Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 7.23.19

“It’s good shit, pal.” – Vince McMahon

Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 7.23.19

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Non-Title Match: Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Apollo Crews @ 8:15 via pin [***]
– Ember Moon defeated Charlotte @ 0:37 via pin [NR]
– Non-Title Match: Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Samoa Joe @ 7:30 via DQ [**½]

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– New Day’s Woods & Big E join commentary. No Shawn Michaels, but he will apparently be on Miz TV tonight.

Shane McMahon Talks: Shane arrives and gets his special announcement. He comments on the Raw reunion show, and was glad Kevin Owens wasn’t there. Shane claims Kevin was hiding on social media and challenged Shane to a match at Summerslam. Shane accepts, and says that Kevin claimed if he loses would quit WWE. But we’ve heard that before, last year. He rolls the footage. Shane makes fun of him for quitting, and then says it will happen again and he wants it in writing. Kevin arrives and says that Shane is smart, and says last year was the lowest point of his career. But that isn’t who he is today, and knew Shane would accept the challenge because helices the spotlight. Kevin won’t quit because he will beat the living hell out of Shane. He heads to the ring, but Shane stops him and books Kevin against Roman Reigns. This was a solid segment to officially set Shane vs. Kevin for Summerslam.

– Shane meets with Elias & Drew. They kiss his ass and Shane makes Drew the special referee for Reigns vs. Owens and Elias the special guest timekeeper. Shane will be the special ring announcer.

Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Apollo Crews: They circle and Nakamura locks on a side headlock. Crews escapes and hits a shoulder tackle, and follows with an elbow drop. The delayed suplex connects and Crews covers for 2. Nakamura fires back with strikes, but Crews dumps him and hits an apron moonsault to the floor. Back in and Nakamura powders, trips him up on the apron and follows with knee strikes. Back in and Nakamura covers for 2. He works a cravat, grounding the action and then hits a knee drop. Bad vibrations follow and then Nakamura follows with kicks. He grounds things again, but Crews fires up and hits a big clothesline. The running kick and clothesline follows. He then hits a Samoan drop for 2. Nakamura counters the press slam, and then hits the sliding German. Nakamura sets and Kinshasa is countered by an enziguri and Angle slam for a good near fall. Crews heads up top and gets cut off and Nakamura connects with knee strikes, but runs into a pop up slam and standing shooting star pres but Nakamura counters and hits Kinshasa for the win. Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Apollo Crews @ 8:15 via pin [***] This was a good and competitive match, with Nakamura keeping momentum, while Crews put in a good effort in loss.

– Nakamura beats him down post match and hits Kinshasa on the floor.

– Mandy & Sonya meet backstage and they are getting a match next week for a possible shot at the women’s tag team titles.

– We get an Ali video package; he needs to rewrite his story to earn a WWE Title shot, He got injured and feels forgotten, but he will become WWE Champion, because he writes his story.

Miz TV: Miz first shows footage from Raw Reunion. Shawn Michaels is the guest tonight. Woods & Big E mark out, dance, and sing along to Michaels’ music. Miz welcomes him to the show and Michaels says he used to be the young guy jealous of the legends, but it’s all family and he had a blast. Michaels then says that they inducted an honorary member into the Kliq last night in Seth Rollins, and it’s been great to watch his journey. Dollar Tree Shawn Michaels Dolph Ziggler arrives to insult Michaels and says if he ends up like him to put him out of his misery. Michaels tells him to speak and Dolph says he used to idolize him, but Michaels ruined it by coming back every chance he got like last night and like Goldberg in a wrestling ring. Dolph says Michaels broke his heart when he came back and was embarrassing. Michaels admits that he doesn’t disagree, and it was embarrassing. But what’s more embarrassing is working your whole career to be a second rate Shawn Michaels. Michaels calls Michaels the second rate Michaels, noting that he ruined his legacy. Miz dares him to do something already and tells him to stop moaning. Miz dares him again to do something and end up hitting Miz when he misses Michaels, and then superkicks Michaels. Miz runs him off and checks on Michaels. While it still didn’t make me care about Dolph, the segment was good overall, and we’re likely getting Miz vs. Dolph at Summerslam.

Charlotte vs. Ember Moon: Charlotte takes control as Bayley arrives. Moon then cradles Charlotte for the win. Ember Moon defeated Charlotte @ 0:37 via pin [NR] This worked as a good segment to put Moon over… as long as they don’t make it a triple threat.

– Moon rolls Bayley in and hits the eclipse on both and stands tall.

Kofi’s Summerslam Decision: Michael Cole joins commentary, Byron is off due to the death of his father. Kofi arrives and says he wants to face Randy Orton at Summerslam. Orton arrives and Kofi says that they have history, back in the day in MSG where they all chanted Kofi’s name, and kicked Orton’s ass. He shows footage. That was when Kofi was to make it to the main event, but that didn’t happen, because Orton held him back by using his influence. But Kofi kept grinding and fighting to become the champion. Orton says that he did hold Kofi back, but did him a favor because Kofi wasn’t ready then and isn’t ready now. Orton says he’s been on top for 18-years, he only had to be Randy Orton, not do a fake accent or throw pancakes. He just wins and main events, and Kofi only got his shot due to him because he injured Ali. Kofi doesn’t deserve the title and he will take it from him when he wants. Orton accepts the Summerslam match and promises to end the fairy tale. This was a really good and well done promo segment to make Kofi vs. Orton official for Summerslam. I love the nod to continuity here as well.

Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Samoa Joe: Orton stays at ringside for the match. They lock up and work into counters, but Joe makes the ropes. Kofi looks for the takedown, but Joe takes him down and starts working the arm. Kofi escapes with kicks, starts attacking the arm and Joe slams him down by his hair. He follows with chops, but Kofi fires back and quickly gets cut off. He then picks up the pace and hits a dropkick. He follows with a dive. Back in and Kofi follows with running forearms, mounted strikes but Joe stuns him off the ropes. Joe lays in chops, hits the STJoe and covers for 2. Joe lays the boots to him and then connects with jabs and body shots. Kofi fires back, but gets mowed down with a clothesline. Head butt by Joe, and he then grounds the action. Kofi fights to his feet, lays in chops and a dropkick. The clothesline and boom drop follow, and trouble in paradise is stopped as Orton attacks for the DQ. Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Samoa Joe @ 7:30 via DQ [**½] This was a solid match with a fun post match to add to the build for Kofi vs. Orton and to save Joe from eating another pin.

– Orton RKOs Joe but eats a trouble in paradise.

Finn Balor Speaks: Balor arrives and Kayla asks him about his rough few last weeks, including losing the IC Title and Bray Wyatt attacking him. We get footage. Balor doesn’t know how Wyatt’s mind works, but the puppets, attack on Foley last night; he can’t explain any of it. Wyatt is more twisted than ever but he won’t back down and wants Wyatt at Summerslam. Wyatt appears on screen as himself in the funhouse, and says Balor is brave and inspiring. He and the puppets are fans, but not the fiend. The fiend is accepting the Summerslam challenge, and the fiend appears. This was another fine segment to build to Summerslam.

– We get a video recap of the 24/7 shenanigans from last night’s Raw reunion.

– Charlotte is offended that she’s being left off of Summerslam, and says she demands to be at Summerslam, where she proves she’s the greatest of all time.

Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens: Elias is the timekeeper while Drew is the special referee; Shane is the special ring announcer. Shane is a dick, Kevin promises to go through Reigns, while Reigns says he’s going to kick everyone’s ass. They lock up, working to the ropes and Drew breaks them up. Lock up again, and Drew breaks them up again. He talks shit to them and Reigns attacks him and dumps him as Kevin fights off Elias. Shane is rolled in and the heels take control with the numbers game. They work over Reigns but Kevin makes the save and superkicks Drew and Elias. Spear by Reigns and a stunner for Elias follows. Shane is rolled back in and eats the superman punch and stunner. The crowd chants for one more and Kevin stuns Shane again. No match,, but a really good closing angle with the faces standing tall and not only outsmarting the heels, but overcoming the numbers game.

– Kevin promises everyone will love the ass whooping he gives Shane at Summerslam.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 37. On the show, the good brother, Steve Cook, joins 411’s Larry Csonka and the guys will examine the decision to put the Universal championship back on Brock Lesnar, thoughts on EVOLVE 131, Alexa Bliss’ childish reaction to her Raw match, early Summerslam thoughts and more. The show is approximately 84-minutes long.

* Intro
* Examining Brock Lesnar as Universal Champion & The MITB Crutch: 7:10
* Looking at Alexa Bliss Crying Over Negative Fan Reaction: 17:50
* Is WWE playing a dangerous game by continually announcing things and not delivering?: 27:45
* AEW Using WCW Personalities: 32:15
* Early Summerslam Card Thoughts: 38:50
* EVOLVE 131 Thoughts: 54:50

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

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This week’s episode of WWE Smackdown was an overall good show, with some good wrestling and promo work but more importantly, a lot of focus on building the Summerslam card.