Written by: Josh Rushinock
Can I have a moment of your time to talk about what my biggest fear going into this review series was?
No?
Well, okay then. Go away, asshole.
Now, for the one of you who have stayed, let me answer my own question in long hyperbole, as I so often do.
When Smackdown first started in the late '90s, it was kind of less than a B show. It started off hot, then ran into the equivalent of what we refer Main Event to being. Vince wanted to shake things up, so he started booking the two shows himself but quickly realized that meant that there was no alternative once WCW was gone. While he would never admit it, having someone to play against worked well for him.
So Vince brought in Paul Heyman, and Heyman made Smackdown legitimate competition by driving McMahon quite literally insane. He would make what, at the time, seemed like ridiculous requests, book his show around what Vince hated, and generally try to get under the boss's skin however he could. Now, some might say Paul E. was a douche for doing that, and they'd be right but you can't deny that that period of television was the most productive of this century with two brands legitimately contending against one another.
My biggest fear, going into the draft, was that it was a gimmick. If Triple H is booking Smackdown, he's not going to go out of his way to make the brand better, he's already got his brand. If it's Shane or another party, I doubt they have what it takes to drive their father/boss nuts. Thus, the Smackdown brand would pretend to be its own show when, in fact, it is still just a B show where the guys that Vince doesn't want to play with right now hangs out.
Now, you might say that's pessimistic. I'd say, you're goddamn right that's pessimistic. I'm a person who lives in the real world. I don't pretend everything is going to be okay at all times because that leads to heartbreak, and I've seen about six of my favorite wrestling companies die while I still believed. And yet, a bit of me still believes... believes that Smackdown can be great, can be unique, once again... but was it in its first outing?
Can I have a moment of your time to talk about what my biggest fear going into this review series was?
No?
Well, okay then. Go away, asshole.
Now, for the one of you who have stayed, let me answer my own question in long hyperbole, as I so often do.
When Smackdown first started in the late '90s, it was kind of less than a B show. It started off hot, then ran into the equivalent of what we refer Main Event to being. Vince wanted to shake things up, so he started booking the two shows himself but quickly realized that meant that there was no alternative once WCW was gone. While he would never admit it, having someone to play against worked well for him.
So Vince brought in Paul Heyman, and Heyman made Smackdown legitimate competition by driving McMahon quite literally insane. He would make what, at the time, seemed like ridiculous requests, book his show around what Vince hated, and generally try to get under the boss's skin however he could. Now, some might say Paul E. was a douche for doing that, and they'd be right but you can't deny that that period of television was the most productive of this century with two brands legitimately contending against one another.
My biggest fear, going into the draft, was that it was a gimmick. If Triple H is booking Smackdown, he's not going to go out of his way to make the brand better, he's already got his brand. If it's Shane or another party, I doubt they have what it takes to drive their father/boss nuts. Thus, the Smackdown brand would pretend to be its own show when, in fact, it is still just a B show where the guys that Vince doesn't want to play with right now hangs out.
Now, you might say that's pessimistic. I'd say, you're goddamn right that's pessimistic. I'm a person who lives in the real world. I don't pretend everything is going to be okay at all times because that leads to heartbreak, and I've seen about six of my favorite wrestling companies die while I still believed. And yet, a bit of me still believes... believes that Smackdown can be great, can be unique, once again... but was it in its first outing?
"Let's be honest here, Dean, you're not that smart of a guy. Remember that time I beat you at TLC? You lost to a television cord, not me. You might as well just hand the title over to me now and spare yourself the embarrassment."
Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan Kick off the New Era by Setting a Match to Determine the Number One Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
The Segment: Bryan and Shane start off backstage, talking about how this New Era isn't about them, it's about the wrestlers but most especially the fans. After a cut to the new intro, Shane and Bryan stand in the ring, with the rest of the roster surrounding them, standing on the apron.
Shane talks about how the New Era will bring a great many changes not the least of which being the upcoming Smackdown only pay-per-view Backlash. He then introduced the 'true' World Champion, Dean Ambrose, who comes out and says he's ready for any challenger and insists that his first challenger step forward.
Bryan says he loves Ambrose's fighting spirit and that they have a plan for his challenger at Summerslam. They announce there will be a six-pack challenge later in the night involving John Cena, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, and AJ Styles. They stop at five, bringing confusion to the ranks of the roster, but quickly clear things up by booking a battle royal to decide the sixth competitor thus giving someone new a chance.
The Review: This was a really strong opening. It felt odd to have Shane and Bryan kicking off the show while also talking about it not being about them, but everything else done in the segment made that make sense. The wrestlers stood as equals up on the apron, so close to the authority figures, rather than up on the ramp as if they were collected to face a jury of superiors.
Every wrestler chosen brought their own unique moment to the scenario that needed no words as they approached Dean Ambrose with the best one being Bray Wyatt whom never takes his eyes off his former opponent. It's fairly obvious that, at the very least, Cena and Styles won't be winning this match, but, as for who it might be beyond that, it's really up in the air.
Bray seems the most logical, considering the sorted history between him and Dean, but both Ziggler and Corbin are standing on the outside of relevance, looking to get in, and I have a hard time believing they'll be paired against each other yet again. There was some room here to push someone like Corbin up at the expense of the heat he needs which would work for him.
Either way, every match presented can be a show-stealer which is a great place to start off. It is a bit of a shame that the top players couldn't have been more evenly distributed throughout the first show, but I can also understand the decision of putting everyone into one match and hoping the main event works out for the best.
Was it worth the watch?: The interaction takes this from being a filler segment and makes it completely and utterly worth it, so I would say without a doubt. It really both sets the dynamic of the roster and how they're at the forefront of the show. I'm a real fan of the presentation.
Shane talks about how the New Era will bring a great many changes not the least of which being the upcoming Smackdown only pay-per-view Backlash. He then introduced the 'true' World Champion, Dean Ambrose, who comes out and says he's ready for any challenger and insists that his first challenger step forward.
Bryan says he loves Ambrose's fighting spirit and that they have a plan for his challenger at Summerslam. They announce there will be a six-pack challenge later in the night involving John Cena, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, and AJ Styles. They stop at five, bringing confusion to the ranks of the roster, but quickly clear things up by booking a battle royal to decide the sixth competitor thus giving someone new a chance.
The Review: This was a really strong opening. It felt odd to have Shane and Bryan kicking off the show while also talking about it not being about them, but everything else done in the segment made that make sense. The wrestlers stood as equals up on the apron, so close to the authority figures, rather than up on the ramp as if they were collected to face a jury of superiors.
Every wrestler chosen brought their own unique moment to the scenario that needed no words as they approached Dean Ambrose with the best one being Bray Wyatt whom never takes his eyes off his former opponent. It's fairly obvious that, at the very least, Cena and Styles won't be winning this match, but, as for who it might be beyond that, it's really up in the air.
Bray seems the most logical, considering the sorted history between him and Dean, but both Ziggler and Corbin are standing on the outside of relevance, looking to get in, and I have a hard time believing they'll be paired against each other yet again. There was some room here to push someone like Corbin up at the expense of the heat he needs which would work for him.
Either way, every match presented can be a show-stealer which is a great place to start off. It is a bit of a shame that the top players couldn't have been more evenly distributed throughout the first show, but I can also understand the decision of putting everyone into one match and hoping the main event works out for the best.
Was it worth the watch?: The interaction takes this from being a filler segment and makes it completely and utterly worth it, so I would say without a doubt. It really both sets the dynamic of the roster and how they're at the forefront of the show. I'm a real fan of the presentation.
I'm sorry, Simon, but did you really expect anything less? I mean losing a fight, to Sin Cara? You'll never be credible again, and that's nobody's fault but yours.
Apollo Crews Wins a Battle Royal to Determine the Sixth Spot in the Six Pack Challenge Main Event
The Match: Within moments of the Battle Royal starting, the bodies were already flying, Simon Gotch being the first of the many victims quickly followed by The Ascension falling to Kane. Various tag teams such as the Hype Bros, Breezedango, and The Usos set the pace, teamwork leading the drive into taking care of those left without any allies.
Del Rio is nearly eliminated early on, but he manages to lock a cross armbreaker onto Jey Uso, holding on long enough to catch his bearings while also wounding the Uso whom is not long after eliminated through the barely surviving team of Breezedango which sets the pace as we go to commercial.
As we come back from the break, we're told Aiden English was eliminated and that Mojo Rawley clotheslined Erick Rowan out of contention. Not soon after, however, Del Rio manage to get on a roll and eliminate Mojo. After delivering tons of punishment to the entire field, Crews manages to trick Del Rio into falling out of the ring, and Kane takes advantage of that moment to rid himself of Breezedango.
With four left, Kane carves a path of carnage through Crews and Ryder, only to be cut down by Kalisto's aerial offense. Ryder manages to ground Kalisto himself then goes to eliminate Crews but ultimately fails. As the two jockey for position, Kalisto gets involved and manages to break it up but is cut down with a neckbreaker.
Ryder and Kalisto are sent to the apron, but, as Apollo attempts to capitalize, Kalisto manages to hit a senton to knock him down. Ryder tries to hit the El-Bro but botched it and missed before getting knocked down. As Kane rose to meet the others, Kalisto is eliminated, and, after a flurry of offense, so too is Ryder.
As Kane looks to back Crews up out of the ring, Crews manages to avoid a chokeslam with a flip, is pushed back and goes over the top rope, but pulls it down in order to trip Kane outside the ring, cementing his place in the Six Pack Challenge later tonight. After the match, he says he's the happiest man alive, but his celebration will not start until he wins the match later tonight before slapping hands with the fans on his way backstage.
The Review: The match was really nothing special with a lot of messy work from the workers and, quite honestly, a weak looking field. It did, however, give a lot of guys a chance to show off what they have without the usual faces that run the place blocking out their chance to shine, and, while some failed at that, others such as The Usos and Breezedango used their time to shine.
At the end of the day, however, it was obvious Crews was the favorite to win, and, while I think it's a terrific idea for Crews to be considered a top contender, he definitely is not ready, in terms of his mic work, to be working the main event. He came in as a hot agent in WWE, but he had made his name in Japan where it was unnecessary for him to work on his talking ability.
His meteoric rise to the WWE prevented him from learning more. In the ring, however, he is incredibly well-prepared, so the best option will likely be keeping him on the edge of the main event until he's ready. Perhaps a lengthy feud with Baron Corbin would do him well?
Was it worth the watch?: Not really, unfortunately. The product of too much shoddy and confused work, this was a bit of a hectic mess. I wouldn't advise watching this all on its own.
Del Rio is nearly eliminated early on, but he manages to lock a cross armbreaker onto Jey Uso, holding on long enough to catch his bearings while also wounding the Uso whom is not long after eliminated through the barely surviving team of Breezedango which sets the pace as we go to commercial.
As we come back from the break, we're told Aiden English was eliminated and that Mojo Rawley clotheslined Erick Rowan out of contention. Not soon after, however, Del Rio manage to get on a roll and eliminate Mojo. After delivering tons of punishment to the entire field, Crews manages to trick Del Rio into falling out of the ring, and Kane takes advantage of that moment to rid himself of Breezedango.
With four left, Kane carves a path of carnage through Crews and Ryder, only to be cut down by Kalisto's aerial offense. Ryder manages to ground Kalisto himself then goes to eliminate Crews but ultimately fails. As the two jockey for position, Kalisto gets involved and manages to break it up but is cut down with a neckbreaker.
Ryder and Kalisto are sent to the apron, but, as Apollo attempts to capitalize, Kalisto manages to hit a senton to knock him down. Ryder tries to hit the El-Bro but botched it and missed before getting knocked down. As Kane rose to meet the others, Kalisto is eliminated, and, after a flurry of offense, so too is Ryder.
As Kane looks to back Crews up out of the ring, Crews manages to avoid a chokeslam with a flip, is pushed back and goes over the top rope, but pulls it down in order to trip Kane outside the ring, cementing his place in the Six Pack Challenge later tonight. After the match, he says he's the happiest man alive, but his celebration will not start until he wins the match later tonight before slapping hands with the fans on his way backstage.
The Review: The match was really nothing special with a lot of messy work from the workers and, quite honestly, a weak looking field. It did, however, give a lot of guys a chance to show off what they have without the usual faces that run the place blocking out their chance to shine, and, while some failed at that, others such as The Usos and Breezedango used their time to shine.
At the end of the day, however, it was obvious Crews was the favorite to win, and, while I think it's a terrific idea for Crews to be considered a top contender, he definitely is not ready, in terms of his mic work, to be working the main event. He came in as a hot agent in WWE, but he had made his name in Japan where it was unnecessary for him to work on his talking ability.
His meteoric rise to the WWE prevented him from learning more. In the ring, however, he is incredibly well-prepared, so the best option will likely be keeping him on the edge of the main event until he's ready. Perhaps a lengthy feud with Baron Corbin would do him well?
Was it worth the watch?: Not really, unfortunately. The product of too much shoddy and confused work, this was a bit of a hectic mess. I wouldn't advise watching this all on its own.
OH, THANK CHRIST! I have to be honest, I was worried that the Women's Division was going to be shit on Smackdown, what with all the wrestlers and such. Then they sent out Eva Marie with Hollywood introductions, and now everything is okay and totally legit. PHEW. That was a close one.
Becky Lynch vs Natalya
The Match: The match starts with a series of headlock takeovers with both women attempting to get the better of their position for a lockup. Natalya manages to show her strength with a shoulder tackle but is quickly cut down with a single leg dropkick and sent out of the ring.
Taking advantage of referee positioning, Natalya manages to take a cheap shot at Becky and start dominating the Irish Lasskicker, keeping her grounded for all the more punishment at her own slow, methodical pace. Becky manages to cut out with another headlock takeover, only gets a two on a rollup, but is cut off in the corner. Natalya meets Becky's elbows in the corner and attempts a Tornado DDT but is cut off at the legs from the second rope as we cut to commercial.
Natalya forces Becky into a strong abdominal stretch as we return from the break, but a series of forearms causes Becky to be able to escape and take control again. A caught kick, however, traps her in the corner, but a step-up enzuguiri sets her free. Becky hits a top rope leg drop in an attempt to put Natalya away, but only gets the two count.
Natalya fights back and tries for the sharpshooter, but a series of counters ends in her instead hitting a release German suplex for a near-three count. Natalya tries for a discus lariat, but is caught in the Disarmer, which she quickly counters into the sharpshooter, but is cut off again. In a final act of desperation, Natalya tries for a sharpshooter after another discus lariat hits, but a single leg takedown into the Dis-arm-her leads to Becky finally getting the win on Natalya.
As she attempts to cut a promo for defeating her rival, however, she's cut off by Alexa Bliss surprisingly arriving to warn her that she was coming for her. She, however, is cut off by Naomi, whom insists she has no reason to talk because she hasn't even bee in the ring yet who is then cut off by Carmella sporting a brand new tron for her solo career, beginning her usual entrance, but she is quickly cut off by the voice of a movie announcer talking at length about the greatness of the arriving Eva Marie, whom earns the ire of the entire women's locker room, and then simply ends.
The Review: ....I don't know what happened here.
The match itself was good. Not quite as good as the classic they had at Battleground but still really solid. I didn't think their feud would be ending here, and now so soon as this seemed like a showcase match to show what the two best women Smackdown has to offer could do. Becky getting the clean tapout seemed rushed here, but it was still a good moment after a good match.
And then... whatever that series of... things.... was happened.
At first I thought this was a lead-in to a Bliss/Becky feud, but unfortunately that didn't happen although it would have been a little too soon anyway. I understand the roster wanting to jockey for position, so it made sense for them all to come out and challenge the winner of the one feud match the women currently have going on on Smackdown. That said, it still seemed random as if they were all stacking their claim for a title shot.
That would have even been fine, if it wasn't for the fact that Eva Marie, who is far from ready to even have a spot on the NXT roster, let alone the Smackdown roster, was treated as the main draw with all the pageantry and prestige of an arriving top player, which she is now, and sadly physically cannot bring to the table.
All in all, this was incredibly confused, and it showed. It was a desperate rush to make the women on Smackdown relevant, without really trying that hard.
Was it worth the watch?: The match was absolutely worth the watch. In fact, I highly recommend it. Everything after the pinfall though? Easily skippable.
Taking advantage of referee positioning, Natalya manages to take a cheap shot at Becky and start dominating the Irish Lasskicker, keeping her grounded for all the more punishment at her own slow, methodical pace. Becky manages to cut out with another headlock takeover, only gets a two on a rollup, but is cut off in the corner. Natalya meets Becky's elbows in the corner and attempts a Tornado DDT but is cut off at the legs from the second rope as we cut to commercial.
Natalya forces Becky into a strong abdominal stretch as we return from the break, but a series of forearms causes Becky to be able to escape and take control again. A caught kick, however, traps her in the corner, but a step-up enzuguiri sets her free. Becky hits a top rope leg drop in an attempt to put Natalya away, but only gets the two count.
Natalya fights back and tries for the sharpshooter, but a series of counters ends in her instead hitting a release German suplex for a near-three count. Natalya tries for a discus lariat, but is caught in the Disarmer, which she quickly counters into the sharpshooter, but is cut off again. In a final act of desperation, Natalya tries for a sharpshooter after another discus lariat hits, but a single leg takedown into the Dis-arm-her leads to Becky finally getting the win on Natalya.
As she attempts to cut a promo for defeating her rival, however, she's cut off by Alexa Bliss surprisingly arriving to warn her that she was coming for her. She, however, is cut off by Naomi, whom insists she has no reason to talk because she hasn't even bee in the ring yet who is then cut off by Carmella sporting a brand new tron for her solo career, beginning her usual entrance, but she is quickly cut off by the voice of a movie announcer talking at length about the greatness of the arriving Eva Marie, whom earns the ire of the entire women's locker room, and then simply ends.
The Review: ....I don't know what happened here.
The match itself was good. Not quite as good as the classic they had at Battleground but still really solid. I didn't think their feud would be ending here, and now so soon as this seemed like a showcase match to show what the two best women Smackdown has to offer could do. Becky getting the clean tapout seemed rushed here, but it was still a good moment after a good match.
And then... whatever that series of... things.... was happened.
At first I thought this was a lead-in to a Bliss/Becky feud, but unfortunately that didn't happen although it would have been a little too soon anyway. I understand the roster wanting to jockey for position, so it made sense for them all to come out and challenge the winner of the one feud match the women currently have going on on Smackdown. That said, it still seemed random as if they were all stacking their claim for a title shot.
That would have even been fine, if it wasn't for the fact that Eva Marie, who is far from ready to even have a spot on the NXT roster, let alone the Smackdown roster, was treated as the main draw with all the pageantry and prestige of an arriving top player, which she is now, and sadly physically cannot bring to the table.
All in all, this was incredibly confused, and it showed. It was a desperate rush to make the women on Smackdown relevant, without really trying that hard.
Was it worth the watch?: The match was absolutely worth the watch. In fact, I highly recommend it. Everything after the pinfall though? Easily skippable.
The Miz is so hungry for a decent role... err... wrestling feud to bite into, that he'll literally eat anything, including a microphone!
Miz TV with The Miz... and Also Randy Orton
The Segment: Maryse introduced her husband who insisted that the entire crowd was seeing history as they represented the Blue Brand and its new start. He hinted at an attempt to introduce Randy Orton but quickly turned the promo around to introduce himself as his own guest.
He then began to question himself whom seemed quite humbled to be in the same ring with himself. He called himself a hero, the hero the fans deserved, and a champion. He stated he wanted everyone to be proud of him because they couldn't be proud of themselves. He also stated that Maryse was his Princess Leia before being interrupted by Randy Orton.
Randy talked about how one RKO could take Lesnar from Suplex City to Viperville, The Miz pointed out that he seemed very confident for a man that hadn't been in the ring in nine months, and Randy took that as a challenge, setting up a match with the Intercontinental Champion, The Miz, who promptly refused, but his wife accepted on his behalf after an insult toward Miz's manhood.
The Review: Well, this existed. For what reason? Well, beyond the Miz being genuinely terrific for about a minute, it was mostly filler honestly. WWE is aware that they currently have two men on separate brands who haven't wrestled in months feuding with each other for their second biggest show of the year.
They're also aware that they made a mistake not putting them on the same show so that that build-up could happen. Now, you will see both myself and Kevin Berge talk about how useless Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton segments will be for the next month.
Was it worth the watch?: No.
He then began to question himself whom seemed quite humbled to be in the same ring with himself. He called himself a hero, the hero the fans deserved, and a champion. He stated he wanted everyone to be proud of him because they couldn't be proud of themselves. He also stated that Maryse was his Princess Leia before being interrupted by Randy Orton.
Randy talked about how one RKO could take Lesnar from Suplex City to Viperville, The Miz pointed out that he seemed very confident for a man that hadn't been in the ring in nine months, and Randy took that as a challenge, setting up a match with the Intercontinental Champion, The Miz, who promptly refused, but his wife accepted on his behalf after an insult toward Miz's manhood.
The Review: Well, this existed. For what reason? Well, beyond the Miz being genuinely terrific for about a minute, it was mostly filler honestly. WWE is aware that they currently have two men on separate brands who haven't wrestled in months feuding with each other for their second biggest show of the year.
They're also aware that they made a mistake not putting them on the same show so that that build-up could happen. Now, you will see both myself and Kevin Berge talk about how useless Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton segments will be for the next month.
Was it worth the watch?: No.
It was in that moment that Randy Orton realized; "Hey, maybe calling my hometown 'Viperville' wasn't quite as cool an idea as I thought it was."
Randy Orton defeated The Miz
The Match: Orton and Miz quickly went at it with the Intercontinental Champion throwing Orton to the outside and working over his shoulder with the barricade and kicks. As the brawling led them back into the ring however, an RKO was hit, but no pinfall attempt was made.
Instead, he stood around, waited for The Miz to stand up again, then hit an RKO from out of everywhere, meaning he hit an RKO we waited three minutes for.
The Review: Worthless waste of a segment that could have been used on someone who doesn't hold a championship on your newly drafted show.
Was it worth the watch?: Only if you had a gun to your head.
Instead, he stood around, waited for The Miz to stand up again, then hit an RKO from out of everywhere, meaning he hit an RKO we waited three minutes for.
The Review: Worthless waste of a segment that could have been used on someone who doesn't hold a championship on your newly drafted show.
Was it worth the watch?: Only if you had a gun to your head.
THIS ISN'T THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION; WHERE AM I?!
Heath Slater Invades Smackdown and is Cut by the Horn of Rhyno
The Segment: With a local competitor already in the ring, it seemed we were in store for a singles squash match, but suddenly Slater appeared from the crowd and knocked that competitor out. He got in the ring and expressed his anger over him not being signed then insisted on being put into the Six Pack Challenge and got the crowd to chant with him.
Shane came out and said they were live and asked why he didn't just send in a resume. Slater insisted his body of work on the WWE Network was his resume, him being the brains behind The Nexus, behind The Corre, behind the One Man Band, behind the Three Man Band, and behind the Social Outcasts. He insisted he was the hottest free agent in pro wrestling today... only to find himself met with a gore from the re-debuting Rhyno.
The Review: This was actually a bit of a shame. We all knew Rhyno would get the head nod on one of the main roster shows eventually, and, while I'm really happy about that, I do feel bad for Slater, who, for the first time in his entire run with the WWE, cut a promo that was entirely from the heart in an attempt to make something of his career.
Then we collectively watched as he was cut down by a forty-two-year-old man whom just a few months ago was running for local office. Slater is meant to be an enhancement talent, but this was an amazing showing on his part. It's just a shame we don't live in a world where this could have been made into something.
Was it worth the watch?: Yes. Sadly.
Shane came out and said they were live and asked why he didn't just send in a resume. Slater insisted his body of work on the WWE Network was his resume, him being the brains behind The Nexus, behind The Corre, behind the One Man Band, behind the Three Man Band, and behind the Social Outcasts. He insisted he was the hottest free agent in pro wrestling today... only to find himself met with a gore from the re-debuting Rhyno.
The Review: This was actually a bit of a shame. We all knew Rhyno would get the head nod on one of the main roster shows eventually, and, while I'm really happy about that, I do feel bad for Slater, who, for the first time in his entire run with the WWE, cut a promo that was entirely from the heart in an attempt to make something of his career.
Then we collectively watched as he was cut down by a forty-two-year-old man whom just a few months ago was running for local office. Slater is meant to be an enhancement talent, but this was an amazing showing on his part. It's just a shame we don't live in a world where this could have been made into something.
Was it worth the watch?: Yes. Sadly.
Great job, guys! You're only about four years late on that whole 'use Dolph's superkick as a finish' bandwagon! And now nobody likes it. Well done. Truly.
Dolph Ziggler defeats John Cena, AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Baron Corbin, and Apollo Crews to Become the Number One Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Summerslam.
The Segment: Bray Wyatt cut a promo about missing his brothers but insisting that his manifesto was no different than it had ever been and that when he won tonight, he would truly have the whole world in his hands then entered the arena with a brand new entrance where he arrives in the middle of the ring with his music still playing then blows out the lights from there. Next out was Apollo Crews then Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles, and finally John Cena.
The action started out hot and heavy as two men by two men cut each other off with Baron Corbin getting the most out of anyone in the match, mixing it up with AJ Styles, his old rival Dolph Ziggler, and especially Apollo Crews. Meanwhile Apollo Crews worked to sell both his beatdowns and get offense in on the others with Cena and Styles working mostly against each other and Bray lying in wait.
At the second break, the show returns with duel tower of doom spots with Crews and Corbin taking advantage of their previous war by being the powerhouses in the scenario, their own private war still waging with strikes against each other, leading to Corbin hitting the Deep Six for a two count.
Corbin, frustrated, forces Apollo Crews up, but gets caught in the delayed powerbomb from Crews, with only Bray pulling the referee away being Corbin's saving grace. Crews, afraid of Bray and his crab walk, gets caught in the Sister Abigail, but Ziggler takes advantage of him rolling away by hitting the Zig Zag.
He attempted to follow it up with a Superkick ala Shawn Michaels, but Cena hit him with an AA, knocked Bray into a pelee kick from Styles, then hit Styles with an AA who somehow managed to kick out. Cena caught Crews in a crossbody and hit a third Attitude Adjustment then a forth and a fifth on Bray Wyatt and Baron Corbin.
Just as it seemed he was in the clear, however, he was met with a Phenominal Elbow, but, just as Styles landed, he was met with a superkick and a win from Ziggler and ended the show celebrating with the crowd as Ambrose acknowledged his future opponent with a staredown.
The Review: This was an interesting choice on the part of Smackdown, to put Ziggler back into the main event after years of living outside of it. This seemed the perfect time to be doing it too as one of the main draws on Smackdown with the brand a little light in most sections.
I do, however, think that this can't be the main goal as WWE very rarely goes toward a face versus face match, let alone one on the second biggest show of the year. My guess, we'll be seeing Ziggler turn heel sooner rather than later.
I'm not entirely sure I approve of this choice, however. Ziggler has been halfway out the door for years now, and, despite all his talk, he's been underperforming a lot as of late. It's understandable, considering how he's never been used to his full potential, but I still question if this is the right decision when the other brand is building toward its laurels. To me, this feels like the wrong direction to go in order to give Smackdown any legitimacy.
Was it worth the watch?: Winner aside and some of the sillier things also aside, this was a pure adrenaline rush of a match. If you suspend your disbelief and especially if you're still a holder-on Ziggler fan, this is definitely for you.
The action started out hot and heavy as two men by two men cut each other off with Baron Corbin getting the most out of anyone in the match, mixing it up with AJ Styles, his old rival Dolph Ziggler, and especially Apollo Crews. Meanwhile Apollo Crews worked to sell both his beatdowns and get offense in on the others with Cena and Styles working mostly against each other and Bray lying in wait.
At the second break, the show returns with duel tower of doom spots with Crews and Corbin taking advantage of their previous war by being the powerhouses in the scenario, their own private war still waging with strikes against each other, leading to Corbin hitting the Deep Six for a two count.
Corbin, frustrated, forces Apollo Crews up, but gets caught in the delayed powerbomb from Crews, with only Bray pulling the referee away being Corbin's saving grace. Crews, afraid of Bray and his crab walk, gets caught in the Sister Abigail, but Ziggler takes advantage of him rolling away by hitting the Zig Zag.
He attempted to follow it up with a Superkick ala Shawn Michaels, but Cena hit him with an AA, knocked Bray into a pelee kick from Styles, then hit Styles with an AA who somehow managed to kick out. Cena caught Crews in a crossbody and hit a third Attitude Adjustment then a forth and a fifth on Bray Wyatt and Baron Corbin.
Just as it seemed he was in the clear, however, he was met with a Phenominal Elbow, but, just as Styles landed, he was met with a superkick and a win from Ziggler and ended the show celebrating with the crowd as Ambrose acknowledged his future opponent with a staredown.
The Review: This was an interesting choice on the part of Smackdown, to put Ziggler back into the main event after years of living outside of it. This seemed the perfect time to be doing it too as one of the main draws on Smackdown with the brand a little light in most sections.
I do, however, think that this can't be the main goal as WWE very rarely goes toward a face versus face match, let alone one on the second biggest show of the year. My guess, we'll be seeing Ziggler turn heel sooner rather than later.
I'm not entirely sure I approve of this choice, however. Ziggler has been halfway out the door for years now, and, despite all his talk, he's been underperforming a lot as of late. It's understandable, considering how he's never been used to his full potential, but I still question if this is the right decision when the other brand is building toward its laurels. To me, this feels like the wrong direction to go in order to give Smackdown any legitimacy.
Was it worth the watch?: Winner aside and some of the sillier things also aside, this was a pure adrenaline rush of a match. If you suspend your disbelief and especially if you're still a holder-on Ziggler fan, this is definitely for you.
For once, we can take solace that when Vince calls for Shelton backstage, it's not a random tangent of racism, and he is, actually, in fact, calling for Shelton Benjamin. #SaveUsSheltonBenjamin
MEANWHILE, BACKSTAGE: Both the new set and the new commentary team, still at ringside on Smackdown, are introduced. A video package hyping Shelton Benjamin is shown who has been in Japan for the majority of his time since he left WWE in 2009, and will now be returning to Smackdown in two weeks.
Dolph Ziggler cut a promo talking about how he was lost and that his head was constantly beating against the glass ceiling. He says that his career is back in his hands and that his career will be back on track after the main event. Baron Corbin cut a promo, insisting he was going to win the main event for no one other than himself.
American Alpha had a video package put together for their debut next week. AJ Styles insisted that this was still the old era and said that Shane and Bryan had a vendetta against him since he wasn't immediately chosen and that he was cut off from The Club. He then insisted he would win that six pack challenge and beat up everyone, including John Cena.
Conclusion: This was a rough week to call. It had some forward momentum, but almost all the eggs that were put into the basket to make the show special were put toward the main event which really left the show weak and lacking in direction.
It also was frustrating to see talents like American Alpha be sidelined for no particular reason despite having the time on the show, and talents like Heath Slater coming out and randomly showing their best but it not meaning anything in the long term because it's just a set-up for the future.
I think, beyond anything, that is what most stood out to me as a problem this week. Everything that was put on the show was built to build weeks in the future, and, while that was all fine and dandy, it didn't make this week feel important. The booking was confusing and the show looked downright weak in spots, and that's a shame because if you evenly space out your talent, you can still make this show look deep even if it really isn't.
So, was my fear realized?
Yes and no. It's obvious just from the draft that this is the B show, a show where all forward momentum will likely be placed on older competitors, especially those now returning. I'm okay with that... for a while. The most important thing they can think of moving forward, however, is to use old stars to build their new stars as they're few and far between.
I'll give this show a bit of a break because it set up what will hopefully be a better show as the weeks go on. I love the presentation so far, but none of it means anything if Smackdown just remains what it's been for the last six years.
RATING: B-
Dolph Ziggler cut a promo talking about how he was lost and that his head was constantly beating against the glass ceiling. He says that his career is back in his hands and that his career will be back on track after the main event. Baron Corbin cut a promo, insisting he was going to win the main event for no one other than himself.
American Alpha had a video package put together for their debut next week. AJ Styles insisted that this was still the old era and said that Shane and Bryan had a vendetta against him since he wasn't immediately chosen and that he was cut off from The Club. He then insisted he would win that six pack challenge and beat up everyone, including John Cena.
Conclusion: This was a rough week to call. It had some forward momentum, but almost all the eggs that were put into the basket to make the show special were put toward the main event which really left the show weak and lacking in direction.
It also was frustrating to see talents like American Alpha be sidelined for no particular reason despite having the time on the show, and talents like Heath Slater coming out and randomly showing their best but it not meaning anything in the long term because it's just a set-up for the future.
I think, beyond anything, that is what most stood out to me as a problem this week. Everything that was put on the show was built to build weeks in the future, and, while that was all fine and dandy, it didn't make this week feel important. The booking was confusing and the show looked downright weak in spots, and that's a shame because if you evenly space out your talent, you can still make this show look deep even if it really isn't.
So, was my fear realized?
Yes and no. It's obvious just from the draft that this is the B show, a show where all forward momentum will likely be placed on older competitors, especially those now returning. I'm okay with that... for a while. The most important thing they can think of moving forward, however, is to use old stars to build their new stars as they're few and far between.
I'll give this show a bit of a break because it set up what will hopefully be a better show as the weeks go on. I love the presentation so far, but none of it means anything if Smackdown just remains what it's been for the last six years.
RATING: B-