The road to WWE Clash In Italy continues tonight in “The Horse Capital of the World.”
WWE SmackDown is live at 8/7c on USA Network this evening from Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY., with the last show before tomorrow night’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, and second-to-last blue brand show heading into the upcoming WWE Clash In Italy premium live event.
Road To Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther Continues
‘WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.’ kicks things off as always. We then head directly into a recap video package showing the story between Cody Rhodes and Gunther continuing to unfold heading into their Undisputed WWE Championship showdown at WWE Clash In Italy.
From there, we see the usual Superstar arrivals backstage, including Cody Rhodes, Shinsuke Nakamura, Solo Sikoa and The MFTs and Tiffany Stratton. We then get our first look inside Rupp Arena as the camera pans the massive crowd as Joe Tessitore welcomes us to the show on commentary.
Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss & Fatal Influence Kicks Things Off
“This is My Brutality” hits the house speakers, the lights go down low and the strobe light spotlights hit the stage. Rhea Ripley emerges and the crowd roars as the WWE Women’s Champion makes her way out to kick off this week’s show.
Rhea says Jade and her crew tried to send a message but what they did was piss her off. She says she is back and wants a fight. She tells Jade that if she wants her rematch, she will happily beat her again. Rhea says she will take her on at Clash in Italy for the WWE Women’s Championship.
Charlotte Flair’s music hits and out she comes with Alexa Bliss. Flair says she appreciates that Rhea wants to defender her title but not to get ahead of herself because they still have a six woman tag team match tomorrow. Bliss says they have to be on the same page.
Flair says she has to address the elephant in the room. She says they needed Rhea’s help last week and she asks Rhea where she was last week. Rhea tells her she went home to go see her family. Flair says she is happy she went home to see her family but they needed her help.
She says her and Bliss have their own battles to fight. Rhea says Flair was the one that said she didn’t need her. Flair says she did say that against Fatal Influence but now they need Rhea’s help with Rhea’s problem. Rhea says she is sorry that they got ambushed.
She says but it looked like Bliss took most of it. If Flair can’t have her best friend’s back, how can she trust her with her back. Flair says Rhea is trying to create a problem that isn’t there, to grow a wedge between her and Bliss. Out come Fatal Influence.
Jayne says she loves this and there isn’t anything she loves more than to see the women’s division unravel in front of her own eyes. And this started the second Fatal Influence stepped foot on the scene. She says they have ascended to the top of the division with ease because when they see an opportunity, they take it.
She says they are looking at one right now. Flair says they love their confidence but she is not there for the back and forth. She challenges two of them to a match against her and Bliss tonight. Jayne says that is all she needed to hear. Flair’s music hits. The opener wraps up on that note.
Backstage With Solo Sikoa, The MFT’s & Royce Keys
Now we head backstage, where Cathy Kelley is standing by with Solo Sikoa and The MFTs duo of Talla and Tama Tonga. Solo says Tola Tonga is ready for his match against Shinsuke Nakamura. And he wants to make sure that everyone is watching.
Sikoa looks at Tama Tonga says he wants everyone to watch what will happen to Nakamura. In comes Royce Keys and he tells Solo that he cost him a title opportunity. Solo says Keys threw the chair at his face and he is lucky they don’t hit him now. Solo says if Keys needs someone to watch his back tonight, they can do that. We head to a break.
Backstage With Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
Backstage, we see Alexa Bliss playing peacemaker, telling Charlotte Flair she’s sick, and pretending to cough, before telling her that she’s tired of she and Rhea Ripley bickering. She says they’re going to have to get along tonight.
Talla Tonga vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Inside the arena, we see Talla Tonga inside the ring and ready to rock and roll. Speaking of rock and roll, the rock violins for Shinsuke Nakamura hit, the crowd singing accompanies it and out comes “The King of Strong Style” for opening singles action on this week’s show.
The bell sounds and this one gets officially off-and-running. Talla used his strength to push Nakamura away to start off, but the King of Strong Style briefly dodged a strike from the big man. Talla took over with a clubbing strike to the chest as he then stomped at his smaller foe in the corner.
Talla threw Nakamura hard into the opposite corner, which left him down and out. That was followed by a scoop slam to the mat. Just as Talla charged into the corner, Nakamura dodged and began trying to hit him with kicks to the chest.
As Talla staggered back against the ropes, Nakamura clotheslined him out of the ring. That advantage was all but fleeting, as Nakamura got taken out and thrown into the barricade as we head to break. We returned from commercial, Nakamura was slammed again by Talla.
A chokeslam attempt by Talla was turned into a triangle choke by Nakamura, who transitioned it into a guillotine choke. Nakamura escaped the grasp of Talla as he battered him with a strike to the back of the big man’s knee. Nakamura again avoided a running attack from Talla, which left his foe trapped in the corner.
On a kneeling Talla, Nakamura connected with the Scorpio Rising kick for the near-fall. Nakamura had Talla lined up for Kinshasa, but Solo SIkoa got on the apron to create enough of a distraction. This led to a running powerslam and a chokeslam by Talla for the three.
Once the match wraps up, Sikoa and Talla looked like they were gonna finish Nakamura off, but Tama Tonga interrupted. After some hesitation, Tama hit Nakamura with the dulled, not-so-hidden blade of the Cutthroat. Just as Sikoa was going to hit the Samoan Spike, Damian Priest ran down with a chair.
Winner: Talla Tonga
Backstage With Nick Aldis, Cody Rhodes & Sami Zayn
Backstage, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis is dealing with flickering lights. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes shows up, apparently Gunther still hasn’t signed for Clash in Italy. Because we’re just dragging things out. Aldis says he’ll handle Gunther, and asks Cody to let him do so.
Rhodes is willing to let him. Cody turns into Sami Zayn, Sami knows what it takes to beat Gunther and offers to help Cody, Cody says thanks but no thanks. Sami gets offended by this then asks Aldis what he’s doing tonight. Aldis says time is tight tonight, which is a bald faced lie, and he might not have space for him.
Zayn asks for respect and wants to know what he did so wrong. Cody shows up as Sami is whining about Cody getting preferential treatment. Sami tries to apologize, Cody says Sami has a point, he should have time tonight, he’s ready for a match tonight so Cody will take him on tonight.
WWE Women’s United States Championship (Open Challenge)
Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Lash Legend
Inside the arena, it’s Tiffy-Time, as the WWE Women’s U.S. Champion comes out for her open challenge defense of her title. The show returns and we see Tama Tonga talking with Solo. He says Solo is weak. That’s why everyone’s coming at them.
He says Solo has to handle Priest on his own, and prove the family isn’t weak. Solo agrees and heads out to talk to Aldis. Back to the ring and Tiffany’s challenger will be Lash Legend. Legend has Nia Jax with her. Jax says tomorrow she and Lash are winning the women’s tag titles, but first, Legend is gonna win the women’s U.S. title.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this women’s title tilt. They tie up and Lash overpowers Tiffany a few times. Lash tosses Tiffany around but runs into a corner kick. Tiffany cartwheels away from a slam then hits a dropkick only to be run over by Lash.
Lash wanders around, misses a pump kick then Tiffany with a couple of chop blocks to send Lash out of the ring. Tiffany with a plancha, she gets caught up in the ropes doing it and they wind up tumbling to the floor. Pretty sure Lash was supposed to catch Tiffany there but failed.
Lash with a chokeslam to Tiffany onto the apron. Chelsea Green moves down to check on Tiffany and try to support her while we head to break. The show returns and we see Tiffany back in the ring. Lash retains control. Tiffany jumps at Lash but gets caught and Lash with Snake Eyes.
Lash runs through a few of her usual spots then has some corner work going as we rejoin the broadcast. Lash puts Tiffany up top, Tiffany tries for a Sunset Flip, but only gets a 2 count. Hard elbow from Lash drops Tiffany but she only finds a 2 count. Chin lock from Lash, Tiffany fights free with a jawbreaker.
Slow motion low bridge from Tiffany, then Lash posts herself back in the ring. Tiffany with some clotheslines then a sloppy Stunner to counter a chokeslam. Handspring back elbow from Tiffany then a handspring Stunner for a two count.
Legend avoids the low double stomp then takes a hurricanrana before stalling out an Alabama Slam and hitting a falling powerbomb for a two count. Tiffany avoids the Lash Extension with a Crucifix Bomb for a near fall. Jax ties up Tiffany on the top so she misses.
Lash with a pump kick but gets distracted by Chelsea Green ramming Jax into the ring post. Lash grabs Green, but Tiffany rolls her up for the win to retain.
Winner and STILL WWE Women’s U.S. Champion: Tiffany Stratton
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