{"id":82387,"date":"2019-07-02T12:37:19","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T17:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=82387"},"modified":"2019-07-02T12:37:38","modified_gmt":"2019-07-02T17:37:38","slug":"wwe-smackdown-primer-7-2-kofi-has-coquina-worries-the-crowd-is-picky-and-wants-nikki-a-new-day-for-the-planets-champions-mandy-sonya-arent-aware-of-the-be-a-star-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/07\/02\/wwe-smackdown-primer-7-2-kofi-has-coquina-worries-the-crowd-is-picky-and-wants-nikki-a-new-day-for-the-planets-champions-mandy-sonya-arent-aware-of-the-be-a-star-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 7\/2: Kofi Has Coquina Worries, The Crowd is Picky and Wants Nikki, A New Day for the Planet\u2019s Champions, Mandy &#038; Sonya Aren\u2019t Aware of the Be A Star Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2050744720\" 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>WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER<br \/>\nJULY 2, 2019<br \/>\nSAN ANTONIO, TX. AT THE AT &amp; T CENTER<br \/>\nAIRS ON USA NETWORK, 8:00 p.m. EDT<br \/>\nBY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR<\/h3>\n<p><em>Announcers: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Smackdown Viewership Last Week:<\/strong> 1.40 (.13 Increase from previous week)<\/p>\n<h3>Arena, Items Advertised by WWE, and Show Start Time<\/h3>\n<p>WWE remains in the big state of Texas as they pull into the AT &amp; T Center in San Antonio, the hometown of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. Smackdown last emanated from here in July of 2017. The 2018 offering of Hell in a Cell was here as well. WWE is no stranger to this building, which opened in 2002 and began hosting events eight months later.<\/p>\n<p>We begin the Eric Bischoff era as he starts his role as Executive Director of Smackdown. Last night, we began the Paul Heyman era on Raw as he began his tenure in the same position. Who knows what\u2019s in store after Braun Strowman speared Bobby Lashley through the LED board starting a wave of pyro. As was pointed out here at PWTorch, a local advertisement shows \u201cSee what Eric Bischoff has in store for Smackdown Live!\u201d as well as two matches (Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler and Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair).<\/p>\n<p>The arena website shows the same but doesn\u2019t talk about Eric Bischoff. The start time is 6:45 p.m. local time for the house crowd. Here\u2019s what WWE.com is advertising for the show:<\/p>\n<h3>Matches &amp; Segments:<\/h3>\n<p>None at the moment<\/p>\n<h3>Storyline Follow-Up:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Can Kofi Kingston bounce back from Six-Man Tag Team loss to Samoa Joe?<\/li>\n<li>Is Bayley ready for Alexa Bliss?<\/li>\n<li>Will The New Day continue to chase after Bryan &amp; Rowan\u2019s titles?<\/li>\n<li>Will Mandy Rose &amp; Sonya Deville continue to torment Ember Moon?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Kofi Kingston Readies for Samoa Joe<\/h3>\n<p>Last night on Raw we got your garden variety impromptu six-man tag team match between the Viking Raiders (Erik &amp; Ivar) and Samoa Joe vs. New Day (Big E, Xavier Woods, and WWE Champion Kofi Kingston). Initially it started as a tag between the Raiders vs. Big E &amp; Woods but mushroomed into the six-man tag when Joe attacked Woods.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cre-started\u201d match went about seven minutes and ended when Kofi passed out to Joe\u2019s Coquina Clutch. Joe is scheduled to face Kofi at Extreme Rules for the WWE Championship, as Joe takes advantage of the wild card rule. Here\u2019s what we didn\u2019t see during the commercial break between the tag match and the six-man match:<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-962576636\" 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<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Joe &amp; The Viking Raiders talk smack to New Day: Raw Exclusive, July 1, 2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jSmgZHmAWB0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We continue to head towards the match tonight.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: WWE did the straight-forward method of making Joe look like a threat to Kofi\u2019s title. I\u2019m glad Kofi passed out rather than submit to the Coquina Clutch, which protect Kofi. They should discuss that tonight and make it a big deal that Joe got the WWE Champion to pass out.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Bayley Readies for Alexa Bliss<\/h3>\n<p>Last week on Smackdown, Nikki Cross secured a rematch for the Smackdown Women\u2019s Championship for her good friend Alexa Bliss. Alexa takes on Bayley at Extreme Rules for the title after coming up short at Stomping Grounds.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a WWE.com exclusive with Nikki Cross regarding her getting that chance for Alexa but being questioned if the title match should go to her instead:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nikki Cross can\u2019t wait to tell Alexa Bliss: SmackDown Exclusive, June 25, 2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZtkNvAX5FGQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Last night on Raw, Alexa had Nikki as her special guest on a Moment of Bliss. Carmella interrupted and questioned Nikki as she had been in the exclusive, which led to back to back matches between Alexa and Carmella and then Nikki and Carmella. Carmella rolled up Alexa in about five seconds but then lost to Nikki in about three minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Nikki\u2019s winning all the matches, but Alexa has the title match. We\u2019ll get further into this tonight. Here\u2019s what we didn\u2019t see on Raw last night in between matches:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">EXCLUSIVE: In case you were wondering what led to @NikkiCrossWWE going one-on-one with <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarmellaWWE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@CarmellaWWE<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/RAW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#RAW<\/a>&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Jyk9Y9DUwH\">pic.twitter.com\/Jyk9Y9DUwH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/1145904827861520384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: I don\u2019t see Nikki getting added to the title match at Extreme Rules to make it a triple threat, but we have to be going somewhere with this soon. What would really impress me is if they go in a completely different direction and Nikki turns on Alexa, making Alexa the babyface and Nikki was setting her up the whole time. The obvious direction right now is Nikki realizes Alexa has been using her and eventually goes her own way, but we\u2019ve seen that story told before. We\u2019ll see what happens.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>New Day\u2019s Pursuit of the Smackdown Tag Team Championship<\/h3>\n<p>Last week on Smackdown, New Day members Big E &amp; Xavier Woods had a big week as they picked up two victories. First, they defeated Smackdown Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan &amp; Rowan in a non-title match. They were then attacked by Kevin Owens &amp; Sami Zayn but saved by Heavy Machinery (Otis &amp; Tucker).<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1934962856\" 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>Yes, you guessed it, the two teams paired up in an eight-man tag match after the commercial break via the \u201creset &amp; restart\u201d formula. Heavy Machinery helped secure the victory for them and New Day as Zayn was pinned after their signature Compactor. As a side note, Owens walked out on Zayn as he was about to get Otis\u2019 Caterpillar.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s certainly room on the card at Extreme Rules. We\u2019ll see if these wins launch New Day into a championship match (I\u2019m refusing to say opportunity).<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: I figured they\u2019d hold off on New Day vs. Bryan and Rowan for SummerSlam, but if it\u2019s time to do the match between them then go for it. The first match between them on Smackdown featured some good action, and thus if they go in this direction for Extreme Rules it should be fine. I still have a potential New Day break up in the back of my mind. It would certainly feel like a big deal considering how long they\u2019ve been together.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Mandy Rose &amp; Sonya Deville Tormenting of Ember Moon<\/h3>\n<p>Last week on Smackdown, Sonya Deville scored a quick two-minute victory over Ember Moon. Ember was distracted at ringside by Mandy Rose early on and was shoved into the ring post by Sonya which is how she got the victory.<\/p>\n<p>There has been an ongoing issue with Mandy &amp; Sonya and Ember for weeks now. Ember ripped up the Muscle &amp; Fitness magazine with Ember on the cover. Mandy &amp; Sonya broke Ember\u2019s Nintendo switch. They got into a brawl when Mandy offered Ember a donut. Here\u2019s a WWE exclusive from several weeks ago suggesting where the relationship is between these women:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why won&#039;t Mandy &amp; Sonya leave Ember Moon alone?: SmackDown Exclusive, June 11, 2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OIwzHTitg7Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll continue this story tonight.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: I couldn\u2019t help but feel like I was back in high school going over this feud. The big picture issue is how WWE has treated Ember Moon. She\u2019s been pinned quickly several times recently. I wonder if this is leading to a heel turn in which she would show a more dominant side of her. I don\u2019t know about everyone else, but her look to me certainly screams heel.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Andrade and Apollo Crews<\/h3>\n<p>This feud isn\u2019t advertised for tonight, but several weeks ago Andrade and Apollo Crews had a match which never got under way, and Apollo was saved by Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor. A few weeks ago, Andrade attacked Apollo in the back after he was \u201cflirting\u201d with Zelina Vega, Andrade\u2019s business associate. Here\u2019s some WWE.com exclusive videos as they have furthered their feud \u201coutside of television\u201d if you will:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Apollo Crews confronts Andrade &amp; Zelina Vega: WWE Exclusive, June 26, 2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mnqTmZnS_Aw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Apollo Crews wants a fight with Andrade: WWE Exclusive, June 26, 2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/syIS0XT9tqs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Andrade &amp; Zelina Vega have a message for Apollo Crews: WWE Exclusive, June 26, 2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6gFqkw8JjgE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll see if this leads to a match tonight.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: This is definitely something different and I like it. Apollo seemed very real when he said I\u2019m going to come at you face to face, \u201cyou don\u2019t have to worry about that.\u201d He is certainly an untapped asset. I\u2019m not saying he\u2019s a main event guy, but there\u2019s something there and WWE should use it. There\u2019s really usually something with most talent if you just let them tap into their real personalities and let their character been an extension of that.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>IIconics Kabuki Warriors<\/h3>\n<p>Here\u2019s WWE Women\u2019s Tag Team Champions The IIconics (Billie Kay &amp; Peyton Royce) on the potential of facing the Kabuki Warriors (Asuka &amp; Kairi Sane) for the championship:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Are The IIconics worried about The Kabuki Warriors?: WWE Exclusive, June 25, 2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VdKYjIobY4A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>It was reported that in Tokyo this past weekend, Asuka &amp; Kairi defeated the IIconics in a non-title match. Nothing has been announced as to whether or not they\u2019ve earned a championship match. Asuka &amp; Kairi have rarely been on TV as of late but could been slotted into Extreme Rules if not sooner for that match.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: They always need a match for the kickoff show.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Not Advertised for Follow-Up:<\/h3>\n<p>The Miz lost to Elias in a two-out-of-three falls match last week, thanks to Shane McMahon beating up another babyface for the 10,000th time it seems as of late. The Miz got his retribution last night on Raw, defeated Elias in another two-out-of-three-falls this-is-the-one-of-the-ways-we-avoid-stopping-matches-for-commercial-breaks matches.<\/p>\n<p>Drake Maverick is now 24\/7 Champion after defeating R-Truth on the way to his honeymoon last night.<\/p>\n<p>Aleister Black continued to beg for someone to pick a fight with him last week. This time, someone knocked on the door. They did not reveal who knocked.<\/p>\n<h3>Overall Thoughts on Tonight\u2019s Show<\/h3>\n<p>As I felt yesterday with the Paul Heyman era beginning, I look forward to seeing the flow and nature of the show as Eric Bischoff takes over as Executive Director. I do NOT need to see anymore pyro or LED boards being destroyed. My wife came across an article that said WWE is looking to change their stage set, and thus last night\u2019s fiasco with Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley may have been a way to \u201cwrite off the stage.\u201d (You couldn\u2019t just change it?) I\u2019m skeptical at best as to how this is going to work, given how things went during Bischoff\u2019s days running WCW Monday Nitro. He can tout how he beat WWF in the ratings 83 weeks in a row, but the show fell off a cliff after that. It was not built for long-term success. That was then and this is now, and we\u2019ll see how an \u201colder and wiser\u201d (is he?) Bischoff steers the ship, and how much say he has over the finished product. Watching last night\u2019s show, I could see some Heyman influence, but Vince is definitely still making the final decisions. We need more time and shows to have better opinions.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Follow Frank on Twitter @FrankPeteani. Questions and discussion are welcome. Thank you for reading!<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>RECOMMENDED:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/06\/27\/wwe-smackdown-hits-misses-6-25-angry-shane-mcmahon-champions-losing-non-title-matches-nakamura-appearance-aleister-hears-a-knock-ko-walks-out-on-sami\/\">WWE SMACKDOWN HITS &amp; MISSES 6\/25: Angry Shane McMahon, Champions Losing Non-Title matches, Nakamura appearance, Aleister hears a knock, KO walks out on Sami<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3105486663\"><div id=\"pwtor-3452940130\"><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 2, 2019 SAN ANTONIO, TX. AT THE AT &amp; T CENTER AIRS ON USA NETWORK, 8:00 p.m. EDT BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR Announcers: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/07\/02\/wwe-smackdown-primer-7-2-kofi-has-coquina-worries-the-crowd-is-picky-and-wants-nikki-a-new-day-for-the-planets-champions-mandy-sonya-arent-aware-of-the-be-a-star-campaign\/\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 7\/2: Kofi Has Coquina Worries, The Crowd is Picky and Wants Nikki, A New Day for the Planet\u2019s Champions, Mandy &#038; Sonya Aren\u2019t Aware of the Be A Star Campaign\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5627,"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":[2,52,4354,27,5893,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prowrestlingnews","category-opnionandanalysis","category-raw-primer","category-specialists","category-tvprimers","category-news_wwe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/BischoffEricTB_3x2_600.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82387","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=82387"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82396,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82387\/revisions\/82396"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}