The vacant Intercontinental Championship title will be crowned to the victor of the tournament that began last week on SmackDown on FOX. Daniel Bryan and Elias advanced to the semifinal round and two more competitors joined them. A Women’s Champion vs. Champion match and a mixed tag team match headlined another week for the blue brand.
The Dirt Sheet
Last week, The Miz hosted Miz TV and this week the tag team hosted another segment to open the show. Miz continued his disgust for Otis and his reign as “Mr. Money in the Bank.”
Miz said people like Braun Strowman “enable” Otis and cited the tag team match last week. Miz questioned Strowman’s worthiness for the Universal Championship. The two uncovered several Dirt Sheet secrets and showed several puppets from the Firefly FunHouse that were not brought into the house.
Strowman interrupted the segment and demanded the two ask him about Wyatt’s puppets and Money in the Bank. Miz said Strowman “taunted and teased Wyatt” with the black sheep mask. Morrison began speaking highly of Miz, which prompted an impromptu match between Strowman and Miz.
Braun Strowman vs. The Miz
Miz hit Strowman with a right hand at the start of the match and Strowman answered with shots to his opponent’s chest. The Universal Champion knocked Miz to the mat, and Miz tried crawling from the ring. Miz pulled down the top rope to bring Strowman outside. Morrison hit a kick to Strowman after jumping from the steel steps.
Strowman caught Miz, who tried jumping from a turnbuckle. Miz dropkicked Strowman and the latter responded angrily. Strowman tossed Miz to the center of the ring and hit a Running Powerslam to win the match. Morrison took a microphone post-match and challenged Strowman to a 2-1 handicap match for the Universal Championship at Backlash on June 14.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles
Elias awaits the winner of this match. Nakamura opened by holding Styles against the ropes and in head and waist locks.
Styles dropkicked Nakamura after jumping over and dropping under his charging opponent. Nakamura drove his knee into the midsection of Styles, but hit the turnbuckle when Styles moved away. Nakamura pulled Styles off the ropes, slamming him to the mat and then slid out of the ring.
Styles hit a Pelé kick and executed a Calf Crusher submission to Nakamura, who used the rope to break the hold. The two traded two-counts after slamming one another to the mat. Nakamura hit a sliding knee for another two-count, then looked to go for a knee strike but Styles countered, only for his opponent to reverse into a triangle submission.
Styles maneuvered into a Styles Clash for a two-count. He hit a Phenomenal Forearm to advance to the semifinals of the Intercontinental Championship tournament.
Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley
SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley asked Sasha Banks to not be in her corner for the match so she could prove to “the people” she could win without her friend.
Flair drove her opponent into several corners to start the match. Bayley swept Flair to the mat and looked to pin but she placed her legs on the ropes. Bayley sent Flair to a corner but Flair proved to be agile and landed standing on the apron.
Flair tossed Bayley over a barricade and walked over to the announcer’s table. The Queen took Michael Cole’s headset and demanded Banks come to the arena. Bayley pushed Flair into the ringpost, barricade and side of the ring.
Bayley was tossed across the ring after she charged Flair from the ropes. Bayley rolled away from a moonsault and Flair landed on her feet. Flair earned a two-count after hitting Bayley with her foot, and the latter stunned Flair against the ropes.
Flair countered a flying elbow and put Bayley in a crab submission. Flair charged her cornered opponent and crashed into a turnbuckle, allowing Bayley to hit a flying elbow for a two-count. Bayley attempted her own Figure-4 but Flair caught her with a right hand. Flair rolled Bayley into a pin and Bayley went with it to position herself on top. The SmackDown Women’s Champion used the ropes to help pin the NXT Champion and win the match.
Otis and Mandy Rose vs. Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville
A new page of the rivalry between these four superstars was turned into a mixed tag team match. Otis and Ziggler began the match.
Otis caught a charging Ziggler and spun around and slammed him to the mat. Ziggler crawled to his corner and tagged Deville. Ziggler ran from his corner and attacked Otis outside the ring. Ziggler slung Otis into the steel steps and Rose exited the ring to check on her partner.
Otis told Rose to get back in the ring as he laid near the ramp. Deville kept control over her former friend and hit her with kicks. Deville taunted Otis and held Rose toward his direction, and after a series of holds Rose knocked her opponent down.
Ziggler and Otis hot tagged and Otis knocked and dropped the former to the mat. As Otis prepared for a finishing move Deville tagged into the match, making the two women active. Otis charged Ziggler outside the ring and fought up the ramp. Deville took control inside the ring and drove her knee to the back of Rose’s head, then pinned her to give her team the win. Ziggler superkicked Otis post-match.
Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus
The winner of this match will take on Daniel Bryan in the semifinal round of the tournament. Sheamus pushed Hardy to the corner to start the match.
Hardy looked to charge Sheamus from the ropes but Sheamus stood firm and dropped his opponent to the mat. Sheamus was tossed over the ropes and Hardy baseball slid into the Celtic Warrior. Sheamus caught Hardy and drove him into a ringpost, then tossed him onto the announcer’s table.
The two entered the ring and Sheamus threw Hardy to the mat and followed with a knee to the chest. The Celtic Warrior began taunting Hardy with insults, and Hardy answered with aggression. Hardy hit a Whisper in the Wind for a one-count.
Sheamus hit three Irish Curse backbreakers and delivered chest smacks to a worn-out Hardy. Hardy sidestepped a charging Sheamus, who collided with the ringpost. Hardy hit an atomic drop but could not connect a Twist of Fate.
Hardy climbed atop the barricade and hit a flying clothesline. Sheamus lifted his knees and countered Hardy’s Swanton Bomb. The Celtic Warrior prepared for a Brogue Kick and ran toward Hardy, who ran from the corner and quick-rolled Sheamus into a pin to advance to the semifinal of the Intercontinental Championship tournament.
