The Head of the Table approached Daniel Bryan with an opportunity, Cesaro & Bryan teamed up for an epic encounter with Jey Uso & Seth Rollins, Apollo Crews defended his Intercontinental Title against Kevin Owens and more.
Friday Night SmackDown results: April 23, 2021
Cesaro & Daniel Bryan def. Jey Uso & Seth Rollins
After the quartet of blue brand Superstars engaged in a war of words to open SmackDown, Cesaro & Daniel Bryan teamed up to fight off the bad intentions of Jey Uso & Seth Rollins in an epic encounter. Uso & Rollins teamed up for a crushing Buckle Bomb and Splash that nearly won the match, but when the going got tough, The SmackDown Savior headed for the hills. Bryan followed up with a Running Knee for the win, and Cesaro added a spin of Uso for good measure, as the victorious tandem mocked Roman Reigns with his cousin as bait.
Tamina def. Nia Jax
The Irresistible Force met the impenetrable Tamina, as their WrestleMania rivalry carried over onto the blue brand. The two Superstars traded punishing attacks early, and a distraction from Reginald and Shayna Baszler on the outside opened the door for a Superkick and a massive win for Tamina.
Apollo Crews def. Kevin Owens – Intercontinental Championship Match
Apollo Crews was incensed to have to defend his Intercontinental Championship in such short order, but Kevin Owens was happy to jump to the front of the line for the opportunity. The presence of Sami Zayn and Commander Azeez made for a chaotic clash, but Owens nearly overcame the champion with a thunderous Pop-up Powerbomb. After a Splash, KO dragged Crews back into the ring, but the towering shadow of Azeez on the ropes allowed the titleholder to grab a roll-up win. Owens hit one Stunner, but a Nigerian Nail from Commander Azeez left the challenger down for the count.
Rey & Dominik Mysterio def. Otis & Chad Gable
A pair of the blue brand’s top tandems looked to make a statement in the SmackDown Tag Team Title landscape when The Mysterios met Otis & Chad Gable. The bruising precision of The Alpha Academy was on display, but a timely tag of The Master of the 619 got The Mysterios flying. A 619 and a sky-scraping Splash from Rey Mysterio secured a hard-fought victory for the father-son duo.
Roman Reigns laid down a high-stakes challenge
Cesaro has been knocking for a Universal Title opportunity, but The Head of the Table makes his own rules. Roman Reigns presented Daniel Bryan with a title opportunity for next week but with one massive catch: A loss for Bryan would banish him from SmackDown forever.
