Tonight we will once again enjoy a new live broadcast of WWE SmackDown, which this time will be live from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The show will feature several attractions, highlighting the match between CM Punk and Kevin Owens for the WWE Undisputed Championship.
In addition, MFT will defend the WWE Tag Team Championships against Damian Priest and R-Truth in a rematch. On the other hand, we will also have the in-ring debut of Blake Monroe, who will face Giulia one-on-one. As always, we invite you to comment on the article to give your opinion on what happened in the show.
WWE SmackDown starts on Netflix!
We see the arrival of the two main stars of the night: CM Punk and Kevin Owens.
Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore introduce a video summary of the current rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.
Sami Zayn argues with Nick Aldis backstage. Zayn continues to demand his rematch for the WWE Undisputed Championship while blaming the General Manager for many of the injustices he has suffered in recent weeks. The most recent one took place just seven days ago when he was forced to compete with a broken hand. However, that match did not take place because Randy Orton decided to intervene. "What does Randy Orton have to do with all this? He lost to Cody Rhodes," says Sami without realizing that "The Viper" is behind him. Nick lets him know. The Canadian turns to find himself face to face with Orton. He asks him to continue with his explanation, as he is interested in seeing where this is going. "RANDY! RANDY!" can be heard in the distance. It's Cody Rhodes, who demands the presence of "The Viper" from the center of the ring. Aldis asks Orton to stay backstage while he takes care of this. However, Randy soon follows him. Sami is left alone. Furious, he vents his frustration with a water bottle.
Aldis appears on the entrance ramp to make it clear to Rhodes that the chaos of last week will not be repeated. Orton is the next to appear on the scene. Microphone in hand, "The Viper" does not understand Cody's attitude, as he already has what he wanted. Both will face each other at Sunday Night's Main Event in two weeks, where he can humiliate him in front of his hometown crowd. Rhodes, for his part, claims to know his mentor very well, and knows that he cannot wait two weeks. Randy is about to enter the ring, but Aldis intervenes again. The General Manager of SmackDown categorically prohibits them from laying a finger on each other. If they do not comply with this order, neither of them will have another chance at the WWE Undisputed Championship.
"The Viper" insists that his main goal is to win his fifteenth world championship, so he promises Nick that there will be no problems on his part. However, he does have a question to ask Cody: Would he really have hit him with a chair in the head last week? Orton is convinced that he would not have been able to, because he knows that Rhodes could not live with that on his conscience for the rest of his life. He, however, can. He has already stained his hands with Rhodes' blood and has no regrets. On the other hand, Cody also assured that he will be the one to "kill" "The Legend Killer", but he is convinced that it will not happen.
Rhodes claims to have learned a lot from his locker room colleagues, both from his heroes and his enemies, including Randy himself. Cody presents a scenario in which "The Viper" wins his fifteenth world championship. He could even break John Cena's record. But none of that matters, because the end of this story will not change. "This is what will happen next, because even so, you always end up coming back to me. The one who will 'kill' The Legend Killer is QB1. And Randy, this is not a prediction. It's a spoiler," says Cody before tossing the mic. Both men silently observe each other as the segment comes to an end.
MFT (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) carry out a brief promo backstage. The Tongans boast about their recent coronation as WWE Tag Team Champions, reminding everyone that now it's all about their family. Talla points out that the belts now belong to them, encouraging any team that wants to take them away to step forward. "Priest, Truth, do you want this? Come and get it!," exclaims Tama. Haku appears on the scene to cheer on his sons. "Let's show them who these Tongan sons of b*tches are!," he exclaims. The three men head to the ring to end this segment.
Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships
MFT (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) (c) (with Haku) vs. R-Truth and Damian Priest
Tama and Talla attack the challengers before the referee has signaled the start of the match. Talla takes R-Truth to ringside, letting Tama take care of Damian. The official rings the bell. Priest takes Tama to one of the corners, where he unleashes a flurry of punches. Tama tries to react, but Damian prevents him. R-Truth receives the tag to continue the offensive.
R-Truth crushes Tama in one of the rings. Talla tries to surprise him from behind, but R-Truth dodges to make him fall to ringside. R-Truth and Priest expel Tama from the ring. Damian proposes to his partner to launch himself onto the champion. R-Truth accepts the suggestion, so he executes a tope on Tama in front of the commentator's table. The action returns to the ring, where Tama takes control.
Tama expels R-Truth from the ring before giving the tag to Talla. He carries R-Truth on one of his shoulders to drop him on the public barrier. The fans boo the Tongan. Talla takes him back to the ring to continue punishing him. Talla hits Damian in his own corner to make him fall out of the ring. Talla knocks down R-Truth with a powerful chop before giving the tag to Talla. The Tongans combine against R-Truth.
Tama punishes R-Truth with the help of the ropes, forcing the referee to intervene. Tama applies a headbutt to R-Truth before giving the tag to Talla. He applies a painful chop to R-Truth, whom Tama catches in a headlock. R-Truth dodges a charge from Tama to respond with a kick. Both men are left lying on the canvas. R-Truth and Tama crawl to their respective corners to tag their partners.
Damian surprises Talla with a kick from the apron to start a quick and forceful offensive against the champion. Tama tries to intervene, only to fall victim to a Flatliner from the Puerto Rican. He seeks height to launch himself onto Talla with a diving clothesline. Damian and Talla catch each other with the intention of applying a chokeslam. Talla frees himself to execute a lariat.
Talla unleashes a rain of attacks on Damian in his corner. The referee must intervene, a moment that Tama takes advantage of to illegally hit his opponent. Priest escapes from the champions to tag R-Truth. He executes John Cena's classic combo on Tama to the delight of the fans. R-Truth performs a Five Knuckle Shuffle, followed by an Attitude Adjustment. 1..2..NO. Talla interrupts the count.
Damian expels Talla from the ring. Priest uses the metal steps as a springboard to launch himself onto Talla. Priest seeks height on the apron, but Tama makes him fall with a push. Talla catches Damian to apply a chokeslam on the apron. R-Truth takes advantage of the situation to surprise Tama with a roll-up. One... Two... Three. Winners and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: MFT
Visibly disappointed, Damian returns to the ring to approach R-Truth. Tension is palpable in the air. The audience awaits the inevitable attack by the Puerto Rican on his partner. Priest extends his hand to R-Truth to help him stand up. After that, and to the relief of the fans, both men hug. And so we reach the end of this segment.
Cathy Kelley interviews CM Punk backstage. Kelley asks the WWE Undisputed Champion if fighting against Kevin Owens in hostile territory has led him to change his game plan for tonight in any way. "The Best in the World" responds that it has not. In fact, he thrives under pressure and in front of a hostile audience. Also, contrary to what Owens claims, he has indeed changed in recent years. Kevin, on the other hand, seems like the same guy he met two decades ago. Suddenly, Randy Orton appears on the scene. "A clear warning: once I kick Cody's ass in front of his family, in his hometown, I'll come for number fifteen," says "The Viper" before leaving. "I'm looking forward to it," responds CM Punk as he watches him walk away.
Chelsea Green waits for Tiffany Stratton outside the WWE infirmary. The Canadian asks her friend if she is okay, in addition to deeply regretting what happened last week. To make it up to her, she wants to invite her to the best place in town. Tiffany thanks Chelsea for her concern. Also, she knows that the Canadian really wants to help her. But tonight she needs her to stay out of it and not accompany her to her match. The last thing she wants is for Green to suffer any kind of mishap that puts her reign at risk. Both women continue walking. Chelsea notices the presence of Paige. Green greets her by gently passing her hand over the Brit's back. She turns to Chelsea. Paige congratulates her on her promo from last week, as it was very moving. She knows very well what it feels like when an injury takes away what you love the most. That said, she assures her that she will be a great champion for a long time.
Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid) appear on the scene to mock those present. Jacy believes that Chelsea should not listen to the advice of someone who was unable to keep her own championship. Fallon adds that it is only a matter of time before the faction also takes Green's title. Lainey acknowledges that Chelsea's promo was very nice, but the Canadian must recognize that neither she nor her friends are up to Fatal Influence. "If someone is going to take the titles, it will be us who take yours," says Green. Paige admits that she misses having gold around her waist since Nikki Bella stabbed her in the back. That's why she hints that she might go after the United States Championship that Jayne now holds. "And then you can be irrelevant again, just like you were when you got here," adds Stratton. "Darling, you keep wrapping your waist with duct tape, while we keep wrapping ours with gold," says Jayne before leaving with her companions.
Cathy Kelley approaches Blake Monroe backstage to interview her before her debut match on the WWE main roster. "The Beautiful Madness" makes it clear that she does not agree with this match, as her debut should have been with a world championship at stake, not against Giulia. Also, Toronto is not the city she would have chosen for this moment. Other places with more glamour, like Paris, would have been a better choice. However, it doesn't matter anymore. "Even if they don't give me anything, I'll do what I do best and make everyone talk about me," says the British woman. She ends the interview so they can finish styling her hair properly.
Giulia vs. Blake Monroe
Giulia makes her entrance. However, before she can reach the ring, she is attacked from behind. It's Blake. She throws Giulia against the metal steps before taking her inside the ring. The British woman applies a headbutt to "The Beautiful Madness," followed by a knee strike. Monroe catches Giulia to finish her off with a Beauty Shot. Blake leaves the ring before the match could begin. "The Glamour" heads to the camera. "I have the potential to be a world champion! Where is my match?," she exclaims as she walks down the entrance ramp. Blake turns towards the ring to blow a kiss to Giulia. And so we reach the end of this segment.
No Contest
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss chat backstage. "The Queen" is eager to celebrate her friend's birthday brunch, where Mimosas and Bloody Marys will not be missing. Bliss informs her that a third person will join the celebration. At that moment, Tatum Paxley appears, who is also looking forward to the event. However, she doesn't know who "Mary" is that they were talking about. "Will she bring the blood? Or should I bring mine?," Paxley asks.
Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin approach them. Cargill points to Tatum, indicating to her companions that Charlotte needed her help to defeat her last week. Paxley officially introduces herself to the heels. After that, she asks if they will also be at the brunch. And most importantly: is any of them Mary? Tatum notices that B-Fab is a redhead, leading her to think she is Mary. "I need your blood," she says seriously. "I may be weird and lack a sense of personal space, but this walking geek took care of both of you," says Charlotte to Michin and B-Fab as she snaps her fingers. Michin steps forward to challenge Tatum to a singles match next week. "My first match!," exclaims Paxley as she hugs Flair. "I'd love to," she says to Michin. The heels soon leave. "You defended me," Tatum says to Charlotte before hugging her once again. An uncomfortable Flair remains silent, completely immobilized by the former NXT North American Champion. And so we reach the end of this segment.
Trick Williams and Lil Yachty make their entrance. "Whoop that Trick!" chant the fans as both men head to the ring. Williams takes a microphone to address the audience. Trick expresses his satisfaction at having Yachty back. However, there is something he has not yet recovered: his United States Championship. That said, he goes straight to Baron Corbin. "Since you walk backstage looking like a billiard ball, how about you come out here to receive a Trick Shot so I can get my title back?," he asks.
Baron Corbin makes his entrance riding a motorcycle
Baron heads to the ring. We see that Corbin is not wearing the championship belt. Baron enters the ring and menacingly approaches Yachty, who quickly heads down to ringside. Trick stands in front of Baron, reminding him that he is the one he has to deal with. Williams claims that Corbin has only been able to beat him by cheating. That is why he challenges him to face him here and now for the championship, wherever it may be.
"You want a title shot? The title is getting a nice haircut right now", Baron replies. "You're not getting another title shot, Trick," he adds. Corbin reminds him that they have faced each other twice, and he has come out victorious on both occasions. So, as far as he is concerned, Williams does not deserve any more opportunities. With that said, he suggests that he take his friend with him so he does not have to see him again, because this story is over. Baron turns around, ready to leave, at which point Yachty surprises him with his trusty kendo stick. Trick clotheslines the champion out of the ring. "Whoop that Trick!", the fans chant.
Annoyed, Corbin addresses Williams. "All right, you want to do this? This is how you want to do it? Fine. How about this? Sunday Night's Main Event. Atlanta", he says. The fans boo. Corbin mocks them, making it clear that they do not deserve to see this match. "But first I want him", Baron says, pointing at Yachty. "I want Yachty in his hometown. Five minutes in that ring. If he survives, you get your title shot. If I win, it's over, once and for all". Corbin addresses the rapper directly to provoke him. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?", he asks. "I accept!", the rapper shouts. "Good," a satisfied Baron says. "Yachty, these will be the longest five minutes of your life", Corbin says before leaving. "I got this," a confident Yachty tells Williams as the segment comes to an end.
Cathy Kelley interviews Kevin Owens backstage. However, the Canadian soon notices the presence of Finn Bálor. He approaches Owens to tell him that he was very happy when he saw him show up at SummerSlam. However, as friends, he would have liked Kevin to tell him that he would be taking part in the PLE, since nobody knew anything until that moment. Kevin interrupts him, pointing out that someone else is coming. It is Gunther, who once again completely ignores Bálor. "The Ring General" tells Owens that this is a big night for him. Not only will he be able to get his revenge on CM Punk, but he could also become the Undisputed WWE Champion. And all of that in front of the fans in his hometown. With that said, he wants to take some pressure off his shoulders. "You don't have to worry about Finn Bálor. That guy is a shadow of what he once was. So, if you win tonight, the person you'll have to worry about is me", the Austrian says before leaving. Kevin asks Bálor if the strange way Gunther spoke about him was because of his accent. "It's not his accent. He's angry. He always is," Finn replies. "Don't worry about him. Worry about going out there tonight and winning the WWE Championship. As your friend, I'll give you a heads-up: When you do, I'll be waiting for you on the other side", Finn says. "I hope it's you, friend," Owens replies. The two bump fists as a sign of respect. Bálor leaves, allowing the Canadian to get ready.
Tiffany Stratton vs. Lash Legend (with Nia Jax)
Stratton surprises Lash with two consecutive dropkicks. She then crushes her with a handspring corner back elbow. Tiffany looks to use the ropes for momentum for her next attack, but Legend stops her with an uppercut. Lash continues her assault on the former United States Champion, hitting her with a powerslam. Legend traps Tiffany in a bear hug. Lash drives her opponent into one of the corners to inflict more damage.
Stratton finally breaks free. Tiffany avoids the impact of a pump kick and responds with a chop block. She then executes a backstabber. Legend ends up at ringside. Stratton dives with a suicide dive, but Lash stops her in midair. Legend drives Tiffany into one of the ring posts before taking her back inside the ring.
Legend punishes her opponent with the help of the ropes. Lash kicks the former United States Champion before trapping her in a headlock. Stratton breaks free, only to be taken down with a clothesline. 1..2..NO. Legend hits several corner spears on Tiffany. Lash follows up with a barrage of direct kicks to her opponent's stomach. Legend hits two consecutive clotheslines on Stratton. She avoids a third and responds with a roll-up. 1..2..NO. Lash immediately counters with a big boot.
Tiffany escapes a headlock and rolls to ringside to catch her breath. A confident Lash goes after her opponent. Legend charges at Stratton. She dodges, causing her opponent to crash into one of the ring posts. The action returns inside the ring, where both women exchange attacks. Lash executes a suplex. Tiffany avoids a subsequent elbowdrop to take control. Stratton surprises Lash with a handspring cutter.
Tiffany climbs to the top rope to execute a Swanton Bomb, but her opponent dodges at the last moment. Now Stratton avoids a pump kick. Legend catches Tiffany, ready to execute a Lash Extension, but her opponent reverses it into a Crucifix Pin. 1..2..NO. Stratton climbs up to set up her Prettiest Moonsault Ever. A recovered Legend pushes her, sending her crashing onto the turnbuckle. After that, she finishes her off—with the Lash Extension this time. 1..2..3.
Winner: Lash Legend
Nia hits a legdrop across Tiffany's back. The Irresistible Forces prepare to launch an assault on Stratton when suddenly, !Chelsea Green storms onto the scene with a kendo stick! The Interim WWE Champion runs toward the ring and strikes the heels with the stick. Jax and Legend have no choice but to escape to ringside. Chelsea approaches Tiffany to help her as the fans cheer her. This brings the segment to an end.
Shinsuke Nakamura delivers another video promo to introduce his new partner. "MFT. I've warned you for weeks, but you didn't listen. Well, what was in the darkness has finally come to light," the Japanese star says as the figure of a man appears behind him. "Hello, I'm KYOKI", says the wrestler formerly known as Hiromu Takahashi. "After years of competing all over the world, I've finally arrived in WWE. Champions, legends, monsters. I don't care. The stronger they are, the more fun I have!", he exclaims. "He does not fear chaos. He enjoys it," Nakamura says. "More fights. More gold. More madness. More. More. More. More. More", KYOKI says. "MFT, you have the championships... for now. When Strong Style and Madness collide, there will be an EXPLOSION. Time is running out," Shinsuke declares. "Bakusai!", KYOKI exclaims to bring the video to an end.
Undisputed WWE Championship Match
CM Punk (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Both men begin a furious exchange of punches as soon as the bell rings. Owens hits two clotheslines on CM Punk. The second sends the champion out of the ring. Kevin goes after CM Punk, but he makes his way back under his own power. CM Punk surprises Owens with a barrage of kicks. The fans boo "The Best in the World". The Canadian recovers and drops CM Punk across the top rope.
Owens continues attacking CM Punk before turning his attention to the commentary table, which he quickly dismantles. A recovered CM Punk surprises Kevin from behind. He then puts the table back together. The fans boo him again. The action returns inside the ring. CM Punk blocks a Stunner and responds with a neckbreaker. CM Punk kicks KO.
Both men exchange attacks in the center of the ring. Kevin unleashes a barrage of punches on the champion in one of the corners. CM Punk sends his opponent into the opposite corner to regain control. CM Punk continues attacking the Canadian, hitting him with a knee drop. 1..2..NO. "The Best in the World" executes a powerslam on Owens. 1..2..NO. CM Punk traps his opponent in a crossface. Kevin tries to escape, at which point the champion hits him with three consecutive back sentons.
Owens surprises CM Punk with a roll-up. 1..2..NO. CM Punk responds with a lariat. The champion drives his opponent into one of the corners and unleashes a barrage of kicks. The fans cheer for their favorite wrestler as both men continue trading blows. KO unleashes a furious barrage of attacks on CM Punk in the ropes area. The referee has to intervene to separate the Canadian from the champion. The latter falls to ringside.
Kevin goes after his opponent and takes him down with a clothesline. Owens brings him back inside the ring to execute a corner cannonball. 1..2..NO. Kevin climbs one of the turnbuckles. CM Punk rolls to ringside to avoid the attack. CM Punk turns around and finds the Canadian hitting a superkick. As a result, CM Punk ends up on the commentary table. KO climbs onto the crowd barricade and launches himself with a frog splash. The table is destroyed. Owens brings CM Punk back inside the ring to finish him with a Swanton Bomb. 1..2..NO. "This is awesome!", the fans chant.
CM Punk blocks a pop-up powerbomb and responds with several kicks. Kevin collapses onto the mat. 1..2..NO. CM Punk hits a knee strike on Owens before taking him down with a clothesline. CM Punk finishes him off with a diving elbowdrop. 1..2..NO. The champion traps the Canadian in an Anaconda Vise. Owens spins his opponent around to cover him. 1..2..NO. CM Punk breaks free to interrupt the count. CM Punk hits two consecutive neckbreakers on Kevin.
CM Punk continues targeting Owens' neck. The fans respond with a loud chorus of boos. CM Punk prepares for the GTS. Kevin blocks the kick and traps the champion in a painful Sharpshooter. CM Punk fights through the pain as he crawls toward the ropes to force the hold to be broken. Owens kicks CM Punk in the apron area. The champion responds with a Rope Guillotine.
Both men struggle with each other. CM Punk blocks a Stunner by pushing his opponent, who accidentally crushes the referee against one of the corners. Owens now escapes CM Punk's grasp to avoid a GTS. However, when he pushes the champion, Punk crashes into the dazed official, who ends up falling to ringside. Kevin hits a Stunner on CM Punk and covers him. "1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..", the fans chant. Kevin realizes that the referee is unavailable to make the three-count.
Kevin calls for a new referee. CM Punk takes advantage of the Canadian's distraction to surprise him with a GTS. "The Best in the World" covers him. "1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..", the fans chant again. CM Punk realizes what is happening and leaves the ring in search of the referee. Suddenly, Sami Zayn appears on the scene and surprises CM Punk from behind. Zayn shoves "The Best in the World" into one of the ring posts. Sami brings CM Punk back into the ring, where KO finishes him with a Stunner. Zayn brings the referee back to make the three-count. One... Two... Thre... NO!
Sami decides to change his strategy and picks up the Undisputed WWE Championship before throwing it into the ring, right in front of Kevin. He picks up the belt, only to hand it back to his friend. Owens makes it clear that he will not win this way. Suddenly, Zayn hits Kevin with the championship belt! KO collapses onto the mat. An exhausted CM Punk approaches Owens to finish him with a decisive GTS. 1..2..3.
Winner and STILL Undisputed WWE Champion: CM Punk
CM Punk celebrates his victory in the ring. Suddenly, Sami appears behind him and attacks him with the championship. Kevin returns to the ring to go after his compatriot, but ends up receiving the same treatment as "The Best in the World". Zayn strikes CM Punk in the face again with his own championship. "Do you see this?! Do you see this, Punk?! You STOLE IT FROM ME! This is JUSTICE! This is coming BACK WITH ME!", Zayn exclaims before posing with the title. Sami remains standing over his victims as the show comes to an end.
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