Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 8/26/2022 edition of 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
Match Card.
- Ricochet vs. Happy Corbin.
- Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn.
- The New Day Return to SmackDown.
- Last Chance Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament Match: Sonya Deville & Natalya vs. Xia Li & Shotzi vs. Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H. vs. Tamina & Dana Brooke.
Live Coverage.
- Michael Cole and Pat McAfee welcomed the audience to the broadcast, airing from Detroit, Michigan.
Ricochet vs. Happy Corbin.
Corbin went after Ricochet, but Ricochet hit the Tijeras to send Corbin out of the ring before doing a cartwheel into the ropes to tease Corbin. Ricochet hit a dropkick and a low dropkick before connecting Corbin with a standing Shooting Star Press for a near fall. Corbin sent Ricochet into the apron. Ricochet went for a spring rope move, but Corbin caught him with a jab. Ricochet bounced off Corbin's back before hitting Corbin with a cartwheel back elbow. Outside of the ring, Corbin tossed Ricochet into the ring post, but Ricochet got to the middle rope before hitting a corkscrew cross body on Corbin to the outside before the commercial break. Back from the break, Corbin hit a Gorilla Press Slam onto the broadcast table before tossing him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Corbin punched Ricochet in the face before launching him into the ring post with an Irish Whip and a face slam into the top turnbuckle for a near fall. Ricochet hit three body shots on Corbin and went for another cartwheel, but Corbin caught him with a forearm strike before tossing him into the ring post, which launched Ricochet to the outside of the ring. Corbin went for a Deep Six, but Ricochet reversed it with a Tornado DDT. Ricochet hit a chin breaker, three jabs, four kicks, a back-flip enziguri kick, and leaped over the top rope. Corbin went for a chokeslam, but Ricochet reversed it with a Frankensteiner for a near fall. Ricochet hit a knee strike on Corbin, but Corbin caught him with a Deep Six for a near fall. Corbin placed Ricochet in the top corner, but Ricochet caught him with a kick and attempted a 450, but Corbin evaded and hit a big boot and hit a face slam on Ricochet for a near fall. Ricochet hit a knee strike, a superkick, and a spinning heel kick on Corbin. Ricochet went to the top rope and hit a Shooting Star Press for the pinfall win. Pat McAfee made fun of Corbin after the match.
Winner: Ricochet.
- Street Profits were backstage but they were confronted by Hit Row. Hit Row said they wanted the smoke and that the five were similar because they were all about the money. They walked backstage to the arena.
- There was a video package highlighting Drew McIntyre's road to his match against WWE Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns on Clash At The Castle. The package highlighted McIntyre's road from growing up in Scotland, his run in the British Independent Scene, his early run in WWE, his mother passing away, and his WWE release and return. The rest of the package would air later in the night.
- Karrion Kross & Scarlett cut a promo in the arena, with Kross telling McIntyre to savor his moment because, in the blink of an eye, his accomplishments could mean nothing. The promo was in Black & White.
Last Chance Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal Match.
Sonya Deville & Natalya vs. Xia Li & Shotzi vs. Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H. vs. Tamina & Dana Brooke.
Tamina began the matchup kicking Natalya and hitting a Samoan Drop on Deville, but Doudrop hit a senton on Tamina and Deville. Nikki tagged in and lain strikes on Li. Li tossed Nikki into the top rope. Li and Shotzi hit a drop toe-hold/ side senton on Nikki for a near fall. Brooke hit a back flip elbow on Doudrop, but Nikki caught her with a twisting neck breaker for a near fall. Shotzi and Li hit an assisted Sliced Bread on Doudrop. Natalya hit a lariat on Li, but Brook caught her with a lariat of her own. Deville tagged in from behind before Brooke hit a superplex on Nikki into the rest of the crowd. Deville got Nikki back in the ring and pinned Nikki A.S.H. for the pinfall win, advancing to the Women's Tag Team Championship Semi-Finals.
Winners: Sonya Deville & Natalya.
- There was a video package highlighting Shayna Baszler's career in WWE ahead of her match against SmackDown Women's Champion Liv Morgan on Clash At The Castle.
- Sheamus, Butch & Ridge Holland came to the ring to cut a promo, where Sheamus said that he would drink some pints when he becomes the first ever ultimate Grand Slam Champion after he beat the piss out of Intercontinental Champion Gunther. Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser came to the ring to interrupt Sheamus, with Kaiser introducing Gunther in German, to which Sheamus responded by saying that no one in the arena knew what he was saying. Sheamus told Gunther that he called the Ring General but that he was looking at a real in-ring general. Sheamus pointed out he beat Drew McIntyre, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Triple H, and more and that no one in the business had had banger after banger. Sheamus said he sees a lot of himself in him in his eyes, but admitted that he only had eyes for his Intercontinental Championship and that he would drag his lifeless body after their match. Gunther said that Sheamus was nothing like him and that he would teach him what is violence. Gunther said that he would chop Sheamus' chest into bits, break his spirits, and break him entirely at Clash At The Castle. Sheamus and Gunther stared Daggers at each other while Ridge, Ludwig, and Butch brawled across the ringside area and the ring.
- Sonya Deville and Natalya were interviewed backstage while Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H. argued in the background. Natalya said that she and Deville were finding their groove now before Deville told Megan Morant that they would be winning the titles.
- Sami Zayn was confronted by The Usos backstage who told Zayn he was on fire in Toronto. Jey Uso told Sami to hit the bricks before WWE undisputed Champion Roman Reigns told Zayn to come in. Zayn admitted his jaw was still sore from the Claymore Kick, with Reigns pointing out that he lost but sometimes bad things happened to redeem themselves. Reigns told Zayn that he appreciated that he came out to his aid before telling him to keep McIntyre occupied before his match in Clash At Castle. Zayn said that this was his specialty and suggested that the entire Bloodline join him, but Reigns told him it was his night. Reigns told him he had the chance to be in the Main Event.
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament Semi-Final.
Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah vs. Natalya & Sonya Deville.
Bayley, Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky joined the broadcast team for the match. Natalya got a side headlock on Aliyah, but Aliyah broke the hold with head scissors. Aliyah got a bridge on Natalya to evade a lariat, but Natalya got her in a pin for a near fall. Raquel hit a shoulder tackle on Natalya for a near fall before Aliyah tossed Deville out of the ring. Aliyah hit an apron Thesz Press on Deville, but Natalya hit a Michinoku Driver on Aliyah outside of the ring before the commercial break. Back from the break, Deville slammed Raquel's head into the turnbuckle, but Raquel hit a double suplex on Deville and Natalya for a near fall. Raquel hit a Fall Away Slam on Deville. Raquel got to the middle rope, but Natalya distracted Raquel so Deville could slam Raquel into the turnbuckle. Deville hit a high kick on Raquel's chest for a near fall. Deville got Raquel in a side headlock, but Raquel hit. a Press Slam on Natalya before tossing Deville onto Natalya. Raquel hit two lariats on Deville and Natalya, corner splashes on the two, and a Corkscrew Plancha on Deville for a near fall. Natalya went for a Sharpshooter on Raquel, but Raquel kicked Natalya out of the ring. Deville hit a running knee on Deville for a near fall. Deville went for a high kick, but Raquel caught her with a Tejano Bomb for the pinfall win.
Winners: Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah.
- Maximum Male Models were doing a photoshoot backstage but were interrupted by a Tour Buss blasting Hit Rows Music, haunting their photoshoot. Maxxine Dupri told Max Dupri that she had an idea before she walked out of the shot. After the commercial break, Maxxine Dupri brought Angel & Humberto with spray cans, teasing spraying Hit Row's bus.
- The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) returned to SmackDown to cut a promo, with Woods admitting that they underestimated The Viking Raiders. Woods said he saw the Viking Funeral burning boxes of Boot O's, unicorn horns, New Day T-Shirts, and their legacy. They were interrupted by The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) saying their promo was pathetic. Ivar said that instead of leaving with honor, they were sniveling. Erik said that one thing Vikings despise more than anything in the world is a weakness for sounding like a wounded animal. Ivar said that the best thing to do with wounded animals is to put them down. Woods got Kendo Sticks for him and Kingston before attacking The Raiders with the sticks and a wheelchair. The New Day stood tall in the ring.
- Maximum Male Models and Los Lotharios spray painted the bus before Hit Row confronted them. Ashante Adonis challenged them to a match for the 9/2/2022 edition of SmackDown. Hit Row revealed that the car they spray painted was not theirs before it belonged to Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford, who were bamboozled about this.
- The Usos confronted Sami Zayn before his match. Jey Uso told him that he heard him talking trash about him in the previous week and told him that Zayn would wrestle his match alone a
- The second part of Drew McIntyre's Road To Clash At The Castle highlighted McIntyre's return and rise in WWE, his win for the WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar, and his feud with Roman Reigns. McIntyre said that he would kick Reigns' head off his fucking body for the pinfall win on Clash At The Castle.
Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn.
The match began with Zayn rolling out of the ring. McIntyre got out of the ring, but Zayn got back in. Zayn stomped down McIntyre, but McIntyre responded with a stiff jab on Zayn. McIntyre slammed Zayn into the ring corner with an Irish Whip. Zayn got out of the ring again but got chased down by McIntyre. Outside of the ring, McIntyre slammed Zayn's face into the broadcast table before hitting a spine buster on Zayn into the apron. Back in the ring, Zayn hit a chop block, cross face strikes on, and a double stomp choke on McIntyre in the ropes. McIntyre laid in the jabs on Zayn in the corner before hitting a tilt-to-world back breaker on Zayn. McIntyre placed Zayn on the top rope and chopped Zayn in the corner, but Zayn racked the eyes before hitting a super sunset bomb on McIntyre before the commercial break. Back from the break, Zayn hit a boot on McIntyre before hitting a Tornado DDT on McIntyre for a near fall. Zayn hit forearm strikes on McIntyre, but McIntyre responded with a Glasgow's Kiss. Drew hit two lariats, two overhead suplexes, and a neck breaker on Zayn before aiming to hit the Claymore. The Usos came in to distract McIntyre, which Zayn took advantage of this by hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb on McIntyre for a near fall. Zayn hit a series of punches on Zayn, but Drew responded with a chop. McIntyre punched Jimmy and Jey off the apron before Zayn got him in a roll-up for a near fall. McIntyre hit a Claymore on Zayn for the pinfall win.
Winner: Drew McIntyre.
- After the match, Roman Reigns attacked McIntyre from behind. McIntyre tossed Jimmy out of the ring, but Reigns launched himself on McIntyre with a spear. The Usos hit Drew with chairs shots to his back before tossing him out of the ring and throwing him over the broadcast table. Zayn hit a Helluva kick on McIntyre before the Usos slammed the stairs on McIntyre's head. The Usos and Zayn got McIntyre back in the ring for Reigns to lock in a Guillotine Choke on McIntyre. The Bloodline & Zayn stood tall over McIntyre to end the show.
