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Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 12.11.18

December 11, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
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Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 12.11.18  

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown 12.11.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Non-Title Match: Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Mustafa Ali @ 10:05 via submission [***¼]
– Miz & Shane defeated Jimmy & Johnny Boots & Tights @ 1:30 via submission [NR]
– Rusev & Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe & Shinsuke Nakamura @ 7:15 via pin [**½]
– Asuka defeated Charlotte @ 15:50 via DQ [***½]


– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– You can check out my top 32 matches of NOVEMBER list at this link.

– WWE Champion Daniel Bryan arrives. Bryan says he called the people sheep last week, and is here to apologize… to the sheep; they don’t deserve to be compared to these idiots that are ruing the planet with their consumption. The fans are parasites. You take and take, and give nothing back, especially here in Las Vegas. You people lived through the old Bryan, but the old Bryan is dead and the yes movement is dead along with him. And now you moved onto AJ Styles. He will crush Styles again and the new Bryan will remain champion. Stupidity is the cultivation of ignorance… and Mustafa Ali arrives. Bryan knows who he is and introduces him to the audience and praises him as the heart of 205 Live and an incredible performer. Bryan sees a lot of himself in Ali, but says they don’t have to do the match tonight. The fans won’t care after they are done and don’t deserve their match. Ali asks what happened to Bryan, noting that Bryan inspired him and the 205 Live guys idolize him for all he’s done. The old Bryan would want to fight and that’s what Ali wants. Bryan asks what kind of car Ali drives, and Ali says an SUV. Bryan calls him a small man and questions this and slaps Ali for being ignorant. They brawl, and Ali takes him to the floor and follows with a 450!

Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Mustafa Ali: Back from the break with Bryan taking control. Bryan talks trash as he beats on Ali, and follows with a series of kicks and knee strikes as he maintains control. Bryan follows with uppercuts, and then grounds things and starts working the knee. Bryan follows with more kicks, misses the big one and that allows Ali to fire back and cover for 2. Bryan powders, Ali follows, and gets posted. We go screen in screen as Bryan celebrates. He looks to take a countout win, but Ali beats the count, frustrating Bryan. Bryan follows with a suplex, heads up top and Ali cuts him off and follows him up. The Spanish fly connects and Ali covers for 2. Ali now looks for the imploding 450,but Bryan dumps him to the floor. Back in and Bryan applies the YES lock. Back to full screen as Ali fights to escape, and makes the ropes. Bryan puts him in the tree of WHOA and follows with kicks. The basement dropkick follows and takes Ali up top. Ali counters the belly to back superplex, avoids the running dropkick and Ali fires up with vicious chops. Ali follows with a tornado DDT and that gets 2. Ali heads up top and misses the imploding 450. Bryan slams the knee onto the post a few times, chop blocks Ali and applies the heel hook. Ali has to tap. Champion Daniel Bryan defeated Mustafa Ali @ 10:05 via submission [***¼] This was good stuff, with Bryan predictably dominating ahead of his title match on Sunday. Bryan’s new focused and punishing work is coming across really well, while Ali looked good in a big match on Smackdown, even in loss. Ali’s selling was really good here. The match was exactly what it needed to be, but I hated that they wasted the Spanish fly spot during the screen in screen shit.

– Post match, Bryan attacks and applies the heel hook on the floor.

The Bar & Usos Rap Battle: New Day arrives to host. The Bar goes first, doing Ice Ice baby rhymes, and making the Usos laugh. They drop the mic. The Usos then go, making TMNT references and make fun of Cesaro losing teeth. The Usos are much better. It breaks down into a brawl with The Bar running wild and standing tall. Well that was one way to cool off things after the show’s hot open.

– Asuka cuts a promo on tonight’s match with Charlotte. At TLC, she will win the title. But tonight, Charlotte isn’t ready for her.

– Miz is in the ring with the BITW trophy and begs Shane McMahon come to the ring. Shane makes his way out. He asks why Miz has the trophy, and Miz says they can be good together if he gives them a chance. He wants them to tag again, and if they lose, they can go their separate ways. Shane says this is getting weird, and Miz says the trophy is about so much more. Miz asks for a referee.

Miz & Shane vs. Jimmy & Johnny Boots & Tights: They attack and beat down Shane, but Shane fires back with strikes. The spinning back elbow follows and the DDT connects. Shane locks one triangle and gets the submission. Miz & Shane defeated Jimmy & Johnny Boots & Tights @ 1:30 via submission [NR] Whatever this Miz & Shane angle is, it continues. Just sign a visitation agreement for the trophy and move on.

– Paige yells at the ref for that last match, but the ref says Paige OK’d it. Jimmy & Johnny Boots & Tights give Paige invoices for Paige to pay them $5,000 each. She rips them up.

– Randy Orton now arrives. Orton says there is nothing like a good old fashioned chair to make a point. We get some video footage of him assaulting Rey with a chair. That was good, but he can do better, and we get more footage. He has a chairs match with Rey on Sunday, he’s done sick and twisted things, but Rey is apparently ok with the match. Rey is his victim and he won’t be getting revenge. Some are worried about TLC, but Rey needs to fear… Rey interrupts with chair shots and then dropkicks it into his face. The 619 follows and Orton powders.

– Becky Lynch walks and is asked about tonight’s Asuka vs. Charlotte match. She has to defend in the most dangerous match on Sunday against two of the best. There is no advantage, but she loves fighting the odds. She will scout tonight, and Sunday, will remind all about the chaos when the man comes around.

Rusev & Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe & Shinsuke Nakamura: Lana is at ringside. Carmella and Truth arrive for a dance break. Nakamura immediately attacks Jeff and bets him down. Joe tags in and they spill to the floras Joe slams Jeff to the barricade. We go screen in screen as Nakamura lays in kicks on Jeff in the corner, the knee drop follows for 2. Joe tags in and grounds the action. Back to full screen as Joe lays in jabs on Jeff. The enziguri follows and Rusev makes the save. Nakamura tags back in and delivers knee strikes in the corner and covers for 2. Joe now back in, grounding Jeff, but Jeff slowly fires up and hits whisper in the wind. Tags to Rusev & Nakamura, Rusev takes control and runs wild on Nakamura. The fall away slam follows and then the spin kick connects. Nakamura battles back, but Rusev catches him with a spin kick as it breaks down. Twist of fate and then the apron clothesline follows on Joe. Rusev counters Kinshasa with the machka kick and pins Nakamura. Rusev & Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe & Shinsuke Nakamura @ 7:15 via pin [**½] This was a solid tag match, combining the two existing feuds, and giving Rusev the big win over the US Champion, and a likely US Title match soon.

– Shane and Miz argue, Miz just wants to be BITW, but Shane blows him off and leaves.

– Lars Sullivan is coming soon.

– Styles is interviewed about Sunday’s title match. He wants to beat the hell out of Bryan and is counting down the days until Sunday. This isn’t the new Bryan, it’s just the real Bryan. He plans to get back his title on Sunday.

– It appears that they’ve bumped the planned Naomi vs. Mandy Rose match.

Asuka vs. Charlotte: Becky is out to scout as promised. They work into a series of counters, Asuka pulls a heel hook, but Charlotte counters back to her feet and slams Asuka down. Charlotte hits chops but Asuka dumps her with a German. She misses the ass attack, and Charlotte hits a big boot. Charlotte heads up top, the moonsault is countered into an Asuka lock. Charlotte ties to power to her feet and slams backwards to escape. Asuka locks it back on, but Charlotte rolls to the ropes. Post break, and they are trading strikes from their knees. Asuka fires up, and locks on the cobra twist. Charlotte powers out but Asuka gets a crucifix for 2. She now looks for an arm bar, transitions to a triangle, but Charlotte powers out and hits a sitout powerbomb for 2. Charlotte talks shit, slaps Asuka around, and then locks on the figure eight. Asuka fights, and rolls the hold. Charlotte has to break. Charlotte goes back to the leg, grounding things and following with ground and pound. Charlotte now works Asuka’s knee of the post, talks shit to Becky, and then covers for 2. Charlotte lays in chops, but Asuka fires back with kicks and counters the spear into a code breaker for 2. Asuka now lays in a flurry of kicks, and then forearm strikes. Back to the kicks, but Charlotte finally hits the spear for 2. Charlotte heads up top, the moonsault eats knees, and the Asuka lock follows. Charlotte fights and they spill to the floor. Charlotte gets the kendo and attacks Asuka for the DQ. Asuka defeated Charlotte @ 15:50 via DQ [***½] This was a very goodmain event, and the non-finish workedhere, becuse I think these two will becontinuing after TLC. Plus it led to a great post match angle to build to TLC.

– Post match, Charlotte hits Becky and gets an ass beating for her trouble. Asuka takes her out and beats on Charlotte with the kendo and then Becky. Asuka stands tall to close the show.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.0
The final score: review Good
The 411
This week’s episode of WWE Smackdown was an overall good show, with really good & strong opening and closing segments, which were easily the best portions of the show, mixing good wrestling and angle work. While the beginning and closing were extremely well done, I felt that the middle (rap battle and Shane & Miz stuff) really killed the momentum and hurt the flow of the show, and that it took a bit to get it back. Smackdown was a good show, it ended up flying by, and the brand is carrying the build to TLC without a doubt.
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