WWE Smackdown (205 Live) Highlights
29/5/2018
Big Cass interjected himself into the conflict between Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe
Daniel Bryan scheduled for later in the evening, Samoa Joe kicked off SmackDown LIVE by stomping down the ramp, tossing a ladder in the ring, climbing it, grabbing the Money in the Bank briefcase and letting everyone know that him officially holding the Money in the Bank contract would equate to a reign of fear and destruction on the blue brand.
Joe promised to send Bryan home to his wife Brie Bella and daughter Birdie as a broken man full of failure and regret — claims that provoked Daniel and made him want to have their high-stakes showdown immediately. Joe and Bryan seemed ready to throw down, but before fists could fly, Big Cass arrived with one crutch under his arm. The seven-footer continued to insult Bryan and said that he spoke with SmackDown LIVE General Manager Paige , who told him it would not be Bryan vs. Joe tonight, but The Samoan Submission Machine vs. himself since he was cleared for competition.
In one swift motion, Cass then swung his crutch at The “Yes!” Man, but Bryan ducked, and Big Cass connected with Joe instead. From there, chaos broke out with Bryan assaulting Cass with a barrage of “Yes!” Kicks, but Cass stopped his momentum by throwing Bryan into the ladder and using the Money in the Bank briefcase to take down both Joe and Bryan before standing tall with the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Due to the commotion, Paige clarified Cass’ statement and declared that tonight’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match would now be a Triple Threat between Samoa Joe, Big Cass and Daniel Bryan
Shinsuke Nakamura def. Tye Dillinger
Shinsuke Nakamura had to prepare for a collision with Tye Dillinger tonight after the two Superstars had gotten into it on Twitter over the weekend, primarily over Dillinger’s “Perfect 10” moniker that, of course, is the pivotal number in the Last Man Standing Match on June 17.
Dillinger gave it all against The King of Strong Style, but it seemed that Nakamura was just too much for The Perfect 10. With his impending battle against The Phenomenal One on his mind, Nakamura got Tye down and began to start counting to 10. This repeated several times, as Dillinger would simply not stay on the canvas. After three times, Tye lifted himself off the mat at the count of 10 and brazenly flashed his trademark “Perfect 10” hand gesture, then mimicked Nakamura’s “come on” gesture and began to rattle off a flurry of strikes on Nakamura.
However, that surge would not be enough, as WWE’s Rockstar claimed the victory after getting Dillinger down and then finishing him off with the Kinshasa. After the match, Nakamura connected with another Kinshasa to the back of Dillinger’s neck and then counted to 10 as his opposition lay motionless, clearly sending a major statement to the WWE Champion.
Naomi and Lana went head up in a Dance-Off
both women set to compete in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match,
Naomi and Lana would first battle it out in a Dance-Off on SmackDown LIVE as The Usos and Rusev Day observed.
The Glow and The Ravishing Russian strutted their stuff in a competition where the winner would be determined by the WWE Universe. However, it appeared everyone would be winners when Lana and Naomi started dancing together… only for Lana to lull Naomi into a false sense of security and drop her with a neckbreaker. From there, a massive brawl broke out between both sides, with The Usos taking out Rusev & Aiden English with superkicks that knocked them from the ring apron to the floor and Naomi getting a measure of retaliation on Lana with the Rearview.
The New Day def. The Miz & The Bar
The Miz defeated Big E last week following The Bar’s ambush of The New Day, Paige decreed that the two sides could settle the score in a Six-Man Tag Team Match.
The action was high-octane as Big E , Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods used their explosive attacks, while The Miz, Cesaro and Sheamus attempted to keep the pancake-lovers neutralized. Eventually, the pace picked up, and both sides connected with some jaw-dropping double-team maneuvers.
In the pivotal moments, Kingston pulled off an absolutely incredible leap from the top rope onto The Bar on the outside. It was so awe-inspiring that it even caught The Miz off-guard for a moment, and Big E caught him in the Big Ending for the thrilling win.
Asuka def. Mandy Rose
SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella joined the commentary team, preparing to watch her challenger at WWE Money in the Bank, Asuka , take on Mandy Rose .
However, during The Empress of Tomorrow’s entrance, Asuka was blindside attacked by Rose’s cohort
Sonya Deville , who sent her crumbling to the ramp. Insisting on continuing, Asuka proceeded with the match despite clearly being in pain.
God’s Greatest Creation immediately pounced on Asuka as soon as the bell rang, trying to capitalize on Deville’s attack. However, despite Deville’s pre-match assault and Rose’s vigilant attack, Asuka rallied and defeated Mandy with the Asuka Lock for a mightily impressive tapout victory.
Asuka would not have too long to celebrate, however, as Carmella boldly walked right into the ring and raised her championship directly in the face of The Empress of Tomorrow.
Samoa Joe def. Big Cass and Daniel Bryan in a Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
The path to the eighth and final slot for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match had been nothing short of a whirlwind, but clarity would finally be reached tonight as Daniel Bryan , Samoa Joe and Big Cass threw fists in a nail-biting Triple Threat Match.
From the get-go, the intensity was through the roof as all three Superstars unleashed their pent-up aggression on one another, which had been building for weeks.
Bryan carried out massive assaults on Cass and Joe, even delivering a hurricanrana to Joe off of the top rope. Given the unpredictable nature of the contest, however, it was never possible for one Superstar to stay in firm control for too long due to always having to look out for the third man.
Bryan seemed to be closing in on the victory when he took out Joe on the outside and then connected with the Running Knee on Big Cass. However, right as Daniel was going for the pin onto the seven-footer, Samoa Joe reentered the fray and applied the Coquina Clutch on Bryan from behind, eventually causing his opponent to pass out to obtain the victory and become the eighth Superstar in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
The Brian Kendrick & Gentleman Jack Gallagher def. Kalisto & Lince Dorado
the quickness of Lince Dorado and the aggression of The Brian Kendrick led to a momentary stalemate before The Golden Lynx gained a sizable advantage and tagged in Kalisto. The former Cruiserweight Champion maintained the pace of the battle, and the teamwork between the lucha brothers kept Kendrick reeling.
However, Gentleman Jack seized an opportunity to tag himself in and swung momentum back in his favor at Dorado’s expense. The British Superstar’s advantage would be quelled as Kalisto made his way back into the ring and used his speed to put Gallagher on defense. As Gallagher tagged in The Man with a Plan without Kalisto noticing, Kendrick capitalized and took control of the match.
To Gulak’s delight, Gallagher and Kendrick showed off their aggression and technical prowess, forcing Kalisto on defense. Showing off his resilience, the former Cruiserweight Champion managed to temporarily take down Gallagher and Kendrick, allowing a fired up Golden Lynx to dominant his opponents at a breakneck pace.
In full control of the bout, Dorado prepared to secure the win by ascending the ropes. Refusing to permit a high-flying move, Gulak left the announce table and knocked Dorado off the top rope, allowing Kendrick to apply The Captain’s Hook for the win.
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander def. Buddy Murphy
Competing in his home state of North Carolina, Cedric Alexander was well-aware of the high-stakes nature of his WWE Cruiserweight Championship defense against a hungry Buddy Murphy. With his mother, brother and friends in attendance, The Soul of WWE 205 Live was focused on the challenge of defending his title. Murphy was determined to prove that he is a juggernaut and that his hard work and dedication to competing in the Cruiserweight division would lead him to victory. WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick shared his excitement before the match, assuring that no matter who emerges victorious, they will have his full support.
Murphy feigned a handshake, and the two competitors immediately grappled, leading to a standoff of power and agility that briefly gave Murphy an advantage before a series of counters showed off how prepared both Superstars were for the contest.
Finally taking control with a brilliant dropkick and fending off Murphy’s power, Alexander again forced Murphy to the outside and drove him over the announce table. Seemingly in control, The Soul of WWE 205 Live stood atop the table too long, allowing Murphy to recover and drop Alexander back-first on the table. Using the ring apron and the barricade to his advantage, Murphy began targeting the champion’s back, bringing Alexander back into the ring and unleashing furious kicks and powerful throws into the corner.
Reeling from Murphy’s methodical aggression, The Soul of WWE 205 Live struggled to regain his composure as the challenger wisely remained focused on his opponent’s lower back. However, Cedric is one of the most resilient Superstars in any division, and he battled back with precision strikes before launching into the air, only to be stopped by Murphy.
Once again in control, Murphy began targeting Alexander’s back and charged forward, only to be met with a perfectly timed superkick. Regaining their composure, Alexander and Murphy exchanged blows, and the champion caught Murphy’s leg and delivered a huge elbow strike. Feeling a surge of adrenaline, Alexander took down Murphy on the outside and again inside the ring and nearly secured the victory.
Refusing to give up, Murphy struck back with a huge boot to the face and a gravity-defying drive of his own to the outside. It wasn’t enough to keep the champion down as they continued to battle with the WWE Universe on the edge of their seats, even as Murphy nearly claimed the title following a running suplex.
Unable to secure the pinfall, Murphy attempted a second suplex on the ring apron, but Alexander countered and dropped Murphy face-first onto the apron. Both Superstars narrowly beat the official’s 10-count and once again exchanged punishing blows. The Australian Superstar again nearly secured the win with an innovative DDT, and the two Cruiserweights again threw down in the center of the ring.
Again taking advantage, Murphy unleashed a sequence of attacks resulting in a number of near-falls. Looking to finish The Age of Alexander, Murphy taunted the champion before throwing him into the ropes.
Incredibly, Alexander countered and landed a pair of perfect kicks before quickly executing the Lumbar Check for a hard-fought and well-earned victory.
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