It’s SmackDown episode #999! We’re getting championships defended, World Cup qualifying matches, in-ring returns, returns revealed, and (as promised) more Lana Drama! As fallout from Super Show-Down leads into Crown Jewel, some stories boil over… right… now!
Becky Lynch (Champ) vs Charlotte Flair
Oh sweet lord! They’re gonna cold open with a match! They read from The Book of Nash! Both challenger and champ get jobber entrances prior to show starting. Becky is still getting cheered in every which way as the announcers remind us that, if Becky is disqualified, she loses the belt.
The ladies commence to scrappin’ but it quickly turns into standing grapples as they grapevine each other’s arms and get into a bit of mat wrestling. Becky gets goaded into a slam by Charlotte. Charlotte gets her eyes dragged across the top rope by Becky. Charlotte gets sent rough into the corner and out to the center of the ring. Becky hits a legdrop and follows up with a mocking strut. Next leg drop misses and Becky gets rolled up for two. Charlotte hits a jackknife for two. Double clothesline and they’re both down. Charlotte hits a neckbreaker. She lifts Becky onto her shoulder but Becky slides off and hits the ropes for a knee to the face. Becky gets tossed into the corner and charged but steps out of the way. Step up bounce kick from Becky. Becky tries to pull Charlotte down for a Dis-Arm-Her but Flair rolls out.
Becky goes for a kick but gets dragon screwed. Becky hits a judo throw into shoulder bar. Wearing down the shoulder, she bridges over to apply a super hammerlock. Hold released and Bex goes for a dropkick. Charlotte blocks and goes for the Figure 8. Becky fights it and gets slingshotted into the corner. Becky rolls out to the floor. Charlotte hits a slingshot plancha to the outside. Back in the ring and Becky has Charlotte in a body lock. Charlotte gets sent into the corner for the classic Flair sequence: ass-over-teakettle and on her feet on the apron, she goes to the opposite corner and up top only to be brought down hard.
Becky mad! She proclaims, “I hate you” and hits The Queen with European uppers. Charlotte goes for backslide but Becky grabs the hair to block and hits a Bexploder for two-and-a-half. Charlotte hits a backcracker before throwing her down. Flair hits the chops to choruses of Woo! They hit off the ropes and a big back suplex by Charlotte. Kip up! But she’s wobbly and has to go back down to a knee. Charlotte goes to climb the turnbuckles but Becky pulls her down. Becky goes up but misses a dive from the second rope. Charlotte goes for a rollup. Becky rolls out and hits an enziguri. The champ goes to the top rope and Charlotte hits the ropes to drop her. Right hands with Becky perched on top. She catches Flair’s arm and goes over her shoulder, flipping her into and armbar!
Charlotte tries punches and pin attempts from that guard positions before she hits a one-armed power bomb! Becky kicks out at two. Lots of action in the little window during commercial. Both women are down. Charlotte gets up and goes for the Figure 8 but Bex hits a right hand and a Tito Santana flying forearm for two. Multiple covers on the challenger can’t get it done and Becky’s frustrated. It’s forearm vs chop, back and forth and back and forth. Becky breaks it up with some headbutts. Bex goes off the ropes and a do-si-do that Charlotte turns into a high knee. Cover and kickout. Queen goes for a Figure 8 again but is kicked off face first into the second turnbuckle. Becky slides out. She grabs belt and goes walking off to try and draw a countout. Charlotte grabs and brings her back into the ring. Becky shoves Charlotte into ref. While he’s turned around, she kicks Charlotte down.
The champ grabs belt and is ready to strike but the ref catches her. He’s about to call for a DQ but Charlotte comes up from behind to hit a rollup. Kickout. Becky hits a rollup of her own. Kick out. Spear by The Queen! Becky goes out to the floor for a breather. Charlotte goes for a moonsault to the outside but nobody home! Bexploder on floor! Becky gets back in the ring. Charlotte tries to beat the count out. At the count of nine, Becky goes for a baseball slide but Charlotte catches for her own exploder! Back in the ring, and it’s Natural Selection! Becky rolls out on instinct. Not her first rodeo. Becky tosses Charlotte into the ringpost and they’re brawling into double countout!
Becky heads back up ramp but Flair goes after her. The Lass Kicker hits a boot to the face and drops her. Charlotte recovers and Becky gets speared through the LED screens at the entrance way! Agents, refs and trainers out for both. Charlotte may be legitimately cut.
Winner: Double Countout Draw
Jeff Hardy is putting on the war paint for the first time since Hell in a Cell. Undertaker is announced to appear at SmackDown 1000. Replay of spear through screen.
Jeff Hardy vs Samoa Joe (WWE World Cup Qualifier)
They play video packages for Jeff and Joe. Joe’s left knee is taped heavily.
Forearms and a headbutt by Joe. He sets out to batter Jeff Hardy and begins to choke him on the ropes. Jeff fights back with a dropkick to the injured leg. Commercial break. Joe headbutts his way out of a bodylock. Jeff hits a few chops before he hits the ropes and runs full speed into a devastating elbow from immovable object, Samoa Joe, that takes him horizontal! Head crank by Joe on seated Jeff. Jeff elbowing his way out but a hair slam puts him down and a senton gets Joe a two count. Jabs in the corner from The Samoan Submission Machine. Stretch hold but Jeff gets out and bounces off the ropes to put joe down with a forearm. Inverted atomic drop followed up by a leg drop to the knee. Joe plays possum by ropes and yanks Jeff out to the floor. He follows and runs him into steps but misses a kick and bangs the steps himself. Jeff pounces and aggressively beats on the injured leg. Jeff reaches down and eats a jab. Joe can’t stand up to continue and the ref calls for the bell.
Winner: Jeff Hardy via referee stoppage
So far, we have John Cena, Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy on the card for WWE World Cup.
We’re shown a Randy Orton retrospective. Evolution reunion is announced for SmackDown 1000. Paige addresses the controversy and possible injuries to Becky and Charlotte. She announces that they will face each other at Evolution in the first ever Last Woman Standing match.
Miz TV w/ Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles
Miz says that he must remain professional. Champ comes out. Miz has to ask, after the psych job by Samoa Joe, how’s the family? Miz is a dad now and understands. He says that Daniel Bryan won’t do that; if he comes to your house, he’ll tend your garden. He’s better than a boy scout. D-Bry comes out to Yes! chants. Daniel and AJ shake hands and Miz is appalled. Handshake? Respect? Nobody wants to see that! DB says, “Do you want to talk about our match? It won’t take you very long.” They talk about The House That AJ Styles built and Daniel says, “I can beat him.” AJ says that Daniel hasn’t faced anyone high caliber since his return.
They continue to knock Miz, calling him “Two Minute Man.” Daniel says he wants to reach his dreams. Not being in the ring. Not beating Miz. The WWE World Chgampionship. A few more shots at Miz and he starts to bail and loses it. He channels Talking Smack Miz, telling D-Bry, “I knocked you out! You got a cheap roll up and my shoulder was up with the ref out of position. AJ is just DB with an annoying Southern accent. If he wants to know the reason the WWE World champ doesn’t headline PPVs, he should look in the mirror. And AJ is going to face Shelton Benjamin next.
Shelton Benjamin vs AJ Styles (champ)
Back from commercial and they’re in mid-action. AJ’s armdrag is stopped short and Shelton powers him up into a Russian Legsweep. AJ is sent into the corner and takes a Shelton splash. Chin lock to slow down The Phenomenal One. AJ gets elevated into the ionosphere by a high back body drop. AJ chops back but is tossed into the corner. Champ moves to avoid another splash. Shelton goes for kicks but they’re ducked and AJ hits the Pele. Styles Clash? Nope. AJ’s lifted into a vertical suplex but slides off. Shelton misses a splash but nails the step up knee strike to AJ on the apron.
Outside, the former All-American is battering AJ from apron to barricade. Back in the ring for a cover and a kickout. Chin lock. AJ elbows out but Shelton whips him down. Shelton gets AJ up top for a superplex but AJ lands on his feet and turns it into an electric chair drop. Signature AJ Styles combo to drop Shelton followed by a sprinting forearm. AJ gets Shelton onto his shoulders. Shelton slips out. Suplex fails as AJ lands on his feet and goes for a calf crusher. Rope break. Head butt and knee strike by Shelton. AJ hits Phenomenal Forearm from apron to win.
Winner: AJ Styles via pinfall
We see a package that highlights Big Show’s 25 year career. Just typing that makes me feel old.
(The Rest of) One Night in Milawaukee
Despite the Happy Aiden Day shirt, the crowd chants for Rusev Day with Aiden English in the ring. He says that he has gotten six figure offers for the rest of the video. But he has a better idea and rolls “The Director’s Cut.” On video, Lana tells Aiden, “I want you… to know how much you mean to Rusev. How good you sing.” Video Aiden tells her, “You both mean the world to me,” and leans in. Aiden pauses the tape and asks Rusev out from the back. He offers to destroy tape if he kicks Lana out and reunites their team. Lana comes out to plead with Rusev. Rusev tells him to play the full tape. Aiden balks and Lana tells him she’ll play it because she can access it now. A Russian hacker is found! Aiden on tape makes a move and gets shut down. The crowd chants “Creep!” Aiden tells Lana that the offer is still on the table and Aiden nights are better than Rusev days. Rusev charges and chases Aiden from the ring.
Rey Mysterio is confirmed to be on SmackDown 1000… and he’ll be in a WWE World Cup qualifier vs Shinsuke Nakamura!
Big Show vs Randy Orton (WWE World Cup qualifier)
Show looks happy coming to the ring, while Randy looks pensive. Big Show gets Randy into corner but Randy slips out hits two punches. Show hits one and Randy powders. Commercial. Back in the ring, we’re told Show was dominant during the break and he is choking Randy but Randy kicks him and hits a DDT. Randy covers and Big Show’s kickout tosses Randy up to his feet. Randy starts in on the Garvin stomps. He sinks in a chin lock but Big Show hits a back suplex. Multiple clotheslines from The World’s Largest Athlete. Show hits the butt squish in corner and comes out straight for the ropes to hit a shoulder block. The announcers remark that he’s, “So much lighter on his feet.” Randy powders again. As Big Show is getting back into the ring from going after Randy, Randy gets a dropkick in on Show’s repaired hip, stopping him cold. Randy hits the draping DDT using the top rope! Randy sets up the punt but gets speared. The crowd rewards Big Show with “You still got it!” chants. Big Show signals for the chokeslam and Randy bounces out yet again. Show reaches down and pulls him back into the ring by his head. He gets the chokeslam and… a 2 count? Big punch gets loaded up. Randy ditches out yet again and starts looking under the ring. Big Show goes to pull him back in again. Thumb to the eye and followed up by an RKO! 1-2-3 and The Viper on his way to Saudi Arabia.
Winner: Randy Orton via pinfall
In what seemed like a short episode, we saw match building for Crown Jewel, Evolution, and SmackDown 1000. Four matches and two in-ring segments but it didn’t feel like we were cheated, especially with Shelton Benjamin working with AJ, some great Miz material, and a great women’s championship match opening the show.
Smackdown Episode 999 Rating: 7.5/10.0
-Matthew Widdis
