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Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 6.20.17
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Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 6.20.17
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Big E defeated Jimmy Uso @ 5:55 via pin [**½]
– Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Dolph Ziggler @ 16:45 via pin [***½]
– The Kevin Owens Open Challenge: US Champion Kevin Owens defeated Chad Gable @ 6:10 via pin [**¾]
– Non-Title Match: Champion Jinder Mahal defeated Luke Harper @ 9:40 via pin [**½]
– The female MITB losers argue over how Carmella won the briefcase, and Daniel Bryan arrives. Bray wants to hear what Carmella and Ellsworth have to say.
Carmella & Ellsworth Talk: Carmella struts around as Ellsworth demands that the fans appreciate her. Ellsworth holds the briefcase for her as Carmella talks about her name trending on social media, and says some people complained about how she won MITB. She says “who cares” and says she has been over looked and underestimated ever since being picked last in the draft. She’s not here for girl power, and is sick of hearing all about the other women because she’s more intelligent because she planned for her future. She won the match fair and square. She mentions past winners getting helped in order to win MITB. She then complained about Internet trolls calling them pathetic and embarrassing. She says there are no rules, and Bryan will come out later and will make a decision and will reinforce what she said. There’s not a damn thing anyone can do about it. Solid promo by Carmella here, playing the points of a heel being completely justified in her actions, and hitting the right notes. Also, after her usual silent entrance, she actually got the crowd involved. This was a good follow up for her, hopefully they have this carefully planned out and she can deliver in the role. But she did the yell to get her point across deal, which became really annoying after a while.
– Charlotte meets with Bryan, and she wants Bryan to act. Bryan says MITB was no DQ, but she feels it should only be that for the competitors and wants him to do the right thing.
– Mahal vs. Harper & Nakamura vs. Ziggler are also set for tonight.
– We get a pre-match promo from New Day, noting that the Usos ran away at MITB, escaping their own prison.
Big E vs. Jimmy Uso: Woods, Kofi, & Jey are at ringside. The match started during the break, with the screen in screen. Jimmy laid in chops to begin, but Big E quickly locked in the abdominal stretch and then sent Jimmy to the floor and followed. He worked over Jimmy and Jey distracted him allowing Jimmy to make the comeback. Jimmy then basically whiffed on a baseball slide dropkick, which Big E sold anyway. Back in and Jimmy lays the boots to Big E in the corner, and follows with the running ass attack. We’re back to full screen, with Jimmy keeping control. Big E sends Jimmy to the apron, but Jimmy then jumps into an overhead belly to belly. Big E hits more suplexes. He dances but runs into a Samoan drop for 2. Jimmy takes out Kofi, but Big E hits the STO and looks for the big ending but Jimmy bails to the floor. The Usos tease walking out again, but Kofi wipes them out and Woods backs Jimmy back to the ring. Big E blocks the superkick and hits the big ending for the win. Big E defeated Jimmy Uso @ 5:55 via pin [**½] Solid opening match, showing that New Day can win when the Usos can’t run away; building to the eventual rematch.
– Bryan talks with Shane on the phone and Natalya & Tamina interrupt him. Natalya wishes Bryan a belated father’s day and talks about her cat. Tamina interrupts and wants to know if he will fix the situation. Bryan will have an official decision soon.
– Naomi is interviewed about the finish of the women’s NITB, she’s not happy about it, but feels Bryan will make the right decision. She’ll be ready for anyone, and Lana arrives and says she would have won at MITB without Carmella’s distraction. Lana wants a rematch, but Naomi says she won fair and square. She will give Lana a shot next week because she’s a fighting champion.
– Commentary discusses Mahal beating Orton at MITB to retain the WWE Title.
– Tom Phillips spoke with Orton earlier today. Orton is asked about his loss at MITB; Orton says he lost control and took his eye off the ball and beat himself. He’s been there before and used the numbers game, but Mahal made it personal and now it’s not just about regaining his title. He will do whatever it takes to get revenge and will hurt Mahal. Maybe he will travel to India and rain down RKOs on the entire Mahal family. Please send Orton and a film crew to India to film hundreds of RKOs.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler: They circle to begin, both looking to attack and Ziggler looking to use his amateur wrestling skills. Nakamura quickly counters and looks for an arm bar, but Ziggler bails to the floor. Back in and Nakamura looks to work the arm, but Ziggler cuts that off and cradles Nakamura for 2. Ziggler looks for a cheap shot, Nakamura avoids and lights up Ziggler with knees and kicks. He then works a cravat, snap mare and knee drop. Good vibrations follow, Nakamura then avoids the dropkick, but Ziggler posts him. Ziggler then hits the dropkick, and covers for 2. Ziggler works the heat, grounding Nakamura and then grinding his face off the ropes. Nakamura then sends Ziggler to the floor and we take a break. Post break, Ziggler was back in control and grounding Nakamura with a chinlock. Nakamura fires back with knee strikes, and then drops Ziggler with a spin kick. Nakamura fires up with strikes, but Ziggler uses the hair to slam him to the mat. Ziggler then yells at Nakamura, which just pisses him off, and he lights up Ziggler with kicks. Nakamura follows with corner knees, covering for 2. Nakamura works a front facelock, and hits a gut buster suplex. The Kinshasa is avoided by Ziggler, who then takes out the knee and hits the fameasser for 2. Ziggler looks to fire up, superkick misses and Nakamura counters the cradle into the triangle and then transitions to the arm bar. Ziggler fights and rakes the eyes on Nakamura. Ziggler connects with uppercuts, and then avoids the reverse XPLODER and hits the zigzag for 2. Ziggler then locks in the sleeper, but Nakamura fights to his feet and escapes with a head butt. Nakamura fires up, the Kinshasa connects and Ziggler is done. Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Dolph Ziggler @ 16:45 via pin [***½] This was a very good, back and forth match, with both guys looking motivated and bringing great energy to the match. They got a lot of time to work, Ziggler lost in a hard fought battle, while Nakamura maintains his momentum.
– Bryan books Sami against baron Corbin next week. Becky arrives and Sami says he feels she got robbed at MITB. Becky talks with Bryan, and says she has MITB won, but Ellsworth cost her the match. She doesn’t feel that Smackdown is the land of opportunity, and no matter how much she trains, someone always gets involved and ruins things. Bryan says it’s complicated, and is wishing he stayed home.
– Owens says the only reason he didn’t win MITB is because the others conspired against him to take him out and end his career. But he’s still here, still the US Champion and still the new face of America. Smackdown is the land of opportunity and will give one tonight. AJ Styles makes his way out and says that he will beat Owens for the title. Owens refuses and says that the challenge was for a local resident of Dayton Ohio. Chad Gable then makes his way out to accept. Owens says he is not from Dayton, and Gable says he just moved to Dayton… this morning. AJ vouches for him and we have a match.
The Kevin Owens Open Challenge: US Champion Kevin Owens vs. Chad Gable: AJ is on commentary. Gable attacks at the bell, tossing Owens around and locking in an ankle lock, but Owens makes the ropes. We get the screen in screen gimmick, with Owens beating down Gable on the floor. Gable struggles and makes his way back into the ring, but Owens maintains control. The senton follows, and Owens covers for 2. Owens follows with rights, set Gable up top, follow shim up as we return to full screen. Gable fights but Owens pulls him off the ropes and looks for the pop up powerbomb, but Gable cradles him for 2. Gable hits a desperation DDT and hits a beautiful moonsault, covering for 2. Owens posts Gable, but misses the cannonball; Gable hits a dead lift German for a good near fall. Owens kicks the ropes into gable’s face and hits the pop up powerbomb to retain. US Champion Kevin Owens defeated Chad Gable @ 6:10 via pin [**¾] While a bit short, this was pretty good with Gable getting some strong hope spots and near falls before Owens retained to set up the next chapter with AJ.
– The Hype Bros make their case to Bryan that they are still owed a tag title shot due to winning a shot in December. Bryan says if they beat the Usos next week that they get the tag title shot.
– Sami & Tye do a Sonic commercial; nice to see Tye is alive and well.
Daniel Bryan Talks: Bryan is here to address the MITB controversy, and is glad to be back. He’s been in meetings to try and sort out this MITB mess, and notes that he has to stick to the WWE Rulebook. He then brings out Charlotte, Becky, Tamina, Natalya, & Carmella. Bryan says his decision involves them all and while NMITB is a no DQ match, and there is no specific rule to stop Ellsworth from doing what he did; it’s the first participant to hold the briefcase win. But there has never been a situation like this before, putting them in uncharted territory. Ellsworth calls him soft for being a daddy to a little hippy, vegan baby and that pisses off Bryan who threatens to punch and fire Ellsworth if he talks about his daughter again. It breaks down into arguing, and Bryan says Carmella has to hand over the briefcase. Next week, they will re-do MITB on Smackdown live with the five ladies competing again. The ladies then brawl. I may have not been a fan of the finish at NITB, but this feels like a shit decision to me. Again, I may have not liked it but they started off well with Carmella’s promo and felt as if they had a real chance to get some real legit heel heat on her with the angle. Carmella has had a really hard time getting over, and I hope that this doesn’t ruin what they started to build. The good news is that a much bigger audience will now see a women’s MITB match on TV.
– Also, will Ellsworth be banned from ringside next week?
Non-Title Match: Champion Jinder Mahal vs. Luke Harper: The Signs are out with Mahal. Mahal opened up with strikes, but Harper quickly fought back and it a dropkick. Mahal takes a powder to the floor. Post break, the Singhs look to help Mahal, but Harper hits a suicide dive to wipe out a Singh as Mahal shoved him in the way to save himself. Mahal tosses Harper back in and Mahal grounds him to work the heat. Mahal worked a pretty lifeless heat, Harper eventually fired up and hit a butterfly suplex and clotheslines. Harper missed a corner charge, but knocks Mahal to the mat and hit the slingshot senton and big boot, covering for 2. Harper then hit the Bossman slam, covering for 2. Harper hits the back elbow, up top and Mahal cuts that off and connects with head butts and then a superplex. Baron Corbin’s music then hit and he teases cashing in… but he was just playin around. Harper rolls up Mahal for 2, hits the superkick and then gets distracted by a Singh; Mahal hits the Khallas to win. Champion Jinder Mahal defeated Luke Harper @ 9:40 via pin [**½] This was a perfectly average match, that was really missing the energy and intensity that Mahal had at MITB. He came across as great on the PPV, but was content with working in second gear tonight. Also, while it was nice to have Luke Harper back on TV, Harper is a guy that Mahal should really be beating clean instead of burning another Singh brother distraction finish, which should be saved for top contenders.
– Randy Orton arrives, beats down the Singhs and then beats down Mahal. Orton then sends Mahal over the barricade, and follows with the draping DDT on the floor, tosses him back in the ring and looks for the RKO but the Singh brothers make the save. Orton fights then off, hits RKOs on both as Mahal escapes through the crowd.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
