WWE SmackDown live results: Lesnar & Velasquez go face-to-face
Friday Night SmackDown takes place from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri tonight. Due to the World Series being on FOX, SmackDown airs live on FS1 for one night only.
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar defends against Cain Velasquez in six nights at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. Tonight, Lesnar and Velazquez go face-to-face in the ring. Paul Heyman and Rey Mysterio are both scheduled to appear as well.
The Miz hosts Miz TV with special guests Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Team Hogan will take on Team Flair at Crown Jewel. Team Hogan members Roman Reigns, Ali, and Shorty G will also appear on Miz TV. As will Team Flair members Shinsuke Nakamura and Baron Corbin.
TThe New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E) vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode and Nikki Cross vs. Mandy Rose are also set for tonight.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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SmackDown started with Miz TV. The Miz introduced his guests Ric Flair, Baron Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn, Hulk Hogan, Ali, Shorty G, and Roman Reigns. Flair noted he led many teams before, like the 4 Horsemen. He promised Team Flair is going to beat Team Hogan at Crown Jewel. Hogan noted Flair never beat him and pointed out the skills of Ali and Shorty G.
Sami Zayn mocked Hogan for praising Shorty G and made some short jokes. Ali pointed out Zayn is just a mouthpiece and not a wrestler. Corbin bragged about being King and ruling with an iron fist.
Reigns mocked Corbin for thinking he’s king. He noted the crown and cape are stupid.
He wants to punch Corbin in the face. Shorty G agreed and wants to knock some faces.
Hogan wants a preview and challenged the heels to a six-man tag. The heels turned down the offer and said they’d think about it. Hogan mocked the heels, and Zayn accepted the challenge. Zayn claimed he tweaked his neck on the flight over and brought out his replacement Cesaro.
A brawl broke out on the floor. Shorty G hit a dive, and Ali followed up with a suicide dive.
Backstage, Kofi Kingston and Big E. made their way to the ring while they talked to Xavier Woods on an Ipad.
Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler defeated The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E)
Kingston was on fire early and hit a standing dropkick. He climbed to the top, but Roode cut him off. Ziggler hit a superkick, and Kingston crashed on the floor. Back from the break, Big E was on fire and hit a belly-to-belly on Ziggler.
Big E knocked Roode off the apron and threw Kingston over to the top rope on to Ziggler. Roode caught Big E with a spine buster, but Kingston knocked Roode out of the ring. Ziggler then rolled up Kingston from behind for the win.
After the match, The Revival ran out and attacked New Day, but Heavy Machinery made the save. They showed B Team and Lucha House Party watching the match backstage.
Roman Reigns, Shorty G & Ali vs. Baron Corbin, Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura is official for later.
In the back, Rey Mysterio spoke with his son Dominic and Cain Velasquez.
They recapped the Tyson Fury and Braun Strowman feud, including Storwman attacking Fury at the Performance Center. Michael Cole and Corey Graves talked about Fury’s possible ankle injury. Graves noted a source claims Fury will be ready for Crown Jewel.
Lacey Evans defeated Cameron Conners
Evans doesn’t want to face Conners or compete in Kansas. Evans left the ring and teased a count-out loss but ran back in and hit the Women’s Right for the win.
Michael Cole interviewed Nikki Cross in the back. Cross is excited to face Mandy Rose later tonight.
They recapped Seth Rollins burning down the Firefly Funhouse.
Bray Wyatt hosted a funeral for Ramblin Rabbit, who died in the fire. Wyatt took Rabbit out of his casket and kissed him. His kiss brought Ramblin Rabbit back to life, and they celebrated. Suddenly, Mercy the Buzzard ate the Rabbit.
Kalisto (w/Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado) defeated Drew Gulak
Before the match, Gulak continued his powerpoint presentation from last week regarding Tyson Fury vs. Braun Strowman.
Kalisto jumped Gulak to start the match, but Gulak took over. Gulak set up for his finish, but Strowman’s music hit and distracted Gulak. Kalisto then hit the Salida Del Sol for the win.
Strowman attacked Gulak and hit two running power slams. Strowman noted that at least Gulak belongs in the ring, but Tyson Fury doesn’t.
Michael Cole interviewed Daniel Bryan in the ring. Cole noted it had been a tough couple of months for Bryan. Reigns accused him of attacking him and was then betrayed by his friend Rowan. Cole pointed out that when Bryan pinned Shinsuke Nakamura last week, the fans broke into the Yes chant. Cole wondered if the Yes Movement is back. The fans broke into a Yes chant.
Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura interrupted. Zayn showed footage of Bryan from last November when he said the old Daniel Bryan and the Yes Movement are dead. He noted the new Daniel Bryan is the real Bryan. Zayn said Bryan is a good person that cares about the environment, but the people are disgusting. He feels that Bryan is too good for the people and has more in common with them.
Zayn noted that he’s a vegan just like Bryan, and Nakamura also cares deeply about the planet. He pointed out that all three of them are artists, and Bryan might be the greatest. Zayn urged Bryan to move forward from the Yes Movement. He asked Bryan to join up with Zayn and Nakamura and forget about with the fans.
Bryan teased shaking Zayn’s hand but walked off instead.
Hulk Hogan spoke with his team members in the back.
Nikki Cross defeated Mandy Rose (w/Sonya Deville)
SmackDown Woman’s Champion Bayley and Sasha Banks joined in on commentary.
Rose had the early advantage and rocked Cross with a forearm for a near fall. Rose slowed the pace down and locked in a chin lock. She tossed Cross to the floor, and Deville rocked her with a right hand. Rose scored another near fall.
Cross fired up and made a comeback. She hit a bulldog and crossbody for a two count. Rose tried to roll up Cross, but she rolled through and hit the neck breaker for the win.
Cross and Bayley had a staredown after the match.
Ric Flair spoke with members of Team Flair in the back.
They aired footage from Riyadh Season Grand Opening Parade, which featured a WWE float with Undertaker.
Rey Mysterio and Cain Velasquez made their way to the ring. Mysterio recapped Brock Lesnar attacking his son several weeks ago. It broke his heart to see his son in pain, but Dominic is doing better. Mysterio thanked the fans for supporting his son. Dominic still vows to be a wrestler.
Mysterio turned his attention to Lesnar. He promised that Velasquez is going to drop him and scar the other side of his face. Mysterio called out Lesnar to come face-to-face with Velasquez.
Instead, Heyman and Lesnar appeared on the big screen. Heyman informed Mysterio and Velasquez that Lesnar has more important things to do then come face-to-face with Velasquez.
Heyman asked them if they could guess what Lesnar’s busy doing. Heyman noted Lesnar’s going to give them a spoiler. Lesnar them dragged in a beaten-down Dominic.
Mysterio and Velaquez ran to the back.
In the trainer’s room, the doctors checked out Dominic while Mysterio and Velasquez looked on concerned. Suddenly, Lesnar attacked all three with a garbage can. He tossed Mysterio against the wall and gave Velasquez the F-5 onto Dominic.
Roman Reigns, Ali & Shorty G (w/Hulk Hogan & Jimmy Hart) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura, King Corbin & Cesaro (w/Ric Flair & Sami Zayn)
Shorty G now wears blue and neon ring gear.
The heels jumped the faces to start the match, but Reigns made a comeback for his team. The heels regained control and isolated Ali on their side of the ring. Ali fought back and hit a rolling X factor for a near fall. Corbin attacked Ali on the floor.
Back from the break, the heels continued to beat down Ali and cut him off from his corner. Ali attempted a tornado DDT, but Cesaro held on. Ali recovered and hit the DDT. Shorty G got the hot tag and ran wild. He hit a swinging neck breaker and moonsault on Corbin for a near fall. Shorty G applied the ankle lock on Corbin, but Nakamura made the save.
Corbin and Nakamura attempted a double suplex, but Shorty G fought back and hit a missile dropkick. Reigns got the tag and hit a sit-out powerbomb on Cesaro for a near fall. He attempted the Superman Punch, but Cesaro caught him in the big swing. Cesaro locked in the sharpshooter, but Ali made the save. Everyone came in a hit a big move.
Reigns attempted a spear, but Cesaro hit a knee and uppercut for a close two count. Cesaro springboarded off the second rope, but Reigns hit the spear. Reigns tagged Ali in for the win to let him have the glory. Ali hit the 450 splash for the win.