- Before the show, they re-show the heated Miz promo from Talking Smack last week. Shane McMahon tells Daniel Bryan he probably owes Miz an apology and that he shouldn't get in the face of the wrestlers.
- We kick off the show with the Miz & Maryse storming out to the ring before his music even hits. He demands they stop playing his music and asks everyone if he has their attention to a chorus of boos. He says the Intercontinental Championship has been ruined by failures and quitters, but he is revitalizing it. He says he's smarter for wrestling the way he does and trying not to get hit. He says he does everything he does day in and day out without getting injured and that the fans boo him because he's not an indy guy like Bryan. He calls all the fans cowards before Dolph Ziggler comes out. Ziggler says Miz makes a lot of good points, but the people don't like him because people see through him. He says Miz doesn't love wrestling, he just wants to be famous. Ziggler says Miz could change that, but he doesn't. He says that if Miz wants to prove he's not a coward then he should fight him right now. No referee, no title on the line, just a fight. Miz escorts Maryse from the ring, takes off his jacket, rolls up his sleeves...and walks to the back. Ziggler grabs the mic again and calls him a soft, safe, coward. Miz tries to go back in the ring, but Maryse convinces him to go back. Miz is straight fire on the mic currently.
- The Hype Bros vs The Vaudevillians-English & Ryder start off with Ryder taking control, almost getting the Broski Boot early on, but Gotch pulls English out of harm's way. Ryder takes Gotch out with a dropkick through the ropes, only to take a neckbreaker from English on the outside. The Vaudevillians work over Ryder until he avoids That's A Wrap and makes the tag to Rawley. Rawley runs wild and hits two Stinger Splashes followed by a fireman's carry slam, but Gotch breaks up the pin. Everyone gets their spots in before the Hype Bros hit the Hype Ryder on English for the win. Short, nothing match. Post-match, the Hype Bros get interviewed. They say the Hype Train has left the station.
- Backstage, AJ Styles walks around and brags until he walks up to Apollo Crews. He says Crews isn't important enough to remember his name, so Crews spells it out for him.
- Outcomes AJ Styles, who the announcer says would now like to be referred to as "The Face That Runs the Place." That's great. Styles continues to brag about how he beat John Cena at SummerSlam and says he will beat Dean Ambrose at Backlash for the WWE World Champion. Outcomes Apollo Crews, who Styles berates for interrupting him. Crews says he went to Daniel Bryan and got permission to challenge him to a match right now.
- AJ Styles vs Apollo Crews-The match starts off fast paced with Crews dropkicking Styles out of the ring. Crews continues to beat up Styles at ringside before the commercial break. We come back to Styles working over Crews after shoving him into the ring post. Crews fight back and hits a Stinger Splash followed by a jumping clothesline. Styles reverses the spin-out powerbomb attempt with an arm drag, but Crews is able to dump him to the outside with a back body drop and hit a moonsault off the apron. Back in the ring, Crews sets Styles up for a superplex, but Styles escapes and yanks Crews down. Crews catches Styles off a crossbody attempt right into a Samoan Drop for a near-fall. After a series of reversals, Styles yanks Crews down onto the rope and hits a Phenomenal Forearm for the win. Fine match, nothing special though.
- We get an interview at Heath Slater's trailer house with Slater & Rhyno. He introduces Renee Young to his wife. Slater says him not getting picked was an overthought and he is not an afterthought. They replay him being beaten down by Brock Lesnar & Randy Orton and him getting his SmackDown contract taken away. He says he's trying to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championships for his family. Rhyno offers no comment.
- Outcomes Bray Wyatt for a promo. He says he doesn't fear any man because he is fear. He says Randy Orton is just a man and that Brock Lesnar damaged him. He says he eradicates the infected and tells Orton to run. This brings out Orton (the opposite of what Wyatt told him to do) and says the voices in his head are saying who the hell does Wyatt think he is. He says being damaged is what gives him his charm and that Wyatt has his attention. Wyatt says he wanted this Orton, the predator in him, to come out. He says he wants to fight him at Backlash, and Orton accepts. Some dicks in the audience chant "Husky Harris." F*ck them. Orton enters the ring to fight Wyatt, but Wyatt's screen effect hits and we go to commercial.
- Natalya & Alexa Bliss vs Naomi & Becky Lynch with Nikki Bella on commentary-Natalya & Naomi go back and forth to start before Naomi sends Natalya out of the ring with tilt-a-whirl headscissors before the commercial break. We come back to Natalya working over Naomi with a headlock. The heels continue to work over Naomi until she fights and makes the hot tag to Becky. Becky runs wild on Alexa, taking her down with a missile dropkick, but Natalya makes the save. At the same time, Carmella pops up out of nowhere and attack Nikki on commentary. To be honest, I forgot Nikki was there, she was pretty much silent. This allows Alexa to get the roll up win on Becky.
- The Headbangers vs Heath Slater & Rhyno-Yes, those Headbangers! For guys who wrestled in the Attitude Era, they still look pretty much the same. Also, I'm pretty sure one of them hit a dab. That's not very metal. Mosh & Slater start with Mosh hitting a springboard crossbody to Slater on the apron. Wow, wasn't expecting that. The Headbangers work over Slater, even hitting a powerbomb/leg drop combo, but a suddenly bleeding Rhyno saves the match. Rhyno makes Slater tag him in and he Gores Thrasher for the win.
- Some random says he was granted an opportunity to wrestle tonight and says he won't leave until he gets to wrestle someone. He strips down to his tighty-whities.
Outcomes Kane who chokeslams him.
I've used this picture far too many times today - Baron Corbin vs Dean Ambrose with AJ Styles on commentary-Corbin dominates to start until Ambrose hits a crossbody and clotheslines Corbin out of the ring. At ringside, Ambrose hits a diving clothesline and throws Corbin into the announce table. Back in the ring, Ambrose hits a missile dropkick, but Corbin responds with a lariat before pounding away on Ambrose. Corbin tosses Ambrose from the ring before the commercial break. We come back to Corbin continuing to work over Ambrose, even countering the Lunatic Lariat with an STO for a near-fall. After a series of reversals, Ambrose hits a swinging neckbreaker and takes control. Ambrose reverses a body slam and tries for Dirty Deeds, but Corbin fights out. After almost getting rolled up, Corbin takes out Ambrose with a clothesline and sets up the End of Days. Ambrose fights out and hits the Lunatic Lariat for a near-fall. Ambrose goes to the top, but Corbin meets him there and tries for a superplex. Ambrose fights out. Corbin goes to the outside, only to take a suicide dive from Ambrose. Back in the ring, Corbin hits a Deep Six for a near-fall before sending Ambrose to ringside. Styles yells at Corbin to stay on Ambrose and he and Corbin argue. This allows Ambrose to shove Corbin into Styles and hit the diving elbow on Corbin for another near-fall. After a series of reversals and interference, Styles accidentally kicks Corbin, getting Ambrose the DQ win. Styles & Ambrose brawl at ringside, but Corbin attacks Ambrose. He sends him back in the ring, only to take Dirty Deeds. Styles tries to hit the Phenomenal Forearm, but Ambrose yanks him down and he crotches himself on the top rope. Ambrose toys with him to end the show.
And that's about it. Overall, a pretty good episode of SmackDown. A lot of the wrestling was good and there wasn't anything really bad. However, I'd still say RAW, which had a great ending and better moments, was better. So, in my opinion since the brand split, RAW has had the better show three times, SmackDown had it two times, and they were pretty much the same once.
RAW: 3.5
SmackDown: 2.5
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