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Smackdown Recap: Edge, Bianca Belair Dodge WrestleMania Questions

The Royal Rumble is in the record books, WrestleMania season has begun, and both Edge and Bianca Belair are set to appear on Smackdown and discuss (or at least try to discuss) their choices of opponents for WrestleMania. Welcome to Bleeding Cool's Smackdown recap. We'll try to be gentle.

WWE Smackdown Recap – February 5th, 2021

Promo: Roman Reigns

Smackdown begins in the traditional fashion this week: with a fifteen-minute-long entrance by Roman Reigns followed by an even longer promo. After Reigns eventually makes it down to the ring and soaks in some piped-in "you suck" chants, he gets down to business: Edge, the Royal Rumble winner. Roman wants to know why Edge is wasting time showing up on Raw and NXT when Roman's the real main event in WWE.  He's also insulted that Edge isn't the one who kicked off Smackdown with an overly long promo calling Reigns out rather than the other way around. Roman orders Paul Heyman to get Edge out here. Heyman yells at some producers, but it turns our Edge isn't here. Roman is super pissed that Edge dissed him. Kevin Owens died for less. Anyway, Edge has to decide by the end of the night if he wants to face Roman. Roman leaves.

Apparently, Hulk Hogan will be on Smackdown tonight to talk about wrestling Andre the Giant 33 years ago, commentary tells us. Hopefully, without saying the n-word.

Dominik Mysterio vs. Baron Corbin

Dominik and Rey Mysterio are making their entrance when King Corbin attacks both of them, setting up a commercial break. After that break, Dominik and Corbin have a match. It kills ten minutes or so, and Dominik ends up winning with a little cheating from Rey.

Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Kayla Braxton interviews Big E about something or other.

Daniel Bryan vs. Cesaro

Daniel Bryan comes down, followed by Cesaro, and they have a match, which Shinsuke Nakamura watches on a monitor backstage. Cesaro gets the side of his head, or maybe his ear busted open during the match, and in the other highlight, Bryan exposes the business with a really obvious whiffed kick and leg-slap. Cesaro makes Bryan tap out with a Boston crab.

Winner: Cesaro

Cesaro gives Bryan a fistbump of respect after the match.

Kayla Braxton interviews Bianca Belair. She plays a clip of Belair's parents losing their minds when Bianca wins the Rumble on Instagram. Bianca puts over her family. Kayla asks her if she's going to face Asuka or Sasha Banks. Belair says she'll make a decision soon.

Seth Rollins is returning next week.

Bayley vs. Ruby Riott

Bayley and Ruby Riott have a match while Billie Kay joins commentary. Billie manages to distract Ruby and cause her to lose by getting into an argument with Liv Morgan on the outside.

Winner: Bayley

Billie offers Bayle her resume after the match.

Promo: Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair heads to the ring to address her choice to challenge for a title in the main event of WrestleMania. But before she can make her choice, Reginald arrives to herald Carmella, who comes down to talk some trash about Belair and try to convince her to go for the Raw belt. Then Sasha Banks comes out. Sasha says she's tired of Carmella and wants to look forward: toward Bianca Belair. Sasha cuts a promo on Belair while Carmella watches angrily. Sasha wants Bianca to choose her. Bianca is about to say something, but Reginald again interrupts, so Bianca whips him with her hair. Carmella does her best not to burst out laughing as Reginald flees the ring like the proverbial scalded dog.

Backstage, Paul Heyman informs Roman Reigns that Edge is in the building now.

Kayla Braxton interviews Sami Zayn, but before she can ask anything, he interrupts and starts complaining about the conspiracy against him. But he says he's gonna win his Intercontinental Championship back tonight.

Otis and Shorty G vs. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode

Otis comes to the ring with Shorty G. In a pre-recorded promo, they reveal they've been doing a lot of hot yoga to get ready. Ziggler and Roode follow, and they have a new theme song. They have a match, and I– zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz– wha? huh? Oh, I'm sorry. Whenever Dolph Ziggler gets in the ring, I immediately fall into a deep sleep. Roode gets the pin on Shorty G… I think. Unless I dreamed it.

Winners: Ziggler and Roode

The Street Profits were on guest commentary during that match, and they want their belts back.

Edge talks with Shinsuke Nakamura backstage.

Look Back at The Main Event with Hulk Hogan

After a video recapping the events of February 5th, 1988, in which Hulk Hogan defended the WWF Championship against Andre the Giant. From The Hulkster's beach shop in Florida, Hogan, accompanied by Jimmy Hart, cuts a brief promo mocking the long-dead Giant and then putting over Edge. During Black History Month, WWE? Really?

Apollo Crews vs. Sami Zayn vs. Big E – Intercontinental Championship Match

Now it's time to kill the rest of the time in this show before Edge's main event promo with a triple threat for the IC title that is highly unlikely to change hands here on Smackdown tonight. Sure enough, Big E wins this match with a Big Ending on Apollo Crews.

Winner: Big E

Crews looks really mad at Big E after the match.

Edge is walking backstage. It's almost time, folks.

Promo: Edge

Finally, Edge heads to the ring. He cuts a variation of the promo he's been cutting the last couple of weeks about coming back, winning the Royal Rumble, main eventing WrestleMania, and taking back the title he never lost. We get it, Edge. I've got it memorized at this point. Then he talks about the choice he has to make of which champion to face at WrestleMania. Before he can choose, of course, Roman Reigns interrupts.

Reigns has Paul Heyman and Jey Uso with him, which is extra threatening because Uso probably had COVID for the last few weeks. Keep your distance, Edge. Roman tells Uso to leave so Edge can get within six feet of Roman. Roman accuses Edge of disrespecting him and demands Edge acknowledge Roman as WrestleMania's main event and say his name.

Before Edge can say anything, Kevin Owens appears and gives Reigns a stunner, then walks away. Edge drops the mic as Smackdown goes off the air, and of course, just like Bianca Belair, he doesn't make his choice tonight.

A pretty useless episode of Smackdown that didn't deliver any development at all in the two major angles it promoted.

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