Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 4.17.18

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 4.17.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Non-Title Match: Champion AJ Styles defeated Rusev @ 0:30 via DQ [NR]
– Non-Title Match: Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin @ 8:25 via pin [**¾]
– Luke Harper defeated Jey Uso @ 0:45 via pin [NR]
– Samoa Joe defeated Sin Cara @ 1:40 via submission [NR]
– Charlotte defeated Billie Kay @ 7:50 via submission [**]
– AJ Styles & Daniel Bryan defeated Rusev & Aiden English @ 12:45 via DQ [**¾]

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– We get highlights of Shinsuke Nakamura being an asshole last week.

AJ Styles Talks: Styles arrives in the ring, and gets a great reaction, because he’s not a cock puncher like Nakamura. He says we now all we need to know about Nakamura now. He wanted that dream match so bad, he got it, and he won. But Nakamura is a con artist. He should have been celebrating, but he got a real dream match against Daniel Bryan. He was happy, but Nakamura ruined it. Styles won’t leave the ring until he confronts Nakamura. Nakamura may have forgotten how to speak English, which is fine, because Styles is here for a fight. Aiden English & Rusev arrive to chants of Rusev Day. English sings/raps him promo, because it’s Rusev Day. Styles challenges Rusev to a fight.

Champion AJ Styles vs. Rusev: Rusev attacks, but Styles quickly gets the calf crusher and English runs in for the DQ. Bryan arrives to make the save. He and Styles clear the ring. Champion AJ Styles defeated Rusev @ 0:30 via DQ [NR] This was a solid segment to kick off the show and set up the main event for tonight.

– Paige meets with Shane and books Styles & Bryan vs. English & Rusev for later tonight.

– Shelton Benjamin arrives, he’s all alone now as Gable moved to Raw. He says his Twitter praised Gable, but that his Twitter got hacked because he never needed gable, Gable needed him. He needs respect and championship opportunities. He asked for competition and Randy Orton’s music hit and then US Champion Jeff Hardy is here, joining Smackdown.

Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin: Benjamin attacks at the bell, but Jeff cuts him off with a jawbreaker. Benjamin then tosses him to the floor and we go screen in screen. Benjamin rolls Jeff back in and grounds things, as he starts to work the knee of Jeff. Benjamin does a nice job of keeping control, but Jeff cuts him off and hits a dropkick in the corner. Before he can get rolling, Benjamin clips the knee and takes control back. Back to full screen, as Jeff hits a clothesline for the double down. He follows with another, and hits an atomic drop and leg drop to the balls for 2. Benjamin cuts off whisper in the wind, crotching Jeff. Benjamin follows him up, but Jeff knocks him to he mat. Benjamin hits a run up knee strike, looks for the superplex and Jeff again fights him off and hits whisper in the wind for 2. Benjamin cuts him off, looks for pay dirt but Jeff hits a spin kick. Benjamin counters the corner dropkick, but walks into twist of fate. The swanton finishes it. Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin @ 8:25 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good match, with the crowd being into Jeff big time.

– Miz cuts a selfie promo about coming back to Smackdown, but he’s not there tonight. He wasn’t showing up with the others, so next wee will be his premiere on Smackdown.

– Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose are coming to Smackdown.

Jey Uso vs. Luke Harper: Harper attacks, Jey fires back as Jimmy and Rowan fight on the floor. Jey gets distracted, eats a lariat and Harper wins. Luke Harper defeated Jey Uso @ 0:45 via pin [NR] The Bludgeons continue to Bludgeon.

– Post match, the Bludgeons look to kill the Usos, but Naomi runs out screaming to save her man. The Bludgeons take a walk.

Sin Cara vs. Samoa Joe: Cara attacks at the bell, hits a springboard elbow, but Joe lights him up with jabs. Cara fires back, but springboards into a clothesline. Joe lays in ground and pound and chokes him out. Samoa Joe defeated Sin Cara @ 1:40 via submission [NR] Destruction.

– Joe calls Smackdown the land of handouts, and everyone has had it easy until now. They all had it easy until now. Joe is here now and he will take the opportunities, he will put to sleep Bryan, to defang Orton, and to decimate AJ Styles. And what ever is left of Reigns, he will put him out to pasture at Backlash. And if Reigns happens to beat Brock, he will bring back his IC tile (he then corrects himself to Universal) to Smackdown, believe that.

– We get a Sanity promo; they are coming to Smackdown (without Nikki Cross).

Prepare for inSAnitY… #SDLive #SuperstarShakeup #SAnitY@KillianDain @TheEricYoung @TheWWEWolfe pic.twitter.com/e3AJuVaglS

— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2018

– Bryan says he helped Styles because he respects him and he wanted to face him when he came back. Big Cass arrives, and makes fun of Bryan for being short.

The Mellabration: Carmella arrives for her “Mellabration.” Carmella says that everyone wants on her bandwagon now that she’s champion. She’s now the crowned Princess of Smackdown. She waited 287 long days for the right time, and she took her rightful spot on top of the division, beating Charlotte. She adds that she did it all on her own. Charlotte was blinded by her own ego, and she better learn to love it because Carmella is the woman now. Her win last week was the biggest moment in women’s history. She runs a tribute video for herself. Carmella is about to change her briefcase, but will keep Cleopatra (the title) even longer. Charlotte arrives. She says that Carmella’s reign will be short, and that she left Ellsworth and the IIconics out of her video package. Charlotte knows the dirtiest player in the game, but she respects Carmella’s game. Charlotte says it’s harder to stay on top than to get there. The IIconics arrive. They run down Charlotte for blaming them on her failure. They gave Charlotte the magic she asked for last week and made her title disappear. They then claim to be the future, and the future is IIconic. Charlotte attacks, but gets overwhelmed. Becky Lynch arrives and makes the save. It was a segment that played off of last week’s events, but it just wasn’t very good overall or all that interesting. Carmella was really good at making it impossible to like here, so there was that as a positive.

Charlotte vs. Billie Kay: JIP with Charlotte working over Kay on the floor. Back in and Charlotte controls until Kay cuts her off with a forearm strike for 2. Kay grounds the action, working the arm. Charlotte fights to her feet, but eats a clothesline and Kay covers for 2. Kay keeps things grounded, and then Royce gets in a cheap shot. We go screen in screen, as Kay maintains control. Kay now chokes out Charlotte in the corner, and again grounds things. Charlotte fights to her feet, and we go back to full screen. Charlotte hits a knee strike, but Kay hits a suplex for 2. Charlotte now lays in chops, and then a knee drop. Kay cuts her of with soul food for 2. Kay then gets a roll up for 2. Charlotte hits a big boot and figure four, and Kay taps. Charlotte defeated Billie Kay @ 7:50 via submission [**] This was ok, but felt very lethargic and a bit repetitive on Kay’s part.

– Post match, Carmella and the IIconics beat down Charlotte & Becky until Asuka arrives and makes the save. The faces make the comeback and clear the ring. That’ll set up a six-woman tag, which the old Road Dogg loves running into the ground.

Oh you didn’t know?

– The Good Brothers are coming to Smackdown.

– The Bar is coming to Smackdown.

– New Day makes fun of the Bar and meets with R Truth, who is now on Smackdown. Tye Dillinger arrives add does an elaborate handshake with Truth. R Truth says they are all together on Raw. “My bad.”

– Andrade Almas w/Zelina Vega, Smackdown bound!

AJ Styles & Daniel Bryan vs. Rusev & Aiden English: English and Bryan to begin, Bryan quickly grounds him and works a Romero special. Styles tags in and attacks English. Styles hits strikes and a pump handle gut buster. He locks in the calf crusher as Bryan looks for the YES lock; Rusev & English escape and powder to the floor. Post break, and English has Styles grounded, working the heat. Rusev tags in and works his power game on Styles. It’s all Rusev day right now, keeping Styles isolated and now working quick tags. Styles hits a jawbreaker, and the tag is cut off. Styles hits the PELE and we get wholesale changes to Rusev and Bryan. HOT TAG BRYAN is here! He connects with shotgun dropkicks, but English makes the save. Bryan dumps him and follows with YES kicks on Rusev. The knee strike follows as Nakamura arrives and punches Styles in the dick. Big Cass arrives and attacks Bryan for the DQ. AJ Styles & Daniel Bryan defeated Rusev & Aiden English @ 12:45 via DQ [**¾] They had a pretty good match, which was going well until the DQ finish. Nakamura constantly cock punching Styles and pretending like he doesn’t speak English has been great. It was also nice to see Rusev not eat another loss.

– Renee tries to interview Nakamura, but he again says he doesn’t speak English, but he does speak fist to cock.

TO RAW:
* Jinder Mahal w/Sunil Singh
* The Riott Squad
* Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens
* The Fashion Police
* Natalya
* Dolph Ziggler
* Drew McIntyre
* The Ascension
* Baron Corbin
* Zack Ryder
* Mike Kanellis
* Bobby Roode
* Chad Gable
* Mojo Rawley

TO SMACKDOWN:
* The Miz
* US Champion Jeff Hardy
* Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose
* Samoa Joe
* Sanity (Young, Wolfe, & Dain)
* Big Cass
* Asuka
* The Good Brothers
* The Bar
* R Truth
* Andrade Almas w/Zelina Vega

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Much like Raw, I found tonight’s WWE Smackdown a very average show, with the main interest being in the roster changes. Smackdown was looking good after last night’s subtractions but comes across as even stronger with some really great additions tonight. These shows are essentially reset shows, and hopefully, things start picking up next week. Smackdown SHOULD be primed for a run of great shows with the new roster.