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SmackDown Live was kicked off by Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and the WWE Women's Champion Carmella coming out to confront each other before they meet at next week's SummerSlam pay-per-view.
Carmella let everyone know her feelings that she did not appreciate the fact that she had to be face to face with Becky and Charlotte. She tried to set things off between the two, saying that Becky had no chance of winning the match with the addition of Charlotte to the proceedings for Sunday at SummerSlam.
Charlotte and Becky Lynch had none of it, with the 'Queen' Flair talking smack to Carmella, claiming that the Women's Champion was a 'diva living in a women's era'. Carmella pointed out the fact that despite all of that she was more beautiful than both Charlotte and Becky Lynch, while also holding the Championship.
Paige interrupted proceedings here, coming out to announce that Carmella would be going to the commentary table, while Charlotte and Becky would team up to face Mandy Rose and Sonia Deville.
Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch vs Mandy Rose and Sonia Deville:
Charlotte started off proceedings against Sonia Deville and lit up the ring with signature Flair Chops. Becky entered the ring next and fought down Sonia Deville until Mandy was able to tag in.
Becky soon gained the upper hand over her as well, before tagging Charlotte in. Carmella, who was on commentary, pointed out how Charlotte and Becky would not be able to depend on each other for their tandem offence on Sunday.
Mandy and Deville gained the advantage over Charlotte after pulling her down to the mat by her hair and continued with quick tags in and out of the ring, keeping themselves fresh.
Back from the break, Sonia Deville and Mandy Rose had maintained their advantage despite Becky Lynch being able to tag in. Sonia was preventing Becky to get to the corner when the Irish Lasskicker hit her with a step-up Enzuigiri. Mandy tagged in and tried to knock Charlotte off the side, but missed.
Becky did not even go for the tag, and instead, put her focus on taking out both Mandy Rose and Deville on her own. Becky went for the Becksploder Suplex, but Mandy countered with a roll-up pin attempt. Becky kicked out and locked in the Disarmer on Mandy, who soon tapped out.
After the match, Becky and Charlotte faced off against their opponent for Sunday's SummerSlam pay-per-view.
In a backstage segment following the bout, Charlotte and Becky reminded each other cautiously on Sunday, it was going to be each team for themselves.
Result: Becky and Charlotte defeated Mandy Rose and Sonia Deville.
After the match was over, The Miz and Maryse appeared on a direct to camera selfie, where they announced that their reality television series, Miz and Mrs had been renewed for a second season with USA Network commisioning 14 more half-hour episodes.
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs The Triple Threat:
The Bludgeon Brothers faced The Triple Threat, a team of jobbers, in a squash match which never got underway. None of the members of the Triple Threat team was named.
Harper and Rowan charged into them, and hit one member with a double chokeslam in the ring, before running into another member of the team who was outside. Rowan bodyslammed Harper onto two of them, and then they bodyslammed one of those unnamed wrestlers onto the semi-conscious wrestler in the ring.
They went back inside and then hit a tag team finisher on the member of Triple Threat who was inside. The match had never officially started, so they did not pin him.
Result: No contest as the match never started.
Following the match, a video promo aired featuring the Miz and Daniel Bryan's relationship over the past eight years and their time when Miz was Byan's mentor on NXT. The two are set to face each other at SummerSlam on the 19th of August.
Sanity vs The New Day (Six-Man Tag Team Match):
Sanity faced the Number One Contenders to the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, New Day in a six-man tag team match.
The live crowd chanted happy birthday to Kofi Kingston before the bout could start. Big E and Eric Young started the match for their sides. Big E gained the advantage and Kofi continued the trend by coming in with a slam on Young. He looked to continue, but unfortunately, when he ran into the roped, Alexander Wolfe pulled the ropes down dumping him on the outside.
Sanity seized on their advantage and isolated Kofi with Killian Dane coming into the ring. He bulldozed Kofi and hit him with a Fisherman Suplex. Alexander Wolfe went to the top rope and hit Kofi with a flying forearm.
After the break, Kofi was still being brutalised by Sanity, but he changed that soon when he countered Dain's move and hit him with a DDT. He tagged in Xavier Woods, with all the members of both teams coming into the ring to take each other out.
Wolfe and Woods continued to wrestle in the ring, and Woods came close to pinning him, but Eric Young broke up the pin with an elbow from the top rope.
Sanity came close to winning when Woods was dropped onto the knees of Wolfe by Eric Young, and almost pinned. Kofi hit the Trouble in Paradise on Wolfe, who rolled out of the ring.
Kofi took out Young and Wolfe on the outside with a dive, and Woods helped Big E to hit the Midnight Hour on Dain, who was the legal man at the point.
Result: The New Day defeated Sanity
The second part of the video promo aired hyping Miz and Daniel Bryan's match at SummerSlam and their rivalry down the years, where the Miz said that he knew Daniel Bryan better than Bryan knew himself.
The promo focused on Daniel Bryan walking away from the Talking Smack interview where the Miz let loose the promo that single-handedly rejuvenated his career.
Samoa Joe and Paige confronted each other backstage, where Paige asked Samoa Joe to be professional and not to ruin her show. Joe said that he would do whatever he wanted to, and AJ Styles, Paige and the rest of the Universe would have to face the consequences.
Aiden English vs Andrade 'Cien' Almas:
Aiden English came out to face Andrade 'Cien' Almas to make amends for having cost both Lana and Rusev matches in the past weeks against Almas and Zelina Vega.
Aiden hit Andrade with a clothesline and then hit him with a Splash from the top rope for a near fall.
Andrade went for a Big Boot which Aiden countered, but Andrade hit him with a Back Elbow. He then hit Aiden with a Double Knee. Finally, he ended the match with a Hammerlock DDT to pick up the win.
After the match was over Andrade declared that it would be the end of Rusev Day at SummerSlam. Zelina said that she would prove that Lana was nothing more than dead weight.
Rusev and Lana came out to interrupt them and said they would crush Andrade and Zelina, as SummerSlam fell on Rusev Day.
Result: Andrade 'Cien' Almas defeated Aiden English
Paige asked AJ to remain professional as it was important that AJ and Joe did not ruin their moment at SummerSlam on the show before.AJ said that he had made a promise to his family, and he intended to keep it.
The third and final video promo hyping the feud between the Miz and Daniel Bryan over the years aired featuring the return of Daniel Bryan to in-ring action, and how he brought the Miz back to SmackDown as his last act as General Manager.
Jeff Hardy vs Shelton Benjamin:
Shelton Benjamin came into the match focused on taking out the returning legend Jeff Hardy, while the younger Hardy brother had the events of the past weeks on his mind.
Benjamin was dominating, but then Jeff came back with a Whisper in the Wind allowing him to nearly pick up the win. He hit Shelton with a low dropkick, but Shelton kicked out again.
Hardy's attempt at the Twist of Fate was countered by Shelton, and but he was able to block Benjamin's kick.
Hardy went for the Swanton Bomb, but Shelton jumped to the top rope and hit him with a knee and then hit him with a Superplex.
Jeff Hardy then hit Benjamin with a Twist of Fate and followed it up with the Splash to pick up the win.
After Jeff Hardy's victory, he was interrupted by Shinsuke Nakamura. A distraction by Shelton allowed Nakamura to hit Jeff with a knee to Hardy's spine. Nakamura went for the Kinshasa, but Hardy turned it around and hit him with the Twist of Fate. He then hit Nakamura with a Swanton Bomb.
On the sidelines, from behind an area of the ramp, Randy Orton was shown to look on at the events unfolding in the ring.
Result: Jeff Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin
AJ Styles addressed Samoa Joe:
Did Samoa Joe get inside AJ Styles' head again?
AJ came out to address Joe over the incidents that had taken place in previous weeks. He talked about Samoa Joe stabbing him in the back in the beginning before talking about AJ's family.
Styles confessed that Joe had taken AJ to a dark place, but his family had helped to ground him. His promo was interrupted by Samoa Joe who came out to address him.
He took out a slip of paper, which he said was a letter from a 'member' of the WWE Universe. He read it out loud to AJ in an effort to make him lose his cool. The fake letter implied that AJ had never wanted a family to begin with, and had never wanted children or a wife. The fan went on to address Joe, saying that she hoped Joe defeated AJ at SummerSlam as she had lost him a long time ago.
He then revealed that the letter was from Wendy Styles, AJ's wife, as the show went off the air.
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