{"id":63190,"date":"2018-07-17T12:58:27","date_gmt":"2018-07-17T17:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=63190"},"modified":"2018-07-17T14:28:40","modified_gmt":"2018-07-17T19:28:40","slug":"wwe-smackdown-primer-7-17-continued-extreme-rules-fallout-nakamura-vs-hardy-next-for-styles-asuka-reaction-to-loss-bryan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2018\/07\/17\/wwe-smackdown-primer-7-17-continued-extreme-rules-fallout-nakamura-vs-hardy-next-for-styles-asuka-reaction-to-loss-bryan\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 7\/17: Continued Extreme Rules fallout, Nakamura vs. Hardy, Next for Styles, Asuka reaction to Loss, Bryan"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1244124310\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3><strong>WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>JULY 17, 2018<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>WILKES-BARRE, PA. AT <\/strong><strong>MOHEGAN SUN ARENA at CASEY PLAZA<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>AIRS ON USA NETWORK 8:00 P.M. EDT<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>BY FRANK PETEANI, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Arena\/Opening Thoughts<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. will be the hosts this evening for WWE Smackdown as we continue to move away from Extreme Rules and turn our attention towards SummerSlam.\u00a0 Smackdown previously emanated from this building in November of 2016.<\/p>\n<p>At Extreme Rules, we saw the crowning of a new U.S. Champion in Shinsuke Nakamura while A.J. Styles retained his WWE Championship.\u00a0 The Bludgeon Brothers retained the Tag Team Championship, while Carmella held on to the Women\u2019s Championship.\u00a0 According to <a href=\"http:\/\/wwe.com\/\">WWE.com<\/a>, the fallout of those matches is the focus tonight.\u00a0 We\u2019ll almost certainly start to put the pieces together for the SummerSlam as well.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>U.S. Championship Rematch: Shinsuke Nakamura (Champ) vs. Jeff Hardy (Challenger)<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As I talked about, Shinsuke Nakamura captured the U.S. Championship from Jeff Hardy this past Sunday at Extreme Rules.\u00a0 To quickly review, Nakamura hit Hardy with his signature \u201cKinshasa\u201d kick almost immediately after the bell rang.\u00a0 He helped himself by hitting Hardy with a low blow with the referee not looking before the match started.\u00a0 Hardy would demand the match go on, only to immediately lose his championship.\u00a0 To complicate matters, Randy Orton made his return following the match only to attack an already \u201cdowned\u201d Jeff Hardy, apparently turning heel.<\/p>\n<p>WWE tweeted that night that G.M. Paige announced a rematch for tonight.<\/p>\n<p><em>Thoughts: It was somewhat surprising to see this be a quick match.\u00a0 I say somewhat because Nakamura has used the low blow so many times this year.\u00a0 It\u2019s about time it brings him a victory in a big match.\u00a0 WWE may have wanted that to be the focus, playing into Nakamura\u2019s sneaky, \u201ccon-artist\u201d gimmick.\u00a0 I\u2019m only speculating, but I wonder if Hardy has some injury that\u2019s going to come out in the next week.\u00a0 He has certainly look beat up in recent weeks.\u00a0 If it\u2019s another quick match tonight, I would be inclined to think more along those lines.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how to read Orton\u2019s post-match attack on Hardy or how that plays into this story.\u00a0 With the shortage of babyfaces on the Smackdown side, it\u2019s odd to see this development.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Next Up for WWE Champion A.J. Styles<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThe Phenomenal\u201d A.J. Styles retained his WWE Championship over Rusev at Extreme Rules.\u00a0 It was one of the better matches on the card, and you could certainly make the case that Rusev nearly captured his first top title since coming up to main roster in 2014.\u00a0 In an attempt to help, Aiden English exposed one the top turnbuckle corners only to have it backfire as Styles threw Rusev into said corner.\u00a0 Styles would eventually hit his signature \u201cPhenomenal Forearm\u201d and continue his impressive run as the WWE Champion.\u00a0 Tonight, we\u2019ll find out what\u2019s next for the champ especially in regard to SummerSlam.<\/p>\n<p><em>Thoughts:\u00a0 I noticed Rusev arguing with English following the match, and as Wade Keller pointed out in his Extreme Rules report the announcers did not discuss it.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if means anything for their duo going forward there\u2019s certainly been the discussion of Rusev splitting away and going babyface.\u00a0 The announcers not discussing the argument in interesting.\u00a0 As far as Styles goes it\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess who the next #1 contender to his championship could be.\u00a0 The Miz, Samoa Joe, and Daniel Bryan would be the top candidates at the moment.\u00a0 Joe did send out a few tweets about doing media rounds in Wilkes-Barre this morning.\u00a0 Take a look:<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Morning media rounds Wilkes Barre. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SmackdownLive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SmackdownLive<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9No44KK8zx\">https:\/\/t.co\/9No44KK8zx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamoaJoe\/status\/1019200248311435265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 17, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JScaLive\/status\/1019204987933556737<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3721096798\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Asuka Reaction over Loss to Carmella<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>At Extreme Rules, Carmella retained the Smackdown Women\u2019s Championship over Asuka.\u00a0 Carmella\u2019s sidekick James Ellsworth was suspended over the ring in a shark cage.\u00a0 Ellsworth would eventually break out of the cage but hang upside down when something he was wearing got caught on the cage.\u00a0 With Carmella on the outside, Asuka would attack Ellsworth.\u00a0 She did so until Carmella recovered and pushed Asuka head first into the cage, knocking her out, and allowing Carmella to score the pin.\u00a0 Tonight, Asuka reacts to this loss.<\/p>\n<p><em>Thoughts: If you\u2019re a VIP member and haven\u2019t heard the Post-PPV Roundtable with Wade Keller, Bruce Mitchell, and Todd Martin I would highly recommend it.\u00a0 Martin\u2019s opinion of their match lines up with mine.\u00a0 I do have to say Ellsworth hanging from the cage was funny.\u00a0 That\u2019s the problem with this feud.\u00a0 We should not be looking for comedic moments in professional wrestling.\u00a0 It\u2019s ok if they happen inconsequentially but they shouldn\u2019t happen purposely.\u00a0 I\u2019m personally not the biggest Asuka fan in the world, but talent is talent.\u00a0 I have not enjoyed seeing her essentially blown to bits since WrestleMania.<\/em><em>\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Daniel Bryan Following Team Hell No Defeat<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Team Hell No, Daniel Bryan and Kane, were unsuccessful in their quest against the Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) to become Smackdown Tag Team Champions.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t help that Bryan and Kane were attacked by the Brothers pre-match, and Kane\u2019s foot was \u201cinjured.\u201d\u00a0 Bryan recovered and initially went it alone in valiant fashion in the match.\u00a0 Kane would appear later on wearing a boot on his \u201cinjured\u201d foot.\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t be much help as Harper would pin Bryan following a clothesline off Rowan\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 Tonight, we\u2019ll learn what\u2019s next for Daniel Bryan.<\/p>\n<p><em>Thoughts:\u00a0 It\u2019s unknown if Kane was really injured, or perhaps WWE was protecting Daniel Bryan by not having Team Hell No take a straight-forward loss.\u00a0 By doing the pre-match attack, it puts Bryan in a precarious position having to go it alone against two monsters like Harper and Rowan.\u00a0 A loss is not embarrassing, and he could still go on to something with The Miz or A.J. Styles for that matter retaining his credibility.\u00a0 Either way, I get the sense Team Hell No could be done for the moment but can\u2019t be 100% sure.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Other Items<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Sanity defeated New Day in a table match on the Extreme Rules pre-show.\u00a0 Whether that rivalry continues is anyone\u2019s guess.\u00a0 I talked about a shortage of babyfaces earlier.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not going to involve New Day in the tag team title picture, you may as well have them do some single\u2019s work.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to split up the faction, but rather just have them go on their own missions.\u00a0 Even if you just use Big E in that role that plugs a tremendous hole on the babyface side.<\/li>\n<li>Andrade \u201cCien\u201d Almas defeated Sin Cara again in the pre-show.\u00a0 Almas could also play into the WWE Championship picture.\u00a0 He had a fine run as NXT Champion and would be a fine candidate to at least be in the mix if they\u2019re not quite ready to pull the trigger on him.<em>\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Wrestlers Advertised, Dark Matches, and 205 Live<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Similar to last week, the arena\u2019s website is advertising a double main event.\u00a0 They show a six-man tag featuring WWE Champion A.J. Styles, Jeff Hardy, and Daniel Bryan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, The Miz, and Samoa Joe.\u00a0 They also show Asuka vs. Carmella.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t indicate if this is a title match.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cCard Is Subject to Change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>205Live will follow Smackdown.\u00a0 Noam Dar takes on TJP in a rematch from two weeks ago.\u00a0 TJP had been complaining about the competition on the show only to thrust into a match with a returning Dar.\u00a0 Dar defeated TJP, the winner of the first Cruiserweight Classic and former Cruiserweight Champion, in under 30 seconds.\u00a0 Tonight, TJP looks to even the score.<\/p>\n<p>Akira Tozawa will take on Lio Rush.\u00a0 Rush and Tozawa have been trash talking each other following their respective matches the past two weeks so G.M. Drake Maverick decided to make a match between the two tonight.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2385980995\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>There apparently will be a \u201cpre-show\u201d party outside of the arena starting from 5:00-7:00pm.\u00a0 The arena website has more details on that.\u00a0 Doors open for the show at 6:45pm.<\/p>\n<p><em>Follow me on Twitter @FrankPeteani.\u00a0 Thank you for reading!<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>NOW CHECK OUT THIS COLUMN:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2018\/07\/10\/top-3-developments-smackdown-7-10\/\">TOP 3 DEVELOPMENTS \u2013 SMACKDOWN 7\/10: Tag Division in the Main Event, WWE &amp; US Champions Tag, Battle of the Sexes II<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3940609233\"><div id=\"pwtor-3287568732\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER JULY 17, 2018 WILKES-BARRE, PA. AT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA at CASEY PLAZA AIRS ON USA NETWORK 8:00 P.M. EDT BY FRANK PETEANI, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR Arena\/Opening Thoughts The Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2018\/07\/17\/wwe-smackdown-primer-7-17-continued-extreme-rules-fallout-nakamura-vs-hardy-next-for-styles-asuka-reaction-to-loss-bryan\/\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 7\/17: Continued Extreme Rules fallout, Nakamura vs. Hardy, Next for Styles, Asuka reaction to Loss, Bryan\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,4403,27,5893],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-smackdown-primer","category-specialists","category-tvprimers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/04\/NakamuraNXT.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63190"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63204,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63190\/revisions\/63204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}