WWE SmackDown results: Fan returns, superstar returns and a memorable night

The episode of WWE SmackDown that aired on July 17, 2021 will forever be a historic show in the annals of pro wrestling history. No, it didn’t feature a gamechanging angle or the birth of a new star. But it saw live fans return to WWE’s weekly televsion for the first time in more than a year. And really, that is all the show was going to be about. No matter what happened on TV, the fan return was the big talking point of the night. As it should have been.

The coronavirus pandemic forced WWE, like other sports and entertainment companies, to adapt. They first aired taped shows out of the Performance Centre in front of a small bunch of ‘fans’. Then they returned live with the ThunderDome. But, good as the latter was, it was never the real deal.

Thank you, @WWEUniverse.

Welcome home.

— WWE (@WWE) July 17, 2021

Thus the return of a full capacity crowd felt massive. And the fans knew it too, as they cheered loudly and proudly for everything that took place. Houston, Texas is not a wrestling hotbed like, say Chicago or Philadelphia. But the fans, forced to be home for ages, made their voices heard.

The show even opened with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon making a rare TV appearance. He came out, microphone in hand and said six words.

“Where the hell have you been?!”

Classic.

But even putting aside the return of fans, this show was an excellent one that hyped the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Let’s get right to the results.

WWE SmackDown full results

• Roman Reigns and The Usos beat Rey Mysterio, Dominik and Edge. After the match, Edge and Reigns brawled with Edge getting the best of the exchange. Everything about this – pre match, the match, and post match – was electric. Reigns vs Edge should be amazing.
• Cesaro and Otis contested a hard-hitting one-on-one match that ended in DQ. The Cesaro Swing on Chad Gable got a nice pop though.
• Sami Zayn came out to cut a promo but was interrupted by a returning Finn Balor! Balor proceeded to lay out Zayn and then pose with the fans. Fingers crossed Balor’s second main roster run goes better than his first. Especially given how well he did at NXT.
• Shotzi and Nox beat champions Natalya and Tamina in a non-title match. Liv Morgan and Zelina Vega were on commentary, and their bickering turned into a fight. That distracted Natalya who was rolled up by Nox. This led to a beatdown from Tamina but Morgan ended the segment standing tall.
• Bianca Belair defeated Carmella in a match that was surprisingly excellent. Belair’s athleticism and in-ring credentials are well established, but Carmella shone too. Given her in-ring work has improved miles and she is already a great character and talker, one can expect her to hang around in the main event scene.
• Seth Rollins won a fatal four way featuring Baron Corbin, Big E and Kevin Owens. The match itself was nuts, featuring some fast-paced action and Owens jumping off the ladder.

Grade: A+