A 70+ Year Old Vince McMahon continues to troll his audience going into WrestleMania.
SmackDown Thoughts (3/19/19)
- The Miz starts off the show to discuss the situation between him and Shane McMahon. (If Miz is going to be a face in this feud, they should probably remove the "Quiet on the Set" beginning. That's more of a heel thing to tell the audience to be quiet.) They show highlights of last week's promo from Shane McMahon.
Miz talks about being suckered in by Shane despite being warned about him. He talks about his father being assaulted. Shane is the worst McMahon. Shane may own the company, but he does not own me. He doesn't own Kofi either. Miz cuts a promo about hard work beating talent. He's succeeded when he should have failed and when everyone was counting him out. It took 13 years for him to say that he's earned the fans' respect. The fans chant "You Deserve It." Miz agrees, and he says Shane has earned the butt-whooping that he's getting at WrestleMania.
(A great promo by The Miz here. He was pandering a little bit to the fans, but it wasn't sickening. It was logical and well-done. He broke the "What?" chants that the fans were trying to do in the first part of the promo by changing his cadence a little bit. I have a feeling that this Miz face turn is going to be more successful than the 2012-2013 run.)
- Sasha Banks and Bayley make their SmackDown Live debut as WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. They take on The IIconics, completing their tour of WWE's United States-based programming. The IIconics call themselves the best tag team in WWE. (Oh God... so much to attack there.)
Bayley and Sasha have the advantage early on, outmaneuvering their opponents. Bayley gets a sliding clothesline on Billie Kay. And here comes Lacey Evans. Billie takes advantage of the distraction while Lacey goes back up the ramp. Peyton Royce gets the tag and attacks Bayley as we go to our split-screen commercial break. Royce presses the attack on Bayley for the first few moments. Then she tags in Billie to continue the attack. The IIconics continue to keep Bayley from Sasha, getting frequent tags and pressing the attack. Billie gets an armlock on Bayley and rams her into the corner. She then tags Peyton back in who does a version of a Tarantula on Bayley.
We return from break, and Bayley gets the tag about 30 seconds later to Sasha. Sasha and Peyton are the legal women. Sasha takes the advantage and hits a Meteora off the corner for a 2 count. Billie interferes but gets sent to the floor. Sasha gets distracted by Billie. Sasha fights off Peyton in the ring. Bayley runs into the boot by Billie. Peyton rolls up Sasha in the ring. 1-2-3!!!
(Well, Sasha and Bayley are champions. So, you had to expect them to lose. It is WWE 101 these days. The IIconics winning a match over Bayley and Sasha is laughable in every sense of the word. Saying that phrase at any wrestling convention should elicit a belly laugh or a loud groan. But that's exactly what's happened. Now, you can add The IIconics to the likely Women's Tag Team Title match at WrestleMania.)
- Rey Mysterio is interviewed backstage. He brings in Dominic who is HUGE now. Rey Mysterio is literally half his size. Rey announces that he's taking on Samoa Joe for the United States Championship at WrestleMania and Dominic will be at ringside. (Dominic must get his height from Eddie. I KNOW! I KNOW! That was just a storyline. Still, Eddie was his "Papi." Lol. )
- The KO Show is next as Kevin Owens welcomes Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. KO talks about the Kofi Kingston match later tonight, which he will be watching closely. Becky Lynch comes out first followed by Charlotte Flair. Becky is still selling her injured leg. Loud "BECKY" chants for Becky. Owens sympathizes how former best friends can annoy you the most. He reads off some of Ronda's tweets and then their tweets about each one. He asks both women to stop talking and start fighting.
Both women stand up. Charlotte says she'd beat the holy hell out of Becky. Kevin ask Becky to wait until he leaves the ring. Becky obliges and then attacks Charlotte. Charlotte and Becky take the fight to the floor and throw each other around while security tries to break them up. They both attack security trying to get to each other.
(This segment felt like filler. There's no reason for this to exist other than to add another couple images to the hype package for the Raw Women's Championship. Nothing was really advanced. The promo was just an excuse to get Charlotte and Becky on TV. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but let's not pretend this was anything more than filler.)
- AJ Styles is interviewed backstage about his match at WrestleMania against Randy Orton. Orton has had advantages that most wrestlers could only wish for. Orton is a 1st Round Draft Pick. Styles is a late rounder. Orton has the home-field advantage. Styles is coming to tear the house down. AJ says "Good Luck to Kofi."
- Our favorite Champion of Planet Earth, Daniel Bryan, comes out next. He cuts a promo about the injustice of Kofi Kingston even getting an opportunity to a WWE Championship opportunity. He took Mustafa Ali's position at the Elimination Chamber in the first place to even get this opportunity. Kofi Kingston has lost everytime he's been given an opportunity. Kofi is nothing more than a B+ Player. (The irony in Daniel Bryan saying that statement is hilarious.)
The New Day come out next. Xavier and Big E hug Kofi before he hits the ring. Loud "Kofi" chants! The Gauntlet Match is NOW!
Opponent #1- Sheamus
WWE fans are not "being a star" by calling Sheamus's look "stupid." Sheamus and Kofi start off slow with both men transitioning between reversals and armlocks. Sheamus gets dumped to the floor, and Kofi dives over the ropes onto Sheamus on the floor. Sheamus gets a knee to the face of Kofi while entering the ring. Sheamus takes advantage and batters the chest of Kofi on the ropes. "Kofi" chants from the crowd. Sheamus distracts the ref while Cesaro gets an uppercut on Kofi for good measure.
We return from commercial break. Kofi is starting to fire back against Sheamus. He drops Sheamus with a flying clothesline and a BOOM DROP! Trouble in Paradise is signaled. Sheamus catches it and goes for the CLoverleaf. Kofi avoids it and hits a flying crossbody for a 2 count. Sheamus pulls Kofi itno the ropes throat first. Irish Curse Backbreaker. 2 count. Cloverleaf is locked in. KOFI ROLLS THROUGH THE MOVE AND ROLLS UP SHEAMUS! 2 count only! Knee by Sheamus. 2 count.
Brogue Kick is signaled. Kofi hits TROUBLE IN PARADISE!!!!
Sheamus is eliminated.
Opponent #2- Cesaro.
Cesaro gets a running uppercut. 2 count. Rinse and repeat. Cesaro hits a gutwrench suplex on Kofi. Cesaro gets a submission hold, trying to bend Kofi's leg into the back of his head. Kofi fights off Cesaro, but he flies into a backbreaker. 2 count only. Split-Screen Commercial Time!!! Another backbreaker on Kofi. However, this time, Kofi is bent over Cesaro's knee for the extra pain. Cesaro continues to attack Kofi's head on the ring apron, slinging Kofi's neck into the bottom rope.
We return from the break to see Cesaro continue the attack. Another deep backbreaker on Kofi. Big Swing by Cesaro. Cloverleaf by Cesaro. Kofi tries to flip out of this move, but Cesaro turns that counter into a suplex. 2 count. LIONTAMER by Cesaro, but Kofi kicks his way out. Neutralizer is escaped. S.O.S.! 1-2-3!
Cesaro is eliminated
Opponent #3: Rowan
Rowan comes out to his Bludgeon Brothers theme this time. Kofi get bulldozed over by Rowan. Large chops and strikes in the corner. Rowan splashes Kofi in the corner and throws him outside. Running locomotive splash by Rowan. Kofi is thrown into the barricade. He throws Kofi into another barricade. He takes a chair and smacks Kingston with it. Rowan has been DQed.
Rowan has been eliminated.
Rowan grabs Kofi and rams him into the ring post. Kofi is thrown into the Timekeeper's Area. Rowan is literally tearing apart the announce table. Kofi is brought over and gets Palmslammed through the announce table.
Opponent #4- Samoa Joe
We return from break to see Samoa Joe manhandling Kofi around the ring. He bulldozes Kofi down and jabs at him in the corner. Kofi starts trying to fight back. Joe hits his corner splash followed by the back kick in the corner. 2 count. Joe promises Kofi more pain. Kofi tries to run at Samoa Joe, but Joe just lariats the hell out of Kofi. That may have literally been a Clothesline from Hell. Joe continues to apply the pressure of a headlock on Kofi. Kofi gets Joe off of him, but he runs into the Urinage in the corner. 2 count. Joe reapplies another submission hold. Kofi gets a double leg takedown on Joe.
Joe catches Kofi running at him in the corner and puts Kofi up for the Musclebuster! KOFI ROLLS HIM UP!!!! 1-2-3!
(Another Champ Bites The Dust Tonight.)
Samoa Joe has been eliminated.
The clutch is applied against the ropes by Joe on Kofi afterwards.
Opponent #5- Randy Orton
Randy is beating the heck out of Kofi on the floor, yelling "STUPID!" at him. Kofi rams Orton into the steel steps. Orton just gets up and starts attacking Kofi in the ring. Orton locks in a headlock on Kofi in the ring. After a couple minutes, Kofi starts fighting back. But Orton easily swats Kofi back down and starts stomping Kofi on the mat. KOFI avoids the RKO! Trouble in Paradise! But Orton rolls outside of the ring! Commercial break! (Great tease here for the final part of this gauntlet.)
We return to see Kofi and Orton fighting it out on the top of the corner. Orton is dumped off of the corner. Crossbody by Kofi! Orton rolls through! 2 count! Middle Rope Guillotine DDT by Kofi! Viper pose as Orton prepares for the RKO! ROLLUP!!!! 1-2-3! KOFI WINS!
Randy Orton has been eliminated!
Winner: KOFI KINGSTON!
(An excellent performance yet again by Kofi Kingston in a gauntlet match. He survived again working for an hour, and he pulled off the hat trick on this match.)
Oh God. Here comes Vince McMahon. He congratulates Kofi. Kofi is going to WrestleMania as long as... he can defeat this one last opponent. The crowd boos. Xavier and Big E have to leave. It's Daniel Bryan!!!!
Opponent #6- Daniel Bryan
The bell rings. Bryan runs at Kofi and kicks him in the corner. Kofi tries to fight back. But Bryan stops the offense with a knee to the midsection. Kofi is put in the Tree of Woe and is kicked by Bryan. Kofi is put on the corner and is Belly to Back Superplexed off the corner. 2 count only! Labell Lock is on! Kofi gets his foot on the rope. Kicks in the chest by Bryan. Buzzsaw Kick missed! S.O.S.!!! 2 count only!
Bryan kicks Kofi in the corner and hits the running dropkicks in the corner. Kofi gets another roll-up, but Bryan kicks out. Bryan avoids the dive by Kofi. Stomps to the face of Kofi by Bryan. He signals for the knee. It connects. 1-2-3.
Daniel Bryan wins.
(God. Vince McMahon is a freaking troll. This is literally Vince McMahon telling us "I'm going to give you what you want. But I'm going to pull your heartstrings in the process and milk it for everything it is worth." I want to cut a shoot promo on this. Lol. But the fact is that we all know where this is ending up. The question I have is whether it will lead to Kofi gaining any more sympathy than he would have outright winning this match. This doesn't change my mind that the last hour of SmackDown was very well done from beginning to end.)
What I Liked
- The Miz Promo
- The Gauntlet Match/The Whole 2nd Hour of SmackDown Live
- Rey Mysterio getting a match against Samoa Joe at WrestleMania. (Here's hoping Andrade gets thrown into that match somehow.)
- Vince McMahon being a troll.
What I Didn't Like
- Sasha and Bayley losing to The IIconics.
- KO Show being complete filler.
- Champions losing matches repeatedly.
- Vince McMahon being a troll.
Overall, I enjoyed this episode of SmackDown and found it to be very fulfilling for a 2 hour show. While I don't agree with some of the booking decisions (The IIconics winning, Kofi not just plain winning this gauntlet), I enjoyed the effort that was put out there tonight. And compared to Raw, SmackDown was the superior show this week and actually built towards WrestleMania somewhat.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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