wrestling / Columns
Wrestling’s 4Rs: The Right, Wrong and Ridiculous of WWE Smackdown
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...How the 4Rs of wRestling Work!
Here is a quick explanation of the 4R’s. The column will run TWO-THREE times a week. We will group our feelings on the shows in various categories: The Right, the wRong and the Ridiculous. The Right is stuff that worked very well: a great promo, a great match and so on. PuRgatoRy is a section between the right and wrong. It shows equal traits from both sides that cannot be ignored and needs discussed. It is not a bad place per say, as things can get remedied or go the wrong way the very next week. The wRong is what it sounds like: bad matches, bad or boring promos and so on. The Ridiculous is stuff that had no right on TV: Stupid angles and so on. And there is always a possibility of a 5th R, which is as bad as they come. This column is supposed to be analytical, and at the right time very critical of the shows, it was the whole reason it was created. This is not a “mark” column, nor a “smark” column, our goal is to analyze the show from many different fronts, reward the good and call out the bad. We will not apologize for our opinions, they are as they are, whether positive or negative.
SMACKDOWN 7.25.17
– Shinsuke Nakamura d. Baron Corbin [***1/4]
– Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch d. Lana & Tamina [*1/2]
– Sami Zayn & Tye Dillinger d. Aiden English & Mike Kanellis [*]
– WWE US Championship- AJ Styles d. Kevin Owens © & Chris Jericho [****]
THE Right:
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin: Nakamura fired away to start and he hit a guillotine knee drop on the apron. Corbin drilled Nakamura with a lariat on the floor to come back and he grabbed a half nelson. Nakamura fought out and he connected with a single leg dropkick. Nakamura threw some knees at Corbin and he hit a single leg dropkick off the second rope for a near fall. Corbin came back with a Chokebreaker for a near fall and he threw some knees of his own. Corbin hit Deep Six for another near fall and Nakamura clips the leg of Corbin as he tried the same low blow he used at Battleground. Kinsasha to the back of the head and then the original Kinsasha gave Nakamura the victory. This was the fun; physically match these two should have had at Battleground. You felt the intensity and dislike between these two in the match and Nakamura worked with more of an edge to send a message to Corbin. The low blow callback leading to the finish was great and overall this was a very nice match.
Jinder Mahal Demands A SummerSlam Opponent: Jinder Mahal bragged about the destruction of Randy Orton in his match at Battleground and now wanted to know who his next victim would be at SummerSlam. John Cena came out and he gave Mahal some respect for doing what he needs to do to keep the WWE Championship. Cena then gave Mahal a heads up that whatever he has in his bag of tricks won’t be enough, as Cena plans on walking out of SummerSlam as a 17 time champion. Daniel Bryan came out as Cena was leaving and he told Cena that he had to earn his title shot, so he would face Shinsuke Nakamura next week in a #1 Contender’s Match. A nothing special segment in itself but it established a clear direction in the perfect amount of time. It was simple and to the point as they resisted the urge to have go longer than it needed to. It was a good idea for Cena to throw out line of respect to Mahal to give him a bit more credibility as an opponent to him and coming of this I am very intrigue and excited about Cena/Nakamura next week.
WWE US Championship- Kevin Owens © vs. Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles: Styles and Jericho cleared the ring of Owens early and they traded a series of near falls with each other. Styles knocked Jericho off the apron when caught Jericho attempting to head up top but Owens immediately drilled him with a clothesline. Owens worked over Styles for a bit but Styles rolled him into the Cal Crusher before Jericho broke it up with the Lionsault for a near fall. Styles hit the springboard 450 Splash on Jericho but Owens dumped him and stole the cover for a near fall of his own. Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho on Owens but he released the hold in order to hit the Codebreaker on Styles for another big near fall. They trade a series of big strikes and everyone was knocked down to a big round of applause. Jericho hit a springboard dropkick to block a springboard attempt from Styles but Owens drilled him with a super kick and hit the Pop-Up Powerbomb for another near fall. Frog Splash by Owens but Styles dumped him and covered Jericho for the win and the championship. After the match, Owens freaked out at ringside and said he’s getting his rematch next week. This is one of the best Smackdown matches of the year. The timing of the spots in this match and some of the transitions were incredible. This was wrestling with intelligence and awareness; all three of these guys knew what the other was going to do and used it to create openings to give them the upper hand and it was beautifully done. The finished worked here as Owens multiple times in the match tried to steal a win and Styles’ stuck it to Owens by succeeding in what Owens was trying to do all along.
puRgatoRy:
Kevin Owens Opens The Show: New WWE US Champion Kevin Owens opened the show, talking about how good things happen to good people which is why he is once again the US Champion. Owens declared his intentions of reinstating his version of the US Championship Open Challenge beginning next week. AJ Styles interrupted, wanting a rematch but Owens refused to compete tonight. Then Chris Jericho made his return to a big pop and Owens had a look of total shock. Jericho made it clear he also wanted his rematch for the US Championship but Styles took exception, so Jericho put him on the List. Owens tried to walk out during their verbal sparring but Shane McMahon came out and decided to make a Triple Threat Match for the US Title in the main event. Outside of the surprise return of Chris Jericho, this was nothing we haven’t already seen from Owens and Styles was your basic opening segment to set up the main event. Again, it was fine as a device to get us to the big match but it just seemed like time filler for the most part.
Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs. Lana & Tamina: Lana quickly tagged out when Lynch went for the Disarmer and Tamina came in. Lynch got the better of her until Tamina swept Lynch off the second rope face first. Lana worked over the back of Lynch and Tamina hit a hard clothesline. Lynch came back with an enzuigiri and Charlotte got the hot tag, firing away at Tamina. Tamina hit a super kick and Lana made a blind tag, only to eat a big boot from Charlotte for the win. It wasn’t a total embarrassment or the disaster is could have been. Charlotte and Lynch did a good job of making Tamina and Lana look competent and the finish told a good story of Lana getting overzealous and showing she stilled had a lot to learn as an in-ring competitor. The action didn’t amount to match but the overall story they told throughout the match was fine.
Aiden English & Mike Kanellis vs. Sami Zayn & Tye Dillinger: Dillinger and Zayn got the upper hand early in the match but when they returned from commercial, Zayn became the face in peril. Zayn dumped English to the floor, allowing the opening to tag Dillinger who cleaned house. Zayn tagged in and hit the Helluva Kick on Kanellis for the win. The match was nothing, as there wasn’t match before and after the commercial. The crowd was dead since they didn’t have much of a reason to care for 3/4ths of the match and based on tonight and Battleground; they clearly have no faith in Kanellis’ as an in-ring threat. He and Maria just need to flesh out their characters and engage the audience otherwise things will not bode well for his future.
THE wRong:
NOTHING
THE Ridiculous:
NOTHING
