Tama Tonga Returns on SmackDown as Danhausen Teases Clone and WWE Honors Ted Turner

Tama Tonga returned to Friday’s SmackDown after a one-week absence, inserting himself into the Talla Tonga vs. Damian Priest match and paving the way for Solo Sikoa to interfere. R-Truth tried to even the odds, but Talla attacked Priest at ringside and finished the match with a chokeslam as the MFTs surrounded Priest before Royce Keys made the save. Backstage Tonga complained about Sikoa recruiting Keys and later lost to Keys via spinebuster; he then ran into Shinsuke Nakamura, who expressed disappointment over Tonga’s MFT affiliation while Talla confronted Nakamura. The appearance put to rest recent speculation about Tonga’s status following last week’s departures of Tonga Loa and J.C. Mateo.

Danhausen continued to tease a mystery Backlash partner, responding to The Miz’s jab by attempting to build a cloning machine that ultimately broke, and later picked up the discarded Gingerbread Man costume in an online exclusive hinting at further developments. SmackDown also opened with an on-screen tribute to former WCW head Ted Turner following his passing, a reminder of the mid-1990s tensions between Turner and Vince McMahon that even produced parody skits on WWE television. Originally reported by Wrestling Observer: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/wwe-smackdown-notes-tama-tonga-returns-ted-turner-tribute-danhausen/.