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Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 7.17.18
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Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 7.17.18
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Non-Title Match: WWE Champion AJ Styles defeated Andrade Almas @ 12:00 via submission [***½]
– Becky Lynch defeated Mandy Rose @ 3:35 via submission [**]
– Samoa Joe defeated Tye Dillinger @ 1:45 via submission [NR]
– Eric Young defeated Kofi Kingston @ 9:30 via pin [**½]
– WWE US Title Match: Jeff Hardy defeated US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 17:30 via DQ [***]
– Follow all of my reviews at this link.
– You can check out my Mae Young Classic II wish list at this link.
– You can checkout my top 40 matches of June column at this link.
– Former US Champion Jeff Hardy is out to kick off the show. Jeff, still recovering from multiple dick attacks, says he looks like Jeff Hardy, but something is missing. His heart is broken since losing the US Title. He runs down Nakamura for his lack of morals, and calls him a jackass. He knows Nakamura low blowed him because he had to in order to win. Jeff is here to deliver pain, to make Nakamura obsolete and to win back his title. Backstage, Nakamura calls Jeff a sad clown that wears paint to hide his tears. But now, the title is his, and that’s cause to smile. He’ll make the clown cry again tonight, “God bless America.”
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Andrade Almas: Zelina Vega is out with Almas. They lock up, Almas takes Styles down and now Styles locks back up, but Almas takes him down again. Almas hits a back elbow, they work to the corner and Almas maintains control with strikes and a side headlock. Styles lays in strikes, but Almas cuts off the dropkick by going tranquilo. We go screen in screen as Styles takes the action to the floor. He works over Almas, rolls back in and Almas cuts him off. He follows with rights, but misses a charging knee strike and spills to the floor. Styles follows with a slingshot forearm and then rolls Almas back in. Styles attacks the leg with a dragon screw, but Almas looks to work the arm. Styles cuts him off with a slam and hits a lariat. Back to full screen and the sliding forearm connects. Almas connects with a dropkick, and they trade strikes until Alms hits a draping neck breaker for 2. Almas follows with rights, takes Styles up top and hits an enziguri. He slams Styles to the mat but Styles cuts off the charging knees with ushigoroshi for 2. Almas cuts off the clash, and then cuts off the springboard forearm. Almas now hits the moonsault for a good near fall. Styles counters out of a suplex, hits an enziguri but Almas hits the boot but Styles hits a PELE. They workup top and Almas cuts him off and the double stomp connects. The double knees connect and Almas covers for a good near fall. Almas looks for the hammerlock DDT, but Styles counters out into the calf crusher and Almas taps. WWE Champion AJ Styles defeated Andrade Almas @ 12:00 via submission [***½] This was an overall very good match, with Almas getting in a lot before finally losing. If Almas had to lose, at least it was to Styles in a quality outing. They also didn’t give too much away in case they revisit them a feud later on.
– English meets with Lana to apologize. He can’t take back his mistake, and knows he ruined Rusev’s chance. English begs Lana to talk with Rusev for him. Lana says that Rusev needs his space. She questions if he’s good for Rusev. English says he’s always had his back and owes a lot to him. He just wants a second chance. Lana isn’t even trying with her accent anymore.
Becky Lynch vs. Mandy Rose: Deville is out with Rose. They lock up and Ross lays in a right and misses a knee. Lynch cuts her of flaying in kicks but Deville distracts her, allowing Rose to take control and cover for 2. Rose lays in clubbing strikes, hits a suplex and covers for 2. Rose slows the pace, and then hits a dropkick. The running bicycle kick connects for 2. Rose now locks on a version of the octopus. Lynch fights out and rolls her up for 2. Lynch follows with a clothesline and dropkick. The XPLODER follows and then disarmher and Rose taps. Becky Lynch defeated Mandy Rose @ 3:35 via submission [**] This was ok for the time given as Becky continues her winning ways and calls out Carmella.
– Promo time for Becky. She loves winning and says she’s just getting started. She’s coming for Carmella, and wants to win the title again. Paige meets with Carmella and praises Becky. Carmella talks about beating Charlotte & Asuka twice, and wants another “Mellabration” next week. Paige agrees, if Carmella beats Becky next week in a non-title match. But if Becky wins, Carmella will defend against her at Summerslam.
– R-Truth meets with Tye Dillinger. Tye is about to die at the hands of Samoa Joe.
Samoa Joe vs. Tye Dillinger: Joe kicked Dillinger’s ass before Smackdown last week. Dillinger is all fired up and attacks before the bell. They spill to the floor and Dillinger lays in knee strikes until Joe posts him. Joe rolls him in the ring, and just ruins his day with strikes and kicks. Joe follows with knee strikes and the choke finishes it. Samoa Joe defeated Tye Dillinger @ 1:45 via submission [NR] Great fire by Dillinger before Joe ended his day.
The Miz Hosts Team Hell No’s Funeral: Miz arrives to funeral music, with Kane’s mask on a mannequin head being wheeled out behind him.
In memory of #TeamHellNo.#SDLive @mikethemiz pic.twitter.com/1DJ5xsINn8
— WWE (@WWE) July 18, 2018
*obligatory @MizAndMrsTV premiere reminder*#SDLive @mikethemiz pic.twitter.com/eSV7N8aiu1
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) July 18, 2018
He missed the mark by not having an urn with him. Miz is subdued, but quickly promotes his new show debuting next week and his MVP performance in the celebrity all-star game. What a spectacular asshole. He praises Kane & Bryan as a great team, but noted that they are horrible friends. Miz mentions Kane nearly ended Bryan’s career and says that the Bludgeons ended them as a team. He asks for a moment of silence, and then says he told us so. He then mocks Bryan for failing once again, calling him a sad man. The truth is Bryan’s return has been a bust and he’s done nothing but destroy his legacy and his career is dead. Bryan arrives attacking Miz from behind and starts suplexing the pallbearers. Miz runs and Bryan kills a pallbearer with a busaiku knee and points at Miz.
This was a segment that could have been horrible/Russo-riffic, but Miz was really a grade-a asshole here and made it work; he’s completely unlikable. Good stuff.
Eric Young vs. Kofi Kingston: Big E, Woods, Wolfe, & Dain are at ringside. Young put Kofi through a table to win the match at Extreme Rules. They lockup, work into some counters, and to the ropes. Kofi picks up the pace, hits kicks and a dropkick for 2. Young cuts him off with elbow strikes and rights. Kofi now trips up Young, heads up and hits a springboard clothesline and then dumps him to the floor. We go screen in screen as Young stalls. Kofi follows, gets cut off and Young rolls him back in. Kofi fires back with a back elbow. Back to full screen as Kofi slams Young to the buckles, but gets knocked to the floor. Young now works him over on the apron and catapults him into the ropes and covers for 2. Young maintains control, keeping things grounded. Young takes him to the corner, lays in rights and then gets a hanging dragon sleeper. Kofi escapes and hits a dropkick for the double down. Kofi follows with chops and another dropkick. The boom drop follows and Kofi sets, trouble in paradise countered and Young gets a roll up for 2. Kofi picks up the pace, hitting a reverse suplex out of the corner. Young powders and Kofi wipes out Sanity with a big dive. Back in and SOS gets 2 for Kofi. Kofi up top and Wolfe distracts him, the others brawl on the floor, Dain tosses Big E into Kofi, allowing Young to get the wheelbarrow neck breaker for the win. Eric Young defeated Kofi Kingston @ 9:30 via pin [**½] This was a perfectly solid match that allowed Sanity to keep momentum but also allowed for an excuse to keep the feud rolling.
US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy: Jeff attacks at the bell, and then avoids a low blow and lays in good vibrations on Nakamura. The fight goes to the floor, Jeff maintains control and teases a swanton as Nakamura bails. Post break, and Nakamura takes control and goes for repeated covers. Nakamura keeps things grounded, and then works over Jeff in the corner and follows with bad vibrations. Nakamura works a guillotine, and drags Jeff to the ground. Knee strikes follow, but Jeff avoids the knee drop and starts slamming Nakamura to the buckles. The jawbreaker and running splash connects for 2. Jeff runs wild and picks up a near fall. He follows with clubbing strikes, Nakamura fights off twist of fate and kicks him to the buckles. Nakamura follows with knee strikes on the apron. Post break, Jeff is trying to fight back, and hits whisper in the wind for 2. Jeff lays in rights, forearms, the atomic drop and leg drop to the balls; the basement dropkick gets 2. Nakamura fights off twist of fate but Jeff hits a kick but the corner dropkick is countered. Nakamura follows with knee strikes, and then a backstabber gets 2. Nakamura looks for Kinshasa, but Jeff cuts him off and heads up top. Nakamura cuts him off with kicks, Kinshasa is countered into twist of fate. Jeff up top and the swanton connects but Orton arrives for the DQ Jeff Hardy defeated US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura @ 17:30 via DQ [***] This was a good main event, with Jeff working hard despite his various injuries, and continuing the reintroduction of Orton from Extreme Rules. Orton looked like a ruthless asshole here tonight, and hopefully he can keep that going because I haven’t been interested in him as a performer in a long time.
– They brawl at ringside as Orton kicks the shit out of Jeff and stomps his head onto the steps. Orton says Jeff will have to wait and find out why he did what he did. He then tried to rip off one of his earrings. Orton tosses him over the announce table and agents arrive to stop the insanity. Orton clears off the table and continues his assault. The draping DDT to the floor follows.
– Next Week: Becky vs. Carmella, Paige Announces AJ Styles’ Summerslam opponent.
NEXT WEEK on #SDLive…
– @RealPaigeWWE announces @WWE Champion @AJStylesOrg's #SummerSlam opponent
– @BeckyLynchWWE battles #SDLive #WomensChampion @CarmellaWWE with major @SummerSlam implications pic.twitter.com/PfRMHcmXcG
— WWE (@WWE) July 18, 2018
– End Scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
