Smackdown Review 05/15/2020
Smackdown Review 05/15/2020
Hello! Welcome back to this weeks Smackdown review. Tonight’s show coming to us from the WWE performance center is sure to be very interesting considering all of the wild news of this past week. For starters, it was announced that Sami Zayn is unable to compete and the intercontinental championship is now vacant. A tournament to crown a new champion will start tonight. It was also announced this week that NXT Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair will be making her Smackdown return tonight. And if that wasn’t enough, Miz will host Miz TV with the brand new Mr. Money In The Bank, Otis. All that and more, so let’s get into it!
Live from the WWE Performance Center
Miz TV w/ Otis
We kick things off with a recap highlight package of this past weeks money in the bank pay-per-view. This leads us right into Miz TV with Otis. Things are off to a great start when Otis tries to sit down and breaks the chair. So, he just stands pretty funny. Morrison asks what Otis has in his briefcase, he says the contract, and some medicine, and a brat in case he gets hungry, because of course Otis has meat in his briefcase. Miz and Morrison run down Otis, showing him pictures of his childhood. Miz talks about how shocked he is that Otis won, and he has a problem with Otis winning without actually climbing the ladder. Miz is seemingly so frustrated, he tells Otis to bring Tucker out here so they can have a tag team match. Otis tells him Tucker isn’t here tonight, so, Miz tells him to find anyone else and have a partner by the end of the show. The match is on.
My Thoughts
Short segment to set up a match for later on, but it was pretty funny and enjoyable. Otis with the briefcase is a sight to behold.
⁃ Cole & Corey run down the bracket for the Intercontinental Title. The first round matches are: Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak, Elias vs King Corbin, Jeff Hardy vs Sheamus, AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura. Pretty great lineup. They mention how Styles is in this tournament per request to chase after the one title he’s never held. The tournament starts next.
Elias vs. King Corbin
The match starts off hot with Corbin going right at Elias trying to get a quick win, but Elias wouldn’t let that happen so easily. Elias tried to fight back but Corbin shut him down and slowed the match down to his pace. Corbin locked in various different holds really working on the left arm of Elias, who eventually broke out and fought back, but was once again shut down. Corbin then found Elias’ guitar and started playing it, which pissed off Elias and fired him up. Elias slammed Corbin into the steel steps, followed by the barricade multiple times. He doesn’t play about his guitar. We come back from commercial break to see Elias still in control. Elias tried to go up to the top rope, but failed when Corbin tripped him up and knocked him down to the floor. From there, Corbin was just all over Elias, and seemingly just having his way here in this match, but, also getting frustrated because Elias wouldn’t stay down. A little misstep by Corbin let Elias gain a short stint of control in this match, but eventually would go back to being all Corbin. Cole even alluded to Corbin beating Elias into submission, which is quite possible seeing as he’s just dominating this match. Then, after a big chokeslam, Elias still wouldn’t stay down. A frustrated Corbin grabbed Elias’ guitar again and smashed it against the ring post. Corbin’s antics cost him though, because when he went back into the ring, Elias jumped up with a knee strike, followed by a roll up for the win. Elias advances in the tournament.
My Thoughts
The match was pretty solid, so much Corbin in the drivers seat though, but it really wasn’t a bad match. Enjoyable.
– Bryan vs Gulak was announced for later on tonight.
⁃ We see Otis backstage, he approaches Sheamus about being his partner for later tonight, but Sheamus says no. The search continues.
⁃ Otis is then approached by Mandy, who tells him to go ask Braun to be his partner, he then runs off to find him.
⁃ We see an “about her” promo from the mystery man hacker behind the hood. He says that he hears and sees everything and no one is safe.
⁃ Otis finds Braun and approaches him about being his partner. Braun asked him if he wants him to be his partner, or does he want him just to be in the ring so he can cash in on him. Otis says he just needs a partner. Braun replies by telling him that he respects him asking, so he will think about it.
Naomi vs. Dana Brooke
For the first time in a while, the match starts off with a good old fashion lock up, with Naomi getting the best of it. She works Dana Brooke over with some holds before Dana starts to fight back, Dana gets Naomi in the corner and hits a big handspring back elbow. She tried for it again, but Naomi had it scouted and kicked her down. Naomi took control with a big cross body, and then tried to follow it up with a roll up, but Dana reversed it into a pin of her own and got the win. Dana has beaten Naomi again.
My Thoughts
very, very short match. About two or three minutes at the most, and i really thought this would be Naomi’s redemption win after losing to Dana a few weeks back, but I was wrong. Dana wins again, leaving Naomi seemingly frustrated. I guess we will see where that goes. Not much to say since it was so short.
⁃ We take a look back at Becky Lynch’s announcement from Raw.
Charlotte Flair Appearance
Charlotte is out next, she says that she’s on all three brands because she’s in demand. She boosts up all of her accomplishments, in the middle of this, she was interrupted by Bayley and Sasha. Bayley starts off by mocking Charlotte’s accomplishments, then tells her that the last time she saw Charlotte, she beat her for the championship. Bayley starts hyping up her own accomplishments and tells Charlotte to go back to Raw or NXT because this is her show. Charlotte tells her that the only reason she is relevant is because Sasha made her. Charlotte tried to talk to Sasha about how she helped Bayley, but Bayley wouldn’t let sasha talk, and wouldn’t let Charlotte finish. She blurted out that she wants to fight and challenges Charlotte to a match. Charlotte agreed, but then asked Sasha if she will keep being Bayley’s lackey, or will she be her own women. She woo’s and leaves. Not sure when that match will happen, maybe next week, we will see.
⁃ Braun is backstage still thinking over Otis’s offer.
⁃ The Forgotten Sons cut a promo backstage about how they fought for this country, but upon return home, they were shunned. And since they weren’t welcomed home, they’ll welcome everyone with closed fists.
⁃ Renee Young interviewed Miz and Morrison backstage, she asks if they think that Braun will accept Otis’s offer, they say that Braun is dumb, but not that dumb. They don’t think he will accept.
Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak
Right from the start this is exactly what you’d expect it to be. A technical encounter that saw both men exchanging holds back and forth, with no man truly getting the real advantage. That was until Gulak back suplexed Bryan over the top rope, causing him to smack his head on the apron and he was laid out on the floor. As we come back, Gulak is in control, working Bryan over in holds, but Bryan tries to fight out, when he does, Gulak catches him again with a brutal looking Michinoku driver, but it wasn’t enough to finish Daniel. The best part about this is that they never let up. Bryan kicked out, but Gulak was right on him again, just like a hawk. Just fantastic work here from both men as Bryan starts to fight back and catches Gulak in a nasty Suplex, which was the beginning of the end for Gulak. He tries to fight back, but Bryan hits a big dragon screw leg whip, followed by a heel hook and makes Gulak tap. Bryan advances in the tournament.
After the match, Renee interviews Bryan about his win, he says that when he retired he gave up the intercontinental championship, and never lost it, so he wants it back. And he wants the title to again represent the best wrestler in wwe, which he thinks is him, and he will defend it every week. Sounds good to me!
My Thoughts
Fantastic match, I’m really bias about this style because it’s my favorite, but they really did tear it up tonight. Bryan advances and is seemingly a big favorite to win this whole tournament. We will see who he wrestles in round two next week.
⁃ Bayley vs Charlotte is official for next week, as well as Nakamura vs Styles and Hardy vs Sheamus from the tournament, and lastly, mixed tag action with Otis and Mandy vs Ziggler and Sonya.
⁃ Sonya cuts a promo on Mandy backstage telling her that next week she’s going to destroy her like she did last week. She said she will ruin her life, and she’s just getting started. She will she her next week.
The Miz & John Morrison vs. Otis & Braun Strowman
Morrison and Otis kicked off the match as the legal men. Morrison tried to get the advantage from the start but continued to get out powered by the big man. Morrison though, found some success with some kicks, but it ended up just infuriating Otis, who beat him down until he made the tag to Braun. Braun and Otis did a double caterpillar to Morrison, which was hilarious because Braun couldn’t do the worm to save his life. But, the big double elbow drop was successful and left Morrison scrambling to the outside for a breather. We come back from a commercial to Miz having Otis in a head lock, then followed it up by pushing him in the corner to hit the it kicks. Corner clothesline followed by a axe handle took Otis off of his feet. Miz stayed on top of him and tagged in Morrison, they tried for a double Suplex, but it failed and Otis hit a Suplex of his own, followed by a tag to Braun, who came in on fire. Braun runs through both of his opponents, but was stopped in his tracks when Miz moves and Braun ran straight into the ring post. But, the adversity for Braun didn’t last long, Morrison tagged in and tried to chop the champion down with some kicks and punches, but when John went for a running attack, Braun reverses it with a power slam and got the win for his team.
Mandy Rose came out post match and tried to distract Braun for Otis to cash in, but Braun caught him. Otis said it was just for a laugh. Braun lets him go and they celebrate the win to end the show.
My Thoughts
Decent main event, nothing really eye catching besides Braun hitting that horrendous worm, which was hilarious, but besides that, average match. Otis teasing a cash in at the end was cool, and makes me think Mandy will eventually cost him the money in the bank some how, seeing as she tried to get involved tonight. We will see where this ends up.
Overall Thoughts
Not too bad of a show tonight. Smackdown has had some questionable shows in recent weeks but tonight wasn’t too bad. The intercontinental championship tournament should give us at least two solid matches a week, and is a plus for good television wrestling. Next week we have Charlotte vs Bayley which should be interesting, especially with how Sasha will react to Charlotte’s comments on her tonight. Plus, finally we get the mixed tag match between Otis, Mandy, Sonya and Dolph, which feels like it should’ve happened ages ago. So, a solid show tonight and high hopes for next weeks show, hopefully it lives up to the anticipation. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week!
