The episode begins with James Ellsworth backstage and he’s clearly under the weather as he sneezes and coughs all over Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon’s office. McMahon and Bryan tell Ellsworth that he isn’t fit to compete tonight and announced that they will find a new #1 contender tonight.
Miz TV
The show kicks off with Miz TV with the first guest being none other than WWE World Champion – AJ Styles. Styles says that even though Ellsworth escaped from his wrath again tonight, he would soon rip Ellsworth from limb to limb. Styles added that there was no one on his level to which the Miz replied that he'd made the Intercontinental Championship legendary and hat he'd defeated the man that AJ had been feuding with for months – Dean Ambrose – just last week.
As the two of them faced off in the middle of the ring, Dean Ambrose's music hit and he made his way to the ring. He was followed out by Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler told Miz that he was hiding behind Maryse's skirt to which Miz takes exception and hit a Skull Crushing Finale to Ziggler. Ambrose followed it up with a Dirty Deeds on Miz.
Styles saw all this and just walked away as Ambrose also hit a Dirty Deeds on Ziggler. The lights then went off as Luke Harper appeared and clotheslined Ambrose's head off.
Natalya vs Carmella
Natalya immediately attacks Carmella when the match begins after vehemently telling Nikki Bella she was innocent before the match. Carmella slapped Natalya as we cut to commercial just seconds after the match began.
We came back from commercial to see Natalya slapping Carmella around and calling her a liar. Carmella countered a corner clothesline with a hurracanrana before hitting a dropkick in the corner and locking in a body scissors.
Natalya powered out of the body scissors only to be locked into a Guillotine hold. She powered out of that too and hit a bodyslam on Carmella before trying to lock in a Sharpshooter. Carmella rolled out of the ring, only to be hit by a baseball slide dropkick to Carmella before shoving Nikki and rolling Carmella back in the ring.
Natalya followed Nikki back into the ring but Carmella rolled her up for the 3-count. Great win for Carmella.
Carmella def. Natalya
John Cena’s return date got announced. He’ll be returning to SmackDown Live in two weeks.
Comedian Gabriel Iglesias is backstage talking to Apollo Crews backstage when Maryse and The Miz interfere. They throw childish insults at each other before The Miz insults Apollo Crews and walks away.
#1 Contender’s Battle Royal for the SmackDown Live Tag-Team Championships
American Alpha vs Hype Bros vs Breezango vs The Ascension vs The Vaudevillains vs Rhyno and Slater
This match started iff at a terrific pace, as they do with these multiple man battle royals. Mojo Rawley immediately eliminates Simon Gotch by clotheslining him over the top rope. Breeze looked to throw Jason Jordan over the top rope but Rhyno inexplicably helped Jordan escape. Fandango had Slater in a precarious position but Rhyno helped his partner escape and Slater proceeded to put the boot to Fandango in the corner.
Viktor almost had Heath Slater eliminated but he held on for dear life and crawled back into the ring. The pace suddenly slowed down to a crawl as all we saw were punches and kicks for a little while before Slater hit a running basement dropkick to Aiden English as Chad Gable eliminates Viktor. Konnor came and eliminated Gable almost immediately afterwards just as Heath Slater eliminated Rhyno by mistake. This will definitely lead to more tension down the line between the two.
Jason Jordan then eliminated Aiden English as Fandango and Slater fought out on the apron before Slater eliminated Fandango with a leg sweep. Fandango and Breeze then eliminated Mojo Rawley as Jason Jordan hit 4 spears in a row to the remaining contestants before Tyler Breeze eliminated Jason Jordan with the help of Konnor. Breeze and Konnor then went to work Zack Ryder and Heath Slater as Heath Slater hit a double leg lariat followed by a Hangman Neckbreaker on Tyler Breeze before Konnor dumped him outside the ring.
Konnor then went to spear Zack Ryder but knocked Tyler Breeze out instead. He then went to Powerbomb Ryder out of the ring to win but Ryder reversed it into a Hurracanrana as Ryder won the match for his team as The Hype Bros became the #1 contenders for the SmackDown Live Tag-Team Championships.
The Hype Bros def. The Vaudevillians, The Ascension, Rhyno and Slater, Breezango and American Alpha
Alexa Bliss (C) vs Deonna Purrazzo
Alexa Bliss says she doesn’t do “charity cases” before the match begins before calling her “Jane Ellsworth”. She then hits Purrazzo in the face with the mic.
Match called off
Becky Lynch's music then hits as she demands a match against Alexa Bliss for the title and Bliss accepted but she said that the match wouldn't be tonight but on her terms and she walked away from the ring.
Shane O' Mac's music then hits and he announces Becky Lynch's championship rematch would be next.
Alexa Bliss (C) vs Becky Lynch
Alexa spends the opening moments of the match avoiding Becky before Becky finally got a hold of her and immediately went for a Dis-Arm-Her. Becky then went for a front face lock followed by a pin attempt which she transitioned into a side headlock. Becky then hit a couple of sweet arm drags before hitting a springboard sidekick in the corner. She then attempted a Bexplex but Alexa kneed her in the gut before pulling her down to the mat by the hair.
Alexa went for the double knees but Becky reversed it into a pin attempt before Alexa left the ring for a breather. Becky met her outside and dragged her back into the ring as Alexa rolled out of the ring again and held her knee and limped around the ring as referee Charles Robinson counted to 10 and counted her out.
Becky Lynch def. Alexa Bliss by DQ
Becky wasn’t having any of Alexa’s shenanigans and attacked her outside the ring and dragged her back in. Alexa’s knees were clearly okay as she kicked Becky over and over again before Becky dumped her outside the ring again.
Dean Ambrose vs Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz vs Luke Harper (for the #1 contendership to the WWE Championship)
Luke Harper started the match by taking out both Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose with aplomb. Miz tried to get Harper on his side after applauding him but harper was having none of it as he hit a Michinoku Driver to the Miz. He then tried to take on both Ambrose and Ziggler at the same time but they dumped him outside the ring and went to work on each other. Miz dumped Ambrose outside with a low bridge before hitting a DDT on Ziggler.
Miz then hit double low dropkicks on Ambrose and Harper through the ropes before hitting the ‘Yes’ kicks on Ziggler and followed it up with a running corner dropkick. Ambrose then hit a running bulldog on The Miz before Harper booted Ambrose in the face, almost knocking his head off his shoulders. Harper then catapulted Ziggler neck-first into the middle rope for the 2-count.
Harper then went to inflict further punishment on Ziggler as he sent him crashing back first into the corner. He then rolled out of the ring and sent Ambrose back-first into the barricade. He then climbed back into the ring and hit a Torture Rack on Ziggler as Ambrose came in and attempted a Dirty Deeds on Harper but got hit by a Superkick from Ziggler. Miz then came back in and tried to pin Ambrose who reversed the pin attempt and Miz failed to kick out.
The Miz is eliminated
We came back from commercial to see Ambrose hit a Fisherman Suplex on Ziggler and he followed up with knife edge chops to Ziggler. Ambrose followed it up with a snap suplex for the 2-count as he went to the top rope. Ziggler met him there as Harper tried to intervene and Ziggler hit Harper with a Zig Zag before Ambrose hit him with a flying clothesline. Ziggler and Ambrose then traded pin attempts before knocking into each other with tandem cross body attempts as Harper came back in and took out both men.
He hit a sitdown powerbomb to Ziggler for the nearfall before running elbows to both men in the corners before getting hit with a Superkick from Dolph Ziggler stunned him. Ambrose followed it up with a Dirty Deeds on Harper and covered him for the pinfall as the crowd booed Harper’s elimination.
Luke Harper is eliminated
Ambrose catapulted Ziggler face-first into the steel ring-post before depositing back in the ring and climbing to the top rope. Ziggler met him on the top rope and hit an Avalanche Facebuster but didn’t have enough left in him to attempt a pin. Ziggler finally got up and walked towards Ambrose who tried to roll him up but only got a nearfall.
The Miz came back out at this point and got hit by a tope suicida fro Ambrose and a Superkick from Ziggler. As Ambrose tried to climb back into the ring, Miz held onto his leg. Ambrose finally shook him off and got back into the ring, only to be hit by a superkick from Ziggler. Dolph followed it up by the cover to eliminate Dean Ambrose to become the #1 contender for the WWE Championship.
Dean Ambrose is eliminated
Dolph Ziggler def. The Miz, Luke Harper and Dean Ambrose
