#95: Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena vs. AJ Styles, WWE Smackdown Live (2/14/2017).
This is a Triple Threat Match for Bray's WWE Championship.
They put this shit on free TV? Let's go!
Bray had just won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber two days prior, and now he was going to make his first defense against Cena, who he took the title from, and Styles, the man he pinned to win the Chamber match.
As Wyatt makes his entrance, he is attacked by Luke Harper, who is no longer affiliated with his former brother in arms. Several forearms and a superkick drop the Eater of Worlds.
Back from commercial, Cena avoids a knee to the face by Styles. Two shoulder tackles and a side slam from Cena. He goes for Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Cena drags him to the floor and sends him into the steel steps. Styles connects with a diving forearm to the outside onto Wyatt.
Styles kicks Wyatt against the barricade, and then kicks him into the apron. Back in the Ring, Styles drives his shoulder into Wyatt's midsection in the turnbuckle. Styles kicks Wyatt in the thigh, and then forearms him down for a 2 count.
More forearms and thigh kicks from Styles, but walks right into a hard headbutt from Wyatt. He throws Styles to the outside. Cena is back in, and he does the two shoulder tackles and side slam. Cena connects with the Five Knuckle Shuffle.
He tries for the AA, but Wyatt counters into Sister Abigail, and Cena escapes. Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm to Wyatt, and walks into the AA from Cena for a close 2 count.
Cena places Styles on the top rope, and clubs him hard off into the apron. Wyatt hits Sister Abigail on Cena, and Styles dives in to break up the pin. Back from commercial, Styles hits a splash from the barricade to Wyatt on the announcer's table, which doesn't break. That's an awesome way to come back!
Styles goes back to the barricade, and hits a legdrop that crushes Wyatt through the table. Styles goes to the Ring, and tries for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Cena grabs him and hits the AA. He looks for a 2nd one, but Styles reverses into the Calf Crusher submission. Cena powers out of it and applies the STF in the middle of the Ring.
Wyatt is back in the Ring and hits a running senton to break it up. Wyatt tosses Styles to the floor. He hypes himself up in the corner, upside down. He walks into an AA from Cena, and Wyatt barely kicks out.
Styles is back in and hits the Styles Clash to Cena, and Cena kicks out. Styles looks for the Phenomenal Forearm, but loses his balance. Cena takes advantage and pushes him to the floor. Wyatt is back up and hits the Sister Abigail on Cena for the win to retain!
This is a fantastic TV match. It is bonkers that they gave this away on Smackdown. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it didn't have to be. It was pure fan service, as three of the most popular wrestlers in the company went at it for the richest prize in WWE in a badass TV main event. The crowd loved this, and they went wild for everybody's offense.
I don't even know how to describe it, really. It's just nonstop action from three great workers. This was, sadly, the high point of Bray's WWE title reign. Though a great story followed with Randy Orton - my hill to die on is that the storytelling and build up to their WrestleMania 33 was excellent - the match itself at the Showcase of the Immortals was really bad.
Still, on this night, Bray reigned as the King of Smackdown, and he had at least one successful title defense in a fun match.