The final WWE Friday Night Smackdown before Sunday's Summerslam 2013 featured a blockbuster lineup filled with some of the WWE's biggest and brightest stars.
Christian, the No.1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeated Damien Sandow in singles action, as Captain Charisma won with a roll up, following up with a spear to Sandow. However, world champion Alberto Del Rio assaulted Christian after the match, taunting him with the promise the he would never be a world champion again. But after a failed Cross Armbreaker attempt, Christian hit the Killswitch to send a message to his SummerSlam opponent before their world title match on Sunday.
Renee Young interviewed Rob Van Dam, Big Show and Mark Henry backstage to hype their upcoming match against The Shield later.
In Divas action, Divas Champion AJ Lee and Layla defeated Kaitlyn and Natalya thanks to AJ hitting a Shining Wizard knee to the temple on Kaitlyn, "The Black Widow" gaining momentum as she and bodyguard Big E Langston take on Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn on Sunday in Los Angeles.
A segment backstage showed Ryback beating up a tech producer.
Rob Van Dam, Big Show and Mark Henry defeated The Shield thanks to Big Show hitting a WMD punch on U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose and RVD following up with a Five-Star Frog Splash to pin Ambrose for the win.
Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel, with Paul Heyman defeated Zack Ryder thanks to his neckbreaker finisher, known as "Turning Heads." Heyman, who will be in former UFC and WWE Champion Brock Lesnar's corner at Summerslam when Lesnar clashes with former Heyman client and five-time world champion CM Punk, cut a promo after the match.
And in the main event, Daniel Bryan, who gets his WWE Championship match against current champion John Cena in the Summerslam main event Sunday, defeated former IC Champ and former fellow Nexus member Wade Barrett in a No Disqualification match. Vince McMahon interfered several times, pulling the referee out of the ring when Bryan had the Yes! Lock on Barrett, and calling for a new referee when Barrett hit the Bull Hammer elbow on Bryan, only to change his mind again when Bryan kicked out. After WWE COO Triple H came out, Bryan put Barrett through a table an hit a top rope headbutt, with the Game counting the pinfall.
But in a possible omen of things to come, Money in the Bank winner Randy Orton came out and stared down at Bryan from the ramp, reminding everyone that he could cash in his guaranteed WWE title shot at any time...and that time could come Sunday at Summerslam.
WWE Friday Night Smackdown airs at 8 p.m. EST Friday, August 16, 2013 on the SyFy Network.