This is the Fightful.com live coverage for tonight's episode of WWE Smackdown! Live. Tonight Shane McMahon will come out to start the show after his losing albeit valiant effort to defeat team RAW this past Sunday night at WWE Survivor Series. What will Daniel Bryan have to say to Shane? Will AJ cross paths with Jinder Mahal? Will anyone debut tonight like Paige, Mandy Rose and Sonya DeVille did last night on RAW? All of these questions and more will be answered tonight so be sure to come back here at 8 PM EST for all of the action and stay right here after the show for the post-show podcast!
-We open the show with a recap of the mens Survivor Series match.
-Shane McMahon comes out to the ring to start the show in the arena and talks about how Smackdown! Live failed to win Survivor Series under his leadership and that even if they lost that Smackdown! Live is the number one brand in the WWE. Shane compliments everyone on the roster excluding Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Shane has Kevin and Sami come out to the ring and explain their actions. Kevin chatises Shane and says that it's his fault they lost the match and would have won if they were put on the team. Kevin says that Shane needs to apologize to them before Shane says that he needs to shut up and that he and Sami have no respect for anyone on the roster or in the crowd.
Shane teases firing them before they plead their case against it and Shane calls them delusional. Shane talks about how much the locker room hates them, Shane starting to fire them before he's interrupted by Daniel Bryan. Daniel comes out to the ring and makes a lumberjack match between them and New Day before leaving as we go to commercial.
Jey Uso vs Shelton Benjamin
They exchange strikes to start the match before exchanging knees to the midsection and Jey dropping Shelton with a back elbow before Shelton sends Jey out of the ring and to the floor with a knee as we go to commercial.
Jey slaps Shelton and drops him with a series of superkicks and a Samoan drop as we come back from commercial. Jey hits a running hip attack in the corner, Shelton rolling out of the ring to regroup before Chad takes out Jimmy at ringside. Shelton rolls Jay up when he's distracted by Chad for a near fall before missing a splash off of the top and Shelton then hits Pay Dirt for the pin and the win.
Winner: Shelton Benjamin via pinfall
-Kevin and Sami try to get various guys on the roster on their side including Baron Corbin and Bobby Roode, but to no avail.
-Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan attack Naomi before taking out Becky Lynch when she tries to help her. We then have Shane and Daniel talking backstage before Shane leaves for the night.
Bludgeon Brothers vs Hype Bros
Rowan takes out Mojo momentarily in the ring as Luke kills Zack at ringside, tossing him into the barricade and the ring steps. They then hit a double crucifix powerbomb for the pin and the win in under ninety seconds.
Winner: Bludgeon Brothers via pinfall
-AJ comes out to the ring and talks about his match against Brock Lesnar this past Sunday night. AJ says that he would rematch Brock any time and before calling out Jinder Mahal. Jinder shows up on the big screen and says that he's too busy to face AJ and that he will face him when he wants to. Jinder says that he would have beaten Brock and that he is invoking his rematch for Clash of Champions next month before the Singh brothers attack AJ from behind. AJ takes the Singh brothers out before holding up the title as we go to commercial.
WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match
Charlotte (c) vs Natalya
Natalya immediately takes Charlotte down only for her to get back up and chop Natalya around the ring. Natalya drops Charlotte before sending her face into the middle turnbuckle as we go to commercial.
Natalya hits a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall as we come back from commercial, then locks in a variation of a sharpshooter before Charlotte gets to the ropes for the break. Charlotte sends Natalya face first into the top turnbuckle before missing a moonsault, but immediately comes back and spears Natalya. Ruby, Liv and Sarah show up and attack Natalya, the referee being forced to call for the bell.
Winner: Charlotte retains the WWE Smackdown! Women's Championship due to interference and a subsequent no contest by the official.
-After the match they get in the ring and take out Charlotte as well as we go to commercial.
New Day vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Lumberjack Match
Big-E and Kevin start the match, E in control early before tagging Kofi in. Kevin tags Sami in and they exchange headlocks before Kofi drops Sami with a back elbow and sends him out of the ring. The lumberjacks beat on Sami before he tries to leave the arena, but they pick him up ad carry him back to the ring as we go to commercial.
Kofi and Big-E repeatedly tag in and out and stomp Kevin for a quick two count before Kevin backs Kofi into his corner and tags Sami in. Sami clotheslines Kofi for a quick two count before dragging him to the corner and tagging Kevin back in. Kevin beats Kofi down before slamming him, but misses a running senton when Kofi gets his knees up. E and Sami tag in and E hits a series of suplexes into a splash. Kofi gets the blind tag and hits a diving cross body off of the top for a near fall that Kevin breaks up.
A brawl then begins at ringside before spilling into the ring and back out of it before Sami rolls up Kofi in all of the chaos for the pin and the win.
Winner: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn via pinfall
