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Jefferson Lake
WWE Editor @jeffersonlake
The New Day and The OC brawled at ringside during battle between WWE and United States title-holders.
Last Updated: 31/07/19 8:25am
Kofi Kingston came out on top in a SmackDown clash of the champions with a hard-fought win over AJ Styles.
Championship gold was everywhere to be seen in the SmackDown main event, with WWE champion Kingston supported by his New Day colleagues – and current blue brand tag title-holders The New Day – and US champion Styles backed up by The OC, Raw tag champions Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.
In a not-entirely unpredictable course of events, the two factions traded blows at ringside, in a sign of what may be things to come for the groups once their various SummerSlam disputes have been settled.
WWE Late Night Smackdown
July 31, 2019, 10:00pm
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But the bulk of the action came in the ring and the majority of it was fast and furious, with Styles bidding to prove he remains at the level of WWE champion and Kingston aiming to continue his hot streak with the belt.
It was Kofi who got the win, superbly countering the Phenomenal Forearm with an awe-inspiring Trouble in Paradise as the melee ensued around them.
The Fiend costs Balor again
Following a whirlwind seven days that saw him superkick Shawn Michaels last week on SmackDown and battle with Seth Rollins on Raw on Monday night, Dolph Ziggler reset as he took on Finn Balor.
The two superstars put on a frantically-paced match, with Balor looking to get himself back on track and get retribution for HBK and Ziggler bidding to enhance his case for a dream match against Michaels.
Just as Balor got on top, the lights went out, and The Fiend briefly appeared in the ramp, providing enough of a distraction to give Ziggler the opening to drop him with a superkick for the win.
Bayley makes a point to Moon
Both of the women who will compete for the SmackDown women’s championship at SummerSlam tasted defeat on Tuesday night, with champion Bayley and challenger Ember Moon taking a tag-team loss.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross secured the win after Moon missed a corner charge and succumbed to a Twisted Bliss, halting her momentum going into the August pay-per-view.
There was another twist in the tale too, when Bayley helped Moon to her feet after the match only to nail her with a Bayley-to-belly suplex before raising her championship belt in triumph.