WWE: Home Of Excellence [ARCHIVED PROJECT]

[CakeWalker]

» COMPANY PROFILE

NAME: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
FOUNDERS: Vince and Linda McMahon
COUNTRY: United States
TYPE: Public
INDUSTRY: Sports Entertainment
LOCATED: Stamford, Connecticut
MPAA RATING/TELEVISION RATING: TV-MA
SUB-DIVISIONS:
WWE.com, WWE Network, WWE Studios, WWE Libraries, WWE NXT, WWE Performance Center,
WWE Shop. WWE Music Group, WWE Books, WCW, Tapout (50%)


(Banked this for my brother - so it wouldn't get lost).​

 

[CakeWalker]

[Events Info - will be update on catchup]

 

[CakeWalker]

|| WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STORYLINE ||

|| Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. AJ Styles ||
​

August 23rd: When it came to putting together the main-event for Backlash, Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan made it clear that he wanted a world title match that the entire WWE Universe would look forward to watching and without any qualifying matches or requests from the roster Bryan would announce just two nights after SummerSlam that Dolph Ziggler would be defending the WWE World Championship against none other than "The Phenomenal One" AJ Styles. There was no denying that the fans were extremely excited about the prospect of Styles becoming the world champion. However, there would be one man who take offence to the announcement and this would be none other than former champion Dean Ambrose. Despite Ambrose ranting about the being deserving of a rematch, General Manager Daniel Bryan though would come away looking strong and flat out refuse Ambrose a chance at redemption. Ambrose despite his clear anger would accept the decision, although it was clear that this wasn't something he was simply going to forget about. To add insult to injury AJ Styles would make an appearance at the exact moment that Ambrose was heading backstage, and would be caught on camera openly mocking Ambrose which would visually annoy Dean but most escalate any further. AJ would congratulate Daniel on making the best decision for Smackdown Live by finally giving the fans a match that they wanted to see, instead of a match that management wanted to be booked. Daniel would clearly not enjoy put in the same light as other infamous authority figures, but remained professional none the less. The segment would end with Bryan making it clear that as General Manager of Smackdown Live he had the power to alter any booked matches how he saw fit, and that Styles would be wise to remember that fact. As one would predict Styles would offer no objections and remain silent.

Later on in the night WWE World Champion Dolph Ziggler would successfully manage to defeat Tyler Breeze in singles action, despite Fandango offering multiple distractions for his tag-team partner Breeze. After the contest Ziggler would cut a post-match promo and make it clear that he was extremely looking forward to defending his WWE World Championship against Styles at Backlash although through everyone off guard when he made it clear that he felt Dean Ambrose was more deserving of a title shot at the pay per view. Before Dolph could finish though he would find himself being blindsided by AJ by way of a chair-shot to the back of the head. The show would come to a close with Styles standing over the fallen Ziggler openly taunting the champion.

August 30th: Near to the beginning of the show Mauro Ranallo would inform the viewers that the World Champion was absent from tonight's show and that he was resting at home after the injuries he had picked up from the chair-shot delivered by Styles last week. Ranallo would find himself interrupted by Styles though who would appear from the crowd and announce that tonight he was going to be a guest commentator for the entirety of the evening's show. Throughout the night Styles would make a mockery of the various matches that took place, with it being clear that him sitting at the commentary table was all about his own ego rather than offering any actual insight on the matches taking place. In the final match of the evening former world champion Dean Ambrose went one-on-one with Kane. The match never finished though as Ambrose found himself on the ascendancy he would be blindsided by Styles, in exactly the same fashion as Ziggler was attacked last week with a brutal chair shot. Despite the obvious fact that AJ was very much cementing himself as a super-heel, it was clear that he was still very much the fan favourite as the show came to a close.

September 6th: With just one week to go until Backlash AJ Styles found himself the most popular man on Smackdown Live. Dean Ambrose, fairly early into the night attempted to attack Styles although found himself prevented by security. Ambrose though would himself ejected from the building by Smackdown's Commissioner Shane McMahon, with the reason given that it was to ensure that the scheduled title match at Backlash took place. Ambrose would not hide his objections and accuse Shane of playing favourites. Styles would compete in a match against Baron Corbin and would manage to win in fairly impressive fashion. After the bell was rung to signal the match's conclusion, WWE World Champion Dolph Ziggler made his way out from the back. Ziggler made it clear that if Styles thought a chair-shot was going to be enough to keep him down then he was sorely mistaken, and that this Sunday in Richmond, Virginia he would be leaving with the world title belt around his waist.

|| WWE INTERCONTINETAL CHAMPIONSHIP STORYLINE ||

SIX PACK ELIMINATION CHALLENGE
|| Apollo Crews (c) vs. The Miz (with Maryse) vs. Baron Corbin vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Kalisto ||​

August 23rd: With Apollo Crews in possession of the Intercontinental Championship (to note his first title with the company) he made it very clear to General Manager Daniel Bryan that he wanted his first title defence to be an event to be remembered. This led to Bryan suggesting that the match at Backlash being a Six Pack Elimination Challenge, rather than try to run away from the idea Crews openly welcomed the challenge and said he looked to chance of outlasting five other men and retaining the Intercontinental Championship. Apollo's private meeting with Bryan would be interrupted by The Miz and Maryse who had clearly been eavesdropping at the door. The Miz would comment that he found Crews cute for believing he was actually going to retain the title and that in fact it would be he who would be leaving with the title to become a six time Intercontinental Champion. The Miz though would be totally caught off guard as General Manager Daniel Bryan would inform the Miz that in order to take part in the Sick Pack Elimination Challenge he would have to qualify just like everybody else. This was something that was almost too much to handle for the Miz who stormed out the office, Maryse held back though and queried who her husband would be facing. Daniel Bryan had a massive smile across his face as he revealed that later on tonight her husband would be going one-on-one with the man who Miz had previously taken the title off; Zack Ryder.

During the evening another qualification match would take place that would see Baron Corbin would convincingly defeated Rhyno and cement himself in the title match. Despite Zack Ryder's showmanship and positivity, as well as continued support and motivation given by Mojo Rawley, it would be the Miz who would win the match by way of a referee distraction from Maryse much to everyone's dismay (apart from Miz and Maryse of course).

August 30th: The following week would see another string of qualification matches take place. Firstly Bray Wyatt would qualify by beating Alberto Del Rio, whilst Kalisto would defeat Curt Hawkins to leave just one place left to fill in the Six Pack Elimination Challenge. Daniel Bryan would reveal that the final entrant though had already been decided and that they would be revealed on next week's show.

September 6th: Daniel Bryan would assemble all five named entrants in the ring and make it clear that the title match was very important in solidifying the Intercontinental Championship as a title belt worthy of everyone's recognition and desire. Bryan would then give all five men the opportunity to cut a short promo in the middle of the ring before revealing the final man that would be taking part in the title match; Shelton Benjamin. Benjamin would make a charismatic and highly enthusiastic entrance much to everyone's delight. Benjamin would cut a short promo mostly talking about how happy he was to be back on Smackdown and that he had every intention on returning to winning ways at Backlash.

|| WWE SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP STORYLINE ||

It would be revealed by Commissioner Shane Mcmahon that a tournament would take place at Backlash to crown the inaugural WWE Smackdown Women's Champion. The eight participants for the tournament would be revealed as Alexa Bliss, Naomi, Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella, Eva Maria, Carmella, Natalya and would involve Bayley being announced as the last entrant of the tournament and also act as Bayley officially becoming part of the Smackdown Live roster. Below is the scheduled semi-final matches that will take place at the pay per view (with the four winner facing each other in the final):

|| Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi ||​

|| Becky Lynch vs. Nikki Bella ||​

|| Carmella vs. Natalya ||

|| Eva Marie vs. Bayley ||

|| WWE SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP'S STORYLINE ||

|| Open Invitational Cage Match ||

It was revealed by Commissioner Shane McMahon that the newly Smackdown Live would be getting its own Tag Team Championships and that the new champions would be crowned at Backlash in a Cage Match, with the winners being decided by the first entrant to successfully escape the confines of the cage and earn the right to be champion for themselves and their tag team partner. Shane though made it clear that the match was an open invitational and that any team that wished to take part in the match was welcome to do so.​

 

[CakeWalker]

2016

Pre-Show

|| Curt Hawkins vs. Rhyno - Singles Match ||

|| Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena - Singles Match ||

Main Card:

|| Open Invitational Cage Match (for the vacant WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships ||

|| Eva Marie vs. Bayley ||

|| Becky Lynch vs. Nikki Bella ||

|| SIX PACK ELIMINATION CHALLENGE (WWE Intercontinental Championship) ||
|| Apollo Crews (c) vs. The Miz (with Maryse) vs. Baron Corbin vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Kalisto ||

|| Carmella vs. Natalya ||

|| Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi ||

|| Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. AJ Styles (WWE World Championship) ||

|| Fatal Four Way (WWE Smackdown Women's Championship) ||
|| TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD ||​

 

[Chris]

I already know Blaze is gonna love this because you have Ziggler as the champion

 

[Hidden Blaze]

Yeah, I’m happy with that. Even if he loses it, I also like AJ. Win win.

 

[CakeWalker]

Yeah, I’m happy with that. Even if he loses it, I also like AJ. Win win.

Yeah looking back I do have a lot of Dolph in this

 

[CakeWalker]

September 11th 2016

:: Singles Match ::
Curt Hawkins vs. Rhyno
[The match between Rhyno and Hawkins had no purpose other than to give Curt Hawkins a platform to make his Smackdown Live debut. The match was nothing to write home about although Rhyno did manage to entertain the Richmond crowd when he managed to connect with not one, not two, but three...GORE...GORE...GORE! And from the sheer excitement in Mauro Ranallo's voice every time Rhyno connected you couldn't blame the crowd for considering that Rhyno had the win in the bag. What nobody saw coming was for Christian to emerge from underneath the ring, and whilst Hawkins argued with the referee Christian entered the ring and wiped an unsuspecting Rhyno out with THE KILLSWITCH! The move proved to be all that as needed for Hawkins to claim the victory, as everyone looked on in bewilderment at the unfamiliar alliance between Hawkins and Christian as both men embraced each other in the middle of the ring.]

WINNER: Curt Hawkins

:: Singles Match ::
Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena
[Both Cena and Del Rio have proven to the WWE Universe countless times that on their best days they are more than capable of being the face of the company, so it wasn't at all surprising that despite the match being part of the pre-show it still proved to be thoughtfully entertaining. Both men showed flairs of their own charisma with Cena exciting/frustrating the crowd with his continued showmanship, whilst Del Rio took on the much more technical approach to the match relying on chains wrestling and submissions to gain an advantage. The match would end cleanly Del Rio escaping from Cena's shoulder after a failed finishing move, only for Del Rio to wrap up the contest with a BACKSTABBER to claim the three count. Del Rio would help Cena up to his feet afterwards and both of them would shake hands amicably with Cena raising Alberto's hand as the footage of the match came to an end.]

WINNER: Alberto Del Rio

:: Singles Match ::
Eva Marie vs. Bayley
[The fans were treated to a match not previously scheduled for the Kickoff Show; as Eva Marie and Bayley took part in the first semi-final in WWE Smackdown Women's Championship match. There can be no denying that a large portion of the WWE Universe were very much rallying behind Bayley, who had amassed a massive amount f fan support since her time as the NXT Women's Champion. However it would be unfair to say that Eva Marie didn't have fans of her own and this encounter was by no means a one sided affair. The match was filled with great spots including: Eva connecting with a running back elbow to a corner Bayley, Bayley springboarding off the top rope and connecting with the BAYLEYCANRANA, as well as Eva Marie really turning up the heat by smashing Bayley in the chest with a number of forearm shots before dropping her to the canvass with a RUNNING BIG BOOT!

The match was very back and forth and neither women showed a particular dominance over the other, although it looked like fan favourite Bayley had made a breakthrough when out of nowhere she managed to connect with an explosive BAYLEY-TO-BELLY SUPLEX. As Bayley went to cover her opponent though, Eva showed her resilience by pushing herself off the bottom rope as Bayley went for the cover allowing for Eva to use her momentum to cradle Bayley and land on top of her. Despite her best attempt to recover Bayley found her own shoulders on the canvass as the referee made the three count. Everyone in the crowd was flabbergasted at the realisation that it was Eva who had advanced to tonight's final, whilst Bayley looked completely dejected by the loss as Eva Marie celebrated her victory in a state of complete euphoria.]

WINNER: Eva Marie

:: Singles Match::
Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi


[Both Alexa and Naomi have yet had the chance to full establish themselves as a household name, and it was clear that both women were going to do whatever it took to gain a place in the night's main-event. One thing was certain though once the match officially begun and that was there was only going to be one winner of this contest...Alexa Bliss. Bliss was brutal and dominant in her performance taking Naomi apart like a scientist dissecting a test a subject with the match finishing with Alexa leaping off the the turnbuckle and connecting with TWISTED BLISS to advance to the evening's main-event. Naomi look disheartened with the result, but was given much time to mourn her elimination as Alexa continued to attack Naomi and the two had to be separated by in-ring officials with Alexa being dragged away with a sadistic smile across her face as she was directed backstage.]

WINNER: Alexa Bliss

:: Cage Match (WWE SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP) ::
The Usos vs. The Vaudevillians vs. American Alpha vs. The Hype Bros vs. The Ascension vs. Wyatt Family (Erick Rowan & Luke Harper) vs. Randy Orton & Dean Ambrose vs. Breezango
[With eight teams and sixteen men being locked into the steel cage there was no doubt that the match was going to prove to be gripping and violent. None the less the first real talking point was the newly formed duo of Ambrose and Orton with many including the Smackdown Live commentary team questioning the logic behind both men working together. The match was filled with spot after spot, with every single man being given the opportunity to connect with either their finisher and/or a signature move from their move's arsenal. After nearly fifteen minutes of action two things became obvious. The first was that the match was turning into a battle of attrition and the second that the only way that anybody was leaving with the title was by physically escaping the confines of the steel structure. A number of teams claim close with Tyler Breeze and Simon Gotch both coming inches from the top of the cage, however both men would find themselves pulled down at the last possible moment. The match would come to an end with Bray Wyatt emerging from backstage and with a pair of bolt cutters opening part of the cage open in an attempt to drag Erick Rowan out. The opening though would create a mass desperation as numerous men would attempt to exit the cage through the same gap. The distraction would prove to be all that as needed to avert attention elsewhere as out of nowhere Mojo Rawley would leap up the side of the cage and drop down onto the other side meaning that the Hype Bros were the new Smackdown Tag Team Champions. Something that Ryder looked equally thrilled about as he heard the announcement being made over the PA system. Once all the teams had cleared out the Hype Bros would celebrate their victory in the middle of the ring to the mass delight of the fans in attendance.]

WINNERS: Hype Bros (Mojo Rawley & Zack Ryder) - new WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions

:: Singles Match ::
Becky Lynch vs. Nikki Bella
[With Alexa and Eva both already through to the next round, there was an increased interest in the third semi-final match. Both Becky and Nikki had a high intensity contest with neither female holding back anything, despite knowing that the victor would have to fight again later tonight. Early on into the contest Becky locked Nikki into the DIS-ARM-HER but Bella showed her resilience and despite the odds against her managed to hit the bottom rope with her left leg forcing the referee to enforce the rope-break. Nikki though gave as good as she got and almost manage to earn a victory for herself by roughly bringing Becky down onto the canvass via the ALABAMA SLAM! The match came to its conclusion with a botched attempted at a Rack Attack from Nikki, that gave the only opportunity that Becky needed to hit the BEXPLODER SUPLEX and then hook Nikki's leg over to claim the victory sealing herself a place in tonight's final.]

WINNER: Becky Lynch

:: SIX PACK ELIMINATION MATCH (WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP) ::
Apollo Crews (c) vs. Baron Corbin vs. The Miz vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Kalisto
[The tag-team title match was always going to be the most chaotic contest of the pay per view, however the contest for the Intercontinental Title proved to be filled with thrills and spills. The first person to found himself eliminated found him removed from the match under embarrassing circumstances. The Miz attempted to remove Kalisto from contention early with the Skull Crushing Finale only to be caught totally off-guard by Benjamin who connecting with a perfectly timed SUPERKICK that send the Miz straight off his feet. Seeing a clear opportunity Kalisto pounced on top of The Miz and all it took was the referee's three count to eliminate him from the match-up.

*The Miz Eliminated*

It took a good five minute before the next elimination occurred and it happen in impressive style. A SUICIDE DIVE from Kalisto had resulted in him taking out both Benjamin and Crews had been fighting outside of the ring on the entrance ramp, leaving just Crews and Wyatt in the middle of the ring. Crews attempted to take Wyatt off his feet with a flying clothesline, only for Bray to encounter the aggressive attack and instead transition the momentum in his own favour and thus successfully hit the champion with SISTER ABIGAIL! The entire WWE Universe went crazy when they realised that Bray had eliminated Apollo and also confirmed that a new champion would be crowned tonight.

*Apollo Crews Eliminated*

Wyatt mistake though became apparent as he began to taunt Crews with his theatrics, which allow for Corbin to sneak behind Wyatt only to spin him around and drive him into the canvass with END OF DAYS!

*Bray Wyatt Eliminated*

With just Kalisto, Shelton and Baron left in the match-up the intensity of the contest stepped up a notch but that certainly didn't slow down the running of the match. Kalisto slid in the ring and attacked Corbin from behind with the SALIDA DEL SOL only for Shelton to grab Kalisto from behind and slam him over his shoulders with the T-BONE SUPLEX, luckily though Kalisto survived a pin attempt from Shelton by kicking out at the last possible moment. As both men got back up to their feet though they would both be grabbed of by Corbin who would grab hold men and connect with a truly unique TWO MAN END OF DAYS! Corbin would then shock everyone by first covering Kalisto and removing him from the contest.

*Kalisto Eliminated*

Only to look on in complete disbelief as Benjamin managed to raise his shoulders at the last possible moment, when Corbin went for the second cover. Something which would result in Corbin looking at Shelton in complete and utter disbelief. Corbin though showed no chance off holding off as he dragged Shelton back up only to send him crashing back down to the mat with the END OF DAYS! Corbin though showed no signs of letting off as rather than go for the cover he dragged a lifeless Benjamin back up to his feet only to deliver one final END OF DAYS before going to the easier pin in his entire career.

*Shelton Benjamin Eliminated*

Baron Corbin was lacking any emotion as the referee handed him the Intercontinental title strap and lifted his hand in the air signalling him as the new champion.]

WINNER: Baron Corbin - new WWE Intercontinental Champion

:: Singles Match ::
Carmella vs. Natalya

[Unfortunately for both Carmella and Natalya the task of following on from the Intercontinental Title match was always going to have an effect on the crowd's reaction to the match. Despite the odds against them though both Natalya and Carmella put on the best match they could, although the match wasn't the longest it would be won cleanly by Natalya locking Carmella into the SHARPSHOOTER which would force Carmella to tap out in a matter of seconds from the sheer pain that the hold was exerting on her body.]

WINNER: Natalya

:: Singles Match (WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) ::
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. AJ Styles

[It is fair judgement that a large percentage of the fans in Richmond were desperate for AJ to defeat Ziggler at all costs and from the manner in which the match started it looked as might have their wishes granted. Styles started with all guns blazing with a fast paced flurry assault that saw Styles impact into Ziggler with a DISCUS FOREARM SMASH, only to be followed up with a perfectly placed PELE KICK before grabbing hold of a groggy Ziggler and delivering him down hard to the canvass with the STYLES CLASH! Ziggler looked in really bad shape and his nose looked as if it might actually be broken, AJ though showed no signs of letting up as he made way over to the turnbuckle. The referee was distracted however as he tended to Ziggler. Unknown to Styles though out from the hand a sly and stealthy Dean Ambrose entered the fold out from the crowd and with a steel pipe in his hand leaped up onto the ring apron and smashed it into the back of of Styles head seeming to knock AJ out cold. On the other side of the ring Randy Orton emerged from the crowd and leaped onto the opposite ring apron. The distraction served its purpose as the referee left Ziggler to instruct Orton to stand down, which allowed Ambrose to enter the ring and drag and slump Ziggler on top of Styles lifeless body before quickly exiting the ring leading to Orton also climbing down. The referee turned around stunned, but with no other choice got down and made the three count resulting in Ziggler retaining the belt. A group of EMTs rushed out from the back to tend to both Styles and Ziggler, whilst Orton and Ambrose both made their way towards looking very smug with themselves although without anyone having any idea what exactly had just taken place or why Orton and Ambrose had interfered in this manner.]

WINNER: Dolph Ziggler - still WWE World Champion

:: Fatal Four Way Match (WWE SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP) ::
Eva Marie vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya

[Smackdown Live's first exclusive pay per view Backlash main-event proved to a truly memorable one and it l would go down as the match of the evening, no doubt to the delight of Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan. The match would excited throughout and despite everyone's expectation would last for over half an hour. Great moments included Eva Marie hitting Natalya with SLICED RED OFF THE STEEL STEPS which would leave Natalya down on the concrete for a significant portion of the match, Lynch sending Bliss through the commentary table by way of the BEXSPLODER SUPLEX, Eva Marie receiving a brutal SHARPSHOOTER from Natalya, not to forget Alexa connecting with the TWISTED BLISS which would wipe all three of her opponents whilst they had been fighting outside of the ring as Bliss had sprung off the top rope. The match would end in a wild fury. Natalya would try and force Bliss to tap in a leg-lock only to Becky to pick up Natalya and by association Bliss who was still in Natalya's hold and slamming them both onto the canvass with a SAMOAN SLAM that would result in all three falling on top of each other in a mass mess of bodies. In the confusion of bodies Eva Marie slid into the ring and taking hold of Bliss who was in the worst shape of the three took hold of her and slammed her down on top of Natalya with SLICED RED! This would result in the referee dropping down and making the three count, which resulted in Eva Marie running around in wild celebration. When Eva tried to claim the belt though she was refused, as after being shown a replay JoJo would confirm that it was actually Alexa Bliss who had landed on-top of Natalya and therefore it was she who was the new champion. Alexa Bliss would look ecstatic but slightly stunned as the referee handed her the title and she actually looked as if she weeping with tears of joy.]

WINNER: Alexa Bliss - new WWE Smackdown Women's Champion​

 

[CakeWalker]

|| WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP STORYLINE ||

August 22nd: Following SummerSlam there can be no denying that there was a real buzz on Monday Night RAW when inaugural Universal Champion Finn Balor made his way down to the ring with Truth Martini (who Corey Graves revealed had recently signed a contact with the WWE and was on record Balor's new manager). When both were in the ring Finn would introduce Truth to the WWE Universe, and that under Martini's tutelage he was going to do down as one of the greatest champions in the history of the company. Martini would take to the microphone and make it clear that Balor was a man of the people (a clear establishment that he would continue to be a baby-face) and that he would be a fighting champion. On that note he issued a open challenge to anyone in the back, to face Balor for the Universal Championship and for that match to happen in the ring tonight. Not surprisingly to anyone it was Seth Rollins would accept the open challenge. Both men would compete in a standout match similar to that which took place the previous night at SummerSlam. Once again though it was Balor who would leave the victor and remain the Universal Champion.

August 29th: With Truth Martini continuing to lead Balor down the garden path, both men would make their way out to the ring and once again lay down another open challenger with Balor's title on the line. It would be Roman Reigns that would welcome the challenge this week, although his challenge would prove to not be enough as Balor would claim the victory and continue to be a successful fighting champion.

September 5th: Not surprising to anyone Balor and Martini would come out for the third week in a row and this time their invitation for a title shot would be taken up by United States Champion Rusev. The mach would be a memorable contest with both men putting everything into the contest. The match would go back and forth and eventually Balor would manage to outwit Rusev and once again leave with the Universal Champion in his possession.

September 12th: Balor and Martini would attempt to lay down another open challenge for Balor's title only to find themselves interrupted by the RAW management of Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley. Stephanie would inform Balor and Martini that the Universal Championship would not be on the line tonight nor would it be up for grab next week either. Stephanie made it clear that it was herself and Foley that were in charge of the running of Monday Night RAW and nobody else. Stephanie revealed that tonight Balor would be placed in a two on one handicap match against Epico and Primo. Despite the one man disadvantage Balor would continue to show his strength and defeat the tag team without any interference from Martini seemingly solidifying himself as the number one guy on RAW.

September 19th: With just six days to go until Clash of Champions Balor found himself without a scheduled match. Mick Foley though would interupt Balor and Martini as the duo were cutting a promo in the ring and informed both men that at the pay per view Balor would be defending his title against fourteen time world champion...Triple H! The announcement sent ripples through the WWE Universe and in the blink of an eye and mouth watering title match had been booked for Clash of Champions.

Finn Balor (c) vs. Triple H


|| WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP STORYLINE ||

September 12: Following Rusev falling short in his Universal Title match with Balor, the United States Champion found himself being openly mocked backstage by Jinder Mahal. Mahal held nothing back as he proceeded to make inappropriate comments about Lana, as well as making strong suggestions that Rusev's championship reign lacked lustre and that he had been protected by management. Lana took personal insult to the comment and proceeded to slap Jinder across the face, but rather than fight back the Indian would tell Rusev that wild animals shouldn't be let off their leash. This of course sparked rage in Rusev, and as both men started brawling backstage they had to be broken up by security.

September 19: Jinder Mahal cut a promo backstage stating that Rusev was a coward and that he didn't deserve to be managed by a woman like Lana and that it was up to men like himself to save Lana from brutes like Lana. Rusev though would interrupt the promo and question if Jinder really thought he was capable of beating Rusev in the middle of the ring. Of course Mahal was confident in his answer which only resulted in Rusev laughing and saying that if Jinder really wanted to embarrass himself then he would face him on Sunday and put the United States title on the line just to prove a point. Lana would have the final word and inform Jinder that her face would be the last thing that he would see before blacked out from the pain that Rusev was going to administer to Jinder at the PPV.

Rusev (c) w/ Lana vs. Jinder Mahal


|| WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP STORYLINE ||

A direct rematch of the Cruiserweight Classic final between Zack Sabre Jr. and Tyler Perkins was booked to place as part of the Clash of Champions schedule, with an extra investment that whoever won the match would also be given a twelve month contract as part of the Monday Night RAW roster (and in doing so officially make the Cruiserweight Championship part of Moday Night RAW).

Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Tyler Perkins

1: The Bollywood Boyz (Gurv Sihra & Harv Sihra) defeated Sean Maluta & Danny Burch - Tag team match
2: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Gran Metalik - Cruiserweight Classic Tournament semi-final match
3: T.J. Perkins defeated Kota Ibushi - Cruiserweight Classic Tournament semi-final match
4: Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa defeated Cedric Alexander & Noam Dar - Tag team match
5: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated T.J. Perkins - Cruiserweight Classic tournament final match for the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Championship


|| BEST OF SEVEN SERIES STORYLINE ||

The starting point of the the best of seven series between Sheamus and Cesaro was the initial match at SummerSlam with the first out being won by Sheaumus. The pair would have their second match in series on the August 29th edition of RAW which was won by Sheamus once more, whilst the third match would see Cesaro claim his first victory in the series on the September 12th episode of RAW. The match between Cesaro and Sheamus at Clash of Champions will be the fourth in the series and either see the Swissman level the series at two apiece or see Sheamus become just one victory short of the winning the series in its entirety.

Sheamus vs. Cesaro


|| WWE RAW TAG TEAM DIVISION STORYLINES ||

The complexities of an ever competitive tag team division has seen two matches come about with both earning places on the Clash of Champions card. The first match sees current champions Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows defend their titles for the first time against the Dudley Boyz, who had earned their shot at the champions by winning a number one contender's match on September 5th edition of RAW. The Dudleyz were so confident in ther chances of becoming champions and that they announced that they would put their careers on the line; meaning that if the Dudley Boyz lose at Clash of Champions they will be forced into retirement.

Kark Anderson & Luke Gallows (c) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley)

The second match in the tag team division saw all three members of The New Day being placed in a three on one handicap with Braun Strowman. The stipulation of the match was created by Mick Foley in which if the New Day were succesful they would earn themselves a shot at the tag team titles, whilst if they lost they would ineligible to challenge for the titles for 365 days. On the other foot Braun's incentive to the compete in the match was that if be awarded a title shot with that particular title shot being determined by a "Wheel of Fortune" during a future episode of RAW. The truth of the matter though was that Strowman would have taken part in the contest, just an excuse to unleash violence on others.

Three on One Handicap Match
The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. Braun Strowman


|| WWE RAW WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP STORYLINE ||

Two weeks after SummerSlam on August 29th Sasha Banks and Charlotte faced each other one more time for the RAW Women's Championship and once again Sasha left with the title belt in her possession. This win finally seemed to bring an end to the long standing rivalry between Sasha and Charlotte. Just like history likes to repeat itself though on the following episode of RAW Stephanie McMahon would reveal Nia Jax as Sasha's title challenger at the pay per view. In the build up to the match a number of shenanigans and interruptions took place in the weeks leading up to Clash of Champions with it becoming obvious that Charlotte and Dana Brooke had aligned themselves with Jax although it wasn't clear if Charlotte was working for Jax or if Jax was working for Charlotte. Either way though the scheduled match at the pay per view was looking likely to be a good one.

Sasha Banks (c) vs. Nia Jax w/ Charlotte & Dana Brooke​

 

[Chris]

You won me over when I read Truth Martini in the first paragraph

 

[Hoss]

Good job friend

 

[Kross Rhodes]

Is this the booker we drafted our shows for?

Also, Ziggler in a top spot.

 

[CakeWalker]

Is this the booker we drafted our shows for?

Also, Ziggler in a top spot.

This is a historic project - your draft is my main.

 

[CakeWalker]

Pre-Show:

|| Golden Truth vs. Mystery Opponents - Tag Team Match ||

|| Chris Jericho vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens - Triple Threat Match (#1 Contender's Match WWE Universal Championship) ||
Main Card:

|| The New Day vs. Braun Strowman - Three On One Handicap Match ||

|| Rusev (c) w/ Lana vs. Jinder Mahal - Singles Match (WWE United States Championship) ||

|| Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows (c) vs. Dudley Boyz - Tag Team Match (WWE RAW Tag Team Championships/Career Match) ||

|| Sheamus vs. Cesaro - Singles Match (Best Of Seven Series) ||

|| Sasha Banks (c) vs. Nia Jax w/ Charlotte and Dana Brooke - Singles Match (WWE RAW Women's Championship) ||

|| Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. T.J. Perkins - Singles Match (WWE Cruiserweight Championship/RAW Contract) ||

|| Finn Balor (c) vs. Triple H - Singles Match (WWE Universal Championship) ||​

 

[CakeWalker]

September 25th 2016

++ Tag Team Match ++
Golden Truth vs. Mystery Opponents
[Despite the match being part of the Kickoff show, social media had been buzzing with speculation in regards to who the mystery team might end up being. One thing was for certain and that was Goldust and R-Truth were very much get invested in the whole mystery factor; Goldust was dressed up like Sherlock Holmes with a massively ridiculous magnifying glass, whilst Truth was holding up a sign with a massive "?" emblazoned on it. In typical big reveal fashion all the lights went out in the arena only for them to be turned back on and reveal Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian as the mystery opponents, with Corey Graves on commentary informing the fans that the team were to be known as "The Establishment." Once the big reveal was over and both men made their way down to the ring where the match finally began. The match was the perfect platform for "The Establishment" to make their debut, being no strangers to comedy spots allowed for both teams to put together a smooth flowing contest. The match came to an end with Frankie Kazarian hitting Truth with a release belly-to-belly suplex into a double knee facebreaker by Daniels to complete a move that Byron Saxton informed the fans was known as CLOSED SOCIETY which proved to be all that was need for "The Establishment" to claim the victory. After the contest both men would amuse the crowd by involving themselves in a post-match dance before the camera returned to the Kickoff Show broadcast team.]

WINNERS: The Establishment (Frankie Kazarian & Christopher Daniels)

++ Triple Threat Match (#1 Contender's Match WWE Universal Championship) ++
Chris Jericho vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens
[The match had only been announced a couple days previously on WWE.com and yet a real interest had gauged at the prospect of Zayn and Owens once again being involved in a match together again. Of course their relationship played a big part in keeping the match interesting that led to some great early spots taking place between both men including Sami connecting with a SUICIDE DIVE TORNADO DDT through the corner ropes, as well as Owens connecting with a unique manoeuvre of his own as he picked up Sami and slammed him down with a POWERBOMB ONTO THE RING APRON which played as a direct flashback to how Owens originally took out Zayn so many months ago. One person that clearly wasn't happy about going on was Jericho, who seemed equally perturbed that both Zayn and Owens were drawing attention away from him. Eventually this would result with Jericho unleashing his frustration by trying to take on both men out at the same time, which resulted in both men working in tandem for one night only as they connected with a TWO MAN SUPERKICK that would send Jericho toppling over the top rope and out onto the concrete. This would once again allow for Owens and Zayn to continue beating ten tonnes of crap out of each other in the middle of the ring. The match looked all said and done when Zayn mistimed a leg lariat and instead Owens proceeded to pick him up and floor him to the canvass with a POP-UP POWERBOMB and looked certain to have won the match only for Jericho to slide into the ring as if appearing from a puff of smoke and connected with the CODEBREAKER before falling over Owens for the pin and earning the victory. Jericho looked ecstatic on the realisation that he was now in line for a Universal Title shot, whilst Zayn and Owens starting stirring just looking at each other from either side of the ring with looks of complete and utter disgust for each other.]

WINNER: Chris Jericho

++ Singles Match (WWE United States Championship) ++
Rusev (c) w/ Lana vs. Jinder Mahal

[Jinder Mahal might have got one or two shots in at the start of the contest but after about thirty seconds the match became a one sided affair with Rusev completely dominating Mahal. The amount of force that Rusev was using it was almost like Jinder was made of straw and not bones and flesh. Rusev would continue to pulverise Jinder for about three minutes before taking hold of him and thrusting down with the BULPLEX before locking him into THE ACCOLADE! Rather than tap out though it looked as though Mahal had actually passed out and it became clear that he had done so, when the match official checked on him with the infamous arm raise and drop technique to no response. The referee would call for the bell signalling that Rusev had won the contest, but Rusev showed no interest in letting go of the gold. As he continued to choke Jinder, Lana would enter the ring and proceed to slap Mahal in the face to the point that Mahal seemed to regain consciousness only for Lana to smile and then spit in Mahal's face before she kicked Lana square in his jaw. Before any further assault to take place though Gurv and Harv Sihra ran out from the back and slid into the ring seeming coming to Jinder's aid leading to Rusev and Lana exiting the ring with the US Title still in his possession. Both Gurv and Harv would help a discombobulated Jinder back up to his feet only for both men to wipe Mahal out once again with a DOUBLE SUPERKICK as everyone in attendance looked on totally confused at what had just happened as Mahal laid cold in the middle of the ring. The Bollywood Boyz both continue to grin before heading towards the back, as a team of EMTs rushed from the back coming to Mahal's aid.]

WINNER: Rusev - still WWE United States Champion

++ Three On One Handicap Match (Stipulation Match) ++
The New Day (Xavier Woods, Big E & Kofi Kingston) vs. Braun Strowman

[A lot was riding on this match. Either the New Day were winning the contest and becoming the new number one contenders for the RAW Tag Team Titles or lose and be unable to challenge for the title for 365 day. On the other side of the coin Braun knew that a win would earn him a future title shot (although which title was yet to be determined by the 'Wheel of Fortune' which details were to be confirmed). As expected the New Day went into the match with an early advantage being able to utilise quick tags to stay fresh and keep a stamina advantage over Strowman. Big E and Woods would manage to connect with MIDNIGHT HOUR but everyone would be shocked when Strowman would manage to break out of the cover over just a one count. It was from this point that Braun was on the ascendancy to the point where he looked to have seriously injured Kofi by ramming him into the ring post with such force behind it that he busted Kofi's head open (another confirmation that the PG Era was very much looking to be coming to a close). Kofi's was left in such a bad state that he was attended to at ringside by a medical official. Strowman seemed to have grown in strength upon seeing Kingston's blood and looked on the verge of winning the contest as he held Woods in LIFTING ARM TRIANGLE CHOKE and Xavier looked like he was going to tap out. At the last moment though Big E entered the ring and took out Braun's knee to topple the leviathan and bring an end to the submission move. In a rage though Braun would proceed to take hold of Big E and proceed to CHOKESLAM him over the rope and down onto the concrete floor below. At this point Byron, Corey and Michael Cole stood up and looked on in disbelief at what had just occurred as it looked as if the match had effectively turned into a singles contest between Woods and Strowman. And it was Braun that looked the man most likely of walking away with the W. As expected Braun began to bully Woods in the ring and the match didn't turn into a fairy tale of David versus Goliath as some fans may have hoped for. Instead Braun actually looked like he was enjoying him and seemed to finish off the final member of the New Day off with the RUNNING POWERSLAM! With Woods laid out Bruan raised both his hands in the air as he started taunting the crowd. Like a flash though a heavily bandaged Kingston leaped into the ring and sprung off the top ropes look to aerially take out Braun, only to be cut in his track as Strowman used his neck muscles and head to land a unique BATTERING RAM before dropping down over Kingston for the cover. Strowman would go for a lazy pin and it would prove to be all that was needed for him to pick up the victory and relegate The New Day into the tag team division's No Man's Land.]

WINNER: Braun Strowman

++ Singles Match (WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP) ++
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. T.J. Perkins

[There is no doubt that the return of Cruiserweight to the main roster is something that a lot of fans have managed to easily get behind, especially those that might have turned elsewhere to enjoy some of the more high flying wrestling in recent years. One thing though that a lot of fans have questioned is the need to separate the old Cruiserweight Title and the new version of the belt, although this is a question that looks unlikely to be unanswered anytime soon. The match though was a direct replay from the contest that took place at the Cruiserweight Classic Finale a week ago, but this time for a much larger captive audience. The match was intense and fast paced although lasted under ten minutes in a clear attempt to not bore any fans that might still have their doubts about the returning product. That didn't stop some great spots from taking place though as both men would exchanged a range of kick combo with Perkins connecting with JUMPING SOLEBUTT and the WRECKING BALL DROPKICK whilst Sabre Jr. would reply with both FEINT ROUNDHOUSE and the DIVING ENZUIGIRI although none other these moves had enough bite behind them to bring and end to the contest. A well placed dropkick from ZSJ would force Perkins to be seated against the turnbuckle that allowed for the champion to seemingly knock Perkins' lights out with a perfectly executed PENALTY KICK although T.J. would show his survivor's instinct and manage to lift up his shoulders at the last possible moment. ZSJ would seem to bide his time and stalk Perkins waiting for him to get up onto his feet before pouncing, but would misread the situation because as soon as he went to strike would be thrown out of whack as he was pummelled with a DETONATION KICK only for Perkins to grab hold of Zack to perform the TJP CLUTCH as everyone looked on stunned as Sabre Jr. was actually tapping out from the damage that was being caused by the leg lock. With the match over Perkins would look stunned as he was handed the Cruiserweight Title and would drop to his knee unable to fully comprehend what had just taken place. Meanwhile ZSJ would push himself up to his feet and offer his hand to Perkins, a gesture that the new champion would accept as both men would shake hands in the middle of the ring the ultimate sign of comradeship in professional wrestling.]

WINNER: T.J. Perkins - new WWE Cruiserweight Champion

++ Singles Match (WWE RAW WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP) ++
Sasha Banks (c) vs. Nia Jax w/ Charlotte & Dana Brooke

[Footage would actually begin backstage to area just before wrestlers make their entrances to find Sasha Banks being jumped by both Charlotte and Dana with the duo attacking the champion with Kendo Sticks and being absolutely relentless in their attacks. After a solid minute of inflicting nonstop damage to Sasha, Dana would grab hold of Banks and smash her down onto the concrete with the SAMOAN DRIVER! Before anything else could take place Nia Jax would arrive and question what both her colleagues were doing, for Charlotte to inform Nia that she was just softening up her opponent. Sasha though looking in no position to be saved would be saved by Mick Foley, Stephanie McMahon and a whole security force. Stephanie would condemn the actions of both Brooke and Charlotte before making it blatantly obvious that the Women's Championship match was going to have to be cancelled. This news infuriated Jax who went straight for Brooke and wiped her clean out with a POP-UP SAMOAN DROP! Seemingly figuring out that she might be next Charlotte ducked for cover behind the wall of security finding herself with Foley and Stephanie and out of harms way of a raging Jax. Jax though turned her attention to Sasha who in the confusion had found herself unguarded and Nia hauled the lifeless champion up to her feet before security was able to respond. Unbeknown to Nia though charging at her behind with a steel chair was a lady who hadn't been for over a month (none other than Paige) who proceeded to whack Jax over the head with a STEEL CHAIR SHOT! The shot would catch Jax off guard, allowing for Paige to drop the chair and leaping onto a table nearby jump off and grab Jax and topple the beast with the RAM-PAIGE ONTO THE STEEL CHAIR! The move would do what it had intended and Jax would look dazed and confused, whilst Charlotte would shout at Paige in anger as Paige would take hold of Sasha and remove her from harms way as the commentary team would start analysing what had just taken place.]

RESULT: No Contest - Sasha Banks remains WWE RAW Women's Champion

++ Singles Match (Best Of Seven Series) ++
Sheamus vs. Cesaro

[Despite the series being about nothing but pride it had certainly grown to be an intense rivalry between both men and something that the fans hadn't grown bored of. Sheamus looked cool and confident and a man that was ready for battle and who wasn't going to let up despite having a one point lead. On the other side of things though despite losing in the series Cesaro came off as extremely confident as he was openly taunting and mocking Sheamus as he made his way down to the ring and would continue to taunt The Celtic Warrior even after the bell was rung. That was why everyone was left open mouthed and in awe when Sheamus charged forward nailed Cesaro unexpectedly with THE BROGUE KICK only to go for the cover and get the three count in less than ten seconds. No one could quite believe what had just occurred, and it was a mirror to the past of the match between Sheamus and Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania 28. Sheamus didn't even break a smile as he had his arm raised and made his way to the back, whilst Cesaro began pleading to the referee almost as if to say that he hadn't be ready and that the decision should be reversed. Of course his requests were falling on deaf ears, as the referee was not going to change his mind.]

WINNER: Sheamus - leads series 3-1.

++ Tag Team Match (RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS/CAREER MATCH) ++
Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows (c) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von)

[With the knowledge that this could be the final match in the illustrious careers of the Dudley Boyz it was clear from the mood of the crowd that everyone realised that this match could go down in the history books. A good ten minutes of the match was filled with signature double teams move, lot of tags and just a really good and entertaining tag team contest. It was the close of the match however that proved to really being something that that was worth waiting for. Throughout the contest a number of tables had been brought into play both inside and outside the ring and seeming wary of a possible hostile crowd the referee had chosen not to remove them from the ring (no doubt having been told so by someone backstage). This had led to D-Von being in a precarious position as Anderson and Gallows looked set to toss him through one of the tables as Bubba was still recovering from an earlier bump. D-Von would suddenly show a new sense of spirit and start fighting both men, and the reason for this would become clear as a man who hadn't been seen for over a decade would appear in the ring...Spike Dudley. The runt of the family would take Gallows surprise and their would be a massive pop as Spike would take hold of Luke and nail him with the DUDLEY DOG THROUGH THE TABLE! Not only would Spike manage to save his brothers, but the sound of splintering wood would prove to act as a rekindling force to shake Bubba out of his cobwebs. With the Dudley Boyz reunited and Gallows having just being sent through a table, Anderson seemed to realise that he was in danger and attempted to escape only to be tripped up by Spike and hoisting up in the air by D-Von as both he and Bubba connected with the DUDLEY DEATH DROP THROUGH THE TABLE!

As you can only imagine the crowd went wild at the expectation that the Dudley Boyz were about to become 25 time tag-team champions. The celebrations would be cut short as an unknown Japanese man would appear out of the crowd and proceed to leap off the barricade and wipe out Spike with a DIVING HEADBUTT! The fans would go wild as Michael Cole would state that the attacker looked a lot like Japanese wrestler Yujiro, something which Graves agreed with. On seeing the attacker D-Von Dudley would exit the ring and proceed to start having a fist fight with Yujiro a ringside. This would allow Bubba Ray to drag Gallows up and proceed to throw him over the ropes before turning his attention to arguably more injured Karl Anderson. Bubba would proceed to drag Karl up to his feet before lifting him into the air and looking to finish him off with BUBBA CUTTER! Before Bubba could go for the cover though he found himself face to face with another former associate of Anderson/Gallows none other than the Tongan giant King Fale. Bubba would back off realising the numbers game was working against him, whilst Karl would start smiling at his old friend. The smile would soon disappear though as Fale would take hold of Anderson and obliterate him with the CHOKE LARIAT SLAM! Bubba would look shocked and completely surprised at what had just taken place, but never being one to turn down an opportunity drop over Anderson to make the cover. Yujiro would attempt to enter the ring and break the count, but he too would find himself blocked by D-Von and unable to do anything to stop the count.

The crowd would boom with joy as the bell was rung and both Bubba and D-Von were handed the RAW Tag Team Titles and were officially 25 time tag team champions and celebrated by clambering up onto the turnbuckles and lifting them in the air before being joined by Spike Dudley as all three would celebrate the victory together. Meanwhile Yujiro and Luke Gallows would be seen shouting and remonstrating at King Fale for his attack on Anderson. The RAW commentary team would speculate whether this meant that Yujiro and Fale were now officially part of the WWE Universe.]

WINNERS: Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von) w/Spike Dudley - new WWE RAW Tag Team Champions

++ Singles Match (WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP) ++
Finn Balor (c) w/ Truth Martini vs. Triple H

[Despite Hunter's age of 47, it was less than a year ago that he was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and had been until losing the belt to Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania. On the other side of the ring Balor had been the NXT Champion during Wrestlemania weekend so not many people would have speculated a match between these two happening for such a high profile title within the same calendar year. The match would play to Triple H's benefit with the pace of the match going at a gentle pace which would prevent him from looking to weak in comparison to a much younger and athletic Balor. Triple H would botch an attempt at a spine-buster and have his legs swept away from him and ever the opportunist Balor would jump onto the turnbuckle before jumping off and landing on top of H with the COUP DE GRACE and attempt the cover but to no avail. Slightly later on in the contest a mix-up would result in Triple H missing his target of Balor and instead clothesline the referee. With the referee down and not showing any signs of stirring, Triple H would search underneath the ring apron and pull out his infamous sledgehammer and look at it for a moment before sliding into the ring with it. As Balor would clamber up to his feet Triple H would drive the weapon into Balor's rib and drive it in for a second shot before throwing away the evidence and taking hold of Balor and nailed him down with the PEDIGREE! Much to Hunter's frustration though he was unable to capitalise on the situation as the referee was still laying flat on his face and showing no signs of moving. In a rage Triple H turned his attention to the official and started to shake him trying to get some sort of reaction from him, which gave Balor enough time to recover. Balor would then grab Triple H just as the referee was starting to stir and take Triple H off his feet with the PELE KICK before leaping up into the air as high as possible from a stationary possible and landing on top of Hunter with a DOUBLE FOOT STOMP TO THE FACE! The crowd would cheer in expectation as Balor would drop himself over Hunter and the crowd would join in the count of one, two, three and then just like that Balor had retained the title strap. The PPV would come to an end with Balor being joined by his manager Truth Martini as both men would raise the Universal Championship into the air as the wide array of streamers would fall down from the ceiling as the show would come to an end, with a massive smile across Balor's face visible through his smudged face paint.]

WINNER: Finn Balor - retains WWE Universal Championship​