Friday Night Smackdown!
Washington D.C.
April 4, 2014
results thanks to wrestleview.com
“Then. Now. Forever.” The WWE video leads us into the show.
The Smackdown video plays, and we’re brought into the arena. Michael Cole and
JBL welcome us to the final show before WrestleMania XXX.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Titus O’Neil
Charles Robinson, my favorite referee of all time, is the official for this
match. Ziggler ducks a lock up attempt and applies a waistlock. O’Neil quickly
powers him off. They circle the ring, and Ziggler goes for a takedown, but
O’Neil fights him off again. Ziggler punches him down to a knee and hits the
ropes, but O’Neil comes right back with a flapjack. O’Neil stomps him and
punches away at him. O’Neil hits a body slam before dropping a leg for a two
count. O’Neil pulls the hair and applies a chin lock. O’Neil rips at his nose as
he applies the hold. Ziggler fights up and punches him, but O’Neil counters into
a modified rib breaker. O’Neil taunts the crowd. O’Neil then charges Ziggler in
the corner, but Ziggler gets his boots up.
Ziggler pulls himself up on the ropes. Ziggler ducks a clothesline and takes him
down. Ziggler punches away at him. O’Neil gets to his feet and goes to the
corner. Ziggler jumps up to the second rope and punches away at him. Ziggler
then hits him with a neckbreaker. Ziggler goes for a famouser, but O’Neil pushes
him off. Ziggler ducks a big boot and goes for the famouser, but O’Neil
apparently avoids it. Some major miscommunication begins between the two. They
finally go into the ropes, and O’Neil takes him down with a big boot. O’Neil
picks up a near fall. O’Neil picks him up by the hair and taunts the crowd a
bit. O’Neil hits some rib breakers, but Ziggler eventually pops out and hits the
Zig-Zag for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Dolph Ziggler
Match Rating: *
A graphic airs that shows all of the participants in the 30-man André the Giant
Memorial Battle Royal, and it takes place this Sunday at WrestleMania XXX.
Hulk Hogan will be on Smackdown for the first time in over a decade later
tonight. Coming up next, we’ll check in with Jerry “The King” Lawler and Renee
Young at WrestleMania Axxess.
-Commercial Break-
WrestleMania XXX is just two short days away.
We’re now at WrestleMania Axxess. Jerry “The King” Lawler and Renee Young
welcome us back. They show Jimmy Hart on the Legends’ House set, the Scooby-Doo
van, Undertaker’s graveyard, and an entrance ramp where you can do your own
entrance. Lawler and Renee then talk about the Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak
and if it will continue.
Video Package: The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar
We’ll take a look back at Daniel Bryan’s attack on Triple H from this past
Monday’s RAW.
-Commercial Break-
We get an aerial shot of the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, the site of
WrestleMania XXX.
They show footage of children playing in the Slam City exhibit at WrestleMania
Axxess. They then begin to plug the WWE Network. There will be a legends panel
on the network after the conclusion of Smackdown.
Footage is shown of Michael Cole interviewing Stephanie McMahon in a WWE.com
exclusive interview. She puts over WrestleMania XXX and talks about Daniel
Bryan. She talks about how Bryan put people in danger a few weeks ago with the
“Occupy RAW Movement.” McMahon states that Bryan is setting the wrong example.
Cole asserts that this has been going on since before the YES Movement, and she
states that he is simply a B+ player. Cole asked if she would admit that she was
wrong is Bryan pulls out a miracle on Sunday. McMahon says that Triple H will
destroy him at WrestleMania XXX. She feels sorry for everyone who will have
their hopes and dreams dashed to pieces at WrestleMania XXX. Her husband will
demolish Daniel Bryan and go on to become the new WWE World Heavyweight
Champion.
They show the André the Giant life size statue at WrestleMania Axxess. They show
some other WrestleMania memorabilia.
-Commercial Break-
We see more footage of the Legend’ House set. Jimmy Hart and Howard Finkel are
there. You get to sit with them and chat for a few minutes. There is also a
Fruity Pebbles foam pit.
Video Package: John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt
Hulk Hogan will be on Smackdown later on tonight.
-Commercial Break-
Lawler and Renee talk about how you cannot underestimate the WWE World
Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton heading into WrestleMania XXX.
Booker T had a sit-down interview with Randy Orton earlier this week. Booker T
asks Orton about becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Orton talks about
how great it felt and how it is his time. Booker asks about the triple threat
match at WrestleMania XXX. Orton says he has a more dense history with Triple H,
but he knows him more than Daniel Bryan. Triple H is a great competitor, but
he’s taken after Vince McMahon in the sense that he is a ruthless businessman
who will do whatever it takes. Orton says at WrestleMania XXX, Triple H won’t be
his boss. He’ll just be another body in the ring. Booker then asks what he
thinks about Daniel Bryan. Orton says the YES Movement is a fad. Orton says it’s
funny to watch someone struggle to the top after it all came so easily to him.
Orton says both Triple H and Bryan won’t be 100% heading into the main event.
Orton then talks about how Batista was a friend, but when he left in 2010, you
can’t get those years back. Back in the day, Batista would have been an opponent
for him. Now, not so much. Booker asks for a prediction, and Orton says he will
be the last man standing.
Coming up next, we’ll see Los Matadores take on The Real Americans. We’ll also
see Daniel Bryan’s attack on Triple H from this past Monday’s RAW.
-Commercial Break-
Michael Cole talks about the two-hour WrestleMania Pre-Show. On that show, we’ll
see the WWE Tag Team Championships defended. The Usos will defend their titles
against Rybaxel, The Real Americans, and Los Matadores.
The Real Americans vs. Los Matadores
Jack Swagger will start the match against Fernando. They lock up, and Swagger
powers him to the corner. Swagger knees away at him a bunch of times before
being backed away. Fernando punches back at him and sends him to the opposite
corner. Swagger puts him on the apron, and Fernando punches him away. Swagger
avoids a springboard attack, but he misses a clothesline. Fernando then hits a
head-scissor takeover. Cesaro is tagged in, and he tries to suplex Fernando, but
he rolls through. Fernando hits a dropkick and a pair of arm drags. Fernando
applies an arm bar, and Cesaro counters back with a body slam. Cesaro goes for a
“We the people” taunt, but Fernando counters into another head-scissor takeover.
Diego is tagged in, and he hits a slingshot head-scissor takeover. Diego taunts
the fans, but they boo him. There are a lot of Cesaro fans. Zeb Colter then
shouts some instructions from ringside before slapping Cesaro in the face!
Cesaro gets fired up, and Swagger keeps him back from Colter.
Cesaro then charges at Fernando and dropkicks him. Cesaro uppercuts him a number
of times in the corner before hitting a deadlift gutwrench suplex. Cesaro then
taunts the fans again with a “We the people” taunt.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Diego punching out of a headlock from Cesaro.
Swagger tags in, and Diego hits a double DDT on both Swagger and Cesaro. El
Torito gets fired up at ringside. Swagger pulls Diego away from his corner and
stomps away at him. Swagger slams him down and tags Cesaro in. They hit Diego
with a double suplex. Cesaro then drops an elbow for a near fall. Cesaro gets
him to his feet and uppercuts him. Swagger is tagged in, and he catapults Cesaro
into Diego. Cesaro then shoves Diego into a clothesline from Swagger for a near
fall. Swagger yanks Diego away from his corner and applies a front face-lock.
Diego fights up to his feet and punches, but Swagger shoves him into the ropes.
Diego holds on, and Swagger runs into his boots. Cesaro tries to illegally
prevent Diego from making a tag, and Diego fights him off by pulling down the
top rope.
Swagger grabs Diego by the ankle, and Diego kicks him away. Cesaro then yanks
Fernando off the apron before Diego can tag him. Swagger clotheslines him in the
corner and hits a belly-to-belly side suplex for a near fall. Swagger talks some
trash and hits the Swagger Bomb. Cesaro then tags in, and he leapfrogs Swagger
to hit a double stomp to the chest for a near fall. Cesaro covers again for
another near fall. Diego fights both men off with elbows. Swagger is tagged in,
and Diego kicks him in the face. Diego then gives Cesaro a back body drop over
the top rope, and he pulls the top rope down for Swagger. Fernando gets the
crowd into it.
Fernando and Cesaro are tagged in. Fernando hits a pair of running elbows before
punching him. Cesaro reverses a whip, but Fernando slides between his legs and
hits a hurricanrana. Fernando then hits a springboard back elbow for a near
fall. Cesaro comes back with an uppercut. Fernando flips through a back suplex
and flapjacks Cesaro into the turnbuckle. Fernando goes to the top rope, and he
hits a flipping senton for a near fall. Swagger runs into the ring, and Diego
back body drops him out of the ring. Cesaro then big boots Diego off the apron.
Cesaro runs into Fernando’s knees. Cesaro then counters a turnbuckle attempt
into a Cesaro Swing with ten revolutions. Cesaro then hits the Neutralizer for
the win.
Winners by Pinfall: The Real Americans
Match Rating: * 3/4
Cesaro stands angrily in the ring with Swagger and Colter. Colter uneasily
stands next to Cesaro, and they do the “We the people” taunt. Cesaro never takes
his eyes off Colter.
-Commercial Break-
They show footage of the WrestleMania Superstore, which is stocked with tons of
merchandise.
Renee and Lawler talk about The Shield vs. Kane and The New Age Outlaws. Lawler
couldn’t believe that Kane and the NAO laid out The Shield a few weeks back.
A sit-down interview is aired with The Shield. They talk about their first
WrestleMania last year and how it was a dream come true. Roman Reigns says
capturing a huge win when they were the underdogs last year was huge. Dean
Ambrose says they were nobodies last year, but now they’re the Yankees and the
Lakers. Seth Rollins talks about how Kane and the NAO ambushed them, which is
something that never happens to them. The Shield paid the price, but they didn’t
get the job done. Ambrose says he was a fan of the NAO as a kid, and it’ll be
great to send them out to pasture in New Orleans since it’s always warm there.
Rollins says he doesn’t care about legacy. Anyone who stands in their way is
done. Reigns says they bend, but they never break.
We’ll see an interview with Batista, next.
-Commercial Break-
They show footage of Triple H unveiling the Bruno Sammartino statue earlier
tonight at WrestleMania Axxess. Bruno Sammartino was on hand to see the
presentation. Sammartino seemed genuinely moved by the statue.
Booker T had a sit-down interview with Batista. Batista talks about how he
wishes he came back at a better place than Dayton, Ohio. Batista then talks
about sticking around just to spite the fans. Booker asks about the triple
threat match, and he says he just doesn’t see any situation in which he would
lose. Batista says he doesn’t see Triple H or Daniel Bryan as threats. Triple H
needs to stay behind his desk, and Bryan is a flavor of the month. Batista says
he will leave WrestleMania as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Hulk Hogan will make his first appearance on Smackdown later on tonight.
-Commercial Break-
Lawler and Renee talk about the WWE Hall of Fame being aired exclusively on the
WWE Network. Lawler talks about how great that night is. He is excited to hear
the Ultimate Warrior’s speech.
Replay: They air the entire final segment of Monday Night RAW when Daniel Bryan
attacked Triple H and got the better of both Batista and Randy Orton.
This will conclude the WrestleMania Axxess portion of tonight’s episode of
Friday Night Smackdown. Hulk Hogan will appear in the ring, next.
-Commercial Break-
Hulk Hogan gives a final plug for WrestleMania XXX
Hulk Hogan makes his way to the ring to a tremendous reception from the
Washington, D.C. crowd. Hogan stands in the ring and says, “Well let me tell you
something, brother!” Hogan says it is great to be back on Smackdown in the
nation’s capital. WrestleMania is just a few days away, and he is so pumped up
about being the host that he feels like the WWE Champion. Hogan says he has a
lot of great WrestleMania memories. Back at WrestleMania I, he tore down Madison
Square Garden with Mr. T. Then he went one-on-one with the Great One at
WrestleMania X8. Hogan says, “I’ll never forget about that dude, brother. I
really jacked him up.” Hogan then talks about body slamming André the Giant at
WrestleMania III. That’s why it’s so important for him to give the trophy at
WrestleMania XXX this year.
Hogan says the trophy is spectacular. One of thirty superstars has a chance to
link themselves with immortality. In closing, he has one question for all the
maniacs: “Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania, the André the Giant Memorial Battle
Royal, and WrestleMania run wild on you?” Hogan poses for the fans before
leaving the ring.