A night previewed as Kofi Kingston laying the challenge down to his SummerSlam opponent and Shane McMahon dealing with Kevin Owens after the past couple of weeks, this was a night of importance that fans did not want to miss. The top smackdown highlights of the night are below.
Smackdown Highlights: Dolph Ziggler Ruins Miz TV With A Superkick To HBK
Shawn Michaels was surprisingly set to be the special guest on Miz TV for SmackDown LIVE to discuss the Raw Reunion festivities from last night. Before Miz and HBK could really begin to speak more on the matters at hand, the poor man’s Shawn Michaels, aka Dolph Ziggler made his way to the ring to get in the face of Shawn Michaels and Miz for a second straight week. Ziggler said he was disgusted at the fact Shawn came back last year to fight at Crown Jewel, saying it was embarrassing. HBK agrees with Ziggler, but said it was even more embarrassing after all of Ziggler’s hard work, he is only left with being known as a second-rate Shawn Michaels.
It would quickly get heated between the three men, leading to Ziggler hitting Miz and HBK paying back the favor. When Shawn would turn around, he would meet a Superkick off the chin before fighting off. Before fans get excited at the thought of Shawn returning to the ring again, expect Miz vs Dolph 500 instead, because that’s what we are really leading to here.
Smackdown Highlights: Full Circle For Kofi Kingston And New Challenger Randy Orton
10 years later, Kofi Kingston finally has his chance to get his revenge. Kofi would challenge Randy Orton to a WWE Championship match a SummerSlam, to not only prove that he should be WWE Champion, but to put down their rivalry that started a decade ago down for good. Kofi brought up how after their infamous Madison Square Garden moment, he should have been on his way to the main event, but Orton halted that. Orton admitted his pull did stop him, and that he never needed to prove anything like Kofi because of the simple fact he was Randy Orton.
He would continue saying he never had to fake a Jamaican accent, throw pancakes, or shake his butt to get over. Orton would let Kofi know that he is the reason he was WWE Champion, because he was the one who injured Ali. Now, “The Viper” went on to point out that he will take the championship whenever he pleases, and if it’s a match at SummerSlam he wants, that is a match he will get. Kofi would get the last laugh of the night when he’d hit Orton with a Trouble in Paradise to walk out happier.
Smackdown Highlights: Firefly Fun House RETURNS
Finn Balor would have an in-ring interview where he would lay down the challenge to Bray Wyatt for a match at SummerSlam. Then, the Firefly Fun House would return to grace our television screens as Bray, Ramblin Rabbit, and Mercy the Buzzard would appear. They would inform Finn they are huge fans of Finn, but “The Fiend” on the other hand is not. Bray noted that “The Fiend” remembers and that he accepts the challenge for SummerSlam. It was now time to “let him in”. Bray Wyatt is totally insane and it is fantastic.
Smackdown Highlights: Kevin Owens And Roman Reigns Get The Best Of Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon’s grand idea to get back at Kevin Owens was to put him in a match with Roman Reigns for the main event. To add, he would be the special ring announcer, Elias would be the timekeeper, and Drew McIntyre would be the special guest referee. Game-changing stuff, I know. This would go as well as you would expect for the Shane and his gang, as Reigns and Owens would quickly get on the same page. Owens would hit not one but two Stunners on Shane to end the night heading into their SummerSlam match.
SmackDown LIVE officially set up the WWE Championship match, the huge bout between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon, and marked the return to the ring for Bray Wyatt. Unlike the Raw Reunion, this show made a clearer view of the future as SummerSlam is looking to be one special show.
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