WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results
August 18, 2023
Scotiabank Bank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Kevin Patrick
Results by: Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
WWE SmackDown kicks off with the Grayson Waller Effect
With potted plants, a desk and chairs in the ring, Grayson Waller welcomes everyone to SmackDown. He says he can’t wait until Edge comes down later tonight and thanks Grayson by saying “thank you for making me relevant again”. But enough about Edge, let’s talk about who will get the Grayson Waller rub and that is Santos Escobar and the new United States champion, Rey Mysterio!
Out come the two superstars and Escobar has a brace on his left leg as they walk down to the ring. We see clips of Rey Mysterio winning the United States Championship last week after Escobar’s injury.
Waller congratulates Rey on winning the Championship. The fans chant “619” as Rey thanks Grayson. Rey says it feels great to once more be United States Champion. Grayson tells Santos he can imagine being Champion. Rey says Austin Theory tried to cook up a plan and that was a plan that they ruined, together. Waller tries to stir the pot by saying Rey is the Champion.
Rey tells Waller it doesn’t matter who is Champion as the title is now with the LWO. Waller tells Rey he stole Escobar’s chance last week, in which Rey tells him he stole nothing. Waller tells Santos he even beat Rey yet when it was Escobar’s big night, it was Rey who stole his opportunity. This is what legends do, Rey is not ready to pass the torch. Escobar tells him to shut up in Spanish.
Escobar calls Waller a dog and tells him to listen. He says the only person he is angry at is that low life, good for nothing, Austin Theory. He says he gave Rey his blessing because he respects Rey, something that Waller does not have. Escobar calls Rey his friends and mentor.
Escobar says he knows what Waller is trying to do but it won’t work. They are a family. He says Theory got what he deserved and once he is fully healed… And out comes Austin Theory to loud boos from the crowd. Theory congratulates Rey on becoming a three time United States Champion but where is the father of the year award? He wants to know who is running this show because what happened last week was a tragedy, he was played. Theory gets in the ring and tells Escobar that he wasn’t man enough to step up to the greatest United States champion.
Theory says he is the greatest and Rey was not supposed to be in that match. And Adam Pearce is going to come out and hand him what is rightfully his and that is the United States Championship. He says that belongs to him as he yells to Pearce, telling him to come out.
And out comes Adam Pearce. He tells Theory no one wants to hear him complain. LA Knight’s music hits!
A loud “LA Knight” chant from the crowd as he says “let me talk to ya”. He didn’t just hear Austin Theory say he was the greatest United States Champion of all time. If he recalls, Theory is the guy who defended his title once every three months and he fumbled the ball.
LA Knight says he doesn’t care who is the champion, sometime or another, it’s coming to him. He went through 24 other men at SummerSlam and it won’t be a problem to go through Theory. He says he and Theory are dressed to fight, he sees Rey with the title and he thinks to himself, what if it was for a shot at the United States Championship. Austin Theory against LA Knight. Pearce looks at LA Knight and makes the match.
-Commercial Break-
Austin Theory vs. LA Knight
As the bell is about to ring, out comes The Miz. The bell rings and we are under way. Theory attacks LA Knight and stomps on him in the corner.
The Miz joins the commentary team. Theory with a fall away slam. He slams LA Knight into the corner but LA Knight comes running back and hits him with a clothesline. A suplex by LA Knight followed by an elbow drop off the second rope. He goes for the cover but Theory kicks out.
Theory rolls to the outside as LA Knight follows him but Theory slams LA Knight into the ring apron. Theory grabs LA Knight but LA Knight hits him with an elbow to the face. He slams Theory’s face into the announce table. He throws Theory back into the ring as he and Miz go face to face. Theory kicks LA Knight in the face but LA Knight with a right hand and he throws Theory into The Miz.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Theory with a clothesline on LA Knight in the middle of the ring. Theory runs towards LA Knight but LA Knight grabs him and slams him onto the mat. LA Knight repeatedly slams Theory into the turnbuckle and hits him with a neck breaker. He goes for the cover but Theory kicks out. LA Knight stomps on Theory in the corner and with every stomp, the fans chant “Yeah”. LA Knight lifts Theory up but Theory lands on his feet and hits LA Knight from behind.
Theory goes for A-Town Down but LA Knight lands on his feet and hits Theory with a power slam. LA Knight runs to the ropes but Miz gets on the ring apron and that distracts LA Knight. Miz gets down from the ring apron and LA Knight turns around and hits Theory with a DDT.
LA Knight chases The Miz outside of the ring. Miz gets in the ring and LA Knight clotheslines him to the outside. Theory rolls LA Knight from behind, grabs the tights and gets the pin.
Winner: Austin Theory
A video package airs of John Cena, Sheamus, Natalya, The Miz, Charlotte Flair and Sami Zayn congratulating Edge on his 25 years in the WWE.
-Commercial Break-
A video package shows Bret Hart on a TV show with Edge in the audience asking him a question about becoming a wrestler. We see clips of Edge’s WWE career with Booker T, Paul Heyman and more WWE stars talking about him on his 25 years with the WWE.
Damage CTRL’s music hits and out come Bayley and Dakota Kai. Bayley says even though the dumb dumbs in Toronto are not worthy, they are going to grace them with a Champion. They are not used to that either but they will grace them with the new WWE Women’s Champion, IYO SKY. Out comes IYO SKY for their tag team match.
Bayley and IYO SKY with Dakota Kai vs. Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair
The bell rings and we are under way. Bianca and Bayley start the match. Bianca with a waist lock take down turned into a head lock. Bayley gets to her feet and out of but Bianca spears her into the corner. A snap suplex by Bianca and Flair is tagged in. They double team Bayley in the corner.
Flair stomping on Bayley in the corner and she slams her face first into the top turnbuckle. A chop to the chest by Flair. She goes for a suplex but Bayley lands on her feet and slams Flair onto the mat. IYO SKY is tagged in and they double team Flair. She goes for a chop but Flair kicks her away. Flair with a splash in the corner and she throws IYO SKY onto the ring apron. A big boot by Flair and IYO SKY falls to the outside. Flair on the ring apron and a cannonball onto Bayley and IYO SKY on the outside of the ring.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Flair with a back breaker onto Bayley. Flair climbs the top rope but Bayley with a right hand and she throws Flair onto the mat. Bayley goes for the cover but Flair kicks out. IYO SKY is tagged in and they double team Flair. IYO SKY with a crossface but Flair gets out of it. Flair with a back body drop and she tries to make the tag but IYO SKY knocks Bianca off the ring apron. IYO with a chop to the chest. She throws Flair to the ropes and IYO with a drop kick. She goes for the cover but Flair kicks out. IYO grabs Flair but Flair throws her onto the top rope. Bianca is tagged in and she hits IYO SKY with a shoulder tackle.
Bianca with a drop kick followed by a vertical suplex. She spears IYO in the corner and hits her with right hands. Bayley gets in the ring and Bianca with a back breaker. A spine buster by Bianca onto IYO. Bianca with a moon sault onto Bayley. IYO with a drop kick to the back of Bianca’s knee. She drags Bianca to the corner and tags Bayley back into the match. Bayley goes for the cover but Bianca kicks out. Bayley grabs Bianca but Bianca kicks her away. IYO gets in the ring and a double neck breaker by Bianca. She tags Flair back into the match. Flair with a cross body off the top rope onto Damage CTRL. Flair with chops to the chest onto both Bayley and IYO.
Flair with a fall away slam onto Bayley. Flair with a clothesline. She goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out. Flair climbs the top rope but Bayley pushes her to the outside. Bayley distracts the referee as IYO stomps onto Flair on the outside. Bayley to the outside and she throws Flair back into the ring. She goes for the cover but Flair kicks out. IYO is tagged back in and she goes for a moon sault, Flair moves, IYO lands on her feet and a right hand by IYO. Flair in the corner, IYO goes for a spear, Flair moves out of the way and Bayley is tagged in. Bayley goes for the Figure Eight but Flair hits her with a right hand. Bianca is tagged in and Flair with a big boot onto Bayley, Bianca with the KOD. She goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winners: Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair
-Commercial Break-
Cathey Kelly is backstage with Bianca. As she is asking her a question, Damage CTRL hit her from behind with a chair. They place Bianca’s left leg in between a chair and slam a chair onto her leg. Bianca screams in pain as WWE officials break it up.
The Street Profits vs. The O.C.
The bell rings and we are under way. Gallows and Ford start the match and Gallows with right hands. He tags Anderson into the match and they double team him. Anderson goes for the cover but Ford kicks out. Anderson runs to the ropes and Ford with a clothesline. Dawkins is tagged in and they double team Anderson. Dawkins slams Anderson onto the mat and he hits Gallows with a right hand. Ford is tagged in and Dawkins with a neck breaker. Ford with a frog splash off the top rope. He goes for the cover but Gallows breaks it up. Dawkins throws Gallows to the outside. Dawkins is tagged in. Anderson throws Dawkins shoulder first into the corner and he hits Ford with a spine buster.
Gallows is tagged in and they double team Dawkins. Gallows goes for the cover but Dawkins kicks out. Anderson is tagged in and they go for the Magic Killer but Dawkins kicks Gallows to the outside. Ford gets in the ring and he flies over the top rope onto Gallows who is on the outside. Ford gets on the ring apron and is tagged in. The Street Profits hit Anderson with a sit down power bomb neck breaker. Ford goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winners: The Street Profits
Bobby Lashley’s music hits and they celebrate on the ramp.
-Commercial Break-
A video package showing last week’s fighting between the Bloodline airs.
Paul Heyman is standing backstage and he looks worried and tired. In comes Kayla who asks for an update on the Bloodline. Heyman looks at her and says no. She asks him about Roman. He shakes his head.
She says she has heard a lot of rumors and Heyman cuts her off. And says she is going to come to him about rumors. He asks about which rumors. About Roman’s cousin, Jey? The one who abandoned WWE, who quit the Bloodline? Who quit, SmackDown and WWE? If she is going to ask him about his family? What about her family. He asks how her mom is, if she has heard from her lately. He heard rumors. He asks her about her dad and cousins. But no, she doesn’t want to talk about the rumors of her cousin but rumors about the cousin of the Tribal Chief. He says she won’t even ask him about Edge and his 25 years or Austin Theory. His phone rings, he tells her as they say in Quebec, which is a real province unlike where they are, he has to take this.
Heyman speaks on the phone and says he is on live television doing an interview. He looks surprised and says really as the call ends. She asks him what that was about. He says Jimmy Uso will be live on SmackDown next week. She asks him if he cares to share his source. Heyman says he would love to but even he would not dare as he walks away.
-Commercial Break-
Edge vs. Sheamus
With Sheamus already in the ring, Edge’s music hits and the crowd goes crazy as he walks down. His wife Beth and their daughters are in attendance as he gets in the ring. Both men shake hands and the fans chant “Thank you Edge”. A head lock by Edge as he runs to the ropes and he knocks Sheamus down with a shoulder tackle. Sheamus gets back to his feet and a head lock by Sheamus and he runs to the ropes knocking Edge down with a shoulder tackle.
Both men smile as Edge gets back to his feet. Sheamus to the ropes and Sheamus with an Irish Curse back breaker.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Edge with a forearm to the face. He goes for the cover but Sheamus kicks out. Sheamus runs towards Edge but Edge throws him onto the ring apron. Edge to the outside and he power bombs Sheamus off the ring apron onto the outside. He throws Sheamus back into the ring. Edge throws Sheamus back into the ring and Edge climbs the top rope and lands a cross body onto Sheamus. He goes for the cover but Sheamus kicks out. Edge goes for the sharpshooter but Sheamus kicks him away. A slam by Sheamus. He goes for the cover but Edge kicks out. Edge rolls onto the ring apron as SHeamus grabs him and goes for the 10 Beats of the Bodhrán but Edge blocks it. Edge with right hands. Edge back in the ring and Sheamus rolls onto the ring apron. Edge spears Sheamus onto the outside.
-Commercial Break-
Back from commercial, Sheamus has Edge in the Boston crab but Edge with right hands onto the back of the leg of Sheamus. Edge gets Sheamus into the crossface but Sheamus reaches the ropes. Sheamus climbs the top rope as Edge gets to his feet. A kick to the face by Edge as he climbs the top rope. Edge with a superplex off the top rope and he hits Sheamus with the Edgecution. He goes for the cover but Sheamus kicks out.
The fans chant “You still got it” as Edge makes it to his feet. He climbs the top rope but Sheamus hits him with a kick. Edge climbs the second rope and he gets Edge on his shoulders. Sheamus with the White Noise off the second rope. He lifts Edge up and hits him with the Celtic Cross. He goes for the cover but Edge kicks out.
Edge gets onto the ring apron and Sheamus with the 10 Beats of the Bodhrán. Sheamus continously hits Edge across the chest and Edge falls onto the ring apron and into the ring. Sheamus grabs Edge and says he warned him but Edge slaps him in the face. Edge with a clothesline. Edge goes for the spear but Sheamus hits him with the knee followed by the Brogue Kick. He goes for the cover but Edge kicks out.
The fans boo Sheamus as he goes for a Brogue Kick but Edge ducks, rolls Sheamus up but Sheamus kicks out. Edge gets up and hits him with a spear. He goes for the cover but Sheamus kicks out. Edge with another spear. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Edge
Pyro goes off in the arena as Edge looks at Beth and his daughters. Sheamus gets to his feet and both men hug as SmackDown goes off the air.