1 week Ago By RobertWinfree
Alright everyone, it’s WWE Smackdown and WrestleMania is right around the corner. Next week is the full on go home show for the grand daddy of WWE events, and tonight they’re still trying to bump up some hype. To that end WWE champion Cody Rhodes is back after spending most of the last several weeks over on RAW, both John Cena and The Rock are not advertised to be here so we’ll see who interrupts Cody tonight.
We’re getting a tag team gauntlet on the women’s side of things for a shot at Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez and their belts at Mania. The listed teams for that are Natalya and Maxxine Dupri, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, Michin and B-Fab, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, and finally Piper Niven and Alba Fyre. That is not exactly the strongest set of teams, but we’ll see who might get some momentum coming out of it.
We’re also getting Rey Fenix vs. Berto after Fenix made a successful debut last week. There’s to be another confrontation between Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest now that their Mania match is official, but speaking of Mania and needing a match there’s Randy Orton.
It seems that Kevin Owens needing to step away from the ring for neck surgery was legitimate and now Randy needs a dance partner for Mania. Last week we had a really awkward segment between WWE women’s champion Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair, it went off the rails pretty quickly and frankly that program has been more than a bit of a mess since it started but everyone’s stuck seeing it through Mania at least. Barring some kind of freak injury of course.
LA Knight will be defending his US title against Jacob Fatu at Mania so we’ll get something for those two, we also know Jade Cargill vs. Naomi is set and that’s been pretty heated thus far. Last week the Motor City Machine Guns became the top contenders for the Street Profits and their tag belts, tonight we should learn if that’ll happen at Mania or next week.
We’re still waiting on more smoky videos from Aleister Black, most seem to indicate he’s showing up the 25th so after Mania but who knows. Anyway that’s the preamble as we move every closer to WrestleMania, so let’s get to the action. Commentary welcome us to Seattle, Washington for tonight.
We see a handful of wrestlers arrive at the venue, Cody Rhodes is signing a bunch of weight belts in the back as well. We get a recap of Kevin Owens having step away and get neck surgery and that announcement last week including Randy Orton dropping Smackdown GM Nick Aldis with an RKO. That sends us to Nick Aldis in the ring, Aldis talks about last week having a bunch of important moments but he’s here to talk about Randy’s actions.
He’s been instructed to maintain professionalism and he’s going to do just that, and invites Randy Orton to the ring. That does bring out Randy, he slow walks down and tries to get the crowd to sing with very mixed results. Eventually Randy does get to the ring and get a mic, he knows Aldis took what happened last week very personally but he asks how Aldis didn’t see this coming when Randy paid this fine in advance after the last time he hit Aldis with an RKO.
Really Randy feels they’re even on that front, he’s here to talk about not having a match at Mania and he says this is a very important Mania for him, it’ll be his 20th trip to Mania and he really needs an opponent. He doesn’t care what it takes, including Aldis losing the suit for a night and gearing up. Aldis says this isn’t about money, the WWE is making a lot of it, and he busted his ass for 20 years to get here.
He doesn’t need Randy’s money, he needs his respect. Randy ponders that, and says Aldis earned it a long time ago but he really needs his match at Mania. Solo Sikoa interrupts this with Tama Tonga by his side.
Solo’s got a mic, not a great thing, and he wants Randy to get out of the ring and stop embarrassing himself. No one wants to hear Randy cry about missing Mania. It’s over for Randy, because Randy is in the past and next week LA Knight will end up in the same place.
Jacob Fatu will take the US title at WrestleMania while Randy can sit at home all alone. Randy finds that amusing, almost as amusing as those two coming out here interrupting him while Randy is trying to be diplomatic. Well the voices in Randy’s head are making a lot of noise and they want him to beat up a couple of Samoan boys.
Tama’s Tongan but the point stands. Tama and Solo oblige Randy and start a fight but the numbers work against Randy after a bit. LA Knight then runs down to even the odds and he goes after Tama then Solo before Randy gets back into the fray and the good guys clear the ring after Tama botches getting sent through the ropes.
Nick Aldis is still ringside, Knight gets a mic and says he’s going to do the same thing to Fatu he did to them. But he knows Randy didn’t get enough, and neither did Knight so that’ll set up a tag team match for later tonight. Aldis feels pretty good about that match and makes it.
Fine enough tag match, and Solo could make a decent late notice replacement for Owens. The tag team gauntlet match is up after this break. Post break we get confirmation of Randy and Knight vs.
Solo and Tama later tonight. Probably the main event but that isn’t confirmed. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez are sitting ringside to watch the next match.
Match #1 – Tag Team Gauntlet Match: Natalya and Maxxine Dupri vs. Alba Fyre and Piper Niven vs. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark vs.
Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs. Michin and B-Fab vs. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance Gauntlet rules are that we start with two teams then when one is eliminated another replaces them, last team standing is the winner.
We start with Bayley and Lyra vs. Baszler and Stark. Bayley and Baszler start, they tie up then Baszler smothers a headlock throw and grabs an arm then Bayley avoids the arm breaker stomp.
Another tie up, Baszler grabs an arm wringer then tags in Stark. Stark with a shoulder block then some rope running and Bayley lands an arm drag. Clothesline from Stark then Baszler tags back in for some stomps.
Bayley escapes a hammerlock then tags in Lyra who kicks away at Baszler. Northern Lights suplex from Lyra gets a 2 count but then Baszler avoids an enziguri and Stark tags in then hits a crossbody to a charging Lyra. Baszler tags back in for a reverse exploder suplex then Stark follows with a flipping neckbreaker but Bayley breaks up the pin.
Bayley tosses Stark into the barricade while Lyra rolls up Baszler with a jackknife pin to take out Baszler and Stark in about 3:20. Natalya and Maxxine Dupri are up next as we head to break. We come back to Lyra and Natalya working.
Not much happens then Bayley tags in and Natalya drops her then tags in Dupri. The crowd is very pro Dupri and she lands a spin kick then a release Fisherman’s suplex. Dupri with a corner splash, then one for Lyra as she got involved and now Dupri sets for the reverse Caterpillar which lands but Bayley is ay in the ropes and easily rolls out of the cover.
Natalya wants in but Dupri just goes for the Sharpshooter instead and Bayley counters into a Small Package for the pin at 9:12 total. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter run down next. Quick head scissors from Carter who starts for that team, she tries some roll ups then Chance tags in and Bayley takes some tandem moves.
Codebreaker from Chance then Carter tags in and tosses Chance at Bayley only for Bayley to get her knees up. Bayley with an elbow drop to Carter then she tags in Lyra. Carter fights back and hits a running boot to Lyra then tags Chance and they set for the Keg Stand which connects but Bayley saves the match.
Carter then with a corkscrew suicide dive onto Bayley as Chance tries a Victory Roll on Lyra for 2. Lyra then hoists Chance up for Night Wing and Bayley blocks Chance so that’ll do it for those two at around 11:50 total. Michin and B-Fab head down next as we head to break.
B-Fab and Lyra are in the ring as we come back, B-Fab lands a kick for a 2 count. Michin tags in and sort of hits a scoop slam, not sure what that was supposed to be. Enziguri from Lyra then she gags in Bayley.
Bayley unloads on Michin but Michin responds with kicks then a tornado DDT for a 2 count. B-Fab tags in now as Michin grabs a Tarantula to set up a boot from B-Fab. Twisting facebuster from B-Fab and Lyra breaks up the pin.
Michin dives onto Lyra but Bayley avoids a heel kick then lands a Rose Plant to pin B-Fab around 17:33. Only team left is Piper Niven and Alba Fyre, they’ve got Chelsea Green with them. Fyre goes after Bayley and drops her with a superkick.
Piper headbutts down Lyra and the two pose. Fyre follows Bayley out of the ring and rams her into the barricade. Back in the ring Fyre stomps at Bayley.
Piper tags in and Bayley takes a double suplex then a senton from Piper but that only gets a near fall as we get another break. We come back to Bayley getting slammed by Piper then Fyre is slammed onto her by Piper but still only a 2 count. Piper tags in and they try a double suplex but Bayley counters into a double DDT.
Lyra has found an adrenaline rush and wants in, but Bayley has to kick Piper first then Lyra gets the hot tag. Cross body to Piper and Lyra runs wild on her then hits a tornado DDT but hangs on to try a Fisherman’s suplex but Piper counters with a suplex into the corner. Piper sets for a Vader Bomb but Lyra kicks her leg then impressively grabs her for a powerbomb then tags in Bayley who follows with an elbow drop but Piper kicks at 1.
Piper drills Bayley with a Black Hole Slam then tags in Fyre. Fyre cheap shots Lyra then we get their tag finisher of Piper holding Bayley on her knees as Fyre hits a Swanton Bomb but Lyra with a miracle dive to save the match for them. All four women start trading strikes, Bayley to Belly for Fyre then Piper headbutts Lyra.
Lyra low bridges, sort of, a slow moving Piper, leading to them fighting over the ropes and Lyra slides under Piper then tries to powerbomb her on the floor, that stalls but Bayley hits a dropkick to assist and complete the move. Fyre with a superkick to Bayley but can’t keep her down. Bayley tags in Lyra blindly and Bayley spikes Fyre with a Rose Plant then Lyra follows with a guillotine leg drop and that gets the win for them.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Bayley and Lyra Valkyria won in 28:37 Rating: 3 stars Thoughts: A few rough spots at times but this was pretty good overall and letting Bayley and Lyra go wire to wire was a nice way to establish them as a team and therefore a threat to Liv and Raquel. The champs get in the ring and all four women face off. Both Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair are facing disciplinary actions, and Charlotte has been sent home after some viral clip of the two of them having an altercation floated around.
Next a recap of Damian Priest choke slamming Drew McIntyre onto a car windshield from two weeks ago. Those two will have a Sin City Street Fight at WrestleMania. Priest walks in the back, he’ll talk after this break.
Post break we get some WrestleMania rewind moment, this time it’s Hogan vs. Rock from 18 that gets the highlight treatment. After that Damian Priest heads to the ring.
Drew ambushes Priest on the entrance ramp and batters him into the barricade until officials show up to pull them apart. Priest gets helped to the back while Drew heads into the ring. Drew asks if we’re seeing clearly now, he’s still rocking the eyepatch.
Well everyone can see Drew only tells the truth, and all of his actions are justified including dropping Priest. That parasite would never face Drew like a man, well until now that Drew only has one eye at least. Well Drew still accepted their Street Fight with one eye because that’s the kind of guy he is.
This match has been a year in the making, and he’s going to make sure no one forgets what Drew does to Priest at Mania. Oh there’s a little more, his eye is healed and he’s 100% cleared so Priest is 100% screwed at Mania. Priest makes his way back down and lays out security then charges Drew and they brawl into the ring.
Rebound clothesline from Priest then he clotheslines Drew out of the ring. Drew gets rammed into the ring steps but Drew fights back with an eye gouge then gets the ring steps and slam them into Priest’s head. Officials try to separate them but Drew hasn’t had enough and pulls Priest onto the steps and hits a Future Shock DDT on them, that had to suck for Drew to take that.
Drew takes Priest’s cross then heads out. In the back DIY of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa talk with Pretty Deadly about how they were the victims of a conspiracy last week in the loss to the Guns. Kit Wilson and Elton Prince aren’t buying what they’re selling and head out.
The Guns wander over and make fun of DIY for being losers. Next week on Smackdown they get their tag team title shot, well that’s unfortunate that they’re not on Mania. Rey Fenix hype video, now that they have highlights from his match it helps.
After that Berto heads to the ring, Angel and Santos Escobar are with him but they pause on the ramp and head to the back, Berto will be going alone against Fenix after this break. Post break here comes Rey Fenix, thankfully they tuned down the flashing lights a bit because if they kept up like last week someone was going to have a seizure. Match #2: Rey Fenix vs.
Berto Just about 27 minutes between matches. Berto grabs a side headlock, Fenix with a couple of roll up counters then he lands body blows only to run into a clothesline. Chop from Berto then he catches a jumping Fenix but Fenix drags him down and ties him up with a cover for 2.
Kicks from Fenix then Berto lands an enziguri. Corner kick from Berto then Fenix fights back with a back elbow then climbs up top but Berto shoves him to the floor then hits a big dive and we go picture in picture. Some ringside work from Berto then they head back into the ring.
Both men fire chops from their knees but Berto is able to stand and punch down at Fenix. Fenix counters a suplex into a Small Package for 2 then Berto lands a kick to regain control. They head out of the ring again and Berto lands a kick before they go back into the ring.
Berto starts working a surfboard stretch and Fenix eventually fights back up and hits the ropes to land a kick but he gets cut off with a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Fenix with a kick out of the corner as we come back, then he bounces up for a top rope dropkick. Fenix with chops now as he fires up and hits a springboard flying headbutt out of the corner.
Berto to the apron, Fenix bounces up to double stomp him and send him to the floor. Fenix hits the ropes for a lovely corkscrew dive. Back in the ring Fenix with a rolling splash but only a 2 count.
Berto shoves Fenix into a corner and sets him on the top rope then hits a disaster kick for a 2 count. Sit out powerbomb from Berto but only a 2 count again. Berto sets Fenix on the top rope and chops him the climbs up with him but Fenix fights back and hits a springboard avalanche hurricanrana for a near fall.
Kick from Berto but Fenix comes through the ropes with the Tiger Feint wheel kick then gets caught with another sit out powerbomb after some slick reversals from both men but again only 2. Berto heads up top but Fenix blocks his moonsault with a double kick. Fenix with the Goodbye Amigo kick, then a wheel kick in the corner to set up the Mexican Muscle Buster and Fenix wins.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Rey Fenix won in 10:42 Rating: 3.5 stars Thoughts: Fun little 10 minute sprint, Berto is underappreciated a bit and he meshed very well with Fenix here. That’s not surprising but this was pretty good, Fenix might need another finisher to compliment the Mexican Muscle Buster because Berto’s about the biggest guy he’ll be able to hit that on.
Post match Santos Escobar and Angel head down to the ring, Escobar talks with Berto then tells Berto to shake Fenix’s hand which he grudgingly does. Escobar shakes the hand of Fenix as well and they share a few words, Escobar is impressed with Fenix and as a guy who did see those two in Lucha Underground I can’t help but smile. In the back Byron talks with Roxanne Perez, she’s looking for some consideration to replace Charlotte Flair.
Tiffany Stratton comes over and trash talks to Perez and they trade some barbs before Nick Aldis comes out of his office and sees them bickering. Tiffany offers Perez a match tonight, Aldis says he’ll think about it and sends both of them away. After this break we’ll get a recap of the Paul Heyman, CM Punk, Roman Reigns thing from last week.
Post break our video starts, it begins with the history of Heyman and Punk dating back to OVW. That’s cut together with moments from the segment from last week. In the back Chelsea Green talks to a door, she needs Piper Niven and Alba Fyre.
She’s about to go wrestle and needs them. Zelina Vega wanders over and makes fun of her for having to wrestle on her own. Zelina Vega heads to the ring, did they just not play her music? That or it’s impossible to separate her music from the Smackdown house music that was playing.
Anyway that match will be up after this break. Our smoky and black teaser plays again. Chelsea Green is most of the way to the ring.
Match #3: Zelina Vega vs. Chelsea Green Green with a quick kick then some mounted slams. Now Green yells for Piper or Fyre to show up, but they’re not coming.
Dropkick from Green sends Vega out of the ring then she rams her into the barricade. Green drops Vega face first onto the announce table. Back in the ring, wait Green missed the 10 count sending Vega into the ring so that’s the match.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Zelina Vega won via count out in 1:02 Rating: DUD Thoughts: Well that felt like a waste of time. Vega deserved better if she was going to get a slightly awkward win to set up a title shot. In the back Berto sulks a bit but Escobar and Angel walk over and Escobar wants more what he saw in Legado del Fantasma.
He reminds us what Berto said last week, and Escobar is disappointed in Berto then he walks off to find Fenix. Angel leaves with Escobar but shares a moment with Berto before doing so. After a brief promo Andrade is by Berto and talks with him, he tries to gas him up a bit and tells him to keep his head up and be proud of himself as a great wrestler.
Berto tells him to mind his own business. We see a bunch of old versions of the WWE title being set up in the ring for Cody’s promo time after this break. Post break a Naomi video, she calls Jade a snake and an opportunist.
If she hadn’t pushed Jade, well Jade would have pushed her at some point. Without Jade she and Bianca Belair became champions and friends, now Belair wont even look at her. Well no more fake loyalty, Naomi is doing what’s best for her and Jade should proceed with caution.
Jade video, if Naomi thought she could avoid the storm she’s wrong. Jade is pissed, and Naomi’s insecurities led to this. When a star starts to fade they steal shine from anything they can, the glow is fading and Naomi will not be able to stay relevant at Jade’s expense.
Naomi was just jealous of Jade, and at Mania she’s not a rookie and is Naomi’s biggest threat. The storm is coming. We see all the different versions of the WWE title set up around a podium in the ring, and out comes WWE champion Cody Rhodes.
Cody gets a mic after setting his title on the podium in the middle of the display, he plays a bit with the crowd and enjoys some “Cody, Cody Rhodes” singing before telling them they’ve got him a little flustered and that Seattle has always been good to him both in WWE or outside of it. This is the denotation of excellence, the WWE title says you are the best wrestler in the world. He’s blessed to carry it, but he knows it wont always be him.
WrestleMania has become about the right to keep the title in home. It’s about keeping this here, for the next 20 champions whoever they may be. Then there’s one man trying to break that lineage and take all that away, John Cena.
That prompts a bit of a “let’s go Cena, Cena sucks” call and response from the crowd. Cody reminds us that Cena isn’t going to be here, he will bein Vegas for next week though. He brings up Cena calling him a common fan, in no small part because of his tattoo.
Well Cody asks “so what?” He has the ink for the same reason he wears the suit, because he wants to be somebody. He brings up all the other WWE champions, one for each belt iteration, he gets a big “Eddie” chant for that belt, then pauses at the spinner to remind us that Cena carried WWE for 10 years through good and bad times. He considers the spinner belt, he doesn’t think it’s bad, it’s from a man trying to find himself and break the wheel.
Well Cody gets that, it sounds a little familiar in fact, but Cody is WWE champion and Cena isn’t. Cena always teaches, well maybe Cody can teach Cena something just this once. He saw his father struggle with this as a career babyface, the fans can love someone else.
Cody might be the captain here, but there’s a roster full of people the crowd loves and he lists a bunch of them. Now he’s got the task that he must stop history with Cena’s winning the title, and all so he can keep the title here. This is the same thing Cody told Brock and Roman, he’s a wrestler and that’s what he does when backed into a corner.
That bell is going to ring, and when it’s over Cody will leave Cena in the ring to have his moment to say goodbye to the fans. He wont quote Cena’s lyrics at him, Cena already knows his time is up and in the future Cody’s will be as well but the WWE title is timeless and he’ll make sure it stays home, and stays with us. Pretty good promo from Cody there.
Commentary then runs down next Smackdown. Cena will be here, we’ll get the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Zelina Vega will team with Carter and Chance to take on the Green Regime. Also of course the tag team title match between the Street Profits and Motor City Machine Guns, I really wish that had been on Mania.
In the back Byron talks with the Profits about that match next week, they like the Guns but they’ve got the titles. For 20 years they’ve been doing this. Miz and Carmelo Hayes interrupt and talk themselves up.
Dawkins almost breaks at Miz’s silliness but gets it back as Miz brings up how the tag belts should be at Mania. They want the smoke. Ford calms Dawkins a bit and says they can handle them later.
Tiffany Stratton heads to the ring for our next match, which will be up after this break. Post break Roxanne Perez heads to the ring. Match #4: Tiffany Stratton vs.
Roxanne Perez 33 minutes between matches, which is a number I consider unacceptable. They trade shoves then Tiffany pushes Perez down before grabbing a side headlock and dropping her with a shoulder block. Some gymnastics from Tiffany then Perez grabs a roll up for 2.
Side headlock from Perez then she slams Tiffany down by the hair. Slap from Perez, Tiffany smiles and returns it then lands a few arm drags. Suplex from Tiffany.
Another suplex from Tiffany gets a 2 count. Perez rakes the eyes behind the refs back then posts Tiffany and starts to work on her arm. That sends us picture in picture.
Perez continues to work the arm of Tiffany in the ring then hits a Russian legsweep. More arm work from Perez, she’s pretty good about keeping the momentum going even when she’s working a little slower. Hammerlock Northern Lights suplex from Perez then she grabs an armbar.
Tiffany powers her way up and powerbombs her way out of the armbar and both women are down. We come back as Tiffany fires up with clotheslines then the handspring back elbow in the corner. Spinebuster from Tiffany gets a 2 count.
Perez hits an arm drag then gets rolled up for 2 after trying to go for the arm. Pop up slam from Tiffany gets a 2 count. Tiffany misses her rope hip attack then Perez with a palm strike and then pulls Tiffany for a Lionsault but Tiffany blocks it with her knees.
Perez stifles a Prettiest Moonsault Ever and they fight on the ropes until Perez hits an avalanche Russian legsweep then her cartwheel leg drop for a 2 count. Tiffany blocks Pop Rox but Perez avoids the cartwheel Alabama Slam and they trade roll ups before Perez gets the La Mistica into the Crossface. Tiffany crawls to the ropes, then powers up and hits a Finlay Roll then the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Tiffany Stratton won in 9:16 Rating: 3 stars Thoughts: While the outcome was never really in doubt they made it fun along the way. I might have preferred Tiffany looking a little stronger overall but that’s a minor thing, and Perez seems primed for a main roster call up post Mania. Post match Poochie attacks Tiffany.
Some ringside brawling from Charlotte and she tosses Tiffany over the announce desk then gets into it verbally with Wade Barrett briefly before the segment ends and we head to commercial. Dud of a post match angle. Post break commentary hypes up WrestleMania weekend, then we get a recap of the third wheel Seth Rollins and what happened between Smackdown last week and RAW on Monday.
We get confirmation of that triple threat main eventing Saturday, also on Saturday Naomi vs. Jade, New Day vs. War Raiders, Rey Mysterio vs.
El Grande Americano, LA Knight vs. Jacob Fatu, Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair, and Jey Uso vs.
Gunther. Sunday has Bayley and Lyra vs. Liv and Raquel, Drew vs.
Priest, Penta vs. Finn vs. Bron vs.
Dom, AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul, Rhea vs. Belair vs.
Iyo, and of course the real main event of John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes. Randy Orton heads to the ring and we head to break.
Post break here comes LA Knight. Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga follow. Match #5 – Tag Team Match: Randy Orton and LA Knight vs.
Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga Knight and Tama start us off, Tama with a quick attack then he corners Knight and goes after him. Solo tags in and drops Knight with a back elbow. Some corner work from Solo then Knight starts fighting back and sends both men out of the ring then crawls over and tags in Randy to square up with Solo.
Randy with punches then clotheslines and a snap powerslam. Snap powerslam for Tama as well then Solo takes the draping DDT. Randy sets for the RKO on Solo but Tama complicates things and Solo hits a Samoan drop.
Tama dropkicks Knight off the apron and we go picture in picture. On the floor Tama lands a sliding clothesline to Randy before they head back into the ring. Another sliding clothesline from Tama then Solo tags in and they do the Wishbone Splitter spot.
They keep Randy isolated with strikes, then Randy fights back with punches against Solo but tries a headbutt which doesn’t work and Solo the drops him with a headbutt. Come on Randy, you know better than to headbutt a Samoan. Tama tags in and hits a hilo.
Solo back in and grabs a chin lock. Randy tries to tag out as we come back but he’s just a little short and Solo drops him with a right hand. Cheap shot to Knight then Solo grabs another chin lock.
Randy works to escape the chin lock and eventually drops Solo with a back suplex and both men are down. Both men tag out and Knight gets to run wild on Tama as he goes through his usual offensive flurries. Knee strike from Knight then he drops Solo with a jumping neckbreaker.
Pop up powerslam for Tama then Knight with a jumping elbow drop and a 2 count as Solo breaks things up. Solo with a Samoan Spike to Knight but Randy comes in to abuse Solo then drop Tama with an RKO. Randy and Solo start brawling on the floor and they head through the crowd throwing hands.
Back in the ring the ref counts as both men are down, they slowly climb up and Knight hits Blunt Force Trauma to win. OFFICIAL RESULT: Randy Orton and LA Knight won in 8:58 Rating: 2.5 stars Thoughts: Acceptable match but this was more about quickly getting Randy and Solo into proximity with the Owens situation.
Mostly this was just fine but nobody really got out of second gear. Post match a Samoan Werewolf shows up, Fatu levels Knight with a superkick then a senton. Fatu unloads with headbutts then a hip attack.
Double jump moonsault from Fatu, then another one and he briefly poses with the title, then one more double jump moonsault just before the episode ends. 7.0 The final score: review Good The 411 A bit of an up and down show, but there was a fair amount of good stuff.
The opening gauntlet match pretty much meant they only had to write 2 hours of TV and that's probably for the best overall. We did get a long break between matches at one point, which I don't love, and whoever decided on the specifics of how Vega and Green's match went/ended made a grave error. Tiffany and Charlotte continue to just not mesh at all, that's going to be ugly when it comes around.
But the gauntlet match was pretty good, Tiffany and Roxanne Perez was fine, the main event was pretty much what it needed to be, and Cody delivered a solid promo. Also Rey Fenix continues to be very good, and the brewing stuff with him, Andrade, and the Legado crew could produce some quality ring work. We did have a bit of filler, recaps, and other stuff but that's kind of expected this close to a major event.
Overall I'd say this did reach Good. legend 0 - 0.9 Torture 1 - 1.
9 Extremely Horrendous 2 - 2.9 Very Bad 3 - 3.9 Bad 4 - 4.
9 Poor 5 - 5.9 Not So Good 6 - 6.9 Average 7 - 7.
9 Good 8 - 8.9 Very Good 9 - 9.9 Amazing 10 Virtually Perfect.
