Play Now
Men’s Brackets
Play Now
Women’s Brackets
Buy or Sell Second Half Performances
Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world
On Friday night, WWE held the first episode of SmackDown since WrestleMania: Backlash took place. In the main event of the evening, Apollo Crews defended the intercontinental championship in a fatal four-way match against Big E, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn.
Big E appeared to have the intercontinental title all but won before a returning Aleister Black completely snatched Big E’s championship dreams from him. Black kicked Big E’s lights out with a Black Mass and Crews was able to retain his championship.
In addition, Roman Reigns celebrated his universal championship win over Cesaro. Reigns’ special counsel Paul Heymanwent through Reigns’ accolades before Cesaro came out and demanded another championship match with Reigns at Hell In A Cell. As Cesaro made his way down the ramp, Seth Rollins blindsided him and attacked him for the second time in less than a week. Rollins focused on the injured arm of Cesaro yet again and delivered a stomp on the entrance ramp. Cesaro was taken out of the ThunderDome on a stretcher.
CBS Sports was with you all night, bringing you recaps and highlights of all the action from the ThunderDome inside Tampa’s Yuengling Center.
Late in the match, Crews attempted to hit Big E with an Olympic Slam, but Big E was able to counter and connected on a Big Ending on Crews with Owens and Zayn incapacitated. As Big E pinned Crews, Crews’ enforcer, Commander Azeez, pulled Big E out of the ring and attempted to subdue him since the fatal four-way match was no disqualification. Big E was able to get free and when he got back into the ring mysterious bright lights came on and fog appeared. When the fog lifted, Aleister Black made his long-awaited return and delivered a Black Mass to Big E. With Big E knocked out, Crews pinned Big E to retain the intercontinental title.
We’ve been seeing cryptic vignettes from Black for the last several weeks and figured it would only be a matter of time before he returned. Considering that Black has been off television since October, his return had to be a big one and it didn’t disappoint. Black will instantly be involved in what should be a very entertaining feud with Big E. Grade: A
.@WWEAleister has RETURNED to #Smackdown and just attacked @WWEBigE!
😱 😱 😱 pic.twitter.com/qU0UDZxKfu
#AndSTILL! #SmackDown #ICTitle @WWEApollo pic.twitter.com/KmwZkw9bYE
BLXCK MASS!!! 😱#SmackDown @WWEAleister pic.twitter.com/oibuAdSTfc
.@WWEAleister is HERE. 👀#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/4Ig3FLftsW
🤯🤯🤯🤯#SmackDown #ICTitle @WWEBigE @WWEApollo @SamiZayn pic.twitter.com/7s13EecE4m
DROPPED. #SmackDown #ICTitle @FightOwensFight @SamiZayn pic.twitter.com/pKw8ifNxs9
THIS MATCH!! 🔥🔥🔥#SmackDown #ICTitle #Fatal4Way @WWEBigE @WWEApollo @FightOwensFight @SamiZayn pic.twitter.com/UOHfSoy5cF
🥩🥩🥩#SmackDown #ICTitle @WWEBigE @FightOwensFight pic.twitter.com/p5wqd4gGeK
Can’t take ANY time to celebrate in a #Fatal4Way! #SmackDown #ICTitle @SamiZayn @FightOwensFight pic.twitter.com/aQaE6DR3h7
With all this action, who will walk out of #Smackdown as your #ICChampion?@FightOwensFight @WWEApollo @WWEBigE @SamiZayn pic.twitter.com/xHiWpVh5tw
2-for-1 special!#SmackDown #ICTitle @WWEBigE pic.twitter.com/sW1nOhRjGl
.@WWEApollo puts the #ICTitle on the line in a #Fatal4Way Match RIGHT NOW on #SmackDown! @CommanderAzeez pic.twitter.com/RtJZsyBLkQ
.@MontezFordWWE & @AngeloDawkins collide with the @WWEUsos NEXT FRIDAY on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/rh9V5UF1Fu
“I’m sorry, you are a corporate hack. You are a propagandist.”
… Tell us how you really feel, @SamiZayn. 🙄 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/P65MJ7rC6x
“This ain’t paranoia… THIS THE STREET PROFITS.” 😮#SmackDown @MontezFordWWE @AngeloDawkins @WWEUsos pic.twitter.com/fx8z2IyMWS
👀#SmackDown @WWERomanReigns @WWEUsos @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/kt3CtqIK3A
.@DomMysterio35 & @reymysterio showing @HEELZiggler and @RealRobertRoode that dirty tactics wont work against them.#Smackdown pic.twitter.com/IpXDkraVUg
.@DomMysterio35 takes down @RealRobertRoode on #SmackDown!@reymysterio pic.twitter.com/KA7ol9PlWw
.@RealRobertRoode not wasting any time going to work on @DomMysterio35!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/eaQtlmKJKV
Your NEW #SmackDown Tag Team Champions are here!@reymysterio @DomMysterio35 pic.twitter.com/h43OTD7ESU
“THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!! WHEN ARE YOU GONNA LEARN?!?!?”#SmackDown @WWERollins @WWECesaro pic.twitter.com/UHEwAO897C
.@WWERollins has absolutely SNAPPED against @WWECesaro!
😱 😱 😱 #Smackdown pic.twitter.com/RYrMPSlYzU
😱😱😱#SmackDown @WWERollins @WWECesaro pic.twitter.com/ETpAOKt3dO
.@WWERollins blindsides @WWECesaro! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/VDoR7F57Di
“THE preeminent champion in ALL of sports-entertainment.”#SmackDown @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/34ULxsg2yl
“I’m going to take this opportunity to allow my Special Counsel to celebrate me.”#SmackDown @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/gJuQjm5ceK
.@BaronCorbinWWE isn’t impressed with @rikbugez and is certainly not pleased with @ShinsukeN!#Smackdown pic.twitter.com/qtv6T8JsiL
The Head of the Table. THE Champion. The MAIN EVENT.#SmackDown #UniversalTitle @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/LFpx4Pq7UN
Surveying his Universe.
Acknowledge your champion. #SmackDown @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle @WWEUsos pic.twitter.com/XfkhFyKLVu
An entrance fit for a KING! @rikbugez with an EPIC rendition of @ShinsukeN‘s entrance theme!#Smackdown pic.twitter.com/sss9dRaxEy
© 2004-2022 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.
CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc.
Images by Getty Images and US Presswire