wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s WWE Smackdown Review 7.12.24
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Well it’s Friday and on this episode of WWE Smackdown it’s time to deal with the fallout from Money in the Bank. The men’s briefcase turned out to be a giant nothing burger, but the women’s went to Tiffany Stratton in a somewhat obvious but nonetheless welcome move. Tiffany has been friendly with Nia Jax and this pretty firmly makes Bayley a champion with a countdown clock over her head. If we’re being honest Bayley’s title run thus far hasn’t been anything to write home about, she had a great win to get it but that belt has felt a little unimportant the last little bit. Nia Jax will get a title shot at SummerSlam and now Tiffany gets to wait in the wings to see when she’ll cash in the briefcase, and Jax will also be beating Michin tonight in their match. On the men’s side of things Solo Sikoa pinned Cody Rhodes at Money in the Bank which all but guarantees we’re building to Solo vs. Cody for the title at SummerSlam, though Jacob Fatu was the star that shone brightest in that particular match while Tonga Loa reminded everyone he still kind of sucks by flubbing up a low blow. DIY won the tag team belts last week so we’ll see if they’re going to rematch Waller and Theory or if that breakup will be expedited while the champs move on to the Street Profits or Pretty Deadly. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton will have to decide if they stick with Cody or try something else, and LA Knight will be making more noise at perpetual absentee champion Logan Paul. Still waiting on Giovanni Vinci or Shinsuke Nakamura to show up, Carmelo Hayes is still being annoying and I really would rather be watching Ilja Dragunov, and we’ll see how the WWE starts the build towards SummerSlam. Which is coming up in just about 3 weeks, so no time to waste in getting a bunch of people stuff to do for that event. Well that’s the preamble, let’s get to the action.
First a recap of Money in the Bank focusing on the six man tag between the new Bloodline and Cody and company.
Commentary runs down the card, Cody is here as is DIY but we do get a rematch between DIY and A-Town Down Under.
To the ring and here comes Tiffany Stratton with her new briefcase. As she walks to the ring we get a recap of that ladder match. Tiffany has a mic, she reminds us that she won the MITB match and is the youngest Ms. MITB in WWE history. She says Trish Stratus isn’t here to ruin her moment and this is her time. Liv, Roxanne, or Bayley, all of them should be watching out for her. Very soon we’ll be crowning her new champion, but this is interrupted by Bayley. Bayley has a mic as well, she congratulates Tiffany on her win since Bayley knows what it takes to win that. Tiffany asks why Bayley is here at all, the crowd is kinda with Tiffany here. Bayley is here to give some advice, and they argue over how old Bayley is and Tiffany puts herself over again. Bayley then warns Tiffany that if she cashes in on her it’ll be another bit of history for Tiffany as the first woman to fail a cash in. Oh, here’s Nia Jax as well, and she’s got a mic as well. Jax reminds us of their title match at SummerSlam, and she plans on taking the title from Bayley. Bayley says she’s not hugger Bayley or 2017 Bayley who Jax injured, this is the best Bayley and the one who will embarrass Jax at SummerSlam. But let’s play a game for a minute, let’s just say Jax wins the title, Tiffany will cash in on Jax given that Jax has some PTSD from being cashed in on. Jax knows Bayley isn’t a hugger, and asks if she’s BBL Bayley at this point. This divide and conquer thing wont work, Tiffany is Jax’s personal Barbie doll while Bayley is just her victim. Tiffany stops a Bayley attack and that allows Jax to drop Bayley. Michin shows up as Bayley is getting beat down and Michin has a kendo stick to chase off the heels. Typical uninteresting revolving door promo segment, and we head to break.
Post break we get another recap from MITB, this one again focusing on the crazy spots from the women’s match.
In the back Byron finds Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, Green is in a neck brace and waiting for Nick Aldis. Piper shoos Byron away.
Match #1: Michin w/ Bayley vs. Nia Jax w/ Tiffany Stratton
Jax overpowers Michin early but Michin is scrappy and keeps after her but can’t get her to take a bump. Some strikes from Michin including a flurry of kicks then tries a tornado DDT but Jax shoves her away then lands an elbow drop. Jax goes through her usual control bits including a hip attack and modified stink face in the corner. Michin with some strikes but she runs into a body avalanche. Jax with a Cobra Clutch as a rest hold, Michin then fights back with strikes before Jax tosses her into a corner and hits a corner avalanche. Another corner splash from Jax but Michin then avoids the follow up and we head to the floor where Jax drops Michin face first onto the apron then hits a clothesline to send us to break.
Jax is fighting out of a front headlock as we come back. Michin avoids an elbow drop and tries to fire up with strikes and a dropkick, then she hits a hurricanrana then a shotgun dropkick and a cannonball senton in the corner but all that’s only good for a 2 count. Michin slowly goes up top, and Jax catches her up top and tosses her down to the mat. Jax then misses a senton. Tiffany heads up on the apron to bother the ref while the kendo stick is in play, Bayley handles Tiffany and Michin hits another dropkick then a tornado DDT for another 2 count. Jax catches Michin with a Samoan Drop, then hits the Annihilator to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Nia Jax won in 9:26
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Not sure this needed nearly 10 minutes. The budding story is about Tiffany and Jax, Bayley even feels like just a little bit of an afterthought.
Post match Bayley attacks Jax but Tiffany brains her with the briefcase. Headbutt from Jax to Bayley, then she and Tiffany double team Bayley for a bit then pose over the fallen champion. They take their time leaving the ring, Tiffany clearly thinking about cashing in on the fallen Bayley, there’s a “cash it in” chant. Jax winds up stopping that and Tiffany thinks better of cashing in with her right there.
Bloodline video, Solo Sikoa reminds us that the Bloodline used to have everything. Well it takes a real Tribal Chief to stay on top of his game, and Solo is building a whole new family. A more powerful one, a hungrier one, one with more aggression and violence, and this family will rule for decades. After tonight everyone will acknowledge Solo. Solo still does OK in these vignettes where editing and reshoots can cover some of his weaker speaking and presence elements.
Baron Corbin heads to the ring, after this break we’ll get some tag team action.
Post break, a highlight of the men’s MITB match giving shine to Andrade and Carmelo Hayes. Andrade really did have a great match. We get a recorded interview with Andrade, this is still his destiny before he’s interrupted by Carmelo Hayes. Hayes and Andrade begin bickering and Andrade says he thinks Hayes is next for him. Hayes becomes entitled and walks off. OK then.
To the ring and here comes Apollo Crews. He’s followed by Legado del Fantasma. While the heels are on the ramp Corbin launches Apollo at the pile of bodies then we head into the ring.
Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews vs. Humberto and Angel w/ Santos Escobar and Elektra Lopez
Corbin runs over Humberto a few times then tags in Apollo. Humberto fights back against Apollo and stomps on him in the corner. Apollo lands a back elbow to regain control then tags in Corbin. Back body drop from Apollo then Corbin follows with a Black Crush (suplex into a Cutter). Things break down then Angel and Humberto are sent out of the ring and Corbin makes the dive onto them on the floor as we head to break.
Angel has Corbin in a Gory Special as we come back then Humberto botches the facebuster for the Garza Special after tagging in. Humberto is still able to retain control, including hitting a springboard kick for a 2 count. Superkick from Humberto but then he’s caught with a Death Valley Driver and both men are down. Both men tag out and Apollo is a house on fire as he runs over Angel for a bit. Apollo goes for the rolling German suplexes and is able to hit all three, then a shot to Humberto for good measure and a Stinger Splash to Angel. Apollo up top for a cross body but only 2 as Humberto breaks up the pin. Corbin and Humberto fight to the floor where Corbin lays out Escobar because he can before running Humberto into the time keepers area. Apollo with an enziguri then a military press. Lopez distracts the ref, Escobar with a knee to Apollo which wets up Angel to hit the Wing Clipper to get the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Angel and Humberto won in 8:02
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Surprisingly enjoyable, much as the outcome wasn’t exactly in doubt it was a fun little ride to get there.
In the back Chelsea Green stops Pretty Deadly from bothering Nick Aldis, she’s in the front of that particular line and they do get behind Piper. No one is getting in before Green, then LA Knight exits the GM’s office. Knight has a contract in hand, Green asks if Aldis is busy and Knight is a good guy so he says Aldis is still doing a few things and will call Green. Knight then heads to the ring and we head to break.
In the back Cody Rhodes sits with his belt and in comes Randy Orton. Randy says Cody will probably wind up surrounded by Samoan’s tonight. He promises he’ll always have Cody’s back, then brings up that Kevin Owens isn’t here tonight since he’s dealing with family stuff. Randy does warn that everything ends, and when this Bloodline stuff stops a lot of people will be after Cody’s belt, and Randy will have his back then too. Well that’s not ominous. Cody thanks him for that.
To the ring and here’s LA Knight. Knight has a mic and wants to talk to us, he wont complain about MITB he got dumped out on a ladder and someone else got the contract. So then he started thinking, with or without that briefcase he is the walking embodiment of Money in the Bank. The path to MITB for him included something interesting, and we get a recap of him winning his qualifying match by pinning Logan Paul. Well you can see what happened there and everyone knows he advanced to MITB with that win. But he also pinned the United States champion. With that in mind, and he shows off the contract he brought out with him, he’s got something from Nick Aldis here. Inside the folder is something just for him, something that Aldis had already signed, and that is a contract for a US title match at SummerSlam. Knight then signs the contract as well, and says the only thing missing now is the signature of Logan Paul the edge lord. He’d love to call out Logan right now to sign this, but he’s not here per usual. Well Knight will get the contract signed one way or another, and at SummerSlam he’s taking that title. That isn’t because Logan isn’t good enough, it’s because Knight wont let him, and that isn’t an insult it’s just a fact of life. Solid enough promo from Knight and we know the direction for a few more players going into SummerSlam.
Next, another video package for Blair Davenport. She didn’t get much reaction last time but here we are trying again. Blair then heads to the ring and we head to break.
Post break we recap John Cena’s MITB appearance and his announcement of his retirement tour.
Back to the ring and here’s Naomi.
Match #3: Blair Davenport vs. Naomi
They tie up, Blair grabs a side headlock then hits a shoulder block and poses to silence. Naomi with a mule kick then a leg sweep and a leg drop for 2. Slightly awkward transition and Naomi grabs a side headlock to talk it over, then Blair gets kicked down out of the corner. Basement dropkick from Naomi then she hits a split leg drop out of the corner for a 2 count. Blair fights back by kicking a taped up shoulder of Naomi. Some kicks from Naomi but Blair fights out of a corner and hits a double stomp to the arm of Naomi. They head out of the ring and Blair slams Naomi’s shoulder into the ring post and we head to break.
Blair is still in control as we come back. Naomi fights up and hits a head kick then an arm drag. Blair takes a kick then she seems to mess up an X-Factor and Naomi follows with a spike head scissors for a 2 count. Naomi looks for the split legged moonsault but Blair blocks that and traps her in a tree of woe for a few stomps before Naomi drops. They trade some roll ups but neither finds a 3 count. Knee strike from Naomi then a Bubba Bomb into a pin for the 3 count.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Naomi won in 7:37
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: A little rough in spots and somewhat disjointed. Blair is struggling just a bit to find her footing on the main roster, but there’s still time for her to fix that and start finding herself.
We get a recap of DIY winning the tag team belts last week.
A-Town Down Under then head to the ring, their title rematch is up after this break.
Next week we’ll get Logan Paul plus Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes.
In the back Naomi walks, she finds Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill and they all celebrate Naomi’s win. They walk by the line outside of Nick’s office and Belair drops the line that Nick isn’t even here. Green huffs and storms into the room with Piper which is obviously empty. Did Knight get a fax in there or something? Blair walks up and doesn’t want trouble, she offers a hand and respect to Naomi which Naomi accepts. No jump from Blair. Green and Piper storm out of the room and confirm that Aldis isn’t here, and there’s the back attack from Blair. OK then.
Back to the ring and here come the tag team champions.
Match #4 – Tag Team Title Match: (c) DIY (Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller)
Ciampa and Waller start, they quickly head to the floor and Ciampa avoids a cheap shot leading to all four men in the ring and the champs with a double drop kick. Ciampa knees Theory then holds the ropes but Johnny dives into a left hand from Theory. Waller then posts Ciampa, and tries a tornado DDT onto the apron but boy did that not work out and we head to break.
Waller is working over Ciampa as we come back. Waller then misses a corner splash and tags in Theory. Theory stomps on Ciampa but jumps into a knee strike to put everyone down. Johnny is on the apron and gets the hot tag, he runs wild on Waller and Theory for a bit. Kicks to both men then a slingshot spear to Theory in the ring but Theory kicks out at 2. Ciampa tags back in, but Waller breaks up a double team move and Theory then starts trading strikes with Ciampa. O’Connor Roll from Ciampa but Waller in with a rolling Flatliner and Theory’s cover only gets 2. Theory looks perturbed by that, and then gets tagged back in. Waller and Theory want Meet Me in the Middle but Ciampa avoids that then sends Waller to knee Theory in the face. Shatter Machine to Waller then Meet Me in the Middle gets the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: DIY retained the titles in 7:14
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: Abbreviated outing, some sloppy work from Waller, and really this felt unnecessary and didn’t do anyone involved any favors.
Post match Jacob Fatu runs down and lays out Theory as Waller runs away. Samoan Drop to Johnny but then Fatu no sells a DDT from Ciampa and superkicks him into the ground. Fatu with a hip attack to Johnny, then a pop up Samoan Drop to Ciampa. Some headbutts to Johnny then a double jump into a springboard moonsault. Double jump moonsault to Ciampa and Fatu stands tall over the fallen champions. Yeah, that man is going to be a big deal in WWE sooner rather than later. Solo and the Tongan boys ooze their ways to the ring and we head to break.
Post break the Bloodline is in the ring and Solo requests acknowledgement, you’d think he’d have a better handle on that line by now but he still sounds weird. “We want Roman” chant while Solo says he put his brother Jimmy down because he wouldn’t acknowledge Solo. Paul Heyman, gone as well. And Roman Reigns, another Roman chant and Solo tells them not to cheer for Roman now they don’t deserve him so they’ve got Solo now. Well if Roman does come back he will acknowledge Solo as the Tribal Chief. But tonight is about Cody Rhodes. It’s Cody’s turn to acknowledge Solo. That does bring out Cody. Cody gets to the apron and then gets into the ring 4 on 1, and gets a mic. Cody says he’s heard everything Solo says, and believe it or not they want the same thing. Of course they’ll need to get Aldis to sign off, but consider this official, Cody vs. Solo for the Undisputed WWE title. But, if it was really up to Cody and he could make any decision he wouldn’t be waiting for SummerSlam. He’d want to fight Solo here and now. Everyone circles around Cody, and they start throwing, Cody ultimately eats a Fatu superkick. Fatu with a lariat to Cody but here comes Randy Orton. Randy disposes of Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa on the entrance ramp then low bridges Fatu. Hanging DDT to Solo but Fatu is back in frame and runs over Randy with a running elbow. They all start stomping on Randy now and fight with him to the floor. Randy starts fighting back on Tama and Loa but Fatu with a suicide dive onto him. Cody and Solo fight for a bit and again Fatu makes the difference and they tie up Cody in the ropes. Tama and Loa with steel step shots to the body of Randy. Cody screams at them to fight him but Fatu levels Randy with a superkick. Fatu yells at the cameraman to get out of the way and kicks Randy again, and again. They set to Shield Bomb Randy through the announce table, and Fatu does in fact splat Randy through the table. Now Solo with a Samoan Spike to Cody after he’s seen Randy destroyed. The Bloodline pose over the fallen good guys, looks like a time cue got a little messed up as we’ve got a few minutes left of broadcast. They all pose again as the show ends.
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