WWE SmackDown Live Results: August 30, 2016

Detailed Results

Before SmackDown Live officially gets underway, SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon is backstage with SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan. Shane tells Daniel that he thinks that the GM owes The Miz an “apology” for what happened on Talking Smack last week. Shane explains that he agrees with what Daniel had to say about The Miz, but, in the future, Daniel shouldn’t get in the face of the talent. The GM says that Shane is right, saying that maybe he won’t be as “honest” next time before telling the Commissioner that he finds Shane’s advice a bit “ironic” considering Shane’s issues with Brock Lesnar, which appears to frustrate the Commissioner.

SmackDown Live then gets underway with Intercontinental Champion The Miz and his wife Maryse storming to the ring as The Miz does not even wait for his music to play before coming out to the ring. The Miz says that the Intercontinental Championship was “once prestigious”, but it has been tarnished by “quitters” and “serial failures” and it will rise to “relevance” once again thanks to him. The Intercontinental Champion then says that he is “smarter” than the other Superstars because he finds a way not to get hit in the face before saying that the fans don’t see the “big picture”. The Miz continues, saying that he “does it all” day in and day out and they still boo him because he didn’t spend the first twelve years of his career wrestling in front of fifty people, but they cheer for people who have received countless opportunities despite continuing to fail. The Miz then says that he is not a “failure” before calling the fans “cowards”.

The Intercontinental Champion is then interrupted by Dolph Ziggler, who makes his way to the ring to confront The Miz. Dolph says that there is a reason that the fans will never get behind The Miz and that is because they “see through” everything that The Miz does. Dolph explains that, as a Superstar, they go above and beyond to be the “best”, but The Miz just wants to be “famous” and that is why no one will ever “believe” in The Miz. Dolph continues, saying that The Miz just wants to “walk a red carpet” and hold up a title and “be famous”. Ziggler then says that The Miz has a chance each and every week to prove that he’s not a “coward”, but The Miz doesn’t prove them wrong. Dolph then says that, if The Miz wants to prove to management, prove to the fans, and prove to his wife that he is not a coward, then he should prove it right now!

Dolph says that he doesn’t want a shot at the title and he doesn’t want a match, he wants The Miz to fight him right here, right now and prove to himself that he is not a coward. Both Superstars then prepare themselves for a fight before The Miz exits the ring. The Intercontinental Champion then rolls up his sleeves and starts to get back into the ring, but The Miz opts not to fight Dolph, instead walking to the back with Maryse in tow. Ziggler would then pick his microphone back up, telling the Intercontinental Champion that Daniel Bryan and the fans were right, calling Miz a “soft, safe coward”. This appears to fire The Miz up as Miz tries to come back to the ring, but Maryse keeps The Miz back before the Intercontinental Champion storms to the backstage area.

After the tournament to crown the first ever SmackDown Tag Team Champions got underway last week with The Usos and American Alpha advancing to the Semi-Finals, the opening match of the night would see The Hype Bros square off with The Vaudevillains in another First Round Match in the tournament. In the end, it was The Hype Bros hitting Aiden English with the Hype Ryder as Zack Ryder pins English to pick up the win for The Hype Bros as they advance to the Semi-Finals.

Before he challenges Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Championship in just under two weeks at Backlash, the self-proclaimed “Face That Runs The Place” AJ Styles would make an appearance on SmackDown Live. Styles says that he is the face that beat John Cena at SummerSlam and he is the face that will win the WWE World Title at Backlash, saying that Ambrose will be looking up at the new WWE World Champion come Backlash. “The Phenomenal One” is then interrupted by a Superstar that AJ had a brief run-in with backstage moments earlier, Apollo Crews. Apollo tells Styles that he went to SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan and got a match against AJ Styles right now!

In an impromptu match, the #1 Contender for the WWE World Championship, AJ Styles, would go one-on-one with Apollo Crews on SmackDown Live. In the end, it was AJ Styles connecting with the Phenomenal Forearm, pinning Apollo Crews to pick up the win.

After interrupting Randy Orton last week, “The Eater of Worlds” Bray Wyatt would make an appearance on SmackDown Live with a message for Randy Orton. Taking a seat in his signature rocking chair, Bray says that he doesn’t “fear” snakes or monsters and he “fears no man” because he is “fear”, saying that, when he sees Randy Orton, he just sees a “man”. Wyatt then says that Orton believes that he has “venom” running through his veins and that “excites” him, saying that Orton is “sick” but that is what he likes about “The Viper”. Bray continues, saying that Brock Lesnar “exploited” all of Randy Orton’s flaws at SummerSlam as Orton went into the match thinking that he was “untouchable”, but Orton came out of the fight “damaged”. Bray then says that he “eradicates the infected”, saying that if Orton really has voices in his head that tell him what to do then he hopes that those voices are telling him to “run”.

This brings out Randy Orton, who slowly makes his way to the ring where Bray Wyatt stands, saying that the voices in his head are asking him who Bray Wyatt thinks he is. “The Viper” then says that he has been “damaged” a long time before saying that, from one damaged individual to another, Bray has his attention. Wyatt says that he “admires” Orton’s courage before saying that Orton is no longer the “predator”, saying that is Orton is “weak” and he is the predator now. Bray then says that, what a predator does best is “kill” before saying that, at Backlash, he is going to “cut the serpent’s head off” and he is going to hang it on his mantle just like the “trophy” that Randy Orton is. Orton says that he’s played this game with others before, saying that the “scars” that Bray need to worry about are the scars inside of him, saying that he has “demons” inside. Orton then says that he knows that Bray has his “demons” too before accepting Wyatt’s challenge for a match at Backlash. Orton continues, saying that he’s not afraid of Bray Wyatt and he’s certainly not afraid of kicking Bray’s ass right now! However, once Randy Orton enters the ring, the lights go out and Bray disappears.

With the Women’s Six Pack Challenge to determine the first ever SmackDown Women’s Champion coming up at Backlash, four of the six women in that match were in action on SmackDown Live as “The Irish Lass Kicker” Becky Lynch would join forces with Naomi to face the team of Natalya and Alexa Bliss with Nikki Bella a guest on commentary. During the match, Carmella would emerge from the crowd to attack Nikki Bella at ringside, blindsiding Nikki and tossing Bella into the ringside barricade. This draws the attention of Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss takes advantage, rolling up Becky and hooking the tights to secure the three-count to pick up the win for herself and Natalya. After the match, Becky Lynch and Naomi would check on Nikki Bella at ringside.

After a sixteen-year absence, former WWE World Tag Team Champions The Headbangers would return to WWE as Mosh & Thrasher would face Heath Slater & Rhyno in a First Round Match in the SmackDown Tag Team Title Tournament. In the end, it was Rhyno blasting Thrasher with the Gore, pinning Thrasher to pick up the win as Heath Slater & Rhyno advance to the Semi-Finals.

SmackDown Live would then feature a strange appearance by a man by the name of Aaron “The Milkman” Millman, who says that he has been granted a license to compete here tonight, but he was told by management that there was no one in the back who wanted to face him. Millman then says that he is not leaving the ring until he gets someone out there to compete against him. “The Milkman” then strips down to his underwear before “The Big Red Monster” Kane makes his way to the ring and, despite Millman’s best efforts to get dressed before Kane arrives, Kane would get a hold of “The Milkman”, drilling Millman with a chokeslam.

With a WWE World Title defense against AJ Styles coming up at Backlash, the main event would see WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose square off with “The Lone Wolf” Baron Corbin in a non-title match with AJ Styles a guest on commentary. During the match, AJ Styles would get on the ring apron with the intent of attacking Dean Ambrose, but the champion would move out of the way and “The Phenomenal One” would inadvertently kick Baron Corbin, ending the match by disqualification.

Ambrose responds by diving to the outside, taking out AJ Styles, sparking a brawl between the two. Baron Corbin then breaks up this brawl by attacking Ambrose and bringing the WWE World Champion back into the ring. However, this is when Ambrose would battle back, spiking Corbin with Dirty Deeds before Styles tries to hit Ambrose with the Phenomenal Forearm, but the champion catches Styles, crotching AJ on the top rope! Ambrose then makes matters worse by shaking the top rope before grabbing his title belt and leaving the ring, leaving “The Phenomenal One” in an uncomfortable position on the top rope.

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