WWE was live in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for SmackDown Live. Just two days out from Extreme Rules, the blue brand has a new look with a new champion. However, the top is still the same. The road to SummerSlam begins tonight.
SmackDown kicks off with former United States Champion Jeff Hardy. Later in the night, he gets his rematch against Shinsuke Nakamura as he looks to regain the United States Championship. Jeff vows that he will defeat Nakamura and regain what makes him feel whole.
AJ Styles v. Andrade “Cien” Almas
After another successful WWE Championship defense, AJ Styles looks to cement his legacy to become one of the greatest WWE Champions of all time. However, Andrade is no easy task to go through.
This was a great way to kick off SmackDown. Two of the best on the blue brand stole the show right away. Andrade seemed to have the win in hand, but AJ was able to put Andrade in the “Calf Crusher” for the win.
Becky Lynch v. Mandy Rose
Becky defeats Rose in a short match. Over the past couple months, Becky continues to pick up win after win. I have lost count of how many in a row. After picking up another victory, Becky stated she has one goal in mind, The SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Backstage, Paige announces that next week it will be Carmella versus Becky Lynch. If Becky wins, she will get a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship at SummerSlam.
Tye Dillinger v. Samoa Joe
In a quick matchup, Samoa Joe was able to quickly put the Coquina Clutch on Tye Dillinger for the submission victory. A strong message was sent to the entire locker room of SmackDown with this victory.
The Funeral of Team Hell No
The Miz held a funeral for Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan & Kane) following their loss at the pay-per-view. At Extreme Rules, Team Hell No’s journey to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championships were halted by hands of The Bludgeon Brothers (Luke Harper & Erick Rowan).
Miz would continue to mock the loss of Team Hell No at Extreme Rules. He also mocked the injury Kane suffered at the hands of The Bludgeon Brothers’ pre-match attack.
After his moment of silence for Team Hell No, The Miz tells the world he told them so. Miz told them that this would happen. He told them that Daniel is not what he stated he was. Miz would continue to state what he said would happen. This lead to Daniel coming out to attack The Miz. The Miz slithered away but Daniel stands tall. Does the long-awaited Miz v. Bryan match happen in the near future, perhaps at SummerSlam?
Kofi Kingston v. Eric Young
After picking up a huge victory Sunday, Sanity continued to look to run wild over SmackDown. This time against a member of the team they beat at Extreme Rules, Kofi Kingston of The New Day.
In an impressive contest, Eric Young was able to pick up the victory. Sanity is picking up steam. Can they continue this momentum and get a shot at The Bludgeon Brothers in the near future?
Shinsuke Nakamura v. Jeff Hardy (United States Championship)
Sunday, Shinsuke Nakamura stole the United States Championship from Jeff Hardy via a low-blow and instant Kinshasa. On SmackDown, Jeff gets his rematch to regain the United States Championship.
This was a lengthy contest by two of the best competitors on the SmackDown brand. Each competitor gave everything in their arsenal to call themselves champion. As it seemed Jeff Hardy was closing in on regaining the championship, the returning Randy Orton interrupted and cost Hardy the win.
Randy would go on to viciously attack Hardy. This included nearly ripping his ear off and hitting a spike DDT to the floor. The venomous, evil side of Randy Orton is back.
Conclusion
As another episode of SmackDown ends, the road to SummerSlam begins. One if not two matches seem to be gaining fuel with a destination in sight. The long-awaited Miz v. Daniel Bryan match if it happens will steal the show at SummerSlam. Also, the idea Becky could possibly be getting a shot for the SmackDown Women’s Championship is intriguing. SummerSlam being weeks away is already looking to be the biggest event of the Summer.
David Jacobus
Intern