wrestling / TV Reports

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 5.15.18

May 15, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Andrade’s Andrade Almas WWE Smackdown 51518
6.8
The 411 Rating
Community Grade
12345678910
Your Grade
Loading...
Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 5.15.18  

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 5.15.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
MITB Qualifier: The New Day defeated The Bar @ 9:25 via pin [***¼]
– Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Jake Constantino @ 1:20 via pin [NR]
MITB Qualifier: Becky Lynch defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville @ 7:55 via submission [**¼]
Non-Title match: Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Champion AJ Styles @ 17:40 via pin [***½]


– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

Daniel Bryan Talks: Renee Yong brings Bryan to the ring for some interview time. Commentary discusses Bryan failing to qualify for MITB last week. The crowd loves his as Renee puts over his run since returning until last week, when he lost to Rusev. The crowd keeps cheering for Bryan as Renee tries to talk, and Bryan immediately plays to them. he admits that he was disappointed when he lost last week. He was happy to be back, doing what he loves, and now it’s not enough to be back. He wants more, he wants to be on top. He will scratch and claw to get there, but he WILL be WWE champion. Big Cass interrupts and says he’s sick of Bryan running his mouth. Bryan may have the fans sold on him, but Cass thinks it’s a load of crap. Cass reminds us that he dumped Bryan from the greatest royal rumble and why he lost to Rusev. Cass will make sure his dreams do not come true. Cass says he tapped at Backlash just to beat up Bryan again, and he did. He plans to keep following Bryan around and ruing things for him. Cass mocks Bryan’s time in the GRR because he tossed him. Cass calls Bryan a loser and says he should have stayed retired. He tells him to stay at home, be a stay at home dad and allow Brie to wear the pants in the family. Cass enters the ring and Bryan attacks and lays in rights. Bryan attacks the knee and kicks the shit out of him. Bryan keeps beating on him and attacking the knee. Refs make the save, but Bryan keeps attacking, posting Cass’ knee. He then chop blocks him and locks on a heel hook and Cass taps like a bitch! Refs and producers pull Bryan away and save Cass. The crowd loved this. Bryan was great as usual; he comes across as a real person as compared to most on the roster. Cass was also a good asshole here. The beat down by Bryan was also really good and the crowd loved all of this, this was a very good start to the show.

– The Miz arrives to join the commentary team.

MITB Qualifier: The New Day (Woods & Big E) vs. The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro): The winning team gets to pick one man to get into the MITB match. Woods runs wild at the bell, and it’s a tope on Sheamus. Back in and a disaster kick connects on Cesaro. Cesaro cuts him off and Sheamus tags in and double teams follows, and Sheamus covers for 2. Quick tags follow as the Bar takes control. We go screen in screen, and Cesaro kicks Woods to the floor. Sheamus continues to work over Woods and brings him back in the ring. He grounds the action, and then connects with a back breaker for 2. Cesaro back in and the Bar maintains the heat. Woods fights for a tag, but Sheamus tags in and Woods gets cut off. More double teams follow, and Cesaro grounds things again. Woods hits a desperation jawbreaker, but Sheamus cuts off the tag. Back to full screen, as the Bar continues with double teams. Cesaro knocks Big E to the floor; Woods fires back and dumps Cesaro. Woods finally gets the tag and Big E starts tossing Sheamus around. The running splash eats knees, but Big E cuts off Sheamus with an STO out of the corner for 2. Cesaro saves Sheamus and the double team DDT gets 2. Cesaro locks on the sharpshooter after some trouble, and Woods tries to make the save, and then posts Sheamus. Woods tags in and hits a DDT for 2. Cesaro cuts him off, but then gets posted. Woods hits the wheelbarrow driver, but Sheamus makes the save. It breaks down and Big E spears Sheamus to the floor! Woods hits the ropewalk elbow drop and wins! The New Day defeated The Bar @ 9:25 via pin [***¼] No surprise, another good match between the two teams. This was a good opening match, and now we wait to see which New Day member gets in MITB. There are a lot of ways they can play this, so it could be really interesting.

– The Bludgeon Brothers are looking for a team to come and play with them. They promise bludgeoning.

– Paige fake talks on the phone, and meets with Deville & Rose, and books Becky Lynch vs. Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville in a MITB qualifier.

– AJ Styles comments on his match with Nakamura later tonight. He teases all kinds of wacky stipulation matches when he wins, and promises that it will be entertaining.

Andrade “Cien” Almas w/Zelina Vega vs. Jake Constantino: They lock up and Almas connects with strikes and takes Constantino down. Constantino hits a dropkick but Almas cuts him off with chops. Almas lays the boots to Constantino, and hits the corner knees. The hammerlock DDT finishes it. Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Jake Constantino @ 1:20 via pin [NR] Get in, hit your shit, and get out.

– Vega says they were expecting more in terms of competition. She runs down the locker room and says that they came to Smackdown to take over.

– Rusev and English celebrate in Rusev’s own locker room. Rusev comments on destroying Bryan last week, and they make fun of London. English has a new song, but Lana arrives. She says that she has a MITB qualifier against Billie Kay. They all celebrate, and vow to win the briefcases and reign as Mr. & Mrs. Money in the Bank.

The Mellabration: Carmella arrives for her Mellabration. Carmella gets an official introduction from a town crier, mentioning that she beat Charlotte twice. Carmella enters with royal guards accompanying her. Carmella gives the fans a chance to show how much they love her, and asks them to shower her with praise. They refuse. Carmella runs down the fans for not showing her the respect she’s earned. She commands that they bow before her. They refuse. Carmella continues to run down the fans, reminding them that she’s money and the champion. She claims to be better than everyone, even Ronda Rousey, Trish & Lita combined. Paige interrupts, plays to the crowd, and informs Carmella that she has a title defense at MITB. Carmella says she’s not defending, and Paige reveals that Carmella’s opponent is Asuka. Carmella runs away. This was a fine segment, Carmella was annoying in a good way, and we set another match for MITB. We’ll see if Asuka can have a good match with Carmella where Charlotte failed.

– Renee interviews Nakamura, he promises to beat Styles tonight. He says Styles will get multiple knees to the face, and will break Styles’ face. He will dishonor Styles and then take his title.

Becky Lynch vs. Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville: This feels like a repeat of Bliss vs. Bayley vs. James as far as the dynamic goes. Lynch attacks at the bell and tosses Rose. She and Deville battle now and Lynch cuts her off with a kick until Rose returns. Rose and Deville take control, double teaming Lynch until Rose cradles Deville for 2. We go screen in screen as the former Absolution works over Lynch. They work to the floor and they beat down Lynch. Back in and Deville breaks up the Rose pin attempt. That allows Lynch to fight back for a bit until they cut her off again. Back to full screen, as Deville dumps Rose. She fires away with kicks on Lynch, but Lynch fires back with clotheslines. The XPLODER follows and Rose is back, dumping Deville and covering Lynch for 2. Lynch cradles Rose for 2. Roses fights off disarmher and hits the implant buster. Deville breaks it up and covers for 2. Deville takes Lynch up top, Rose back in and Lynch dropkicks them down. Lynch covers for 2. Lynch cuts off Rose until Deville lays in kicks to both. The running knee strike gets 2. Lynch counters a suplex, Rose accidentally takes out Deville. Disarmher by Lynch and Rose taps! Becky Lynch defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville @ 7:55 via submission [**¼] I love that Becky picked up the win and got into MITB. The match was ok, but largely felt disjointed and far from smooth. These triple threats are all running together, I would have personally preferred more one on one matches. Unfortunately, their plan for that is Lana vs. Billie Kay.

– Samoa Joe vs. Big Cass and Lana vs. Billie Kay will take place next week as MITB qualifying matches.

– Joe cuts a promo on Big Cass, running him down ahead of next week’s match. Joe is a national treasure.

– Billie Kay now cuts a promo with Peyton Royce on Lana.

Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: The winner picks the stipulation for their MITB rematch. They lock up and Nakamura starts to work the arm, but Styles quickly counters back. They work into a series of counters, and they trade cradles for near falls. Nakamura attacks with knee strikes, but Styles cuts him off with a dropkick. Styles follows with strikes but Nakamura lays in more knees until Styles hits a back breaker. Nakamura bails, and Styles flies with a slingshot forearm to the floor. Nakamura cuts off Styles and hits a running knee strike for 2. Great crowd so far. Post break, and Nakamura is laying the boots to Styles. He follows with knee strikes now, and now chokes out Styles in he corner and hits bad vibrations. Styles fires back with chops, fights of the reverse XPLODER, but Nakamura takes him down with a running kick to the face. Nakamura now works a dragon sleeper, grounding the action. Styles fights and looks for an escape, and finally gets out after a knee strike. Nakamura sets Styles up top and follows him up. Styles slides out and hits a PELE. Styles fires up with a flurry of strikes and a sliding forearm. Nakamura escapes ushigoroshi, but Styles maintains control and hits a slam for 2. Styles counters the Kinshasa but eats a kick. The landslide by Nakamura gets 2. Nakamura takes Styles to the corner, and sets him up but misses the knee strike. Nakamura the cuts off the springboard and hits a running knee strike and Styles falls to the apron. Nakamura follows and teases a suplex, but Styles fights that off. Styles runs into a kick and Nakamura hits a knee strike off the ropes. Back in and the cover gets 2. The Kinshasa is countered into the clash attempt but Nakamura escapes. Styles hits the ushigoroshi and covers for 2. Nakamura cuts off the forearm and hits Kinshasa for 2. Nakamura gets cut off with a spin kick as he went for another Kinshasa. Styles goes springboard, we almost get a ref bump and Nakamura fakes the low blow from Styles. He then attacks with a reverse XPLODER and Kinshasa for the win. Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Champion AJ Styles @ 17:40 via pin [***½] This was a very good main event, and my favorite match the two have had so far. They got time and in my opinion, this felt like the first time that it felt as if Nakamura embraced his new heel role in the ring fully. His actions, the work, the mannerisms and the finish all worked really well together and now Nakamura gets to pick the stipulation for the rematch at MITB. Hopefully what he picks is something good and allows for him to win as he really needs to finally screw over Styles and win the title.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

 photo fe36ffd0-0da4-4e3b-a2d3-b026b341dd87_zps41ef5d61.jpg
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.8
The final score: review Average
The 411
Tonight’s episode of WWE Smackdown was a pretty good show and felt like one of the stronger episodes in a while. The Bryan & Cass angle was good, we had two good & quality matches, as well as some nice build to the MITB PPV.
legend