Our WWE SmackDown results for tonight include Aleister Black battling Damian Priest, Guilia defending the Women’s United States Championship against Michin, the new United States Champion Sami Zayn returns, CM Punk addressing his hometown crowd, and John Cena’s final appearance in Chicago. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
WWE SmackDown Card:
- Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest
- Women’s United States Championship Match: Giulia (c) vs. Michin
- United States Champion Sami Zayn Returns
- John Cena’s final appearance in Chicago
- CM Punk set to appear
WWE SmackDown Results:
Highlights from WWE Clash in Paris are shown.
The Never Seen, Seventeen…
Before John Cena can speak, the Chicago crowd showers him with a “thank you, Cena!” chant. Cena thanks the crowd, hearing that chant from this bunch means a lot to him. Cena notes that he laid it all in the ring for the fans during this retirment tour. Tonight, Cena has nothing planned, so he wants to have fun. Tonight, Cena’s just going to take it all in. The crowd goes nuts. Cena notes that the Chicago crowd has power; they cheer for who they care about, whether they work here or not. A loud “AJ Lee” chant breaks out. Cena puts over the crowd again, and how important this building has been to his career. This is Cena’s last appearance on SmackDown, and he’s happy it’s in Chicago. Some argue about which town has the best crowd. In Cena’s mind, there is no argument.
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United States Champion Sami Zayn‘s music hits. Zayn joins Cena in the ring. The crowd boos Zayn. Cena jokes about it. Zayn says he’s here not to interrupt, but to say thank you on behalf of everyone in the back. Zayn thanks Cena for everything he’s done for him. The crowd boos (they hate Zayn here for reasons this writer doesn’t understand). Zayn says that because of what Cena did for Zayn years ago during a Cena US open challenge, he wants to pay it forward. With Cena’s permission, Zayn wants to start doing the Sami Zayn US Open Challenge. Cena says Zayn has his blessing. Cena starts to leave, but Zayn stops him. Zayn wants the first open challenge match to be tonight, in this very ring, right now, against John Cena! The crowd cheers. Zayn says If Cena wants some, come get some! Cena agrees.
Grade: B
Good opening segment. Cena was on fire here, and the crowd apparently hates Zayn today, so that’s fun.
United States Championship Match: Sami Zayn (c) vs. John Cena
Zayn sends Cena flying with a series of hip tosses. Cena responds with one of his own. The crowd boos Zayn. Zayn sends Cena into the corner. Zayn works over Cena and controls much of the match. Cena launches Zayn into the corner hard. Both men are down. After the break, Cena surprises Zayn with an AA! Zayn kicks out. Cena hits an Angle Slam followed by an Ankle Lock. Zayn escapes. Both Cena and Zayn hit their finishes, but neither can hold the other one down. Cena hits a GTS! Zayn kicks out!. Cena Spear Zayn! Zayn kicks out again!
The crowd chants for an RKO. Cena sets one up, but Zayn avoids it. Clothesline by Cena. Cena sets up an avalanche AA. Zayn tries to elbow his way out of the hold. Cena still hits the top rope AA! Both men are down. Brock Lesnar‘s music hits. Lesnar power walks to the ring. The referee tells Lesnar to stop. Lesnar pulls the referee out of the ring. Lesnar drops both Zayn and Cena with F5s. The crowd boos. Lesnar mugs for the crowd and hits another F5 on Cena.
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No Contest
Grade: B-
This one started slow but picked up towards the end. Cena’s nods to his former rivals were a nice touch. There was no way Cena was going to lose this match, so making the most of Lesnar’s reemergence, like an angry Pokémon, furthered the beef between him and Cena. This was a solid piece of business.
Backstage, Miz butts into a conversation between SmackDown GM Nick Aldis and Carmelo Hayes. Hayes is trying to ask Aldis for a United States Championship match, but Miz asks for a tag title match instead. Aldis brushes them off. Beck Lynch pulls into the arena.
Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest
While Priest is making his entrance, Black attacks Priest from behind. A leaping knee strike from Black sends Priest over the barricade into the crowd. Medical personnel check on Priest while Black poses in the ring. After the break, Priest refuses to go to the back. Priest stomps back to the ring. Priest pulls Black out of the ring, but collapses. Black kicks Priest in the head. Priest is out of it. Black sends Priest back into the ring. The bell rings, and Priest misses a wild right hand that sends him to the mat. Black toys with Priest, landing several strikes. Priest uncorks a nasty right hand. Octopus hold by Black. Priest almost gets to the ropes. Black turns the hold into a roll up for a near fall.
Middle rope Meteroa by Black. After the break, Priest fires up and floors Black with a lariat. Priest lands a flurry of punches. The priest walks the ropes and lands a cross-body tackle. Black rolls out. Apron flatliner by Priest. Priest clears the commentary desk and hits a Razor’s edge on the commentary desk (which doesn’t break). Priest rolls Black back in. Black begs for mercy. Priest pulls down the straps and sets up South of Heaven. Black grabs the referee’s shirt to block the hold. Black pushes the referee into Priest. Priest catches the referee. Black obliterates Priest with Black Mass. Priest pins Priest.
Winner- Aleister Black
Grade: C+
Good TV match. It’s good to finally see Black get a solid win against someone who matters. Priest will be fine; he can be heated up at any point. Black needs to be presented as a threat to anyone he is in the ring with.
Women’s United States Championship Match: Giulia (c) w/Kiana James vs. Michin
Giulia and Michin trade strikes. Michin boots Giulia out of the ring. Michin lands a nasty dropkick. Giulia is sent out of the ring again. Michin tries a baseball slide, but Giulia reverses it into a neckbreaker off the apron. After the break, Giulia lands a German suplex. Both women land head kicks simultaneously. Cannonball by Michin. Giulia kicks out. Michin sets up Eat d’Feat. Giulia reverses it into a modified Michinoku Driver. Michin kicks out. Giulia lands a series of kicks. Michin counters a kick with a sit-out powerbomb. Giulia kicks out. James gets up on the apron. Michin gets distracted and hits a headlock driver on James. Michin turns around and gets destroyed by a running knee from Giulia. Giulia pins Michin.
Winner and STILL Women’s United States Champion, Giulia!
After the match, James beats down Michin.
Grade: C+
Good TV match. The crowd was into this one, which added to the proceedings. This writer isn’t 100% sold on the James/Giulia pairing; for this to work, this group needs a heater. No clue who that could be, but it would add a ton to their presentation.
From the crowd, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins gives a rousing introduction for his wife, the Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Becky Lynch.
The Man is Has Come Around… To Chicago
The crowd boos Lynch out of the building and chants for AJ Lee. Lynch rants about the crowd daring to chant someone else’s name. The crowd boos louder. Lynch goes on and on about how every sports team in Chicago sucks. CM Punk’s music hits. Rollins waves at Punk from the crowd. Punk says this isn’t about Lynch, it’s about her coward of a husband hiding in a box right now. Lynch says it is about her, and Punk should be embarrassed. Punk says he has nothing to be embarrassed about.
He’s going to give Lynch one chance because it has nothing to do with her. Lynch has how Punk’s face is doing. How’s his pride doing? The crowd chants for AJ Lee. Lynch tells the crowd to shut up. Punk tells Lynch she doesn’t get to tell them they can’t chant for AJ. If Lynch didn’t want to hear that, she shouldn’t have stuck her nose in his business. They are in Chicago, and Punk could have any one of his sisters jump over the rail and beat Lynch’s ass. Punk says he could give a call to Bayley and have her come kick Lynch’s ass, or Rhea Ripley. Lynch slaps and taunts Punk over and over again. Rollins celebrates in the box; he’s enjoying this. Punk rolls out of the ring. Lynch berates Punk as he walks towards the ramp.
Punk says this is exactly the situation he was trying to avoid. He would never put his hands on a lady. Thankfully, he has someone who will. AJ Lee’s music hits. AJ skips out on the stage. Rollins is shocked. Lynch looks terrified. Punk is beaming as AJ skips around the ring. Lee stares Lynch down. Lynch charges in and gets speared by AJ. AJ unloads on Lynch with stiff punches. AJ gives her hand a good lick and slaps the soul out of Lynch’s body. Lynch crawls away as Rollins runs down to the barricade. Punk joins AJ in the ring. Rollins falls over the barricade trying to get to Lynch (HA!). As Rollins and Lynch look on, Punk and AJ embrace in the ring.
Grade: A
This was exceptionally well done. Lynch had been floundering a bit recently (as good as Lyra Valkyria is in the ring, that feud wasn’t remotely compelling), but she has turned it on in whatever this latest phase of her career is. No clue how to characterize what she is doing right now, but it just works. She may be the most hateable person on the show, and that’s quite impressive for a show that features Logan Paul. The setup to the AJ return was obvious in the best way, and having AJ throw hands instead of a long speech was the best possible way to do this. AJ got a Road Warrior pop tonight, and this writer wasn’t fully prepared for it.
WWE SmackDown Review:
Tonight’s show featured solid in-ring action and the return of AJ Lee. What more could one ask for in an episode of SmackDown? What did you all think? Let us know in the comments!
Rating: B
This event is ongoing. This information will be updated as the event progresses.
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