WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: The Fiend unleashes surprising attack, champions retain titles – CBSSports.com

While this week’s version of SmackDown featured a pair of title suits, it modified into a singular 2nd to shut the sign that can dominate the conversation. After Alexa Bliss modified into left on my own within the ring by a pissed off Nikki Antagonistic, Bliss became the target of The Fiend as he fired a brutal shot at standard champion Braun Strowman by attacking his frail Mixed Match Voice designate partner.

Bray Wyatt kicked off the sign with an episode of the “Firefly Enjoyable Home,” sending a warning to Strowman that The Fiend modified into now wakeful and no one modified into safe till he gets what he needs. Bliss, who had been at ringside for Antagonistic’ loss to Bayley in their match for the SmackDown females’s championship, would gain out the reality of that assertion the onerous formula. After Antagonistic shoved Bliss to the bottom and stormed out of the ring, the lights went out, most efficient to shut help help and display Bliss modified into now trapped within the ring with The Fiend. Wyatt’s alter-ego slowly brought his hand toward the face of a terrified Bliss sooner than locking within the mandible claw because the sign went off the air.

Learn on for the beefy recap of this week’s SmackDown, including grades for loads of the evening’s action.

WWE SmackDown recap, grades

Intercontinental Championship — AJ Styles (c) def. Gran Metalik via submission to buy the title: Styles spread out alongside with his identical old indicate coast, taking it to Metalik with nasty strikes and eliminating comeback makes an attempt with cheap footage. Metalik hit a abundant rana to the starting up air to punctuate his preliminary comeback heading into a industrial. After the spoil, Styles amped up his assault on the leg of Metalik, searching to ground the high flyer and strip him of his handiest weapons. Metalik did explode with some abundant lucha-style offense, on the alternative hand it within the rupture fell apart when his leg gave out on him, allowing Styles to explode with a flurry of strikes sooner than organising for the Out of the ordinary Forearm that Metalik modified into ready to defend some distance from sooner than ingesting a mid-air nick block by Styles that space up the Calf Crusher for the victory. After the match, Styles blindsided Lince Dorado and hit a Styles Clash. When given time, Styles is nonetheless one among the handiest wrestlers on this planet, and it modified into no doubt appropriate to glimpse Metalik afforded the time to set apart on an real, featured match. Grade: B+

King Corbin def. Drew Gulak via pinfall: The match started after Gulak attacked Corbin from on the help of after Corbin interrupted a promo being cut by Jeff Hardy. Corbin went onerous at Gulak because the match started following a put up-brawl industrial spoil. Gulak tried to make exhaust of exiguous errors from Corbin to assemble the most of his better mat wrestling, catching Corbin in a deep crossface and landing some abundant strikes and a group of dropkicks to acquire on a roll. A flying clothesline from the prime rope scored a two depend for Gulak, but he bumped into a Deep Six. Forward of Corbin may per chance capitalize, Matt Riddle’s tune hit and Gulak nearly managed to make exhaust of the distraction for a sneak pin, but Corbin kicked out and hit Stop of Days for the victory. Riddle loyal away hit the ring and attacked Corbin, who had advised Shorty G he set apart a “King’s Ransom” bounty on Riddle’s head earlier within the evening. Shorty G then ran out and took out Riddle, walking off with Corbin after laying out The Usual Bro. This modified into a twisting segment that started with a Hardy promo and ended with Shorty G turning heel and aligning with Corbin, but you would no longer advise it wasn’t spirited. Grade: B-

Gigantic E def. The Miz via submission: Gigantic E started actual and played into about a of his Unique Day tendencies to per chance comprise a runt too primary fun, but a disrespectful shot from Miz brought out the more violent side of the abundant man, who tossed Miz into the ringside barricade more than one instances. John Morrison inserted himself and laid out Gigantic E on the starting up air whereas the ref modified into distracted, allowing Miz to make a decision out over. Gigantic E also had a instant comeback conclude when he ignored a splash on the ring apron heading into a industrial spoil. Gigantic E exploded help with a group of three German suplexes and a abundant splash. Miz countered a Gigantic Ending into an attempt on the Skull-Crushing Finale, which modified into then countered help into a Gigantic Ending attempt sooner than Miz raked the eyes to flee. Later, Morrison all over again took attend of a distracted referee to kick Gigantic E within the head, allowing Miz to hit a Skull-Crushing Finale, but Gigantic E kicked out at two and managed to make exhaust of the ropes to flee from a follow-up figure-four attempt. A third attempt by Morrison to interfere modified into caught by the referee and he modified into ejected from ringside, leading to Gigantic E locking Miz within the Stretch Muffler for the submission. This modified into a mountainous intro to Gigantic E’s singles whisk as he no longer most efficient needed to acquire it performed by himself, but acquire it performed whereas on the disagreeable side of the numbers recreation. Grade: B+

Sheamus cut a on the help of the curtain promo: Sheamus acknowledged that he effectively fought Jeff Hardy in a handicap match by facing him in a bar final week, appealing that Hardy modified into in his natural atmosphere. He then effectively ended the feud, asserting Hardy modified into no longer his scenario and nature would within the rupture decide its course. Now he may per chance focal level on the SmackDown locker room as a total.

Naomi def. Lacey Evans via pinfall: Evans made fun of the #NaomiDeservesBetter hashtag sooner than the match, with the Twitter movement now a segment of Naomi’s myth. An aggressive Evans took the fight to Naomi from the leap, within the rupture taking her starting up air and slamming her into the ring put up sooner than trapping Naomi’s hair within the ring steps as a map to ranking a depend out victory. Naomi within the rupture came help with an awkward-taking a seek sliding destroyer on the starting up air, but all over again had issues reversed sooner than Evans tried to tie her hair to the prime rope. Naomi escaped, ducked a Girl’s Unswerving and scored a roll-up for the dangle. Naomi would comprise performed properly to comprise been given a runt more offense if they were searching to address the hashtag, on the alternative hand it modified into appropriate to glimpse her take up a victory over Evans to acquire one help. Grade: C

Sonya Deville brutally attacked Mandy Rose: Rose and Otis were preparing for a date when Rose advised Otis she modified into going to prepare. Deville modified into viewed stalking them within the background. As Rose modified into striking on make-up, Deville attacked her, smearing the make-up across her face and eliminating chunks of her hair with scissors sooner than grabbing clippers and searching to shave her head. Forward of she may per chance assemble it happen, WWE officials intervened and Deville acknowledged she already had what she wanted, taking a bit of Rose’s hair with her.

SmackDown Females’s Championship — Bayley (c) def. Nikki Antagonistic via pinfall to buy the title: Antagonistic modified into fired up from the leap, attacking Bayley within the corners sooner than hitting a Thesz press to bring a runt more punishment to the champion. Antagonistic also scored with a abundant crossbody from the ring apron to the bottom, retaining Bayley nearly completely on the defensive. Bayley within the rupture took issues over by attacking the “cracked rib” of Antagonistic, the hurt suffered at Low Guidelines. In return, Antagonistic started attacking the ribs of Bayley sooner than hitting a tornado DDT. Banks all over again tried at hand off the Boss ring to Bayley for a funds dangle, a callback to Low Guidelines as properly. Antagonistic hit one other crossbody, organising a group of pin reversals sooner than Bayley managed to slam Antagonistic down face-first to ranking the pin and buy her championship. This modified into a tight match, even though Bayley and Antagonistic don’t moderately click on on the identical stage as about a of the larger pairings in fresh months and weeks. Tranquil appropriate action for the duration of. Grade: B

The Fiend attacked Alexa Bliss:  Earlier within the evening, Bray Wyatt hosted a “Firefly Enjoyable Home” to starting up the sign. Wyatt warned Braun Strowman that The Fiend modified into now wakeful, and no one may per chance be safe till he gets what he needs, which became out to be a warning for how the sign would conclude. 

After Antagonistic’ loss to Bayley, Alexa Bliss attempted to console her, but a pissed off Antagonistic shoved her to the mat and stormed out of the ring. As Bliss sat within the ring, the lights went out, most efficient to shut help help on with the acquainted red lights and The Fiend himself within the ring. A terrified Bliss sat nonetheless whereas The Fiend slowly brought his hand toward her face sooner than locking within the mandible claw because the sign went off the air. This modified into a in actuality actual map to shut the sign, with Wyatt focusing on Strowman’s outmoded blended designate partner as all limits are no doubt off with The Fiend having returned. On prime of that every person, WWE did the fair streak of having the sign ending logo near up appropriate for The Fiend’s actions to happen after the customary signifier the sign is over. A exiguous streak that shows that The Fiend exists starting up air the fashioned boundaries of how the shows work. Grade: A-