WWE Smackdown LIVE Coverage & Discussion - September 11th, 2018

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Brie Bella and Maryse Square Off in a Huge Main Event

Just days before their Mixed Tag Team showdown at WWE Hell in a Cell, Brie Bella and Maryse will square off in SmackDown LIVE's main event. The battle will be Maryse's first singles match in nearly seven years. Who will gain momentum heading into Sunday's WWE Network extravaganza?


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- Tonight's WWE SmackDown opens live from the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana. Greg Hamilton is in the ring and he asks the crowd to stand for an 11-bell salute to remember the victims of 9/11. Fans start chanting USA after the salute.

WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy

We go right to the ring for tonight's opener as Jeff Hardy makes his way out. Tom Phillips welcomes us and he's joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton. Hardy heads to the ring as the announcers plug tonight's matches.

Hardy talks about demons always out to get us and how he overcame his own demons in his life. Hardy says the only way to deal with demons is to hit them head-on and at Hell In a Cell on Sunday, he will deal with his most venomous demon yet. Hardy says Randy Orton may think he will inflict a load of pain on Hardy inside the Cell on Sunday and while Orton may think he's a demon, Hardy is a daredevil and has no fear. Fans chant "delete!" now. Hardy has prepared his life for this and he will unleash a lifetime of pain and torment on Orton, until he's obsolete. Hardy says he will deal with another demon of his past tonight, Shinsuke Nakamura. Fans boo. Hardy tells fans to enjoy the show. The music hits and out next comes the WWE United States Champion for this non-title match.

The bell rings and Nakamura goes to the floor to stall, playing mind games with Hardy. Fans boo. Nakamura comes back in but Hardy hits a jawbreaker. Hardy kicks Nakamura out of the ring and unloads on the outside, sending him into the barrier a few times. Hardy runs and leaps off the steel ring steps, drilling Nakamura up against the barrier. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Hardy turns it around in the ring, beating Nakamura down to the mat. Hardy takes Nakamura from corner to corner, slamming his head into the turnbuckles. Nakamura blocks a shot and takes control. Nakamura keeps Hardy grounded now as the referee checks on him. Hardy goes down and Nakamura drives several knees into him. Nakamura with kicks while Hardy is on his knees. Hardy catches a kick and mounts some offense now.

Nakamura counters and delivers a knee to the gut. Nakamura with a big strike to send Hardy back into the corner. Nakamura charges but Hardy jumps up and hits a Slingblade. Hardy goes for a suplex but Nakamura knees him in the head and avoids it. Hardy rocks Nakamura as he charges in the corner. Hardy nails a Whisper In the Wind but can't get the pin as he clutches his ribs. Hardy goes to the top but Nakamura jumps up with a kick. Nakamura with a high knee to the ribs in the corner. Nakamura superkicks Hardy from the apron to the floor. Nakamura follows and we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Nakamura remains in control. Nakamura runs and drives Hardy's head into the steel ring post with a knee. Nakamura brings it in and charges into the corner but Hardy rolls him up for a 2 count. They tangle and Hardy hits a Twist of Fate. Hardy goes to the top rope as fans cheer him on. Randy Orton appears out of nowhere and pushes Hardy off the top to the floor for the disqualification.

Winner by DQ: Jeff Hardy

- After the bell, fans continue to boo as Orton beats up on Hardy on the outside. Orton slams Hardy's head into the steps and ring post several times. Orton rolls Hardy into the ring and grabs a steel chair. Orton brings the chair into the ring and stalks Hardy. Hardy gets up and Orton smacks him in the back with the chair. Orton with a chair shot to the ribs and another over the back. Orton poses and plays to the crowd but the boos get louder. Orton drops to the mat and waits for Hardy to get back up. Hardy blocks the RKO and goes for a Twist of Fate but that's blocked. Hardy grabs the chair and unloads on Orton with it as fans pop. Orton falls down and the chair shots continue. Hardy nails a Twist of Fate next. Hardy goes to the top rope and hits a Swanton Bomb next. Orton rolls out of the ring in pain as Hardy stands tall while his music hits.

- Still to come, Maryse vs. Brie Bella in the main event.

- Kayla Braxton is backstage with The Miz and Maryse. Miz interrupts Kayla before she can finish the introduction. Miz wants Kayla to show some respect because his wife is taking the spotlight tonight. Kayla re-introduces them and says Maryse's name first. Kayla asks if Maryse is ready for her first singles match in 7 years and they laugh at her. Maryse brags about how quickly she got back in the ring after giving birth and says she's going to make her husband proud tonight. Miz takes shots at Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella's marriage, and says Bryan can't beat him. Miz says Maryse will slap the taste out of Bryan's mouth if he thinks he can intimidate her. Miz says that would be... awesome!

- Still to come, SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Sonya Deville in a non-title match. Also, WWE Champion AJ Styles will be here live. We go to commercial.

- Back from the break and the announcers lead us to a video recorded earlier today, featuring WWE Champion AJ Styles sitting in the empty arena. Styles talks about Samoa Joe used his family to make him angry. AJ says he knows a little bit about Joe from their history over the years as well. Styles says Joe also has a family but that's the difference between them, AJ would never use anyone's family. AJ goes on and calls Joe a real piece of garbage. AJ says the strength Joe has will be his weakness on Sunday because no one has an advantage over him when the bell rings. AJ says the talking stops and the intimidating ends at Hell In a Cell. AJ says he's going to show Joe how phenomenal he really is on Sunday. AJ says this is the house that he built and it's not for rent, and it damn sure isn't for sale.

- We go back to the announcers and they say Joe will have a special message for the Styles family later tonight. Tom shows us a clip from last week's interview with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.

- Kayla Braxton is backstage with Charlotte Flair now. Flair says she asked for tonight's match because she thrives on competition but unlike Becky Lynch, she goes out every night and doesn't just talk about it. Flair goes on and says if there's one person she would bet on, it's herself. Flair says Becky will learn on Sunday at Hell In a Cell that it's way easier to talk the talk than it is to walk the walk. Flair hopes her former best friend is watching tonight, she says. Flair delivers a "Wooooo!" and walks off.

SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Sonya Deville

We go to the ring and out comes SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair for this non-title match. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and the announcers hype Hell In a Cell. They lead us to a promo for Braun Strowman vs. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns with WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley as the special referee. We go to the ring and Flair looks on as Sonya Deville makes her way out with Mandy Rose.

The bell rings and they size each other up. They trade holds on the mat and Flair goes to work on the mat. Deville turns it around and drops Flair for a 2 count. Deville with shots in the corner now. Deville with a running knee to the face for a close 2 count. Flair counters a move and rolls Deville up for a 2 count. They tangle and Flair drops a knee to the neck. Rose provides a distraction and Deville tries to take advantage but it backfires and Flair drops her. Deville rolls to the floor for a breather as we go to commercial.

Back from the break and Deville pounds on Flair while she has her in an abdominal stretch. Flair ends up going for a pin attempt but Deville escapes. Flair with a belly-to-back suplex. Deville with forearm shots now. Flair fights back with chops and takes it into the corner. Deville ducks a chop but Flair counters and hits the backbreaker combo. Flair climbs to the top for the moonsault but Deville gets her knees up. Flair charges but Deville nails a Spinebuster for a close 2 count.

Deville with knee strikes now. Flair blocks a shot but Deville drops her into a triangle. Flair tries to fight it. Flair powers up, slams Deville into the top rope and then drops her with a sitdown powerbomb for a 2 count. Flair applies the Figure Four and bridges it into the Figure Eight for the win.

Winner: Charlotte Flair

- After the match, Flair raises the title as her music hits. Flair shakes hands at ringside while heading to the back. She goes back to the fans and takes a selfie with a young girl. Flair is suddenly attacked by someone in the crowd. The woman takes off the disguise and it's Becky Lynch. Becky comes over the barrier and unloads on Flair. Becky applies the Disarm Her on the ramp to a mixed reaction. Referees check on Flair as Becky talks trash about taking the title back on Sunday.

- The announcers lead us to a previously recorded video by Samoa Joe. Joe has a story for everyone and it's called Night, Night AJ, written by Joe. Joe reads the bedtime story about AJ and his family as we see recent highlights from the Joe vs. Styles feud. The last photo of the story has Joe with the WWE Title and AJ's family.

- Daniel Bryan is backstage with Brie Bella, taping her up for the main event. Still to come, Rusev Day vs. The Bar in a #1 contenders match. We go to commercial.

- Back from the break and Kayla approaches Becky Lynch backstage. She says she still plans on breaking Flair's arm but after she wins the title at Hell In a Cell.

#1 Contenders Match: The Bar vs. Rusev Day

We go to the ring and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day are out for commentary. Big E is making pancakes. We cut backstage to a pre-recorded video and Kofi Kingston is dressed as a backstage interviewer Kramer Kingsman, blonde wig and all. We see The Bar backstage talking strategy as Kofi does comedy on the mic. We go back to the ring and out comes The Bar, Sheamus and Cesaro. The winners of this match will face The New Day on Sunday at Hell In a Cell. Rusev Day is out next as Aiden English sings the introduction. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Rusev is in control of Sheamus. Rusev drops Sheamus and knocks Cesaro off the apron. Rusev with a 2 count. Cesaro ends up tagging in and slamming Rusev. Cesaro keeps Rusev grounded now. Sheamus comes back in and applies another headlock to Rusev. Rusev breaks free and boots Sheamus as he runs at him. English gets the tag and comes flying in with a crossbody.

English unloads on Sheamus and hits a neckbreaker. English dumps Sheamus to the floor. Rusev tags in and dumps a charging Cesaro to the floor. English runs the ropes and Rusev launches him out, taking down The Bar on the floor. English comes back in and drops Sheamus with a DDT for a 2 count. English brings Sheamus back into the ring and Cesaro tries to distract. Rusev warms him but Sheamus catches English with a big knee. Cesaro takes control of English now and has words with The New Day. Sheamus tags back in and they stomp away on English in the corner. Sheamus with a 2 count. Cesaro tags back in and keeps English grounded. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Sheamus is in control of English. English turns it around but can't tag because Rusev is still down on the outside. Lana cheers him on and he gets the hot tag. Rusev unloads on Cesaro as he comes in. Cesaro blocks the Machka Kick. Rusev delivers a knee to the gut and a big kick to drop Cesaro for a close 2 count. Rusev screams out and stops on Cesaro, then applies The Accolade. Sheamus runs in and breaks the hold.

The Bar ends up dropping Rusev in the corner. Sheamus tags in for the double team DDT but Rusev still kicks out at 2. Rusev looks to make the comeback but Sheamus powerslams him for another close 2 count. Sheamus readies for a Brogue Kick but English sacrifices himself and eats it. Rusev takes advantage and hits the Machka Kick on Sheamus for the pin and the title shot.

Winners and New #1 Contenders: Rusev Day

- After the match, Lana enters the ring to celebrate with the new #1 contenders. The New Day applauds them. We go to replays. Rusev Day talks trash from the ring and The New Day fires back at them from their custom announce table.

- The announcers plug Alexa Bliss vs. RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey at Hell In a Cell and we get a promo.

R-Truth vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas

We go to the ring and out comes R-Truth with Carmella, rapping to the ring. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Andrade "Cien" Almas is out with Zelina Vega. The bell rings and Almas rocks Truth into the corner. Truth fights out and takes Almas down with a big kick. Almas comes back with a big kick of his own for a 2 count. Vega cheers Almas on as he keeps control of Truth.

Truth blocks a suplex attempt and slams Almas face-first on the mat. Truth blocks more shots in the middle of the ring and delivers a kick. Truth shows off some and nails a big splash in the corner. Almas blocks a scissors kick and poses on the ropes with Vega. Carmella comes over and rips Vega off the mat, to the floor. Almas ends up rolling Truth up with a handful of shorts off the distraction for the win.

Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas

- After the match, Almas and Vega leave as Vega talks trash to Carmella. We go to replays and come back to the two teams having words as Almas and Vega exit.

- Kayla Braxton is backstage with Asuka. Asuka talks about returning last week to help Naomi and Naomi shows up, thanking her for having her back. They knock The IIconics and leave together to have dinner.

Brie Bella vs. Maryse

We go to the ring and out comes Brie Bella with Daniel Bryan for tonight's main event. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and out comes Maryse with The Miz. The bell rings and Maryse ends up on the outside with her husband, stalling to start the match as fans boo. Maryse goes back in but hits the ropes for a break when Brie charges. Maryse flips her hair and poses to taunt Brie. Maryse retreats to the floor again as Brie charges in. Brie takes the mic and says she always knew Maryse was a little coward.

Maryse storms the ring but goes right back out when Brie attacks her. Miz takes the mic and says they're not cowards. Fans cheer and agree with Brie. Miz rants about how Maryse doesn't deserve to be in the ring with his wife. He praises her and how she just gave birth 5 months ago. Miz says this city also doesn't deserve this match. Miz says this main event is over and they will see us at Hell In a Cell on Sunday.

Miz and Maryse go to leave but Brie runs out and stops Maryse. Brie unloads on Maryse and brings her back in the ring as the "yes!" chants pick up. Maryse drops Brie with a kick as she was distracted by Miz and Bryan on the outside. Bryan rallies fans for his wife. Brie counters and applies the Yes Lock. Miz pulls Brie out of the ring to break the hold and she hits hard. The referee calls for the bell.

Winner by DQ: Brie Bella

- After the bell, Bryan immediately attacks Miz and starts beating him around, then back into the ring. Miz fights back and throws Bryan out of the ring, accidentally throwing him into Brie. Bryan checks on Brie but Miz comes from behind and attacks him. Miz sends Bryan into the ring steps. Miz tells Maryse to go over to Brie and she does, mounting her on the floor. Maryse sends Brie into the apron a few times now. Brie turns it around and mounts Maryse with strikes. Miz stops her and she goes to slap him but Maryse stops her. Brie blocks the French Kiss DDT. Bryan unloads on Miz in the corner with kicks. Brie has tossed Maryse out. Bryan talks down to Miz and tosses him out of the ring after Brie delivers a punch to the face. Bryan and Brie hit the corners to celebrate as Bryan's music hits. Miz and Maryse look on from the ramp and they're not happy. SmackDown goes off the air with Bryan and Brie leading the "yes!" chant in the ring.