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My Thoughts on SmackDown (3/7/17): Fake Love

(Sorry it's been a long time without a post. The last two weeks have been real busy for me with papers & midterms and I haven't had a lot of time to post here. I start spring break on Friday, so I should be back to normal then.)

  • We kick off the show with Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan. They say they have yet to find out who faces Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania. Daniel Bryan, indy darling, thinks Randy Orton should be the one to face Wyatt instead of AJ Styles. Why do I not believe that's what Bryan would really want. They recap everything that's happened since Fastlane, with Orton giving up his Royal Rumble title-shot, to Styles becoming the #1 contender, to Orton burning down Wyatt's compound, I guess? They announce that tonight, Orton & Styles will face to off, with the winner facing Wyatt at WrestleMania.
  • Backstage, AJ Styles approaches Bryan & McMahon. He says they have an anti-AJ conspiracy against him and he'll take Randy Orton tonight.
  • James Ellsworth & Carmella vs John Cena & Nikki Bella-Before the match, Ellsworth rags on Cena for not being able to defeat AJ Styles in his first three tries like he did. That's pretty great. After the bell rings, The Miz & Maryse come down to ringside, distracting Nikki and allowing Carmella to hit a superkick before the commercial break. We come back to see Carmella working over Nikki with a headlock. Nikki tosses Carmella out of the ring and makes the tag to Cena, forcing Ellsworth to get in. Ellsworth doesn't want to, but Carmella yells at him and forces him to fight. Ellsworth tries for No Chin Music, but Cena catches it and hits a spin-out powerbomb. Carmella gets in Cena's face, leading to a forearm by Nikki. Cena & Nikki then hit simultaneous Five Knuckle Shuffles before hitting their finishers on Carmella & Ellsworth. Cena & Nikki get the win after locking in the STF & the Fearless Lock simultaneously on Carmella & Ellsworth for the submission win. Seeing them side-by-side just furthers my point that Nikki does a better STF than Cena. After the match, Miz & Maryse attack Cena & Nikki before Miz says that Cena & Nikki's relationship is completely fake and purely to boost their brands. He says their relationship spits on real relationships like his & Maryse's and it stops now. Miz & Maryse kiss in the ring.
  • Renee Young interviews Randy Orton. Orton says that if he's capable of burning down Bray Wyatt's compound, then AJ Styles won't be able to stop him.
  • Curt Hawkins is in the ring. Forgot he was employed still. He says that after Ambrose attacked him last week, he has to face the facts. Ambrose comes out and Hawkins runs after him, only to get immediately clotheslined. Ambrose takes the mic and says everyone thinks Corbin is a scumbag, and that's why he's a lone wolf. He tells Corbin to come out now and fight him. Corbin appears on the big screen and says he doesn't come out when someone tells him to. He says when he's ready, he'll take everything from him, including the Intercontinental Championship. Ambrose says he'll go backstage and find him if he won't come out. Hawkins tries to attack Ambrose when he leaves, but Ambrose just plants him with Dirty Deeds before heading to the back.
  • Dasha Fuentes interviews Mojo Rawley. He says he wants his own WrestleMania moment and announces his participation in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Dolph Ziggler walks up and says Rawley has to earn a WrestleMania moment, so Rawley says that's why Ziggler doesn't have one.
  • Dean Ambrose finds Baron Corbin. Corbin throws a security guard at him before beating him with a lead pipe. Corbin then traps Ambrose under a forklift before referees break it up.
  • It's time for the Blissertation! Outcomes Alexa Bliss & Mickie James. Bliss says her opponent for WrestleMania will...not be Naomi, Nikki Bella, Carmella, or Chucky, aka Becky Lynch. Lynch then comes out and tells Bliss to shut her face. She says she'll defeat Bliss and take the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania. Outcomes Natalya, who says she's championship material and Lynch isn't. Bliss says Natalya isn't getting the title because she sucks. Mickie says Lynch & Natalya are ruining an important moment when Bliss announces she'll face Mickie at WrestleMania. Bliss says that's not what she's doing, but Mickie says that was the deal. The four women argue until Daniel Bryan comes out. Bryan says that since Bliss thinks she's the best woman on the roster, she'll have to prove it by defending her title against every available woman on the roster. Bryan then announces that, in perfect Teddy Long-style, we're going to have a TAG TEAM MATCH PLAYAS!
  • Alexa Bliss & Mickie James vs Becky Lynch & Natalya-Bliss & Natalya shove eachother to start before Bliss pulls Natalya down by her hair. Natalya comes back with a dropkick before forcefully tagging in Lynch. Micke also tags in and the two trade holds before Lynch hits two arm drags and a dropkick. Mickie brings Lynch over to her team's corner and tags in Bliss, who stomps on Lynch. Bliss comes back with a flurry of moves for a near fall. Bliss tries to walk out of the match, but Lynch catches her with a forearm off the ring apron. Back in the ring, Mickie trips up Lynch, allowing Bliss to get a near fall before the commercial break. We come back to Mickie working over Lynch. The heels beat down on Lynch until Lynch hits a step-up enziguri. Lynch runs wild on Mickie, hitting the Flying Firearm, only for Natalya to run in and hit a German suplex on her. Mickie calls for the Mick Kick, but Bliss tags herself in and makes the cover for the win. Mickie then hits the Mick Kick on Bliss before holding up the title.
  • AJ Styles vs Randy Orton-#1 Contendership for the WWE Championship-Before the match, Styles says he built SmackDown into what it is now and that with him as champion, SmackDown was the A show. He says Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan have been nothing but disrespectful and that he was born to headline WrestleMania. Orton almost immediately hits the RKO, but Styles blocks it and rolls out of the ring. Styles gets back in the ring and Orton forces Styles into the corner. After breaking, Styles locks in a headlock and takes control before Orton hits a belly-to-back suplex, only for Styles to keep hold of the headlock. Orton fights out of the hold and floors Styles with a shoulder tackle. Styles takes the fight to Orton before Orton whips Styles hard into the corner. Orton suplexes Styles onto the ropes, but Styles grabs the rope to break the pinfall. The two trade strikes before Orton hits a huge exploder suplex that sends Styles out of the ring. Outside the ring, Orton drops Styles across the barricade back first before throwing him back in the ring. However, when Orton gets back in the ring, Styles takes out his leg with a chop block before the commercial break. We come back to see Styles working over the injured leg of Orton. Styles continues to target the leg, preventing Orton from mounting any consistent offense. Orton is able to fight back and hit a powerslam followed by a full nelson slam for a near fall. Orton sets up Styles on the top rope for a superplex, but rolls out under him and hits a fireman's carry neckbreaker for a near fall. Styles goes for the Styles Clash, but Orton blocks it and flips Styles onto the apron. Orton goes for the draping DDT, but Styles avoids it and locks in the Calf Crusher. Orton manages to get to the ropes to break the hold and blocks a springboard attempt by pushing Styles off the top rope, allowing him to hit the draping DDT. Orton calls for the RKO, but Styles blocks it and hits the Pele Kick. Orton flips Styles onto the apron again and goes for the Phenomenal Forearm...except NOPE! Knowing exactly what happens when somebody dives at Randy Orton, Styles fakes it. Orton, who was prepared for the dive, tries for the RKO but falls flat on his back when it doesn't come. That's brilliant. Styles goes for a springboard 450 splash, but Orton dodges it and pops up Styles for an RKO and the win. Great match.

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