WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - October 4th, 2024

[Kemo]

AJ Styles Returns to Smackdown!

The Phenomenal One is set to return to Friday Night SmackDown after months away from the blue brand. Styles hasn’t been seen since falling to Randy Orton in a King of The Ring Qualifying Match, and the former WWE Champion is is ready to return.

– We are live! Michael Cole and Corey Graves greet audiences at home as HARDY waits in the ring to welcome fans to "SmackDown" and introduces AJ Styles. Styles then makes his way down to the ring.

Styles says he's missed fans, then says it's only fitting that he's in Nashville tonight as it's where it all started for him. He says over the course of the past couple months, he's done a lot of things he regrets, but he's not here to talk about the past. He says he wants to rebuild his legacy and says while a lot of people don't like him in the back, "SmackDown" is still the house that AJ Styles built.

Carmelo Hayes' music hits and he makes his way out. He says he's not surprised that there's not a long line of people wanting to welcome Styles back after everything he's done, but he wanted to do so. He says he's been holding things down while Styles has been gone, then says he's a huge fan of his. He says he loves old timers like him.

Styles cuts Hayes off and says as someone who's shared a ring with LA Knight before, he knows what he's capable of. Hayes says he doesn't need Styles' advice because he doesn't take advice from quitters (referring to Styles saying "I Quit" in his Undisputed WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Bad Blood. Styles says Hayes isn't him as he's not United States Champion, and Hayes says Styles isn't phenomenal as he isn't Undisputed WWE Champion. Styles then challenges Hayes to a match, but Hayes declines to accept.

LA Knight's music hits, and he makes his way out. He says he wants to talk to fans, then taunts Hayes for wanting to run away from a fight as usual. He then takes a couple shots at Styles given their history with one another, and says Hayes will get stomped out tonight whether that's him punching him in the mouth four or five times or him accepting Styles' challenge with the stipulation being that he'll give him a shot at the United States Championship should Hayes defeat Styles.

Carmelo Hayes vs. AJ Styles

The bell rings and the two lock up. Hayes fires off strikes on Styles, but Styles fires off chops on Hayes in the corner and levels him with a dropkick. Styles catches Hayes with a back elbow and looks to land a springboard moonsault, but Hayes sees it coming and connects with a springboard crossbody. He goes for a pin, but Styles kicks out.

Hayes lands a suplex on Styles and goes for another pin, but Styles kicks out once again. Hayes then dumps Styles out of the ring and gloats, then lands a couple right hands on him on the apron and sends him crashing into the announce desk face first as LA Knight watches from the announce desk.

Back from the break, Styles levels Hayes with a clothesline and follows it up with a forearm. He then delivers a splash in the corner and a shoulderbreaker, but the referee calls for the bell after Styles grabs onto his leg appearing to be injured. Alicia Taylor then declares Hayes as the winner of the match, but Knight surprises Hayes with a BFT.

Winner: Carmelo Hayes

– Chelsea Green then makes her way down to the ring. Michin follows with a garbage can full of weapons in hand.

Chelsea Green vs. Michin In A Dumpster Match

The bell rings and Michin throws Green a kendo stick as she holds one of her own. Green charges at Michin with the kendo stick, but Michin lands several shots on her and connects with a tope suicida to take her down on the outside. She dumps Green back in the ring, then grabs a chair, a garbage can, and a table from under the ring.

Green looks to fly through the ropes to level Michin, but Michin clocks her with a tray before she can and ascends to the top. She then lands a dropkick on Green and looks to put her in the dumpster, but Green prevents her from doing so and sends her crashing into the side of the dumpster. She then sends her crashing into the lid face first.

Back from the break, Michin lands a German suplex on Green and looks to follow it up with Eat Defeat. Green blocks it and hits a Canadian Destroyer, then places Michin in the dumpster and looks to close it. Michin prevents Green from doing so, then hits her repeatedly in the head with a garbage bag from the dumpster and throws another one on top of her. She then hits Green across the spine with one of the bags and looks to hit her with a tray back in the ring, but Green sees her coming and sets up for the Unprettier on top of the tray.

Michin avoids the maneuver, then connects with Eat Defeat and places a garbage can on top of Green's head. She then ascends to the top and delivers a senton to Green before placing a table on top of the dumpster. Piper Niven then appears at ringside and attacks Michin, then lands a senton on her and looks to land a cannonball on her to sandwich her between herself and the dumpster.

Michin moves out of the way, sending Niven into the side of the dumpster. Michin and Green then begin brawling on the apron, but Michin powerbombs Green through the table set up on the dumpster. She then closes the lid to win the match.

Winner: Michin

– Corey Graves then provides an update on AJ Styles, and informs fans that he's been taken to a local hospital to get his injured ankle checked on.

– We then head backstage to Naomi preparing for her match later tonight. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill approach her and hype her up, then inform her that she will be hosting Bad Blood with the two of them tomorrow night. Bayley then interrupts them and shares some words of her own with Naomi.

– Back from the break, Bayley makes her way out to the ring.

Bayley says in 24 hours, she has the opportunity to win back the WWE Women's Championship. She then demands Nia Jax down to the ring and invites her to bring along Tiffany Stratton.

Jax's music hits and she appears longside Stratton.

Jax tells Bayley to say whatever she needs to, and Bayley says Jax has never understood the significance of the WWE Women's Championship. She says she grew up watching people like Molly Holly, Victoria, Trish Stratus, and Lita among others hold the title Jax does that were larger than life, then says she'll admit that none of them had as dominant of a reign as Jax has. Bayley then says only two people in WWE can dethrone Jax: her and Stratton. She says the second Stratton is tired of being put down by Jax, she will cash in her Women's Money In The Bank briefcase.

Stratton objects to Bayley's statement and says she doesn't need the Money In The Bank briefcase to beat Jax. Jax asks what Stratton just said, and Stratton back tracks. She demands Bayley bows down to her Queen, and Bayley declines to do so. Stratton looks to clock Bayley with her briefcase, but Bayley sees her coming. Jax then attacks Bayley and looks to land a senton on her, but Bayley moves out of the way before she can and picks up Stratton's Money In The Bank briefcase. She then hits Jax with it and connects with a running knee, then drapes the WWE Women's Championship across Jax's waist. Stratton then considers cashing in her Money In The Bank briefcase, but pots against it when Jax sees what she's about to do.

Naomi then makes her way down to the ring.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi

The bell rings and the two lock up. Naomi connects with a Thesz Press on Stratton, then follows it up with a clothesline and cinches in a side headlock on her. Stratton escapes by sending Naomi crashing into the corner, then fires off shoulders on her midsection and follows it up with a facebuster. She goes for a pin, but Stratton kicks out.

Naomi lands a suplex on Stratton, but Stratton responds with a jawbreaker and a rolling senton from the apron using the top rope. Naomi responds with a roundhouse kick to Stratton's head from the apron, but Stratton sends Naomi crashing out of the ring. Naomi then lays Stratton across the ring apron and lands a split legged leg drop on her.

Back from the break, Stratton and Naomi trade forearm shots with each other, but Naomi levels Stratton with a leg lariat and a single leg dropkick. She then delivers a bulldog off the ropes, then slaps Stratton and sends her crashing into the mat face first. Naomi lands a pair of kicks on Stratton and looks to land a facebuster, but Stratton lands on her feet and connects with a dropkick to Naomi's face. She goes for a pin, but Naomi kicks out.

Naomi then looks to deliver a crossbody to Stratton off the top, but Stratton catches her and gets her on her shoulders. Naomi escapes and looks to land a split legged moonsault, but Stratton avoids it and sets up for the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. Naomi avoids it and Stratton lands a handspring back elbow on her in the corner. She then pins Naomi, but Naomi reverses the fall for the win.

Winner: Naomi

– The Bloodline then makes their way down to the ring. #DIY, The Street Profits, and B-Fab follow.

Triple Threat Ladder Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship: The Bloodline (c) vs. #DIY vs. The Street Profits (w/ B-Fab)

The bell rings and everyone begins brawling with one another. The Profits and #DIY send The Bloodline crashing out of the ring, then stare each other down before Montez Ford and Johnny Gargano land kicks on Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa from the apron.

Back from the break, all three teams ascend up ladders in the ring, but after being pushed off, The Bloodline pulls down The Profits and #DIY. The Bloodline hits Ford with a ladder, then sets one up in the corner. Tonga catapults Tommaso Ciampa into the ladder, and Loa suplexes Angelo Dawkins on top of another one. Tonga then flies off the apron and into the ring to keep Dawkins down, then looks to dump a ladder onto Ciampa on the outside with Loa.

Ciampa moves out of the way, and Loa delivers a double ax handle to him. He follows it up with a chop, then hits him with a ladder with Tonga. Dawkins flies over the top rope to level The Bloodline, but Gargano catches him with a tope suicida. Ford follows suit and levels everyone on the outside. Ford then grabs a table from under the ring and sets it up on the outside.

Back from another break, Loa hits Gargano and Ciampa's midsections with a ladder, but Gargano sets up a ladder and ascends it. Dawkins pulls him off it and lands a right hand on him, but Ciampa delivers a knee to the side of his head. The Profits then deliver a Blockbuster to Ciampa, and Ford ascends up a ladder.

Loa holds Dawkins in place, and Tonga grabs a chair. B-Fab grabs the chair from Tonga, and #DIY clock The Bloodline from behind with chairs of their own. #DIY then holds Loa in place on the table Ford set up on the outside, and Ford delivers a Frog Splash off the top to send him crashing through it. #DIY clears the announce desk, then land a Triple Powerbomb on Tonga with Dawkins through it. They then go after Dawkins and dump him into the timekeeper's area before setting up a ladder in the ring and ascending up it.

The Profits follow #DIY up the ladder, and Ciampa lands an Air Raid Crash on Dawkins through a ladder in the corner. Loa then dumps Gargano and Ford off the ladder, sending them crashing through a ladder set up in the opposite corner. He then ascends up the ladder and grabs both the WWE Tag Team Championship belts for the win.

Winners and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: The Bloodline

[LionDen]

AJ Styles is back and opens the show

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In-Ring

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LA Knight arrives

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AJ Styles sufferers a leg injury during his return match on Smackdown

Carmelo Hayes defeated AJ Styles

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Michin defeated Chelsea Green

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In Ring

Nia Jax has lost a lot of weight and looks so healthier

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Naomi defeated Tiffany Stratton

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Backstage

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The Bloodline win