August 2, 2016
Episode 885
(aired live)
#SDLive
City: Nashville, TN
Venue: Bridgestone Arena
Commentary: Mauro Ranallo, David Otunga, JBL
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Backstage
Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, and Daniel Bryan watch footage from Orton appearing on RAW. Shane scolds him, but also tells him that it was awesome. Orton questions the need for the many security guards around them, but Shane says it is necessary. Orton walks away.
The Miz and Maryse show up, and Miz is upset that he wasn’t celebrated at Battleground when he kept the IC Title on SmackDown. Daniel Bryan makes a number one contender match. Miz and Maryse walk away.
Dean Ambrose then shows up and says he’s going to address the new number one contender for his title.
Intro Video
“Take a Chance” by CFO$
Ring Area
Dean Ambrose heads to the ring. He talks about building his legacy on SmackDown. He then calls out Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler says the two of them are a lot alike, but Ambrose disagrees. He says he clawed his way to the top. Dolph questions this, saying he came in with The Shield at the top while Ziggler came in as a make cheerleader.
Ambrose says Ziggler complains too much. He says Ziggler is too worried about his image and of what people think of him. He should be worried about winning. Ziggler then tells Ambrose who he is. The guy that has been overlooked for the last seven years. He’s going to prove how good he is. Ambrose tells him he’s not as good as he thinks he is. Ziggler is left alone in the ring to think about it.
As the commentators start to wrap up the segment, Bray Wyatt appears and hits Sister Abigail on Ziggler. Wyatt gets on the mic and tells Ziggler that he stole something from him. He wants it back. He challenges Ziggler to a match, the winner being the number one contender.
** I like this quite a bit. I actually want both Ziggler and Wyatt to win the title at some point. I think I want Ziggler to get the push right now, but I wouldn’t be heartbroken if Bray took it. I liked the surprise here, and I liked Ziggler’s speech. Dean Ambrose is definitely a heel in the fight with Ziggler. **
Backstage
Dolph Ziggler tells Shane and Daniel that he wants to accept Bray’s challenge. Nobody thinks Ziggler deserves the number one contendership, so he wants to prove them all wrong.
Match 1
Triple Threat Intercontinental Title Number One Contender Match
Kalisto vs Baron Corbin vs Apollo Crews
(referee: Charles Robinson; guest commentary: The Miz, Maryse)
Result: Apollo Crews pins Kalisto with a schoolboy
Time: 3:00 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match, but it was way too short. I think the commercial break was as long as the match. Still there was some good stuff in here, especially with Kalisto and Crews. I’d like to see some matches between those two. I thought the finish was fine, but I would have liked to see something a little more emphatic from the winner. It feels a lot like Darren Young’s easy path to the number one contendership.
Ring Area
Corbin attacks Kalisto after the match. Crews comes back to help Kalisto, but The Miz gives Crews a Skull Crushing Finale. As he’s celebrating, Corbin hits Miz with End of Days.
Ring Area
Becky Lynch and Eva Marie make their ways to the ring. Eva Marie starts feeling her own leg and the ref calls for a trainer. The ref calls the match off due to injury.
** Ugh. **
Backstage
Renee Young welcomes Carmella who thinks Eva Marie is faking her injury. Natalya shows up and says that she should be the one being interviewed. She thinks the women’s division on SmackDown needs a leader. Carmella gets in her face and challenges her to a match. Natalya accepts.
Match 2
The Vaudevillains vs American Alpha
(referee: Jason Ayers)
Result: Chad Gable pins Aiden English after Grand Amplitude
Time: 3:27
Match Thoughts
Pretty good, fun match. It was completely one-sided, but American Alpha got to show off what they do which was the entire point of the match. They looked good.
Video
John Cena hosted the Teen Choice Awards.
Ring Area
AJ Styles heads to the ring. As he starts to talk about John Cena, John Cena heads to the ring. He wants to hear Styles’ message face-to-face. Styles tells Cena that he doesn’t want him in the WWE. He calls Cena’s supporters “weak-minded.” He calls the kids in the crowd idiots and their parents delusional. He says Cena is delusional too.
Styles says that he’s already beaten Cena, so why is he still here? Cena says he’s still here to shut Styles’ mouth. He says he’s still here out of love. The WWE is his home. Styles claps for Cena, then challenges him to a match at Summer Slam. Cena accepts.
** Cena kind of destroyed Styles here. Hopefully Styles makes up some ground at Summer Slam. **
Match 3
Fandango w/ Tyler Breeze vs Randy Orton
(referee: Mike Chioda)
Result: Randy Orton wins via DQ when Brock Lesnar F5s Orton
Time: 3:04
Match Thoughts
An okay match, but it was really just a time-killer until Lesnar showed up.
Backstage
During the commercial, Shane and a group of security guards watch Lesnar and Heyman leave the arena.
Backstage
Daniel Bryan is on the phone when Heath Slater appears. Bryan offers Heath a contract if he can win a match next week, against Rhyno.
Backstage
Renee Young welcomes Dean Ambrose. Ambrose feels weird about the new interview set. He also talks about Ziggler facing Wyatt tonight.
** I’m glad that Ambrose said the interview set was weird. I don’t like it. It feels really odd. I know that it’s the set for the SmackDown post-show, but they don’t need to use it here. It has a completely different feel to it and makes the interviews feel less energetic. **
Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Orton how he’s doing. He does not respond.
Ring Area
Carmella heads to the ring for a match when Natalya attacks her from behind. She puts Carmella in a Sharpshooter on the floor.
** Come on, two women’s matches canceled on one show? **
Backstage
Daniel Bryan tells Ziggler that he and Shane believe in him. They tell him to reconsider putting his title shot on the line. Ziggler takes that to mean they actually don’t believe in him.
Match 4
WWE Title Number One Contender Match
Bray Wyatt vs Dolph Ziggler
(referee: Dan Engler; guest commentary: Dean Ambrose)
#1Contender
Result: Dolph Ziggler wins via pinfall after a superkick
Time: 8:28 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. Both guys were throwing out big moves and taking close near-falls. I think Ziggler needed this.
Ring Area
After the match, Erick Rowan attacks Ziggler. Ambrose gets in the ring to help Ziggler, but Bray and Rowan beat up both Ambrose and Ziggler.
Show Impressions
I thought this was a pretty good show. I liked the main story with Ziggler and Bray (which will likely lead to a tag match next week), I enjoyed the debut of American Alpha (though the match was basically an exhibition), and I thought the triple threat was fine (though I would rather have just watched Kalisto versus Crews).
I didn’t like any of the women’s stuff. I see where they’re going with it, but this week’s contribution was severely lacking. I also didn’t care about the Orton stuff because it played out very predictably.
Match of the Night
Bray Wyatt vs Dolph Ziggler
A good match that helped both guys and looks like it will set up the next few weeks of matches.