Tonight’s episode of SmackDown LIVE opens up from The Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stephanie McMahon is in the ring with Shane McMahon, WWE Champion “The New” Daniel Bryan & Rowan. The ring is set up for a contract signing.
Shane & Stephanie welcome us to the show and introduces WWE Champion “The New” Daniel Bryan, pointing out that the chair he is sitting in is leather. They then give Kofi Kingston a big intro, talking up his WWE career and especially his recent rise to contendership for The WWE Championship. The New Day then comes out with their man and he makes a point of circling around the ring and slapping hands on his way in.
Kofi starts out by saying that after eleven years, all he wanted was a chance and it’s happening, baby! Kofi then says that he knows this moment would have not been possible without his brothers in The New Day and he also knows this wouldn’t have been possible without all the tweets and support from The WWE Universe, who demanded it and made it happen. And at Fastlane, he is gonna do what everyone’s wanted to see him do for a very long time.
Big E & Xavier Woods then encourage Kofi to “get that wood” and he continues by saying that he is gonna beat Daniel Bryan and become WWE Champion. Without uttering any words, Daniel Bryan signs at Shane’s behest and Kingston savors the moment before putting pen to paper.
WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon makes his entrance. He says that Kofi is extraordinary, but before he signs he wants to tell him personally how much he appreciates his accomplishments over the past eleven years. Truly remarkable, however it is incumbent upon him as Chairman Of The Board to give them the best competition, the highest box office, therefore he is replacing Kingston with a man that is, frankly, more deserving.
The New Day lose their mind as Vince continues, calling his man more qualified and introducing him as none other than Kevin Owens. Owens makes his entrance and takes a seat and signs the contract. The New Day storm off, rightfully disgusted and asking why this happens every single time Kofi’s on the brink of getting what he’s earned.
On that note, we go to a commercial break.
Back from the commercial break and Kevin Owens is talking to Shane McMahon & Stephanie McMahon about how glad he is that Vince McMahon is recognizing his contributions to the industry. He then calls out the smug look on Bryan & Rowan’s faces and says that he wants to team up with Kofi Kingston against the two of them tonight. The McMahons then say that they will take it under consideration and he leaves.
Commentary then hypes up an appearance from Charlotte Flair and a recap of Roman Reigns’ announcement from last night’s RAW.
The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff Hardy) vs. The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro): Jeff & Cesaro start this one off. Matt tags in for the double team and works over Cesaro’s shoulder. Cesaro fights back and tags in Sheamus. Sheamus pummels on Matt in the corner and then hits a knee to the body. Matt fights back and tags in Jeff for the double team. Cesaro runs in and they double team him too. The Bar rolls outside and Jeff leapfrogs off Matt’s back with a suicide dive on Cesaro & Sheamus at ringside. Back in the ring, The Bar double teams Jeff until he fights back with the Whisper In The Wind on both of them. Matt & Cesaro tag in and Matt cleans house. Matt hits the Side Effect on Cesaro for a two count. Matt follows up with a flying elbow drop from the middle rope for another two count. Matt knocks Sheamus off the apron and Cesaro takes advantage of the distraction to drop Matt neck-first across the ropes. Sheamus hits a cheap shot on Matt behind the referee’s back, then he tags in. Jeff takes out Cesaro with the Twist of Fate, then Matt escapes from Sheamus and hits the Twist of Fate on Sheamus. Jeff tags in and hits the Swanton on Sheamus for the three count. Winners: The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff Hardy)
After the match, Matt & Jeff celebrate as their music hits. We go to replays.
We head backstage where Ricochet & Aleister Black are talking strategy ahead of their match against Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura when Lana rolls up. She says that she doesn’t know what the fuss is about as they are nothing special and quite ordinary, just two opponents that are going to get crushed. Ricochet then points out that they beat The Revival on RAW but that’s okay, he loves how people who tell him he is nothing special look when he proves them wrong.
Black then says that he gets it, she fears the unknown, but the only thing you need to know about him is written on his flesh and he will translate – tonight, Rusev & Nakamura will fade to black.
R-Truth makes his entrance and we go to a commercial break.
Back from the commercial break and we get a video package celebrating The Honky Tonk Man’s induction into The WWE Hall Of Fame.
R-Truth is in the ring with Carmella and he begins by asking if we want the truth. He says that ever since he was a little kid he wanted to be like his hero, John Cena. So he is gonna follow in John’s footsteps by continuing The United States Championship Open Challenge and that starts when Carmella says it starts right after DANCE BREAK!
Before he can continue, here comes Andrade “Cien” Almas. And Rey Mysterio. He takes Almas out and R-Truth tells them to calm down and says that he has a dilemma right now, he is at a crossroads. At moments like this he asks himself what John Cena would do and Mella says that he would fight both at once. Truth is shocked and says that he is brave, he was thinking more like “no thank you”, but he is gonna make John proud.
R-Truth (c) vs. Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE United States Title Open Challenge) (Triple Threat Match): The WWE United States Title is on the line in this one. The opening bell sounds and Andrade immediately dropkicks Rey. Truth & Andrade go at it now, then Rey hits a hurricanrana on Andrade to send him out to ringside. Truth hits a spinning back elbow on Rey and Rey is down. Truth looks for a springboard move, but Andrade pulls him off the apron and powerbombs Truth on the floor. Rey looks for a dive on Truth, but Andrade dropkicks Rey out of mid-air. Back in the ring, Rey fights back and drops Andrade. Rey goes after Truth now, but Truth fights back with a back elbow and then they collide mid-ring and both men are down. Andrade is the first man back to his feet and he hits a running knee strike on Rey in the corner. He goes for one on Truth but misses. Truth connects with right hands and hits a facebuster. Truth hits a running clothesline in the corner and then a back suplex on Andrade. Truth calls for the Five Knuckle Shuffle and he hits it on Andrade for a two count. Zelina Vega hops up on the apron and gets involved until Carmella pulls her down. Andrade throws Truth into the ring post, then Rey comes flying off the top and takes out Andrade. He puts Andrade on the ropes and looks for the 619, but Andrade dodges it. Andrade & Rey trade shots until Andrade hits the spinning back elbow on Rey for a two count. Rey fights back with a kick, then he drops both Truth & Andrade on the ropes for the 619. Truth dodges it, but Rey connects on Andrade. Truth rolls up Rey from behind for the three count. Winner & Still The WWE United States Champion: R-Truth
After the match, Truth celebrates as his music hits. He grabs the title and leaves with Carmella as Rey looks on. Andrade recovers and comes from behind, decking Rey. Andrade goes for the Hammerlock DDT but Rey gets out. Rey goes to follow-up but Andrade retreats to the floor with Vega. Rey’s music hits.
Commentary hypes up The Blockbuster Tag Team Main Event Matchup between Kofi Kingston & Kevin Owens vs. WWE Champion “The New” Bryan & Rowan.
Charlotte Flair is shown walking backstage to send us to a commercial break.
Back from the commercial break and we get a recap of the opening segment.
Charlotte Flair makes her entrance.
She talks about how Mr. McMahon made the main event of Fastlane even better at the top of the show tonight, almost as important as when he put her into the main event of WrestleMania against Ronda Rousey. Flair then says that she does exactly what is asked of her, unlike Lynch or Rousey and she always delivers. Flair then says media, charity, live events, the main event, she is the gold standard.
Flair then says that she would never have laid down the title when she was champion and Becky & Ronda are afraid of her. Flair then says that fear makes you do irrational things and Lynch’s fears is exposed while Rousey’s fears will be getting another beatdown but Flair fears nothing and no one. Flair then says that Ronda Rousey has some thoughts on what a true champion is and Charlotte runs a clip of her saying just that in November, talking about standing guard in sickness and in health. Flair & Ronda agree on this, but she says that the difference is she will never quit and she will never lay the title down, because she is the true champion and that is why next Monday she will be on RAW so Mr. McMahon can crown The New RAW Women’s Champion.
Commentary hypes up the main event once again.
Aleister Black & Ricochet make their entrances and we go to a commercial break on a video package celebrating Black History Month.
Back from the commercial break and The Tag Team Match is underway.
Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura: Nakamura & Black start this one off trading strikes. Nakamura misses a kick and Black sits down on the mat. Nakamura misses another kick and Black takes him down with an arm drag, then tags in Ricochet. They double team Nakamura for a two count. Nakamura starts working over Ricochet’s knee and then Rusev tags in and continues the offense. Rusev & Nakamura trade tags now to take turns beating on Ricochet. Ricochet dodges a shot and rolls into his corner to tag in Black. Black hits a series of kicks on Nakamura, but then a distraction from Rusev leads to Nakamura kicking Black in the back of the head. Black falls out to ringside as Rusev tags in, then Rusev clotheslines Black down on the floor. Back in the ring, Rusev & Nakamura continue working over Black. Black tries to fight back, but Rusev shuts him down with a clothesline. Rusev looks for a suplex but Black reverses it and tags in Ricochet. Ricochet hits a hurricanrana on Rusev, then he kicks Nakamura off the apron. Ricochet hits a kick on Rusev and then a flying back elbow. Ricochet hits a standing shooting star press for a two count on Rusev. Ricochet looks for a flying cross body, but Rusev catches him and slams him down. Rusev looks for the Accolade but Ricochet breaks free. Nakamura tags in and Ricochet fights him off and then dumps Rusev outside. Black tags in as Ricochet hits a dive on Rusev at ringside. Nakamura hits a suplex on Black, then he looks for the Kinshasa, but Black intercepts him with the Black Mass kick. Black covers Nakamura for the three count. Winners: Aleister Black & Ricochet
After the match, Aleister Black & Ricochet celebrates as Black’s music hits.
AJ Styles does an interview in the back where he starts off by saying that he is happy to hear the news about Roman Reigns being in remission. The interviewer then says that people are saying AJ is in a slump in his career. AJ says that he is his harshest critic and anything less than perfection is a disappointment. AJ then says that he hasn’t been at his best and he blames himself for the rise of Daniel Bryan. He then says that it took him 15 years to get to The WWE and nothing was ever given to him. AJ then says that he is going to stop listening to the critics, pick himself up and keep fighting any challenger in his path. Randy Orton walks over to interrupt. Orton takes issue with AJ calling SmackDown “the house that AJ Styles built,” and he walks off.
Lacey Evans makes her entrance and then makes her exit once again as we go to a commercial break.
Back from the commercial break and we get some hype for our two tournament matches on tonight’s episode of 205 Live.
A video package recapping Roman Reigns’ announcement that his leukemia is in remission from last night’s RAW plays.
Kofi Kingston makes his entrance for the main event as we go to a commercial break.
Back from the commercial break and we get the rest of the entrances for the main event.
WWE Champion “The New” Daniel Bryan & Rowan vs. Kevin Owens & Kofi Kingston: Kofi & Rowan start this one off. Rowan overpowers Kofi early on and slams him down. Kofi comes back with a series of kicks, but then Rowan levels him with a shoulder block. Owens tags himself in and goes at it with Rowan. Rowan drops Owens with a shoulder block now too. Owens fights back with kicks and chops to the chest. Rowan comes back with a dropkick for a two count. Bryan tags in for the double team on Owens. They run the ropes and Bryan misses a shot. Owens hits an elbow to the face, then he pummels on him in the corner. Kofi tags in and hits a kick on Bryan for a two count. Bryan charges at Kofi and Kofi dumps him out to ringside. Kofi tags in Owens and Owens hits a suicide dive on Bryan at ringside. Back in the ring, Kofi & Rowan tag in and Rowan takes control again. Bryan comes in and connects with several kicks on Kofi. Rowan tags back in and hits a running splash on Kofi for a two count. Rowan picks up Kofi over his shoulder and rams him into the corner, then Bryan tags in. Bryan hits a superplex on Kofi off the top for a two count. Kofi starts fighting back, but Bryan backs him into the corner with a series of kicks. Bryan hits the running knee to the face a couple of times, but then Kofi blocks the third one with a flying kick. Owens tags in and hits a series of punches and chops on Bryan, then a back body drop. Owens hits a running clothesline in the corner and then a missile dropkick off the middle rope. Owens hits a senton on Bryan, then knocks Rowan off the apron. Owens hits the cannonball on Bryan in the corner, then Rowan runs in and grabs him. Owens kicks Rowan out to ringside, then he hits the pop up powerbomb on Bryan for a two count. Owens goes to the top rope and Rowan pulls him down to ringside. Rowan throws Owens over the announce table, then Kofi goes for a dive on Rowan but Rowan catches him. Kofi escapes from Rowan and shoves him into the ring post. Kofi goes to the top rope and hits a suicide dive on Rowan down on the floor. Bryan throws Owens back in the ring and looks for the running knee, but Owens dodges it. Owens kicks Bryan in the mid section and hits the Stunner for the three count. Winners: Kevin Owens & Kofi Kingston
After the match, Owens’ music hits as he & Kofi have their arms raised by the referee. They both look at each other as we go to replays. Owens & Kofi have some words and it looks like things will not get out of control, but we can’t hear what they’re saying. SmackDown goes off the air with Owens & Kofi in the ring.
