The SmackDown Files: Welcome To The World Premiere of Rusev's Redemption Song (9-19-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. After Kevin Owens kicked Vince McMahon’s ass last week, did Shane McMahon avenge his father or did he thank Owens for a job well done because the McMahons like to keep their never-ending family feud going like the Energizer Bunny? The answer to this pressing question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        Shane McMahon condemned Kevin Owens for attacking his father and vowed that vengeance would be his during their Hell in a Cell match next month.

·        McMahon’s promo was straightforward and to the point. It was a fine way to start the show, but I expect more sizzle and spice from Owens later tonight.

·        Randy Orton defeated Aiden English with an RKO in midair in a solid match. English got in a fair amount of offense, but he tested fate by going to the middle rope only to get dropped with an RKO out of nowhere.

·        As Orton celebrated the win, Rusev came out to complain about losing to him in 9 seconds at SummerSlam last month. The Bulgarian Brute embarrassed his family and vowed to avenge his country by defeating Orton tonight.

·        The referee rang the bell and the match was on. Orton immediately went for the RKO, but Rusev blocked it and shoved Orton into the direction of English who climbed on the ring apron. Orton knocked English to the floor, but the distraction allowed Rusev to nail The Viper with a Superkick for the win.

·        Rusev’s over the top celebration was awesome. He is a national treasure who should be pushed to the moon. Here’s hoping Rusev and Orton have a match that lasts longer than 30 seconds at the Hell in a Cell PPV because both men are capable of stealing the show if they are given the chance to do so.

·        I am not here for the comedic stylings of Jinder Mahal. That is all…

·        AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin for the United States Championship never got underway because Tye Dillinger got in the ring and clipped Corbin’s right ankle. Dillinger continued to beat up Corbin until WWE officials broke things up.

·        Corbin got back in the ring and tried to call off the match, but Styles nailed him with a forearm before making the Lone Wolf tap out to the Calf Crusher for good measure.

·        It appears that Styles, Dillinger, and Corbin are destined to have a Triple Threat Match for the US Title at HIAC next month. Just a hunch…

·        Charlotte returned to thank the fans for offering the thoughts and prayers to Ric Flair during his recovery from emergency surgery. She talked about making each moment with her dad count when Natalya came out to interrupt.

·        Natalya invited Charlotte to stay in the ring as she held the first annual Celebration of Women Spectacular. She championed women such as Florence Nightingale, Oprah Winfrey, and the competitors from the Mae Young Classic. Most importantly, Nattie wanted to put herself over as being one of the all-time greats.

·        Charlotte had enough of Natalya’s Self-Admiration Society and challenged her to match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Tamina wanted a shot as well which led to Daniel Bryan booking a Fatal Four Way Match featuring the four challengers with the winner going on to face Natalya for the Women’s Title at Hell in a Cell.

·        This was a fine segment to set up the main event for later tonight. Most importantly, the ladies wore appropriate footwear just in case things got physical. Very fashion forward.

·        The New Day defeated The Hype Bros when Big E and Kofi Kingston dropped Zack Ryder with The Midnight Hour for the win. The match was fine, but it was nothing special for the most part.

·        Kevin Owens appeared via satellite and apologized for attacking Vince McMahon last week. However, he blamed Shane McMahon for pushing him to do so. When Owens shook Vince’s hand, all he could see was Shane’s face which caused him to go ballistic.

·        KO offered another apology to anyone who planned to watch his Hell in a Cell match against Shane McMahon next month. What happened to Vince pales in comparison to what Owens intended to do Shane-O-Mac inside the demonic structure. He wouldn’t be condemned to hell. Owens planned to go to heaven as ended his promo on an eerie note.

·        Owens comes off as such a sociopath in the best possible way. Keeping Shane and KO away from each other is smart because the most vicious physicality should be saved for the cell.

·        Dolph Ziggler continued to circle the drain as he mocked Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and DX. I hope Ziggler realizes that HHH and Michaels are more than their ring entrances. They got it done in the ring as well. To whitewash that is beyond asinine. That’s more on the scripting than Ziggler himself, but it’s still infuriating to watch.

·        Charlotte will face Natalya for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell when she defeated Tamina with a Big Boot in a solid Fatal Four Way Match.

·        The match was a little rough around the edges when Tamina was on offense, but things got better once Becky Lynch and Naomi got involved. The highlight of the match was Charlotte hitting a moonsault on Tamina and Naomi at the same time.

·        Tamina recovered and hit Becky Lynch with a frog splash only for Naomi to break up the pin. Lana pulled Naomi out of the ring, but she got nailed with a stiff kick to the head for her efforts.

·        Tamina would avenge her manager by dropping Naomi with a Superkick, but the distraction gave Charlotte enough time to hit the big boot for the win.

·        SD Live went off the air with Charlotte celebrating in the ring while Natalya looked on backstage.

·        Charlotte and Natalya should have a great match at HIAC if they are given enough time to shine. They’ve had good matches on the main roster, but nothing has topped their epic bout that took place at the second NXT Takeover in May 2014. Charlotte has grown by leaps and beyond since then while Natalya is a seasoned vet who has been through the ringer in terms of shitty booking and a stupid farting gimmick that damn near killed her career dead. She deserves a standout match on the main roster and I believe Charlotte is the right woman for the job. Here’s hoping they cut loose and deliver a classic because they have what it takes to steal the show next month. Fingers crossed!

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was serviceable. The blue brand just returned from a tour of China which explains why the show was light on in-ring action. The good news is that most of the matches were storyline driven in order to flesh out the Hell in a Cell card over the next couple of weeks.

·        The PPV is coming together nicely as several mid-card matches are starting to take shape. The absence of Bobby Roode is noticeable, but one can presume that Roode is being kept off television until Dolph Ziggler mocks his Glorious Gimmick which should lead to a match at HIAC.

·        The worst part of the show continues to be Jinder Mahal’s over the top comedy act. The fans turned on him and even did a “That’s Too Far” chant when Mahal continued to make lame stereotypical jokes at Shinsuke Nakamura’s expense. It’s not funny and completely tone deaf at this point. I’m glad the Oakland crowd didn’t at play along because it encourages WWE to keep the shtick going. Despite how bad it was last week, they did it again tonight. One can only hope the company got the hint and stop the madness next week. Then again, Ziggler continues to make an ass of himself on live television. Resistance is futile at this point. A girl can dream, though…

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The SmackDown Files. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be next week with a brand new installment of The Raw Exposé. See you later, boys and girls!

The SmackDown Files: The Fifty Shades of James Ellsworth Edition (9-12-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sin City served as the backdrop for three championship matches featuring AJ Styles vs. Tye Dillinger for the United States Championship, The Usos vs. The New Day facing off in a Sin City Street Fight for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, and Natalya vs. Naomi battling for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Also, Vince McMahon would confront Kevin Owens regarding Owens’ pending lawsuit against WWE after Shane McMahon attacked him last week. Did The Boss lay down the law or did Owens clap back in more ways than one? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        The highlight of the opening segment was Dolph Ziggler trolling the audience as he came out to Shane McMahon’s theme music. Ziggler’s attempt at cosplay sucked last week, but it worked tonight. He gets a reprieve. For now…

·        Kevin Owens cut a great promo heeling on the crowd as he vowed to fire Sami Zayn and cancel the Fashion Files. He’s greatest dig was making Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton wear one suit because they sound alike on commentary. Corey Graves’ facial expressions pushed things over the top in terms of hilarity.

·        Daniel Bryan came out and reminded Owens that he was in charge and informed KO that he wouldn’t like what Vince McMahon had to say later tonight. Owens said the feeling would be mutual as the opening segment came to an end.

·        This was a good way to start the show. Kevin Owens was an excellent prick heel who managed to get under everyone’s skin while WWE played it smart by delaying the appearance of Mr. McMahon until later in the show. Their confrontation should be interesting, to say the least.

·        AJ Styles retained the United States Championship when he made Tye Dillinger tap out to the Calf Crusher in a solid match that was slightly marred by outside interference from Baron Corbin. Styles was about to nail the Perfect 10 with the Phenomenal Forearm when Corbin climbed on the ring apron to cause the distraction. Styles nailed him with the forearm which allowed Dillinger to roll Styles up for a near fall.

·        Styles went for the Styles Clash only for Dillinger to counter with the Tye Breaker for another close fall. Styles managed to regroup and locked in his submission hold for the win.

·        Both men shook hands after the match, but the feel-good moment was ruined when Corbin dragged Styles out of the ring and tossed him over the barricade. Dillinger tried to make the save, but Corbin nailed him with a Clothesline before dropping Styles with the End of Days on the floor.

·        Corbin grabbed the mic and informed an unconscious Styles that he would challenge him for the United States Championship next week as the segment came to an end.

·        Even though Dillinger and Styles were shortchanged on time, the match was good while it lasted. This was a clever way to insert Corbin in the US Title picture, but I still wanted Dillinger and Styles to have a strong television match. I hope they are given another chance in the near future because both men are capable of doing so much more than what we saw tonight.

·        The Good News About Jinder Mahal’s Promo: Mahal showed more personality than ever before on the mic.

·        The Bad News About Jinder Mahal’s Promo: The material he was given sucked for the most part and I’m not a fan of WWE making fun of Shinsuke Nakamura’s facial expressions. The overacting by The Singh Brothers was especially grating which took me out of the segment as well. Plus, the creative team fell into the trap of comparing Nakamura to Michael Jackson in the worst possible way. I hated Dolph’s Ziggler promo from earlier this year when he went on a similar spiel that pissed me off to no end.

·        Furthermore, the Pikachu having a seizure joke was classless. The Singh Brothers doing Nakamura’s mannerisms made it worse. The whole segment irked me even though I somewhat applaud the creative team for giving Mahal a spark of a personality for a change. If he’s given less offensive material, he might actually get over as a pompous heel who draws heat for all the right reasons.

·        The New Day defeated The Usos to become the NEW SmackDown Tag Team Champions when Big E and Kofi Kingston dropped Jimmy Uso with the Midnight Hour for the win. The Sin City Street fight was very good as it featured hard hitting action throughout. If I’m not mistaken, there are no rules in a street fight with the exception of pinning or submitting your opponent. From some strange reason, the referee pulled Kingston away from one of the Usos after hitting him repeatedly with a Kendo Stick. That was weird, but the overall flow of the match wasn’t interrupted for the most part.

·        The Usos nailed Big E with a double Superkick and was about to finish him off with a double splash from the top rope when Kingston shoved Jey Uso off the top rope and sent him crashing into a table that was set up at ringside. It was a sick spot that left Jimmy high and dry. Kingston nailed him with Trouble in Paradise which led to the finish moments later.

·        The title change is a little surprising, but both teams have played hot potato with the belts as of late. One can only presume that their rubber match will take place at Hell in a Cell to blow off this feud once and for all. It should be another barn burner if they are given enough time to shine.

·        Natalya retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship when she made Naomi tap out to the Sharpshooter in a solid match. Both ladies didn’t receive ring entrances which meant the show was running short on time. Nonetheless, both ladies had another competitive match that featured outside interference towards the end.

·        Naomi knocked Natalya out of the ring which led to a confrontation between the champ and Carmella who was sitting in on guest commentary. Nattie shoved Carmella to the floor which allowed lay out Carmella and James Ellsworth with a cross body from the top rope. Natalya took advantage of the situation by slamming Naomi head first into ring post which led to the submission finish.

·        It appears that Naomi is out of the championship picture for now. It should be very interesting to see who's next in line for Natalya’s SmackDown Women’s Title.

·        Remember the reprieve I gave Dolph Ziggler during the beginning of this blog? It’s officially been rescinded. Ziggler came out and imitated Bayley and The Ultimate Warrior in order to show fans that they love a gimmick more than what he can do in the ring. It was a word-for-word replay of what he said last week. Once again, Ziggler’s promo was dumb and pointless. This has to be a setup for a feud with Bobby Roode at Hell in a Cell. Right? Right?!?

·        Chad Gable and Jason Jordan defeated The Hype Bros when Gable and Benjamin dropped Zack Ryder with the Tech Fall. The match was fine, but it was slotted in the 9:30 p.m. Lull Period of Doom and Gloom. Things ended on a newsworthy note when Ryder refused to shake hands with Gable and Jordan. He also gave the cold shoulder to Mojo Rawley which plays into a possible heel turn that has been hinted at in recent months.

·        Vince McMahon told Kevin Owens that it would be in his best interest not to sue WWE because he might end up fired or bankrupt. McMahon informed Owens that he didn’t suspend Shane McMahon because he crossed the line as an authority figure. He suspended him because he didn’t finish the job. Shane would get another chance to avenge the McMahon family when he faces Owens inside Hell in a Cell at the eponymous PPV next month.

·        Owens wanted McMahon’s assurance that he wouldn’t be fired for hurting a McMahon. Vinnie Mac agreed and sealed the deal with a handshake. Owens broke the handshake and head butted Vince in the face moments later. KO stated that The Chairman of the Board gave him permission to beat up a McMahon and he did just that as he kicked Vince’s ass. He kicked him in the ribs before nailing him with a Superkick and Frogsplash from the top rope. Adam Pierce tried to intervene, but he let his boss bite the bullet in an unintentionally hilarious spot.

·        Owens eventually walked away, but Stephanie McMahon confronted him before tending to her father as SD Live went off the air.

·        This was a hot way to end the show. Kevin Owens was a sinister heel as he attacked the man that signed his paycheck every month. Vince McMahon must really like Owens because it’s rare to see him get beat up. McMahon even did a blood job to push the closing segment over the top. I give Vince props for taking bumps at 72. It’s ill-advised, but the boss has the final say.

·        In any event, this adds more heat to the Kevin Owens-Shane McMahon feud leading up to their Hell in a Cell match next month. I am not looking forward to Shane’s Charmin Tissue Paper punches, but Owens should carry him over the finish line by going batshit crazy in the best possible way. It will be quite the spectacle when WWE christens in the new Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, Michigan next month. “Pizza, Pizza!”

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was solid. The Sin City theme gave the show a sense of purpose, but the in-ring work wasn’t as strong as the Wild Card Finals which took place last December. The SmackDown Tag Team Championship match between The Usos and The New Day was the best thing on the broadcast from a wrestling standpoint. The United States and SmackDown Women’s Title matches were hampered by outside interference, but the in-ring action was solid for the most part.

·        The show will be best remembered for Kevin Owens kicking Vince McMahon’s ass. It was a surprising moment that reminded me of Randy Orton punting Vince in the head 8 years ago. Will Owens become a sociopath who destroys the McMahon Family from the inside out? We shall see how it all plays out, but I like how Owens has become more menacing in recent weeks. He’s not cracking jokes in order to get cheered. KO is a cold-hearted bastard who should be despised from the moon and back.

·        Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode, and Randy Orton not being on tonight’s show was a little surprising. Their star power was missed, but should they be back next week as SD Live emanates from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The march towards the Hell in a Cell PPV continues. Here’s hoping the blue brand continues to raise their profile heading into the fall season. Fingers crossed!

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The SmackDown Files. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back next week with a brand new installment of The Raw Exposé. See you later, boys and girls! 

The SmackDown Files: The Concerto of Shinsuke Nakamura Edition (4-4-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to the Post-WrestleMania Installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. This marks the fifth and final day of WrestleMania Madness. Like their red counterpart last night, the blue brand had a few surprises of their own to wrap up WM season.

Also, SD Live have two new champions in the form of Randy Orton as WWE Champion and Naomi as SmackDown Women’s Champion which should push the SmackDown after Mania over the top. Did the company end WM week on a high note or did they go out with a whimper? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt will face off in a House of Horrors Match sometime in the near future. One can only presume that it will take place at Backlash next month. Orton wanted to kick his ass immediately and Wyatt granted his wish by attacking Orton in the ring.

·        Orton got the upper hand but he was pulled out of the ring by a returning Erick Rowan. Luke Harper eventually made the save as Wyatt and Rowan retreated up the ramp.

·        The promo exchange between Orton and Wyatt was nondescript, but it set up Orton and Harper vs. Wyatt and Rowan in a logical way despite Harper and Orton’s contentious history that led to the destruction of The Wyatt Family in the first place. This is the epitome of an unholy alliance.

·        Naomi retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship when she made Alexa Bliss tap out the headscissors crucifix choke for the submission win. The match was solid, but it was almost ruined because Beach Ball Mania was running wild once again. Fortunately, the crowd focused on the action after the balls were confiscated. The international crowd can be a fun bunch, but they get a little carried away at times when it comes to entertaining themselves instead of paying attention to the wrestlers in the ring.

·        Welcome to SD Live, Tye Dillinger!

·        Tye Dillinger scored a Perfect 10 when he defeated Curt Hawkins with the Tye Breaker in a fun showcase match. Let’s hope Dillinger finds success on the main roster because he is a very talented wrestler who can elevate the mid-card scene in a meaningful way.

·        The Miz and Maryse donned their finest John Cena and Nikki Bella gear one more time as they mocked the recently engaged couple. They did a spot-on impersonation, but things took an interesting turn when a violinist appeared on the main stage and played a familiar tune which led to the debut of…

·        Shinsuke Nakamura! Nakamura did his entrance as the fans sang in perfect harmony. Miz and Maryse were wise to leave the ring as Nakamura played to the crowd. It was an awesome moment which indicates that The King of Strong Style is the new top babyface on SD Live while Cena is away on Hollywood business.

·        Baron Corbin defeated Dean Ambrose with the Deep Six in a hard-hitting and competitive Street Fight. To say that Ambrose and Corbin had a better match than the one they had at WrestleMania would be an understatement. The match kept the fans engaged and featured sick table bumps as Corbin tackled Ambrose through a table midway through the bout. Ambrose returned the favor by dropping a flying elbow from the top rope onto Corbin while he was lying on a table at ringside.

·        When Ambrose went up top again, Corbin chucked a chair at Ambrose which set up the finish. It should be noted that the Intercontinental Championship was not on the line. However, the victory puts The Lone Wolf back in title contention.

·        Shane McMahon and AJ Styles buried the hatch. Styles made it clear that he doesn’t want to leave SD Live. Let’s hope The Phenomenal One stays put because he has been a delight to watch on Tuesday nights over the past eight and a half months. Seeing him on Raw would be okay, but he might get lost in the shuffle because the roster is so bloated at the moment. Styles should be front and center and on SD Live. Let’s hope the Powers That Be realizes that as well.

·        Luke Harper and Randy Orton defeated Erick Rowan and Bray Wyatt when Harper kicked Rowan into an RKO for the win. The match was decent, but it dragged when Harper was isolated from Orton during a large chunk of the bout. Orton eventually made the hot tag and was about to take out Wyatt when the lights went out in the arena.

·        When the lights came back on, Wyatt was sitting on the ramp laughing at Orton for no apparent reason. I guess he wanted Rowan to eat the pinfall in order to fight another day on his terms. Wyatt’s game of hocus pocus led to the aforementioned finish as the show went off the air with Orton and Harper standing tall.

·        This was a solid way to end the show. The House of Horrors match was hyped on commentary and it should be interesting see what happens next since there is a lot of downtime before Backlash. The Shark should remain on standby because I have a feeling Orton and Wyatt are going to jump over it like an Olympic Hurdler for the next six weeks…

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was solid. The first SD Live after WrestleMania had its own surprises as Tye Dillinger and Shinsuke Nakamura made their long-awaited main roster debuts. They were over with the crowd and it should be interesting to see how they are integrated into the blue brand once the Superstar Shakeup is complete.

·        The Tag Team Division was MIA once again which is becoming the new normal for all the wrong reasons. The Usos are the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions, but they have been rewarded with little to no airtime as of late. American Alpha are colder than a dead fish and the rest of the division is a hot mess. Let’s hope SD Live replenish the cupboards because this is the sleepiest division in WWE.

·        The creative team is currently in wait-and-see mode until the WWE Free Agency period is over. The landscape will be different, but I don’t expect a seismic shift because the key storylines seem to be intact for the time being. We shall see if my theory checks out next week. Fingers crossed!

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The SmackDown Files. I hope you enjoyed it and I will back next week with a brand new installment of The Raw Exposé. See you later, boys and girls!