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WWE Friday Night SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (May 26, 2023) with a show taped last week at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. The episode is pre-taped — get spoilers here, if you’re interested... and please discuss them in the comments under that post so you don’t spoil anyone who isn’t — as the roster is already in Saudi Arabia for tomorrow’s Night of Champions premium live event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Advertised for tonight: Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa will be Kevin Owens guests on The KO Show ahead of their Tag title match this weekend, AJ Styles gets ready for his World Heavyweight Championship Tournament final by taking on Karrion Kross, and Raquel Rodriguez & new partner Shotzi battle Damage CTRL ahead of the Women’s Tag Team title 4Way on next Monday’s Raw.
Tonight’s show also features Sheamus taking on United States champ Austin Theory, LA Knight vs. Rick Boogs, and more!
Come right back here at 8 pm ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on FOX. It will be below this line here. (Note: Links to illegal streams are prohibited. Pics and GIFs are allowed.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR MAY 26
Oh, I seen him walkin’ on down that road. He got a broken push cart with a heavy load. Oh, lord have mercy upon my wicked soul. Ah, he looked right at me with his eyes of coal and now I have to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with the intro video.
Austin Theory (c) vs. Sheamus (WWE United States Championship)
Front chancery, struggling around the ring, duck a back elbow, side headlock, shot off, shoulder block and Theory goes into the corner. Austin looking for Beats of the Bodhran, Sheamus blocks, fireman’s carry, Theory puts him into the post and slams him on the apron to send us to break.
Back from commercial, mounted punches, rolling thunder blockbuster... NOPE! Back and forth, Irish Curse for two, big elbow, scoop and a slam for a nearfall! Austin with mounted punches in the turnbuckle, backbreaker rack into a spinout powerbomb... SO CLOSE!
Boot to the face, Theory wants a chair but Ridge Holland takes it away from him and Sheamus gets him with the Beats of the Bodhran! Pretty Deadly attack the Brawling Brutes on the floor, up on the apron, Sheamus attacks them but Austin comes from behind...
Austin Theory wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin to retain the WWE United States Championship.
Backstage, Roman Reigns tells Paul Heyman to let them know.
He tells the Usos Roman feels guilty they won’t be at Night of Champions and he wants to make it up to them, so they’re invited to next week’s 1000 day celebration for the greatest title reign of all time. Reigns wants the whole family there, especially Jey.
Jimmy says he doesn’t know what Roman’s problem is and he’s hungry and he’s gonna leave, but Roman tells him to sit down. Uso stands, Reigns demands he sit, and when he remains standing, he stands up and gets in Jimmy’s face and tells him to do something.
Uso’s lip twitches as Roman taunts him and tells him to make it happen before telling him he whooped him when they were kids and he’ll whoop him now, nothing’s changed. He’s gonna respect Reigns, obey him and acknowledge him. Jey stands up and walks his brother off, saying they’ll see him next week.
Raquel Rodriguez & Shotzi Blackheart make their entrance and send us to break.
Damage CTRL (Bayley & IYO SKY) vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Shotzi Blackheart
Rodriguez and Bayley to start, interference from SKY gets Raquel trapped in enemy territory, using her strength she breaks away and tags Blackheart in! Back and forth, heels get an advantage on Rodriguez and we go to break.
Back from commercial, SKY working Rodriguez over, hot tag to Shotzi, spin-out facebuster and a strike combo staggers Bayley! Snap suplex into the ropes, senton to the back, cover for two! The match breaks down into “everybody do something cool” territory, Shotzi and IYO trading strikes, SKY with underhooks, Blackheart floats over!
Waistlock, chickenwings... TIGER SUPLEX WITH A BRIDGE AND BAYLEY HAS TO BREAK IT UP! Raquel pulls the Role Model out of the ring, tag made, lifting IYO, Bayley breaks it up and SKY bulldogs Rodriguez into the turnbuckles! Back and forth, malfunction at the junction and a senton from IYO just drives Raquel into Bayley...
Raquel Rodriguez & Shotzi Blackheart win by pinfall with a folding press from Raquel Rodriguez on Bayley.
We get hype reels for both our World Heavyweight Championship tournament finalists.
Hit Row make their entrance.
Back from commercial, we get a Grayson Waller hype reel.
Cameron Grimes gets an inset promo about how well his life has been working out lately and he’s motivated to go to the moon.
Ashante “Thee” Adonis vs. Cameron Grimes
Adonis throws his ring jacket, Grimes ducks it, off the ropes, shoulder block, drop down, tijeras, knee lift and a running shooting star press... NOPE! Top Dolla runs interference, Ashante goes on the beatdown, mounted punches, whip across, big dropkick for a nearfall!
Back suplex, Cameron lands on his feet, off the ropes with a lariat, another one, a Frankensteiner connects and he’s fired up...
Cameron Grimes wins by pinfall with Cave-In.
Post-match, Baron Corbin attacks Grimes and leaves him laying!
Bianca Belair makes her entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Bianca Belair gets on the mic.
She says the Asuka she’s going to face tomorrow isn’t the Asuka she fought at WrestleMania, the Asuka she respects. This Asuka wants more than just her title, and she’s not just giving her a rematch, she’s giving her a fight, and she’s going to fight and leave as your Raw Women’s Champion.
Asuka attacks her from behind and puts her in the cross armbar! Referees and road agents swarm and pull them apart but they mix it up again and Bianca hits KOD!
We see Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn chatting backstage.
LA Knight makes his entrance and we go to break.
LA Knight vs. Rick Boogs
Street Profits are on commentary for this one.
Boogs in control early, he gets distracted saying hi to the Profits and Knight cuts him off. Trading punches in the corner, whip across, sidestep, Rick goes shoulder-first into the post and LA puts boots to him! Knight off the top, Boogs catches him with a northern lights suplex and gets back in the game!
Block a whip, front kicks from Knight, whip across, big tossing pop-up drop and a tossing Karelin lift follows! Back and forth, LA gets him...
LA Knight wins by pinfall with BFT.
Post-match, Knight gets on the mic and tells the Profits that if they keep talking he’s gonna make change out of both their five dollar asses. He just took out the trash and they have to know their time is coming. They want the smoke? Nah, they’re gonna get smoked, courtesy of LA Knight.
Karrion Kross cuts a promo on AJ Styles about how he’s going to victimize him.
AJ Styles makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn get a vignette to hype them up.
AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross
Styles in control early until Scarlett runs interference and Kross is able to take advantage! Mia Yim comes to ringside to chase Bordeaux to the back and send us to break!
Back from commercial, Styles down and out but he starts coming back with chops, off the ropes, Kross levels him with a big elbow! AJ with the Pele Kick, sliding forearm, fireman’s carry... USHIGOROSHI FOR TWO! Northern lights suplex sets up a slam but Styles kicks out!
Duck the Krosshammer, Styles Rush, kick combo, Styles Clash blocked, back body drop to the apron, forearm connects, adjust the elbow pad...
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Phenomenal Forearm.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, AJ Styles is interviewed in Gorilla.
He says Seth Rollins can be invincible, unstoppable, but he can’t be phenomenal, and he’s going to put a phenomenal beating on him en route to being the first WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
We get a video package for Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we are welcomed to the Kevin and Sami Show.
Kevin Owens talks about their tag title defense tomorrow.
Paul Heyman comes down and tells them Roman Reigns doesn’t work on their schedule and he’ll come down when he wants.
Enter the Usos, leaving Paul shocked as they stride to the ring.
They ask why Kev and Sami are talking like it’s all good, they’re so worried about tomorrow night when they have a bigger problem standing right in front of them. Owens tells Heyman he knew Roman wouldn’t come down and it was really the Usos he wanted to talk to anyway.
He says Sami’s been telling him for months they still need to help the Usos, after everything he still thinks they deserve better but KO couldn’t care less. But since Zayn can’t get through, maybe if he he says something it’ll work. He says Sami has been right about everything the whole time.
Roman Reigns is a narcissistic delusional ugh calling himself the Head of the Table but he’s looking at the Heart of the Table right now. Where would the Bloodline be without the Usos? But no, Roman treats them like they’re the Appendix of the Table, disposable and not really needed.
What do they think when they look in the mirror, knowing they went from being the greatest tag team in the history of WWE to being nothing more than Roman’s errand boys? Jimmy says that’s pretty cute and says they’re the best damn tag team in the world, and when it comes to the day ones, he IS the Tribal Chief!
Enter Roman Reigns.
He gets in the ring and stares the Usos down. Sami tells him it’s over, the Bloodline is collapsing, and it’s all his fault, and Reigns slaps the mic out of his hands! Owens hits a Stunner on Reigns and the Usos brawl with them! Exploder into the turnbuckles, Solo Sikoa runs down and lays the tag champions out with Samoan Spikes!
The Bloodline stand tall, Solo with one set of tag belts and Jimmy with the other. Roman holds his hand out to demand the titles, Uso won’t hand them over, so Jey grabs the titles from his brother and hands them to Roman Reigns.
Roman stands tall with all four tag title belts while Jimmy sulks in the corner.
That’s the show, folks.
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