Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown Live recap for May 1, 2018

The show starts with footage of Braun Strowman tossing Commissioner Shane McMahon into a table at Greatest Royal Rumble. The camera then zooms out from a TV, then General Manager Paige talks about the WWE Championship at the aforementioned event. Paige says both "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles and "The Artist" Shinsuke Nakamura acted beyond the bounds of good sportsmanship, and because of that, their WWE Championship rematch at Backlash will be a no-disqualification match.

It's time for Miz TV. The Miz announces that Daniel Bryan is banned from Miz TV until further notice due to the history between them as well as recent events, then tells Seth Rollins that he has something of his and that it will be the two of them for the WWE Intercontinental Championship that he made relevant at Backlash. After promising that he will take the title back, he announces his guest for tonight: Jeff Hardy. When Miz asks Jeff Hardy if he thinks he is a better Intercontinental Champion than Seth Rollins, Jeff tells Miz that if he feels that way, then that is him. He also says that if he was better than Seth, he would have won at Greatest Royal Rumble like he did. Miz tells Jeff that when he came to SmackDown Live, he blatantly disrespected a future Hall of Famer in Randy Orton not once, but twice, when it came to recent entrances on the blue brand. Miz then asks what Randy Orton would think of this, then brings Randy Orton out to the show. Miz tells Orton he interrupted his introduction, but Orton just says "So?" On the subject of Jeff Hardy, he is not mad with him and does not see what the big deal is. As far as he is concerned, they are "cool." After a "Oui!" chant from the Montreal, Quebec, Canada crowd, The Miz tells everyone to shut up and reminds Orton that he is not well known for playing with others. He brings up the one (and only) SmackDown Live top ten list, but Orton says he nor anybody cares about the list. The Miz feels Orton cares more than he is leading on, and accuses Jeff Hardy of costing Randy Orton a victory against Shelton Benjamin. The Miz tries to drive a wedge between them, but Orton tells Miz nobody tells him when to strike as he does it when he wants to. As far as the WWE United States Championship goes, Orton says he has earned his rematch, and at Backlash, he is taking the title back regardless of how he feels about Jeff Hardy. Jeff tells Orton he can try. Miz is appalled, and asks "A mutual agreement?" Before Miz can ask what happened to Orton, Shelton Benjamin shows up. Shelton tells Orton he should not try and should not deserve to, as he does not deserve anything after beating him last week. He says that if anybody deserves a title opportunity, it is him. Orton boots Shelton, Miz goes after Orton, and Jeff goes after Miz, hitting Miz with Whisper in the Wind. Orton and Jeff Hardy stand tall in the ring.

Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton beat The Miz and Shelton Benjamin. After the match, Randy Orton hits Jeff Hardy with an RKO.

Backstage, Renee Young interviews The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) and Carmella. The IIconics show up, but Carmella does not. The IIconics mock Renee Young, but Renee points out that Peyton used a Minnesota accent, not a Canadian one. After shooing Renee Young away, The IIconics then welcome Carmella backstage. Carmella brags about how they beat their recent opponents and how they will beat them again, and tonight, they will be invincible and show why "'Mella is money" and why the future is IIconic.

It is announced that Daniel Bryan will not be allowed to compete tonight due to a potential infection in his chest due to the risk of a chest infection following the action he went through in the Greatest Royal Rumble Match.

Backstage, Sheamus and Cesaro are walking backstage with a SmackDown Live contract in their hands when they come across The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, Xavier Woods). After Sheamus and Cesaro say that they will batter them around like a couple of pancakes, Xavier Woods rings a bell and summons "Mr. Bootyworth," who welcomes Sheamus and Cesaro with a plate of pancakes. Cesaro tosses all the pancakes into the air, and Sheamus challenges The New Day to a one-on-one match tonight. Big E accepts, but Sheamus does not want the match with him; he wants the match with Xavier Woods. Xavier Woods tells Sheamus "Your soul is mine." (This is a reference to Shang Tsung in the first Mortal Kombat movie.)

As Rusev and Aiden English practice their Rusev Day song backstage, Lana shows up in a "Happy Rusev Day" shirt, wanting to talk to Rusev privately. Aiden English leaves, then Lana tells Rusev that Rusev Day is bigger than ever, but Rusev lost at Greatest Royal Rumble against The Undertaker and that something is holding him back. Aiden English returns to get back his coat, and it is implied that this something might be Aiden English and not having Lana around.

Big Cass shows up in an unscheduled appearance. Big Cass says he is from New York City, where people carry the stigma of a lot of negative stereotypes. He then says New York City is unfriendly to people from other places, and that they are better than everyone else. He then says he is better than Daniel Bryan, who is the same size as everyone else, and says that when people think of a WWE Superstar, people think of a "superhuman' person more like him instead of a relatable "small and weak" person like Daniel Bryan. Cass says that when he faces Daniel Bryan, he will deliver a five-second match instead of a five-star match, as he does not need to be a technical wrestler or even time to prepare. He then asks why he should wait until Backlash, and calls Daniel Bryan - who is not cleared to compete tonight - to come down to the ring so he can kick his teeth down his throat. Daniel Bryan's music hits, but a little person who is dressed like Daniel Bryan - all the way down to the exaggerated long hair and beard - makes his way to the ring. Big Cass makes some short person jokes towards the fake Daniel Bryan, who proceeds to kick at Cass a couple of times, then says he used to be his height when he was five years old. He then announces that the role of Daniel Bryan was performed by a local actor named Pierre Lafleur, then lets him take a bow. After a while, Big Cass boots him in the head and proceeds to beat him up. Referees then run into the ring and check on the little person as Big Cass leaves.

Renee Young interviews "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles in the ring. Styles says "The Artist" Shinsuke Nakamura might as well continue to play his games now that their match at Backlash is no-disqualification, as he is trying to defend the WWE title and Nakamura is "interested in the wrong jewels." When asked if he should apologize to Nakamura, Styles says he should have been left in the Arabian desert and that he took away a dream match and a match against him and Daniel Bryan from the fans. Styles says that Nakamura has made this beyond wanting the WWE title, and says that Nakamura is a coward. This Sunday, the rules will be thrown out the window and he will be breaking the rules, too. He says that it will be an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and that he will rip Nakamura to pieces before he gets done and the look on Nakamura's face after Backlash will be one of torture. Before Styles can say much more, Samoa Joe shows up. Joe says that Styles is making a spectacle out of himself and that he has lost focus of what is dangerous about him. He then tells Styles he should be focused on the match where he proves that Roman Reigns is a failure. He tells Styles to make peace with one destiny that is coming his way, for when he puts Roman Reigns to sleep, he will be coming for the WWE Championship and he will beat him - or Nakamura - down. Suddenly, Nakamura's music hits, but Nakamura is seen in the ring, hitting Styles from behind with yet another low blow. Nakamura playfully and mockingly bats at the head of Styles, then runs to the other corner of the ring and hits him with a Kinshasa. Nakamura then lifts up the WWE Championship in front of a downed Styles.

In the women's locker room, Becky Lynch is trying to size up the current situation and blames herself for Asuka losing her first match on SmackDown Live last week. Asuka tells Becky to forget about last week, and that this week, they will hit three times as hard. Charlotte says Carmella and The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) are not invincible and that they have lost their mind, and that she will take the SmackDown women's title back. The three of them agree that they will do everything they can to win tonight.

Xavier Woods beats Sheamus with an inside cradle after taking out Cesaro on the outside.

We see footage from last week where Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose disrespect Becky Lynch, then we see Sonya and Mandy meet with General Manager Paige backstage. Paige then tells Sonya and Mandy that Mandy Rose will be facing Becky Lynch next week. She then says Absolution is dead when Mandy and Sonya expect special treatment.

SAnitY (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, Killian Dain) are coming soon...

We hear from Zelina Vega, who says that we will know when Andrade "Cien" Almas debuts when she says so, and when he does, SmackDown Live will change forever.

Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Asuka beat The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) and Carmella with an Asuka Lock to Peyton Royce.

Here are the top 10 moments from tonight's show!