wrestling / TV Reports
Acero’s WWE Smackdown Review 8.21.20
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Shoutout to Thomas Victor Dove III a reader who is here every week, giving me hell no matter the day. His wife Carol has been on Hospice for a couple of months and said her goodbyes yesterday morning at 11:30. Thank you for reading every single week, Thomas, and even though we’re a small corner in the world known as the internet, you’ve got family here. Much love, and RIP Carol from all of 411 and me, and Vanessa.
Hi, everyone! Missed most of you! Y’all see the pics of the Thunderdome? Talk about lipstick on a pig…
Oh, sorry, am I being jaded and overly cynical?
Show starts with some thunder. We get a nice little opening with the Smackdown theme, focusing on the new arena for WWE Smackdown. Pyro is loud and proud as the Thunderdome is shown in all its glory.
It’s like a Dave & Busters with a ring in the middle.
Are you ready for a good time?
We start the show with Vince in the middle of the ring. He welcomes everyone to Friday Night Smackdown as the audience comes alive. He says you’ll never see it coming.
He is cut off by the lights goin out. They come back on, all red, so it’s definitely not Retribution, although if ever there was a time to come make a statement, it’d be when the Chairman of the company you supposedly despise is in the middle of the ring.
The Fiend takes forever to get into the ring. He laughs at McMahon, trapping him between The Fiend and the ropes. A train is nearby, it appears.
Bald Braun’s music hits and he comes down to the ring, stares down The Fiend’s lantern, and enters the ring. Vince appears to be gone.
Lights flicker, and the audience is back. Braun and Bray are face to mask.
Retribution is here. There’s like 12 of them, and they circle the ring. The Fiend stares Braun down, and Braun down onluy. Which I love. Braun smiles as Fiend nods. He waves goodbye, and the lights go out. The Fiend is gone.
Braun is left alone. Retribution attacks Braun all at once. They beat him down, and the “chaotic cam” shows up to say hello.
The Smackdown Locker Room comes down to fight the cause. Big E, Gable, Riddle <Sheamus, Corbin, Morrison, Otis, basically everyone, heel or face, are here. Even Dana comes to help. So sweet. Thanks, Dana. The roster makes short work of Retribution, sending them all out of the ring.
We hear one of them scream, “Scatter.”
The Miz is last down the ramp, after Retribution is already through the crowd of people screens.
Gulak helps Braun stand up, and claps him on the back, encouragingly.
Braun turns and clocks Gulak. Jey Uso gets tossed out of the ring by Braun. Braun leaves the ring and rips his shirt.
We’ll be back to Hollywood Squares after the break!
Match 1: Big E vs Sheamus
We come back, and Sheamus and Big E are going face to face in the ring, while the rest of the locker room stands around oddly around the ring. Looks like we’ll be getting then Sheamus v Big E match with the roster protecting the sanctity of the match.
Lockup to start. Big E gets Sheamus into the corner. Big E works the arm till the ref holds him back. Side headlock, but Big E escapes and gets one of his own. He tightens it. Rope work, shoulder tackle gets nothing done by Big E. Clubbing blows to the back from Sheamus. Bi E sends Sheamus to the outside. Big E follows. He shoulder tackles Sheamus into the ring steps. Big E sends Sheamus into the ring and clubs the chest, then rolls in to break the count. Big E with another heavy hit to the chest, more over and over. Big E to the apron. He runs with a splash. Sheamus hangs up Big E on the apron then pulls his back against the ropes. Sheamus to the top rope. He dives off with a clothesline, hits it, and waits for Big E to get back up before doin the ten beats bit. Big E hits some uppercuts, but eats an Irish Curse backbreaker. Pin for 1..2..NO!!!
Lights flicker as Retribution got a hold of the light switch at the Thunderdome!
We come back from a break, and Big E hits a trio of Belly to Belly tosses. He hits the ropes, drops a big splash onto Sheamus, and claps his confidence up. He lifst Sheamus, Sheamus floats, lands in the corner, kick to Big E. Sheamus goes for a Brogue, Big E lifts Sheamus up and over, turns, and Sheamus hits a knee to the face! Cover for 1..2…NO!!! Sheamus goes for a possible White Noise, lands on his feet, Big E hits the corner, Sheamus runs…right into a Uranage! Pin for 1..2…NO!!!! Big E hits the ropes while Shemaus is on the apron. He’s looking for the spear. Sheamus with a knee! Sheamus lifts Big E, locks him up on the ropes, goes for the beat down, Big E blocks, lifts Sheamus onto his shoulders. Sheamus drops. Big E hits the corner, Sheamus moves! WHITE NOISE! Pin for 1..2…NO!!!!
Outside the ring, Corbin hits a right hand to Riddle. We get a melee of sorts with everyone outside trying to hold Corbin back.
Sheamus looks down at the distraction. Big E rolls Big E up. 1….2….3!!!
Winner: Big E
I really would have loved for Big E to have won this match cleanly, as a roll up doesn’t do any favors to a guy who the’ve been selling over and over as a guy who may not be able to handle a singles run.
Total Rating: **1/2
Match Time: 10:08
Jeff is backstage and his leg is hurt. He asks the doc for a leg brace, saying that someone fell on him from behind.
Further backstage, Lucha House Party are walking, hyped for their match coming up, when out of nowhere, Shinsuke and Cesaro attack from behind. Kalisto yells at them to get up a Cesaro and Shinsuke walk away, laughing.
Match 2: Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado) vs Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro
Gran and Shinsuke to start. Shin with a knee then a kick to the back. He sends Gran’s head into Cesaro’s boot. Tag. Cesaro in with a running elbow drop. Cover for 1. That’s a no. Cesaro cinches the head, Gran turns inot it, hits the ropes, rolls all over Cesaro and head scissors him away. Cesaro whips, Gran runs the ropes, dives off, Cesaro catches him and drops him with a huge powerbomb. 1..2…NO!!!!
Backstage, The Miz and Morrison are watching. They cut a promo. It’s not good.
Tag to Shinsuke who covers for 1..2…NO!!!! Cravat into a snapmare from Shinsuke. Knee drop and a cover for 1..2..NO!!! Tag to Cesaro. Leg drop and a cover for 1..2….NO!!!! Tag to Shinsuke and a double team to Gran. Shinsuke elbows Lince off the apron. Tag to Cesaro. Cesaro with a right hand. Lock up and a suplex onto the ropes by Cesaro. Cesaro to the 2nd rope, Gran hits the mid section. Cesaro hits some rights on the 2nd rope. Metalik on the ropes as well. He hops to the top one, dives and head scissors Cesaro off the top rope! Tag to Lince. Tag to Shinsuke. Crossbody off the top from Lince. Dropkick to Cesaro. Side step and Shin hits the corner. Rights and lefts and a high kick. Lince bounces off and out of the corner, then ducks a kick and hits one of his own. Shinsuke to the mat. 2nd rope moonsault. Another 2nd rope moonsault. Ah, I guess he started with the first. He hits the top rope and a moonsault. Pin for 1..2…NO!!!! Cesaro in to break it up. He gutwrenches, but Lince sends him outside with a head scissors. Grand Metalik hits the ropes. He dives over the top rope, looks for a hurricanrana, but botches, and Cesaro sells it anyway.
Shinsuke with an Inverted DDT. He leav4es the ring, kicks Metalik, goes back in, goes for the finisher, rollup from Lince. Pin for 1..2..NO!!! Springboard cutter from Lince. Tag from Cesaro, he dives over Shinsuke, catches Lince with a Sunset flip, grabs Lince, Lince reverses into a pin for 1…..NO!!!
Lince tries for a possible Destroyer, but Cesaro pushes the momentum in his favor, gets a rollup, and we get 1..2…3!!!
Winner:
Everyone involved here is amazing, but the first minute or so came off as a bit too choreographed, like the first five of a Young Bucks match, and didn’t get a good level of flow until the end. The botch didn’t help, but I won’t hold it against them too much. A shame, there seems to be a turn, but we still don’t know enough about any of the three to are about any type of dissension.
Total Rating: *
Match Time: 5:32
Kalisto is pissed. He removes his jacket and runs into the ring. He asks Lince WTF, then shoves Lince. Gran is in to stop the fight. Kalisto gets shoved on his ass. Gran stands in between the two friends, as they continue to yell and berate each other.
We get a replay of the beginning of the show, and we see AJ Styles kick Jeff Hardy in the back of the leg while Retribution was doing their thing.
AJ is interviewed and says that Jeff was in the way while AJ was trying to stand up for Smackdown. He says Jeff not being able to wrestle tonight is a shame, but it represents his career – a waste.
AJ continues walking, and he stops to see Sasha and Bayley with their titles. They clap gold and Sasha laughs for no reason.
Kayla is backstage, checking on Mandy as we return. Mandy says it’s been a rough week. She knows how she feels, and despite all the bad and ugly, she needs to believe that there is still good in this world. She wants to speak directly to Sonya.
She turns towards the camera.
They’ve been through a lot, and so much of the good and beautiful, they’ve been through together. She is choosing, today, to believe that the Sonya she knows is still out there. She doesn’t know how she’s feeling going into SS, but the way mandy is feeling, she wants to put it all behind them and get back to where they were. She chooses to see the good in Sonya.
Sasha and Bayley are here. Corey is in the ring to interview them. He brings up Summerslam, and Asuka taking on both of them. Sasha accuses Grave of stirring the pot. Bayley says they are logical, everything they do is for a reason, and that’s why they are the champions. They have all the gold. Graves says Bayley doing all the heavy lifting by facing Asuka first seems illogical. Bayley says that she was just suggesting to go first. Sasha is capable of going first as well. Sasha is bothered by this, asking Bayley if she is trying to volunteer her again.
Bayley says they are all on the same page, and they are good. There is no one that can touch either one of them.
Here comes Naomi to challenge that sentiment.
Naomi slides all the way down the ramp with the mic. She says she’s got an idea; she will face the both of them tonight.
Sasha laughs maniacally then accepts. Naomi asks who’s first?
Graves says they could do a Beat the Clock challenge to see who faces Asuka first?
Naomi wonders which wants to go first, then dropkicks both of them for no reason.
WWE has the worst faces…
Match 3: Sasha Banks vs Naomi
Sasha mounts and punches then covers for 1..2.NO!!! Naomi pushes off the ropes and stacks Sasha up for 2. Naomi full nelson then drops Sasha on her ass. Leg scissors into a pin for 1…NO! Another pin or 1…NO!!! Naomi continues to roll Sasha round the ring with the leg scisssors. 1…2..NO!!! Naomi slaps Sasha in the back of the head. Sasha looks to right hand Naomi, Naomi splits her legs, grabs Sasha, and sends her to the outside. Naomi flies over the top rope onto Sasha. Naomi grabs Sasha and sends her into the ring then hops on the apron. Sasha on the adjacent apron, pulls Naomi through the ropes, kicks her a few times, then drops the knees onto Naomi, who lays horizontally. Cover for 1..2.NO!!! Another cover for 1..2..NO!!! Sasha with a chinlock. Naomi hits the ropes, spins and hits a jawbreaker then rushes the corner. High kick on the apron. Noami to the top rope. Crossbody but Sasha rolls that into a pin, 1..2…NO!!! Naomi is able to stand out of it and lay Sasha on the ropes, then kicks her. Naomi with a springboard roundhouse to the head and a cover for 1..2…NO!!!! Naomi drags Sasha to the corner. Sasha up, she rolls Naomi as she tries for a moonsault. 1..2..NO!!!!
Sasha with the go behind, gets flipped up from behind, then Sasha locks in The Bank Statement. Naomi taps at 3:39.
Winner: Sasha Banks
This must be the chance Twitter was looking for Naomi to get.
Total Rating: *****
Match Time: 3:39
Match 4: Bayley vs Naomi
Bayley RUSHES Naomi, but the ref holds her back, saying the match hasn’t started yet. He checks on Naomi, to see if she’s ready.
Bayley attacks as the bell rings. Cover for 1…2NO!!! Punches n the ground, suplex, then a cover for 1..2…NO!! Bayley kicks Naomi away. Another kick. She lifts Naomi, whips to the corner, Bayley with a snapmare. Cover for 1..2.NO!!!! Bayley hits the ropes, clothesline and a cover for 1..2..NO!!! Bayley lifts Naomi, Naomi with some right hands. She bulldogs Bayley into the buckle. Naomi rushes the corner, but Bayley comes out hard with a clothesine. Cover for 1..2..NO!!!
Bayley hits the ropes. Goes for a knee, Naomi sends her to the side. REAR VIEW!!! Shit looked hard. Nice. Pin for 1…2….3!!!
Winner: Naomi
Bayley ate that Rear View like a champ. All the euphemisms intended.
Total Rating: NR
Match Time: 1:50
Sasha is all smiles after this, then regroups and heads in the ring to check on Bayley.
Asuka comes out to laugh at Bayley and Sasha in Japanese.
Sasha runs up the ramp to attack, and Asuka kicks her in the head. She rushes down to the ring to beat up Bayley a bit, as well. She kicks Bayley out of the ring. Bayley runs out of the ring, ggrabs her titles, and leaves.
Backstage, Jeff has his brace on, and sees if he can do his bounce for his entrance.
Jeff waxes poetic about one-legged men.
Backstage, Kayla asks Sonya if she has a response. Sonya has a message for the entire world. Kayla leaves, Dana runs up to Sonya, and apologizes for what she went through this week. Sonya says it’s nothing she can’t handle, and slaps the fake face off of Dana. GAHD DAMN.
Sonya comes out and asks to cut her music, which sucks cuz I don’t think I’ve ever heard it.
Sonya says she gets it, Mandy is second-guessing her own challenge – which is exactly what Sonya said she was going to do. What does Mandy want? She will face her one way or another, but since clearly she’s unbothered by Sonya cut her hair, and everyone here knows she doesn’t give a damn if Sonya is bald or not, let’s up the ante. It will be a NO DQ match, and the loser will leave WWE. Because what she has realized is that hair or no hair, she is sick at looking at Mandy’s face. Wipe the tears and bring the A-Game.
A video package covers Braun and Fiend and Alexa
We get a sitdown talk with Nikki who wants to talk about Tuesday. She says that when she spoke to Alexa, she seemed off, a bit different. She talks and acts like Alexa, but the Alexa she knows is warm and caring and funny and that person on Tuesday is not Alexa. It scares Nikki because she feels like something terrible is about to happen.
Daniel Bryan is gracious enough to send us a little iphone promo about us seeing AJ show just what kinda champion he is. He hopes that by the end of WWE’s first night in the Thunderdome, Jeff Hardy can gives us the IC champ that we truly deserve.
Jeff can’t do his entrance, so this is the lowest of the low for him.
Match 5: Jeff Hardy vs AJ Styles
Jeff attacks AJ against the ropes. He hits a back body drop to AJ. AJ with a shoulder in the corner. AJ eats a kick to the chin. Jeff hops to the 2nd rope. AJ clips the leg. Kicks to the leg. AJ stomps the leg in the conrer. He grabs Jeff. AJ whips him, but Jeff crumbles. Jeff tries to stand up and fight but falls bak down and AJ stomps his knee. Jeff hits right hands to the mid, AJ hits the ropes, Jeff sends him flying over the top rope. AJ hurts his ankle on the apron. Jeff tries to dropkick through the ropes, but Aj sends hisknee to the apron.
Back, and AJ has a submission on the ankle. Jeff kicks him away. Jeff is able to hit an inverted atomic drop, leg drop to the little AJs. Dropkick. Cover for 1..2…NO!!! Another move, another cover, and AJ kicks out again! Jeff goes for a kick and a Twist of Fate, but Aj drops and hits a kick to the head. Jeff is up. He drops AJ. He goes to the top, looking possibly for whisper in the wind, but Jeff topples!!! AJ to the apron. He flies for the Forearm, but Hardy punches him mid-air! AJ kicks the back of the knee, he rolls Jeff into the Calf Crusher! He pulls back on the leg, Jeff screams. Jeff crawls towards the ropes. He reaches the bottom rope. AJ turns. AJ kicks the shin.
AJ locks up for Styles Clash, Jeff knees AJ in the head with the knee brace!!! TWIST OF FATE!!! Jeff crawls towards the corner. Jeff to the top rope! SWANTON!!! Cover for 1……2……..3!!!!
Winner: Jeff Hardy
This fell kind of flat for me. It’s a shock, but only in the sense that no one predicted it. There wasn’t any type of overwhelming excitement or pride, and that means no one really believed in the Redemption Story that was told, otherwise the response would be different. Of course, I’m speaking solely about my reaction, but I get the feeling the emptiness comes from a lack of care, even with the promo at the end. Matchwise, it wasn’t bad, but nothing to write home about. Nope, only good enough to write here about.
Total Rating: **1/2
Match Time: 11:08
Jeff gets an interview with Kayla and he says a year ago, he was in a dark place. Life will always be a challenge. He stands here with hope, though. He hopes that things will get better.
He is cut off by his own music.
Backstage, AJ is yelling at Park. Kayla runs up to him and AJ screams that jeff cheated. He was hit with a knee brace. It’s the only reason why Jeff won. He yells more at his analyst. He says he paid Park good money and a stupid tie.
Bray Wyatt is here for The Firefly Funhouse. He wants us to come closer. He wants to tell us a little something. “I Love You.”
Awwwww. Thanks, Bray.
He says not to be fooled, love can be a very terrible thing. It’s just a way to trick you into an emotional and financial burden. It can make the most glorious angel crash down with broken wings. Too much love can turn a beautiful field of sunflowers into a grotesque wasteland.
Bray’s imaginary phone rings, and a beatboxer is calling him.
Bray wants to take Braun and Bliss as examples.
“Firefly Theatre Presents: Braun and Alexa”
We get a re-enactment of the promo from last week, in a parodic way, starring Huskus The Pig as Braun and Rambling Rabbit as Alexa.
Bray yells cut and tells them to get lost. He says that love can only lead to pain and suffering. The best thing we can all do is be more like “him.” You know, the Being that is Built on Rage and Fueled by Anger. HE cannot wait to get his hands on Braun. In fact,
Bray takes a second to smell what The Rock is cooking, then says “What took you so long.”
In comes a sweaty Braun to attack Bray then punch him hard, then beat him down a few times. He yells that Braun is coming with him because he is not finished with him. He drags Bray by his feet out of frame as we go to commercial.
Oh great, we come back to Smackdown and Cole is telling us that there is a backstage brawl, as apparently, Bray films Firefly Funhouse in the Thunderdome…
So we head to the back, and Braun has Bray in his grasps, looking to chokeslam Bray out of a truck loading dock. We see Bray’s foot as he falls, proving that there is likely some sort of pad to keep him safe.
We cut to Braun, then back to Bray, who is laid out on the cement. An ambulance comes, as well as a bunch of refs and agents, to help Bray. He gets the stretcher job.
Before you ask, Braun does not come to flip the ambulance.
Pearce slaps the ambulance to go on, git! The ambulance starts rolling. It stops as Noble and Pearce continue to scream. The ambulance backs up. It appears to be full of fog. The inside goes red. Everyone stares at the back of the ambulance and backs up. We turn towards the small crowd, and everyone is terrified. We go back to the ambulance, and The Fiend is standing there at the entrance of the ambulance. He stares into the camera and sticks his tongue out, then laughs his ass off.
Cole: “Wow…it’s him.”
Lol. Shut up, Cole.
End Show
