WWE Smackdown LIVE took place from The Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. Here’s all the action that went down.
Chris Jericho returned to SmackDown LIVE
The Ayatollah of rock ‘n rolla, is back! Deciding to crash AJ Styles’ challenge to a rematch against Kevin Owens for the United States Championship, Chris Jericho hit the ring and decided that he too was due a rematch against the Prizefighter. After being out of action for several months thanks to Owens and losing the title to him back on RAW, Jericho was more than ready to cash in on his rematch clause.
Smackdown commissioner Shane McMahon agreed, setting a new main event for the night: A triple-threat bout for the title, which left Owens fuming.
Shinsuke Nakamura def. Baron Corbin
Shinsuke Nakamura may have won his match at Battleground thanks to Baron Corbin going for a low blow, but the Lone Wolf won the war afterwards when he put king of strong style through the ringer. Hungry for a rematch, Nakamura battled tooth and nail to defeat the holder of the money in the bank briefcase, eventually nailing the Kinshasa to secure victory.
Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch def. Lana and Tamina
The ladies of the Smackdown locker room were up next, as the team of Tamina and Lana found themselves outmatched by Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. A kick to the head from Lynch saw Lana down for the full three-count, a move that saw Tamina lose her patience with the Russian and storm off afterwards.
John Cena will battle Shinsuke Nakamura next week to see who will challenge WWE Champion Jinder Mahal at SummerSlam
With Randy Orton taken out of the WWE championship picture after a hellacious Punjabi Prison match, who will face Jinder Mahal for the gold at Summerslam? Maybe…John Cena. The former champ hit the ring to challenge Mahal, showing the latest title-holder respect for his passion and dedication to reinventing himself over the last couple of months.
Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan seemed to agree with Cena, as he appeared to ponder the idea. But if Cena wanted a title shot, he’d have to earn it: With a number one contender’s match next week on Smackdown against none other than Shinsuke Nakamura.
Sami Zayn and Tye Dillinger def. Mike Kanellis and Aiden English
A Helluva Kick from Sami Zayn to Mike Kanellis quickly wrapped up this match.
The New Day’s SmackDown Tag Team Championship Celebration was ruined by The Usos
Well that celebration was cut short. Newly-minted Smackdown tag team champs The New Day fell victim to an ambush from the Usos backstage, as all three members of the team were demolished and left to rot on the entrance ramp.
AJ Styles def. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens in a Triple Threat Match to become the new United States Champion
One championship, three men…and a new United States champion. AJ Styles, Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens put on one hell of a show, shaking the ring and shifting momentum constantly in pursuit of the main event prize. Near the end, it looked like Owens would retain his title when he caught Jericho with a pop-up powerbomb and a frog splash, but Styles managed to chuck Owens out of the ring and steal the pin, becoming United States champion once again.
Absolutely livid, Owens demanded a rematch in singles competition against Styles. Which is exactly what will happen next week on Smackdown. As for Jericho? He’s prbably dedicating an entire page of the List of Jericho to the Phenomenal One.
Last Updated: July 26, 2017
Matthew Holliday
July 26, 2017 at 14:37
Im surprised he didnt run out of money sooner.
That, or the WWE is trying to keep up with the reboot trend.