By Mark Rodriguez
I usually miss the entire show due to work but now I can actually kick back and enjoy it. Since Smackdown Live is only 2 hours, this should be a tad easier to cover. This one will begin with Paige addressing the situation between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe.
Paige addressed the Samoa Joe situation
Paige shows the clip from the previous episode of Samoa Joe showing up at AJ's house and threatening to step inside. Paige explains he wanted to fire Samoa Joe, but AJ Styles demanded Samoa keep his job and his charges are dropped. She announces a match between Styles and Joe this upcoming Super Showdown.
AJ Styles sends a video saying he's staying home since he can't perform tonight and doesn't want to do something he regrets. He won't leave until it's confirmed that Samoa is headed to Australia for that match. Styles threatens to bury Samoa Joe alive.
First Match- Mixed Match Challenge- R Truth Carmella and VS Cien Almas and Zelina Vega
R Truth and Cien Almas take each other one while the ladies watch, as the commercials roll. R Truth managed to get out of Almas' holds and got him with a kick to the back that sent both men down.
Carmella and Zelina fight it out and Carmella got to hit her opponent with the Flatliner. Almas pulled Carmella off his wife to stop the pin. Carmella tried to hit Almas with the Superkick but he caught her leg. R Truth came to attack him and throw him out of the ring. While Carmella is distracted, Zelina tries to grab her with the roll up pin. Carmella reversed her attack and got her into the Code of Silence, making Zelina tap and winning the match.
Paige is confronted by Tye Dillinger who demands a match against Randy Orton. Paige agrees.
New Day Cooks
The New Day and Mr. Bootyworth discuss the secret recipe to their pancakes while discussing their upcoming match with The Bar. Cesaro and Sheamus themselves show up to interrupt. The Bar flip over the table full of pancakes and start attacking them. Kofi gets on the top rope but Sheamus tosses flour in his face and the Bar nail him with a double backbreaker. The Bar take out Big E and then pour the pancake batter all over Mr. Bootyworth and kick him out of the ring.
Second Match- Randy Orton vs Tye Dillnger
Tye attacked Orton before the Viper got a chance to get into the ring. After some offense from orton, Tye managed to slam him onto the announcer table. Orton would throw him over the barricade and then slam him face first into the outside floor. Orton would then go to the ring ropes, taking Tye with him.
Orton grabbed Tye's finger and put it in one of the steel loops of the buckles that hook the ring ropes onto the turnpost and tortured him, nearly snapping it. The refs finally pulled Orton off of him. Orton let Tye go, as he laid on the ground holding onto his finger. Since the bell never rung, the match never took place.
There's a segment where The Mizz tells Shelton Benjamin that he helped set up his upcoming match against Daniel Bryan. Shelton says he's tired of being on the bench and Daniel Bryan is just going to be an unlucky casualty. Meanwhile, Aiden prepares to showcase his presentation.
One Night in Milwaukee with Aiden English
Rusev and Lana step out and call out Aiden English to show his evidence. The video shows Aiden English, shirtless as he's practicing his singing when Lana steps in and tells him she wants him. Aiden says there's more and he obviously can't show them the rest. Rusev and Lana are shocked, and the Bulgarian Brute chases Aiden out of the area. Lana is left speechless.
Third Match- Daniel Bryan VS Shelton Benjamin
Mizz makes commentary as Benjamin overpowers Daniel Bryan. DB gets an opening and taps Benjamin up against the turnpost with some Yes Kicks, but Benjamin threw him across the ring. DB gets his opponent in the Yes Lock, but Benjamin is able to grab the ropes to break the hold.
Commercials play as Benjamin uses his size and strength advantage to throw Daniel Bryan all over the place outside the ring. DB manages to toss Benjamin out of the ring and hit him with a flying knee off the ropes. DB jumps off the rope and connects with a Diving Headbutt and both men are down. The offense continues from both men until DB got Shelton into position for the Yes Kicks. Shelton would dodge the last kick, and DB would dodge his kick, but would hit Shelton with the next kick. Mizz would run in to distract DB, and as DB socked him out of the ring, Benjamin would grab him and slam him face first into the mat, getting the win.
With the match over, The Mizz would continue the beatdown upon an injured Daniel Bryan. He'd slam him into the announcer table and then drag him back to the ring where he'd hit him with the Skull Crushing Finale. All of this is to get DB injured before his match with The Mizz at the Super Showdown.
Naomi steps out to announce WWE's support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She also introduces some of the major women behind the charity.
Fourth Match- Asuka VS Peyton Royce
The match just started with Peyton giving offense against Asuka, including a cool reverse slam that slammed Asuka down on her knees. Peyton would try to get Asuka in a submission hold but she would fight out of it. The Empress of Tomorrow would reverse an attack from Peyton and get her into an ankle lock. Peyton tried to grab onto Billie Kay to break the hold but Naomi kept her out of it. Asuka would trap Peyton into the Asuka Lock and make her tap to win.
Becky Lynch's Super Showdown Surprise
Becky comes out and shows clips of when she won the title off of Charlotte, when she was declared Queen of Smackdown and when she jumped Charlotte during a photo shoot. Becky shows an alternate poster of Super Smackdown with Becky standing over a defeat Charlotte.
Charlotte would come in and attack Becky, hitting her with a Spear and throwing her up against her own poster. Charlotte would get Becky in a leglock while hanging off the ropes and walks off, staring down the Smackdown Champion in anger.
The Highs of Tonight's Smackdown Live-
Daniel Bryan VS Shelton Benjamin
It was a good match and Shelton has a good moveset, including this cool slam that doubled as a pin. DB shows he can still hang against much larger opponents and uses his skill to even out the odds. Wouldn't mind seeing more of Shelton.
I thought they weren't allowed to saw wrestlers anymore, or does Mizz get a free pass cause he pronounces it like 'wrasslers'? Is that the loophole?
Randy Orton almost breaks a finger
Between Hell in the Cell where Orton almost tore out Jeff Hardy's ear and now almost breaking Tye's finger, he's getting more and more ruthless and shocking. It's awesome and make his matches now seem more exciting because who knows what other unexpected cruelty will he do next. I guess Tye is lucky he's not one of the more extreme indies federations or he really have gotten his finger broken.
Aiden's Night in Milwaukee
Cheesy and stupid but still a decent storyline. More build up for a match between Rusev and English. I like how they made such a big deal out of this and even had most of the advertising for this episode be about this 'big reveal video'. Never change wrestling, never change. Also, holy cow, Rusev can talk!
AJ Styles stays home
AJ shows an intensity to make one look more forward to seeing his match with Samoa Joe.
Becky Lynch being Becky Lynch
I love her and Heel Becky is more like Cool Becky to me. I love her attitude, and no matter how hard WWE tries to paint Becky as the bad guy that betrayed Charlotte, 90% of the WWE Universe sees it as Becky finally getting what she deserves.
The Lows of Tonight's Smackdown Live
Commercials during matches/Chopped matches
Placing commercials right in the middle of the matches is just plain annoying. I'd rather they just cut to a break altogether because the commercials are annoying and distracting. It's bad enough that it happens during filler matches, they even do this during their bigger matches. Also random matches just starting right after the commercial. We see Daniel Bryan do his intro, commercial... then all of sudden Benjamin and Bryan are already right in the middle of it. What happened to before when they would wait until after the commercial break to introduce the opponent? Why do they keep doing this, and even to the non-filler matches??
Asuka and Cien Almas
These guys need more a push. Asuka went from unstoppable to having a semi-equal match with Peyton Royce. To her credit, Peyton put up a good match and knew her way around Asuka's moves, but they way she built up before, The Empress of Tomorrow should have streamrolled her. Similarly, Cien Almas went from having an intense top heel rivalry with Alistair Black in NXT... to being just another guy. I kinda think these Mixed Match Challenges are a chance for the lesser guys to have some screen time and for WWE to do something with them, but it kinds sucks that Cien Almas has been reduced to being one of these guys.
Charlotte beatdown on Becky
This is not really that much of a low, I understand that Charlotte needs to one up Becky at least once before the big PPV to remind us that she should be a challenge for Becky. The main reason that this is a low is because it further escalates my fear that Becky will be the 'bad guy' and lose to Charlotte at the upcoming PPV. I am sick to death of Charlotte and love Becky as the champ, and I hope she can move past this and maybe start a feud with Asuka or something. Put Asuka back into the title scene and have Charlotte go away for a while.
Overall Opinions
I haven't seen RAW and Smackdown in a while, especially after Smackdown moved to the USA network so maybe this commercial during a wrestling match is a thing, but it is incredibly annoying and throws me out of the match. They must really be pressed for time for all those commercials.
I left out some segments because they weren't really highs or lows, I was just indifferent to them (like the New Day and their nonsense). There were some surprises with seeing Carmella actually display some skill, and mixed feelings between not knowing if I should be happy that Peyton actually put up a good fight against Asuka, or mad that Asuka didn't just squash her. The match of the night was no doubt Daniel Bryan and Shelton Benjamin, and Shelton shows some promises and proves a point that he shouldn't be benched. The 'event' of the night was Orton almost breaking Tye's finger. And there's always a certain satisfaction I get from seeing people boo Charlotte and cheer Becky regardless what WWE wants.
The Aiden English video is most likely going to turn out to be something like Lana needs him... for some sort of completely innocent favor, maybe buying a gift for Rusev or something like that, but we'll see how long they'll draw that out in all its cheesy glory. For fans of the Mixed Match Challenge, I assume this is going to put a damper in the teamwork between Rusev and Lana. I can't wait to see the inevitable match between Rusev and English.
As always stays tuned for my videos as I review the Super Showdown.
I usually miss the entire show due to work but now I can actually kick back and enjoy it. Since Smackdown Live is only 2 hours, this should be a tad easier to cover. This one will begin with Paige addressing the situation between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe.
Paige addressed the Samoa Joe situation
Paige shows the clip from the previous episode of Samoa Joe showing up at AJ's house and threatening to step inside. Paige explains he wanted to fire Samoa Joe, but AJ Styles demanded Samoa keep his job and his charges are dropped. She announces a match between Styles and Joe this upcoming Super Showdown.
AJ Styles sends a video saying he's staying home since he can't perform tonight and doesn't want to do something he regrets. He won't leave until it's confirmed that Samoa is headed to Australia for that match. Styles threatens to bury Samoa Joe alive.
First Match- Mixed Match Challenge- R Truth Carmella and VS Cien Almas and Zelina Vega
R Truth and Cien Almas take each other one while the ladies watch, as the commercials roll. R Truth managed to get out of Almas' holds and got him with a kick to the back that sent both men down.
Carmella and Zelina fight it out and Carmella got to hit her opponent with the Flatliner. Almas pulled Carmella off his wife to stop the pin. Carmella tried to hit Almas with the Superkick but he caught her leg. R Truth came to attack him and throw him out of the ring. While Carmella is distracted, Zelina tries to grab her with the roll up pin. Carmella reversed her attack and got her into the Code of Silence, making Zelina tap and winning the match.
Paige is confronted by Tye Dillinger who demands a match against Randy Orton. Paige agrees.
New Day Cooks
The New Day and Mr. Bootyworth discuss the secret recipe to their pancakes while discussing their upcoming match with The Bar. Cesaro and Sheamus themselves show up to interrupt. The Bar flip over the table full of pancakes and start attacking them. Kofi gets on the top rope but Sheamus tosses flour in his face and the Bar nail him with a double backbreaker. The Bar take out Big E and then pour the pancake batter all over Mr. Bootyworth and kick him out of the ring.
Second Match- Randy Orton vs Tye Dillnger
Tye attacked Orton before the Viper got a chance to get into the ring. After some offense from orton, Tye managed to slam him onto the announcer table. Orton would throw him over the barricade and then slam him face first into the outside floor. Orton would then go to the ring ropes, taking Tye with him.
Orton grabbed Tye's finger and put it in one of the steel loops of the buckles that hook the ring ropes onto the turnpost and tortured him, nearly snapping it. The refs finally pulled Orton off of him. Orton let Tye go, as he laid on the ground holding onto his finger. Since the bell never rung, the match never took place.
There's a segment where The Mizz tells Shelton Benjamin that he helped set up his upcoming match against Daniel Bryan. Shelton says he's tired of being on the bench and Daniel Bryan is just going to be an unlucky casualty. Meanwhile, Aiden prepares to showcase his presentation.
One Night in Milwaukee with Aiden English
Rusev and Lana step out and call out Aiden English to show his evidence. The video shows Aiden English, shirtless as he's practicing his singing when Lana steps in and tells him she wants him. Aiden says there's more and he obviously can't show them the rest. Rusev and Lana are shocked, and the Bulgarian Brute chases Aiden out of the area. Lana is left speechless.
Rusev goes backstage looking for Aiden and Lana tries to tell him there's more to the video than was shown.
Mizz makes commentary as Benjamin overpowers Daniel Bryan. DB gets an opening and taps Benjamin up against the turnpost with some Yes Kicks, but Benjamin threw him across the ring. DB gets his opponent in the Yes Lock, but Benjamin is able to grab the ropes to break the hold.
With the match over, The Mizz would continue the beatdown upon an injured Daniel Bryan. He'd slam him into the announcer table and then drag him back to the ring where he'd hit him with the Skull Crushing Finale. All of this is to get DB injured before his match with The Mizz at the Super Showdown.
Naomi steps out to announce WWE's support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She also introduces some of the major women behind the charity.
Fourth Match- Asuka VS Peyton Royce
The match just started with Peyton giving offense against Asuka, including a cool reverse slam that slammed Asuka down on her knees. Peyton would try to get Asuka in a submission hold but she would fight out of it. The Empress of Tomorrow would reverse an attack from Peyton and get her into an ankle lock. Peyton tried to grab onto Billie Kay to break the hold but Naomi kept her out of it. Asuka would trap Peyton into the Asuka Lock and make her tap to win.
Becky Lynch's Super Showdown Surprise
Becky comes out and shows clips of when she won the title off of Charlotte, when she was declared Queen of Smackdown and when she jumped Charlotte during a photo shoot. Becky shows an alternate poster of Super Smackdown with Becky standing over a defeat Charlotte.
Charlotte would come in and attack Becky, hitting her with a Spear and throwing her up against her own poster. Charlotte would get Becky in a leglock while hanging off the ropes and walks off, staring down the Smackdown Champion in anger.
The Highs of Tonight's Smackdown Live-
Daniel Bryan VS Shelton Benjamin
It was a good match and Shelton has a good moveset, including this cool slam that doubled as a pin. DB shows he can still hang against much larger opponents and uses his skill to even out the odds. Wouldn't mind seeing more of Shelton.
I thought they weren't allowed to saw wrestlers anymore, or does Mizz get a free pass cause he pronounces it like 'wrasslers'? Is that the loophole?
Randy Orton almost breaks a finger
Between Hell in the Cell where Orton almost tore out Jeff Hardy's ear and now almost breaking Tye's finger, he's getting more and more ruthless and shocking. It's awesome and make his matches now seem more exciting because who knows what other unexpected cruelty will he do next. I guess Tye is lucky he's not one of the more extreme indies federations or he really have gotten his finger broken.
Aiden's Night in Milwaukee
Cheesy and stupid but still a decent storyline. More build up for a match between Rusev and English. I like how they made such a big deal out of this and even had most of the advertising for this episode be about this 'big reveal video'. Never change wrestling, never change. Also, holy cow, Rusev can talk!
AJ Styles stays home
AJ shows an intensity to make one look more forward to seeing his match with Samoa Joe.
Becky Lynch being Becky Lynch
I love her and Heel Becky is more like Cool Becky to me. I love her attitude, and no matter how hard WWE tries to paint Becky as the bad guy that betrayed Charlotte, 90% of the WWE Universe sees it as Becky finally getting what she deserves.
The Lows of Tonight's Smackdown Live
Commercials during matches/Chopped matches
Placing commercials right in the middle of the matches is just plain annoying. I'd rather they just cut to a break altogether because the commercials are annoying and distracting. It's bad enough that it happens during filler matches, they even do this during their bigger matches. Also random matches just starting right after the commercial. We see Daniel Bryan do his intro, commercial... then all of sudden Benjamin and Bryan are already right in the middle of it. What happened to before when they would wait until after the commercial break to introduce the opponent? Why do they keep doing this, and even to the non-filler matches??
Asuka and Cien Almas
These guys need more a push. Asuka went from unstoppable to having a semi-equal match with Peyton Royce. To her credit, Peyton put up a good match and knew her way around Asuka's moves, but they way she built up before, The Empress of Tomorrow should have streamrolled her. Similarly, Cien Almas went from having an intense top heel rivalry with Alistair Black in NXT... to being just another guy. I kinda think these Mixed Match Challenges are a chance for the lesser guys to have some screen time and for WWE to do something with them, but it kinds sucks that Cien Almas has been reduced to being one of these guys.
Charlotte beatdown on Becky
This is not really that much of a low, I understand that Charlotte needs to one up Becky at least once before the big PPV to remind us that she should be a challenge for Becky. The main reason that this is a low is because it further escalates my fear that Becky will be the 'bad guy' and lose to Charlotte at the upcoming PPV. I am sick to death of Charlotte and love Becky as the champ, and I hope she can move past this and maybe start a feud with Asuka or something. Put Asuka back into the title scene and have Charlotte go away for a while.
Overall Opinions
I haven't seen RAW and Smackdown in a while, especially after Smackdown moved to the USA network so maybe this commercial during a wrestling match is a thing, but it is incredibly annoying and throws me out of the match. They must really be pressed for time for all those commercials.
I left out some segments because they weren't really highs or lows, I was just indifferent to them (like the New Day and their nonsense). There were some surprises with seeing Carmella actually display some skill, and mixed feelings between not knowing if I should be happy that Peyton actually put up a good fight against Asuka, or mad that Asuka didn't just squash her. The match of the night was no doubt Daniel Bryan and Shelton Benjamin, and Shelton shows some promises and proves a point that he shouldn't be benched. The 'event' of the night was Orton almost breaking Tye's finger. And there's always a certain satisfaction I get from seeing people boo Charlotte and cheer Becky regardless what WWE wants.
The Aiden English video is most likely going to turn out to be something like Lana needs him... for some sort of completely innocent favor, maybe buying a gift for Rusev or something like that, but we'll see how long they'll draw that out in all its cheesy glory. For fans of the Mixed Match Challenge, I assume this is going to put a damper in the teamwork between Rusev and Lana. I can't wait to see the inevitable match between Rusev and English.
As always stays tuned for my videos as I review the Super Showdown.
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