One day before Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles face off in an “I Quit” match for the Undisputed WWE Championship, the two are set to appear on SmackDown in Scotland tonight.
Rhodes defeated Styles at Backlash last month, but Styles orchestrated a ruse two weeks ago, making everyone believe he was set to retire before attacking Rhodes to set up a rematch for Clash at the Castle.
Also tonight, Queen of the Ring Nia Jax will take on Michin. The two brawled in a backstage segment last week to set up this bout.
After weeks of feuding, Kevin Owens will step into the ring with The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa. Owens teamed with The Street Profits last week to defeat Sikoa, Tonga Loa & Tama Tonga by DQ after Sikoa hit Montez Ford with a Chair.
Naomi will go head-to-head against Chelsea Green after the two shared a backstage segment last week. And DIY will be guests on The Grayson Waller Effect.
Our coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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– Corey Graves welcomed everyone into the show as shots of various wrestlers showing up to the venue were shown. Bayley’s music then hit for the first match.
Naomi defeated Chelsea Green [9:25]
The result was a mild surprise to me. If Bayley retains against Niven, which I think is kind of/sort of expected(?), I thought Green might get the cheap win here. Either way, this was a fine opening match. The women worked hard and that crowd, as was expected, made everything that much better. As an aside, I continue to believe that Green’s act would be a lot more entertaining if they gave her more wins. I get the schtick, and I’m OK with the comedy, but because she’s rarely ever a threat to get a win, her matches suffer a tiny bit for it.
Chelsea Green had a mic as she and Piper Niven walked to the ring. Green said the crowd was lucky because they would get to witness two crushing defeats this weekend. Green said “they” would become WWE Women’s Champion this weekend. The crowd was hot as the wrestlers locked up to begin the match. Naomi knocked Green down and then slid underneath her before sliding towards her and punching Green in the face. Naomi ran the ropes extensively and landed her signature split onto Green for a two count. Green went to the outside and Naomi went for a splash, but Green cut Naomi off with a punch. The show went to a commercial break after that.
The show returned and Green was working a chin-lock until Naomi fought out of it, only to have Green regain control with a clunky sliding clothesline. Green ran at Naomi and Naomi got a leg up for a kick. The two then traded blows as they battled to their feet. Naomi hit a springboard kick and followed that up with a suicide dive on the outside. Naomi went to the top and landed a cross-body on Green inside the ring for a two-count.
With Naomi on the second rope, Green ripped Naomi off and followed that up with a shotgun dropkick from the top rope, which was good enough for a pair of two-counts. Green hit Naomi in the back of the head and covered Naomi while getting her feet on the ropes. Bayley pushed Green’s feet off the ropes and that led to some words between Bayley and Niven. Meanwhile, Naomi countered a Green move into a bridge and got the pin.
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– A video recapping the Apollo Crews/Legado Del Fantasma angle from last week aired.
– Baron Corbin was shown talking to Nick Aldis backstage and Fantasma walked into the frame, asking if Aldis was giving Corbin charity. Aldis told LDF that they were lucky to be allowed in the building this week and they were fined for what they did last week. Santos Escobar said Crews must be OK because he’s a tough guy and noted how he would do Aldis a favor by facing Crews later in the show.
– A video highlighting Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair aired.
The Grayson Waller Effect with guests # DIY
It’s about time #DIY gets an honest-to-goodness shot at tag gold on the main roster. If it comes along with the development of Theory turning babyface, that’s only the cherry on top of a tasty sundae. Time will tell, though. WWE decision-makers have seemingly long been high on Waller and Theory as pest heels and if this turns out to be a fake out on both ends, it’ll also turn out to be a disappointment.
Austin Theory asked Waller where all of Theory’s plants were and Waller said the place was too depressing to bring his normal array of plants. Waller then introduced Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Gargano got rid of one of the GWE signs in the ring. Ciampa, meanwhile, threw a chair out of the ring once they stepped foot inside of it. Ciampa told Waller he doesn’t play games. Ciampa asked Waller of Theory was Waller’s secretary. Theory was annoyed and Waller said the show was created before his team with Theory was created. Waller then said he’d take a bullet for Theory.
Gargano set up footage from last week when Waller did the opposite of taking a bullet for Theory and put Theory in harm’s way of a dive from Gargano. Waller claimed the footage was AI, which was funny. Waller noted how Garagno didn’t show Waller beating Gargano last week. Ciampa noted the Scotland crowd and said they were at the show to see a fight for the tag titles. Waller said they wouldn’t defend their titles in a place like Glasgow. Gargano said that #DIY are still coming for the WWE Tag Team Championships and everyone is sick of hearing from Waller Gargano turned his attention to Theory,
Gargano said he goes way back with Theory and he’s proud of what Theory has done on his own. Gargano said someone needs to tell Theory that Waller is using Theory and Theory doesn’t need Waller. Waller responded by immediately attacking Gargano. Theory was thrown in the way – via Waller again – of a super-kick from Gargano and a running knee from Ciampa. Gargano and Ciampa then posed with the tag belts inside the ring to end the segment.
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– Kevin Owens was shown sitting backstage and the Street Profits with B-Fab walked in to tell Owens that they will have his back later tonight. The Profits chanted “We got your back.” Owens said, “I love it. I love chants.”
– Waller and Theory were shown walking backstage and they walked into Naomi and Bayley, who ran into Blair Davenport. Bayley thanked Naomi for having her back in recent months and Chelsea Green walked into the frame. Out of nowhere, Piper Niven attacked both Bayley and Naomi and left them lying.
Santos Escobar defeated Apollo Crews [9:01]
For a match I wasn’t even expecting to happen, this was pretty good. Crews was allowed to get in a lot more shine than I could have ever predicted and the finish even kind of protected him. I’m intrigued by the Crews/Corbin alliance and I’m even more happy to see LDF working a program with people who aren’t the LWO. So, I see promise, potential and all those fun things. If this match was designed to kick it off in earnest, color me optimistic.
Crews started the match by attacking Escobar and landing a belly-to-belly suplex. Escobar quickly rolled outside and Crews followed him, which was a mistake because by the time both guys got back in the ring, Escobar took control. The action spilled back outside, where Escobar kicked Crews … until Baron Corbin’s music hit and Corbin ran out to attack LDF. Escobar was starting at him in the ring and when Escobar turned around, he ran into Crews’s finishing sequence, complete with a standing moonsault. The problem was that it was only enough to get Crews a two-count. The show then went to a commercial break as the match continued.
The show returned and Escobar was working over Crews. Escobar landed a shoulder block and a Senton for a two-count. Escobar kicked Crews and hit a tilt-a-whirl back-breaker. Escobar kept control with a quick arm-bar, but Crews fought out of it and eventually landed a splash on Escobar in a corner. Crews hit two German Suplexes and followed that up with a leaping clothesline, which the crowd liked. Crews slammed Escobar for a two-count. Crews went to the top, but Escobar cut Crews off and went for a super-plex, but Crews countered with a punch, sending Escobar to the canvas. Crews leapt from the top into a knee from Escobar and the match reset.
The two traded right hands until Crews landed a pop-up Death Valley Driver for a good near-fall. On the outside of the ring, Angel and Berto attacked Corbin and with Crews on the top rope, Elekra Lopez pushed Crews off as the referee wasn’t looking. From there, Escobar rolled Crews up for the win.
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The Cody Rhodes/AJ Styles segment
Oh, boy, that crowd. What fun that must be. If it’s like that for SmackDown, you have to think Clash at the Castle will be turned up even beyond that. Good stuff from both guys here and while I’ve complained that this is a match WWE is lazily going back to, Styles and Cody did a good job getting me back when it comes to being interested in their match on Saturday. The AEW/other promotions lines about Cody, no matter who he works with in WWE, are getting awfully old, but it worked well enough here. At some point, someone has to move away from, “you’re Dusty’s son and you don’t work in AEW anymore,” though. Styles might prove to be the last one to get away with it successfully.
Cody started things off by saying “Glasgow, what do you want to talk about?” Cody talked about being the guy that needs “just one more match, one more run.” Cody said Styles is starting to look like that guy. The crowd then chanted in a way only those Great Scots can. Cody said Styles has been given the impossible task of making Cody say the words “I quit.” From there, Styles’s music hit and Styles walked out with Anderson & Gallows.
Styles stood in the entrance way with a microphone and said Cody is really worked up. Styles said all he had to do was pretend he was going to retire and Cody lost his cool. Styles could hardly be heard over the crowd chanting, which was wild. Cody asked Styles why he was so far away and invited Styles into the ring to face him “man to man.” Gallows & Anderson walked to the back and Styles got into the ring. A decibel meter was shown and the dBA was hovering around 92/93 for the crowd volume as they chanted for Cody. Styles had no chance to talk even if he wanted to.
Styles said it took him 17 years to climb the ladder to WWE. Styles noted how Cody quit the WWE when things got tough. Styles said Cody also quit NJPW, Ring Of Honor and Cody helped start a company that he quit, too. Styles said Cody can’t face the pressure. Styles said, “When the going gets tough, Cody Rhodes gets going.” Cody responded by saying he’s made big decisions in his career and at this point, the pro-Cody crowd was drowning out Cody. Cody said he did not quit and instead, he bet on himself that he was something more and he was right.
Cody said if he had quit, he wouldn’t be standing there with the most important title in the game. Cody said he idolized Styles his career and if anyone quit, Styles quit on himself. Cody mocked Styles for pretending to be Mark Henry for a night. Cody said Styles has become a resentful coward, but he has no problem making Styles say “I quit!” Styles said it’s natural for Cody to say those words while Styles can’t quit being phenomenal. Styles kept talking but the crowd was riled up again and it became hard to hear Styles, who I think said he understood Cody didn’t quit against Seth Rollins. Styles said Cody won’t be in the ring with Seth and instead, he’ll be in the ring with AJ Styles. Styles said he’d beat Cody to a “bloody pulp.” Soon after, Styles’s music hit and the segment ended as the two had a bit of a stare down.
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– The Street Profits and B-Fab were interviewed backstage and out of nowhere, The Bloodline attacked the Profits. Kevin Owens ran into the frame and the show went to break.
– A Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark vignette aired.
Nia Jax defeated Michin [1:20]
Not much to this, but poor Michin. Here’s hoping she plays a major role in the AJ/Cody match tomorrow night, which some speculate she might. As for this, it was a lot of nothing. Also of note: Tiffany Stratton must have really pissed someone off because man, how she’s fallen from being The Next Big Thing to sitting in for 45 seconds on a one-minute match.
Michin tried to jumpstart the match on the outside and by the time the match officially started inside the ring, Michin wouldn’t let go of control, including hitting an Eat Defeat. The action spilled outside, where Tiffany Stratton was doing guest commentary. Stratton threw a drink on Michin and when Michin returned to the ring, Jax hit Michin, landed her finish, and that was it.
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– Kevin Owens was shown coming out of the trainer’s room and it turns out the Profits won’t be able to have Owens’s back later. Owens seemed find with that.
– A video recapping Logan Paul competing in the Tetris Championship aired. Paul failed, so he returned home and when he got home, and walked into his home and was told “his boy from LA” was there. LA Knight was chilling in Paul’s pool and took a phone call. Knight stood up, dried himself off and told Paul he’d see him in Chicago next week. Knight said, “Bring that U.S. title with you, yeah!” The video ended.
– Carmelo Hayes was shown in the crowd with a microphone, saying that Knight flew all the way to Puerto Rico to confront Paul. Hayes called Knight trash. Hayes said he has an opportunity qualify for Money In The Bank next week. Hayes said when he wins MITB, he’ll be one step closer to being Melo In The Bank.
– Solo Sikoa was shown talking to Paul Heyman backstage and said if he loses his match against Kevin Owens, he’s coming after Heyman.
– Jackie Redmond interviewed Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn in the entrance way. Redmond asked them about their tag title match on Saturday. Fyre said tomorrow they will make history in Scotland. Dawn said tomorrow, they will be the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. And that was about the end of that because their music hit and the segment was over.
Solo Sikoa defeated Kevin Owens [16:37]
God bless Kevin Owens. They are asking him to lay down time after time for the sake of The Bloodline Wolfpack 2.0 and that guy is doing all he can to get Solo Sikoa and his brethren over. It worked this week more than it did last week – which begs the question, will it work better next week than it did this week? It’s a fair question because this thing has to be more than “Paul Heyman is scared of everyone,” and Owens (and, for his part, Orton, too) has done a very good job furthering all of it. What’s next, though? Could a MITB blowoff be in our future, or does all of this extend to SummerSlam? At this point, I’m not sure which option makes more sense.
Owens walked out with a “Scotland 3:16” shirt on and it made me laugh. The Stone Cold insignia was on the back of the shirt. Owens jumpstarted the match and attacked Sikoa as the bell rang. Sikoa rolled out the outside, but Owens followed him and worked Sikoa over. Sikoa eventually got a punch in, but Owens wouldn’t let up and hit a frog splash from the apron. Owens got the crowd riled up and the show went to a commercial break.
The show returned and Sikoa had complete control, working Owens over on the ring steps. Back inside the ring, Owens fired up, but Sikoa cut Owens off with an elbow and a one-count. Sikoa landed a hip attack on Owens and Heyman looked concerned on the outside of the ring. Sikoa went for another one, but Owens moved and hit a DDT to even things out. After they got back to their feet, Owens stomped a mud hole in Sikoa after a series of strikes. Owens and Sikoa hit clotheslines on each other, but the sequence left Sikoa on the mat. Owens went to the top, but Sikoa cut him off. It didn’t matter because Owens hit a Tornado DDT for a nice near-fall.
Owens went for a super-kick, but Sikoa caught Owens and landed a Samoan Drop for a two-count. Heyman stood on the outside, still, with his hands in his pockets, looking concerned. Sikoa set up for a Rock Bottom, nbut the two traded super-kicks until Owens got the best of it and landed a Cannonball. Owens went to the top rope and connected on a Swanton Bomb for a two-count. On the apron, Sikoa back-body-dropped Owens onto the hardest part of the ring (as they say). With both guys down on the outside, the show took its final commercial break.
Back from that final break, Sikoa went for a super-plex, but Owens blocked it. From there, Owens hit a Frog Splash for a good near fall. Owens tried to set up a Stunner, but Sikoa countered into a Spinning Solo. Owens kicked out. Sikoa hit another one. Owens kicked out again. Sikoa then ran into a super-kick. Owens landed another one and went to the top … only to go for a Swanton, which Sikoa countered with knees up. Owens actually hit a Stunner and was going to win, but Heyman put Sikoa’s leg on the rope for a break.
Owens rolled outside and confronted Heyman. Owens looked like he was going to suplex Heyman on the commentary table, but Sikoa showed up with a Samoan Spike. Sikoa rolled Owens back inside the ring and hit another Samoan Spike, which got Sikoa the win. After the match, the rest of the Bloodline ran down and beat the hell out of Owens. Wouldn’t you know it … Randy Orton’s theme song hit and Orton ran out to make the save, which included a draping DDT on Sikoa, and an RKO on Tonga Loa. Owens and Orton hugged. The show ended with the Bloodline standing in the entrance way as Owens and Orton stood tall in the ring.
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