Battleground is over and we are now on the road to SummerSlam! At the Pay-Per-View, we saw new champions, old champions, and a *big* return. As always, I won’t spoil for those who are reading this and wanting to find out through my report, but I am happy with the return, which could make the storyline better.
In other Battleground fallout, I am not pleased with as much, particularly in the women’s division and the tag division. Again, no spoilers, but hopefully they’ll improve on those situations tonight and through the next weeks.
Tuesday Night Smackdown! Live Television Report for July 25, 2017 – “More Opportunities”
Introduction Segment: Arena Promo
United States Champion Kevin Owens is greeted by the ring announcer. Owens is decked-out in a suit and stands in the ring with a microphone. “This, this just feels right, doesn’t it? I am once again your United States Champion.” Kevin says everything is right again and announces that he will bring back the “Kevin Owens United States Championship Challenge,” but not tonight; he says he will have it next week.
The former champion – A.J. Styles – walks out and demands his contractually-obligated rematch, tonight, but so does another man – Chris Jericho!
“Y2J” surprisingly (genuinely) appears and orders Owens to be “quiet.” He wants his rematch from May when Kevin defeated him on Smackdown! Live and put him out-of-action until now. While Styles disputes with Chris on which one of them is due the title shot, Owens walks towards the ramp, but is cut off.
Commissioner Shane McMahon stands beside Kevin on the stage and sees a match-in-the-making. He books a Triple Threat for the United States Championship – TONIGHT! Jericho and A.J. look on as Owens yells about his new challenge.
Commercials.
Match #1: Single – Shinsuke Nakamura VS. Baron Corbin
Shinsuke delivers strikes with his hands and feet, and then slides under the ropes and runs at Baron with a knee. He leaps off of the apron with another knee that lands on Corbin’s head. Nakamura runs again but is met with a clothesline, and “The Lone Wolf” rolls Shinsuke into the ring but only gets a two-count!
Commercials.
“Mr. Money In The Bank” now has “The Artist” locked in a half-nelson-chinlock in the middle of the ring. Barons slides in and out of the ring, but is it with a running shot from Nakamura, who then kicks and knees Corbin some more. He dives off of the middle turnbuckle with a side kick, and measures for the Kinsasha. Baron moves and plants Shinsuke with a one-armed backbreaker. He knees Nakamura too, and then catches Shinsuke off of a run with his Deep Six spinning-backdrop. 1 – 2 – Nakamura kicks out!
“The Lone Wolf” goes for his End of Days finisher, but Shinsuke flips out of it and manages to hit is Kinsasha running-knee! Nakamura covers to receive the victory!
Winner via Pinfall: Shinsuke Nakamura
Commercials.
Backstage Promo
Dasha is with Women’s champion Naomi, asking her about her next opponent for the title, Natalya. The Champion starts to talk about Nattie not shaking her hand at Battleground, but Natalya walks up and dismisses Dasha. “The Queen of Harts” is not pleased with how Naomi has decorated the Championship, calling it a “kid’s toy.” She berates Naomi for “disrespecting” legacies, and says she will return those legacies when she wins the Women’s championship at SummerSlam. Naomi tells Natalya that she needs to get out of “the dirty dungeon of the past,” and see what today is all about, which she will at SummerSlam.
Charlotte makes her entrance and will be in Tag-Team action, next.
Commercials.
Match #2: Tag Team – Charlotte and Becky Lynch VS. Lana and Tamina
Becky and Lana begin, but Lana quickly tags out. Lynch almost takes Tamina down with her Dis-Arm-Her submission a couple of times, and delivers a couple of kicks, but is caught in the corner and slammed to the mat! Lana is back in and works over Becky for a bit, and then trades again with Tamina. She controls for a little until Lynch counters with an enziguri and makes the hot-tag!
“The Queen” dominates Tamina and struts like her father! She tries to pickup Tamina but can’t and Lana tags in. Charlotte dumps Tamina to the floor and then boots Lana in the face to finish this!
Winners via Pinfall: Charlotte and Becky Lynch
Post-match, Tamina is furious with Lana for the loss and Lana looks upset.
Up next, WWE Champion Jinder Mahal wants to know who is going to wrestle him at SummerSlam for the WWE Championship!
Commercials.
Video Promo
Still pictures recap the Punjabi Prison Match from Battleground.
Arena Promo
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal – minus The Great Khali and The Singh Brothers – proudly walks to the ring in a suit and holds the title high in the aisle. “This past Sunday at Battleground, I crushed ‘the legacy’ of Randy Orton, and ‘the legend’ of the ‘Modern Day Maharaja’ was born.” He declares that Orton “underestimated” him and that he “will stay WWE champion as long as I desire.”
Jinder wants his challenger at SummerSlam revealed, and begins to talk in Punjabi. The man who won the Flag Match at Battleground answers. John Cena makes his grand entrance and meets Mahal in the ring. The fans are chanting for Cena, but Jinder goes on to predict what John will say. However, he is wrong. The former “Dr. Of Thuganomics” actually gives Mahal his props for doing what he had to retain the WWE championship at Battleground, and respects Jinder for his regard for the title. Nevertheless, Cena introduces himself as the new #1 Contender and says he will be taking on Mahal at SummerSlam, with or without the Singh Brothers and Khali.
On the other hand, General Manager Daniel Bryan has another idea. He does tell Cena that “opportunities are earned,” no matter what your name is. So, he books a match for next week between two who have already won to determine Mahal’s opponent at SummerSlam – John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura!
Commercials.
Office Promo
United States Champion Kevin Owens is still complaining to Commissioner Shane McMahon about having to put his title on the line against Jericho and Styles later tonight. McMahon says A.J. and Chris deserve it, and basically tells Owens to tough it out.
Match #3: Tag Team – Aiden English and Mike Kannelis (with Maria Kannelis) VS. Sami Zayn and Tye Dillinger
Tye and Aiden begin with Tye governing for the first bit.
Commercials.
Aiden is now in control of Zayn with a grounding rear chinlock, and he and Mike take over in the corner. Kannelis clotheslines Sami in the corner, and English is back in. He is tossed over, and Zayn tags in Dillinger. He cleans house on both Aiden and Mike, and then Sami hits the Helluva Kick on Kannelis, completing this!
Winners via Pinfall: Sami Zayn and Tye Dillinger
Commercials.
Arena Promo
Tag-Team Champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E., and Xavier Woods) begin their usual entrance, but suddenly go silent. Former champions – The Usos – have attacked them in the entrance! They completely demolish the trio, leaving them laying on the stage.
Backstage Promo
Rene Young is with Shinsuke Nakamura, asking about his #1 Contender Match with John Cena next week. Shinsuke says, “next week, John Cena, you can’t see me, which means, I’ll see Jinder at SummerSlam.”
Chris Jericho and A.J. styles make their entrances for the main event triple threat match!
Commercials.
Match #4: Triple threat for the United States championship – Chris Jericho (Challenger) VS. A.J. Styles (Challenger) VS. Kevin Owens (Champion)
Chris and A.J. dispose of Owens and then trade pin combos. Kevin gets back in and rid of Styles, and then he and Jericho slug it out. A.J. is back in, and he and the U.S. Champ go at it. Owens takes complete control over both for a while. He almost gets this after a senton splash on A.J. He runs to A.J. but Styles reveres into his Calf-Crusher, but Chris stops it with his Lionsault! (springboard-moonsault).
Commercials.
All three are trading hits with each other and battle on the top turnbuckle. A.J. is dumped to the apron and Kevin right-hands Jericho. Styles comes back with a springboard-450 Splash on Chris, but Owens moves him and covers; 1 – 2 – Jericho raises his shoulder! “Y2J” tries his Walls of Jericho submission on both, and manages to lock it on Kevin, but Styles soars, but is also caught with a Codebreaker! Chris coves A.J for a very near-fall!
Kevin regains momentum with a couple of Cannonball Splashes on both, and then they all end up on the mat after a forearm (Styles-Owens), enziguri (Jericho-Styles), superkick (Owens-Jericho), and Pele Kick (Styles-Owens!)
The United States Champion frosplashes Jericho from the top turnbuckle and the referee counts, but A.J. tosses him out and covers Jericho for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall and NEW United States Champion: A.J. Styles
Post-match, Kevin looks on shocked as Styles holds up the title, nods at Owens, and kisses the championship. Kevin now tears equipment off of the announce table as A.J. backs up the entrance with the Championship.
Owens complains that this wasn’t fair and orders a rematch next week on Smackdown! Live. “I am taking my United States Championship back!”
Replays of the match ending are shown, as A.J. stands in the aisle way while Owens is still furious to close the show.
End of Smackdown! Live
