SmackDown has been around for a long time. Debuting in 1999, SmackDown is the second-longest running weekly episodic television show, only behind Monday Night Raw. Tonight, the blue brand reaches a huge milestone: episode 900. The huge episode features an Intercontinental Championship match, as well as the returns of Edge and The Undertaker.
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. The Miz (w/Maryse) – Intercontinental Championship
Despite The Miz’s cheating antics, Dolph Ziggler successfully risked putting his career on the line to capture his fifth Intercontinental Championship at No Mercy. Tonight, The Miz has his rightful rematch. Whoever wins won’t be able to rest easy, however. The Intercontinental Champion going into Survivor Series this Sunday will have to defend the title against Raw’s Sami Zayn, risking losing the prestigious belt to Monday nights.
Dolph Ziggler rolls up a small package on the Miz, but Maryse pushes the Miz out of the referee’s vision, which puts the challenger on top of the pin. Because of Maryse cheating the pinfall, The Miz pins Ziggler 1-2-3. The Miz will now be the man defending the championship against Sami Zayn. Winner, and NEW Intercontinental Champion: The Miz
Kalisto vs. Oney Lorcan
Well, this is a nice surprise. Oney Lorcan has been making waves whenever he has appeared on NXT television, but tonight he makes a surprise SmackDown debut. Lorcan takes on Kalisto, who is preparing for a Cruiserweight Championship match against Raw’s Brian Kendrick. If Kalisto wins, the entire Cruiserweight Division moves to the blue brand.
Lorcan comes out of the gate with a European uppercut and puts Kalisto to the test. What mattered was that Lorcan made one little misstep, and Kalisto hit the Salida Del Sol to capitalize and win. Winner: Kalisto
Nikki Bella vs. Carmella
While they may be teaming up at Survivor Series, Nikki Bella and Carmella have had quite the rivalry over the past couple of months. Just last week, Carmella and Nikki Bella almost got into it at ringside during a match between Naomi and Natalya, and perhaps this match could get out some of their anger so they leave it out of the elimination tag match.
During the match, Charlotte, the Raw Women’s Champion, comes to the front row with a ticket to get close look at her competitors’ match. Charlotte taunts Nikki Bella at ringside, and Bella starts attacking the Women’s Champion. The rest of the Raw team helps their captain, then SmackDown’s team evens the odds. While Raw’s male team stood tall last night, SmackDown’s female team got the advantage tonight. Result: No Contest
The Usos, Breezango, The Hype Bros, & American Alpha (w/Heath Slater & Rhyno) vs. The Ascension, The Spirit Squad, The Vaudevillains, & The Headbangers
Surprisingly, SmackDown has enough tag teams so they can have an 8-on-8 tag team match. This is the first and last time that Team SmackDown Live can get on the same page before Sunday.
All the tag teams attack each other with their respective finishing moves, and American Alpha finishes the match with Grand Amplitude to the Headbangers. Winners: The Usos, Breezango, The Hype Bros, & American Alpha
The Cutting Edge feat. AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, & Shane McMahon
Since Edge was such a big part of SmackDown’s history, the Rated-R Superstar returns to the 900th episode to talk to the men’s team representing a show near and dear to him. Edge starts asking the team questions, and things between AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose get heated as quickly as expected. Before anything gets out of control, the gong hits and all eyes are on The Undertaker.
The Undertaker is here for two reasons:
- WrestleMania no longer defines him, and he is back “taking souls and digging holes.”
- If Team SmackDown fails at Survivor Series, they will have a reason to fear The Deadman.
It is unclear whether the Phenom is back for good, or what his future plans are. Whatever they may be, it is nice to have the Deadman back for possibly his last run.
