WWE Smackdown Review – February 9, 2024
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with a video of what happened during the WrestleMania 40 Kickoff Show yesterday.
Triple H welcomes fans to Smackdown and says the WrestleMania 40 Kickoff Show was a grand way to kick off the WrestleMania season despite things going off road. He says he came out to clear up a couple of things. He says he felt like there was some confusion in the air flying out of Las Vegas and says some people don’t know their role. He says people went out and tried to insert their authority when they have none and says he doesn’t care where someone sits because the answers come from him. He then declares that Roman Reigns will indeed defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Cody Rhodes. Triple H says certain people in the back will be disappointed by that decision but it doesn’t matter if they don’t like that decision. He then welcomes fans to the Road to WrestleMania.
Nick Aldis steps forward and addresses Seth Rollins’ World Heavyweight Title opponent at WrestleMania 40. He announces that the winner of the Elimination Chamber match will face him before Pearce announces that Randy Orton, Bronson Reed, Kevin Owens, United States Champion Logan Paul, AJ Styles, The Miz, Bobby Lashley, Ivar, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn, Dominik Mysterio & LA Knight will face one another in a series of 6 qualifier matches to determine who competes in the chamber then announces that McIntyre will be facing Styles up next & McIntyre runs his mouth about CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and WrestleMania 40 as he makes his way down to the ring.
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles
Drew McIntyre sends AJ Styles crashing into the corner then lands a chop but Styles responds with a kick on his thigh and a pair of chops of his own.
He looks to land a crossbody out of the corner but McIntyre catches him and hits a brainbuster.
He hits a couple more chops but Styles responds with several of his own before McIntyre lands a tilt a whirl backbreaker then hits a knee to his midsection.
Styles connects with a dropkick and goes after McIntyre’s knee, then sits himself on the top turnbuckle.
McIntyre pushes him out of the ring and sends him crashing over the barricade near the timekeeper’s area then looks up at the WrestleMania sign as we go to a break.
After the break Styles hits a tornado DDT to McIntyre then fires off strikes on McIntyre then hits a sliding clothesline and a flying right hand.
McIntyre gets Styles up on his shoulders and ascends to the middle rope but Styles pulls him off and lands a powerbomb.
He then gets McIntyre up on his shoulders but McIntyre escapes and hits Future Shock DDT.
He sets up for Claymore but Styles ducks out of the way and locks in Calf Crusher but McIntyre crawls over to the bottom rope to break the hold.
Styles hits a forearm from the apron then sets up for Phenomenal Forearm.
McIntyre knocks him to the outside but Styles manages to land a Pele Kick.
He tosses Styles over the announce table and LA Knight offers Styles some water by tipping it on the edge of the announce table.
Styles gets in Knight’s face and McIntyre takes advantage then sends Styles crashing into McIntyre.
Knight looks to get involved as Styles rolls up McIntyre but the referee is distracted by Knight and doesn’t see the pinfall.
Styles clocks Knight opening the door for McIntyre to hit Claymore Kick for the win.
Winner & Gets Into The Elimination Chamber Match: Drew McIntyre
After the break we head over to a video of Elton Prince hyping up a sad Kit Wilson after a quick hello from Queen Elizabeth in the clouds.
Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Bianca BelAir vs. Michin
Bianca BelAir gets Michin up on her shoulders looking for KOD but Michin escapes and hits a pair of kicks to her head then hits 2 more.
BelAir lands on the outside and Michin hits a kick from the apron as we go to a break.
After the break BelAir is sent colliding into the ring post then they go back & forth with forearms but Michin lands a boot on BelAir’s jaw.
She follows it up with a neckbreaker and looks for a cannonball but BelAir sees her coming and rolls out of the way.
She then lands a backbreaker and looks for a springboard moonsault but Michin gets her knees up.
BelAir stops herself before she can land on top of them then sends Michin crashing into the top turnbuckle face first and fires off a few shoulders on her midsection.
She rains down right hands on her before Michin manages to land a superplex on BelAir and follows it up with Eat Defeat.
BelAir is sent crashing out of the ring but Michin gets her back in then looks to hit a move but BelAir counters into a back body drop and follows it up with KOD for the win.
Winner & Gets Into The Women’s Elimination Chamber Match: Bianca BelAir
After the break we see Bron Breakker meet with Triple H. Triple H tells Breakker he’s proud of him and it’s awesome to see how he’s developed his craft. Breakker asks Triple H on advice for making his decision as to sign with Raw or Smackdown but before he can answer Paul Heyman interrupts and says he’ll be back next week with Roman Reigns & The Rock after seeing that Triple H isn’t in much of a mood to talk.
2024 Women’s Royal Rumble Winner Bayley says she’s had a tough time coming up with what to say about the Damage CTRL split last week and while she initially thought that some might’ve said she had it coming it sounds like the fans are cool with her. She says fans have been on this journey with her and stood by her side. She says they know her heart and passion for the business.
Bayley says Damage CTRL meant everything to her and says they were her family. She says she put the stable before herself time and time again but they simply took from her and continuously laughed at her and stopped talking when she would enter a room. She says she’s been in this spot to know better and tells Women’s Champion Iyo Sky she’ll learn that the hard way.
Dakota Kai marches down to the ring demanding to know why Bayley hasn’t been answering her texts. Bayley asks her where she was last week and Kai says she was with her doctors. She says she didn’t know what Women’s Tag Team Champions Kabuki Warriors & Sky were going to do last week and Bayley was adamant that she did. Kai says she was put in a tough spot but she always believed in Damage CTRL and what Bayley created. She says Sky did too until Sane & Asuka came along and says while she initially thought everything would be okay they got into Sky’s head. Bayley questions why Kai didn’t tell her about what they were saying and Kai says she didn’t know how to. She says she misses her, Bayley & Sky together and says Bayley has always been like a mentor to her. She says she wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for Bayley and says she thought everything would just blow over.
Bayley asks Kai where she stands but before Kai can answer Sky’s music hits and she makes her way down to the ring alongside Sane and Asuka.
Kai slides out of the ring as Asuka, Sane & Sky surround the ring. Kai enters the ring with a chair once again and hits all 3 ropes where Sane, Asuka & Sky are standing to scare them off. She drops the chair and stands in the ring side by side with Bayley. Bayley then kicks the chair away from Kai.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Match
British Strong Style (Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne) vs. DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano)
Tyler Bate & Johnny Gargano take turns pinning one another before Dunne tags in and levels Gargano but Tommaso Ciampa tags in and hits Dunne with a back elbow.
Dunne & Ciampa end up on the outside and Dunne finds himself on top of the announce desk.
Gargano hits Bate with a tope suicida before Ciampa delivers a running knee to Dunne’s head as we go to a break.
After the break Ciampa hits a clothesline each to Dunne & Bate in the corner then hits both men with a double clothesline and lands a reverse DDT on Bate.
Gargano tags in and Ciampa gets Bate up on his shoulders but Dunne provides him with a hand.
#DIY then double team on Dunne & Gargano hits a springboard clothesline to Bate that turns him inside out.
Bate then hits a Airplane Spin on Gargano while simultaneously executing The Swing on Ciampa.
He sends Gargano crashing on top of Ciampa when he plants him before Ciampa tags in and rocks Bate with a knee.
Ciampa lands Project Ciampa then connects with a boot on Bate’s jaw and a running knee to the side of his head.
Gargano sets up and DIY sets up for Meeting In The Middle but Dunne snaps Ciampa’s fingers to prevent them from landing their finisher.
Dunne gets leveled on the outside and Bate hits a modified rebound clothesline.
Gargano hits Bate with a boot on his jaw then goes flying to level Ciampa on the outside.
Back in the ring Dunne catches Gargano with a right hand and follows it up with Bitter End for the win.
Winner & Gets A Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Match: British Strong Style
After the match British Strong Style & DIY fist bump one another as a sign of respect.
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn
Match starts off with a lock up then Randy Orton hits a shoulder tackle on Sami Zayn but Zayn manages to dump Orton out of the ring. Orton gets back inside and they lock up.
Orton fires off right hands on Zayn but Zayn reverses and rains down several of his own.
Orton then lands more right hands on Zayn before landing an uppercut that sends him crashing out of the ring.
Zayn lands a moonsault on Orton off the barricade but Orton delivers a right hand to his midsection and gets him back in the ring.
Zayn looks to fly but Orton catches him with a right hand. Zayn then sends Orton crashing on top of the announce table as we go to a break.
After the break Zayn & Orton exchange right hands on the top rope.
Orton lands a superplex and fires off right hands on Zayn’s head but Zayn responds with several shoulders to his midsection.
Orton hits a scoop powerslam and sets up for a hanging DDT but Zayn dumps Orton out of the ring and lands a tope suicida.
Orton plants Zayn on top of the announce table then lands a hanging DDT then sets up for the RKO but Zayn rolls him up but Orton kicks out and Zayn lands a Blue Thunder Bomb.
He goes for a pin but Orton kicks out then Zayn flies off the ropes but Orton catches him with a RKO for the win.
Winner & Gets Into The Elimination Chamber Match: Randy Orton
After the match Drew McIntyre comes in the ring & stares down Orton to close out this week’s Smackdown.
Next Week’s Smackdown
Non Title Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
United States Champion Logan Paul vs. The Miz
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Kevin Owens vs. Dominik Mysterio
Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Shotzi vs. Tiffany Stratton
Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Naomi vs. Zelina Vega
Elimination Chamber Card So Far (Feb 24th)
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Match
Judgement Day (Mr Money In The Bank Damian Priest & Finn Balor) (c) vs. British Strong Style (Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne)
Women’s World Title #1 Contenders Elimination Chamber Match
Becky Lynch vs. Bianca BelAir vs. Zoey Stark or Liv Morgan vs. Shotzi or Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi or Zelina Vega vs. TBD
Women’s World Title Match
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax
World Heavyweight Title #1 Contenders Elimination Chamber Match
Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton vs. Bobby Lashley or Bronson Reed vs. LA Knight or Ivar vs. United States Champion Logan Paul or The Miz vs. Kevin Owens Or Dominik Mysterio
