Good evening Fight Fans, and welcome to our coverage for tonight's edition of WWE Smackdown on FOX!
- We open tonight's show with a recap of everything RETRIBUTION have done on both RAW and Smackdown since debuting.
- We open in the PC with Corey and Michael who let us know that there is added security to keep RETRIBUTION from entering the arena. We then get a breakdown of tonight's show with a graphic for the upcoming confrontation between Universal champion Braun Strowman and The Fiend as well as the triple branded match where the winner will face Bayley for her Smackdown Women's championship at Summerslam.
Big-E vs John Morrison
Before the match can start the lights flicked and RETRIBUTION surround the ring and attack Big-E and Morrison before fleeing. The Miz then comes out to ringside to check on John as we go to commercial.
Winner: No Contest due to double interference.
- We come back from the break to various members of the roster arguing backstage before E says that he's going back out later tonight and have a real match with John. Sheamus shows up and mocks E's speech and says that he can smell the fear on E before saying that RETRIBUTION won't dare show up in his match against Chad Gable. Sheamus then tells E he should fear him before E says that Sheamus should realize that he's not alone before leaving.
- We go back to the ring to Sasha Banks and Bayley in the ring where they start talking about the triple branded battle royal and how they will have to defend their respective titles at Summerslam.
Smackdown Women's Championship Number One Contender Tri-Brand Battle Royal Match
Liv Morgan is first to be eliminated with The Iconic and Ruby Riott soon after before Nikki Cross is eliminated by Tamina. Tamina and Bianca Belair exchange strikes until Bianca spears Tamina when she counters a Samoan drop before Bianca eliminates Tamina. Lacey eliminates Naomi with The Woman's Right before Shotzi eliminates Lacey and Lacey eliminates Shotzi when Shayna sends her out onto the apron. Tegan counters the KOD and eliminates Bianca before Dana pulls Tegan off of the apron to eliminate her. Dana comes in and is eliminated by Asuka before Shayna nearly eliminates Asuka, but Asuka takes out Sasha and Bayley at ringside and land feet first on their backs.
Asuka then gets back into the ring and sends Shayna over the top rope for the last elimination and the win.
Winner: Asuka wins the battle royal to gain an opportunity to face Bayley for her Smackdown Women's Championship at Summerslam.
- We're told that Mandy Rose is going to address Sonya Deville's attack on her two weeks ago up next as we go to commercial.
- Sasha and Bayley are backstage where they talk about how Asuka wasn't even listed for the match before Sasha says that Bayley is going to beat Asuka at Summerslam. Asuka then attack Sasha and Bayley from behind before she's pulled away by officials.
- We get a recap of the last few weeks between Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville before we go to Mandy cutting a promo backstage about how she's always been seen as just a pretty face. Mandy then tells Sonya she should know how hard she's worked and that what she did was a reminder to herself that she's much more than a pretty face. Mandy then challenges Sonya to a hair versus hair match at Summerslam.
- Sheamus tells the security backstage to leave and that RETRIBUTION won't show up during his match before he heads out to the ring as we go to commercial.
- Nikki Cross is backstage before she notices Alexa Bliss and goes over and hugs her best friend before apologizing for what she did a few weeks ago. Nikki then urges Alexa to leave for safety, but Alexa says she's going to stick around as she has questions for Braun later tonight.
Sheamus vs Chad Gable
Chad immediately hits Sheamus with forearms before Sheamus drives Chad into the corner and drops him with back elbows. Sheamus sends Chad out onto the apron and hits him with clubbing blows before going out after Chad and bringing him back inside. Chad dropkicks the knee of Sheamus and hits him with clubbing blows from back mount before Sheamus comes back with a running ax handle. Sheamus hits a backbreaker and several knee drops before Chad rocks him with a rolling kick. Chad hits a missile dropkick for two before Sheamus counters an ankle lock and Chad gets a near fall off of a jack knife cover.
Sheamus then hits White Noise into a Brogue Kick for the pin and the win.
Winner: Sheamus defeats Chad Gable via pinfall.
- AJ Styles comes out to the ring accompanied by Joseph Park and talks about how no one is worthy of getting an opportunity to challenge for his Intercontinental championship. Jeff Hardy comes out and says that if it weren't for Sheamus he could have been facing AJ for the belt. Jeff says that the past is the past and that he's conquered his demons and that he knows that a match between the two sounds very appealing to the WWE Universe. Jeff then formally challenges AJ to a title match at Summerslam before AJ says that Jeff hasn't earned the opportunity before Jeff lays AJ out and puts his name on AJ's white board.
- Backstage Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura are talking backstage before they turn around and catch Lucha House Party trying to steal their tag belts before they run off with them and the champs give chase as we go to commercial.
- Backstage an infuriated AJ Styles accepts Jeff's challenge for a title match at Summerslam before we go back to the ring for our next match between Gran Metalik and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Gran Metalik w/Lince Dorado vs Shinsuke Nakamura w/Cesaro
Shin backs Metalik into the corner and hits Bad Vibrations into a snap mare and a jumping knee drop for two. Metalik comes back with a kick and a snap mare into a rear chin lock before sending Shin out of the ring with a head scissors. Shin hits Metalik when he goes for a suicide dive before they end up back in the ring and Metalik hits a bulldog. Metalik hits a springboard back elbow for two before countering an exploder suplex and Cesaro distracts Metalik before Shin dropkicks him in midair for two. Shin then hits an exploder suplex before he's distracted by the return of Kalisto and Metalik hits a springboard diving elbow for the pin and the win.
Winner: Gran Metalik defeats Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall.
- We come back from the break to a backstage interview with Matt Riddle who talks about the king's ransom placed on his head by Baron Corbin. Matt says that he's on Smackdown to compete and that he's done everything he can to get Corbin's attention. Chad Gable then shows up and apologizes to Matt before he's attacked from behind by Corbin who quickly leaves soon after.
- We go to a taped interview with Alexa Bliss who talks about her relationship with Braun Strowman and how they were partners and became best friends. The interviewer asks whether or not they could have a romantic relationship before Alexa says they cared a lot about each other. Alexa then talks about what it's like being around The Fiend before she goes silent about Braun saying that he didn't care about her as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a graphic for the Intercontinental Championship match between AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy set for next week rather than Summerslam.
- Sonya Deville cuts a promo about Mandy, saying that she'll make sure Mandy knows what she has said about her is true before accepting the hair versus hair match at Summerslam.
Big-E vs John Morrison w/The Miz
John backs E back into the corner for a clean break before E shoves John backwards and John takes E down for a quick two count. They run the ropes until John runs into E and gets hip tossed across the ring before John hits an enzuigiri and E sends him over the top rope and down onto the floor. Back in the ring E drags John out onto the apron before hitting a splash onto the apron. E stalks John around ringside before he's distracted by Miz at ringside and John chop blocks E from behind. John puts E back into the ring for two before Otis comes out to ringside and argues with Miz before the lights start flickering off and on as we go to commercial.
We come back to a good portion of the roster surrounding the ring before the lights flicked again and RETRIBUTION are seen attacking personnel backstage. John hits E with a springboard roundhouse kick for two as everyone at ringside apparently has no idea RETRIBUTION are backstage. A referee then informs everyone before they hurry backstage, Miz staying at ringside in case they attack John. The Superstars go backstage to find the aftermath of the attack before we go back to the ring where John starts focusing on the injured leg of E. E then rolls up John for a near fall before submitting him with a stretch muffler.
Winner: Big-E defeats John Morrison via submission.
- Sheamus lays out E with a Brogue Kick after the match before Braun Strowman comes out to the ring to confront The Fiend up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to Braun in the ring where he demands that The Fiend come out to the ring and that he's going to rip him limb from limb and eat his entrails. Alexa comes out to the ring and says that they need to have a conversation before saying that they have been friends for years. Braun says that Alexa used him and tried to change him before saying that he doesn't give a damn about her. Braun says that everyone who comes into contact with The Fiend changes before demanding she get out of the ring. Alexa yells at Braun before she slaps him across the face repeatedly and Braun grabs Alexa and lifts her over his head.
The lights then go out as Braun drops Alexa before the red light comes on and The Fiend is in the ring with Alexa with Braun now on the big screen. Braun and The Fiend then laugh hysterically before Braun roars as we go off the air.
