Thursday Night Smackdown! TV Report for May 19th, 2016

Introduction Segment: Video and Welcoming

A recalling of the Intercontinental Championship picture between champion The Miz, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn is shown. The regular Smackdown! video plays and we go to the arena where Maura Ranallo talks about Extreme Rules on Sunday.

I.C. Champ The Miz with Maryse and Sami Zayn are on opposite sides of commentary for the first bout.

Match #1: Single – Kevin Owens VS. Cesaro

Both slug it out at first, and then Cesaro gains lots of control. He hits a dropkick that sends Owens to the outside, and a suplex in the ring. Kevin rebounds on the floor and takes over with hard hits. They chop each other, but Owens counters a sunset-flip with a punch, however he can’t land the running-senton as Cesaro raised his knees. Cesaro punches Kevin multiple times, boots Owens, but is crotched on the top turnbuckle as Kevin ran into the ropes. Owens follows with a Cannonball Splash, but only gets two on the subsequent pin!

Commercials.

Kevin has Cesaro grappled in a side headlock, but Cesaro works out of it. Cesaro hits a smacking-dropkick, then gutwrench-suplexes him from the turnbuckles! “The Swiss Superman” uppercuts several times, and then follows with a crossbody from the turnbuckle! He sets up for the Neutralizer, but Owens backdrops Cesaro, who lands on his feet. Kevin goes for a superkick, but Cesaro catches him and goes for The Swing! Owens gets away, and eyes Zayn. He superkicks Sami, but turns into a somersault-plancha from the apron!

Cesaro Swings Kevin in the ring, but Miz hops to the apron. Cesaro knocks him down, but eats a superkick! 1 – 2 – Cesaro raises his shoulder! Sami enters the ring, but Cesaro knocks him down. Owens takes advantage and rolls-up Cesaro, clasping his tights for the victory!

Winner via Pinfall: Kevin Owens

Post-match, Sami Helluva Kicks Cesaro, and then is planted with the Skull-Krushing Finale by Miz! Owens walks backward up the aisle, clapping and yelling at them on the stage!

Later tonight, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns will face Luke Gallows, and Chris Jericho “checks into the ‘Ambrose Asylum.’”

Paige makes her entrance and will be wrestling Dana Brooke, next!

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Match #2: Single – Paige VS. Dana Brooke

(Note: Becky Lynch is on commentary.) They lockup a couple of times, and then Paige drop-toeholds Dana to the canvas. She traps Brooke in the middle rope and rapidly knees her; Dana gets out of it and sweeps up Paige to the floor. She jaws with Becky and rolls Paige back into the ring.

Brooke rams her shoulder a few times in the corner to Paige’s gut, then chokes her with her boot while doing a headstand! Dana ties Paige up with a body-leg scissors, but Paige presses back for a near-fall! Paige counters with a few kicks and a couple of smacking-knees! Dana reverses with a jawbreaker and finishes this one with a fireman’s-carry-Michinoku Driver!

Winner via Pinfall: Dana Brooke

Segment #2: Backstage Promo

Rene Young is with Rusev and Lana, asking them about his actions against United States Champion Kalisto on Raw. A replay of Rusev’s viciousness with a kick and The Accolade airs, and then Lana calls Kalisto “a weak man who hides behind a mask.” Rusev declares that he will make Kalisto a “pretzel” and win the U.S. Championship again; the fans will then be calling “Machka, Machka” instead.

Up next, Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus go at it.

Commercials.

Match #3: Single – Dolph Ziggler VS. Sheamus

Sheamus is shoves Dolph into the corner and presses against him, but Ziggler gets out of it. He leaps over Sheamus in the corner and hits a smacking-dropkick. Sheamus regains control on the apron, and axe-handles Dolph.

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Sheamus is still dominating, hitting a running-knee. He wears Dolph down with a grounding rear-chinlock. He smacks Ziggler with the Beats of the Baron, then suplexes him from the apron to the ring. another grounding rear-chinlock tires Dolph, but he manages to dump Sheamus to the floor. As Sheamus gets back in, he is driven down with the Famasser and almost loses!

Dolph punches in the corner and follows with a couple of running-splashes! He runs off the ropes again but is caught in a swinging-backbreaker! Shemaus front-suplexes for a near-fall, but Ziggler comes back with a jumping-headbutt! Sheamus tosses Dolph onto the ropes, but Ziggler fires back immediately with a superkick to get the 1 – 2 – 3!

Winner via Pinfall: Dolph Ziggler

Post-match, Baron Corbin walks out with a microphone. He tells Ziggler “I’m going to do what I do best – I’m going to hurt you.”

After the break, Chris Jericho goes to the “Ambrose Asylum.”

Commercials.

Segment #3: Arena Promo

The Asylum Cage is shown and Chris Jericho saunters out. He brags about what he is going to do to Dean Ambrose on Sunday at Extreme Rules in their Asylum Match. Jericho counts the number of days – 40 – that he claims he will put Dean in the hospital after beating on him with the numerous objects, and says that Ambrose will “soak in the ‘gift of Jericho.’”

A man is in the cage. He tears off the cap and mustache, revealing himself to obviously be Ambrose. “The Lunatic Fringe” attacks Jericho inside the Steel Cage and whacks him with a Kendo Stick! Chris manages to escape as Dean looks on.

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Segment #4: Video Promo

Hall-Of-Famer and former WWF Champion Bob Backlund is continuing to “help make Darren Young great again.” He tells Young to remember things by using his brain, not writing them down on paper. He asks Darren to list all the U.S. Presidents, but Young can’t do that. Backlund starts to, and Darren gives him a compliment using “damn.” Bob takes offense, and corrects Young on his choice of words.

Match #4: Eight-Man Tag-Team – Tag-Team Champions The New Day (Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E.) and Big Cass VS. The Vaudevillians (Simon Gotch and Aiden English) and The Dudley Boyz (Bubba-Ray and D-Von)

The Tag-Team Champs control early for the first bit of this bout.

Commercials.

Aiden and Gotch take over with an elbow and running-kick on Xavier. The Vaudevillians punish Woods while Bubba and D-Von order them around. Bubba is in and punches Xavier while taunting him, but Woods counters with a jumping-enziguri! Xavier makes the hot-tag to Big Cass who cleans house!

Big E. gives Simon a huge overhead belly-to-belly suplex and Kofi leaps off of Big E. onto Aiden on the floor! Cass boots D-Von square in the head and plants Ray with the East River Crossing tornado-side-slam and The Empire Elbow!

Winners via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champions The New Day and Big Cass

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Segment #5: Video Promo

The history between Women’s Champion Charlotte and her challenger/rival Natalya is shown for their Submission Match at Extreme Rules for the Women’s Championship.

Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and A.J. Styles make their entrance for Gallows to take on WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, next!

Commercials.

Match #5: Single – Luke Gallows (with Karl Anderson and A.J. Styles) VS. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns (with The Usos [Jimmy and Jey] ) (Non-Title)

The power game begins until Roman hits a hard elbow; Gallows hits one back, which knocks Reigns to the mat and then Luke hits him to the floor! Roman hits back with uppercuts and punches in the corner, and then slams him with a Samoan Drop! Roman follows with the Drive-By running front-dropkick!

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Luke now governs with a few elbow-drops and a grounding rear chinlock. Roman hits back with right hands and a leaping forearm-clothesline! He follows with another clothesline, then jumps off the second turnbuckle with one! Reigns gives Gallows nine corner-clotheslines and a running-boot off the ropes.

He signals for the Superman Punch, but Karl distracts him. Roman knocks him off, then Superman Punches Gallows! He roars for The Spear, but A.J. grabs Reigns’ leg. Jimmy and Jey defend their cousin, and Roman hits a dropkick on Styles!

In the ring, Roman turns into Gallows’ double-chokeslam finisher, but he gets his shoulder up! Anderson enters and the referee calls for the bell!

Winner via Disqualification: WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns

Post-match, a brawl breaks out and A.J. tears apart the announce table. Roman counters and slams Styles onto the table, tumbling over, and all continue to fight to close the show!

End of Smackdown!

Reporter’s Rumblings

This was a pretty-great week. The build to Extreme Rules was very good and the top matches could go either way, despite my forthcoming predictions! Onto the reviews:

Excellence: promos by A.J. Styles/Roman Reigns, (Raw), Charlotte/Natalya (Raw), Dean Ambrose (Raw), Big Cass (Raw), The Miz and Owens on commentary (Raw), Rusev (Smackdown!), Bob Backlund (Smackdown!), and Baron Corbin (Smackdown!)

Matches between Sami/Cesaro and Miz/Cesaro VS. Owens/Zayn (Raw); Cesaro/Owens (Smackdown!); Becky/Brooke (Raw); The Club and Usos (Raw); Del Rio/Kalisto (Raw); Paige/Dana (Smackdown!); Dolph/Sheamus (Smackdown!); and Gallows/Reigns (Smackdown!)

Again, loving the feud between Usos/Reigns and The Club/Styles – want this to go through the summer!

Dana Brooke has done well so far, and I’ve liked her since her first match on NXT, so I hope she continues and becomes a big star; she has the skills!

Bogus: didn’t like the Six-Man on Raw being before Cass/Jericho – while I was fine with the Women’s segment being last, A.J./Reigns should’ve been right before it, as that should be (is?) the main-event of Extreme Rules for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, so the importance on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship must placed on the line-up/card of Raw and Smackdown! too – at least they got it right with Smackdown!

Couldn’t care less about Golden Truth – end it!

Too bad The League of Nations ended so early; I thought they could’ve been something bigger, but unfortunately, I guess they didn’t get the momentum they were looking for.

Really upset that Corbin has already been relegated to Kickoff Show; at least they gave him/Ziggler some spotlight on Smackdown!, but their match should be on the Pay-Per-View.

Extreme Rules Picks: Charlotte makes Natalya tap and keeps her Women’s Championship; Ambrose over Jericho and ends the feud; Miz to sneakily keep the I.C. Title; Vaudevillians become new Tag-Team Champions; Rusev wins the U.S. Title and begins another program with Cena when he returns on May 30th; Dana over Becky (if added); The Club gains a win back on The Usos; Styles/Reigns end in non-finish and continue.

On a sad note to end the report, today (May 20th) is the 5th Anniversary of the passing of Randall Poffo, a.k.a. “Macho Man” Randy Savage. It is hard to believe it has been five years already, but the impact he made in professional wrestling will live on forever. May God continue to rest his soul and continue to provide love and support to his family and friends.