WWE SmackDown Results (03/10) - Fatal Five-Way Qualifier Match, Jey Uso Explains Why He Turned On Sami Zayn And More
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results of "WWE SmackDown" on March 10, 2023, coming to you live from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!
Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Karrion Kross, LA Knight, and Xavier Woods will be colliding in the ring to determine who will take on GUNTHER for his Intercontinental Championship at "WrestleMania 39". The five men were involved in a verbal exchange that turned physical after each making their appeals as to why they should be the new number one contender. Who will be next in line to receive a title shot?
After weeks of making his loyalties unknown, Jey Uso finally drew a line in the sand on the latest edition of "WWE Raw" when he turned his back on Sami Zayn and delivered a superkick to him following his brother Jimmy's match with the former "Honorary Uce". Tonight, Jey will come face-to-face with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns after he gave Jey an ultimatum last week. Reigns made it clear that Jimmy would be the one to blame if Jey didn't show. What will Reigns have to say following Jey's shocking actions on Monday night?
The Viking Raiders will be going head-to-head with Braun Strowman and Ricochet. Issues between the two teams date back to two weeks ago when the aforementioned McIntyre was blindsided with an attack at the hands of The Raiders following the conclusion of a six-man tag team match between Imperium and Strowman, Ricochet, and Madcap Moss that McIntyre had been watching from ringside. Strowman and Ricochet provided a hand to McIntyre and helped fight off Ivar and Erik. Which team will come out on top?
Additionally, Jimmy, Zayn, and "SmackDown" Women's Champion Charlotte Flair are all advertised to make appearances on tonight's show.
We are live! The show kicks off with a video recapping the fallout of the match between The Usos and Sami Zayn on this past Monday's "Raw". We then see The Usos pulling up to the arena as Paul Heyman stands by. Jey asks Heyman where Reigns is, and Heyman hugs him before telling him that both he and Reigns are proud of him. Jey tells Heyman to let him know when he finds him. Kayla Braxton approaches the men, and asks Jey why he did what he did. Jey says he will explain things later tonight in the ring.
Michael Cole and Wade Barrett greet audiences at home as Drew McIntyre heads to the ring. Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Sheamus, LA Knight, and Xavier Woods follow.
Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. Karrion Kross (w/ Scarlett) vs. LA Knight vs. Xavier Woods in a Fatal Five-Way Intercontinental Championship Qualifier Match
The bell rings and Woods goes after Knight. Kross joins in as McIntyre and Sheamus stare one another down. Knight and Kross then set their sights on McIntyre and Sheamus and attack them, but McIntyre and Sheamus dump them out of the ring. The two men get in one another's faces, but Kross and Knight attack them once again.
Back from the break, Kross and Knight beat down Woods in the corner. Sheamus drags Knight out of the ring, but Kross attacks him as Knight sends McIntyre crashing into the ring post. Knight and Kross then get back in the ring and plant Woods with a double flapjack. McIntyre joins them and fires off a series of chops, but Knight and Kross gain the upper hand and deliver a double suplex. Sheamus goes flying and levels Knight, then hits Kross with a clothesline before delivering a series of right hands to Knight. Meanwhile, Kross locks in a Single Leg Boston Crab on McIntyre.
Knight plants Woods with a neckbreaker and goes for a pin, but Kross pulls Knight off. Knight then catches him with a right hand before Woods fires off several rapid fire offensive moves. He delivers a rolling forearm to Knight, then takes down Kross. Woods hits a DDT on Kross and the double knees to Kross, then ascends to the top and delivers an elbow drop to Knight. He goes for a pin, but Sheamus and Kross break things up as Imperium appears at ringside to watch on.
Back from another break, Kross delivers a right hand to Knight. He then ascends to the top as McIntyre hangs off it upside down, but Knight meets him up there before McIntyre pulls them both down. McIntyre delivers a lariat and a belly-to-belly throw to Knight, then hits Kross with a neckbreaker. Sheamus joins in on the action and takes down Knight, then delivers the Ten Beats of the Bodhran to Woods, Kross, and Knight. He sets up for the Brogue Kick on Knight, but McIntyre catches Knight with a Glasgow Kiss. Sheamus gets in his face before Woods goes flying and Sheamus catches him with a Brogue Kick. McIntyre delivers a Claymore Kick to Knight, and the pair pin Woods and Knight respectively as the referee in the ring and the one on the outside count to three on the same time.
Winners: Sheamus and Drew McIntyre
The referees try to figure out who won as Sheamus and McIntyre get in one another's faces and begin to yell.
We head backstage to Kayla Braxton and Paul Heyman. Braxton asks Heyman for any insight into Jey's actions on Monday, but Heyman is distracted and seems paranoid. He snaps back to reality, and says Cody Rhodes has been a thorn in his side. He hypes up The Bloodline and says they are unstoppable when they are a united front, but says Rhodes came along and he went to Reigns. He recalls a conversation the pair had, and says Rhodes will be forced to acknowledge Reigns at WrestleMania.
Back from the break, we see Sheamus and Drew McIntyre arguing over who won the match. Butch and Ridge Holland walk in and pull Sheamus away.
We head back to Wade Barrett and Michael Cole, who announces the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023...Rey Mysterio!
Mysterio then heads down to the ring to celebrate with the WWE Universe.
He grabs a mic and is about to speak, but Dominik Mysterio's music hits and he and the rest of Judgment Day head to the ring. Dominik says Rey's Hall of Fame induction is pathetic, then calls Rey "a washed up old man." He asks Rey how many events in his life he missed while making his career, then says he's ashamed to be Rey's son.
Legado Del Fantasma's music hits and the group heads to the ring to back Rey. Santos Escobar tells Dominik that while Rey might have let go of what happened last week, he hasn't. He says Legado was set for a match later tonight, but there's no reason not to have it now.
An official then runs down to the ring.
Judgment Day (w/ Rhea Ripley) vs. Legado Del Fantasma (w/ Zelina Vega)
Back from the break, Balor delivers a dropkick to Del Toro as Rey watches on. Priest tags in and fires off several stomps, then follows it up with a flying elbow. Dominik tags in and hits The Three Amigos, then tags Balor back in. Balor whips Del Toro into the corner, but Del Toro delivers a hurricanrana and tags in Escobar. Escobar hits a running knee, then delivers a splash in the corner and tags in Wilde. Wilde hits a splash, but Balor sends him crashing into the mat and tags in Priest. Priest delivers a lariat and a bodyslam, then tags in Balor. Balor hits a backbreaker.
Back from another break, Escobar hits Balor with a back elbow and a leg drop. Dominik and Del Toro tag in before Del Toro delivers a standing Spanish Fly. Vega goes after Ripley, but Ripley levels her and Rey then gets in her face. Del Toro goes for a pin, but the referee is distracted and doesn't see the pin. Priest takes advantage and delivers a kick to Del Toro's head, allowing Dominik to pin him for the win.
Winner: Judgment Day
After the match, Dominik grabs a mic and says he wants to talk to Rey man to man. He dismisses the rest of Judgment Day, and Rey gets in the ring. Dominik says he doesn't understand why Rey is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, then says the only Hall of Fame he should be inducted into is the one for deadbeat fathers. He says he should've been Eddie Guerrero's son, then pushes Rey. Rey looks to retreat, but Dominik charges at him and Rey sends him to the outside. Rey reiterates that he won't fight him.
Back from the break, Braun Strowman and Ricochet head to the ring. The Viking Raiders and Valhalla follow.
The Viking Raiders (w/ Valhalla) vs. Braun Strowman and Ricochet
Erik and Ricochet begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Ricochet hits a hurricanrana, but Erik catches him with a right to his midsection and tags in Ivar. Ivar beats down Ricochet, but Ricochet delivers a dropkick and tags in Strowman, who clotheslines Ivar to the outside. Erik tries attacking him, but Strowman does the same thing to him before tossing Ricochet over the top rope to level the two men.
Back from the break, Erik beats down Ricochet. Ivar tags in and continues to attack Ricochet before Erik tags back in and delivers a knee. Ricochet and Erik go back and forth with forearms, but Erik gains the upper hand and sends Ricochet crashing to the mat with a vicious right hand. Ivar takes down Strowman on the outside as Ricochet delivers a running knee and looks for a tag. Erik hits a sit-out powerbomb, but Ricochet delivers a moonsault off the second rope. Ivar and Strowman tag in. Strowman levels Ivar with a big boot and a splash, then hits a dropkick and tags Ricochet back in. Strowman delivers the Strowman Express to Ivar, then looks to catch Erik with it, but Valhalla pulls Erik out of the way and sends Strowman over the announce desk. Ricochet goes flying and hits Erik with a tope suicida, but Valhalla puts a spell on Ricochet. Ivar gets back in the ring, and Ricochet looks for a 450 Splash, but Ivar catches him with a spinning heel kick before hitting a splash off the top for the win.
Winners: Viking Raiders
We head backstage to Imperium and Adam Pearce. GUNTHER tells Pearce that his challenger for WrestleMania was supposed to be decided, then berates Pearce for his performance as a WWE official. Pearce says McIntyre will square off with Sheamus, and the winner will take on GUNTHER for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania.
Back at ringside, Charlotte Flair heads down. Shotzi follows.
Charlotte Flair vs. Shotzi
The bell rings and the two execute a hand shake. They then lock up before Flair delivers a shoulder tackle. Shotzi fires back with a hurricanrana, but Flair delivers a waste lock takedown. Flair hits a big boot as Rhea Ripley's music hits and she heads to the ring to watch on. Flair looks to lock in a Figure Eight Leg Lock, but Shotzi rolls out. Flair kicks out and hits a German suplex.
Back from the break, Shotzi delivers a hurricanrana to Flair off the middle rope. The pair spill to the outside before Shotzi delivers a kick to Flair. They get back inside, and Flair hits a series of chops, then follows it up with a Fallaway Slam. She hits a Spear before ensuring Ripley is watching and cinching in the Figure Eight Leg Lock for the win.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
After the match, Ripley gets in the ring with a mic in hand. Flair grabs a mic of her own and asks Ripley what she has to say. Ripley says watching Flair tonight reminded her of why she chose to face Flair at WrestleMania, then says she sees acceptance and insecurity in Flair's eyes. She says she will take the one thing that makes Flair feel important at WrestleMania, and become the new "SmackDown" Women's Champion.
Flair says Ripley might be proud of her improvement, but she's improved every single day of her life. She says she wants it more and she will outwork anyone, male or female. Flair says Ripley will rip apart anyone that stands in her way, but her.
Back from the break, The Usos head to the ring.
Jey Uso Explains Why He Turned On Sami Zayn
Jimmy says The Bloodline is now back together before Jey says the big question of the week has been why he betrayed Sami Zayn. He asks the WWE Universe what they would do if they were him, then says you would do anything for your family. He says he did what he did because he had to, even though he didn't want to do it. He says he never had a choice because Jimmy is his blood. He says Zayn isn't and neither is the WWE Universe, then says they don't know what he's going through. Jey says he blames one person: Sami Zayn. He says Zayn's problem is that he's selfish, and all he had to do was fall in line, but he knew nothing about that because he's not blood and never will be. Jimmy says now that the Sami Zayn problem has been dealt with, they need to deal with the Cody Rhodes problem.
Rhodes' music hits and he heads to the ring. He says that if The Usos are going to talk about him, then he would rather them talk directly to him. Rhodes says he answers to fans and not Reigns, then says it sounds as if fans would rather see them fight than talk. Jimmy tells him not to take another step unless he wants them to put him on the shelf like they did with Zayn.
Zayn appears out of nowhere and blindsides Jimmy with an attack. Rhodes begins brawling with Jey, and the pair spill out into the crowd. Jimmy and Zayn join in, and the four men brawl back to the ring. Zayn and Rhodes dump The Usos to the outside before Rhodes raises up Zayn's hand.