WWE SmackDown Knoxville, Tenn., May 12, 2023
The commentators are Michael Cole and Wade Barrett.
– WWE Friday Night SmackDown begins with the announcer’s welcome and then Edge joins the first match of the night!
Triple Threat First Round of the WWE World Heavyweight Tournament
AJ Styles vs Edge vs Rey Mysterio
At the end of the match, Rey Mysterio jumps at Edge, but Edge manages to counter him. AJ Styles takes the opportunity to show off his Phenomenal Forearm on Edge and wins via pinfall.
Winner: AJ Styles
– We take a look back at Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn’s win at WrestleMania 39 and what’s happened since.
Triple Threat First Round of the WWE World Heavyweight Tournament
Sheamus vs Bobby Lashley vs Austin Theory
At the end of the match, Bobby Lashley lands a full nelson on Austin Theory, but Sheamus gets the United States Champion’s brogue kick. Lashley knocks Sheamus out of the ring and then pins Theory.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
– Backstage, Grayson Waller joins Adam Pearce in asking about the winner of AJ Styles vs. Bobby Lashley coming to the Grayson Waller Effect next week. Pearce agrees.
– Baron Corbin is in the ring, Cameron Grimes comes in. Corbin takes the mic and says it will take him two minutes to send it back to NXT.
Baron Corbin vs. Cameron Grimes
The referee rings the bell then Cameron Grimes makes his tumble against Baron Corbin followed by the tumble for the win!
Winner: Cameron Grimes
– Roman Reigns is back! The tribal chief enters along with the Usos, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman. Roman Reigns asks Knoxville to recognize him. He tells us that all the men in that ring made it into the main events on both nights of WrestleMania. Roman Reigns then talks to us about Solo Sikoa and says he was a little concerned about him being in the ring with the best he could sink or swim. He ends up swimming like a shark. If there’s a problem, he fixes it.
Solo Sikoa is still considering the problem of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, but the latter are not a problem. The problem is his brothers… They really thought they could lose the WrestleMania Main Event and not talk about it? He was dedicated a rematch, which they lost. He demands an apology! The Usos say nothing and Roman Reigns, still waiting for an apology, then shoves Jimmy Uso.
Jey Uso takes the mic and tells Roman Reigns they apologize. It only takes one game to win back the tag team titles! Roman Reigns says the tag team titles will indeed return to the bloodline… Paul Heyman picks up the mic and announces that Roman Reigns has a plan: the tag team titles will return to the bloodline at Night of Champions , when Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn lose their belts against Solo Sikoa and… Roman Reigns!
Roman Reigns concludes by dedicating their victory to the greatest team of all time, the Wild Samoans.
– Behind the scenes is Kayla Braxon at Damage CTRL. Bayley says she and Roman Reigns have a lot in common, like being Grand Slam champions and being great leaders even when things don’t go their way. Iyo Sky wasn’t ready yet, now they will show their strength and win the tag team titles.
– Backstage, The Usos meet with the LWO then leave as Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio arrive.
WWE Women’s Championship
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley & Dakota Kai) (accompanied by Iyo Sky)
At the end of the game, Liv Morgan manages to roll Bayley up after an unsuccessful intervention from Iyo Sky.
Winners: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez – Still Champions
– Behind the scenes, Pretty Deadly joins the Brawling Brutes. Sheamus wants to know who’s pretty and who’s deadly, and the duo end up angering the Brawling Brutes.
– Bianca Belair begins her celebration under the Pyros, but is interrupted by the music fromAsuka makes her comeback and enters the ring. Asuka offers Bianca Belair her hand, which she accepts… but Asuka spits liquid in her eyes to blind her!
– Next week on SmackDown: We will have a personal duel between Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa and Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn / the LWO (Santos Escobar & Rey Mysterio) will face the Usos / the Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch). face off against Pretty Deadly / Grayson Waller will present his Grayson Waller Effect with AJ Styles or Bobby Lashley as special guests (today’s game winner).
WWE World Heavyweight Tournament Semifinals
AJ Styles vs. Bobby Lashley
At the end of the match, AJ Styles stands on the ring apron and hits Bobby Lashley with his Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory.
Winner: AJ Styles
– WWE announces that Seth Rollins will face AJ Styles for the World Heavyweight Title at Night of Champions! The show ends with The OC taking the stage to congratulate AJ Styles.