WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - August 6th, 2021
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Finn Bálor is out for payback against Baron Corbin tonight
Finn Bálor is on the hunt, and his target is Baron Corbin. After Corbin shamelessly cost The Prince his opportunity to battle Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship by attacking him during the contract signing, Bálor is out for some payback in one-on-one action against the former king tonight on SmackDown. Will Corbin finally be able to turn his luck around at Bálor’s expense?
:smackdown:
– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX opens live from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida as Michael Cole welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by Pat McAfee.
– We go right to the ring and out comes Sasha Banks to a pop. She hits the ring as pyro goes off, and the announcers talk about how she returned last week, then turned on SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.
Banks says she’s back and that means it’s Boss Time on SmackDown. Banks says she came back for the spotlight she deserves. Some fans boo now. Banks says the spotlight she created, and she promises she will never let anyone steal that spotlight again. She shows a video package on what happened last week.
Banks says she exposed Belair last week and it was so easy. She’s been watching Belair make mistakes for weeks. She goes on and says Belair would be nothing without her. There would be no ESPY Award, no chilling with Megan The Stallion, and no WrestleMania 37 main event. Banks says Belair cried before their WrestleMania match because she was standing across from greatness. Banks says anyone else would’ve thanked her, but Belair didn’t, she wasn’t grateful at all. Banks sat at home and thought about the disrespect each week, so she came back to WWE for one thing – to make Belair pay. Banks goes on but the music interrupts and out comes Belair to a pop.
Belair swings her hair and speaks from the stage. She says Banks won’t be standing or talking when she comes and gets in the ring. Belair dismisses the idea that she’d be nothing without Banks, and reminds Banks how she begged Belair to pick her after she won the Royal Rumble so they could headline WrestleMania. Belair says Banks just doesn’t want her to shine, but she’s been shining and representing. Belair enters the ring and Banks rolls out. Belair taunts her and asks if she’s going to take another 4 months off.
Banks stands on top of the announce table and says she can do what she wants, when she wants, because when you’re a legend… Belair says Banks is one of the greatest to lace up a pair of boots, and if she wants the title, it’s on. Fans pop. The music interrupts and out comes Zelina Vega. She says this is not happening right now. Vega taunts Belair and Banks as she enters the ring. Belair says she will see Banks at SummerSlam, but she will face Vega tonight. Belair’s music hits and she exits the ring as Vega and Banks look on. Vega vs. Belair for the title is confirmed for tonight.
– Tonight’s Progressive-sponsored replay shows Rey Mysterio’s win over Jimmy Uso last week. Rey is backstage with Dominik Mysterio now as Dominik prepares to face Jey Uso tonight. Rey goes on about how they can’t afford a loss as they try to keep momentum going into SummerSlam because Reyw ants to bring the SmackDown Tag Team Titles back to the family. Dominik says he won’t let Rey down and he’s confident he can beat Jey.
SmackDown Tag Team Champion Jey Uso vs. Dominik Mysterio
We go back to the ring and out come SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos – Jey Uso with Jimmy Uso. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and out come The Mysterios – Dominik Mysterio with Rey Mysterio. The bell rings and they size each other up, then lock up. Dominik looks to mount some offense and hits an arm drag from the top but Jey levels him with a forearm. Jey drops Dominik again for a quick pin attempt.
Jey keeps Dominik down and stalks him as fans try to rally. Dominik fights back but Jey levels him with a right hand. The referee checks on Dominik and he rolls to the floor for a breather. Jey stays on him and goes to the floor. Dominik turns it around and kicks Jey into the barrier. Dominik with a big Sunset Flip to send Jey crashing into the barrier. Fans pop as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see how Jimmy landed a cheap shot during the break, allowing Jey to take back control. Dominik tries to fight back now but Jey lands a pop-up neckbreaker for a close 2 count. Fans try to rally for Dominik as Rey looks on from ringside.
Dominik ends up blocking a Samoan Drop and dropping Jey with a neckbreaker of his own. Jey kicks out at 2. Dominik with a springboard moonsault. More back and fort now. Dominik sends Jey face-first into the turnbuckles. Dominik drops Jey for 619 but wastes some time as fans cheer him on. Dominik nails 619 anyway.
Dominik goes to the top. Jimmy looks to interfere but Rey drops Jimmy at ringside with a senton. Dominik goes for the big splash but he’s distracted by his dad and Jimmy. Jey takes advantage and hits a superkick, then goes to the top for the big Uso Splash for the pin to win.
Winner: Jey Uso
– After the match, The Usos head to ringside with the titles as their music hits and fans boo. The Usos exit with the titles in the air as Rey checks on a frustrated Dominik in the ring.
– We see how Seth Rollins destroyed WWE Hall of Famer Edge last week. Edge is walking backstage now when Megan Morant stops him. Edge talks about Rollins and calls him a rotten, selfish bastard. Edge says when Rollins arrives tonight, he will show Rollins what a rotten selfish bastard he can be as well
Championship Contender’s Match: WWE Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews vs. King Shinsuke Nakamura
We go back to the ring and Rick Boogs is on the stage. Boogs begins the grand introduction for King Shinsuke Nakamura, and out he comes to a big pop. Boogs plays his guitar as Nakamura heads to the ring for this Championship Contender’s Match, looking to secure a title shot.
Back from the break and John Cena is announced for next week. We go back to the ring and out comes WWE Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews with Commander Azeez. We see what happened last week with Azeez attacking Boogs and Nakamura. The bell rings and they tangle. Nakamura takes Crews down first but misses kicks.
Crews runs the ropes, ducks a kick and drops Nakamura with a shoulder. Nakamura levels Crews with a kick to the face, then drops a knee for a 2 count. Crews nails a clothesline and mounts some offense now. Nakamura misses a running knee in the corner and hits the turnbuckle. Crews with a kick from the apron. Nakamura ends up placing Crews on the top rope and delivering a high knee.
Nakamura dropkicks Crews for a 2 count as Boogs looks on. Nakamura with a big knee and a roundhouse kick while Crews is on his knees. Nakamura covers but Azeez pulls him out of the ring for the disqualification.
Winner by DQ: Shinsuke Nakamura
– After the match, Nakamura fights off Crews in the ring and send shim into Azeez, knocking him off the apron. Boogs plays his guitar at ringside as Nakamura joins him and the music starts back up. Crews seethes in the ring as Azeez joins him.
– Kayla Braxton is backstage waiting outside of Roman Reigns’ locker room.
– We get a video package showing last week’s SummerSlam contract signing and how John Cena vs. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns was made after Baron Corbin stopped Finn Balor from signing the contract. Paul Heyman comes out of Reigns’ locker room and asks Kayla Braxton what she wants. She wants to see if Reigns has comments on what happened last week. Heyman goes on about Cena getting into the match, then gets some heel heat by knocking Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. Heyman says the SummerSlam contract is a joke and the claim of Cena challenging Reigns at SummerSlam is meritless, and WWE is acting as the ultimate enabler by allowing Cena to slide his way into a title shot he doesn’t deserve. Heyman says The Tribal Chief has nothing to say about Cena, or to Kayla. Heyman says he’s not in the mood. He turns around and runs into Big E, who is smiling and holding up his Money In the Bank briefcase. Heyman looks a bit alarmed as Big E just laughs. Heyman returns to Reigns’ locker room as we go to commercial.
– Back from the break and it’s announced that Zelina Vega vs. Bianca Belair will be a Championship Contender’s match, not a title match.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Tamina Snuka vs. Tegan Nox
We go back to the ring and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Tamina Snuka is waiting by herself. Her partner Natalya is at home recovering from ankle surgery. Out next comes Tegan Nox with Shotzi, riding in the tank.
The bell rings and they go at it. Nox looks to mount offense but Tamina levels her. Tamina man-handles Nox some more and launches her hard into the corner. Tamina charge switch the Hip Attack but Nox moves and kicks her down in the corner. Nox stomps away now. Nox with two cannonballs for a close 2 count.
Tamina blocks the Shining Wizard after Nox exposed her own knee. Tamina with a big superkick. Shotzi ends up firing one of her projectiles into the ring, allowing Nox to capitalize off the distraction and roll Tamina up for the win as Tamina was going for a Samoan Drop.
Winner: Tegan Nox
– After the match, Tamina seethes as Tegan and Shotzi celebrates.
– Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville are backstage with Zelina Vega. Vega just wants to know when she gets her SmackDown Women’s Title shot but they say just because Bianca Belair accepted her challenge earlier, doesn’t mean Vega gets a title shot tonight. Deville says Belair doesn’t make title matches around here, she does. They tell Vega she just got back to SmackDown, but if she does well tonight, she can challenge the winner of Sasha Banks vs. Belair at SummerSlam. Vega is confident in her chances as she walks out.
– We go back to the ring and out comes WWE Hall of Famer Edge to a big pop. Edge heads to the ring as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Edge thanks Tampa fr the pop. Edge says Seth Rollins is nowhere near here tonight, but that’s good for edge because with what he plans on doing to Rollins, Edge would end up in jail. Edge was willing to let the past be the past until Rollins cost him the title at Money In the Bank. Edge mentions how it’s like looking in a mirror of the past when he looks at Rollins. Edge knows Rollins and he see that this won’t end well for one of them, but it has to end, and if Rollins were here tonight, it would end.
Rollins appears on the big screen now, via satellite, laughing. Rollins knocks Edge and says Edge is right when he says they are a lot of like. Rollins says they’re drawn together in this inevitable dance but that’s where the similarities end, because if The Ultimate Opportunist was half the man The Architect is, he’d know you always have to have a Plan B. Rollins laughs some more. Edge says he has a Plan B – how about we wrestle for the first time one-on-one at SummerSlam? Fans pop and Rollins tells Edge to cool his jets. Rollins goes on about how he has Edge wrapped around his finger, and says he calls the shots, not Edge. Rollins says he will think about the SummerSlam match because he has a lot going on.
Rollins says while he’s thinking it over, maybe Edge should also think it over, about what he’s getting himself into. Rollins taunts Edge about his neck and says his comeback will probably be over after this. Rollins isn’t sure what kind of future Edge will have as a father and husband. Edge yells at Rollins and tells him to shut up, not happy with his family being brought up. Edge goes on about how Rollins is infatuated with him, but it never works out in Rollins’ favor. The argument gets heated between the two. Edge says at the end of the day, Rollins is just Edge Lite. This infuriates Rollins, who says he’s better than Edge in every way and Edge knows it. Rollins says Edge is on for SummerSlam. Fans pop as Edge looks on smiling from the ring. Edge’s music hits as fans cheer him on.
– Kayla Braxton is backstage with Finn Balor now. She goes to speak but Balor interrupts and tells her to stop. He’s not in a good mood. Balor says he was this close to signing the SummerSlam contract with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns last week when Baron Corbin stuck his nose where it doesn’t belong. Balor says Corbin should only worry about minding his own business, and staying out of Balor’s. Balor says if Corbin wants to get back on his feet, he needs to learn to have honor and integrity, which Balor will teach him about the hard way tonight. Balor says when he’s done with that, he has a bone to pick with John Cena for last week’s contract signing.
The Street Profits vs. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler
We go back to the ring and out comes The Street Profits – Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins. The red Solo cups fall as they head to the ring. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. This back & forth match ended with Dawkins sending Roode to the floor, and Ziggler hitting a Fame-asser on Dawkins for a close 2 count. Dawkins then shoved Ziggler away and hit a Spinebuster. Ford tagged in and went to the top to hit the big Frogsplash for the pin to win.
Winners: The Street Profits
– After the match, The Profits celebrate as the music hits.
– We see Bianca Belair and Megan Thee Stallion at Lollapalooza last weekend.
Championship Contender’s Match: SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Zelina Vega
We go back to the ring and out comes SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair to a pop. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Zelina Vega as she looks to win this match and secure a title shot from the winner of Sasha Banks vs. Belair at SummerSlam. The bell hits and Belair drops Vega first and continues to toss her around the ring. Vega turns it around and covers for a 2 count.
Vega mounts Belair with strikes now. Belair turns it over and mounts Vega with rights and lefts now. More back and forth now. Vega gets sent to the floor as the referee counts. Belair attacks as Vega comes back in. Vega scoops her for a slam but Vega scrambles to the apron, then gets knocked off to the floor. They go at it on the floor and Belair presses Vega high in the air above her but the music interrupts and out comes Banks.
Banks dances around at the entrance, taunting Belair. Vega takes advantage of the distraction, dropping Belair at ringside. Vega brings it back in for a close 2 count. Banks look on from the ramp and laughs as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Belair counters Vega and levels her with a clothesline. Vega blocks a sidewalk slam and takes Belair down by her arm. Belair powers up but Vega counters. Belair counters that and slams Vega face-first into the mat. Belair slams Vega and nails a moonsault for a close 2 count. They go on and Belair overpowers with a big suplex. She holds it for another but Vega counters the next attempt, dropping her into a DDT for a close 2 count.
Vega with a running knee to knock Belair out of the ring. Vega leaps from the apron but Belair catches her and swings her head-first into the barrier. Belair tosses Vega back into the ring and hits the Kiss of Death for the pin to win.
Winner: Bianca Belair
– After the match, Belair stands tall and raises the title in the air as we go to replays.
– We see Roman Reigns sitting back in his locker room suite, calm and in thought. Paul Heyman approaches and tells him Finn Balor is in action next against Baron Corbin. Reigns says he’s interested.
Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin
– After the match, Balor stands tall as his music hits. Corbin rolls to the floor. Balor takes the mic and says three years ago, he would’ve smiled and took what happened last week, but this Finn isn’t smiling. Balor says he wants to face Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Title and if he has to face John Cena to do it, that’s what he is willing to do. Finn says to name the place and the time because he’s… the music interrupts and out comes Reigns with Paul Heyman. Reigns makes his way out and stops at the entrance, raisin the Universal Title belt in the air as the pyro goes off. Balor watches from the ring. We go to commercial before Reigns and Heyman start marching to the ring.
– Back from the break and fans boo as WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns stares Finn Balor down in the ring. Paul Heyman hands him a mic and holds the title. Fans chant for John Cena now.
Reigns says Heyman has already addressed his position on last week’s contract singing. He can understand why Finn is upset, and why he’s out here running his mouth about Cena, but he must understand that Reigns tried to help him and give him an opportunity. Reigns tells Balor that when he comes out to Reigns’ ring on his show, keep Reigns’ name out of your mouth. Reigns tosses the mic and turns to exit but Balor comes from behind and shoves him out of the ring.
Reigns lands on his feet at ringside. He turns around to Balor pointing his finger guns. Fans chant “Cena!” again. Reigns approaches the ring as Balor invites him in for a fight. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos suddenly attack Balor from behind. They double team Balor as Reigns watches from the apron. The Usos deliver a big assisted Samoan Drop to Balor. Reigns drops down off the apron as he’s seen enough. Reigns marches up the ramp as The Usos continue the double team. Balor dodges the Uso splash and pulls one Uso into the other. Balor fights the brothers off as Reigns and Heyman watch from the entrance.
Balor clears the ring, runs the ropes and nails a big dive on Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso. Balor returns to the ring and points his guns at Reigns. Reigns takes off his coat and rushes the ring. Balor attacks as Reigns enters the ring. Balor with a Slingblade. Balor waits for Reigns to get back up but The Usos attack again. Reigns with a Superman Punch to Balor, followed by a big Uso splash by Jey. Reigns mounts Balor with big right hands now. Reigns applies his Guillotine submission now as Balor starts to fade. Reigns tosses Balor to the mat and stands tall with the title in the air as his music starts back up. SmackDown on FOX goes off the air with Reigns and The Usos standing over Balor.
