Smackdown Live Review 05/21/2019

Live from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island  

This episode of SmackDown Live comes to us live from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, just two days removed from a chaotic Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View event this past Sunday. Already announced for the show is a New Day Celebration as Big E makes his SmackDown Live return after injury just forty eight hours after Kofi Kingston retained the WWE Championship against Kevin Owens. Also in store, Roman Reigns gets a Money in the Bank rematch against Elias in a one on one.

Opening (Backstage) Segment – Shane McMahon and Elias
To open the show, Shane McMahon is seen on the phone, handling a business call. However, he is interrupted by Elias, who apologizes for his loss at Money in the Bank. He states that he will be in Shane’s corner for his match against Roman Reigns at Super Showdown. Shane denies the offer but offers to be in his corner for his match tonight.

Opening Segment – The New Day Celebration featuring Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods come out and start the show. Xavier Woods then ask for a drumroll. While we think that Big E is underneath the black drape, it is revealed that an imposter was underneath. After Kofi and Xavier kick him out, they then introduce THE REAL BIG E. Big E appears and embrace audience members as a sign of a welcome back. The Providence crowd welcomes back E. Big E then requests Kofi Kingston to smell his armpit and says how it has been awesome to be back.  He also wants to tweet out in celebration but Woods warns him to not tweet about Becky Lynch’s mom. Woods also states that tonight is not only about retaining against KO but about the return of Big E. Kevin Owens appears to ruin the celebration. Sami Zayn also appears in aid of Owens. Zayn then asks Owens how ridiculous this celebration is and claims that he got nothing when he returned after nine months. Big E states that Zayn will receive nothing tonight against Kofi as did Kevin Owens at Money in the Bank. Kevin then leaves. Sami Zayn then holds both microphones and states that the New Day are manipulating the WWE Universe, not realizing the toxic environment they have created for themselves. Woods then interrupts Zayn with the playing of his trombone. Zayn then makes a bold statement that the night will not end in fun for The New Day. Kofi responds by saying that he will walk through Zayn and on his own two feet.
My Thoughts:
I do not know what makes a celebration better than seeing Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens side by side! Aside from my bias opinion, the New Day Celebration was your typical segment for The New Day as we established some comedic fun mixed with a pretty, damn well promo by Kofi Kingston. Although I argue that Kofi Kingston does not exemplify what a WWE champion is based on his past promos and his matches despite his great title defense against Sami Zayn, he has proved to me that he is becoming a good babyface champion. However, I do love how they have been developing Sami Zayn as of late. As a heel, you can never count out The Underdog from The Underground to not deliver a phenomenal promo. I mean, Sami Two Mics? Genius! I really can see Sami as a huge contender for the WWE Championship. Hope the match does not disappoint.

Backstage Segment – R-truth and Carmella
Carmella looks for R-Truth backstage where multiple superstars are looking for him. R-Truth is revealed to be in disguise, hiding against all competitors. Truth then asks Carmella for help and the two run off screen.

Match #1: Ali vs. Andrade (with Zelina Vega)
After WWE referee Charles Robinson calls for the bell, Ali and Andrade lock up. After a Irish-whip from Ali to the rope, Andrade hits the vintage Tranquillo pose in mockery of Ali. After sending Andrade to the outside, Ali then kicks the life out of his chest. It is not long until Andrade takes control. That does not last long as Ali reverses the momentum into a reverse hurricanrana for a two count pinfall. While Ali elbows El Idolo’s teeth back to his throat, that gets Robinson distracted enough for Ali to get side stepped and is caught in mid air by a dropkick from Andrade to take us into commercial break. Coming back, Ali hits a Tornado DDT on Andrade, which causes Andrade to roll out to ringside. Seeing the opportunity, Ali hits two springboard attacks consecutively (one being a suicide dive and the other being a senton bomb). After rolling Andrade back into the ring, Ali slips up and is pushed into the barricade. Ali makes the 10 count but Andrade starts to go to work. He then hits the Two Amigos, followed by a scoop slam onto the turnbuckle. He then sends Ali running into the barricade. He then hits Ali with a slam onto the ringpost and thrown into the timekeeper’s area. Ali manages to beat the ten count once again. Andrade hits a running double knees to the back of Ali’s head and somehow, only manages to get a two count. While Andrade is frustrated on what to do to put Ali away, Ali rolls him up and gets the win.
Result: Ali via pinfall
My Thoughts:
I NEED MORE ALI AND ANDRADE MATCHES!!! I will be honest with you all. Although we have had very few matches involving Andrade and Ali, I petition after watching this match, that we get more of these two going at it! You look at the abilities that both men carry and it is absolutely unreal. Now I don’t know if it is just Andrade has tremendous match chemistry with every single superstar he faces or if lightning can strike multiple times, but Andrade can do it all. Ali has transitioned amazingly from 205 to SmackDown Live! His athletic abilities are unmatched and I love the fact that these two are facing off. To me, this is a dream match come true.

Match #2: Mandy Rose (with Sonya Deville) vs. Carmella (with R-Truth)
The bell rings and Carmella goes all out on Mandy Rose. Sonya Deville pulls out God’s Greatest Creation and Carmella pulls Mandy back in. Carmella beats up Sonya in the ring and continues the assault on Mandy, kicking her in the face. However, out of nowhere, multiple SmackDown Live superstars run to the ring and chase R-Truth out of the arena. The match is then marked no contest.
Result: No Contest
My Thoughts:
I do not have a lot to say about this match at all. This was simply a filler match for R-Truth just to run away in agony, trying to protect himself from the WWE roster. Why can’t we develop Carmella into the Women’s Champion she was once before this time last year? She was the first and only, two time Ms. Money In The Bank and cashed in two nights after WrestleMania. Plus, what about this storyline with Fire and Desire? Are we seeing the end of this catastrophic duo and actually let both women develop their singles careers respectively? The fact that this match was made as apart of the new 24/7 championship introduced last night on Raw makes me disgusted.

Backstage Interview – Kayla Braxton and Bayley
Kayla Braxton is seen backstage, interviewing the new SmackDown Live Women’s Champion. Braxton then asks Bayley what the difference is between Bayley “The Hugger” versus Bayley “The Champion”. Bayley responds by saying that she created her own moment by cashing in her Money in the Bank contract against Charlotte Flair. She is open to all challengers from the SmackDown Live Women’s Division.

Match #3: Kofi Kingston vs. Sami Zayn – Non WWE Title Match
Kofi Kingston starts the match going all out against Sami Zayn. However, Zayn finds a loophole in all the frustration from the attack on Big E backstage from the hands of Kevin Owens and sends him over the top rope. He then goes to work on the WWE Champion. However, Kingston comes back and hits a huge dropkick on Zayn to send him rolling to ringside and into our first commercial break of the match. After a brief break, Sami and Kofi are seen battling on the top rope. However, it is Zayn who wins that battle and hits the superplex off the top rope. Kofi Kingston then comes back and knocks Sami on his back. Kofi sets up for Trouble In Paradise and hits it the second time for the win. Post match, Paul Heyman appears with the Money in the Bank briefcase to distract Kingston, having us believe that Brock Lesnar was in attendance. Instead, we get a returning Dolph Ziggler attack the WWE Champion. He then wraps a chair around Kofi’s head and throws him against the announcer’s table. After the attack, Kofi Kingston is carried out in a stretcher by medical staff but he still stands and manages to walk on his own two feet.
Result: Kofi Kingston via pinfall
My Thoughts:
Before I get into everything, I found it very interesting to see Paul Heyman appear with the Money in the Bank briefcase. He has now got into the head of both WWE and Universal champions and having him come out in tease of The Beast was amazing heel work. Complain about it to me all you want but there is no doubt that Sami and Kofi can put on a classic match with each other. Although it confused me a bit to see Dolph Ziggler return from the darkness and shadows, seeing Sami put on a killer match with the WWE Champion really opened my eyes on the WWE Championship. Going to the Ziggler attack, I loved it. This badass Ziggler is what was needed after a successful defense at Money in the Bank. Of course, I think it should have been Kevin who should have done this, having Ziggles is not a bad idea either. With this, I hope this opens up the gate for The Show Off to actually become WWE champion! It has been way too long since Dolph got a WWE Championship opportunity and a good storyline with it. My only wish is that this turns out to be a phenomenal storyline.

Match #4: Lacey Evans and Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch and Bayley
After a brief intermission before the match starts, we see Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch square off. Although we do joke that this may be the one thousandth time the fans have seen them face each other, it is still great to see them compete. Bayley tags herself in and runs Charlotte’s face into the turnbuckle. However, it is The Queen who takes control with vicious boot strikes. Lacey Evans is tagged in and goes ham on the new SmackDown Women’s Champion. Flair is tagged back in and we get a series of mudhole stomps. Bayley knocks Flair over the top rope and reaches for a tag to an open Becky Lynch but Flair pulls her down. This starts a series of double team moves from both Evans and Flair. Bayley drops a clothesline to knock down Flair. Becky is then tagged in and hits Flair with a flying dropkick. The Man takes out Evans and hits Flair with a flying forearm. However, Flair comes back with a big boot. While applying the Dis-Arm-Her, Lacey Evans hits The Women’s Right to Becky, which causes Bayley to tag in. Bayley rolls up Charlotte Flair for the win.
Result: Bayley (with the pinfall) and Becky Lynch
My Thoughts:
I love the interaction between two of the top champions in the WWE right now. The fact that the two champs are having altercations, trying to one up each other gets me excited for the future of both brands’ women’s divisions. Although you can argue that having the Raw Women’s Champion and Lacey Evans as apart of the Wild Card Rule is making continuity obsolete, the fact that these four women are highlighting their talents is phenomenal. Even if I love to see Becky on SmackDown, I hope we can keep the Raw Women on Raw and have the SmackDown Women’s Division build and become the great division I know it will be.

Backstage Segment – R-Truth, Jinder Mahal, The B-Team (Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas)
As R-Truth and Carmella are in pursuit of escaping with the WWE 24/7 Championship, Jinder Mahal comes from behind and attempts a rollup but is only good for a two count. Transitioning into the parking lot, The B-Team’s Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas trap R-Truth. Dallas attempts a pinfall but Axel breaks it up. Truth manages to escape with Carmella with the 24/7 title in hands.

Backstage Interview/In-Ring Promo – Sarah Schreiber and Dolph Ziggler
Sarah Schreiber attempts to interview a returning Dolph Ziggler. She then asks him why he attacked Kofi earlier in the night. Ziggler explains that he will not give the answer to Schreiber but to the fans. He walks to the entrance ramp and gets a roar of boos. He then explains that the WWE Universe admires and respects Kofi Kingston instead of him, reason why he attacked him. He then states that at WWE Super Show Down in Saudi Arabia that he will beat Kofi for the WWE Championship and the WWE Universe will respect him.
My Thoughts:
This just proved to me and the entire world that Dolph Ziggler is going in the right direction within his return. Challenging Kofi at Super Show Down for the WWE Championship? I think to some it may seem like a suicide mission but I really think that he has the potential to be a great heel champion to take the gold from Kingston. The way that The Show Off carried himself throughout that whole promo was serious. No gimmicks, no cockiness. This to me gave me the vibe of SummerSlam 2016 where he challenged Ambrose for the title. Only this time, I believe he will become victorious at SaudiMania.

Match #5 – Main Event: Elias (with Shane McMahon) vs. Roman Reigns
Before the match begins, Shane McMahon appears and announces Elias as the greatest acquisition in SmackDown history before going into commercial break. Coming back, the bell rings and The Big Dog hits two uppercuts on Elias that sends him to ringside. After a jab and a superman superkick, Roman Reigns sends Elias back to the ring. While Shane McMahon distracts Roman, Elias hits a low blow to take advantage. Roman is then sent to the outside and is hit with a running knee strike to take us into commercial break number two. Coming back once again, Reigns hits multiple flying clotheslines and a fury of clotheslines. As he sets up for the spear, Shane distracts him once again, which gives Elias the momentum. However, Roman sets up Elias for a Super Samoan Drop from the top rope. Elias reverses and hits a switching spinning sit-out powerbomb for a unsuccessful pin attempt. Both men exchange blows back and forth. Roman finally hits a superman punch. McMahon pulls Elias’s leg onto the rope to screw Roman. Reigns hits Shane with a superman dropkick. Elias takes advantage again and hits a Diving Elbow Drop for another two count. Shane distracts the official and hands Elias his guitar. Roman hits a spear to stop him and gain the victory. McMahon attacks him post match and attempts to hit Roman with the guitar but Roman finds a way through the pain and teases Shane with the guitar. Drew McIntyre comes from out of nowhere and hits the Claymore on Roman to end the show.
Result: Roman Reigns via pinfall
My Thoughts:
GIVE ME DREW MCINTYRE EVERY SINGLE WEEK, ALL SEVEN DAYS OF THE WEEK!!! I do not give a care in the world on what anyone else says. Giving me Drew McIntyre standing tall for two straight nights in a row is a blessing within itself. The Scottish Psychopath deserves the spotlight after all these years of kicking ass and taking names. True, fans will argue that it is annoying to see him over and over again. But to be honest, seeing him more and more only means that WWE Creative is confident enough to put him in the championship picture soon enough. Having him attack Roman was the perfect way to establish himself as a top monster heel, who is unstoppable. Talking about the Money in the Bank rematch, I did not see any difference between that match and the one from Sunday, other than the Shane interference. Having Shane in this match made things interesting, though I wish Elias would have won so he could be taken as a serious threat as The Drifter. But with huge offense from The Big Dog all match, it only is appropriate to say that this was just a tune up fight for The Big Dog and his match with McMahon at Super Show Down. I really hope that Elias can be taken more seriously, especially within the title picture. Unless he pulls a Bray Wyatt in 2017 and somehow win the WWE Championship, I do not see a bright future from the same man who gets over on a concert rather than a match.

Final Thoughts:
Before I do my final review of this week’s episode of SmackDown Live, I would like to apologize in advance for my absence as of late. Sadly, I have been dealing with issues within my profession as well as academically. However, I was able to get a review for you all, who I consider family, and end the college semester on a great note! When it comes to this edition of SmackDown Live, I was very much impressed about how the show has stepped up its game since the last time I reviewed it. Yes, the wild card rule has been going down the drain as of late but you cannot argue that the appearances of Sami Zayn, Drew McIntyre, Becky Lynch, and Lacey Evans proved to be nothing more than awesome. Giving Sami Zayn the opportunity to master the microphone and having Dolph spread his darkened wings were great additions to make Tuesday nights on the USA Network, must-see! Not only that but quick shout out to Kofi Kingston for standing on his two feet after that attack from Ziggler and putting on a classic with Zayn. Seeing the top champs of Raw and SmackDown’s women’s divisions team up was really something to see, especially knowing that the possibility of having a double titleholder again is possible. From start to bottom, minus the 24/7 segment, I think SmackDown is on the right track in getting me hyped for Super Show Down, though it is most likely that I will miss it due to being asleep. If SmackDown can manage to produce these top quality episodes these next few weeks, I can be confident enough to say that fans should skip Monday wrestling and watch the most must see live show on the planet each and every Tuesday night! Until next week, I wish you all a great one. Thank you all for the tremendous support and outrageous passion for professional wrestling! Just like Captain Charisma himself (Christian), I hope you always follow your passion and never stop going after what you want or love.