With WrestleMania just weeks away, the biggest wrestling show of the year underwent major changes during SmackDown on Friday night. That included the addition of three new matches as well as a huge change to one of the most anticipated bouts of the two-night event.
Much of the night revolved around the fallout from this past Sunday's Fastlane event, where Daniel Bryan forced universal champion Roman Reigns to tap out -- albeit while the referee was knocked out. Edge, who was in the role of special enforcer, snapped and attacked Bryan and Reigns with a chair, allowing Reigns to exit Fastlane still as champion. But, as was expected, Bryan was not ready to leave SmackDown without addressing the situation, and his feelings that he'd done more than enough to earn another shot at the championship.
CBS Sports was with you all night, bringing you recaps and highlights of all the action from the ThunderDome.
Edge and Reigns took issue with Pearce's handling of the situation throughout the night, including Reigns threatening Pearce and telling him he would not wrestle both nights of WrestleMania. This eventually led Edge to confront Reigns backstage and tell him to use his stroke or else Edge may be able to beat Bryan and not Reigns to win the title.
Pearce, Bryan, Edge and Reigns all came to the ring to end the night. Pearce said every man's points were valid and that Reigns was correct and would only defend his title one time at WrestleMania. Which meant that it would be a triple threat match at WrestleMania, inserting Bryan into the match officially. This led all three men to brawl before Edge was the last man standing after hitting both men with a steel chair. Bryan was able to escape the room before Edge could hit a con-chair-to as Edge attacked WWE officials.
There couldn't have been a much better build to an announcement everyone knew was coming. Edge has snapped as his opportunity has been invaded by Bryan, Reigns has finally not been able to manipulate every step of a process to his advantage and Bryan got what he wanted -- but continues to pay a steep price. It's a deceptively simple story, but that's often the best thing for professional wrestling. Grade: A-
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ππ @FightOwensFight got his answer from @SamiZayn and then chaos broke out! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/IZtLKhImM3
"Let's hope you make the right decision. ...Or else." #SmackDown @EdgeRatedR @ScrapDaddyAP pic.twitter.com/1mb6qzw83M
Statement made! @WWEApollo just pinned the Intercontinental Champion on #SmackDown . @WWEBigE pic.twitter.com/100DQcHMEv
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WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Shocking contender determined for Roman Reigns' universal
WWE promised a contender for Roman Reigns' title at Royal Rumble would be determined in a gauntlet match on Friday night's episode of SmackDown. While a few options in the match seemed like obvious options to face Reigns at the end of the match, the winner would come from seemingly out of nowhere when WWE official Adam Pearce won the match.
Pearce was entered into the match by Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman as payback for Pearce's actions in booking a match between Jey Uso and Kevin Owens one week prior. In the end, Reigns and Uso made sure Pearce would win, lining him up to face the consequences of going against the wishes of The Tribal Chief at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.
CBS Sports was with you all night, bringing you results and highlights of all the action. Read on for everything you need to know coming out of SmackDown.
Adam Pearce def. Rey Mysterio, Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Daniel Bryan and Shinsuke Nakamura to earn a universal title shot at the Royal Rumble. Mysterio and Zayn started the match, with Mysterio quickly eliminating Zayn with a frog splash after a lengthy tirade by Zayn about having to be one of the first two in the match. Mysterio was bounced from the match when Nakamura locked him in an armbar. Corban was out next, attacking Dominik and Rey Mysterio despite Rey having just been eliminated. Nakamura eliminated Corbin with a Kinshasa. Bryan hit the ring next and seemed like he was on his way to submitting Nakamura with a Yes Lock, but Nakamura came back to score the pin after another Kinshasa. Reigns came to the ring as Pearce was about to enter the match. Reigns and Uso attacked Nakamura, setting the table for Pearce. After Pearce entered the ring, Uso laid him out with a superkick, Reigns said to ring the bell and Uso placed Pearce on top of Nakamura for the three count. Cementing Pearce as Reigns' Royal Rumble challenger.
Intercontinental Championship -- Big E (c) def. Apollo Crews via pinfall to retain the championship. The match, barely given time to build any momentum, initially ended when Crews hit a superplex and tied up Big E's legs while the referee counted to three while it appeared both men had their shoulders on the mat. After a commercial break, that was the confirmed result, meaning Big E would retain. Crews demanded the match start again, slapping Big E in the process. The champ agreed to restart the match and won with the Big Ending.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode def. The Street Profits (c) via pinfall to win the titles. Ziggler and Roode focused on the knee of Montez Ford. They had injured the leg in an attack last week. Ford hit a flip dive over the top rope to the outside and collapsed, holding the knee after hitting the ground. Angelo Dawkins tried to remain in the ring as long as possible, hesitating to tag the injured Ford. Ford eventually got the hot tag and was in control until the leg and the numbers caught up. Things heated up with a lengthy series of near falls for both teams before Ziggler and Roode hit a combination Zig Zag and spinebuster for the win and the titles.
The intercontinental title match was a bit disappointing. The odd fake-out on the first finish was unnecessary, and even if they're using it as a step to turn Crews heel, it could have been done a lot better. Hopefully Big E can settle into a title reign that helps continue to elevate him as a singles star. It's hard to see much of a positive in switching the tag titles. Ziggler and Roode are a fine heel team in a division that needs stable teams, but they aren't exciting champions. It was also a minor issue in the match that Ford only sold the leg injury when convenient, otherwise exploding and moving normally when getting his moves in. Grade: C
What a night!
We're now at @WWEDanielBryan vs. @ShinsukeN in this high-stakes Gauntlet Match on #SmackDown ! pic.twitter.com/AESmjZZaiK
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How Should WWE Book Smackdown Tag Team Title Match at WrestleMania 37?
WWE Smackdown is slowly becoming a pretty interesting show. After quite a long time Smackdown is really fun to watch. Every single storyline is engaging and most of the wrestlers are booked in multiple storylines, which is a very good thing to see. This did not happen in quite a long time.
One of those good storylines also features WWE Smackdown Tag Team titles. In this story, we are going to discuss what could be the best booking for WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships for WrestleMania 37. WWE Raw Tag Team Championship match has already been booked as the champions Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods will defend their titles against the former three times WWE champion AJ Styles and his partner Omos. So we are not going to talk about the Raw Tag Team titles here.
Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode are currently carrying the Smackdown Tag Team titles around their waists. It is more likely that they are going to defend their titles against Otis and Chad Gable first. But there are two more legit teams are on the queue, one of those teams are the Street Profits and the others are Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio.
The Smackdown creative team is managing the tag team section in an amazing way. All these four sides are involved in feuds with each other. This did not quite happen in a very long time in WWE, and this is the biggest reason why this section is very fun to watch.
Now, the important question is, what should be the booking for these titles at WrestleMania 37? If they organize a normal two on two match this would be injustice towards the remaining two sides. So what should they do then?
Logan Paul set for WWE SmackDown appearance | DAZN News US
YouTube celebrity Logan Paul will be making an appearance on WWE's SmackDown next week, as wrestler Sami Zayn's guest.
The internet personality will attend Zayn's documentary premiere, however it is not clear what his involvement will be on the wrestling show.
His appearance will come as another part of his activity as he blurs sport and entertainment. He has taken part in one professional and one exhibition boxing fight, both against fellow YouTube celebrity KSI.
He was also due to fight boxing legend Floyd Mayweather in February but the event was put on hold indefinitely, in part because coronavirus restrictions meant any event would not be able to let fans in, reducing the amount of money that might be made.
Paul's brother Jake will be fighting retired UFC athlete Ben Askren on 17 April in his own event, with a press conference on Friday spilling over into a physical confrontation .
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Not to change the topic here:
WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Daniel Bryan punches ticket to universal title shot at
Along with the shot at Reigns' title is a chance to be in the power position as champion heading into WrestleMania weekend in early April. Reigns, meanwhile, now has to worry about managing to get past Bryan and a pending match with Royal Rumble winner Edge at WrestleMania.
CBS Sports was with you all night, bringing you recaps and highlights of all the action on this week's SmackDown.
Bryan opened the show being interviewed in the ring by Michael Cole. Cole pointed out that the original Fastlane plans were for Bryan to team with Edge against Roman Reigns and Jey Uso, which Bryan took issue with for no one having asked him if he wanted to participate. Bryan said he wanted to face Reigns at Fastlane, win the championship and ruin the planned "dream match" between Reigns and Edge at WrestleMania. Bryan said he felt like a failure after losing to Reigns at Elimination Chamber before firing up and saying he found his ambition once again to be the best wrestler in the world. Reigns interrupted to say that Bryan is nothing more than an underdog and "our little guy," unlike his own style of taking what he wants. Reigns then claimed that he truly loves the wrestling business, while Bryan needs it.
Daniel Bryan def. Jey Uso via submission in a cage match with the Yes Lock. Uso immediately made a run to try to get out of the cage, but Bryan cut him off. From there, the grueling match was on with the men driving each other into the cage and ending up in high-impact scenarios. Eventually, things broke down into a full brawl with Bryan landing a series of heavy elbows on the ground before Uso fought back with a flurry of heavy ground-and-pound strikes of his own. Shortly after, Bryan locked in the Yes Lock in the center of the ring. Uso was able to scoot to the ropes, but without rope breaks, he was forced to tap out -- the win securing the Fastlane title shot for Bryan as Reigns watched on from ringside.
There's always a logic at play with a Daniel Bryan match. He worked over Uso's arm early, making it hard for Uso to climb the cage during the early sections of the match. Going for the finish with the Yes Lock multiple times -- and eventually getting it -- also locked Reigns out of being able to interfere with any attempt to escape the cage. Add that to brilliantly delivered promos in the open by both Bryan and Reigns, and everything worked wonderfully. If only this weren't just a stop on Reigns' road to defending his universal championship at WrestleMania. Grade: A
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#DingDongHello saw the debut of πΊππππ π»πππππ with @itsBayleyWWE ! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/BhU4uDkfY0
DING DONG, HELLO!!
The #SteelCage Match will have to wait just a moment. #SmackDown @itsBayleyWWE pic.twitter.com/LaR0kWYYaN
. @WWERollins gets a front row seat to witness the incredible @WWECesaro Swing on #SmackDown ! pic.twitter.com/mzpzdM6BYr
WWE SmackDown: 5 Finishes to Edge vs Jey Uso - Roman Reigns to make a big mistake, Possible
Edge will have his first match on SmackDown in 10 years as he takes on Jey Uso. The stipulation states that the winner will become the Special Enforcer of the Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan in the main event of Fastlane 2021 .
Edge has already secured his Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 37 having won the 2021 Men's Royal Rumble. The Champion of his choosing was Roman Reigns, who he speared after his Elimination Chamber title defense.
It's going to be an interesting match, not only because it's Edge's return to the ring on SmackDown, but also because of the role it will play at WrestleMania 37. At Fastlane 2021, Edge will find out whether he will face Roman Reigns or Daniel Bryan at the Grandest Stage Of Them All.
While Roman Reigns is expected to walk out of Fastlane 2021 as the Universal Champion, there could still be a twist or two a couple of days before the final pay-per-view stop on the road to WrestleMania 37.
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The dynamic between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso on SmackDown is a tense one. While Jey Uso gave Roman Reigns two excellent Title matches, he eventually aligned with him and acknowledged his cousin as the Tribal Chief.
It has always been about Jey Uso serving Roman Reigns. On SmackDown, it's only logical that the Universal Champion will want Jey Uso as the Special Enforcer at Fastlane.
He will likely have a ringside seat and could attempt to help his cousin secure the victory over Edge. That is unlikely to happen, but Roman Reigns' attempt to help Jey Uso on SmackDown could backfire.
If it does, then it would add a good element to the story before WrestleMania. While Roman Reigns wouldn't accept his mistake, it could plant the seeds for an eventual split from Jey Uso.
Roman Reigns' plan backfiring would also be a good bit of a comeuppance for him for the last few months.
WWE SmackDown Results February 19th, 2021: Latest Friday Night SmackDown Winners, Grades, Video
SmackDown before Fastlane kicked off with the Women's Championship match between Sasha Banks and Nia Jax . Backstage before the show, Sasha and Bianca Belair were arguing about whether The Boss should have accepted the title match or not.
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Sasha started strong and sent Jax into the corner for the double knees and tried for an early Banks Statement. The Irresistible force sent her to the mat for an elbow drop and got a cover with a near fall. Bianca Belair's music hit and Sasha used the opportunity to roll out of the ring.
After a break on SmackDown, Jax was still dominating but Banks hit a DDT off a counter and got the Banks Statement in.
Shayna Baszler got in the ring to help her partner but Bianca Belair rushed in to stop the interference. Amidst the confusion, Shayna accidentally kicked Jax in the face while the ref was distracted and Banks got a jackknife cover right after to retain her title.
Backstage, Jax and Baszler were arguing and Shayna said she would get a match with Bianca and give her a beating.
Seth Rollins was out next and started talking about Cesaro disrespecting him again. He said Cesaro was jealous of him and showed us footage of him attacking the Swiss Superman last week.
Rollins called Cesaro a failure before Shinsuke Nakamura came out to defend him. Rollins tried to talk him down but was taken down with a Kinshasa.
WWE Smackdown Results (3/26) – Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) and Apollo Crews Defeated Big
Otis started it off against Dawkins, but Big E made a point of trying to go for Crews before heading back to the ring apron.
Dawkins locked Otis in a side headlock, so Otis threw him off the ropes and the two met with mutual shoulder blocks and neither moved.
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Ford tagged in and they ducked a double clothesline attempt by Otis and hit a double dropkick but Otis still didn't go down.
Gable came in and hit a dragon screw takedown on Ford's left leg, and then hit a leg breaker of sorts and Ford rolled to the ring apron.
Gable went after him and Ford hit him with a shoulder and went for a sunset flip, but Gable caught him and hit a northern lights suplex for a pin attempt.
Big E ducked a clothesline by Gable and hit a third belly to belly and then a big splash as he readied to end things.
Big E hit a yurinagi and went for the pin, but Crews broke it up and kept stomping Big E, so Dawkins came in and rocked Crews with a right.
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