This is the last show before SummerSlam! What will go down tonight as the path continues towards Brooklyn, New York, this Sunday? My biggest question would be “how does Bray Wyatt” fit in? There should also be another Women’s match from Smackdown’s side added, as they have got some great women wrestlers on their roster too.

Let’s hope we find out tonight; read on to do so!

Tuesday Night Smackdown! Live TV Report for August 16th, 2016 – “Who will ‘Run The Place?’”

Introduction Segment: Office Promo, Video Promo, and Welcoming

General Manager Daniel Bryan and Commissioner Shane McMahon are discussing SummerSlam; Randy Orton is with them and they have him sign the contract for his match at SummerSlam with Brock Lesnar. Heath Slater walks in with a basket of fruit. He gives an apple to Randy, and makes his case again to be hired by McMahon and Bryan. They deny him, but Heath stalls out. Orton presents an opportunity, but we don’t hear it. Instead, the regular Smackdown! Live video plays and we go straight to the arena in Austin, Texas, greeted by Mauro Ranallo.

Segment #2: Arena Promo

Maryse and her husband, Intercontinental Champion The Miz, are in the ring for MizTV. As Miz begins his intro, WWE Champion Dean Ambrose disrupts right away, but his challenger for SummerSlam, Dolph Ziggler, does the same!

Dolph and Dean get in each other’s faces right off the bat, but Miz gets between them and is able to move them apart. He says that Dolph wasn’t expected by many a while ago to be now challenging for the WWE Championship. He says that Ziggler “fizzled out,” but rebounded; however he questions Dolph on if he doesn’t win and what will happen afterward. Ziggler retorts that he isn’t bothered with that right now; he says he is just concentrating on SummerSlam!

Ambrose doesn’t believe Dolph, but Ziggler lights in to him. “What do you want me to admit? You want me to admit that everything you said to me over the last three weeks makes me want to kick your head RIGHT OFF YOUR FACE?! You’re right, I admit it. You’re right, but you’re going to have to admit something. You, you’re going to have to admit, after SummerSlam, that you, you alone, were that last ‘push’ to put me over the edge and beat you for that title.”

The WWE World Champion presents a scenario where Dolph does win; where his job is even worse because everyone is focused on him, from the locker room to the fans – who both like and don’t like him. “Take a look at this, take a look at how big this ‘chip’ on your shoulder has gotten. Let me tell you something, this ‘chip’ on your shoulder, is going to weigh you down; it’s going to bury you.” Ambrose speculates that Dolph doesn’t “want it bad enough” after he loses at SummerSlam and “you’re never going to get it.

He holds the championship high, but Ziggler replies. “You think you’ve got it all figured out Dean, huh? You think you’re in my head, you think you know me? You don’t know a damn thing about me. But you do know something. You do know that this Sunday, you’re going to have to push through every mental and physical limit you’ve ever pushed through before; you’re going to have to dig down deep; and still Dean, still it’s not going to be enough; and you’re going to realize that you’ve exhausted every weapon in your arsenal, and still it’s not enough to put me away; and you’re going to know in the back of your head that you don’t have what it takes; you don’t have enough to put me away. And you’re going to scratch, and claw, and bleed all over the middle of the ring, and still, still it’s not going to be enough Dean. It’s NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH FOR YOU TO PUT ME AWAY. And as you’re reaching down deep, and you’re grinding your teeth and you’re pulling out your hair, and you’re grabbing at your guts looking for one more shred of strength, one more move that shows that you can beat me as you’re digging down deeper than you’ve ever been before; and YOU’RE LOOKING FOR ONE LAST MOVE…” suddenly, he superkicks Dean! “This Sunday you realize, that I am that damn good.” Dolph drops the mike and walks away.

Commercials.

Segment #3: Video Promo

During the break, Intercontinental Champion The Miz made fun of his opponent for Sunday, Apollo Crews, calling him Apollo “Creed.” Crews answered, and corrected him with a spin-out powerbomb (Thanks Mauro for the name!)

Match #1: Twelve-Man Tag-Team – The Usos (Jimmy and Jey), American Alpha (Jason Jordan and Chad Gable), and The Hype Bros (Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley) VS. The Vaudevillians (Simon Gotch and Aiden English), The Ascension (Viktor and Konnor), and Breezeango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango)

Gable begins and is worked over by Breeze and Viktor until he tags Mojo. This multi-man turns into a brawl soon after!

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Ryder and Konnor are on the canvas, reaching for tags. Jey and Aiden are switched in and Jey gets the better with an Samoan Drop and running-rear-bump in the corner. Finishers start to be hit, and The Usos soar over the ropes with a splash! Jordan and Chad drive Aiden to the mat with their double-backdrop finisher and cover to receive the victory!

Winners via Pinfall: The Usos, American Alpha, and The Hype Bros

WWE Champion Dean Ambrose is pacing back-and-forth in his locker room; he is set to face Erick Rowan later tonight.

Commercials.

A review of Eva Marie’s excuse for not wrestling last week is shown. She is expected to wrestle next!

Match #2: Single – Naomi VS. Eva Marie

“Unfortunately,” Eva cannot wrestle again, as she is stuck in traffic!

Winner: None due to No Official Start

Segment #4: Video and Backstage Promo

Alberto Del Rio’s victory over John Cena for the United States Championship at Hell In A Cell in October 2015 is shown; we go backstage to A.J. Styles building Del Rio up and also tearing him down, saying that he’s “in the main-event of SummerSlam, while you’re not even on the card!”

Up next, Randy Orton takes on Heath Slater!

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Match #3: Single – Randy Orton VS. Heath Slater

(Stipulation: If Heath wins, he may get a contract to be a part of Smackdown!)

Randy begins strong with kicks and punches, so much so that referee Mike Chioda DQ’s him!

Winner via Disqualification: Heath Slater

Post-match, Orton is infuriated and hurls Slater over the announce table! He front-suplexes Heath onto the corner of the barrier and DDT’s him to the mat. The fans loudly chant “R.K.O.” but “The Viper” German-Suplexes him a couple of times instead and hops like Brock. He then plants Slater with the R.K.O.

The arena goes dark and Bray Wyatt declares “we’re here,” referring to himself and Erick Rowan, appearing on the Titantron.

Commercials.

Segment #5: Medical Room Promo

Heath is getting checked on when Commissioner Shane and GM Daniel walk in. They are happy with Heath’s work, who puts himself and them over, but unfortunately calls Shane “Stephanie,” so Shane takes the contract away!

Match #4: Single – Erick Rowan (with Bray Wyatt) VS. WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose (Non-Title)

Dean hammers away at Rowan, but Erick shoves back. Ambrose tries Dirty Deeds, but Rowan shoves off again. Dean hits back with a dropkick that sends Rowan to the floor!

In the ring, Erick tornado-slams Ambrose, and then puts him into the barrier a couple of times. Rowan wears down with a rear-chinlock, and then slams Dean to the canvas! He whips him hard into the turnbuckles, and then forearms. He headbutts a few times in the other corner, and then whips him into the opposite one.

Dean pulls the ropes down, making Rowan tumble to the floor. Erick runs with a boot back in the ring, but The WWE World Champion moves. Dean puts Rowan to the canvas and dives off the turnbuckle with an elbow drop for two! He runs but is met with a spin-kick (thanks again, Mauro!), and Erick takes over.

Ambrose battles back, kicking Rowan in the gut and driving him head-first with his Dirty-Deeds DDT! 1 – 2 – 3!

Winner via Pinfall: WWE World Champion: Dean Ambrose

Post-match, Ambrose walks to the back and Bray turns his back on Rowan; he puts Erick’s mask down on the rocking chair and walks away.

Up next, Alexa Bliss and Natalya meet Becky Lynch and Carmella!

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Match #5: Tag-Team – Alexa Bliss and Natalya VS. Carmella and Becky Lynch

Carmella and Natalya begin with a lockup. Carmella runs off the ropes into a tornado-headscissors, but is met with a clothesline as she ran off the ropes again. Nattie brings Carmella to Alexa and they both slam her backward. Bliss repeatedly stomps on her head and then clamps on a rear-chinlock.

Carmella elbows and jawbreaks out of it, and then makes the hot-tag to Becky. “The Irish Lass Kicker” knocks Alexa off of the apron and clotheslines Natalya a few times. She brings her out with an exploder-suplex for two, but is elbowed and forearmed back. Both run and hit each other with a crossbody, and then Eva Marie’s music plays!

Eva walks out and poses for the fans, but is chased around the ring by Naomi; Natalya helps out Naomi, but her roll-up on Becky is reversed into the Disarmer! Nattie gives in as Marie looks on inquisitively!

Winners via Submission: Carmella and Becky Lynch

Up next, we will look at Randy Orton VS. Brock Lesnar

Commercials.

Segment #6: Backstage Promo

Baron Corbin is pressing Kalisto’s face against a garage door, warning him that they are not done. Agents come to the help of Kalisto.

Segment #7: Video Promo

The feud between Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar is recalled with a montage of their careers so far.

A.J. Styles makes his entrance to watch John Cena face Alberto Del Rio, up next!

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Match #6: Single – Alberto Del Rio VS. John Cena

(Note: A.J. Styles is on commentary.) Loud “let’s go Cena/Cena sucks” chants commence, and the two square-off! Del Rio runs off the ropes and Cena leap-frogs him, and then hip-tosses!

Commercials.

Alberto dives off the ropes with a standing fist-drop, but only gets two! Cena works his way out of a rear chinlock and goes for an Attitude Adjustment, but Del Rio reverses into a German suplex for a near-fall! Alberto measures John and boots (badly/barely-connected) and signals for another. Cena moves and punches away in the corner. he whips into the other and runs, but Del Rio moves. Alberto kicks at John’s lower back and DDT’s him. 1 – 2 – Cena gets his shoulder up!

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Cena is now back on top, giving Del Rio a couple of shoulder-tackles and the Five-Knuckle Shuffle Fist-Drop! He goes for another Attitude Adjustment, but Alberto stops it again! “The Mexican Aristocrat” tries another kick, but John reverses into an STF attempt. Del Rio works out of it and gives Cena a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! John clotheslines back, but is dropped off the top turnbuckle with an enziguri! 1 – 2 – Cena raises his shoulder!

Alberto goes for the cross armbreaker, but Cena reverses into the STF! Del Rio manages to grab the bottom rope to break and kicks John a couple of times, but still can’t take this! He picks Cena up, but John gets him in an A.A. position; Alberto drops out of it into the cross armbreaker! Cena turns it into a modified powerbomb, and then plants Del Rio with the Attitude Adjustment! He covers to receive the victory!

Winner via Pinfall: John Cena

Post-match, A.J. Styles springboards off the top rope with his Phenomenal Forearm to Cena! “The Phenomenal One” stands over John, and proclaims, “I am sick and tired of hearing ‘the future goes through John Cena.’ This Sunday, when I beat you Cena, I will be ‘the face that runs this place!’ You say you love the WWE; that’s great, because I’m going to make your passion your prison. I’ve told you once, I’ve told you before, ‘your time is up, my time is now.’”

A.J. goes to leave and then takes another run at John, who counters with an Attitude Adjustment! Cena tears off the announce table cover and slams Styles’ head off the steel steps. He brings the stairs over to the table, puts A.J. in an Attitude Adjustment position, and drives him through! Cena stands tall on the turnbuckle and in the ring to close the show.

End of Smackdown! Live

Reporter’s Rumblings

This was a decent Smackdown!; I’ll admit not “up to par” as the first three, but that’s ok since it was pretty-much all build for SummerSam. Here’s my take plus SummerSlam thoughts:

Excellence: promos by Miz, Dolph, Dean, Crews, and Slater. Matches between Twelve-Man Tag, Rowan and Dean, Women’s Tag, and Alberto/Cena.

The promos by Dean and Dolph were awesome and passionate, especially from Ziggler. I wasn’t too excited when they first started, as I’ve seen Dolph in this position before and then he goes way back down the card, but he has truly “brought it” to this and I’m seriously in question of who will win overall.

Glad they came up with a new excuse for Eva; that was a good/unexpected one! Liked how she looked at the women wrestling at the end in a peculiar manner. Heath was awesome tonight, and again, they should continue this for a while, much like Eva’s storyline.

Bogus: again, the order of the show. Dolph/Dean should’ve ended, since they are wrestling for the WWE World Championship, which is supposed to be the most important title, so it should be placed at the end to give us fans suspense.

Orton and Slater should’ve gone longer, and have Brock F-5 Orton, and Slater pin him to put emphasis on Brock/Randy’s feud. McMahon and Bryan then could tell Slater he needs to win on his own to get the contract, thereby also continuing his storyline.

Naomi turning face should’ve been made a big deal; also not a fan of her new attire/entrance – too corny. Didn’t like Bray getting in Randy’s face too; he should’ve been involved in Dolph/Ambrose to add more speculation for SummerSlam.

Great to see American Alpha gaining wins, but would’ve liked them to be booked on SummerSlam by the second-to-last segment on Smackdown!, as a reward for their victories.

SummerSlam Predictions: Sasha to retain Women’s Championship over Charlotte; Gallows and Anderson to become new Tag-Team Champions after Big E. turns on his New Day Partners; A.J. Styles needs to win over Cena, clean – possible face-turn after; U.S. Title to end in non-finish to appease crowd as neither Rusev or Reigns would be overly favored by Brooklyn; Cesaro to start off 1 – 0 in Best-Of-Seven against Sheamus; Finn Balor to win Universal Championship – has to for being new on the Raw Roster, and Seth chasing title would be much better for his heel character; Randy Orton to win over Lesnar, as Orton should since he is more full-time; and I truly have no idea between Ambrose and Ziggler, which is great!

Overall, a good show and next week should be very interesting post-SummerSlam! Until next week’s Raw, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Fans!