'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Roman Reigns kicked off WWE SmackDown and Paul Heyman praised Jey Uso before inviting him to the ring to join the two of them. Uso thanked Heyman for putting him on the match last week and Paul said it was Roman who made the decision.
Roman said Jey earned the title shot and didn't need to thank him before hinting that Jey should take the loss for the family. Jey said they weren't kids anymore and looked like he wasn't ready to throw the match.
King Corbin came out claiming that this was nepotism before Sheamus joined him. Jey proposed a tag match between the two duos before wiping out both Sheamus and Corbin.
Jeff Hardy will defend his Intercontinental Championship against AJ Styles tonight. In the production truck, Sami Zayn was trying to make the crew stop broadcasting about the match before he cut the feed to the show and we headed for a break.
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. AJ Styles - Intercontinental Championship match on SmackDown
Back on SmackDown, Sami Zayn was out to protest the match because he was the real champion but Adam Pearce and some officials took him away. AJ hit some cheap shots while Hardy was distracted before the match began. Hardy hit the Twist of Fate right away but missed the Swanton Bomb before we headed for commercials on SmackDown.
Jeff Hardy hit a risky dive to the outside when we returned to SmackDown and then the Whisper in the Wind in the ring. AJ was focusing on Hardy's injured knee after getting a nearfall and was thinking about the Phenomenal Forearm before Sami Zayn interrupted the match and took out both Superstars and left.
Result: DNF
Match rating: B
Backstage, AJ Styles was ready to face either champion and prove that he was the real champ.
The Street Profits showed up backstage on SmackDown and Cesaro and Nakamura were not happy to see them.
In the trainer's room, Jeff Hardy was being examined by the medic when Sami Zayn showed up to mock him and they ended up starting a brawl.
Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Lucha House Party on SmackDown
Cesaro and Gran Metalik kicked us off and Kalisto was tagged in early on but was distracted by Shinsuke before being taken out by Cesaro. He and Nakamura tagged in and out, keeping the pressure on Kalisto by trapping him in their corner.
On the titantron, we saw the Street Profits holding a party in the Champion's Lounge backstage and taunted Nakamura and Cesaro while the Swiss Cyborg got pinned by the Lucha House party.
Result: Lucha House Party def. Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura
Match rating: C
Bayley was out next and she was carrying the steel chair that she used to destroy her tag partner last week. She set the chair in the ring and sat down before pointing to the tron when we saw a video package of Sasha Banks and her losing the tag titles and her attack on Banks last week on SmackDown.
Back in the ring, Bayley said she enjoyed hurting her 'best friend' and said that if she didn't attack Sasha, Banks would turn on her. She said that Banks wanted to used her but Bayley used Banks instead to become the first Grand Slam Women's Champion. She said Banks was completely useless to her after SmackDown last week and left.
Nikki Cross was making her entrance on SmackDown when Bayley took her out on the ramp.
Back on SmackDown, Cross decided to go forward with the No.1 Contender's match.
Nikki Cross vs. Lacey Evans vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Tamina - No.1 Contender's match for the SmackDown Women's title
Tamina hit a clothesline and took down Alexa before going for a suplex on Evans. Tamina picked up Alexa after she broke up a pin and tossed her in the ring. Alexa took a kick and then a splash in the corner as Tamina dominated.
Nikki Cross came in and took Tamina down for a near fall. Nikki Cross hit a dive from the apron while Alexa was looking spaced out. Bliss hit the Sister Abigail on Nikki Cross before we headed for a break on SmackDown.
Nikki Cross vs. Lacey Evans vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Tamina - No.1 Contender's match for the SmackDown Women's title (contd...)
Back on SmackDown, Alexa had walked out of the arena, still completely spaced out. Evans was dominating Tamina in the ring and got a near fall that was broken up by Cross. Cross hit the bulldog on both women and almost got the pin twice.
Cross rolled up Tamina with the Sunset Flip and got the win!
Result: Nikki Cross won the match and is the No.1 Contender for the SmackDown Women's title
Match rating: A
We got another short clip teasing a new Superstar on SmackDown.
Otis vs. John Morrison on SmackDown
Otis tossed Morrison across the ring after Morrison got a few strikes in. Miz was at ringside and distracted Otis and helped Morrison get some momentum in the match.
The Miz took the lunchbox containing the Money in the Bank contract while Otis finished off Morrison in the ring and picked up the win.
Result: Otis def. John Morrison
Match rating: C
Backstage on SmackDown, we learned that Miz stole the wrong lunchbox and the contract was safe with Otis.
Back on the Firefly Funhouse, Bray Wyatt felt the loss of his Universal title and then 'unboxed' the newest member of the Funhouse, a parrot.
Wyatt got no response from the bird before realizing that it was dead and we never got to see it. Vine the devil came in and appointed the Paul Heyman-esque Wobbly Walrus as 'special advisor' to the funhouse.
Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. King Corbin & Sheamus on SmackDown
Sheamus attacked Jey while he was making his entrance and Corbin joined him as they went after Uso in the ring. The bell was rung but Roman was nowhere to be seen. Corbin hit a Deep Six and tagged in Sheamus who continued the punishment.
Uso hit the Samoan Drop on Corbin but was hit with the White Noise by Sheamus who got a sneaky tag. Roman Reigns made his entrance while Sheamus was getting ready for the Brogue Kick.
Uso used the distraction to destroy Sheamus but Roman forced a tag before Jey realised it. Roman hit the spear on Sheamus and picked up the win.
Result: Roman Reigns & Jey Uso def. King Corbin & Sheamus
Match rating: A
Episode rating: A
Another great episode of SmackDown as we head towards Clash of Champions. Bayley made her statement while Roman had his first match on SmackDown in seven months.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
