SmackDown Results – August 18, 2023
It’s a special show this week as Edge is here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut in WWE. To commemorate the event, he’ll be facing Sheamus in a first-time-ever match. Other than that, Jey Uso has quit, and that might give us a week off from all things Bloodline. Let’s get to it.
We run down a bunch of tonight’s card.
It’s time for the Grayson Waller Effect, with Santos Escobar and new US Champion Rey Mysterio. After a long recap of Escobar being injured last week so Rey could step in and win the title, Waller asks Rey what it’s like to be champion again. Escobar can imagine, but Waller asks what it’s like to see Rey steal the title shot. Escobar says that they are the champion because the title belongs to the LWO. Waller goes on a rant about Rey stole everything but Escobar cuts him off to say that the only person he is angry at is Austin Theory.
Escobar wants to get his hands on Theory, who interrupts to rant about how unfair everything was last week. Cue Adam Pearce, but LA Knight interrupts before he can get anywhere. Knight heard Theory call himself the greatest US Champion ever, which Knight finds interesting because Theory only defended the title once every three months. With all due respect to Rey, it doesn’t matter who the champion is because the title is coming to Knight. Since Theory is dressed to fight, how about Knight vs. Theory for the US Title? Pearce makes the match.
Austin Theory vs. LA Knight
Miz joins commentary and Theory starts fast before knocking him outside. Miz goes on about Knight being the flavor of the month until he beats someone, saying he’s “a Fandango without tap shoes and a Eugene without crayons.” They fight on the floor with Theory being sent into Miz for a big crash, and we take a break.
Back with Knight fighting out of a chinlock and countering the rolling dropkick into a belly-to-back suplex. The jumping neckbreaker sets up a running knee to Theory in the corner. The powerslam plants him again, but Miz gets up for a distraction. Not that it matters as Knight hits a DDT and goes outside to chase Miz. They get inside with a clothesline taking Miz outside, allowing Theory to roll Knight up for the pin at 10:10.
Result: Austin Theory b. LA Knight – Rollup (10:10)
John Cena, Sheamus, Natalya, Miz, Charlotte, and Sami Zayn say thank you, Edge.
Video on Edge’s career, including a clip of him as a teenager asking Bret Hart for advice on a talk show. This covers a lot and features talking heads praising Edge.
Charlotte/Bianca Belair vs. Damage CTRL
Dakota Kai is here with Damage CTRL. Bayley introduces Iyo Sky and says Toronto isn’t used to seeing a champion. Belair wrestles Bayley down to start and hands it off to Charlotte for the stomping in the corner. Some double-teaming has Charlotte in trouble, but she sends the villains outside for a flip dive.
We take a break and come back with Charlotte fighting out of trouble but getting knocked down into a Sky chinlock. That’s broken up, so Charlotte has to fight out of a crossface. Sky is smart enough to run over and knock Belair off the apron, only to have Charlotte get the tag a few seconds later.
Belair gets to clean house, but Sky goes after the