Good evening Fight Fans and welcome to our coverage for tonight's edition of WWE Smackdown on FOX! Be sure to stick around afterwards for the post-show podcast and check out our forums where you can keep the conversation going after tonight's show!
- We open the show with a recap of the Men's and Women's Money in the Bank Ladder matches in which Otis and Asuka captured the briefcases which gives each of them a shot at the title of their choosing before we get a video package and graphic for the NXT Women's champion Charlotte who will be in the building later tonight. We then go to the ring for tonight's edition of Miz TV with special guest Otis where Miz congratulates Otis before Otis says that his biggest win is landing Mandy Rose before saying that alongside the contract he has Rolaids, Gas-X and a bratwurst in the briefcase. We get a graphic of Otis as a baby on the big screen before The Miz and John joke that he might be pregnant and should relinquish the briefcase how Becky relinquished the Women's title. Otis talks about having a learning disability growing up before Miz becomes angry about Otis getting the belt, the girl and a shot away from becoming the face of Smackdown before Miz demands he find a partner so The Miz and Morrison can face them before M&M leave. We then get a graphic for the Intercontinental Championship Tournament with Daniel Bryan, Drew Gulak, Jeff Hardy, Baron Corbin, Elias, Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles and Sheamus before Elias comes out to the ring for his match against Corbin and we get a video package recapping their feud as we go to commercial.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament Match
Elias vs Baron Corbin
Elias ducks a clothesline and chops Corbin before they kick each other in the midsection and Corbin backs Elias into the corner before Elias comes back with right hands and chops. Corbin takes Elias down and locks in a single leg Boston crab before Elias kicks him off and gets dropped with a back elbow for two before taking Elias down with a straight armbar with a chin bar. Elias gets to his feet and fights his way out of the hold before hitting a mule kick and dumping Corbin out of the ring before Corbin comes back in and is immediately clotheslined over the top on the opposite side. Elias hits a diving cross body before tossing Corbin back into the ring, but he rolls out of it and hits Elias in the throat before sending him into the barricade and tossing him back into the ring before grabbing Elias' guitar and playing it. Elias then hits a wrecking ball dropkick and sends Corbin into the barricade and the steps before sending him into the post and into the time keeper's area as we go to commercial.
We come back to Elias in control before Corbin crotches him when he goes for an old school and Elias rolls out of the ring before Corbin sends him into the announce table and punches him on top of it before tossing him back into the ring for two. Corbin beats on Elias in the corner before choking him in the ropes and rocking him with a right hand before clotheslining Elias for two before following up with several wrist lock clotheslines and Elias hits a swinging neckbreaker. Elias punches and kicks Corbin against the ropes before dropping him and hitting a reverse DDT for two before hitting a jumping knee, Elias climbing to the top before Corbin dodges him when he comes off of the top. Corbin hits a spinebuster for two before setting Elias on the top turnbuckle and Elias slides out of the back before Corbin counters an electric chair drop into a chokeslam for a near fall. Corbin yells at Elias and punches him in the back of the head before leaving the ring and grabbing his guitar before breaking it across the post and Elias comes back with a jumping knee. Elias then pins Corbin out of nowhere with an inside cradle for the pin and the win.
Winner: Elias defeats Baron Corbin via pinfall to advance in the tournament.
- After the match we get a graphic for the second tournament match later tonight between Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak as well as a graphic for the return of Charlotte before we go backstage to Otis trying to recruit Sheamus to be his partner, but Sheamus tells him that there's no chance as we go to commercial.
- We come back to Otis still looking for a partner before Mandy shows up and suggests that he ask the Universal champion Braun Strowman before he does just that and Braun takes it into consideration as we go back to commercial.
Naomi vs Dana Brooke
They lock up before Naomi gets two off of a roll up and hits a flying clothesline into a dropkick before hitting a running forearm in the corner before Dana rolls her up for two and ducks a kick before kicking Naomi in the midsection. Dana hits a hand spring back elbow in the corner before Naomi sweeps her and hits a diving cross body before Dana rolls through for one and Naomi rolls through that for two. Dana then pins Naomi with a jack knife cover for the win.
Winner: Dana Brooke defeats Naomi via pinfall.
- After the match we get a graphic for Charlotte who will be in the PC up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to this week's Progressive Match Flo featuring Becky Lynch announcing on this past Monday's RAW that she had to relinquish the RAW Women's championship before she gave it to Asuka and announced that she was leaving to become a mother and that she's expecting to have her first child with Seth Rollins. NXT Women's champion Charlotte then comes out to the ring says that she's the hardest working woman in the industry now that she's working all three brand and that she's the most in-demand WWE Superstar before referencing her title reigns. Smackdown Women's champion Bayley and Sasha Banks then come out to the ring and mock Charlotte before saying that the last time Charlotte was on Smackdown was when she lost the Smackdown Women's championship to Bayley who become the first Women's Grand Slam champion in WWE history. Bayley then tells Charlotte to leave and go back to RAW or NXT before saying that she's the most dominant champion in history and that she's beaten everyone including her before Charlotte tells Bayley that she owes all of her success to Sasha Banks. Charlotte questions Sasha playing second fiddle to Bayley before Bayley challenges Charlotte to a Champion vs Champion match before Charlotte accepts and asks Sasha if she's her own woman or if she's just going to be Bayley's lackey and an afterthought before leaving.
We then go backstage to an interview with Braun Strowman who is training before he says that he's still thinking over teaming with Otis as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a promo by Jaxson Ryker alongside Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler of The Forgotten Sons before we go to a backstage interview with The Miz and John Morrison ahead of their tag match later tonight. We then go back to the ring for our second of two matches in the Intercontinental Championship Tournament with Daniel Bryan versus Drew Gulak as Daniel makes his entrance as we go to commercial.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament Match
Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak
They shake hands as the match starts before exchanging wrist locks and hammer locks before Daniel takes Drew down and Drew gets to the ropes for the break before they get back to their feet and Daniel takes Drew down with a waist lock. Drew goes for the Gulock before Daniel scrambles to the ropes for the break and Daniel hits a northern lights suplex into a butterfly suplex into an arm bar before Drew gets his foot on the bottom rope for the break. They then exchange standing switches until Drew sends Daniel over the top rope and he crashes down onto the apron before falling to the floor as we go to commercial.
We come back to Drew hitting a belly to back suplex for two before taking Daniel down with a side headlock before Drew hits a falcon arrow for two and locks in a full nelson before Daniel gets back to his feet and hits a release German suplex. Drew dodges a running knees and rolls Daniel up for two before powerbombing Daniel for two before Daniel gets two off of a pin of his own and Drew locks in the Gulock before Daniel rolls through and they counter each other until Daniel hits a dragon screw before locking in a heel hook. Daniel then submits Drew for the tap and the win.
Winner: Daniel Bryan defeats Drew Gulak via submission to advance in the tournament.
- Daniel is then interviewed after the match where he talks winning the title and making it the top title of Smackdown and that he's going to defend it every week before saying that he's going to show that he's the greatest wrestler in WWE before Daniel and Drew shake hands and exchange a hug before we get a graphic for our main event up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a graphic making the Champion vs Champion Match official for next week as well as AJ Styles versus Shinsuke Nakamura and Jeff Hardy versus Sheamus in the tournament as well as a mixed tag between Otis and Mandy Rose and Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville before we go backstage to a promo by Dolph and Sonya.
Otis & Braun Strowman vs The Miz & John Morrison
Otis and John start things off for their respective teams with Otis trying to overpower John, but Morrison is too fast for him until he runs John over and hits a one man flapjack before knocking Miz off of the apron and hits a spinning scoop slam. Otis then tags in Braun who does a Caterpillar with Otis before Miz rolls out of the ring as we go to commercial.
We come back to the action in the ring to Miz in control of Otis, having him in a front headlock before Otis gets to his feet and Miz kicks Otis in the corner before hitting a running dropkick into a running clothesline and a diving ax handle off of the top. Miz kicks Otis in the chest and the head for two before locking in a rear chin lock and Otis powers his way to his feet before Miz climbs on his back and drags Otis back to the corner so he can tag John in. Otis hits a double suplex to Miz and Morrison before getting the tag to Braun who runs over Miz and drags John into the ring before hitting a scoop slam and a running splash in the corner into a release suplex. Braun then runs over Miz at ringside when he chases after Morrison before tossing him back into the ring and Braun goes shoulder first into the post before John hits a springboard roundhouse kick before Braun counters a head scissors into a powerslam for the pin and the win.
Winner: Braun Strowman and Otis defeat John Morrison and The Miz via pinfall.
- After the match Braun and Otis celebrate before Mandy comes out and distracts Braun before Otis teases cashing in the briefcase and they fist bump before Mandy hugs Otis as we go off the air with the three celebrating.
