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Hey everyone, it’s time for WWE Smackdown. The wrestling world is still recovering from the sudden and unexpected passing of Pac over the weekend, and I expect a few people tonight to pay tribute to him in one way or another. The big deal right now is MITB coming up so we’ve got Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens vs. Johnny Gargano in a qualifying match (one of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn’t belong) on the men’s side while on the women’s side Tiffany Stratton vs. Candice LeRae vs. Tatum Paxley will handle another qualifying bout. Allegedly we’re finally getting the in ring debut of Blake Monroe, but the long delay has created mostly apathy and Blake being kind of relegated to online exclusive segments hasn’t helped anything either. That said if they just let her and Giulia cut loose the match should be good. Nikki Bella is still trying to get a title shot against Chelsea Green, because God hates us. WWE champion Sami Zayn’s distinctive odor will be around as well I’m sure. Damian Priest hasn’t shown up since turning on R-Truth a few weeks back, so maybe he should, you know, do something this week? Also missing in action lately are Carmelo Hayes and Jordynne Grace, and this is a bad time of year to be out of sight as we all know some cuts will start happening soon. Anyway that’s the preamble, let’s get to the action.

Michael Cole and Corey Graves welcome us to Denver, Colorado for the episode. After that a recap of the MITB qualifying stuff from last week.

We see wrestlers arriving, because that definitely kills air time.

Tiffany Stratton heads to the ring for our first match of the evening. A wrestling show starting with a match, what a novel concept. Candice LeRae and Tatum Paxley follow, man there was 0 reaction for Candice.

Match #1 – Triple Threat Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Candice LeRae vs. Tatum Paxley

Candice directs Paxley into Tiffany then DDTs Tiffany for a 2 count. Candice with a facebuster to Paxley on the apron. Back in the ring Tiffany catches Candice with a handspring elbow in the corner then a spinebuster for a 2 count. Paxley and Tiffany team up on Candice for a sandwich attack. Now everyone takes turns looking for pins until Tiffany clocks Candice with a low dropkick. Paxley with a suplex to Tiffany. Leaping facebreaker from Paxley to Tiffany then Candice and Tiffany wind up on the floor, Paxley with a moonsault from the apron onto both of them as we go to break.

Paxley and Candice head into the ring, but Candice rolls all the way to the other side and to the floor. Tiffany shows up on the floor and she and Paxley abuse Candice for a bit. Tiffany and Paxley argue about who gets to follow Candice into the ring, that sets up Candice for a bit of a double dropkick. Candice with a suplex on the floor to Paxley. Back in the ring Candice with a single leg Boston Crab to Tiffany until Paxley shows up to grab a Sleeper on Candice. Candice is able to fight free then heads up top slowly so Paxley cuts her off. Paxley and Tiffany show up together and hit a double superplex on Candice to put all three women down as we rejoin the broadcast. Paxley with some attacks to both Tiffany and Candice then she gets to really fire up on Candice including a German suplex. Bit of a rebound German suplex from Candice, that did not look good, but Tiffany shows up with a handspring double Stunner. Tiffany with the Cartwheel Alabama Slam to Candice, then she heads up top for a Swanton Bomb but Paxley then drops Tiffany with a wheel kick for a 2 count. Candice with a combination Codebreaker and senton. Paxley breaks up a Lionsault from Candice, Tiffany rolls up Paxley for 2. Paxley avoids a Finaly Roll, hits a Cemetery Drive on Tiffany but Candice tries to steal the pin leading to Paxley breaking things up and keeping the match going. Candice puts Paxley up top and climbs up with her, Paxley headbutts her down then Tiffany with a Finlay Roll, Paxley hits a 450 Splash on Candice but Tiffany follows immediately with a Prettiest Moonsault Ever onto the pile to get the pin and win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Tiffany Stratton won in 9:36

Rating: 3.5 stars
Thoughts: Lovely finishing sequence to this one which pushed just enough better than 3 to round up. All three women got to look good, and Paxley has done a good job getting the crowd invested in her in a short amount of time. Tiffany winning was probably the right call, Paxley will probably be more in line for MITB next year.

In the back Chelsea Green talks with Cathy, she puts over everyone in the MITB ladder match while we see Danhausen doing shenanigans in the background. Nikki Bella shows up to make everything worse. Paige then shows up and tells Nikki she’s not special and to deal with her first. Paige and Nikki will meet in two weeks, then Paige slaps Nikki. Green takes credit for the slap as well and heads out.

Back to the ring, here comes Rey Fenix. He’ll be in action after this break.

Match #2 – Trios Match: Rey Fenix and Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) vs. Ricky Saints and War Raiders (Erik and Ivar)

Erik and Frazer start off, they screw up a rope spot then Erik lands an elbow. Ivar tags in and Frazer gets double teamed for a bit. Some quick tags from the heels as they keep Frazer isolated. Frazer eventually fights back with an enziguri then Axiom tags in and he and Frazer double team Erik. Ivar winds up on the floor to set up the suicide dive train from Axiom and Frazer. Ricky gets sent out of the ring, Fenix tags in and he punctuates everything with a botched dive. Fenix might be legitimately injured after that as we head to break.

Erik gets isolated by the faces, Fenix is still favoring his right leg but seems OK beyond that. Ivar tags in and Axiom hits him with a dropkick to the leg. Axiom charges and Ivar hits the seated senton to ground him. Ricky tags in and goes after Axiom, he’s finally getting some heat. It took him a while to get a bit over on the main roster but he’s finally there. Erik tags in, then Ivar and Axiom takes a scoop slam, then Erik slams big Ivar onto Axiom which gets a 2 count. Ricky tags back in and punches away at Axiom. Scoop slam from Ricky and we rejoin the broadcast. Axiom starts fighting back with chops and a back kick but Erik distracts him so Ricky can kick his legs out from under him. Ricky attacks the mask of Axiom then he stomps at him. Leaping enziguri from Axiom and both men are down. Erik tags in and unloads mounted elbows to Axiom. Axiom slips away from Erik and hits a dropkick and both men are down. Ricky cheap shots Frazer, Axiom then kicks him and tags in Fenix. Fenix goes after Ivar with a flurry of kicks, then hits a Lethal Injection to Ricky and a Tiger Feint wheel kick to Erik. Adios Amigo kick to Erik, Fireman’s Brainbuster to Ricky, then Fenix tunes up the band then levels Ivar with a superkick. Fenix up top, Frog Splash for 2 as Erik breaks up the pin. Time for everyone to get their stuff in, ultimately Frazer dives onto Erik, he’s caught but Axiom follows with a moonsault to put all three men down. Ivar up to the second rope, Fenix hits a palm strike then climbs up for the hopping hurricanrana, Ivar stlls that and Ricky blind tags. Hurricanrana from Fenix, Fenix goes up top but Ricky with the Roshambo to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Ricky Saints and the War Raiders won in 10:43

Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: Fun match, the right guys got to show off their athleticism while the Raiders know well how to work with those kinds of opponents. Ricky pinning Fenix was the obvious outcome but not in a bad way. It’s nice to see Ricky getting over, he wasn’t immediately over on the main roster but his work is paying off now and that’s always heartwarming.

In the back Cathy talks with Cody Rhodes. Cody says he’s focused on tonight and is not going to overlook his opponents. He goes over his history with Denver and he wants to win the briefcase. Trick Williams shows up with a terrible Seth Rollins laugh. Trick says he’s the one winning MITB. Cody is unimpressed and walks off as we head to break.

We come back to Damian Priest video. Priest talks about getting respect from the streets of New York. He lost that path though, put others before himself, and he’s never making that mistake again. The pain he caused Truth was personal, and warns that if Truth stays in his business he’ll put him down and enjoy it. He’s reminded himself who he really is, he’s a bad man, a violent man and that’s what we’ll see from now.

In the back Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair console Paxley after her loss. Danahusen is still doing shenanigans in the back. Charlotte and Paxley will get a tag team title match next week. Charlotte wont hug Paxley, but does give her her hat.

To the ring and here’s Sami Zayn’s music. Eventually Sami himself follows and almost makes my monitor short out. Sami gets a mic, God help us, and has a question for Denver. He hears noise, but needs to know how many people here came to ride or die with him. The reaction is disappointing, much like Sami’s presence. Sami says no WWE champion in history had his journey to get the title, people clamoring for him to win the title and now this is the reaction he gets. He thought justice would arrive once he won the title back, but now he’s the victim of inequality. He is not given the equal respect WWE champions are supposed to get. Everyone says they know they can beat him, all they need is a match and they’ll beat him. Well here’s some reality for everyone, the belt is proof he’s a survivor. He overcomes, he finds a way. He wants the respect he’s entitled to. Je’Von Evans interrupts this. Evans heads to the ring and gets his own mic, then plays with the crowd a bit before Sami whines about being interrupted. Evans calls Sami an Angry Bird with how red he was getting and asks if he’s OK. Sami says he’s champion so he’s good. Sami says he’s been where Evans is, but Evans interrupts knowing what Sami will say. Instead he asks what happens to Sami if his time isn’t in the future, but is right now. He asks what if it doesn’t take him 20 years to win the WWE title? He tells Sami he’s coming for that title, and if he becomes the youngest MITB winner in history he’s going to cash in on Sami and beat him. Sami tries to talk again but our revolving door segment is here and wont be stopped so here’s Penta. Penta gets a mic, soaks in the crowd chanting his name, then says he respects Evans but warns that he wants the briefcase just as bad. Then as for Sami, once Penta wins the briefcase he doesn’t care who he cashes in on, he’s winning one of the world titles, and follows with his catchphrase. Trick Williams and his chant show up next. He takes his sweet time, not like our air time is valuable or anything, and gets a mic. Trick puts over Evans and Penta, but both of them need to remember tonight is Friday and Trick holds things down here. As for Sami, well what’s up gingerbread? He says Sami has no respect for anyone, I mean just look at him. Wont comb his hair, is wearing crappy shoes, breath still smelling like 10 pounds of bounce that ass, and Trick wont respect a man who can’t brush his damn teeth. There’s only one guy in the ring who looks, sounds, and smells like money and that’s Trick. Sami asks if everyone’s done, then tells them all that no one can do what he does. He knows there’s at least two losers in the ring right now, and probably three losers so what happens to everyone else when the losses and years pile up. He survived gingerbread, getting pinned in a mouse trap at Mania, thrown into dumpsters, and he’s overcome it all. You really think you can overcome what Sami did? He repeats himself and none of them even deserve to be in his ring until they’ve overcome a few obstacles. Sami heads out, but as he’s leaving here’s Finn Balor behind him. Balor calls over Sami and warns him that briefcase or not he’s coming for the title. Sami says Balor isn’t special, and he should just earn a title shot. Balor clobbers Sami, Gunther then attacks Balor from behind with a ripcord lariat. Gunther stares down Sami and lariats him down too, then throws the human sack of crap into a ladder. Balor eats ladder as well and Gunther stands tall. I dislike revolving door promo segments, this one went on way too long and frankly it was just more of the same stuff from everyone. Sami’s passion still comes across well but he can only repeat himself so much before it all just gets tedious. Trick is just Trick, Evans has some unique charisma but longer form promos aren’t a strong suit, and Penta is cool and all but another guy who benefits from brevity when everything about this segment was designed to be incredibly verbose.

In the back Cathy talks with Tiffany, she wants to win MITB. Green shows up to celebrate with her and then Lash Legend shows up to talk. More Danhausen in the background.

Back to the ring Giulia heads down and we head to break, allegedly she’ll wrestle Blake Monroe after this break.

Cathy finds Gunther in the back, but here’s Danhausen with a gimmick. Gunther is sick of Danhausen and throws him around into some equipment.

Back to the ring, here’s Blake who doesn’t get the cool mirror entrance.

Match #3: Giulia vs. Blake Monroe

38 minutes between matches, that’s beyond unacceptable. Both women get to striking right away. Headlock throw form Giulia, but Blake is able to corner her with kicks. Blake puts Giulia up top and does the handstand hurricanrana then a low dropkick for a 2 count. Giulia fights back with a snapmare then kicks to the back and a running kick to send Blake out of the ring. Giulia follows but Blake rams her into the apron then hits a running knee strike to send us to break.

Back in the ring Blake covers for 2. Suplex from Blake. Giulia fights back with a kick but Blake rams her into a corner for some of the usual corner work. Blake with a knee then a Regal Cutter for a 2 count. About the weakest Crippler Crossface I’ve ever seen from Blake. Giulia rolls free then hits a jawbreaker as we rejoin the broadcast. Shoulder blocks from Giulia then a flurry of punches. Corner attack from Giulia then a second rope dropkick to launch Blake across the ring, nice bump from Blake. Blake avoids a Arrivederci knee then hits a Sling Blade. Saito suplex from Blake gets a 2 count. Giulia avoids a Neutralizer with a back body drop, tries a Northern Lights Bomb but Blake slips free and lands a headbutt but Giulia laughs it off and hits an Arrivederci knee. Curb Stomp from Giulia, Super Dragon style, but only a near fall. Blake crawls to the apron, Giulia grabs her by the hair and drags her up top, but Blake slips free and trips Giulia who goes face first into the corner and that gets the pin for Blake.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Blake Monroe won in 8:22

Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: Some nice hard hitting stuff there, which isn’t surprising given their history but it’s quite nice seeing Giulia starting to get over now. Blake looked pretty good here, and Giulia was the right opponent to let her show off her more vicious side against as Giulia is generally down for the physical stuff.

Blake celebrates on the ramp as we head to break.

We get a recap of the Bloodline and 946 stuff from Monday.

In the back Johnny Gargano talks with Candice, Sami comes over and says he can’t help tonight. Sami then hypes up Johnny for the match.

To the ring, it’s main event time. Kevin Owens out first rocking a black armband with “Ben” on it for Pac. Owens is in the ring as we head to break.

Next week we’ll get Fatal Influence vs. Charlotte and Paxley, CM Punk will be present as well.

Back to the ring here comes Johnny Gargano, good grief that man gets 0 pop. He might have been more over just laying on crates than actually wrestling. Cody Rhodes is last out, well except for Randy Orton who will presumably cost him the match.

Match #4 – Triple Threat Match: Kevin Owens vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Cody Rhodes

Cody goes right at Owens with punches, Johnny makes a nuisance of himself so Owens can kick down Cody. Some covers from Cody to Owens and Johnny. Owens kicks Johnny then lands some punches. Corner clotheslines from Owens to Cody. Johnny lands some elbows to Owens but Owens just tosses him out of the ring like a bag of doorknobs. Johnny with some apron work to Owens then a slingshot Spear to Cody, he tries a suicide dive to Owens but screws it up, Owens sells anyway, and we head picture in picture.

Some punches from Johnny to Cody. Cody with the drop down right hand but Owens flies in with a senton to Cody, then he kicks Johnny out of the ring. Owens corners Cody then hits a cannonball senton. Cody tries a Sunset Flip, Johnny shows up to catapult Cody’s head into the groin of Owens. Johnny with some corner work to Cody, then his spinning head kick. Owens pulls Johnny out of the ring and rams him into the announce table a few times. Owens bounces Johnny off the ring steps then goes under the ring for a table as we rejoin the broadcast. The Slim Jim table is set up by Owens on the floor. Candice runs down to pull Johnny away from Owens, Johnny then with a terrible looking superkick to Owens. Back in the ring Cody starts landing punches to Johnny and looks to fire up with his usual offense. Disaster kick to Johnny, then jabs to Owens and the Bionic Elbow. Gargano Escape on Cody, Owens just yanks Johnny up and hits the Pac rebound German suplex. Johnny avoids a Package Piledriver and grabs another Gargano Escape, Owens rolls free though. Cody with a Gordbuster to drop Johnny onto Owens. Johnny avoids Cross Rhodes, Candice grabs Cody but Cody dodges a superkick, then pump kicks Johnny who runs into Candice who falls onto Chekov’s table which does not break under the 80 pounds of Candice. Cody then knocks Johnny through the table, because Slim Jim wasn’t paying for that table to not be broken. Cody and Owens knock each other down as we head to break again.

Owens pulls himself upright and than starts landing some punches to Cody. Candice is taken away by a ref, then Cody gets his knees up to block a senton from Owens. Cody goes for a 10 Punch, he gets all of them then puts Owens up top. Come on Cody, you know better than this. Owens with some punches, Cody climbs anyway but you really can’t superplex Owens, but this time it’s Johnny who shoves Cody down. Johnny now eats a headbutt from Owens. Johnny climbs up with Owens, and he tries a superplex but you cannot superplex Owens who counters with the avalanche Fisherman’s Buster as we rejoin the broadcast. One of these days someone’s going to actually superplex Owens and it’ll be glorious. Owens pulls himself to the top rope, Cody then jumps up and looks to superplex Owens but Owens fights that. Johnny climbs up with Cody, and Johnny with a Sunset powerbomb to Cody, Owens follows with a Swanton Bomb to Cody then Johnny kicks Owens and Covers Cody for 2. Cody with a super Cody Cutter to Johnny, Owens superkicks Cody then tries a pop up powerbomb but Johnny slips free only to eat a Stunner from Owens and Cody has to block the ref’s 3 count to save things. Owens is not happy, and pulls up Cody so they can start trading strikes. They trade blows for a bit, then the hand wraps come off and we get a hockey fight for a bit. Slap from Owens, but Cody counters a Stunner into Cross Rhodes but Randy Orton yanks the ref out of the ring. Randy goads Cody into fighting on the floor, those two brawl for a bit. Cody rams Randy into the ring post, then debates getting into the ring but instead teases Punting Randy only for Johnny to intercept him with a suicide dive. One Final Beat to Owens but Owens kicks at 2. Superkick from Owens, then a pop up powerbomb and Randy stops Cody from breaking up the pin leading to Owens getting the pin.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Kevin Owens won in 17:04

Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: Some quality stuff here, Johnny having to play disruptor was smart as he’s nowhere near Cody or Owens in the overall pecking order. Randy costing Cody was obvious, and they’re treading dangerously close to overplaying the Randy and Cody stuff at this point.

Cody heads after Randy through the crowd as Owens celebrates in the ring while the episode ends.