Smackdown spoilers from Germany

Post-show dark matches announced

Damien Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio and Gunther vs. Ilja Dragunov (was originally scheduled as a tag with Gunther/Kaiser vs. Ilja/Sami Zayn)

Dark Match: Street Profits vs. A-Town Down

Theory and Waller attack before the bell, but quickly get thwarted. Crowd chants “Auf die Fresse”, which basically means ” hit ’em in the mouth”. Some heat on the Street Profits, but they quickly come back and get the win with the Electric Chair/Blockbustet combo.

German announcers at ringside

Holger Böschen and Walandi Tsanti come out to call the show from a second announce table at ringside, as the show airs live in Germany at 7 PM local time.

They are followed by Michael Cole and Wade Barrett.

SmackDown spoilers

A video plays of Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton arriving at the arena airs.

L.A. Knight open challenge segment

L.A. Knight comes out to a huge pop. The German fans love him and there were chants of L.A. Knight Yeah! all throughout the arena before the show started.

He talks about it took WWE 27 years to come back for a major televised event (they taped RAW in February 1997 and had the finals of the European championship in Berlin back then). Since Berlin is the capital of Germany, let’s call the U.S. title the capital title.

Ludwig Kaiser answers the open challenge and the roof blows off the building as the local hero comes to the ring. He says is the best in Germany and will rename the title the European championship. Knight says he won’t let Kaiser win the title.

They go nose-to-nose as the show heads to commercial. During the commercial, they played a clip for the new collegiate WWE championships. I’d guess less than 0.1% of the German audience follows U.S. college sports.

U.S. Championship: L.A. Knight vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Loud “Auf die Fresse!” and “Ludwig Kaiser” chants. The German crowd keeps going with “There’s only one Ludwig Kaiser” (in German) and “Ludwig Kaiser dop-dop-dop-dop” chants.

Knight works the arm, Kaiser takes over but quickly gets clotheslined. They brawl at ringside and Kaiser gets the better of the exchange, then runs around the ring and dropkicks Knight into the steps.

Back in the ring, Kaiser stops an attack, then stomps a mudhole into Knight in the corner. Knight rolls onto the apron, but Kaiser aggressively ground and pounds him. The crowd breaks into the “Oh, wie ist das schön!” (Oh, how beautiful that is) song. The action spills to ringside again ans this time, it’s Knight on the offense as he bashes Kaiser’s head into the announce table.

Back in the ring, Knight hits a neckbreaker and elbow off the second turnbuckle for a two-count. Kaiser scores a near-fall of his own with a beautiful enzuigiri. Kaiser keepa dominating as the crowd works itself more and more into a frenzy.

But German victory shall not be achieved on this day, as Knight suddenly hits the BFT for the pin and the win and actually got booed. Crowd still chants Ludwig Kaiser over Knight’s theme.

Baron Corbin & Apollo Crews vs. Legado del Fantasma (Angel & Berto) /w Elektra Lopez

This starts out as the Baron and Apollo show, with Apollo holding a vertical suplex and Corbin taking out both members of LdF by himself. Loud Baron Corbin chants.

Corbin launches apollo over the top with a hip toss onto the heels. Apollo gets worked over as the crowd chants “Ihr seid scheisse!”, which means “you are shitty”.Crews finally gets the hot tag and Corbin runs wild with clotheslines.Apollo taga back in and hits a crossbody and some German suplexes. All four men are down and Corbin and Angel roll to ringside, where Angel eats an uranage onto the announce table.

LdF make it back into the ring and pin Crews after an assisted knee strike.

Face to Face: Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens

Nick Aldis is in the ring, he throws to a highlight reel of the recent European tour, then thanks the fans in German for their support.

Kevin Owens is out next to another very good reaction. Cody, of course, is madly beloved as the crowd sings his song and some indoor pyro goes off.

Kevin actually asks Cody what he wants to talk about and Cody says the championship. Kevin says he wants to talk about something else, an apparent knee injury Cody suffered during the recent European tour leading up to Bash in Berlin. Cody brings up that last week, it looked like KO was about to hit him with the title belt.

Cody says that maybe Owens gets too little credit and he heimaelf gets too much. Owens brings up the knee again and Cody starts getting pissed. Owens said that if the knee is fine, why didn’t Cody take a knee as he usually does during his entrance. There is some more back and forth and Owens talks about first winning the title 8 years ago.

Cody asks if they will still be friends after tomorrow. Kevin drops the mic, whispers something into Cody’s ear and leaves, while Cody looks flustered.

Backstage segment

Corbin, Crews, Waller and Theory bicker. Waller and Theory tease dissensions. They make up and still will not break up already.

Andrade el Idolo vs. Carmelo Hayes

Carmelo gets thrown to the outside quickly and Andrade hits a springboard torneo. He follows with a double foot stomp onto the apron, as Hayes is helpless in the ropes. Andrade drops him with a sliding D for a two-count and they exchange offense.

Hayes locks in an armbar, but Andrade fights out. Andrade with a dragon screw and flying forearm, then hits a one-two moonsault combo as Hayes initially rolled out of the way. Hayes hits the running double knees in the corner. Andrade counters a suplex and wants the Three Amigos but as Hayes flips out, opts for a Karelin lift into a power bomb instead. Andrade with a Spanish Fly off the middle rope for a near fall. Andrade locks in a figure four, but Carmeo turns it. Hayes goes up top again and Andrade hits a Bandido-style moonsault power slam for a two-count. Both try for O’Connor rolls and Andrade eventually hits a spinning elbow. Hayes throws Andrade face first into an exposed buckle as he climbed the ropes, which looks brutal. Carmelo then hits Nothing but Net for the clean pin.

Street Fight for the women’s championship: Nia Jax vs. Michin

Michin is bavkstage with a kendo stick and cuts a promo before coming out with a cart of plunder. She whacks Nia with the stick right at the bell. They brawl outside briefly, then Michin gets Nia back with flying headscissors through the ropes.

The crowd chants for tables in English and German and Michin complies. There is some back and forth with nia putting the table away again, but eventually Michin prevails. Two tables are in the ring, and Jax throws in all the rest from the cart.

Michin blocks a kendo shot with a trash can lid and gets a few shots with the kendo stick in, but gets slammed onto the apron from inside the ring. Nia sets up tables, but Michin sprays her with a fire extinguisher.

More lid shots by Michin and a spinning DDT on the lids, before she sets up a table in the ring. Michin ends up on the table but rolls off and powerbombs Nia through the table.

It’s Tiffy Time, as Tiffany Straton hits the ring and hits Michin with the briefcase but is torn about cashing in. Just as she is about to insert herself into the match, Bayley’s music hits and she and Tiffany brawl through the crowd.

Nia hits a Samoan drop on Michin through a table propped up in the corner, then follows with the Annihilator for the win.

Post-show dark match #1: Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio

The crowd love them some Damien and despise Dirty Dom, with loud “f*** you Dom!” chants. Dom attacks right away, but Damien quickly overpowers him. Dom takes more of a beating and quickly falls victim to South of Heaven.

Post-show dark match #2: Gunther vs. Ilja Dragunov for the WWE championship

A slightly toned down version of their previous battles, meaning they only killed each other death with chops, lariats and kicks 9/10th of the way. Gunther won with a brutal delayed powerbomb. Fantastic match. Post-match, Ilja got to celebrate in the center of the ring in the city where he grew up.

credit: wrestlingobserver.com