By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Smackdown Live on USA Network
Live from Portland, Oregon at Moda Center
[Hour One] Paige stood in the ring and aired a recap of Samoa Joe showing up at AJ Styles’ home at the end of last week’s show. She said the police were called and charges were filed for trespassing. Paige mentioned that Joe should be fired, but before she could make that decision she reached out to Styles to see if he and his family were okay. Styles told her that he was dropping the charges and asked her not to fire Joe. She said Styles wanted to dish out his own punishment to Joe. As such, Paige said the match at Super Show-Down is on.
Paige up a video message from AJ Styles, who was shown sitting on a couch in a home. He apologized for not appearing at Smackdown. He said he was at his home and he wouldn’t be leaving until he had confirmation that Joe was on a plane and headed for Australia. Styles said he has four amazing kids who need him. He said his daughter Annie has been waking up in the middle of the night fearful that Joe was in her closet “like he’s some kind of boogeyman.” Styles said it will end on Saturday and Joe isn’t coming back from the land down under because that’s where he’s putting Joe. Styles said he’s not talking about putting him in a casket and pouring dirt on it, he’s talking about burying him alive…
The Smackdown broadcast team of Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton checked in… R-Truth and Carmella made their entrance for a mixed tag mach… [C]
Powell’s POV: The crowd didn’t like the idea of Joe being fired when Paige mentioned it, they didn’t seem the least bit surprised that the match is on for Saturday, and they were not happy when Styles said he wouldn’t be appearing in person. The angle has gone way over the top with Styles threatening to bury Joe alive, but it’s sill intriguing and I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in mind for Saturday. By the way, I’m filling in for Jake Barnett, who is at a concert tonight. Jake will writing the Smackdown Hit List tomorrow in my place and will return to live coverage next week.
1. R-Truth and Carmella vs. Andrade Almas and Zelina Vega. Truth and Carmella had a dance break during the match while Almas and Vega were at ringside. Almas took a bump at ringside and they cut to a split screen commercial break. [C] Carmella performed a Flatliner on Vega and had her pinned, but Almas pulled her off. Carmella tried to kick him. Almas caught her leg. Truth stepped in and worked over Almas and took him to ringside. Carmella ended up applying the Code of Silence for the win…
R-Truth and Carmella beat Andrade Almas and Zelina Vega in 9:50.
Powell’s POV: Almas seems to spend as much time working mixed tag matches as singles matches on television these days. I love Vega as a manager, but I wish creative would find a more meaningful role for the talented Almas in the singles division and give Zelina more promo time. By the way, I got a kick out of the dance break bit on Truth TV last week, but it’s not the same mid-match without the music. Yep, it’s come to that. I’m analyzing a freaking dance break, folks.
Backstage, Tye Dillinger told Paige that he wanted a match with Randy Orton. She asked him if he was sure and pointed out that Jeff Hardy has disappeared since Hell in a Cell. Dillinger said he wasn’t changing his mind and they both knew it was something he had to do. Paige said she will never understand men, but she ended up giving him the match…
New Day made their entrance wearing chef hats while Mr. Bootyworth carried a tray of pancakes. Saxton was giddy as he hyped that New Day would share the recipe for their pancakes…
Powell’s POV: My buddy Brian Fritz actually caught and ate one of those pancakes. Please let the recipe include feline urine and canine feces.
New Day stood in the ring with a table that included various ingredients, toppings, and a hot plate. Big E welcomed viewers to New Day Cooks and claimed they were sponsored by Ico-Pro. Xavier Woods corrected him. They hyped their tag title match for Super Show-Down and said The Bar has had their number lately. Kofi Kingston introduced Mr. Bootyworth as their chef and said he makes all of their pancakes.
Before Bootyworth could reveal the recipe, Sheamus and Cesaro interrupted and said it was another week of New Day acting like a bunch of children. Woods got upset and said their pilot was going straight to Guy Fieri and they were ruining it. Sheamus and Cesaro and spoke about how Cesaro is Swiss and knows about cooking.
Sheamus tipped the table over and then the two teams fought. Sheamus threw flour at Kingston to blind him and then he and Cesaro performed a double backbreaker. They performed a double team move on Big E and left New Day lying. Bootyworth was still standing in the corner with a bowl of pancake batter. Sheamus and Cesaro took his top hat and poured the batter into it before placing the hat on his head. Cesaro poured the rest of the batter on Bootyworth and then they ordered him to leave the ring…
Graves hyped Aiden English’s “One Night In Milwaukee” video, and Phillips said Orton vs. Dillinger was up next. Philips hyped the video game and set up a sneak peak of the game…
Powell’s POV: A mid-match dance party and a cooking segment. Jake Barnett picked the right night to attend a concert.
Tye Dillinger and Randy Orton made their entrances for their match. Dillinger attacked Orton as he was making his way to the ring. He worked him over in the ring and dumped him to ringside. The broadcast pointed out that the match had not officially started. Orton ended up performing a draping DDT off the barricade on the floor. Orton eyed up the turnbuckle and then placed the index finger of Dillinger inside of it and then pulled back on it. Orton eventually released Dillinger while Phillips said Orton tortured Dillinger and it was one of the most disgusting things he’d ever seen. Orton stood on a piece of the ring steps and looked to the crowd, which led to him getting cheers…
Powell’s POV: This didn’t provide a great visual like the Jeff Hardy earlobe attacks, but it was a decent attempt to continue to show off the sadistic side of Orton.
Shelton Benjamin was warming up for his match with Daniel Bryan when The Miz approached him and said, ‘You’re welcome.” Miz said Benjamin is overlooked. He claimed he put in a call and got him a golden opportunity against “goat boy.” Miz asked if he would beat Bryan. “In a word, yes,” Benjamin said. Miz told him he needs to do more than win the match, he needs to hurt him and make a statement. Benjamin said his statement is that he’s been on the sidelines waiting to let the world know who he is. Benjamin said Bryan is just casualty number one. Miz said he’d be on commentary to see it all happen…
Aiden English spoke with a production crew member and said his video would be revelatory and would also be hot stuff… [C]
Rusev and Lana made their entrance. The broadcast team hyped their match against Jimmy Uso and Naomi for Mixed Match Challenge (assuming Rusev hasn’t filed for divorce after seeing English’s video). There was a loud Rusev Day chant.
[Hour Two] Rusev said English attacking him ended their team and friendship. He said English took it a step further with the Milwaukee tape and that made him want to tear his pale body apart. Rusev invited English to come out and show off his “bogus evidence.” English walked onto the stage without music and started running down Milwaukee factoids. Lana said he was stalling because it has nothing. English set up the tape on the big screen.
A shirtless English was shown singing about trying to get out of Milwaukee to celebrate Rusev Day. There was a knock at the door. Lana entered his room. He said he’d get a shirt. She said she had something to say to him that she’s wanted to say for a long time. “I want you,” Lana said and the footage stopped abruptly.
English said he wishes he could show the rest of the footage but there are contractual obligations and he’s entertaining an offer from TMZ. “I wouldn’t want to, you know, cheat on ’em,” English concluded. Rusev left the ring and ran after English, who headed backstage. Fans booed…
Powell’s POV: Weak. It’s not like I was expecting the video to feature evidence that couldn’t be explained away somehow, but I thought they would be more creative than simply topping the tape before Lana finished her sentence. I assume they will eventually show her saying that she wants English to leave Rusev alone.
The broadcast team set up footage of the angle with Shawn Michaels, Kane, and Undertaker that closed Raw… Daniel Bryan made his entrance heading into a break… [C]
Backstage, Lana wanted to explain herself. “We are not doing this here,” Rusev said…
Powell’s POV: Good lord. I hate when the babyface is cast as the only person in the world dumb enough to believe something.
2. Daniel Bryan vs. Shelton Benjamin. Benjamin’s entrance was not televised. The Miz was on commentary. Benjamin went right after Bryan and had the early advantage. Benjamin dropped Bryan on the guardrail and was dominating him heading into a break. [C]
Benjamin remained in offensive control coming out of the commercials, but Bryan caught him on the ropes and performed a huracanrana. Bryan threw the Yes kicks at Benjamin and caught him with a standing kick as well. Bryan did the yes bit in the corner. Miz left the broadcast table and climbed onto the apron. Bryan knocked Miz down, but Benjamin hit him with Paydirt and pinned him.
Shelton Benjamin beat Daniel Bryan in 9:10.
The Miz worked over Bryan after the match and ran him into the broadcast table. Miz brought Bryan into the ring and put him down with a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz told the fallen Bryan that he would see him at Super Show-Down. He wished him luck and said he would need it…
Powell’s POV: I didn’t see that one coming. It was a Pacific Northwest homecoming for Bryan, so perhaps I should have given WWE’s strange love of having their babyfaces lose at home. Hopefully this leads to more for Benjamin than a simple loss next week in a throwaway rematch.
The broadcast team set up footage from Raw of Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler leaving The Shield lying. They also hyped Asuka vs. Peyton Royce for after the break… [C]
An ad aired for Smackdown 1000 in two weeks. While they did not advertise anyone in particular, there were plenty of clips of The Rock, Steve Austin, and Kurt Angle…
Naomi stood in the ring and set up the breast cancer charity video. Naomi introduced Dana Warrior and a researcher, a fundraiser, and a cancer survivor…
Asuka made her entrance followed by The Iiconics. An Iiconics pre-tape aired that included he duo doing a new victory dance. Phillips asked what it was. Graves said he takes pride in being able to explain the ridiculous, but he had no explanation…
Powell’s POV: Let’s see if I have this right. R-Truth and Carmella’s dance break is fun, but Peyton Royce and Billie Kay doing the same thing and calling it a victory dance is strange and confusing? Got it.
3. Asuka (w/Naomi) vs. Peyton Royce (w/Billie Kay). The match was joined in progress. Asuka applied and ankle lock. Royce reached the ropes and grabbed he hands of Kay. Naomi kicked Kay, then Asuka applied another submission hold and got the win…
Asuka defeated Peyton Royce in 3:30 of television time.
Phillips hyped Becky Lynch announcing the surprise she has in store for Charlotte Flair at Super Show-Down…
Becky Lynch made her entrance to the ring where they had something on an easel covered up. The fans chanted her name. She said she stopped waiting and started taking at SummerSlam. She said she runs the division and has made it the most relevant thing in all of WWE. The fans applauded. She said that being kind and patient gets you nothing. Lynch said she is relentless and she strikes first and often.
Lynch set up a video package on her and Charlotte. Lynch narrated the video. Back live, Lynch said she could watch it all day. The fans cheered and chanted her name again. She spoke about how she deserves to have her face on billboards and magazine covers. She said if no one will give it to her then she will do it herself. She unveiled the new Super Show-Down poster she made that has her standing with her foot on Charlotte. Lynch said it shouldn’t be about Undertaker and Triple H fighting for the last time, it should be about her defending her title for the first time.
Charlotte Flair made her entrance and fought with Lynch in the ring. There was a “Becky” chant and the fans booed when Charlotte speared her. Charlotte applied a figure four and then leaned back over the ring apron. She released the hold and the fans chanted “Becky” again, then stopped and booed after Charlotte put her down with a kick. Charlotte let out a wooo while standing over Lynch. The broadcast team hyped Lynch vs. Charlotte for Saturday. Charlotte left the ring and then glared at Lynch to end the show…
Powell’s POV: Lynch is a heel who doesn’t heel on the fans, and Charlotte is a babyface who is booed by the fans. I’m still entertained by these two, but it’s just a shame that the creative forces were so stubborn when it came to casting these two because it’s not going Charlotte any favors. Overall, this was a mediocre show that didn’t raise my level of excitement for the Super Show-Down event. That said, you can join me live on Saturday morning at 4CT/5ET for my live review. I’ll be by later tonight with my members’ exclusive audio review.
I laughed so hard at the Aiden English big reveal. Just stopping at Lana in mid sentence and voila Lana is a cheating slut… Well by today’s standards I guess the mere suggestion is enough to ruin lives. Somebody in creative must follow politics. This story is officially absurd.lmao
I’ll never understand how somebody else handles The Hit List… how can Jake’s hit list coincided with your own personal thoughts and feelings about the show as you are covering it live? wouldn’t it make more sense for you to make The Hit List??
Ron-it’s a FREE website so quit complaining. If you don’t like the way Jason runs things here, then leave, instead of whining like a little biotch. Appreciate Jason and all his team’s hard work on here-especially sitting through all those boring, long Raws and Smackdowns just to do the recap for all of us.
The idea isn’t for it to coincide with my thoughts, it’s to give you two different takes on the show. That’s why it’s labeled Barnett’s Hit List when he writes it. I hope that explains it. I’ve held onto the Raw version even though I do live coverage too simply because the Raw Hit List is something I started back in my Torch days.
Ahh i see thanks for your response… and to that other poster I wasn’t bitching and I’m not complaining it was just a legitimate question.
I thought Graves’ best line of the night was when someone said something about R-truth not being easily distracted, and he said “R-Truth could be distracted by a laser pointer”. Priceless!
He’s totally right, I can’t think of a more emotional tear jerker than BASEketball…