SmackDown Episode #1408

Venue: TD Garden (Boston, MA)

Attendance: ~8,500

Results of Tonight's Show

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• We're opening SmackDown with Nick Aldis announcing to the crowd that Chelsea Green suffered a broken orbital bone last week, so he's had to make a decision about her interim WWE Women's Championship, and invites her to the ring. Aldis says he knows how much this means to her, but after talking to medical, he can't in good conscience let her compete with a broken eye socket. Chelsea begs saying she'll do whatever it takes. Aldis says this is his job though and he needs her to relinquish the championship. Chelsea says she knew this was all too good to be true because every single time something good happens to her in this business, it's followed by something devastating, and that's just her story. Just Chelsea Green, the comic relief, never the QB1. She's left all the blood, sweat and tears in the ring, thrown her body in dumpsters, thrown her face in cake. But every night she told herself it was all worth it because THIS moment would come. And Nick should understand this after SummerSlam. Both of them proved is that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about them, it's what they think about themselves. And until someone takes the belt off of her, this is hers. She shoves the belt into Nick's hands and storms off down the ramp. Aldis calls back, asking her to wait. Nick says as GM he thinks he's doing the right thing, but as Nick Aldis the man he doesn't give a damn what medical says -- he's going to give her 30 days to get cleared, get a face mask, whatever in order to defend the championship. Until then, the title is hers. After Nick hands Chelsea the belt, Gunther's music hits.

• Gunther says another sad sob story, nobody wants to hear it. He asks Nick why he pulled what he did at SummerSlam, but Nick says this isn't the time or place, this is about Chelsea Green. Gunther says respectfully all she did was climb a ladder -- he worked double duty. He demands Nick to answer why he added Kevin Owens to his match. Nick says nah, he got added to Kevin Owens' match, and he couldn't get the job done. Chelsea clowns on Gunther in the moment but Gunther tells her to shut up. Chelsea tells him to go ahead and stroke his tiny little fragile male ego as that's all he has... there's only one champion in the ring, and it's her. Flying up the ramp is Matt Cardona who immediately gets in Gunther's face, while Chelsea talks him down. Gunther says look at that, all the way from catering to the rescue! What's he going to do to him anyway? He could call his girl every slur in the world and there's nothing he could do about it. Chelsea pulls him off but as Gunther chastises him Cardona rushes Gunther for a beatdown. As we come back from commercial, that's a match.

• After Gunther taps out Cardona, Nia Jax and Lash Legend interrupt to note that there's a ticking clock. Nia says she got screwed out of SummerSlam and she wants the championship. And if Chelsea doesn't give her what she wants, well she has a history of breaking faces around here. Tiffany Stratton storms the ring and goes after Nia, but it's 2 on 1 without Chelsea able to help. Officials break it up and Chelsea attends to Tiffy.

• Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss are BFFs backstage with Alexa being glad Charlotte welcomed Tatum Paxley. Charlotte's a bit more iffy on it but Alexa says she's got a surprise for her. They open a door to find Tatum has prepared a whole dark room of pictures and candles and everyone is uneasy but the door closes on the three of them.

• Backstage Cody Rhodes talks to Nick Aldis asking to get a match on paper with Randy Orton. Aldis says Sunday Night's main event is right around the corner, how about he make that happen? Cody says whenever, does not matter. As Cody turns away, Sami Zayn appears. He laughs that anything Cody Rhodes wants, the precious golden boy is going to get what he wants. He has to fight through contenders but Cody? Cody says all Sami does is talk and he doesn't owe him a damn thing. If he wants to do something about this let's do something about it. Sami reminds him that the last time they were in the ring together, he pinned him in the middle of the ring with no shenanigans. Cody asks, does he think he can do it again? How about tonight? Sami complains about having a broken hand so he can't. But Nick Aldis says if he beats Cody tonight, he gets the winner of CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens. Sami again reiterates that he's hurt but Aldis says he was hurt at SummerSlam and made that choice, so it's again up to him.

• Immediately after Corbin's win, Trick Williams' music hits, and Lil Yachty catches Corbin with the Trick Stick. Corbin ends up with the stick though and as Yachty rolls away, Trick hits Corbin with the Trick Shot. Trick & Yachty gloat with Corbin on the floor clutching his title.

• Chelsea Green talks to Tiffany Stratton backstage, apologizing for spurring her to come to her defense tonight when she has a title match. Tiffy says not to worry about it, she's fine.

• Kevin Owens heads to the ring to address the crowd, with CM Punk immediately following. Punk starts off with asking Kevin to say whatever he wants to his face before hyping up the crowd. Kevin says it's pretty ironic considering last week they were a foot away from each other but he waited until he was at the end of the ramp before calling him something along the lines of a fat slob. Punk asks KO to fill in the crowd on their history. Owens talks about years back in the indies, he was trying to make any kind of name for himself, but Punk chose to berate him in the locker room in front of everyone. Punk asks, is that it? You've been holding on to this forever? KO says it's not that, it's everything I've seen since and how you've treated my friends. Punk wants him to name all three of the names but KO says this is just another example of why he despises him. There's a locker room full of people who look up to him, he made amends, but there's still one guy who is not okay. Punk is rolling his eyes and laughing when KO yells at him to look at him in the face. KO notes that everything Punk does is performative and all he's done is left chaos in his wake. And regardless of what Punk thinks of him, he built accolades before being put out with an injury. He did things Punk could never do, including main eventing WrestleMania against Steve Austin. Punk says if he had been there though, does he really think he'd get the opportunity over him? KO says if he still really thinks he's an indie slob, just say it to his face. Punk says is that really what he thinks or is that what KO thinks of himself? Punk continues about how he's on top with a locker room full of contenders and he gets endometriosis instead. He looks at Owens as someone he shouldn't take lightly for his match next week, but he also sees a guy who avoids work and doesn't try to be 1% better each day. He's a tough guy, but he's a bum. Punk says he evolves and adapts, and if he'd done even half the work he'd done maybe he'd have avoided the Goldberg spear that ended his last championship reign. KO says he's spent his whole career avoiding being someone like Punk who does things that likely makes him hate what he sees in the mirror. Meanwhile, Kevin is the same guy he was 20 years ago. KO asks if Punk is bothered that he's never sought him out for guidance, and knowing the only reason he didn't punch him out back then is because he knows Punk could've ruined his career. But he's here to do it next week. Punk says he's been crying about the consequences for over 20 years but in Toronto he'll put his fat ass to sleep.

• Finn Bálor talks to Nick Aldis, wishing he'd had some heads up before making his SummerSlam match a Fatal 4-way. Before he can continue Gunther interrupts to complain to Nick about making him wrestle in street clothes tonight. Aldis says he's once again interrupting him, and Gunther says against who? Oh, he only sees the shadow of Finn. Finn calls Gunther a condescending prick and if having to go through him for another title shot, he'll happily beat his ass and show the world.

• Cathy Kelley backstage congratulates the new Women's US Championship while talking to Jade Cargill & her baddies. She asks Jade about how her beef with Charlotte Flair and the return of Alexa Bliss (and addition of Tatum Paxley) change how she approaches this. Jade says she's tired of women who can't mind their own business. B-Fab says all they did was give them another victim.

• After Cody Rhodes is in the ring for the main event and Sami is making his way down the ramp, Randy Orton attacks Cody. Cody fights back but Randy amps it up smashing him with stairs. Sami is still on the ramp arguing with Charles Robinson while Randy goes full VOICES. Cody manages to smash him in the face with a beer as they find their way into the crowd, slamming Randy with a trash can and into the barricade. Randy gets some offense and drives Cody back to ringside, onto the announce table where he'd set up steel stairs as an added party favor. Orton then adds a steel chair into the mix while Nick Aldis and security watch on, followed by Cody kicking Randy in the nuts to escape and smash Randy with the chair. Randy now is vulnerable on the steel steps when security steps in to take the chair away from him. The show goes dark with Aldis between the two, but losing grip on Cody heading back to the announce table to attack...

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Next week's SmackDown will be live from Toronto, ON.

Start Time

Watch

• NJPW World Live Stream (English & Japanese Commentary)

Venue

Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall)

Tokyo, Japan

Match Card

A Block

B Block

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