Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 12.25.18

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown 12.25.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Mustafa Ali defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas @ 8:35 via pin [***¼]
– The Usos & Gallows & Anderson defeated The Bar & Sanity @ 7:35 via pin [**¾]
– Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe went to a double countout @ 8:20 [**¾]
– US Title Match: Rusev defeated Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 22:45 via pin [****]

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Santa Time: Truth and Carmella are out as Santa and his little helper. He says they have been busy delivering gifts, and had to make a special stop at Smackdown on the way back as the reindeer were getting tired. Truth tries to name them and names Jackson instead. Daniel Bryan arrives to play the Grinch. Bryan says he should be with his family, but is here instead. He won’t accept this farce, but this isn’t the real Santa and un-beards Truth. He’s here to expose the real Santa, he’s the top of cheap material desires, which is eroding the coral reefs and made islands of garbage in the ocean. It causes glaciers melting, seas rising, and that will lead to no north pole and no Santa. Truth calls Bryan an angry elf and Bryan calls Truth’s whole career a joke. Truth says he’s going to he rumble at 30 and maybe after he wins, he’ll take the title from Bryan… if he’s still champion. Bryan says Truth can’t even count to 30, he tries and they do a dance break and Bryan attacks. He works over the knee, chop blocks him and locks on the heel hook. He then stomps away at him and applies the heel hook again. Some fun from Truth and the usual good promo stuff from Bryan, ensuring that the fans hate him.

Mustafa Ali vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas: Vega is at ringside. Almas attacks at the bell and beats down Ali. He follows with chops, and a basement dropkick. The belly to back suplex follows and then more chops from Almas. Ali fires back, hits a RANA, and then Vega distracts him allowing Almas to dump Ali to the floor. We go screen in screen as Almas takes control and back in, covers for 2. Almas grounds things, working the arm but Ali fires back and then gets turned inside out with a lariat. Almas lays in more chops, but Ali fires back as they trade strikes. Ali lays in chops, hits the dropkick, and enziguri. Back to full screen as Ali hits the rolling x-factor for 2. Ali follows with a superkick but Almas hits the spinning back elbow for 2. They work up top and Almas counters into the tree of WHOA and double stomp for 2. Almas sets him up top, follows, Almas counters the sunset bomb, misses the charging knees and Ali hits the tornado DDT. The imploding 450 finishes it. Mustafa Ali defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas @ 8:35 via pin [***¼] This was a good and fun match, with both guys looking good and Ali maintaining momentum.

– Joe cuts a promo on Jeff ahead of tonight’s match, again bringing up Jeff’s demons and claiming that he’s Jeff’s new addiction, but he’ll take care of that tonight.

– New Day arrives to do commentary on the tag match. They have the special commentary table as well as Christmas pancakes.

The Usos, Gallows, & Anderson vs. The Bar & Sanity (Dain & Wolfe): Anderson and Sheamus to begin. Cesaro tags in after some back and forth, Anderson hits a spinebuster and Jey tags in, but is quickly cut off by Wolfe. Dain in and he hits the running cross body. Post break, and Dain has Jimmy grounded. He tags in Wolfe, and he hits a standing moonsault for 2. Sheamus tags in, laying in clubbing strikes until Jimmy hits a jawbreaker. Cesaro tags in and Jimmy fights off the heels, and tags in Gallows. Wolfe also in as Gallows runs wild and the pump handle slam gets 2. It breaks down, The Bar hit double team white noise on Gallows but the Usos make the save. Superkicks by the Usos, and the Good brothers hit magic killer on Cesaro for the win. The Usos & Gallows & Anderson defeated The Bar & Sanity @ 7:35 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good match with a fun and chaotic closing stretch. It’s nice to see Sanity & The Good Brothers in the mix and back on TV.

– We get the video package on the new NXT arrivals, coming soon.

– Mustafa Ali walks and gets congratulations from the 205 Live guys. Shelton Benjamin arrives and is not all that impressed. Bryan then attacks, and beats the shit out of Ali.

Miz TV With Shane McMahon: Miz welcome us to the show and brings out Shane. Miz welcomes him and asks him about the changes coming to Smackdown. Shane says they are listening to the fans, and are making those changes the fans want. Miz praises Shane and kisses his ass before asking him if they can form the best tag team in the world. Miz says he proved himself last week, and asks again. Shane says he was successful. Miz says that the reason he wants to tag with Shane is because it’s about his dad. He’s been in WWE 10-years and has a ton of accomplishments, but his dad has never told him he’s proud of him. He does everything for his dad, wondering if it will be enough. Miz’s dad thought Shane was impressive when he won the BITW tournament. Miz says his dad would be proud of he and Shane actually tagged, and that is why Miz has done all of this. Miz says he’s sorry he brought Shane into this, and polls the fans about it. The fans want it, and Shane says he understands, and that “you better not screw me” and agrees to team with Miz. I really have no idea where they are fully going with this, but it’s been fun and the crowd loves it.

Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe: They lock up and work to the ropes. Jeff fires away with strikes and elbows, but Joe rakes his eyes along the ropes. Joe lays the boots to him and follows with elbow strikes. Jeff fires back, hits the corner dropkick and covers for 2. Joe cuts him off with the running back elbow. We go screen in screen as Joe lays in jabs and chops. Jeff fires back, working corner mounted punches, and hits a jawbreaker. Back to full screen as Jeff follows with kicks, but Joe stops that with an elbow and enziguri, covering for 2. Joe works an abdominal stretch, and then cradles Jeff for 2. Joe now works a neck crank, grounding the action. Jeff counters out, hits the leg drop to the balls and basement dropkick for 2. Whisper in the wind follows but Joe makes the ropes. The twist o fate follows, Jeff heads up top, and Joe powders to the floor. Jeff follows and hits the apron clothesline. Jeff follows with repeated knee strikes and the ref calls it off. Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe went to a double countout @ 8:20 [**¾] This was a pretty good match, the right one for the first in the feud and I thought that the finish worked well so that they can continue things. Overall a good and successful angle I thought, with Jeff going a bit wild and crazy Joe kicking ass.

– Jeff tosses Joe over the announce table, but Joe locks on the clutch and chokes him out.

– We get a Fighting With My Family trailer.

– Next week we get a New Day New Year’s celebration along with John Cena’s return.

– The Usos walk and talk. Jimmy is left alone and Mandy Rose wants a kiss under the mistletoe, but Naomi breaks that up.

US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev: Lana is at ringside. They lock up, working to the ropes and Rusev follows with strikes and a cover for 2. Rusev follows with clotheslines, strikes, but Nakamura looks for a triangle and Rusev escapes. Post break, and Nakamura takes control with bad vibrations. He follows with a cravat, but then misses the knee drop. Rusev follows with a suplex and another. He hits a third and that gets 2. he now lays the boots to Nakamura, and then works him over in the corner. Nakamura fires back with an enziguri and running knee strike in the corner for 2. Nakamura follows with more knee strikes, working the ribs of Rusev. Rusev tries to fire back, but Nakamura cuts that off. Nakamura works a cobra clutch, Rusev fights out but Nakamura pulls an arm bar and transitions to a triangle. Rusev escapes and Nakamura dropkicks him to the floor. Post break, and Nakamura lays in more knee strikes as he grounds Rusev, covering for 2. Nakamura follows with a guillotine, dragging Rusev to the mat. Rusev powers up and tosses Nakamura away. Nakamura now lays in kicks, Rusev stops that and lays in clotheslines. The fall away slam follows, and the spin kick connects for 2. Rusev now follows with knee strikes and connects with a kick for 2. Nakamura powders, and Rusev follows as they battle on the floor. Nakamura fires back with kicks and slams Rusev to the steps and then the announce table. To the apron and Nakamura hits a knee drop. Back in and Nakamura to the ropes, hits the flying knee strike and looks for Kinshasa, but runs into the Machka kick for a great near fall. Rusev fires up, locks on the accolade, but Nakamura counters and locks on a triangle. Rusev fights, powers Nakamura up and hits a powerbomb. Rusev backs off, sets, and ends up posting himself and Nakamura cradles him for 2. The Kinshasa follows to the back of the head for 2. Nakamura sets for Kinshasa, countered, and Rusev kills him with a lariat. MACHKA KICK and SUCK IT NAKAMERICA, IT’S RUSEV DAY IN AMERICA ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION! Rusev defeated Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 22:45 via pin [****] This ended up being a great match, with a string layout that made Rusev a believable babyface fighting from the bottom and gave Nakamura a ton before finally losing. Rusev winning was cool and came off as a great moment.

– Styles meets with Vince, and Vince asks him his name. He introduces himself, but Vince asks why he wasn’t competing tonight. Vince wants to see the real AJ Styles, and accuses him of becoming complacent. Vince fires him up and says if Styles can channel that, he can run wild on the locker room. Vince wants to see the animal unleashed and slaps him. Styles lays out Vince and agents and refs make the save. Vince is pleased.

WHAT did @AJStylesOrg just DO?! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/jeNGwB9hCf

— WWE (@WWE) December 26, 2018

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

This week’s episode of WWE Smackdown was a hood and really fun episode overall. The rise of Ali continues, they are mixing more tag teams into the mix, and the Hardy vs. Joe program is coming along nicely. Add in a great main event and cool moment for Rusev and this easily over exceeded expectations for a holiday show. The closing angle with Vince and Styles also has me intrigued.