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.
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