Aleister Black defeats Damian Priest in Last Man Standing, Vega aligns

Aleister Black defeated Damian Priest in a Last Man Standing match on the October 10 edition of SmackDown at RAC Arena in Perth after Zelina Vega unexpectedly appeared at ringside and aligned herself with Black. The bout, staged as the culmination of a weekslong feud on the blue brand, ended when Black struck Priest with a fireball, followed by his Black Mass finisher, sending Priest through a table and leaving him unable to rise before the referee completed a 10 count.

The main event was a physical, back and forth contest that spilled from the ring into the arena floor and production area. Black hit a Meteora and a Sunset Flip Powerbomb onto the steel steps, and Priest answered with consecutive Razors Edge slams through the commentary table. As the action reached the top of equipment containers in the crowd and Priest appeared poised to finish Black, Vega appeared and interposed herself between the two men, pleading with Priest before moving aside. Black immediately capitalized, creating the sequence that ended in the decisive count.

Vega’s appearance marked the first time she has been paired on television with her husband, a change in storyline that follows her recent...