WWE SmackDown live results: Backlash go-home show
Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown will emanate from San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum — one night before Backlash from the same city and venue.
Native son Bad Bunny will appear on the show the night before he is set to face Damian Priest of The Judgement Day in the musician’s first-ever singles match. The two will have a San Juan street fight on Saturday.
Ahead of his grudge match with Brock Lesnar on Saturday, Cody Rhodes will be on hand to share some thoughts about his match.
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura will face Karrion Kross in Nakamura’s last night on the blue brand.
After getting into a brawl last Friday, The O.C.’s Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson will face Erik and Ivar of The Viking Raiders.
Plus, Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will appear ahead of her title defense against IYO SKY at Backlash.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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– Michael Cole welcomed everyone into the first-ever SmackDown in Puerto Rico. The stage was less a stage and more an entry way as Rey Mysterio and the LWO made their entrance to a hot crowd.
The LWO/Judgement Day Segment
Mysterio spoke in mostly Spanish before Zelina Vega went to speak, but the Judgement Day’s music hit and interrupted her. Dominik took an LWO shirt from someone in the crowd and ripped it in half to a chorus of boos before the faction entered the ring.
Dominik began to speak, but the boos forced him to stop. Dom eventually called Rey a deadbeat dad. Rey responded in Spanish to huge pops from the crowd. Rey called for a WrestleMania rematch and Rhea Ripley stepped forward to say that Rey should fight her.
Vega then stepped forward and the two women had a stare down. Dominik came back and challenged Vega and Rey to fight Rhea and Dom. Rey spoke in Spanish again to a huge reaction from the crowd. Rhea said they’re on and the Judgement Day left the ring – but not before Dom got in a cheap shot on Rey.
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The OC [Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson] defeated The Viking Raiders [Ivar & Eric] [8:07]
This was a fun opening match made almost entirely by the hot crowd. Turns out Puerto Rico loves them some OC and to be fair, it was one of the rare instances Gallows looked inspired in a WWE ring. The crowd chanted “Uno, Dos, Tres” as the pinfall commenced and it was a ton of fun. Man. This crowd made this show.
AJ Styles sat in on commentary. The Viking Raiders had control early. Anderson fought back and eventually took Erik down with a dropkick to the leg before Gallows and Ivar tagged in and the two big men fought. The OC introduced something Styles called the “Brother Me Softly,” which was essentially an assisted kick to the head. The break spot came when Michin and Valhalla confronted each other on the outside.
Back from break, The Viking Raiders had control until Gallows received the hot tag and the crowd was as excited as he was. Gallowed cleaned house. Gallows landed a modified power-bomb on Ivar for a good near-fall. Erik tagged in and slammed Gallows and Ivar came off the top for another good near-fall that Anderson broke up.
On the outside, Michin laid out Valhalla. Inside the ring, The OC hit the Magic Killer for the win.
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– Bianca Belair made her entrance and had a microphone. Michael Cole said if Belair wins at Backlash, she’ll be the “longest reigning women’s champion of the modern era,” and I’m not quite sure what that entails, but let’s go with it. Belair said Iyo Sky is unpredictable and dangerous, but Belair has faced the best of the best. Belair said she will show up and show out. Belair reiterated Cole’s assertion about being the longest reigning champion, but Damage CTRL’s music cut Belair off.
Bayley had a microphone and she mocked Belair as her faction walked to the ring. Bayley said she made Belair on SmackDown. Bayley called Belair conceded. Bayley said Sky will put an end to Belair’s “history party” at Backlash. Bayley noted that her and Dakota Kai want to become the new women’s tag champs. Damage CTRL surrounded the ring and ultimately, Sky got the best of Belair with a shotgun dropkick. Damage CTRL was working over Belair, but Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez ran down to even the odds. They cleared the ring of the heels.
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– Karrion Kross was shown backstage talking about how people don’t know who they think they are. Kross said he will plant another seed tonight to reap and that would come in the form of Nakamura.
– The Street Profits made their entrance through the crowd.
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– We got a video package recapping The Usos vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens last week. From there, we went backstage to find the Usos trying to hype up Solo Sikoa, who remained mostly silent until Sikoa said at Backlash, he will do his part. Sikoa said the Usos better do their part at Backlash and walked away.
The Street Profits defeated Imperium [Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci] [2:42]
This was far too short. I understand the appeal of having these teams on the show – especially with Imperium heading to Raw – but with even three more minutes, this could have been consequential. Instead, it felt like an elongated squash that hurt Imperium more than it helped it.
Ludwig Kaiser and Montez Ford started the match, with Kaiser getting the best of it. Giovanni Vinci hit a frog splash onto both Profits on the outside, which was impressive. Kaiser worked over Ford for a good portion of the first third of the match. Ford eventually came back with a back suplex and a hot tag to Angelo Dawkins, who took out Vinci. Ford hit the big frog splash from the top and that was it.
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– We got a video package recapping the Cody Rhodes/Brock Lesnar program.
– Cody Rhodes made his entrance and the crowd sang every gosh-darn word of his theme. Cody asked what the crowd wanted to talk about in Spanish. Cody talked about how Brock Lesnar is standing in the way of Cody getting to the kingdom. Cody said Brock picked a fight with him and he said Brock has yet to explain why he picked the fight. Cody said he will beat the reason out of him at Backlash. Cody fired up the crowd to end the promo.
– Nakamura was interviewed backstage and Nakamura said “Come on!” before his music began to play. Michael Cole congratulated Pat McAfee on the birth of his child. Nakamura made his entrance.
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– Riddle, Zayn and Owens cut a backstage promo and Riddle said there is only one thing left to do, which is beat the Usos and Sikoa at Backlash. Zayn and Owens walked out of the frame to end the segment.
Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Karion Kross [8:41]
This was perhaps the match of the night. We don’t see much of Kross anymore, but maybe that will change with the draft and the proposed restart. If so, they did a good job of protecting him in subtle ways throughout, especially with him getting as much offense as he got. Here’s hoping Nakamura gets a little bit of a lift up the card from this. Seeing is believing.
Nakamura had control early as the action spilled outside, where Kross clotheslined the hell out of Nakamura. Kross ran Nakamura into a ring post and we went to break.
Back from break, Kross was toying with Nakamura. Kross said Nakamura was the “King Of Trash,” abnd Nakamura responded with a knee to Kross’s face. Nakamura landed an enziguri and placed Kross on the top turnbuckle to hit a running knee for a two-count.
Scarlett got on the apron and distracted Nakamura. As a result, Kross suplexed Nakamura for a two-count. Kross went for the Kross-Jacket, but Nakamura countered into an arm-bar. Kross fought out of it, but Nakamura worked a guillotine. Kross eventually worked out of it and hit a strong lariat to slow things down.
Kross landed a knee to Nakamura’s chest. Kross suplexed Nakamura for a two-count. Kross took off his elbow pad, setting up for the Kross-Hammer, but Nakamura countered with a knee. From there, Nakamura hit the running knee for the win.
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– Back from break, we got a recap video from the draft. Cameron Grimes was shown with Adam Pearce. Baron Corbin interrupted Grimes’s vibe. Grimes said Corbin wasn’t picked at all. Corbin played off the idea that Grimes was picked last, saying Grimes is Mr. Irrelevant. Pearce booked Corbin vs. Grimes for next week.
– Michael Cole threw it to the Backlash press conference recap, which featured the showdown between Bad Bunny and Damien Priest. Rey Mysterio’s music hit and we had our introductions for the mixed tag main event.
Rey Mysterio Jr. and Zelina Vega defeated Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio [9:36]
It’s just so hard to think Zelina Vega comes out of Backlash as the SmackDown’s women’s champ, but damn it if WWE isn’t try to get us to believe. Vega had a ton of offense against Ripley here and it worked to at least create a tiny bit of doubt … right? Maybe? I don’t know. Either way, the match was awfully entertaining and again, this Puerto Rico crowd deserves a paycheck from WWE because man, a good, hot crowd can take a regular show and make it a fabulous show. This crowd did just that.
Vega and Ripley started the match and Vega slapped the hell out of Ripley. Zelina had control and tagged Rey, which meant Dom came in and worked over his dad until Rey kicked Dom. Rey tagged in Vega, who set up Dom for the 619, but Ripley cut Vega off. Vega rolled to the outside and we had a commercial break.
Back from break, Ripley was working over Vega. As Vega went for a tag, Dominik pulled Rey off the apron. Ripley threw Vega to the mat and stared down Rey. Before long, Ripley ran at Vega in a corner and Vega moved, so Ripley hit the post, shoulder-first. Rey was then the recipient of the hot tag.
Rey landed a cross-body on Dom. Rey was on Dom’s shoulders and Dom ran Rey’s head into the top turnbuckle. Rey set up Dom for the 619, but Ripley stopped Rey … until Vega took down Ripley. Rey went to the top, but Dom cut him off and went for the Three Amigos, but Rey countered on the third suplex for a roll-up and the win.
After the match, Judgement Day attacked Rey. Naturally, Bad Bunny’s music hit to massive pop and the LWO took out the Judgement Day while Bad Bunny and Priest had a stare-down. Bunny had a kendo stick and wound up, but only to hit Dominik. Bad Bunny put on an LWO shirt to end the show as the crowd truly and honestly went wild.