wrestling / TV Reports
Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 8.08.17
Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 8.08.17
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– The Usos defeated Sami Zayn & Tye Dillinger @ 6:50 via pin [**½]
– Charlotte defeated Lana @ 2:25 via pin [NR]
– Non-Title Match: Carmella defeated Champion Naomi @ 6:25 via pin [*½]
– Non-Title Match: Randy Orton defeated Champion Jinder Mahal @ 11:38 via pin [**½]
– We open up with highlights from last week’s show, featuring Shinsuke Nakamura’s victory and near assassination of John Cena.
John Cena Talks: Cena plays to the crowd, and talks about creating moments and says last week’s dream match was one of them. He faced of with the king of strong style, and found out that Nakamura is afraid of nothing. He found out that Nakamura hits hard, real hard. He was in there doing his thing, was ready to head to Summerslam to beat Jinder Mahal… and the next thing he knew, the ref was raising Nakamura’s hand and he lost. There was no foul play, no mistakes, he just lost, That doesn’t happen a lot to him, but he showed respect to the man that earned the right to become a champion, and out of respect, Nakamura shook his hand back. Baron Corbin’s new music interrupts and he makes his way out. He’s sick and tired about people talking about handshakes and dream matches. Last week, Cena got in his business. He has the MITB contract and Cena should respect him, and he has no issue making Cena the past. Cena calls Corbin a skinny fat, loud mouth dumpster fire. Cena says if Corbin wants to go he an put him through another table. Corbin refuses and says he does what he wants when he wants. Corbin leaves as the crowd chants dumpster fire at him. Corbin says he doesn’t need to beat Cena, and he can take his respect and shove it because Cena isn’t worth his time. Daniel Bryan arrives (crowd loves Bryan) and says that at Summerslam, Corbin will face Cena. The segment played off of last week well, with Cena putting over Nakamura and another match being set for Summerslam.
The Usos vs. Sami Zayn & Tye Dillinger: Dillinger controls early, Sami gets the tag but the Usos bail to the floor. We go screen in screen, with the Usos taking their time on the floor. They make their way back in, and work some back and forth with Sami. They cut off Sami, work quick tags and take control of the action. Sami fights for a tag, but gets grounded. Back to full screen, Jimmy misses a corner splash and Jey cuts off Sami, but Sami fights him off and tags in Dillinger. Dillinger runs wild, laying the boots to an Uso in the corner and sending him to the floor. Dillinger gets cut off as he looks for a suicide dive, but Sami follows with a tope. Back in and Dillinger hits a sitout powerbomb for 2. Sami taken out on the floor, Dillinger crotched up top but fights off the Usos, until they cut him off and attack Dillinger’s knee. Jimmy locks in the tequila sunrise and Dillinger taps. The Usos defeated Sami Zayn & Tye Dillinger @ 6:50 via pin [**½] This was a really solid and fun tag match, Tye & Sami could be a really fun underdog babyface tag team; I’d like to see this again, but with them given more time. There’s a lot of potential there.
– Post match the Usos promise to win back the tag team titles. Big E arrives looking to get some revenge, as Kofi and Woods jump the Usos from behind and kick the shit out of the Usos. They bring chairs in but Jey pulls Jimmy to the floor to save him.
– Renee interviews Randy Orton. He says Rusev was in the wrong place at the wrong time last week. As for tonight, Mahal won’t get away from him because the Singh brothers aren’t here to save him.
– Time for Fashion Peaks. Breeze tells the Ascension about his dream last week, they try to steal the pie and leave. They only came for the free pie, Breeze just wants to find Fandango, and he appears behind him. Breeze gives him some coffee, and Fandango says it was aliens that took him. He jokes about anal probes, and then says he’s been given the gift to see into the future, An Anderson walks in looking for catering. They ask if he destroyed Tully, and he says he did, because they should have named him Arn; he then steals doughnuts. To be continued…
'' Elephant man '' #SDLive #FashionPeaks pic.twitter.com/P0unaS3YQg
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubItal) August 9, 2017
Charlotte vs. Lana: Charlotte looks amused at Lana trying to “play wrestler” here. Charlotte talks shit, toys with Lana a bit and then lays in chops. Lana looks for a sunset flip, about pulls Charlotte’s trunks down and Charlotte tosses her to the corner. Lana gets pissed as the fans chant thank you to Lana for pulling Charlotte’s trunks down. Charlotte gets a backslide for 2 and then struts. Lana slaps her. Charlotte murders her with a kick, figure 8 and Lana taps. Charlotte defeated Lana @ 2:25 via pin [NR] This was a mildly amusing squash for Charlotte.
Shane McMahon Lays Down The Law to Styles & Owens: I hope Shane dresses as a super jacked ref like Vince used to do. Shane discusses last week’s controversy and brings out Styles & Owens. Shane knows that Owens is not happy about him being the ref for their match, but Owens said that was in the heat of the moment and apologizes for what he said last week. He’s not worried about Shane, although a McMahon has previously screwed over a Canadian legend for a title before, but he deserved it. It would be terrible PR for Shane to do the same. He is worried about Styles, and then shows footage of Styles attacking Shane backstage in the build to Mania. Styles says that he wasn’t happy when Bryan made Shane the ref, but officiating hasn’t been great anyway. Styles says they know Owens is trying to stir the pot. If Shane screws him, he’ll have to pay just like he did at Mania. Styles says he doesn’t trust anyone. Shane says he doesn’t operate like the other McMahons, but Owens disagrees and brings up more footage, this time of Shane screwing Austin in 1998 against Mankind. Oh you sneaky Kevin Owens you. Owens says that it’s amazing what you can find on the WWE Network, and there’s hours of footage, almost a network collection worth of it. Shane says they all have history, but promises to call it down the middle and won’t get involved unless he has to so don’t give him a reason to get involved. Styles says that Owens wasn’t pinned last week, and says they can get rid of Shane and do this right here and now for the title. Owens wants to win the title in the US in a city that matters. They push and shove, and Styles accidentally PELE kicks Shane. Owens is very proud of himself. I liked this and thought that it was a good segment. I loved Owens bringing up Shane’s dubious past as an official and overall did a good job of setting the stage for the Summerslam match.
Could THIS happen at #SummerSlam?!? @ShaneMcMahon @FightOwensFight @AJStylesOrg #RulesOfEngagement pic.twitter.com/brO9mUAMrJ
— WWE (@WWE) August 9, 2017
– Lana is pissed backstage about her loss, and Tamina arrives and makes fun of her for losing. Lana says she made her point and asks her to go. Tamina says it wasn’t Lana’s wrestling ability that got her title shots; it was her ambition. Tamina now wants her to help her get her title shot.
Non-Title Match: Champion Naomi vs. Carmella: Naomi made Carmella tap out in a tag match last week, prompting Carmella to make this challenge tonight. Carmella talks shit and ends up eating an enziguri and slap by Naomi. Carmella bails to the floor and we go screen in screen, as Nomi brings her back in and works leg kicks. Carmella cuts her off, slamming her to the buckles repeatedly. Carmella then hit what appeared to be a slow motion broncobuster and then laid in elbow strikes. Carmella then grounds Naomi, working a chinlock as we return to full screen. Carmella maintains control, as Natalya watches on from backstage. Naomi fires up, makes a comeback with a series of clotheslines and speedball kicks. The jawbreaker follows, and then the head kick. Naomi up top, gets crotched and Carmella follows her up and then gets shoved to the mat. Naomi fights her off again, Carmella grabs the hair but the ref backs her off as Ellsworth appears and knocks her off the top. Carmella hits a kick and pins Naomi. Carmella defeated Champion Naomi @ 6:25 via pin [*½] This was all about establishing that Ellsworth is back and that with his help, Carmella can beat the champion. The match was no good, with most of it looking to be in slow motion and there being no cohesive story to the work or drams involved. It’s not been a good week for WWE women’s matches on TV. Also, so Naomi is down and out and you don’t even tease the cash-in?
– Carmella & Ellsworth walk and talk, and then run into Natalya. She runs them down, and warns them to stay away from her match at Summerslam because she will win the title. Such poorly written and forced dialogue; the bad acting was a bonus.
Shinsuke Nakamura Speaks: We now go to Renee Young’s interview with Nakamura. Nakamura has always wanted to come to WWE to compete with the best, and he’s done that so far in NXT and now on Smackdown. He praises Cena as the measuring stick, and says it was amazing to share the ring with him and then beat him. As for Jinder Mahal, winning the WWE title is his destiny; the Nakamura dynasty will then begin. This was short, to the point and fine overall.
Non-Title Match: Champion Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton: They brawl right away, the action spills to the floor and Orton keeps control slamming Mahal off of the barricade. Orton slams Mahal off of the commentary table, dismantles it but Mahal retreats back into the ring. Mahal fights back, but gets taken back to the floor and Orton takes control back. Orton teases the RKO on the table, but Mahal shoves him off into the barricade. Post break and Mahal has taken control, working over Orton in the ring. Nakamura watches on from backstage as we see Mahal post himself. Orton attacks, and hits the superplex for 2. Orton runs wild, hitting a fall away slam and mounted punches in the corner. The snap slam follows and Orton covers for 2. Mahal makes a comeback, hitting a knee strike and covering for 2. Mahal looks for the khallas, Orton escapes and hits the draping DDT. Orton sets for the RKO, but Mahal counters into a roll up for 2. Mahal looks for the khallas again, but Orton hits the RKO and pins Mahal. Randy Orton defeated Champion Jinder Mahal @ 11:38 via pin [**½] This was fine, like most of their matches. There was nothing particularly bad or wrong with it, but also not much good about it either. The thing I didn’t like was the “Randy gets a win back” booking, Mahal won the feud, move on, there was no need for this or for Mahal to lose ahead of Summerslam.
– As Orton leaves, Rusev attacks him on the ramp.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”