WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Braun Strowman 's assault on Alexa Bliss ends in inconsistent show

 Strowman 's relationship with The Fiend has altered absolutely

With only two versions of SmackDown to go before the pay-per - view of the WWE SummerSlam, Friday night's show saw conflicting attention on ongoing Revenge attacks and the ongoing problems between universal champion Braun Strowman and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. The result was an unbalanced and chaotic series that ended with Strowman assaulting longtime friend and former mixed tag partner Alexa Bliss on a shocky note.

Strowman came to the ring in the final segment of the show to demand that The Fiend come to the ring to face him, only to be confronted by Bliss, who had been attacked and taken over by The Fiend two weeks ago. Bliss requested that Strowman snap all that was wrong with him —And whatever made him claim last week that he "don't give her a damn" — before slapping him. Strowman lifted Bliss above her head as The Fiend teased to show up as the lights started to go out all over the building. Strowman launched Bliss into the air at the moments when the lights came back , leaving her down in the ring when the red lights of The Fiend came on, only to have Strowman disappeared from the ring. Strowman then appeared on the video screen, laughing maniacally until the laughter joined The Fiend.

There is one week left to build on the story, but it has created a unusual situation where a championship match with pay-per-view is now a heel vs. heel affair,With The Fiend turning Strowman to the point that the two men are now carrying out vicious assaults on Bliss.

All night long we have been with you showing you highlights, recaps and ratings for the game. Read on for full results and a recap of everything that happened on the series.

WWE SmackDown results, results, grades

Retribution started off the show by attacking Big E and John Morrison: Retribution members swarmed the ring and attacked before the match between Big E and Morrison could begin. The party fled off the ring after leaving both men down and out, until The Miz rushed down to help Morrison out.

King Corbin told the locker room during a commercial break that they were under attack, and recommended that everyone support him as chief. Big E ordered Corbin to shut up, saying he'll be damned if "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Foot Soldiers" will hold him back and call the locker room to stand and fight. Sheamus interrupted and said Big E was now weak and afraid for the rest of New Day, and that's why Revenge threatened but they wouldn't dare to mess with his match later that night with Shorty G. Big E ended the segment by saying if Sheamus had any sense, he 'd know he's not alone.

Asuka won a battle royal to win a shot at Bayley's SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka — who already had a title shot at Sasha Banks scheduled for SummerSlam — was a surprise entrant, surprising Bayley and Sasha Banks, who served as ring announcers. Asuka sprinted to the ring and assaulted Bayley until the other contestants charged and got into the ring as well. Ruby Riott was killed almost instantly, allowing Liv Morgan to simply "take the bullet." Moments later the IIconics were defeated and Morgan rolled off the canvas for an elimination before the teams brawled together.

There were other minor storylines running through the match, including renewing their problems with Lacey Evans and Naomi, ending up when Naomi was eliminated by Evans. Bianca Belair had an incredible moment, dismissing Tamina with one-handedness. Despite not being disqualified, Dana Brooke pulled the old stealth move of attempting to wait outside the ring but that didn't do well for her before being disqualified and joining the final two of Asuka and Shayna Baszler. Bayley attempted to help kill Asuka by throwing a knee at Baszler when Asuka was on the apron. Asuka landed not on the floor but on Bayley and Banks,

But then the Kirifuda Clutch reversed by dragging Baszler over the top rope to score the elimination and get a chance at SummerSlam's Bayley 's Gold. There was a little too much of the "eliminated competitor eliminates someone else" theme through the match, but it's a gutsy decision to try to go with two Asuka matches at SummerSlam and will make for a pair of really good matches — unless WWE wants to match a triple threat. Grade: Class B

Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville agreed to a SummerSlam hair vs. hair match: Rose thanked Deville for reminding her that when she targeted SmackDown two weeks ago she was something more than a pretty face and cut her hair.

Rose laid down the challenge after a brief promo for the two to compete in a hair vs. hair contest at SummerSlam. Later on in the series Deville said Rose 's earlier challenge shocked her. After she thought about the idea she said she realized that Rose would look amazing bald before deciding to kill Rose once and for all. Deville finished by acknowledging the match officially.

Defeat Sheamus. Shorty G via pinfall: Sheamus told security they should leave before the match, playing up his earlier comments to Big E that Retribution wouldn't dare run in on his match.

Sheamus dominated the early part of the game before Shorty G managed to make a recovery and lock up an ankle lock and then almost score a roll-up for the victory. Sheamus hit White Noise instead and hit a Brogue Kick to score the win in a largely one-sided contest. We've seen better matches of these two in the past, as Sheamus expected, and it's hard not to be a little disappointed. Score: C+

AJ Styles launched a new system of rankings, received a challenger: Styles said that there are more important issues than Revenge, like who he will fight for the intercontinental championship.He said he only wanted to enjoy becoming a champion, choosing to stay at home while streaming on Twitch and loving the moment. Christopher Parks (formerly Abyss in Impact Wrestling) has been in the ring with Styles and Styles said he has built a statistical method to decide who will challenge his title. Unveiling a whiteboard that only displayed its own name and said that no one had won the right to face it for the title. Jeff Hardy then interrupted the promo and found out that in the intercontinental championship tournament Sheamus robbed his chance but that was the past and he would let it go.

Yet this was the past and he'd let go of it. Yet Hardy said the award still meant a lot to him, as it was the first singles title he ever won. Hardy told Styles that it sounded "pretty cool" to have a match with him, and pleaded man-to-man for a shot at the belt. Styles said he values Hardy, but did give the runaround to the match before saying "hell no." Hardy struck after Styles said this is not a "pity party," leaving Styles down and out before writing his own name on Styles' whiteboard. Later on in the show, styles seemed to agree with the offer, but the bout was not confirmed.

The segment took a hit with some poor trademark WWE humor, with the P.I.S.S. (Phenomenal Intercontinental Statistical System) acronym for Styles' statistical system. Composition: C

Def. Gran Metalik Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall: Before the match, Cesaro and Nakamura had cut a backstage promo saying they 'd smash the "little" Lucha House Party like bugs in a tag title match. Nakamura was firmly in charge of the match when the Lucha House Party hit music and Kalisto made his surprising return, taking Cesaro out and creating a diversion that allowed Metalik to hit Nakamura's diving elbow to score the three count.Another too short match that produced no plot in the ring and was only a stepping stone to the eventual shot at the tag championship. Score: C+

King Corbin attacked Matt Riddle: Riddle said no-one likes a bounty on their head, and as a laid-back guy, keeping his head on a swivel is annoying. Riddle said he made every attempt to get Corbin in the ring. Shorty G then interrupted and apologised for hitting Riddle, saying that he did so just because he had a family at home, and that the money to buy him out would have changed life. After Shorty G had apologized and said that he felt sick, Riddle forgave him and said if he ever wanted a match,Because he's still running down to fight. Corbin then struck Riddle from behind, leaving him down and out and thanking "Chad" for the help, although it was uncertain if Shorty G was a part of the scheme actually.

Alexa Bliss discussed her involvement with the problems surrounding Braun Strowman and The Fiend: Nikki Cross ran backstage into Bliss and apologised for shoving her two weeks ago and asked what happened to The Fiend. Bliss didn't want to think about it, but told Cross she wasn't leaving because Braun Strowman needed answers. Later, Bliss explored her friendship with Strowman and their history as Team Little Big in an interview segment.She was asked if there was ever anything romantic between the two, of which she replied, "maybe." Bliss also talked about how scary of be around The Fiend was, but also said he was "compelling" and for the first time in her life, she grasped the concept of "moth to a flame." Bliss was asked how she felt about Strowman 's remarks to The Fiend that he "don't give a damn" about her. Short of replying, Bliss looked off camera as the series went to air.

Def Big E. John Morrison attacked again via submission as Retribution: Morrison concentrated on Big E's knee, wounded early in the earlier Retribution assault.Big E immediately took over, throwing Morrison off the ring as well as making a splash as Morrison was spread out on the ring apron. Miz, who was on comment, offered a diversion, allowing Morrison to strike the bad knee on a chop block of Big E. Otis then made his way to ringside, Money in hand in the Bank briefcase. The lights in the building then started to flicker and the series cut to commercial. Most of the locker room surrounded the ring after commercial, and the match began. The lights then flickered again and Retribution was seen backstage assaulting crew members and damaging property — and locking a man in a toilet, inexplicably.

The members of the team soon realized what was going on and fled backstage but Retribution had already passed away. The match continued for a few more moments before Morrison was locked into a stretch muffler by Big E to secure the submission. After the win, Sheamus came in and laid out Big E but left as Braun Strowman made his way to the ring. The insanity of revenge appears to miss the mark, and the entire thing was made to look ridiculous as Michael Cole and Corey Graves sat feet away from the wrestlers who had surrounded the ring complaining about someone trying to let them know about the backstage assault. Big E and Morrison were yet another match on the card that could deliver in a big way,But all that absurdity reduced the actual match to background noise. Grade: A—

Alexa Bliss was assaulted by Braun Strowman as The Fiend: Strowman said the Fiend knows just what he's going to get when they face off at SummerSlam. Strowman again said he was now the "most evil son of a bitch anyone ever laid eyes on." After claiming he was going to kill The Fiend and "consume" his entrails, music hit Alexa Bliss. Bliss said they needed a talk and that Strowman doesn't behave like the man she knows, particularly when he says he doesn't give her a damn. Strowman accused Bliss of using him as a tool, and said that everyone, including her, who comes into touch with The Fiend shifts.Bliss slapped Strowman several times, shouting, "wake up, this isn't you" before he lifted her over his head, ready to throw her out of the ring, but the lights began to go out, with Strowman tossing Bliss into the air as it all went dark ... The red lights came on and The Fiend was in the ring and Strowman appeared laughing on the big screen. When the series went off the air, the Fiend joined in the laughter. This was Strowman 's official moment when his interaction with The Fiend completely changed — the very thing he accused Bliss of undergoing. It's a pretty fascinating angle and one where Bliss has done a great job with what she was given.But Strowman is still struggling to deliver compelling promos and do character work. The mood of the SummerSlam match has also changed, particularly after Strowman viciously assaulted Bliss, to more of a heel vs. heel pairing. Grade: C—