WWE held a live event at the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, today. The event featured superstars from both Smackdown! Live and Monday Night Raw as they head further down the Road to WrestleMania.
Shane McMahon kicks off the show
Shane McMahon made his triumphant return to Madison Square Garden for the first time in eight years and started the show off with a bang. AJ Styles interrupted him in the middle of his promo, and that led to Shane making AJ’s match for the night...against Randy Orton.
#1 Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles
The show got off to a hot start right away with this impromptu contest made by Smackdown! Live Commissioner, Shane McMahon. The match was said to be good, but not as good as the match that the two men had on the most recent episode of Smackdown! Live. AJ Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Orton caught him as soon as his feet hit the top rope and turned it into an RKO to pick up the win.
Winner: Randy Orton
#2 Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango) and Curt Hawkins vs. Kalisto, Rhyno & Heath Slater
The action was fast and furious in this one, and it was a good thing, as the match was said to be rather short. The Fashion Police and Curt Hawkins tried their best, but ultimately succumbed to the team of Kalisto, Heath Slater, and Rhyno. Rhyno hit the Gore on Tyler Breeze to pick up the victory.
#3 Dolph Ziggler vs Apollo Crews
The Showoff took on Apollo Crews once again at the Madison Square Garden show. The action was said to be very back and forth at the beginning, but Ziggler ultimately took control. Every time Apollo looked like he was going to start making a comeback, Ziggler wore him down and slapped on a submission hold. Ziggler couldn’t fight Crews off forever, and Apollo ultimately used an Angle Slam to get back into the match.
Ziggler cut off Crews’ comeback and delivered the ZigZag, but Apollo kicked out! Crews took the advantage and was setting up for the press slam, but Ziggler slid out of it and hit the Superkick to pick up the win. This was reportedly a great match.
#4 WWE Intercontinental Championship: Dean Ambrose (C) vs The Miz vs Luke Harper vs Baron Corbin
All four men were in the ring until the bell rang, and then The Miz bailed to the floor and let the other three go after each other. There was a really cool spot in the match where Miz and Corbin were on the floor on opposite sides of the ring. Ambrose and Harper took off with suicide dives to Miz and Corbin respectively. After that spot, the match picked up and there were loud chants of, “This is awesome!”
When the dust settled, The Miz and Ambrose were left in the ring. Ambrose hit the top rope elbow drop on The Miz, but Maryse got up on the apron. They did a spot where Miz nearly ran into Maryse, but put on the brakes just in time. Miz turned around into Dirty Deeds and Ambrose retained the title.
Winner and STILL WWE Intercontinental Champion: Dean Ambrose
#5 Special Attraction Match: Kevin Owens vs Brock Lesnar
The match started very quickly as Owens bum-rushed Lesnar just as the bell was ringing. Owens beat down Lesnar into the corner and hit the cannonball. Lesnar rolled out from the corner and Owens went to the top for a Senton Bomb and hit it (which was a surprise). Owens pinned Lesnar, but The Beast kicked out.
Owens quickly moved back towards the ropes to climb up, but Lesnar got up and caught him around the waist before German suplexing him off of the middle rope. Three more German suplexes later and, Lesnar mercifully ended it with the F-5. The match only lasted a little longer than two minutes, reportedly.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
#6 WWE Smackdown! Live Women's Champion Alexa Bliss, Natalya, Mickie James & Carmella vs Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch, Tamina Snuka and NXT Women's Champion, Asuka
Asuka was in this match to replace Naomi, and the MSG crowd showed her a lot of love, as the Empress of Tomorrow got a great reaction. The reaction didn’t stop at her entrance, as the crowd was said to be chanting for Asuka to get into the match almost as soon as the bell rang. Predictably, this match was all about the Empress of Tomorrow.
All eight women spent a little bit of time in the match, but they built up to the tag to Asuka. She finally got the tag and cleaned house for her team. She was left alone in the ring with Carmella and slapped on the Asuka Lock to force the tap out. It was said that the match felt really short. Asuka was said to appear to be very emotional after the match.
Winners: Nikki Bella, Tamina Snuka, Becky Lynch, and NXT Women’s Champion Asuka
#7 WWE Smackdown! Live Tag Team Championships: American Alpha (C) vs The Usos
The crowd seemed to be getting restless for this match, as there were chants of, “Boring.” Eventually the action picked up and the two teams started sprinting to the finish. Jason Jordan and Chad Gable hit stereo German suplexes on The Usos before hitting one of the brothers with the Doomsday Device bulldog – which looked pretty sloppy, to be honest – to pick up the win. The match was said to be very short once again.
Winners and STILL WWE Smackdown! Live Tag Team Champions: American Alpha
#8 WWE World Championship: Bray Wyatt (C) vs John Cena
It was said that the crowd was electric for this huge WWE Championship match. The crowd was also split, as is the case for most John Cena matches. In a unique twist, the crowd started dueling chants of, “Let’s go Wyatt!” and, “Wyatt sucks.” As far as the action in the ring, this match was said to be a lot of fun and an appropriate main event for the World’s Most Famous Arena.
As the match seemed to be winding down, Bray Wyatt went for Sister Abigail, but Cena reversed it! Wyatt had enough and decided to leave, getting counted out of the match, but Shane McMahon came out and restarted the match as a No Countout, No Disqualification match to a raucous ovation.
From there, the match went into another gear as steel chairs and tables came into play. Wyatt bailed out of the ring and the fight spilled to the floor, where Cena even picked up part of the guardrail to use as a weapon. Bray cut Cena off and leaned the guardrail up against the ring apron before suplexing Cena into it!
The action finally made it back into the ring, Wyatt hit Cena with a low blow and pinned him to win the match. After the match Cena delivered the Attitude Adjustment to Wyatt through a table to send the crowd home happy.
Winner and STILL WWE World Champion: Bray Wyatt
