{"id":98208,"date":"2020-05-29T16:10:55","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T21:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=98208"},"modified":"2020-05-29T16:10:55","modified_gmt":"2020-05-29T21:10:55","slug":"wwe-smackdown-primer-5-29-continued-build-towards-backlash-styles-elias-and-hardy-bryan-in-ic-championship-tournament-semi-final-matches-will-nxt-star-make-his-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/05\/29\/wwe-smackdown-primer-5-29-continued-build-towards-backlash-styles-elias-and-hardy-bryan-in-ic-championship-tournament-semi-final-matches-will-nxt-star-make-his-debut\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 5\/29: Continued Build Towards Backlash, Styles-Elias and Hardy-Bryan in IC Championship Tournament Semi-Final Matches, Will NXT star make his debut"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-3184767944\" 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 \/>\nMAY 29, 2020<br \/>\nORLANDO, FLA. AT THE WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER<br \/>\nAIRS ON FOX NETWORK, 8:00 p.m. EDT<br \/>\nBY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST<\/h3>\n<p><em>Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Top 10 Moments from Last Week<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Top 10 Friday Night SmackDown moments: WWE Top 10, May 22, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AMu4MQkc2R8?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<h3>Items Advertised by WWE<\/h3>\n<p>We continue towards Backlash, coming to us on June 14. Tonight\u2019s show is light on advertised items, as the focus is the ongoing Intercontinental Championship tournament which is now into the semi-final round:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jeff Hardy looks to keep comeback rolling against Daniel Bryan<\/li>\n<li>Elias and A.J. Styles set to battle for tournament finals appearance<\/li>\n<li>Intercontinental Championship Tournament Semi-Final Matches<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>A.J. Styles vs. Elias<\/h3>\n<p>Elias moved onto the semi-finals of the tournament by defeating King Corbin two weeks ago in a first round match. Elias and Corbin have been in a feud since before WrestleMania, where Elias got the better of Corbin in a one-on-one match. Elias cost Corbin the 2020 Money in the Bank contract when he smashed him with a guitar as he was climbing the ladder. He has not held gold under the WWE banner.<\/p>\n<p>A.J. Styles defeated long-time rival Shinsuke Nakamura last week in a first round match to advance in the tournament. A.J. has held the WWE Championship on two different occasions and the U.S. Championship three times, with his most recent reign happening from July until November of last year. He defeated Ricochet to win the title and lost it to Rey Mysterio. Last week, we were informed that A.J. was traded to Smackdown for \u201cfuture considerations.\u201d Here\u2019s Elias and A.J. in separate WWE exclusives:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Elias wants to bring a championship to the people: SmackDown Exclusive, May 15, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dXcn_eOjHGY?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=\"AJ Styles hopes The Undertaker was watching his SmackDown return: SmackDown Exclusive, May 22, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1D2rddqp-ok?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<h3>Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan<\/h3>\n<p>The Intercontinental Championship is no stranger to Jeff Hardy. He won it for the first time in 2001 by defeating Triple H on an episode of Smackdown. He went on to hold it on four different occasions, the last reign beginning in September of 2007 when he defeated the late Umaga. He lost it to Chris Jericho on an episode of Raw in March of 2008. It\u2019s been a long, circuitous road for Jeff as he finds his way into the current tournament. He defeated Sheamus last week to advance to the semi-finals.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel Bryan defeated Drew Gulak two weeks ago in a first round match. Gulak\u2019s contract expired and left WWE, but he has since returned. Bryan won the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania in 2015 after coming back from injury where he had to surrender the WWE World Championship following the Yes Movement in 2014. It was his only reign with the title.<\/p>\n<p>Bryan and Jeff first went one-on-one two years ago on Smackdown and then again in the run-up to Elimination Chamber last year, where Bryan defended the WWE Championship. Jeff was eliminated by Bryan in the match which also featured Samoa Joe, A.J. Styles, Randy Orton, and Kofi Kingston. Tonight, they go at it again for a chance to go to the finals for the Intercontinental Championship. Here\u2019s Jeff in a WWE exclusive:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jeff Hardy hunting dream of fifth Intercontinental Title: SmackDown Exclusive, May 22, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RfslP8umKyo?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><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: I can\u2019t imagine Elias beating A.J., but he sounded determined in that exclusive interview. In three years of Elias being on the main roster, I\u2019ve never seen a desire from him to win titles let alone wrestling matches. I\u2019ll pick A.J. because that\u2019s what logic tells me. As far as Bryan and Jeff, to me it\u2019s a toss-up. I\u2019ll pick Jeff because of how big of a deal they\u2019ve made his comeback. Bryan wouldn\u2019t surprise me though. He gave a spirited promo a few weeks ago regarding winning the championship. A Jeff-A.J. final or a Bryan-A.J. final sounds good to me!<\/em><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-4102930472\" 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>Matt Riddle<\/h3>\n<p>Several wrestling media outlets have NXT wrestler Matt Riddle punching his ticket to Smackdown, perhaps as early as tonight. <a href=\"https:\/\/bleacherreport.com\/articles\/2893398-matt-riddles-top-potential-debut-opponents-amid-wwe-smackdown-call-up-rumors\">Here an article by frequent Wade Keller post-show co-host Mike Chiari<\/a>, writing for Bleacher Report where he discusses potential opponents for Riddle:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>He is still listed as an NXT talent on WWE\u2019s website, and understandably so if they want to keep it under wraps. He recently held the NXT Tag Team Championship with Pete Dunne and eventually Timothy Thatcher, who stepped in for Dunne as a result of the recently implemented travel ban from the United Kingdom to the U.S. preventing Dunne from meeting his obligations. Thatcher turned on Riddle when they lost the titles to Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel of Imperium. They split two matches, the most recent being a Fight Pit match won by Thatcher this past Wednesday on NXT.<\/p>\n<p>Riddle made his WWE debut in late 2018. He feuded mostly with Kassius Ohno, Velveteen Dream, and Killian Dane. He was a part of the NXT team that participated in Survivor Series and actually pinned Randy Orton, before eating an RKO and being eliminated by King Corbin. He also entered the 2020 Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by Corbin who potentially can be Riddle\u2019s first feud. Our eyes will be peeled for certain to see if the man known as the \u201cSuper King of Bros\u201d arrives tonight or sometime soon.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: I always proceed with caution when someone is called up, or as is the case these days \u201cmoved over\u201d from NXT to either Raw or Smackdown. Once Vince McMahon gets his mitts on someone, they\u2019re generally pushed in the way he envisions them which doesn\u2019t always necessarily line up with how fans perceive and love the character. Riddle has a good personality and is fun to watch, at least to me, so he\u2019s got that going for him. Corbin would be fine as his first opponent.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Other Match Results and News Items from Last Week:<\/h3>\n<p>Universal Champion Braun Strowman joined Miz and John Morrison on the Dirt Sheet. That led to Braun defeating Miz one-on-one in a non-title match, which led to Morrison and Miz challenging Braun to a handicap match at Backlash for the Universal Championship. Braun, oh so graciously, accepted their challenge.<\/p>\n<p>Smackdown Women\u2019s Champion Bayley defeated NXT Women\u2019s Champion Charlotte Flair in a champion vs. champion non-title match.<\/p>\n<p>Sonya Deville &amp; Dolph Ziggler defeated Mandy Rose &amp; \u201cMr. Money in the Bank\u201d Otis. Ziggler attacked Otis after the match. For some reason Sonya and Lacey Evans have been going at it on Twitter:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Oh here we go Lacey Evans wants some of my clout rn. I\u2019ll kick your blonde a$$ too toots. Let\u2019s go <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LAeGuVdSCe\">https:\/\/t.co\/LAeGuVdSCe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Daria\/Sonya Deville (@SonyaDevilleWWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SonyaDevilleWWE\/status\/1265782638893305858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 27, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/SonyaDevilleWWE\/status\/1265789608614387714?s=20<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">For sure there might even be special tax incentives for ya. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9Xp9Y41NQm\">https:\/\/t.co\/9Xp9Y41NQm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Daria\/Sonya Deville (@SonyaDevilleWWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SonyaDevilleWWE\/status\/1266001228187787264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 28, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p>The potential final match for the Intercontinental Championship has my interest over everything else on the show. Having Miz and Morrison work a handicap match for the Universal Championship is an odd choice, but we\u2019ve seen something like this before. My guess is it\u2019s just to pass the time, and likely sets up the return of the Fiend at Backlash. I wouldn\u2019t have had Sonya &amp; Ziggler defeat Otis &amp; Mandy since Otis has the Money in the Bank contract. Even though he didn\u2019t take the pin, it\u2019s still better to keep him strong and feel like a legitimate threat to take a world title. Overall, tonight\u2019s show should be more enjoyable that those past with having the Performance Center and NXT wrestlers at ringside.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Follow Frank on Twitter @FrankPeteani. Questions and discussion are welcome. Thank you for reading!<\/em><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1631683757\" 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<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-2681168335\"><div id=\"pwtor-2087583513\"><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 MAY 29, 2020 ORLANDO, FLA. AT THE WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER AIRS ON FOX NETWORK, 8:00 p.m. EDT BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves Top 10 Moments from <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/05\/29\/wwe-smackdown-primer-5-29-continued-build-towards-backlash-styles-elias-and-hardy-bryan-in-ic-championship-tournament-semi-final-matches-will-nxt-star-make-his-debut\/\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 5\/29: Continued Build Towards Backlash, Styles-Elias and Hardy-Bryan in IC Championship Tournament Semi-Final Matches, Will NXT star make his debut\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98216,"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_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,52,4403,27,5893,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prowrestlingnews","category-opnionandanalysis","category-smackdown-primer","category-specialists","category-tvprimers","category-news_wwe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2020\/05\/Screen-Shot-2020-05-29-at-4.03.10-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98208","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=98208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98217,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98208\/revisions\/98217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}