WWE SmackDown Results: April 20, 2012

Triumvirate of Doom.

Nine nights before Extreme Rules, the 661st edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the O2 Arena in London, England. Before they square off for the World Heavyweight Title in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match at Extreme Rules, Sheamus and Daniel Bryan would be on opposing teams as World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus teams with “The Viper” Randy Orton and “The Punjabi Giant” The Great Khali to face the team of “The Yes! Man” Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, and “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry in a big 6-Man Tag Match.

Match Results

• Natalya def. A.J. by DQ after A.J. refused to stop pummeling Natalya in the corner.
• Brodus Clay (with Hornswoggle) def. Hunico (with Camacho) by pin following a big splash.
• The Primetime Players (Darren Young & Titus O’Neil) def. Jimmy & Jey Uso by Titus O’Neil pinning Jimmy Uso following the Hart Attack.
• Non-Title: Alberto Del Rio (with Cody Rhodes and Ricardo Rodriguez) def. Big Show by pin following the Disaster Kick by Cody Rhodes.
• Ryback def. Danny Lerman by pin following a modified muscle buster.
• 6-Man Tag: Sheamus, Randy Orton, & Big Show def. Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, & Mark Henry by Randy Orton pinning Mark Henry following the RKO.

Detailed Results

Before he challenges Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match at Extreme Rules, SmackDown kicks off with “The Yes! Man” Daniel Bryan. Bryan states that, after losing the title in eighteen seconds at WrestleMania, he feels like his reign as the World Heavyweight Champion did not even exist. Bryan continues that Sheamus did not out-wrestle or out-fight him, saying that Sheamus took the “cowardly way out” because Sheamus waited until his back was turned. Bryan then states that he will not be “distracted” at Extreme Rules and he plans on “shocking the world” in Chicago by beating Sheamus twice. Bryan continues that he will leave no doubt that he is the World Heavyweight Champion at Extreme Rules, saying that he will out-wrestle Sheamus “like a man”. Bryan then states that the 2-out-of-3 Falls Match favors him and he will walk out as the World Heavyweight Champion. Bryan is then interrupted by his ex-girlfriend, A.J., but Bryan tells her to turn around and “go away”. However, A.J. refuses to leave, pleading with Daniel Bryan to talk about their “problems”, but Bryan says that he got rid of his “problem” by breaking up with her. An emotional A.J. says that she just wanted to see him and wish him luck in his match at Extreme Rules. Bryan says that he wishes that he never met her and wishes that she was “never even born”! Bryan then tells an already upset A.J. that he will never take her back before Bryan leaves A.J. alone in the ring.

Moments after having her heart destroyed by Daniel Bryan, A.J. went one-on-one with Natalya in the opening match of the night. Natalya tries to console A.J., but the unstable A.J. slaps Natalya before going crazy on Natalya with an unrelenting flurry of slaps and punches. After repeatedly attempting to pull A.J. off of Natalya, the referee is left no choice but to disqualify A.J., bringing an end to A.J.’s emotional attack. After being sent into an emotional craze by Daniel Bryan’s verbal abuse, what is the future of A.J. in the WWE?

Bringing his “little brother” Hornswoggle down with him, “The Funkasaurus” Brodus Clay went one-on-one with Hunico, with Camacho in his corner. After shoving Hornswoggle down, Brodus Clay would flip the switch, dominating both Hunico and Camacho before flattening Hunico with a big splash en route to picking up the win. After the match, Hornswoggle gets some redemption by hitting the Tadpole Splash on Hunico.

Backstage, Theodore Long is looking for Aksana, but Long finds Darren Young & Titus O’Neil who make fun of Long losing his job before General Manager John Laurinaitis enters, making Long wear a Queen’s guard hat.

During a backstage interview, Randy Orton reveals that, in nine nights at Extreme Rules, he will go one-on-one with Kane in a Falls Count Anywhere Match! Orton then vows that Kane will find out how “sick and twisted” he can be. After Kane attacked Orton’s father with a steel pipe, what will happen when Randy Orton and Kane collide in a Falls Count Anywhere Match at Extreme Rules?

SmackDown also featured tag team action as Jimmy & Jey Uso faced the two newest Superstars on the SmackDown roster in former NXT Rookies Darren Young & Titus O’Neil, who refer to themselves as The Primetime Players. In the end, it was Darren Young & Titus O’Neil borrowing the legendary Hart Attack maneuver and using it on Jimmy Uso en route to Titus O’Neil pinning Jimmy Uso to pick up a big win for The Primetime Players. Are The Primetime Players on their way to contending for the WWE Tag Team Titles

After becoming the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship a couple of weeks ago, new SmackDown Superstar “The Mexican Aristocrat” Alberto Del Rio went one-on-one with a familiar opponent in the Intercontinental Champion, Big Show, in a non-title match. During the match, Big Show was ready to plant Alberto Del Rio with a chokeslam, but Del Rio’s personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, gets on the ring apron, which distracts the referee long enough for Cody Rhodes to come in and land the Disaster Kick on Big Show, allowing Del Rio to pick up the win! After the match, Rhodes gets a few kicks in on Big Show before escaping through the crowd.

With an amused Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre watching backstage, the unknown Danny Lerman says that he is dedicating his match to his mother. Unfortunately for Danny Lerman, his opponent was “The Juggernaut” Ryback. As expected, Ryback was dominant again as Ryback hits his modified muscle buster on Danny Lerman en route to picking up the win.

Forced to stand perfectly still as the Queen’s guard, Theodore Long was confronted by Aksana and an old friend of hers, Antonio Cesaro, before John Laurinaitis calls the two of them into his office.

Then it was time for the main event as World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus teams with “The Viper” Randy Orton and “The Punjabi Giant” The Great Khali to face the team of “The Yes! Man” Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, and “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry in a 6-Man Tag Match. However, as The Great Khali makes his way to the ring, Cody Rhodes comes from behind, attacking the knee of The Great Khali. This brings medics and referees down to check on Khali, who assist Khali to the backstage area as Khali will be unable to compete in the main event. Just when all hope looks lost for Sheamus and Randy Orton, Big Show makes his way to the ring as the Intercontinental Champion evens the odds, teaming with Sheamus and Orton in Khali’s absence! During the match, Cody Rhodes would find himself on the outside of the ring with Big Show, who levels Rhodes with the W.M.D., knocking Rhodes out. Meanwhile, in the ring, Sheamus hits the Brogue Kick on Mark Henry, who lands on the second rope, in the perfect position for the W.M.D. by Big Show. Randy Orton then finishes the onslaught with the RKO, pinning Mark Henry to pick up the win for himself, Big Show, and Sheamus!

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