Backstage: Dasha Fuentes is standing by with SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan, The Yes Man admitting that he’d like to see The Miz lose the Intercontinental Title, but not for the reasons we think. He says Dolph Ziggler is a better representative, but despite Miz’s arrogance, he does bring a star quality. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz & Maryse walk in, The A-Lister feeling vindicated that Bryan finally admitted he doesn’t like him. Miz informs Daniel he wishes it was him in the ring, but nothing will please him more than knowing he has to watch him reach up and grab his championship.

Match #3 – Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz w/Maryse
Miz points up to the title and has some words for Ziggler, tries to sneak attack him to no avail, Dolph feigns a Superkick, takes the champion down and fires away with right hands. He sends The A-Lister into the corner and measures for a Superkick, Miz avoids it, hooks him for a Skull Crushing Finale, The Show Off tosses him away, attempts the Zig Zag, but the champion uses the ropes to block it. He counters a dropkick and catapults Ziggler over the top, Dolph lands on his feet on the floor, reaches under the ring for a ladder, but The Miz scores with a dropkick through the ropes.

He looks to drive Ziggler into a ladder at ringside, The Show Off puts on the brakes, tries to return the favor, Miz blocks and sets for a Skull Crushing Finale into the ladder. The challenger fights it off with back elbows, attempts the jumping DDT, The A-Lister holds him off, then drops him with a big boot. The champion looks to slam a ladder on Ziggler, Dolph rolls out of harm’s way, rams Miz into another ladder, then drags one towards the ring. The A-Lister recovers and clobbers him from behind, rams the top of the ladder into The Show Off’s ribs, misses another attempt and gets flattened by a clothesline. Dolph rakes Miz’s face across the rung of a ladder, sandwiches his head in between it, tries to squash him, the champion avoids it, then drop toe holds Ziggler face-first onto the ladder instead.

The A-Lister drags pulls the ladder into the ring through the ropes, Dolph pushes it into his jaw, Miz comes right back and dropkicks it into The Show Off’s abdomen, then rolls outside and regroup. The Show Off slides the ladder back inside, Miz grabs it and we’ve got a tug-of-war under the bottom rope in the corner, Ziggler pulls on the ladder and the champion is driven face-first into the ring post. The challenger tries to send it back in the ring, Miz hangs onto it, Dolph with a kick to the breadbasket, tries for a Famouser on the ladder, the champion blocks and sets for a powerbomb, but The Show Off slips out of it.

He spikes The A-Lister with the jumping DDT on the ladder, Ziggler staggers to his feet, goes for a taller ladder and heads into the squared circle. He stands it up under the title, The Miz surprises him with a dropkick from behind, picks up the ladder, corners the challenger and drives into into the midsection, then again with a dropkick. Miz planks it across the 2nd rope in the corner and stands on top, pulls Dolph up for a suplex, Ziggler fights it off and drops him jaw-first on the ladder. The Show Off comes off the ladder with an elbow drop, deposits the champion face-first into the ladder, goes out after another ladder and heads up after the title. The A-Lister hooks him by the foot to pull him back down, Dolph floors him with a clothesline, throws him out of the ring and starts climbing to the title again.

He gets his hands on it, Miz slides back in, tips the ladder over and The Show Off falls throat-first across the top rope. The champion takes the ladder and throws it into the challenger’s face in the corner, mocks Daniel Bryan’s “Yes!” chant, then delivers multiple running dropkicks in the corner. He goes back to the well and takes a little too much time, Ziggler throws the ladder back in Miz’s face and both guys are down. The Show Off staggers to his feet, sets up the ladder in the center of the ring, starts to climb, but here comes Miz up the other side to meet him. They trade shots on top of the ladder, The A-Lister gets dropped, Dolph reaches up, but the champion stays on him, wrapping the left knee around the ladder.

He tips Ziggler over again, The Show Off attempts a Superkick in-between the ladder, The A-Lister blocks it, tries to slam Dolph’s legs in it unsuccessfully, but drops him knee-first across it instead. He slams the challenger’s knee cap into the ladder, sandwiches both legs and slams the ladder down, wraps Dolph’s leg around the ladder and slaps on a Figure Four. The champion releases it on his own accord, calls for the Skull Crushing Finale, The Show Off battles back, goes for a Superkick, but his leg gives out. The A-Lister makes him pay with a Skull Crushing Finale onto the ladder, the champion stands the ladder up, takes his time going for the title and reaches up for it.

Dolph gets back to his feet and knocks the ladder over, Miz is left hanging in the air, the challenger tips the ladder into the hanging champion and he falls to the mat, grabbing for his knee and rolling to the outside. The Show Off stands the ladder back up and slowly ascends it, The Miz makes his way back in to cut him off, pulls him off of it and plants Dolph on the planked ladder in the corner with a slingshot powerbomb. The A-Lister struggles back to his feet, hops on one leg to set another ladder up next to the other, then makes his way to the championship. The Show Off pulls himself up on the other side, they square-off at the top and trade fists, Miz getting knocked to the mat after a headbutt. The challenger climbs up using both ladders, The A-Lister quickly scurries back up, goes low with two kicks to the groin, pushes Ziggler to the mat and pulls down the title to retain.
Winner and STILL WWE Intercontinental Champion: The Miz

• After The Bell: Miz takes a mic and simply states he would like to dedicate his win to Daniel Bryan, claiming the GM has motivated him to be the best IC Champion ever.
• EA’s Take: Although I think some may disagree with me, I found this to be a superb match. I feel as though some that grew up during the era of The Hardys/Dudleys/Edge & Christian ladder matches may not appreciate this one as much, it was not full of high spots and crazy stunts. It reminded me more of the ladder matches in years before it really became a big staple, but Ziggler and Miz still found ways to make it dramatic and dangerous. I’m glad Miz retained because of how much he’s done for the IC Title, just the couple of weeks Dolph had it, it seemed less relevant.

Match #4 is a Chairs Match: Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin
Kalisto tosses a load of chairs into the ring before Corbin’s entrance, picks one up and patiently awaits The Lone Wolf’s arrival, Baron slides in and we’re underway. The King Of Flight tosses a chair at him, Corbin catches it, Kalisto attempts to kick it in his face, but misses the mark. He picks up another chair and Baron slaps it away, buries a knee to the midsection, sets a chair up and lifts The King Of Flight for a powerbomb. Kalisto slides down into a sunset flip, rolls through and scores with kicks, The Lone Wolf is sat down in the chair, The King Of Flight hits the ropes and sends him to the outside with a dropkick.

He sets the chair back up, leaps off of it to the top rope, then springs outside with a crossbody, Baron rolls back inside, Kalisto climbs onto the apron, but gets knocked to the floor by a shoulder. The Lone Wolf drapes his head over the barricade and hammers Kalisto in the back of the head, rips off his shirt to choke The King Of Flight, then slams him back-and-forth from the apron to the barricade. He tosses Kalisto into a pile of chairs, throws him back into the squared circle, covers and only gets 1. Corbin shoots him hard into the turnbuckles, props a chair in-between the top and middle rope in the corner, Kalisto starts fighting back with kicks, hits the ropes and gets planted by a spin-out powerbomb for a near fall.

The Lone Wolf heads outside to add more chairs to the ring, sets a row of them up side-by-side to build a bridge, then charges Kalisto in the corner. The King Of Flight side-steps out of the way, Baron slides out and back in, rushes into a drop toe hold and goes face-first into the chair in the corner. Kalisto plants him on a chair with a spikerana, heads upstairs, delivers a seated senton to Corbin through the row of chairs, covers, but still can’t finish it. Baron rolls outside as Kalisto pulls himself to his feet, builds a head of steam for a suicide dive, The Lone Wolf catches him in the air and hits Deep Six on the floor. Baron tosses him in the ring for a near fall, gets angered and unleashes a flurry of big punches, then makes a pile of chairs on the canvas as The King Of Flight rolls outside.

Baron grabs a chair and goes after him, swings wildly and misses multiple times, Kalisto connects with a barrage of kicks, hops on top of the barricade and comes off with a hurricanrana. He throws a chair in The Lone Wolf’s face, sends him into the barricade with a running dropkick, both guys then pulling themselves back in the ring. Kalisto slings in using the bottom rope for a leg drop, places a chair across Baron’s body, goes to the high rent district for a moonsault, but Corbin just kicks out at 2. The King Of Flight can’t believe it, grabs a chair and smacks The Lone Wolf numerous times across the back, piles a bunch of them up on the mat and gets ready for the Salida Del Sol.

Corbin pushes him away to the corner, Kalisto with more kicks, goes to the top rope and leaps off, but gets cracked in mid-air by a chair. The Lone Wolf picks him up, plants him on the pile with End Of Days and that’s all she wrote.
Winner: Baron Corbin (End Of Days)

• EA’s Take: For something I was not interested in heading into tonight and a match I considered to be filler, well it may have just stolen the show. Tremendous match, lots of innovation and I think Kalisto is really starting to establish TLC as “his event” after a great showing last year as well. No surprise on the winner, for as good of a performance as Kalisto put on, Corbin’s got a ton of momentum and a loss here just wouldn’t have made any sense. The King Of Flight is impressive, but let’s be honest, he’s a mid-card talent at best whereas Baron has main event written all over him.

Backstage: Dasha Fuentes brings in Natalya to the interview area, The Queen Of Harts says she would like to wish Becky Lynch luck in her match tonight, stating there’s nobody that represents SmackDown’s women better than The Lass Kicker. She addresses Carmella’s accusation earlier in the night, calls it absurd and claims The Princess of Staten Island is simply a liar.

Match #5 – Tables Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch
Becky rushes right in at the bell and backs Alexa into the corner, pummels her down to the mat with forearms and boots, floors her with a short-arm clothesline, then goes outside after a table. Bliss with a dropkick through the ropes, deposits the champion into the ringside barricade, puts the table back under the ring and gets dropped from behind. The Lass Kicker drives the challenger into the barricade multiple times, sets for a powerbomb, Bliss fights her way to the apron and connects with a kick to the head. Lynch comes right back with a leg sweep, Bliss rolls back inside, Becky slides in, ducks a clothesline and hits the ropes, the challenger tries to leapfrog over, but the champion picks the leg in mid-air.

She hits a snap suplex and goes back out to get a table, sets it up on the outside, climbs back to the apron and avoids Alexa trying for a shoulder to the breadbasket. The Lass Kicker scores with a kick, attempts to suplex her to the outside through the table, the challenger avoids it, gets the champion teetering on the apron, but Becky cracks her with a right hand and steps back in. Bliss meets her with a knee to the ribs, puts the boots to Lynch in the corner, charges in, The Lass Kicker side-stepping out of harm’s way and scoring with a springboard sidekick. Alexa falls out to the apron, the champion with another springing sidekick, Bliss hangs on to the apron, bites Becky’s hand and avoids falling through the table.

She goes back in and chokes Lynch on the 2nd rope, delivers double knees to the back of the head, slams her face-first into the mat and stands on her back, driving Becky’s face into the canvas some more. Bliss goes outside now and pulls a table out from under the ring, The Lass Kicker climbs out to the apron, jumps off after her, Alexa side-steps out of the way, then sends her into the ring post. She slides the table inside, bounces the champion’s head off the apron, rolls her into the ring and sets up the table near the corner. The challenger drags Becky up by the hair, puts her into the corner and stomps away, rushes in and meets a back elbow.

Small botch on a clothesline spot, Bliss pummels the champion down into the canvas, places her across the table and then heads upstairs. The Lass Kicker rolls off and crotches the challenger on the top turnbuckle, climbs up for a superplex, Alexa blocks it and knocks her back down. Bliss gets surprised by a slam attempt as she tries to picks the champion up, Alexa slides out of it, rams The Lass Kicker face-first into the canvas, then props the table up in the corner. She brings the champion to her feet, Lynch starts firing away with uppercuts, builds momentum wth multiple clotheslines, then drops the challenger with a heel kick. She measures for the Flying Firearm, Alexa avoids it, Becky nearly runs herself into the table, puts on the brakes and grabs Bliss for a Becks-Plex.

Alexa blocks it, slams Lynch to the mat by the hair, rushes her near the corner, the champion side-steps out of the way, Bliss nearly runs herself into the table this time, but avoids it. The Lass Kicker with a sunset flip, Alexa blocks, hits her with Insult To Injury, tries to tip the table over onto Becky, but she rolls out of the way. Bliss sets the table back up, The Lass Kicker buries fists to the breadbasket, powers Bliss up onto her shoulders, Alexa reaches over, tips the table over, but gets slammed on it anyways. The Lass Kicker plants her with a modified pumphandle slam, planks the table across the bottom rope in the corner, places the challenger across it and goes to the top rope. Alexa heads out to the apron, drops down to meet her, gets clocked by a big forearm, Bliss drops to the floor and sends The Lass Kicker crashing through a table with powerbomb.
Winner and NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss

• EA’s Take: I just have to say that I’m 5/5 on my picks tonight and have a strong feeling I’ll be getting the clean sweep. My biggest takeaway from this is we saw a little bit of Alexa’s weakness when it comes to the in-ring part of her game, at least in comparison to Becky. Of course since I picked this correctly the title change didn’t shock me, similarly to what I said earlier about Baron Corbin, Alexa just had so much momentum going into this. I was of the thought that Nikki may step-up to be the next challenger and figured it only made sense if Bliss was the champion, but I’m sure if that does happen we will see Becky get a rematch first. As far as this match goes, nothing really stood-out to me, but just the fact the women are getting opportunities for No DQ or Tables matches.

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