Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for April 24, 2020

The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E) show up to start tonight's show. Kofi and Big E celebrate their SmackDown Tag Team Championship win from last week in the ring, and Kofi credits their eighth tag team title reign to Big E, who says there is nothing like having the tag team titles again. Kofi announces that The New Day now have more tag team title reigns than The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs, The New Age Outlaws, Demolition, Edge & Christian and that their names are etched together alongside the best in wrestling history. As Big E says that they have more championships than future Tampa Bay Buccaneer Tom Brady, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado of The Lucha House Party show up to congratulate The New Day while lamenting that they have not gotten a shot at the titles. Suddenly, The Miz and John Morrison show up. The Miz says that The New Day are acting like legitimate champions despite winning the title in a singles match, and Morrison says The New Day has never beaten them as a team. As The Miz says The New Day are not deserving of the title, Metalik and Dorado butt in, and before they can say what they just said in English, The Forgotten Sons (Jaxson Ryker, Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler) show up. Steve Cutler introduces The Forgotten Sons to The Miz, and says he will remember their names as they take over the SmackDown tag team division and make it forgotten no more. Miz butts in, but Ryker reminds him that he has played a Marine in the movie while he is a real-life Marine. He also says that The Forgotten Sons can be described as savages that sometimes you'll never see coming. This starts a brawl. Miz and Morrison retreat as The Forgotten Sons lay waste to The New Day and The Lucha House Party in the ring.

We look back on Triple H's debut year of 1995 as "The Connecticut Blue Blood" Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

Backstage, Renee Young interviews The Miz and John Morrison, who call The Lucha House Party "instigators" before saying that they will get a match and make everything right tonight.

King Corbin beats Drew Gulak to qualify for the men's Money In The Bank Ladder Match after Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro grab Daniel Bryan from behind the barricade and attack him, distracting Gulak and allowing Corbin to hit End of Days for the win. After the match, Cesaro and Nakamura hold Gulak down so that Corbin can strike Gulak with his scepter.

It is announced that Rob Gronkowski is still prepared to defend the WWE 24/7 Championship despite no longer being retired from the NFL.

We look back at Money In The Bank 2014, where Seth Rollins take a tumble down onto a ladder thanks to Kofi Kingston.

Sheamus beats Daniel Vidot.

We look back on Jeff Hardy's life and career in WWE with Chapter Three, "The Redemption." Next week is Chapter Four, "The Comeback."

We look back on D-Generation X's attempted takeover of WCW Monday Nitro in Norfolk, Virginia from April 1998.

Before the next match, Sheamus confronts Michael Cole and rips his headset apart while looking down scornfully at him.

The Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik) get a surprise roll-up win against The Miz and John Morrison.

Sasha Banks is seen carrying a small black-and-white sign of Lacey Evans' daughter Summer on her way to the ring before the next match.

Lacey Evans beats Sasha Banks to qualify for the women's Money In The Bank Ladder Match when Bayley's interference attempts backfire in a major way, causing the referee to fail to count a roll-up attempt and Sasha Banks to be angry at Bayley for interfering. After the match, Tamina shows up and superkicks Bayley as Bayley and Sasha make their way back up the ramp.

We see a video package documenting the history between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman.

Next week: Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler and Mandy Rose vs. Carmella in Money In The Bank qualifying matches!

Backstage, Dana Brooke talks with Carmella. Carmella says that even though she has a Money In The Bank qualifier next week and that she has been inspired by Dana, her main focus - and what should be Dana's - is on tonight and the women's tag team titles.

We look back on Triple H's quadriceps injury from May 2001 and his return in the 2002 Royal Rumble.

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Carmella and Dana Brooke.

Next week: Daniel Bryan vs. King Corbin!

Triple H shows up. He is denied a water bottle on the way to the ring. As Triple H says he cannot believe that he has been in WWE for 25 years, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels shows up. Shawn says there is no celebration without him, and after some social distancing, Shawn says he has sent out hundreds of invitations to his closest friends, loved ones and people who care about him, and they are all here for him. After it becomes obvious that almost nobody else is in the Performance Center, Shawn tells Triple H he's still got it and packing them in before thanking him for his one 25th anniversary show from a few years back. As Triple H says it is hard to pick a favorite moment, Shawn then says he never had one, and Triple H says that heads are about to roll before Shawn brings up the formation of D-Generation X and how everything they did worked. We then see a video package of D-Generation X's "not-so-great moments," which consists of gag reels and bloopers of pre-recorded promos as well as funny in-ring moments. After admitting that not everything was done in one take, Shawn says that slip-ups didn't stop Triple H's accomplishments from eclipsing his own before a video package of Triple H's WrestleMania losses is played. Nevertheless, Triple H says this makes him want to thank a lot of people, and without those people, his career would be nothing. Shawn then mentions Triple H meeting Stephanie McMahon when Triple H's cell phone rings. Triple H gets a call from Stephanie, who says that she is watching and that it is everything they could ask for when she noticed Shawn talk about her. Shawn proceeds to mock her, and Triple H is forced to hang up on her and tell Shawn she says hi. Shawn and Triple H then talk about "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, who calls Triple H to tell him that he is proud of him and hoping he is having a great time before telling him not to let Shawn superkick him at the end of the segment. After Ric Flair hangs up, Triple H's phone rings again. After the commercial break, "Road Dogg" Jesse James is calling Triple H, unaware that the show is live. After that call, Shawn mentions "the Katie Vick segment." All of a sudden, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon shows up. Vince congratulates Triple H on 25 years in WWE, and says that he would give a great big hug and that everyone would be standing around the ring under normal circumstances before mentioning the Katie Vick segment, saying it was pretty bad and in poor taste. After initially likening his performance to The Gobbledygooker's debut at Survivor Series 1990, he then likens it to Bayley's "This Is Your Life" segment - even though the segment's failure had nothing to do with Bayley - before both men say that they love each other and Vince says he loves Triple H and Shawn before saying their performance is "god-awful." He then says good night and leaves before demanding that everything be shut down. The lights then go out on the Performance Center bit by bit, then rickets can be heard before the arena is completely dark. This ends the show.

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