WWE threw the gauntlet down for the Tag Team Division on tonight’s SmackDown, as a number of teams would battle it out for the chance to challenge DIY for the Tag Team Championships. The Street Profits, The O.C., Pretty Deadly, Legado Del Fantasma, and Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews would all throw down for the chance to take on the Champs, and it would come down to the final two teams, which would be the Street Profits and The Bloodline. The Street Profits made it to the end of the gauntlet, but unfortunately, the powerhouse Jacob Fatu was just too much to take down, allowing The Bloodline to earn their shot at the Tag Team Championships.
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The match started with Legado Del Fantasma facing the new team of Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews. Fantasma immediately attacked Crews and Corbin, and Crews got thrown into the stairs, but Corbin knocked Angel Garza around a bit in the ring before hitting a huge slam into a cover, but Garza kicked out. Back from break, Corbin and Carrillo were in the ring, but Crews finally got into the match and knocked Garza to the mat quickly before hitting a few suplexes to keep control in their favor. Garza hit Crews with a knee strike and then hit a backbreaker into a cover, but Corbin broke it up. Corbin took out Carrillo and then Crews and Corbin both hit Garza with their signatures, including an End of Days, and Legado Del Fantasma was eliminated.
Party Time with The Street Profits
Up next was the Street Profits, and Crews had control early, but Montez Ford turned things upside down with a huge slam on Crews to the mat. Angelo Dawkins came in and went for the pin, but somehow Crews kicked out. Crews was back in the swing of things and the two superstars collided in the center of the ring before Corbin and Ford were tagged in. Corbin threw Ford to the floor and then Crews helped his partner out by throwing him over the ropes into Ford and Dawkins below.
Back from break, Corbin and Ford were still fighting but both were ultimately able to tag their partners in. Crews clocked Dawkins with a dropkick but Dawkins hit a suplex in response and went for the cover, only for Corbin to break up the pin. Corbin was thrown into the ring post and then Crews and Ford hit suicide dives on the outside. Dawkins clocked Crews in the jaw and then tagged in Ford, and that led to the finisher and the cover, and that got the win for the Street Profits.
Pretty Deadly Enters the Ring
Next up was Pretty Deadly, and they were greeted harshly by Dawkins and Ford, who had both members of Pretty Deadly down in the ring early. Prince was tagged in secretly and hit a chop block on Ford, but Ford kicked out of the cover. Then Prince and Wilson targeted Ford’s knee and had him reeling in pain before they went for the sharpshooter, and they got yet another hard shot at his knee before knocking Dawkins off the ring apron. Ford was able to fight off Wilson and tag in Dawkins, who went at the tagged in Prince.
Dawkins hit a huge elbow strike and then hit an enzuigiri before going for a cover on Prince, but Prince kicked out. Wilson tagged in without Dawkins knowing and hit a DDT into a cover, but Dawkins managed to kick out. Prince then went for a cover on Dawkins but Ford broke it up and threw Wilson out of the ring. Dawkins lifted up Prince and Ford connected with the blockbuster for a pin and the win, eliminating Pretty Deadly.
The OC Approaches
It was then time for The O.C. to enter the match, and Anderson looked to ground Ford with a chin lock from the moment they got in the ring. Anderson went for a quick cover but Ford kicked out, though Anderson went right back to wearing him down and almost pinned him again. Gallows tagged in and kept Ford off his feet, slamming him to the mat and then connecting with big elbow strikes to Ford’s neck and back. Despite The OC’s focus on Ford, he was able to bounce back and get Dawkins involved, and they were able to roll up The OC and walk away with the win.
The Last Opponent
That left the last opponents of the Gauntlet, which was The Bloodline’s Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga. Once in the ring, Fatu was unstoppable and had Dawkins on his heels right from the start. Dawkins was able to finally get out of the way of a charge from Fatu, causing Jacob to run straight into the ring post. Dawkins finally got to Ford, who met a tagged in Tonga with force, slamming him down and then hitting a super kick on Fatu to knock him off the apron. Ford missed a kick and gave Tonga an opening, but that didn’t matter, as Ford hit a crossbody from up top into a near fall.
Tonga came back with a pin attempt himself, but Dawkins broke it up, only to have himself dragged out of the ring to the Bloodline’s corner. Ford broke it all up with a big dive, but soon Fatu was back in the ring and after a big slam to Ford, he hit a moonsault off the top rope and pinned Ford, giving The Bloodline the win. The Bloodline is now your number 1 contender for the WWE Tag Team Championships.
SummerSlam Updated Card
- World Heavyweight Championship Match: Damian Priest (C) vs. Gunther
- WWE Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (C) vs. Nia Jax
- Women’s World Championship Match: Liv Morgan (C) vs. Rhea Ripley
- Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (C) vs. Solo Sikoa
- Unites States Championship Match: Logan Paul (C) vs. LA Knight
SummerSlam takes place on Saturday, August 3rd.
Are you excited for SummerSlam? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!
