WWE SmackDown Results: April 7, 2016

Detailed Results

After defeating Triple H at WrestleMania to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and finding out that the first challenger for his newly acquired gold will be AJ Styles on RAW, SmackDown kicks off with new WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns. The champion says that, at WrestleMania, he fought The Authority and won and he took back his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Roman then echoes what he said on RAW, saying that he’s not a “bad guy” and he’s not a “good guy”, he’s “the guy”. Reigns then says that he’s got to do what he’s got to do and what he’s going to do next is beat AJ Styles. However, this brings out the new #1 Contender as “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles makes his way to the ring to confront the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Styles says that he came out there to “congratulate” Roman Reigns on becoming the new champion, shaking hands with the new champion before saying that he had a heck of a night on RAW.

“The Phenomenal One” then says that he’s competed all over the world and he’s beaten the best and, if he has to beat “the guy” to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, then so be it. Reigns tells Styles that Styles hasn’t been here very long, telling the #1 Contender that, to be the champion, you have to beat “the guy”. The champion then says that AJ Styles has beaten a lot of guys, but Styles has never beaten him and he “never will”. With that, Roman Reigns drops his microphone, pats AJ Styles on the shoulder, and exits the ring.

The opening match of the night would feature the SmackDown debut of the revolutionary, throwback tag team from NXT of Aiden English & Simon Gotch, The Vaudevillains, as The Vaudevillains would face familiar rivals in The Lucha Dragons. In the end, it was an impressive debut for The Vaudevillains as Aiden English & Simon Gotch would hit the devastating Whirling Dervish on Kalisto with Simon Gotch pinning the United States Champion to pick up the win for The Vaudevillains.

Following a confrontation with the new WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte on RAW, Natalya was in action on SmackDown as the second generation Superstar would go one-on-one with Summer Rae with WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte a guest on commentary with her father Ric Flair by her side. In the end, it was Natalya locking in the Sharpshooter on Summer Rae, looking right at the WWE Women’s Champion as Summer Rae taps out. After the match, Natalya would look to confront Charlotte, but the referee would keep Natalya back, keeping a potential fight from breaking out.

After The Miz’s wife Maryse ended up costing him his newly won Intercontinental Championship on RAW, Zack Ryder would get his shot at redemption on SmackDown as “The Long Island Iced Z” would challenge new Intercontinental Champion The Miz, with Maryse in his corner, for the gold. At the end of a hard-fought match, it was Maryse again playing a crucial role in the match as Maryse would throw the bottom turnbuckle cover into the ring, distracting Zack Ryder long enough for The Miz to take advantage, hitting the Skull Crushing Finale and pinning Ryder to successfully retain the Intercontinental Title.

Following an impressive debut on RAW, NXT standout Apollo Crews would make his SmackDown debut as Crews would go one-on-one with Social Outcasts member Curtis Axel, with Heath Slater, Bo Dallas, & Adam Rose in his corner. In the end, it was Apollo Crews fending off interference from the other members of The Social Outcasts before hitting the spinout powerbomb, pinning Curtis Axel for the win.

For the first time since coming up short against Brock Lesnar in a No Holds Barred Street Fight at WrestleMania, “The Lunatic Fringe” would be on SmackDown as Dean Ambrose would go one-on-one with Tyler Breeze. It was an easy victory for “The Lunatic Fringe” as Dean Ambrose spikes Tyler Breeze with Dirty Deeds, pinning “Prince Pretty” for the win.

Then it was time for the main event as, after the four of them squared off in a Fatal 4-Way Match on RAW to determine the new #1 Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, the man who ultimately become the new #1 Contender, AJ Styles, would join forces with a Superstar who made his surprise return on RAW, Cesaro, to face the team of Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. At the end of the match, Kevin Owens was about to hit the Pop-Up Powerbomb on AJ Styles, but Sami Zayn would come out with his arm bandaged up as a result of the attack by Kevin Owens on RAW.

Referees and agents would hold Sami back, but Sami’s presence would distract Owens long enough for AJ Styles to take advantage as “The Phenomenal One” would roll Owens up to pick up the win for himself and Cesaro. After the match, a fight would break out between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, but with Zayn injured, Owens would get the better of the fight, sending Sami into the steel steps before the agents are able to restrain Owens while the referees check on Sami Zayn.

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