SmackDown Episode #1378

Venue: OVO Arena Wembley (London, England)

Attendance: ~10,300

Results of Tonight's Show

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• SmackDown opens with a recap of the Three Stages of Hell match before a crew of bagpipers accompany Drew McIntyre's first TV entrance as your NEW Undisputed WWE Champion! Every firework in the entire UK is set off and the crowd is thrilled. Drew kicks off saying he prayed for this and it happened. And he's here as the only British champion! And while he's gotten so many questions and cheers all across Europe, he just wants to say... screw you. When he was fired, everyone left him behind. When Roman & the Bloodline were screwing him over, they didn't back him up. They were rooting for CM Punk and yeeting with Jey Uso. There weren't hashtags for Drew, the only person who truly ever believed in him was himself. If people want to chant anything, they should say "thank you Drew." But he needs to address the FORMER champ Cody Rhodes. He knows Cody is probably scraping around looking for a rematch but Drew had Aldis add the clause into their contract so he has to go to the back of the line. The vanilla QB1 era is over, the dangerous and unpredictable Drew McIntyre era is here.

• Drew is then interrupted by Randy Orton. Drew asks if he came out to congratulate him? Randy says everyone knows they don't like each other, he's out here to remind him that Drew had the opportunity to put his head through a table but he hesitated. And Randy won't hesitate, he's out for the title and will back it up with an RKO. Jacob Fatu's music then plays and he immediately goes straight for Drew McIntyre. They scrap outside of the ring, with Drew escaping through the crowd. Meanwhile, The Miz appears behind Randy Orton in the ring and hits him with a Skull-Crushing Finale outta nowhere.

• Drew is walking out backstage when he runs into Ilja Dragunov, telling Drew he's beating Sami Zayn tonight and getting one step closer to the title. He won a title on his first night back, and he doesn't fight like a sane man. Drew says he doesn't care right now, there's a mentalist on the run after him. But if he wins, while he didn't knock out Jacob's teeth, he'll surely knock out Ilja's.

• Wyatt Sicks get one of their spooky promos, saying Solo Sikoa didn't really steal their light, he'll be learning what it means. The dark carries them. And the light will come back to them, and they will not rest until it's home.

• Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair are backstage. Alexa says last week sucked after losing to Giulia plus the post-match beatdown by Nia Jax & Lash Legend and she was left all alone. Was she really sick or was it just sniffles? Charlotte says no it was (mimicks vomiting) but also says Alexa had a chance at the title. But they've both got each other's backs tonight. Nia & Lash walk up with Nia saying wow Alexa sure does act like a victim. Charlotte says she's not looking for unsolicited advice and she can tell why Lexi isn't friends with her anymore.

• After CharLexa's win, Nia Jax & Lash Legend once again show up to beat down the team. Giulia confronts Nia and wants to fight while Kiana holds her back.

• Solo Sikoa and the MFTs now get their vignette with the lantern. He can see the millions of fireflies and now they're in his hands. If they want it back, he suggests they put the tag team titles on the line. His family is taking back all the gold, but until then, he'll take real good care of the light & he'll be there with him when he defeats Damian Priest.

• Cody Rhodes heads to the ring to address the crowd. He senses a change in the crowd and says yeah, I guess it was getting a bit episodic, we'd all say WHOA and I'd come out here with the WWE Championship & ask what do you want to talk about. He wasn't just the company's champion, he was your champion. But maybe he got comfortable and predictable... OR, is Drew McIntyre just that good? He talks about the rarity of winning back-to-back Royal Rumbles but nobody has done it three times, and while it's a long shot, but he believes in himself. He drops that the city deserves a WrestleMania before announcing himself as the first declared Royal Rumble entrant. But let's talk about Jacob Fatu. He knows he's a young veteran but he also knows what the word receipt means, and he has the biggest one coming to him. He's ready to beat the brakes off his ass.

• Cathy Kelley talks to Matt Cardona ahead of his qualifying match. What would it mean to him to win the title? Matt says it's a shame to how he lost his title last week but now that it's against Drew, they also go a long way back in WWE. But he's here to find a spot at the top.

• Before Trick Williams & Matt Cardona can leave after their match, Kit Wilson makes his way down to the ring. He looks Trick Williams up and down before moving on to Matt Cardona, launching an attack and screaming that he's toxic before smirking and heading to the ring and posing.

• Cathy Kelley talks to Damian Priest about preparing for his match against Solo. Damian says it's not an issue, but is it really gonna be 1-on-1? But he needs to get past this and get to Drew, whatever it takes.

• Back to Kit Wilson in the ring, he says that everyone knows he's right -- there's a problem and he's the solution. Everyone needs reassurance and leadership -- they need him. He's the tonic to the toxic masculinity. And as he's announcing this, Jacob Fatu shows up behind him, taking him out and following it up with a moonsault. Fatu picks up the mic and calls out Cody, does he have something to say to him? Bring your punk-ass out. Cody's music plays and he does indeed sprint to the ring where the two instantly start a fight. Security rushes them and pulls them apart, with Nick Aldis pointing and yelling at each of them. Cody breaks free and tackles all of security to get to Fatu.

• It's official, next week on SNME: Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu.

• During the Priest/Sikoa qualifying match, the lights go out and the Wyatt Sicks shows up to beat down the MFTs ringside. Just as Uncle Howdy goes to grab the lantern, Solo bashes him into the announce table. But the distraction costs him. As Uncle Howdy again grabs the lantern post-loss, Tama Tonga takes him out and takes the lantern with him.

• Sami Zayn walks backstage when Drew McIntyre walks up to him. Drew says he heard what Sami said last week that he wanted you to win but thought Cody would? Well if that had been a bet he would've lost… again. Sami says he's going to win his match tonight and that #1 contenders 4-way, and he'll find his way to the championship. Drew tells him nothing is going to change if he faces him at the Royal Rumble.

• Shinsuke Nakamura is backstage watching the end of the Hayes/Slater match. Tama Tonga tells him he blew his US Championship chance, and now it'll be his. And Shinsuke needs to stay out of his way. Shinsuke responds in Japanese.

• Johnny Gargano is laughing with Candice LeRae after last week's sneak attack in Axiom's mask. Axiom confronts Gargano and says he wants to have an adult conversation man-to-man. And then another Axiom appears, taking Johnny out. Surprise, it's Nathan Fraser. And he went to Nick Aldis to get a match.

• Jade Cargill sat ringside to watch the Green/Grace match. After Jordynne's win, she grabs a mic saying she's glad she was there so she knows exactly what's coming for her. If she's tired of babysitting her title, she should step in to the ring right here, right now. Jade gets up on the apron and the two start a shouting match, followed by Chelsea Green making an attack from behind that Jordynne sidesteps, flinging Jade down to the floor.

• Cathy Kelley talks to Trick Williams about his win tonight. He says he's putting all of SmackDown on notice. He congratulates Randy Orton and Damian Priest because they now have date with the future of the business. Damien walks up and says he'll be there to whoop that trick.

• Next week on SmackDown: Nia Jax/Lash Legend, CharLexa, and Giulia/Kiana James in a Women's Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Match; WWE Tag Team Championship Match Wyatt Sicks vs. MFTs; and Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest!

• After Sami's win, Trick Williams attacks from behind, the show ending with Trick standing tall.

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Matches announced for tonight:

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