Shane McMahon attacks AJ Styles on ‘SmackDown Live.’ (WWE.com)
A new episode of SmackDown Live is currently airing live on the USA Network. Here’s what has happened so far:
9:58 – Randy Orton appears on screen, sitting where he burnt the cabin. He drives a wedge into the place where Sister Abigail is buried, which he seems to think will stop Bray Wyatt from making use of Sister Abigail’s power.
9:37 – Bray Wyatt defeats Luke Harper.
9:31 – Backstage, Luke Harper says that he has seen the truth: that he doesn’t need Bray Wyatt, and now he is free. He also tells him to run.
9:19 – Mojo Rawley, American Alpha, Health Slater and Rhyno defeat Breezango, Dolph Ziggler, and The Usos in a 10-man tag team match.
8:47 – The Miz and Maryse host an episode of Miz TV. They present the shocking conclusion to their Total Bellas series. In another parody segment, The Miz plays John Cena and Daniel Bryan and Maryse plays Nikki Bella and Brie Bella. Once again, The Miz mocks John Cena for being robotic and fake, and Maryse mocks Nikki Bella for desperately wanting John Cena to propose to her.
At the end of the segment, Maryse as Nikki Bella asks The Miz as John Cena to marry her. He says no because he says this would damage his brand. He also says that he does not love Nikki Bella; he only loves himself. “You can’t see me because there’s nothing here worth seeing,” he says. Finally, The Miz and Maryse break character and tell John Cena and Nikki Bella that their careers are over after WrestleMania.
John Cena and Nikki Bella enter. Cena tells The Miz that this parody segment was one of the few good things Miz has done with the company. Cena says that he and Nikki don’t have a problem with a funny spoof, but they do have a problem with the two of them. He tells Maryse that she’s a waste of space who has done nothing with the WWE, and he tells The Miz that he’s a hypocrite and that all he does is make crappy movies that are ripoffs of movies Cena has already done. Cena also says that The Miz is a coward.
Cena then takes off his shirt and is ready for a fight. Nikki Bella is ready too. But The Miz and Maryse retreat, leaving the ring without saying anything in response. Cena continues to provoke them as they leave, and for a moment, The Miz starts walking back towards the ring ready to fight, but Maryse stops him, and they leave together.
8:28 – Alexa Bliss and Carmella defeat Becky Lynch and Mickie James. As Alexa Bliss is getting ready to pin Mickie James, Natalya enters, joining in on commentary but after a few minutes attacking Becky Lynch. James Ellsworth then interferes.
8:18 – Carmella fights Becky Lynch. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James sit in on commentary, and they quickly start to brawl at ringside, with their fight spilling into the ring. Mickie James slaps Carmella, which results in the match ending in disqualification. During the commercial break, Daniel Bryan decides to make this a tag team match.
8:00 – During a contract signing, Shane McMahon tells AJ Styles that he is one of the greatest talents to ever perform in the ring, and he really is phenomenal. But he says that AJ’s ego got too big after he won the WWE World Championship, and it was this arrogance that cost him the championship to John Cena and Randy Orton. It’s AJ’s ego that’s getting in the way of everything, Shane says, and this is why AJ just couldn’t handle not being on the WrestleMania card. Shane adds that AJ won’t feel so phenomenal when it’s Shane’s hand being raised at WrestleMania. With that, Shane signs the contract.
AJ Styles asks Shane if he knows what kind of match he’s in for: it’s a traditional match, something that Shane isn’t used to. AJ adds that Shane has never been in the ring with someone like him before, and at WrestleMania, Shane will find out how phenomenal AJ really is. With that, he signs the contract. The two of them stare each other down and seem ready to fight, but Daniel Bryan keeps them apart. Bryan says that the two should shake hands. Shane extends his hand, but AJ doesn’t shake; he simply walks away from the ring.