Phenomenal Defense.
The second annual WWE Clash of Champions was a SmackDown LIVE exclusive pay-per-view and it came to you, live on the WWE Network, from the TD Garden in Boston, MA. While Clash of Champions is the final WWE pay-per-view of 2017, the event could also be the final WWE appearance of Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn. For the past few months, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn have repeatedly butted heads with SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon, actively insulting and even attacking their boss. While Shane would attempt to fire the two troublemakers on more than one occasion, SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan has managed to keep Owens & Zayn on the roster. However, Shane’s vendetta against Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn would come to a head at Clash of Champions as Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn would face Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura with the stipulation that, if Owens & Zayn lose, they will be fired from the entire WWE! Not only that, but Shane McMahon himself will serve as the Special Referee and, as seen on SmackDown LIVE this past week, Daniel Bryan will also be a Special Referee for the match! What will happen when both Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan are the law in a match where the WWE careers of Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn could come to an end? Will Shane and Daniel be on the same page or will the Commissioner and the General Manager ensure that Owens & Zayn will be out of their hair for good?
With every championship on SmackDown LIVE being defended at Clash of Champions, no championship is bigger than the WWE Championship and both AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal know just how prestigious the title. After a six-month reign as WWE Champion that saw Jinder Mahal defeat the likes of Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura, with some help from The Singh Brothers and even The Great Khali, “The Modern Day Maharaja” would be dethroned by AJ Styles last month. Since then, Jinder Mahal has done everything in his power to try and get the better of the WWE Champion but “The Phenomenal One” has proven on multiple occasions that his speed and veteran instincts can thwart Jinder’s plans. Now Jinder Mahal sets his sights on Clash of Champions where Jinder will get his rematch for the WWE Championship against AJ Styles. Can “The Modern Day Maharaja” rise to prominence once again or will “The Phenomenal One” prove that the era of AJ Styles is here to stay? What role will The Singh Brothers play in this important title rematch?
In what is sure to be a hectic match for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, The Usos would have the unenviable task of defending the titles in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Match against The New Day, Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin, and Rusev & Aiden English where one member of each team will be legal in the match at a time with a Superstar only being allowed to tag out to their tag team partner. The first competitor to score a pinfall or submission will win the match for the team and that team will walk out as the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. Can The Usos survive these odds and leave Boston as the tag team champions or will we see the crowning of a new top tag team on SmackDown LIVE?
The United States Championship would also be on the line at Clash of Champions as Baron Corbin would put the prestigious title on the line in a Triple Threat Match against “Glorious” Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler where the first Superstar to score a pinfall or submission will be the United States Champion. Also, after interference from The Riott Squad ended their title rematch by disqualification, the rematch would take place at Clash of Champions as Charlotte Flair would defend the SmackDown Women’s Title against Natalya in a Lumberjack Match where Carmella, Naomi, Tamina, Lana, and all three members of The Riott Squad will surround the ring as lumberjacks! Given the animosity between The Riott Squad and the rest of the SmackDown LIVE women’s division, will this title match descend into all-out anarchy? Plus, after months of Breezango investigating the origins of “2B” on The Fashion Files, “The Fashion Police” would solve the case, with the help of The Ascension, and will now face the perpetrators at Clash of Champions as Breezango would face the dominant and monstrous Bludgeon Brothers.
Match Results
- Kickoff Match: Mojo Rawley def. Zack Ryder by pin following the running forearm.
- United States Championship: Triple Threat Match: Dolph Ziggler def. Baron Corbin (c) and Bobby Roode by pinning Baron Corbin (c) following the Zig Zag to win the United States Title.
- SmackDown Tag Team Championship: Fatal 4-Way Tag Match: The Usos (c) def. The New Day’s Big & Kofi Kingston (with Xavier Woods), Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin, and Rusev & Aiden English by Jimmy Uso (c) pinning Chad Gable following the Uso Splash to retain.
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Lumberjack Match: Charlotte Flair (c) def. Natalya by submission to the Figure-Eight to retain.
- The Bludgeon Brothers def. Breezango by Rowan pinning Fandango following the double arm-lift crucifix powerbomb.
- Special Referees – Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn def. Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura by Sami Zayn rolling up Randy Orton with a fast count by Daniel Bryan. As a result, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn keep their jobs.
- WWE Championship: AJ Styles (c) def. Jinder Mahal (with The Singh Brothers) by submission to the Calf Crusher to retain.
See page 2 for detailed results.
