Post by Slade on Feb 27, 2022 12:41:47 GMT -5
Live from Rogers Place in
Edmonton, Alberta
On Friday, February 18, 2022
WWE Commentary Team: Mauro Ranallo, Tony Schiavone and Corey Graves
WWE Ring Announcer: Howard Finkel
WWE Backstage Reporter: Mean Gene Okerlund
***
Rey Fénix defeated Bret “The Hitman” Hart by pinfall at 18:42. The fans were heavily behind The Hitman, but cheers grew for the young and exciting luchador as the match went on. Fénix did things on the ropes that brought fans to their feet. Hart dug down and took a few more risks than usual to try to stay on top. When Hart put Fénix in the Sharpshooter, it looked like the match might be over. However, Fénix refused to quit and scraped and crawled his way to the ropes after about half-a-minute in the hold. When Hart whipped him into the corner, Fénix stepped up to the middle rope, walked it and performed a diving springboard cutter to get a 2-count. Later, Hart executed a sit-out piledriver and pinned him for a 2-count. After that, Hart whipped Fénix into the ropes. Fénix took Hart down with a crucifix pin for two. Hart got Fénix into a backslide for two. Fénix took Hart down into a small package and got three!
Lita came out to the ring and got on the mic to say that she knew that Bayley was a sad excuse for a Role Model, but after what she did last week, there is no denying it. And what makes her feel worst of all is knowing that Bayley looked up to Lita – “I was her role model.” Lita wondered how bad a role model she must be to have influenced someone of such poor character. Bayley came out and told Lita to stop talking crap about her right now. She said she couldn’t believe she was so blind as to have idolized such a pathetic loser. Bayley said she sees right through Lita – she knows Lita is angling for a title shot that doesn’t belong to her. Bayley deserves the next shot at the Smackdown Women’s Championship – it’s in her contact and it’s called a rematch clause. Oh, and guess what? That’s right! She exercised it. Lita challenged Bayley to show everyone what a great role model she was by accepting her challenge – “How about if I beat you in a match next week, that title match becomes a triple threat?” Bayley thought about it before saying “No,” and walking out of the arena.
Kenny Omega defeated Savio Vega by pinfall at 8:14 to earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber match. Omega got the win after giving Omega a pair of V-triggers. He was quickly attacked by the other members of Los Baricuas after the bell. The Young Bucks ran out to make the save.
Randy Orton spoke to Mean Gene about his plans for Elimination Chamber. Seeing as how he didn’t get a chance to qualify for the Elimination Chamber, and WALTER doesn’t yet have a challenger for his Smackdown United States Championship, he figured he would put the challenge out there. “Glorious” Bobby Roode entered the picture and said that Orton has a lot of nerve for thinking he deserves a shot at the title any more than the Glorious One does. He then challenged Orton to a match next week to decide who should get a shot at the U.S. Title. Orton accepted.
Kris Statlander defeated Shayna Baszler by pinfall at 12:03. Baszler tried to execute the Kirifuda Driver but Statlander countered with a wheelbarrow bulldog. She dragged Baszler to the corner and climbed the turnbuckle but Baszler got up and met her on the top rope where she took Statlander down to the mat with an avalanche gutwrench suplex. When Statlander kicked out of the ensuing pinfall attempt, Baszler brought her to her feet and went for a short-arm jumping knee lift. Statlander caught her, flip her over and executed the Big Bang Theory to get the win.
John Cena joined Mean Gene Okerlund for an in-ring interview where he called “Stone Cold” Steve Austin selfish. He said Austin thinks of nothing and nobody but himself, as demonstrated by him walking out on Cena after he stopped John Morrison and The Miz from cheating him out of a win last week. This caught the Texas Rattlesnake’s ears. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin came out and said it sounded like ol’ Big Match John was askin’ Stone Cold to open a can of whoop ass on him. Cena asked Austin what was wrong with him. Austin turned the question around on Cena, saying he always has to stick his nose in other people’s business. It ain’t wanted and it ain’t appreciated. Cena said that if it wasn’t for him sticking his nose in his business, Austin wouldn’t be in the Elimination Chamber match. Austin said that if it wasn’t for Cena sticking his nose in his business, he would be the Smackdown World Champion right now. The Miz and John Morrison came out on the entrance ramp and said that Austin and Cena cheated them out of qualifying for the Elimination Chamber and challenged them to prove they deserved those wins by taking them on in a tag team match next week. Cena accepted on behalf of he and Austin, which upset the Texas Rattlesnake. Austin shoved Cena, who shoved him back, and they came to blows. The Miz and Morrison pointed and laughed as officials ran by them down to the ring to stop the fight from getting out of hand.
Rowdy Roddy Piper defeated Health Slater by submission at 4:47 when he got Slater to lose consciousness to his sleeper hold. After getting the win, Piper left the ring and grabbed a chair and mic from the timekeeper’s position. On the mic, he announced that he was going to bash Slater’s brains and the only person who could stop it from happening would be Sting, if he came out right now and agreed to defend the Smackdown World Championship against him at Elimination Chamber. Sting descended from the rafters and stood between Piper and Slater with a black bat in his hand. He took a microphone and said that Piper’s beef is with no one but him, so he can leave everyone else out of this. Then he said he’ll give Piper what he wants. Sting would like nothing more than to give Piper the opportunity at a championship only to take it away from him by pinning him 1-2-3. Piper lefit the ring and came back with a contract and a pen in hand and gave it Sting, saying he wanted the guarantee in writing. Sting quickly looked over the contract, then signed it and handed it back to Piper, who told him there was one more thing – before stabbing him in the eye with the pen. He took Sting down to his knees while forcing the writing implement into his eyeball. Sting screamed. Officials ran to the ring. Piper threw the pen away and backed off, holding the contract up like it was a trophy. Sting versus Rowdy Roddy Piper is a done deal and it happens at ELIMINATION CHAMBER!
Umaga defeated Johnny Gargano by pinfall at 12:36 to secure the final spot in the Elimination Chamber match. Gargano was the plucky underdog who was dominated for large parts of the match, but who also refused to give up and give in. He mounted a comeback in the late minutes of the match. When Gargano appeared to be on the brink of scoring a major win, he went for one more move. He shot over the top rope and attempted the One Final Beat DDT, but Umaga held the top rope and blocked. He threw Gargano onto his shoulders and nailed a Samoan drop. Following a running senton, he picked up Gargano, whipped him to the ropes and nailed the Samoan Spike.
Mean Gene caught up with the Smackdown Tag Team Champions, the Hart Foundation to get a word on “The Hitman” suffering an upset loss to Rey Fénix earlier tonight. Hart said that credit goes where it is due, Rey Fénix got the better of him tonight. However, his luck doesn’t negate the fact that he and Neidhart are the best team in professional wrestling. Lucha Bros. showed up. Rey Fénix said he thinks they just earned a shot at the Tag Titles. Neidhart said they’ll get their shot at Elimination Chamber, but next week, he wants to take on Penta El 0M and show him that the two brothers can’t beat these brothers-in-law in back-to-back weeks. Penta accepts the challenge, saying that he is ready for any fight because he has Cero Miedo!
“The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, John Bradshaw Layfield, and Irwin R. Schyster defeated Daniel Bryan and the Dudley Boyz by pinfall at 15:31. Daniel Bryan executed the running high knee strike on IRS and covered him for the pin, but JBL broke up the fall. Bubba Ray Dudley came into the ring to stop JBL from stomping away on Bryan. The referee tried to get them out of the ring but got squashed between the two big men and the turnbuckles. As a consequence, DiBiase tried to bring a chair into the match, but that backfired when D-Von gave him a running spinning elbow smash that drove the chair back into his million-dollar mug. The Dudleys went to get the tables, and set up JBL for a 3-D, but IRS used the chair on D-Von and then JBL gave Bubba a powerbomb through the table. Meanwhile, DiBiase got out his loaded black glove and used it to knock out Bryan and pin him for the win.
***
Next week on Smackdown
John Cena & “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. The Miz & John Morrison
Winner Faces WALTER for U.S. Title at Elimination Chamber
Randy Orton vs. “Glorious” Bobby Roode
Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart vs. Penta El 0M
And more!
John Cena & “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. The Miz & John Morrison
Winner Faces WALTER for U.S. Title at Elimination Chamber
Randy Orton vs. “Glorious” Bobby Roode
Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart vs. Penta El 0M
And more!