WWE: Smackdown
May 5, 2016
Kansas City, MO
Sprint Center

The current WWE champions are as follows:
WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Roman Reigns (4/3/2016)
WWE Intercontinental Champion: The Miz (4/4/2016)
WWE United States Champion: Kalisto (1/24/2016)
WWE Tag Team Champions: The New Day (8/23/2015)
WWE Women’s Champion: Charlotte (4/3/2016)

Your hosts are Mauro Ranallo, Byron Saxton, and Jerry Lawler.

Chris Jericho starts off the program this week. We see that Stephanie McMahon shut down the Ambrose Asylum and brought back the Highlight Reel. That leads to a fight with Jericho dominating and busting Mitch the potted plant over the back of Dean’s head. Ranallo says, PAYBACK IS A MITCH~!

HIGHLIGHT REEL: According to Jericho, it sounds like Dean Ambrose will be taking some time off. Now time for Jericho’s guest tonight: Sami Zayn. Jericho feels Zayn is a sore loser since Kevin Owens beat Zayn at Payback and continues to attack him from behind. In Jericho’s menacing low voice, he asks Zayn what kind of a person he thinks he is. Sami feels that he’s a pretty good person just like he feels Jericho’s scarf around his neck makes him look pretty stupid. I don’t know what one opinion has to do with the other, but okay then. Sami has no problem losing fair and square, but doesn’t like the way Owens treated him after the match throwing out of the ring like a piece of garbage. When people do that to him, Sami doesn’t take it very well. When Zayn starts to mention why he picked up the IC title last Monday on RAW, that’s when the Miz and Maryse interrupt. Not sure if I mentioned it before, but they have rolled out the red carpet for these two like they did so many years ago with MNM. Miz (and Maryse too) make it clear to Zayn that he is the Intercontinental champion. He tells Zayn that if he ever lays a finger on her (being the IC title) and as Miz starts to threaten him, Zayn (like a smartass) lays a finger on the IC belt. MIZ IS FUMING. Jericho tells Miz that if somebody touched his $15,000 jacket like Zayn just touched the IC title, he’d do something about it. Zayn mocks Jericho’s jacket and calls him “a walking Christmas tree”. Jericho gets pissed off and leaves these three behind. Zayn – “Well, that takes care of *one* jackass.” LOL. Miz tells Zayn to show him some respect because he has been here against the biggest and the baddest for the past eleven years (HAS IT BEEN THAT LONG?). Essentially, Sami Zayn does not want to mess with the great white shark known as THE MIZ. Zayn lays a finger on the IC title again. Maryse does some of her best Tommy Wiseau-inspired acting as she emotes to Zayn how mad she is and tells Zayn that her hubby is going to teach him a lesson. Sami is down for a fight and they will go 1-on-1 when we come back.

• The Miz (w/Maryse) vs. Sami Zayn
  

Wristlocks and armdrags to start. Zayn catches Miz with a nice dropkick for two. Miz gets a break on a headlock in the corner and kicks low on Zayn to take control. Zayn shuts him right down though with a clothesline. They head to the floor where Miz backs Zayn into the apron. As Zayn gets whipped into the barricade, he jumps off the rim of the barricade and moonsaults back onto Miz. They head back inside, but Kevin Owens interrupts and walks down to ringside as we go to commercial. When we come back, Owens has joined us at the announce table. Zayn fights back against the Miz and sends him to the floor for a somersault plancha. Owens stands up to get the attention of Zayn, but Zayn turns his attention back onto the Miz. After he throws Miz back inside, Owens jumps Zayn from behind for the DQ. (5:11 shown) Cesaro makes the save for Sami even though Miz pulls Zayn into one of Cesaro’s running European uppercuts in the corner. Maryse tries to help Miz from taking the giant swing, but gets pulled into the ring. That takes you back to something a valet would do in the 1980s. I’m loving it. Owens charges Cesaro and gets tossed out, allowing Miz and Maryse to hightail it up the ramp – leaving the IC title behind with Cesaro. Whoops. **

Last Monday on RAW, AJ Styles didn’t hit Roman Reigns with a steel chair. However, he did hit the Usos with a chair even though he got a Superman Punch and a powerbomb through the announce table for his efforts.

In the back, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson ask AJ Styles about why he didn’t hit Roman Reigns with the chair last week on RAW because he would have back in the day. AJ says this isn’t “back in the day” though. He knows he will be WWE champion, but it will be done his way on his own. Gallows and Anderson tell AJ that if he wants to be “the guy”, he will have get a little crazy. Maybe even get a little *extreme*. AJ leaves to have a chat with Roman Reigns.

The Colons! Puerto Rico! It’s a wonderful place! Lots of wonderful food! This is turning into a tourism advertisement.

They replay the Enzo Amore injury from WWE Payback.

• The Vaudevillians vs. Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas
  

They announce that the Vaudevillians will be facing the New Day for the WWE tag titles at Extreme Rules. Quick match as the Vaudevillians destroy the Social Outcasts and put away Dallas with the WHIRLING DERVISH in 1:50.

Big Cass comes out and makes fun of the Vaudevillians. He says they look like they just came off the set of Sherlock Holmes trying to solve the mystery: which one of them is about to get whooped? Cass says the answer is both of them. Since we’re in Kansas City, Cass will give them a *royal* beatdown and calls them SAWFT. Cass cleans house on the #1 contenders to the WWE tag titles all by himself. Yep. Axel comes in the ring acting like he had something to do with this and gets the EAST RIVER CROSSING.

They update the Smackdown audience on the latest of the McMahon family saga from Payback and RAW.

• Emma & Charlotte (w/Ric Flair) vs. Natalya & Becky Lynch
  

They announce that Natalya will be getting a rematch at WWE Extreme Rules, but it will be a submission match and Ric Flair will be banned from ringside. Nattie and Becky get the better of Charlotte to start. Of course this doesn’t last long as Charlotte boots down Natalya to turn the tide so Emma and Charlotte can get some heat on Nattie. They keep Nattie grounded with punches and kicks and chinlocks leading to the hot tag to Becky. Mauro says Lynch is treating Emma like an internet troll. Charlotte pulls Emma out to the floor, which brings Becky out to back Charlotte away. Emma blasts Becky from behind to make Becky now our *woman in peril*. Back inside, Charlotte applies a headscissors and bounces Becky’s face off the mat. Commercials! When we come back, Emma and Charlotte start stretching out Becky. Rolling Knee Drop to Becky and Charlotte knocks Natalya off the apron. Becky comes back on Emma and enziguri kicks her away so she can reach Natalya for the hot tag. Discus clothesline to Charlotte sets up the SHARPSHOOTER, but Emma tags Charlotte to break up the hold. The butterfly suplex to Natalya sets up the running crossbody down in the corner for two. Becky makes the save. Charlotte tries to throw Becky out, but Becky turns the tables on her and sends Charlotte to the floor. While keeping Charlotte where she is, Natalya is able to come back and apply the SHARPSHOOTER on Emma for the tapout. (10:18 shown) Hmm, this didn’t feel like a match Charlotte really cared to win. **½

Backstage, AJ Styles appears upon Roman Reigns and the Usos. He tells Reigns that last time he took the high road and didn’t hit him with the steel chair, but next time might be different. AJ tells Reigns to figuratively put all his cards on the table here. Since the Usos take on Gallows and Anderson in tonight’s main event, will Reigns be at ringside? Roman says he’s the champ and he’ll be wherever he wants to be. If that’s a yes, AJ will be out there as well. BELIEVE DAT.

THE QUEST BEGINS with Darren Young. He asks Bob Backlund to be his life coach. Backlund accepts the position as his wrestling coach. Darren needs a life coach, not a wrestling coach. Backlund’s first rule of life is that WRESTLING IS LIFE. Backlund says he’ll make Darren Young great again. I’m most interested in this because they used the word *wrestling*. Lawler thinks maybe Saxton should join Bob Backlund.

• Rusev (w/Lana) vs. Zack Ryder
  

They act like this is a squash match for Rusev instead of the final two men in the U.S. title contender battle royal from RAW, which gives this match a little more importance. Unfortunately, they do book this like a squash as Rusev wins with the ACCOLADE in 1:20. The U.S. champ Kalisto comes out and messes with Rusev a bit.

In the back, there’s more Goldust, Fandango, R-Truth, and Tyler Breeze shenanigans. I think they will have a tag match next week on Smackdown.

• Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (w/AJ Styles) vs. The Usos (w/Roman Reigns)
  

Jey and Anderson start us off. Jey chops Anderson back into a corner and gets a crucifix for two. Anderson hammers him down, but Jey connects with a dropkick. Tag to Jimmy, there’s a double chop and double elbow drop for two. Jimmy takes a backdrop out of the corner to the floor. As Reigns goes to check on his cousin, Anderson sticks his boot through the ropes and runs it across Roman’s face to disrespect the WWE champ. That’s all the fuel Roman needs to attack him in the ring for the DQ. (2:19) CHAOS ENSUES~! All six guys get in the ring for a pull-apart brawl that brings out refs and security guys. Once AJ Styles and his boys are on the ramp, he challenges Reigns and the Usos for a six-man tag. When we come back, the rematch will take place.

• AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Usos & Roman Reigns
  

AJ and Reigns start the match here. Roman pushes away a headlock and shoulderblocks Styles down. AJ looks for a quick pin and fails when he tries a sunset flip. Reigns picks up Styles onto his shoulders looking for a Samoan drop, but Styles is too wiggly and put on his feet for an uppercut. Reigns turns Anderson over to the Usos. Jey gets pushed back into the wrong side of town though as Gallows gets a tag. Blind tag to Jimmy, they deliver running forearm smashes in the corner. Jimmy eats a boot off the apron though to turn the tide. He is on the BAD side of town right now. That sets up a hot tag to Reigns. Clotheslines a plenty on Anderson. He sets up for the Superman Punch and gives one to Gallows instead. He tries nailing Styles as well, but AJ sees it coming and snaps Roman’s neck off the top rope. Anderson goes over and schoolboys Reigns for 1-2-NO! One of the Usos wipes out Gallows with a tope suicida. Anderson turns around into the Superman Punch. Time for the Spear, but AJ hits him sideways with a jumping forearm smash. The other Uso yanks AJ out of the ring while Anderson hops on Reigns for 1-2-NO! AA Spinebuster to Reigns! Anderson still can’t get the three-count. He talks some trash to Reigns and walks off hoping to charge him, but charges right into the SPEAR for the three-count. (7:24 shown) Styles tried making the save for Anderson and would have done it too if it hadn’t been for that meddling Uso. Styles and Reigns stare at one another to close out the show. Fun match – not to mention a clean finish in a Smackdown main event! ***¼

Until next time, so long for now.