The SmackDown Files: The Go To Sleep Edition (1-16-2018)

By: Keila Cash

Date: 1-16-2018

Location: The Laredo Energy Center in Laredo, Texas

Sleep Mantra: "Enter Sandman" by Metallica

Dream Mantra: “The View from Hell is Blue Sky”

·        Jinder Mahal advanced to the finals of the United States Tournament when he defeated Xavier Woods with the Khallas in a solid match. Mahal dominated 85% of the action which didn’t make for exciting television. Woods made a nice babyface comeback, but the outcome was never in doubt. Outside of The New Day rolling their R’s when it came to pronouncing the word Maharaja, this was an uneventful way to start the show.

·        Bobby Roode advanced to the finals of the United States Tournament when he defeated Mojo Rawley with the Glorious DDT in a solid match. Once again, the heel was in control until the babyface made the comeback down the stretch. Rawley needs to add variety to his in-ring game, but he held his own against Roode for the most part.

·        After the match was over, The Singh Brothers attacked Roode from behind as a way to soften him up before his US Title Match against Jinder Mahal next week.

·        Mahal appeared on the main stage to gloat, but Roode didn’t want to wait until next week to face the modern-day Maharaja. Mahal scoffed at the notion because he was the one who determines the time and place to fight.

·        Danial Bryan came out to remind Mahal that he was in charge by booking Mahal vs. Roode for the US Title later tonight. The finals were bumped from the Rumble to next week to tonight in less than 24 hours. Best laid plans, be damned! At least the fans popped huge for the announcement.

·        The Riott Squad defeated Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Naomi when Liv Morgan nailed Naomi with a double knee facebreaker for the win. The match was decent as Lynch played the babyface in peril until she made the hot tag to Naomi.

·        Naomi had the match won when Ruby Riott kicked her in the face behind the referee’s back which led to the finish moments later. This was a nice way for the heels to build momentum leading up to the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match in a couple of weeks.

·        Bobby Roode is the NEW United States Champion when he defeated Jinder Mahal with the Glorious DDT in an okay match. The match was fine for the most part, but I was distracted by Roode and Mahal wearing the same color scheme. It was all blue everything from their trunks right down to the kneepads. Batista (AKA Bluetista) must be smiling from ear to ear.

·        Mahal dominated most of the action which damn near put me to sleep. Thankfully, Roode scored the pin which ended things on a high note. Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan presented the Glorious One with the United States Championship as SD Live went off the air with Roode celebrating in the ring.

·        The ending was a little surprising because I thought Mahal had the mid-card scene on lock after losing the WWE Title last November. Therefore, I am pleasantly surprised that Roode won his first major championship on the main roster.

·        He’s still miscast as a babyface, but the pickings are slim when it comes to viable challengers at the moment. Here’s hoping business picks up after the Royal Rumble because there is a lot of downtime between now and Fastlane which takes place in March.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was boring. The in-ring action left a lot to be desired. Jinder Mahal wrestling TWICE in one night didn’t help matters, but Bobby Roode made everything better in the end.

·        The show lacked star power as the broadcast was filled with pre-taped segments and backstage promos from AJ Styles and The Usos. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were MIA while the power struggle between Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan ceased for one night. It seemed as if WWE was doing some extra event planning for Raw 25 which might explain why tonight’s broadcast seemed thrown together on a whim.

·        This was by far the worst episode of SD Live since the 2016 reboot. It wasn’t dog shit terrible, but it was a chore to watch. Let’s hope next week’s go-home show from Washington D.C. is better because this was a piss poor effort from the E tonight.

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 Let Go My Uggo Edition (10-31-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to the Halloween Edition of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Daniel Bryan found himself in the middle of Brand Wars 2017 as he tried to broker a peace deal with Kurt Angle last night on Raw. Angle didn’t bite as he gave Kane the ok to chokeslam Bryan straight to hell in the proverbial sense. How did Shane-O-Mac respond to Angle’s counterattack as the march towards Survivor Series continues? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        Shane McMahon delivered an impassioned rah-rah speech about how SD Live was always viewed as the lesser brand in the WWE hierarchy. Despite going live and appointing Daniel Bryan as General Manager, the blue brand was still viewed as an inferior product. In order to change that perception, McMahon held a team meeting and formulated the perfect plan to invade Raw last week.

·        Kurt Angle retaliated by luring Daniel Bryan in a trap which resulted in Kane chokeslamming Bryan in Angle’s office while the lights were turned off. Shane vowed to make Raw pay by naming himself the team captain for the Men’s Traditional Interbrand 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match as the opening segment came to an end.

·        This was a fine way to start the show. Shane McMahon had the crowd in the palm of his hand during his promo. When the “Under Siege” hashtag gains traction amongst fans, WWE must be doing something right when it comes to the promotion of this year’s Survivor Series. I can’t knock the hustle when the company’s marketing strategy is clicking with the masses.

·        Bobby Roode defeated Dolph Ziggler with the Glorious DDT to secure a spot on Team SD Live at Survivor Series. The 2 out of 3 falls match between Roode and Ziggler was good. This was Roode’s best showing since his debut a couple of months ago. Ziggler stepped up his in-ring game which was nice to see as well. His gimmick still sucks, but I digress…

·        Sin Cara and Baron Corbin’s latest match ended via No Contest after Sin Cara tackled Corbin over the announce table and continued to kick his ass after the referee tried to restore order. Corbin disrespected Sin Cara when he attempted to rip his mask off several times during the match. One can only assume that both men will face off for the United States Championship next week as the show emanates from Manchester, England.

·        Speaking of Manchester, the city will also host a SmackDown Tag Team Championship match featuring The Usos vs. Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable. Gable’s rap had me cracking up once again. He is such a gem inside and outside the ring.

·        AJ Styles defeated Samir Singh with the Styles Clash, but the Phenomenal One didn’t get a chance to celebrate because Jinder Mahal attacked him from behind. Mahal and Sunil Singh put the boots to Styles as the fans showered them with boos.

·        Mahal slammed Styles back first against the ring post and added insult to injury by stretching Styles’ body like a Gumby humanoid.

·        Mahal finished him off with the Cobra Clutch Slam and delivered a second one for good measure as the segment came to an end.

·        Jinder Mahal’s promo on Brock Lesnar was pretty blah, but his attack on AJ Styles was very good. Mahal will get his comeuppance, but the WWE Champion should be perceived as a legit threat heading into his match against Lesnar at Survivor Series. I don’t believe Mahal has a snowball’s chance in hell of beating The Beast, but I give WWE credit for giving it the old college try nonetheless.

·        Rusev defeated Big E with a Superkick in a solid match. Aiden English provided the distraction down the stretch as he climbed on top of the announce table to serenade the crowd. Xavier Woods countered by playing a ditty on his trombone only for English to attack him from behind. Kofi Kingston made the save by chasing the balladeer in the ring.

·        Big E dropped English with the Big Ending, but the diversion allowed Rusev to pick up the tainted win moments later. The action was hard-hitting throughout, but it was hard to take the match seriously due to E’s Halloween costume and the antics taking place at ringside.

·        Shane McMahon booked Rusev vs. AJ Styles for next week with the winner earning the right to join Team SD Live at Survivor Series. Sounds good to me.

·        Stranger(er) Things was a total camp fest. Tye Dillinger saying that he was Ten instead of Eleven was clever, but rest of the spoof was pretty lame until Breezango and The Ascension got jumped in the dark. Was it The Bludgeon Brothers or another evil force lurking in the shadows? Hmm…

·        Shinsuke Nakamura is the fourth man to join Team SD Live at Survivor Series as he defeated Kevin Owens with the Kinshasa in a very good main event match. Owens and Nakamura woke up the Norfolk crowd and ended the night on a high note as they had maximized their minutes to the fullest.

·        The highlight of the match was Owens delivering a beautiful Swinging Fisherman Superplex to Nakamura from the top rope. It was a great spot that popped the crowd something fierce. Sami Zayn caused a little mischief down the stretch when KO ordered him to tear apart the announce table so they could finish off Nakamura.

·        Randy Orton threw a monkey wrench in their game plan when he dropped Zayn with a sick Belly-to-Back Suplex on the announce table which distracted Owens long enough for Nakamura to hit his finisher for the win.

·        SD Live went off the air with Nakamura celebrating in the ring while Owens cried out for his best friend who was taking a nap on the announce table.

·        This was a hot way to end the show. Nakamura and Owens delivered the goods in the ring while Orton ruined any chance at Owens being added to Team SD Live by screwing him over in epic fashion. I have a strange feeling that KO and Zayn are going to make Orton pay at Survivor Series which will leave Shane McMahon a sitting duck for Team Angle to maim and destroy at their own discretion. Shane rejecting their olive branch will come back to bite him in the ass in the worse possible way. You can take that prediction to the bank. Just make sure the check clears first. Just saying…

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was solid. The show was bookended by two strong matches as Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode blew off their feud with the Glorious One picking up the win to earn the third spot on Team SD Live while Shinsuke Nakamura secured slot #4 by defeating Kevin Owens thanks to an assist from Randy Orton. AJ Styles and Rusev will face off next week to determine who will round out the lineup at Survivor Series. The Men’s Traditional Interbrand 5-on-5 Elimination Match is shaping up to be a great one despite Brand Wars 2017 not being my cup of tea. If the in-ring action is top notch, I have no room to complain. For now…

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: Anatomy of a Sociopath - A Kevin Owens Story (9-26-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. WWE found themselves in hot water after Jinder Mahal’s controversial comments about Shinsuke Nakamura riled up the mainstream press. The company didn’t upload the segment on their YouTube channel which is a clear sign of contrition.

Did the E learn a valuable lesson or did they continue to pour gasoline on the fire leading up the WWE Championship match between Mahal and Nakamura at Hell in a Cell next Sunday? 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 renewal of a never-ending will take place later tonight as Kevin Owens faces his arch nemesis Sami Zayn for the 1,000,000,000^th time.

·        The opening segment was good as Zayn tried to talk some sense into Owens. Owens flipped the script by bragging about his accomplishments in WWE despite Zayn getting a 2 ½ year head start in NXT. KO was a former Intercontinental, United States, and Universal Champion while Zayn was sitting backstage at this year’s WrestleMania.

·        Zayn agreed but noted that Owens took every shortcut in order to get ahead. Zayn’s time would come by doing things the right way. At least he could look himself in the mirror every morning without any regrets.

·        Both men were about to throw down when Daniel Bryan came out to make the match official for later tonight as the opening segment came to an end.

·        Owens and Zayn having yet another match is grating, but they always deliver the goods in the ring. This is a case where monotony is acceptable under the right circumstances.

·        In the battle of NXT Alumni, Baron Corbin defeated Tye Dillinger via count-out when Corbin chucked Dillinger into AJ Styles which sent both men tumbling over the announce table. Styles already was pissed off after Corbin threw water in his face which made matters worse.

·        Corbin claimed that Styles couldn’t beat him one-on-one and vowed not to take shortcuts when he beats The Phenomenal One for the United States Championship at Hell in a Cell next Sunday.

·        I guess my theory of Corbin, Styles, and Dillinger facing off in a Triple Threat Match is off the table. Oh well…

·        Shinsuke Nakamura spared the audience from witnessing another sucky Jinder Mahal standup comedy routine by nailing Mahal with a Kinshasa. WWE finally got the hint that Mahal’s stereotypical and incendiary promos over the past couple of weeks were dumb. It took the mainstream media to light a fire under their ass in order to cut the bullshit when it comes to the foreign heel menace saying racist stuff in order to get cheap heat. It worked in the 80s, but it’s not going to fly in 2017 when social media and corporate sponsors dictate the bottom line in terms of revenue.

·        The Usos defeated The Hype Bros when Jey Uso pinned Mojo Rawley with a frog splash in a quick match.

·        However, the top story is The New Day defending their titles against The Usos inside Hell in a Cell at the eponymous PPV in a couple of weeks. Shut up, and take my money! That match should be awesome.

·        Rusev Day ended on a sour note when Randy Orton RKO’d Aiden English and Rusev out of nowhere. Rusev was the pride of Bulgaria, but he ended up taking a nap instead. One can only assume that Orton and Rusev will settle their score at HIAC next Sunday.

·        Charlotte defeated Carmella with a boot to the face in a solid match. Carmella surprisingly dominated most of the action thanks to an early assist from James Ellsworth. There was a minor hiccup when Carmella tried to drop Charlotte with a Reverse DDT, but she eventually executed the move which saved the spot from being completely botched. Outside of that, this was a nice way for Charlotte to build momentum heading into her SmackDown Women’s Championship Match against Natalya at Hell in a Cell.

·        Tom Phillips is such an idiot. The Undertaker is not that short. The Dolph Ziggler Cosplay Showcase is back! *Insert Fake Enthusiasm Here*

·        After a brief absence, The Glorious Bobby Roode came out and challenged Dolph Ziggler to a match at HIAC. Ziggler checked off Roode having a fancy robe and a smoke & mirrors entrance with audience participation. However, The Glorious One wasn’t on Ziggler’s level when it comes to being a better wrestler. Therefore, he was more than happy to accept Roode’s challenge.

·        This was always the endgame since Ziggler started his imitation gimmick a few weeks ago. He should have a very good match with Roode at the PPV if they are given enough time to do their thing in the ring.

·        Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn ended in a No Contest when Owens dropped Zayn with a Powerbomb on the edge of the ring apron which resulted in the referee calling off the match. Medical personnel checked on Zayn and helped him to his feet before heading backstage.

·        Owens attacked Zayn from behind and continued his assault by laying him out at ringside. Owens grabbed a steel chair and wrapped it around Zayn’s neck. He was about to slam his former best friend chair-first into the ring post when Shane McMahon made the save.

·        McMahon charged after KO only for Owens to throw Zayn into Shane-O-Mac before jumping over the barricade and running into the crowd as SD Live went off the air.

·        This was a great way to end the show. Zayn and Owens had a very good match by squeezing in as many high spots as possible. Owens is doing an excellent job playing a sociopath who loves to inflict pain and suffering on others. It’s very reminiscent of Edge snapping on Vickie Guerrero back in 2008 and Randy Orton embracing the psychotic way of life during his awesome heel run in 2009. KO is hitting all the right notes and I expect him to bring the best out of Shane McMahon during their HIAC match.

·        Quick side note: Don’t be shocked to see Zayn play a role in the outcome. He will he help Shane or join the dark side by helping Owens in the clutch? Zayn needs a creative jolt of energy and a surprise heel turn might do the trick after Shane intervened against his wishes. It would be a nice change of pace, to the say the least. Plus, Zayn and Owens being tag team partners would give the tag team division a much-needed boost as well. The mere thought of them joining forces makes me salivate, but this is all conjecture at this point. Or is it? Hmm…

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was average at best. The in-ring action was pretty nondescript until Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Shane McMahon closed the show. However, WWE did a nice job putting the finishing touches on the Hell in a Cell PPV. It felt like a go-home show even though the final hard sell takes place next week in Denver, Colorado. Let’s hope the creative team has something up their sleeve because the final segment was hard to top. Fingers crossed!

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The SmackDown Live. 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!