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KELLER’S WWE SMACKDOWN TV REPORT
JULY 7, 2023
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
AIRED LIVE ON FOX
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
[HOUR ONE]
-After the “Then, Now, Forever, Together” brand signature, a three-minute Bloodline video package aired with clips of what happened at Money in the Bank.
-Michael Cole introduced the show and touted WWE’s history at MSG dating back 60 years. He touted a sellout crowd of 15,182. Cole and Wade Barrett previewed the show. Barrett touted Grayson Waller’s first MSG appearance tonight.
-The Usos made their ring entrance. Cole said the Usos are about to put the Tribal Chief on trial right now. The Usos gloated about pinning Roman Reigns. Paul Heyman interrupted their celebration with, “Ladies and gentleman…” Fans booed. Heyman walked out with Solo Sikoa. He said he is “serving as defense council in this Tribal Court.” Jimmy told Heyman to please shut his mouth. Fans cheered. Heyman glanced at Solo and then continued. Heyman said neither of them are the ones who tell him when to stop talking. He said the only person who will ever tell him to stop talking – at which point Solo slammed his hand over the mic. Heyman went wide-eyed. Fans began chanting, “Solo! Solo!” He threw the mic over the top rope to the floor and stood cross-armed in the corner, staring at the Usos. Heyman’s jaw was slack and he looked nervous. Roman’s entrance theme then played.
Cole said for 1,041 days, Reigns has been the champion. He said it’s the longest reign of the modern era. Cole asked if Reigns’s confidence has slipped. They cut to a break with Reigns taking his time in the entrance aisle. [c]
Back live, Reigns was in the ring. Cole said it’s time for the Trial of the Tribal Chief. Solo remained off in the corner, arms crossed. Heyman stood by Reigns’s side. He asked Heyman for the mic by opening his palm. Heyman placed the mic in his hand. Fans chanted, “You got pinned! You got pinned!” Reigns told MSG to acknowledge him.
Reigns said they are right, he got pinned. He said the last time he checked, he’s still the Tribal Chief. A brief “Tribal Chief” chant broke out. Reigns told the Usos they aren’t talking to them. Fans loudly chanted “Uso! Uso!” Reigns’s tone got intense and angry. “If the Tribal Chief didn’t call for tribal court, then this isn’t official, this isn’t legitimate. Why are you wasting my time?” He asked who has the authority to put him on trial.
Jimmy said, “Nah, not this time.” Jey said he won’t manipulate them like he usually does. He threw to Exhibit A on the big screen. A roughly 90 second video package aired of Reigns pie-facing Jimmy and being verbally abusive toward him in multiple situations and yelling, “I run this, this is all mine.” Back in the ring live, fans chanted “You f—ed up!” The audio was muted. Reigns then shook his head and said, “No I didn’t.” Fans chanted “Yes you did!” Reigns said, “That’s not who I am. That’s who I was forced to be. You think I wanted to lower myself. You think I wanted to do all that?” He said he did it for Jey and did it for Jimmy and then turned to Solo and said, “And I did it for you.”
Reigns said he was in a WrestleMania main event long before The Bloodline. He said he didn’t need The Bloodline, The Bloodline needed him. He said he put himself in situations for the Usos and Solo to represent the family. He said now they’re trying to embarrass him by compiling footage of his worst moments. He said his daughter was in the back not knowing who he is because of them. “I take on the weight of the world,” he said. He said he lifts up all of their families. He said he’s got five children in his household, so he didn’t need to take on Jey’s too. “I don’t need this in my life,” he said. “Right about now, umbrella service sounds real nice to me.” He said he doesn’t want it or need it. “I’m done. I’m done with all of it. I don’t want it anymore. So if you want it, it’s yours. I’m done.”
Reigns took off his red lei and talked off-mic to Jey. “You see what you’ve done?” he said. He got emotional and welled up as he put the lei over Jey’s head. Heyman, standing on the ring apron in the background, was crying. Reigns took off his title belt and threw it aside. Heyman gasped and yelled, “No, no!” Reigns then kneeled in front of Jey and sobbed. Jey looked confused. He put his hand on Reigns’s neck affectionately to comfort him. Reigns then gave him a low-blow. Cole exclaimed, “Oh no!” Jimmy assessed the situation and then attacked Reigns. Solo threw Jimmy off of Reigns. When Jimmy was going to charge at Reigns, Solo intercepted him and gave him a Samoan Spike. He let out a yell as fans booed.
Solo picked up the red lei from the mat and eyed it. Fans chanted, “Put it on! Put it on!” Reigns popped up from the mat and slowly approached Solo who lifted the lei and paused with it in his hand. Before the reveal of whether he’d actually hand it to Reigns, Jey attacked Reigns and Solo. Solo slammed Jey onto the mat with a uranage. Cole said if there was any question about Solo’s allegiance to Reigns, there isn’t now. Reigns gave Jimmy a Superman Punch. They cut to a red-eyed Heyman.
Reigns and Solo began attacking Jimmy at ringside. Reigns threw Jimmy into the steps. Jey made a save, but Solo belted him with a forearm and then sat him on the ring apron. Solo tied his arms in the ropes. Reigns said he’s the Tribal Chief and Jey never will be as long as he is alive. “If there’s air, you ain’t ever gonna get it.” Fans chanted “Uso! Uso!” Jey’s arms remained trapped in the ropes. Reigns took some more shots at Jimmy at ringside and then head-first into the ringside steps. Then he rammed him in the shoulder with the top of the steps. Jey broke free and hit Solo and then tackled Reigns. Solo recovered and gave him a Samoan Spike. Jey bumped onto the edge of the stairs and collapsed onto the floor. Solo threw him over the announce desk. Reigns yelled, “Finish him! Finish him!” Adam Pearce, Jason Jordan, and referees came out to try to stop the assault. Solo leaped off the ringside barricade and splashed Jimmy on the table, which collapsed underneath them.
Solo and Reigns stood over Jimmy. Reigns asked Heyman for the title belt. Reigns held it up as fans booed. They cut to a break 35 minutes into the show.
(Keller’s Analysis: Stellar content. Everyone involved was just great there. Reigns using the low blow as revenge once he got Jey to buy into his charade really worked.) [c]
-They showed Jimmy being put in an ambulance as Jey nervously watched. Then Cole commented on a clips of the previous segment. Cole called it a vicious, ferocious, perverse assault by Solo and Roman on the Usos.” Then they cut backstage to the ambulance as Pearce pounded on the side of it and yelling, “Go! Go!”
-They cut to Cole and Barrett at ringside. He said he understands the guttural rage of Reigns, but that was too far.
(1) AUSTIN THEORY vs. SHEAMUS – U.S. Title match
The bell rang 42 minutes into the hour. Sheamus picked up Theory as the bell rang and rammed him into the corner turnbuckle. When Sheamus charged, Theory lifted his boot. Sheamus fired back by clotheslining Theory over the top rope. (Theory bumped way too early for it.) Sheamus leaped off top rope onto Theory and they cut to an early break less than a minute in. [c]
Back from the break, Theory was in control. He was intense as he stomped away at Sheamus. Barrett said this is Theory “proving he can match anybody when it comes to big boy fights.” They battled on the top rope at 7:00. Sheamus tried for a White Noise, but Theory slipped free and hit Sheamus and then put him on his shoulders and spun around and slammed him. The crew in the background was reassembling the announce desk. [c]
Back from the break, Sheamus had taken over ten minutes in. He slammed Theory and then set up a Celtic Cross. Theory slipped free and snapped Sheamus’s neck over the top rope. Sheamus powerbombed Theory seconds later for a two count. He then applied a Clover Leaf mid-ring. Pretty Deadly ran out. Sheamus released the hold and fended off Pretty Deadly as they arrived at ringside. He punched Kit Wilson and then put Elton Prince against the top rope and bashed him across his chest with forearms. Theory dropkicked Sheamus and set up A-Town Down. Sheamus slipped free and kneed Theory in the chin and scored a sudden two count at 12:00. Ridge Holland and Butch ran out and went after Pretty Deadly. Sheamus delivered a Brogue Kick to Wilson on the ring apron. Theory rolled up Sheamus and yanked on his tights to get a three count.
WINNER: Theory in 13:00 to retain the U.S. Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good hard-hitting intense action, but with two commercial breaks in the course of 13 minutes, it just didn’t equate to a full-fledged match experience. I’m not entirely sure how Pretty Deadly running to the ring didn’t prompt a DQ, but I suppose Sheamus blocked them from entering the ring.)
-A commercial aired for Raw advertising Drew McIntyre & Matt Riddle vs. Giovani Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser, a face-to-face with Ricochet and Logan Paul, “and Cody Rhodes has a nightmare message for The Beast.” [c]
-A montage aired of vintage footage of WWE at MSG over the decades including Bruno Sammartino on the marquee, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, Liberace, Triple H, Kofi Kingston, Kane unmasking, Becky Lynch, and Steve Austin being arrested after attacking Vince McMahon.
[HOUR TWO]
-The Grayson Waller Effect: Rome introduced Waller to much fanfare, as usual. He said he knows everyone is thinking they’ve never seen such a handsome bloke like him. He said his guest is an 11-time world champion and a WWE Hall of Famer. He introduced “The Rated R Superstar” Edge. Edge made his entrance. Edge entered the ring and said, “It’s a steaming hot night in New York City!” Waller interrupted and said he wants to get to the big announcement. Edge said it’s the 25th Anniversary of his career in WWE. “And? And? And…” said Waller.
Waller said Edge is too embarrassed to say it, but he’s had a good career and saved his money. He asked why he is back in WWE. “It’s pretty simple,” Edge said. “It’s because of them.” (What about all that awful stuff he said about them not too long ago?) He stood and said he goes way back with them. He mentioned his first PLE with the company was Summerslam ’98. (They were PPVs then, not PLEs, but whatever.) He talked about the different set-up at MSG and pointed at where he came out to. He said he dove over the ropes “when I still could.” He said from then on, the fans opened their arms to him. He said he knows respect is hard won in New York City. He said it’s a city full of hard workers and big dreamers. He said he’s always been a hard worker and a big dreamer and he still is to this day. “New York, that’s why you and I work,” he said.
Waller said that’s why it’s so appropriate that Edge’s big announcement is that he’s retiring tonight. He told fans to stand and thank Edge for everything he’s done. Edge said last week Waller was standing eye-to-eye with Cena and now he’s standing in MSG opposite of him. He said someone obviously sees something in him, but he’s only been there for a hiccup and he hasn’t even had a match on the main roster yet. Edge said he has doggie paddled into deep waters and it’s time to sink or swim. He said the powers that be have arranged for him to have a match tonight. He revealed it’s him against Waller. He shoved the mic in Waller’s chest as Waller looked on in shock.
(Keller’s Analysis: Waller is showing off his peppy obnoxiousness and intoxication with himself well. Edge was good here too for sure in bonding with the New York fans and stunning Waller with the news that his first main roster match is with him tonight.)
-Cole and Barrett commented on footage of what happened earlier with The Bloodline. Cole said they hope to get an update from the hospital for how Jimmy is doing.
-A.J. Styles made his ring entrance with Michin. [c]
(2) A.J. STYLES vs. KARRION KROSS (w/Scarlett)
Kross was in the ring after the break. No ring entrance for him. Cole noted that the rumor backstage is that Kross has a leg issue. Kross’s left leg was heavily taped. The bell rang 14 minutes into the hour. Kross tossed around Styles and threw an elbow to the side of his head. He landed a Kross Hammer and then applied the Kross Jacket. Styles dropped down with a jaw-breaker to escape. Then he hit Kross with a foreram. When he set up a Phenomenal Forearm, Scarlett grabbed his boot. Michin ran over and beat up Scarlett at ringside. Kross put Styles on his shoulders. Styles elbowed himself free and then hit the Phenomenal Forearm for the win.
WINNER: Styles in 2:00.
-A sponsored video package aired on the angle with Bianca Belair, Charlotte, and Asuka last week.
-Asuka made her ring entrance. [c]
-Asuka was in the ring holding up her belt and yelled, “No one is ready for Asuka!” Belair ran out to her music and punched away at Asuka. (She snuck in one pony tail twirl on her way to the ring.) Charlotte ran out. Belair met her at ringside. They brawled. When Asuka climbed to the top rope, Iyo Sky attacked her with the briefcase. Bayley slammed Asuka onto the briefcase and then Sky landed a top rope moonsault. Bayley told the ref she was cashing in, but Belair yanked Bayley out of the ring by her boots. Charlotte kicked Sky. Cole said the contract was never handed to the official, so it wasn’t cashed in. Asuka’s music played as she kneeled at ringside. Charlotte stood center-ring. Belair stood at ringside.
-Cole and Barrett commented over clips of the men’s Money in the Bank match last Saturday. They replayed the Ricochet-Logan Paul crash onto the table at ringside from several angles. They also showed Priest winning.
-Edge made his ring entrance. Cole said the bombastic Waller ran his mouth “and now we’ll see if he can back it up.” [c]
(3) EDGE vs. GREYSON WALLER
Waller’s ring entrance aired after the break. The bell rang 32 minutes into the hour. Cole wondered if this is one of the last times they’ll ever see Edge in MSG. Edge took Waller down with a couple of shoulder tackles and then kneed him in the gut. Barrett said Waller was outstanding in the ring in NXT, but this is a level he hasn’t experienced before. Waller caught a charging Edge with a knee to the jaw. He threw him to the floor and then clotheslined him. They cut to a break at 3:00 as Waller yelled, “Sink or swim, I’m swimmin’, lad.” [c]
Waller was still in control after the break. Edge battle back on the top turnbuckle. He set up a superplex, but Waller shoved him to the mat. When Waller leaped off the top rope with a flying elbow, Edge lifted his knees and caught him in the ribs. Both were down and slow to get up. Cole said he is told that Jey has returned to MSG. Edge powerbombed Waller off the ring apron onto the mat at ringside. Edge leaped off the top rope with a flying crossbody press for a two count at 11:00. Both were slow to get up again as fans clapped encouragement to Edge.
A minute later, Waller landed a twisting Unprettier, “taking a page out of Edge and Christian’s notebook,” said Cole. He scored a two count. Edge countered Waller into an Edgocution. Both were down and slow to get up again. They went to a wide shot of the arena. Edge draped his arm over Waller’s chest for a two count. Waller avoided a charging Edge and then went for his Rolling Stunner, but Edge caught him with a DDT and scored the pin.
Cole complimented the effort by Waller. Edge picked up the mic and told Waller, “You swam” in a nod of respect for the fight he had in him.
WINNER: Edge in 14:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good TV match and a solid first showing for Waller. Being that competitive with Edge for 14 minutes and then being endorsed by Edge somewhat afterward is a solid way to establish him as an-ring wrestler and not just a talk show host. They aren’t trying to protect him as if he were seen as a main event guy at this stage.)
-They went backstage to Heyman, Reigns, and Solo. Things were tense. Heyman told Reigns that Jey was back in the arena and he’s looking for him. Reigns said he won’t have to look long because his Tribal Chief will be in the ring waiting for him.
(Keller’s Analysis: They couldn’t advertise that ahead of time the way it played out, but you wonder how many more people would be watching if they did promise more Bloodline somehow.) [c]
-They announced Asuka vs. Belair for the title next week.
-Reigns, Heyman, and Solo stood in the ring. Reigns said they’re going to do it one more time since it didn’t go well the first time. He asked MSG and “all of New York” to acknowledge him. Fans booed. The Usos music played and out came Jey. Jey came out through the crowd. Solo met him at ringside. Jey leaped over the barricade and tackled him. Then Jey went after Reigns in the ring with a chair. Solo yanked the chair away. Reigns rolled to ringside. Jey bashed Solo with the chair several times instead. Jey stood in the ring as Solo rolled to the floor. Reigns and Heyman watched from the entrance stage. Cole said emotions were pouring out of Uso. “Years of pent up frustration has come down to this,” Cole said.
Jey had Reigns’s title belt. Reigns yelled for him to put it down. Jey paced and said Reigns is looking at the judge, the jury, and executioner right now. He said now he has to get him. He said he doesn’t care about brothers or the Wiseman. “Just me and you, one one on,” he said. He said he better accept his challenge so he can whoop his ass one more time. Cole asked what Reigns will do. He said Jey wants to be Main Event Jey Uso and end the Tribal Chief once and for all.
(Keller’s Analysis: Hot show-closing angle.)
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