WWE Smackdown Report – 5/12
– The post-Backlash edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX opens live from the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. Michael Cole welcomes us, and he’s joined at ringside by Wade Barrett. They hype tonight’s show and we go right to the ring.
WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament: Edge vs. AJ Styles vs. Rey Mysterio
The music hits and out comes WWE Hall of Famer Edge to a big pop. He greets his kids at ringside, then enters the ring. AJ Styles and 2023 WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio are already waiting in the ring. The winner here will advance to tonight’s main event.
The bell rings an they size each other up. Rey attacks Edge first and AJ joins him. Fans boo the double team. Rey and AJ go at it now. Edge tries to pin them both. Rey scoop slams Edge for 2. Edge takes out AJ and goes to work on Rey in the corners.
Rey hangs Edge up on the top rope. AJ and Rey tangle. AJ ends up sending Edge into Rey. Edge rocks AJ in mid-air and hits the Edge-o-Matic DDT for a close 2 count in the middle of the ring. Edge works on AJ in the corner and whips him across the ring into the turnbuckles. Edge sends Rey to the floor, then stalks AJ. AJ drops Edge and hits the sliding forearm.
Rey comes back in bu AJ hits the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Edge boots AJ but AJ knocks him over the top rope to the floor. AJ and Rey go at it now. Rey with the hurricanrana takedown. Rey keeps control with his speed as fans pop. Edge runs in but Rey takes both opponents out. Edge catches Rey in mid-air off a springboard crossbody attempt, then kicks AJ down, then hits the big fall-away slam to Rey.
Edge goes for a Spear but Rey and AJ kick him at once. Rey drops AJ and tangles with Edge, hitting a Destroyer for a close 2 count. Edge ends up on the floor for a breather.
AJ blocks Rey with a kick, then lunches him under the bottom rope but Edge catches Rey sliding under the bottom rope, right into position for a DDT but AJ then nails a baseball slide, forcing Edge to drop Rey on the floor with a DDT. Edge is also down and AJ is up as we go to commercial.
Back from the break and they’re going at it. Edge hits a huge double Spear to send all three Superstars crashing to the floor. Fans chant “holy shit!” now. Edge brings Rey back in for a close 2 count.
Edge works Rey over in the corner now. AJ comes in and knocks Edge to the floor. Rey and AJ go at it ow. Rey with an enziguri. Rey misses a corner splash an AJ rolls him into the Calf Crusher. Edge runs in and applies a Crossface to Rey, while AJ’s hold is still locked in. Rey ends up fighting free as the other two fight. Edge and AJ trade strikes from their knees to their feet now. Rey with a hurricanrana from the corner to send both into the ropes for a 619 attempt. Rey runs but they hit him with a double dropkick. They go on and now everyone is flat on their backs.
Rey and AJ go at it again. Rey ducks AJ and dropkicks him to the apron. Rey charges but Edge kicks him. Edge sends AJ face-first into the bottom of the ring post in the corner. Edge goes to the top but Rey cuts him off, then climbs up. AJ comes over and grabs Rey off the top for a running sitdown powerbomb. Rey kicks out just in time.
AJ climbs up on Edge in the corner now. Rey runs over and decks AJ in the back. Rey launches them both to the mat but AJ kicks out at 2. Rey is frustrated now. Rey drops Edge into position for 619 but AJ trips him from the floor to boos. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but Edge ducks. AJ jumps over the Spear. Rey drops AJ, then hits 619 on Edge but Edge intercepts it. Edge drops Rey into the Edge-ucator but Rey holds on. Edge breaks the hold to swing at AJ. Edge then applies the Edge-ucator to AJ in the middle of the ring.
AJ crawls to the ropes but that won’t help in a Triple Threat. Rey nails 619 to Edge. Rey goes to the top and comes down on Edge’s neck with a splash attempt but Edge barely connected with a desperation Spear attempt. AJ then quickly follows up with a Phenomenal Forearm for the pin to win and advance to the semifinals.
Winner: AJ Styles
– After the match, AJ stands tall as his music hits. We go to replays. AJ celebrates as the announcers plug Sheamus vs. Bobby Lashley vs. WWE United States Champion Austin Theory.
– We get a video on recent happenings with The Bloodline. Tonight’s Progressive Match Flo replay looks at how The Usos and Solo Sikoa defeated Matt Riddle and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at Backlash, and how the brothers argued after the match. We now go to The Usos backstage and they seem to be in a great mood tonight.
WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament: Sheamus vs. Bobby Lashley vs. WWE United States Champion Austin Theory
We go back to the ring for the final opening round Triple Threat in the WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament as Sheamus comes out with Butch, and Mike Rome does the introductions. The winner will face Edge in tonight’s main event to determine who faces Seth Rollins at Night of Champions to crown the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Sheamus hits the ring and poses to cheers as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Bobby Lashley is wrapping up his entrance. WWE United States Champion Austin Theory is out next. The bell rings and Theory jumps to the floor as fans boo. Sheamus and Lashley chase him and stop him from re-entering, beating him down at ringside.
Sheamus rolls Theory back in and Lashley rams him in the corner. Lashley with a swinging neckbreaker to Theory, then Sheamus drops a big knee. Sheamus with the rolling senton, then Lashley clotheslines Theory to the floor.
Sheamus and Lashley go at it now. Lashley drops Sheamus face-first and now works him over in the corner. Lashley charges but Sheamus catches him with a powerslam. Sheamus keeps control and goes for 10 Beats of the Bodhrán but Lashley fights back from the apron. Sheamus rocks Lashley and tries for 10 Beats again, but Theory runs in and knocks Lashley off the apron as Sheamus side-steps. Fans pop and count along as Sheamus delivers 10 Beats of the Bodhrán to Theory now. Sheamus stands tall alone in the ring as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Lashley rams Theory at ringside, then drives him into the ring post head-first. Lashley goes back in as Sheamus stares him down. They have words and start brawling. Lashley boots Sheamus down. Lashley charges into the corner but double boots knock him down. Sheamus pulls himself to the top but Lashley catches him in mid-air for a big overhead throw.
A Theory dropkick saves Sheamus from The Hurt Lock. Theory takes out Sheamus’ knee and works him over but Lashley breaks the pin up. Lashley runs into a Theory boot in the corner. Theory nails the rolling Blockbuster to Lashley for 2 as Sheamus makes the save. Theory unloads on Sheamus in the corner now as fans boo. Theory goes out with Lashley and sends him into the steel ring steps for more boos.
Sheamus blocks the rolling DDT, nailing the Irish Curse backbreaker to Theory. Sheamus unloads on Theory with clotheslines and corner strikes. Sheamus climbs to the middle rope with Theory on his back. Sheamus hits a super White Noise but Theory kicks out at 2. Sheamus goes for the Celtic Cross but it’s blocked and Theory rolls Sheamus for 2.
Sheamus with a big knee strike to drop Theory. Sheamus calls for the Brogue Kick but Lashley rushes in and intercepts him from out of nowhere with a Spear. Barrett says Lashley was being checked on by a trainer while down at ringside. Theory sends Lashley into the ring post and tries to steal the pin on Sheamus for 2.
Theory goes for The ATL on Lashley but tit’s blocked and Lashley spikes Theory into the mat. Theory is stuck in The Hurt Lock now. Sheamus breaks it with a Brogue Kick to Theory to put him down. Lashley grabs Sheamus and sends him to the floor, then covers Theory for the pin to win and advance.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
– After the match, Lashley stands tall as the music hits. We go to replays. Lashley vs. Edge is confirmed for tonight’s main event.
– Still to come, Roman Reigns will return. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and Adam Pearce is on the phone talking about how great tonight’s main event will be. Former WWE NXT Superstar Grayson Waller walks in and he’s glad to be here, even though he was drafted late. Waller wants the winner of tonight’s main event to be on The Grayson Waller Effect next week. Pearce says this will be OK.
Cameron Grimes vs. Baron Corbin
We go back to the ring and free agent Baron Corbin is already out. New blue brand Superstar Cameron Grimes is out next.
Corbin takes the mic and introduces Grimes, and says he’s surprised he showed up as that takes guts. Corbin says Grimes will not be making a name off Corbin tonight but within seconds of the bell ringing, he will be wishing he was back down in NXT. The bell rings and Grimes immediately nails the Cave-In for the quick pin to get the squash win.
Winner: Cameron Grimes
– After the match, Grimes begins celebrating as the music hits and we get a replay. Grimes makes his exit as a shocked Corbin looks on.
– We get a video package to promote Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes at WWE Night of Champions.
– We go back to the ring and out comes The Bloodline – Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman. Reigns raises his gold to pyro while the others raise their 1s. Heyman glances over at the WWE World Heavyweight Title on display. The Bloodline gets ready to head to the ring as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and The Bloodline is standing in the ring as pyro goes off. Reigns just looks out at the crowd while they cheer and boo. After a minute or two, The Tribal Chief calls on Knoxville to acknowledge him. Fans chant “Roman!” now. Reigns says that’s what greatness garners… it garners respect but regardless of reactions or not, this is one thing that must be respected – there’s a lot of talk about royal families and families of importance in this business but let’s be honest, there’s only one. Fans give Reigns the “What!?” treatment now. Reigns says every man in this ring main evented both nights of WrestleMania, and they’re the only family who will ever do this. He says the momentum carried on to Backlash, even when he wasn’t there, and who stepped up this time? Solo stepped up.
Reigns says he had some concern when they first brought Solo up because of experience, but when it comes to sinking or swimming, Solo swims like a shark and always handles problems. Sikoa apparently mentions Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to Reigns but Reigns laughs them off and say don’t worry, they’re not a problem, not the problem. Fans chant “Sami!” for a second. Reigns says there is an actual problem but it’s not Sami and Kevin… the problem is your brothers.
Reigns brings up their WrestleMania 39 loss and then how they dedicated a loss to him. Reigns can’t figure out why they dedicated a tag team match to him, the greatest singles wrestler ever. He says they disrespected the Hall of Fame tag teams in their family. Reigns tried to take some time off but they misrepresented him and disrespected The Bloodline. Reigns says they know better than this, so apologize. The Usos look back and forth at each other. Reigns wants to see nothing come out of their mouths but an apology. Jimmy laughs as both hesitate and shrug. Fans chant “no!” to Jimmy and Reigns says don’t listen to these idiots. Reigns pushes Jimmy back by his face, and Jimmy isn’t happy. Reigns asks if he’s going to do something. Heyman slowly exits the ring to the apron. Jimmy goes for Reigns but Jey holds him back and says something we can’t her due to fan chants being bleeped out. Jey says they apologize and if Reigns gives them one more shot, thy will bring the titles back to The Bloodline
Reigns says they are right, the titles will come back to The Bloodline. Reigns tells his Wise Man to fill everyone in. Heyman says Reigns came tonight with a game-plan already in hand. Heyman was advised to pull all strings with The Board of Directors to flex their Bloodline muscle. Heyman announces Reigns and Sikoa vs. Owens and Zayn for the titles at WWE Night of Champions. The Usos are shocked. Reigns says he and Solo will do what they always do – dominate and hold it down for The Bloodline. Reigns dedicates the win to the greatest tag team of all-time – WWE Hall of Famers The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika. Reigns tosses the mic as The Bloodline music starts back up. The Usos are speechless as Reigns, Sikoa and Heyman march up the ramp.
– Kayla Braxton is backstage with Damage CTRL now. Bayley talks about how she and Roman Reigns are alike as leaders. She says she takes the blame on herself and says she pushed IYO SKY for the title but maybe SKY wasn’t ready for it. Bayley says leaders also take control themselves, which she will do tonight when she and Dakota Kai bring gold back home to Damage CTRL. Bayley says go tell Reigns that SmackDown belongs to Damage CTRL. She laughs and they walk off.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles Match: Bayley and Dakota Kai vs. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez
We go back to the ring and out comes WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we get a video package on the WWE Backlash success. The Usos walk up on members of The LWO backstage, and The Usos are in a bad mood. They ask why Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro and Zelina Vega are laughing at them, but they say they have no issues. Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio walk up and have some words and a few jokes for The Usos, who storm off to keep things calm and stay out of trouble. We go back to the ring and Damage CTRL is out – Bayley and Dakota Kai with IYO SKY.
The bell rings and Kai goes at it with Raquel to start. Raquel takes control and in comes Liv for the double team. Liv drops Kai for 2. Kai fights back and nails an overhead kick for 2.
We see NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn watching the match. Kai and Liv continue fighting until Kai decks Liv with a forearm. Bayley tags in for the double team but Liv fights them off and rolls Bayley for 2. Liv continues fighting both opponents until Bayley clotheslines her for 2 as we see Dawn and Fyre watching backstage again. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Raquel tags in to take over. She unloads on Kai and hits a big fall-away slam. Raquel with corner shots and another fall-away slam. Raquel with the second rope corkscrew elbow drop but Kai moves.
Bayley comes in for the double team but Raquel turns it into a double chokeslam with an assist by Liv. The champs unload on the challengers now. Raquel uses Liv as a battering ram a few times. Liv sends Kai to the floor, then hits a high knee to Bayley in the corner. Liv takes it to the top but Kai tags in and Liv doesn’t see it. Kai kicks Liv, then knocks her off Bayley’s shoulders with flying double knees.
Kai may have hurt her knee as she’s unable to make the pin. We see Fyre and Dawn watching from backstage again. We finally get a pin but it’s broken up. Bayley drags Kai to the corner, then tags in. Bayley directs SKY to bring the titles to the apron but this back-fires as Raquel makes the save, and stomps Kai on the floor. The chaos allows Liv to roll Bayley up for the pin to win and retain.
Winners: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez
– After the match, Liv and Raquel stand tall as the music hits. Bayley is shocked.
– Pretty Deadly introduce themselves to The Brawling Brutes backstage, then insult them. Sheamus, Butch and Ridge Holland are ready to fight but they put the brakes on as Elton Prince and Kit Wilson hurry away. The Brutes are off to get some pints now.
– The ring crew is setting up for Bianca Belair’s Championship Celebration. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and out comes RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair for a Championship Celebration for her record red brand reign. The ring is setup with balloons and a red apron cover. Belair greets family at ringside, then hits the ring.
Belair goes to the corner to pose as pyro explodes around the arena. The music quickly interrupts and out comes Asuka for her first appearance since the loss at WrestleMania 39, confusing Belair.
Asuka meets Belair in the middle of the ring as the “EST!” chant starts up. Asuka goes to congratulate Belair and shake her hand, but she spits the black mist in Blair’s face instead. Belair begins screaming while a wide-eyed Asuka bounces around. Officials rush the ring to tend to Belair while Asuka exits the ring and looks back with a smile.
– We see AJ Styles warming up backstage. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and Bianca Belair is in the trainer’s room, covered in black mist and screaming for help.
WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament Semifinals: AJ Styles vs. Bobby Lashley
We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event and AJ Styles is out, as is Bobby Lashley. The winner will face Seth Rollins in the finals at WWE Night of Champions.
The bell rings and they trade strikes early on. There’s also some stalling. Lashley backs AJ into the corner but AJ escapes and chops him. Lashley with a knee now to send AJ into the turnbuckles.
AJ fights back but Lashley beats him down in the corner. AJ counters and delivers chops in the corner. AJ works on softening up the leg now. Lashley blocks a powerbomb attempt and launches AJ over the top rope, to the floor. AJ lands bad on his ankle. Lashley rams AJ back into the edge of the apron, then scoops him to his shoulders to run him head-first into the ring post. Lashley stands tall at ringside as we go to commercial.
Back from the break and AJ fights Lashley off, kicking his knee out. AJ charges but Lashley drops him with a back elbow. Lashley pounds on AJ while he’s down. AJ ends up countering in the corner and rolling Lashley into the Calf Crusher. Lashley fights out with shots to the back of the head.
AJ blocks and unloads with fast strikes. AJ drops Lashley with a DDT in the middle of the ring for 2. More back and forth between the two now. Lashley drops AJ face-first into the mat for 2. Lashley goes on and tries again but his knee goes out. AJ with a sliding forearm. AJ flies into the corner but Lashley catches him with The Hurt Lock. AJ resists but the hold is applied. AJ breaks the hold at the ropes and slides out to the floor.
Lashley follows AJ to the floor and sends him into the steel ring steps. Lashley rocks AJ and scoops him to his shoulders, but AJ slides out and sends Lashley face-first into the ring post instead. AJ with an enziguri. They bring it back in and AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but it’s blocked.
AJ slides out and tries for the Calf Crusher but Lashley counters. AJ blocks a suplex attempt and delivers a knee. They go on and Lashley catches AJ with a running powerslam in the middle of the ring for 2. AJ blocks The Hurt Lock now, but Lashley puts him in the corner.
AJ jumps over the Spear and Lashley hits the ring post. AJ with a knee to send Lashley face-first into the post again. AJ quickly follows up with the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin to win and advance to the finals.
Winner: AJ Styles
– After the match, AJ stands tall as the music hits and we go to replays. The announcers plug WWE Night of Champions and the Styles vs. Seth Rollins match to crown the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. AJ is on the stage now, checking out the new title belt on display. The rest of The O.C. comes out to celebrate with AJ on the stage – Mia Yim, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. SmackDown goes off the air.
