Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 5/6/2022 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. We will bring full results and breakdowns for every match and segment on the show. Follow Fightful on Twitter.com/Fightful and Facebook.com/FIGHTFULONLINE
- The show began with a recap of the Beat The Clock "I Quit" Challenge between Ronda Rousey and SmackDown Women's Champion, Charlotte Flair. Rousey won the challenge, but Flair went out of the ring and attacked Drew Gulak. Michael Cole and Pat McAfee welcomed the audience to the broadcast, airing from Long Island, New York (when in reality it was airing in Uniondale, New York).
- Before the match between Flair and Aliyah, Charlotte Flair asked the crowd what was up, before wondering why people correctly call Long Island the arm-pit of New York. Flair said she was screwed by Aliyah in the I Quit Challenge, saying Rousey is going to be the only one that was going to cry and quit on WrestleMania Backlash. Flair started singing "Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye" for Ronda. Flair said she was going to pretend Aliyah was Rousey before beating down Aliyah. Ronda Rousey ran to the ring and both wrestlers started brawling outside the ring before Flair threw Rousey to the barricade. Flair did a take-down on Rousey after getting back to the ring, but Shawn Daivari and two referees separated Rousey and Flair. Flair booted Daivari in the face before former ROH World Champion, Jamie Noble, and another referee came to the ring got to help separate Flair and Rousey. Aliyah vs Charlotte Flair was canceled due to the brawl.
Sasha Banks (w/ Naomi) vs Shayna Baszler (w/ Natalya).
Baszler and Banks locked up before Banks hit a Middle rope Meteora and a series of punches for a near fall. Banks hit a codebreaker to the arm of Baszler. Banks locked in the Pentagon-Arm breaker but Baszler kicked Banks in the head. Baszler went for an armbar, but Banks locked in an S-Grip with her hands to prevent Baszler to lock in the armbar. Natalya distracted Banks, which led to Baszler hitting a gut-wrench face slam on Banks. Banks hit a series of punches on Baszler in the corner. Banks went for a Head Scissors, but Banks caught her in the middle of the move and reversed it into a side slam before the commercial break.
Baszler locked in a Kimura lock on Banks , but Banks threw Baszler off the ring with an arm-drag. Banks hit a sliding dropkick on Baszler outside before hitting Baszler's arm in the broadcast table. Banks hit a running Meteora on Baszler for a near fall. hit a Bulldog on Baszler and slid outside to hit the Head Scissors on Natalya. Baszler hit a Knee strike for a near fall. Baszler got a small package on Banks for the pinfall victory. Banks and Baszler attacked Naomi and Banks. Baszler tried to stomp Banks's arm, but Naomi kicked Baszler out of the ring. Banks and Naomi hit the double falling-kick on Natalya.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (w/ Natalya).
- There was a video package showing the highlights of the contract signing between RKBro and Usos from the 4/29/2022 edition of SmackDown. The video package also showed RKBro & Drew McIntyre attacking The Bloodline, which was interrupted by multiple WWE Officials. The Usos were interviewed by Kayla Braxton, saying the time for talking is done, saying that they will be getting Snake-skin Air Force Ones after The Bloodline defeats RKBro and Drew McIntyre on WrestleMania Backlash.
- Kayla Braxton interviewed Raw Tag Team Champions, RKBro (Randy Orton & Riddle), with Riddle asking who was him to judge what people put in their mouths. Orton said that The Usos should be focusing on who they are facing on WrestleMania Backlash, not the shoes they will be wearing.
- Happy Corbin came to the ring to host Happy Talk, saying that he will do a lot of bad stuff to Moss on WrestleMania Backlash. Madcap Moss interrupted Corbin from the titantron, saying that he looked like a Pitbull background dancer, that he has terrible tattoos, and that Hot Topic threw up in his chest. Corbin said that Moss was cracking jokes because he did not have the guts to face him in the ring. Moss did, indeed, made his way to the ring to confront Corbin. Moss continued to crack jokes, saying that his next phase should focus on him being entertaining, that he wished he was lone-wolf but he was bald, and that he can be the big-bald wolf. The crowd chanted "Big Bald Wolf" before Corbin walked out of the arena in sham.
- There was a video package showing Drew Gulak's trials to earn a new job in WWE, with Gulak trying out to be a broadcast member, Adam Pearce's intern, and a timekeeper. In all of those tryouts, he got beat down by Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair. Gulak was shown in the ring to wrestle a mystery opponent, before the commercial break.
The mystery opponent was revealed by Ludwig Kaiser as Gunther, to the distraught of Gulak.
Gunther (w/ Ludwig Kaiser) vs Drew Gulak.
The match began with lame "USA" chants from the crowd, before locking up. Gunther hit a chop on Gulak. Gulak punched Gunter, but Gunther kicked Gulak in the face. Gunther hit another chop on Gulak before placing Gulak in the top rope for another chop. Gunther got a sleeper hold on Gulak before hitting a powerbomb on Gulak for the pinfall victory. After the match, Michael Cole said "Catering needs help, Drew".
Winner: Gunther (w/ Ludwig Kaiser).
- Shinsuke Nakamura was interviewed backstage by Megan Morant, with Nakamura saying that he had not forgotten what The Bloodline did to him and Rick Boogs. Nakamura said that he will do something to Roman Reigns that he will never forget before Nakamura left. Sami Zayn was seen lurking in the background.
- Drew McIntyre was interviewed by Kayla Braxton, calling his team with RKBro 'RK-McBro". He said that he will give the audience a sneak peek of WrestleMania Backlash by kicking Roman's head off.
Tables Tag Team Match
Ridge Holland & Sheamus vs New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods).
The match began with the teams brawling in the ring, with Woods hitting a superkick on Sheamus. Woods hit a tornado DDT on Sheamus. Sheamus hit an atomic drop on Woods. Woods hit a running knee on Sheamus, but Ridge attacked Woods from behind. Ridge went for a back-suplex, but Woods evaded and Kofi hit a top-rope lariat on Ridge. New Day hit Sheamus with the table in the stomach twice. Woods and Kofi hit a double-suplex on Ridge, with Sheamus kicking the table out of the way. Sheamus hit a DDT on Kofi. Sheamus tried to hit Kofi with Irish Curse, but Woods attacked Sheamus. Woods slammed Ridge on the stairs. Kofi hit a cross body outside on Sheamus, filling on the barricade before the commercial break.
Sheamus hit the 10 Beats of the Bells on Woods, while Ridge hit the 10 Beats of the Bells on Kofi. Kingston hit the SOS on Ridge, and hit the 10 Beats of the Bell on Sheamus. Sheamus hit the White Noise on Kofi onto the apron. Woods hit a rolling elbow and a kick on Ridge. Woods hit a heel kick on Ridge. Woods went to the top rope, but Sheamus took Woods down. Sheamus tried to suplex, but Kingston slid onto the leg of Sheamus, before hitting a running trust fall on Sheamus onto the outside. Kofi hit Trouble in Paradise on Sheamus. Kofi set up Sheamus on the broadcast table, but a returning Butch inteferring in the match. Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick on Woods, before he and Ridge hit a double powerbomb on Woods for the win. Butch attacked Woods after the match.
Winners: Ridge Holland & Sheamus.
- Paul Heyman was been interviewed by Kayla Braxton, asking her if she was flirting with him, before being interrupted by Sami Zayn. Zayn informed Heyman about Nakamura's warning on Reigns earlier in the night, saying that he will take care of Nakamura. Heyman thanked Zayn for informing him, telling him that he would inform Reigns.
- Zayn interrupted Adam Pearce, asking him for a match against Shinsuke Nakamura for the 5/13/2022 edition of SmackDown. Pearce refuted his offered, telling that he was getting his match later in the night.
- Lacey Evans recalled that her father overdosed weeks before she signed with NXT, and that another family member overdosed just after her first NXT match. She said that she was broken in her first WWE match, but she remembered her daughter smiling during her first match. Evans said that was put in the worst situations by her loved ones, but that it was her time. Evans asked what were the WWE Superstars to stop her after everything she went through. She said that she was soon to be a SmackDown Women's Champion. Samantha Irvin introduced Lacey Evans to the ring, her return to SmackDown, with the crowd giving her a thunderous ovation.
- There was a video package highlighting Raquel Rodriguez, showing clips of her run NXT and her match against Cat Cardoza (independent wrestler Leila Grey) from the 4/29/2022 edition of SmackDown.
Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura.
The match began with Zayn evading a kick from Nakamura before the two locked up. Zayn got a side headlock on Nakamura before going for a wrist-lock on Nakamura. Nakamura reversed it with his own wrist lock before hitting a jumping knee on Zayn for a near fall. Zayn hit Nakamura in the back, followed by stomps on Nakamura. Nakaura hit a knee on Zayn, followed by two kicks and a heel kick. Nakamura hit a sliding german suplex on Zayn. Zayn hit the Michinoku Driver on Nakamura before the commercial break.
Zayn locked Nakamura in a headlock, but Nakamura slammed Zayn in the ring-corner. Zayn hit a middle rope-headbutt on Nakamura for a near fall. Zayn went for another headbutt, but Nakamura caught him with a kick. Nakamura hit a middle-rope Knee strike on the neck of Zayn for a near fall. Zayn and Nakamura exchanged strikes before Nakamura got Zayn with an arm bar, but Zayn reversed it with a near fall. Nakamura hit a side kick on Zayn. Nakamura went for the Kinshasha on Zayn, but Zayn rolled out of the ring. Zayn got caught with a kick from Nakamura. Zayn caught Nakamura with a Helluva kick outside and ran back to the ring for the count out win.
Winner: Sami Zayn (via Count out).
- Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, and Riddle were in the ring ready to face-off with The Bloodline. McIntyre called Long Island "strong island", asking them to acknowledge him. Riddle said that he acknowledged that Randy Orton was his best friend, Orton acknowledge that he still had the handprint of Drew's chop from two years ago, while Drew acknowledged that he still had trauma from the kicks from Orton. The three continued to acknowledge stuff before Drew acknowledge that Roman Reigns was the biggest piece of crap on earth. WWE World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Universal Champion, ROman Reigns, and the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, Jimmy & Jey Uso, made their way to the ramp. Reigns dropped the microphone and The Boodline made their way to the ring to confront Drew & RKBro. The six men brawled in the ring, with The Bloodline winning the numbers game on Drew McIntyre. The Bloodline beat up McIntyre before Riddle hit an RKO on Jimmy, Orton hit an RKO on Jey, and McIntyre hit the Claymore on Reigns. RKBro and McIntyre stood tall to end the show.
