Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 4/21/2023 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 (4/21/2023).
- WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: GUNTHER (c) vs. Xavier Woods.
- WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green.
- Ricochet & Braun Strowman vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) (w/ Valhalla).
- No Disqualification Match: Matt Riddle vs. Solo Sikoa.
- Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar) (w/ Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz del Toro) vs. Judgement Day's Finn Balor & Damian Priest (w/ Dominik Mysterio & SmackDown Women's Champion Rhea Ripley).
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 match.
Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar) vs. Judgement Day's Finn Balor & Damian Priest.
Balor & Mysterio began the match, with Mysterio hitting three forearm strikes and a running Hurricanrana on Balor. Balro ran the ropes and went for a sunset flip, but Mysterio rolled over and hit a dropkick on Balor before going for a Lionsault, but Balor blocked it with his knees. Priest tagged in and stomped away at Mysterio before catching him with an uppercut. Priest hit an Irish Whip into a flying elbow before Balor tagged in and hit a springboard stomp on Mysterio. Balor & Priest hit a back breaker/ kick combo on Mysterio for a near fall. Balor tagged in and got Mysterio in a headlock, but Balor broke the hold and tossed Mysterio into the corner. Mysterio attacked Balor's back and climbed to the top rope, but Balor got him in a Wheelchair. Balor went for a German, but Mysterio reversed it with a Wheelbarrow Bulldog before tagging in Escobar. Escobar hit forearm strikes on Priest & Blaor, a Tilt-to-Whirl Backbreaker on Balor, a knee drop on Priest in the corner, and a dropkick/ Mexican Arm Drag combo on Priest & Balor. Escobar tossed Rey into Priest for the West Coast Bop. Mysterio went for a sliding splash on Balor, but Priest pulled Balor out of the way to send him crashing into the ringside floor. Escobar hit a knee strike on Priest off the apron and went for a dive to the outside, but Balor caught Escobar with a lariat back in the ring ahead of the commercial break.
Back from the break, Escobar hit a series of chops on Priest, but Priest caught the former AAA Champion with a Thrust kick for a near fall. Priest got a headlock on Escobar before tossing him into the corner, but Escobar attacked Priest & Balor before hitting a leaping dropkick on Priest and tagging in Mysterio. Mysterio hit the Tijeras on Balor, a Diving West Coast Bop, and a Springboard Cross-body on Balor for a near fall. Mysterio hit a Toe-kick, a step-up enziguri kick on Balor and went for the 619, but Priest tagged in. Mysterio tossed Priest out of the ring before Mysterio & Escobar hit a 619/ Frog Splash combo on Balor. Priest laid Mysterio out before hitting a Sit-out Chokeslam on Priest for the pinfall win.
Winners: Finn Balor & Damian Priest.
- Priest had a message for Bad Bunny after the match, saying that he hope Bunny's visit on the 4/24/2023 edition of Raw turns out much better than the last time he was in WWE.
- LWO's Zelina Vega confronted WWE Official Adam Pearce backstage, saying that she wanted to challenge Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship on the special Puerto Rico event "Backlash". Pearce said that he would reach out to management & Ripley about it, which Vega responded by pulling out the Chancla and saying that she looked forward to Ripley's response.
- There was a video package highlighting Shinsuke Nakamura's training for his SmackDown return.
- Nakamura's video was cut off by Karrion Kross & Scarlett in a chamber room. Kross said that he had taken away McIntyre's sanity, Madcap Moss's joy, Rey Mysterio's patience, and promised to take away Nakamura's Honor. Speaking of Honor, you can view Fightful's Ring Of Honor Results from April 20, 2023 here.
Ricochet & Braun Strowman vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) (w/ Valhalla).
The beefy duo of Strowman & Ivar began the match exchanging punches before Ivar hit a series of back elbows on Strowman in the corner, which the monster of All Men responded with a series of punches and an Irish Whip. Strowman & Ivar exchanged shoulder blocks before Strowman hit a shoulder tackle on Ivar, a shoulder block on Erik, and a short-hand lariat on Ivar. Erik tagged in, which allowed him & Ivar to laid in a series of clubbing blows on Strowman. Strowman powered out of the two and tagged in Ricochet, who hit a dropkick on Erik before hitting the Sasuke Special (Cartwheel into a Diving Moonsault) to the outside before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Erik got Ricochet in a chin lock, but Ricochet got out of the hold and leaped over Erik before tagging Strowman. Strowman took out the two Viking Raiders before Braun hit a Corner lariat into a shotgun dropkick on Erik. Strowman ran the Strowman Express and laid out both Raiders with shoulder tackles. Valhalla distracted Strowman to allow Erik to hit two Knee Lifts and Ivar to hit a Leaping Splash on Strowman, but Strowman kicked out at two. Strowman imploded out of the corner and hit a double-shoulder tackle on the Raiders. Ricochet hit a springboard elbow on Erik, but Ivar caught him with a lariat. Ricochet got back up and hit a dropkick, a thrust, and got yeeted by Strowman onto Ivar. Ricochet got on Strowman's shoulders and hit a diving Swanton Bomb on Ivar for the pinfall win.
Winners: Ricochet & Braun Strowman.
- WWE Woen's Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez were interviewed backstage before Liv Morgan promised to show Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green what crazy really is.
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match.
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green.
Green & Deville ran down on the crowd and the team of Morgan & Rodriguez before Green spilled water on Morgan again, a call-back to the previous edition of Raw.
Morgan hit a shotgun dropkick on Green immediately to begin the match before catching Deville with a sunset flip for a near fall. Morgan hit an enziguri kick on Deville before Raquel tagged in and hit a corner splah on Deville. Raquel hit two short-hand tackles on Deville, but Deville hit a chop block on Raquel. Green tagged in, but Raquel slammed Green with two waist-lock takedowns. Green tossed Raquel and went for a Dive, but Raquel caught her and went for a splash, but Deville hit a running knee strike on Raquel. Morgan saw Deville & Green posing before hitting them with a Tope Con Giro for a near fall. Back in the ring, Green hit an Avalanche Back SUplex on Morgan thanks to Deville before going for a rope-assisted pin, but the referee stopped the count after catching Green. Green & Deville double-teamed Morgan witha back suplex before Deville hit a pump kick on Morgan for a near fall. Green & Deville went for a double-suplex on Morgan, btu Morgan caught both of them with a double neck breaker. Raquel hit a lariat on Deville, an Swing Lariat, a Fall-Away Slam & Corkscrew Elbow on Green for a near fall before getting Deville on the top rope and hitting a Superplex on her before Morgan hit a diving shotgun dropkick on Green for a near fall. Green & Deville tossed Raquel out of the ring, but this allowed Morgan to spill water all over Green's face before hitting a Sunset Flip on Green for the pinfall win.
Winners AND STILL WWE Women's Tag Team Champions: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez.
- Matt Riddle was interviewed backstage by Kayla Braxton, where he promised that Solo Sikoa would be buried under a table.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match.
GUNTHER (c) vs. Xavier Woods.
The two locked up before GUNTHER went for a chop, btu Woods evaded and kicked GUNTHER's legs. GUNTHER got Woods in a headlock before catching Woods in the ribs. Woods got GUNTHER in a headlock before going for a shoulder block, but GUNTHER remained on feet. The two exchanged forearm strikes before Woods slid under the Austrian Champion, but GUNTHER immediately caught the former 8-Time Tag Team Champion with a wicked chop before the commercial break.
Back from the break, GUNTHER fired away with vicious series of chops on Woods's back before hitting Woods with a neck twist. Woods got back up and hit a forearm strike on GUNTHER, but GUNTHER responded with yet nasty overhead chop on Woods for a near fall. GUNTHER hit another chop and a PK Kick on Woods, but Woods got back up. Woods hit a series of strikes on GUNTHER, but GUNTHER responded with a Butterfly Suplex for a near fall. Woods got back up and hit two chops, a series of kicks to the shin, and exchanged forearm strikes with GUNTHER before catching GUNTHER with a rolling elbow to finally drop GUNTHER to the mat and send him out of the ring. Woods hit a sliding dropkick to the outside on GUNTHER before following it up with a Tope Con Giro. Woods tried to climb the top rope, but GUNTHER responded with a vicious chop. Woods dropped GUNTHER with an enziguri kick to send him crashing onto the mat before hitting a Diving Leg Drop of GUNTHER to get the pin, but GUNTHER kicked out at two. GUNTHER got back up and went for a Sleeper on Woods, but Woods responded with a reverse Destroyer before hitting a Crucifix Bomb for a near fall. Woods went for an O'Connor Roll on GUNTHER, but GUNTHER rolled over and locked in a sleeper on Woods. GUNTHER held on to the hold with all strength to make Woods pass out and get the submission win.
Winner AND STILL WWE Intercontinental Champion: GUNTHER.
- There was a "Progressive Match Flo" video package detailing the feud between The Usos & Undisputed Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens, including a recap of their match from night One of WrestleMania 39.
- The Usos (Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso) came to the ring to cut a promo. The Usos said that they looked forward tot he six man tag on Backlash and regaining the WW Tag Team Titles from Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens, dedicating their win to Roman Reigns and become 9-time tag champions.
No Disqualification Match.
Matt Riddle vs. Solo Sikoa (w/ Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso).
Riddle attacked Sikoa from behind and fired away at Sikoa to begin the match. Sikoa hit a headbutt and a lariat on Riddle in response before hitting a back elbow on Riddle. Sikoa got Riddle and slammed him with an irish Whip, but Riddle responded by locking in a Triangle Choke on Sikoa, but Sikoa broke the hold with a Liger Bomb for a near fall. Sikoa rolled out of the ring and got four kendo sticks and two chairs inside the ring. Sikoa attacked Riddle's back with a kendo stick, btu Riddle caught him with a Pele Kick. Sikoa tossed Riddle out of the ring, but Riddle attacked Sikoa with a kendo stick before trying to pull out a table, but Sikoa attacked Riddle and pushed the table back on under the ring. Riddle hit a PK Kick on Sikoa before tossing him into the stairs and hitting a Bro-ton on Sikoa off the stairs before the commercial break.
Back from the break, the two exchanged strikes before Sikoa got Riddle for a Uranage, but Riddle hit a series of back elbows to break the hold, but Sikoa responded with a pop-up Samoan Drop for a near fall. Sikoa got a chair on Riddle's neck and went for a running hip attack, but Riddle tossed the chair right on Sikoa's head before tossing him into another chair and unloading on Sikoa with a kendo stick & a wheelchair and a chair-assisted V-Trigger on Sikoa for a near fall. Riddle set up two chairs and hit a T-Bone Suplex on Sikoa right into the standng chairs for a near fall. Riddle buried Sikoa in a stack of chairs, but Sikoa rolled out of the ring. Riddle went for a PK, but SIkoa slammed Riddle into the apron before tossing him ober the broadcast table. Sikoa tried to toss the broadcast table over Riddle, but Riddle blocked it with his legs before catching SIkoa with a V-Trigger. Riddle then dumped the broadcast table over Sikoa, but The usos attacked Riddle in response. The Usos went for the 1D on Riddel, btu Riddle took them out of the ring before hitting the Floating Bro on The Usos to the outside. Riddle got back in the ring, but Sikoa rose from the broadcast table "grave" and got back on his feet before hitting a Uranage on Riddle into the apron. Back in the ring, Sikoa got Riddle and went for the Samoan Spike, but Riddle evaded and hit a V-Trigger on Sikoa. RIddle tried to run the ropes, but Sikoa caught Riddle with a Stan Hansen Lariat for the pinfall win.
The Usos hit the 1D on Riddle over the table after the match. Sikoa & The Usos 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.
