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SmackDown Live kicked off at Madison Square Gardens with the arrival of The Undertaker. The crowd was chanting for the Deadman who got on the mic and gave us a quick rundown of how important the venue is for WWE and himself. Sami Zayn interrupted 'Taker's monologue and seemed to be praising the Deadman but then said that 'Taker shouldn't be opening the show, instead, it should be Sami, because he is the future.
Sami asked The Deadman to leave the ring and the crowd chanted "You Suck" at Zayn. 'Taker handed Sami his mic and was about to leave but came back and hit a chokeslam on Zayn. With that, The Undertaker left, ending the first segment of the night.
Segment rating: A
Backstage, Shane McMahon told Chad Gable that due to Elias' injury, Gable will have a new opponent for the King of the Ring Tournament match but did not mention who it was yet.
The Miz vs. Andrade
Shinsuke Nakamura was on commentary and spoke in Japanese all throughout the match. Andrade was in control early on but Miz dropped him and did the Tranquilo pose to mock the Superstar. Zelina got involved and Andrade managed to regain his momentum.
The Miz hit knees to the head of Andrade in the corner and he managed to roll out to avoid the pin. The Miz hit a kick through the ropes and sent Andrade crashing into Nakamura at the announce table. Back in the ring, Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale and got the win.
Result: The Miz def. Andrade
Nakamura rushed in after the match and nailed the #1 contender to his Intercontinental Championship with the Kinshasa knee strike.
Match rating: A
Backstage, we learnt that Chad Gable's new opponent to replace Elias is Shane McMahon himself.
Mandy Rose vs. Nikki Cross
Mandy Rose got on the mic before the match and called Nikki Cross ugly. Cross rushed the ring and attacked Mandy with unstoppable energy. The bell was rung and Mandy managed to slam Nikki onto the canvas. Nikki turned it around and went up top but missed the crossbody. DeVille tried to interfere but Alexa took her out on the apron while Nikki rolled Mandy up for the win in the ring.
Result: Nikki Cross def. Mandy Rose
Match rating: C
We got another small segment to promote Connor's Cure, WWE's campaign against pediatric cancer.
Backstage, Bayley and Ember Moon got into an argument about Bayley's actions in the last few weeks. Bayley said it was more than just to support Sasha and Ember said Bayley was struggling to stay relevant as a champ. Ember said Bayley was better than this and they parted ways, atleast until their match tonight.
Heavy Machinery vs. Enhancement Talent
Heavy Machinery took on some amateur local talent and wiped them out before Otis hit the Caterpillar and tagged in Tucker. They hit the compactor and got the easy victory over the rookies, to no one's surprise.
Result: Heavy Machinery def. Enhancement Talent
Match rating: C
Backstage, Shane gave Kevin Owens a job, to be the referee for tonight's King of the Ring match in return for waiving the $100,000 fine that Owens had to pay to the WWE.
Rowan came out to the ring to tell his side of the story. He said he was a master manipulator and not the brainless brute that everyone thinks he is. Roman came out and hit a Superman Punch right off the bat. Rowan fought back and a big brawl broke out and then spilled onto the stands. Roman hit another Superman Punch and then one more as security came out o break up the fight.
Rowan powerbombed a fan onto Roman and dragged The Big Dog up the ramp where they started fighting again. Another Superman Punch later, Rowan was still up and sent a camera arm crashing into Roman and the officials before finally walking off.
Bayley vs. Ember Moon
Charlotte Flair was on commentary for the match. Moon came out of the gate with guns blazing and sent Bayley outside and then the champ hit a huge kick to the head of the challenger. Back from a break, Moon was in control untill Bayley hit the Belly to Bayley and got the three-count and the win.
Result: Bayley def. Ember Moon
Charlotte stepped in the ring to congratulate Bayley and pointed at the title, taunting the champ.
Match rating: B
Kofi Kingston was out next to hype his match against Randy Orton. He recalled the moment he won his championship and his match with the Viper in 2009 at the same venue during RAW.
Randy Orton appeared from the crowd and said that he was going to take Kofi's title away on Sunday. Kofi walked out to the stands to face Randy and the Viper used a steel chair to lay Kofi out on the concrete. Kofi fought back and used the chair on Randy and set up a table but went through it himself. Randy was down yet again and Kofi finally managed to put him through it, recapping what happened 10 years ago.
Chad Gable vs. Shane McMahon - King of the Ring: Semi Finals 2 out of 3 falls count match
Kevin Owens was the guest referee and Chad Gable hit a huge suplex right off the bat and got the pinafall. Shane quickly turned it into a two out of three falls match and sent Gable into the timekeeper's area before he realized what was happening.
Back from a break, Shane was breaking down Gable, tossing him in the ring before Gable went for a pin. Owens was forced to count slowly and Shane kicked out. Gable hit a moonsault and still Shane was able to kick out. Gable hit the ankle lock and Shane had to tap out!
Result: Chad Gable def. Shane McMahon moved on to the finals
Match rating: A
Shane attacked Kevin Owens from behind after the match and fired him right there!
Episode rating: A
This was one of the best epoisodes of SmackDown in a long time!
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
