SmackDown Live Coverage And Results – April 16, 2021

Smackdown
Date: April 16, 2021
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Pat McAfee, Michael Cole

It’s the post Wrestlemania show and that means it could be time for a lot of things to take place. This show can be full of great stuff like NXT or it can be a complete waste of time like Raw. I’m not sure what to expect from the show but Smackdown has a good enough history to give me some hope. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the Wrestlemania main event, with Roman Reigns defending the Universal Title against Edge and Daniel Bryan.

Here is Roman Reigns, flanked by Jey Uso and Paul Heyman. After looking around for a bit, Reigns has Heyman explain the kind of competition he had to face. Heyman explains who Daniel Bryan and Edge are, allowing Reigns to talk about how no one is on his level. He has done everything he was asked to do and stacked up the competition to pin them both at once. With that out of the way, cut the check and fire up the jet. Reigns goes to leave but here’s Cesaro to interrupt, which gets Reigns’ attention. He leaves anyway as Cesaro stares him down.

Post break Cesaro comes up to Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville in the back to call Roman Reigns a son of a b****. Cesaro wants Reigns tonight, even if it means non-title. Sonya will get back to him.

We look at Cesaro busting out the UFO against Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania.

Otis vs. Rey Mysterio

Chad Gable and Dominik Mysterio are here too. Otis runs him over to start and tosses Rey down without much trouble. Rey gets sent outside but comes back in, where he is tied in the Tree of Woe. A missed charge gives Rey a breather and it’s a pair of running seated sentons for two. The springboard crossbody is countered into a World’s Strongest Slam but Otis misses the middle rope splash. The 619 sets up a middle rope crucifix for the pin on Otis at 2:58.

Result: Rey Mysterio b. Otis – Crucifix (2:48)

Heyman accepts Cesaro’s challenge on Reigns’ behalf. There was a rain delay at Wrestlemania but it wasn’t the rain. No instead it was the tears of God, weeping at what he had to see. You had Cesaro coming after the talented Seth Rollins and embarrassing him, so tonight let’s take care of all this for once and for all…..with Cesaro facing Jey Uso tonight.

We look at Cesaro beating Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania.

Here is Sami Zayn to rant about being screwed at Wrestlemania all over again. Logan Paul was supposed to be there to help with the documentary and expose everything but that isn’t how it happened. Instead, Paul’s mind was poisoned by everyone from management to the fans to Michael Cole, the corporate mouthpiece. Now he wants to face Kevin Owens again because there is nothing to distract him this time. Cue Owens and we take a break.

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

Sami bails to the floor to start so Owens follows him out for a ram into the announcers’ table. Back in and Sami snaps his throat across the top rope to take over. Right hands to the head have Owens in trouble and Sami gets to shout a lot, as he tends to do. Choking ensues in the corner and a jawbreaker cuts off Owens’ rather brief comeback attempt. Owens hits a clothesline to start the real comeback though and he puts Sami on top for some chops.

Sami is sat up top but comes back with a sunset bomb for two, which has McAfee VERY impressed. We take a break and come back with Sami charging into a superkick, setting up Owens’s Swanton for two. Owens can’t hit the Pop Up Powerbomb but he can block the half and half suplex. Owens’ fisherman’s buster onto the knee gets two and Sami has had enough opting for the countout at 9:38.

Result: Kevin Owens b. Sami Zayn via countout (9:38)

Post match Owens throws him back in for the Stunner to keep things going.

Apollo Crews brags about winning the Intercontinental Title and would give Big E. a rematch tonight….but Big E. isn’t here. On Sunday, Big E. ran into Commander Azeez and more violence is teased, with Crews dubbing the team the Nigerian Nail.

Here are the Street Profits to take part in Bianca Belair’s championship celebration. Back from a break with the Profits talking about how Wrestlemania was a night to remember but there was one match that stood out about the others. We get a video on Belair beating Sasha Banks to win the SmackDown Women’s Title, including the media attention that followed. Montez Ford talks about how special that was and brings out Belair to for the big presentation as champion.

Belair takes her time soaking in a loud EST chant and says she can’t believe she got here. If you told her she would be here with this title….well she probably would have said yes, because that is who she is. You should never apologize for being the b-e-s-t because if you can dream it, you can do it. Then there is Sasha Banks, who pushed her like no one ever has and both of them made history. They both did, but Belair is the champ. The title is for everyone who believed in her and they are just getting started creating history. They all hug but Belair tells Ford to get back to business, because it’s time to get some more gold.

In the back, Sasha Banks can’t say anything.

We look at Cesaro’s UFO to Seth Rollins again.

Bayley talks about how she was busy hosting the show while Belair was crying before the match. Is that the kind of role model you want? Of course not, so Bayley challenges Belair for a future title shot.

Tag Team Titles: Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode vs. Street Profits

The Profits are challenging and Ziggler hits a dropkick on Dawkins to start. Ford comes in for a better dropkick and it’s time to start in on Ziggler’s arm. Everything breaks down and the Profits take over again, including a running bulldog to Roode. A lot of shouting into the camera takes us to a break. Back with Dawkins hitting a jumping back elbow to Roode’s face but Roode gets over to Ziggler.

The champs take over for a change, only to have Dawkins catapult Ziggler into the corner. The double tag brings in Ford and Roode as everything breaks down. Ford hits a standing moonsault for two on Roode, followed by the flip dive on the floor. Back in and the spinebuster sets up the frog splash for two with Ziggler making the diving save. The blind tag brings Ziggler back in and the Zig Zag to Ford retains the titles at 10:42.

Result: Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode b. Street Profits – Zig Zag to Ford (10:42)

We look at the UFO to Rollins again.

Cesaro says Paul Heyman is right: he isn’t the biggest or the smartest, but he’s ready to go tonight.

Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler

Tamina and Nia Jax are here as well. They go to the floor to start with Shayna taking over and sending it back inside to work on Natalya’s arm. Natalya gets up and hits the discus clothesline with the good arm so Jax gets on the apron for a distraction. That fails for Baszler though as Natalya rolls her up for the pin at 2:30.

Result: Natalya b. Shayna Baszler – Rollup (2:30)

Cesaro vs. Jey Uso

Uso sends him into the ropes to start but Cesaro gets in a quick slam to take over. Cesaro takes him to the apron and goes after Cesaro’s hand but gets knocked to the floor. The dive off of the apron drops Uso and we take a break. We come back with Uso work working on the arm to try and keep Cesaro down. Uso goes up but gets caught with a dropkick.

A gutwrench superplex gives Cesaro two and he cartwheels out of an armdrag. Cesaro nails a springboard uppercut and McAfee is rather impressed. Uso is back with a pop up neckbreaker for two but Cesaro nails a discus lariat. The Swing goes on but here is Seth Rollins to jump Cesaro for the DQ at 11:10.

Result: Cesaro b. Jey Uso via DQ when Seth Rollins interfered (11:10)

Post match Rollins lays him out and shouts that Cesaro got lucky. The sooner Cesaro figures that out, the better it is for him.

Results
Rey Mysterio b. Otis – Crucifix
Kevin Owens b. Sami Zayn via countout
Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode b. Street Profits – Zig Zag to Ford
Natalya b. Shayna Baszler – Rollup
Cesaro b. Jey Uso via DQ when Seth Rollins interfered

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his- Amazon author page with 30 wrestling books.

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