The SmackDown Files: The One Where Arn Anderson Kills Tully The Stuffed Horse (An Ode To Friends)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. WWE completes their two-night stand in the 6 as the blue brand puts the finishing touches on their side of the SummerSlam card. Did the creative team continue to build anticipation or lower expectations heading into the second biggest PPV of the year? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        Daniel Bryan announced that John Cena will face Baron Corbin at SummerSlam as the opening segment featured Cena and Corbin trading barbs on the mic.

·        Cena’s promo wasn’t earth shattering, but he did a nice job putting over Shinsuke Nakamura before Corbin interrupted him.

·        Corbin’s new theme music is solid as he came out to a chorus of boos. He didn’t care about Cena shaking Nakamura’s hand and wasn’t out to earn anyone’s respect. Cena had a great one-liner that he lifted from a crowd sign stating that Corbin was a “Skinny Fat Loudmouth Overrated Dumpster Fire.” That fan should immediately be hired as the 29^th member of the WWE creative team.

·        Cena doing a little improv with the crowd turned a so-so opener into an entertaining one. His match against Corbin will be interesting. Will the Lone Wolf show up and show out at the second biggest PPV of the year or will he lay an egg instead? We shall see.

·        The Usos defeated Tye Dillinger and Sami Zayn when Jimmy Uso made Dillinger tap out to the Tequila Sunrise in a solid match. The Canadians were over with the live crowd, but the outcome was never in doubt which ended things on a somewhat sour note.

·        After the match was over, Jimmy and Jey taunted The New Day and claimed that they were walking out of SummerSlam the new SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions.

·        However, The New Day made their presence known as Big E came out doing his signature gyration while Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods attacked The Usos from behind.

·        Kingston and Woods gave Jimmy and Jey a dose of their own medicine and were about to tune up the steel chairs when the twins scampered up the ramp.

·        The New Day showed aggression which is rare when it comes to their usual happy-go-lucky attitude. It’s a refreshing change of pace because they have every right to be pissed off after getting ambushed during their championship celebration a couple of weeks ago. It adds more heat to The New Day-Usos feud by upping the ante on the personal front.

·        Fashion Peaks continues to provide laugh out loud moments. From The Ascension stealing a pie to Fandango going through alleged anal probing, this segment had it all. The icing on the cake was Arn Anderson admitting that he destroyed Tully the Horse. It was a great cameo that had me rolling from start to finish. Fashion Peaks, how I love thee…

·        Charlotte defeated Lana when she made her tap out to the Figure Eight. This was a one-sided match that revealed one thing about Lana. She is booked like a novice who is openly mocked for being a mediocre wrestler at best. I don’t know if that’s going to help her get over as a star in the women’s division, but we shall see how it all plays out.

·        Shane McMahon tried to lay down the law leading up to his role as the special referee during the United States Championship match between AJ Styles and Kevin Owens. Styles and Owens made no bones about not trusting McMahon due to his last name and the history of his family screwing over famous Canadians.

·        Owens tried to stir the pot by showing a clip of Styles attacking Shane-O-Mac in the parking garage earlier this year which set up their match at WrestleMania. KO also used archival footage from the WWE Network illustrating how Shane screwed Stone Cold Steve Austin out of the WWF Championship at Survivor Series 1998.

·        It was a great way to add a level of mistrust heading into the match. Styles wanted to prove that he could beat Owens outright for the US Title and challenged him to a match tonight. Owens declined his offer because he wanted to regain the title in the United States instead of a loser city like Toronto.

·        Things turned physical when Owens punched Styles in the face which led to the Phenomenal One inadvertently nailing Shane with a Pele Kick. KO laughed at his handiwork before heading backstage.

·        The segment went a bit long, but I thought this was a nice way to add friction between McMahon, Owens, and Styles heading into SummerSlam. Owens did a great job downplaying the home country pop by insulting the crowd at every turn. He’s a true heel who doesn’t acknowledge the adulation of fans even though he’s a native son of Canada. I admire his consistency of living the gimmick to a tee.

·        Carmella defeated Naomi with a Superkick in a decent match. Naomi had a nice showing in the ring, but the fans telegraphed the finish when they started chanting for James Ellsworth. And sure enough, the Chinless One provided the distraction which led to the finish as Carmella scored another win over the SmackDown Women’s Champion.

·        The Women’s Title match featuring Naomi vs. Natalya at SummerSlam is being downplayed for whatever reason. Outside of a few interactions, there is no heat for this feud heading into the PPV next Sunday. Here’s hoping the creative team puts a little hot sauce on this match during the go-home show next week.

·        Randy Orton defeated Jinder Mahal with an RKO in a good main event match. If I’m not mistaken, this might've been Mahal’s first time headlining SD Live since becoming WWE Champion at Backlash. He rose to the occasion and had one of his better matches to date against Orton which surprisingly had the crowd hooked from start to finish.

·        Due to Mahal being Canadian, he was the hometown favorite while Orton received a mixed reaction whenever he pounced on the modern-day Maharaja. It created an interesting atmosphere, to say the least.

·        The finish came when Mahal tried to drop Orton with the Cobra Clutch Slam only for The Viper to counter with the RKO for the win. It would’ve been stunning to see Orton go 0-4 against Mahal, but it does the champ no favors losing a high profile match prior to his WWE Title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura at SummerSlam next Sunday. The booking is a little questionable because Mahal’s first loss should’ve taken place on PPV. Based on what happened at the end of the show, it’s even more baffling in hindsight.

·        Orton was about to head backstage when Rusev nailed him with a Superkick as SD Live abruptly went off the air. I’m sure the action continued on the WWE Network, but Rusev should’ve interfered during the match itself instead of Mahal eating the pin. Orton would still be winless against him, but the asterisk behind each loss would still mean something in the grand scheme of things. The Grudge Match would take place at a later date after Mahal lost fair and square on PPV. It’s a matter of keeping the champion strong and undefeated heading into SummerSlam.

·        Mahal vs. Nakamura is not as must-see without the hook of Mahal being undefeated. Most importantly, WWE might’ve telegraphed Mahal retaining the title by booking him to lose tonight which puts Nakamura in a tough spot when it comes to giving fans hope heading into the PPV. Perhaps Vince McMahon will change his mind at the 11^th hour and deliver a surprise ending, but my enthusiasm for the SD Live main event is waning at an alarming rate.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was decent at best. The last couple of weeks have been strong, but the show took a small a dip in terms of quality wrestling action. The Toronto crowd was hot, but it was a rough night for their fellow countrymen as Sami Zayn, Tye Dillinger, and Jinder Mahal lost their respective matches. At least Mahal was viewed as a star tonight. Perhaps WWE’s Expedition of Gold should take a detour from India to Canada since Mahal was super over.

·        The Road to SummerSlam will culminate with SD Live emanating from Providence, Rhode Island next week. The Women’s and WWE Title matches need to stand out from the pack heading into the PPV. Here’s hoping the creative team has the winning formula heading into the biggest party of the summer. 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 Jinder Mahal Took a Flight On The RKO 747 Edition (6-13-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is the go-home show for the Money in the Bank PPV on Sunday. Also, this is NOLA’s last televised event until WrestleMania descends on the city next year. One would think that this would be an extra special edition of SD Live due to all the hoopla.

In actuality, WWE has done a haphazard job when it comes to hyping their B-Level PPVs as of late. Did the company reverse this trend or were fans treated to the same old, same old? 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 Soul Rebels were awesome as they played The New Day to the ring to kick off SD Live. Sadly, we had to deal with the obligatory opening show promo before the Eight-Man Tag Match featuring The New Day and Breezango vs. The Usos and Colons took place. The mic work was fine, but it was nothing special. Hopefully, the in-ring action will deliver better results.

·        The New Day and Breezango defeated The Usos and The Colons when Xavier Woods pinned Primo with a double foot stomp from the top rope. This was a good match that was well balanced in terms of the babyfaces dominating the first half of the bout while the heels took over during the commercial break. Tyler Breeze did a nice job playing the babyface in peril until he made the hot tag to Kofi Kingston.

·        Kingston had Jimmy Uso beat with Trouble in Paradise until Jey Uso broke up the pin. There was a minor hiccup towards the end of the match when Fandango failed to clothesline Jey out of the ring which caused Fandango to take a spill while Jey had to take the bump as if a ghost attacked him from behind. Miscommunication aside, this was a nice way for The New Day to build momentum heading into the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at Money in the Bank.

·        Neurotic Sami Zayn is so annoying.

·        Shinsuke Nakamura’s facial expressions during Zayn’s spiel was awesome.

·        Welcome back, Zack Ryder!

·        Naomi defeated Tamina with the Split-Legged Moonsault, but she didn’t get a chance to celebrate because Lana attacked her from behind. Lana shocked the world by dropping Naomi with a Sitout Spinebuster before posing with SmackDown Women’s Championship.

·        Lana pulling off that move while wearing an evening gown was extra impressive. Breezango would be proud…

·        Tamina vs. Naomi was middling at best. Tamina controlled the action for the most part, but the multiple rest holds between high spots killed the overall flow of the match. It was a struggle from the onset which raises concerns when it comes to Tamina’s role in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match on Sunday. Here’s hoping she stands out for all right reasons instead of sticking out like a sore thumb.

·        Randy Orton kept his actions speak louder than words mantra intact when he nailed Jinder Mahal with an RKO out of nowhere. It was a beautiful spot as Orton sailed in the air with the greatest of ease. Mahal sold the move like a boss which pushed the “face-to-face” segment over the top.

·        Mahal’s promos are duller than dishwater, but he knows how to sell his ass off. That’s a positive.

·        Charlotte defeated Natalya with Natural Selection in a very good match. Both ladies maximized their minutes and hooked the crowd from start to finish. Charlotte and Natalya’s in-ring chemistry was on full display which makes me yearn for a full-on feud not involving their lineage or the Montreal Screwjob from almost twenty years ago. They had a great match at the Roadblock special last year, but their rivalry still has legs if it’s handled properly.

·        The Fashion Files shocked me for two reasons.

·        Reason #1: Fandango has embraced the romper way of life.

·        Reason #2: Fandango’s legs are tatted with ink. I learn something new every day…

·        Sami Zayn, AJ Styles, and Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Kevin Owens, Baron Corbin, and Dolph Ziggler when Zayn nailed Corbin with the Helluva Kick for the win.

·        The six-man tag team match was very good as it featured fast-paced and hard-hitting action throughout. Styles was on fire early until the heels took control during the commercial break.

·        Zayn was isolated from his team during the latter part of the match, but he toughed it out as he took out the heels before making the hot tag.

·        Owens and Ziggler were one step ahead of the game when they yanked Styles and Nakamura from the ring apron. However, Styles came through in the clutch and nailed Corbin with a forearm which set up the finish.

·        The babyfaces didn’t get a chance to celebrate as the heels attacked them from behind. Owens brought a ladder into the ring and laid out Styles and Zayn thanks to an assist from Ziggler.

·        Owens and Ziggler went face-to-face until Corbin blindsided both men which ended their temporary alliance.

·        Corbin climbed the ladder and was about to grab the Money in the Bank briefcase until Nakamura knocked him off the ladder.

·        Nakamura nailed Corbin with the Kinshasa before climbing the ladder and grabbing the briefcase for himself as SD Live went off the air with The King of Strong Style standing tall.

·        This was a hot way to end the show. The crowd was hot for the main event as each man from the MITB Ladder Match got a chance to shine. The post-match skirmish was a nice teaser for things to come heading into the PPV on Sunday. The field is wide open and it should be interesting to see who will become the 18^th Mr. MITB. We shall find out soon enough.

·        Overall, I thought this was a strong episode of SmackDown Live. This was the best go-home show for a PPV since WrestleMania. Every match on the Money in the Bank card was spotlighted in a positive way. The in-ring action ranged from solid to very good which was refreshing to see.

·        WWE didn’t cram extra stuff on the show to fill out the rest of the PPV card. The five-match lineup is reminiscent of an NXT Takeover special in the sense that each match stands out in its own right. There is no need to drag a showdown with lower-card matches that has little to no heat amongst fans. Therefore, the less is more approach is the way to go in order to make the MITB PPV a tight show in terms of match positioning and booking.

·        However, the wrestling must be on point in order for the show to be a success. Here’s hoping the SD Live crew deliver the goods because MITB has the potential to be a blow away show everything goes according to plan. 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! 

The SmackDown Files: The Homecoming From Hell - An AJ Styles Story (5-30-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Traditionally, my hometown has not been the best when it comes to crowd head. They’ve improved over the past couple years, but it’s still a struggle to keep them awake during the show. Did my ATLiens represent The A like a boss or did they let me down once again? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of SD Live in no particular order.

·        SD Live got off to a fine start with another edition of Kevin Owens’ Highlight Reel. Shinsuke Nakamura was Owens’ guest and he mocked Nakamura’s rock star persona and vowed to put him in early retirement like Chris Jericho when he steps over him to win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

·        Baron Corbin interrupted the proceedings and showed a recap of his beat down on Sami Zayn from last week. Owens had a great line about Corbin beating up Zayn for two minutes while he’s been doing it for fifteen years. KO was offended that Corbin crashed his show and told him to get the hell out of his ring.

·        Nakamura reminded both men that they lost their respective matches last week and they responded with a 2-on-1 attack until Zayn made the save. Shane McMahon booked Zayn and Nakamura vs. Owens and Corbin which took place after the commercial break.

·        Owens was entertaining on the mic as always. Corbin was decent, but Nakamura struggled a bit which caused a tepid “What?” chant to break out. Fortunately, the fans were able to comprehend the gist of his promo before things went off the rails. All in all, this was a better installment of the Highlight Reel than the one that took place a couple of weeks ago.

·        Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin when Nakamura nailed Owens with the Kinshasa for the win. The match was solid for the most part, but it was the bickering between Owens and Corbin that led to their undoing down the stretch.

·        Zayn threw Owens into Corbin which caused both men to have a shouting match. There was a bit of shoving before Corbin clocked Owens with a punch. The kerfuffle allowed Zayn to clothesline Corbin out of the ring which set up the finish.

·        The New Day announced that they would be facing The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at the MITB PPV in a few weeks. The back and forth promo exchange between both teams was entertaining which gives the Tag Team Division some much-needed energy. Their feud and subsequent matches should be fun to watch if everything is booked properly.

·        The film noir edition of The Fashion Files was great. Fandango and Tyler Breeze…How I Love Thee.

·        The Fatal 5-Way Elimination match featuring Charlotte, Carmella, Tamina, Natalya, and Becky Lynch never got underway because all hell broke loose before the referee rang the bell.

·        The action was good as Becky Lynch laid out Carmella with a clothesline which sent her over the timekeeper’s area. Charlotte delivered a moonsault from the top rope onto Tamina and Natalya at ringside. Lynch dropped Carmella with an Exploder Suplex on the floor before Tamina nailed her with a Superkick. Charlotte responded with a big boot of her own before Natalya nailed her with a clothesline.

·        Natalya was about to put Charlotte through a table, but Charlotte slammed her against the steel steps before Powerbombing her the through the announce table moments later.

·        Shane McMahon came out and announced the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match to determine the number one contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

·        The rumor of such a match taking place has been circulating for a few weeks. The Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match threw everyone for a loop, but it was a nice way to set up the MITB Ladder Match. This is another huge step for the women to show up and show out on the big stage. Let’s hope they seize the day and make the best of this opportunity.

·        Breezango defeated The Colons when Tyler Breeze pinned Primo with the Unprettier. The comedic stylings of Breezango were on full display once again. Breeze dressed like a woman while Fandango wrestled in his trench coat before taking off it before the commercial break.

·        Squirt Guns were also used along with Breeze reprising his role as the Janitor who mops up the ring with flair and style. Once again, their antics played well in the arena which is a win for them. It would be nice to see Breezango dial back the silliness, but they are maximizing their minutes on television which is a positive in this day and age.

·        Randy Orton cut a straightforward promo about how he was going to give Jinder Mahal an old-fashioned American ass whopping at Money in the Bank and become a 14-time WWE Champion.

·        Orton’s pride was on the line because MITB takes place in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. He wanted to take his late grandfather’s approach by letting his actions speak louder than words.

·        Orton spoke with conviction and sounded alive on the mic for a change. However, his rah-rah speech came to a halt when Jinder Mahal appeared on the big screen.

·        Mahal cut a basic promo about Orton clinging to a bygone era that is dead and gone. He vowed to continue his reign as the modern-day Maharajah at MITB as he raised the WWE Title high in the air while blocking the face of Singh Brother B which was unintentionally hilarious. Orton responded by doing his signature pose as the segment came to an end.

·        Mahal is already being slotted as a supporting character nine days into his WWE Title reign. He’s been booked strong, but his presentation doesn’t scream main event player just yet. I guess Mahal is still in the Build-A-Star Training Academy…

·        In a Rite of Passage that all WWE Superstars must go through, AJ Styles lost in his home state to Dolph Ziggler in a good main event match.

·        They were on short on time, but they worked their asses off to put on a show for the fans. Sadly, the outcome left the crowd feeling numb which caused SD Live to end on a sour note.

·        Styles tried to hit Ziggler with the Styles Clash on multiple occasions, but he was unable to pull off his finisher.

·        Ziggler hit Styles with the Zig Zag for a near fall. It appeared that Styles had the match won when he went for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Ziggler knocked him off the top rope and nailed P1 with a Superkick for the win.

·        Questionable booking aside, this was a good way for Ziggler to build momentum heading into the MITB Ladder Match. Meanwhile, Styles has to get back on track without the benefit of 50/50 booking. Let’s hope the Powers That Be has a trick up their sleeve next week. Fingers crossed! 

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was decent. The in-ring was action was okay for the most part. The Atlanta crowd was livelier than usual, but the air was let out of the room when AJ Styles lost to Dolph Ziggler. What a way to get the crowd excited for 205 Live. *Insert Sarcasm Here*

·        This was a maintenance show that added a few pieces to the Money in the Bank puzzle as WWE added The Usos vs. The New Day for the Tag Team Titles and the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match featuring Charlotte, Carmella, Tamina, Natalya, and Becky Lynch.

·        The rest of the card looks skimpy in terms of mid-card feuds, but there is enough time to add a few matches before the PPV. With two more live shows to go, time is of the essence. Let’s hope the creative team can get the job done. 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: From 3MB to WWE Champion of the World - Welcome to Jinder Mahal's True Bollywood Story (5-23-2017)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. The improbable happened at Backlash as Jinder Mahal defeated Randy Orton to become the new WWE Champion. The world is Mahal’s oyster and we’re just along for the ride as WWE goes for a major money grab in India. Time will tell if their expedition for gold is successful, but how will the modern-day Maharaja fair stateside. Is Mahal a game changer or flop waiting to happen? We shall find out soon enough. In the meantime, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of SD Live in no particular order.

·        SD Live kicked off with Shane McMahon making several blockbuster announcements regarding next month’s Money in the Bank PPV. Randy Orton will invoke his rematch clause against Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship.

·        McMahon also announced the six wrestlers participating in this year’s MITB Ladder Match. They include AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Kevin Owens. Owens whined his way into the match after he bragged about defeating Styles via count-out to retain the United States Championship at Backlash.

·        After much hemming and hawing, Shane-O-Mac booked Zayn vs. Corbin and Ziggler and Owens vs. Styles and Nakamura for later tonight as the opening segment came to an end.

·        This was a fine way to start the show. It went a bit long, but WWE did a nice job setting up the double main event. This could’ve been accomplished in ten minutes instead of twenty, but it’s par for the course when it comes to the layout of the opening segment for Raw and SD Live most weeks.

·        Becky Lynch and Charlotte defeated Natalya and Carmella when Lynch made Carmella tap out to the Dis-Arm-Her in a decent match. Naomi took care of Tamina and James Ellsworth at ringside while the babyface team finally got the upper hand against The Welcoming Committee for a change. This feud is far from over, but it’s nice to see the heels get their comeuppance for a change.

·        Sami Zayn defeated Baron Corbin with a roll-up in a super quick match. However, the victory was bittersweet as Corbin beat the holy hell out of Zayn after the match was over. Corbin tossed Zayn over the barricade before hitting him in the back with a steel chair.

·        Corbin wasn’t done as he carried Zayn to the production area and dropping him neck first into the railing. He continued his assault until WWE officials broke things up.

·        It should be interesting to see if Zayn’s injury will prevent him from participating in the MITB Ladder Match next month.

·        The Fashion Files will live on! Amen!

·        Jinder Mahal’s Punjabi Celebration was okay. The dancers were on point, but Mahal’s promos continue to be repetitive and monotone in nature. He also suffered from a bad case of hoarseness which prevented him from talking at full strength. The presentation was nice, but it was more style versus substance which is not going to help the modern-day Maharajah in the long run.

·        Breezango defeated Jimmy and Jey Uso in singles competition. Comedy ensued as Fandango sprayed Jey’s hair with a water gun which allowed Tyler Breeze to score the pin with a roll-up.

·        Jimmy suffered a similar fate when Breeze distracted Jey at ringside which allowed Fandango to pick up the win.

·        Breezango challenged The Usos to a rematch for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship which took place after the commercial break.

·        The Usos retained the SmackDown Tag Team Titles when Jey Uso pinned Fandango with the Samoan Splash. Fandango had a couple of near falls that popped the crowd something fierce, but the outcome was never in doubt.

·        Both teams are capable of having very good matches, but the comedy bogs things down a bit. However, the crowd seems to love Breezango’s antics which bodes well for their future. Unfortunately, it does pigeonhole them as a lower card gimmick team that shouldn’t be taken seriously when it comes to winning the “Big One.” Here’s hoping WWE can look beyond the laughs and see that Breeze and Fandango are talented performers in the ring as well.

·        Shane McMahon booked a Fatal 5-Way Match featuring Natalya, Carmella, Tamina, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte for next week with the winner going on to face Naomi for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank.

·        AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Dolph Ziggler and Kevin Owens when Nakamura nailed Owens with the Kinshasa for the win. This was the longest and best match on the show as Styles and Nakamura had to dig down deep in order to overcome the heels.

·        Styles and Nakamura were in sell mode for a large chunk of the match until the hot tags tilted the momentum in their favor down the stretch. During the closing moments of the main event, Styles nailed Owens with a Pele Kick only for Ziggler to counter with a Superkick. Nakamura returned the favor which set up the finish. SD Live went off the air with Styles and Nakamura having a friendly stare down in the ring.

·        The mere thought of Styles vs. Nakamura is amazeballs, but patience is a virtue when it comes to building anticipation for this epic showdown. At least we will get a small morsel of what’s to come at MITB, though.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was decent at best. Most of the matches were short except for the main event. Three bouts ended via roll-up which is the epitome of lazy booking. Some variety when it comes to match finishes would be nice, but I digress.

·        The build for the Money in the Bank PPV is coming along nicely as three matches have been announced so far with Naomi waiting on the winner of the Fatal 5-Way match next week. The rest of the card seems a bit thin on paper because the MITB participants take up much of the card. There’s still time to add a few more matches to make sure everything balances out when it comes to the final hard sell. Here’s hoping the creative team can get the job done. 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! 

The SmackDown Files: Move Over Rikers Island and Alcatraz - The Uso Penitentiary Is The Best Fake Prison In America Edition (5-16-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The building formally known as the Verizon Wireless Arena served as the backdrop for the Backlash go-home show. With the crew returning from a grueling two-week tour of Europe, did jetlag set in or did they brush off the cobwebs heading into the PPV on Sunday? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of SD Live in no particular order.

·        The opening segment of SD Live was pretty unremarkable. Kevin Owens hijacked The Highlight Reel from Chris Jericho and vowed to defeat AJ Styles at Backlash to keep maintain his status as the New Face of America.

·        Styles came out and challenged Owens to a fight, but Jinder Mahal crashed the festivities and cut a very low energy promo about how he planned to beat Randy Orton for the WWE Championship on Sunday before focusing his attention on Styles as the opening segment came to a close.

·        Mahal continues to be unimpressive on the mic which is not an encouraging sign heading into the biggest match of his life this weekend. Let’s hope Styles is able to make him look like a million bucks in the ring because Mahal is flat lining on the personality front.

·        Jinder Mahal defeated AJ Styles with the Cobra Clutch Slam thanks to an assist from Kevin Owens and The Singh Brothers. Styles was about to hit Mahal with the Phenomenal Forearm, but The Singh Brothers distracted the referee which allowed Owens to hit Styles’ left knee with the US Title belt.

·        Styles did a beautiful sell job as Mahal hit his finisher for the win.

·        The match was fine, but Mahal is very one-note when it comes to his in-ring work. He delivers impressive kicks and knee strikes, but everything else is pretty rudimentary. The fans were dead when he was on offense, but they popped whenever Styles hit a signature move which helped salvage things a bit.

·        Outside of Mahal escaping with the WWE Title via a stretch limo, his tenure as number one contender has been pretty lackluster for the most part. With Backlash taking place in Chicago, Mr. Mahal might be in for a rude awakening if he brings his basic brand of wrestling to the Allstate Arena filled with the hardest of hardcore fans. My condolences go out to him in advance…

·        The Fashion Files continues to be a guilty pleasure of mine. Tyler Breeze using a mop to describe the luscious locks of The Usos was awesome. Breezango is starting to catch on with the masses which is long overdue.

·        Breezango defeated The Colons when Fandango pinned Epico with the Falcon Arrow in a decent match.

·        After the match was over, The Usos read Breezango their rights to get their asses kicked at Backlash. Breezango would take a trip to the Uso Penitentiary where they would be tried and sentenced in a court of law where the use of gurneys is optional. Jimmy and Jey continue to be in the zone when it comes to delivering stellar promos and I expect both teams to have an excellent match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at Backlash.

·        As with all WWE Contract Signings, the trios of Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina & Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Naomi got into a scuffle after James Ellsworth insulted the babyfaces which led to Naomi grabbing Ellsworth by the collar before Carmella slammed Naomi’s head against the table.

·        Shane McMahon quelled the situation by booking both ladies in a match after the commercial break as the segment came to an end.

·        The contract signing was fine, but it was nothing special outside of Naomi calling James Ellsworth “her” when she vowed to snatch the heels bald during the six-woman tag team match at Backlash.

·        Carmella defeated Naomi with a roll-up as her crew continues to build momentum heading into the PPV on Sunday.

·        The match was decent for the most part, but it went a bit long for my taste. Despite that minor criticism, Naomi did a good job controlling the action while Carmella was the pesky heel who tried to one-up her opponent to no avail until she got help down the stretch.

·        Towards the end of the match, the referee banned Tamina and Natalya from ringside after the ref caught Tamina trying to knock Naomi from the top rope.

·        The heels didn’t go away quietly as they charged after Becky Lynch and Charlotte. Natalya slammed Lynch into the barricade while Naomi kicked Tamina in the back to even the odds. However, the distraction gave Carmella enough time to squeak out the win which gives her team momentum heading into Backlash.

·        The heels have been booked strongly over the past few weeks which has kept the dreaded 50/50 booking monster at bay. We shall see if the streak continues on Sunday, but I have a feeling that the babyfaces will be the ones standing tall when it’s all said and done.

·        That was quite the slip by Tom Phillips when he called Becky Lynch Bayley as hyped her appearance on Talking Smack after 205 Live.

·        Randy Orton defeated Baron Corbin with an RKO in a solid main event match. The pacing was a bit methodical in nature, but that’s not surprising considering the talent involved. I’m a little surprised that Corbin ate the pin because he has a match with Sami Zayn on Sunday and he needs to look strong heading into the PPV. I would’ve been down with a DQ finish with Zayn retaliating on Corbin in order to even the score, but Orton picked up the win which didn’t make sense in hindsight.

·        Jinder Mahal came out and warned Orton that he was gunning for the WWE Championship. The Singh Brothers attacked Orton from behind, but The Viper gained the upper hand by taking Mahal’s henchmen out.

·        He had both brothers in position for a Double Draping DDT until Mahal attacked Orton from behind.

·        The heels triple teamed Orton for a bit until Mahal laid him out with the Cobra Clutch Slam. SD Live went off the air with Mahal standing over Orton while hoisting the WWE Title over his head.

·        This was a nice way to put heat on Mahal heading into his championship match, but the presentation still feels cold. WWE is doing all the right things when it comes to building up a viable challenger for the WWE Title, but Mahal is not connecting as a menacing heel who draws heat for all the right reasons. Being presented as a jobber for the majority of his career muddies the waters even more which makes the company’s venture in the India Market hit or miss at best.

·        If Mahal has any shot at righting the ship, he has to have a blow away match on Sunday. Orton needs to hold up his end of the bargain as well because resting on his laurels is not going to cut it. If the goal is to make a new star, everything must go off without a hitch. If not, expect bedlam in Chi-Town because those fans shit on mediocrity.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was subpar at best. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, SD Live couldn’t afford to make the same mistake as Raw by putting on a poor go-home show heading into a major PPV. The blue brand didn’t heed that warning as the in-ring action ranged from middling to decent at best. The crowd was lukewarm throughout the night which only exacerbated the issue.

·        Fortunately, the Backlash card looks strong on paper which should cancel out tonight’s so-so show. The Chicago crowd will be hot for certain matches and will bring out the pitchforks for others. It should be a crazy atmosphere, to say the least.

·        Random Observation: If I’m not mistaken, Rusev was supposed to confront Shane McMahon about ignoring his request for a championship match at Money in the Bank next month. I guess that conversation will take place at a later date.

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!