Thursday Night Smackdown! TV Report for June 30th, 2016

Introduction Segment: Welcoming and Video Promos

Mauro Ranallo begins right away with the announcement that there is a Fatal-4-Way to determine a top contender to Rusev’s United States championship. The participants – Cesaro, Apollo Crews, Sheamus, and Alberto Del Rio – all state their reasons of why they want to win in various parts of the arena and Miami, Florida. The regular Smackdown! video then plays.

Match #1: Fatal-4-Way – Cesaro VS. Alberto Del Rio VS. Apollo Crews VS. Sheamus

(Stipulation: Winner will wrestle United States Champion Rusev for the United States Championship later tonight.)

All brawl with each other to start, and Sheamus and Apollo take each other to the floor, where Sheamus chucks Crews into the corner barricade. In the ring, Sheamus and Alberto work over Cesaro together until Apollo slides back in and shoulder-tackles Sheamus! Cesaro tries a comeback on Del Rio but is put to the outside and into the announcer’s table; Alberto then gives Sheamus the Backstabber.

Commercials.

Alberto is in control, but everyone takes their turn with big moves. Sheamus plants Cesaro with his Irish Curse backbreaker; Del Rio locks in the cross-armbreaker on Sheamus; Apollo moonsault-splashes onto Alberto; and Cesaro hits uppercuts. Sheamus and Crews punch each other and tumble to the floor; and Alberto goes for the cross-armbreaker on Cesaro, but “The Swiss Superman” reverses into his Swing. He turns Del Rio into the Sharpshooter, forcing him to give up!

Winner via Submission and #1 Contender to the United States Championship: Cesaro

Post-match, as Cesaro leaves the ring, Alberto runs up and pushes him into the steps! United States Champion Rusev marches to the ring and takes the microphone. He tells Cesaro “enjoy this moment, because it’s about to end.” He dares Cesaro to wrestle now!

Ads.

Referees are checking on Cesaro while Rusev stands in the ring, yelling at him to take him on. Cesaro accepts, and we are having this contest!

Match #2: Single for the United States Championship – Cesaro (Challenger) VS. Rusev (Champion) (with Lana)

Cesaro tries immediately with uppercuts, but Rusev is too strong with knees. Rusev goes for a suplex, but Cesaro reverses it into one of his own. Rusev regains dominance soon with a bear hug, wearing down Cesaro. “The Swiss Superman” hits back with an uppercut and hits him out of the ring with a dropkick! He follows with a Cannonball from the apron, but is soon driven to the mat with a spinning-uranage and splash!

Cesaro fires back with more uppercuts and almost gets him locked in a Sharpshooter, but Rusev reverses into The Accolade; Cesaro turns that into a cover but Rusev just kicks out! Rusev kicks Cesaro hard and clamps on The Accolade again and this time, Cesaro has to tap!

Winner via Submission and STILL United States Champion: Rusev (with Lana)

Commercials.

Segment #2: Backstage Promo

Rene Young interviews United States Champion Rusev and his real-life fiancée Lana about this coming Monday, July 4th. Rusev wants Independence Day to be called “Rusev Day;” instead Young tells him that he has to wrestle Titus O’Neil for the U.S. Title on Monday’s Raw!

Segment #3: Video Promo

A recap of WWE’s partnership with the Special Olympics airs.

Dana Brooke will be wrestling, next!

Ads.

Match #3: Single – Billie Kay VS. Dana Brooke

Billie tries with a little offense, but Dana governs most of this, complete with her T.K.O.-finisher!

Winner via Pinfall: Dana Brooke

Segment #4: Backstage Promo

Sasha Banks is watching and is asked by Rene Young about Dana. She doesn’t get too far when Summer Ray interrupts and says she and the other women are done with “this whole ‘Boss’ thing.” She will be happy if her and Sasha are drafted to different shows on July 19th, but Banks warns her they can go at it tonight instead!

Up next, Intercontinental Champion The Miz will host MizTV with WWE Champion Dean Ambrose!

Commercials.

Segment #5: Arena Promo

Intercontinental Champion The Miz and his real-life wife Maryse are in the ring. Maryse introduces her husband, and after a kiss, he takes over. He promotes his show as “the signature show of Smackdown! live” if he stays after the draft. He starts to announce his guest, but his guest cuts him off.

WWE Champion Dean Ambrose walks out and makes fun of MizTV, but gets serious when Miz takes a shot at Ambrose’s Asylum with “Mitch” the plant. They get into a popularity contest on which is better, MizTV or The Ambrose Asylum, and Miz boasts on his movie-making and Intercontinental Championship.

Miz calls Dean “a joke,” and rips on him for his attire. Ambrose gets ready to fight, as does Miz, and wipes his face with Miz’s jacket. Maryse is appalled and throws the jacket over Dean’s head, and Miz follows with a hard-kick. He holds his title high, and he and Maryse walk away.

Ads.

Match #4: Tag-Team – Haron Hale and Mike Duotti VS. Erik Rowan and Braun Strowman (with Wyatt Family member Bray Wyatt)

Strowman and Rowan pick this one up very quickly after Braun slams one onto the other!

Winners via Pinfall: Erik Rowan and Braun Strowman (with Wyatt Family member Bray Wyatt)

Post-match, Tag-Team Champions The New Day – Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E. – cut a promo on the Titantron like The Wyatt Family’s, but Xavier doesn’t say anything and Bray capitalizes on him. “All that’s left for you to do is pray, and run. RUN!”

It is made known that WWE Champion Dean Ambrose and Intercontinental Champion The Miz will wrestle in tonight’s main-event!

Commercials.

Match #5: Single – Summer Rae VS. Sasha Banks

Summer clutches with a standing side-headlock, and then shoulder-blocks Banks, who hits back with a chop and springboard-twirling-armdrag! Sasha slams Rae out of the corner, and then tosses her by the hair. She sweeps Summer up and punches, but Summer kicks Banks on the apron into the ring post.

Ads.

Rae is still in control, kicking Sasha into the ring on her head and suplexing her. She goes for another suplex, but Banks reverses into a small-package for a near-fall, as well as a roll-up and subsequent backslide for twos! Sasha clotheslines Summer a couple times and kicks Rae, but is kicked down soon again.

Banks punches back, but Rae counters and snap-DDT’s for a close one! Summer aggressively grabs Sasha, but “The Boss” rams Rae’s head into the middle turnbuckle and finishers her with The Bank Statement!

Winner via Submission: Sasha Banks

Segment #6: Video Promo

The situation from Monday’s Raw about the WWE Championship is recalled.

WWE Champion Dean Ambrose makes his entrance for his bout with Intercontinental Champion The Miz, next!

Commercials.

Match #6: WWE Champion Dean Ambrose VS. Intercontinental Champion The Miz (with Maryse) (Non-Title)

Miz kicks, but Dean catches him and spins for a clothesline! He punches away on the I.C. Champ in the corner, and then hits him with a back-elbow. Miz gets an upperhand with a knee-to-the-gut, but Ambrose fires back by clotheslining Miz to the floor. he goes for his dive, but Maryse pulls Miz away. Dean gives chase and hip-tosses Miz in the ring, and then dives off the top turnbuckle, but is caught!

Miz attempts a Skull-Krushing Finale, but Ambrose reverses that into a Dirty Deeds DDT try. Miz is out of that, and on the outside, Maryse yells at Ambrose, allowing Miz to chuck him into the corner of the barricade.

Ads.

Miz has Dean swept up, but “The Lunatic Fringe” is punching back. Miz takes him down again and works over his left leg. Miz climbs the turnbuckle, but Dean meets him there. Miz headbutts Ambrose to the canvas and then jumps off with a double axe-handle-smash! He signals for the Skull-Krushing-Finale, but Ambrose reverses into a victory-roll for two!

Dean is amped up and clotheslines Miz a few times; he follows with a corner running-bulldog and a La Majistral roll-up for a near-fall! Miz traps Ambrose in the corner and kicks away between the legs; he goes for a Figure-4 but Dean kicks away. Ambrose goes to the top and leaps, but Miz sweeps him and turns his legs into the Figure-4! Ambrose struggles, but manages to grab the bottom rope to break!

Dean is able to dump Miz to the floor and follows with a dive-through-the-ropes; Ambrose appears to have a hurt left-leg again. Dean puts Miz back into the ring but misses a top-turnbuckle dive. They trade pin-combos, and then Miz gets to plant Dean on the canvas with The Skull-Krushing Finale! 1 – 2 – Ambrose gets his shoulder up!

Dean rolls-up Miz again but only gets two; he kicks Miz as the I.C. Champion jumped again from the top turnbuckle and drives down with the Dirty Deeds DDT. Ambrose covers and receives the hard-fought victory!

Winner via Pinfall: WWE Champion Dean Ambrose

Ambrose celebrates to close the show as Maryse checks on her husband.

End of Smackdown!

Until Raw, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Fans, and Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian Readers!