The May 9th edition of WWE SmackDown emanates tonight live from the O2 Arena in London and features the return of WWE Champion The Viper Randy Orton. The Viper is making his first appearance since Jinder Mahal cost him the House of Horrors Match at WWE Payback. Will The Apex Predator have vengeance on his mind as his showdown with The Maharaja at WWE Backlash approaches? 
The show opens with a recap of the #1 contenders six-way match from a few weeks ago, the House of Horrors Match, and other events leading to the feud between Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton.
Randy Orton comes out. He says at Payback he didn’t lose because of Bray Wyatt or because of that damn refrigerator, he lost because Jinder Mahal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong. Where he comes from, you have to win a match to become champion, and at Backlash, that’s exactly what he’s going to do. Jinder Mahal comes out and says he didn’t take anything, he didn’t steal anything, he simply took what is going to be his at Backlash. Then he showed some photos that he took showing perhaps the future and he says that he no longer would be disrespected no longer will India be disrespected, he says he will be wearing the title proudly in India, where they’ll build a statue in his likeness.

Then Kevin Owens comes out. He says both of them need to stop this crap right now because no one cares about the both of them, about India, the House of Horrors, or England. The only thing people should care about is the United States Champion and new Face of America, Kevin Owens. Last week he didn’t just regain his United States Championship, he ended Chris Jericho’s career.
That means no more Y2J, no more stupid idiot, no more drinking it in man and no more List of Jericho. Jericho couldn’t even last a few hours on SmackDown, because of him. And at Backlash, he’s going to end another career, that of AJ Styles. And once that’s done, he’s not just gonna be US Champion, not just the new Face of America, because he’s gonna be the Face of WWE.
He repeats in french everything he just said. Then comes out AJ Styles. He says Owens is delusional, talking about Backlash, but this is SmackDown Live, the House That AJ Styles Built. Keep bragging about what you did to Jericho, but with all due respect, he’s no AJ Styles and neither is Owens. So enjoy being the new Face of America while you still can, because you’ll never be the Face of SmackDown Live.
Baron Corbin comes out. He says with all this talk they’re all forgetting one very important name, Him. Sami Zayn suddenly attacks him from behind, Styles attacks Owens, it suddenly becomes a brawl. Orton goes to attack Mahal for the rope-hung DDT but the Singh Brothers save him. Then Mahal, Owens and Corbin are seen in the ramp way, we go to a break.

Becky Lynch vs. Natalya is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial, we are told that because of what transpired between the six superstars earlier a main event six-man tag has been put together.
Carmella, Tamina, and James Ellsworth are in the ring. Jimmy tells the crowd that there is so much beauty in the ring, and to get on their knees because they don’t deserve the beauty and to stand on the same level as them, and to shut their mouths. Carmella then gives Natalya a big introduction.

She is then quickly interrupted by Naomi. She asks London to make some noise and introduces Becky Lynch in a highly manner.
Charlotte Flair comes out. She says she doesn’t need anyone to introduce her, because she doesn’t need an introduction.
The match will begin after the break.
Natalya def. Becky Lynch
Becky goes for an armbar but Nattie immediately goes for the ropes and bails on the break. Baseball slide sends her out when she tries to get back in, she trips Lynch on the apron and follows it with a straight suplex on the floor.
Back in the ring, Nattie with a snapmare, then dropkick to the back of the head, Becky to the ropes and Nattie pulls her back into an abdominal stretch. Lynch flips her away, throwing forearms on forearms, Nattie shoves her away and gets the triple lariat combo. 
Lynch with a Straight Fire forearm, Natalya then charges into it and gets an exploder suplex. Nattie throws a couple of forearms, backing Lynch in the corner. Lynch with a Springboard kick, Tamina gets on the apron and Naomi counters her. Charlotte yanks Naomi back and because of all the distraction Natalya gets a pinfall victory.
Commentary says that Dolph Ziggler will confront Shinsuke Nakamura tonight as well as a special London edition of the Fashion Files, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Lana give us another video vignette.
Charlotte is screaming at Naomi, saying that she’s the reason Becky lost. Naomi argues back and Becky gets between them and yells at them. Naomi says if Flair keeps it up she’s gonna snatch her bald, and Charlotte asks if she’s gonna glow on her.
 
Becky says if they keep fighting amongst themselves they’re just gonna keep getting their asses handed to them, so they have to bond and have a trios match. Naomi is up for this and Charlotte says she is only in because she is the greatest.
We then go to the Breezango fashion files. Someone has tracked paint or something and Tyler Breeze calls it a real fashion faux pas. Fandango gives him a cheerio, but he already had his breakfast. Fandango says it’s lead paint and then they follow the trail. Breeze says he doesn’t get it, the Uggos haven’t worn face-paint in months.
They stop in front of a room where there’s a lot of grunting going on and Tyler kicks the door in. They see the Ascension grunting at each other. Fandango says the Ascension case is back open, and Breeze is getting too old for this shit.
Luke Harper makes his entrance, he’ll go one on one with Erick Rowan after the break.
Back from commercial we start the match.
Erick Rowan def. Luke Harper
Rowan in with a kick and forearms in the corner, he dumps Harper to the outside and slides out after but Luke brings it back in the ring. Rowan with a shoulder block, then into a double chop, then rowan with the corner avalanche, Harper returns it with a dropkick.
Erick consults his sheep mask for advice and snaps Luke’s neck over the top rope before bringing the fight to him in the ring. Rear chin-lock is applied momentarily, then to the double-fisted head vise, Harper to his feet and he hits a back suplex.
Luke harper with a Discus lariat, but it was ducked, Rowan goes off the ropes but gets caught. He sets up the Brodie Bomb but Rowan slips away, Harper tries a chokeslam, but Rowan gets out of it.
Rowan gets the mask and puts a thumb in Luke’s eye while referee Jason Ayers takes it back and puts it away. Erick Rowan hits a swinging World’s Strongest Slam and gets the pin.
Dolph Ziggler walking back stage and his confrontation with Nakamura is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial, Dolph Ziggler makes his entrance.
He starts off by calling the crowd hypocrites. Eight long years and it seems like twelve, he’s been coming in the ring and doing what he does, sometimes twice a night. He’s been world champion, headlining pay-per-views and that he is even a movie star. But no ones appreciates him.
He says but who does the crowd cheer for? The crowd chants Nakamura. He says it’s hypocritical to cheer a man who’s never had a match on SmackDown and once his music hits, the crowd loses their minds and sings along.
Dolph says he suffers for his art in the ring but he sure as hell doesn’t call himself the Artist, that’s pathetic. He’s the strongest man that ever set foot in this ring because everything he did, he did by himself, and he never needed any of the WWE Universe. They never cared, but they sure as hell will now.
He calls Nakamura down, and Shinsuke makes his way down the ring. They have a bit of a stare-down and Ziggler tells him to cut the theatrics. It’s been almost a month of him sashaying down to the ring, and if he’s gonna stand toe-to-toe with Dolph, it’s time for him to either put up or.
Shinsuke grabs the mic away and tells Ziggler to shut up. And is Ziggler wants to see what he can do. Get a referee, he’ll show you, now. Nakamura takes his ring jacket off, referee Dan Engler comes down. Dolph Ziggler says nope and that they will do this when he says so, and he’s gonna expose him for the fraud that he is at Backlash.
Dolph throws his jacket at Shinsuke and gets on him with a sleeper. Nakamura fights out, hits him knee after knee. Dolph makes like he’s gonna climb back in but he backs off.
We go backstage where Sami Zayn is in the locker room with AJ Styles and Randy Orton babbling about how historic their team-up is and how they have to win. He wants to discuss strategy, and says what do Vipers do? They strike hard, they strike fast, and they strike first, Orton’s they’re heavy artillery.
As fas as AJ, Owens is who AJ’s biggest concern is, and says he wants to get them on the same wavelength. He closes his eyes and visualizes the win, but the other two make a break for it while his eyes are shut and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get another video vignette reminding us that the New Day are coming soon.
Breezango def. the Ascension
Fandango and Konnor start, Fandango with a side headlock, Konnor shoves him off, running the ropes, ducking lariats, cross-body for a cover, Konnor whips him into his own corner and Viktor yanks him to the mat by his hair. Elbow drop for one, tag to Viktor, they club Fandango and Viktor locks a reverse chin-lock.
Fandango to his feet, Viktor puts him down, stomps and a knee drop, only two, back to the reverse chin-lock. Viktor kicks him in the chops and uses him to knock Fandango off the apron before climbing for mounted punches. Superkick to the knee, tag to Fandango, he then hits the Last Dance for the win.
Fandango dances on the turnbuckles when the Usos interrupt. They say they’re too excited, but they are not gonna rush the ring yet. In twelve days these tag titles could be theirs, but it is not going down like that. They are going to get beat down, knocked down, slapped out, and so on. They better watch each other’s backs, tan, shave, wax, rub, kiss, lick, and so on.
Because in twelve days, they’re gonna feel those goosebumps, their heads are gonna feel like they’re on a swivel, but it’s not paranoia, it’s the Usos.
we go to a break, where the main event will be next.
Back from commercial we get an ad for the home video release of WrestleMania 33.
Brian Kendrick cuts a promo to hype up 205 Live, admitting that he’s impressed by Tozawa taking his lessons so well. But he’s got a history lesson for him to remind him who’s the teacher.
Mojo Rawley is giving some kids a tour backstage, and he tells them a story about Andre the Giant. He could talk about his undefeated streak or his legendary battle with Hulk Hogan, but he wants to tell them about a boy who was different. People treated him different and even bullied him, but he took what was different and used it as motivation to become a legend.
Mojo shows them the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Trophy and one of the kids asks if they can touch it. Mojo makes like the kid better not break it and the kid kicks him in the shin, but it’s all good and he leads the kids elsewhere to continue the tour.
Rusev cuts a promo about what he says before to go home if he doesn’t get a title shot at Money in the Bank. He hasn’t heard anything about that and he doesn’t like it, it’s more disrespectful that just turning him down. He wants an answer and he’ll get one next week on SmackDown.
The main event will begin after the break.
Back from commercial, we see entrances from the baby-faces