wrestling / TV Reports
Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 1.02.18
Loading...
Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 1.02.18
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Smackdown Tag Team Title Match: Champions The Usos defeated Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable @ 7:25 pin [**¾]
– US Title Tournament Match: Xavier Woods defeated Aiden English @ 5:45 via pin [**½]
– Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, & Liv Morgan defeated Natalya, Tamina, & Carmella @ 5:38 via pin [**]
– Non-Title Match: Sami Zayn defeated Champion AJ Styles @ 13:50 via pin [**¾]
– Follow all of my reviews at this link.
– I ranked the Raw women’s division from worst to first at this link.
– I ranked the Smackdown women’s division from worst to first at this link.
– I wrote about the winners in the battle for the Broken Universe at this link.
– I wrote about the top 10 female NXT stars at this link.
– I wrote about how quickly the WWE can change in just 6-years at this link.
– I wrote about 8 possible surprises for the women’s Royal Rumble at this link.
– We get highlights from last week’s show.
AJ Styles Talks: AJ Styles is here to kickoff the show. Styles is polite and welcomes us to the first Smackdown of 2018, and of course, to the house that he built. He hypes that the Rumble is coming, and says he plans to take the world title to Mania, and walk out as champion. Last week, Shane and Sami got involved in his match, and tonight, he plans to beat Sami. He questions of Kevin will be at ringside, and Daniel Bryan arrives. Shane then arrives, shaking hands and being friendly. He says he had the best intentions last week, as he tried to get Sami removed from ringside. He wanted a one on one match o take place, but his presence may have contributed to Styles’ loss, and he apologizes. They make nice as Shane says he knows Bryan thinks he has issues with Sami & Kevin, but Shane says Bryan has something in common with them both. He questions Bryan allowing Sami to be at ringside last week. “Are you turning the yes movement into the yep movement?” He doesn’t think Bryan will ban Kevin from ringside, so he will be at ringside during the main event. Bryan says that’s fine, because Kevin will be at ringside tonight, and he will be there as well. Styles is not thrilled with this. This was a solid segment, playing off of the established angle and last week’s main event. I really hope this is leading to Bryan returning to the ring, other wise it feels like a big waste of time.
– The Usos arrive, and cut a pre-match promo, noting that they are the best tag team, and welcome everyone to the Uso penitentiary.
Smackdown Tag Team Title Match: Champions The Usos vs. Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable: The Usos attack at the bell, but Benjamin quickly fights back and gable hits a moonsault for a good early near fall. We go screen in screen, as Gable takes control working the knee of an Uso. He grounds the action, tagging in Benjamin, who continues the work on the knee. Benjamin then works a half crab, and then tags in Gable. They continue to keep the heat, isolating the injured Uso in their half of the ring. Quick tags follow, and then double teams by the challengers. Gable goes right back to the knee. Back to full screen, as Jimmy works to escape and get a tag. The enziguri follows and wholesale changes to Benjamin & Jey follow. Jey tosses Benjamin and hits a dive and then follows with one on Gable. Benjamin cuts off Jey and slams him to the barricade, and then cuts off Jimmy with a knee strike. The doomsday powerbomb follows and we have new champions! BUT WAIT, THE CHALLENGERS APPARENTLY PINNED THE WRONG USO. A new ref is down; we have a discussion, and get a restart. Post break and the Usos attack and we have a brawl on the floor. We’re officially back underway, with Jimmy working over Benjamin until Gable pulls him to the floor. Benjamin gets a roll up with the tights for 2, and then follows with a spinebuster. Gable looks for the doomsday powerbomb again but jumps into a superkick. The Usos lay out Benjamin with superkicks and hit the top rope splash for the win. Champions The Usos defeated Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable @ 7:25 pin [**¾] This was a pretty good match over all, even with the wonky finish. It felt like they wanted to show that the challengers could win, but didn’t want to pull the trigger on a title change. This may also be an excuse for a hard heel turn with Benjamin & Gable.
– Kevin & Sami walk and meet up with Renee. They talk about tonight’s main event, and Kevin says there are differences tonight, but what won’t be different, because Sami will beat Styles tonight. Kevin & Sami are gloriously annoying.
The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper & Rowan) vs. The Fashion Police (Breeze & Fandango): The Bludgeon Brothers attack right away, kicking the shit out of the Fashion Police. The Ascension arrives, the bell has not sounded yet, but the Ascension get their asses kicked as well. That’s that.
– Big E & Kofi meet with Woods and have a gift for him; it’s a pancake platter. Woods says when he wins the US Title, that they all become US Champions. English & Rusev arrive and speak about the virtues of Rusev Day. Because every day is Rusev day.
– Mojo cuts a promo about next week’s US Title Tournament match with Zack Ryder. He plans to leave Ryder in the past.
– Rusev is out with English and has a little song to introduce English.
US Title Tournament Match: Xavier Woods vs. Aiden English: Rusev is out with English. Big E & Kofi are out with Woods. They work some basic back and forth as the crowd chants for pancakes. Woods cuts of English with a kick, covering for 2. English is sent to the floor, Woods follows and gets slammed to the steps. Back in and English covers for 2. English now lays in rights, and then grounds the action with a side headlock. Woods escapes and gets back to his feet and that leads to a double down. They get to the feet, Woods lays in rights and chops, and Woods works a torture rack into a lumbar check for 2. They trade roll ups, and then English hits the sitout spinebuster for a near fall. English heads up top, Woods follows him up and Woods fights off a powerbomb and backdrops English to the mat. Woods now hits the ropewalk elbow drop, and that’s that. Xavier Woods defeated Aiden English @ 5:45 via pin [**½] This was a perfectly solid, but short match. Woods winning was a given as the winner was moving on to face Mahal.
– Jinder Mahal. Bobby Roode, and Xavier Woods now have moved on.
– Natalya cuts a promo about tonight’s tag match, her longer-term memory is in tact as she references the welcoming committee, but forgets about walking out at the Clash of Champions PPV.
Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, & Liv Morgan vs. Natalya, Tamina, & Carmella: I love how they have just dropped Natalya’s little meltdown at Clash of Champions. Lana is at ringside. Liv and Natalya to begin. They work some back and forth. Natalya yells a lot, Liv kips up and after a matrix, eats a lariat. We go screen in screen, Natalya beats on Liv but Liv fires back and tags in Ruby. They cut off Natalya, isolating her in their corner. Natalya quickly escapes and tags in Carmella. She hits a head scissors and dropkick; Ruby cuts her off and tags in Logan. Back to full screen, as Logan grounds the action, keeping Carmella from fighting back. Carmella gets a roll up for 2 and then tags on Tamina. She runs wild, hitting kicks and a Samoan drop. Tamina up top, but Liv shoves her off and Logan hits cartwheel knees and picks up the win. Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, & Liv Morgan defeated Natalya, Tamina, & Carmella @ 5:38 via pin [**] This was ok at best, mainly serving to get the Riott Squad some momentum ahead of the rumble.
– Post match, Ruby cuts a promo, saying magic isn’t real. She says the fans need a strong dose of reality, and that’s what the Riott Squad is. They are all officially in the Royal Rumble. Charlotte arrives, looking for some revenge. She first congratulates them on their win, and says she believes in the power and magic of her dreams. But she has some reality for her, actions have consequences. Naomi arrives, but more importantly BECKY IS BACK! They charge the ring and we have a brawl. The babyfaces run wild, clearing the ring with ease.
– Angry man Baron Corbin cuts a promo, announcing his participation in the year’s Royal Rumble, and he can’t wait to main event WrestleMania. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
Non-Title Match: WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn: Shane, Bryan, and Kevin are all at ringside. Styles attacks at the bell and works over Sami in the corner. Sami quickly fights back, and they trade strikes until Sami hits a backdrop, covering for 2. Styles then works into the international and hits the dropkick. They spill to the floor; we get arguing with Shane, Bryan, and Kevin as Styles rolls Sami back in. But Sami cuts off Styles and hits a fisherman’s buster for 2. Post break, and Sami has Styles grounded. Styles starts fighting back to his feet, they trade strikes and Styles fires up, lying in kicks and hitting a clothesline and sliding forearm. Styles follows with a clothesline and gut buster for 2. Sami fights off the ushigoroshi, heads up top and Styles cuts him off, and then hits the ushigoroshi for 2. Styles looks for the clash, but Sami counters into the blue thunder bomb for a near fall. Sami charges and Styles catches him in the calf crusher. Sami claws for the ropes, but Styles rolls the hold and keeps Sami center ring. Sami finally makes the ropes. Sami lays in strikes, Styles fires back as they trade center ring; Styles hits the PELE and gets sent to the apron and the springboard misses, and the ref gets bumped to the floor. Styles rolls up Sami, but Kevin distracts the ref. Shane shoves down Kevin. The ref tosses Kevin and BRYAN tosses Shane from ringside. Sami hits the helluva and pins Styles. Sami Zayn defeated Champion AJ Styles @ 13:50 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good main event, but far from what they are capable of. The entire main event scene is about building the Shane vs. Bryan angle, and that’s coming at the expense of Styles, which I am not a fan of.
– Styles is pissed post match, and yells at Shane and Bryan. This leads to Styles vs. Sami & Kevin at the Rumble in a handicap match.
– End Scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
