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Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 8.21.18
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Csonka’s WWE Smackdown Review 8.21.18
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Randy Orton defeated Jeff Hardy @ 7:15 via DQ [**½]
– Peyton Royce defeated Naomi @ 3:29 via pin [*¾]
– Rusev & Lana defeated Andrade Almas & Zelina Vega @ 7:40 via pin [**½]
– No Disqualification Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day defeated Champions The Bludgeon Brothers @ 15:25 via pin [***¾]
– Follow all of my reviews at this link.
– I looked at “6 Ideas For Extra WWE Programming on The Fox Networks” at this link.
– You can check out my top 31 matches of JULY list at this link.
Miz & Maryse are here to say “I told you so!”: The couple bows their heads and have a moment of personal silence and reflection as the crowd chants for Bryan. Miz says at Summerslam, something happened, and he has a family to think about. He breaks into “an emotional fake retirement.” A retirement of ever facing Daniel Bryan again! What an amazing asshole. The 8-year saga is over because he did exactly what he said he would do, he beat Bryan in front of a sold out crowd. Bryan gave him everything, punched him 100 times, but it didn’t equal ONE Miz punch. He claims to have the WWE’s hardest punch and that led to him pining Bryan in front of his wife and daughter. And now he moves on with life and hypes his reality show. Bryan arrives and calls Miz a coward repeatedly. Miz says he’s a winner as the crowd calls him a coward as well. Miz says he’s superior to Bryan in every way and says Bryan will never beat him of face him again. Bryan tells him to shut up and to stop lying. Bryan came out of retirement and punched Miz in the face and will expose Miz as a wanna be Hollywood star cosplaying as a pro wrestler. Maryse tells him to retire, go home, and change his name to Daniel Bella. Brie arrives and Maryse runs so she kicks Miz’s ass and Bryan knocks him to the floor. Bryan puts over Brie’s punch and says he talked with Paige and at hell in a cell; they will compete in a mixed tag match. This was a great segment, playing well off of Sunday, and Miz being a complete asshole as he gloated about his Summerslam win and the set up to the next step in the feud, and staying away from the immediate rematch, although I know some will absolutely hate Brie’s involvement. I know the feud feels perfect for HIAC, but they shouldn’t go right back to it, Bryan has to jump through some hoops to get his ultimate revenge.
– Miz rants backstage and meets with Paige. Paige doesn’t give a shit and mocks him for Brie kicking his ass and says the match stays.
Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy: They lock up and trade strikes. Jeff follows with kicks and knees. He heads up top but Orton shoves him to the floor. We go screen in screenBack to full screen as Orton is in control, keeping Jeff grounded. Jeff fires back, and hits whisper in the wind. Jeff follows with rights, hits the leg drop the balls, basement dropkick, and twist of fate. Jeff up top and Orton crotches him. Orton rips at his ear hole, but Jeff fights off the draping DDT and stomps Orton in the balls for a DQ. Randy Orton defeated Jeff Hardy @ 7:15 via DQ [**½] This was a solid match, but it was exactly what it needed to be at this point in the feud. The post match was very well done and led to an overall good segment
– They brawl post match and into the crowd. Jeff clears off a table and continues to attack and lays in chair shots. Jeff lays him on the table, and beats on him with a handheld camera. Jeff climbs the production boxes and puts Orton through the table with a swanton.
– Renee interviews the Bar. They are challenging the winner of tonight’s tag title match. The Good Brothers arrive and do some comedy as Anderson shows off his abs. The Good Brothers want the next shot and if the Bar has an issue, they can settle it in the ring. The Bar accepts for next week.
Peyton Royce vs. Naomi: Kay is out with Royce. They make fun of Brooklyn and Naomi. I eagerly await Royce winning, and cutting a post match promo where she burns an Observer like Hulk Hogan in WCW. Match is JIP as Naomi fires away with kicks and a split leg drop for 2. The action spills to the floor, Kay distracts Naomi, allowing Royce to attack with kicks. Naomi makes her way back in but Royce attacks and covers for 2. Royce chokes her out in the corner, follows with rights and then grounds things. Naomi fights to her feet, lays in kicks and then a dropkick. The disaster kick connects for 2. Naomi hits an enziguri and then posts Kay. Royce cuts her off, posts Naomi, and the fisherman’s suplex picks up the win. Peyton Royce defeated Naomi @ 3:29 via pin [*¾]
It wasn’t bad, but there was just too much bullshit for such a short match, sometimes I just want people to win a match without a ton of extracurricular activities.
– Big E’s ribs are bad and he gets taped up; he eats ribs as Kofi & Woods say they will win the tag titles tonight. Big E seemed to give no fucks about his pals here. But in his defense, ribs are delicious!
Becky Talks: Becky is all business, no glad-handing with the fans. Becky says she deserves to be here as champion, and since Charlotte stole that moment from her, she got what she deserved. Summerslam was supposed to be her time, she fought her way for months to the championship match, and even got over Charlotte being added to the match as she was going to prove she was more than Charlotte’s friend. She put this division on the map, and the fans act like they are wither, but were they really. There were no hash tags for her, and no one boycotted Summerslam over Charlotte’s inclusion. You all applauded her when she won and weren’t that upset. And when you’re asked who’s the best, you don’t say Becky Lynch. She feels she’s been made an afterthought. This generation is all opinions, all talk, and no action, but she took action at Summerslam. She sees things clearly now, and knows Charlotte is holding her back and stealing her spotlight. This washer time, her opportunity, but not because of “any of you.” But because she says she deserves it and because she’s the best. No one can tell her any different. Charlotte arrives and charges the ring and they brawl. The crowd loves Becky still after she completely heeled on them. Paige sends out the women’s division to help break them up. They keep fighting off the others and brawl to the floor. This was hilarious. Becky cuts a hell of a heel promo, really delivering, but when super Charlotte arrives, they still side with her and treat her as a wronged babyface. They are miscast here, Charlotte needs to be heel and Becky should be the top face, but they’re telling stories, and will fight the audience, just like with Roman, Rusev, & others. Anyway, Becky was fucking great here, coming off as a held back talent, sick of being in the shadow of Charlotte, and despite the great heel promo, fans still love her.
Rusev & Lana vs. Andrade Almas & Zelina Vega: Rusev works over Almas to begin. Almas takes him to he corner, cuts him off and lays in strikes. Rusev fights of the tornado DDT but Almas gets the hanging arm bar. Almas springboards in and eats a kick. Lana tags in and she and Rusev clear the ring. We go screen in screen as Lana takes control and covers for 2. Vega cuts her off and dumps Lana to the floor. She works her over and rolls her back in, grounding the action. Back to full screen and Lana fights to her feet but Vega lays in kicks. Vega hits a sloppy 619 into something resembling a koji clutch in the ropes. Back in and Lana fights off a crucifix, and then drops down and trade pin attempts. Lana slaps Almas, looks for a tag and gets it. Rusev runs wild, hits a spin kick, but Almas cuts him off, hits the double knees and covers for 2. They work into back and forth and Rusev dumps him. Lana spears Vega and English arrives and takes the chair from Almas. The matcka kick and accolade finish Almas. Rusev & Lana defeated Andrade Almas & Zelina Vega @ 7:40 via pin [**½] It’s Rusev day again as Rusev & Lana finally pick up a win and get some revenge with English’s help.
– Nakamura claims he’s an American Hero as the US Champion, proclaiming this Nakamerica.
AJ Styles Talks: Rene Young brings out AJ Styles. Renee asks him what happened at Summerslam and Styles says it didn’t go how he planned, but he doesn’t regret what he did. But he’s not proud of how he lost and says Joe crossed a line and he broke a promise. He promises the next time Joe mentions his family he’ll rip his heart out. Joe attacks and locks in the clutch. Joe lays him out and calls out to Wendy Styles and says Styles won’t be coming home to tuck in the kids, as he’s already gone “night night.” This was a good continuation of the feud, Joe continues to kill it. PULL THE FUCKING TRIGGER!
https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1032079218690203649
– Carmella meets with Paige and wants her title rematch. R Truth arrives and says Carmella has been ducking him, and he wants his title match. Paige has to explain to him that’s not how it works, and Paige books Carmella’s rematch for next week.
No Disqualification Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. New Day (Woods & Kofi): They brawl right away and spill to the floor. The champions take early control, Kofi and Woods fight back and knock Harper over the announce table and Rowan cuts them off. Harper now throws a chair into Kofi’s face! Post break, and the champions are still bludgeoning. Woods starts to fight off Harper, and lays in a rolling elbow and trips him into the announce table. New Day starts taking control, knocking Rowan to the floor. They bring out a ladder; slide it in but Rowan attacks and Harper follows with a suicide dive. The champions bring out chairs and toss them into the ring. They whip Woods to the steps and then beat down Kofi. Rowan crushes Kofi against the barricade and Harper follows with a lariat, back in and Kofi kicks out at 2. Rowan takes out Woods, as Kofi kicks a chair into Harper’s face and hits a tornado DDT onto a chair for 2. Rowan wipes out both Kofi & Woods, on the floor as the champions continue to bludgeon the New Day. Back in and they make a bridge with chairs and the ladder. They look for the crucifix bomb but Kofi breaks it up and he gets crucifix bombed onto the ladder, but manages to kick out at 2; that had to suck. The champions now get a table; Wood tries to stop them, but gets kicked back to the floor. Rowan now lays in head butts on Kofi, and Harper has a mallet. Rowan takes it and Harper slaps him and fires him up and he misses a charge and spears himself through the barricade. Harper is left alone and takes Woods back in and looks for the powerbomb through the table, but Kofi makes the save with the mallet and trouble in paradise. Woods hits the elbow drop through the table and we have new champions! The New Day defeated Champions The Bludgeon Brothers @ 15:25 via pin [***¾] This was a very good main event, and not only played off of their Summerslam match well, but they played extremely well into the spirit of the stipulation. Considering Rowan’s injury, this went as well as you could have hoped, and he worked through it like a champ before he takes his post surgery vacation. While it’s a shame that the Bludgeon Brothers run had to end because of injury, the title change really opens up the division.
– Big E arrives and New Day celebrates.
– End Scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
