Friday Night SmackDown took place last night, and with Triple H at the helm coming out of WWE SummerSlam, things promised to be rather exciting.
Ricochet def. Happy Corbin
After laughing at Corbin’s expense with Pat McAfee’s hilarious video of Corbin being hit below the belt at SummerSlam, Corbin met Ricochet in the ring to teach him a lesson.
In a back-and-forth affair, Ricochet took advantage when The Lone Wolf focused too much on berating Pat McAfee on commentary, gaining the win with an impressive 450 Splash.
Shinsuke Nakamura def. Ludwig Kaiser to earn a future Intercontinental Championship match against Gunther
The King of Strong Style once again faced off against The Ring General’s trusted ally in Ludwig Kaiser. The stakes were even higher as Nakamura would earn himself a future Intercontinental Championship match against Gunther if he defeated Kaiser.
Kaiser was impressive during the match, executing an innovative German Suplex on Nakamura. In the end, however, Nakamura would prevail, getting the win with a Kinshasa, earning himself a future Intercontinental Championship match.
Sonya Deville called Liv Morgan a fraud
Shayna Baszler was victorious in a Gauntlet Match to earn a SmackDown Women’s Championship against Liv Morgan at Clash at the Castle
Shinsuke Nakamura will face Gunther next week on WWE SmackDown
Gauntlet Results:
Sonya Deville def. Aliyah
The Gauntlet Match began with a bang as the nefarious Sonya Deville battled the up and comer Aliyah. Aliyah’s tenacity was no match for Deville who put her away with the Deville’s Advocate.
Raquel Rodriguez def. Sonya Deville
Sonya Deville had her work cut out for her as the dominating Raquel Rodriguez awaited her next. Rodriguez wasted no time in dispatching Deville, winning the match with a Tejana Bomb.
Raquel Rodriguez def. Shotzi
Raquel Rodriguez’s dominance continued with an effortless victory over Shotzi, hitting the Tejana Bomb to seal the deal.
Raquel Rodriguez def. Xia Li
The high voltage kicks of Xia Li were up next in Raquel Rodriguez’s path to victory. Rodriguez swatted away these kicks and put Li away with the Tejana Bomb.
Raquel Rodriguez def. Natalya
At this point Rodriguez was feeling pretty ragged and Natalya took advantage of this, enjoying large swaths of the match in control. Just when things were looking the worst for Rodriguez, she hit a devastating Tejana Bomb out of nowhere, sending her one step closer to Clash at the Castle.
Shayna Baszler def. Raquel Rodriguez
The sadistic Shayna Baszler was the final boss in Rodriguez's ascent to Clash at the Castle. With nothing left in the tank, Rodriguez gave it her all but Baszler capitalized on Rodriguez’ pain, slapping in the Kirifuda Clutch. Rodriguez would fight out of the pain but would succumb to a unique pinning combination by Baszler to send Baszler to Clash at the Castle.
With Baszler’s victory she now faces a vulnerable Liv Morgan at Clash at the Castle for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Shayna Baszler earned a WWE SmackDown Women's title match
The Viking Raiders def. Jim Pulkey & Tommy Gibson
Chaos and destruction were rampant as the Viking Raiders completely dismantled two local wrestlers, getting the victory with an Assisted Powerbomb, stacking up both Pulkey and Gibson.
Kofi Kingston def. Erik
After emerging from the shadows with a deadly Kendo Stick following the aftermath of the Viking Raiders match, Kofi Kingston tangled with Erik. Kingston hit a surprise roll-up, snatching a victory in the name of Xavier Woods who was taken out last week with a vicious Steel Chair assault to the ankle.
Karrion Kross ambushed Drew McIntyre and sent a message to Roman Reigns
Karrion Kross is back on WWE SmackDown
You can watch WWE SmackDown live every single week in the US on FOX and in the UK on BT Sport.