Rusev & Jinder Mahal defeated United States Champion Randy Orton & Bobby Roode.
For Randy Orton to retain his United States Title at WrestleMania, he will need to outlast both Bobby Roode and Jinder Mahal in what is sure to be a hard-hitting Triple Threat Match, but The Viper teamed with The Glorious One tonight to take on Mahal & Rusev, who took the place of the injured Sunil Singh.
Despite a few disagreements in the early goings, Orton & Roode did their best to work in tandem against their common enemy. Mahal exploited the uneasy alliance when he tossed Roode into Orton, who looked poised to hit an RKO on The Bulgarian Brute. However, with WrestleMania looming, The Apex Predator had no patience for the accidental contact, and after a bit of a shoving match, Orton connected with an RKO that laid out The Glorious One. This distraction proved costly, as Rusev caught The Viper flush with a kick to the jaw and secured the major pinfall over the United States Champion.
After being approached by Mahal in the backstage area after the match, Rusev declared that his victory over Orton granted him entry into the United States Title Match at WrestleMania, a notion SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan agreed with, officially making it a Fatal 4-Way for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 34 later in the evening. (Via WWE.com)
Despite a few disagreements in the early goings, Orton & Roode did their best to work in tandem against their common enemy. Mahal exploited the uneasy alliance when he tossed Roode into Orton, who looked poised to hit an RKO on The Bulgarian Brute. However, with WrestleMania looming, The Apex Predator had no patience for the accidental contact, and after a bit of a shoving match, Orton connected with an RKO that laid out The Glorious One. This distraction proved costly, as Rusev caught The Viper flush with a kick to the jaw and secured the major pinfall over the United States Champion.
After being approached by Mahal in the backstage area after the match, Rusev declared that his victory over Orton granted him entry into the United States Title Match at WrestleMania, a notion SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan agreed with, officially making it a Fatal 4-Way for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 34 later in the evening. (Via WWE.com)
Becky Lynch defeated Ruby Riott.
Becky Lynch and Ruby Riott aimed to make a statement on SmackDown LIVE just 12 days before each competes in the first-ever WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal.
Due to the presence of Riott Squad members Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan at ringside, Lynch appeared to be at a distinct disadvantage, but The Irish Lass Kicker refused to be deterred, and after weathering several interference attempts by Logan and Morgan, she took down the always-game Ruby, catching her with a surprise rollup for the win.
After the match, The Riott Squad attempted to make Lynch regret her victory with a blindside attack, but she gave them a sample of what they’d have to watch out for at WrestleMania when she threw them over the top rope.
Advantage Lynch. (Via WWE.com)
Due to the presence of Riott Squad members Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan at ringside, Lynch appeared to be at a distinct disadvantage, but The Irish Lass Kicker refused to be deterred, and after weathering several interference attempts by Logan and Morgan, she took down the always-game Ruby, catching her with a surprise rollup for the win.
After the match, The Riott Squad attempted to make Lynch regret her victory with a blindside attack, but she gave them a sample of what they’d have to watch out for at WrestleMania when she threw them over the top rope.
Advantage Lynch. (Via WWE.com)
Daniel Bryan issued a WrestleMania Challenge.
After being savagely attacked by Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn last week, an act which spoiled the announcement that he was now cleared to return to in-ring competition, SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan hit the scene on SmackDown LIVE with a blockbuster announcement.
Despite SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon currently suffering from a case of acute diverticulitis due to being brutalized by KO & Zayn, Bryan proclaimed that he believes Shane-O-Mac will be ready to compete at WrestleMania 34. With that in mind, The “Yes!” Man challenged Owens & Zayn to a tag team match against him and Shane at The Show of Shows. If Bryan & Shane win, then KO & Sami would still be fired, but the Commissioner and General Manager would get their retaliation. However, if Owens & Zayn win, they would get their jobs back on the blue brand.
An impassioned Bryan then made it clear that he was heading to WrestleMania with one goal in mind: Pulverizing The “Yep!” Movement. (Via WWE.com)
Despite SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon currently suffering from a case of acute diverticulitis due to being brutalized by KO & Zayn, Bryan proclaimed that he believes Shane-O-Mac will be ready to compete at WrestleMania 34. With that in mind, The “Yes!” Man challenged Owens & Zayn to a tag team match against him and Shane at The Show of Shows. If Bryan & Shane win, then KO & Sami would still be fired, but the Commissioner and General Manager would get their retaliation. However, if Owens & Zayn win, they would get their jobs back on the blue brand.
An impassioned Bryan then made it clear that he was heading to WrestleMania with one goal in mind: Pulverizing The “Yep!” Movement. (Via WWE.com)
The New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers ended in no contest.
The New Day returned to SmackDown LIVE to face off against The Bludgeon Brothers for the first time ever. It was also the first time that the complete contingent of The New Day was at full strength since Harper & Rowan brutally attacked them and The Usos at WWE Fastlane.
The New Day were back to being as positive as ever, wanting their crack at Harper & Rowan, but The Bludgeon Brothers brutalized The New Day throughout most of the contest. However, when SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos arrived and pounced on Rowan before he could enter the squared circle with his mallet, it seemed the odds were no longer in Harper & Rowan’s favor.
Unfortunately for The Usos and The New Day, they could not exactly coexist, and The Bludgeon Brothers reclaimed their mallets and used them to force all five Superstars to flee … at least for now. (Via WWE.com)
The New Day were back to being as positive as ever, wanting their crack at Harper & Rowan, but The Bludgeon Brothers brutalized The New Day throughout most of the contest. However, when SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos arrived and pounced on Rowan before he could enter the squared circle with his mallet, it seemed the odds were no longer in Harper & Rowan’s favor.
Unfortunately for The Usos and The New Day, they could not exactly coexist, and The Bludgeon Brothers reclaimed their mallets and used them to force all five Superstars to flee … at least for now. (Via WWE.com)
Dolph Ziggler defeated Tyler Breeze.
With The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal less than two weeks away, two of the newest Superstars to declare for the contest (both did so earlier in the day), Dolph Ziggler and Tyler Breeze, squared off on SmackDown LIVE.
Breeze brought a high-paced offense to the contest, showing that he could be as strong a candidate as anyone to win the annual over-the-top rope melee, but The Showoff put the record scratch on Breeze’s chances when he toppled him with a picture-perfect Zig Zag for the win before also laying out Fandango at ringside with a ruthless superkick. (Via WWE.com)
Breeze brought a high-paced offense to the contest, showing that he could be as strong a candidate as anyone to win the annual over-the-top rope melee, but The Showoff put the record scratch on Breeze’s chances when he toppled him with a picture-perfect Zig Zag for the win before also laying out Fandango at ringside with a ruthless superkick. (Via WWE.com)
Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Shelton Benjamin.
In a first-time-ever battle between two of SmackDown LIVE’s most athletic and hardest-hitting Superstars, Shinsuke Nakamura took on Shelton Benjamin. The Phenomenal One made good on his word to be in The Artist’s corner in the interest of protecting their WWE Title Match at WrestleMania 34. Benjamin, of course, had his partner Chad Gable by his side, adding extra wrinkles to the match.
Benjamin brought it to WWE’s Rockstar, not backing down in the face of Nakamura’s onslaught, but The King of Strong Style reigned supreme, defeating Benjamin with a stinging Kinshasa for the win as Styles kept Gable at bay.
After the match, Shinsuke grabbed a microphone and made it clear that he never needed AJ Styles in his corner tonight. More words were exchanged, but Benjamin & Gable suddenly attacked Styles from behind as WWE’s Rockstar was exiting. Nakamura was quick to come to The Phenomenal One’s aid and fend off both Shelton & Chad, clearing them from the ring. However, with them now gone, Nakamura noticed that the battered Styles was staggering to his feet. The Artist began gearing up to clobber AJ with a Kinshasa, but he stopped short.
Nakamura once again let The Phenomenal One know what awaits him at WrestleMania: “Knee. To. Face.” Shinsuke then delivered a sly smile and patted Styles on the head before exiting, letting Styles know that one Kinshasa may be all it takes on The Grandest Stage of Them All. (Via WWE.com)
Benjamin brought it to WWE’s Rockstar, not backing down in the face of Nakamura’s onslaught, but The King of Strong Style reigned supreme, defeating Benjamin with a stinging Kinshasa for the win as Styles kept Gable at bay.
After the match, Shinsuke grabbed a microphone and made it clear that he never needed AJ Styles in his corner tonight. More words were exchanged, but Benjamin & Gable suddenly attacked Styles from behind as WWE’s Rockstar was exiting. Nakamura was quick to come to The Phenomenal One’s aid and fend off both Shelton & Chad, clearing them from the ring. However, with them now gone, Nakamura noticed that the battered Styles was staggering to his feet. The Artist began gearing up to clobber AJ with a Kinshasa, but he stopped short.
Nakamura once again let The Phenomenal One know what awaits him at WrestleMania: “Knee. To. Face.” Shinsuke then delivered a sly smile and patted Styles on the head before exiting, letting Styles know that one Kinshasa may be all it takes on The Grandest Stage of Them All. (Via WWE.com)
Mark Andrews defeated Tony Nese.
Both Mark Andrews and Tony Nese were defeated in brutal fashion by Drew Gulak in the WWE Cruiserweight Championship Tournament; both competitors seek retribution, thus WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick decided the best course of action was to have them square off for consideration of who would earn the right to battle Gulak first.
Andrews was immediately at a disadvantage, squaring off against a larger and more powerful opponent in The Premier Athlete. Using his strength to his advantage, Nese worked to keep his opponent on defense, but the Welsh Superstar’s speed and agility allowed him to keep the bout competitive.
As Nese continued to apply pressure to his opponent, Andrews put his incredible resilience on display. Andrews kept The Premier Athlete from sustaining momentum, escaped counters and holds from Nese and turned up the volume of his attacks. Following a jaw-dropping moonsault on the outside, Nese recovered inside the ring and took Andrews down from the top rope.
Irate, The Premier Athlete increased the intensity of his attacks, but he remained unable to secure a pinfall. Taking Andrews down on the outside, Nese prepared to execute a moonsault of his own, but the Welsh Superstar rolled away. The two exchanged blows and near-falls, pushing each other to their respective limits.
As Nese attempted to take down his opponent with a powerslam, Andrews countered into a Stundog Millionaire before seizing the opportunity to execute an incredible Shooting Star Press for the win.After the match, Andrews told WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick that he wanted a match against Gulak, and Maverick granted the Superstar’s wish for next week. (Via WWE.com)
Andrews was immediately at a disadvantage, squaring off against a larger and more powerful opponent in The Premier Athlete. Using his strength to his advantage, Nese worked to keep his opponent on defense, but the Welsh Superstar’s speed and agility allowed him to keep the bout competitive.
As Nese continued to apply pressure to his opponent, Andrews put his incredible resilience on display. Andrews kept The Premier Athlete from sustaining momentum, escaped counters and holds from Nese and turned up the volume of his attacks. Following a jaw-dropping moonsault on the outside, Nese recovered inside the ring and took Andrews down from the top rope.
Irate, The Premier Athlete increased the intensity of his attacks, but he remained unable to secure a pinfall. Taking Andrews down on the outside, Nese prepared to execute a moonsault of his own, but the Welsh Superstar rolled away. The two exchanged blows and near-falls, pushing each other to their respective limits.
As Nese attempted to take down his opponent with a powerslam, Andrews countered into a Stundog Millionaire before seizing the opportunity to execute an incredible Shooting Star Press for the win.After the match, Andrews told WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick that he wanted a match against Gulak, and Maverick granted the Superstar’s wish for next week. (Via WWE.com)
Cedric Alexander & Mustafa Ali meet face-to-face.
Sitting down with WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick, Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali shared their excitement about competing on The Grandest Stage of Them All for the vacant WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Alexander and Ali expressed their respect for each other, but tensions mounted when Alexander claimed he would leave WrestleMania as champion. Ali pointed out that every time his opponent has an opportunity to win the title, he comes up short. Countering the end of his friend’s story, Ali believed that he will emerge victorious in the match.
Despite their friendship, it was clear that both Cruiserweights are willing to do whatever it takes to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. (Via WWE.com)
Despite their friendship, it was clear that both Cruiserweights are willing to do whatever it takes to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. (Via WWE.com)
Buddy Murphy defeated TJP, Akira Tozawa & Kalisto. (Fatal 4-Way)
Kalisto, TJP and Tozawa are all former WWE Cruiserweight Champions, while NXT Superstar Buddy Murphy was determined to make a statement and prove he is the future of WWE 205 Live in an epic Fatal 4-Way Match.
As the match got underway, Kalisto and Tozawa – who were offered this match for keeping the peace between Hideo Itami and Lince Dorado last week – immediately charged each other. As they focused on each other, Buddy Murphy and a very overconfident TJP exchanged blows.
With Tozawa and Kalisto engaged with one another, TJP attempted to form an alliance with Murphy. When the Australian Superstar accepted, TJP immediately betrayed him and took control of the bout. Showing off his trademark showmanship, TJP managed to lock both Tozawa and Kalisto in a double submission hold. Although Kalisto fought back at Tozawa’s expense, The Duke of Dab fended off his aggressors until Murphy returned to the ring and laid waste to all three of his opponents outside the ring.
It took the combined teamwork of Tozawa and Kalisto to stop Murphy’s offense. The two Superstars began arguing and preventing one another from battling TJP inside the ring. This allowed The Fil-Am Flash to show off his innovative submission ability, first executing another double submission and a Cloverleaf on Tozawa before Murphy once again spoiled TJP’s reign.
All four Superstars brawled before Tozawa took down TJP on the outside with a dive. Kalisto followed up with a high-risk maneuver of his own. Not to be outdone, Murphy took down all three of his opponents with a jaw-dropping dive.
The battle continued to rage inside the ring with bodies flying off the top rope that led to an incredible sequence that saw TJP with Kalisto in a submission hold, Buddy Murphy pinning The Duke of Dab and Akira Tozawa launching off the top rope onto all three competitors with a senton. Tension between Kalisto and Tozawa boiled over when each broke up a pinfall. Their argument allowed Murphy to take out both Superstars, only to be caught in a kneebar from TJP.
Once again working together, Kalisto and Tozawa pulled TJP out of the ring, but Murphy took them down with a corkscrew dive. Narrowly escaping the Australian, The Duke of Dab made his way back in the ring, ready to take down Murphy.
Unfortunately for the first-ever Cruiserweight Champion, Murphy countered the Detonation Kick and executed Murphy’s Law for an incredible victory. (Via WWE.com)
As the match got underway, Kalisto and Tozawa – who were offered this match for keeping the peace between Hideo Itami and Lince Dorado last week – immediately charged each other. As they focused on each other, Buddy Murphy and a very overconfident TJP exchanged blows.
With Tozawa and Kalisto engaged with one another, TJP attempted to form an alliance with Murphy. When the Australian Superstar accepted, TJP immediately betrayed him and took control of the bout. Showing off his trademark showmanship, TJP managed to lock both Tozawa and Kalisto in a double submission hold. Although Kalisto fought back at Tozawa’s expense, The Duke of Dab fended off his aggressors until Murphy returned to the ring and laid waste to all three of his opponents outside the ring.
It took the combined teamwork of Tozawa and Kalisto to stop Murphy’s offense. The two Superstars began arguing and preventing one another from battling TJP inside the ring. This allowed The Fil-Am Flash to show off his innovative submission ability, first executing another double submission and a Cloverleaf on Tozawa before Murphy once again spoiled TJP’s reign.
All four Superstars brawled before Tozawa took down TJP on the outside with a dive. Kalisto followed up with a high-risk maneuver of his own. Not to be outdone, Murphy took down all three of his opponents with a jaw-dropping dive.
The battle continued to rage inside the ring with bodies flying off the top rope that led to an incredible sequence that saw TJP with Kalisto in a submission hold, Buddy Murphy pinning The Duke of Dab and Akira Tozawa launching off the top rope onto all three competitors with a senton. Tension between Kalisto and Tozawa boiled over when each broke up a pinfall. Their argument allowed Murphy to take out both Superstars, only to be caught in a kneebar from TJP.
Once again working together, Kalisto and Tozawa pulled TJP out of the ring, but Murphy took them down with a corkscrew dive. Narrowly escaping the Australian, The Duke of Dab made his way back in the ring, ready to take down Murphy.
Unfortunately for the first-ever Cruiserweight Champion, Murphy countered the Detonation Kick and executed Murphy’s Law for an incredible victory. (Via WWE.com)