WWE Smackdown results: Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho

– Air Date: June 9, 2016
– Location: Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS

– The Big News:

Chris Jericho beat Dean Ambrose.

– Show Recap:

The Club Speaks

The Club came out to start the show as the announcers plugged Money in the Bank. Both Ranallo and Lawler said it was shaping up to be the greatest MITB ever. That was followed by AJ Styles saying the same thing moments later.

Styles said people were comparing Money in the Bank to WrestleMania, not just because Gallows and Anderson are fighting for the tag titles, but because of the dream match between himself and John Cena. He reminded us this could be the last time we see it because of the brand split. The crowd chanted “Cena” and there was no anti-Cena chant in response.

Styles said the past decade has been the Cena era, but it was time for a change, and the new era will begin when he takes out Cena. Styles said when he came to WWE, he let the company know that the Club was a package deal (revisionist history). He said they have dominated everywhere, he would beat Cena, and Gallows and Anderson would become the new tag champions.

They were interrupted by Enzo and Cass. Enzo did his usual promo. Cass said they would be the ones to win the titles, and he called Gallows and Anderson the “Mr. Clean dream team.” Anderson cut them off and said they’ve been all over the world for years proving that they’re the best. Anderson asked Enzo what he was doing all that time and mocked him for being the manager of a Hooters.

Enzo said yeah, of course he managed a Hooters, he’s a G. Gallows mocked him for going to sleep the last time they had a big match, and Styles actually started dancing like Enzo. Enzo said he risks it all every time he steps in the ring, he and Cass are all-in, they came here to get money, and at Money in the Bank they would beat the crap out of the Club. Cass called them soft.

Side note: There was a graphic on the stage for MITB, saying it was “a week from this Sunday.” They can’t just put the date?

Gallows & Anderson (w/AJ Styles) NC Enzo & Cass

The match started after a break, and New Day were at commentary. Big E said they brought a broom because they were going to clean up the tag division, which they called a mess. The Club worked over Enzo for a while when the Vaudevillains walked out on stage as they went to commercial.

Enzo nailed a tornado DDT on Gallows and made the hot tag to Cass, who hit Anderson with a fallaway slam, big boot and elbow drop. Gallows broke up the cover, so Cass booted him out of the ring. Anderson dumped out Cass and the Vaudevillains made their way down the ramp, so New Day left commentary to go after them.

The fight spilled into the ring, all four teams brawled, and the referee called for the bell. The segment ended with Enzo and Cass knocking the Vaudevillains out of the ring and standing tall, while New Day stared down the Club as they slowly backed away up the ramp.

They played the Muhammad Ali tribute video. Before it aired, Mauro Ranallo put over Ali as a three-time champion and called him a paragon of philanthropy. Jerry Lawler was grateful to have Ali in Memphis and said he told Lawler that he was the greatest of all time.

Renee Young asked Rusev and Lana about Rusev backing down from Titus O’Neil. Lana thought that was ridiculous. Rusev called himself the greatest of all time, not Muhammad Ali. Lots of heat. O’Neil interrupted, offended Rusev compared himself to Ali. O’Neil quoted Ali and told Rusev he was taking the U.S. Title.

Kevin Owens & Alberto Del Rio beat Cesaro & Sami Zayn via pinfall

Owens started with Zayn when Del Rio tagged himself in. Del Rio worked on his own for a while, but when he went to tag out, Owens told him he was doing a great job and left. As Owens walked backwards up the ramp, giving Del Rio two thumbs up, Zayn ran after him. Owens then sprinted to the back, which was funny.

That left Cesaro alone with Del Rio. Cesaro gave him a cannonball off the apron, jumped on the announce table to celebrate, and high-fived Ranallo. After a break, Lawler called Ranallo a homer for high-fiving Cesaro. After Cesaro hit a suplex, Zayn and Owens brawled back down the ramp. Zayn rolled Owens in the ring and he got into an argument with Del Rio.

Del Rio was about to leave, so Owens cut him off. Zayn used the opportunity to hit Owens with a dive. Del Rio tossed Zayn into the barricade, Cesaro gave Del Rio a running uppercut and suplex on the black mats. Cesaro followed with a flying crossbody for a near fall. Cesaro went for the big swing, but Owens superkicked him, Zayn suplexed Owens, Del Rio kicked Zayn, and Cesaro uppercut Del Rio.

Cesaro did the uppercut train on Del Rio and applied the sharpshooter, but let go to get rid of Owens. He tried a superplex on Del Rio, but Owens tripped him off the top. That allowed Del Rio to hit the double foot stomp. As soon as he did, Owens pulled Del Rio out of the ring, tossed him into the barricade, and pinned Cesaro for the win. Really good match that went about 14 minutes.

Becky Lynch (w/Natalya) beat Dana Brooke (w/Charlotte) via submission

Quickly into the match, Brooke slapped Natalya, but before Natalya could retaliate, Charlotte tackled her. The referee kicked them out. Lynch was distracted, so Brooke got a near fall with a school boy. Brooke tried her finisher, but Lynch rolled through and applied the Disarmer for the tapout win. Match was 3 minutes and was the only women’s segment on the show.

Life Lessons with Darren Young

Bob Backlund wanted to see how Young would celebrate a win. Young thought maybe the millions of dollars dance, or a moonwalk. Backlund told him to be down to earth and save his money. Young agreed to save his money, and asked Backlund how he’s saved his money. Backlund deadpanned, “This is my only pair of clothes.” This segment was… slightly better than usual.

Baron Corbin beat Kalisto via pinfall

Corbin won in 3 minutes with the End of Days. Dolph Ziggler was on commentary and kept calling Corbin “kid” and also a millennial.

Throughout the show, they aired about 3 or 4 clips from the Ambrose-Jericho feud to hype tonight’s main event. Before the main event, the announcers again put over MITB as a huge show, calling the two main events WrestleMania caliber.

Backstage skit with Sheamus and friends

Sheamus was watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on TV (or a trailer anyway), as Zack Ryder, Goldust, R-Truth and Summer Rae stood there too for some reason. Sheamus informed them that he plays a giant rhinoceros, and Ryder joked it must’ve been hard for Sheamus to get into character. Sheamus had a funny comeback, saying Ryder dresses up in his bedroom like a Ninja Turtle, but he was actually in the movie.

Sheamus put himself over as a star, like the new Rock, when Apollo Crews joined and got in his face. Sheamus asked if he was starstruck, so Crews punched him in the face, putting Sheamus on his ass. Crews left, Truth made a joke, and they all laughed. Sheamus threw boxes at them and yelled.

Chris Jericho beat Dean Ambrose via pinfall

Jericho was pissed about the thumbtacks, so he slapped Ambrose. He then ran away from Ambrose who chased after, eventually hitting a clothesline and chops. As Jericho got some offense, he yelled some more, claiming it was 69 thumbtacks pulled out of him. Ambrose came back with a suicide dive and tried a Dirty Deeds on the announce table, but Jericho countered and catapulted him off.

Jericho had control after a break as the crowd chanted “Let’s go Ambrose.” Ambrose made a comeback but Jericho cut him off with a flying enziguri. Ambrose used a la magistral cradle for a near fall.

They countered each other’s finishers, when Jericho whipped Ambrose toward the turnbuckles. However, Ambrose had to stop himself from running into the referee, and when he turned around, Jericho hit the Codebreaker for the win. Huh.

The match was about 14 minutes. Jericho set up a ladder in the corner and tried to toss Ambrose into it, but Ambrose reversed and tossed Jericho into it instead. Ambrose then dropped the ladder onto Jericho’s back. Ambrose was about to leave but stopped as the crowd chanted “one more time.” Ambrose stood up the ladder, climbed it, and hit Jericho with an elbow drop. Ambrose stood tall.

– Final Thoughts:

The first half of the show was pretty good, as the tag match with Owens/Del Rio vs. Cesaro/Zayn was actually before the top of the hour. The main event was good enough, but I hated the finish.

Ambrose and Jericho feuded for months, leading to Ambrose getting the big win in the finale. They’ve protected Ambrose since losing to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, and not only did Ambrose beat Jericho in their blow-off match, he won the first one too.

Having Jericho beat Ambrose randomly a few weeks later is pretty dumb, and a sign that they can’t handle a feud with 6 guys. They just keep fighting each other on every show and none of the results matter. They’re all still in the ladder match at MITB no matter what the result of any of these matches.

They could’ve had Ambrose beat Del Rio, and put Jericho in the tag match instead. Or, Ambrose could’ve just beaten Jericho again. I certainly don’t think Jericho should be “putting over” everyone, but there’s nothing wrong with the story that Chris Jericho simply cannot beat Dean Ambrose.