he was the man and issued an open challenge, which brought out Sami Zayn. Rollins asked him of his master Kevin Owens let him off his leash. Rollins was taking Zayn lightly and called him the perfect opponent.
Before Zayn could say anything, Dean Ambrose interrupted. Ambrose called for the production guys to bring his Ambrose Asylum set into the ring, which they did. Ambrose has a cactus now. He also (poorly) drew the WWE title belt on the bristol board sign. Rollins thought this was crap and didn’t want to be a guest on his show, but Zayn played along, acting overly excited and honoured to be on.
Ambrose’s first question was for Rollins, asking him why he’s such a jackass. Rollins didn’t want to be there, so Zayn challenged him to a match right now. Rollins was pissed about this whole thing and stormed off. Ambrose announced the match for the main event, and Ranallo called it a first-time ever match. Perfectly fine opening segment.
Cesaro beat Alberto Del Rio via pinfall
They went to commercial one minute into the match. The story behind this was that Del Rio blames Cesaro for costing him the ladder match. Cesaro won an 8-9 minute match after reversing the armbar into a Neutralizer. Really good match and the crowd got into it the more it went.
Sheamus beat Apollo Crews via countout
Otunga said he understood Sheamus’ position because when Otunga himself was out, he was afraid somebody else would take his spot, and Sheamus must be worried about the same thing.
Crews had control until Sheamus gave him a rolling senton on the outside. Sheamus grabbed the steel steps, stood them up, and eventually hit Crews with a Brogue kick, sending him into the steps. This was somehow not a DQ, and Sheamus got in the ring as the referee counted out Crews.
The announcers discussed the Draft and the AJ Styles/John Cena program.
Backstage with The Club
Gallows said there’s no better feeling than beating Cena, which Styles did. Anderson said there was no better feeling than beating up Cena, which they all did on Raw. The Usos interrupted and told Styles he can’t win without his boys “Head and Shoulders.” Styles couldn’t tell the Usos apart. Jimmy said they’ve fought Gallows and Anderson before, but not Styles one-on-one, and challenged him.
Styles agreed to a match and would take him on without the Club at ringside. Jimmy wanted to shake on it, but when Styles went to shake his hand, Jimmy pulled his hand back and dabbed. The crowd laughed. They cut to Ranallo who said the match was made official, even though the segment literally just ended a second earlier. Whoever runs Smackdown works quickly, I guess.
AJ Styles beat Jimmy Uso (w/Jey Uso) via pinfall
Otunga picked Jimmy Uso to win this match. He also mentioned listening to the Stone Cold podcast and thought Styles was insecure about his size, which is why he hangs out with such big guys. Amazing. As Styles held a headlock, the younger portion of the audience chanted “AJ sucks.” Jimmy made his comeback and hit a superkick.
At this point, Gallows and Anderson ran down through the crowd to attack Jey. Jimmy nailed them both with a dive, and Styles followed with slingshot forearm on Jimmy. Styles pushed him back in the ring and hit a Phenomenal forearm for the win. The action was good but this was too short. The story, of course, was that Styles won thanks to the Club.
Non-title: WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Big E (w/Xavier Woods) beat The Vaudevillains via pinfall
New Day won very quickly after hitting Gotch with Midnight Hour.
After the match, the Wyatts appeared on the screen. Bray said the measure of a man is what he does with power, but New Day used their power of positivity to interrupt the eater of worlds and that would be a grave mistake. New Day falls… Run.
There was a new segment with Bob Backlund and Darren Young. Young said his goals were to win a singles title and main event WrestleMania. Backlund said his era was called the “Bob Backlund era” and this will be the “Darren Young era.”
Backstage Interviews
Sami Zayn told a new interview man that it was time to move on from Kevin Owens, which is why he accepted Rollins’ challenge. He said the earlier segment may have been fun and games, but it was time to get serious. Zayn said he wouldn’t be worried about Owens tonight, and he hoped Rollins wouldn’t be worried about Ambrose, because Zayn would kick his face off. This was great.
Elsewhere, Renee Young asked Charlotte and Dana Brooke about Sasha Banks, which led to “We want Sasha” chants in the background. I missed Charlotte’s response. I’m sure it doesn’t matter. Brooke said she would beat Carrot Top Becky and playtime was over. One of the announcers (or someone) coughed into their mic during this segment and they didn’t bother editing it out.
Dana Brooke (w/Charlotte) beat Becky Lynch via pinfall
After Lynch hit a reverse DDT, Charlotte jumped on the apron, so Lynch knocked her off. The distraction allowed Brooke to apply a small package for the win in less than 2 minutes. Stupid. Another short women’s match and it was the only one on the show.
Afterwards, the heels doubled teamed Lynch. Lynch gave Brooke an Exploder, but Charlotte nailed her with a big boot. Sasha Banks came down for the save. Charlotte bailed and Brooke attacked Banks from behind, but she gave Brooke the Bank Statement as she stared at Charlotte.
Backstage, Rollins walked toward Gorilla when Ambrose showed up behind him. Ambrose said he wasn’t about to miss this match and casually walked along behind Rollins. Rollins was annoyed and responded by just walking really fast to get away. Funny.
Seth Rollins beat Sami Zayn via pinfall
Dean Ambrose joined commentary. Ranallo called him the new kingpin of WWE, and Ambrose really liked that. There were dueling chants of “Let’s go Rollins” and “Sami Zayn.” After a break, Rollins stomped a mudhole into Zayn. They each tried to hit a vertical suplex, but Rollins got the better of it and hit a Falcon Arrow.
Ranallo asked Ambrose what it was like to get “You deserve it” chants. Ambrose said you can’t outsmart the people and, “to quote John Cena, even though I don’t want to, real recognizes real.”
Zayn began making a comeback but Rollins escaped to the outside. Zayn went right after him with a clothesline, followed by a crossbody back in the ring for two. Zayn then hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall.
Zayn went for the Helluva kick but Rollins countered with a jumping kick and turnbuckle bomb. Zayn countered into a school boy for two, then reversed a Pedigree into a tornado DDT. Zayn went for Helluva kick again, but again Rollins escaped the ring. Zayn hit a flip dive, but as they re-entered the ring, Rollins immediately hit the Pedigree for the win. Very good match, although it was only about 12 minutes.
After the match, Rollins confronted Ambrose, but when Ambrose got in his face, Rollins backed off. Ambrose went to sit back down so Rollins gave him a cheap shot. With Ambrose down, Rollins celebrated, but Ambrose wildly attacked him. Ambrose went for a Dirty Deeds in the ring but Rollins bailed.
– Final Thoughts:
Based on normal Smackdown standards, this show was pretty good, especially with what felt like a light crew. Del Rio vs. Cesaro and Zayn vs. Rollins were both really good and the talking segments were entertaining too. I love that Seth Rollins seems like he’ll be perpetually annoyed as long as Dean Ambrose is WWE champion.
Big pop for Truth. Goldust hit his normal drop to the knees, punch to the face spot a couple of times. The heels worked over Truth until the hot tag to Goldust. Goldust with a spinning suplex for the win.
– Enzo and Cass def. The Ascension
Konnor is back after his 60-day break due to a wellness policy violation. Usual opener by Enzo and Cass, ripping the heels by asking them where their pads were and if their mommy was bringing them so they (Ascension) could go and play pee wee football after the match. Heels worked over Enzo until the hot tag to Cass. Enzo with a splash, assisted by Cass, ends the night for the Ascension returning from suspension.
– Baron Corbin def. Sin Cara
Corbin played football for the Arizona Cardinals but the fans did not know this as he was soundly booed. Fans tried to get behind Sin Cara with the “Lucha” chants as Sin Cara tried to attack the legs of Corbin with kicks. Corbin kept the action on the ground and finished Sin Cara with The End of Days.
– US Champion Rusev (with Lana) def. Zack Ryder
Lana had her hair down instead of the usual bun. Ryder and Rusev locked up and then went into a series of amateur wrestling moves. Eventually, Rusev overpowered Ryder and started stalking him around the ring dealing out punishment. Ryder, however, is like a college hoops team that is the ultimate underdog. They hang around long enough to throw a scare into the opponent. Rusev botched a climb up the ropes when he tried to knock Ryder down. Ryder had a couple of near falls teasing a title change and eventually fell to the Accolade.
Smackdown —
– Seth Rollins opened the show with a promo, talking about the three-way match* at Battleground.
He railed about no one outworking him and how unfair it was that he did not have the belt. He issued an open challenge to anyone in the back for the night’s main event. Challenge accepted by Sami Zayn. At first, Rollins scoffed at Zayn but then decided that Zayn was a perfect choice.
Both men were interrupted by the Lunatic Fringe as the new champion hit the ring. He called for the set people and the workers rushed the ring to set up an impromptu Ambrose Asylum complete with Mitch The Plant. Rollins was angered, but Zayn was excited. Ambrose played the part of a host behind the scenes asking if everyone was ready and if they needed anything like water. Rollins ad-libbed and said that he was parched before catching himself and telling Ambrose to shut up. Zayn goaded Rollins to fight immediately, and Rollins dropped the mic and left in a huff.
*All references to the title match at Battleground were for a three-way match, so the main event seems to be continuing with Reigns in it. None of the interviews acknowledged anything about Reigns.
– Cesaro beat Alberto Del Rio
Good, hard hitting match between the two. Del Rio started fast and went after Cesaro’s arm. Cesaro sold the beating and eventually fought back with a string of uppercuts. Del Rio hit the Backstabber and went for the Tree of Woe stomp which Cesaro countered. Cesaro climbed up and jumped off the ropes which Del Rio countered into an attempted cross arm breaker. This was countered by Cesaro who hit Del Rio with a pump handle slam and abruptly ended the match. Cesaro climbed onto the announcer’s table and bowed to the crowd to a large pop.
– Sheamus beat Apollo Crews via countout
Rematch from MITB with Sheamus all over Crews at the beginning while the rookie looked timid. Eventually Crews fought back but did not hit many aerial spots other than a sunset flip off of the ring apron. Sheamus pulled the steel steps into a vertical position and kicked Crews into them for the countout victory.
– The Usos returned, and did an angle backstage with Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson & A.J. Styles. This set up Styles vs. Jimmy.
– A.J. Styles pinned Jimmy Uso
Jey was ringside and played the role that Cena did on Monday, watching the back for signs of the club. AJ seemingly had a counter for Jimmy’s moves and mocked the Uso with his Phenomenal gesture. When it looked like Jimmy finally had caught AJ and had him in trouble, the Club came through the crowd to attack Jey. Jimmy jumped over the ropes and bowled the club over only to eat a Phenomenal Forearm onto the concrete floor. AJ rolled Jimmy back into the ring and hit another Phenomenal Forearm for good measure.
– WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day over The Vaudevillains
The heels worked over Kofi as Big E could only watch. Xavier Woods took the night off and just played the trombone. The heels worked together to isolate Kofi until he could make the hot tag to Big E. Big E preceded to suplex everyone many times and the heels could not even hide outside of the ring as Kofi stalked the outside and splashed anyone hanging around outside the ring. Big E with the pinfall. The celebration was cut short by a Wyatt family promo in which Bray promised to bring pain to the New Day and that they would fall.
– Dana Brooke beat Becky Lynch
This was over in about a minute after Charlotte interfered, allowing Dana to take advantage and pin Becky. Charlotte entered the ring to add injury to insult when Sasha Banks’ music hit to a huge pop. Sasha sauntered down to the ring in her inimitable fashion and removed her bling. It looked like Charlotte was going to engage but then she ducked out the ring and laughed at Banks. Brooke tried a sneak attack but was stopped by the Banks Statement.
– Seth Rollins pinned Sami Zayn with a pedigree
Rollins toyed with Zayn at first, slapping him, countering his moves, and resting on the turnbuckle while Zayn recuperated. Eventually Zayn started hitting his spots. The two went back and forth in an entertaining match. Zayn took a power bomb fling into the turnbuckle but hit Rollins with an “Undertakeresque” walk up the ropes into a hurrincanrana.
Both men had near falls. Rollins went for the pedigree but Zayn reversed it into a tornado ddt. Rollins bailed from the ring and Zayn did a flip over the ropes onto Rollins. Rollins staggered back into the ring and surprised Zayn with a pedigree as Zayn re-entered the ring.
Rollins gave Ambrose a cheap shot and Ambrose chased him through the ring. Ambrose laid out the belt in the ring motioning for Rollins to come back but Rollins stayed at the top of the ramp.
After the cameras stopped rolling…
Suddenly AJ’s music hit and the Club came out to the top of the ramp. AJ told Rollins that the Club was planning on hurting Ambrose and that he could join them if he (Rollins) wanted to. Rollins agreed and the four heels headed to the ring. Zayn rolled back into the ring to help Ambrose but they were quickly overwhelmed. The crowd was chanting for Cena but it was the Usos for the save. The faces cleared the heels out of the ring and Ambrose grabbed the mic and challenged the heels to an 8 man tag team match.
The Club w/ Seth Rollins vs. WWE Champion Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn, and the Usos.
This match was quick with the heels isolating Jey at the outset. A hot tag to Ambrose brought the house down as each man entered the match and hit his spots that he was known for. Eventually Anderson ate Dirty Deeds and was pinned. The faces stayed around and celebrated with fans. Ambrose stayed around for at least ten minutes signing autographs, taking selfies with fans and letting kids hold his belt.
WWE announced Monday that its talent draft for splitting up talent between RAW & Smackdown will take place on July 19th at the live Smackdown from Worcester, MA.
A press release stated that the draft will be conducted by the respective General Managers, which would indicate official naming of those people shortly.
The WWE stated that for the first time in history on back-to-back nights, two distinctive brands will compete with each other for television ratings, live events and PPV.
“This is an exciting new era for WWE in which we will yet again reinvent ourselves by creating a second night of compelling live television,” said Executive Producer Kevin Dunn.
The decision to put the draft on Smackdown rather than Raw shows the emphasis is on building the Smackdown audience, since the draft should be one of the most anticipated and watched shows of the year. Putting the draft on Smackdown means giving up what would be one of the highest rated Raws, and instead trying to establish Tuesday night as important immediately to the fan base.
In previous years, the draft shows were some of the highest rated shows the company would do at the time, although as the years went on, the draft show felt less important because there was less differentiation of the brands.
– The show opened with Chris Jericho doing the Highlight Reel with Dean Ambrose as his guest. Before long, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Alberto Del Rio, and Kevin Owens were all out. This set up a six-man tag team match as the main event.
– Kofi Kingston won a four-way over Big Cass, Luke Gallows and Aiden English when Kingston pinned English.
– Baron Corbin pinned Zack Ryder. After the match, Dolph Ziggler, who was on commentary, had a staredown with Corbin to set up their match on Sunday.
– US Champion Rusev beat Kalisto. After the match, Rusev kept beating on Kalisto. Sin Cara ran in and Rusev put him in the Accolade. Titus O’Neil then made the save.
There was an interview segment where The Club and New Day went at it. This set up A.J. Styles vs. Xavier Woods next.
– AJ Styles beat Xavier Woods with the calf crusher.
– WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte beat Natalya. Dana Brooke and Becky Lynch were fighting outside the ring and Natalya was distracted and lost to the figure eight.
– Dean Ambrose & Cesaro & Sami Zayn beat Kevin Owens & Chris Jericho & Alberto Del Rio. Ambrose pinned Owens after Dirty Deeds. Owens had turned on Jericho and Del Rio before the finish.
Wrestling Observer Live with Mike Sempervive is back to start your week off right. We talk last night’s Slammiversary, SmackDown only pay-per-views possibly being added, the NXT CWC, and more. Plus, a conversation with “The Queen of Spades” Shayna Baszler as she continues on her path in pro wrestling!
– Air Date: June 9, 2016 – Location: Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS
– The Big News:
Chris Jericho beat Dean Ambrose.
– Show Recap:
The Club Speaks
The Club came out to start the show as the announcers plugged Money in the Bank. Both Ranallo and Lawler said it was shaping up to be the greatest MITB ever. That was followed by AJ Styles saying the same thing moments later.
Styles said people were comparing Money in the Bank to WrestleMania, not just because Gallows and Anderson are fighting for the tag titles, but because of the dream match between himself and John Cena. He reminded us this could be the last time we see it because of the brand split. The crowd chanted “Cena” and there was no anti-Cena chant in response.
Styles said the past decade has been the Cena era, but it was time for a change, and the new era will begin when he takes out Cena. Styles said when he came to WWE, he let the company know that the Club was a package deal (revisionist history). He said they have dominated everywhere, he would beat Cena, and Gallows and Anderson would become the new tag champions.
They were interrupted by Enzo and Cass. Enzo did his usual promo. Cass said they would be the ones to win the titles, and he called Gallows and Anderson the “Mr. Clean dream team.” Anderson cut them off and said they’ve been all over the world for years proving that they’re the best. Anderson asked Enzo what he was doing all that time and mocked him for being the manager of a Hooters.
Enzo said yeah, of course he managed a Hooters, he’s a G. Gallows mocked him for going to sleep the last time they had a big match, and Styles actually started dancing like Enzo. Enzo said he risks it all every time he steps in the ring, he and Cass are all-in, they came here to get money, and at Money in the Bank they would beat the crap out of the Club. Cass called them soft.
Side note: There was a graphic on the stage for MITB, saying it was “a week from this Sunday.” They can’t just put the date?
Gallows & Anderson (w/AJ Styles) NC Enzo & Cass
The match started after a break, and New Day were at commentary. Big E said they brought a broom because they were going to clean up the tag division, which they called a mess. The Club worked over Enzo for a while when the Vaudevillains walked out on stage as they went to commercial.
Enzo nailed a tornado DDT on Gallows and made the hot tag to Cass, who hit Anderson with a fallaway slam, big boot and elbow drop. Gallows broke up the cover, so Cass booted him out of the ring. Anderson dumped out Cass and the Vaudevillains made their way down the ramp, so New Day left commentary to go after them.
The fight spilled into the ring, all four teams brawled, and the referee called for the bell. The segment ended with Enzo and Cass knocking the Vaudevillains out of the ring and standing tall, while New Day stared down the Club as they slowly backed away up the ramp.
They played the Muhammad Ali tribute video. Before it aired, Mauro Ranallo put over Ali as a three-time champion and called him a paragon of philanthropy. Jerry Lawler was grateful to have Ali in Memphis and said he told Lawler that he was the greatest of all time.
Renee Young asked Rusev and Lana about Rusev backing down from Titus O’Neil. Lana thought that was ridiculous. Rusev called himself the greatest of all time, not Muhammad Ali. Lots of heat. O’Neil interrupted, offended Rusev compared himself to Ali. O’Neil quoted Ali and told Rusev he was taking the U.S. Title.
Kevin Owens & Alberto Del Rio beat Cesaro & Sami Zayn via pinfall
Owens started with Zayn when Del Rio tagged himself in. Del Rio worked on his own for a while, but when he went to tag out, Owens told him he was doing a great job and left. As Owens walked backwards up the ramp, giving Del Rio two thumbs up, Zayn ran after him. Owens then sprinted to the back, which was funny.
That left Cesaro alone with Del Rio. Cesaro gave him a cannonball off the apron, jumped on the announce table to celebrate, and high-fived Ranallo. After a break, Lawler called Ranallo a homer for high-fiving Cesaro. After Cesaro hit a suplex, Zayn and Owens brawled back down the ramp. Zayn rolled Owens in the ring and he got into an argument with Del Rio.
Del Rio was about to leave, so Owens cut him off. Zayn used the opportunity to hit Owens with a dive. Del Rio tossed Zayn into the barricade, Cesaro gave Del Rio a running uppercut and suplex on the black mats. Cesaro followed with a flying crossbody for a near fall. Cesaro went for the big swing, but Owens superkicked him, Zayn suplexed Owens, Del Rio kicked Zayn, and Cesaro uppercut Del Rio.
Cesaro did the uppercut train on Del Rio and applied the sharpshooter, but let go to get rid of Owens. He tried a superplex on Del Rio, but Owens tripped him off the top. That allowed Del Rio to hit the double foot stomp. As soon as he did, Owens pulled Del Rio out of the ring, tossed him into the barricade, and pinned Cesaro for the win. Really good match that went about 14 minutes.
Becky Lynch (w/Natalya) beat Dana Brooke (w/Charlotte) via submission
Quickly into the match, Brooke slapped Natalya, but before Natalya could retaliate, Charlotte tackled her. The referee kicked them out. Lynch was distracted, so Brooke got a near fall with a school boy. Brooke tried her finisher, but Lynch rolled through and applied the Disarmer for the tapout win. Match was 3 minutes and was the only women’s segment on the show.
Life Lessons with Darren Young
Bob Backlund wanted to see how Young would celebrate a win. Young thought maybe the millions of dollars dance, or a moonwalk. Backlund told him to be down to earth and save his money. Young agreed to save his money, and asked Backlund how he’s saved his money. Backlund deadpanned, “This is my only pair of clothes.” This segment was… slightly better than usual.
Baron Corbin beat Kalisto via pinfall
Corbin won in 3 minutes with the End of Days. Dolph Ziggler was on commentary and kept calling Corbin “kid” and also a millennial.
Throughout the show, they aired about 3 or 4 clips from the Ambrose-Jericho feud to hype tonight’s main event. Before the main event, the announcers again put over MITB as a huge show, calling the two main events WrestleMania caliber.
Backstage skit with Sheamus and friends
Sheamus was watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on TV (or a trailer anyway), as Zack Ryder, Goldust, R-Truth and Summer Rae stood there too for some reason. Sheamus informed them that he plays a giant rhinoceros, and Ryder joked it must’ve been hard for Sheamus to get into character. Sheamus had a funny comeback, saying Ryder dresses up in his bedroom like a Ninja Turtle, but he was actually in the movie.
Sheamus put himself over as a star, like the new Rock, when Apollo Crews joined and got in his face. Sheamus asked if he was starstruck, so Crews punched him in the face, putting Sheamus on his ass. Crews left, Truth made a joke, and they all laughed. Sheamus threw boxes at them and yelled.
Chris Jericho beat Dean Ambrose via pinfall
Jericho was pissed about the thumbtacks, so he slapped Ambrose. He then ran away from Ambrose who chased after, eventually hitting a clothesline and chops. As Jericho got some offense, he yelled some more, claiming it was 69 thumbtacks pulled out of him. Ambrose came back with a suicide dive and tried a Dirty Deeds on the announce table, but Jericho countered and catapulted him off.
Jericho had control after a break as the crowd chanted “Let’s go Ambrose.” Ambrose made a comeback but Jericho cut him off with a flying enziguri. Ambrose used a la magistral cradle for a near fall.
They countered each other’s finishers, when Jericho whipped Ambrose toward the turnbuckles. However, Ambrose had to stop himself from running into the referee, and when he turned around, Jericho hit the Codebreaker for the win. Huh.
The match was about 14 minutes. Jericho set up a ladder in the corner and tried to toss Ambrose into it, but Ambrose reversed and tossed Jericho into it instead. Ambrose then dropped the ladder onto Jericho’s back. Ambrose was about to leave but stopped as the crowd chanted “one more time.” Ambrose stood up the ladder, climbed it, and hit Jericho with an elbow drop. Ambrose stood tall.
– Final Thoughts:
The first half of the show was pretty good, as the tag match with Owens/Del Rio vs. Cesaro/Zayn was actually before the top of the hour. The main event was good enough, but I hated the finish.
Ambrose and Jericho feuded for months, leading to Ambrose getting the big win in the finale. They’ve protected Ambrose since losing to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, and not only did Ambrose beat Jericho in their blow-off match, he won the first one too.
Having Jericho beat Ambrose randomly a few weeks later is pretty dumb, and a sign that they can’t handle a feud with 6 guys. They just keep fighting each other on every show and none of the results matter. They’re all still in the ladder match at MITB no matter what the result of any of these matches.
They could’ve had Ambrose beat Del Rio, and put Jericho in the tag match instead. Or, Ambrose could’ve just beaten Jericho again. I certainly don’t think Jericho should be “putting over” everyone, but there’s nothing wrong with the story that Chris Jericho simply cannot beat Dean Ambrose.
– Sheamus defeated Zack Ryder. Dolph Ziggler was on commentary.
– Titus O’ Neil beat Viktor
– U.S. Champion Rusev beat Sin Cara
Smackdown Tapings:
AJ & The Club did a show opening promo about how they would win at MITB. Enzo and Cass interrupted and called them ‘Sawft’. Gallows made fun of Enzo for being a former manager of a Hooters. Enzo said The Club had been champs on every continent but Antartica. The New Day made their way to ringside and got on commentary.
– Enzo/Cass and The Club went to a double DQ after The Vaudevillains and New Day interfered and all four teams brawled.
– Renee Young interviewed Rusev backstage. Rusev said he was greater than Muhammad Ali. Titus O’Neil interrupted and said he would beat him at MITB.
– Kevin Owens and Alberto Del Rio beat Cesaro and Sami Zayn. Zayn and Owens disappeared for part of the match and fought to the backstage area before returning. When Owens came back, he attacked Del Rio and then pinned Cesaro.
– Becky Lynch defeated Dana Brooke by submission
– Another promo with Bob Backlund and Darren Young. Bob tells Darren he saves money by only wearing one pair of clothes, right down to his “tighty whities”.
– Baron Corbin defeated Kalisto with End of Days. Dolph Ziggler was on commentary.
– Backstage segment with Sheamus and Apollo Crews. Sheamus makes fun of Crews but Crews punches Sheamus, sending him into a bunch of objects.
– Chris Jericho defeated Dean Ambrose after hitting the Codebreaker. After the match, Ambrose attacked Jericho with a ladder to end the show.
