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| WWE; SD Live 2/5/19 |
SmackDown Thoughts (Written with Live Show)
- We start with the arrival of Charlotte Flair. They replay the Stephanie-Becky angle from last night's Raw. Charlotte talks about Becky's "arrogance" on Raw getting her suspended. Charlotte cuts a promo about wanting to face Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania. BECKY LYNCH IS COMING IN THROUGH THE AUDIENCE! Charlotte cuts a weak line about Becky taking her father's catchphrase and taking "Roman's entrance." Becky continues to talk and go at it with Charlotte. Triple H comes out and tells Becky to go home. Triple H tells Charlotte to get out and that this doesn't concern her.
Triple H tells her to see the doctor and get cleared. Becky doesn't trust anything Triple H says. Triple H reasserts the medical clearance. He tells her to go home. Becky asks "How's Steph? Did you make sure she was medically cleared... you know... after I punched her in the face?" Wow. Triple H says Becky is not "The Man." She's just a "self-destructor afraid of failure." He calls her nothing more than a martyr. He accuses Becky of getting a way out of her Survivor Series match by recklessly going after the Raw roster. Triple H tells the crowd to shut up. All she wants is a way out, according to Triple H. He accuses her of not even being injured. She's scared of being told that SHE CAN GO TO WRESTLEMANIA. She's afraid that Ronda Rousey will expose her as the fraud that she is. She's afraid that Becky Lynch will prove that she fears Ronda Rousey. SLAP!!!! Crowd wants it "One More Time!" Becky gets out of the ring and goes back up the crowd the way she came in.
(Triple H's promo on Becky was very effective in one way: it made it clear that this isn't just Becky vs. Ronda. It's Becky vs. The Machine. Becky just confidently walking in and out of the ring was a great sight to see. Now, the McMahon Family as a whole needs to step aside. We don't need them on WWE every week to reinforce this narrative.)
- Our first match is The Good Brothers taking on Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev. The Good Brothers work on Nakamura to start the match. Phillips acknowledges the fact that Nakamura and The Good Brothers know each other very well from Japan. (CHAOS vs. Bullet Club). During our commercial break, we see Rusev gain the advantage with a Tilt-A-Whirl Powerslam to Anderson. Rusev tags in Nakamura. Bad Vibrations in the corner. Running knee into the abs by Nakamura. Nakamura and Rusev tag back in and out taking turns beating up Anderson. Anderson gets caught running into the corner and gets the suplex by Nakamura. But Nakamura gets caught in a spinebuster. Gallows and Rusev are legal with Gallows doing hot tag offense. He beats down both Rusev and Nakamura in the ring. Lana is yelling at Nakamura to get up and lifting him up. Kinshasa to Luke Gallows. Machka Kick to Anderson. 1-2-3. Rusev offers his hand to Nakamura and helps him get up. It looks like all is well in this alliance for now.
(Well, that does it for the Gallows and Anderson sighting. They saw their shadow. This means six more weeks in catering. As for Nakamura and Rusev, they better not get too optimistic. If Vince gets any colder on them, they may be sitting with The Good Brothers until their contracts run up.)
- Mustafa Ali cuts a promo backstage about no one believing that he has a chance.
- Paige introduces the trailer for her movie.
- The Usos cut a promo on Shane McMahon and The Miz. They will be on Miz TV next week.
- The next match is Mustafa Ali taking on Randy Orton. Ali is already in the ring when Orton comes down. The bell rings. (RKO. Match over. Just kidding.) Orton dominates early on by throwing Ali on the ropes and on the announce table. Powerslam by Orton gets a 2. (Orton is dominating this almost as if it is a squash match.) Orton puts Ali on the corner. He climbs up after a brief struggle. SUPERPLEX BY ORTON! 1-2-Kickout. Commercial.
We return to see Orton still beating down on Ali. Ali fights off Orton and tosses him over the announce table and dives over it onto him. Ali hits a series of kicks to Orton as soon as he gets in the ring. Ali continues to kick Orton away. Rolling X-Factor by Ali. 2 count only. Ali catches Orton going for an RKO and hits a Tornado DDT off the corner. 2 count. Ali sets him up for the 0-5-4. BUT ORTON PULLS HIM BACK AND HITS THE RKO! 1-2-3.
(Well, that was a fun match for what it was. The best part was Ali ...)
SAMOA JOE IS PUTTING ORTON TO SLEEP IN THE CLUTCH! Joe kicks Ali out of the ring and takes in the spotlight. As soon as he gets out of the ring, here comes Daniel Bryan. Bryan has Rowan get in Joe's way. Joe just walks off.
(As I was saying, the best part to me was Ali being smart enough to know when Orton was going to set up the RKO. That helps build character to see someone be allowed to show that they are smart enough to know when the other wrestler might try a signature move. So, while Ali was owned most of the match, that one moment gave me hope for his future.)
- Joe cuts a promo backstage about bringing retaliation to Randy Orton for last week. Joe promises to raise the WWE Championship above his head. (He's failed the other 25 times he's challenged for the title. Why would we believe him now?)
- "The New" Daniel Bryan is introduced as "The Favorite Son of Washington." Loud chants for Daniel Bryan by the crowd. He puts over Washington and cuts a promo on the rest of the world. He talks about his new title. The old title was a symbol of excess. His title is a symbol of change. Rowan cuts a promo about their ideas having good intentions. He gets "WHAT?" chants. Bryan condemns the audience. He goes off about not being corporate. He is "The Planet's Champion." He goes off about the Elimination Chamber Match and shows a video reviewing past Chamber matches. He cuts a promo about not allowing his opponents take the WWE into the past. The world and its people needs Daniel Bryan as the WWE Champion.
(Daniel Bryan... Gold. Eco-Friendly, Organic Gold.)
- Jeff Hardy is interviewed backstage. He's sickened by the disrespect that Daniel Bryan has shown that title. He's going to make him shut up. AJ Styles walks in. AJ and Jeff cut jabs at each other about not being able to get the job done.
- Carmella comes out for her Triple Threat Tag Team Match with the three teams involved in the Elimination Chamber Women's Tag Team Championship Match. She is partnering with Naomi to take on The IIconics and the team of Sonya and Mandy. (I wish I could be more interested in this match, but I'm not, folks.) During commercial, Carmella is worked over by members of both heel tag teams. In fact, they willingly tag the other team in and out (which makes little to no sense in a first fall wins environment.) We return from break to see The IIconics continue to work on Carmella. Mandy gets tagged in and teases Naomi about being unable to help her partner. Naomi gets tagged in and chases Mandy around the ring. Naomi focuses on beating up every other heel in the match. Mandy accidentally gets tagged back in, and Naomi starts attacking her. Mandy Rose uses a distraction to hit a Butterfly Faceplant. 1-2-3.
(That existed. I want to say more, but the better part of valor sometimes is to say nothing.)
- Andrade and Zelina cut a promo about the beatdown of Rey Mysterio last week. Andrade's legend begins with Rey Mysterio's end.
- A video package is shown putting over the SmackDown Women's Champion Asuka.
- The main event is Jeff Hardy taking on Daniel Bryan. Back and forth action early on. Bryan hits the dropkicks in the corner, but Hardy ends up taking back the advantage and goes after Bryan on the floor. Unfortunately for him, Rowan stands in the way of a dive off the steps to Bryan. Bryan uses the opportunity to dump Hardy shoulder first on the steel steps. Commercial break.
Bryan and Hardy go back and forth as soon as commercial break ends. Hardy gets a couple of his signature moves in the ring. Bryan gets dumped to the floor, and Hardy flies off the ring frame onto Bryan with a clothesline. Bryan rolls out of the way of a Swanton Bomb attempt. The Yes Kicks are countered by a Twist of Fate. Swanton Bomb to Daniel Bryan. 1-2-Rowan pulls Hardy out for the DQ.
Hardy gets thrown into the steel steps. Labell Lock is in. Joe attacks Rowan and puts the Clutch on Daniel Bryan. Randy Orton comes out and goes at it with Joe. Ali dives off the corner at both men. He dives at Rowan. Bad mistake. Chokeslam to Ali onto the table by Rowan. AJ Styles comes out. He hits Orton and Joe. Phenomenal Forearm to Hardy. Bryan and Rowan are up the ramp already.
(Decent enough match to end the show. A standard TV main event match. I liked the finish as it protected Bryan from taking a pinfall loss this close to the Chamber match. But again, this is a match that will be forgotten tomorrow.)
- Daniel Bryan is in Gorilla Position cutting a promo about being the greatest. He puts over Rowan as his intellectual peer. He declares that he's going to be WWE Champion forever.
(I have the feeling that they needed to buy time there as the end of the match and beat-down happened 3 minutes before 10:00pm. So, they had Bryan cut the promo backstage in order to get to the right end time.)
Overall, I felt like this was another throwaway edition of WWE TV this week. Nothing really changed. It was the same old build that we have come to expect from WWE TV for their events, and the matches themselves just weren't that great. For SmackDown, this was definitely a few steps below the level of awesomeness we've come to expect.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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