SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER
AUGUST 28, 2018
TORONTO, ON. AT THE SCOTIABANK ARENA
AIRS ON USA NETWORK 8:00 P.M. ET
BY FRANK PETEANI, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Writer’s Note: Due to my personal schedule this week, this article was done two days prior to Smackdown.
Arena/Opening Thoughts
WWE will stay put in the Scotiabank Arena tonight for Smackdown. We continue to move away from SummerSlam weekend and begin to turn our attention towards Hell in a Cell, which takes place September 16, 2018.
We know of two matches for that event from the Smackdown side of things, and it’s certain we will get more. Jeff Hardy swantoned on Randy Orton like it was 2008, Becky Lynch unleashed on the crowd following her unsuccessful attempt to gain the Women’s Championship at SummerSlam, and A.J. Styles continued to be attacked both physically and emotionally by Samoa Joe. My wife and I were in the building last week and I must say, the energy for this show was at a high level indicating there will be interest for the upcoming PPV.
Becky Lynch’s Promo & Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte Flair (champion) vs. Carmella
I tie these items together as they are undoubtedly related.
Becky Lynch came out last week to explain her attack on Charlotte following their match at SummerSlam, where Charlotte Flair won a triple threat match involving then-champion Carmella to become Smackdown Women’s Champion for the second time. She claimed it was supposed to her night, and not about anyone else especially Charlotte. She then turned against the crowd saying she got a few tweets and questioned how come there was no boycott of SummerSlam considering Charlotte made her way into the match. Where was a hashtag like #giveBeckyachance, and she questioned whether or not the fans were really with her the whole time. Charlotte came out to chase Becky into the crowd. She pulled her back, and after pounding on her Becky would come back and kick Charlotte. Eventually G.M. Paige called for the women to come out and separated both women. The heels held back Becky, and the babyfaces supported Charlotte. Any, ANY action by Becky was cheered and any action by Charlotte was booed. Here’s some Twitter trash talk:
They can’t hold me back forever, Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/dZn0sbk9fN
— Rebecca Quin (@BeckyLynchWWE) August 22, 2018
"This" is the SD women's title, @MsCharlotteWWE. I left home for "this" at 17, I broke ground for "this" in Japan and Europe while you were playing volleyball and getting a tan. I have built my life around "this" – so you're damn right I'm coming for "this." And you. Be ready. pic.twitter.com/PI2OD5ajm1
— Rebecca Quin (@BeckyLynchWWE) August 24, 2018
Later on, Carmella made her case to Paige for a rematch against Charlotte for the title. Paige said she lost some weight, in particular “ten pounds of gold” since she lost the title (a little shot to the rebooted NWA Ten Pounds of Gold series?). Carmella said, “don’t title shame me.” (Perhaps a shot towards Impact character Scarlett Bordeaux when she says, “don’t hot shame me?”). Paige would grant her a rematch for tonight, but not without R-Truth throwing in some comedy claiming Carmella has been ducking him for weeks in his attempt to….I guess pursue the Women’s Championship himself?
Thoughts: As the on-site correspondent for the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post Show, Wade and his guest Mike McMahon asked me if everything was “yay Becky, boo Charlotte” in so many words. My answer was “yep, pretty much” to their amusement. Even as Becky was acting heelish, the crowd had none of it. Whatever Charlotte did, which was of a babyface nature to be fair, was met with boos. This is unfair to Charlotte as she has done NOTHING wrong. It will be an uphill battle to get Becky over as a heel, as she is universally loved. I’ve come around on this story as it could elevate Becky, as it did C.M. Punk back in 2011. If you remember the “pipe bomb” promo that summer he had negative things to say about the crowd, but yet he eventually turned babyface and was one of the top starts over the next year. Daniel Bryan in 2013 turned heel and joined the Wyatt family briefly only for the crowd to cheer him more. Becky was likely not going to get to the next level the way she was, so this could be the way to elevate her, even if it means turning her against the crowd for a little while. When you love someone, you tend to be forgiving. As far as the match between Carmella and Charlotte I can’t foresee a quick title switch, but it’s a certainty Becky will get involved furthering the story between her and Charlotte. Evolution is right around the corner on October 28, 2018.
Triple Threat Match: The Good Brothers vs. The Bar vs. The Colons
The New Day captured their third Smackdown Tag Team Championship and fifth tag team championship overall as they defeated the Bludgeon Brothers in the main event, a match filled with a lot of energy and excitement from the crowd. Prior to the match in an interview with Renee Young, The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) claimed they wanted to challenge the winners of the match for this week. In came the Good Brothers, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, who made the same claim albeit in comedic fashion.
On Sunday Paige tweeted that there will be two triple threat matches, of which the winners will face each other, of which the winners will face New Day at Hell in a Cell. Tonight, we will get the aforementioned teams plus the Colons, Primo and Epico, in a triple threat match. She did not specify the other three teams involved. Here’s the tweet from Paige:
the party never stops for your #SDLive GM. The New Day had a big win on Tuesday, so let’s see who they’ll defend those #TagTeamTitles against at #HIAC. Triple threat match THIS Tuesday! pic.twitter.com/gyuvDmibKw
— PAIGE (@RealPaigeWWE) August 26, 2018
Thoughts: We learned prior to Smackdown that Erick Rowan suffered a biceps injury that will require surgery. Mike Chiari, an excellent and frequent co-host of Wade Keller on his Pro Wrestling Post Show, reported as such on Bleacher Report and confirmed WWE does not have a time table for his return. According to other articles there were “big plans” for the Bludgeon Brothers. Nonetheless Paige continues to shine as a G.M. as she is portrayed as “in charge” and makes great decisions especially when it comes to the championships. I’m certain Sanity & The Usos are two of the other teams and we will find out the identity sixth team in the near future.
Miz/Maryse-Daniel Bryan/Brie Bella
Husbands and wives will collide at Hell in a Cell as last week, Daniel Bryan announced it will be he and his wife Brie Bella taking on the Miz and his wife Maryse (who’s watching the babies that night…kneejerk reaction, like Heath Slater I got kids too ;o). The Miz came out flanked by Maryse and essentially replicated Daniel Bryan’s retirement speech from 2016, only to drop the “zinger” that he’s “retiring from ever facing Daniel Bryan again.” Bryan would come out and call Miz a coward numerous times. They went back and forth to the point where Bryan claimed Miz was a wanna-be-hollywood star cosplaying as a wrestler. Miz said Bryan should change his name to Daniel Bella. Brie Bella would make her return going after both Miz and Maryse. Once they were out of the ring, Bryan claimed he had spoken to Paige, and the mixed tag was set for Hell in a Cell.
Bear in mind also it was announced at the Super Show-Down event taking place in October 6th in Australia, the Miz will face Daniel Bryan for a future championship opportunity.
Thoughts: It was hard to tell if people bought the 4,326th time WWE has used the heel cutting what sounds like a sincere promo only to “drop the bomb.” People around me, including my wife, said “oh yeah, he’s making fun of the retirement speech.” That was my section, the problem is the rest of the arena was “YESsing” as soon as Miz announced his “retirement” and then booed loudly when he reversed course. You don’t know if they’re cheering and booing the story but know what’s really going on, or if they actually bought Miz hook line & sinker.
WWE Champion A.J. Styles Interview Follow-Up
Renee Young interview WWE Champion A.J. Styles following his DQ loss at SummerSlam. He said if Samoa Joe ever mentioned his family’s name again, he would “rip his heart out.” As the interview went on, Joe interrupted and attacked A.J. As nearly knocked him out, he looked into the camera and said “Oh, Wendy! It seems like we’re making a lot of promises including to come home and tuck in the kids, but guess what? Daddy’s already gone night-night.”
A championship match has been set between the two at Hell in a Cell, although it’s not known if it will actually be a Hell in a Cell match.
Thoughts: This was short and sweet and effective. The problem with it is the crowd cheered “Joe! Joe! Joe!” even after the attack. A.J. was not booed by any stretch, but this is certainly a battle of characters loved by the fans heel or babyface. It still works, but it oddly doesn’t feel like time for a Hell in a Cell match. To me that always feels like the third match in a series. Hell in a Cell is upon us though and what is done tonight and in the next few weeks could certainly line things up.
Jeff Hardy-Randy Orton Follow-Up
Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton battled to a DQ finish when Hardy, similar to what Orton has done previously, stomped on Randy Orton’s “bits” as he had him laying on the mat. They battled out to the arena floor where eventually Hardy would get Orton laying prone on a table. Hardy climbed onto a staging crate and did his signature Swanton. Hardy smiled, and later Orton would be helped back by officials. It’s certain there will be follow up as Hell in a Cell looms.
Thoughts: Jeff, Jeff, Jeff, why do you put yourself through this? It’s not 1998 or even 2008, it’s 2018. We want you to stick around as long as feasible and doing stuff like this will shorten your career. Nonetheless, there’s no heat on Orton now but they have three episodes of Smackdown before Hell in a Cell to get it back.
Other Items
- Rusev and Lana defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas in a rematch from the SummerSlam kickoff show. I’m not sure what prompted the rematch, but they evened up the score if that was the intent anyway. Aiden English helped and this time he did not cost Rusev and Lana the match.
- There were no NXT callups
- U.S. Champion Shinsuke Nakamura said we should call this country the “United States of Nakamerica.” (I’m sorry but I see this going as well as Kevin Owens being the “New Face of America.”)
- Peyton Royce defeated Naomi, getting a win under the IIconics belt.
- Smackdown posted its best rating since April 24, 2018
- For the audience in attendance, Paige announced a “main event” between Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe. The arena website advertised Bryan, Hardy, and Styles vs. Nakamura, Miz, and Joe. We didn’t stay as this was to follow 205Live, but it’s interesting this was announced. It could be foreshadowing Bryan vs. Joe for the WWE Championship assuming Joe takes the title off Styles and Bryan wins his match at Super Show-Down vs. the Miz.
Start Time and 205 Live
The arena website shows a start time of 7:45 p.m. No matches are advertised.
205Live will follow Smackdown.
Last week, Noam Dar defeated TJP in the rubber match of their recent series of contests.
Drew Gulak demanded a rematch for the Cruiserweight championship but was denied by G.M. Drake Maverick. Gulak later interfered in a match between Akira Tozawa and Colin Delaney. He asserted that he would not stop until he got his rematch. Champion Cedric Alexander came out to respond to Gulak. They went back and forth until Maverick came out to settle things down. Cedric would go after Gulak, only for him to escape the ring.
Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik defeated Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese in a Tornado Tag Team Match.
Stay tuned here or to WWE.com to see what 205Live has scheduled for tonight.
Follow me on Twitter @FrankPeteani and ask any questions you may have. Thank you for reading!
NOW CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE: TOP 3 DEVELOPMENTS – SMACKDOWN 8/21: Mixed Tag Set for HIAC, Everyone Loves Angry Becky, New Day New Tag Champs
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