Thursday Night Smackdown! TV Report for February 18th, 2016
Introduction Segment: Video Promos and Welcoming
A review of the feud between Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar, also featuring Roman Reigns, airs; the regular Smackdown! video plays and the pyro goes off!
Byron Saxton greets us to Smackdown! with Jerry “The King” Lawler and Michael Cole, who is subbing for regular commentator Maura Ranallo as he has the flu.
Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens strut
Match #1: Six-Man Tag-Team – Dolph Ziggler and The Lucha Dragons (Sin Cara and United States Champion Kalisto) VS. The League of Nations (Sheamus, Rusev, and Alberto Del Rio) (with League of Nations member Wade Barrett)
Kalisto and Rusev begin with a lockup, then Kalisto hits “The Bulgarian Brute” with fast kicks. He leaps off the middle turnbuckle with a Tornado-DDT, then monkey-flips his Dragon partner after a tag.
The Luchas continue to get the best of The League with dives, and Dolph joins the action with a big elbow off the top turnbuckle to the floor!
Commercials.
Rusev is now in control of Cara with a rear chinlock, then scoop-slams him. He switches with Alberto who jumps off the turnbuckle with a modified-axe-handle smash. He gives Sin a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, then wears him down with the chinlock. Cara tries to fight back, but is punched and stomped. Del Rio throws Sin into the ring post, then tags in Sheamus who mudhole-stomps Cara. He gives the Dragon three-consecutive Irish Curse Backbreakers.
Del Rio dives off again, but Sin counters with a dropkick and makes the hot-tag to Dolph. He is all over Sheamus and gears up for the superkick, but Sheamus catches him. He tries a backdrop, but Ziggler lands on his feet and drives Sheamus with the Leaping-DDT!
Outside, Del Rio hurls Kalisto into the corner of the barricade. Dolph hits the Fameasser on Sheamus and almost takes this, then Owens hops the apron, allowing Sheamus to regain himself and Brogue Kick Dolph. He covers for the victory!
Winners via Pinfall: The League of Nations
Post-match, Owens stares at a downed Ziggler as The League celebrates.
Brock Lesnar will be on Smackdown later tonight!
Ads.
Match #2: Single – Tamina (with Team B.A.D. member Naomi) VS. Sasha Banks
The bell rings and Naomi tries to get in the ring right away; the referee stops her and Tamina shoves Sasha down out of an elbow-collar tie-up. Banks fights back with multiple double-knees in the corner, then she knocks Naomi off the apron. She reverses Tamina into a bulldog and straight into the Bank Statement Crossface, forcing Tamina to give up!
Winner via Submission: Sasha Banks
Post-match, Team B.A.D. beat down Sasha until Becky Lynch charges out for the save. She clears house and helps Banks up; however, Sasha shoves her away and walks up the ramp.
Commercials.
Segment #2: Backstage Promo
Becky confronts Sasha about her actions and reminds her what is at stake Sunday at Fastlane in their match with Team B.A.D., a WrestleMania moment. They agree that they don’t like each other, but to want to win against Naomi and Tamina.
Segment #3: Arena Promo
Chris Jericho is out and invites A.J. Styles to meet him, so he can let A.J. know in person if they will wrestle at Fastlane for a third time. Instead, he gets The Miz, who has a “major” announcement. Jericho hopes that it is Miz quitting WWE, but Miz reveals that he and Jericho will square off now. Chris responds by hammering away and chucking Miz from the ring.
Ads.
Match #3: Single – Chris Jericho VS. The Miz
Jericho is slapping Miz around then elbows him off a run. Chris holds Miz in a short-stalling suplex, and gives him a 10-punch in the corner a bit later. Miz comes back by running Jericho into the ring post, then stomps away. He runs against Jericho in the corner with a clothesline, then wretches his nose and clamps on a chinlock.
He gives Chris a shoulder-block, but “Y2J” hits a dropkick. Jericho is tossed over the top rope but lands on the apron and ascends the turnbuckle. He fights Miz off the corner, then soars with a crossbody for a near-fall! Jericho dumps “The Awesome One” to the floor, then springboard dropkicks him as he got back onto the apron. Jericho climbs back in the ring, but Miz kicks the middle rope and continues to kick away.
Commercials.
Miz is still in control, working Jericho over around his head. Chris lands on his feet again on the apron and takes over. He almost gets this with a running-enziguri, then gives him a running-bulldog. He misses the Lionsault and Miz capitalizes with a face-first DDT! 1 – 2 – Jericho gets his shoulder up! Miz measures Chris for the Skull-Krushing-Finale, but Jericho reverses and gives him a Butterfly/double-underhook backbreaker. He soon catches Miz in the Walls of Jericho from a run, making him tap!
Winner via Submission: Chris Jericho
Post-match, Jericho puts over Miz as a “great performer,” and asks A.J. to meet him; “The Phenomenal One” obliges. Chris gets why Styles wants to face him again, but denies him another contest. He does respect him, but is not going to budge.
A.J. is not pleased, and hits a flurry of back-elbows and kicks. He tosses the mike to Jericho, who is now infuriated and accepts the third challenge after-all.
Segment #4: Backstage Promo
Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose are chatting, then Dean runs into Paul Heyman.
Ads.
Segment #5: Backstage Promo
JoJo is with Tag-Team Champions The New Day, who talk about how “old” Edge and Christian’s antics are. They display some antics of their own by dancing and trombone-playing.
Segment #6: Video Promo
A short clip on Divas Champion Charlotte’s career is shown.
Match #4: Single – Natalya VS. Divas Champion Charlotte (with Ric Flair) (Non-Title)
They start out evenly then Natalya gets the better for a bit.
Commercials.
Charlotte regains control after booting Natalya on the outside, then wrapping her in a leg/body scissors. Natalya turns around, but Charlotte grabs her in a guillotine-chokehold. She slams Nattie down for two, but Natalya clotheslines her back and gives her a German suplex. She goes to the outside, but Charlotte trips her up with the ring apron skirt. Nattie hops back in the ring, but is swept up and trapped in the Figure-8, which gives the Divas Champion the finish!
Winner via Submission: Divas Champion Charlotte (with Ric Flair)
Post-match, Charlotte mocks Daniel Bryan, which brings his wife Brie Bella out. She Lou Thesz-presses Charlotte and kicks away like her husband. Charlotte and Flair retreat, and Brie holds the championship high to entice them more.
It is announced that A.J. Styles VS. Chris Jericho at Fastlane is official, and that Ryback, Kane, and The Big Show will take on The Wyatt Family at the show too
Segment #7: Video Promo
A montage of The Wyatt Family’s actions against Show, Kane, and “The Big Guy,” along with Kane’s return is played.
Ads.
Match #5: Tag-Team – The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) VS. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns
Dean and D-Von start with Ambrose fast with punches and a bulldog. D-Von tags in Bubba, who slaps Reigns and yells at him. Reigns tags, then he and Ray trade fists. Roman tries a Samoan Drop but Bubba wiggles out of it. reigns switches with Dean, but they give Ray a and D-Von double-suplexes first. They both clothesline The Dudleyz over to the floor.
Commercials.
The “brothers” are now in control after a back/neckbreaker drop combo on Dean during the ads. D-Von hammers away on Ambrose in the corner, then Bubba rams Dean’s head against the commentator’s table. In the ring, D-Von wears Ambrose down, but “The Lunatic Fringe” gives him a jawbreaker to stop it. D-Von hits back with a clothesline, and The Dudleyz are in control.
As Bubba makes fun of Ambrose, Dean counters and gets the hot-tag to Roman. He comes in and is all over both Bubba and D-Von. He gears up for the Superman Punch, but Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman make their entrance and distract Reigns and Ambrose. The Dudleyz hit Dean and Roman from behind, and this breaks down with everyone brawling, and a DQ-ensuing.
Winners via Disqualification: Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns
Post-match, Lesnar German suplexes both Dean and Reigns, but is it with a Superman Punch after. Roman goes for the Spear, but Brock throws him into Ambrose. Dean responds with a Dirty-Deeds DDT attempt, but Reigns reveres into a Samoan Drop. Lesnar answers with an F-5, then is met by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Triple H. The C.O.O. and “The Beast” glare at each other to close the show.
End of Smackdown!
Reporter’s Rumblings
This was a good Smackdown to wrap things up before Fastlane. Lots of action and some good story provided!
