wrestling / TV Reports
Hall’s WWE Smackdown Review 8.18.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Smackdown
Date: August 18, 2023
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Kevin Patrick
It’s a special show this week as Edge is here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut in WWE. To commemorate the event, he’ll be facing Sheamus in a first time ever match. Other than that, Jey Uso has quit and that might give us a week off from all things Bloodline. Let’s get to it.
We run down a bunch of tonight’s card in a nice touch.
It’s time for the Grayson Waller Effect, with Santos Escobar and new US Champion Rey Mysterio. After a long recap of Escobar being injured last week so Rey could step in and win the title, Waller asks Rey what it’s like to be champion again. Escobar can imagine, but Waller asks what it’s like to see Rey steal the title shot. Escobar says that they are the champion because the title belongs to the LWO. Waller goes on a rant about Rey stole everything but Escobar cuts him off to say that the only person he is angry at is Austin Theory.
Escobar wants to get his hands on Theory, who interrupts to rant about how unfair everything was last week. Cue Adam Pearce but LA Knight interrupts before he can get anywhere. Knight heard Theory call himself the greatest US Champion ever, which Knight finds interesting because Theory only defended the title once every three months. With all due respect to Rey, it doesn’t matter who the champion is because the title is coming to Knight. Since Theory is dressed to fight, how about Knight vs. Theory for the US Title? Pearce makes the match.
Austin Theory vs. LA Knight
Miz joins commentary and Theory starts fast before knocking him outside. Miz goes on about Knight being the flavor of the month until he beats someone, saying he’s “a Fandango without tap shoes and a Eugene without crayons.” They fight on the floor with Theory being sent into Miz for a big crash and we take a break.
Back with Knight fighting out of a chinlock and countering the rolling dropkick into a belly to back suplex. The jumping neckbreaker sets up a running knee to Theory in the corner. The powerslam plants him again but Miz gets up for a distraction. Not that it matters as Knight hits a DDT and goes outside to chase Miz. They get inside with a clothesline taking Miz outside, allowing Theory to roll Knight up for the pin at 10:10.
Rating: C. The interference helps a bit, but my goodness it’s not encouraging to see Knight taking a fall here. WWE doesn’t have the best track record for taking advantage of hot stars and I’m worried that they might be making the same mistake here. Knight still has the Miz feud and if that goes well, everything should be ok, but Knight taking a pin here is rather annoying.
John Cena, Sheamus, Natalya, Miz, Charlotte and Sami Zayn say thank you Edge.
Video on Edge’s career, including a clip of him as a teenager asking Bret Hart for advice on a talk show. This covers a lot and features talking heads praising Edge. As usual, when WWE wants to pay tribute to someone, they knock it out of the park as this is quite the awesome tribute.
Charlotte/Bianca Belair vs. Damage CTRL
Dakota Kai is here with Damage CTRL. Bayley introduces Iyo Sky and says Toronto isn’t used to seeing a champion. Belair wrestles Bayley down to start and hands it off to Charlotte for the stomping in the corner. Some double teaming has Charlotte in trouble but she sends the villains outside for a flip dive.
We take a break and come back with Charlotte fighting out of trouble but getting knocked down into a Sky chinlock. That’s broken up so Charlotte has to fight out of a crossface. Sky is smart enough to run over and knock Belair off the apron, only to have Charlotte get the tag a few seconds later.
Belair gets to clean house but Sky goes after the knee to take her down as well. That doesn’t last long as Belair fights out of trouble and brings Charlotte back in to wreck both of them. Bayley shoves Charlotte off the top though and it’s a big crash into the barricade. Sky misses a charge into the corner, leaving Charlotte to break up Bayley’s Figure Four attempt. It’s back to Belair and a quick KOD finishes Bayley at 13:50.
Rating: B-. Good stuff here, with Damage CTRL losing yet again, which isn’t the most surprising result. Charlotte and Belair continue to show just how good they are in the ring, but at the same time they have both been in the title picture for so long that it is a bit much to take. The division needs new blood and while that seems to be coming, we certainly aren’t there yet.
More wrestlers congratulate Edge on 25 years. We also talk about Edge’s retirement, with Edge going on an overseas tour afterwards just because he said he would be there.
Damage CTRL jumps Bianca Belair in the back and Pillmanize her knee.
Street Profits vs. OC
Michin is here with the OC. Anderson hits a jumping knee in the corner to Ford but it’s quickly off to Dawkins for the double stomping. The spinning suplex sets up the frog splash with gallows making the save. Gallows is sent outside but he’s right back in to save Anderson again. The belly to back neckbreaker drops Dawkins but he breaks up the Magic Killer. Ford flip dives onto Gallows and it’s a Sky High/neckbreaker combination to finish Anderson at 3:10.
Rating: C. This was about getting the Street Profits back on track after they changed everything up with Bobby Lashley. That opens up some new doors for the team and it is nice to see them getting a win like this one. It’s not like the OC has anything to lose here, so let the Profits get the kind of win that they need.
Post match Bobby Lashley comes out to celebrate with the Profits.
We recap the big Bloodline blowup last week, with Jey Uso quitting WWE.
Paul Heyman doesn’t like being questioned about the Bloodline. Kayla Braxton talks about hearing ‘rumors”, so Heyman talks about RUMORS he’s heard about her family. Why not talk about Edge’s 25 years or this wannabe flash in the pan LA Knight? Heyman gets a phone call and is told that Jimmy Uso will be here next week, though he won’t share his source.
Sheamus vs. Edge
Beth Phoenix and Edge’s friends/family are in the front row. Commentary brings up the rumors of this possibly being Edge’s retirement match as Sheamus runs him over to start. We take a break and come back with Edge elbowing him in the face, setting up the Edge O Matic for two. Edge sends him to the apron and slides through the legs for a powerbomb to the floor.
Back in and a high crossbody gives Edge two more but Sheamus runs him over as well. Edge fights his way back in from the apron and hits the spear to drive Sheamus outside in a big crash. We take another break and come back with Edge being caught in a Texas Cloverleaf and dragged back away from the ropes. Edge crawls out and reverses into a Crossface, sending Sheamus to the ropes for a change.
Sheamus gets up top but gets superplexed back down, setting up the Edgecution for two. Back up and Edge gets caught on top in a super White Noise, followed by the Celtic Cross for another near fall. Sheamus fires off a bunch of forearms to the chest and the fans do not approve. Edge slaps him in the face though and nails the running clothesline. The spear is countered and Sheamus hits the Brogue Kick for two. Another Brogue Kick misses and Edge spears him for two more. Edge is back with another spear for the pin at 19:04.
Rating: B. This had the big fight feel and both o them got to lay in a bunch of their stuff. If this is it for Edge, he went out with a rather good match, though it’s still hard to fathom someone as successful as him going out on a regular Smackdown. For now though, he might be going out on a high note and that’s more than a lot of people get to say. Heck of a main event here and it felt special, which is what matters most.
Edge is all emotional and gets the pyro/standing ovation. A hug with Sheamus ends the show.
Results
Austin Theory b. LA Knight – Rollup with trunks
Charlotte/Bianca Belair b. Damage CTRL – KOD to Bayley
Street Profits b. OC – Sky High/neckbreaker combination to Anderson
Edge b. Sheamus – Spear
WWE, 2023, Smackdown, LA Knight, Adam Pearce, Grayson Waller, Austin Theory, Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar, Edge, Charlotte, Bianca Belair, Damage CTRL, Street Profits, OC, Bobby Lashley, Sheamus, Edge, Paul Heyman
