superstar Sami Zayn finds himself in a Cage Match against Drew McIntyre on next week after running away from a fight yet again.
The so-called Liberator has been embroiled in a feud with the Scottish Warrior following and Happy Corbin at WrestleMania 38.
The pair faced off once again in a Lumberjack Match in the main event of Friday night’s show, with the ring surrounded by other superstars tasked with keeping both men in.
It was the natural evolution of the story after Zayn – who has claimed he’s simply a man of the people – has repeatedly run away from McIntyre during their clashes over the past couple of weeks.
Earlier in the night, Sami had tried to manipulate his way into the Bloodline in an attempt to get Roman Reigns and The Usos’ backing in his clash with McIntyre by making up some rumours.
In the main event, Jimmy and Jey Usos did actually come down much to Zayn’s delight as they sparked a brawl with Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Riddle, which sparked a brawl between all the lumberjacks.
The chaos gave Sami a way to escape yet again, but next week he’ll fine himself locked inside a cage with McIntyre.
If he slips out one more time, don’t be surprised to find him and Drew face off one more time at WrestleMania Backlash – they’ve certainly got the skills to keep this story rolling.
Ronda Rousey lays out Drew Gulak, Happy Corbin attacks Madcap Moss and Butch attacks security guard
SmackDown kicked off with a contract signing between the blue brand’s champion Charlotte Flair and her WrestleMania Backlash opponent Ronda Rousey.
The involvement of Drew Gulak here – apparently auditioning for the role of Adam Pearce’s assistant – was the saving grace in a storyline that just isn’t quite hitting with fans, and it was great seeing the Baddest Woman On The Planet .
The first match of the night saw Butch (FKA Pete Dunne) take on The New Day’s King Xavier Woods in a strong clash between two very talented stars, with the Englishman proving that a repackaging shouldn’t take away from his talent in the ring.
Eventually, Xavier rolled him up with the Backwoods small package, leading to Butch going on a rampage, taking out security and bolting.
For the second week in a row, Gunther – brought out by Ludwig Kaiser – decimated a local wrestler, this time destroying poor Teddy Goodz in a brutal beatdown ending with a huge Powerbomb.
Riddle and Jey Uso faced off with the former looking for his second win over members of the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, and he managed to do so in a cracking match.
Both stars put on a real show here with their respective partners at ringside, and in the end the Original Bro picked up a huge victory.
Shayna Baszler and Natalya interrupted Kayla Braxton’s in-ring interview with Naomi and Sasha Banks, setting up the next challengers for the Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Meanwhile, Madcap Moss made quick work of Angel in a dominating showing for Happy Corbin’s former jester, albeit in a match that did absolutely nothing for the Los Lotharios member.
After the bell, Corbin went on the attack and stole his former friend’s Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy, adding another layer to their blossoming feud.
Elsewhere during the show, we also heard more from Lacey Evans and her emotional journey, while Ricochet was interrupted backstage by Jinder Mahal and Shanky, with the latter finding himself in an Intercontinental Title match next week.
WWE SmackDown airs Friday nights at 1am on BT Sport 1.
WWE SmackDown results and grades
- King Xavier Woods pinned Pete Dunne (B-)
- Guther decimated Teddy Goodz (B+)
- Riddle defeated Jey Uso (A)
- Madcap Moss beat Angel (C+)
- Lumberjack Match: Drew McIntyre defeated Sami Zayn via count out (B)
