Kurt Angle makes his way to the ring to announce his WrestleMania opponent, in what will be his final match.
Angle says his farewell tour continues, as he gets to have a match here in Chicago. The fans chant “Thank you Kurt”. He thanks them, then also thanks the McMahon Family for allowing him to choose his opponent – which we’re about to find out is certainly not true. Angle goes on to say that he wants to face the man who has made his life a living hell for the past few years: Baron Corbin. Nothing would make him happier than making Corbin tap-out at WrestleMania. So there goes any hope for John Cena.
Angle’s opponent for tonight is Chad Gable. The two men who have been compared for a long time. Before the match begins, Gable shakes Angle’s hand and tells him, without a mic, that he is a hero and a true inspiration, and that the pleasure is all his.
Kurt Angle Vs. Chad Gable
As the match begins, the fans chant “this is awesome”. They lock up and Angle backs him to the corner. Gable applies a side headlock, Angle whips him off, and Gable shoulder blocks him down. Angle gets to his feet and applies a waistlock. Gable reverses it and takes him down. Angle grapevines his head, but Gable kips up and out of the hold. They’re at a stalemate and the fans cheer the amateur wrestling.
Gable takes his hero down and applies a front facelock. Angle fights up and fires back with a shoulder block. Angle runs at him in the corner but Gable responds with an elbow. Angle catches him with a belly-to-belly overhead suplex, and Gable quickly rolls out of the ring to recover.
Gable makes his way back into the ring and takes Angle’s back and slams him down. Angle reverses into a slam of his own and a headlock. Gable struggles to his feet and gets Kurt on one knee with a wristlock. A pocket of the crowd began chanting “CM Punk”, and the rest of the crowd booed them.
Angle whips Gable into the corner chest-first. Angle runs at Gable, who dodges him, sending Kurt through the ropes and to the floor. As Angle slowly gets back into the ring, Gable dropkicked his knee. Gable then goes to work on the leg. Gable applies a submission to the leg but Angle kicks him off. Angle then knocks Gable out of the ring with a clothesline and we take a break.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back live and Gable is sliding into the ring. Angle hits him with a clothesline, then another, followed by a back body drop. Gable leaps off the middle rope with a sunset flip but Angle rolls through for an Ankle Lock. Gable reverses into a pin attempt but Kurt kicks out.
Angle catches Gable with a German suplex, but Gable then gets him in an Ankle Lock! The Chicago crowd boos! Angle rolls forward, sending Gable into the turnbuckles. Kurt looks for the Angle Slam but Gable reverses into a DDT! Angle kicks out but Chad climbs to the top rope and looks for a Asai moonsault but nobody’s home. Angle then grabs Gable with the Ankle Lock and wraps around the challenger, forcing him to tap.
Winner: Kurt Angle
After the match Angle lifts Gable to his feet and hugs him. Baron Corbin then comes out and the fans boo. Corbin says he enjoyed laughing and humiliating Angle as Raw GM. It felt good. But it won’t feel as good as when he humbles and humiliates him in his final match. He says it won’t matter what Kurt has done in his career, they’ll just remember his last match. The fans chant “we want Cena!”
We see a video of last week when Drew McIntyre ambushed Roman Reigns, then destroyed Dean Ambrose in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.
*Commercial Break*
Sasha Banks and Bayley are in the ring with Charly Caruso. The interviewer asks why the duo have been to Raw and NXT, but not SmackDown Live. Sasha gets heated at Charly but Bayley steps in and says they don’t fear anyone, and that’s why they will be making an appearance tomorrow night on SmackDown Live. She hints that they will address Billie Kay and Peyton Royce specifically.
Natalya then comes out, followed by Beth Phoenix. They get to the ring and the fans cheer for Phoenix. She says she respects both Banks and Bayley, and she watched everything they did to get to where they are. She says Nattie and her would loved to have had that opportunity when she was a competitor. She says she was content to do commentary and watch the women’s revolution unfold. That was until she saw Nia Jax and Tamina trying to set the whole division back a few years. She says that awoke the dragon, and it got her thinking that her and Natalya may still be able to accomplish some goals. She says if Bayley and Sasha truly claim they are willing to defend these titles at any time, she will be willing to step-out of retirement to face them at WrestleMania!
Bayley says it would be an honour for them to have that match… but wouldn’t she rather have more time to prepare? The fans boo and Bayley says she doesn’t mean it in a bad way, it’s just that Beth has been retired for six years and the competition has evolved since she was around. Natalya reminds Bayley who Beth Phoenix is, a Hall of Famer and former Women’s Champion who has zero reason to be afraid of a little girl like her. Sasha asks Natalya who she thinks she is, and says they know who Beth is. Banks says Natalya is just riding Beth’s coattails trying to get a match at WrestleMania. Natalya then slaps Banks and they start brawling. Phoenix shoves Bayley and the two teams are left staring each other down as we head to a break.
*Commercial Break*
Sasha Banks W/Bayley Vs. Natalya W/Beth Phoenix
The bell rings, and Banks takes her down with a Thesz Press and some punches. Natalya gets out, but Banks kicks her. Natalya sidesteps her and spikes her on her tailbone. Natalya steps on her and hits a low dropkick for a near fall. Natalya applies an abdominal stretch and grabs the leg for good measure. Banks gets out and rolls her up for a two count. Banks throws her to the corner and hits double knees. Natalya soon sidesteps her and hits a discus clothesline. Banks rolls out of the ring to recover.
Nia Jax comes out to the stage and sarcastically applauds Beth Phoenix for coming out of retirement. Jax says she isn’t jealous of Phoenix because she’s done more than Phoenix did in her entire career. The fans boo but Nia continues that Phoenix is only back because she is getting recognition for being the new monster. She’s the prettier, stronger version of The Glamazon. Tamina then sneaks up from behind and shoves Phoenix into the ring post before clocking Bayley and Banks with meagre superkicks.
Winner Via Disqualification: Sasha Banks
Tamina then joins Nia on the ramp and she says they’ll see them at WrestleMania. This should be so much better than it is, but the booking is so poor.
Mojo Rawley is backstage talking to himself in the mirror once again – imagine getting paid to do this? Rawley says potential isn’t any good if you don’t do anything with it. Rawley screams at himself why he can’t figure it out. Nothing much here.
Ricochet makes his entrance. He’ll be in action, next.
*Commercial Break*
Ricochet Vs. Jinder Mahal W/The Singh Brothers
The bell rings and Mahal powers the one and only to the corner. Ricochet fires back with a hurricanrana before dropkicking Mahal out of the ring. Ricochet feigns a dive and the crowd smatters some applause.
Back in the ring, Ricochet shoulders Mahal, before being whipped to the corner. Ricochet kicks the former Champion back, but The Singh Brothers grab his ankle. Mahal then clotheslines Ricochet down and takes control of the pace.
Mahal digs his knee into Ricochet before hitting a scoop slam for a two count. Mahal applies a chin lock to Ricochet and holds it on for a while. Ricochet fights up, but Mahal continues to control him. Finally, Ricochet hits an enzuigiri and a rolling dropkick to make a comeback.
Ricochet ducks a right hand and hits a head-scissor takeover. Ricochet hits a running shoulder block and hits a springboard clothesline. Ricochet hits a standing shooting star press for a two count. The Singh Brothers pull Mahal out of the ring. Ricochet then hits a cartwheel Fosbury Flop on Mahal and The Singhs. Ricochet gets Mahal in the ring and goes to the top rope for the 630 and the win!
Winner: Ricochet
Wow, the crowd was pretty dead throughout that and I can’t blame them. This doesn’t feel like the Road to WrestleMania, there’s only a couple of big matches building, while the rest of the show feels like filler.
Still to come, Seth Rollins Vs. Drew McIntyre, Ronda Rousey Vs. Dana Brooke. Rousey BMF walks her way to the ring.
*Commercial Break*
