Tuesday Night Smackdown! Live Television Report for April 18, 2017 – “Championship Opportunities”

Introduction: Video Promo

A recap montage of last week’s “Superstar Shake-Up” and the United States Championship picture plays.

Arena Promo

We go live to the arena and Charlotte’s music plays. She struts out as we are welcomed by Tom Phillips, john “Bradshaw” Layfield, and new Smackdown! Live commentator Byron Saxton. In the ring, Charlotte is angered that she has not gotten a Women’s Championship Match already.

Women’s Champion Naomi answers her and accepts, emphasizing it with a slugging forearm! They start to brawl until a referee runs down to break them up. Commissioner Shane McMahon dances out and makes a match between the two for tonight, and if Charlotte wins, she will wrestle Naomi next week on Smackdown! Live for the title.

Charlotte dives back in the ring and sweeps up Naomi, punching away. The Women’s Champ fights back and Charlotte bails to the aisle.

Up, a Six-Pack Challenge to see who wrestles for the WWE Championship!

Commercials.

Office Promo

Natalya is mad that she had not been considered for the Women’s Championship. Carmela and James Ellsworth walk in; they see Natalya’s side but James puts over Carmela as the top woman on Smackdown!. those three argue until Tamina joins and also makes a case for herself; Shane tells Tamina more or less the same he told Natalya. All except Shane walk-off.

Match #1: Six-Pack Challenge – Dolph Ziggler VS. Erik Rowan VS. Jinder Mahal VS. Luke Harper VS. Mojo Rawley VS. Sami Zayn

(Stipulation: #1 Contender’s Match for the WWE Championship)

All go at it for a bit until Harper and Rowan are left to wrestle.

Commercials.

All are set up on the top turnbuckles in superplex positions! Sami sunset-flip-powerbombs from the turnbuckle for two! Harper is alone in the ring and runs through the ropes a couple of times onto Jinder, Mojo, and Sami, respectively!

Erik almost gets this after a big boot on Dolph! He then powerbombs Ziggler from the ring onto the others on the floor!

Commercials.

Rawley and Dolph are now in the ring. Dolph dives from the turnbuckle in a crossbody-position, but Mojo catches him and slams him from a fireman’s-carry! Mahal comes back in and plants Dolph, but Sami just breaks up the count!

Sami ends in the ring alone, and then dives over the ropes with a swanton! He is fired up, and as he goes for his Helluva Kick on Jinder, two men on the outside – The Bollywood Boyz (Harv and Girv) – hold back his legs. Mahal takes advantage, planting Zayn to the canvas with a Cobra Clutch slam! He covers and receives the victory!

Winner and #1 Contender to the WWE Championship: Jinder Mahal

Post-match, Rene Young interviews Mahal. He slams Americans for being “anti-cultural,” but warns them they will have no choice to but to accept culture when he becomes the new WWE Champion. The current one – Randy Orton – saunters out. He congratulates Jinder but threatens that an R.K.O. is waiting for him.

Orton moves onto Bray Wyatt, whom he will wrestle in a “House of Horrors” Match at Payback on April 30. Bray appears on the Titantron, and while warning Randy of what awaits them at Payback, images of their rivalry and “asylums/hospitals” mixed are mixed in.

Commercials.

Video Promo

A mixture of New Day highlights air to signify their return soon!

Video Promo

We have a look at Shinsuke Nakamura’s career thus far!

Backstage Promo

A.J. Styles is inquired about who he wants to face for the United States Championship – current Champion Kevin Owens or his challenger, Chris Jericho. He says it doesn’t matter and then Baron Corbin interrupts. He and A.J. jaw at it, and then decide to wrestle later tonight!

Backstage Promo

Charlotte is walking the halls and right into Tamina, Natalya, Carmela, and James Ellsworth. They “welcome” her to Smackdown! but she just shoves her way through to the entrance way.

Commercials.

Match #2: Single – Charlotte Flair VS. Women’s Champion Naomi (Non-Title)

(Stipulation: If Charlotte wins, she will wrestle Naomi on Smackdown! Live next week for the Women’s Championship)

They lockup and go into the corner. Charlotte hits a spinning-forearm and then mudhole-kicks away. She grapples a grounding rear-chinlock but Naomi turns that into an armlock. They faceoff and then Naomi gets a couple of twos with pin combos. Charlotte cartwheels out of a wristlock and clamps on a Figure-4-Necklock. She slams Naomi a few times in that position, but Naomi works her way back.

Naomi slaps and kicks Charlotte hard, and Charlotte chops in return. Naomi fires back with rapid bicycle-kick but botches a headscissors over the ropes that was supposed to send both tumbling to the floor smoother.

Commercials.

Charlotte dominates for a while until Naomi kicks back. She goes for her finish, but Charlotte stops herself and drives Naomi face-first to the mat with her Natural Selection finisher, subsequently the 1 – 2 – 3!

Winner and #1 Contender to the Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair

Commercials.

Backstage Promo

Charlotte walks past James Ellsworth, Carmela, Natalya, and Tamina. She winks, “woos,” and walks away.

Match #3: Tag-Team – The Colons (Primo and Epico) VS. American Alpha (Jason Jordan and Chad Gable)

Primo and Chad begin, with Gable using amateur moves on Primo. He tags in Jordan, and they switch back-and-forth on Primo until Epico distracts the referee, allowing Primo to run Chad into the ring post. Epico is in, front-suplexing Gable and then propping him atop the turnbuckle, but Chad turns that into an armbar with scissors against the ropes!

Gable makes the hot-tag to Jason, who cleans house on Primo and Epico. Soon after, Primo hits Jordan from the outside and Epico traps him for the fall!

Winners via Pinfall: The Colons

We are shown the ending to the Six-Pack Challenge again. After the break, United States Champion Kevin Owens will issue his first “Face of America Open Challenge.”

Video Promo

Lana appears to be remade as a “sexy dancer.” The video depicts her dancing around a chair in a silk robe, opened to show a bit of her bra.

Commercials.

Backstage Promo

Dasha asks Tye Dillinger about his Smackdown! debut a couple of weeks ago; he shows clips of his career.

Match #4: Single – Gary Dandy VS. United States Champion Kevin Owens (Non-Title)

Owens finishes Dandy very quickly with his Pop-Up Powerbomb!

Winner via Pinfall: United States Champion Kevin Owens

Post-match, Kevin rips on his Payback opponent/challenger, Chris Jericho, and then on the commentators, offering words in French.

Baron Corbin makes his way to the ring for the main-event, next!

Commercials.

Match #5: Single – Baron Corbin VS. A.J. Styles

(Note: United States Champion Kevin Owens is on commentary.)

Baron and A.J. measure each other up for a bit, and then Baron takes over.

Commercials.

“The Lone Wolf” is governing until he runs into two feet from A.J. in the corner! Baron chases Styles in the ring but runs into the ring post! A.J. reverses the momentum, hitting a Pele Kick! He goes for his Styles Clash, but Corbin counters into a chokeslam-backbreaker! 1 – 2 – A.J. kicks out! “The Phenomenal One” manages to lock on his Calf-Crusher, but Baron crawls to the ropes for a break. Corbin catches Styles off of a run into his Deep-Six spinning-backdrop! 1 – 2 – A.J. just kicks out!

As Baron runs at Styles, A.J. pulls the top rope down. On the outside, he sets up Corbin for another Styles Clash, but Baron dumps him onto Owens! A.J. gets up and runs off of the apron with a knee and then the Phenomenal Forearm from the steps that sends Corbin over the corner of the barricade! Styles runs back into the ring, as referee Mike Chioda finishes counting!

Winner via Count-Out: A.J. Styles

A furious Kevin looks on as A.J. celebrates to close the show.

End of Smackdown! Live.