If you’re an Elias fan, which I’m not, sorry but your favourite wrestler will not be there tonight. WWE announced he will not compete in his scheduled King of the Ring semifinal match against Chad Gable, due to an ankle injury. A replacement should be announced, who could it be? I have a name in my mind, I just wish it won’t be the one that will face Chad Gable…
We are 5 days before Clash of Champions, live from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City. We all know we will rest in peace tonight as The Undertaker returns home. WWE Champion Kofi Kingston’s journey brings him back to Madison Square Garden, and maybe to a nest of Vipers… Also, will Roman Reigns make Erick Rowan pay back for last week’s surprise attack?
With so much to talk about, let’s not waste any more time and see what went down as we check out SmackDown Live. Tonight is Tuesday Night Nygma…

♦ Big SMACKDOWN LIVE things happening this week:

• The bells tolled to welcome The Undertaker. This long and slow walk to the ring has been thrilling for nearly 30 years, why would it change? He grabbed the mic to say he wanted to come out and absorb all of this. For the past 30 years, he’s considered these hallowed grounds his home. Fans pop. Taker says he doesn’t know how many more times he’s going to come home anymore, but there’s one thing he wants everyone to remember about this place – the Titans that were born here, the Legends and heroes that made were made, and it’s rewarding for him to know that he took a piece of each of those souls with him. But they will not be forgotten because the echoes of their memories will go through these hallways for all of eternity. And now we usher in a new era of Superstar.

• Out came Sami Zayn to interrupt. Sami pointed to The Undertaker in the ring for the crowd to stop. Sami said he knows New York City respects Legends and “you sir, are a Legend.” Sami said what he finds most illustrious about Taker’s career is his history in this arena because Taker has been selling out MSG for 30 years. Sami added MSG has been Taker’s yard for 30 years. Sami entered the ring and said he has the utmost respect for Taker but Taker would admit the show should’ve been opened by Sami. Taker took another step and backed Sami up. Sami said 30 years is a long time and when is enough, enough? Sami claimed he is the future and he’s here out of respect and he’s here to ask Taker to turn around, leave the ring and pass the torch. Sami promised Taker that the future of MSG and WWE will be in good hands with him. Taker nodded and handed the mic to Sami. Sami was shocked but excited. Taker kept walking out of the ring but stopped on the apron, returned to the ring, got in Sami’s face, and delivered a big chokeslam in the middle of the ring. Taker stood tall over Sami as his music started back up. Taker made his exit and stopped on the ramp to raise his fist.

• Shane McMahon was backstage watching what Taker did. Chad Gable walked in, Shane called him “shorty” and talked about his King of the Ring performance. Shane brought up Elias being injured and pulled from the tournament. Gable was assuming that he gets a bye and goes right to the finals. Shane said he will compete tonight, against someone from RAW or SmackDown Live, and Gable will know as soon as he’s decided on the match. Shane thanked Gable and he walked off.
• The Miz defeated Andrade w/ Zelina Vega. Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura was at the announce table, let’s say he’s a man of few words. Miz sent Andrade into Nakamura. After The Miz won, Nakamura attacked with a nasty Kinshasa.

• Shane McMahon walked up on Matt Hardy and Apollo Crews in the back with short jokes, looking for Chad Gable. Shane said he’s found an opponent for Gable, and he was approved by the injured Elias. Shane came back and revealed that he will be Gable’s opponent.
• Nikki Cross w/ Alexa Bliss defeated. Mandy Rose w/ Sonya Deville. Before the match, Mandy played “who’s the most beautiful?”, Alexa was nervous, Nikki rushed to the ring and destroyed Mandy.
• Ember Moon approached Bayley backstage and knocked her for her recent behaviour with Sasha Banks. Bayley said nothing’s happening, she’s the same person she’s always been. Bayley did what she did for the division. Moon wasn’t buying it and said Bayley is better than that.

• Heavy Machinery crushed 2 jobbers (Alex Keaton and Johnny Silver).
• Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens met backstage. He was ready to reconsider his fine if he was agreeing to be the referee of his match against Chad Gable, and was ready to do it “correctly.”
• Rewind on what happened last week with Rowan/Roman Reigns/Daniel Bryan. Erick Rowan made his way to the ring, grabbed a mic and said people always tell him what to do, until last week. He looked deep in the eyes of Roman Reigns. Roman Reigns arrived and hit the Superman punch. They brawled through the crowd. Reigns hit a few more Superman punches and knocked Rowan back onto the King Of The Ring throne and beat on him. Rowan grabbed one of the long camera arms that hangs in the air and rammed it back into Reigns and some of the security guys. They went down. Rowan talks trash to Reigns about Sunday. After commercials, backstage, we saw Rowan trying to calm down.

• Charlotte Flair was at the announce table to see Bayley defeating Ember Moon. Charlotte came to the ring, clapped hands and pointed the title.
• Kevin Owens was seen thinking backstage about what he should do.
• WWE Champion Kofi Kingston was happy to be back at MSG. He reminded us of what happened 10 years ago, how he was willing to do anything to be successful. Randy Orton talked from outta nowhere, told us his own last 10 years résumé. They brawled in the crowd. Orton destroyed Kofi. Kofi destroyed Randy. History repeated itself when a 10-year old Boom crushed Orton. Whatever happens this Sunday, it will probably end up in a Cell…
• Chad Gable defeated Shane McMahon in 3 seconds, with Kevin Owens as special guest referee. Shane came with his Saudi Arabia trophy. It was fabulous BUT Shane was not happy and made the match a 2 out of 3 falls. And then, it was Gable’s party. He ate them all. Kevin made him eat them all. That was disgusting. But Chad is ready, willing and Gable… And he made it. A second time. Shane was not happy, beat down Kevin Owens and fired him.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq_nmXJJk4E]

♦ MAIN EVENT THINGS

Taker’s legacy is not something that needs to be justified. He came, Zayn came, Taker shut him down. Nothing surprising as Zayn teased it yesterday on his Twitter… Where Zayn is right is The Dead Man will need to pass the torch one day, whether he wants it or not. The Legend will never die, but one day the man will have to hang up his boots…
I knew it, I was sure. Shane would replace Elias, he would put Kevin Owens in a bad position… Firing Kevin Owens was the logic following to their brawl, and I won’t be against an Owens vs McMahon – Hell in a Cell II.
SmackDown Live was more a go-home show for Clash of Champions than the Red Show was yesterday. But overall, it was not as thrilling as RAW was. The Nygma has never been an easy one to satisfy, you know it… See you next week, my Blue buddies… 

♦ Nygma Note: The finals of the 2019 WWE King of the Ring tournament will no longer take place at Sunday’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view from Charlotte, NC. It was revealed it will now take place during Monday’s post-Clash RAW episode from the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The KOTR finals will see SmackDown Superstar Chad Gable take on RAW Superstar Baron Corbin.

♦  Clash of Champions Card

• Universal Championship Match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Braun Strowman
• WWE Championship Match: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton
• RAW Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sasha Banks
• SmackDown’s Women Championship Match: Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte
• United States Championship Match: AJ Styles (c) vs. Cedric Alexander
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. The Miz
• Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (c) vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
• RAW Tag Team Championship Match: Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode
• SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day (c) vs. The Revival
• Cruiserweight Championship Match: Drew Gulak (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado
• No DQ Match: Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan

All pics courtesy of WWE