The show kicks off with a recap of the recent events involving the Usos since SummerSlam.

We are live WWE SmackDown from the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, as John Cena makes his way to the ring to start the show. The 16-time WWE World Champion heads to the ring as th crod goes nuts!

John Cena thanks the fans for the warm reception and expresses his gratitude for the 20 years of support. He mentions how running to the ring and sliding in never gets old, and it keeps getting better with time. Cena acknowledges that he will continue to say thank you every time he steps into the ring. He appreciates the fans for giving him the chance to be a part of the WWE family, not just for one night but for several months. Cena also expresses excitement about his recent travels, including his first trip to India in his wrestling career.

John Cena expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to host Payback and promises to give back to the fans. He mentions that they are here to provide answers to the questions that have been on everyone’s minds for weeks. Cena starts to say, “You are getting unforgettable moments because you are going to get to see John Cena,” but he’s interrupted by Jimmy Uso’s entrance.

Jimmy Uso heads to the ring. Jimmy addresses John Cena, claiming that the crowd came to see him, the top star, and that they want to hear “Why, Jim, Why?” He defends his actions by stating that he did it out of love for his brother, Jey, to prevent him from being corrupted like Roman Reigns and John Cena.

Jimmy acknowledges that Cena is one of the greatest of all time (GOAT), but he also sees himself as one of the best. He points out the similarity between Cena and Reigns, stating that both take and take, with the only difference being that Cena does it with a smile.

John Cena responds to Jimmy Uso by acknowledging that Jimmy has a lot on his mind and has made some rash decisions. He suggests that Jimmy is trying to make sense of it all. Cena then takes a shot at Jimmy, stating that the wrong Uso quit, implying that Jimmy should have quit instead of Jey.

As Jimmy starts to walk away, he suddenly turns around and attempts a superkick on Cena, but Cena blocks it and counters with an Attitude Adjustment.

Backstage:

Kayla Braxton interviews Grayson Waller and Austin Theory in the backstage area. When asked about John Cena hosting Payback, both of them laugh. Austin Theory proudly mentions that he defeated John Cena at WrestleMania. Waller chimes in, saying that people will soon be talking about the Grayson Waller Effect, implying that he’s about to make a significant impact. Austin Theory confidently states that it’s time for the “greatest tag team of all time” to defeat Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar.

We go to commercial.

– Jimmy Uso is shown backstage, clearly frustrated and yelling at production assistants as he makes his way through the backstage area.

Grayson Waller and Austin Theory vs. Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar

The match is in full swing as Waller and Santos initially kick things off. Santos successfully blocks a kick and retaliates with a dropkick, earning a near fall. He then locks in a wrist lock, but Rey Mysterio tags in. Rey targets Waller’s arm with a kick and a wrist lock. Waller manages to counter with a forearm, but Rey responds with a kick to Waller and a punch to Theory. Rey sends Waller out of the ring. Theory tries a belly-to-back suplex, but Rey lands on his feet and sends Theory to the floor. Rey follows this up with a flip dive onto Waller and Theory.

As action unfolds, the broadcast cuts to a commercial break.

The action continues as Grayson Waller performs a suplex on Rey Mysterio. Austin Theory tags in and lands a clothesline in the corner. Footage from the commercial break shows Rey getting clipped during a moonsault attempt. Waller and Theory make frequent tags, isolating Rey from Santos. Theory throws punches and kicks at Rey while the referee deals with Santos in the corner. Theory delivers a punch and shoulder tackle in the corner, followed by Waller tagging in. Waller applies a cravate and knees to Rey’s head. Theory tags back in and keeps Rey controlled, but Rey manages to move, causing Waller to hit Theory with a forearm, sending him to the floor.

Waller tags himself back in and prevents Rey from making the tag by knocking Santos off the apron. Rey counters with a tornado DDT and tags in Santos. Santos delivers a back elbow to Waller, followed by a forearm to Theory. Santos performs flying forearms, an Irish whip, and sends Waller to the apron. He follows up with a kick on the apron, a running double knee strike, and an enzuigiri, finishing with a rana off the turnbuckles for a near fall. Rey prevents Theory from interfering by sending him to the floor. Santos kicks Waller to the floor, but Theory performs a running shoulder to the knee as Santos pushes Rey aside. Rey retaliates by sending Theory to the floor.

Waller manages to execute a slingshot rolling cutter on Santos for the three-count.

Winners: Austin Theory and Grayson Waller

Backstage:

Mia Yim is backstage with Adam Pearce, and Jimmy Uso enters. Adam informs Jimmy that his behavior is unacceptable and issues an apology to Mia after Jimmy leaves.

– Bobby Lashley makes his entrance as we head to a commercial break.

– Mia Yim informs Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows about Jimmy Uso’s behavior, and they advise her not to worry about it. AJ Styles arrives, and Mia fills him in on the situation. AJ assures her that he will handle it.

In the Arena:

Bobby Lashley acknowledges the crowd’s ability to make someone feel good and then addresses the ongoing question about his connection with the Street Profits. He explains that real recognizes real, and great recognizes great, which is why he recognizes the Street Profits. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins make their entrance.

Bobby Lashley acknowledges the Street Profits’ charisma, athleticism, and increased aggression. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins express their gratitude to Bobby for helping them achieve their current success. They credit Bobby with showing them the bigger picture, allowing them to move from “what was” to “what is.” Montez Ford playfully says “What to Is,” and they thank Bobby, saying it’s nothing personal, just profits. Bobby appreciates their words and suggests they continue their success. He also has a message for the WWE Universe, warning that they are coming for power, control, and championship gold. They are coming for it all.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn enter the ring, and there’s a tense stare-down between them and Bobby Lashley. Bobby eventually steps aside, allowing Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to pass him and head to the ring.

We go to commercial.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde

Sami and Wilde initiated the match, with Sami taking control early with a wrist lock and side headlock. Sami maintained the side headlock and then sent Wilde to the apron. Wilde responded with a shoulder block and an acrobatic move, flipping over Sami and landing a back elbow followed by a splash, nearly securing a pinfall.

Sami attempted a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Wilde quickly regained his footing. Sami then executed a clothesline. Kevin tagged in, ascended the turnbuckle, and delivered a swanton bomb for a close two-count. Kevin aimed for his signature move, the pop-up powerbomb, but Wilde countered with a dropkick.

Cruz entered the fray with a running forearm in the corner, followed by a flurry of jabs and a chop to Kevin. Kevin retaliated by whipping Cruz into the ropes, where Cruz responded with a forearm strike and a kick directed at Kevin. Cruz utilized the ropes for a springboard maneuver, but Kevin adeptly evaded it. Cruz rolled through, but Kevin interrupted with a pop-up powerbomb.

Sami disposed of Wilde from the apron with a Helluva Kick. Kevin, back in control, tagged in Sami, who finished the sequence with his signature move, the stunner, securing the three-count victory for their team.

Winners:  Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

After the match, Sami gets on the mic and he tells THE Judgment Day he has a message for them.  Tomorrow is not going to be fun or pretty.  It will be the fight of your life.

Backstage:

Jimmy Uso attempted to exit the arena, but he was intercepted by AJ Styles. Styles expressed that Jimmy was unwelcome and should not disrespect Mia. Tensions escalated, leading to a confrontation between Styles and Jimmy, with both men shoving each other.

Solo Sikoa ambushed Styles from behind. He then delivered a stern message to Jimmy, informing him that he would be ousted from the Bloodline when they decided he was no longer welcome.

Jimmy, defiant in response, asserted that neither Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, nor himself would allow anyone to dictate his actions. Jimmy then departed the scene, leaving the situation unresolved as the broadcast went to commercial.

Backstage:

Following the earlier confrontation involving Jimmy Uso, AJ Styles, and Solo Sikoa, AJ Styles expressed his determination to address the situation. In an interview with Cathy Kelley, AJ declared that the Bloodline might believe they have control over everything, but they don’t. He vowed to deal with the matter and challenged Solo Sikoa to a match later in the evening, where he intended to teach Solo a lesson.

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows arrived on the scene and offered their support to AJ. They encouraged him not to be overly concerned about the Bloodline’s actions and reminded him that Mia, whom AJ is fond of, supports his decision. AJ was determined to show that the arena is the “House that AJ Styles built.”

In the Arena:

The Miz makes his way to the ring. We see what Miz did on Raw to mock LA Knight.

Miz takes the opportunity to address LA Knight ahead of their upcoming match. He asserts that LA Knight will be stepping into the biggest match of his career tomorrow night, emphasizing that this is not Knight’s fault but simply a fact. Miz goes on to claim that it was quite easy for him to impersonate LA Knight on Raw, insinuating that Knight is not on his level. He confidently states that Knight is not even half the star that Miz is today or was a decade ago.

However, LA Knight abruptly interrupts Miz and proceeds to make his way down to the ring.

In response to Miz’s remarks, LA Knight steps up and wants to have a word with him. He calls out the various moments where Miz has cosplayed as other wrestling icons, such as The Rock and John Cena, and now LA Knight himself. Knight points out that these three individuals, including him, share a commonality: Miz’s inability to measure up to them, both figuratively and literally.

Knight passionately states that he clawed his way out of challenging circumstances, working countless difficult jobs and even dealing with financial struggles. He mentions cashing checks at payday loan companies and implies that Miz could never endure the hardships he faced. According to Knight, Miz’s path to success was relatively cushy, coming from a reality show, while Knight started at the bottom and worked his way up. He asserts that he has already surpassed Miz and that Miz is nowhere near his level.

Miz counters by claiming that he’s achieved where Knight has failed. He reminds Knight that he was part of a reality show too, and he was the first to get eliminated. Miz boasts about reaching his current status in just three years, whereas Knight supposedly took two decades to reach where he is.

Knight concludes by stating that Miz’s success comes from exploiting every opportunity, and he boldly asserts that Miz isn’t even the star of his own show, implying that Miz’s wife, Maryse, overshadows him.

LA Knight continues to taunt Miz, suggesting that Miz’s success has been solely based on opportunism. He ridicules Miz, claiming that Miz isn’t the star of his own show and that he carries the bag that holds his wife’s belongings, metaphorically referring to his lack of personal achievement. Knight delivers a veiled threat, insinuating that a single phone call could lead to a broken marriage.

Miz responds by acknowledging Knight’s connection with the fans and his ability to relate to them. He implies that most people are failures who give up after setbacks, but Knight persevered, giving him a chance to succeed. Miz views himself as a formidable opponent who can crush Knight’s dreams, sending him back to his past struggles and failures.

Knight counters Miz’s comments by stating that he never quit because he never learned how to. He accuses Miz of living in the past and advises him to go as far away as possible because his present is miserable and his future is bleak. Knight confidently predicts that he will extinguish Miz’s hopes at Payback and prove whose game it truly is.

Miz takes advantage of an opportunity during the verbal exchange to attack Knight, delivering a Skull Crushing Finale. As Miz leaves, Knight chases after him and retaliates with a physical assault in the aisle.

– Damage CTRL make their way to the ring as we go to commercial.

Bayley vs. Shotzi

Bayley initially tries to prevent Shotzi from taking any reckless actions. However, Shotzi quickly targets Bayley’s leg, but Bayley manages to evade her.

The action intensifies as Shotzi traps Bayley’s leg in the ropes and delivers some punches. Bayley responds with a slap, and Shotzi responds with a smile and follows it up with a series of clotheslines. Shotzi continues her assault with punches, and Bayley retaliates with an Irish whip.

Shotzi counters with a head scissors in the ropes and unleashes a flurry of forearms. Bayley resorts to kicking Shotzi in the corner and mockingly references Shotzi’s distinctive hairstyle. In response, Shotzi executes an enzuigiri and then takes the action to the outside. She grabs Bayley by the hair and tosses her multiple times before finishing with a cannonball off the apron.

As we return from a commercial break, Bayley has Shotzi locked in a reverse chin lock, trying to wear her down. Shotzi fights back with elbows and ultimately breaks free with a jawbreaker. However, Bayley retaliates with a boot to Shotzi’s midsection, followed by an elbow drop to her back for a near fall.

Bayley attempts to maintain control by climbing the turnbuckles for an elbow drop, but Shotzi manages to get her knees up in time to counter the move. Shotzi strikes back with a round kick that sends Bayley tumbling off the apron. She then executes a daring suicide dive onto Bayley.

Back in the ring, Shotzi delivers a wraparound bulldog to Bayley and follows it up with a series of forearms. Bayley tries to regain the upper hand by positioning Shotzi on the turnbuckles, but Shotzi fights back and executes an overhead belly-to-belly suplex into the turnbuckles, followed by a cannonball in the corner.

Shotzi climbs to the top rope, but her focus is momentarily disrupted by Iyo Sky’s interference. Bayley takes advantage of the situation, attempting to use the Women’s Title belt to her advantage. However, Charlotte Flair makes her entrance, intervening to stop Iyo from using the belt. Charlotte then kicks Iyo when she attempts to strike back.

Meanwhile, Dakota Kai tries to interfere on Bayley’s behalf, but the referee catches her in the act. With the distraction unfolding around her, Charlotte punches Bayley, setting up Shotzi to hit a DDT for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Shotzi

We go to commercial.

– We have a video for Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura.

– We take a look at John Cena and Jimmy Uso from earlier tonight.

Back to commercial.

– We are back and next week Charlotte Flair and Shotzi will face Iyo Sky and Bayley.

Solo Sikoa vs. AJ Styles

As the match begins, AJ Styles wastes no time and delivers a forearm strike to Solo Sikoa as the bell rings. AJ follows it up with a series of punches and chops. Solo attempts to counter by sending AJ into the corner, but AJ manages to elbow his way out. Solo, however, isn’t deterred and responds with a running shoulder tackle, followed by a headbutt and another headbutt for good measure. He goes for a diving headbutt, but AJ cleverly gets his knees up to block the attack.

AJ takes advantage of the situation, delivering a kick and a knee drop. He then attempts a slam, but Solo resists and blocks it. Solo retaliates with an elbow strike and executes a slam of his own, finishing it off with a chop to AJ. AJ counters with a kick and follows up with a Phenomenal Drop Kick. He then proceeds to send Solo into the corner with a clothesline.

At this point, Paul Heyman makes his way to the ring, creating a distraction. While AJ deals with Heyman’s presence, Solo takes advantage of the momentary distraction and attacks AJ from behind.

Solo retreats to the floor as AJ drops down to the apron and executes a sliding knee strike to Solo’s head. He then follows it up with a slingshot forearm. As the tension escalates, Paul Heyman watches from a safe distance. The match heads into a commercial break.

Returning from the commercial break, Solo Sikoa takes control of the match. He whips AJ Styles into the corner, but AJ counters with a knee to Solo’s face. AJ then attempts an aerial move off the turnbuckles, but Solo counters with a powerful punch, sending AJ crashing to the canvas. Solo follows it up by ramming AJ ribs-first into the ring post and then into the announce table.

Solo executes a belly-to-belly suplex on AJ for a near fall. AJ manages to recover and fights back with a series of punches. Solo responds with a knee strike. Solo goes for the Samoan Spike, but AJ drops to the mat to avoid the move.

AJ retaliates with a well-placed kick and an enzuigiri. He then hits a Pele kick on Solo, causing both competitors to be down on the mat. AJ continues his offensive with a dropkick to Solo’s knee and follows it up with a sliding forearm.

AJ then attempts to hoist Solo onto his shoulders, but Solo fights back and regains his footing. AJ doesn’t give up and launches a series of strikes. Solo manages to execute a pop-up Samoan drop on AJ, getting a near fall in the process.

Solo attempts a running hip attack in the corner but misses, allowing AJ to counter with a clothesline. AJ follows it up with a quebrada for a near fall.

AJ then sets up for his finishing move, the Styles Clash, but Solo manages to block it. Solo attempts to execute an Alabama Slam, but AJ gets to the apron and avoids the move.

AJ takes a moment to glance at Paul Heyman at ringside. He then prepares for his signature Phenomenal Forearm. However, Jimmy Uso interferes by clipping AJ’s leg, causing him to lose balance.

Seizing the opportunity, Solo Sikoa hits AJ with a Samoan Spike, securing the three-count victory.

Winner:  Solo Sikoa

Following the match, Jimmy Uso embraces his brother and they share a moment in the ring. Solo Sikoa, despite having the opportunity to launch a post-match attack, heeds Paul Heyman’s advice and refrains from doing so. Solo chooses to exit the ring instead.

However, Jimmy remains in the ring and delivers a superkick to AJ Styles. He then climbs to the top turnbuckle and executes a frog splash on AJ as the show concludes.

–– WWE announced the following ––

•  John Cena returns to WWE TV
• Jimmy Uso returns to SmackDown for the first time since Jey Uso “quit”
• Austin Theory and Grayson Waller vs. Santos Escobar and 2023 WWE Hall of Famer & United States Champion Rey Mysterio
• LA Knight and The Miz will meet for a war of words ahead of their match at WWE Payback

Stay tuned to WrestlingAttitude, WA.Com On Twitter and Google News for more.

9/1 WWE SmackDown Results