The February 5th edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, WA.
– Charlotte Flair comes out to the ring to kick off tonight’s show, and we see a replay of Stephanie McMahon suspending Becky Lynch last night. Charlotte gets on the mic and trashes Becky, then points out that she on the other hand is 100% healthy for WrestleMania. Becky comes in through the crowd, and Charlotte says she stole Roman Reign’s entrance. Becky comes out to ringside and gets on the mic. Security comes over but doesn’t remove her. Becky and Charlotte exchange words until referees come out and get between them. Triple H’s music hits and The Game comes down to the ring. Triple H tells Becky she’s suspended and needs to leave, and then he tells Charlotte to go backstage. Becky says he doesn’t trust Triple H. He says she doesn’t have to trust him, all she has to do is go to a doctor and get medically cleared, then she can come back. Becky brings up beating up Stephanie last night. Triple H says he sees through Becky and she’s not The Man at all, and she’s self destructing. Triple H says Becky wants a way out of facing Ronda one on one because she’s scared. Becky hits HHH in the face, and then they have a stare-down. Becky ends up leaving and going back out through the crowd.
– Still to come: Mustafa Ali vs. Randy Orton; and Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan
– Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows vs. Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura: Lana is at ringside for this match. Rusev and Nakamura appear to have some communication issues early on, which leads to the Good Brothers dumping them out to ringside and Anderson hitting a suicide dive on them. Back in the ring, Nakamura and Anderson trade strikes now. Nakamura hits a suplex, and Anderson comes back with a spinebuster. Gallows and Rusev tag in, and Gallows dominates with a series of kicks. Nakamura gets involved and Gallows dumps him outside, then Gallows and Rusev collide and go down. Lana yells at Nakamura outside to get back in the ring. Anderson and Gallows go for the Magic Killer on Rusev, but Nakamura breaks it up and knees Gallows in the face. Anderson then hits a flying kick to the face on Nakamura, and Rusev hits the big boot on Anderson for the three count.
Winners: Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura
– Rusev helps Nakamura to his feet after the match.
– We see a pre-taped prom from Mustafa Ali where he talks about Randy Orton, and his ability to survive with someone as dangerous as Orton.
– They show a clip of Paige promoting her upcoming movie Fighting With My Family.
– The Usos cut a promo backstage on Shane McMahon and The Miz. The Usos say they are a different breed of tag team, and they’ll take the Tag Titles from Miz and Shane.
– We see a brief pre-taped promo from Randy Orton saying that Ali is prey to him like everyone else on his road to the WWE Title.
– Mustafa Ali vs. Randy Orton: Orton backs Ali into the corner early on, but Ali fires back with punches and chops to the chest. Ali continues the offense until Orton stuns him with a suplex on to the top rope, which sends Ali falling down to ringside. Orton follows and suplexes Ali on to the announce table, then takes him back in the ring. Orton hits a spinning powerslam now for a two count. They fight up to the top turnbuckle and Orton hits a superplex for another two count. They fight back out to ringside and Ali slams Orton on to the announce table now. Ali leaps over the announce table to tackle Orton back down and pummel on him. Back in the ring, Ali connects with a series of kicks. Ali hits another kick to the head, then he hits a version of the X Factor for a two count. Ali climbs the turnbuckle and Orton looks for an RKO, but Ali fakes him out and hits a tornado DDT. Ali goes back up top, but Orton pulls his legs out from under him and hits the RKO for the three count.
Winner: Randy Orton
– After the match, Joe hits the ring and attacks Randy Orton. He chokes out Orton, then dumps him and Ali both outside. As Joe starts walking up the ramp, WWE Champion Daniel Bryan comes out. Joe starts waking towards him, then Eric Rowan steps out in front of Bryan. Joe decides against fighting Rowan and heads to the back. Bryan heads to the ring, and he’s still wearing his wooden eco-friendly WWE Title belt.
– Back from the break, we cut to Samoa Joe backstage. Joe cuts a promo on Orton, saying that tonight was about retaliation but at Elimination Chamber it’s about him raising the WWE Title in the air.
– Back in the ring, Bryan gets on the mic with Rowan by his side. Bryan gets a big ovation from his home state fans in Washington. Bryan says finally he gets to talk to people who understand what he’s trying to do. Bryan says the people of Washington are smart and realize that we need change. Bryan says unfortunately as the WWE Champion, he speaks to a global audience, and those other people don’t realize that their selfish behavior is killing the planet we live on. Bryan trashes meat-eaters, and says he’s fighting an up-hill battle. Bryan holds up his eco-friendly WWE Title and it gets a pop from the crowd. We see a fan in the front row with his own homemade eco-friendly WWE Title belt. Rowan says that great thinkers are considered dangerous because of their ideas. Rowan says their ideas have good intentions and that’s why people fear Daniel Bryan. The crowd chants “what” at Rowan, and Bryan asks how dare they “what” his good friend Rowan. Bryan says the suits in the back don’t like him, and that’s why they’re putting him in an unfair Elimination Chamber match. Bryan introduces a video looking at the history of the Elimination Chamber, and mentions his opponents. Bryan says the world needs him as WWE Champion, then he heads to the back with Rowan.
– Jeff Hardy does an interview in the back where he says Bryan’s disrespect for the WWE Title makes him sick. Jeff says he still has scars on his body from defending the WWE Title, and tonight he’s going to make Bryan shut up. AJ Styles interrupts and questions whether Jeff is the right guy to represent the WWE Title’s legacy. Jeff tells AJ he can’t beat Bryan, so after Jeff shuts up Bryan tonight, he and AJ can settle their differences in the Chamber.
– Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose cut a promo at the gorilla position saying that Naomi and Carmella are too inexperienced of a team, and The Iiconics are a comedy act. Mandy brings up the Elimination Chamber, and points out that Naomi hasn’t pinned her before.
– Carmella & Naomi vs. The Iiconics vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville: Mandy avoids Naomi in the opening moments and tags in Billie to escape. Carmella tags in for a double team on Billie, then Many tags in and she puts the boots to Carmella. Naomi and Sonya tag in, and Mandy runs away from Naomi. Naomi hits some kicks on Sonya, then Peyton tags in. Naomi takes out both Iiconics, then Naomi pulls Mandy in the ring and pummels on her. Peyton comes in and Naomi drops her, but the distraction leads to Mandy hitting a butterfly suplex on Naomi for the three count.
Winners: Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
– Andrade cuts a promo in Spanish in his locker room, and Zelina Vega gives the English translation. They trash Rey Meysterio, and say that Andrade is stomping out a legend so that his legend can begin.
– Still to come: Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan
– We go to the broadcast table, where Tom Phillips introduces a Black History Month video package.
– Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy: This one is a non-Title match, and Eric Rowan is at ringside. Hardy starts off strong and hits a sling blade and a splash for a two count. Hardy misses a shot in the corner and Bryan capitalizes with a running kick to the face. Bryan follows up with more boots to the face, then he puts Hardy in a surfboard submission. Hardy comes back with a dropkick and he knocks Bryan out to ringside. Hardy goes to leap off the ring steps at Bryan, but Rowan gets in the way, so Hardy stops short. Bryan takes advantage of the distraction and slams Hardy down to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Bryan stomps on Hardy and applies an arm hold. Bryan misses a shot off the top and Jeff hits an inverted atomic drop, then a leg drop and dropkick for a two count. Hardy knocks Bryan outside and hits a flying clothesline off the apron on him. Jeff rolls Bryan back in the ring then climbs up top, but Bryan rolls across the ring so Hardy can’t reach him. Bryan trips up Hardy into the middle turnbuckle then kicks him in the throat for a two count. Bryan hits the Yes Kicks on Jeff until Jeff ducks one and comes back with the Twist of Fate. Jeff goes up top, and he connects with the Swanton Bomb on Bryan. Jeff covers, but Rowan pulls Jeff outside to break the pin, and the ref calls for the DQ.
Winner via DQ: Jeff Hardy
– Rowan beats down Jeff at ringside, then throws him back in the ring where Bryan puts him in the Yes Lock. Samoa Joe then comes out from the crowd and drops Rowan at ringside, then he gets in the ring and puts Bryan in the Coquina Clutch. Orton hits the ring and starts brawling with Joe now. Mustafa Ali runs in and comes flying off the top with a kick on Joe and Orton. Ali hits a suicide dive on Joe at ringside, and then he goes for one on Rowan, but Rowan catches him. Rowan grabs Ali by the head and slams him on to the announce table. AJ Styles hits the ring next and kicks Orton in the head. AJ kicks Joe down to the floor next, then he hits the Phenomenal Forearm on Hardy. Bryan and Rowan retreat up the ramp with the eco-friendly Title belt in hand. They have a brief stare down from the ramp with AJ in the ring, then Bryan and Rowan head to the back.
– The camera cuts backstage, and Bryan is freaking out at an interviewer for being in his face right after a match. Bryan says Rowan is his friend and intellectual peer, not his bodyguard, and Bryan says he held his own out there. Bryan blames the other wrestlers who ran out for ruining his match, and says he’ll be the WWE Champion forever because it’s what the planet needs.
– AJ Styles stands tall in the ring as the broadcast team promotes the Elimination Chamber match and SmackDown Live goes off the air.
