Before the next match, Jinder Mahal says that due to Bobby Roode and Randy Orton's attack on Sunil Singh, Sunil cannot compete tonight. However, he has a new tag team partner and has traded a tiger for a lion. That new partner is Rusev.
Jinder Mahal and Rusev beat Bobby Roode and Randy Orton after Rusev hits Orton with a Matchka Kick after Jinder pushes Roode into Orton, leading Orton to hit Roode with an RKO prior to the Matchka Kick.
Backstage, Jinder Mahal and Sunil Sign find Rusev and thank him for their victory. Jinder asks Rusev to come to WrestleMania so he can sit front row and be part of his United States title celebration. Rusev has a better idea, however: he proposes going to General Manager Daniel Bryan to get into the United States title match, turning it from a Triple Threat Match to a Fatal 4-Way. Jinder is peeved.
In the locker room, "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles is met by "The Artist" Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura asks if AJ is okay, saying that AJ has lost his confidence. Nakamura knows that each man wants the other at their best at WrestleMania, and tells Styles he needs him in his corner. Styles says Chad Gable will be nearby with Shelton Benjamin in the ring. He also tells Nakamura that he will be in his corner to make sure their dream match happens at WrestleMania.
Becky Lynch beats Ruby Riott with a roll-up. After the match, The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan) attacks Becky Lynch, but Becky is able to fight them off single-handedly.
General Manager Daniel Bryan shows up. Instead of heading to the ring, Daniel Bryan stays on the stage. Daniel Bryan admits he loves being in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He talks about how last week was one of the greatest moments in his career when he was finally medically cleared after two years. Daniel almost talks about the support that he has gotten from the fans, but says he has a job to do. He has said in the past that SmackDown Live is the land of opportunities, and he has decided to give Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn one more opportunity. He then says it will be just one. Daniel Bryan proposes that they face him and Commissioner Shane McMahon in a tag team match at WrestleMania. Due to the complications from Kevin and Sami's attack, Shane has been hospitalized, but he is confident that Shane will be ready to go. Daniel then says that if he and Shane win, Kevin and Sami will remain fired. However, if Kevin and Sami win, they will be reinstated to SmackDown Live. Daniel then says Kevin and Sami have been given so many opportunity because Daniel believes they are two of the greatest performers of this generation and because he has known them for so long and they have done so much for each other in the past. He also says that this is his job as General Manager, and that he does this for all in the SmackDown Live roster. He also has a lot of jobs as General Manager, such as sitting in meetings, filling out paperwork and dealing with a dress code. Daniel then says he is sick of meetings, paperwork and especially wearing blazers and cardigans, because he thought that for three years, his dream to get back in the ring and wrestle was gone, and Kevin and Sami tried to take it away when he got it back. He then says that no matter what anybody does to him, he is back and he is wrestling at WrestleMania. Daniel Bryan then says there are things that he has tried to avoid saying for many reasons, but he has fought for his dreams and he is going to WrestleMania and kick Kevin and Sami's asses.
We hear from Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable. Shelton says he is neither a rock star or an artist; he is an athlete. Gable says they are the best athletes in WWE and that they don't have a WrestleMania match. Gable says if you don't have it, you make it happen. Shelton says he will tear it up against Nakamura tonight.
It is announced that Charlotte Flair will not be in tonight's Mixed Match Challenge match, and that there will be a replacement for Charlotte later tonight.
Rusev is officialy in the WWE United States Championship match at WrestleMania.
Before the next match, Big E talks about how The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, Xavier Woods)were sitting pretty on the road to WrestleMania only to find out that the road was littered with trash. Kofi says one could say the road was bludgeoned with trash, and that those pieces of trash they are talking about are The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan). Xavier Woods says The New Day have adopted that highway, and that regardless of what The Bludgeon Brothers did to them, they are still standing and able to walk. Tonight, they will walk through them on the path to take back the SmackDown tag team titles.
The New Day (Big E and Xavier Woods) vs. The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) ends when The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) run in and attack The Bludgeon Brothers. After The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, Xavier Woods) clean house, The New Day and The Usos argue with one another, but they are all forced to flee the ring when The Bludgeon Brothers run in with their hammers.
It is announced that Sami Zayn has just accepted Daniel Bryan's challenge on behalf of himself and Kevin Owens on Twitter. It is also announced that Commissioner Shane McMahon has been suffering from a hernia after Sami and Kevin's attack, and that he has recently been discharged from the hospital.
We see a video package chronicling the events leading up to Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania.
Dolph Ziggler beats Tyler Breeze in a short, comical match.
It is announced that Charlotte Flair will be replaced as Bobby Roode's partner on this week's Mixed Match Challenge by Facebook fan vote, and that Becky Lynch, Lana and Carmella are the three possible choices.
We look back on Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 3, courtesy of Snickers.
It is announced that The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) will be defending the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships against both The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, Xavier Woods) and The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) at WrestleMania.
"The Artist" Shinsuke Nakamura - with "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles in his corner - beats Shelton Benjamin. After the match, Nakamura asks Styles to join him in the ring. Styles joins him. Nakamura thanks Styles for being in his corner, then says he never needed his help and only wanted him to see how he would beat him at WrestleMania. Styles tells Nakamura that at WrestleMania that he will not be playing games, as this is as much of a dream match for him as it is for the fans, as he and Nakamura will tear the house down. He then says his dream match will go down a little differently, with him beating Nakamura to prove that he is the better man. Nakamura tells Styles that he is too emotional, and because of that, he will beat him at WrestleMania. As Nakamura leaves, Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin attack Styles from behind, and Nakamura has to make the save. Nakamura readies the Kinshasa as Styles gets up, but Nakamura stops just short of hitting him and simply says to him "Knee...to...face."
Here are the top 10 moments from tonight's show!
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