– The WrestleMania 39 go-home edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX opens live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California as Michael Cole welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by Wade Barrett. They hype tonight’s show.
– We go right to the ring and Samantha Irvin does the introductions as Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos hit the ring – Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso. Cole hypes tomorrow’s match against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
The Usos take the mics to mostly boos, announcing that they are in your city. They hype tonight’s show and the biggest tag team match of all-time on The Grandest Stage of Them All. The music quickly interrupts and out comes Zayn and Owens. They play to the crowd from the stage for big cheers. Sami says The Usos are right about being one night away from the biggest tag team match in history, tomorrow night they will put an end to this once and for all.
Sami and Owens are in the ring now. They say tonight they are going to make sure there’s nothing unsaid between the two teams, so let’s lay it all out. Owens has something The Usos need to know. He’s actually conflicted about what he has to do tomorrow night. Owens goes on about the history and how The Usos were the first ones to make him feel welcome in WWE, his son played with them backstage, and Owens looked up to them… until they started doing their cousin’s bidding and he lost all respect. Owens tells them to look at him as he talks. Owens is fired up now as he talks about how they tried to end his career at the Royal Rumble. Part of him doesn’t want to do what he has to tomorrow… it’s not paranoia by The Usos as he and Sami are taking those titles.
The Usos say they did make Owens feel welcome because that’s how they are, but they have no love for Sami or Owens right now. The two sides go back & forth over blood, family and loyalty. Sami says they chose blood over loyalty when Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns was never loyal to them. Sami says the weight of The Bloodline has always been on The Usos and he’s going to do one more favor for them – put them pout of their misery, take their titles and when they do, that’s the end, the end of Reigns and The Bloodline, all of it, then The Usos can go back to being just themselves, who everyone in the crowd and in the back loved… you just won’t have the titles with you.
Fans chant “Ucey!” now. The Usos stare them down and shake their heads no. Jey says no that’s not it… it’ll be the same as always – Sami and Owens will lose the big match, Owens will stab Sami in the back, and The Usos will do what they’ve been doing. The Usos go on hyping themselves as their music starts back up. They raise the titles in the air as the two teams face off, then The Usos exit the ring.
Montez Ford vs. Chad Gable vs. Ricochet vs. Erik
As The Usos are heading out, the music interrupts and out comes The Street Profits – Montez Ford with Angelo Dawkins, for this WrestleMania Showcase Fatal 4 Way preview. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Samantha Irvin does the introductions as Ricochet comes out with Braun Strowman. Chad Gable is already out with Otis, as is Erik with Ivar and Valhalla. The ring empties out to Ricochet and Ford early on. They go at it back & forth.
Gable comes in dancing but gets triple teamed to the floor. Erik is sent out next. Ricochet and Ford face off but fly out instead, getting caught and slammed by Erik and Gable. Gable then sends Ricochet into the steel ring steps. Erik sends Ford into the ring post face-first. Gable and Ricochet go at it in the ring now. Gable with a big smash into the corner, then a suplex.
Erik decks Gable and goes to work on Ricochet but runs into a boot. Ricochet goes to the top but Valhalla distracts him from the apron, allowing Erik to turn him inside out. Erik stands tall but Gable flies in and drops him. Gable poses as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Ricochet headbutts Gable from the top to the mat, while Erik superplexes Ford to the mat from the top. Gable goes back up to superplex Ricochet to the mat, and now everyone is down.
Ford runs wild and lays everyone out now but he poses and Ricochet flies off the top to deck him. Gable with a German to Ricochet but Erik breaks the pin up. Ford misses a shot to Erik and eats a big knee. Erik slams Ford on top of Gable’s back but can’t get the pin.
Ford knocks Erik to the floor with an enziguri, then runs and leaps out to take out Gable, Erik, and Otis. Ford brings Gable back in and hits the Frogsplash but then Ricochet hits a 450 on Gable to steal the pin for the win.
Winner: Ricochet
– After the match, Ricochet stands tall as the music hits and we go to replays. Braun joins him in the ring as the four teams stare each other do
– Roman Reigns enters his locker room suite. Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa are standing by. The Usos stand up to greet their cousin, then they all sit down. Cole says tensions are running high within The Bloodline.
– We see Bobby Lashley backstage warming up. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a video package for Rhea Ripley vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania.
9th Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
We go back to the ring and out come the Superstars for the 9th Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Braun Strowman, Ivar, Otis, Angelo Dawkins, Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, Mace, Mansoor, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander, Angel, Humberto, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, “Top Dolla” AJ Francis, Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis, Butch, Ridge Holland, Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali, Rick Boogs, Elias, Xavier Woods, LA Knight, Karrion Kross, Baron Corbin, Bronson Reed, and 2022 winner Madcap Moss. The announcers send us to a video on WWE Hall of Famer Andre the Giant, and tonight’s match. We come back to Bobby Lashley making his entrance to pyro and a pop. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see someone coming out of the locker room of 2023 WWE Hall of Famer The Great Muta. We go back to the ring and Strowman makes his way to the ring. The bell rings and everyone goes at it. Corbin is tossed out early by Boogs and Elias. Corbin throws a fit at ringside.
Dolla works on Lashley now. Los Lotharios double team Kross. Lashley eliminates Dolla, then Adonis. Lashley eliminates Wilde. Holland works on Cruz while LA works on Mace. Mace and Mansoor, mostly Mace, eliminates Ivar and Dawkins. Lumis eliminates Mace. Gargano eliminates Mansoor. Otis eliminates Anderson. Otis eliminates Gallows next. Braun and Otis work on Elias now. Ali dumps Ziggler but he hangs on.
Boogs works on Otis. Boogs and Elias eliminate Otis together. Los Lotharios eliminate Elias while he’s hugging Boogs from the apron. Boogs snaps on Los Lotharios now. Boogs eliminates Angel, then Humberto, pressing him high and then out onto several Superstars at ringside. We go to commercial as Boogs yells out.
Back from the break and we see the Andre statue on display at ringside. Moss eliminates Lumis. Kross eliminates Woods. Shelton works on Escobar now. Ali tosses Ziggler again but he hangs on. Ali is forced to hang on now. LA and Reed go at it. Butch and Boogs go at it. LA eliminates Ali.
Kross with the Kross Jacket to LA as fans boo. Lashley with The Hurt Lock on Ziggler. Kross and Lashley face off after dropping the other two. Lashley applies the Hurt Lock but Kross breaks it. They keep fighting but stay in the match. Reed eliminates Moss. Holland works on Ziggler in the corner. The feed cuts out but comes back to Braun and Reed facing off now. Lashley eliminates Ziggler, then goes at it with Reed and Strowman. Lashley unloads on both but Braun grabs him for a slam. Lashley slides out and applies the Hurt Lock to Braun. Reed splashes them both in the corner.
Butch and Holland double team Reed now. Gargano attacks but they also double team him. Gargano spikes Butch with a DDT. LA grabs Gargano but gets hit. LA plants Gargano into the mat. LA tosses Gargano but he hangs on. Kross drops LA. Escobar with a hurricanrana to Kross. Gargano with One Final Beat to Escobar. Lashley spikes Gargano. Lashley eliminates Gargano. Braun eliminates Escobar. Reed eliminates Holland. Reed knocks Butch out of the ring but Holland catches him. Holland helps Butch comes back in and to apply a Sleeper but Reed eliminates him.
We’re down to LA, Reed, Lashley and Strowman. Reed and LA go at it. LA is tossed over but he hangs on as fans cheer. LA tries to dump Reed but he hangs on. Reed eliminates LA to big boos from the crowd. Lashley unloads on Braun in the corner, then smashes Reed in the corner, then Braun, and Reed again. Lashley keeps control of both opponents but Braun catches him, then nails the running powerslam. Reed sends Braun to the apron but he hangs on. Reed eliminates Braun.
Reed goes to the top for the Tsunami Splash but Lashley moves, then comes right back with a Spear. Reed counters a move and tosses Lashley to the apron but he comes back in. Lashley eliminates Reed for the win.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
– After the match, Lashley stands tall as the music hits. Fans cheer Lashley on as he goes to ringside to pose next to the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy.
– We get a video package for Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns. Cody is shown sitting backstage now.
Natalya vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Sonya Deville
We go back to the ring for a preview of the Women’s WrestleMania 39 Showcase Fatal 4 Way. Raquel Rodriguez is out first with Liv Morgan. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Shayna Baszler with Ronda Rousey. Sonya Deville is already out with Chelsea Green, as is Natalya with Shotzi. The bell rings and they all go at it. Natalya rolls Deville for 2, then drops her to send her to the floor. Natalya and Raquel lock up now.
Raquel goes for a side-slam but Natalya blocks it. They tangle some more until Deville kicks them down and slams Natalya with a running Bulldog for 2. Deville covers Raquel for 2 now as Green yells at the referee. Deville fights Natalya off but the Sharpshooter is applied until Baszler runs in and applies the Kirifuda Clutch to Natalya to break it.
Raquel scoops Baszler and Natalya to her shoulders at once for a slam, but Deville clips her knee and they all go down. Baszler drops Deville but turns around to a shot from Natalya. Raquel runs over Natalya with a big boot. Deville sends Raquel into the ring post.
Deville goes to the middle rope to fly but Raquel catches her in mid-air for the Texana Bomb, but then Baszler runs in. Raquel boots Baszler away, then keeps a hold on Deville for the Texana Bomb in the middle of the ring for the pin to win.
Winner: Raquel Rodriguez
– After the match, Raquel hits the corner to pose as Liv joins her.
– We see WWE Hall of Famers Rey Mysterio and JBL backstage talking. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a look inside The Bloodline’s locker room suite.
– The announcers send us to a video on Mysterio vs. Mysterio at WrestleMania.
– Rey Mysterio is backstage with Legado del Fantasma now, apparently he sent for them. Rey thanks them for having his back last week, but they say it was the least they could do. Santos Escobar hopes Rey teaches Dominik Mysterio a lesson at WrestleMania but this has all been breaking his heart. Rey says it will be a lesson he will never forget. Santos says Legado del Fantasma will take care of The Judgment Day if they decide to interfere at WrestleMania. Rey says yes but we’ve got to do it in style. He presents them all with t-shirts, and they’re excited. They reveal the front of the shirts and they have the lWo (Latin World Order) logo on them. Rey says it’s official – they are the new lWo.
Sheamus and Drew McIntyre vs. Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser
We go back to the ring and out first comes Sheamus for the next tag team match. Before he can walk down the ramp, Drew McIntyre’s music interrupts and out he comes. The tension is clear as Sheamus and McIntyre march to the ring, then pose in the corners. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser of Imperium. We see WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER watching from backstage. The bell hits and Drew unloads on Vinci to start after some tension with Sheamus over who will start.
McIntyre levels Vinci with a lariat, then chops him. Vinci counters a move and tags in Kaiser but Drew gets double teamed now. Drew fights free and in comes Sheamaus with a flying forearm off the top to Kaiser. Kaiser and Sheamus go at it. Kaiser with a running uppercut but Sheamus dumps him to the apron.
Sheamus with 10 Beats of the Bodhrán as Drew watches from ringside. Drew tags himself in as Sheamus waits for a Brogue Kick. They start shoving each other now. Imperium attacks and now they all brawl. Drew with a Glasgow Kiss headbutt to Kaiser, then he sends him to the floor. Sheamus and Drew face off as we see GUNTHER watching from backstage. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Kaiser covers Sheamus for 2. Kaiser grounds Sheamus now as GUNTHER nods in approval backstage. Sheamus gets dropped again and now Drew rallies. Drew and Vinci tag in. Drew unloads and hits a big belly-to-belly throw across the ring, then another.
Kaiser runs in but Drew hits a neckbreaker, then he delivers one to Vinci. Drew kips-up for a pop. Drew calls for the Claymore Kick but Sheamus tags himself in. Drew and Sheamus argue, and Vinci knocks Sheamus from behind into Drew to send him to the floor. Imperium with a High Low to Sheamus for a close 2 count. Sheamus levels Vinci with a big knee.
Sheamus plays to the crowd for a big pop. Sheamus calls for the Brogue Kick now, then nails it on Vinci. Drew runs in with a Claymore to stop Kaiser from attacking. Sheamus covers Vinci for the pin to win.
Winners: Drew McIntyre and Sheamus
– After the match, the music hits as Sheamus and Drew stand tall. GUNTHER looks on from backstage as his WrestleMania challengers face off in the middle of the ring.
– The announcers go over the WrestleMania 39 cards now.
– Back from the break and out comes Cody Rhodes to a pop and pyro. Rhodes hits the ring and poses to a “Cody!” chant.
Rhodes takes the mic and asks everyone what they want to talk about. He says we are at the end of the road, this is it, WrestleMania is here. Fans pop. Rhodes says the fans have sat shotgun with him on this ride, seeing all his cards. He talks about how busy WrestleMania Week has been, and how he will execute on Sunday, doing what he’s been telling us he can do, to become the new champion. Rhodes says as an athlete and a man, he’s the most prepared he can be for Sunday, but in this moment, speaking to the fans, he feels wildly unprepared. Rhodes raps some “California Love” by 2Pac and stops because it may be too much for FOX, but fans can look it up.
Cody goes on and thanks everyone for allowing him to be himself. He comments on how something may be broken inside, but maybe the only medicine for him is to win on Sunday. Fans cheer. Cody recalls his last in-ring meeting with The Tribal Chief and says WWE’s investment into Roman Reigns just started paying off in year 8. Rhodes goes on and introduces himself to Reigns… Cody says he’s not just Dusty’s son, not Dashing, not ‘Dust, but your successor, the next Had of The Table, The American Nightmare – Cody Rhodes, and the next Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Fans cheer Cody on. He says this Sunday he will finish… the music interrupts and out comes Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns with Paul Heyman.
Reigns stops on the stage and raises the titles to pyro. He and Heyman then march to the ring as Rhodes looks on. The music stops and Reigns takes the mic. He calls on Los Angeles… but stops and says he doesn’t care about any of the fans. Fans boo. Reigns doesn’t call on them to acknowledge him like usual. Reigns turns to Cody now. He says it’s not the fans’ turn tonight, it’s Cody’s turn. Reigns tells Cody to acknowledge him. Reigns drops the mic as Cody stares him down. Reigns raises the title in the air but Cody just stares back at him. Reigns’ music starts right back up. The final SmackDown before WrestleMania 39 goes off the air with Reigns and Rhodes facing off.
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