Good evening Fight Fans,and welcome to our coverage for tonight's edition of WWE Smackdown on FOX headlined by a champion versus champion match between Charlotte and Bayley!
- We open the show with a video package celebrating Memorial Day weekend before we open in the PC with a breakdown of tonight's card headlined by a Champion versus Champion match between NXT Women's champion Charlotte and Smackdown Women's champion Bayley before we go to this week's episode of The Dirt Sheet. The Miz and Morrison talk about their opponents from last week that they faced in a tag team match, Universal champion Braun Strowman and the current Money in the Bank winner Otis before they mock Bray Wyatt and the Firefly Funhouse and it's puppets. Braun then comes out to the ring and talks about him defeating Bray Wyatt before Miz tells him that Bray isn't done with him before Miz and Braun agree to have a match right now as we go to commercial.
The Miz vs Braun Strowman
We come back to the match already in progress as Braun runs over Miz before whipping him into the corner and rocks him with a knee lift before Miz pulls down the top rope and sends Braun over the top rope before Morrison hits a running roundhouse kick off of the barricade when the referee isn't looking. Braun accidentally goes shoulder first into the post before Miz hits a springboard double ax handle and rakes the eyes of Braun before dropkicking his knee and dropping him with a buzzsaw kick. Braun then counters a DDT and throws Miz across the ring before knocking Morrison off of the apron and tossing Miz before hitting a running powerslam for the pin and the win.
Winner: Braun Strowman defeats The Miz via pinfall.
- After the match we get a graphic for the two Intercontinental Championship Tournament matches on tonight's show as AJ Styles comes out for his tournament match against Shinsuke Nakamura as we go to commercial.
Intercontinental Championship Tournament First Round Match
AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
AJ backs Shin into the corner for a clean break before AJ locks in a headlock and Shinsuke backs AJ into the ropes for a break before AJ reapplies the headlock and wrenches the neck of AJ. AJ then chops Shin in the throat before dropkicking him and Shin knees AJ in the stomach before they exchange forearms before AJ hits a Pele kick and Shin kicks AJ before hitting a sliding German suplex as we go to commercial.
We come back to Shin kicking AJ in the chest against the ropes before dropping him and AJ catches a kick before they exchange strikes until they collapse before AJ clotheslines Shin and hits an ushigoroshi for two. AJ locks in the Calf Crusher before Shin struggles to the ropes before getting to them right before tapping before missing a sliding elbow and AJ hits a flying forearm for two before Shin counters a Styles Clash into a Michinoku driver for a near fall. AJ counters an exploder suplex before Shin hits a flying knee off of the top and a Kinshasa for a near fall before AJ counters another Kinshasa into a roll up for a near fall before Shin locks in a triangle choke. AJ then hits a Styles Clash for a near fall before AJ hits a forearm from the apron and an enzuigiri into the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin and the win.
Winner: AJ Styles defeats Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall to advance in the tournament.
- After the match we get an updated tournament bracket before a graphic for Jeff Hardy versus Sheamus in the second tournament match later tonight before we get a recap of the segment between Charlotte and Bayley and Sasha Banks that set up tonight's Champion versus Champion match. We next go backstage to Sasha and Bayley talking where Bayley tells Sasha that she doesn't want her at ringside in her corner in her match against Charlotte up next before saying that she knows she has her back before leaving as we go to commercial.
Champion vs Champion Match
Charlotte (c) vs Bayley (c)
They lock up before Charlotte backs Bayley into the corner and chops her before missing a running splash in the corner and Bayley slams her to the mat by her hair for a quick two count as we see Sasha watching from backstage. They exchange standing switches before Bayley tries to roll Charlotte up with a roll up with her feet on the ropes before Charlotte traps Bayley in the ropes and knees her in the midsection before clotheslining her at ringside as we go to commercial.
We come back to the action in the ring to Charlotte having Bayley grounded with a headlock before she makes her way to her feet and gets slammed by her hair before being dropped with a chop. Charlotte climbs to the top before Bayley knocks her down and Charlotte tweaks her knee before they end up at ringside where Charlotte rocks Bayley with a forearm. Bayley sends Charlotte into the barricade before bringing her back into the ring before covering her for two, Bayley choking Charlotte in the ropes before Charlotte rolls Bayley up for two. Charlotte fights out of a headlock before hitting a fall away slam and hits Bayley with forearms before Charlotte hits a backbreaker and sends Bayley face first into the middle turnbuckle. Charlotte drops Bayley with a boot before Bayley traps Charlotte in the ropes and hits a stunner before hitting a running knee and comes off of the top, but Charlotte gets her knees up before locking in a lion tamer and Bayley kicks her way free.
Bayley sends Charlotte into the middle turnbuckle before hitting a diving elbow drop for a near fall before chopping Charlotte across the chest several times and teasing a figure four before Charlotte rocks Bayley with a stiff forearm. Charlotte then comes back with chops before they exchange pins until Bayley wins by holding the ropes for the pin and the win.
Winner: Bayley defeats Charlotte via pinfall.
- After the match we get a graphic for Otis and Mandy Rose versus Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to Sasha celebrating with Bayley before we go back to the ring for our next match.
Otis & Mandy Rose vs Dolph Ziggler & Sonya Deville
Otis and Dolph kick things off with Otis tossing Dolph away when he goes for a takedown and throws Dolph across the ring before hitting a running splash in the corner and Dolph tags out and tags Sonya in. Mandy then comes in as Sonya does and Sonya backs Mandy into the corner before Mandy hits a Thesz press and Dolph pulls Otis off of the apron before sending him into the steps before Mandy checks on Otis as we go to commercial.
We return to the action in the ring to Sonya on the back of Mandy, choking her before going for an armbar that Mandy counters before Sonya stomps her and knees her repeatedly in the midsection before hitting her with right hands in the corner. Mandy rolls Sonya up for two before she nearly gets the tag to Otis, but is dragged away before Mandy hits a jawbreaker that rocks Sonya before Sonya mocks Otis and kicks Mandy in the chest. Mandy comes back with a running knee and finally gets the tag to Otis who runs over Dolph when he's forced to come in before Dolph rocks him with a back elbow and Otis hits a running splash in the corner. Mandy then comes in and clotheslines Sonya before hitting her with forearms and a shining wizard for two before Sonya counters a butterfly suplex and Sonya drops Mandy with a knee to the back of the head for the pin and the win.
Winner: Sonya Deville and Dolph Ziggler defeat Mandy Rose and Otis via pinfall.
- After the match Dolph superkicks Otis when he's checking on Mandy before Sonya and Dolph leave up the ramp waving goodbye at Mandy and Otis before we go to a backstage promo by Jeff Hardy ahead of his tournament match against Sheamus up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a promo by The Forgotten Sons before we get this week's Progressive Match Flo recapping earlier tonight's match between Braun Strowman and The Miz before we get a graphic for John Morrison facing Braun for the Universal Championship at Backlash before we go to a backstage interview with Morrison and Miz. We next get a recap of Jeff Hardy's return and the confrontation that set up Jeff against Sheamus in the first round of the tournament.
Intercontinental Championship Tournament First Round Match
Jeff Hardy vs Sheamus
Sheamus backs Jeff into the corner before Jeff locks in a side headlock and Sheamus hits him with a right hand before beating Jeff down against the ropes and choking him. Sheamus drops Jeff with a back elbow before Jeff hits a stunner in the ropes and sends Sheamus over the top rope and down onto the floor before hitting a wrecking ball dropkick. Sheamus then catches Jeff coming off of the apron and sends him into the post before tossing him onto the announce table before berating Michael at ringside as we go to commercial.
We come back to Sheamus in control, beating on Jeff and playing to an invisible crowd before Jeff comes back with right hands and a mule kick into a back elbow and a Whisper in the Wind for two. Sheamus comes back with a series of backbreakers and tosses him out onto the apron before hitting him with clubbing blows and Jeff counters a back suplex and Sheamus goes shoulder first into the post. Jeff clotheslines Sheamus and hits a leg drop for two before Sheamus rolls out of the ring and Jeff hits a diving clothesline off of the barricade before Sheamus catches Jeff coming off the top once they're back in the ring for a near fall. Sheamus then drops Jeff with a boot for a near fall before he goes for the Brogue Kick and Jeff counters into a roll up for the pin and the win.
Winner: Jeff Hardy defeats Sheamus via pinfall to advance to the next round of the tournament.
- After the match we get a graphic for two tournament matches on next week's show as we go off the air.
