Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 7.30.19

“It’s good shit, pal.” – Vince McMahon

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 7.30.19

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Kevin Owens defeated Drew McIntyre @ 13:35 via pin [***½]
– Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross defeated Bayley & Ember Moon @ 6:40 via pin [**]
– Dolph Ziggler defeated Finn Balor @ 4:47 via pin [**]
– Non-Title Match:Ali defeated IC Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 2:40 via pin [NR]
– Non-Title Champion vs. Champion Match: Kofi Kingston defeated AJ Styles @ 13:01 via pin [***¼]

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– Shane sent in a video noting that he won’t be at Smackdown tonight following the advice of his life coach. He will end Owens’ career at Summerslam, and will declare that Shane s the better man.

Kevin Owens Speaks: Kevin jokes about Shane not being here tonight, but we can get through it together. He reassures Shane that him not being here is actually great news because the show can actually be about the talent. But you better be at Summerslam, because he will beat Shane and won’t be quitting. He will prove that Shane doesn’t belong in the ring. And he knows that Shane will keep showing up, but Shane will know that this is the Kevin Owens show. Drew McIntyre now arrives and says Kevin talks too much and that they have a match tonight. He attacks, posts Kevin and tosses him over the commentary table. The match is next.

Kevin Owens vs. Drew McIntyre: They brawl at the bell, and McIntyre mows down Kevin with a shoulder tackle and follows with strikes. The suplex follows for 1. McIntyre follows with an overhead belly to belly, and then grounds the action. Kevin fights to his feet, but McIntyre cuts him off with chops and stomps. More chops follow, and McIntyre grounds things again. Kevin fires back, but McIntyre hits another overhead toss for 2. Kevin fires back and follows with the cannonball for 2. Kevin heads up top, gets cutoff and McIntyre follows him up and Kevin fights him off and the frog splash connects for 2. Kevin dumps him to the floor and follows with an apron cannonball. He lays in chops, but McIntyre slams him to the barricades. McIntyre rolls him back in and works him over in the corner. He takes him up top and follows him up. Kevin fires back, knocks him to the mat and follows with the swanton for 2. The stunner is countered, the head butt and side effect by McIntyre follows for 2. The superkick counters the claymore, and the superkick and pop up powerbomb follows for 2. Kevin heads up top and gets cut off, McIntyre follows him up and the avalanche air raid crash follows for 2. They spill to the floor, McIntyre clears off the announce table and they work onto it. Stunner by Kevin and back in, and Kevin hits the superkick and stunner for the win. Kevin Owens defeated Drew McIntyre @ 13:35 via pin [***½] This was a very good and competitive match to open the show.

– Dolph is interviewed, and comments on his actions from last week when he superkicked HBK. Dolph doesn’t care, and says too bad. He mocks Mick Foley for not belonging and then Goldberg before talking about HBK putting his hands on him last week. At Summerslam, he faces the Miz, who isn’t even the best wrestler in his house. Tonight he takes out Balor, and proves he is the future.

– Bayley meets with Ember Moon and they talk about last week. They team tonight, but Bayley says if Moon pulls anything, she’ll regret it.

– Aliester Black cuts a promo, noting that he’s different. His salvation lies within strife, and the willingness to pick a fight with him. Cesaro was a true man and stepped up, but how does he follow it up? he waits less patiently for anyone to catch on and understand what he’s trying to do for himself.

Bayley & Ember Moon vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross: Moon and Bliss lock up and Moon follows with an enziguri. Bayley tags in and stuns Bliss off the ropes, and follows with the dropkick. Nikki distracts her but Noon wipe her out with a suicide dive. Post break and Nikki works over Bayley in the ring skirt, tags in Bliss and she dropkicks Bayley. She then slaps her, and back in, covers for 2. Nikki tags back in and double teams follow. The heels work quick tags, but Bayley dumps Nikki and makes the tag, Moon runs wild and hits an enziguri and fall away slam. The eclipse connects on Nikki, Bliss posts her and Twisted Bliss finishes Moon. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross defeated Bayley & Ember Moon @ 6:40 via pin [**] This was ok, but I wasn’t a fan of Moon eating the pin here as she needs credibility for Summerslam

– Post match, Bayley hits Bayley to belly on Moon.

– Sami Zayn cuts a promo on Aleister Black, and says he’s begging for help, not a fight. He hides because he can’t live up to the hype, and he will beat and expose him. He will do it at Summerslam.

– Daniel Bryan arrives for his big announcement, but leaves.

The King’s Court: Jerry Lawler arrives and Trish Stratus is his guest. Trish looks amazing. She’s glad to be here as Lawler hypes her vacation photos on Instagram. They talk Raw Reunion, and how many legends want one last match. Trish says that it’s in her blood, and always has the itch, but she’s a mom now. Charlotte arrives. Charlotte says you can’t hold a king’s court without a queen. She mentions not being on Summerslam, and runs down Trish. There are other WWE stars that are moms, and then challenges Trish to a match at Summerslam. Charlotte says she expected more from Trish, but the new women aren’t models shaking their assets, and says Trish can’t hang with the queen, so get out of my ring and get backing your mini-van and go back to changing diapers. Trish puts over Charlotte but then says she’s being a bitch. There would be no trail for Charlotte to blaze if it wasn’t for her and her generation, and accepts. The promo work wasn’t great, but the segment got over well.

– The OC cuts a promo on Summerslam, and put themselves over. AJ will prove to Kofi that Smackdown will always be the house that he built.

– We get a Firefly Funhouse. The puppets are excited for Summerslam, and Ramlblin Rabbit loves Balor. But the Fiend will be unleashed, and he runs away as Bray arrives. Bray laughs and says let me in as we get video of the Fiend.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Finn Balor: Dolph attacks with a dropkick and then strikes. He grounds Balor, but Balor fights to his feet and then gets slammed back down. Dolph grounds him again, but Balor battles back with a basement dropkick. He follows with running forearms, chops and then an enziguri. The final cut follows for 2. Dolph counters sling blade, hits the fameasser and covers for 2. Dolph sets and the superkick is countered by sling blades and a standing double stomp. Balor dumps him and the Fiend’s music hits, lights out, and he’s here. He disappears and Dolph hits the superkick for the win. Dolph Ziggler defeated Finn Balor @ 4:47 via pin [**] Not much of a match, but at least it advanced the build to Balor & Wyatt.

IC Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ali: Ali attacks with a dropkick and suicide dive at the bell. Back in and the high cross gets 2. Nakamura cuts him off and lays the boots to him. Ali battles back, hits an enziguri and the rolling x-factor. Nakamura cuts him off, hits the reverse XPLODER, and Kinshasa is met with a superkick. Ali then MISSES the 450, but Ali counters Kinshasa but Nakamura hits a DDT. Kinshsa is countered into a cradle for the win. Ali defeated IC Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 2:40 via pin [NR] This should set up Ali for an IC Title match at Summerslam.

– We get a Randy Orton video package, talking about his greatness while Kofi had to pretend to be Jamaican, be the fun guy because he couldn’t step to his level. Orton sent him to the bottom of the ladder, and then there was a new Kofi in Ali, and he took him out. Kofi stepped up and took that opportunity, and won the title. Orton takes credit for Kofimania, and can’t even get a thank you. Kofi’s win was luck, a fluke. Kofi challenging him was “stupid, stupid, stupid.” He will take the title from him at Summerslam. This was really well done.

– Kofi is interviewed and says that AJ can talk all he wants, because they have gold and they run this place. Smackdown is now the palace of positivity.

Kofi Kingston vs. AJ Styles: New Day & The Good Brothers are at ringside. They lock up and Styles hits a shoulder tackle. Lock up again and Kofi grounds the action, Styles makes the ropes and follows with a takedown. Kofi fires back but runs into a dropkick. They pick up the pace, Kofi hits a back elbow and then a dropkick. Styles counters trouble in paradise, but Kofi dumps him. The OC & New Day argue as Styles cuts off the dive and slams Kofi to the barricade. Post break and Styles is still in control. He works over Kofi in the corner, and then hits a back breaker for 2. Styles follows with a modified camel clutch, but Kofi fights to his feet but Styles follows with kicks. He takes him up top and Kofi fires back, knocks Styles to the mat and the tornado DDT follows. Kofi scores with clotheslines, a dropkick and the boom drop, Kofi then looks for trouble in paradise, countered but he rebounds with the running double stomp for 2. Styles counters trouble in paradise, but Kofi counters ushigoroshi with an SOS for 2. Kofi follows with shadows over hell and that gets 2 as the OC pulls out Styles. Styles cuts off the dive, but Kofi kicks him to the floor and the OC attack the New Day on the floor as Kofi follows with a dive. Styles cuts him off with ushigoroshi and the springboard forearm eats trouble in paradise for the Kofi win. Kofi Kingston defeated AJ Styles @ 13:01 via pin [***¼] This was a good main event that involved the guys on the floor, but avoided a predictable DQ finish as Kofi maintains momentum heading into Summerslam.

Roman Reigns’ Summerslam Challenge: Roman is about to make his announcement but a light rigging is toppled onto him. He no sells it and walks away, but no announcement.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 39. On the show, the good brother, Jeremy Lambert, joins 411’s Larry Csonka and the guys will discuss Vince McMahon’s reaction to AEW as competition, the Impact TV situation, catch upon NJPW G1 29 reviews and much more. The show is approximately 100-minutes long.

* Intro
* Vince McMahon’s Reaction to AEW as Competition: 2:30
* Looking at The Impact Wrestling TV Situation: 13:45
* Jimmy Uso Arrested For DUI: 24:45
* AEW to Wednesdays, Will WWE Counter Program With an Expanded NXT on FS1?: 30:00
* ROH & The NWA End Their Working Relationship: 43:25
* NJPW G1 29 Night Five Review: 53:20
* NJPW G1 29 Night Six Review: 1:01:00
* NJPW G1 29 Night Seven Review: 1:07:25
* NJPW G1 29 Night Eight Review: 1:18:10

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 on Wrestling Podcast via the above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

6.8

The final score: review Average

The 411

This week’s episode of WWE Smackdown was an overall pretty good show, with some good wrestling and a lot of attention on adding to the Summerslam card, which was the strength of the show.