WWE SmackDown live results: Charlotte Flair vs. Jacy Jayne
SmackDown newcomers Fatal Influence left their mark in their debut last week when they laid waste to Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, as well as Brie Bella and Paige during their women’s Tag Title match. Later that evening, the group led by Jacy Jayne would do the same to WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley.
Tonight, Charlotte Flair looks to get a measure of revenge when she takes on Jayne in one-on-one action.
Set to make their debut this week on SmackDown is Ricky Saints. The former NXT Champion looks to bring the revolution tonight that’s led him to some successes in his WWE tenure.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will kick off tonight’s show. Last week, he declared to any challenger that he was “easy to find, but hard to beat”.
Tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown is set for the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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– Our show opened with a recap of Raw this past Monday and the situation between Jacob Fatu and Roman Reigns that led to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Backlash to be made. Following the recap, we got our usual rigmorole of wrestler arrivals, including Charlotte Flair, Jacy Jayne, and Sami Zayn.
Cody Rhodes opens SmackDown
The Undisputed WWE Champion made his way down to the ring, his left eye looking somewhat better than it did in the wake of WrestleMania 42 and to a warmer reception than in recent weeks.
“Tulsa, Oklahoma, what do you wanna talk about?” started Rhodes in his usual fashion. He said that it’s always nice to get new information, namely if he was medically cleared for action. Rhodes spoke with WWE Medical officials and SmackDown GM Nick Aldis and got news that he was cleared to compete. Which begets the question: “What’s next for Cody Rhodes on SmackDown?”
At that point, an old friend interrupted in the form of Ricky Saints, who was making his SmackDown debut. Saints arrived to a middling reaction from the Tulsa crowd. As soon as he got to the ring, Saints said that the crowd booed what they didn’t understand as he introduced himself. Saints declared himself as the “hottest, fliest SmackDown free agent” standing in front of Rhodes.
Saints talked about he and Rhodes were no strangers with one another, but that there was a change in the air. It was a revolution and there was only one man leading that: Ricky Saints himself. He welcomed everyone to “Friday Night Saints”.
Rhodes got back on the mic and said that he was glad to have Saints here, but it was a bold move to do it now. He asked Saints what the difference between now and the last time he stepped up to him. Saints responded by pointing out Rhodes’ recent wounds and hyped up his achievements as a former NXT Champion and a NXT North American champion. Saints said that he stood in the background of Rhodes’ own achievements to the detriment of his own benefit. Saints said he was ready to relieve Rhodes of his duties.
Rhodes officially issued the chalenge to Ricky Saints to face him tonight. Saints accepted and said that he was here to change who this show was about. Rhodes concluded by repeating what he said last week: “easy to find, hard to beat.”
I liked this opening segment and immediately putting newcomer Ricky Saints with a familiar foe in Cody Rhodes is a good way to establish him on SmackDown.
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– Backstage, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss were interviewed about the Fatal Influence situation. Rhea Ripley appeared and said that she tried to take on Fatal Influence alone, but got overwhelemed. She pointed out how she was willing to put her differences with Charlotte aside to take on Fatal Influence. Flair refused, stating that “three is kind of a crowd”. Bliss remarked that Flair was just about to make a “dramatic entrance”.
Charlotte Flair (w/ Alexa Bliss) vs. Jacy Jayne (w/ Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid)
As Jayne made her entrance, she had something to say. Jayne noted that last week was just a taste of what Fatal Influence will do to SmackDown. Jayne declared that she and Fatal Influence were going to take out the legends one by one, starting with Charlotte Flair.
This match kicked off with a lock-up that got broken up by the ref in the corner. Jayne answered with a kick to the gut, but Flair hit her with a running shoulder block in response. Flair got clubbed in the back after a leap from the turnbuckle as Jayne worked her over in the corner. Jayne hit a hurricanrana, but got sent face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Flair then did three successive head scissors on the ground to keep Jayne down.
Flair attempted a Figure-Eight, but Jayne escaped to the outside, as Bliss snuck up behind her. Jayne flinched in fear and we took a break.
WWE SmackDown recapper. Former NXT PLE/WWE Saturday Night's Main Event/fill-in recapper.