Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 4.17.20

Csonka’s WWE Friday Night Smackdown Review 4.17.20

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Tamina defeated Sasha Banks @ 8:35 via pin [*]
– Sheamus defeated Denzel DeJournette @ 0:55 via pin [NR]
– Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Dana Brooke defeated Naomi @ 4:20 via pin [**]
– Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Daniel Bryan defeated Cesaro @ 14:40 via submission [***½]
– WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Big E defeated Champions The Miz vs. Jey Uso @ 7:55 via pin [***]

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– In memory of Howard Finkel.

#ThankYouFink 🙏#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/W6PNwaXKE6

— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2020

– We start off with a moment of Bliss a Alexa & Nikki arrive. They welcome us the show, enjoy some coffee, and welcome Braun Strowman as their guest. Alexa congratulates him on the big win, and he congratulates them on their tag title win. Alexa & Nikki will defend next week. Talk turns to Bray going after Braun and they show Bray’s comments from last week. Braun says that no one knows bray like he does they used to be family, but Bray didn’t create him and he owes him nothing. Braun succeeded on his own and won’t play games with Bray. If Bray comes for him, he’ll get these hands. We see a present in the ring, and Braun thinks it’s for him and opens it. It’s his old sheep mask and we hear Bray laughing while an old pic of Braun in the mask appears.

– Braun vs. Bray is official for the MITB PPV.

Tamina vs. Sasha Banks: If Tamina wins, she gets a Smackdown Women’s title shot; Bayley is on commentary. Sasha gives Tamina a shirt, which was too small to Tamina attacks. Sasha tries to counter back and cradles her for 2. Tamina cuts her off, and dumps her. Post break and Tamina controls until Sasha starts to fire back and hits meteora for 2. She follows with ground and pound, a dropkick and Sasha covers for 2. Sasha follows with kicks. grounding things and working a choke. Tamina powers out but Sasha hits a knee strike. Tamina hits a rough looking uranage and Bayley tries to distract her as Sasha posts Tamina. He runs her to the steps and lacey Evans arrives, attacking Bayley. Superkick by Tamina and back in, hits another and pins Sasha. Tamina defeated Sasha Banks @ 8:35 via pin [*] I hate to sound like a broken record, but Tamina is not good at all. She has mobility issues, and basic transition spots came off as a complete struggle in this match. Since we’re delaying Sasha vs. Bayley until at least Summerslam, the broken down Tamina gets to play challenger of the month. This was bad.

– Lacey comments on helping Tamina, and says Sash a got a taste of her own medicine, and will follow her everywhere she goes. She won’t stop until her mission is complete.

Sheamus vs. Denzel DeJournette: Denzel tried to get in some offense, so Sheamus beat the shit out of his poor lad and the brogue kick finished it. Sheamus defeated Denzel DeJournette @ 0:55 via pin [NR] He’s dead, Jim.

– Sheamus gets upset as Cole is talking about Jeff Hardy and wants his respect.

– We now get another extremely well done Jeff Hardy video package, looking at his fall.

– Carmella meets with Dana and tells her she should be focusing on their tag title match next week, not a MITB qualifier. They’ve been a team for one week and are already teasing issues.

– Next week is the Triple H dick sucking appreciation week.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Naomi vs. Dana Brooke: Naomi cradles her right away for 2. The crucifix follows again for 2 Naomi follows with a dropkick., but Dana quickly dumps her. Back in and Dana grounds things, taking control. Naomi counters out into a Gedo clutch and that gets 2. The scorpion kick and disaster kick follows for 2. Naomi follows with more kicks until Dana counters into a powerbomb for 2. Naomi counters the cartwheel splash and hits he rear view, but Dana cradles her for 2. Another rear view gets 2. The split legged moonsault misses and Dana sunset flips her for the win. Dana Brooke defeated Naomi @ 4:20 via pin [**] The match was short and ok, but I’m not sold on Dana over Naomi in a MITB match.

– They recap the Otis & Mandy love story.

– This is this year’s MITB gimmick.

BREAKING: WWE Superstars will climb the corporate ladder at #MITB!

The match begins on the ground floor of WWE Headquarters but the briefcases will be hanging all the way up on the roof of the corporate tower! https://t.co/iGoIUggwzo pic.twitter.com/TqawawkBXs

— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2020

– Sonya looks to clear the air with Mandy. This of course happens n the ring as Sonya arrives and says she’s been trying to get a hold of Mandy but Mandy hasn’t answered. He asks her to come out so she can make things right. She’s never had someone like Mandy in her life, they’ve been together for so long and Mandy arrives. Mandy has nothing to say to her, but Sonya says she’s spent more time with Mandy than her whole family. She feels less than nothing and says that Mandy is the most selfish human she’s ever met. Mandy is shocked and Sonya says she woke up, knew she was being kicked to the curb and it was never about them, it was all about Mandy. She tried to share time with the golden goddess, but it didn’t work. Mandy should have focused on their team; Dolph cares about her, look at him and look at Otis. They could have been champions but Mandy ruined it. All Sonya wants is to see Mandy hurt, you maybe pretty, but you’re nothing but a dime a dozen bottled blonde created in a lab. Sonya refuses s to be second fiddle to the Barbie, she knows her better than anyone and will ruin her and prove she’s the best and not a centerfold bitch. Dolph arrives, begs off to Mandy and says Mandy can’t deny what they had. He made a mistake, and tells her to admit she feels something for him. Sonya attacks and Dolph backs her off as Otis arrives. He attacks Dolph, Mandy attacks Sonya and the heels bail. Dolph returns, gets laid out and Otis hits the caterpillar.

– Cole talks about his WWE career and how Howard Finkel taught him the ropes and we get a Fink video package.

– The Miz comments on tonight’s title defense, calling it a horrible and a miscarriage of justice..

– We look back on last week’s debut of the Forgotten Sons.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Daniel Bryan vs. Cesaro: Nak & Gulak are at ringside. They lockup and Cesaro takes control until Bryan dumps him and follows with a suicide dive. The hacker arrives, via video talking about lies & truths, and claims the truth will be heard. Post break and they trade center ring as Bryan grounds things. Bryan starts targeting the left arm, and gets the arm bar until Cesaro powers up and slams his way out. He controls, delivering kicks and slams for 2. Bryan goes back to the arm, heads up top and Cesaro catches the high cross and follows with a backbreaker for 2. The sharpshooter follows, but Bryan makes the ropes. The running uppercut on the floor follows. Post break and Cesaro delivers uppercuts, but Bryan counters into an arm bar. Cesaro fights, but Bryan transitions to kicks and chops down Cesaro, targeting the arm as the head kick connects for 2. He follows with elbow strikes, Cesaro powers up and DVDs him to the buckles and hits a GTS style knee strike for 2. The crossface follows, but Bryan counters to the YES lock and cradles him for 2. Lariat by Cesaro and he follows with uppercuts. Cesaro then catches the moonsault until Bryan counters into the YS lock as Gulak holds off Nak and Cesaro taps. Daniel Bryan defeated Cesaro @ 14:40 via submission [***½] These guys are great and worked a really good, hard-hitting and compelling match.

– Corbin attacks Elias backstage, because of course we have to continue this. He drags him away. Post break and Corbin continues to kick Elias’ ass, injuring his hand. He then lays him out with the scepter, and then hits him with the guitar.

NEXT WEEK: Gulak vs. Corbin & Banks vs. Evans in MITB qualifiers, as well as Bliss & Cross vs. Carmella & Brooke for the tag titles.

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Champions The Miz vs. Jey Uso vs. Big E: Big E takes control sat the bell, taking Miz to the floor and slamming him to the barricades. He clears off the announce table and says he has a plan until Uso superkicks him. Miz joins in and they suplex Big E through the table. Post break and Uso dumps Miz, follows with a dive on Big E and then one for Miz. Back in and the high cross follows for 2. Uso follows with corner ass attacks until Big E hits an STO. Miz cuts him off as Uso cuts he and Big E off with superkicks for 2. Miz cradles him for 2, and then transitions to a figure four try but Uso counters, knocking him into Big E but Miz hits the skull crushing finale for 2 The figure four follows. Uso fights, Big E in and hits the big ending on Miz foe the win. Big E defeated Champions The Miz vs. Jey Uso @ 7:55 via pin [***] This was good and had a nice energy to it, but was a bit too slavish to the triple threat formula.

– Big E celebrates as we get comments from Kofi & Woods.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 107. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka & Steve Cook hit a quick news roundup as things continue to get crazy, and then review the weekly AEW vs. NXT Battle. Kevin Pantoja joins to review WWF Backlash 2002. The show is approximately 163-minutes long.

* Intro
* News Roundup (WWE Cuts): 2:45
* AEW Dynamite (4.15.20) Review: 1:07:55
* NXT (4.15.20) Review: 1:25:10
* The Head to Head: 1:39:19
* Retro WWF Backlash 2002 Review w/Kevin Pantoja: 1:44:11

* iTunes
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– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

This week’s WWE Smackdown was really solid and better than recent weeks as they kept a focus on building MITB, some good wrestling and got a title change in the main event, which I am sure will be disputed leading to a triple threat at MITB.