WWE SmackDown
February 28, 2017
St. Paul, Minnesota
Commentary: Mauro Ranallo, JBL, David Otunga, Tom Phillips
Results courtesy of WWE.com this week.
Matters on “Miz TV” get explosive between John Cena, The Miz, Maryse and Nikki Bella
Following the contentious events of last week’s SmackDown LIVE, John Cena journeyed to “Miz TV.”
Cena arrived, however The Miz immediately cut The Cenation Leader’s microphone and The A-Lister proceeded to go on a verbal tirade against the 16-time World Champion. When Miz finally granted Cena access to the mic, he responded with an impassioned speech on Miz’s character.
The situation intensified when a disgusted Maryse slapped John. However, the slaps would soon cease when an incensed Nikki Bella ran out to equal the odds. Miz & Maryse hightailed it out, putting a cap on the drama … for now.
Becky Lynch def. Mickie James in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match
The instant-classic rivalry between Becky Lynch and Mickie James entered its next phase as the two world class Superstars tested their grappling wits in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match. The first fall went to Mickie when she hit a big DDT. However, Lynch bounced back, evening the score with a surprise rollup on the savvy veteran.
With the scoreboard reading 1-1, SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss came to ringside clearly attempting to help Mickie secure the victory, but it backfired, leading to Lynch locking in the Dis-arm-her to score her second fall and the win.
AJ Styles def. Luke Harper to become No. 1 Contender to WWE Champion Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania
Following the controversial conclusion to last week’s No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal, where the referees were unable to conclusively determine whether Luke Harper or AJ Styles achieved victory, SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan made this match between the two Superstars where the winner would officially advance to the WWE Title Match against Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania.
There was a controversial moment when Styles landed The Phenomenal Forearm for the victory, but Harper got his foot on the rope and the referee did not see it. The official counted to three, but shortly after the bell rang, SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon came out and restarted the match.
At one point, Shane and Styles got into a heated debate and Harper, who was aiming for AJ’s head, accidentally struck Shane.
With the match restarted and it all on the line, it appeared The Backwoods’ Behemoth might get a chance to avenge his former master on The Grandest Stage of Them All, but, alas, it was not to be as The Phenomenal One finished off his opponent with a Springboard 450 Splash to become the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship and headline WrestleMania.
Dean Ambrose vs. Curt Hawkins never occurred; Ambrose calls out Baron Corbin
Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose was scheduled to square off against Curt Hawkins, but instead immediately slid into the ring and had Hawkins “face the facts” of Dirty Deeds. The Lunatic Fringe then called out Baron Corbin and he got him … kind of. The Lone Wolf appeared on the TitanTron to respond to Ambrose’s cry for a fight. Corbin proclaimed that he would face off with Ambrose, but that it would be on his terms. This led Ambrose to be more than a bit annoyed.
Thickening plots.
Dolph Ziggler def. Apollo Crews in a Chairs Match
Following Dolph Ziggler’s brutal steel chair attack on Apollo Crews at Elimination Chamber, Crews returned to get a measure of retaliation in, appropriately, a Chairs Match. Crews wasted no time, attacking Ziggler during The Showoff’s entrance. He and Ziggler brutally swung at will, with both getting their licks in. Yet, in the end, it was Ziggler defeating Crews after The Showoff smashed Crews’ larynx on the edge of a chair and followed it up with brutally slamming his mid-section onto the chair as well for the win.
Randy Orton burns down The Wyatt Family Compound during Bray Wyatt’s Invocation
WWE Champion Bray Wyatt came before the WWE Universe to make it clear that he had given Randy Orton the “keys to the kingdom” after The Viper declared that he refused to challenge Wyatt for the title at WrestleMania as long as Wyatt was the master and he was the servant. Well, it turned out that “keys to the kingdom” was a literal statement. The Reaper of Souls sent his “brother” on a mission to follow the buzzards toward The Wyatt Family Compound.
The WWE Champion, from within the ring, began to wax poetic about how new No. 1 Contender AJ Styles had no chance against him at WrestleMania and was simply a sacrificial lamb. However, The New Face of Fear’s world instantly changed when The Apex Predator suddenly appeared on the TitanTron to shock the WWE Universe.
At first, it simply seemed as if Orton had completed his master’s wishes of arriving at the hallowed ground of the Compound. Orton went on to explain that underneath the ground he was standing on was where Sister Abigail laid. Orton then proclaimed that he was going to burn the spirit of Sister Abigail to death and watch Bray burn with her. The Viper then proclaimed that he would momentarily be the master and Bray the servant.
Orton declared that he was coming for Wyatt and his WWE Championship at WrestleMania. The New Face of Fear was engulfed with rage, but not as engulfed as the Compound itself, which Orton lit with gasoline and then set Sister Abigail’s resting place ablaze.
With Orton’s shocking betrayal comes many questions. The biggest now, however, is what becomes of the WWE Title Match picture now at WrestleMania?