King Nakamura to battle Apollo Crews in an Intercontinental Title Rematch

Two nights before WWE Extreme Rules, King Nakamura battles Apollo Crews in an Intercontinental Title Rematch and Liv Morgan takes on Zelina Vega. Plus, the world premiere of WWE’s newest talk show, “Happy Talk,”.




– The WWE Extreme Rules go-home edition of SmackDown on FOX opens live from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He’s joined at ringside by Pat McAfee. They hype tonight’s show and we go right to the ring.

– The music hits and out comes SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch to a pop as Greg Hamilton does the introduction. We see how WWE Hall of Famer Kane, also known as Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, welcomed Bianca Belair back to Knoxville, TN for last week’s homecoming. We see more footage from Belair’s homecoming, and how Belair interrupted the segment.

Lynch takes the mic and says she’s ready to party in the City of Brother Love. She wonders why Knoxville had such a celebration for Belair last week, guessing it was because she made it out of there and did something with her life. Lynch touts her recent success, how she had a baby and returned to win a title in record time. Becky says no one threw her a party and she does like cake, but that’s OK. Lynch said she came out to congratulate Belair last week but unprovoked, Belair tried to assert her dominance and not let go of her hand when they did the shake. Becky goes on about how she had no choice but to do what she did. Fans boo. Becky didn’t want to embarrass Belair in front of her parents, her friends and her hometown. Becky goes on about their Extreme Rules match and how Belair goaded her into it, until the music interrupts and out comes Belair.

Belair says first of all, Becky will keep her parents’ names out of her mouth. She says Becky did beat her for the title and embarrass her in front of her hometown, but that won’t happen on Sunday. They continue having words. Belair mentions how she headlined WrestleMania in a quarter of the time Lynch did, and she won an ESPY Award doing it. Becky says she taught the world how to be great, and Belair better put some respect on her name.

They face off after Belair declares she will be the new champion after Extreme Rules. Belair offers her hand for a shake but Becky smacks her down. Becky talks trash as Belair seethes. Belair attacks from the mat and they brawl. Becky sends Belair into the turnbuckles. Belair blocks the Manhandle Slam and drops Becky in the middle of the ring with the KOD as fans pop. The music hits as Belair makes her exit to the stage. Belair turns around and looks back at the ring, smiling at Becky as she recovers and seethes.

– We see Rick Boogs and King Shinsuke Nakamura backstage getting ready. Toni Storm appears with them and rocks out as we go to commercial.


WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Apollo Crews vs. King Shinsuke Nakamura

Back from the break and Rick Boogs is out with his guitar. He begins the grand introduction for WWE Intercontinental Champion King Shinsuke Nakamura and out he comes. Boogs begins playing as they head to the ring together while McAfee goes wild at ringside. Out next comes Apollo Crews with Commander Azeez for his title rematch. We get a pre-recorded backstage message from Crews and Azeez. Crews promises to bring honor to the title and his people.

The bell rings and Crews goes to work. He drops Nakamura with a shoulder. Crews runs the ropes but Nakamura levels him with a kick. Nakamura puts a boot to Crews in the corner but misses the running high knee as Crews slides off the top turnbuckle. Crews fights back and drops Nakamura with a clothesline.

Crews sends Nakamura flying over the top rope and he lands hard out on the floor. Crews stands tall in the ring to boos as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Boogs is shredding at ringside to rally Nakamura back into the match as Crews is in control in the ring. Nakamura fights back to a pop and takes over, dropping Crews with a kick to the face. Nakamura runs into boots in the corner but blocks it and nails the sliding German suplex under the bottom rope. Nakamura runs right back in for a close 2 count.

Nakamura keeps contorl until running into a big dropkick from Crews. More back and forth now. Nakamura with a big flying knee from the second turnbuckle for a close 2 count. Crews blocks the Kinshasa and turns it into a Samoan Drop for a close 2 count. Crews pounds the mat in frustration now. Crews with a powerbomb. Nakamura blocks the follow-up and drops Crews as Azeez and Boogs look on. Nakamura readies for the Kinshasa as fans cheer him on. Crews rolls to the apron to boos.

Nakamura comes over and hits Azeez with a running kick as he checks on Crews. Azeez turns to Nakamura but Boogs comes over and drops Azeez on his head at ringside with a big suplex. Nakamura brings it back into the ring and tangles with Crews, dropping him into the armbar submission for the win.

Winner: King Nakamura

– After the match, the music hits as Nakamura and Boogs head to the back. McAfee stands tall on top of the announce table.

– Cole shows us how The Bloodline was in action on this week’s RAW. Kayla Braxton is backstage with Montez Ford now. She brings up how dominant WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns was on RAW and asks if SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos will be as dominant at Extreme Rules on Sunday. Ford goes on about how The Street Profits will win the titles back at Extreme Rules. Angelo Dawkins isn’t here tonight because he’s at a friend’s wedding but he will be back to help regain the titles. Ford gets serious and looks at the camera, cutting a promo about how they want the smoke, knocking The Usos by saying Reigns has been treating them like his Bloodline Bitches.

We cut to Reigns and Paul Heyman in their locker room suite. Reigns asks Heyman what Ford just said. Heyman says he had the balls to call the greatest tag team ever, Reigns’ cousins, Bloodline Bitches. Reigns wants a match with Ford tonight. Heyman brings up how he has to defend against The Demon in just two days but Reigns looks at him and he stops talking. Heyman says he will make the match happen tonight. Reigns asks why Heyman is still in the room. Heyman understands and excuses himself, heading out to get the match made. We go to commercial.

– Back from the break and Paul Heyman stops Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville in the back. He welcomes them to Philadelphia but they’re still not telling him where Brock Lesnar is being drafted to. Heyman says he has a big main event for them tonight – Roman Reigns vs. Montez Ford, one-on-one. Pearce says he thinks they can do that. Heyman says he bets Pearce can, and then we can talk about the WWE Draft. Heyman walks off.

– Cole talks about how Seth Rollins sent WWE Hall of Famer Edge out in an ambulance two weeks ago. We get a video package with highlights from last week’s in-ring promo on Rollins. Rollins is backstage now. He says he’s a patient man but it’s been 7 days since he laid an ultimatum down to Edge, and still has no response, not a peep. Rollins says Edge’s silence is deafening and the truth is Edge is hurt bad, and ashamed to admit that Rollins is the reason he may never compete in a WWE ring again and while that is mildly amusing to Rollins, it’s not good enough. Rollins wants an answer and he doesn’t want to wait anymore, so this is how it’s going to be – Edge is going to show up next Friday, call himself to the ring, look Rollins in his eye and tell the entire world the truth, that Rollins is not Edge Lite, that he is superior to Edge in every way, and that Rollins is the man responsible for ending his career. Rollins says Edge can choose not to do that if he likes, but Rollins will not be made a liar of. He will find Edge wherever he is, and beat those words out of him in front of his wife and kids. Rollins laughs and says the choice is Edge’s, he knows he will make the right one.

Liv Morgan vs. Zelina Vega

We go back to the ring and out comes Liv Morgan. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and out comes Zelina Vega. We see how Vega and Carmella faced Morgan and Toni Storm last week, but Liv busted Carmella’s nose and the match ended. That led to Carmella vs. Liv being made for Extreme Rules, but Morgan has to wrestle Vega tonight first. Before the bell rings, the music hits and out comes Carmella. The bell rings and Liv dropkicks Vega into the corner.

Liv keeps control and goes for the neck as Carmella joins the announcers for commentary. Liv runs into boots in the corner and Vega rolls her for a 2 count. Vega works Liv over now as we see Carmella stretched out on the announce table. Vega covers Liv for a 2 count and then grounds her in a submission while talking trash.

Liv stands up and backs Vega back into the turnbuckles to get free. Vega stays on her and slams her face intgo the turnbuckles. Vega unloads with kicks in the corner now. Liv counters with her modified Backstabber into the turnbuckles and Vega hits hard, the same move that busted Carmella’s nose last week.

Carmella gets up and yells at Liv from ringside. Liv goes for her through the ropes and grabs her but Vega runs over and connects with a big kick to free Carmella. Vega follows up with a Destroyer on Liv for the pin to win.

Winner: Zelina Vega

– After the match, Vega stands tall as her music hits. Carmella talks trash and taunts Liv from ringside.

– Cole sends us to a video from earlier today of Happy Corbin shopping for new suits in Philly.

– We go back to the ring for Happy Baron Corbin’s new talk show segment – Happy Talk. Corbin is all smiles as he heads to the ring. Corbin stands tall on the steps and plays to the crowd as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Reigns vs. Ford is confirmed for tonight’s non-title main event. We go back to the ring for Happy Talk. The ring is set up with a red apron cover, Corbin’s hat rack, two leather chairs, velvet ropes and a table with something on it. Corbin welcomes us and talks about how happy he is, how life is so good. He talks about how he needed his first guest to be someone that embodies happiness, who lights up a room. He thought long and hard about who the guest should be. Corbin introduces his first Happy Talk guest and it is… himself. Corbin laughs and then rants about being rich and good looking, and how he flew here on a private jet. He goes on about last night’s expensive dinner, his limited edition Rolex and $9,000 custom suit. Fans chant “we don’t care!” now.

Corbin shows us something that is bringing him happiness and we see video of how he took out Kevin Owens last week. Corbin says Owens is a former WWE Champion and one of the toughest guys on the roster, and he did that to Owens with ease. It brings Corbin great joy to be that powerful. He starts talking about something else that has brought him great joy as of late but the music interrupts and out comes Owens.’

Owens is fuming as he marches to the ring. Owens is suddenly attacked at ringside by a man dressed in black. This is Riddick Moss. He drops Owens and turns to Corbin, laughing and all smiles. Moss goes back to beating Owens up, then stops to laugh some more. Owens fights back but he’s double teamed and destroyed, sent into the steel ring steps at ringside. Fans chant “you suck!” now. They take apart the steel steps and do a double chokeslam to Owens on top of them. Moss is laughing hysterically as fans boo them.

– Kayla is backstage with Montez Ford, asking if he now regrets his earlier comments. He’s not worried about facing Roman Reigns and says this is one time his big mouth has talked him into an opportunity as the truth has set him free. Ford is tired of people backstage walking on egg shells around The Bloodline, and he’s going to take care of Reigns in the ring tonight but just wishes Angelo Dawkins was here to watch it because he’s here, and he wants the smoke.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Nikki A.S.H. vs. Natalya

We go back to the ring and out come the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – Nikki A.S.H. with Rhea Ripley. They head to the ring as fans cheer them on. We see how Nikki and Ripley won the titles from Natalya and Tamina Snuka on RAW. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and the announcers talk about how Edge responded to Seth Rollins via Twitter, and he will be here next week for the beginning of the WWE Draft. We go back to the ring and Natalya is out next with Tamina Snuka. The bell rings and they go at it. They trade counters and Nikki dropkicks Natalya’s knees out, then dropkicks her in the face for a 2 count. Natalya drops Nikki after a referee distraction.

Natalya runs Nikki from corner to corner to corner, then unloads with kicks. Natalya plays to the crowd for a mixed reaction and keeps control. Natalya with a suplex out of the corner for a 2 count. Nikki fights back but Natalya keeps working her over int he corner. Tamina gets on the apron for a distraction now but Rhea comes over and pulls her off. Natalya had Nikki rolled up for a pin but the referee missed most of it. Nikki reverses it for the pin to win.

Winner: Nikki A.S.H.

– After the match, Nikki stands tall and Rhea joins her in the ring with the straps. The music hits and out comes Shotzi and Nox, riding the tank to the ringside area. Shotzi fires her missile at the champs and they’re not happy. The two teams taunt each other as Natalya and Tamina yell from the other side of the ringside area.

– We see how Sami Zayn defeated Dominik Mysterio last week as his father watched from ringside. Rey Mysterio and Dominik are backstage now. Rey is trying to give Dominik advice but Dominik says Rey is suffering him. Dominik says Rey won’t give him a chance and keeps nit-picking. Dominik says he would’ve won his last two matches if Rey wasn’t at ringside. Rey walks off and says he’s going to give Dominik his space since Dominik isn’t thinking straight. Dominik calls his dad back but Rey leaves. Sami walks in and Dominik is startled but Sami tells him to relax. Sami is here to give Dominik some advice. He gives Dominik some praise and says if he were Dominik, he would start listening to Rey a little less and listening to his instincts more. Sami says that’s it. He walks off.

– We go back to the ring and out comes Naomi. We see how she stood up to Sonya Deville last week and said she’s not giving up, and will get her blue brand return match no matter what. Naomi was fined for insubordination for yelling at Deville. Cole says Naomi is not scheduled to compete tonight. She enters the ring as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Naomi has a mic. She says she came back to SmackDown to compete but Deville has refused to put her in a match. Fans boo and she agrees. She says she’s been fined, disrespected, insulted, and ignored, but she’s not playing the game anymore, she wants a match and she wants it tonight. Naomi says which one of the ladies in the back wants to come feel the glow. Deville comes out with a mic and says Naomi to stop because it’s not happening tonight, sorry. Fans boo. Deville says she makes the matches, not Naomi. Naomi says how about Deville make a match between the two of them. Deville says everyone knows she would slap the glow off Naomi, but Naomi is safe as she’s no longer a competitor, she’s Naomi’s boss. Naomi goes on and gets a “make the match!” chant going.

Deville calls for Naomi’s audio to be muted. Deville taunts Naomi as the boos get louder. Deville calls for security to come out. She says she was just trying to help Naomi because we all know that it’s all downhill for Naomi as soon as her elaborate entrance is over. Deville says WWE has given Naomi chance after chance but she keeps dropping the ball. Deville tells Naomi to go in the back and TikTok dance her way into obscurity as she, Deville, plans the future of SmackDown. Deville orders security to get Naomi out of here, and they escort her to the back as the boos get louder.

– The Bloodline is walking backstage now. The Usos hype Roman Reigns up. The Usos stop and face off with Otis and Chad Gable to end the brief backstage segment.

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Montez Ford

We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event as Montez Ford makes his way out. The Solo cups fall as Ford heads to the ring. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and we see what happened earlier between Bianca Belair and SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. Becky is backstage seething now. She goes on and says she will make Belair suffer at Extreme Rules now. She’s not going to just beat Belair, she’s going to break her. We go back to the ring as Ford wraps his entrance and waits for his opponent. The music hits and out comes WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns with Paul Heyman. Reigns stops on the stage and raises the strap in the air as the pyro goes off. Reigns takes his time entering the ring as Cole and McAfee go over the card for Extreme Rules.

Reigns stands tall in the middle of the ring as more pyro goes off. The bell rings and they lock up. Ford with a headlock. Reigns fights out and reverses it. Reigns drops Ford with a shoulder. They run the ropes again and Ford dropkicks Reigns but he’s still up. A second dropkick sends Reigns to the floor. Reigns regroups at ringside as Ford stands tall in the ring. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Reigns has Ford on the middle rope, choking him before backing off. Reigns keeps control and unloads on Ford in the corner as some fans count along. Reigns drops Ford in the corner, then chokes him with the middle rope again as the referee counts. Reigns continues to dominate Ford with big shots. Ford fights back and mounts some offense, stunning Reigns with an enziguri. Ford clotheslines Reigns over the top rope to the floor as fans pop. Ford follows and sends Reigns into the barrier, and again into the barrier. Ford breaks the count as Reigns stumbles around the ringside area.

Ford steps up on the announce table to leap from it but the table collapses in an unexpected moment. Ford quickly regroups and drops Reigns at ringside. Reigns brings it back in the ring and launches Ford into the air, then rocks him on the way down. Reigns with a jumping clothesline. Reigns stands tall as fans boo him. We go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Reigns is unloading with right hands as the referee warns him. Ford is dazed on the apron now. Reigns walks over and Ford kicks him in the face. Ford with a crossbody from the top for a close 2 count. Ford with a kick to the gut and a kick to the chest. Reigns ducks the enziguri. Ford flips around and does a strange move. Reigns looks confused and Cole even asks what was that. Ford keeps going and hits a Blockbuster for a close 2 count.

Ford goes to the top but Reigns moves. Reigns drives Ford into the mat with a big Rock Bottom for a 2 count. Reigns shows off and plays to the crowd for boos. Reigns punches the mat and calls for the Superman Punch, waiting for Ford to recover. Ford dodges the Superman Punch and drops Reigns with a big DDT for another close 2 count. Ford shows some frustration now.

Reigns drops Ford with a big right hand. They go to the floor and Ford sends Reigns shoulder-first into the ring post. Ford goes back to the apron and nails a punt kick. Ford sends Reigns into the steel steps and brings it back in. Ford flies for the big Frogsplash but Reigns gets his knees up and Ford lands hard. Reigns applies the Guillotine while both are down on the mat. Ford tries to hang on but he taps out for the finish.

Winner: Roman Reigns

– After the match, Reigns stands tall as the music hits. We go to replays. Heyman is in the ring now with a mic. He says that was not enough for Ford’s sins. Heyman counsels his Tribal Chief to show Ford, “The Demon” Finn Balor and even Brock Lesnar what happens when Reigns takes it to the extreme. Heyman drops the mic as Heyman as Reigns tells Heyman to bring his cousins out. Heyman yells at the ring announcer and the music hits as SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos come to the ring to boos. Reigns directs traffic as The Usos hand him a steel chair. Reigns starts beating on Ford with the chair, unloading on him as the referee pleads. The Usos set up a table at ringside now. Reigns tosses Ford to the floor and The Usos yell at him. Reigns slams Ford through the table. The lights go out and here comes The Demon. The red lights come up and The Demon is standing on the top turnbuckle as fans pop. He leaps off the top and takes out The Bloodline down below. Balor gets up with a kendo stick and unloads on Reigns and The Usos. Reigns brings Balor into the ring and he has a chair. Balor blocks it with a Slingblade. The Demon unloads on Reigns with chair shots now, then knocks The Usos off the apron as they try to come in. Balor runs the ropes and leaps out of the ring, taking Reigns down on the floor as he tried to retreat. Balor stands over Reigns at ringside as his music starts up. The final SmackDown before Extreme Rules goes off the air with fans cheering The Demon on.