John Cena is now a 16-time WWE champion. (WWE.com)
A new episode of SmackDown Live is currently airing live on the USA Network. Here’s everything that has happened so far:
9:39 – AJ Styles defeats Dean Ambrose. The Miz and Baron Corbin both sit in on commentary, and eventually a fight breaks out between the two of them. The Miz tries to get into the ring, but he’s stopped by Corbin; this distracts the referee, who doesn’t see Ambrose covering Styles. An irate Dean Ambrose goes over and attacks The Miz and Baron Corbin, upset they cost him the match. Once Ambrose returns to the ring, AJ Styles gets in a Styles clash and scores a win. After the match is called, The Miz attacks Dean Ambrose, and then Baron Corbin attacks The Miz.
9:30 – Natalya enters Daniel Bryan’s office. She’s accompanied by security guards, saying she doesn’t feel safe at work anymore because of Nikki Bella. Nikki enters, and the two of them start to argue. Daniel Bryan decides to book a match between the two of them at Elimination Chamber.
9:19 – Jason Jordan and Chad Gable enter the ring for their open challenge. The Usos enter, but they’re followed by every other tag team on the roster: The Usos, The Vaudevillains, Breezango, The Ascension and Heath Slater and Rhyno, and so a massive battle royal breaks out. There isn’t really a winner since this isn’t an official match, but the last ones who remain standing in the ring are Jason Jordan, Chad Gable, Heath Slater and Rhyno.
9:13 – Backstage, Jason Jordan and Chad Gable complain that nobody’s stepped up to the plate to challenge them for the Tag Team Championship. The two of them decide to go to the ring and issue an open challenge.
8:57 – Naomi and Becky Lynch defeat Alexa Bliss and Mickie James; Naomi is the one to pin Alexa Bliss.
8:51 – Backstage, Becky Lynch says that Mickie James cost her her championship, and she will get her revenge tonight. Naomi adds that Alexa Bliss will feel the glow once again tonight.
8:47 – Dolph Ziggler defeats Kalisto. After the match ends, Dolph Ziggler tries to pull off Kalisto’s mask, but Apollo Crews runs out and fends Ziggler off.
8:40 – Carmella defeats a local jobber with the help of James Ellsworth, who interferes and attacks Carmella’s opponent.
8:38 – James Ellsworth enters, wearing a shiny gold shirt, a backwards hat, and a dollar sign necklace. He introduces Carmella to the ring.
8:18 – Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton defeat John Cena and Luke Harper.
8:05 – John Cena enters, triumphantly holding up his WWE World Championship. He says that throughout history, the championship shows that someone is a man. But part of being a man is the ability to admit you’re wrong and apologize, he says, and so he tells AJ Styles he was wrong about him: Styles is not just a guy from Atlanta. He is an elite level WWE superstar who brings out the best in him. Cena adds that he will prove he’s worthy of his championship at Elimination Chamber.
Bray Wyatt enters. He tells Cena that in two weeks, he will be trapped like a rat in the Elimination Chamber and there will be nowhere to hide. Winning the championship is his destiny, Wyatt adds, and if you don’t believe him, just ask Randy Orton.
Orton and Wyatt move towards John Cena, ready to attack him, but suddenly Luke Harper appears and backs Cena up. Shane McMahon enters and books a match, with Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton facing Luke Harper and John Cena next.
8:00 – Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles talk about Royal Rumble, with Bryan and McMahon saying that it couldn’t have gone better. AJ Styles really wants his rematch, but they tell him to be patient because right now they’re focused on Elimination Chamber. They add that the Elimination Chamber match will consist of John Cena, AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Baron Corbin, The Miz, and Dean Ambrose. Ambrose enters and is looking to pick a fight with AJ Styles, saying they have unfinished business. Shane McMahon books a match between the two of them for later this evening.