The July 10th edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the SNHU Arena in Manchester, NH, and was the go-home show for Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
– Tom Phillips welcomes us to this week’s broadcast as he runs down tonight’s card including AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, and a lumberjack match between James Ellsworth and Asuka.
– The Miz is in the ring to kick off tonight’s show with a Miz TV segment. The Miz promotes his upcoming reality show on USA Network, and then he welcomes his Miz TV guests Kane and Daniel Bryan. Kane and Bryan come down to the ring and Bryan threatens to punch Miz in the face right there, but Kane talks him out of it off-mic. Miz talks about Team Hell No’s accomplishments and compliments them, and compares them to N’Sync reuniting. The Miz asks if they’re ready for The Bludgeon Brothers on Sunday. Kane says first of all, N’Sync will never reunite, and the Bludgeon Brothers are no match for Team Hell No. The Miz introduces a video package that shows Kane beating down Daniel in the past, and then the two arguing on SmackDown more recently. Bryan tells Miz to stop trying to stir the pot, and he says the Miz is terrible at that like he is everything else. He says the only thing he’s worse at is wrestling. The Miz predicts Kane will betray Bryan, and Bryan will fall for it. Miz calls Kane a cheesy nostalgia act, and says Bryan can no longer hang with Miz in the ring. Kane tells Bryan to stay calm and holds him back from Miz. The Miz keeps prodding until Kane snaps and grabs him by the throat. Before Kane can slam him, The Bludgeon Brothers comes out to the stage and distract him. As the Brothers walks to the ring, Sanity comes out and hits the ring from behind. All hell breaks loose between Sanity, Team Hell No, and the Bludgeon Brothers now. The Bludgeon Brothers beat down Kane at ringside while Sanity beats on Bryan in the ring. The New Day comes out for the save and they join the brawl. Sanity and The Bludgeon Brothers get the upper hand they beat down all the babyfaces until WWE officials come out to break it up. The Bludgeon Brothers and Sanity have a stare-down before going their separate ways.
– Shinsuke Nakamura is shown backstage getting ready to face AJ Styles in a WrestleMania rematch.
– Back from the break, we’re informed that Smackdown GM Paige has booked a 10-man tag match featuring Team Hell No & The New Day vs. Sanity & The Bludgeon Brothers
– AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: This one is a non-title match. Before the bell, Rusev and Aiden English come out to the stage to cut a promo on AJ. The opening bell sounds and Nakamura gets the jump on AJ and attacks him from behind. AJ fires back with a dropkick that stuns Shinsuke. Rusev and Aiden join the commentary table as Nakamura knocks Styles off the apron out to ringside. Nakamura beats on AJ on the floor before taking him back in the ring. Nakamura hits a kick to the head and a reverse vertical suplex on Styles. Nakamura looks for the Kinshasa, but AJ dodges it up and rolls up Nakamura for 2. AJ boots Shinsuke in the side of the head, but Nakamura fires back with a kick of his own. Nakamura hits a running knee in the corner and AJ is down. Scoop slam by Nakamura for a 2 count. Nakamura lays into AJ with kicks and covers for another 2 count. AJ starts to fight back and he hits a fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker for a two count. AJ looks for the Styles Clash but Nakamura escapes and goes for a triangle choke. AJ reverses it into a pin for a 2 count. Nakamura looks for a suplex, but AJ lands on his feet and taunts Nakamura. AJ throws Nakamura through the ropes down to the floor, and AJ follows up with a springboard forearm out of the ring down to the floor. Aiden English gets in AJ’s face and AJ decks him with a right hand. The distraction needs to Shinsuke kicking AJ in the head. Nakamura looks for the Kinshasa on AJ, but AJ sidesteps it and NAkamura crashes into Aiden English. AJ decks Nakamura then throws him in the ring, and he sets up for the Phenomenal Forearm. Rusev gets involved and pulls AJ out to ringside for a cheap shot, and the ref calls for the bell.
Winner via DQ: AJ Styles
– Rusev and Nakamura go to heat down AJ, but Jeff Hardy comes out for the save. Hardy dropkicks Rusev and Nakamura down and clears the ring, then he hits a baseball slide kick on them through the ropes. Paige comes out and makes it a tag team match, and that starts right now.
– Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles & Jeff Hardy: AJ and Rusev start this one off. Rusev takes control with a clothesline and stomps on AJ on the mat. Rusev locks in a bear hug and then slams the WWE Champion down. Rusev follows up with a suplex and another bear hug. AJ breaks free and applies a sleeper hold. Rusev breaks free but misses a shot in the corner and both men are down. Jeff Hardy gets the hot tag and lays into Rusev with strikes. Jeff hits the leg drop for a 2 count as the crowd chants “Delete.” Jeff goes up top and hits the Whisper In The Wind, but Nakamura breaks up the pin. AJ runs in and throws Nakamura outside, then knees him in the face. Rusev boots AJ off the apron, then turns his attention to Jeff Hardy. Rusev misses the big boot on Jeff and Jeff hits the Twist of Fate on him. Jeff goes up top, but Nakamura knocks him down. Rusev follows up with the big boot for the three count.
Winners: Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura
– After the match, Aiden hits the ring to celebrate with Rusev and Shinsuke.
– James Ellsworth is warming up backstage when Carmella walks in to give him a pep talk. She warns Ellsworth that if he lets her down she’ll beat her worse than she’s going to beat Asuka on Sunday.
– Lumberjack match: James Ellsworth vs. Asuka: Almost the entire SmackDown women’s roster is at ringside for this one. Ellsworth cuts a promo in the ring before the match taunting the women at ringside. The opening bell sounds and Ellsworth dodges some shots from Asuka then rolls outside. Becky Lynch throws Ellsworth back in the ring. Ellsworth dodges a kick, but she connects with another one and then hits a hip attack and knocks Ellsworth outside. The women throw Ellsworth back in the ring where Asuka lays into him with strikes. Asuka hits a running knee to the face and Ellsworth rolls outside again. Ellsworth tries to run away but the women at ringside grab him. The women at ringside end up fighting each other due to their past differences, and Ellsworth almost gets free and runs up the rampm. Becky and Naomi grab Ellsworth and grag him back to the ring, but the women start fighting at ringside again. Asuka comes flying off the top onto all the other women at ringside. Carmella gives Ellsworth a foreign object and Ellsworth attempts to use it, but Asuka kicks him down and knocks Carmella off the apron in the process. Asuka puts Ellsworth in the Asuka Lock for the win via submission.
Winner: Asuka
– Carmella hits the ring after the match, but Asuka drops her. Asuka goes to pick up Ellsworth, but Ellsworth sprays something in Asuka’s eyes and Carmella kicks her down.
– Team Hell No and The New Day are backstage strategizing for their 10-man tag match tonight. Kane and Bryan start arguing, until Big E screams and gives everyone a pep talk.
– Carmella and James Ellsworth are walking backstage when they run into Paige. Ellsworth tries to flirt with Paige, but Paige shuts him down. Paige decides that Carmella’s match against Asuka on Sunday will now have Ellsworth locked in a shark tank hanging above the ring.
– Sin Cara vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas: Before the match we see footage of Almas beating down Sin Cara last month on SmackDown. Zelina Vega is at ringside for this one. The opening bell sounds and Almas starts off strong with strikes. Sin Cara comes back with an arm drag and a hurricanrana. Almas falls outside and Sin Cara hits a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Almas fights back and hits a neckbreaker. Cara fires back with a springboard cross body, and then a springboard moonsault. Cara hits a reverse hurricanrana for a near-fall. Almas fires back with a spinning elbow to the face. Almas looks for the hammerlock DDT but Cara escapes. Almas charges but Cara dumps him outside. Cara follows him with a flying hurricanrana to the floor. Back in the ring, they fight up to the top rope. Almas ties up Cara in the middle ropes and hits a double foot stomp onto the apron. Almas follows up with the running knee strike in the corner for the three count.
Winner: Andrade Almas
– Almas and Vega celebrate in the ring while the commentary team promotes Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
– We see a pre-taped promo from Sanity about their plans to break the status quo on SmackDown. The Bludgeon Brothers walk in to join them, and their match is up next.
– The New Day & Team Hell No vs. The Bludgeon Brothers & Sanity: Bryan and Young start this one off, but the aprons quickly clear into the ring and this one turns into an all-out brawl. Whent he dust settles it’s down to Xavier and Wolfe in the ring. Kofi tags in for the double team. The New Day uses frequent tags to continue with the double team moves and control the pace. Xavier gets distracted by the other Sanity members on the apron which leads to Wolf hitting a suplex on Xavier. Rowan tags in and hits a pump handle backbreaker on Woods, and then a powerslam. Rowan hits an elbow drop and then tags in Harper who comes in with a slingshot senton for a two count. Dain tags in but Harper doesn’t seem happy about it. Dain continues the offense on Woods and keeps him grounded. Woods starts to fight back until Dain slams him down and hits a senton. Rowan tags in and continues the beating on Woods. Harper tags in for the double team on Woods. The NEw Day breaks up the pin and this one almost falls apart into chaos. Woods boots HArper in the head and hits a tornado DDT. Eric Young and Daniel Bryan get the tags and Bryan cleans house. Bryan lays into Young with kicks and then he clears off the heel apron. Bryan takes Young up top and hits the Frankensteiner. Bryan follows up with the Yes kicks. Young ducks a kick, but Bryan puts him in the Yes Lock. Wolf comes in to break it up, and Kane chokeslams him. Rowan kicks odwn Kane, then Woods hits a missile dropkick on Rowan. Harper hits a side walk slam on Woods, then Kofi hits the Trouble In Paradise on Harper. Big E launches Kofi into the air and he hits a suicide dive on Harper at ringside. Dain hits a cross body on Kofi at ringside, then he hits the ring to brawl with Big E. Big E dumps Dain outside to the apron and then spears him to the floor. Back in the ring, Bryan hits the running knee to the face on Young for the three count.
Winners: The New Day & Team Hell No
– Kane, Bryan and The New Day celebrate on the ramp as the bodies of Sanity and The Bludgeon Brothers lay all over ringside. Bryan and Kane do the “Yes” chant on the stage, and Bryan makes fire shoot up from the stage like Kane’s entrance. Tom Phillips promotes Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view on commentary as this week’s SmackDown goes off the air.
