Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 5/20/2022 edition of WWE SmackDown live 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
- The broadcast began with a video package showcasing the Tag Team Unification Match scheduled for later in the night, with RKBro (Randy Orton & Matt Riddle) scheduled to compete in the main event of the night. After this video package, Michael Cole & Pat McAfee welcomed the audience to the broadcast.
- Prior to their match, the Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns & SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos (Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso) made their way to the ring to start the show. Reigns said that the crowd was going to acknowledge The Bloodline as a unit. Paul Heyman called this edition of SmackDown the biggest night in the history of Tag Team Wrestling, before calling Roman Reigns the GOAT of WWE. Heyman said that The Usos unifying the tag team championships would make them the greatest tag team of all time, a no small feat with them being the direct descendants of legendary WWE tag team The Wild Samoans. Heyman said that The Usos unifying the championships was not a prediction, it was a spoiler. Reigns told The Usos that they knew what he wanted and that he expected them to deliver because he loves them.
- Sami Zayn was seen backstage making his way to the ring, before his match against Shinsuke Nakamura.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn.
Zayn got Nakamura ina side headlock, followed by a shoulder tackle for a near fall. Nakamura got a headlock on Zayn, followed by a shoulder tackle of his own and a kick to his head. Nakamura hit an inseguri kick on Zayn. Nakamura hit a jumping knee-drop on Zayn for a near fall. Zayn pulled Nakamura from the hair to the ground. Zayn got a near fall. Zayn went to the top rope, but Nakamura met him there. Nakamura tried a superplex, but Zayn reversed it and kicked Nakamura off the rope. Nakamura took Zayn off the top rope. Nakamura was tossed to the outside of the ring by Zayn. Zayn hit a series of crossface strikes on Nakamura, followed by a headlock on Nakamura. Nakamura hit a jumping Karate kick on Zayn. Nakamura hit a series of knee strikes, followed by a sliding kick on Zayn. Nakamura hit the sliding German suplex on Zayn, followed by a middle rope knee-strike to Zayn's neck for a near fall. Nakamura hit a heel kick on Zayn. Zayn rolled out of the ring to evande the Kinshasha. Zayn hit Nakamura with a Michinoku Driver on Nakamura on the outside. Nakamura beat the count of nine, preventing the loss via count out. Nakamura slammed Zayn in the ring post before tossing Zayn over the barricade. Zayn beat the count, but Nakamura caught him with the Kinshasa for the pinfall win.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura.
- There was a video package showcasing the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, The Usos. The package showcased The Usos being 7-time Tag Team Champions and the longest-reigning tag team champions in SmackDown history.
- Happy Corbin hosted a new edition of Happy Talk, with the Andre The Giant Memorial Trophy. Corbin said he had a $12,000 hat, before saying he got rid of the annoying man known as Madcap Moss. Corbin revealed that he got fined a lot of money for attacking Moss, but he justified his actions by saying it was a work of art. Corbin said that the audience should obey their boss and not try to improve their station, continuing to justify his actions because Moss called him the big bad wolf. Corbin ended the segment, tossing the Andre The Giant Trophy onto the ring stairs.
Drew Gulak vs Gunther (w/ Ludwig Kaiser).
The match began with Bunther going for a chop, but Gulak hit three punches and a chop on Gunther. Gunther hit a big boot, followed by two chops on Gulak. Gunther hit another chop on Gulak, with Guntherdoinga. powerbomb on Gulak for the pinfall win. Gunther got Gulak with a Boston Crab, with Ricochet making the save for Gulak. Gunther and Kaiser walked out of the ring, teasing a match for the future.
Winner: Gunther
- Max Dupri, the man formerly known as LA Knight, interacted with Adam Pearce. Dupree revealed that he and his agency were signed by Sonya Deville, who was removed from her duties as a WWE official. Pearce told Dupri that he will continue to look into his contract status. There was no word on if he was related to Jermaine Dupri during the segment.
- Raw Tag Team Champions RKBro (Randy Orton & Riddle) were interviewed by Kayla Braxton backstage. Riddle stayed that The Usos cannot beat them. Orton said that The Usos were sweating bullets because The Usos will encounter Reigns empty-handed after getting hit by RKBro.
- Backstage, Shotzi and Aliyah argued, with Shotzi saying that she would have beaten SmackDown Women's Champion Ronda Rousey. Raquel Rodriguez interrupted them, with Shotzi calling her a dumb amazon and 6-feet of disappointment. Raquel tol Shotzi this: "Estas muerta" (Spanish for "You're dead").
Raquel Rodriguez vs Shotzi
Rodriguez tossed Shotzi to the corner, followed by a wrist lock -one arm lift on Shotzi. Raquel hit a lariat on Shotzi. Shotzi hit a running dropkick on Raquel. Raquel tossed Shotzi in the corner. Shotzi got Raquel in a poison head lock, transitioning to a rear-naked choke. Shotzi hit a punch and a kick, but Raquel hit Shotzi with a headbutt. Shotzi went for the Tijeras, but Raquel hit a fall away slam on Shotzi. Raquel did another slam, followed by a corkscrew splash. Raquel hit the Chingona Bomb on Shotzi for the pinfall win. As an interesting note, the transmission blurred out Michael Cole and Pat McAfee saying Chingona Bomb, as it means "Bad-Ass bomb" in Spanish.
Winner: Raquel Rodriguez.
- After Butch defeated Kofi Kingston on the 5/13/2022 edition of SmackDown, Xavier Woods challenged Butch to a match to get revenge for Kofi.
Xavier Woods vs Butch (w/ The Brawling Brutes {Sheamus & Ridge Holland}).
Prior to the match, Butch slapped the hell out of Sheamus just because he was hyped for his match against Xavier Woods. The match began with Woods hitting Butch with a rolling elbow, followed by a leaping slide on Butch outside the ring. Butch stomped Woods' hand. Woods went for a roll, but Butch went for the Penta Arm Lock. This was proceeded by a stomp to Woods' ribs and a bulldog choke on Woods. Butch slapped Woods, but Woods hit Butch with a flipping lariat for a near fall. Woods went for a fireman's carry, but Butch touched the eyes. Butch went to the middle rope, but Woods evaded. Butch hit a series of elbow strikes on Woods, but Woods got Butch in the Backwoods from out of nowhere for the pinfall win. Butch walked out of the arena after the match. Sheamus and Ridge Holland got Woods from behind, but Butch surprised Woods with a leaping knee-strike on Woods.
Winner: Xavier Woods.
- There was a video package highlighting the Raw Tag Team Champions, RKBro.
- Backstage, Xavier Woods challenged The Brawling Brutes to a Trios Tag Team Match.
- As originally reported by Fightful Select, Michael Cole revealed that Sasha Banks & Naomi were suspended indefinitely, stripping them the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. We will have the latest on this by subscribing to Fightful Select.
Title Unification Match for the Raw & SmackDown Tag Team Championships
RKBro (Randy Orton & Riddle) vs The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) (w/ Paul Heyman).
The match began with Riddle and Jimmy locking up, with Riddle tripping Jimmy and getting him with a rear-naked choke before Jimmy got a rope break. Riddle got a waiste-takedown on Jimmy, with Orton kicking Uso in the stomach. Orton stomped the ligaments on Jimmy, with Riddle hitting an assisted Floating Bro for a near fall. Jimmy got a headlock on Riddle. Riddle was hit with an Irish Whip, to which Riddle collapsed on the ground. Jimmy was slammed Riddle to the ground, but the referee momentarily stopped the match. The referee threw the X-Sign, meaning someone was injured. Cole send the audience to the commercial break. The Usos controlled the proceedings, targeting Riddle's back. Jey Uso stomped Riddle in the abdomen. Riddle hit a discus V-Trigger on Jey Uso, finally getting some space. Orton tagged in, hit two clothelines and a poweslam on Jimmy Uso. Orton hit a powerslam on Jey, before hitting the Draping DDT on Jimmy Uso. Orton hit the RKO on Jimmy Uso, but Jey broke the pinfall attempt. Riddle hit a pele kick on Jey, followed by two elbow strikes and a Saito Suplex on Jey, Riddle went for a senton, but Jey lifted his knees and hit a pop-up neck breaker on Riddle for a near fall. Riddle went for a floating bro off the top rope, but Jey drop Riddle off the top rope. Jey went for a frog splash, but Riddle met him on the top. Riddle went for an Avalanche RKO, but Roman Reigns held Jey Uso on the top rope, with Riddle falling to the ring. Jey Uso hit a Frog Splash for the pinfall win, with The Usos being crowned as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. AFter the match, The Bloodline attacked RKBro, with Jey Uso hitting a Frog Splash off the top rope to the announcer's table on Riddle. Reigns choked out Orton with a guillotine choke, with the final image of the show being The Bloodline standing tall with all the gold.
Winners & New Unidputed WWE Tag Team Champions: The Usos
