Written by Matthew Widdis
In ring
The crowd is electric in Minneapolis as GM Paige gleefully announces the SmackDown Women’s champion, “The Man” Becky Lynch! Becky comes out with the same, familiar music but a new graphic proclaiming, “I am The Man.” She says that, when you’re the hottest thing going, any time away is too much. She ain’t lying. She recounts her recent attack on RAW, her injury, and having to watch instead of competing. She calls Charlotte down to the ring.
The “Wooo!” chants are in there with the “Bec-key!” chants. Becky doesn’t admonish her for getting disqualified at Survivor Series but rather for leaving Ronda Rousey in any kind of shape to show up on RAW the next night. She goes on to say that it’s a shame Charlotte didn’t do it as herself and had to channel Becky’s new attitude to kick lass. Charlotte says it was all her, the seven-time champ and the only genetically superior one who could beat Ronda.
The champ calls her a “bootleg Becky” who went from copying her old man to copying The Man. Charlotte says that Nia must’ve hit Becky harder than she thought because it’s Becky who is copying Charlotte’s old man while still riding her coattails. The Queen turns her attention to the hard camera to address Ronda Rousey about TLC before turning back to Becky and saying that she’s ready to fight now!
Paige steps between them as they bicker to announce that, through her proven desire, Charlotte has proven herself for a TLC match for the title. They begin to taunt each other anew but the gold filter comes over the house lights and out walks Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville… and The IIconics… and Zelina Vega.
Mandy’s running the mic and says that any one of them could’ve beaten Ronda. She says that ever since Paige left Absolution, she’s been giving opportunities to her old PCB teammates. What a call back! But then it’s glow time as Naomi, Asuka, Carmella, and Lana come out.
It seems the entire SmackDown women’s roster has taken this question of desire personally as any one of them could be champion. Becky takes the opportunity the tell them she’d rip each and every one of their heads off before Paige announces a Battle Royal with the winner added to the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match to make it a Triple Threat!
Backstage
The Usos walk through a utility room, hyping how they were the sole surviving team at Survivor Series, and putting The Bar on notice.
Earlier in the locker room
Cesaro is in the face of The Big Show, blaming him for their loss to the New Day last week in their “feast fight.” Show doesn’t look happy and, when Cesaro snaps his singlet strap, the world’s largest athlete gives him a right hook for it.
The Bar vs The Usos
Sheamus and Jimmy out to start and go back and forth until Jimmy catches Sheamus with a European upper as he’s coming off the ropes and backs him into the corner as Jey tags in and hits a flying forearm. A dropkick and a cover are answered with a kickout at one, a right hand and a tag to Cesaro. Cesaro sends a right to Jey’s jaw and his breadbasket. Attempted whip into the corner becomes a baseball slide to his feet and Jey hits Cesaro right on the jaw where Big Show had dropped him before. Arm wrench and a tag has Jimmy Uso crashing down onto Cesaro’s bicep with an elbow.
Jimmy goes for another arm wrench but cesaro uses a hair pull assist to march him backwards to the ropes. Ref breaks it up and, while the official scolds Cesaro, Sheamus snaps Jimmy throat-first across the top rope. Cesaro tag him in for The Bar’s signature double clothesline. Jimmy gets his chest stomped on and hit with a European uppercut. Cesaro gets tagged in and hits Jimmy with another rope snap before going for the cover. Kick out at two and Cesaro grapevines Jimmy in a shoulder lock before tagging Sheamus in and they perform a double whip into the corner followed up by a double kick to the stomach.
Sheamus gloats before he goes for a right hand but Jimmy fights back with chops and straight hands. He backs the big Irishman into the center of the ring but a kick to the midsection drops him and The Bar continues to make efficient tags. Cesaro hits stomps on Jimmy before going to the headlock to wear him down. Despite a valiant effort, Cesaro gets Jimmy back to the Bar’s corner and Sheamus is back in to continue the grind with a chinlock.
Jimmy gives him a jawbreaker to escape but a quick tag to Cesaro and a quicker kick to knock Jey off the apron keep him in the ring. Sheamus hits Jimmy with a knee in the corner before lifting him up on his shoulders and planting him on the top turnbuckle as Cesaro tags in. He hits a Euro upper on Uso before he gets a suplex assist by Sheamus. A two count sees Jimmy draped across the middle rope and eating a kick for Sheamus who is tagged back in. Another two count. Sheamus goes to put Jimmy in the corner but he brawls his way back, knocking cesaro off the apron and giving a charging Sheamus a backdrop to the floor outside.
Cesaro rolls Sheamus back into the ring and tags are made. Jey Uso is on fire with clotheslines, a Roman Reigns tribute before a right hand, and a Samoan Drop. “U-so” chant before a high speed running butt-to-face in the corner. Sneaky tag by Sheamus. Jey’s kick is caught and swung away but he rides the momentum into a jumping kick that knocks Cesaro out of the ring. Uso flies over the top rope but gets caught with a rising uppercut from The Swiss Cyborg!
Jey is rolled back into the ring to eat a Shemus high knee and a knee drop from the second rope. Jey kicks out at two and Sheamus ascends to ropes again. Flying clothesline but Jey ducks and sends Sheamus shoulder first into the ring post. Superkicks knock Cesaro off the apron and plants Sheamus in the middle of the ring for a two count. Jimmy is tagged in and the Usos climb the opposite turnbuckles. Cesaro slides in and Jey is knocked out of the air by an uppercut.
Jimmy takes off but Sheamus brings the knees up and rolls Jimmy over for a two count. Frustrated, he climbs on top off jimmy and hits him with mounted punches. Sheamus lifts him onto his shoulders and tags Cesaro. Cesaro climbs the turnbuckle but Jey kicks Sheamus in the back of the head and he drops Jimmy. Cesaro sends Jey out to the floor with a knee but Jimmy slides up from behind to schoolboy him for two! Big European upper sends Jimmy right into Jey’s tag. Cesaro hits a splash on the now empty corner and Usos hit stereo kicks to the dome piece. Another tag sees Jey hit a superkick and the now legal Jimmy hits the splash off the top for the win.
Winners by pinfall: The Usos
In the locker room
The New Day are watching Xavier’s phone and tell Miz that’s it’s his best work. Miz says that he didn’t think that they were Marine fans (or “Mariners” as he coins.) They tell him that they’re not watching The Marine 6 starring Becky Lynch but rather his loss to local enhancement talent while tagging with Shane McMahon last week. Miz takes exception to the ribbing and calls them out for being in food fights and getting eliminated in Survivor Series matches that don’t even count. Big E is revealed as a closet Mariner as Miz goes off to find Shane and make a match for tonight.
Backstage
AJ Styles is sitting in the dark with his hood up when he’s told that “It’s time.”
In ring
AJ Styles, no longer champion, is out to address the WWE Universe amidst “A-J-Sty-les!” chants. He says that the 14 days since he lost the title seem longer than the 371 days that he held it. He hates losing but the way he lost was worse and has them replay the low blow by Daniel Bryan. He says that the kick and post-match beatdown resulted in him not being medically cleared to compete and he had to watch Daniel Bryan explain himself as the “new” Daniel Bryan. He thinks it’s a lot of BS and would love to hit D-Bry in his old-new face.
But Daniel Bryan isn’t there tonight, possibly because he’s emulating RAW champions. Well, this isn’t RAW. It’s SmackDown Live, the house that AJ Styles built and he didn’t miss a single live event for 371 days. He tells Daniel to bring the title with him when he shows up, because it belongs to the phenomenal one.
Fun Fact- Last week, SmackDown Live had the most social media involvement on all of TV!
A Lars Sullivan hype package says that he’s currently a free agent.
US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs Rusev
Nakamura attacks Rusev as he’s taking off his shirt with knee from behind. The Bulgarian Brute is halfway to his feet when Nak hits him with the Kinshasa, knocking him out to the floor. The artist is barely on the ramp when he turns around to hit Rusev with another Kinshasa.
Winner: No Contest
In ring
Michael Cole is in the ring and the roster is at the entranceway to pay tribute to Jeff Hardy and his 20 year career. 3x world champ. 4x Intercontinental champ. US champ. 8x Tag Team champion. Numerous other titles in WWE alone. A retrospective video package is played. We hear Jim Ross’ voice and see the TLCs, the scaffold dives, the tag teams with Matt, the first world title win, and especially the connection with the fans. Jeff reflects on his crazy stunts, his highs and lows, his improved face paint, and thanks the fans. The fans thank him back with chants.
Jeff says it’s not a retirement speech and Samoa Joe’s music hits. He congratulates Jeff on the milestone and asks forgiveness for being late but he was popping bottles in the back to celebrate and having drinks around Jeff isn’t the best idea. Shane McMahon moves to back him off but Jeff invites Joe to continue. Joe goes on to say that it was nice of them put the video package together for him since he probably didn’t remember any of it. Joe does not celebrate weakness or believe in second chances, especially because he hasn’t gotten his first.
What bothers Joe most is that Jeff is being put on a pedestal when he’s let the people down as often as he’s made them rise from their seats. He offers Jeff a one step program to keep him from falling again, quick but not painless. Jeff says that Joe can’t rain on his parade because he still lives for the moment and invites Joe to make one right then and there. Joe smiles and walks off.
Kofi Kingston w/ Xavier Woods & Big E vs The Miz
Corey Graves with some fun wordplay on “Mariners” as Miz makes his way to the ring. Bobby Heenan smiles down on this man.
Lock up and Miz goes for a wristlock which Kofi does the ol’ Calgary roll-out-to-kip-up to escape. He hits a single leg takedown and hits a splash but Miz kicks out at one. Hedalock on Miz but he walks Kofi into the corner and hits a gut kick off the break. Miz with a headlock now. Shot off into the ropes but comes back with a shoulder block.Miz back and forth as Kofi hits multiple leapfrogs before coming back with a leaping back elbow. Miz gets clotheslined out of the ring and Kofi feints a suicide dive. Miz is distracted by new Day shenanigans and Kofi’s next dive is for real. Back in the ring, Kofi hits two running cross body blocks for two count covers but Miz clotheslines him on the third attempt. The A-lister hits stomps and a running kick on the downed Kofi. Miz tries to keep Kofi grounded with a stretch hold but he fights out.
Miz reverses an Irish whip and nails an Awesome Clothesline in the corner. Historically speaking, going up top works about as well for Miz as it ever did for Ric Flair and he eats a dropkick on his way down. Kofi back up with a dropkick and a flying chop to set up the Boom double leg drop. Kofi looking for the Trouble in Paradise but Miz catches it to go for the Figure Four. He’s kicked off but slides out and comes back with a clothesline. Kofi blocks it and ties him up for the SOS but Miz slides behind for a full nelson. No Skull-Crushing finale yet as Kofi tuck-and-rolls for a two count. Miz hits the first half of the backbreaker/neckbreaker combo but is thrown into the ropes and comes back into another SOS and this one connects. Two count that Xavier Woods is dubious of. Ref backs Kofi off of Miz as he’s on the ropes and Miz kicks out the knee and hits the short DDT. Kofi kicks out at two. Miz exposes the top turnbuckle while the official’s back is turned but Big E is having none of it. He covers the exposed turnbuckle with… pancakes!
Miz argues with him and Kofi gets a schoolboy for two. Kofi follows up with kicks and a spinning forearm shot but then runs right into a knee to the gut. Xavier Woods (in his Becky Lynch “The Man” t-shirt) tries rally Kofi using Francesa II turbo edition but Miz hits a diving dropkick through the ropes on him. Big E approaches him and Miz calls for the ref to back him off. With the distraction, Miz grabs a steel chair and brings it into the ring only to have it snatched away by Woods. Miz turns around right into a Trouble in Paradise. 1-2-3!
Winner by pinfall: Kofi Kingston
Backstage
Randy Orton is Randy Orton.
In ring
Randy Orton walks down to the ring carrying Rey Mysterio’s mask in his left hand. We’re shown Randy’s brutalization on Rey last week. He says that the people have described him as disgusting and disrespectful but he never understood the big deal about the mask. He never bothered to learn the history because he didn’t care. It wasn’t about disrespecting his culture. It was about humiliating him and knocking another hero off his pedestal. It was about…
Rey Mysterio’s music hits and he comes out in a neck brace. Randy is happy to attack him while he’s injured. He ragdolls Rey, ripping the neckbrace off and oulling at the eye holes of the mask. Orton tosses Rey into the ring and Rey begins to fight back as Orton steps through the ropes. 619 to the ribs. Enziguri. Another 619. Rey goes for a chair!
While the officials try to calm him down, Randy recovers and catches him with a kick and hits the draping DDT. The Viper throws Rey out of the ring and against the barricade. He picks up a chair and, holding it to Rey’s throat, drives it down onto the steel ring steps. The Apex Predator is gleeful as he tries to grab at Rey’s mask with WWE officials pulling him back.
Backstage
Shane McMahon is on his phone next to the WWE World Cup trophy for some reason and Miz is glaring at him. Miz wants to know why his partner wasn’t out there to back him up. As Shane tries explain their lack of any partnership whatsoever, Miz is distracted by the lack of polish on the trophy and charges Shane with taking better care of it before storming off.
Battle Royal for entry into TLC Triple Threat women’s championship match
Becky and Charlotte are at ringside. Zelina Vega is quickly eliminated by Lana who was already outside after having gone under the bottom rope. The incensed Zelina gives Lana a few knockdowns for the offense. Asuka and Carmella are in danger of being gang eliminated when Lana gets back into the ring. She hits a head kick on Peyton Royce and attempts to throw Billie Kaye out but The IIconics recover and double team her up, over, and out. The celebrate but turn around right into a showdown with Asuka. Separately, the Aussies try for big boots only to be dumped onto the apron. Together, they get booty bumped out to the floor.
Now it looks like Carmella wants a piece of The Empress of Tomorrow. They rush each other and duck but it’s Carmella who repositions to hit a kick to Asuka’s chin that echoes through the arena. Carmella does and interesting technique where she runs her into the corner, putting her own foot up to the turnbuckle to run Asuka’s face into. A charge gets her dumped out to the apron where a few slaps and a comedic kick gets her eliminated. Four left as Mandy and Sonya go after Asuka.
Sonya pulls Asukato her feet and whips her directly into a Mandy rose knee lift that’s as pretty as she is. They try to toss out Asuka but Naomi breaks it up, going full-on hockey fight on Mandy Rose before giving her that eye level Rear View hip attack. Sonya comes in with a clothesline but Naomi ducks and hits a Disaster Kick. Mrs Uso goes for a hurricanrana on Mandy Rose but she blocks it and powers her up and over the top rope. Naomi drags Mandy out with her onto the apron. Naomi’s kick is caught but she drops into a split when Mandy tries to drag her off. The Golden rose goes for a knee strike but is driven into the ring post and eliminated. Naomi takes a breather when she should be looking around because Sonya Deville comes in full speed with a knee to the back and Naomi is out of the match.
Sonya puts her hair up and squares up because she believes that she is ready for Asuka! They go back and forth throwing, checking, and dogging kicks until Sonya hits a hard power double on Asuka. The Jersey Jawbreaker sends Asuka flying over the top rope but she holds on. Mandy rose tries to help out her bestie by pulling Asuka off by the leg but she’s kicked off and take a sliding knee right to the face. Sonya goes to spear Asuka off the apron but takes a pair of kicks to the head for it. Asuka can’t get a suplex but succeeds in dragging Sonya over the ropes and out to the apron with her. They trade forearm shots and hit simultaneous head kicks that put them both on their rumps. It’s Sonya who loses focus and rushes Asuka, only to get sent right into a knee-to-face that puts her down for good.
Winner: Asuka
There’s a three way stare down between The Queen, The Man, and The Empress of Tomorrow as we go off the air.
Final Thoughts: For two weeks, fans have been jonesing for the return of The Man. This week, we got it… and so much more. Charlotte is heel again and, if you’ve forgotten just how good she is in that role, watch this on repeat to see her almost walk away with a segment vs the biggest talk in the industry. On the go home show for Survivor Series, Becky picked Charlotte as her replacement but the crowd was most certainly loudest for Asuka. The Smackdown staff may well have been listening because we got that, too, for TLC. And, with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville stepping up considerably lately, the “any one of us could be champion” promo doesn’t sound so far-fetched in the very near future.
Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair. AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan. Randy Orton vs Rey Mysterio. Jeff Hardy vs Samoa Joe. The Miz vs Shane McMahon. Any and all of these are Wrestlemania worthy feuds and we’re getting them right now… even if little by little. Patience is a virtue.
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