wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s WWE Smackdown Review 8.14.26
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Alright everyone, it’s Friday so it’s time for WWE Smackdown. As for tonight we’ve got another US title match as champion Baron Corbin defends against Carmelo Hayes. Corbin remains a dubious return from where I sit, and his short program with Trick Williams wasn’t very good. But the US title actually being in rotation on TV could be a good thing. WWE champion CM Punk and Kevin Owens started their war of words last week, and with Owens’ title shot coming up next week expect some physicality between them tonight. Cody Rhodes is teaming with Oba Femi to challenge Austin Theory and Bron Breakker for the world tag team titles tonight, and let’s be real Randy Orton is costing Cody those belts. The WWE tag team titles are also on the line as the makeshift team of Damian Priest and R-Truth defend against the War Raiders and the Mediocrity First Tradition of Talla and Tama Tonga. Priest and Truth area actually the longest reigning champions in all of WWE right now, so expect the Island Boys to get the belts now that Haku is with them. WWE women’s champion Chelsea Green suffered a broken orbital bone last week, because Fatal Influence are a bit too reckless, but it doesn’t seem like she’ll be vacating the title. So we’ll have to see how that plays out, and frankly anything that keeps Nia Jax out of yet another title program is a good thing. Green’s friend Tiffany Stratton will defend her women’s US title against Jacy Jayne tonight. Also on the women’s side we saw Tatum Paxley show up last week to align with Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, helping Charlotte get an ugly win over Jade Cargill. Sami Zayn is still ranting, whining, and raving about life, the universe, and everything. Johnny Gargano is still getting paid to lay around like a slug. Last week Shinsuke Nakamura indicated he’d found a friend and they’d be coming after the Tongans, we’ll see if anything actually comes of that. Still no sighting of Ilja Dragunov since before WrestleMania, Blake Monroe still hasn’t had an actual match, Jordynne Grace is MIA, as is Kit Wilson. We’ve still got a ways to go before Money In The Bank in October but do expect people to start making a deal out of that sooner rather than later. Also very curious to see if Smackdown GM Nick Aldis gets to wrestle a bit more often after his solid showing against Gunther. Anyway that’s the preamble, let’s get to the action.
Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett welcome us to Boston, Massachusetts for the show as we see various wrestlers arriving at the venue. I still miss real intros instead of this faux sports presentation.
Smackdown GM Nick Aldis starts the show in the ring. He brings up the injury to Chelsea Green, and brings out WWE women’s champion Chelsea Green. Green’s right eye is visibly all bruised up. The crowd is very pro Green as Aldis says he knows how much the belt means to her, but he cannot let her compete with the injury. Green asks him not to take the title from her. Aldis hates this part of his job, but it is his job and he needs her to relinquish the WWE women’s title. The crowd do not like that all. Green knew this was all too good to be true, every time something good happens to her in wrestling it’s followed by something truly devastating. That’s just her story, Green as the comic relief, the perfect opponent for everyone else. Never the champion. The crowd give her a “you deserve it” chant. She has missed weddings, funerals, broken bones, left all kinds of fluids, put her face in cakes and pies, even had the whole world laugh in her face. But she could tell herself it was worth it because this moment would come. Now she’s finally made it. Aldis should understand that more than anyone. The entire cheered Aldis with his wife and son in this ring at SummerSlam, then Green climbed the ladder and they proved it doesn’t matter what “they” think about us, it’s what we think about ourselves. Aldis and his wife were both champions, and Green wont take this title off until someone takes it from her. She does hand him the belt though and goes to leave, she’s halfway up the ramp when Aldis tells her to wait. As GM he’s doing the right thing, but as Aldis the man he doesn’t care what medical says. Green trots back to the ring. Aldis will give Green 30 days to get cleared, get a face mask or whatever, to be cleared to defend the title by the end of that. Big pop for that as he hands the belt back to Green. Of all people this brings out Gunther. Gunther, mic in hand, moves to the ring and talks along the way. He’s had enough of the sob story, the attention should be on important things. The crowd chant for Green as Gunther gets in the ring. Gunther wants to know why the stunt at SummerSlam. Aldis is happy to talk with Gunther in his office about that, but he’s talking about the women’s title here. Gunther dismisses Green, he pulled double duty at SummerSlam and he made a man tap out in front of his family. He asks why Owens got added to the match. Aldis didn’t add Owens to Gunther’s match, Gunther was added to Owens’ match. They’d negotiated Owens’ return months ago and he did Gunther a favor by adding him to the match, sorry you couldn’t get the job done. Green chimes in, which gets Gunther to tell her to shut up. Green mocks him for stroking his tiny ego since that’s all he’s got now. She’s the only champion in this ring right now. Matt Cardona runs down as Gunther was making motions towards Green, he gets between the two. Gunther mocks Cardona making the run from catering to the rescue, then says Cardona couldn’t do anything to Gunther. He could call Green every slur in the world and he couldn’t do anything about it. Green tells Cardona to leave, she leaves but Gunther mocks him for starting to follow and Cardona then jumps Gunther. Mounted punches from Cardona, then Gunther powders as officials show up to keep them apart while we head to break. Solid opening bit, Green made her case quite well and the emotion was there. Aldis made the most generous decision he could with her and it made sense.
Match #1: Gunther vs. Matt Cardona w/ Chelsea Green
Joined in progress as we come back. Gunther is landing wrist control chops, both men are still in jeans but are shirtless. Cardona fights back and corners Gunther then he tries a Broski Boot but runs into a Gunther boot. Cardona fights back and sends Gunther out of the ring then follows with a diving dropkick. Gunther with a chop then a back suplex onto the barrier, and a powerbomb onto the announce table which does not break. Then a powerbomb onto the ring apron as well. Gunther trash talks Green a little bit then climbs into the ring and looks for the count out. Green encourages Cardona and he beats the count but gets killed with a Rainmaker in the ring. Some more heel taunting from Gunther, then a Saito suplex to follow up. Green and Gunther get into it, Green distracts the ref so Cardona can take Gunther to dick kick city then hit a Rough Rider for a near fall. Cardona tries another Rough Rider, this time Gunther counters with a series of powerbombs then a Boston Crab to get the tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Gunther won in 3:42 shown
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: Short but pretty sweet for what it was. Cardona was never going to pose a genuine threat to Gunther but he put up a good fight and Gunther always sells nicely in these kinds of spots.
Post match Nia Jax and Lash Legend show up to make things worse. Jax has a mic and reminds Green that she only has 30 days, Jax got screwed out of SummerSlam and wants the WWE women’s title. Both large women get into the ring, and Jax warns Green that she’ll break her face again. That brings out Tiffany Stratton to attack Jax and Lash, but the odds are too much for her. Jax lands a leg drop to punctuate things.
We get a recap of Tatum Paxley’s debut last week.
In the back Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss walk, Charlotte missed her. Bliss puts over Paxley, but Charlotte seems like she’s going to be the jealous friend in this equation. Paxley has a weird little shrine set up for the three of them, it’s awkward but Bliss is trying to be nice. Charlotte likes the collage of herself. Ah who doesn’t love awkward/cringe humor? I mean I don’t care for it but I know it’s popular. That sends us to break with the promise of another recap after it.
Good God, they’re selling space on the canvas for you to put your name on it. The UFC has been doing this for a while and it’s impossibly sad, stupid, garish, and just pathetic wealth extraction as a practice.
We get a recap of the Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes stuff from last week, which was a good piece of business.
In the back Cody finds Aldis and asks for the match with Randy. Aldis brings up SNME for a match in Atlanta, Cody doesn’t care about venue but this needs to be handled. Cody turns into Sami Zayn’s smelly looking face. Sami whines again about everything. Cody says Sami used to be able to do this to him, and Cody would just kind of let it go. Well now he doesn’t owe Sami anything with his gout fist, if he wants to do something about this let’s do something about it. Sami says he pinned Cody the last time they were in the ring together, and Cody invites him to do it again tonight. That makes Sami try to beg off like the coward he is, Aldis asks if Sami can’t wrestle or if he just wont. Aldis then says if Sami beats Cody tonight he can have the winner of Punk and Owens, Sami tries to say he’s still hurt. Aldis says he was hurt at SummerSlam, but he made a choice, and now he can choose again.
Back to the ring, here’s Carmelo Hayes. After this break he’ll try to regain the US title.
Post break here’s Baron Corbin to no pop. He’s still got that stupid white fuzz on the US title, which means Trick is getting it back from him at some point. Hayes dives onto Corbin as he’s screwing around on the floor.
Match #2 – US Title Match: (c) Baron Corbin vs. Carmelo Hayes
21 minutes between matches, not so good of a trend. Hayes with some early punches and he avoids the ponderous offense of Corbin. 10 Punch from Hayes gets to 5 before Corbin shoves him off, then Hayes with an enziguri then a springboard clothesline for a 1 count. Corbin catches a jumping Hayes and tries a chokeslam but Hayes slips free, low bridges Corbin then catches him with the springboard fadeaway leg drop. Well sort of, that was awkward on the landing. Corbin blocks the First 48 and hits a powerbomb then the worst big boot I’ve seen in a minute to send Hayes out of the ring. Some ringside brawling from Corbin now as Hayes bumps his ass off for him. Corbin tries to take the count out because it gets heat as we go picture in picture.
Corbin goes back out of the ring and collects Hayes from the time keepers area, Hayes tries to fight back with chops but Corbin just rams him into the ring steps. Now Corbin wanders around trying to get heat, slightly more response this time before both men head back into the ring. Some corner work from Corbin then a back elbow to drop Hayes. Again Corbin with the slow corner work and appeals to the crowd as we come back to broadcast. Hayes fires up with some elbows but Corbin levels him with a clothesline. Hayes avoids a running powerslam, kicks the knee of Corbin and then hits the springboard fadeaway DDT, that was even more awkward than the leg drop one earlier. Hayes up top for a Frog Splash and a 2 count. Corbin blocks another First 48 and hits a big boot, Hayes with a Manami Roll to counter a powerbomb but Corbin then catches him with a Deep Six for a 2 count. First 48 from Hayes, then another one finally drops Corbin. Hayes up top again, but Corbin shoves him all the way to the floor where he bangs his head into the barricade. Corbin brings Hayes back into the ring, hits End of Days and retains the title.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Baron Corbin retained the title in 9:20
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Hayes bumped his ass off for this one, and Corbin still looks painfully pedestrian. The lack of heat on Corbin is something, people were cheering Hayes but didn’t care about him at all. On the one hand it’s good as a heel to be disliked but it’s not like people actually hate or dislike him in the context of him as a character, without anyone around he’s just a black hole of interest.
Post match here’s Trick Williams on his rotating platform again. Lil Yachty shows up and whacks Corbin with a kendo stick, Corbin is barely even annoyed by that and chases him away but Trick hits the ring and lands a Trick Shot to send Corbin out of the ring.
In the back Green talks with a slightly banged up Tiffany. Tiffany says she can still compete tonight.
After this break we’ll get another face to face from Owens and Punk.
Post break we get confirmation of Cody vs. Sami later tonight, if Sami wins he gets a title shot. As if that doesn’t telegraph Randy showing up any harder.
Kevin Owens heads to the ring followed by WWE champion CM Punk. Both men have mics and Owens is sitting on the top rope. Punk starts and says Owens isn’t a coward, so whatever he was about to say before Punk came out go ahead and say it to his face. Owens tries but Punk cuts him off with his usual cheap pop intro. Owens says last week they were face to face and Punk chose to be all the way up the ramp to call him a fat slob. Punk says he’ll say that to his face, Owens knows that and brings up that 20 years ago was their start. Punk invites him to smarten up the crowd on their heat. Owens says 20 years ago they wrestled for the same promotion, Punk was the man and Owens just starting out, but one night Punk chose to berate and scream at Owens in a locker room full of his peers. Punk really asks if he’s been holding that for 20 years. Owens says that’s just one reason. In the last 20 years, the things Punk has been and treated people Owens cares about. Punk wants to know which friends, Owens says not just the 3 you think it’s all of them. Punk is happy to not be the friend of losers. Owens says that’s why he despises Punk. There’s a room full of people who look up to Punk, but why? Owens is the only guy left who doesn’t like him, and everything Punk does is just performative. Punk is a phony, he only made up here because he had no choice. The kind of person he is led to Punk screwing up everything everywhere else, and Owens doesn’t respect him. While Punk was gone Owens was here doing well for himself. 12 years in this ring before the injury, he’s main evented everywhere, won every title, even main evented WrestleMania against Stone Cold Steve Austin. Punk sarcastically congratulates him on that but warns him that if he was here all those chances would have come to Punk. Owens asks him to say why that’s true? Is Owens a fan on the wrong side of the guardrail? Punk asks if Owens is just projecting onto him. He’s WWE undisputed champion with a locker room full of guys who want to be champion. He’s calling out Oba Femi but got endometriosis instead. Looking at Owens he sees a tough guy, a guy that speaks two languages who might be smarter than Punk, but a guy who avoids the work. All you have to do is be 1% better every day, and Owens wont do that so he’s just a bum. Punk has evolved, he wants to be better every day and if Owens had put in even half the work that Punk has he could have avoided the Bill Goldberg Spear that ended his title run. Owens will never be anything like Punk, despite all of Punk’s accomplishments he still hates what he sees in the mirror. Owens is the same person Punk screamed at 20 years ago, and that same fat indy loser is facing Punk for the WWE title next week. Being like Punk wouldn’t have helped, because Punk couldn’t avoid the Roman Reigns Spear either. Punk sees himself 20 years ago in Owens, stubborn, loud, convinced he’s the smartest guy in the room, but that’s the same guy from 20 years ago. Owens doesn’t really care about that, he’s never cared for Punk’s guidance. His only regret for 20 years is not punching Punk in the mouth back then. Punk invites him to do it now. Owens didn’t do it last time, because he knew Punk would have politicked to ruin his career, and right now he wont do it because next week he doesn’t just get to punch Punk in the face. He waited 20 years, 7 more days wont hurt and then he can also beat Punk’s bitch ass for the WWE title. Punk says Owens has been crying about consequences for 20 years. It’s fine that Owens never looked up to him, because next week that’s what Owens will be doing after Punk puts his fat ass to sleep. Solid business from both men, but a tad too reminiscent of Punk’s talking points at Eddie Kingston from AEW.
In the back Finn Balor talks with Aldis and Aldis apologizes for not giving Balor a heads up about the SummerSlam change. Gunther barges in to interrupt. Gunther can’t see Balor, just the shadow of what Balor used to be able to do. Balor calls him a condescending prick, and he’ll happily take on Gunther for another title shot. Gunther storms off but Aldis seemed intrigued.
Back to the ring here come the WWE tag team champions Damian Priest and R-Truth. The sound is better lined up for their entrance this time. That tag title match will be up after this break.
Post break the War Raiders are in the ring, and the Tongans come out to Talla’s AI generated kaiju theme to no pop. Not even Haku got a pop.
Match #3 – WWE Tag Team Title Triple Threat Match: (c) Damian Priest and R-Truth vs. War Raiders (Erik and Ivar) and MFT (Tama and Talla Tonga) w/ Haku
30 minutes between matches, a full 1/4 of the shows runtime. We’re going with three men in the ring at a time. Everyone tags out to start so all six men can get to a brawl. The champs get dropped then the Tongan boys and Raiders fight. Eventually Talla flips to the floor comically as those teams brawl, that sets up Priest climbing up top to dive onto the pile of bodies. That sends us to break. Man who went long that led to this layout?
Lots of brawling by everyone, Talla and Tama isolate Truth for a bit. Truth gets isolated and beat down by Tama and Talla. Ivar shows up to complicate things but Tama just headbutts him back to the floor. This is the meme about triple threats being composed of one guy resting while the other two have a regular match at this point. Talla tags in to land an uppercut then tag out, because he’s blown up I guess. Tama grabs a chin lock to crickets. Truth tries to fight back and wake up the crowd, he hits the Rock combo of punches as we rejoin the broadcast. Truth dodges Tama and sends him out of the ring then tags Priest. Talla goes to check on Tama so Priest can run over Erik and Ivar for a bit. Corner attacks from Priest including a lifting Flatliner to Ivar. Truth tags back in, Ivar fights out of the corner though, he climbs up but Priest and Truth attack then climb up with him. Talla shows up to toss them down, then Ivar with a rolling senton to drop Talla. Tama shows back up and fights with Erik, they hit the assisted powerslam but only a 2 count. Talla shows up so everyone can try and make him look competent. Talla levels the field but good heavens the crowd just do not care about him. Priest and Ivar team up to beat down Talla including a double suplex. Truth grabs an STFU on Talla, but loses the leg so Erik knees Talla in the face. Erik gets to get some shine now, then Priest attacks knocking Ivar off the top rope then stomps down Erik. Priest with a tornado kick to Erik on the floor, then another one and a charge but into the Thor’s Hammer through the barricade from the War Raiders. Tama back in the ring, tries a Cutthroat but Truth dodges and hits the Cena Sequence, but Tama dodges the Attitude Adjustment, then he and Talla hit the double team powerbomb Brother’s Keeper to win the titles.
OFFICIAL RESULT: MFT won the titles in 9:49
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: So we’re trying this again huh? The tag division needs help in terms of direction, last year it was stacked to the brim and now it’s these two. Please, if this flops again can we just be done with these guys? The biggest thing holding this match back was the lack of audience investment, they only cared about Priest and Truth and didn’t even bother to boo most of the MFT offensive stuff.
We’ll get the women’s US title match after this break. They’re not giving Cody and Sami any time at this rate.
Post break Fatal Influence are in the ring. Tiffany Stratton follows.
Match #4 – Women’s US Title Match: (c) Tiffany Stratton vs. Jacy Jayne w/ Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid
Jayne corners Tiffany right away and goes for the ribs. Senton from Jayne then a body scissors. Tiffany avoids a second senton, drops Jayne into the ropes then hits the hip attack and low dropkick for a 2 count. Jayne powders, Tiffany gets into things with Fallon so Jayne can hit a terrible looking Backstabber to send us picture in picture.
More corner work from Jayne. Jayne keeps up targeting the ribs of Tiffany, then Jayne sends Tiffany into an ugly as sin rope spot. How many women have to get injured facing this trio before we reassess things? Jayne grabs another body scissors, then a facelock. Tiffany fights free but Jayne kicks her in the ribs to regain control. Jayne puts Tiffany up top and tries a superplex, Tiffany shoves her down though but Jayne shoves her to the floor as we rejoin the broadcast. Chelsea Green runs down to support Tiffany. Jayne and Green trade words for a bit, that lets Tiffany grab a School Boy for 2, then we get a double down spot. Tiffany starts to fire up with clotheslines then a spinning back elbow and cartwheel Alabama Slam, followed by a Swanton Bomb for a 2 count. Rough landing on that Swanton, Jeff Hardy would be proud of how crunchy that was. Superkick from Jayne, but Tiffany catches her with a handspring Stunner. Finlay Roll from Tiffany but Jayne gets her knees up to block the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. Tiffany with a superkick to block a Rolling Encore, then a knee to the face. Another Finlay Roll from Tiffany, but Fallon and Reid menace Green so Tiffany jumps onto them. That of course leads to her eating a Rolling Encore from Jayne in the ring and Jayne wins the title.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Jacy Jayne won the title in 8:40
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: I’m really souring on Fatal Influence these days with the substandard quality of their wrestling, you just can’t be that sloppy and reckless that consistently. This was rough at times, but it seems they’re committed to seeing how this thing goes with Fatal Influence ruling the women’s midcard scene.
In the back Cathy talks with Jade Cargill and her minions. Jade is shocked that no one can mind their own business, they’ll handle them. B-Fab chimes in to say they’re looking forward to giving Paxley a proper welcome.
Back to the ring, here comes Cody as we head to break.
Post break Cody is waiting in the ring, and here comes Sami. He’s still got the wrist brace on, and predictably here’s Randy Orton from behind Cody. Randy posts Cody, hits the draping DDT, and tries the RKO but Cody blocks it so Randy tosses him out of the ring. Randy gets the ring steps and brains Cody over the barricade. Sami complains to the ref about things as Randy moves the base of the ring steps against the announce table to recreate the head crushing he gave Cody before Mania. Cody fights back by hitting Randy with a can of Coke then both men fight through the crowd. Trashcan shot from Cody and he uses Randy to knock over a whole section of barricade. They keep fighting through the crowd and back to the ringside area. Randy even wipes out a PA, because he’s a jerk. Randy goes to set up Cody for the chair shot in the base of the steps, officials finally show up but Randy gets the chair and looks to hit the chair shot but Cody kicks him in the dick to save himself. Cody gets the chair and cracks Randy with it, positioning Randy’s head in the step base and now Cody goes to kill him but Daivari takes the chair because even as a producer he’s the thief of joy and fun. Things look to go off the air, Cody runs back to Randy and I imagine hit a Cross Rhodes on the table but we’re out of time folks so that’ll end the episode.
