Date: 08/06	5:00 AM
Views: 983

Tonight's Smackdown is the second of the brand split era. After Randy Orton RKOed Brock Lesnar on Raw, what comes next? American Alpha's debut, that's what. Meanwhile, Dolph Ziggler reacts to becoming #1 Contender. Plus, what about Heath Slater, and when is Sheldon Benjamin showing up?

Smackdown opens with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan dressing down Randy Orton for causing a potential security situation, while admitting it was pretty cool. They introduce a security team, which Orton insists won't be necessary because he can take him down with one RKO. The Miz walks in and asks why they didn't celebrate Miz retaining at Battleground like they did Dean Ambrose, Bryan makes a triple threat #1 Contender's match: Baron Corbin vs. Apollo Crews (who he calls Apollo Creed) vs. Kalisto. Then Dean Ambrose walks in and says he's going to address everyone.

Smackdown opens with Ambrose hitting the ring. They have new infographics for his entrance.

"Welcome to Smackdown Live! In case you didn't know, my name is Dean Ambrose, and I am the WWE World Champion! Let me tell you a little bit about how I got here, I got here by busting my ass every day, I got here by beating both of my Shield mates for the WWE Championship. But let's not go on about that, because now it's about staying on top. I like the view from up here, and now it's about building respecting the history of this championship and building my legacy! At Summerslam, I have Dolph Ziggler. The showoff, the booty shaker, the #1 Contender! So in the interest of information and a possible confrontation, let's introduce the #1 Contender, Dolph Ziggler!"

Ziggler comes to the ring. "'Sup, Dean? Hey man, I just want to say I'm a big fan, and you and I are honestly pretty similar."

"No, no we're not. We're nothing alike, Dolph, because you're all show and I'm all go, brother. I scratched and clawed my whole life to get to this, and ain't nobody taking that away from me, not anybody, especially you."

"Are we just going to pretend you didn't come in with a SWAT team with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns? I started out as a male cheerleader. Green jumpsuit and all, so if you want to talk about even playing field, you want to talk about scratching and clawing your way to the top, you're looking at him."

"You done feeling sorry for yourself? Everything you just said is true, but the difference is you just keep complaining. When people said I wasn't championship material, I didn't mind, I just went out and proved it. Can you say the same? No, because you're too worried about your image. You're too worried about your image, your hair, what these people think of you, what the office thinks of you, what they say about you on the internet, about stealing the show, about who you think you are, and where you think you are. Where you are is facing me at Summerslam. And yeah, you're going to steal the show. You'll make all the highlight reels, you'll be the talk of the town the next day, you'll steal the show, but I'll do what I do best, which is win. You're going to steal the show, and you'll lose."

"You know who I am? I'm the kid from Cleveland who went to his first WWE show at five and said this is where I'm going to be some day. I broke records in college, I pushed, I shoved, and for the past seven years I've been trying to make it, only to be told I'm not good enough, then that I'm too good, you wanna know who I am? You wanna know who the hell I am? I'm the man that's going to walk into Summerslam, burn Brooklyn to the ground and become champion, because I am that damn good!"

"No you're not. You're not going to do any of that. And it's not going to be some conspiracy theory, anybody holding you back or holding you down. You're going to find out what your real problem is. Real problem? You're not as good as you think you are."

Dean Ambrose leaves. Bray Wyatt clubs Ziggler from behind. "You stole something from me, and I want it back. So I want to make a challenge. Face me, and if you win, then you will prove to all these people that you are worthy of being the #1 Contender, but fall and I will take your place at Summerslam, and I will be the #1 Contender. So come on, show-off. Face me tonight and prove that you really are that damn good."

After a commercial, Dolph Ziggler confronts Shane and Daniel, and says he wants the match. He says he needs to prove himself, Shane makes the match.

Match One: IC Title #1 Contender's Match: Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin vs. Apollo Crews

Miz is on commentary.

Corbin swings at Kalisto, then Crews, Kalisto grabs Corbin from behind, Crews tosses him off, punches to Crews, Crews and Kalisto double team Corbin out of the ring, Kalisto with a rollup for two, Crews responds with a clothesline, Corbin pulls Crews out of the ring, Kalisto with a suicide dive to Corbin, commercial. Back on air, Crews avalanches both opponents, Kalisto ducks, avalanche to Crews, uses Crews as a launch pad to crossbody Corbin out of the ring, Crews with a Samoan Drop for two, Corbin with a Deep Six to Crews for two, stomps to Kalisto, stomps and knees to Crews, Kalisto with a kick, Crews with punches to Corbin, Cobrin responds in kind, Kalisto with a springboard hurricanrana to Corbin, blocked, Crews with a dropkick allowing Kalisto to complete the move and send Corbin out of the ring, Crews rolls Kalisto up for three.

Winner: Apollo Crews

Corbin attacks Kalisto after the match, Crews hits the ring and starts brawling, Miz hits a Skull Crushing Finale to Crews, Corbin levels the champ with End of Days.

Match Two: Becky Lynch vs. Eva Marie

Eva Marie enters to the same voiceover package.

Eva stretches her leg, the referee calls for a trainer, she says she hurt her leg getting in the ring, the ref calls off the match.

Match Result: Match Called Off

What the actual fuck? I should be angry and yet I'm so intrigued.

Renee Young introduces Carmella for a sit-down interview. Carmella says the injury is a scam, Natalya walks in and says Renee should be interviewing her instead. She name-drops Bret Hart, and says she should lead the Women's Division on Smackdown. Carmella says she doesn't need a leader, Natalya points out that Carmella was the last Smackdown draft pick, they challenge each other to a match.

Match Three: The Vaudevillains vs. American Alpha

Gable and Gotch start off, Gable with a reverse double leg, front facelock, hooks a leg, Gotch to his feet, wrenches the arm, Gable escapes, leg scissors, armbar, Gotch to his feet, Jordan in, dropkick for one, armbar, Gotch breaks with a face wrench, knee, Aiden in, hip toss blocked, Gable in, top rope clothesline to both opponents, stereo dropkicks, Gotch grabs the leg, Aiden with punches, stomp in the corner, Gotch in, double team chop, punch, arm drag, Gotch covers for two, knee lift, punch, Aiden in, Gotch whips him into Gable, who dodges, tosses Gotch to the floor, Jordan in, clotheslines, dropkick, t-bone suplex, pair of belly to bellys, shoulder tackle in the corner, Gable in, Grand Amplitude for three.

Winners: American Alpha

They show a video package from the Teen Choice awards, then AJ Styles hits the ring. "Alright, alright, turn off this music, I ain't got time for this, turn it off. I came out here for one reason and one reason only: To talk about John Cena."

Cena hits the ring. "So for days now, AJ Styles been saying he got a message for me. Well, I'm right here. Talk."

"Typical John Cena. All smug, thinking everything's about you. While you're out here, I mean, I could do my most favourite thing to do, beat up John Cena. Keep your shirt on, big man, I've got you figured out. Before you came out here and rudely interrupted me, I had a message for Cenation. But since you're out here, you need to hear it."

The crowd starts chanting "Soccer mom hair".

Cena: "I ain't gonna go there, no soccer practice tonight."

"If these people want to listen, let me tell you what my real problem with you is. I beat you, I beat you up, and you're still here. I don't want you here. I'm telling you what my problem is. I don't want you in the same ring as me. You come out here, you do your little song and dance, and they think you're some hero? These people think you're a hero? Nashville, Tennessee is the weakest of minds, trust me, I know. You wanna know who? Okay, I'll start. The kids. The delusional kids, 'I want this, I want that'. And you know who's just as delusional? The parents. You're the type of parents who think your kid deserves a trophy just for participating in a sport. And you know who's just as delusional as the parents and the kids? You, John Cena. Because you believe what these kids believe about you! You don't get dessert before dinner, you don't get an A for being late for school, and you don't get a trophy just for participating! You get a trophy for winning! I beat John Cena, where's my trophy?"

"You are clearly a dude who has some issues to work out, but let's not get into that. Look, I never forced these people to believe anything. I come out here, they make up their own words to my theme. I come out, they chant 'Let's go Cena--'"

"Cena sucks! You are nothing but a fraud! You said the future goes through you? At Money in the Bank, I went through you, why are you still here?"

"Right now, I'm here to shut your mouth! You can believe what you like, but there comes a point where you have to be respectful. You wanna call these people delusional just because they believe in something? And you asked a question you don't want to know the answer to. I'm about to make you look ridiculous. You wanna know why I'm still here, after all this stuff going on outside the WWE? I'm out here because it hasn't changed in a decade and a half, I'm here out of love. I don't care if we don't say 'love' a lot, it doesn't make people look tough, I don't care, I'm a grown ass man. I love that kid in the front row who cheers for their favourite guy. I love the parents who come up to me after the show and thank me, I should be thanking them, because they let me do this. I love doing the Espys, the Teen Choice Awards, because there's always someone who asks 'Now that you've made it mainstream, when are you leaving the WWE?' And I tell them never! Because this is my only home! And when you're kicking it on your day off tomorrow, I don't know what that is, I'll be on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert wearing a Smackdown Blue suit, looking ridiculous! You're here to be a really good wrestler, you've proven you can do that, but you've also proven that if it doesn't work out, you can go somewhere else. I don't have anywhere else, this is my only home, so I am here out of love! What the hell are you here for?"

"(claps) That's exactly what I thought you would say. Because that's always what you say. That's the John Cena who never backs down from a challenge. Summerslam. You and me, one on one, no excuses, no Club."

"Someone needs to shut you up, you're on."

"You know what the best part of Summerslam will be? When I beat you, you come out here and say that AJ Styles is better than you. If you don't, you're a liar. If you do, you're a loser. Either way, I win."

Match Four: Fandango vs. Randy Orton

Security surrounds the ring.

Lockup, Fandango with punches, whip, Orton with a clothesline, Garvin Stomp, cover for two, Breeze distracts, Fandango with a dropkick, mounted punches, chinlock, Orton back suplexes his way out, Orton with a pair of clotheslines, powerslam, one for Tyler Breeze as he attempts to interfere, Hangman's DDT to Fandango, Brock Lesnar comes through the crowd and levels Orton with an F5.

Winner by DQ: Randy Orton

Shane McMahon begs Lesnar to leave, security comes in to remove him.

During commercial, Lesnar leaves.

Daniel Bryan is on the phone discussing the situation. Heath Slater walks in and says he should be a Summerslam. Bryan says if he wants a contract, he has to earn it. He gives him a match next week for the contract. Bryan makes him guess, Slater guesses Chris Jericho's fake partner from Monday, Rhyno gores Slater before Bryan can reveal his name.

Renee Young asks Dean Ambrose for his thoughts on Dolph Ziggler putting his shot on the line. Ambrose says anything can happen, but requests that they stand for the rest of the interview. He says he's not surprised that Wyatt attacked Ziggler, he's surprised that he put the shot on the line.

Backstage, Randy Orton brushes off an attempt at an interview.

Match Five: Carmella vs. Natalya

Carmella does her promo on the way to the ring. "My name is Carmella, and I am the trash-talking, moon-walking chick always ready to go. So get out your popcorn, because I'm about to put on a show."

Natalya attacks Carmella from behind, tosses her into the barricade, suplex on the floor, Sharpshooter, Carmella taps as the refs force them apart.

Match Never Started

Daniel Bryan, with Shane, reminds Ziggler that he has nothing to gain from this match. Ziggler says that they don't believe in him either, then finishes with "Screw you."

Main Event (Thank Christ because I'd be Fucked to Come Up With a Match Number): #1 Contender's Match: Bray Wyatt vs. Dolph Ziggler)

Ambrose is on commentary.

Ziggler opens with a dropkick, Fameasser for two, misses a superkick as Wyatt bails to the floor, Ziggler follows, Wyatt with a clothesline, tosses Ziggler into the barricade, rolls Wyatt into the ring, stomp, punch, misses a punch, Ziggler with a rollup for two, commercial.

Back on air, Ziggler is up in the corner, blocking a superplex with punches, Wyatt responds with a superplex for two, chinlock, Ziggler punches his way out, breaks with a jaw breaker, Wyatt with an avalanche, Ziggler with a clothesline, then another, avalanche, neckbreaker, elbow drop for two, kick, blocked, Wyatt with a punch, suplex, running senton for two, goes to do the spider pose, decides to pull the turnbuckle pad off instead, the ref stops him before he can finish the job, Ziggler with a Zig Zag for two, pulls the pad off, goes to toss Wyatt into the pad, reversed into Sister Abigail, reversed into a rollup for two, Wyatt with a brutal uranage for two, drags Ziggler up, Ziggler with a punch, Wyatt with a knee, punch, knee, mounted punches, toss to the corner, Ziggler misses the pad, Ziggler with punches, tosses Wyatt into the ring pad, superkick for three.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

As Ambrose and Ziggler are staring each other down, Erick Rowan attacks Ziggler. Ambrose comes in to make the save, Rowan hits him with an uranage. Bray Wyatt hits Ziggler with Sister Abigail to end the show.

Smackdown stepped it up this week, while Raw I thought found it difficult to top last week and took a small step down. Still, both shows were absolutely stellar this week, and while I thought last week was a blowout, this week Smackdown eked out a very narrow win. By my count, it's 1-1.