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Welcome to the English version of Solowrestling Read more
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Today we will once again enjoy a new live coverage of WWE SmackDown, which this time will be broadcast live from the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. This will be the first show of the blue brand after Backlash and the second to last before Clash in Italy, and it will feature several matches and segments of interest, including an appearance by Gunther, who will have to make a decision regarding his immediate future in WWE.
On the other hand, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss will face Michin and B-Fab with the aim of seeking revenge after the attack they suffered last week. As always, we invite you to comment on the article to give your opinion on what happens on this week's SmackDown show.
WWE SmackDown starts on Netflix!
We see the arrival of some of tonight's protagonists at the venue: Cody Rhodes, Damian Priest and R-Truth, MFT in full, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin, and Trick Williams.
We see a video recap of WWE Backlash.
Trick Williams is in charge of opening tonight's show. "Whoop that Trick!" chant the fans to welcome the United States Champion. Lil Yachty and Cocky, the mascot of the University of South Carolina, accompany Williams. He takes the floor to pride himself on representing WJ Keenan High School and the University of South Carolina in the city where he grew up. Williams explains the origin of his expression "lemon and pepper shoes," which he coined when he stained his shoes with sauce while savoring the delicious chicken wings served at his favorite restaurant: Kiki's Chicken and Waffles. After that, he addresses his parents, who are in the front row. Trick recalls how his mother used to tell him that he was "a King created by an almighty God" and that no one could defeat him. "To Columbia, South Carolina. To WJ Keenan. To Kiki's Chicken and Waffles. To the Game. To mom: Behold the star you have created", says Williams as he extends his arms.
The Miz and Kit Wilson interrupt the segment!
The Miz mocks Williams' homecoming, for which he even brought the crazy mascot, Cocky. The Miz doesn't forget that last week he had "The Gingerbread Man." "Trick, your whole career is starting to resemble the discarded mascots for my daughter's birthday party. Is this WWE or Sesame Street?", asks The Miz as he heads to the ring.
Lil Yachty confronts The Miz and Wilson for their audacity to interrupt Williams' celebration in South Carolina in front of his friends and family. But he can understand it, as both are cursed. That's why last week they were beaten up by those Minihausens. "&I'm not cursed!" exclaims a furious The Miz. "WAKE UP! It's clear you don't understand what the master is saying. So I'll tell you in a language you can understand: POETRY!", shouts Kit.
Wilson assures that Trick and Yachty wouldn't have survived in the city where he grew up, Buckinghamshire. Kit refers to the huge egos of both men before mocking the city of Columbia, pointing out that what unites them all is the love they feel for their "toxic fighting roosters."
Yachty counterattacks with some rhymes to mock Kit, who will be remembered simply as The Miz's assistant, and his "tiny balls." "Tiny Balls!" chant the fans. Furious, Mizanin claims to be tired of all this. That's why he calls for a referee, so he can kick Williams' butt in front of his mother. Kit approaches Trick to continue mocking him, but he immediately interrupts him with a slap. The champion expels Wilson from the ring with Yachty's help before executing a clothesline on The Miz, who also ends up outside the ring. "Whoop that Trick!" chant the fans as the segment comes to an end.
The Miz (with Kit Wilson) vs. Trick Williams (with Lil Yachty)
Both men struggle. The Miz corners Trick in one of the corners. The champion responds with a push, causing The Miz to end up lying on the mat. The Miz surprises Williams with a Rope Guillotine to take the lead. "Tiny Balls!" chant the fans to mock him. The Miz continues to punish Trick with the help of the ropes. After that, he mocks his opponent's parents.
The Miz kicks Trick while he is lying on the mat. The chants of "Tiny Balls!" return. Trick dodges a kick to respond with a neckbreaker. Williams unleashes a rain of kicks in one of the corners. The Miz dodges a Trick Shot to escape to ringside. Williams goes after him. When he finally catches him, he throws him against the metal stairs and the public barrier. Williams brings The Miz back into the ring, a moment that Wilson takes advantage of to surprise the former with a flying uppercut.
Kit mocks Yachty to provoke him. At that moment, The Miz launches himself against Trick with a Rope Dropkick. The Miz takes his rival to the public barrier to hit him in front of his parents. Williams frees himself to respond with fury. The action returns to the ring. The Miz surprises Trick with a big boot. The Miz blows a kiss to Williams' parents before kicking their son's face. "Tiny Balls!" chant the fans once again.
Trick blocks a suplex from The Miz to execute one from his own arsenal. Both men end up lying on the mat. Williams and The Miz exchange punches in the center of the ring. Trick surprises The Miz with several spinning kicks before knocking him down with a powerslam. Williams finishes him off with an uranage. 1..2..NO. The Miz hits Trick's throat to regain control. The Miz executes a DDT. 1..2..NO.
The Miz kicks Trick while he remains on his knees on the mat. Williams dodges one of the kicks to execute a facebuster. Wilson distracts Trick, allowing The Miz to recover. The Miz surprises Williams with a Skull Crushing Finale. 1..2..NO. Kit climbs onto the apron to distract the referee. Meanwhile, The Miz gets out of the ring to look for a kendo stick.
The Miz returns to the ring, ready to use the stick against his rival, but Yachty snatches it away. Kit quickly approaches the rapper, but he is met with the stick. Yachty delivers several blows to the Brit before throwing him over the commentator's table. The Miz is distracted by what happened, a moment that Williams takes advantage of to recover and finish him off with a Trick Shot. 1..2..3.
Winner: Trick Williams
Cathy Kelley interviews Carmelo Hayes backstage. Hayes criticizes the direction the United States Championship has taken since Trick Williams won it. That's why his primary goal now that he's back is to regain the title. Ricky Saints, his opponent tonight, interrupts the interview. "The Absolute" regrets that Melo didn't give him the proper welcome, because during his absence, the world has changed completely. "There are new tenants in the building", says Ricky. Carmelo insists that his only goal is the United States Championship. Furthermore, he claims to be the owner of this building, ensuring that sooner or later, this place will put "The Absolute" in his place. "I don't need your advice, okay? Do you know what you need? You need an absolute lesson. I'll see you tonight", says Saints before leaving.
Nick Aldis talks to Rey Fenix at his office door. The SmackDown General Manager congratulates the Mexican for his recent performances in AAA, pointing out that he expects great things from him on the blue brand. Fenix thanks him for his words before leaving. Sami Zayn approaches Aldis. The Canadian acknowledges that Backlash didn't go as expected. He accepts his defeat and regrets the things he did during that match. However, he also believes that it was the way the Universe was telling him that he needed to change. That's why he wants a new opportunity. One where he can show that his old self is back. Nick understands, but Zayn already had his chance, and he failed. If he wants another one, he'll have to earn it. Upset, Sami believes he has more than earned it over these last few years. And he doesn't understand why everyone seems to have forgotten him. Zayn points out that only the fans who have supported him unconditionally from day one really remember him. Sami wants to redeem himself for them. Nick assures him that no one has forgotten how good he is. The problem is that Sami believes he deserves everything. That said, the General Manager leaves. Zayn tries to contain himself from exploding, at which point Fenix returns to calm him down. The masked man asks Sami what's going on. The Canadian assures him that nothing is wrong. He's still the same as always and it's the others who have changed. "I don't recognize you anymore", says Rey before leaving.
Cathy Kelley interviews Paige and Brie Bella at the Gorilla Position. Brie acknowledges that many teams have set their sights on taking away their WWE Tag Team Championships, starting with The Judgment Day, whom they will face on WWE Raw this coming Monday. Paige points out that they took years to win the gold, and they won't let anyone take it away from them. The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) interrupt the interview to wish the champions good luck. Legend and Jax want Brie and Paige to retain the titles this Monday because their goal is to regain the belts directly from the women who "stole" them. Nia tries to add something else, but Brie's music starts playing. The champions head to the ring, leaving their potential rivals at Saturday Night's Main Event behind.
Tag Team Match
Paige and Brie Bella vs. Giulia and Kiana James
James and Bella start the match. Kiana pushes Brie, who falls backwards on the mat. Bella returns to take down her opponent with a Russian Leg Sweep. Paige receives the tag. The champions team up against Kiana, who ends up receiving a running knee kick from the British woman. James hits Paige's throat before giving the tag to Giulia. She takes control, but Paige quickly regains it. Paige executes a dropkick on Giulia. "This is my house!" she exclaims.
The action moves to the apron. Paige repeatedly kicks Giulia's face. She is attended to by the referee, a moment that James takes advantage of to grab one of Paige's legs, causing her to fall face down on the apron. Giulia returns to Paige to throw her against one of the ring posts. The action returns to the ring, where James and Giulia take turns punishing Paige.
Kiana performs several corner spears on Paige. She tries to escape from her opponents, but Giulia immobilizes her with a direct arm lock. "The Beautiful Madness" takes Paige to the top of one of the corners. Paige surprises her opponent with a sunset flip powerbomb. Both women end up lying on the mat. Paige and Giulia crawl to their respective corners to give the tag to their partners.
Brie launches herself at James with a Missile Dropkick. Bella delivers several knee strikes to her opponents before kicking them in the center of the ring. "YES!, YES!" chant the fans with each kick. Brie performs a faceplant on Kiana. 1..2..NO. Giulia interrupts the count. James surprises Brie with a facebreaker for Giulia to finish her off with a Northern Lights Bomb. 1..2..NO. Now it's Paige who interrupts the count.
The action descends into chaos. James dodges a charge from Paige, but inadvertently throws her own partner, who ends up at ringside with the British woman. Kiana surprises Bella with a superkick. After that, she performs a standing moonsault, but her opponent stops her with her knees. Paige returns to finish off James with a Rampage. 1..2..3.
Winners: Brie Bella and Paige
Cathy Kelley interviews Tiffany Stratton backstage. Meanwhile, Kiana James and Giulia are seen arguing heatedly in the background. The United States Champion points out that she has nothing to fear if she has to face teams like this. Furthermore, she is an individual competitor, and she is delighted with it. Chelsea Green interrupts the interview to continue approaching Tiffany. "I was talking about not liking to be on teams," says Stratton. Green, however, continues "praising" Tiffany, whom she considers the second-best United States Champion in history. Stratton points out that there are people who don't understand that they are not made to be part of a team. "You're absolutely right. That would never happen to us," says Chelsea. "Of course, because we are NOT a team," replies Tiffany before leaving. Green downplays what happened, pointing out to Kelley that they usually have these kinds of conversations.
Cody Rhodes makes his entrance in the ring with Gunther's contract in his hands. "The American Nightmare" approaches the commentator's table to borrow Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore's chairs, which he throws into the ring. After that, he introduces a table on which he places his WWE Undisputed Championship, as well as the contract. "&Columbia, South Carolina!, what do you want to talk about?" he asks. Cody points out that he has everything ready to carry out a contract signing for a title match at Clash in Italy, and that's exactly what will happen now.
Gunther makes his entrance!
"The Ring General" addresses Cody from the entrance ramp. The Austrian asks Cody if he knows the work behind that contract and the negotiations that took place to make it possible. Because as always, the WWE Undisputed Champion tries to make everything revolve around him. Although it's not something that surprises him. After all, Cody is just a typical American. However, this time he won't succeed. Not with him. "This is my deal. This is my title match. And that will be my title," says the Austrian. He expects Cody to do things professionally. "Treat me kindly and don't forget to say 'please'", says "The Ring General". Rhodes reminds him that this match was born from a personal favor that Paul Heyman owed him. It's not an opportunity he earned. That said, he asks him "please" to enter the ring and sign the contract so he can kick his butt in Italy. Gunther has heard the words "Please," but it doesn't seem like Rhodes wanted to do it. So, perhaps this formula needs to be reconsidered. The Austrian suggests that Cody say: "Please, Mr. Gunther."
Royce Keys interrupts the segment!
"If you're not going to sign it yourself, then I will," Keys says to Gunther before heading toward the ring. Royce stands face-to-face with Cody, who seems to have no problem with it. Rhodes hands the pen to Keys, who is ready to sign the contract. Gunther rushes into the ring to stop him. "What do you think you're doing here?! Get out of here!" the Austrian exclaims. Royce takes back the pen and once again prepares to sign the contract. Gunther snatches the pen away from him for the second time. The tension continues to rise. Nick Aldis appears on the scene to solve the problem. The General Manager announces that Keys and Gunther will face each other tonight, with the winner earning the right to sign the document. Furious, Gunther leaves the ring and heads toward Aldis. Meanwhile, Cody addresses Royce. "I'm proud of you. You know we're friends, but I'll tell you the same thing I tell you, Gunther: I'm easy to find. Hard to beat." With that, the segment comes to an end.
Solo Sikoa is talking with Tama Tonga backstage. Sikoa expects his partner to take care of Damian Priest tonight. Meanwhile, he and Talla Tonga will go looking for Royce Keys. Shinsuke Nakamura approaches Tama. The Japanese star believes Tama is taking too long to make a decision. It's time for him to leave MFT. Suddenly, Talla returns and attacks Nakamura from behind. "I warned you!" shouts the powerhouse before delivering a chokeslam to the Japanese star through a catering table, completely destroying it. Several officials rush to the scene to assist Shinsuke. And with that, the segment comes to an end.
Nick Aldis argues with Gunther backstage. The General Manager blames "The Ring General" for everything that happened tonight. The Austrian refused to handle things the right way, and now he'll have to deal with the consequences.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints
Ricky attacks Hayes as soon as the bell rings to take control of the match. Hayes quickly responds with several arm drags before landing a dropkick. Melo takes Saints to one of the corners to continue his offense. Ricky kicks Carmelo to regain control. "The Absolute" hits an Old School on his opponent before posing for the fans.
The action spills onto the apron. Saints takes a springboard leg drop directly to the back of the neck. Ricky ends up at ringside. Hayes dives onto him with a tope. Carmelo brings his opponent back into the ring. Ricky uses the ropes to regain control. Saints takes Hayes onto the apron to execute a Guillotine Leg Drop.
Ricky lands a suplex to continue the offense. Hayes stops a Saints charge with an elbow strike before surprising him with a suplex. Ricky recovers and takes down his opponent with a clothesline. 1..2..NO. "The Absolute" takes his opponent to the corner. Both men exchange strikes. Ricky catches Hayes, ready to execute a superplex, but his opponent counters with a facebuster. Melo follows up with a frog splash. 1..2..NO.
Ricky blocks a facebreaker and responds with a brainbuster. 1..2..NO. Saints traps Carmelo in a tight submission hold. Hayes escapes and delivers three consecutive superkicks. Carmelo continues with a springboard clothesline, followed by a tilt-a-whirl facebuster. 1..2..NO. "Let's go, Melo!" the fans chant. Ricky surprises Melo with a kick before landing a spinning slam. 1..2..NO.
Saints slips while attempting a tornado DDT. Carmelo capitalizes with a facebreaker. Hayes climbs to the top rope looking for a Nothing But Net. Saints avoids it and this time successfully connects with a tornado DDT. 1..2..NO. Hayes blocks a Rochambeau, only to be launched into one of the turnbuckles. Ricky covers his opponent while placing his feet on the ropes. The referee notices it and refuses to count the pinfall. Saints argues with the official, allowing Melo to repay him with the exact same tactic, only this time the referee doesn't notice. 1..2..3.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes
R-Truth approaches Royce Keys to thank him for his help last week. With that said, he invites him to the new Judgment Day clubhouse he is building. Keys responds that he'll think about it before walking away. Damian Priest then approaches R-Truth. Priest knows Keys helped them last week, but he still doesn't fully trust him. R-Truth apologizes for what happened on that show. Damian was right: he should never have gone out there. But it won't happen again tonight. Priest knows that's true because his partner still hasn't been medically cleared. The Puerto Rican says he'll go out there and whatever happens, happens, but at least he'll have peace of mind knowing R-Truth is safe. Damian heads toward the ring. "I love you!" R-Truth shouts as Priest walks away.
Danhausen is inside his "laboratory." Danhausen scolds the Minihausens for not cleaning the place the way he asked them to... until he remembers that his assistants are currently on a small vacation. Afterward, he speaks on the phone with someone, asking them never to call him again. He then states that the time has come to create something bigger and better than what was seen at Backlash. For that, he has a corpse. Danhausen pulls a lever, causing a power outage. The segment ends with Danhausen typing on his computer.
Tama Tonga vs. Damian Priest
Tama attacks Priest as soon as he enters the ring. Damian quickly recovers and fires back. Priest takes Tama down with a precise kick straight to the face. Tama rolls out to ringside. Damian prepares to level him with a Pounce, but his opponent stops him with a surprise forearm. Tama brings Priest back into the ring to take control of the situation.
Tama drops Priest with a dropkick before following up with a sliding clothesline. Damian tries to recover, but his rival won’t allow it. Tama drags Priest to one of the corners, where he lands several corner spears. The action moves to the top rope. Priest kicks Tama away as he looks for a Razor’s Edge, but Tama counters into a sleeper hold. Damian throws himself backward into the turnbuckle to break free.
Tama surprises Priest with a Dragon Screw before planting him with a DDT. 1..2..NO. Damian recovers and launches a comeback. Priest drops Tama with a Flatliner before connecting with a Broken Arrow. 1..2..NO. Damian gets ready for a clothesline, but Tama escapes to ringside to avoid it. Priest chases after his opponent and delivers a Pounce, sending Tama crashing over the announce table.
Priest brings Tama back into the ring. Damian climbs one of the turnbuckles, but Tama shakes the ropes to make him lose balance. Tama follows up with a spinning neckbreaker. 1..2..NO. Damian and Tama struggle in the center of the ring. Priest catches Tama with a clothesline before finishing him off with a decisive South of Heaven. 1..2..3.
Winner: Damian Priest
Talla Tonga storms into the ring to attack Priest. Solo Sikoa joins his partner and the two lay out the Puerto Rican with a Samoan Spike. Solo poses over his fallen victim to end the segment.
Sami Zayn once again vents his frustrations to Johnny Gargano, who remains lying face down across a production crate. "This place isn’t what it used to be," Sami says. The Canadian misses the good old days — the ones they shared together. Candice LeRae appears to make it clear to Sami that nothing he says will get a reaction out of her husband, though he’s free to keep trying if he wants. LeRae walks away. Zayn turns back to Johnny, saying they both need to remember who they are and stop anyone from taking that away from them. Realizing Gargano isn’t paying attention, Sami stands up and leaves. At that moment, Johnny’s eyes move. And with that, the segment comes to an end.
Jade Cargill makes her entrance, accompanied by B-Fab and Michin. The three women head to the ring. Cargill grabs a microphone and says that all the women act brave when she’s not around. But everything changes when “The Storm” shows up, just like last week when she took out Rhea Ripley. With that said, Cargill makes it clear that she’s back to capture her second WWE Women’s Championship.
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss interrupt Jade’s promo!
Charlotte says the fans don’t want to hear Jade talk. The two of them have been playing games for a long time, but it wasn’t until last week that “The Storm” finally got her hands on her — and she needed help from her friends to do it. But now she and Bliss are here to deal with them. Charlotte suggests that Cargill grab a seat and take notes. Jade agrees, saying she’s already getting bored of them, and calls for a referee. The official quickly appears as the segment comes to an end.
Blake Monroe stars in a new teaser ahead of her debut on the blue brand. "I’m not your heroine. I’m The Glamour. The rising star. WWE’s champagne-soaked Cinderella. And to every woman in that locker room, perfection. You’ll see the difference between you and me," she says.
Tag Team Match
Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair vs. Michin and B-Fab (with Jade Cargill)
Flair and Michin start the match. The two women stare each other down before locking up. Charlotte catches Michin and takes her down. Frustrated, Michin quickly rolls out of the ring. Back inside, she surprises Flair with a chop block before finishing the sequence with a pele kick. Charlotte recovers and strikes her opponent in the corner. Michin grabs Charlotte by the hair and slams her to the mat before following up with a spinning kick.
Charlotte avoids a dropkick and traps Michin in a headscissors. Without letting go, she swings her around the ring. Alexa and B-Fab tag in. Bliss unleashes a fast-paced offense on B-Fab. Michin distracts Alexa long enough for B-Fab to recover. Bliss charges back at Michin for a spinning senton, but her opponent dodges it.
The action continues. Alexa climbs to the top rope and dives onto B-Fab with a diving crossbody. B-Fab catches her in mid-air and counters with a slam. Michin tags back in. Michin and B-Fab connect with a double-team suplex on Bliss to continue the punishment. Michin locks Alexa in a painful submission hold. She drags Bliss toward the corner, where Michin and B-Fab take turns kicking Alexa while the fans rally behind her.
Michin traps Bliss in a Bear Hug. Alexa escapes and attempts a roll-up, only to be taken down again. Bliss counters a powerslam into a DDT. Both women collapse to the mat. Alexa and Michin crawl toward their respective corners and tag in their partners. Charlotte launches herself onto B-Fab with a diving crossbody before unleashing an offensive flurry on both opponents. Flair drops B-Fab with a clothesline. Charlotte delivers a Fallaway Slam to both opponents before mocking Cargill.
“The Queen” climbs to the top rope. Jade steps onto the apron, distracting Charlotte long enough for her teammates to regain control. Flair escapes a B-Fab roll-up and attempts a Figure Four Lock, but Michin prevents her from applying it. The match descends into chaos. Alexa catches B-Fab just as Jade pulls Charlotte out of the ring. Bliss plants B-Fab with a Sister Abigail. However, the moment Alexa goes for the cover, Cargill drags her out of the ring and immediately attacks her.
Winners by Disqualification: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss
Jade orders Michin to finish off Charlotte, who is still lying on the floor. However, “The Queen” turns the tables by throwing Michin over the announce table. Flair returns to the ring and takes out B-Fab with a big boot. Charlotte approaches Cargill and dares her to make a move, but “The Storm” chooses not to act.
Cathy Kelley interviews Fatal Influence backstage. Jacy Jayne says that unlike the rest of the teams on SmackDown, they are a united group built on loyalty. And that unity will allow them to win all the gold. Jacy sends a direct message to the blue brand’s women’s division, promising that soon they will all fall at their feet.
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss are talking backstage. Bliss reminds her partner that they’ve spent weeks facing enemies who outnumber them. That’s why they need help. "Do I look like the kind of person who needs help? Because I don’t think I am," says “The Queen.” "No, Charlotte Flair. You’re not that kind of person. But we’re outnumbered, and Rhea owes us one," Bliss replies before walking away. Flair follows after her partner.
We see a recap video of the closing segment from the latest episode of WWE Raw, where Jacob Fatu destroyed Roman Reigns and The Usos.
Solo Sikoa approaches Royce Keys backstage. Solo congratulates him on tonight’s opportunity, saying he can help him with this. Sikoa hopes Keys listens to him instead of Fatu, because together they could take over SmackDown. Besides, it would be a shame if the same thing that happened to Shinsuke Nakamura happened to him. Royce stops warming up and steps up to Solo. Keys makes it clear that he’s going to do this on his own. "Alright. But you know what’s funny? Jacob said the same thing," Solo says before walking away.
Match for a WWE Undisputed Championship Opportunity at Clash in Italy
Gunther vs. Royce Keys
Both men stare each other down before beginning a cautious feeling-out process. Gunther backs Keys into one of the corners and quickly slaps him across the face. Royce responds with a right hand that forces the Austrian to retreat to ringside. Gunther returns to the ring, only to leave it again moments later. “The Ring General” comes back in once more and kicks Keys before trapping him in a headlock. Royce breaks free and begins exchanging shoulder tackles with his opponent.
Gunther lands several chops on Keys. Royce halts the offense and launches a comeback that ends with a running powerslam. 1..2..NO. “The Ring General” escapes to ringside once again. Royce goes after him. Keys repeatedly slams the Austrian against the barricade. Royce grabs Gunther and throws him over the announce table.
Gunther stops his opponent’s momentum by sending him crashing into the steel steps. The Austrian returns to the ring while the referee begins the ten count. Keys makes it back just before the count of nine. Gunther kicks his opponent before he can get to his feet. Royce responds with several right hands, but the Austrian quickly cuts him off and traps him in a painful submission hold.
Gunther targets Keys’ left arm throughout his assault. "You tapped out!" the crowd reminds the Austrian. Royce digs deep and surprises Gunther with a clothesline. “The Ring General” answers with a chop. Keys blocks a suplex from Gunther and counters with one of his own. Gunther lands several knee strikes on Royce before dropping him with another chop. 1..2..NO.
Gunther throws Keys out of the ring to a chorus of boos from the crowd. Royce blocks a kick from Gunther and hoists him onto his shoulders. Keys carries him toward the announce table and repeatedly smashes him against it. The action returns to the ring, where Gunther regains control with a clothesline. Keys shocks the Austrian with a superplex. 1..2..NO.
Gunther locks Keys in a Gojira Clutch. Royce begins to fade. Solo Sikoa appears at ringside to encourage Keys, who manages to break free from the hold. Royce and Gunther exchange strikes. Keys lands three clotheslines to take down the Austrian. 1..2..NO. Royce crushes “The Ring General” in the corner and prepares for his next attack, but his opponent cuts him off and once again applies the Gojira Clutch.
Keys escapes and trades blows with Gunther. Royce shoves his opponent into the referee. Solo tries to take advantage of the situation by retrieving a steel chair from under the ring and handing it to Keys. Sikoa urges him to use it against his rival. However, Royce throws the chair at Solo instead, knocking him off the apron. Gunther capitalizes on the distraction and attacks Royce from behind. He follows up with a clothesline. “The Ring General” finishes his opponent with a powerbomb. 1..2..3.
Winner: Gunther
Gunther turns toward the camera and shouts in German. He then prepares to send a message to Cody Rhodes — but Cody suddenly blindsides him with a Cross Rhodes! "Welcome to SmackDown!" Cody exclaims before posing for the fans. Rhodes stares down at his fallen enemy as this week’s show comes to an end.
