WWE SmackDown LIVE Results: August 1, 2017By Cassidy| August 2, 2017 WWE SmackDown Previous Page Detailed Results On what was sure to be a memorable night, SmackDown LIVE would kick off with gold on the line as, after AJ Styles emerged from an awesome Triple Threat Match as the new United States Champion last week, “The Phenomenal One” would put the gold on the line as AJ Styles defends the United States Title against former champion Kevin Owens. After surviving the Calf Crusher, Kevin Owens would catch AJ Styles with two super kicks before the challenger would take a swing at Styles, missing the champion but inadvertently taking out the referee! Owens then follows this up with a third super kick before going for the Pop-Up Powerbomb but the champion would counter as AJ rolls Owens up just as the groggy referee comes to, making the three-count despite Kevin Owens’ left shoulder clearly being off the mat! AJ Styles is then announced as the winner of the match and is still the United States Champion, but Kevin Owens was beside himself after the match. As AJ celebrates his controversial title defense, Kevin Owens argues with the referee over the decision with the referee still struggling to regain his sight after the inadvertent right hand from Owens. A ringside doctor then checks on the referee as Kevin Owens is absolutely irate, shouting at the referee after getting screwed in his rematch for the United States Title before Owens storms to the back. Backstage, SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon and SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan are quick to address the situation, confronting the referee for the match. Shane tells the referee that he should have called for another referee instead of continuing to referee the match with only one good eye. The referee responds by saying that his vision is blurry and he didn’t have time to call for a second referee. Shane says that they will deal with it before a livid Kevin Owens arrives on the scene, throwing boxes and screaming at management. Owens screams at the Commissioner and the GM that he was “screwed” before calling the referee an “idiot”. Shane says that the referee made a bad call but Owens needs to “respect” the referee. However, Owens not only doesn’t listen to Shane but puts his hands on the official, shoving the referee down. As Daniel Bryan checks on the referee, Shane gets in Kevin Owens’ face, telling Owens that the referee’s decision stands as Owens yells at the Commissioner to worry about him, not the referee. Shane agrees that Owens has a legitimate gripe before telling Owens that he will get another rematch for the United States Championship in just under three weeks at SummerSlam! However, Owens says that another rematch is not good enough, demanding that he get a referee that can do his job and have “two good eyes” to see when his shoulder is up and he wants a referee who’s not going to screw him out of the United States Title. Shane tells Owens to calm down before Daniel Bryan gets involved, saying that he’s got a referee in mind who can call the match, saying that Shane McMahon should be the referee for the United States Title rematch at SummerSlam! This only enrages Kevin Owens further as Owens says that Shane is the “most incompetent person” on SmackDown LIVE. Shane then gives Kevin Owens an ultimatum, telling Owens that, if Owens wants his rematch for the United States Title at SummerSlam, then he will have to accept that Shane will be the referee for the match! Begrudgingly, Kevin Owens agrees to these terms before flipping over a table and a cart on his way to his locker room. After assaulting The New Day last week, The Usos would come out mocking the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, saying that The New Day can keep their “unicorns” and their “ice cream bars” because they’re going to take The New Day’s tag team titles and their “catchphrases”. Sami Zayn was in action on SmackDown LIVE as “The Underdog from the Underground” would go one-on-one with “The Drama King” Aiden English. However, much to the surprise of Sami Zayn, Aiden English was able to surprise Sami with a roll-up as Aiden picks up the win over “The Underdog from the Underground”. Things then go from bad t to worse for Sami Zayn as Maria & Mike Kanellis come out to the stage, saying that they “love each other” before Maria adds that they “love” that Sami Zayn lost. With her SmackDown Women’s Title defense against Natalya coming up at SummerSlam, SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi would join forces with “Straight Fire” Becky Lynch to face the team of Natalya and “Ms. Money-in-the-Bank” Carmella. During the match, Carmella would decide to tag herself into the match, locking in the Code of Silence on Naomi but the SmackDown Women’s Champion would counter, locking in the FTG on Carmella and, with Becky Lynch taking out Natalya with a Becksploder, “Ms. Money-in-the-Bank” would tap out as Naomi & Becky Lynch pick up the win. For the first time since losing to John Cena in a Flag Match at Battleground, Rusev was in action on SmackDown LIVE as “The Bulgarian Brute” would go one-on-one with Chad Gable. During a great match between Chad Gable and Rusev, Gable would take to the air with a moonsault, but Rusev would kick out. “The Bulgarian Brute” then catches Gable with a big kick to the head, but Gable kicks out. Rusev then goes for the Accolade, but Chad Gable counters into the Ankle Lock. Rusev manages to hang on before catching Gable with a Machka Kick and locking in the Accolade, making Chad Gable tap out to pick up the win in a hard-fought match. After the match, Rusev says that he wanted competition so they gave him John Cena and, while Cena may have won the Flag Match at Battleground, Cena did not beat him because “no one” can beat him. Rusev then says that he doesn’t even have an opponent for SummerSlam because everyone is “afraid” of Rusev because he “beats everyone”. This brings out “The Viper” Randy Orton as the thirteen-time former World Champion makes his way to the ring for the first time since the Punjabi Prison Match at Battleground. Orton tells “The Bulgarian Brute” that Rusev has never beaten him and he’s not afraid of Rusev, saying that, if Rusev wants an opponent at SummerSlam, then Rusev does not need to look any further than him. Rusev laughs at “The Viper” before saying something in Bulgarian before charging at Orton, but Orton is quick to take Rusev out with the RKO. With WWE Champion Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers watching from Jinder’s personal skybox, it would be time for a main event dream match as, for the first time ever, “WWE’s Rockstar” Shinsuke Nakamura would go one-on-one with sixteen-time former World Champion John Cena with the winner facing Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. In an excellent match between two very different competitors, Shinsuke Nakamura would take John Cena’s best hits, including the STF and the Attitude Adjustment but would continue to fight back. After hitting a second Attitude Adjustment, Cena would roll through to try and hit a third Attitude Adjustment, but Nakamura would counter with an exploder suplex that drops Cena right on his head. Nakamura then follows this up with the Kinshasa to Cena, pinning Cena in the middle of the ring to pick up the biggest win of his career, earning a match against Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam! After the match, the two warriors would show their respect for each other, first shaking hands before bowing to each other. Cena then leaves the ring to let Shinsuke Nakamura celebrate his huge win as “The King of Strong Style” is going to his very first SummerSlam to face Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship. What did you think of this week’s SmackDown LIVE? Post your comments in the box below or share them on Twitter – @cultofwhatever.
