WWE SmackDown Results 8/18 - Edge Commemorates 25 Years, Huge Women's Tag Team Bout
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results for "WWE SmackDown" on August 18, 2023, coming to you live from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada!
With 25 years in WWE under his belt, Edge will commemorate the momentous occasion tonight as he collides with The Brawling Brutes' Sheamus in front of his hometown crowd. "The Rated-R Superstar" extended the challenge to "The Celtic Warrior" during last week's edition of "SmackDown" to the first time bout during a show of respect between the two Superstars.
Despite being recent adversaries, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair will need to find a way to work as a cohesive unit tonight as they collide with Bayley and WWE Women's Champion IYO SKY. Belair and Flair found themselves at odds at WWE SummerSlam as they both vied for the WWE Women's Championship (then held by Asuka) in a Triple Threat match, and while Belair did come out on top, her reign was short lived as SKY cashed in her Money In The Bank briefcase to dethrone her.
"The Grayson Waller Effect" makes its comeback once again as Grayson Waller hosts Santos Escobar and newly crowned United States Champion Rey Mysterio on his talk show. Although it was Santos Escobar who was slated to take on Austin Theory for the title last week after he won the finals of the United States Championship Invitational, Rey Mysterio took his place after Theory blindsided Escobar with a pair of pre-match attacks.
Additionally, the aforementioned Theory and Asuka, Bobby Lashley, and LA Knight are all scheduled to be in town tonight according to WWE's event page.
We are live! Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Kevin Patrick greet audiences at home as Grayson Waller is waiting in the ring on the set of "The Grayson Waller Effect".
Grayson Waller Hosts LWO On The Grayson Waller Effect
Waller welcomes fans to "The Grayson Waller Effect", then says he can't wait for Edge to thank him on the night of his 25 year celebration for making him relevant again. He then introduces Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar.
Mysterio and Escobar make their way down to the ring, and Waller asks Rey how it feels to be United States Champion. Rey says it feels great, and Waller tells Escobar he can imagine how Rey must be feeling. Rey says himself and Escobar put a pin in Austin Theory's plan last week, and Waller makes a comment about the two of them being co-champions. Rey says that isn't the case because the title is held by LWO, and Waller comments that he's surprised there isn't any tension between Rey and Escobar. He goes on a mini rant about veterans stealing the spotlight from younger talent, and Escobar cuts him off. He says the only person he's mad at is Theory and he gave Rey permission to take his place in their scheduled match last week. He tells Waller that he can't sow seeds of dissension within the LWO, and puts Theory on notice.
Theory's music hits, and he congratulates Rey on becoming a three time United States Champion. He asks him where his father of the year award is, then says he was cheated out of his match last week. He says Escobar wasn't man enough to work through his knee injury last week, then demands Adam Pearce come down to the ring and hand him back the United States Championship.
Pearce appears and says no one wants to hear him complain tonight. LA Knight then shows up and makes sure he heard Theory correctly. He says Theory only defended his title once every three months and fumbled the ball every time he did, then congratulates Rey on his victory. He says he's coming after the United States Championship, and says he has no problem going through Theory to get it. He says since both himself and Theory are dressed in ring gear, then why not have a Number One Contenders match between them. Pearce likes the idea and makes the match official.
LA Knight vs. Austin Theory
Before the match kicks off, The Miz appears to watch the action as he takes a seat at the announce desk.
The bell rings and Theory wastes no time going after Knight. He fires off strikes, then delivers a Fallaway Slam. Knight fires back with a clothesline and a suplex, then ascends to the middle rope and delivers an elbow drop. Theory then dumps Knight out of the ring and sends him into the ring apron face first before sending him bouncing off the barricade. Knight sends Theory repeatedly crashing into the announce desk, then dumps him back in the ring and exchanges words with Miz. Theory delivers a kick to him through the bottom rope, but Knight sends him crashing into the announce desk once again before tossing him on top of Miz.
Back from the break, Knight delivers a shoulder tackle to Theory and follows it up with a Sunset Flip. Theory sends him into the middle turnbuckle face first, then delivers a dropkick to his face. He fires off stomps on Knight's chest, but Knight plants him with a back suplex and fires off right hands. He whips him into the opposite corner, then lands a swinging neckbreaker and a Side Russian Leg Sweep. He then delivers a big boot and a series of stomps before hitting a running knee. Theory executes a chop block and gets him up on his shoulders looking for A-Town Down, but Knight escapes and plants him.
Miz hops up on the apron to distract Knight. Knight delivers BFT to Theory, and an angered Miz slides into the ring. Knight clotheslines him to the outside, allowing Theory to take advantage and roll up Knight for the win (as he holds on to his tights).
Winner: Austin Theory
We then head to a compilation of messages from several WWE Superstars congratulating Edge on 25 years in WWE, and a second video showcasing some highlights from throughout his career.
Back at ringside, Damage CTRL heads down. Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair follow.
Damage CTRL vs. Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair
Bayley and Belair begin the action. The bell rings and Bayley trips Belair. Belair executes a mat return, then delivers a shoulder to her midsection in the corner and follows it up with a suplex. Flair tags in and delivers several stomps to Bayley's midsection, then sends her into the top turnbuckle face first and follows it up with a right hand. She then delivers a dropkick, but Bayley delivers a hair whip and tags in SKY. SKY delivers a chop to Flair as Bayley holds her in place, but Flair fights her way out and dumps SKY onto the apron. She then delivers a big boot that sends her crashing to the outside before executing a Natural Selection off the apron on SKY and Bayley.
Back from the break, Flair ascends to the top. Bayley pulls her down and pins her, but Flair kicks out. SKY tags in and delivers a hurricanrana, then locks in a crossface. Flair escapes and delivers a snapmare, but SKY lands a boot on her midsection and looks to tag in Belair. SKY knocks Belair off the apron, then delivers a dropkick to her chest.
Belair tags in and delivers a dropkick to SKY before planting her with a Brainbuster and firing off right hands in the corner. Bayley tries interfering, but Belair levels her with a backbreaker and a spinebuster. She then delivers a springboard moonsault off the ropes, but SKY overpowers her and tags in Bayley. Belair then plants Bayley and an interfering SKY before tagging Flair back in. Flair ascends to the top and delivers a crossbody to Bayley and SKY, then lands several chops on the both of them and plants Bayley with a Fallaway Slam. She climbs back up to the top, but Bayley pushes her to the outside. SKY fires off kicks on her as Bayley distracts the referee.
Bayley gets Flair back in the ring and tags in SKY. SKY looks for Over The Moonsault, but Flair ducks out of the way. SKY looks to charge at her, but Flair sends her into the ring post shoulder first. Bayley gets back inside the ring, and Belair tags in before landing the KOD for the win.
Winners: Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair
We then head to another compilation of messages from several WWE Superstars congratulating Edge on 25 years in WWE
Back at ringside, The Street Profits head down.
Back from the break, we see Damage CTRL blindside Bianca Belair backstage. They sandwich her knee between a chair before SKY grabs a second chair and hits her knee with it.
Back at ringside, The O.C. heads down.
The Street Profits vs. The O.C. (w/ Michin)
Ford and Gallows begin the action. The bell rings and Ford wastes no time. He goes right after Gallows, but Gallows overpowers him and fires off right hands. Anderson tags in and delivers a kick, then follows it up with an uppercut. Ford fires back with a clothesline and tags in Dawkins. Dawkins then whips Anderson in the corner and charges at him, but Anderson gets his boot up. Dawkins plants him and tags in Ford before delivering a twisting neckbreaker. Ford ascends to the top and delivers a Frog Splash, then goes for a pin but Gallows breaks the fall.
Dawkins and Gallows tag in. Gallows and Anderson deliver Magic Killer to Dawkins and Gallows pins him, but Dawkins kicks out. Anderson tags back in and delivers a kick, but Ford makes the blind tag in. The Profits then deliver a sit out powerbomb-neckbreaker combination to Anderson for the win.
Winners: The Street Profits
After the match, Bobby Lashley joins The Profits at ringside and celebrates their victory with them.
Back from the break, we head over to a video recapping what went down between Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso last week.
Kayla Braxton Chats With Paul Heyman
We head backstage to Kayla Braxton and Paul Heyman. Braxton asks Heyman for an update on the current state of The Bloodline or the headspace of Roman Reigns, but Heyman declines to answer. Braxton says she's been hearing a lot of rumors, and Heyman asks which rumors she's referring to. He asks to talk about the "rumors" surrounding Braxton's family, and says she'd rather be talking about rumors about Reigns' cousins. He asks her why she doesn't ask him about Edge or the United States Championship picture, then answers his phone and says Jimmy Uso will be on "SmackDown" next week. When Braxton asks where Heyman got the information from, he declines to share who his source was.
Back at ringside, The Brawling Brutes head down. Edge follows to a huge pop from the Toronto crowd.
Edge vs. Sheamus (w/ The Brawling Brutes)
The bell rings and Edge shakes hands with Sheamus. The two then lock up before Edge lands a shoulder tackle. Sheamus fires back with one of his own, then follows it up with an Irish Curse Backbreaker.
Back from the break, Edge delivers an elbow off the ropes and plants Sheamus with the Edge-O-Matic. The action spills to the outside, and Edge delivers a powerbomb to Sheamus off the apron. He gets him back inside the ring and delivers a crossbody off the top rope, then looks to lock in the Edgecator. Sheamus fights his way out and plants Edge, then sets up for The Ten Beats of the Bodhran. Edge catches his hand and fires off right hands, then delivers several knees to his midsection. Edge then spears Sheamus off the apron and onto the floor.
Back from another break, Edge has a crossface locked in on Sheamus. Sheamus crawls to the bottom rope to break the hold, then delivers a kick to Edge's chest and makes his way up to the top turnbuckle. Edge joins him up there and delivers a superplex, then transitions right into the Edgecution. He climbs back up to the top, but Sheamus fires off right hands and joins him up there. He executes a White Noise off the middle rope, then follows it up with a Celtic Cross and goes for a pin. Edge kicks out and gets caught with The Ten Beats of the Bodhran, but Edge fires back with a clothesline and sets up for a Spear. Sheamus fires back with a knee and a Brogue Kick, then goes for a pin. Edge kicks out at the last second, and Sheamus looks for a second Brogue Kick. Edge rolls Sheamus up, but Sheamus kicks out. Edge then delivers a Spear and goes for a pin, but Sheamus kicks out once more. Edge then lands a second one for the win.
Winner: Edge
After the match, the two men hug as the show goes off the air.