Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 4.16.19

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 4.16.19

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Non-Title Match: Champion Finn Balor defeated Ali @ 10:20 via pin [***½]
– Charlotte defeated Carmella @ 7:30 via submission [**]
– Asuka, Sane, Bayley, & Moon defeated Mandy, Sonya, & The IIconics @ 7:40 via pin [**½]
– Kevin Owens, Kofi Kingston, & Xavier Woods defeated Cesaro, Rusev, & Nakamura @ 12:20 via pin [***]

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The Kevin Owens Show: Owens arrives to a huge reaction for their hometown hero. He opens with some Quebecois, and says that tonight is his WrestleMania. Owens then puts over the Superstar Shakeup, and introduces his guest, WWE Champion Kofi Kingston. Woods is out with him and Owens welcomes him to the show and puts over his title win at Mania. Owens congratulates him and leads the crowd in a standing ovation. Kofi thanks him and says Mania was so special to him, and thanks the fans. Owens brings up Big E is missing, and Woods says Big E is injured. He’s upset that Raw stole most of his Youtube show’s roster. Owens says New Day will face Rusev & Nakamura tonight, and says they need some back up in Big O. Owens wants to join New Day tonight, and Kofi asks if he’ll wear a crop top. Woods says he needs to work on pancake throwing and video games as well as his wiggle. Owens does some hip swiveling, and Kofi agrees since the fans want it. Owens is in and puts on the super small shirt and unicorn horn. This was a solid and fun opening segment. Will Owens turn on New Day?

– Cesaro offers to be back up for Rusev & Nakamura.

– Finn Balor joins Smackdown.

Champion Finn Balor vs. Ali: They lockup and Balor hits a shoulder tackle. Ali battles back, and the dropkick follows. Ali grounds things, but Balor escapes and they pick up the pace with Balor taking control. Balor grounds things, working the arm. Ali fights to his feet, but Balor lays in chops. Ali hits the RANA and follows with a suicide dive. Ali rolls him back in and covers for 2. Ali grounds things, but Balor powers up but Ali lays in chops. Balor cuts him off with a dropkick, follows with chops and lays the boots to him. More chops from Balor, and he grounds things. Ali fires up, but Balor locks in an abdominal stretch. He follows with knee strikes, chops, but Ali hits the enziguri and rolling x-factor. Ali lights him up with chops, but Balor cuts him off and covers for 2. Sling blade follows, but Ali hits the desperation superkick for 2. Balor counters the tornado DDT and hits the standing double stomp. Ali cuts Balor off up top and follows him up. The SUPER RANA follows for 2. Ali up top, misses the 450 and Balor hits John Woooooooo and the double stomp finishes it Champion Finn Balor defeated Ali @ 10:20 via pin [***½] This was a very good and fun match, with Ali looking great against Balor.

– New Day wants Owens to break Big E’s pancake eating record and he tries.

– Creepy puppet time.

– Owens beats the pancake challenge.

Charlotte vs. Carmella: Truth is at ringside. Charlotte attacks with kicks and yells about hating Canada. Carmella battles back and hits the superkick for 2. Charlotte powders, Carmella follows and Charlotte slams her to the barricade. Carmella then hits a high cross off the barricade and back in, covers for 2. Charlotte lays in chops, but gets sent to the buckles and Carmella lays the boots to her. Charlotte cuts her off and sends her to the floor. Post break and Charlotte kips up. She celebrates, slaps Carmella around but Carmella battles back. They brawl to the floor as Charlotte slams her to the barricade. Carmella hit a desperation superkick, but back in and Charlotte chop blocks the knee, figure eight, and Carmella is done. Charlotte defeated Carmella @ 7:30 via submission [**] This was ok, with Charlotte picking up the expected rebound win and the women’s battle royal winner already losing.

– Lars arrives to kill Truth. Truth tries to fight him off, but Lars laughs and hits freak accident. Lars doesn’t care about brand affiliation. He then Liger bombs Truth.

– According to his Twitter, it sounds as if Sanity’s Alexander Wolfe is done with WWE.

Thank you! @KillianDain @NikkiCrossWWE @TheEricYoung #RIPSAnitY#WWE #SmackDownMontreal #SDLive #SuperstarShakeup pic.twitter.com/jaBHFDnwlC

— Alexander Wolf[e] (@TheWWEWolfe) April 17, 2019

Becky Lynch Talks: Lynch is happy to be here and puts over her Mania win. Nothing focuses her more than the Superstar Shakeup, and knows she has a lot of challengers. She’ll take out Lacey Evans, and then the other dopes. Ember Moon arrives and joins Smackdown. Moons says she’s here to make a name for herself, and the way to do that is to step up to Becky. Bayley arrives and joins Smackdown. She’s happy to be on Smackdown and Lynch asks if she wants a hug. She and Lynch take a trip down memory lane, but Bayley wants Lynch’s titles. The IIconics interrupt, making fun of Moon & Bayley. They then claim their titles are better than Becky’s. Paige arrives and Mandy & Sonya interrupt. Fucks sake. They say they don’t need Paige and say Absolution is here. Paige instead introduces her tag team, Asuka & Kairi Sane. Asuka & Sane hit the ring and we get a big brawl. Lynch watches on as they all destroy each other. Are Asuka & Sane the Japanese Experience?

Asuka, Sane, Bayley, & Moon vs. Mandy, Sonya, & The IIconics: JIP as the heels work over Bayley. Bayley battles back, tags in Asuka and she works over Sonya with kicks. Sonya cuts her off, tags in Mandy and Asuka hits an ass attack. Sane tags in, and she and Asuka run wild with double teams. The faces clear the ring and Bayley hits a suicide dive. Moon then follows with a dive. Back in and the heels cut off Bayley, working quick tags. Mandy & Sonya work double teams, and Royce tags in. Bayley tags in Asuka and she runs wild on Royce, hits the German and sliding kick for 2. Moon takes out Mandy, Sonya spears her as we break down into the big move buffet. Asuka hits the DDT on Royce, and the insane elbow finishes Royce. Asuka, Sane, Bayley, & Moon defeated Mandy, Sonya, & The IIconics @ 7:40 via pin [**½] This was a solid match, and also gave us a much needed reshuffling of the women’s division. Sane & Asuka will rule as a tag team.

– The Hardys comment on winning the tag titles last week.

– Owens practices the Big E introduction routine.

#SDLive pic.twitter.com/O9MfRK6sxU

— Florida Man (@WWEBigE) April 17, 2019

– Buddy Murphy is coming to Smackdown.

Kevin Owens, Kofi Kingston, & Xavier Woods vs. Cesaro, Rusev, & Nakamura: Woods and Rusev begin. They work into back and forth and Woods hits the honor roll for 2. Kofi tags in and maintains control. Nakamura tags in, hits bad vibrations, but Kofi cuts him off with the running stomp. The unicorn stampede follows, and then the Owens cannonball connects for 2. Woods and Cesaro in, with Cesaro dumping Woods. Nakamura works him over on the floor. Post break and Woods is fighting for a tag, but get cut off. Rusev and Nakamura maintain control, Nakamura takes Woods up top and Woods knocks him off and hits the missile dropkick. Tags to Kofi & Cesaro, Kofi runs wild and hits a clothesline. Kofi follows with a high cross, caught, but counters into SOS for 2. Cesaro now hits the swing on Kofi, and the sharpshooter follows. Owens makes the save with a superkick, it breaks down and Owens tags in and works over Rusev. he dumps him and Kofi follows with the assisted dive. Trouble in paradise, stunner, and that’s it. Kevin Owens, Kofi Kingston, & Xavier Woods defeated Cesaro, Rusev, & Nakamura @ 12:20 via pin [***] This was a good, fun, crowd pleasing match.

– Creepy doll video time.

VINCE’S BIGGEST ANNOUNCEMENT OF ALL TIME THIS WEEK: Vince jokes about being back in Montreal. He rarely puts a seal o approval on a star, but this man is the future of Smackdown and WWE, and introduces Elias. He says Vince understands what WWE stands for. Elias says he’s questioned Vince in the past, but now knows that Vince knows what the fans want. Smackdown will become the temple of Elias. He’s interrupted by Roman Reigns. He kicks Elias’ ass, Vince yells at him and Reigns superman punches Vince. Reigns says Smackdown is his yard now. Roman is a good move to Smackdown, but nobody bought the fake out in any way.

– Reigns then drops Elias with a spear before leaving.

MOVING TO SMACKDOWN ARE:
* Finn Balor
* Ember Moon
* Bayley
* Kairi Sane
* Lars Sullivan
* Buddy Murphy
* Elias
* Roman Reigns

MOVING TO RAW ARE:
* The Miz
* Ricochet & Aleister Black
* The Viking Experience (War Raiders)
* Cedric Alexander
* Andrade & Zelina Vega
* Rey Mysterio
* The Usos
* Naomi
* Eric Young
* Lacey Evans
* AJ Styles
* EC3
* Lars Sullivan
* Bray Wyatt’s Creepy Puppet Army

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 11. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka is joined by former 411 contributors Jerome Cusson and Ryan Rozanski to discuss the weekend that was in non-WWE WrestleMania weekend action in an absolutely loaded show. The show is approximately 3.5 hours long.

* Intro, WrestleMania Weekend Talk
* Beyond Wrestling’s attempt at a weekly streaming show: 50:00
* Independent Wrestling TV’s Family Reunion: 66:00
* wXw’s Amerika is Wunderbar: 79:00
* Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport: 87:00
* CHIKARA: 97:00
* Black Label Pro’s Adventures in Wrestling: 132:15
* Joey Janela’s Spring Break 3 (Part One): 167:00
* G1 Supercard: 180:00
* Joey Janela’s Spring Break 3 (Part Two)

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 on Wrestling Podcast via the
above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

WWE Smackdown was a solid show overall, with some interesting roster changes. Time will tell how they pan out, but Jeremy Lambert and I will break down the roster changes in the next podcast.