Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 5.14.19

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 5.14.19

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Andrade defeated Finn Balor, Ali, and Randy Orton @ 13:12 via pin [***¼]
– Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan, Rowan, and Elias defeated Roman Reigns and the Usos @ 18:35 via pin [***]
– Kairi Sane & Asuka defeated Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville @ 8:38 via pin [**¾]

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Opening Promo: Tonight’s episode of WWE Raw kicks off with Roman Reigns and the Miz in the ring for some talking. Oh wait, this is Smackdown, but the rest is true. Miz thanks Reigns for the invitation to Smackdown, and says in 5 days, Shane can’t run or hide, because they face in a steel cage match. Shane & Elias arrive. Shane bans Miz from the building tonight while Elias says he will prove why Vince chose him to come to Smackdown at MITB. Daniel Bryan & Rowan now arrive. The heels surround the ring and they all brawl. The heels beat them down until the Usos make the save. The faces then clear the ring, likely setting up a tag match for tonight. What’s the purpose of the wildcard if you’re going to run the same angles with the same people? I am so sick of the repetitive show opening segments.

– Shane then books Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan, Rowan, and Elias vs. Roman Reigns and the Usos for tonight. If Miz gets involved, his MITB match is cancelled.

– Orton cuts a promo alongside a ladder. He plans to win MITB again on Sunday. Andrade & Vega arrive an Vega says that people are sensitive about spoilers, but they don’t care, because Andrade will ruin MITB right now as he says he will win MITB.

Andrade vs. Finn Balor vs. Ali vs. Randy Orton: They start brawling during the screen in screen break. Ali hits a suicide dive, and then locks up with Balor. They work into counters, and end in a stand off. Andrade & Orton return and attack. Orton works over Ali on the floor, while Andrade dropkicks Balor. Orton then cuts him off and slams him off the announce table. He follows with uppercuts, and then works over Ali. 3-minutes in and we’re finally at full screen with Orton laying the boots to Ali. Ali fires back but runs into a snap slam. Ali battles back with a dropkick and then fakes out Orton and follows with a tornado DDT for 2 as Andrade makes the save. Ali follows with a RANA, but Andrade hits the lariat. He clears out Orton & Ali, but Balor fires up and hits the standing double stomp. The enziguri follows and Balor heads up top but Andrade crotches him. The double knees follow for 2. Andrade gets ladders, slides one in and hits Balor and then Orton. Ali hits a superkick, but then flies into a ladder shot. Post break and Andrade whips Balor into a ladder. Balor then cut s him off with John Woooo into the ladder. Ali cuts him off, heads up top and eats an RKO. Missile dropkick by Andrade, and Balor rolls him up for 2. He follows with a tope, and Andrade then slams him into the steps. Back n and the hammerlock DDT finishes it. Andrade defeated Finn Balor, Ali, and Randy Orton @ 13:12 via pin [***¼] This was a good and fun match to help set the stage for the MITB match on Sunday.

– Ricochet arrives and leaps onto the ladder and brawls with Andrade. Ricochet knocks him off and grabs the case to stand tall.

– Carmella cuts a promo on winning MITB.

– Kofi asks Woods to stay backstage tonight so that he can take care of his business with Owens.

– Charlotte arrives. She plans to end the rivalry with Becky on Sunday. We get a video package on the Becky vs. Charlotte rivalry.

– Lacey cuts a promo backstage, joking about the rerun that is Charlotte vs. Becky. She plans to beat Becky on Sunday.

– Aleister Black cuts another creepy promo.

Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan, Rowan, and Elias vs. Roman Reigns and the Usos: Bryan & Jimmy begin. They lock up and Bryan looks to ground things. Bryan then hits a shoulder tackle, and Jimmy then starts working the arm and follows with strikes. Jey tags in and double teams follow. Elias tags in and gets cut off with an enziguri. Jey pulls up favoring his knee, allowing Elias to cut him off. Shane tags in and grounds the action, working something resembling an STF. Elias tags in and continues to work the knee of Jey. Bryan tags back in and lays in kicks and then he attacks the leg. Bryan takes him up top and follows him up. Jey fights him off, and then gets shoved all the way to the floor. Post break and Rowan is working over Jey. The running splash follows for 2. Elias tags back in and hits a knee drop for 2. Shane tags in and follows with strikes as he dances around. Jey cuts him off with an enziguri and Reigns gets the hot tag and runs wild. He follows with clotheslines on Bryan, and sets for a Superman punch. Bryan cuts him off with kicks, Rowan tags in and works him over and then Elias tags in; the knee strike follows for 2. Rowan back in and covers for 2 after laying in strikes He follows with the cranium crunch and then hits a back elbow. Bryan tags in and lays in kicks, and the cover gets 2. Rowan dumps Reigns and works him over on the floor. Back in and Rowan lays the boots to him, and Elias tags in and covers for 2. He follows with elbow drops, but Reigns fires back and hits a Samoan drop. Tags to Bryan & Jimmy and Jimmy superkicks Shane, Elias, & then Rowan. The double superkick Bryan and that gets 2. Shane gets dumped, Elias hits drift away, but eats a superkick as it breaks down. Rowan dumps Reigns and is then cut off with a superman punch. Elias slams Reigns into the steps. Shane hits coast to coast and pins an Uso for the win. Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan, Rowan, and Elias defeated Roman Reigns and the Usos @ 18:35 via pin [***] This was an overall good match, despite the fact that Shane picked up the pin.

– Post match, and Miz makes the save with chair shots as Shane runs away.

– We get a replay of last night’s Firefly funhouse. This escalated quickly.

– Ember Moon & Bayley cut promos on Sunday’s MITB match.

– The Usos vs. Bryan & Rowan for the Smackdown tag titles has been added to MITB.

-The IIconics are on commentary. Paige announces that Asuka & Sane are now called the Kabuki Warriors. Mandy & Sonya arrive and mock Paige as Mandy says she’ll win MITB on Sunday.

The Kabuki Warriors (Kairi Sane & Asuka) vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville: Paige is at ringside. Sonya and Asuka begin. Asuka takes early control, tags in Sane and double teams follow. They take out Mandy and isolate Sonya. Post break and Sane is working over Mandy and hits a running cross body for 2. The sliding D misses as Sonya makes the save. Mandy hits kiss the rose for 2. Sonya tags in and hits a running knee strike for 2. Mandy back in and maintains control with a back breaker. Sane fights back and rolls into the tag. Asuka runs wild on Mandy, hits the German and head kick. The rolling Asuka lock follows, but Sonya makes the save. Sonya gets the tag and Asuka cuts her off with kicks & strikes, but Sonya cuts her off with a spinebuster Mandy tags in and Asuka cradles her for the win. Kairi Sane & Asuka defeated Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville @ 8:38 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good match with Kairi Sane & Asuka continuing to be a great team.

– Lars Sullivan is interviewed, well not exactly as the interview chick runs away.

The Kevin Owens Show: Kofi makes his way to the ring as Owens was cutting a promo backstage. Owens cuts a promo from backstage, reminding us about how he took out Cena on his first night, he didn’t wait 11-years in WWE for his chance. If anyone got in his way, he made sure they regretted it. All that’s left now is to take the WWE Championship. Kofi says that proved nothing and is tired of talking and calls out Owens. Owens heads to the ring… teases leaving, and then walks away. Kofi chases him down and they brawl until Sami Zayn attacks Kofi. They beat him down until Woods makes the save… but he’s quickly cut off. They slam Kofi to the steps, and then in the ring, continue to attack. Kofi keeps fighting, and takes out Owens and hits trouble in paradise on Sami. This was a good go home angle, with the addition of Zayn and Owens specifically saying, “maybe I’m not alone.”

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 19. On the show, the good brother, Jeremy Lambert, joins 411’s Larry Csonka. Today, the guys will look back on the ROH War of The Worlds Tour with full reviews of the three live events and then preview Sunday’s WWE MITB PPV. The show is approximately 110–minutes long.

* Intro
* ROH War of The Worlds Buffalo Review: 3:00
* ROH War of The Worlds Toronto Review: 29:00
* ROH War of The Worlds Grand Rapids Review: 47:30
* WWE MITB Preview: 65:30
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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

6.8

The final score: review Average

The 411

This week’s episode of WWE Smackdown was a streamlined show, without filler, some MITB build and the matches getting some good time to deliver. Overall this was a really solid go home effort.