SmackDown Thoughts
- We start off with a replay of the last 48 hours for Becky Lynch, from her Royal Rumble victory to her picking Ronda Rousey for her championship match at WrestleMania.
- Becky Lynch is the first one out tonight to a great ovation again from Phoenix. So many "The Man" signs and shirts out in the crowd. She talks about confronting "Ronnie" last night. She admits losing to Asuka, but unlike Ronda, she doesn't crumble when she loses. She won the Rumble with one good leg. Becky is proud from coming from nothing and slapping a bunch of heads to get to where she's at. She's proud of going from the Pre-Show last year to the Main Event of this year's WrestleMania. No one handed her anything. LOUD "YOU DESERVE IT!" chants. She saw doubt in "Ronnie's" eyes. She's going to break Ronnie's arm.
And here comes Charlotte Flair. (And thus it begins: the needless desire to put Charlotte Flair in this match.) She cuts a promo about Becky getting off the Pre-Show. She tells Becky that she learned all her lessons from "The Queen," no one else. SUCKER PUNCH BY THE MAN! Wow! Becky walks off, and Charlotte attacks her from behind on the ramp. They start fighting up the ramp and back to the ringside area. Agents try to break them up, but neither woman wants to end the fight.
(Please Vince. Let's just get Charlotte vs. Asuka II at WrestleMania instead of a three-way with Rousey and Lynch. I can't restate this enough. And that's why it's going to still happen despite what any of us have to say.)
- The first match for tonight's show is a United States Championship match featuring new champion Shinsuke Nakamura and challenger R-Truth (w/Carmella). R-Truth cuts a promo first about being "jacked up" by Nia Jax at the Rumble. Nakamura jumps R-Truth as the bell rings. Reverse Exploder by Nakamura. Truth goes for Lie Detector, but Nakamura looked to roll his way out of the ring to avoid taking all of the move. During commercial, Truth rolls up Nakamura for a couple 2 counts. Big Faceplant Suplex for a 2 count by Truth. Truth misses a dive in the corner, and Nakamura kicks him in the back of the head to start his offense. Knee Drop gets a 2 count. Nakamura chokes Truth on the ropes. Guillotine by Nakamura followed by the low knees and some Bad Vibrations in the corner.
We return from break to see Nakamura get the running knee in the corner a couple times. Truth reverses Landslide into a rollup. 1-2-3!!!! R-TRUTH WINS THE TITLE!!!! WHAT?!
Rusev is coming out with Lana. Rusev cuts a promo about the title deserving better than Shinsuke Nakamura. The title deserves MUCH better than R-Truth. RUSEV CHALLENGES TRUTH FOR THE TITLE! Lana and Carmella get into an argument, and Carmella pushes her down. Truth and Rusev push each other. TRUTH IS PUTTING THE TITLE UP! The match is on!
(A lot to digest here. What the hell just happened with Nakamura? He wins the championship to lose it. And now, he doesn't even get a rematch. Is he leaving too?! R-Truth wins a title for the first time in 7 years. And add on that the fact that Rusev has just turned heel and is now challenging for the belt. You can't say this hasn't been a newsworthy show at this point.)
- We return to the second United States Championship match of the night with R-Truth taking on Rusev. Truth rolls up Rusev and BEATS RUSEV in a minute after the commercial break!!!! Nakamura attacks R-Truth from behind. Nakamura throws Truth back in the ring. Rusev and Nakamura are staring off at each other. THEY ARE TEAMING UP ON R-TRUTH!!! Machka Kick to R-Truth. Kinshasa to Truth!
(Well, I guess Nakamura is staying put. And now, Nakamura and Rusev are a team?! Or was this a case of "The Enemy of My Enemy is my Friend?" Crazy booking here. I'm not completely opposed to it as Truth getting a title run is nice to see. I am just curious to see what this leads to. I wouldn't mind seeing a Rusev/Nakamura team to go after the Tag Team Championships while Truth drops the belt to someone like Andrade. But that's just me doing some fantasy booking.)
- We see Becky Lynch going to a car. She refused to let the medical staff look at her.
- R-Truth is checked on backstage.
- Rey Mysterio is out next to take on our favorite Samoan named Joe (Samoa Joe if you need that simplified). Wait. Before Samoa Joe comes out, Zelina Vega comes out. She blames Rey for getting her barred from ringside. She asks Rey if he's too distracted by her. Andrade is head and shoulders above him. Andrade attacks Rey from behind. (So much for the match.) THREE AMIGOS BY ANDRADE. Rey reverses the third one into a 619 attempt, but Andrade gets out of it. Hammerlock DDT by Andrade.
(Good way to continue the Andrade-Rey feud. Plus, you don't burn through a Joe-Rey match. That's a match you can easily save for the future.)
- Rusev is backstage confronted by The Good Brothers. They ask him about beating up R-Truth. He tells The Good Brothers to go back to catering. Rusev and Nakamura accept the challenge for a match... later tonight?! Rusev warns Nakamura not to screw with him.
(Wow. I am not sure what to think of this whole Rusev and Nakamura thing now. That's actually a good thing. I like not knowing sometimes.)
- The Miz and Shane McMahon, our NEW SmackDown Tag Team Champions, come out next for their celebration. (Does EVERY championship victory deserve a celebration?!) Shane promises to have a surprise for Miz that he'll never forget. He shows a video that replays the history of the Shane/Miz storyline. That wasn't the surprise. He introduces everyone to Miz's Dad, who walks out to Miz's theme. "Mr. Miz" chants! He gets on the mic and says he's very proud of Miz. Corey goes nuts on the commentary about being sick about all of this.
- Mandy and Sonya declare themselves for the Women's Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber Match. Mandy also announces why she has started going after Naomi. They replay a video of Naomi during Tough Enough calling Mandy weak. Sonya chimes in saying that Naomi was talking smack when the cameras were off. Mandy talks about her boyfriend leaving her over becoming too emotional about Naomi's treatment. Mandy says her hate for Naomi will never end.
- In the previous celebration segment, Shane announced a Four-Way Elimination Match for the #1 Contendership for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. The Usos vs. The New Day vs. The Bar vs. Heavy Machinery. Dozovic sits on Kofi, and Kofi tags in Big E. Both men smack into each other and play the whole "big man vs. big man" routine. Tucker Knight gets tagged in, and they smash into Big E to lead to the commercial break. One of The Usos gets tagged in on Big E. Cesaro tags himself in on Tucker Knight and attacks The Uso. Sheamus and Cesaro trade tags to continue their work. (Great tag team work by The Bar here. Frequent tags have been one of the great things these guys have brought back into tag team wrestling.) Jay Uso and Sheamus are going at it soon here, but Big E gets a blind tag on Jay. Tag by Kofi on Big E. Double-team by The New Day only gets 2 as Cesaro breaks it up. Dozovic is now legal against Kingston. Kofi dives on Dozovic. Tag by Knight. Compactor to Kofi. THE NEW DAY ARE ELIMINATED.
(That's a big elimination for Heavy Machinery and a good moment in the spotlight.)
Jay Uso and Tucker Knight are now going at it. Dozovic is taken out as is Knight. Jimmy and Jay are going for the dive. Cesaro tags himself in. The Bar presses one of the Usos onto the barricade. We return from break to see Cesaro torture Tucker Knight in the ring. Knight gets beat to the tag by Sheamus who stops him from getting to Dozovic. But eventually, Knight does get the tag and runs through The Bar. Overhead Belly to Belly on Cesaro followed by a corner splash to The Bar. Worm into an Elbow Drop by Dozovic. Tag to Knight. Compactor stopped by Sheamus. Sheamus breaks up a pin attempt after another double team. Jimmy gets the tag on Cesaro and hits Knight with a crossbody for a 2 count. Sheamus tags Jimmy Uso. Uppercut by Cesaro and a Brogue Kick to Tucker Knight eliminate Heavy Machinery. The Usos start hitting moves quickly and hit The Splash for the win.
The Usos will now face The Miz and Shane McMahon at the Elimination Chamber PPV for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
(I know people are going to rag on the Rusev heel turn and the multiple title changes earlier tonight. But this has been a great episode of SmackDown so far. And this is another good reason why: All four teams performed very well in this. Hats off to Heavy Machinery who looked like they belonged in this match. That's a great feat considering they were just called up a few weeks ago. The Usos getting the win is nice to switch things up, but I'm not sure if they'll be the team to end Miz and Shane's reign as champions.)
- Daniel Bryan is out next to announce the "climate change" in WWE. He asks if the fans know who won at the Royal Rumble. "BECKY!" chants! Lol. He declares that everyone won because Daniel Bryan won. He is "The Planet's Champion!" He introduces Rowan as his new disciple. He puts him over as an intellectual peer and a well-educated man. Rowan can see through the facade of the culture. AJ was right when he called Daniel Bryan a "hypocrite." Bryan says that title makes him a hypocrite. He takes a garbage can. The title was made from a cow whose life was taken from her. The fans are chanting "DAISY!" for the name of the cow that Bryan says died for the leather of the belt. "THANK YOU DAISY!" This title is a symbol for everything he stands against! HE THROWS THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE GARBAGE! (MADUSA NEEDS ROYALTIES!) The fans chant for him to "recycle!" LOL. "GOODBYE DAISY!" Rowan unveils a new championship belt: A belt made out of 100% Sustainable Hemp and Oak!
Here comes AJ Styles. He won't stand by and let Bryan throw the championship in the garbage. He asks if Daniel smoked the prototype for that championship. Lol. He starts talking... and RANDY ORTON comes out! Commercial break. Mustafa Ali is coming out as we return. Orton puts down Ali for being eliminated by a girl. He goes to talk as Samoa Joe talks. (Here we go again. Talk and talk and talk. Nothing is really said.) Jeff Hardy is out there too. Joe puts down Jeff and says some AA meeting stuff. AJ just loses it and goes after Joe. Bryan is cutting a promo on all of them while they are brawling. Triple H is on the video screen. He confirms that Daniel Bryan will be facing all of these men in an Elimination Chamber Match! "NO! NO! NO!" Bryan is running away as the challengers continue to fight each other.
(Overall, this was a very good edition of SmackDown Live. You cannot say that this wasn't a newsworthy episode as several things happened, including a new U.S. Champion, a Rusev heel turn, the beginning of Charlotte going after a spot in the Raw Women's Championship, the continuation of Andrade-Rey, The Usos winning a competitive Four Way match to become #1 Contenders, Daniel Bryan taking his character to the next level by introducing a HEMP-BASED WWE Championship(!), and the announcement of an Elimination Chamber match. This was a can't miss episode of SmackDown Live, love it or hate it. And that earns it a Thumbs Up.)
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness. And let's take a moment of silence for Daisy. Lol.
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