– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown opens live from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Tom Phillips welcomes us. He’s joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton. They hype tonight’s show – Rusev, The Miz and Samoa Joe vs. The New Day in six-man action, mixed tag team action with Jimmy Uso and Naomi vs. Lana and Aiden English, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair in a battle of best friends.

– We go right to the ring and SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella waits with a mic as her music plays. Carmella calls out and asks Corpus Christi what’s up and then demands they stand to praise her for being champion.

Carmella says we’re right, tonight isn’t about her, it’s about her Money In the Bank opponent – Asuka. Carmella says Asuka isn’t who we think she is but before she exposes The Empress of Tomorrow, we get a video package looking at Asuka’s dominant reign in WWE. Carmella says Asuka is amazing, or was. She mocks her and says it’s time to remove the mask to face this horrible truth together. Carmella shows us another video package and says this is the real Asuka. This video shows Charlotte Flair ending the undefeated streak and a few more unfortunate events in Asuka’s run. Carmella says that was painful to watch and the truth is she hasn’t been the same since the streak ended at WrestleMania 34. Carmella says this is why she has no fear, because Mella Is Money and The Age of Asuka is over. Carmella says Asuka was undefeated but now she’s just defeated. It used to be no one is ready for Asuka but now everyone is ready for her, even some of the pathetic fans in the crowd, including the one guy drooling all over the place. The music finally interrupts and out comes Asuka.

Asuka does her entrance but before anything can happen, the music hits and out comes Mandy Rose with Sonya Deville. Rose says Carmella didn’t have to go through all that trouble of a presentation, she could’ve just asked her how Asuka is. Rose talks about how she was close to beating Asuka last week and now that she knows the truth, she knows she can beat Asuka… tonight. Deville says Rose did exactly what she was supposed to do – left just enough of Asuka for her. Sonya says her turn is tonight. Carmella says they are right but who’s it going to be? Mandy or Sonya? She says the undefeated Asuka would’ve taken them both on but she’s just defeated now. Carmella suggests Asuka call an Uber and get the hell out of here. The music interrupts again and out comes SmackDown General Manager Paige. Paige says once again, no one speaks for her because she’s the one that makes the matches around here. Paige says Asuka has unfinished business with both of these ladies. Paige asks Asuka which opponent she wants, Rose or Deville? Asuka is all smiles. She snatches the mic from Carmella and says she wants both. Paige says that’s the Asuka we all know and love. Paige announces Asuka vs. Rose and Deville in a Handicap Match, up next.

Handicap Match: Asuka vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville

Back from the break and Asuka goes at it with Deville. Carmella is on commentary. They go back & forth and go to the mat. Asuka applies a kneebar but Deville makes it to the rope to break the hold. Deville turns it around and works Asuka over, beating her into the corner. Rose tags in for some double teaming. Deville with another tag and shoulder thrusts in the corner. Rose tags right back in and keeps the attack going in the corner.

Mandy keeps Asuka down and grounded on the mat. Asuka ends up making a comeback and going to the top for the missile dropkick. Carmella gets up from the announce table and distracts Asuka, allowing Deville to drop her and take control. Carmella moonwalks on top of the announce table as we go to commercial.

Back from the break and Asuka goes at it with Rose. Asuka with a big kick right as Deville tags in. Deville also gets rocked. Asuka ends up hitting the Hip Attack on Deville but Rose breaks the pin. More back and forth between Asuka and Deville now. They kick each other at the same time and go down as the referee counts.

They both get up and run the ropes. Deville nails a big spear for a 2 count. Deville can’t believe she kicked out. Deville with another 2 count. Deville with more offense while Asuka is trying to get up. Asuka catches Deville in mid-air and eventually gets the Asuka Lock applied in the middle of the ring. Deville taps out.

Winner: Asuka

– After the match, Deville rolls out of the ring as Asuka stands tall and Carmella looks on. We go to replays. Carmella enters the ring and raises the title in the air. Rose comes from behind and grabs Asuka but Asuka drops her with a backfist. Carmella takes advantage and nails Asuka in the back of the head with the title. Carmella kicks Asuka down and poses over her with the title as her music hits.

– The Miz is backstage warming up when a man wearing a tuxedo t-shirt walks in. He’s holding a platter of pancakes. The New Day appears and wanted to apologize for being jerks as of late. They admit all Miz wanted to do is find out which member of the team will enter Money In the Bank but they play too much. They go on and ask Miz to help them reveal their member to the WWE Universe. Miz tells them to re-phrase. They have a top hat with names on paper in it and they want Miz to pick which member gets the spot. Miz goes to pick a piece of paper and they tell him no peaking as they pull his headband down over his eyes. Miz puts his hand into the hat but it’s full of pancake batter. Miz says this isn’t funny but it will be funny later when he teams with Rusev and Samoa Joe to defeat them. Miz wipes the batter on the tuxedo t-shirt guy and walk off as The New Day consoles him.

– Still to come, the contract signing for Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles. Back to commercial.

Harper vs. Karl Anderson

Back from the break and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers head to the ring. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are already waiting in the ring as they look ahead to their title shot at Money In the Bank.

The bell rings and Harper immediately floors Anderson. Harper keeps control for a few minutes, beating Anderson around the ring. Harper with a close 2 count. Harper takes Anderson back to the corner and works him over, dropping him with a big chop. Harper keeps Anderson against the ropes and rips at his eye now. Gallows looks on as Harper drops Anderson with a big right hand in front of him.

Harper keeps control and catches Anderson in a big side slam, driving him down into the mat. Harper sends Anderson back to the corner but Anderson kicks at his leg. Anderson keeps fighting back and rolls Harper up out of the corner, getting the pin out of nowhere.

Winner: Karl Anderson

– After the match, Gallows and Anderson quickly retreat up the ramp as Rowan hits the ring to join Harper. They point up at Gallows & Anderson, staring them down, as the music of The Good Brothers plays.

– We get a look back at last week’s Dance-Off between Naomi and Lana. Jimmy Uso and Naomi are backstage now. Naomi says she’s going to snatch Lana bald at Money In the Bank and then snatch the contract. Jimmy addresses Rusev and says we will find out who the best husband/wife team really is but Rusev isn’t wrestling. Uso and Naomi welcome Aiden English and Lana to The Uso Penitentiary as we go back to commercial.

Lana and Aiden English vs. Jimmy Uso and Naomi

Back from the break and out comes Jimmy Uso and Naomi for tonight’s mixed tag team match. Aiden English is out next to do the introduction for Lana. Lana is out next and they head to the ring together.

English starts off with Uso as we see the Money In the Bank briefcases hanging high. English takes control with a headlock and sings out about it being Rusev Day. Uso gets an opening with a shot to the throat. Lana and English stall some to check on his throat. This leads to Uso and Naomi taking out their opponents at the same time, sending them to the floor. Uso and Naomi run the ropes and leap out, taking their opponents down on the floor for a pop. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Naomi gets the upperhand on Lana. She backs English away on the apron but this allows Lana to come from behind and turn it around for a 2 count. Lana works Naomi over in the corner and covers for another 2 count. Lana keeps Naomi grounded with a submission now. Naomi finally turns it back around as Lana is mocking Uso. Lana shuts her down and goes for another pin attempt but Naomi kicks out at 2. Lana keeps Naomi down with another submission and talks some trash. Naomi with a jawbreaker. Naomi crawls for the tag but Lana stops her. They trade moves and both go down after colliding with moves.

Uso and English tag in at the same time and go at it. English counters the Samoan Drop but Uso drops him in the corner. Usos with the Umaga splash for a 2 count as Lana breaks the pin. Lana slaps Uso. Naomi comes in and leaps over him with an assist, tackling Lana with strikes. English takes advantage and drops Uso in the corner. English mocks Uso and goes for the corner splash but Naomi runs in out of nowhere with a crossbody to English. Uso follows up with a superkick to the throat of English for the pin.

Winners: Naomi and Jimmy Uso

– After the match, Uso and Naomi stand tall and celebrate before we get replays.

– We go backstage to SmackDown General Manager Paige with Shinsuke Nakamura and WWE Champion AJ Styles. They are seated at a table for a contract signing. She talks about their Last Man Standing match at Money In the Bank and guarantees there will be a winner.

Styles asks Nakamura why he does what he does, why he drives AJ to the edge and plays games – because he knows he can’t beat AJ. AJ goes on and says none of Nakamura’s dirty tricks will work at MITB because he’s walking out the same way he walked in, as WWE Champion. Paige asks them to sign the contract and AJ signs first.

Nakamura says the pen is out of ink. He asks AJ to borrow his pen and AJ gives it to him. Nakamura says that pen is broken. AJ gets upset and tells Nakamura to get up like a man. Paige tells him to relax. AJ is tired of these games. AJ slaps Nakamura in the face and is escorted out of the room. Nakamura now wants to sign the contract and he does. He looks at Paige and says, “Last Man Standing.” Nakamura leaves.

– Still to come, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair. Back to commercial.

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair

Back from the break and out first comes Charlotte Flair. Becky Lynch is out next.

They lock up and go at it to start. Becky lands the first takedown. More back and forth now. Flair goes for an early Figure Four but can’t get it locked. They keep the back & forth going until they face off again. Flair with more offense and a 2 count. Flair with another takedown before they get back to their feet and face off.

They meet in the middle of the ring for some friendly “tea time” and Flair catches a kick as does Becky. They agree to put the blocked kicks down and go at it again. This time they collide in the middle of the ring with crossbody attempts. They both go down and we return to commercial.

More back and forth after the break. They trade several “wooo!” chops on each other. Flair takes control and hits the belly-to-back suplex. Becky with a boot to the jaw and a kick. Becky goes to the top but Flair cuts her off and brings her down with a backbreaker for another 2 count. Flair goes for the Figure Four but it’s blocked. Becky drops Flair again and goes back to the top. Becky hits the top rope leg drop for a close 2 count. Becky ends up going for the Dis-arm-her but Flair turns it into a 2 count. Becky with a big forearm but Flair comes right back with a Spear in the middle of the ring. Becky rolls to the floor for a breather.

Flair launches herself over the top rope and lands on Becky for a big pop. Flair stands tall and plays to the crowd. Flair brings Becky back into the ring and goes to the top. Flair goes for the moonsault but Becky gets her knees up. Becky with a 2 count. Flair takes Becky down by her leg and goes for the Figure Four but it’s blocked. Flair tries again but Becky turns it into the Dis-arm-her for the win.

Winner: Becky Lynch

– After the match, Becky stands tall as her music hits. We go to replays. Flair sits up against the ropes and Becky walks over to help her up. Fans cheer as they hug in the middle of the ring. Becky’s music starts back up as Flair leaves the ring and Becky continues her celebration as we see the briefcases hanging high above the ring.

– Dasha Fuentes is backstage with Samoa Joe. Joe immediately cuts her off and asks what she sees when she looks at him – a vicious man, maybe a man who has the conscious of a rabid dog, or a moral compass so backwards that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants? Joe says The New Day will find out those things are true tonight. Joe goes on and says people will see him as a man who made a promise and kept it – he promised he would put Daniel Bryan to sleep. He also climbed the ladder and got the briefcase last week, which terrified the locker room because they saw the truth. Joe goes on and says whoever will call himself WWE Champion will be labeling himself a marked man. Joe says with him, what you see is what you get and everyone will get it, very soon. We go to commercial.

– Back from the break and Renee Young is near the stage. She brings out Big Cass for an interview.

Renee asks about Cass facing Daniel Bryan at Money In the Bank and he starts bragging about his height, knocking Bryan for his size. Cass shows us what happened last week after Samoa Joe put Bryan to sleep. Cass says he almost feels bad for Bryan but Bryan brought it on himself by asking to come back to WWE and asking to get back into the ring. Cass says little did Bryan know that he would have a 7 foot shadow following him everywhere he went. Cass says Bryan has never been in the ring with someone as big as him, as educated as him, with someone that’s a star like him, with someone that holds a grudge like he does. Cass says that’s why he will do everything he can do to dismantle Bryan at Money In the Bank, to beat him down and embarrass him. Fans boo Cass.

Cass says he will take Bryan’s scrawny little arms, rip them off his body and beat him with them. Cass is going to snap Bryan’s little legs so he can’t walk and can’t put the heel hook on him again. Cass goes on and says Bryan needs to go back to doing what he does best – playing a little garden gnome on Total Bellas. Cass says a battered Bryan will look in the mirror after MITB and come to the slow realization that a pathetic little man like him will never survive in this big man’s world.

– Dasha Fuentes is backstage with Sin Cara, asking him if he was wrong to assume that he was still friends with Andrade “Cien” Almas after last week’s segment with Almas and Zelina Vega.

Cara says they have been friends since they were teenagers and he considered Almas to be like a brother but something happened… Vega interrupts and asks if Cara is referring to her. She’s not just some thing, she’s the best thing that’s happened to Almas. Vega says Almas accomplished nothing when he looked up to Cara. Almas told her Cara made him hide behind a mask and made him weak. Vega taught him he doesn’t have to hide from anyone or be afraid, especially Cara. Cara doesn’t believe her but she reveals that Almas went to Paige and got a match against Cara for next week. Almas suddenly attacks from behind and beats Cara down, destroying him. Almas and Vega leave as officials check on Cara.

The New Day vs. The Miz, Rusev and Samoa Joe

We go to the ring for tonight’s main event and out comes The New Day – Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and out comes Samoa Joe first for his team. Rusev is out next, followed by The Miz. Miz starts off with Woods and they go at it. They run the ropes and Woods drops Miz for a 2 count. Big E tags in after a few minutes and runs the ropes for the big splash on Miz for a 2 count. Joe ends up coming in and dropping Woods with a big kick in their corner. We go to commercial with Joe standing over Woods.