WWE SmackDown
February 7, 2017
Seattle, Washington
Commentary: Mauro Ranallo, JBL, David Otunga, Tom Phillips
Results by: Adam Martin of Wrestleview.com
A video package opens the show hyping John Cena vs. Randy Orton tonight.
Daniel Bryan kicks off Smackdown Live
General Manager Daniel Bryan is out first to kick off the show in Seattle. Big reaction for Bryan tonight in his home state. Loud “DANIEL BRYAN” chant starts up in Seattle. Bryan grabs a mic and says it is great to be home. He talks about how the last time they were in Seattle he had to make the most difficult decision of his life. Bryan says the last year hasn’t exactly been easy, but he wants to talk about being grateful. He is grateful to be the General Manager of Smackdown Live, that he gets to come to Seattle to give the fans the best show possible and that soon – very soon – he is going to be a father.
The Miz walks out to interrupt with Maryse. Miz gets on the mic and gives a “boohoo” in regards to Bryan announcing his retirement a year ago. He suggests Bryan become a stay-at-home dad. Miz questions why Bryan is even here because he can’t wrestle anymore and wonders why he even steps foot inside a WWE ring. Bryan says to be fair, Miz not being able to wrestle never stopped him from getting inside a ring. Big “YES” chant to that. Miz says when his hand goes up the mouths go shut. He says while Bryan can’t wrestle, but he can and will do so at Elimination Chamber this Sunday.
Miz is overwhelmed by a loud “DANIEL BRYAN” chant. He says when he has a microphone he will always be louder. Bryan says it sounds like Miz is challenging the crowd. Here comes Baron Corbin to interrupt a “YES” chant. Corbin tells Miz he should learn when to shut up. Miz says when he talks people listen. He suggests teaming up with Corbin at Elimination Chamber and then let the best man win. Corbin says he could just take out Miz right now so he doesn’t have to hear his mouth. Miz asks Bryan if he is going to let Corbin talk to him like that. Bryan jokingly says it would be such a shame if Miz got punched.
Here comes WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose. Ambrose says Corbin and Miz are cute together. He tells Miz he can’t take him seriously with what he is wearing. Ambrose accuses Corbin of stealing the motorcycle sound from his entrance music. He talks about “bad decisions” being made inside the Elimination Chamber this Sunday. Ambrose says he will walk out WWE and Intercontinental Champion.
AJ Styles is out next with a mic in hand. He asks if they are done playing “tickle butt.” Styles says everything they are saying is pure fantasy. He brings up beating all three men before. The crowd starts a loud “AJ STYLES” chant. Styles tells them to shut up so he can talk. All he cares about is becoming WWE Champion and he will win it back this Sunday. Miz says he isn’t getting the title back. Bryan interrupts telling everyone to relax. He suggests a fatal four way match tonight before Elimination Chamber. Seattle likes this idea. Bryan brings up that match starts right now. We head to commercial as everyone in the ring gets ready.
Adam’s Thoughts: Good opening segment. It’s still amazing to see how popular Daniel Bryan is with the WWE audience, granted they were in his home state tonight. Good call to book a fatal four way involving everyone in the Elimination Chamber match this Sunday with John Cena already booked tonight against Randy Orton.
-Commercial Break-
Fatal Four Way Match
AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz vs. Baron Corbin
We return live as Miz suggests teaming up with Corbin against Styles and Ambrose. Corbin shakes his head. Miz bails avoiding a shot from Ambrose. Corbin tosses Styles out and gets in a knee on Ambrose. Ambrose tosses Corbin over the top rope and catches Miz with a running lariat. Ambrose clotheslines Miz over the top rope. Ambrose counters a Styles Clash attempt and then trips up Styles as he tries to springboard off the top rope. Corbin with a big right hand to Miz and tosses him back inside. Corbin catches Styles with a huge right hand when he tries to slingshot himself back in the ring. Ambrose sends Corbin shoulder first into the corner. Miz catches Styles with a snap DDT. Miz with repeated kicks to the chests of Styles and Ambrose. Series of roll up attempts and we head to a break.
-Commercial Break-
Back live, Miz crotches Ambrose up on the top turnbuckle. Tower of Doom spot. Miz catches Styles with a dropkick. Deep Six by Corbin on Miz for a two count. Styles with a Pele Kick on Corbin and follows it up with a jumping forearm for a two count. Miz drops Styles face first on the mat and follows it up with a running knee for another two count. Ambrose with a neckbreaker on Styles. Ambrose with a running bulldog on Miz and combo clothesline on Styles! Ambrose catches Corbin with a suicide dive to the outside. Ambrose catches Styles with a kick and sends him into the barricade. Ambrose crotches Miz on the barricade and sends Corbin face first into the steel ring post. Back inside, Ambrose catches Corbin with a flying elbow and Styles breaks up the pinfall. Styles with a springboard inverted DDT on Ambrose and Miz breaks it up. Styles catches Miz with his flying forearm. Maryse pulls Miz out of the ring. End of Days by Corbin on Styles and Corbin gets the win.
Winner: Baron Corbin
A dual contract signing for Elimination Chamber will take place tonight involving Nikki Bella, Natalya, Alexa Bliss and Naomi.
Adam’s Thoughts: Outside of the terribly dull Tower of Doom spot that needs to be retired, this was a very good fatal four way match to hype the WWE Championship match this Sunday. Good call by WWE to go with Corbin to keep building momentum for his character.
-Commercial Break-
Backstage, Luke Harper talks about Randy Orton stealing his family. He calls Orton a liar and refers to him as a “snake in the grass.” Harper says cutting the head off the viper is too easy. He says Orton will be eliminated at Elimination Chamber.
At ringside, Tom Phillips interviews Nikki Bella and Natalya from different locations. He asks if they can ever become friends again. Nikki says the Nattie she knew and loved is dead to her. Natalya says Nikki has no friends and that they were never friends. She refers to Nikki as being a “poor wrestler” and will expose her this Sunday. Nikki refers to her as a “crazy cat lady” and how she stopped doing the work coasting on her family reputation. Natalya says she will beat Nikki and force her to stay home with her pregnant sister, something she’ll never be able to do herself. Nikki asks her what she will do next when she loses. Natalya says at some point John Cena will move on with his life without her.
Adam’s Thoughts: Good promo by Luke Harper. Not so great tonight involving Natalya and Nikki Bella. They gave them way too much time to almost ad lib. At times they started to make it work and then it would completely fall apart. Not good.
-Commercial Break-
Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews
Crews catches Ziggler with a dropkick immediately. Crews then launches Ziggler shoulder first into the steel ring post. Ziggler catches Crews with a big spike DDT. Crews avoids a superkick attempt by Ziggler, rolls him up and gets the pinfall.
Winner: Apollo Crews
After the match, Dolph Ziggler quickly attacks Apollo Crews from behind. Ziggler grabs a steel chair on the outside, returns to the ring and cracks it over the back of Crews. The crowd starts a “ONE MORE TIME” chant. Ziggler cracks it again over the back of Crews. Kalisto runs out and hits the ring. He avoids a steel chair and kicks the chair in the face of Ziggler. Kalisto then drops Ziggler with a quick superkick, goes for Salida Del Sol, but Ziggler crotches him on the top rope. Ziggler then cracks the chair over the back of Kalisto. The crowd calls for another chair shot and Ziggler again hits Kalisto. Ziggler heads to the back.
The dual contract signing for Elimination Chamber is up next.
WWE airs a Black History Month video about Rosa Parks.
Adam’s Thoughts: Not much of a match between Ziggler and Crews tonight. They are pushing the heel turn with Ziggler and I’m still not sure why we should care. It’s definitely a change of pace for Ziggler’s character in WWE, but they could be doing way more with it.
-Commercial Break-
Backstage, Daniel Bryan catches up with Dolph Ziggler and asks what he is doing. Bryan asks if he is going to throw a tantrum every time he loses. Ziggler says he can beat Kalisto and Crews whenever he wants, but using a chair is his choice. Bryan books Ziggler against Kalisto and Apollo Crews in a 2-on-1 match at Elimination Chamber.
Elimination Chamber Dual Contract Signing
Renee Young introduces to the dual contract signing for Elimination Chamber.
Mickie James and WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss are out first.
Becky Lynch and Naomi head to the ring next.
Renee refers to all four women as elite athletes. Mickie James cuts her off saying only two elite athletes are here: Alexa Bliss and herself, the six-time Women’s Champion. James puts over she has the most experience in this ring combined. She tells Renee she can handle it from here. James says this entire women’s division was built on her obsession to be the absolute best. She accuses Becky Lynch of trying to erase the past. James talks about waiting on the sidelines for seven years and doesn’t think she is getting the credit she deserves. She says not only did she create the women’s revolution, she created Becky. James signs the contract for Elimination Chamber. Becky says no one is trying to erase her accomplishments, but she was disappointed that James teamed up with “that little troll” Alexa Bliss. She says James walked away from WWE when things got tough. Becky says she plans to walk right through James this Sunday. She says she will slap James back to the past. Becky signs the contract for Elimination Chamber this Sunday.
Alexa Bliss grabs the mic and tells the crowd to shut up. She tells Becky to show some respect to James and points how James beating Trish Stratus at WrestleMania to become the new Women’s Champion. Bliss talks about Becky making excuses for not being the current Smackdown Women’s Champion and says this is her division. She looks over and says she completely forgot about Naomi. Bliss barely addresses her and says she will win on Sunday. She signs the contract for Elimination Chamber. Naomi grabs a mic and brings up pinning Bliss twice already. She tells Bliss to keep underestimating her. Naomi brings up how Elimination Chamber is this Sunday, but we are only two months away from WrestleMania in her hometown of Orlando, Florida. She says no one is going to take away her dream of walking down that aisle at WrestleMania as the Smackdown Women’s Champion. Naomi refers to her as “Lexi Boo Boo” and signs the contract for Elimination Chamber.
Naomi kicks Bliss in the head. James and Becky start brawling. James tosses Becky out. Becky pulls James out of the ring. Naomi jumps over the top rope and takes out both James and Bliss at ringside. Becky and Naomi toss James and Bliss back inside. James and Bliss bail out of the ring and start heading up the ramp to the back.
Adam’s Thoughts: Good segment hyping both matches at Elimination Chamber this Sunday. Mickie James didn’t miss a beat with her promo delivery. She really stood out on the mic tonight. A lot of the current women’s stars could take some notes.
-Commercial Break-
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions American Alpha are heading to the ring.
12 Man Tag Team Match
American Alpha, Breezango, Heath Slater and Rhyno vs. The Usos, The Vaudevillains and The Ascension
We begin with Aiden English and Chad Gable. Gable with a quick takedown and knee to the gut. English launches Gable to the corner and connects with a corner splash. Gable with a flying head scissors takeover and tags in Jason Jordan. They toss out double dropkicks on English and then one on Simon Gotch. Breezango are in taking out The Vaudevillains.
-Commercial Break-
Back live, English is in the ring with Heath Slater. Tag to Viktor who gets Slater down in a headlock. Viktor prevents Slater from tagging out and tags in Konnor. Viktor and Konnor double team Slater. The Vaudevillains and The Ascension are not getting along tagging in and out near the corner. Hot tag to Rhyno. Rhyno with repeated shots on Viktor. Rhyno spears Viktor in the corner and then connects with a big spinebuster. The Usos break up the pinfall attempt and a huge brawl breaks out with everyone in the match. American Alpha dump The Usos out and hit double overhead suplexes on The Vaudevillains. Gable is launched over the top rope by Jordan taking a bunch of people out. Viktor with a big clothesline to Jordan. Jordan rolls out. Rhyno is back in. Rhyno with a Gore on Konnor. Rhyno eats a jumping knee from the corner by Viktor. Viktor gets the pinfall!
Winners: The Ascension, The Usos and The Vaudevillians
Video airs of David Otunga starring on “Criminal Minds” on CBS tomorrow night.
WWE Champion John Cena vs. Randy Orton is up next.
Adam’s Thoughts: Decent 12 man tag team match. Rhyno was very popular in Seattle tonight. Was surprising, yet refreshing to see The Ascension pick up a win. They have just been dudes on the roster for a very long time. So many people rave about the run they had in NXT, but we just haven’t seen that translate over to the main roster.
-Commercial Break-
A video package runs looking back at the Royal Rumble.
WWE Champion John Cena heads to the ring for the main event.
Randy Orton heads to the ring next with Bray Wyatt. The main event is next.
-Commercial Break-
Non-Title Match
WWE Champion John Cena vs. Randy Orton
We return live. Bray Wyatt is taking a seat at ringside as the bell rings.
We already get dueling chants to kick off the match with “LET’S GO CENA” and “CENA SUCKS.” Orton gets a headlock on Cena and Cena fires back with a shoulder block. Cena with another shoulder block. Orton counters an early AA attempt. Orton with stomps and kicks to the body of Cena. Orton sends Cena out of the ring in front of Wyatt. Orton with a big right to Cena. Orton launches Cena shoulder first into the steel steps at ringside.
-Commercial Break-
Back live, Orton counters a Five Knuckle Shuffle and AA attempt by Cena. Cena counters a DDT attempt by Orton off the ropes and dumps Orton to the outside. Cena drops the face of Orton off the steel steps. Cena has Orton up on his shoulders. Orton counters and drops Cena back first over the announce table at ringside! The table stays intact. Orton tosses Cena back inside the ring. Orton and Cena exchange right hands. Cena with his twisting powerbomb and connects with Five Knuckle Shuffle on Orton. Cena has Orton up and connects with an AA. Cena hooks the leg and Orton kicks out. Cena is going up to the top turnbuckle. Orton jumps up, pulls Cena down by his head and drops him with a DDT! Wyatt is smiling at ringside. Orton with an RKO on Cena, hooks the leg and Cena kicks out. Cena avoids another RKO attempt. Orton grabs the top rope to avoid an AA. Referee bump when Orton falls off. Cena with a drop toe hold and he gets the STF locked in. Orton taps. Cena breaks the hold thinking he won, but the referee is still out. Wyatt hits the ring and starts attacking Cena. Orton holds Cena down as Wyatt stomps away. Orton with stomps of his own now. Wyatt attempts Sister Abigail. Cena breaks free and hits a clothesline on Orton. Wyatt grabs Cena and hits Sister Abigail. Luke Harper runs down and hits the ring. Wyatt turns around and smiles. Harper is not happy. Wyatt tells Harper to leave the ring. Harper levels Wyatt with a clothesline and kicks him out of the ring. Orton is back in and goes for an RKO on Harper. Harper pushes Orton away into Cena (countering the RKO attempt) who hits the AA. Cena gets the pinfall.
Winner: John Cena
After the match, John Cena looks over at Luke Harper who is standing at ringside. Cena holds up the WWE Championship on the corner. Mauro Ranallo confirms that Luke Harper will face Randy Orton at the Elimination Chamber PPV this Sunday. Smackdown comes to a close with Cena holding up the WWE Championship in the corner.
Adam’s Overall Thoughts: Decent go-home show by WWE tonight for the Elimination Chamber PPV. I’m really enjoying all of the issues within The Wyatt Family right now. WWE has a pretty stacked card for this Sunday night. It’s a little quick to already be presenting another show so soon after the Royal Rumble, but this is the new norm from WWE. Content, content, content!
Thanks for joining us tonight!
Follow me on Twitter: @adamwrestleview
Quick Match Results:
* Baron Corbin def. AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose and The Miz
* Apollo Crews def. Dolph Ziggler
* The Ascension, The Usos and The Vaudevillian def. American Alpha, Breezango, Heath Slater and Rhyno in a 12 Man Tag Team match
* WWE Champion John Cena def. Randy Orton in a non-title match