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Hey there people, another Friday so here’s another episode of Smackdown. Tonight there’s some kind of homecoming celebration for former women’s champion Bianca Belair because we’re in Knoxville, Tennessee, and we all know how WWE likes to treat wrestlers in their hometown so I imagine Becky Lynch will make her presence felt. Apparently they’re advertising Sasha Banks but I’ll believe it when I see it. We’re going to get a match between Rick Boogs and Robert Roode, we might get a tag team match from last week (Toni Storm and Liv Morgan vs. Zelina Vega and Carmella) that was supposed to air but didn’t. We’ll start in on the fallout from last weeks excellent match between Seth Rollins and Edge that saw Edge leave in an ambulance, logically we should get some kind of gimmick match between the two at Extreme Rules but if that’s the direction they have to continue it tonight. Also last week Finn Balor revealed that when he takes on Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules for the Universal title Balor will be bringing his Demon persona so we’ll probably get continued plot advancement in that respect. There’s a chance that Big E says goodbye to Smackdown tonight, as he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Monday and is now on RAW as their champion. So with that in mind, let’s see what WWE has in store.

We open with Roman Reigns and his retinue, along with a recap of Brock Lesnar returning and challenging Roman last week and the reveal of the Demon. Commentary confirms that Roman vs. Brock for the Universal title is set for Crown Jewel (Sweet Saudi Blood Money) and mention the possibility of Balor taking the title from Roman at Extreme Rules in less than 2 weeks. All of this sets up Roman in the ring with a mic, and demands Knoxville acknowledge him. He gives the mic to Heyman and tells him to demonstrate proper acknowledgement. Heyman says he’s acknowledged Roman’s greatness since Roman was a little boy, but is still in awe of the greatness before him. Roman avoids no one, ducks no challenge, and defends his title at every event, and upholds the honor of his position every minute of every day. He says Roman fears no man, no Beast, and no Demon, but they all fear Roman Reigns. He brings up that Balor fears Roman, because if he didn’t fear Roman he wouldn’t need to channel the Demon to challenge him. Brock Lesnar fears Roman, Heyman has known Brock for 20 years and has never seen fear in Brock’s eyes anywhere except in Madison Square Garden when he went face to face with Roman. Here’s Big E to interrupt things though. The new WWE champion heads into the ring, eventually after running around the ringside area for a bit. Roman smiles, and holds his title up high as Big E gets a “You deserve it” chant. Before anything can come of this stare down here comes Finn Balor. We head to break as Balor heads to the ring.

So we come back to a tag team match starting.

Match #1 – Tag Team Match: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) vs. Big E and Finn Balor

Balor and Jimmy get us started, Balor goes after the leg rather quickly but Jimmy cuts that off with strikes. Drop kick from Balor then he lays in some punches on the mat. Big E tags in, but eats a headbutt and Jey is in. Jey hits the ropes but runs into a back elbow. Big E drags Jey to the apron and clubs him, then goes for the apron splash and hits it. Jey recovers and drives Big E into the corner and both Usos attack him. Jimmy tags in and and they resume mugging Big E. Jey back in, they want a double suplex and hit it for a 1 count. Big E tries to fire up but is cut off as Jimmy tags in and starts laying in strikes. Big E avoids a Stinger splash and tags in Balor. Balor runs wild on both Usos, but Jey gets a blind tag in and trips him up then slams him into the barricade and sets up a Jimmy suicide dive onto Balor as we head to break.

We come bac to Jimmy keeping Balor isolated. Balor fights back with a kick, but can’t tag out before Jimmy hoists him on his shoulders and drives him into the corner neck first. Jimmy works a headlock but Balor fights back with a jawbreaker but he can’t get free enough to tag out. Balor eats a right hand, but lands a Pele kick and both men are down. Big E gets the hot tag and starts running wild with suplexes to Jey. Big E wants the big splash, but Jey catches him with a Samoan drop. ST-Joe from Big E, then he hits Jimmy with the big splash and ejects him from the ring. Jey to the apron, so Big E tries his spear through the ropes but runs into a knee. Jey up top but misses a flying nothing then lands a super kick to Big E but only gets a 2 count. Jimmy tags back in, but misses a charge at Balor and Balor takes down Jey with a Sling Blade then a Coup de Grace to Jey as Big E plants Jimmy with the Big Ending to pin and win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Big E and Finn Balor won

Rating: 3 stars

Really good closing stretch from these teams, much as I’m not a fan of the champions losing they weren’t going to cool off Big E or Balor here. Roman is watching in his locker room, he asks if there’s anything Heyman wants to tell him. Heyman can’t think of anything, Roman asks if there’s anything he needs to know. Roman keeps pressing him and Heyman says with all the respect in his heart and soul he did not know that Brock was going to be at Summerslam. A bit of ego massaging from Heyman, claiming Brock’s lie is proof of his fear of Roman. Heyman squirming in these bits is great, you’re not sure if it’s fear of Roman finding out the truth about his duplicity or his innocence and desperation to prove it. Roman asks Heyman if Brock will show up at Extreme Rules, Heyman says no but Roman wants proof. Roman doesn’t pay Heyman to guess, he pays him to know in advance. Needs to be said again, Roman and Heyman play off of each other incredibly well.

Rick Boogs is here and plays out Shinsuke Nakamura, Boogs will be in singles action after this break.

Match #2: Rick Boogs w/ Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Robert Roode w/ Dolph Ziggler

Roode jumps on Boogs right away as Ziggler provided a distraction. Some chops from Roode as he’s keeping Boogs in the corner. Second rope blockbuster from Roode but that only gets 2. Boogs fights off a Glorious DDT into a Samoan drop. Exploder suplexes from Boogs then a bulldog. Boogs wants the Boogs Cruise and gets it to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Rick Boogs won

Rating: 1.5 stars

I wouldn’t object to anyone calling this a squash, as it stands it was just really short and more about setting up the post match angle.
Commander Azeez and Apollo Crews show up to interrupt the celebration and they lay out Boogs and Nakamura. Crews heads into the ring after they’re down on the floor and poses. Azeez gives him a mic, and Crews asks if Nakamura is their King. The crowd says it is. Crews says Nakamura has made a mockery of the Intercontinental title (as though Crews hadn’t done most of that work during his impotent reign) and wants a rematch for the belt. In the back Happy Corbin walks and will be in action after this break.

Owens is at gorilla, and says he’s not happy, he’s mad, nay he’s furious. He objects to everything that happened last week, and tonight he’s going to use his anger as fuel to beat the crap out of Happy Corbin. After he’s done with Corbin tonight Corbin wont be happy anymore, but Owens will be.

Corbin jumps Owens during his entrance and they start brawling, leading to Corbin hitting a chokeslam onto the edge of the apron. I guess we’re not getting the match. We get another video recap of last week when Rollins hit the Stomp on Edge, Edge is resting at home tonight. Here comes Seth Rollins wearing basically a space blanket. Seems we’ll get the usual Rollins promo after the break.

In the back Heyman walks, and is jump scared by Kayla again. She teases that Brock might be heading to RAW in the draft, Heyman isn’t sure if her thinking Heyman is still working with Brock is funnier or her claiming to have sources. Heyman goes off on Kayla for a bit, but turns into Big E one last time. This time Big E just poses with the belt and smirks, Heyman congratulates him and says he deserves the title and made the smartest decision of his life when he realized he’d never be able to successfully cash in on Roman. Big E says we’ll see when he gets to face Heyman’s boy at Survivor Series, or Brock, or possibly Balor because everyone’s overlooking him. He goes to leave but runs into an Uso super kick. Both Usos abuse Big E for a bit and remind him he’s on the wrong show as they beat him down. Roman saunters up behind them, and just walks by the fallen Big E without even looking down at him. They needed to heat the Usos back up after that loss and this works, and Roman still nails all the little things about his character.

Back to the ring for Rollins, where he says last week was one of the greatest matches of his career and now with a week to process the way that match ended he calls what happened to Edge unfortunate and scary. When Rollins’ boot came down across the back of Edge’s neck he could hear a pop and felt a crunch, the crowd interrupts him with a “You look stupid” chant. Rollins gets back on track likening Stomping Edge’s neck to stepping on a cockroach. He throws to a video highlight of last weeks match with Edge, about the 3rd or 4th time we’ve seen a package on this. Rollins knows that footage is hard to watch, and he knows why they’re booing, but he’s got a question for them. What did you think was going to happen? That was one of the greatest wins of his career but he couldn’t enjoy it because everyone’s side eyeing him and calling him a monster. His own employer, this company (You’re an independent contractor Rollins, sorry to break it to you) called what he did unconscionable, when all he did was win a match with a legal move just like he’s done countless times. Edge got in the ring knowing the risks, and then he blames the fans for what happened. The entire time Edge made his comeback the fans cheered him on, like when Edge called Rollins Edge-lite, or when he dumped black gunk on him, the crowd laughed and cheered every step of the way. Rollins did nothing wrong, Edge and the fans are the ones who caused this. Well if you didn’t like that you’re really not going to like this. He’s not done with Edge, not by a long shot. On NXT Beth Phoenix referenced that Edge is home recovering, and if Edge is home watching Rollins knows what’s going through Edge’s head. Rollins asks Edge if he’s physically or emotionally capable of getting back into this ring. He saw the look in Edge’s eyes on that stretcher, the look of fear. For one single second Rollins actually felt sorry for Edge, and that moment is eating away at him, because he can’t live with feeling sorry for someone like Edge. He wants to move on from Edge, but he can’t yet. This either ends with Rollins coming to Edge’s house and beating the life out of him, or Edge crawls back to the ring and they dance one more time. One way or another Rollins has to finish Edge. That badly needed editing down because that point could have been made in much less time, but Rollins knows how to deliver this kind of promo given how many times he’s done so in the past.

Kayla talks with Becky Lynch in the back, and asks if Belair’s celebration tonight will give her momentum going into their title match. Becky notes that momentum only builds until it hits an opposing force, and Becky notes she’s never been to a homecoming and might have to check this one out.

Carmella and Zelina Vega head to the ring, their tag team match will be up after this break.

Match #3 – Tag Team Match: Toni Storm and Liv Morgan vs. Carmella and Zelina Vega

Toni and Morgan are in the ring as we come back from break. Toni and Carmella start us off. Carmella cheap shots Morgan, that leads to nothing. Carmella runs away from Toni and tags out. Toni kicks Vega down, but Carmella distracts her and sets up some Vega offense. Vega jumps for a kimura, Toni fights out and suplexes Vega. Both women tag out and Morgan with Shane McMahon quality punches to Carmella. Morgan kicks Carmella into the middle buckle, and Carmella rolls out of the ring yelling about her nose. That leads to a count out. I wish I was making that up.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Toni Storm and Liv Morgan won

Rating: DUD

You’re seriously going to try and sell a broken nose without blood? What a clown fiesta. Liv Morgan on the mic, and she’s not sorry for breaking Carmella’s nose. She’s tired of Carmella running her mouth then running away and challenges her to a match at Extreme Rules and promises to make Carmella look as ugly on the outside as she is on the inside.

The Street Profits are in the back, they talk about Bianca Belair being home and how they’re just celebrating tonight. Everyone’s going to be at the afterparty tonight. They somehow move into talking about how they want the tag team titles. Not the strongest Profits promo. After this break Finn Balor will tell us the saga of the Demon.

Carmella is in the trainers section, her nose isn’t broken. She objects to being defaced by Morgan, and accepts Morgan’s challenge. Vega wants a shot at Morgan before the PPV, continuing her losing streak I imagine.

Finn Balor says everyone wants to know where the Demon comes from. He doesn’t come from wrestling royalty like Roman, he comes from a family of rail road workers. He shouldn’t be here, but he kept fighting and made it. The Demon is everyone who’s ever told him he couldn’t make it. He doesn’t summon the Demon, the Demon summons him. Roman is fueling his fire, and the Demon’s fire burns brighter than everyone around him. After Extreme Rules he’ll become Universal champion. That, well it could have been worse.

Dominik Mysterio heads to the ring. Ah, here comes Rey as well. Apparently Dominik wanted Rey to stay out of this but he’s here anyway, but Rey heads over to commentary. We’ll have another iteration of Dominik taking on Sami Zayn after this break.

We come back with the announcement that on RAW this week we’ll get a 6-man tag team match between New Day and The Bloodline. Sonya Deville is talking on the phone, so here’s Naomi. Naomi has been patient and respectful but she’s losing patience, she doesn’t know what Sonya’s issue is. Naomi runs down her resume, and warns her that she never quits and she’ll get a match. I’m still just waiting on Naomi joining the Bloodline.

Match #4: Dominik Mysterio vs. Sami Zayn

Sami immediately heads out of the ring to jaw with Rey, then jumps Dominik as they head back into the ring. Clothesline from Sami for a 2 count. Dominik fights back with some rights and a hurricanrana. Sami lands a kick to cut that off though, and he tries a rope running move but Dominik is able to crotch him and hit a drop kick. Dominik with a double springboard crossbody all the way to the floor, that one was a little too close to the ring apron for comfort, and that sends us to break.

We come back to Sami still in control. Also apparently they’re fining Naomi for insubordination. Dominik counters a Blue Thunder Bomb into a hurricanrana then hits a jumping tornado DDT for a 2 count. Enziguri from Dominik then a drop kick and wants the 619, then hits it. Dominik wants the Frog Splash but took a bit too long and eats the knees then Sami rolls up Dominik to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Sami Zayn won

Rating: 1.5 stars

The commercial break hurt this, but these two work well enough together in the ring. Post match Sami tells Rey that Dominik isn’t ready and says Rey might not be the coach he thought he was.

We get a video package for Bianca Belair as she’s been doing stuff around Knoxville. That leads to the ring, and here’s the mayor Knox County, Kane. Mayor Kane will be present for Belair’s homecoming which will be up after this break.

A reminder that the Draft is coming up, and next week we’ll get Apollo Crews taking on King Nakamura for Nakamura’s IC title. Kane has a mic and says this never gets old. But he’s here as Mayor to welcome the EST of WWE back to her home town. That brings out Belair. Kane hands here a mic, and then asks her how it feels to be home. Apparently it feels amazing, and Belair thanks her friends and family who came out to see her tonight. She says Knoxville made her into the EST, it was here where her father taught her that if someone starts something with you you better finish it. She’s been down before, but always fights back up to the top and at Extreme Rules she’ll take back the title. Kane tells her that after she wins the belt back she has to come back here and they’ll throw a party, then he presents her with a very large key to the county. One assumes that’s about to get broken over her head. Belair poses with the key, and thanks Kane, her family, her high school, and the University of Tennessee. But enough about her, she wants to celebrate the city, and wants to lead the crowd in a song. The crowd is happy to play along, thankfully Becky shows up to cut that off. Becky comes out singing and wearing the worst sunglasses ever seen. She says Kane lied to her about becoming the real champion, but she’s definitely Knoxville’s champion. Becky likes Belair’s key, but Becky has the title on lock. Belair wants to know why Becky is here, prompting a “You don’t go here” chant. Becky says Summerslam was her night, and Extreme Rules will probably be hers as well, but tonight is Belair’s night and she offers a handshake. Belair thinks, and does shake Becky’s hand. Becky tries to just leave, Belair holds fast. Belair wants to hit the Kiss of Death, but Belair counters into the Manhandle Slam and heads out. Come on Becky, the key was right there. Belair bounces back up as Becky stands on the entrance ramp, they two stare each other down as the episode ends.