*SPOILERS* SmackDown Taping Results For This Friday, 8/3
SmackDown (Airing August 3rd on SyFy):
* The show opens with WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon making his way towards the ring. McMahon talks about the firing of John Laurinaitis back at No Way Out and talks about how hard it was to decide who the new General Managers of RAW and SmackDown would be. He mentions AJ’s business proposal that saw her end up being named the RAW GM and then reveals the new SmackDown GM is… Booker T.
* Newly appointed SmackDown General Manager Booker T makes his way to the ring. Booker thanks Vince for the opportunity at being GM and says he will do his very best to call things down the middle. Booker didn’t get much of a chance to speak as Alberto Del Rio ended up coming out to interrupt.
* Del Rio informs Booker of his plans to stay out of action until when he faces Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, but before Booker can say something to him, out comes World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus.
* Del Rio and Sheamus banter back-and-forth before Booker steps in and announces that Del Rio will be in action later tonight against Randy Orton. Booker also announces that Sheamus will be in non-title action up next and his opponent is Tensai.
* World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus b. Tensai w/Sakamoto in a non-title match with a Brogue Kick. After the match, Tensai attacked Sakamoto and stormed off.
* Backstage, Booker T offers Theodore Long a job as the Senior Adviser to the General Manager. Eve Torres walks in the office asking for job openings, trying to flirt with Booker. Long steps in and says all open positions have been filled.
* It is announced that later tonight, there will be a 6-man tag team match. It will be Chris Jericho, Christian and Kane vs. Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and WWE Intercontinental Champion Th Miz.
* Antonio Cesaro w/Aksana b. WWE United States Champion Santino Marella with a variation of a pile driver in a non-title match. After the match, Cesaro cut a promo saying he will win the United States Title soon.
* Backstage, Matt Striker interviewed Daniel Bryan and a recap is shown of his psychiatric evaluation per the request of RAW General Manager AJ from Monday’s RAW. Bryan, who’s YES YES YES shirt is covered with NO NO NO taped on, says that he is done saying YES and from now.
* Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz b. Chris Jericho, Christian and Kane when Bryan got a roll-up on Jericho.
* Backstage, Matt Striker interviewed Randy Orton. Orton acknowledged the fact that Alberto Del Rio is the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Title, but said that he is looking to get it back soon. He added that he will defeat Del Rio later tonight.
* Ryback b. Jinder Mahal via disqualification when Mahal hit Ryback in the head with a microphone. After the match, Ryback went to grab Mahal, but he escaped. Ryback then chanted, along with the crowd, “Feed Me More”.
* Backstage, Cody Rhodes walks in to Booker T’s office as WWE Divas Champion Layla was offering her congratulations to him on the promotion. Rhodes tells Booker that just because he ended his in-ring career earlier in the year doesn’t mean their working relationship should be any different now that he is GM. Booker says everything is all right between them, but informs Cody that next week he will go one-on-one with Sin Cara.
* Darren Young w/Abraham Washington and Titus O’Neil b. WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth w/WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston. Due to the incident from RAW, Washington barely spoke during the match.
* Randy Orton b. Alberto Del Rio via disqualification when Ricardo Rodriguez interfered. After the match, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus came out as Del Rio was heading to the back and threw him back into the ring to receive an RKO. Orton posed on the ropes to close the show.
