wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s WWE Smackdown Review 8.26.22
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hey there people, time for another episode of Smackdown. Tonight we’ve got a lot of women’s wrestling scheduled, given that Zoey Starks got hurt and the Gigi Dolan of Toxic Attraction got hurt both of the NXT 2.0 representative teams are out of the women’s tag team tournament. So we’ll get a Fatal 4-Way tag team match tonight with Dana Brooke and Tamina vs. Shotzi and Xia Li vs. Nikki ASH and Doudrop vs. Natalya and Sonya Deville, the winning team will have to wrestle again later tonight against Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah. Happy Corbin will take on Ricochet, WWE is still building to Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre coming up soon, Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler is still growing as a feud, and Ronda Rousey might make an appearance. WWE is taping next weeks episode at the same event as this show, the travel for a Friday night into a Saturday PPV like Clash at the Castle just being unrealistic, so one or both episodes will probably be on the slower side. Well that’s the limited preamble given what’s been announced, so let’s get to the action.
Up first here comes Ricochet for the first match.
Match #1: Ricochet vs. Happy Corbin
Ricochet hits the ropes right away and sends Corbin out of the ring with a head scissors. Back in the ring drop kick from Ricochet then a drop kick to the knee and a running Shooting Star Press gets a 2 count. Corbin catches Ricochet with a right hand and looks to slow things down. Some more strikes from Corbin as the crowd remains pretty tepid even in a “Bum ass Corbin” chant. Ricochet goes evasive and hits a handspring back elbow that sends Corbin out of the ring then he misses a baseball slide, Corbin sends Ricochet onto the ropes but Ricochet balances and drops with a corkscrew moonsault to drop Corbin and send us to break.
Ricochet is landing strikes as we come back, then Corbin goes for the Bossman slide but Ricochet intercepts him with a baseball slide then tries a kick from the apron but Corbin catches him and then hits a modified military press onto the announce table which stands strong. Corbin launches Ricochet into the barricade. Back in the ring Corbin hits a Snake Eyes for a 2 count. More control from Corbin, then he launches Ricochet into the ring post ribs first and looks for a count out but Ricochet gets back in the ring. Ricochet hits an around the world DDT to start his comeback, he lays in body blows and kicks then an enziguri. Corner shoulder from Ricochet but Corbin avoids a sprinboard, tries a chokeslam but Ricochet counters with a hurricanrana, they hit the ropes with Ricochet landing a knee but Corbin catches him with a Deep Six for a 2 count. Ricochet lands a kick from the top rope and sets for an aerial finish, he misses the 630 though and Corbin lands a boot then a back suplex into a spinning slam for a 2 count. Corbin is pissed and yells at the ref then misses a clothesline and blocks a Recoil but Ricochet lands a knee then a super kick. Wheel kick from Ricochet then he heads up top again, this time he lands a Shooting Star Press to get the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Ricochet won
Rating: 3 stars
Corbin being allowed to actually develop his ring craft over the last few months is a nice little surprise, it helps that Ricochet is of course a very good professional wrestler. McAfee uses the telestrator to mock Corbin after the loss, and gets a few laughs along the way.
In the back the Street Profits run into Hit Row, Hit Row says they’ve got the smoke and they play around before walking away. I constantly forget Hit Row came back. We head to break with a promise of a hype video for Drew McIntyre in the near future.
We come back and get that Drew hype package. Drew talks about being a kid in the UK and imagining being in WWE since he was six. He’s the first Scottish man to be signed to WWE and mentions holding onto his dream. We get some clips of young Drew in the indies as he talks about his past and coming to the US, then brings up being the fastest callup from development to main roster and mentions he doesn’t think like he did back then as he was arrogant and thought everything would go his way, which clearly it didn’t. He talks about being angry when things weren’t going his way, and how his mom got sick around that time and her passing pushed him off the deep end personally and professionally which led to him getting fired. Drew does call getting fired the best thing that’s happened to him, he had to quit being a boy and learn to be a man. Cut to his return to WWE and now he feels like he can be the leader WWE needs. Decent little video package, and we’ll get more of it later tonight.
Karrion Kross’s music hits, and both Kross and Scarlett are in monochrome in a VIP box. Kross wonders if now really is Drew’s time, but hopes he enjoys the moment. Because in reality at any moment Kross can put his arm through the back of Drew’s head and render all of his achievements irrelevant. Tick tock. Not bad, Kross has a good handle on these kinds of promos.
Shotzi heads to the ring, the Fatal 4-Way tag team match will be up after this break.
Match #2 – Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match: Shotzi and Xia Li vs. Nikki ASH and Doudrop vs. Dana Brooke and Tamina vs. Sonya Deville and Natalya
The match gets going pretty much as we come back to action. Sonya and Tamina start things off, anyone can tag anyone but only 2 legal competitors. Tamina super kicks Natalya, Samoan drop to Sonya but Doudrop breaks up the pin with a senton. Nikki tags in and goes after Li as Li is legal now, Nikki takes a really odd run into the ropes, then Li hot shots her and tags in Shotzi. Shotzi hits a back splash in the ropes but Tamina breaks up the pin. Tamina drags Shotzi over to her corner and tags in Dana. Dana lays out Doudrop but Nikki catches her with a twisting neckbreaker and Sonya breaks up the pin then gets super kicked by Tamina. Doudrop with a cross body to Tamina then she and Li square off with Shotzi getting involved to hit an assisted Shiranui. Natalya lays out Li with a discus clothesline then sends Shotzi out of the ring. Dana takes down Natalya then heads up top but Nikki heads up with her and they fight on the top rope. Sonya blind tags in, no one cares, but Dana superplexes Nikki from the top rope onto a pile of bodies on the floor, leading to Sonya grabbing Nikki, tossing her into the ring and getting the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Sonya Deville and Natalya won
Rating: 1.5
Yeah, this wasn’t good apart from the superplex to the floor. It was rushed and sloppy.
We get a recap of Sheamus winning a shot at the Intercontinental title last week. After that here comes Sheamus to the ring with his goons. Sheamus will do some talking after the break.
We come back and get a video hype job for Shayna Baszler. Trips is definitely working on rehabbing her.
Sheamus and company are in the ring, Sheamus has a mic. He brings up that next weekend he and the Brutes will be starting fights and drinking pints after he wins the IC title, which makes him the first ever ultimate grand slam champion. He moves on to insulting Gunther, which does bring out Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser. Gunther and Kaiser walk to the ring, as I salivate over just how much Gunther and Sheamus could beat the crap out of each other. By the time they reach the ring Kaiser has a mic, and he introduces Gunther but Sheamus cuts him off saying no one understands Kaiser so just shut it. The truth of it is that Sheamus has an issue with Gunther, he objects to Gunther calling himself the ring general as Sheamus is a ring general. Sheamus then runs down his resume for a bit, he’s beaten Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, John Cena, Roman Reigns, and Triple H. No one in WWE has had the consistent match quality that he has, and he sees a lot of himself in Gunther, the physicality and brutality. Just like Sheamus Gunther loves to go to war in the ring. But Gunther has something Sheamus wants, the IC title, and he promises that he will drag that title off of Gunther’s lifeless body if necessary. Gunther gets the mic from Kaiser, and says Sheamus is a man to be respected, but he’s nothing like Gunther. Gunther is the IC champion, and to protect his title he’ll teach Sheamus what violence really means. In Cardiff not only will Gunther retain the title, he’ll chop Sheamus’s chest into bloody bits and break the man everyone thinks can’t be broken. The Ring General will break Sheamus. Butch jumps Kaiser, neither Gunther nor Sheamus move one inch as they brawl in the background. Kaiser brawls with Ridge Holland, sending him over the barricade then brawling with Butch in the ring again. Gunther and Sheamus seriously do not care as Kaiser and Butch fight up to their feet, then Gunther and Sheamus lightly restrain their charges before the champion and Kaiser head out of the ring. Nothing ground breaking but that was very effective.
In the back Sonya Deville and Natalya talk, you can see Nikki ASH and Doudrop arguing in the background as Sonya and Natalya claim they’ve found their groove and will beat Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez tonight.
Back to the ring, here comes Bayley along with her cohorts. We’ll get the tag team tournament match after this break.
Post break we get a recap of last week when Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre went face to face and things got physical with Drew ultimately intercepting a charging Roman with a Claymore to stand tall.
Sami Zayn walks up to Roman’s locker room in the back, and finds the Usos. Jimmy talks about Montreal loving Sami last week, but Jey dumps water on that by mentioning that Sami lost. Sami wants to talk with Roman, mentioning saving Roman last week, Jey looks to send Sami on his way but Roman’s voice interrupts things and does invite Sami in. The Usos follow Sami, there’s a seriously unsafe vibe here that Sami is ignorant of. Roman invites Sami to sit, Sami asks how Roman’s doing. Roman’s doing fine, and he asks Sami about losing last week. Sami acknowledges he lost, Roman says sometimes bad things happen so you can bounce back, then mentions Sami having his back last week and he appreciates what Sami did. That’s something family does. Sami was happy to do it, and tries to sell himself to Roman as reliable. Roman then asks Sami to occupy Drew, to distract him and ruin his mental game. Sami reminds us he’s the master strategist and he’s prefect for this role, he’ll have a picnic in Drew’s head and do a dance. By the time Drew arrives in Cardiff Roman will be able to break him in half. Sami asks them to come out with him to the ring, Roman says he’d steal the spotlight if he went out there and tonight is about Sami. Sami thanks Roman for the opportunity, Roman tells him he can be the main event tonight. Next Sami heads out, Jimmy gives him a handshake but Jey just ejects him. I do enjoy how Jimmy and Jey are showing their personality differences here, and when Roman finally has had enough of Sami’s stuff and obliterates him it’ll lead to a big babyface run for Sami.
Back to the ring, Bayley has joined commentary with Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky flanking her, she’ll commentate for our next match. Raquel and Aliyah head to the ring as Bayley and McAfee bully Michael Cole. Sonya Deville and Natalya head to the ring.
Match #3 – Women’s Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinal: Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah vs. Natalya and Sonya Deville
Aliyah and Natalya start us off, Natalya grabs a side headlock takeover, Aliyah counters into a headscissors and we get a standoff. They hit the ropes and Aliyah rolls up Natalya for 2, they trade roll ups then break. Raquel tags in and runs over Natalya with a shoulder block. Things break down and Aliyah winds up hitting a Thesz press from the apron onto Sonya but Natalya then kills her with a Michinoku Driver on the floor to send us to break.
We come back to Raquel fighting off Sonya and Natalya, she hits a double suplex on both of them. No sign of Aliyah in Raquel’s corner. Raquel hits a fall away slam to Sonya then goes for the twisting Vader Bomb but Sonya counters and starts working her usual control stuff. We can see Aliyah crawling on the floor as Sonya lands a kick for a 2 count. Another rest hold from Sonya, Raquel starts to fight back up, she catches a running Natalya with a front slam then drops Sonya onto Natalya but Aliyah isn’t there to be tagged in. Raquel with a headbutt to Sonya, she starts running wild on both Sonya and Natalya, a twisting Vader Bomb to Sonya gets a 2 count. Sonya is saved from a Tejana Bomb by Natalya going for the Sharpshooter but Raquel kicks her out of the ring then eats a running knee from Sonya for a 2 count. Sonya misses a kick, Raquel then just powers her up for the Tejana Bomb and picks up the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah won
Rating: 2.5 stars
Raquel is a beast, but they’ve set up Aliyah as the weak link rather well so Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky can win without derailing a rising talent.
Post match Iyo and Dakota get in the ring and stare down Raquel and Aliyah.
In the back Maximum Male Models are having a photo shoot, only to be interrupted by Hit Row’s party bus. Max Dupri isn’t happy, but Maxxine has an idea. She walks off, I guess we’ll get a follow up later. After this break we’ll get the return of the New Day.
We come back to Max telling Mace and Mansoor to ignore the terrible music. Maxxine has brought Los Lotharios, they’ve got spray paint to help with MMM’s problems.
To the ring, Xavier Woods is in a wheelchair and both he and Kofi Kingston have mics. Woods thanks the crowd for a warm welcome, normally he’d be clapping and dancing but as everyone knows they’ve been mocking the Viking Raiders lately but now must admit they underestimated them. Kofi mentions they’ve gotten their asses kicked lately and run down how poorly things have gone for them. The harsh reality is last week the Vikings had a funeral for them, burning their merchandise but all New Day saw was their legacy going up in smoke. Maybe New Day is done. They’ve been able to do a lot of great things together, but they’re cut off by the Viking Raiders showing up. Erik and Ivar have mics, they call this a pathetic display. They gave New Day a warriors rite, but instead of leaving with honor they’re out here sniveling. Woods wonders if they can’t just let them say what they need to say. The answer is no, a viking despises weakness and they’re sick to see them in their ring groveling. Sometimes the best thing to do for a wounded animal is to put them down. Kofi tries to talk them down, then Woods come from behind with a couple of kendo sticks, he arms Kofi and they start wailing on the Viking Raiders. Erik and Ivar bail and Woods winds up tossing the wheelchair at them. I guess this feud must continue.
The main event will be up sooner or later after this break.
In the back Los Lotharios and MMM have “spray painted” the Hit Row bus. Hit Row walks up, and want a match next week before saying this isn’t even their bus. Out come the Street Profits, sending everyone scattering.
Sami Zayn warms up in the back, Jimmy and Jey walk up and Jimmy puffs him up while Jey warns him not to blow it again. Sami wants to know why Jey is so negative, and Jey objects to Sami talking behind his back to Roman last week and warns Sami to handle his business as Jimmy basically pulls him away. Hey, if anyone knows how dangerous it is to disappoint Roman it’s Jey.
Another Drew McIntyre hype package. He talks about losing his spot in WWE and coming back a man rather than the boy he’d been before. During his time outside of WWE he found himself and for the first time he’s ready to lead the WWE. He runs us through winning the title and despite all the twists his journey has taken the destination has always been to be the face of this business. That brings him to Roman Reigns, a true monster on a run in the modern era that’s unprecedented and unlike anything we’re likely to see again. But Drew is going to take him down. He puts over the importance of Clash at the Castle, and now Roman has to face the man Drew has become in front of 70 thousand people and the full world, Drew will finally fulfill his destiny. Roman is coming to Drew’s island, and Drew is going to kick his head off of his body. While we’re all pretty sure Roman’s retaining they’ve done a decent job in a truncated timeline of building up Drew’s chances.
To the ring, and here comes Drew McIntyre for our main event. Drew is once again carrying the sword. The main event will be up after the break.
Post break commentary tells us what will be aired next week after they tape it tonight, a 2 year celebration of Roman’s title reign, Ronda Rousey’s fate in the wake of being arrested, Karrion Kross will make his in ring debut on Smackdown, and we’ll get MMM vs. Hit Row in a segment likely to cause a rush to the restroom. Also Butch will take on Ludwig Kaiser, which could be a good match. We’ll also get a Viking Rules match (just a No DQ) between the New Day and Viking Raiders.
Back to the ring, and here comes Sami Zayn for the main event.
Match #4: Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn
Drew stares down Sami, and Sami runs out of the ring. They play around getting in and out of the ring for a bit, then Sami tries to lay in kicks but Drew drops him with a punch. Drew launches Sami into the corner then lays in a chop. Sami rolls out of the ring to recover, and Drew follows him then catches him but Sami lands a kick and they start brawling but Drew bounces Sami off of the announce table then drops him back first onto the edge of the ring. Back in the ring Sami kicks the leg of Drew then hits a chop block and tries to ground the big man. The usual Sami control spots follow then Drew fires up and tosses Sami into the corner then unloads on him and hits a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Drew puts Sami on the top rope and chops him then climbs up for a superplex, but Sami rakes the eyes then goes for a Sunset Bomb which connects and sends us to break.
Sami lands a boot as we come back, he then hits a tornado DDT for a 1 count. Drew blocks a Blue Thunder Bomb then floors Sami with a headbutt. Drew is getting fired up and starts running over Sami then hits a belly to belly suplex, and another one. Neckbreaker from Drew then he sets for the Claymore, but here come the Usos to distract Drew. The distraction allows Sami to hit the Blue Thunder Bomb for a 2 count. Jimmy and Jey stay ringside. Sami lays in some rights then Drew floors him with a chop before laying out Jimmy and Jey only to be School Boyed by Sami for a 2 count. They hit the ropes and Drew eventually lands a Claymore to pick up the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Drew McIntyre won
Rating: 3 stars
Solid little match, Drew and Sami work well enough together.
Post match Roman runs down and jumps Drew, laying him out with strikes. Drew posts Roman and starts fighting off Jimmy and Jey but he turns into a Spear from Roman. Jey and Jimmy get chairs and start laying into a prone Drew with them as Roman approves. Drew gets sent to the floor, then launched over the announcers table. Jimmy and Jey clear the announcers table and then drive Drew into the barricade. Sami comes in for a Helluva Kick for good measure, then Jimmy and Jey start ramming the ring steps into Drew a few times as Roman poses on the ropes. Roman tells his goons to bring Drew back into the ring, where Roman talks some trash and tells Drew the top of the mountain is his and Drew wont ever get it until Roman chooses to step down, then Roman locks in the Guillotine choke and puts Drew to sleep. Roman then sets a chair up on Drew’s chest and sits on it, posing with both of his title belts to close as he tells everyone that the entire industry runs on him, and tells anyone who wants it to try and take it from him.
