WWE SmackDown Live
Episode 1037
#SDLive
Original Air Date: July 2, 2019
Event Date: July 2, 2019
(aired live)
City: San Antonio, TX
Venue: AT&T Center
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Ring Area
The commentators update us on the conditions of Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley after their “explosive” night on RAW. Lashley has been released from the hospital, but Strowman possibly has fractured bones and a ruptured spleen. Maybe.
Ring Area
Kevin Owens heads to the ring for the Kevin Owens Show. His guests tonight: Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre.
After watching footage of The Undertaker appearing on RAW last night to confront Shane and Drew, Owens wonders if Shane is afraid of The Undertaker. Shane says he isn’t. Shane claims to be on a hot streak, and he’s going to add Undertaker to his list of defeated opponents. He also announces that his tag match teaming with Drew against Undertaker and Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules will be no holds barred.
McIntyre says he and Shane are great under regular rules. In a no holds barred match, they will physically assault Undertaker and Reigns in ways no one has ever seen before. Owens doesn’t seem impressed. He shows a short clip of RAW where Shane quickly gets himself and McIntyre out of the ring when The Undertaker appears. Owens explains that Shane wasn’t afraid, what looked like fear was just a reflex reaction to hearing The Undertaker’s gong. Shane tells Owens to sit down and do his job.
Owens reads from cards to ask some questions. Owens decides to ask his own question though, so Shane and Drew get angry. As Shane and Drew approach Owens, Dolph Ziggler heads to the ring. Owens cuts Ziggler off, saying no one wants to hear “it should have been me” anymore. He tells Ziggler to get over it. Ziggler says he should be champ. He looks like a champ, but Owens looks like he should be competing in hot dog eating contests. Owens says at least he’d win a hot dog eating contest which is more than Ziggler can say about wrestling matches.
Shane cuts both men off. He tells Owens and Ziggler that they are going to team up tonight to face Heavy Machinery. The winner of that match will be added to the SmackDown Tag Title match at Extreme Rules. Shane and Drew leave the ring. Owens and Ziggler argue until Owens calls for his own music to be played so he can leave the ring.
Backstage
Kayla Braxton asks Daniel Bryan and Rowan for a reaction to what Shane just announced. Bryan says Shane has been making a lot of unpopular decisions lately, but as champs, he and Rowan must accept those decisions. Reardless of how many teams they face, Rowan and Bryan expect to leave Extreme Rules as the tag champs.
Backstage
Kayla Braxton asks New Day for a reaction to the change in their title match. Woods and Big E are confident that they will become six-time tag champs at Extreme Rules.
Match 1
Big E w/ Xavier Woods vs Daniel Bryan w/ Rowan (SD Tag Champs)
(referee: Mike Chioda)
Result: Daniel Bryan wins via pinfall after a running knee strike (and Rowan running Big E into the ring post)
Time: 8:10
Match Thoughts
Good match. Big E started strong, but Bryan started to wear his opponent down during the commercial break. Some shenanigans were involved in the finish, but I still enjoyed the match and liked the result.
Backstage
Kayla Braxton welcomes R-Truth. Truth doesn’t want to watch footage from RAW of Drake Maverick beating him for the 24/7 Title, but he and Kayla watch it anyway. R-Truth says he knows that Drake and his wife are in San Antonio for their honeymoon, so Truth is going to join them. R-Truth wants his baby back.
Backstage
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross walk. Alexa has an idea. She wants Nikki to host A Moment of Bliss tonight. Nikki doesn’t want to at first, but Alexa convinces her to do it.
Ring Area
Nikki Cross comes out to the stage to host A Moment of Bliss. Nikki starts the show by saying she loves Alexa Bliss. Then Nikki introduces her guest, Bayley. Bayley is impressed that Alexa gave Nikki the spotlight tonight. Nikki says Alexa is more generous than Bayley gives her credit for. She also asks Bayley why she called Alexa a liar. Nikki says Bayley’s slander of Alexa stops tonight.
Bayley asks Nikki why Alexa gets the title shot when Nikki is the person who beat the champ. Nikki doesn’t know the answer to that question, but she does challenge Bayley to a match right now. Bayley accepts.
Match 2
Nikki Cross vs Bayley (SD Women’s Champ)
(referee: Charles Robinson)
Result: Bayley wins via pinfall after the Bayley-to-Belly suplex
Time: 3:06
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. It was short, but I liked it. The way it turned out kind of shuts down any questions about who should be getting a title match though (or at least whether or not Nikki deserves one), so I thought it was a little odd that they did that tonight.
Backstage
Kofi Kingston frisbees pancakes to people as he walks.
Video
Ali says that when he becomes WWE Champ, he’s going to change a lot of people’s minds about what people should be chasing. Let the change begin.
Ring Area
In the ring, Kayla Braxton welcomes Kofi Kingston and Samoa Joe. Joe suggests to Kayla that she leave the ring before he and Kofi start their discussions. She leaves.
Joe tells Kofi that he knows a hustler when he sees one. Joe says he hustles with fear, but Kofi hustles with charisma. Joe says Kofi is using Xavier Woods and Big E. Kofi tells Joe that he’s beaten Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, and Kevin Owens all by himself. At Extreme Rules, Kofi will beat Samoa Joe all by himself. But what has Joe done by himself besides lose the US Title? Kofi almost feels bad for Joe. Joe used to take on everyone head on, but now he sneaks around and attacks people from behind.
Joe talks about Kofi using is kids to sell t-shirts at Wrestlemania, but Kofi isn’t thrown. Kofi says Joe is jealous. Jealous Joe. Kofi understands though. After all, Joe will never have a moment like Kofi had at Wrestlemania this year. Joe smiles. He tells Kofi that he is going to show everyone what Kofi really is. Joe wants Kofi to shake his hand in recognition that over the past few weeks, Kofi has realized that Joe is the next WWE Champ. If Kofi shakes, then Joe guarantees the safety of Kofi’s friends leading up to their title match at Extreme Rules.
Joe extends his hand. Kofi extends his hand, but he doesn’t shake. Instead, Kofi slowly raises his hand and flips Joe off. Joe starts to attacks, but Kofi puts him down with Trouble in Paradise. Kofi smiles as he leaves the ring.
Backstage
Sarah Schreiber welcomes Heavy Machinery. Otis and Tucker are very excited about their opportunity tonight. They respect Owens and Ziggler, but they also know Owens and Ziggler aren’t a true team like Heavy Machinery.
Backstage
Apollo Crews walks as Abby the Witch appears in the background.
Video
Via Twitter, Bobby Lashley says Strowman got what he deserved last night. Lashley is hurting, but Strowman got the worst of it. Next time Lashley sees Strowman, Lashley says he’ll send him to the morgue.
Match 3
Apollo Crews vs Andrade w/ Zelina Vega
(referee: Jason Ayers)
Result: Andrade wins via pinfall after a hammerlock DDT
Time: 5:50
Match Thoughts
Good match. Most of the match happened during a picture-in-picture commercial break, but it was a lot of fun. Andrade started quickly, and it seemed like the match might be over in seconds, but Apollo fought back and strung together some impressive offense. Zelina Vega prove to be a huge factor in the match though, and that led to a a nice finish. I think we need more of all three of these people on SmackDown.
Backstage
Kevin Owens has a game plan for his tag match with Ziggler. He wants Ziggler to stand on the apron while Owens takes care of everything. Ziggler wants Owens to do the same thing. Owens calms things down by saying maybe they should actually try to win and go for the tag titles. Ziggler reluctantly agrees.
Backstage
Ember Moon walks. Carmella says something to her then walks away. Ember smiles.
Backstage
Aleister Black applauds the person who knocked on his door last week only to disappear before Black could find out who it was. They are know fighting on a spiritual level as well as physical. Aleister Black is invigorated by the prospect of finding out who he will fight at Extreme Rules.
Match 4
Mandy Rose w/ Sonya Deville vs Ember Moon
(referee: Danilo Anfibio)
Result: Ember Moon wins via pinfall after The Eclipse
Time: 2:17
Match Thoughts
This was really short, but it was fine. I think it’s a pretty good step in Ember Moon’s current story with Mandy and Sonya.
Backstage
Shelton Benjamin is asked who he thinks will win the WWE Title at Extreme Rules. Shelton thinks, and thinks, and thinks. Then he smiles and walks away.
Backstage
Dolph Ziggler and Kevin Owens walk together.
Match 5
Kevin Owens & Dolph Ziggler vs Heavy Machinery
(referee: Mike Chioda; guest commentary: Daniel Bryan; guest commentary table: Xavier Woods, Big E; at ringside: Rowan; stipulation: the winner will be added to the SD Tag Title match at Extreme Rules)
Result: Otis Dozovic pins Kevin Owens after the Compacter
Time: 8:47 (1 match restart)
Match Thoughts
This was fun. All the people at the commentary tables were just there so they could get into a fight and stop the match for the final commercial break of the night. Once we got back from the commercial though, the match was very fun. I was happy with how this turned out all around.
Ring Area
After the match, Ziggler helps Owens get back to his feet. As he gets up, Owens hits Ziggler with a stunner.
Show Impressions
I enjoyed this show. The building of certain people like Aleister Black, Ali, and Andrade is still exciting to me. Hopefully they start really doing something with them soon. I enjoyed Joe and Kofi’s face off. The matches tonight were good. The only thing I didn’t really care for was the segment with Shane McMahon, but that led to the main event so I can’t be too down on it.
Match of the Night
Owens & Ziggler vs Heavy Machinery
Despite the stop and start early in the match, this was a lot of fun.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2019-07-02