Smackdown Live Review 07/31/2018

Hello Misfits. It is time for this weeks Smackdown Live review. Last week we found out who AJ Styles next opponent for the WWE Championship is going to be. This week we’ll see if Samoa Joe will continue to make an impact on the road to Summerslam or will AJ Styles come this week seeking retribution. Becky Lynch was also announced as the number one contender for Carmella’s Smackdown Womens Championship, but what sort of tricks will Carmella have under her sleeve to get past the Irish Lasskicker. The Bar is back and will be facing the Usos this week to continue the tag team tournament. Randy Orton showed a new attitude last week and verbally made his intentions clear. Will we see Jeff Hardy back this week? What role will Nakamura play? Finally, The Miz and Daniel Bryan have finally started acting upon their dislike for each other for the first time since Miz was drafted back to Smackdown Live. Will one of them challenge the other to match at Summerslam? Lets find out.

Smackdown comes to us live from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Flordia.

–  Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves are on commentary.

Becky Lynch and Carmella
Becky Lynch says sometimes when you wait for something you start to think it will never happen. Lynch hasn’t had a shot at the Smackdown Women’s title in a very long time. Lynch push through it and is one step away from reaching her goal. It will be Lynch’s honor to walk into the first ever WWE Women’s PPV as the Smackdown Women’s Champion. Carmella comes out and tells Lynch to calm down because this isn’t what she thinks it is. Carmella says last week Lynch beat her fair and square. Carmella puts over how important Evolution is to everyone. Carmella tells the story of how she was told she would never be more than just a manager. Lynch was on the rise and a part of the Four Horsewomen of NXT. No matter how much Lynch had going on she always had time to give Carmella advice. Carmella says she appreciated it.
Carmella says Lynch was the centerpiece of the women’s division and the WWE Universe loves Lynch. Carmella starts to cry and says most of the WWE Universe doesn’t think Carmella deserves to be champion. Carmella says that she tries to fight back against all the haters on social media but it’s becoming to be too much. Carmella has to put on a brave face and tell herself that she deserves to be here. Carmella tells Lynch that they are going to tear the house down at SummerSlam. Carmella shakes Lynch’s hand. James Ellsworth’s music plays and Carmella attacks Lynch from behind. Carmella sets up a chair in the middle of the ring but before she can DDT Lynch on it Charlotte Flair runs down to the ring and makes the save.
Opinion
This was a solid opening segment. I enjoy how Smackdown Live revolves which angles open the show, rather it being the same one every week. This week it was the women and it worked. They build the arc of this show around this specific angle. I enjoy this style of writing. I’m glad Becky Lynch is the number one contender and she addressed everything she needed too. Carmella played her role perfectly and the sneak attack further explores Carmella’s creative tactics to gain leverage over her opponents. I wasn’t expecting Charlotte to return and kind of felt like it was too soon but I was excited to see her.

– Backstage, Carmella pisses Paige off by remarking that Paige will never be a champion again. Paige tells Carmella that a real champion doesn’t complain they deal with adversity. Paige books Carmella vs Flair later tonight. If Flair wins, Flair will be added to the Women’s title match at SummerSlam.

Tag Team Tournament
The Bar def. The Usos
The New Day come out for commentary during this match. In a competitive match, The Bar defeated the Usos when the Usos attempt the double Uce splash but Cesaro catches Jimmy with a European uppercut and Sheamus puts the knees up on Jey followed by rolling him up for the victory.
The New Day get into the ring after the match to have a stare-down with the Bar as they’ll be opponents next week in the finals.
Opinion
This match was freaking awesome and I am definitely looking forward to them working together more in the future. These two teams have great chemistry and we haven’t seen them face each other often enough to be sick of it. The right team won here. I’m a big fan of both teams and think they carried the tag divisions a lot last year for their respective brands. However, The Bar needed to make an impact because I feel like they haven’t since being drafted to Smackdown. Its time for them to show their dominance on Smackdown.

– Backstage we see Renee Young with Charlotte Flair, asking her about possibly getting the title shot at SummerSlam. Flair says she was just here to help her best friend Becky but she now has this golden opportunity thanks to Carmella. Flair says she didn’t even expect to be at SummerSlam, especially not in a title match. Flair hasn’t forgotten her losses to Carmella but she says The Queen is back and ready to reclaim her throne. Flair does a “Wooooo!” to end the segment.

Samoa Joe
Joe says last week he gave AJ Styles a message in only the way Joe can. Truth be told, Joe respect Styles. Joe respects the fact that Styles has made the WWE title the most prestigious title on the planet. Styles has put being champion in front of everything including being a part of his own family. Joe thinks it funny that last week Styles said he can look at his daughter and tell her she can be anything she wants to be. Joe knows Styles hasn’t been home long enough to look into his daughter’s eye, let alone be a father. Styles has done everything to be champion including failing as a husband and father. Joe is going to take everything from Styles. While everyone is cheering for Styles, Styles knows deep down Styles own family will be cheering for Joe. In the end, Styles will finally be able to be a father to his kids while Joe is the new WWE Champion.
Opinion
This was a great way for storyline development and get heat on Joe. I think it was smart to not have Styles there as it lets them stretch this feud out a bit longer since we’re weeks away from Summerslam. Joe made his intentions clear. This was solid.

Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton
Jeff Hardy says the United States Championship is more than a title to him. It’s his fifth eye. When Hardy lost it he lost a piece of himself. There is nothing more important than beating Shinsuke Nakamura and taking it back. However, beating the hell out Randy Orton is just as important. Hardy demands Orton come out to the ring. Orton walks to the ring. Nakamura attacks Hardy from behind. Nakamura sets up the Kinshasa but Orton stands in Nakamura’s way. Orton backs Nakamura into the corner. Orton tells Nakamura to go on and do it. Nakamura hits the Kinshasa on Hardy.
Orton gets in Nakamura’s face again. Nakamura slowly backs away and leaves the ring. Orton calls for the RKO. Orton double legs Hardy and Gavin stomps Hardy. Orton hangman’s DDTs Hardy. Orton drags Hardy out to the apron and gives him another hangman’s DDT on the floor. Orton puts Hardy on the commentary desk. Orton rips off all of Hardy’s merch. Orton grabs a bottle of water and a paper towel. Orton pours the water on Hardy’s face and wipes off Hardy’s facepaint. Orton leaves with Hardy’s necklace.
Opinion
Orton strikes again on Jeff Hardy with a vicious attack. Shinsuke Nakamura helped this time around but left before Orton had a change of heart by striking him with an RKO. I know eventually this must be leading to a triple threat between the three for the United States Championship but I’m enjoying this slow build. I missed this heel Orton and his aggressiveness that he loses as a babyface. I’m sure in due time, Brother Nero will get his revenge. Oddly enough, it’s Nakamura who is the wild card in all of this.

– Backstage, Lynch says she is happy Flair is back and her match tonight is a golden opportunity. Lynch knows that if Flair wins her chances go down at SummerSlam. Lynch says she isn’t rooting against Flair. She would never root against her best friend.

Zelina Vega w/ Andrade Almas def. Lana
In a quick match, Zelina Vega defeated Lana in her main roster debut match when Aiden English comes to the ring to even the odds as Almas is making his presence known, only to distract Lana allowing Vega to roll her up with a handful of tights for the win.
Opinion
This match both got Zelina Vega her first big singles win on the main roster and further developed the storyline between Rusev, English and Lana. I enjoyed it but I wonder if Almas and Vega will continue to be involved this that angle or move forward to bigger things while Rusev Day sorts out their problems.

– Backstage, The Bludgeon Brother says if Cesaro and Sheamus want to set the bar, the Bludgeon Brother will break it.

– Backstage, English tries to apologize to Lana but she isn’t having any of it and tells him to leave. Rusev runs in and yells for English to come here. English runs away. Rusev says if he was out there that would have never happened to Lana. Lana says she needed Rusev out there tonight and he wasn’t. Lana walks away.

Daniel Bryan/The Miz
Bryan puts over his wife and the WWE Evolution show. The announcement of the show is a huge step forward. Every time they take two steps forward it seems we take two steps back. Bryan shows footage of Miz throwing a baby at him last week. Bryan says watching that bother him. Why? Because for two years Miz taunted him. Miz thought he was safe since Bryan couldn’t wrestle. Then Bryan was cleared. Miz brought his wife and what he thought was Miz’s baby to the ring to create another wall to protect himself from Bryan. Miz knows that if they had a fair fight Bryan would destroy Miz. Bryan tells Miz to come out and prove him wrong. Miz appears on the ‘tron and says if Bryan wants to fight him Bryan has to earn it. Miz says he is on location for his show and if Bryan wants him Bryan needs to call his agent. Miz says the studio provided him with security. Bryan says he doesn’t care.
Bryan is here to fight and Miz is hiding. Miz is a coward. Miz says Bryan is a coward since Bryan walked away last Miz got in his face. Miz says he has been carrying Bryan and Miz made Bryan famous. Bryan tells Miz that Miz’s dream of being a huge Hollywood star is never going to happen. It’s been done before and by better people, Miz will never be the Rock. Hell Miz isn’t even John Cena. Nobody will ever remember Miz a great superstar because Miz is too soft. If Miz needs a big stage, Miz should come face Bryan at SummerSlam. Miz says the YES movement is over and his career is over, and everyone has moved on. Just let your contract expire and leave to entertain people in high school gyms. Just go away, because all these people see a baby when they look at Bryan. We get pics of babies and crying sounds on the screen.
Opinion
This was awesome. No pun intended. These two bring the best out of each other and come off as if they genuinely dislike each other. Their characters have so much history with each other going all the way back to when Bryan was a NXT rookie that I always enjoy it when they’re in an angle together. They both made very strong points and I’m looking forward to the match. There was a ton of hype around it since that Talking Smack incident and I hope it lives up to the hype. Quality wrasslin’ television.

Charlotte Flair def. Carmella
If Charlotte wins this match she is added to the Summerslam Women’s Championship match. In a competitive main event, Charlotte defeated Carmella by making her tap out to the figure eight. Becky Lynch is shown backstage not looking too happy about Charlotte’s victory.
Opinion
This was better than their previous matches. Carmella tried to find ways to overcome the odds in a match she wasn’t ready for. Charlotte was trying to win. I love Charlotte but I sort of feel like her being added to the match takes a bit of the attention away from Becky Lynch. I really would have loved for Lynch to have her own match with Carmella before coming to this triple threat scenario. I expected the long term plan to be Charlotte vs Becky for the Championship but not this soon. I’m sure the match will be a lot better now at Summerslam but I’m still rooting for Becky.

Final Thoughts
Smackdown Live did it again with yet another solid show. All the angles leading to Summerslam were addressed and further developed. Charlotte’s presence was missed and I’m glad she’s back. Orton beating down Hardy is still entertaining. The Bryan and Miz stuff is must-watch television for fans of this modern era who have followed their WWE careers closely. It did feel like there was a lot more talk on this episode than wrestling but I 100% understand why it was necessary. I actually felt like it made the show go by a bit faster and I enjoyed it. Things are really heating up going into Summerslam on Smackdown Live.
Rating – 7.5/10