Ending on a High Note.
The 755th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA. As announced on Monday’s RAW, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton will have to face each of his five Elimination Chamber challengers in the weeks leading up to WWE Elimination Chamber. In the first of this series of matches on RAW, “The Viper” fell to Daniel Bryan and, before he faces John Cena in an epic clash this coming Monday on RAW, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion would be on SmackDown as Randy Orton would face longtime rival and Elimination Chamber challenger “Captain Charisma” Christian in a non-title match.
Match Results
- Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns (with Seth Rollins) def. Dolph Ziggler & Kofi Kingston by Dean Ambrose pinning Dolph Ziggler following the Spear by Roman Reigns.
- Sheamus def. Ryback (with Curtis Axel) by pin following the Brogue Kick.
- Daniel Bryan def. Antonio Cesaro (with Jack Swagger) by submission to the Yes Lock.
- Non-Title: AJ Lee (with Tamina Snuka) def. Nikki Bella (with Brie Bella) by submission to the Black Widow.
- Bray Wyatt (with Luke Harper & Erick Rowan) def. Goldust (with Cody Rhodes) by pin following the Sister Abigail.
- Non-Title: Randy Orton def. Christian by pin following the RKO.
Detailed Results
After pinning WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton on RAW, SmackDown kicks off with Daniel Bryan. Bryan says that The Authority mentioned on RAW that, if he was able to defeat Randy Orton, then he would be in consideration to be the new “face of the WWE”. Bryan says that he does not want to be the face of the WWE, he just wants to be himself. Bryan then says that The Authority showed their “true colors” on RAW when they had their Director of Operations, Kane, come out to interfere in the main event. Even though Kane’s attempt to cost Bryan the match would ultimately fail, a double-team effort would lead to Kane planting Daniel Bryan with a chokeslam at the end of RAW. Bryan says that, since Kane joined forces with The Authority, he stayed out of Kane’s way, but not anymore. Bryan then demands to hear from the Director of Operations, who Bryan calls a “sellout”. Kane comes out, but Daniel Bryan interrupts the Director of Operations, telling Kane to come to the ring. However, Kane refuses, saying that he is there to apologize for his actions. Kane says that his actions were “unprofessional” and “unfitting” of someone in a corporate position. Perplexed, Daniel Bryan tries to figure out Kane’s corporate change, saying that they used to be the tag team champions and they used to “hug it out” in the middle of the ring, asking the Director of Operations whatever happened to that Kane. Bryan continues, saying that Kane used to be his friend and he understands what it is like for The Authority to try and put him in an expensive suit and change his image, but he refused to turn corporate, while Kane “embraced” it.
Daniel Bryan then says that he speaks for everyone when he says that he wants Kane to take off his “stupid tie”, go into his office and put his mask back on, and stop being corporate Kane! Kane admits that they do have a “history”, but that they are just that, history. Kane then says that he now has a corner office and he couldn’t be happier, saying that he is glad that his Team Hell No days are over. The Director of Operations then sternly tells Daniel Bryan that they are not “friends” and they never were friends. Kane then says that, in this business, you can either make friends or make money and he is doing pretty well for himself right now. Bryan says that, since Kane does not care about being friends, then Kane should come down there, so they can treat each other like two guys who aren’t friends. However, Kane refuses, saying that, since Bryan is looking for action, then Bryan can face one of his fellow challengers for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship inside the Elimination Chamber, Antonio Cesaro.
With The Shield’s Seth Rollins a guest on commentary, his Shield teammates, Roman Reigns and United States Champion Dean Ambrose, would face the team of Dolph Ziggler & Kofi Kingston in the opening match of the night. During the match, Dean Ambrose would try to tag himself into the match like he did on RAW, but Roman Reigns would keep history from repeating itself. Then, with some help from Seth Rollins on the outside, Dean Ambrose would take Kofi Kingston out as Reigns hits the Spear on Dolph Ziggler. Reigns then tags Ambrose in, letting Ambrose pin Dolph for the win. After the match, The Wyatt Family appears on the Tron, saying that The Shield is “consumed with pride” as they try to show who has the “sharpest teeth”. Bray then says that, if The Shield could only see the “monster” behind his eyes, then they would realize how “real” he is. Luke Harper then says that, of those to defy them, The Shield will be the “first to burn”.
After Sheamus defeated his tag team partner, Curtis Axel, on RAW, Ryback, with Curtis Axel in his corner, would go one-on-one with “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus on SmackDown. Early on in the match, Curtis Axel would trip Sheamus and “The Celtic Warrior” would pay Axel back, blasting the third-generation star with the Brogue Kick on the outside. It was far from an easy win for Sheamus, but “The Celtic Warrior” would catch a charging Ryback with the Brogue Kick, pinning Ryback for the win.
Two weeks before they join Christian, Sheamus, John Cena, and champion Randy Orton in the Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Daniel Bryan would go one-on-one with Antonio Cesaro, with Jack Swagger & Zeb Colter in his corner. During the match, Daniel Bryan would take Jack Swagger out with a running knee to the face on the outside. This would pave the way for a competitive one-on-one match that would end with Daniel Bryan fighting out of the Neutralizer, locking in the Yes Lock on Antonio Cesaro, forcing Cesaro to tap out to pick up the win. After the match, Kane would come out, distracting Daniel Bryan long enough for Antonio Cesaro to ambush Bryan, putting Bryan down with the Neutralizer. With Daniel Bryan helplessly lying in the ring, the Director of Operations would make his way to the ring, picking Bryan up and drilling Bryan with the chokeslam!
The Divas Champion was in action on SmackDown as AJ Lee, with Tamina Snuka in her corner, would go one-on-one with Nikki Bella, with Brie Bella in her corner, in a non-title match. During the match, a fight would break out between Brie Bella and Tamina Snuka on the ring apron and Nikki Bella would inadvertently shove AJ Lee into her sister. When Nikki checks on her sister, AJ Lee would take advantage, locking in the Black Widow on Nikki Bella, forcing Nikki to tap out to pick up the win.
One week after assaulting Darren Young and severing his friendship with Darren, Titus O’Neil would conduct a backstage interview with himself, but the interview would be broken up by a furious Darren Young. Titus’ former tag team partner peppers Titus with right hands, tossing the big man all around the backstage area before several referees are able to break up the brawl, pulling the former Prime Time Players apart.
After failing to regain the WWE Tag Team Titles from The New Age Outlaws in a Steel Cage Match on RAW, Goldust & Cody Rhodes were on SmackDown as “The Bizarre One” Goldust, with Cody Rhodes in his corner, would go one-on-one with the leader of The Wyatt Family, Bray Wyatt, with Luke Harper & Erick Rowan in his corner. During the match, Luke Harper & Erick Rowan would attack Cody Rhodes on the outside, drawing the attention of Goldust. Bray Wyatt would take advantage of the distraction, hitting Goldust with the Sister Abigail, pinning Goldust for the win. After the match, Cody Rhodes would tend to his brother as The Wyatt Family stands mere feet away. However, The Shield appears on the Tron as Dean Ambrose tells The Wyatt Family that they are the “best unit” in the WWE and, at WWE Elimination Chamber, they will “own” them. Seth Rollins then says that they are not afraid of The Wyatt Family, vowing to scrape their beards off the bottom of his boot. Roman Reigns then says that they have their own way of making people “understand”. Ambrose concludes, saying that it is time for some “justice” and telling The Wyatt Family to “believe in The Shield”.
Then it was time for the main event as, two weeks before he defends the WWE World Heavyweight Championship inside the Elimination Chamber, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton would face one of his five challengers inside the Chamber in “Captain Charisma” Christian. In the end, it was Randy Orton catching Christian out of nowhere with the RKO, pinning “Captain Charisma” for the win.
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