Tuesday Night Smackdown! Live TV Report for August 23rd, 2016 – “Championships Aplenty”

Introduction Segment: Locker Room Promo, Video Promo, and Welcoming

Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews, and …. are talking to each other; Dolph Ziggler is sitting on a chair with his head down. A.J. Styles walks in and proclaims himself the “new face that runs the place,” since he defeated John Cena at SummerSlam. He puts on Cena’s headband, and then makes fun of Ziggler’s loss to WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose. Dolph becomes furious and they go to blows, being separated by the other wrestlers.

The regular Smackdown Live video plays and we go live to the Mohegan Sun Arena. Mauro Ranallo acknowledges us, and in the ring are Smackdown Live’s Women’s and Tag Team Championships, respectively. (They both have blue backgrounds.) Becky Lynch, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, Natalya, Carmella, Nikki Bella, American Alpha, The Hype Bros, The Ascension, The Vaudevillians, and The Usos are all in the ring.

Segment #2: Arena Promo

Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan come out. They announce that the Women’s Champion and Tag Team Champions will be decided at Backlash in September. The Women will wrestle in a Women’s Six-Pack Challenge, and the Tag-Teams will compete in a tournament that starts tonight!

Heath Slater interrupts, walking through the crowd. He wants to be a champion, which Daniel mistakes for the Women’s Championship! Slater corrects him, saying he wants to challenge for the Tag-Titles. McMahon informs Heath that he doesn’t have a partner, and isn’t even on the roster technically. The show-runners conclude that Slater can take part, if he can find a partner by the end of tonight. As well, to be on the roster Heath and his partner must win the entire tournament!

A.J. Styles marches out and is frustrated that he is not being talked about after pinning John Cena at SummerSlam; he says he should be wrestling for the WWE World Championship. Dolph Ziggler suddenly runs and hits A.J. from behind, and the GM and Commissioner order the other male wrestlers to split them up!

Commercials.

Match #1: Single – Alexa Bliss VS. Becky Lynch

(Note: Natalya and Naomi are on commentary.)

They lockup and shove each other away. Becky puts a wristlock on and takes Bliss down to the canvas, and then bridges over. Alexa elbows back and tries a hip-toss, but Becky blocks. Bliss counters into a side headlock-takedown, and soon controls Lynch in the ropes. She stomps on the back of Becky’s head a few times, and then wrenches her neck and left arm.

Lynch counters and fires up with a couple of clotheslines and a jumping calf-kick. She hits a running-forearm in the corner, but Bliss soon reverses in the corner with a sunset flip powerbomb. 1 – 2 – Becky gets her shoulder up! Lynch reverses another move into the Disarmer, forcing Alexa to give-in!

Winner via Submission: Becky Lynch

Segment #3: Backstage Promo

Heath walks into Intercontinental Champion The Miz and his wife Maryse. Slater asks about being partners, and Miz concurs, but soon phrases it differently and reveals he was on his blue-tooth. Heath disappointingly walks away.

Commercials.

Match #1: Tag-Team – The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) VS. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey)

(Stipulation: Tag-Team Championship Tournament, First Round)

Both teams brawl to start and then Viktor takes over on Jimmy. He launches Jimmy into Konnor, who flew off the top turnbuckle with a shoulder-tackle. He and Viktor work over Jimmy for a while. Uso lands a spin-kick and gets the hot-tag to his bro!

Jey rockets off the top turnbuckle with a crossbody! He plants Viktor with a Samoan Drop and measures him in the corner, but Konnor stops the running-attack. Jimmy comes in and kicks Konnor, and then runs under Viktor and through the ropes onto Konnor! Jimmy splashes onto Viktor from the top turnbuckle and covers to receive the victory!

Winners and ADVANCING: The Usos

Ads.

Segment #4: Arena Promo

A.J. Styles makes his entrance. He shows pictures on the Titantron of him beating John Cena at SummerSlam. “I did exactly what I said I was going to do – ‘beat up John Cena!’” he repeats “I am the face that runs this place” three times, and demands to be the new challenger for the WWE World Championship. Dolph Ziggler stomps back out, but is held off by referees and agents. GM Daniel Bryan does not want to see them brawl this way, but instead makes them wrestle tonight; he also says that if A.J. wins, then he is the #1 Contender, but if Dolph is victorious, then the WWE World Championship will be a Triple-Threat!

Up next, Nikki Bella makes her Smackdown! Live debut; and coming soon, Curt Hawkins.

Commercials.

Match #3: Single – Carmella VS. Nikki Bella

Rene Young goes to talk to Nikki about her return after her neck injury, but Carmella viciously attacks her numerous times.

Winner: None due to No Official Start

Ads.

Segment #5: Arena Promo

Randy Orton walks to the ring, pointing at his head where he was cut open badly. He says he knew what he was “in for” at SummerSlam.

The lights go out and Bray Wyatt moseys to the aisle, where he sits in his rocking chair.

“How’s your head Randy? He, he, he!” “There’s nothing like laying there with your head busted wide-open to help you remember you are ‘just a man.’ A man who hurts, a man who suffers, a man who dies. But me Randy, I am not just a man; I am a ‘god.’ And a ‘god,’ Randy, can never die. But don’t you worry; you’re going to find out all about it; in time.”

Randy signals for Bray to enter, and Wyatt stands up and removes his jacket, but his video plays and he is gone.

Segment #6: Backstage Promo

Shane McMahon is interviewed about Brock Lesnar’s situation from SummerSlam. He detests the rumored punishment by Stephanie of “$500,” and then affirms it isn’t over between him and Lesanr.

Commercials.

Segment #7: Locker Room

Heath is talking to someone off camera, and compares himself and this person to greats of the past. That person is “Double-A” Arn Anderson! Unfortunately, Arn isn’t up for it, especially when Slater tells him he was his “last” pick.

Heath then has a hand placed on him, telling him “I’m sure Tag-Team Championships will pay for an above-ground pool.” Slater turns around to find Rhyno wanting to team-up; Heath overjoyed and accepts.

Ads.

Match #4: Tag-Team – Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango) VS. American Alpha (Jason Jordan and Chad Gable)

(Stipulation: Tag-Team Championship Tournament, First Round)

An elbow/collar tie-up starts between Gable and Fandango. They break it when Fandango leans on the ropes, and then he snapmares Chad, but is tripped-up and taken-down with amateur moves. Tyler is in and is rolled-up, and then Jason is tagged, and gives Breeze a dropkick. Alpha double-team Breezango, and then Jordon drops Tyler atomically. He locks in an armbar, and then Gable works over the same arm.

Commercials.

Jason gets the hot-tag and cleans house on Breezango; they dropkick and German-Suplex double-team, but Fandango stops the potential three! Jordon picks Tyler up on his shoulders, but Chad is knocked to the floor as he went to the top turnbuckle. Breeze flips Jason with a hurricanrana-pin; 1 – 2 – Jordan just raises his shoulder!

A couple of more close-calls happen between Jason and Tyler, and then Tyler goes for his Supermodel-Kick, but he is caught into an Alpha-plex! Gable and Jordan finish this with their double-team manoeuvre!

Winners and ADVANCING: American Alpha

Segment #8: Backstage Promo

WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose is asked about the #1 Contender’s bout for his title; he says he “didn’t even know about it,” as he was gambling in the Casino. He is fine with that and then gives the waitress who brings him drinks some gambling chips.

Ads.

Match #5: Single – Dolph Ziggler VS. A.J. Styles

(Stipulation: If Styles wins, he is the #1 Contender; if Dolph wins he is added to Styles VS. Ambrose at Backlash)

(Note: WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose is on commentary.)

They both try to get the better with amateur takedowns, and then A.J. punches to start governing. Ziggler turns it around with a waistlock slam, and puts Styles to the outside. He repeatedly pushes A.J. against the ropes and then dropkicks him to the floor.

Commercials.

“The Phenomenal One” is dominating after sling-shooting Dolph into the turnbuckle. Ziggler tries to punch back but A.J. whips him hard into the turnbuckle. He runs and gives Dolph a backbreaker, and but is almost taken-down with an amateur pin. Styles gets the upperhand again, but argues with referee Mike Chioda over his style. (Seriously, no pun intended!) A.J. brings Dolph harshly to the floor!

Ads.

Styles is still ruling, now wearing Ziggler down with an armlock. Dolph uses his foot and bottom rope to break the hold, and then slugs away with punches. A.J. reverses a whip with a kick-to-the-gut, but is hit with a dropkick and both are down! “The Show-Off” builds momentum with clotheslines and an elbow drop (thanks, Mauro!), and then goes for his Zig-Zag but misses. He runs again with the Fameouser, but doesn’t get the pin!

Dolph runs again for the Zig-Zag but A.J. fights him off and drives him with a fireman’s-carry kneedrop! 1 – 2 – Ziggler gets his shoulder up! Styles goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Dolph ducks and plants A.J. with the leaping-DDT! 1 – 2 – Styles just lifts his shoulder! Loud “this is awesome” chants commence as the two struggle to their feet!

Ziggler tries a superkick, but A.J. catches him into a Styles Clash position. Dolph battles out and A.J. bounces off the ropes into a Zig-Zag! 1 – 2 – 2 ½ – no! Dolph’s foot gets caught in the middle rope and Styles capitalizes with his Styles Clash for the victory!

Winner via Pinfall and #1 Contender to the WWE World Championship: A.J. Styles

Post-match, A.J. gets in Ambrose’s face. The two stare-down at ringside with Chioda keeping them apart to close the show.

End of Smackdown! Live.

Reporter’s Rumblings

This was a perfect Smackdown! Loved the setup right away for the next Pay-Per-View/Network show, and that they are involving numerous wrestlers for the titles. I can write that I found no negatives with the promos or wrestling matches. I’ll admit, I’m being a little bit lazy in not going into detail, but I really liked the show overall and can’t find a bad thing with the main presentation. Let’s hope this continues next week!

Until next week’s Raw, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Fans!