Good evening Fight Fans and welcome to our coverage for tonight's edition of WWE Smackdown on FOX headlined by the finals of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament between Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles!
- We open the show with a recap of Jeff Hardy talking about the incident with Elias where he was framed by Sheamus two weeks ago before we go to the ring where Jeff and Sheamus will sign a contract for their match at Backlash! this Sunday night. Sheamus enters the ring with security and a physician before Jeff comes out and Sheamus says mocks him before Jeff talks about how he goes to group meetings every week and that he's sick and tired of being sick and tired and his demons are starving. Jeff says that he's going to be a beacon of light just so he can get his hands on Sheamus on Sunday. Sheamus demands that Jeff take a drug test before he will face him and has the fake doctor issue the test behind a curtain while Sheamus tells the kids are home not to do drugs. The doctor then tests Jeff's urine while Sheamus tells him to issue an apology to his family or a positive message to everyone at home before Jeff throws the cup of urine in Sheamus' face and signs the contract before leaving and Sheamus becomes enraged as Jeff leaves as we go to commercial.
- We come back from the break to Sheamus trying to rinse his mouth out in the restroom before the doctor shows up and tells him that Jeff passed the test and Sheamus yells for him to leave.
- We go to the announce table before we get a graphic for the finals of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament in tonight's main event before The New Day come out to the ring for their tag match.
New Day vs Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura
Kofi and Cesaro starts things off with Kofi running the ropes and using his speed against the stronger Cesaro who hits a backbreaker and tags in Shin who hits Bad Vibrations in the corner. Kofi hits a jumping stomp when Shin runs at him before clotheslining Shin over the top rope and tagging in E who helps Kofi hit a tope. Cesaro clotheslines Kofi before E clotheslines Cesaro and Shin kicks E off of the apron when he tries to get back into the ring. Cesaro then drops E with an uppercut at ringside as we go to commercial.
We come back to Cesaro in control of E, hitting a running uppercut in the corner before tagging in Shin who hits running knees with E set across the top turnbuckle and Cesaro and Shinsuke chain together offense and frequent tags to keep E isolated from Kofi. E comes back with a belly to belly suplex and tags in Kofi who comes off of the top and drops Shin several times before hitting the Boom Drop and counters a suplex into the S.O.S. for a two count that Cesaro breaks up. Cesaro and E spill out of the ring before Shin meets Kofi up top and Kofi knocks Shin off of the top before he goes for a diving splash, but Shin gets his knees up before pinning Kofi for the win.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro defeat Kofi Kingston and Big-E via pinfall.
- After the match we go backstage to Heavy Machinery before Mandy Rose shows up and gives Otis his Money in the Bank briefcase while Tucker tries to get him to focus and tells him to cash in if the opportunity arises.
- Just off camera we then see Jeff and Sheamus brawling until they're separated as we go to commercial.
- We come back from the break to a video package recapping the history and prestige of the Intercontinental Championship ahead of the finals of the tournament finals in which Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles will face off with the winner becoming the new champion.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament Finals Match
AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan
Daniel wrings AJ's arm and takes him down with a straight armbar before they counter each others holds until Daniel dropkicks AJ and AJ kicks him in the midsection before sending his face first into the top turnbuckle. Daniel counters a suplex attempt and gets chopped in the throat before sending AJ out of the ring and hitting a suicide dive as we go to commercial.
We come back to the action in the ring to Daniel having AJ grounded and stretching him before AJ gets to his feet and drops Daniel before hitting him with right hands on his knees. Daniel uppercuts AJ before AJ wrings the arm of Daniel and yanks him down onto the mat before he goes for a double wrist lock and Daniel hits a kitchen sink. Daniel slams AJ's knees into the mat and stretches AJ with an inverted surfboard that he turns into a pinning predicament for two. Daniel kicks AJ in the corner and AJ gets two off of a sunset flip before they exchange pin attempts for a series of two counts. They then run into each other and hit each other with a running cross body when they run the ropes as we go to commercial.
We come back to the ring to Daniel focusing on the arm of AJ until he goes for the Yes Lock and AJ counters into a slingshot that sends Daniel over the top rope and down onto the floor. Daniel sends AJ into the post and rolls him back into the ring before continuing to focus on the injured left arm until AJ rolls out onto the apron and Daniel whips him into the corner. AJ gets out of the way of a running dropkick in the corner before AJ starts focusing on the now injured left knee and leg of Daniel, softening him up for the Calf Crusher and trying to prevent Daniel from being able to hit a flying knee. AJ traps Daniel in the ropes before Daniel drops AJ with an enzuigiri and shoves AJ when he goes for the Phenomenal Forearm. Daniel then kicks AJ in the corner with his good leg before setting AJ on the top rope and hitting a frankensteiner into Yes Kicks before AJ turns him inside out with a clothesline as we go to commercial.
We return to the two exchanging strikes until Daniel sends AJ over the top rope and down onto the floor before AJ kicks him when he goes for a suicide dive. Daniel counters the Phenomenal Forearm into a butterfly suplex before they exchange submission attempts until AJ counters an armbar and Daniel drops him with a roundhouse kick to the side of the head for a near fall. Daniel sets AJ on the top rope backwards before AJ elbows him off and down onto the mat before Daniel hits him from behind and AJ knocks him off with elbows a second time. Daniel then jumps up on the top turnbuckle a third time and hits AJ with clubbing blows to the back before hitting a back superplex as we go to commercial again.
We return to the ring to Daniel in control before AJ hits a moonsault for two and Daniel repeatedly elbows AJ in the side of the head when he goes for a fireman's carry before AJ hits a brainbuster for two. AJ calls for the Styles Clash that Daniel turns into a pin attempt for a near fall before Daniel catches AJ's foot when he goes for a Pele kick and locks in an ankle lock. They hit each other with German suplexes before Daniel elbows AJ repeatedly and locks in the Yes Lock before AJ nearly taps and gets his foot on the bottom rope for the break. Daniel then goes for the flying knee and AJ catches him and hits the Styles Clash, but can't capitalize on a pin attempt before hitting the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin and the win.
Winner: AJ Styles defeats Daniel Bryan via pinfall to become the new WWE Intercontinental champion.
- After the match we get a recap of last week where The Miz and John Morrison played various pranks on Braun Strowman and vandalized his car ahead of their challenging Braun for the Universal Championship at Backlash! Sunday night. We then go to Braun Strowman backstage where he cuts a promo ahead of him teaming up with Heavy Machinery who he will have no problem turning on if Otis tries to cash in during their match against Miz, Morrison and Dolph Ziggler in our main event as we go to commercial.
- We come back from the break to this week's Progressive Match Flo recapping Bayley and Sasha Banks winning the WWE Women's Tag Team titles from Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross last week before we go to the ring where Bayley and Sasha come out to celebrate their victory. After Bayley and Sasha finish celebrating the former champions, Cross and Bliss come out to the ring before they're interrupted by Billie Kay and Peyton Royce on the big screen who say that they're going to take the titles from Banks and Bayley and the four women in the ring brawl before Bliss and Cross clear the ring.
- We go backstage to an interview with The Miz and John Morrison before they play a music video and Braun Strowman and Heavy Machinery comes out to the ring for the main event six-man tag match as we go to commercial.
Braun Strowman & Heavy Machinery vs The Miz, John Morrison & Dolph Ziggler
Dolph and Otis start things off before Otis dives over the top rope and tags in Miz who Otis grabs and tosses into the ring before slamming him to the mat and HM hit a double falling headbutt to Miz. John comes in and Tucker grabs his leg before John kicks him and lands on his feet when Tucker goes for a back body drop. Tucker slams John when he goes for a springboard arm drag for two before Braun asks for the tag and John scrambles to the corner to tag in Dolph. Tucker drops Dolph and tags in Otis who tags in Braun and Monster Machinery triple up on Dolph before Tucker hits a delayed suplex while Baron Corbin is shown on the big screen and he goes up to Mandy Rose as Otis rushes to the back. Otis then runs up on Corbin and attacks him before he's pulled away as we go to commercial.
We come back to Tucker and Braun how in a three on two match with Dolph having Tucker grounded with a front headlock before dragging him to the corner where John drops the big man with kicks for two. Tucker sends John out of the ring when Miz gets the tag and sends him out of the ring before Dolph dives on his leg and gets hit with an enzuigiri. Tucker goes to tag in Braun, but Miz and Morrison pull him from the apron and double up on him on the floor before Dolph sends Tucker into the post. Otis comes back to the ring with Mandy before Tucker superkicks Dolph and tags in Otis who knocks Miz and Morrison off of the apron and slams them once they get into the ring. Otis then hits a fall away slam that sends Dolph over the top rope and down onto the floor before Braun runs around ringside and runs everyone into the plexiglass before Otis hits Dolph with The Caterpillar for the pin and the win.
Winner: Heavy Machinery and Braun Strowman defeat Dolph Ziggler, The Miz and John Morrison via pinfall.