SmackDown Live saw the first match of John Cena & Nikki Bella as a team, Randy Orton and AJ Styles battled for the first time, and so much more! Who is moving on to the main event of WrestleMania against Bray Wyatt?
A recap is shown of the last month between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton, and last week, where Randy Orton turned on Bray Wyatt.
Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan express their disagreements
The SmackDown Live Commissioner and General Manager came out to open the show. Shane McMahon began talking about the confusion and disagreements regarding the Bray Wyatt WrestleMania situation. Bryan said that he believed Randy Orton deserves to go to WrestleMania, while Shane stood up for AJ.
Bryan argued that tradition should have the Royal Rumble winner go on to face the WWE Champion at WrestleMania. Shane McMahon argued that no one has abdicated their Royal Rumble privileges, and Randy’s scheme threw all their plans out the window.
Bryan said that he didn’t agree with Orton’s actions, but because he won the Royal Rumble, he deserves a spot at WrestleMania. Since they disagreed, they set the match between the two.
Bryan hyped the Orton-Styles match as one of the most must-see main events in SmackDown history.
Backstage, AJ Styles ran into Bryan and Shane and told them that everything was a conspiracy against him and that he would harm Randy Orton and it would be on them.
John Cena & Nikki Bella vs James Ellsworth & Carmella
James Ellsworth was in the ring trash talking John Cena before introducing Carmella. Cena made his entrance, followed by Nikki. Nikki and Carmella were set to begin things, but just as the bell rang, The Miz & Maryse came out, and as Nikki turned back to Carmella, she was met with a superkick.
After the break, Carmella still had control over Nikki, with The Miz & Maryse sitting on commentary. Nikki managed to throw Carmella out and was able to tag in Cena. Ellsworth was reluctant to get in the ring with him. Carmella came inside the ring and told Ellsworth to “be a man” and pushed hm towards Cena.
As he slammed Ellsworth, Carmella pushed Cena, and Nikki struck Carmella. The couple then dually hit the “Five knuckle shuffle”, then put the respective competitors on their shoulders and hit their finishers(AA and Rack Attack 2.0) followed by a dual STF, which made them tap out.
John Cena & Nikki Bella defeated James Ellsworth & Carmella
After the match, the couple celebrated, The Miz and Maryse pulled them out of the ring and attacked them. The Miz and Maryse came in the ring, and The Miz cut a scathing promo calling Cena & Nikki’s relationship fake and accused Cena of conveniently being together with Nikki on WWE television because it's Women's month and it will help expand the John Cena brand.
Maryse ended the segment by telling Nikki "Break that, b**ch"
Randy Orton was interviewed by Renee backstage. Orton said that he wasn’t afraid of Styles, and said that he was one RKO from facing Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania.
Dean Ambrose called out Baron Corbin once again
Curt Hawkins called out Dean Ambrose to “face the facts”. Ambrose came out and clotheslined Hawkins, and accused Corbin of not having “testicles”. Corbin once again popped up on the screen and told Ambrose that he doesn’t come out when being called. He also told Ambrose he would take his title as well.
Ambrose said that if Corbin wasn’t coming out, he would go to Corbin. As he exited, Curt Hawkins once again stopped him but was met with the Dirty deeds.
Ambrose was seen walking backstage searching for Corbin.
Dasha Fuentes was interviewing Mojo Rawley, who was making an announcement. He spoke about Zack Ryder’s WrestleMania moment the previous year and announced himself as the first entrant to the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Dolph Ziggler came in clapping sarcastically and said that no one is owed a WrestleMania moment, and it has to be earned. Rawley asked if that was the reason why Ziggler didn’t have a WrestleMania moment, and Ziggler told Rawley not to hurt himself grabbing the brass ring
While Ambrose was still searching for Corbin, Corbin, hiding behind a pillar, shoved someone at him and attacked Ambrose with a rod. He then trapped him with a forklift before being stopped by referees.
SmackDown Live Blissertation
Alexa Bliss came in with Mickie James and started dissing her fellow-SmackDown Live female superstars, including calling Becky “Chuckie”. Becky Lynch came out and told Alexa that she would take the title from Alexa Bliss at WrestleMania.
Right as she said it, Natalya came out. She said that she and Alexa had a “good talk” the prior week and came to an understanding. She told Becky that she and Alexa were championship calibre material, and Becky wasn’t.
Alexa told Natalya that they did not come to an understanding. She told Natalya that she was the “worst there is, worst there was, and the worst there ever will be”. Mickie James said that Alexa was going to announce who she was going to face at WrestleMania, which Mickie assumed as going to be her. Alexa seemed taken aback, and there appeared to be a misunderstanding.
Out came Daniel Bryan. He said that he would grade the “Blissertation” an “F”, and told Alexa that since she claimed that she was the best, she would have to defend the title against every available woman on the SmackDown Live roster.
Bryan then took a page out of former SmackDown manager Teddy Long’s playbook and made a tag team match between Alexa Bliss and Mickie James against Natalya and Becky Lynch.
Alexa Bliss & Mickie James vs Becky Lynch & Natalya
Alexa and Natalya started the action after the break. Natalya was dominant, but Alexa tagged in Mickie, and Natalya tagged in Becky. Becky dominated for the most part, but once Alexa came in, she had the better of Bliss.
The two had a lot of back and forth action, and it took a distraction from James once Becky Lynch got the momentum. Becky was in for much longer after constant attacks from Alexa and Mickie. Becky managed to get some offence in on Alexa, who quickly tagged in Mickie.
While Natalya was waiting for a tag, Becky started attacking Mickie on her own. Natalya then suplexed Becky Lynch, and as Mickie was going for the pin, Alexa tagged herself in and got the pin.
Alexa Bliss & Mickie James defeated Becky Lynch & Natalya
After the match, once the team were celebrating, Mickie hit the spin-kick on Alexa Bliss and raised the SmackDown Women’s Championship before walking away.
AJ Styles vs Randy Orton – Winner faces Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania
AJ Styles made his entrance first and cut a promo about how he took SmackDown Live from a B-show to an A-show. He said that all he got from Shane and Bryan was disrespect. He was met with chants of “AJ Styles”. He said that he was built for the main event of WrestleMania and that no one would stop him. Orton then made his entrance.
The bell rang, and Randy Orton attempted an RKO from the get-go. The two had a stalemate for a while, but AJ Styles began to get some offence on Orton in. Randy managed to slam AJ against the ropes and hit him with a vicious European uppercut.
The momentum seemed to be on Orton's side from that point on, and he even slammed AJ on the barricade outside. AJ made a comeback when he attacked Orton's knees. After the commercial break, AJ continued to work on Orton’s knees. Orton evaded AJ’s attacks on his knees as much as possible.
Orton began to get momentum on his side and hit a vicious full-nelson on AJ. There was a lot of back and forth from this point on, and AJ even landed the ushigoroshi on Orton. Orton attempted a DDT from the middle rope but AJ countered it into a calf crusher. However, Orton grabbed the ropes.
As AJ attempted a springboard 450, Orton moved the ropes to ensure AJ fell. He then hit the DDT from the middle rope. As he attempted an RKO, AJ avoided it and hit a Pele kick. He then got ready for the Phenomenal forearm but avoided it, as Orton went for an RKO. He attempted a 450 splash but missed.
Orton then threw AJ up in the air and hit an RKO for the win.
Randy Orton defeated AJ Styles
Randy Orton will face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championships at WrestleMania
Orton celebrated as the show went off the air.
