Entertainment
WWE SmackDown live results: Money in the Bank go-home show
Money in the Bank weekend kicks off tonight with Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena hosting SmackDown.
In advance of Saturday’s PLE, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton & Kevin Owens will address The Bloodline. Rhodes, Orton & Owens are teaming up together against three members of The Bloodline at Money in the Bank. It’s yet to be confirmed which three of Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa & Jacob Fatu will be in the match.
The WWE Tag Team titles will be on the line tonight as DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) take on champions A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) for the gold. After weeks of feuding, the teams brawled last week as part of a backstage segment during which Waller jumped Gargano after Gargano suggested Waller never truly cared about Theory.
Also on tap for SmackDown, former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill face off against Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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– The show opened with a shot of Toronto as Corey Graves welcomed everyone into things. Kevin Owens, Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes were shown walking backstage. A photo of Paul Heyman being powerbombed through a table last week was shown. Jey Uso’s music hit and Jey ran out to a hot crowd.
The Men’s MITB Participants Segment
This was as formulaic as it gets in WWE. Nothing surprising about it. Nothing particularly entertaining. Nothing that sells anyone on anything happening this weekend (which is a shame). Prayers up for Andrade, who received a reaction that felt akin to an usher yelling about selling beer in the aisles. Good for WWE for trying to turn him into something after coming back over from Evil AEW; it hasn’t worked yet. Here’s hoping he has a noteworthy performance in the men’s MITB match this weekend and he can get going from there.
The crowd chanted “Yeet!” before Jey spoke. Jey made a joke about being let into Canada, which would have been funnier if he didn’t make it earlier in the day at the MITB press event. LA Knight’s music hit and Knight walked to the ring with purpose. The crowd chanted Knight’s name before Knight spoke and when Knight spoke, he said … you guessed it … “Let me talk to ya.” Knight said Jey was the odds-on-favorite to win the MITB match and how Knight last year was the favorite to win the match. Knight said the way he’d show Jey respect tomorrow was by not showing him respect at all. Knight noted how tomorrow, all of Toronto will say “Yeah!” and the two engaged in a stare down before Jey said “Yeet.” Knight responded with “Yeah!” Jey took off his sunglasses and said “Yeet!” Knight took off his sunglasses and then … Carmelo Hayes’s music hit and Hayes walked out.
Hayes said he’s “that guy” and Toronto did not want to hear all “that yeet and yeah.” Hayes said the last time he saw Knight, his head was up Logan Paul’s behind. Hayes tried to call out Jey, but Chad Gable’s music hit and Gable walked out with a microphone. Gable said he’s been living in his own personal hell throughout the last three weeks. The crowd chanted “You suck!” Gable talked about how the Wyatt Sicks were after him for reasons he doesn’t understand. Once Gable made it to the ring, Andrade’s music hit and Andrade walked out with a microphone.
Andrade mocked everyone for having the dream of winning MITB. Andrade said dreams don’t win matches – and especially MITB matches. Out of nowhere – surprise! – Drew McIntyre’s music hit and Drew walked out to a fairly impressive pop from the live crowd. The crowd immediately started a “CM Punk!” chant. Drew said he expected better from Canada and noted how Punk’s family is always with him due to the bracelet he stole from Punk. Drew said the violent he inflicted on Punk, he will inflict upon the other guys in the MITB match.
Drew called Andrade “EL Idiot” as he walked into the ring. Drew said he feels bad for Gable. Drew said Melo has a bright future but he is not HIM. Drew called out Knight and said it won’t be “yeah.” Instead, it’ll be “No.” Drew asked Jey how he got across the border anyway. Andrade then attacked Drew and things broke down. Before long, Jey and Knight teamed up on McIntyre and double-clotheslined Drew over the top. Knight and Uso stood tall to end the segment.
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– Jackie Redmond interviewed Bayley backstage and asked her what it would take to win the MITB ladder match. Bayley said it’s one of the most rewarding matches in WWE. Chelsea Green showed up and said Bayley is irrelevant and Bayley wouldn’t be the champion if Green hadn’t been kicked out of Bayley’s match against Piper Niven. Out of nowhere, Niven attacked Bayley and ran her into road cases.
– Bayley was shown coming out of Nick Aldis’s office and it turns out, Bayley will face Piper Niven later.
The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) defeated Pretty Deadly (Hit Wilson & Elton Prince) [9:45]
Where have Pretty Deadly been? This wasn’t the best way to reintroduce them, but hell, the Profits looked good. And I’m happy that the Profits are getting pushed on some level. I do wonder what’s next for both teams. This match felt like little more than a placeholder.
Ford had control early against Prince. Dawkins tagged in and the Profits landed a hip toss on Wilson, who had tagged in. Prince fired up and tagged in before long and went after Dawkins, but Dawkins came back with a leaping elbow. Prince and Wilson took Dawkins down with a series of moves before the show went to a commercial break. Back from break, Prince was working over Dawkins. Wilson tagged in and that’s where Dawkins battled back and the two found themselves in a makeshift headbutt on each other. Dawkins then got the hot tag to Ford, who ran in and took out both members of Pretty Deadly.
Ford landed a standing moonsault for a two-count on Prince. Ford went to the top, but Prince cut Ford off. From there, Pretty Deadly hit a super-duper-plex on Ford. Dawkins came off the top instantly onto Wilson for a good near fall. With Pretty Deadly on the outside, Ford landed a running flip dive. Back inside the ring, Wilson was the victim of a Ford frog-splash and that was good enough for the win.
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– Grayson Waller and Austin Theory were shown talking backstage and Waller hyped up Theory, reminding him that Theory being with Gargano meant nothing. Waller said if they aren’t on the same page, they need to catch up.
Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair defeated Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell [4:08 of TV time]
There wasn’t much to this, and we only got four minutes of it. Still, the ending in-ring interview had me thinking a turn was coming. Maybe soon? The Cargill/Belair team seems too good to be true to last for as long as it already has. At this point, it’s little more than a countdown.
Cargill had control once the match was joined in progress. Quickly, LeRae and Hartwell had control and performed a double-team move on Cargill. Hartwell gave Cargill a stiff elbow and posed before working on Cargill’s arm. Ultimately, Hartwell and Cargill hit boots on each other and both women were down. Belair got the hot tag and went to work on both LeRae and Hartwell. Belair threw LeRae onto Hartwell and hit a springboard moonsault on LeRae.
Cargill tagged in, but LeRae rolled up Cargill for a near-fall. Cargill came back with pump kick and Cargill and Belair hit their finishers on LeRae and Hartwell for the win. After the match, Cathy Kelley interviewed Cargill and Belair in the ring. Belair said their goal is to get back their tag titles. Cargill chimed in and noted how it’s inevitable that they get their tag titles back. The two posed to end the segment.
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The Cody/Randy/KO segment
All of the best feelings and positive wishes to Kevin Owens and his family. He’s already one of the best promos in WWE, but putting the real world slant on it here sure did pack a punch. If he doesn’t work the show tomorrow night, nobody could blame him, but if he does end up out there, you can’t help but root for him to put on a hell of a performance.
Cody started things out with his “So … what do you want to talk about,” line. The crowd erupted. Cody shouted out the 16,000 people at SmackDown or Sami Zayn’s comedy show on Thursday night. Cody said WWE and Toronto are “just a good fit.” Cody said everyone has heard enough from Solo Sikoa and the “modern Bloodline.” Cody said he and his buds are ready for a fight. Orton chimed in and said the fight will end with the three most dangerous letters in sports entertainment, “RKO.”
Owens went to talk, and the crowd got loud. Owens started to talk but the crowd cut him off with the “Ole!” chant. Owens said on Monday he got a call from his dad and his mom had to be rushed to the hospital. Owens talked about how he had been by his mom’s hospital bed all week watching her fight like hell. Owens said his mom is still fighting like hell in her hospital bed. Owens said he could have stayed home, but it would have been a problem for his mother. Owens recalled how his mom wanted him to go in there and leave it all in the ring. Owens said if his mom knew he missed a show because of her, she’d be pissed. Owens said his mom would want Owens to beat the Bloodline’s asses more than ever before. Owens slammed the microphone to end the segment.
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Bayley defeated Piper Niven [7:39]
This was more fun than the men’s MITB match entrants spot that opened the show. Jax and Michin popping up was a little unexpected, but welcome. The match itself deserved a little more shine if only because this was a Big Deal match on a PLE very, very recently. But, for what it was, it accomplished enough.
IYO SKY was shown sitting in the audience. Niven had control early until Bayley worked a headlock and the action spilled outside. From there, Niven ran Bayley into a ring post and the show went to break. Back from that break, Zoey Stark and Lyra Valkyria were shown the crowd. Tiffany Stratton walked down the aisle as the match continued to unfold. Inside the ring, Bayley worked a sleeper hold until Niven slammed Bayley to break things up and the match reset.
The MITB women’s wrestlers brawled on the outside as things got chaotic. Stratton went to the top and hit her moonsault on everyone. Inside the ring, Niven went for a splash, but Blayley moved and landed the Roseplant for the win. Bayley screamed “f— a—” and the camera caught it. Nia Jax appeared out of nowhere and took out Bayley after the match, complete with a leg drop. Michin ran out and cleared the ring of Jax with a Keno Stick. Bayley and Michin stood tall to end the segment.
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– Next week, Michin vs. Nia Jax will happen. Also, Corbin & Crews vs. Angel & Berto will go down. The main event entrances then took place.
#DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) defeated A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) to win the WWE Tag Team Championship [14:19]
This was great. All the callbacks, all the fun, all the mess. It’s hard to be mad at this. And good for Gargano and Ciampa for getting the win and actually winning those titles – something a lot of people argued should have happened sooner. But this worked, and this worked well. Good for everyone involved. I continue to wonder how Theory and Waller split for good and I would have thought the title drop would have been it. But maybe the story will be better for it being longer. We’ll see. In the meantime, a very good main event and a fun title change.
Things broke down quickly and the teams brawled. Action spilled to the outside, where Ciampa and Gargano hit stereo splashes and the show went to a commercial beak. Back from tha tbreak, Gargano had control over Theory. With the help of a distraction, Theory elbowed Gargano and changed the course of things. Waller tagged in and landed a splash on Gargano before working an arm-bar. Theory tagged in and kept control over Gargano.
The action spilled outside, where Waller was taken out by a Cleveland Destroyer by Gargano. Back inside the ring, Gargano and Theory exchanged blows. Theory hit a neck-breaker on Gargano and got a two-count. The show then went to its final commercial break. The show returned and Gargano ran into a knee from Waller. From there, Waller accidentally hit Theory. In a great spot, #DIY landed a Shatter Machine on Waller for a good near fall.
The four wrestlers brawled in the ring, Gargano taking the burnt of the strikes. Ciampa inserted himself with a back-breaker and tagged in Gargano and the two hit a Meet Me In The Middle. Waller looked to be out, but Theory put Waller’s leg on the rope for a break. Gargano sunk in a cross-face and Ciampa did the same to Theory. Waller ultimately tapped out, mimicking the finish to their NXT match with The Revival in the same city #DIY won the tag titles all the way back then. Gargano and Ciampa posed in the aisle as pyro fired off.
A Bloodline vignette aired and Solo Sikoa talked about he was the Tribal Chief. Sikoa said he is the Tribal Chief now and Sikoa challenged Roman to take his title from him. Sikoa said he is coming for Cody Rhodes and Cody will acknowledge him. The show then ended with the new Bloodline posing.