The May 16th edition of WWE SmackDown airs live on the USA Network from the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire and this is the Go-Home show for WWE Backlash. Tonight’s show will feature a main event between two number one contenders. Jinder Mahal will go one-on-one against The Phenomenal One AJ Styles for the first time ever ahead of this Sunday’s PPV.
At Backlash, Mahal is set to face Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. Orton will first have to take on Baron Corbin tonight. Styles will face United States Champion Kevin Owens for the United States Championship at Backlash, but before that, Owens will be hosting his version of The Highlight Reel tonight.
Also advertised for tonight’s show is a contract signing for the six-woman tag team match between Women’s Champion Naomi, Becky Lynch & Charlotte and Natalya, Carmella & Tamina. Also Rusev has promised to show up to confront Shane McMahon, we will find out if he gets the match that he has been asking for and tonight will also include the final build to Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler.
Tom Philips welcomes us to Smackdown Live and introduces us to the final show before WWE Backlash this sunday and says that tonight The Phenomenal One AJ Styles will face Jinder Mahal tonight. He then introduces us to Kevin Owens who will host his own version of The Highlight Reel next.
Kevin Owens is already in the ring as his music is being played. Kevin Owens introduces us to the new and improved edition of the Highlight Reel hosted by himself. Owens says Jericho will never ever be seen again after he beat him down. He replayed the footage of his attack on Chris Jericho and said the only list Jericho is on now is the injured list. Owens says that what he did to Chris Jericho is just a sneak preview of what he would do to AJ Styles at Backlash. Owens was about to introduce his guest in French, as he was speaking french AJ Styles interrupts. AJ says Owens has been stealing everything about Chris Jericho and he can’t believe that Owens will stoop to the level of stealing Jericho’s show but Owens says he can do everything better than Jericho. AJ tells Owens that on Sunday he’s taking the U.S. Title belt back to the good ole USA, but they could get it on tonight instead. Jinder Mahal interrupts and says he was supposed to be guest on Owens’ Highlight Reel. Owens says Styles stole Jinder’s spot like a rude American. Jinder says on Sunday he’s going to beat Orton again, and shows a clip of himself beating Orton previously with the help of the Bollywood Boys. Jinder quotes Mahatma Ghandi and Owens tells AJ that he’s going to lose twice this week: tonight to Jinder and on Sunday to him. AJ chases Owens out of the ring, then tells Jinder to get in the ring and he will start the AJ Styles Highlight Reel.
Jinder Mahal def. AJ Styles: U.S. Champion Kevin Owens is on commentary for this one. Jinder starts off strong but AJ stops him in his tracks with a phenomenal dropkick to the head. Jinder stops AJ’s momentum with a shot to the throat, then slams him into the corner. Jinder lays into AJ with knee drops and throws him out to the apron. Jinder tries to suplex AJ over the ropes, but AJ knocks Jinder back and leapfrogs over the top rope with a flying forearm to the head of Jinder. The Bollywood Boys distract AJ momentarily which allows Jinder to recover and hit a running knee to the face. Jinder takes AJ up top, but AJ knocks Jinder down. Jinder kicks AJ in the face, but AJ comes back with a dropkick and both men are down. They get up and AJ kicks Jinder’s leg out from under him. AJ follows up with a forearm shot to the face then picks up Jinder. Jinder takes AJ into the corner with some shoulder strikes then boots AJ in the face. AJ ducks an elbow and hits the Pele Kick on Jinder. AJ follows up with a flying forearm in the corner, then a fireman’s carry into a neck-breaker over his knee. Jinder rolls outside to recover and AJ hits a baseball slide kick through the ropes. Back in the ring, AJ sets up for a Phenomenal Forearm, but the Bollywood Boys distract the ref and Owens hits AJ in the knee from behind with the United States championship belt. AJ rolls in the ring selling a knee injury, and Jinder hits a Cobra Clutch slam for the win.
Commentary says that tonight we will see Randy Orton going one-on-on with The Lone Wolf Baron Corbin and we will have a contract signing for the six-woman tag team match between Women’s Champion Naomi, Becky Lynch & Charlotte and Natalya, Carmella & Tamina.
We see another video vignette of Lana reminding us that she will debut soon on Smackdown Live.
We see another Law & Order-inspired Fashion Files segment with Tyler Breeze and Fandango. Fandango was walking through the room and looking over some fashion felonies when Tyler Breeze walked in under disguise, with a mustache and dressed as a janitor. Fandango didn’t recognize him until Breeze revealed himself. Breeze had more fashion felonies, including one for Baron Corbin because he has three shirts which all had wolves in them.
Breeze then held up the Usos’ “Day One Ish” shirt, which Fandango read as “Day One is H,” and they weren’t sure what that meant. Breeze suddenly said that the Usos were really good and started to freak out so Fandango had to snap him out of it. Fandango told him that he is a prince. He is the Prince pretty. The prettiest of all the princes. Awesome.
Breeze thanked him for that and Fandango said they would be wearing the tag titles on Sunday. They concluded with a freeze frame high five.
Randy Orton does an interview backstage where he says that the reason why people in America don’t like Jinder is not because he looks different or talks different but because he is an ass.
Breezango def. The Colons: The Colons trade frequent tags and control things against Tyler Breeze in the opening moments. Primo hits a running clothesline on Tyler Breeze in the corner, but then Breeze dodges a splash and kicks Primo in the head. Fandango and Epico tag in and Fandango drops epico with a spinning heel kick. Fandango gets distracted by Primo at ringside and Epico rolls up Fandango with a fist full of tights for a near-fall. Fandango jumps up and hits a Falcon Arrow on Epico for the win. The Usos come out after the match and cut a promo on Breezango. The Usos say they make the rules, not the Fashion Police, and on Sunday they’re taking them to trial at the Usos Penitentiary at Backlash. The Usos make some more law enforcement-related puns before leaving.
We go backstage where Becky and Naomi run into Charlotte and they get ready to come out for a contract signing together next.
Smackdown Commissioner Shane McMahon makes his entrance to the ring to oversee the contract signing for this Sunday’s Women’s match at Backlash. Shane McMahon first introduces Natalya, Carmella, Tamina (and James Ellsworth) which he collectively referred to them as the welcoming committee. He then introduces Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Naomi separately. The contract signing starts off by Natalya called them pathetic and they would prove just who was the best there is, was and ever will be. Natalya, Tamina and Carmella would then all sign the contract.
Lynch said there was no chance that she was ever joining their goon squad and she looked forward to slapping them all in the face at Backlash, including Ellsworth, then she signed the contract. Naomi told them to focus on their next hair appointments because she’s snatching them all bald, including Ellsworth, then she signed the contract. Charlotte said they had a problem with her since she debuted, but her team would solve their problem at Backlash. Charlotte then turned to Naomi and said she would take the title after that, then she signed the contract as well.
Ellsworth interrupted, claiming Lynch wanted to be with him but he had to throw cold water on her hot fire and she had no chance in hell. He informed Charlotte she had no shot at him either because he was the prince to the princess of Staten Island. He then told Naomi that Carmella was coming for her title and he will take away her glow. Naomi grabbed Ellsworth but Carmella smashed her face against the table. Shane then books a match between Naomi and Carmella.
Carmella def. Smackdown Women’s Champion Naomi: Naomi was in control and went for the Rear View but Ellsworth pulled Carmella out of the ring. The referee tossed him from ringside and they went to commercial. Naomi was still in full control after the break. They traded kicks to the leg and Naomi got the better of that too. Carmella drew her outside though and “nailed” a superkick allowing her to take over.
Naomi came back with kicks, back elbows, and a jawbreaker. She went to the top but Natalya and Tamina distracted her, so the ref tossed them too. They headed up the ramp but turned back around to attack Charlotte and Lynch. The ref allowed the match to continue. Naomi hit Tamina with a dropkick but the distraction allowed Carmella to use a schoolboy for the win.
We see another video vignette of the New Day reminding us that they will debut soon on Smackdown Live.
We go backstage where Dolph Ziggler says he never understood the hype around Shinsuke Nakamura. He admitted to being ignorant when he called Nakamura a nobody, he just wanted to understand what people saw in him. He did some research and put together a clip of Nakamura’s accomplishments in WWE, which started with Nakamura’s music but then went to a screen of colored bars which read “Footage Not Found.” Ziggler then says that he will show the universe his accomplishments then played a video package of his own career highlights. Ziggler said none of his accomplishments will bring him more joy than spitting in the face of the people who turned on him and beating Nakamura before he even begins.
We then go to Sami Zayn being interviewed by Dasha Fuentes and he says that he’s been granted a match against Baron Corbin at Backlash. Zayn wasn’t sure why Corbin targeted him but he figured it out. Corbin knows he can’t keep Zayn down and that’s a threat to his ego. Suddenly, Corbin leveled him from behind. Corbin then advises Zayn he should learn how to stay down, otherwise Corbin will put him down permanently.
Rand Orton comes out to the ring which means the main event is coming up next after the break.
We go to a message by TJP where he cuts a promo about his match tonight at 205 live against Austin Aries.
After the break Baron Corbin’s music hits and he comes down to the ring.
The announcers congratulates Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan on the birth of their daughter Birdie Joe.
WWE Champion Randy Orton def. Baron Corbin: Orton started the match with a headlock. They traded counters leading to Orton attempting an RKO but Corbin pushed him off. Orton tossed Corbin outside but he jumped back in and nailed a clothesline.
We then go to a commercial break.
After the break we resume the match where Corbin has been working him over for a while then Orton comes back with a power-slam and draping DDT from the middle ropes which is vintage Orton. Corbin blocked another RKO attempt and hits a Deep Six for a two count.
Corbin then gets out of the ring and runs right back in, but Orton saw it coming this time and nailed an RKO for the win.
Jinder Mahal comes out afterwards and tells Orton to savor the moment and the win because he will lose the title on Sunday at WWE Backlash. The Singh Brothers jumped Orton from behind. Orton got the better of all three momentarily but Mahal jumped him from behind as he attempted a double draping DDT from the middle ropes on the Singh Brothers. They put the boots to him and Mahal finished him off with a full nelson slam. Mahal posed with the title to end the show.
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