Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 4/14/2023 edition of SmackDown on Fox.
We will bring full results and breakdowns for every match and segment on the show. Follow Fightful on Twitter.com/Fightful and Facebook.com/FIGHTFULONLINE
Here's what is set for the show.
Preview.
WWE SmackDown (4/14/2023).
- LA Knight vs Xavier Woods.
- Shinsuke Nakamura Returns.
- Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez Celebrate Winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
- Santos Escobar vs. Damian Priest.
Refresh the site for the latest updates as the show happens.
Live Coverage.
- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett welcomed the audience to the broadcast before transitioning to the opening segment.
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn came to the ring to cut a promo. Owens & Zayn promised that they would defend their newly won titles with heart every single time, but were aware that The Usos would be coming for their rematch. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso) interrupted them and ran down on Owens & Zayn but Zayn said that The Usos felt more pressure because they had to report to Reigns. The Usos & Sikoa said that The Bloodline was more dangerous than ever and that the Usos would become 9-time Tag Team Champions. Jey said that there were no cracks in the Bloodline, but Zayn said that he was lying to himself. The Bloodline surrounded Zayn & Owens around the ring, but that was until Matt Riddle came in and attacked Sikoa. The six men brawled across the ringside area & inside the ring, with Riddle hitting two Flash Knees and going for a dive, but The Usos pulled Sikoa out of the ring.
- Adam Pearce demanded a referee to look for Solo SIkoa & Matt Riddle to see if they wanted a one-on-one match between the two in the Main Event.
- There was a video package featuring dueling promos from Xavier Woods & LA Knight from social media ahead of their grudge match.
Xavier Woods vs. LA Knight.
The two locked up to begin the match before Knight got a headlock on Woods. Knight hit a shoulder tackle on Woods, but Woods caught Knight with a dropkick in response. Woods got a headlock on Knight. Knight tried to hit a back suplex to break the hold, but Woods landed on his feet before catching Woods with a back elbow. Woods hit La Mistica into a Russian Leg Sweep on Knight before hitting a Tope Con Giro on Knight to the outside. Back in the ring, Woods went for an Elbow Drop, but Knight rolled out fo the ring. Woods went for a sliding dropkick, but Knight side-stepped and slammed Woods into the barricade before tossing Woods into the ring post ahead of the commercial break.
Back from the break, Knight hit an Irish Whip into a Neck Breaker on Woods for a near fall. Woods hit a Scissor Kick on Knight to drop him before running the ropes and hitting a rolling forearm on Knight for a near fall. Woods got Knight in a Fireman's Carry, but Knight evaded and spiked Woods with a DDT onto the mat for a near fall. Knight went for a suplex on Woods, but Woods blocked it before Knight attacked Woods's back. Knight went for a suplex again to the outside, but Woods slammed Knight into the top rope before hitting a Double-Stomp on Knight followed by a diving Leg Drop to get a pin, but Knight broke the count with a rope break. Woods hit a Toe kick on Knight, but Knight caught him with a Powerslam before hitting a Running Elbow Drop on Woods. Knight got a Waist Lock into an O'Connor Roll on Woods, but the referee stopped him from grabbing the tights. Knight argued with the referee, which allowed Woods to get a trunk-assisted O'Connor Roll for the pinfall win.
Winner: Xavier Woods.
- The2023 Edition of the WW Draft is set to take place on the 4/28/2023 edition of SmackDown & on the 5/1/2023 edition of Raw.
- IMPERIUM (Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci & Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER) were talking strategy backstage in German, but they were interrupted by Xavier Woods. GUNTHER said that he did not like goofs like Woods before challenging Woods to a match, which Woods accepted as long as it was for the Intercontinental title.
- Sami Zayn apologized to Matt Riddle backstage for the attack in December and told him to be careful against Solo Sikoa, but Kevin Owens told Riddle to screw that noise and beat down Solo Sikoa.
- The Judgement Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio & SmackDown Women's Champion Rhea Ripley) were interviewed backstage by Kayla Braxton, but Ripley stopped her immediately for saying that Zelina Vega embarrassed her. Priest told Braxton that he knew she was going to ask about Bad Bunny, but Priest promised to address it in the ring. Inside the ring, Priest addressed the Bad Bunny Issue by saying that if Benito put his hands on Judgement Day, he knew what would be coming to him.
Zelina Vega arrived on the ramp with a chancla while the Latino World Order (Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro & Santos Escobar) attacked Dominik & Priest ahead of Priest's match against Escobar.
Damian Priest (w/ Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley of The Judgement Day) vs. Santos Escobar (w/ Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde & Zelina Vega of the Latino World Order).
From the break, Escobar hit a diving cross-body on Priest before clotheslining him to the outside. Escobar then got on the apron and went for an ax handle, but Priest caught him with a jab from mid-air. Back in the ring, Priest hit a running Elbow Strike and a Falcon Arrow Toss on Escobar for a near fall. Priest got Escobar's arm and tried to twist it, but Escobar fired away with chops on Priest before hitting a back-slap and a dropkick on Priest for a near fall. Escobar hit a leaping Meteora on Priest in the corner before hitting a second pair of knees. Escobar slammed Priest's head into the corner before firing away with punches to Priest's head, but Priest caught him before sending him to the outside with a Thrust Kick and hitting an Ax Handle off the stairs on Escobar before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Escobar hit a series of jabs on Priest, but Priest planted Escobar with a flat-liner for a near fall. Priest got a Bow & Arrow back stretch on Escobar, but Escobar broke the hold before Priest caught him with a knee strike. Escobar hit a chin breaker on Priest, but Priest caught him with a boot kick. Priest pulled Escobar into the top rope, but Escobar broke the grip and hit an Avalanche Frankensteiner on Priest. The two exchanged kicks before Escobar caught Priest with a V-Trigger, two forearm strikes, Tijeras into the middle turnbuckle, an apron enziguri kick, and an Asai Moonsault on Priest for a near fall. Escobar tried to carry Priest, but Dominik & Ripley distracted the referee to allow Priest to catch Escobar with a lariat. Wilde & Del Toro attacked Dominik, but Priest took them out with lariats, but Escobar came in from out of nowhere to catch him with a Tope Suicida. Escobar got his leg pulled by Ripley, but Vega caught him with a Hurricanrana into the barricade. Back in the ring, Escobar went for another V-Trigger on Priest, but Priest caught him with a vicious Tornado Kick before hitting the Sit-Down Chokeslam for the pinfall win.
After the match, Rey Mysterio attacked Priest before he & Dominik brawled inside the ring. Rey went for a 619 on Dominik, but Priest pulled Dominik out of the ring to save him
Winner: Damian Priest.
- Paul Heyman & The Usos tried to motivate Solo SIkoa backstage, but Sikoa stopped him and told him this as he put on his wrist tape: "Tell the Tribal chief that I got this", which Heyman agreed to and walked away in fear.
- The newly crowned WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez were in the ring to celebrate their title win. Raquel thanked Morgan for allowing her to use Liv as her own personal weapon, to which Morgan responded by saying that she would always allow Raquel to toss her into other people. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville and ran down on Morgan & Raquel's manner that they won the titles. The two teams brawled in the ring before Green pulled Deville out of the ring as Morgan & Raquel stood tall inside the ring.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Madcap Moss (w/ Emma).
Moss laid in the punches on Nakamura in the corner before hitting a corner spear and a Fall Away Slam on Nakamura for a near fall. Moss went for a suplex, but Nakamura caught him with a knee followed by a spinning heel kick. Nakamura hit a rising heel kick and a basement running knee before hitting a Slingshot German Suplex on Moss. Nakamura hit a flying knee strike on Moss before connecting Moss with the Kinshasa for the pinfall win.
Nakamura got Moss in a Juji Gatame after the match following Moss's attack on Nakamura before Emma pulled Moss out of the ring.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura.
- Karrion Kross & Scarlett called out Nakamura after the match, showing a card of Nakamura.
- Ricochet & Braun Strowman were attacked by The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) & Valhalla backstage, with The Raiders slamming Ricochet into a table.
- Prior to the main event match between Solo Sikoa & Matt Riddle, Paul Heyman revealed that Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens would defend their tag titles against The Usos in a rematch from Night One of WrestleMania 39. Heyman said that the Tribal Chief was losing patience with "the two of you" while staring daggers on The Usos but pointing at Zayn & Owens.
Matt Riddle (w/ WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens) vs. Solo Sikoa (w/ Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso & Paul Heyman).
Riddle got Sikoa in a Kimura lock, but Sikoa tossed him to break the hold. Riddle got Sikoa repeatedly in a sleeper, but Sikoa slammed Riddle into the mat. Riddle got a rear naked choke on Sikoa again, but Sikoa broke the hold and caught Riddle with a jab. Sikoa hit a chop on Riddle's chest, but Riddle responded with a forearm strikes and a chop on Sikoa, but Jey tripped Riddle while the referee was distracted. The referee kicked Owens & Zayn out of the match before he also sent The Usos out of the match due to the two team's involvement. Riddle got Sikoa in a Schoolboy, but Sikoa kicked out and hit a Samoan Drop on Riddle ahead of the commercial break.
Back from the break, Sikoa hit a running back elbow on Riddle for a near fall. Sikoa got Riddle in a Nerve Hold, but Riddle broke the hold before the two exchanged forearm strikes, with Sikoa catching Riddle with a slap. Sikoa went for a corner splash, but Riddle rolled under him and hit open palm strikes, a Pele Kick, a series of running forearm strikes, a T-Bone Suplex, and attempting a Senton on Sikoa, but Sikoa blocked the move. Riddle hit Sikoa with a kick before hitting the Floating Bro on Sikoa for a near fall. Despite the referee kicking out The Usos, Owens & Zayn, the two got back at ringside and brawled on the outside. Riddle caught Sikoa with a roundhouse kick before hitting a Springboard Floating Bro on the Usos to the outside. Riddle went for a dive on Sikoa back in the ring, but Sikoa caught him with a Thrust kick to the abdomen before hitting him with the Samoan Spike for the pinfall win.
After the match, Sikoa hit a Uranage on Riddle into the broadcast table before tossing the table over Riddle. The youngest member of The Uso clan stood tall to end the broadcast.
Winner: Solo Sikoa.
- Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of the show on Fightful's YouTube & Twitch channels. You can check Fightful's Results Section here.
