WWE SmackDown Results: July 7, 2016

Detailed Results

With the Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship just a couple of weeks away, SmackDown kicks off with WWE Champion Dean Ambrose, who makes his way to the ring, interrupting ring announced JoJo. The champion says that he’s always wanted to try out ring announcing before saying that, since he’s the WWE Champion, he’s got a lot of pull in WWE now. Ambrose then states that he’s going to be the guest ring announcer for the opening match and the champion would do just that, introducing Jey Uso before giving a less than flattering introduction for Seth Rollins, introducing his rival as “Seth Scumbag Rollins”! This would lead to an argument between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose before the referee is able to get the WWE Champion out of the ring.

With WWE Champion Dean Ambrose remaining at ringside, the opening match of the night would see Seth Rollins go one-on-one with one of Roman Reigns’ cousins, Jey Uso. Despite the best efforts of Dean Ambrose to distract Seth Rollins and cost him the match, the former champion would overcome, planting Jey Uso with the Pedigree and pinning Jey for the win. After the match, Seth Rollins would demand that Dean Ambrose do his job as ring announcer and announce Rollins as the winner with the WWE Champion doing so by saying that Rollins is “still a jackass” and calling Seth “slimy”. Ambrose then enters the ring, claiming he wanted to raise the hand of Seth Rollins, but Rollins is quick to leave the ring as the champion proclaims that he will defeat both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns at Battleground and then he will be announced as still the WWE Champion.

After scoring the pinfall to get Team USA the win in a huge 16-Man Elimination Tag Match on a special Fourth of July RAW, Zack Ryder would go one-on-one with “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus on SmackDown. In the end, it was Zack Ryder knocking Sheamus off of the top rope before connecting with the El-Bro Drop, pinning Sheamus to pick up the upset victory over “The Celtic Warrior”! After his big win, Zack Ryder is interviewed about his victory and Ryder would take this opportunity to proclaim that he wants the United States Championship, officially laying out a challenge to reigning United States Champion Rusev to put the title on the line!

Backstage, United States Champion Rusev is asked about Zack Ryder’s challenge as the champion responds by saying that, if Zack Ryder is man enough to face him on RAW, then maybe Ryder will prove to him that not all Americans are “cowards”, but he will prove to Ryder that all Americans are “losers”.

Ahead of her match against Natalya at Battleground, Becky Lynch was scheduled for a match on SmackDown, but Becky would get ambushed by Natalya during her entrance. Natalya would take Becky down with a clothesline before throwing Becky into the barricade and pummeling Becky with right hands before Natalya locks “The Irish Lass Kicker” in the Sharpshooter on the arena floor, refusing to relinquish the hold until referees comes out to break it up. Referees then check on Becky Lynch as Natalya walks stoically to the back.

After establishing themselves as John Cena’s allies by saving Cena from a three-on-one beatdown at the hands of The Club on RAW, Enzo & Cass would make an appearance on SmackDown. Big Cass says that they didn’t get involved on RAW to save John Cena, they did it because, if The Club is going to beat John Cena down each and every week, what’s to stop The Club from doing the same to everyone else. Big Cass is then interrupted by the arrival of The Club as AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, & Karl Anderson come out to the stage. Styles says that they haven’t seen John Cena anywhere before asking Gallows & Anderson what they should do tonight with The Club agreeing that they should beat up Enzo & Cass. The Club then makes their way down to ringside with The Club making their intentions known to shut Enzo Amore up, avoiding a conflict with Big Cass.

Before he joins forces with Big Cass and John Cena to combat The Club in a 6-Man Tag match at Battleground, Enzo Amore, with Big Cass in his corner, would go one-on-one with “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, with Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson in his corner. During the match, Karl Anderson would get on the ring apron and Big Cass would pull Anderson off of the ring apron before Luke Gallows and Big Cass teach other out with big boots! Back in the ring, AJ Styles pulls Enzo Amore off of the top rope before planting Enzo with the Styles Clash, pinning Enzo to pick up the win.

Following a backstage confrontation between the two, the Intercontinental Champion was in action on SmackDown as The Miz, with Maryse in his corner, would go one-on-one with Kalisto in a non-title match. In the end, it was The Miz planting Kalisto with the Skull Crushing Finale, pinning the high flyer to pick up the win.

Then it was time for the big announcement as Scott Stanford, Corey Graves, & WWE Hall of Famer Booker T were on hand in WWE Studios as Scott Stanford would make the blockbuster announcement that, on August 21 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, “The Beast” Brock Lesnar will return to action at the 29th annual SummerSlam to go one-on-one with another returning Superstar in twelve-time former World Champion “The Viper” Randy Orton at “The Biggest Event of the Summer” in the first ever pay-per-view match between the two accomplished veterans!

Then it was time for the main event of SmackDown as, with his rival and Battleground opponent Kevin Owens a guest on commentary, “The Underdog from the Underground” Sami Zayn would go one-on-one with “Y2J” Chris Jericho. During the match, the battle would find its way out of the ring and this is when Kevin Owens would decide to throw water on Sami Zayn and Sami would respond by throwing Chris Jericho into Owens, taking Owens out. Back in the ring, the action would continue ad Sami Zayn would set Jericho up for the Helluva Kick, but as Sami charges at Jericho, Kevin Owens gets on the ring apron and Sami instead blasts Owens with the Helluva Kick, knocking his Battleground opponent to the floor!

Jericho then tries to surprise Sami with a roll-up, but Sami would kick out and “Y2J” would then look for the Walls of Jericho, but Sami would counter the Walls of Jericho into a roll-up, keeping Jericho down for the three-count to pick up the win! After the match, Sami Zayn’s celebration would be short-lived as Chris Jericho would level Sami with the Codebreaker before Jericho exits the ring. With Sami vulnerable, Kevin Owens would strike, pummeling Sami before planting Zayn in the middle of the ring with the Pop-Up Powerbomb, leaving Kevin Owens as the one standing tall in the ring over Sami Zayn.

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