This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.
– SmackDown opens up with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan backstage watching a replay of last week’s main event. Ellsworth walks on screen sneezing and coughing, and McMahon and Bryan start cutting promos on him. Shane says Ellsworth can’t compete in his current condition, as he can’t stop sneezing and blowing his nose.
– The Miz and Maryse are in the ring, and they welcome out AJ Styles for a Miz TV interview. They sit down in the ring and crack jokes on Ellsworth. AJ says that sooner or later, he’s going to finally destroy Ellsworth in the middle of the ring. The Miz says that because he’s beaten people who beat AJ, that he’s better than AJ. They get in each others faces until Dean Ambrose interrupts. Dolph Ziggler interrupts next, and a brawl breaks out. AJ rolls out of the ring, then Ambrose cleans house and hits the Dirty Deeds on both The Miz and Ziggler. The Wyatt Family graphic flashes across the screen, then Luke Harper comes out of nowhere and attacks Ambrose from behind. Harper stares down AJ as The Champ That Runs The Camp heads backstage.
.@LukeHarperWWE appears, and levels @TheDeanAmbrose!!
"What a CHAOTIC start to #SDLive!" – @MauroRanallo pic.twitter.com/Vt44AR4l6z
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2016
– AJ Styles approaches Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon backstage and demands protection, because there are so many wrestlers coming after him. Bryan and McMahon say that there will be a Fatal Four-Way match between Miz, Ziggler, Ambrose, and Harper to determine who will face AJ for the World Title on the last SmackDwn of 2016.
– Carmella def. Natalya: Nikki Bella is on commentary for this one, and before the match Natalya tries to convince her that she wasn’t her mystery attacker at Survivor Series. After a couple minutes of competitive action in the ring, things go to the outside. Natalya tries to convince Nikki again that she didn’t attack her, and when Carmella attempts to clothesline Nikki from behind, Natalya shoves Nikki out of the way for the save. Back in the ring, Carmella rolls up Natalya in a small package for the win.
– Comedian Gabriel Iglesias is backstage talking to Apollo Crews, when Maryse interrupts and starts insulting Iglesias. The Miz trades insults with Gabriel and Crews, but he loses the war of words and walks away.
– Tag Team Battle Royal: American Alpha, The Hype Bros, The Vaudevillains, Slater & Rhyno, The Ascension, and Breezango are in this tone. Simon Gotch gets eliminated first, but both members need to be eliminated separately. After some slow action in the opening minutes, Viktor, Chad Gable, and Rhyno get eliminated in quick succession. Rhyno’s elimination came when Slater accidentally bumped him off the apron. Breeze eliminates Mojo, Jordan eliminates English, then Slater eliminates Fandango. Jordan hits spears on everyone left in the ring, then starts hitting overhead suplexes. Konnor picks up Jordan to throw him over but they struggle, then Breeze comes off the top with a dropkick that sends Jordan to the floor for the elimination. The final four are Konnor, Breeze, Slater, and Ryder. Konnor throws Slater to the outside with authority, then he lays out Ryder and Breeze with clotheslines. Ryder hits a missile dropkick on Breeze, then Konnor hits a spear on Breeze that sends him to the outside for the elimination. Konnor goes for a powerbomb on Ryder, but Ryder reverses it into a hurricanrana that sends Konnor to the outside. Ryder wins the match for The Hype Bros to earn them a shot at The Wyatt Family’s Tag Team Titles.
– Becky Lynch def. Alexa Bliss (c) via Count Out: Alexa was originally scheduled to face an unnamed jobber, but she declined, saying she “doesn’t do charity,” then beat down the jobber. Becky Lynch interrupts, then Shane McMahon sets up this title match between the two. Their offense was easily matched early on, until Becky hits a flying forearm in the corner and follows up with the Dis-arm-her. Alexa reaches the ropes quickly, but rolls to the outside and is selling her arm. Becky follows her out and drops her with a forearm. Alexa is now selling her knee, and Mauro says it appears she’s injured. Alexa stays at ringside for the referee’s entire ten count, so even though she loses she retains the title. Becky attacks Alexa at ringside and throws her back in the ring. Alexa starts fighting back and reveals that her knee isn’t really injured. Becky gets the best of her and hits a powerslam then starts pummeling her. Alexa rolls to the outside and retreats to the back with her title belt.
– Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper vs. The Miz: The winner of this elimination match gets a shot at AJ Styles’ World Championship on the December 27th edition of SmackDown. After the four participants enter, The Phenomenal One comes out to join the commentary team at ringside. The bell rings and Luke Harper starts off by absolutely cleaning house and laying out everyone. Ambrose rolls outside and Harper comes flying at him with a suicide dive. Harper rolls back inside and stares down The Miz. The Miz clips for Harper and tells him he did a good job, and tries to team up with Harper. Instead of shaking Miz’s hand, he slaps him across the face and hits a Michinoku Driver for a 2 count. Ambrose and Ziggler take turns hitting dropkicks on Harper to finally take him down. The Miz gets some offense in on both Ziggler and Ambrose. He hits the “Yes kicks” on Ziggler, then hits some running dropkicks on him. Ambrose intercepts one of the clotheslines, and hits a running bulldog on Miz. Ambrose attempts a suicide dive on Harper at ringside, but Harper blocks it and hits a big boot. Back in the ring, Harper hits a backbreaker on Ziggler then delivers a chop to the chest. Harper drops The Miz at ringside, then puts Ziggler in the Torture Rack. Ambrose comes in and breaks it up, then drops Harper with a lariat and both men are down. The Miz comes in the ring and pins Harper for a 2 count, then Ambrose rolls up The Miz in a small package for the three count to eliminate The Miz. It’s now down to Ambrose, Harper, and Ziggler. Ambrose hits some suplexes and backbreaker on Ziggler for a near-fall. Harper hits a big boot on Ambrose, then a superkick on Ziggler. He hits a spinning side walk slam on Ambrose for a two count, then a sit out powerbomb on Ziggler for another two count. Harper goes for a splash on Ziggler, but Ziggler blocks it with a superkick, then Ambrose hits a Dirty Deeds on Harper to eliminate him. We’re down to Ambrose and Ziggler. Ambrose takes Ziggler out to the apron then slingshots him into the ring post. Ziggler comes back with an avalanche facebuster off the top rope into the ring, and both men are down. The Miz makes his way to ringside and distracts both men. Ambrose drops Miz with a suicide dive, then Ziggler drops him again with a superkick. Ambrose throws Ziggler into the ring post, then back in the ring. Before Ambrose can get back in the ring, The Miz grabs him by the foot. Ziggler recovers by the time Ambrose gets into the ring, and he hits the superkick on Ambrose for the win. Ziggler will have a shot at AJ’s World Title on December 27th.
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