The SmackDown Files: When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong II (9-5-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Another epic encounter is on tap as Randy Orton faces Shinsuke Nakamura for the first time ever. The winner will go on to face Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship at the Hell in a Cell PPV next month. Did Nakamura come alive for The Viper or did he shrink like a violet instead? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        Did Shane McMahon forget his line? Roman Reigns is hereby exonerated from having a bad case of brain freeze for the rest of his career.

·        The Shane McMahon-Kevin Owens feud took a very personal turn when Owens suggested that McMahon’s family would’ve been better off he didn’t survive the helicopter crash in New York a few weeks ago. Owens made the costly mistake of mentioning his kids which set Shane off. He proceeded to potato Owens with some pretty bad punches before tackling him over the announce table to continue the beat down. WWE officials along with Daniel Bryan tried to defuse the situation as Shane continued to pounce on Owens.

·        Cooler heads prevailed when Shane eventually walked away as the opening segment came to an end.

·        After the commercial break, Owens was being carried around backstage when Bryan tried to apologize for what happened. Owens told him to enjoy his job as SD Live General Manager because he was going to sue the entire McMahon Family and destroy WWE from within.

·        Bryan implored Owens to come up with a better solution. KO agreed and vowed to press criminal charges against Shane-O-Mac as Bryan walked away with a concerned look on his face.

·        This was an interesting way to start the show. Shane McMahon almost killed the segment dead when he lost his train of thought, but Owens held things together as he went full-on heel by making things extremely personal. Shane’s punches were softer than Charmin tissue paper, but the crowd still popped for the beat down. Something tells me that KO and Shane will settle their issues inside Hell in a Cell. Just a hunch…

·        Natalya defeated Carmella with a roll-up after James Ellsworth provided the inadvertent distraction towards the end of the match. Carmella nailed Natalya with a Superkick for a near fall. Ellsworth accidentally tossed the Money in the Bank briefcase in the ring which signaled a possible cash-in according to the referee.

·        Carmella waved off the cash-in attempt which allowed Natalya to roll her up for the win.

·        After the match was over, Carmella berated Ellsworth for being a pathetic excuse for a human being. She called him a genetic defect and charity case that should’ve been given away at birth. Carmella ended their business relationship and left the ring in a huff while Ellsworth pouted like a sad puppy.

·        Carmella did a great job berating The Chinless One, but I have a feeling that he will have the last word when he costs her a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Revenge is a dish best served cold with a side order of karma.

·        Welcome to Role Playing with Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler continues to be bitter about the fans not appreciating his work ethic in the ring and decided to channel his inner cosplayer by dressing up like John Cena, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Naomi in order to embrace the gimmick way of life.

·        Ziggler chided the fans for sitting on their hands during his matches and stated that he no longer gave a damn about them before heading backstage.

·        Ziggler’s bitterness is understandable, but his reasoning is flawed. Fans don’t care about him because he doesn’t have a cool gimmick that makes him stand out from the pack. They don’t care because he’s been booked like a total bitch for the past four years. After a while, the fans tap out from an emotional standpoint.

·        Case In Point: Bayley’s Babyface Run.

·        However, rehabilitation is possible if there is creative support involved.

·        Prime Example: The Miz’s Career Resurrection & Breezango going viral with Twin Peaks.

·        A similar type of happenstance could happen for Ziggler if he’s given a chance to shine. Most importantly, he has to figure out who the hell he is as a character. He tried to sell himself on Talking Smack earlier this year and laid an egg for the world to see. At some point, it is on the talent to figure out what makes him or her tick. It’s time for Ziggler to go on a journey of self-discovery in order to find his true self. Until then, he’s just a Shawn/Bret Michaels hybrid with no spark or spunk.

·        Aiden English defeated Sami Zayn with a roll-up after Zayn crashed and burned from the top rope. The match was quick and the outcome was a little surprising. English is on the come up while Zayn is swimming in the abyss. Poor thing…

·        The Usos and The New Day will face off in a Sin City Street Fight for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles next week. It should be a slobber knocker, to say the least.

·        Daniel Bryan delivered some bad news to Shane McMahon to kick off the second hour of SD Live. Per the order of Vince McMahon, Shane is suspended indefinitely. The fans shouted down the decision as they chanted “Thank You, Shane!” as the segment came to an end.

·        The Thank You chant was a bit much because Shane didn’t get fired. This probably frees him up to fight Kevin Owens as a wrestler at Hell in a Cell next month. Bryan did a nice job reminding the audience that he had to restrain himself from punching The Miz in the face when things got heated during their epic spat on Talking Smack last year. If Bryan can’t take matters into his own hands, Shane shouldn’t get a free pass because of his last name. Therefore, the ruling makes sense despite Owens being the instigator.

·        Baron Corbin defeated Tye Dillinger with End of Days in a solid match. AJ Styles was on guest commentary and lost his shit when Corbin chopped Dillinger’s throat behind the referee’s back which set up the finish moments later. The action was fine, but it was nothing to write home about. It did serve as a nice backdrop to forward a future United States Championship match featuring Styles vs. Corbin at later date, though.

·        Another match is set for next week’s Sin City Spectacular as AJ Styles will open up the US Open Challenge exclusively for Tye Dillinger. Last week’s match was shortchanged on time. Here’s hoping both men are given more time to ball out in Las Vegas because they could have one of the better television matches of the year if everything goes according to plan.

·        Carmella reconciled with James Ellsworth by giving him a big kiss and slap for good measure. That took quite the turn…

·        Shinsuke Nakamura will face Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship after defeating Randy Orton with the Kinshasa in a very good main event match. The action started off with Orton slowing down the pace which plays into his methodical style of wrestling. Nakamura turned up the heat with his signature knee strikes and stiff kicks midway through the match only for Orton to counter with a beautiful Superplex and Draping DDT from the middle rope.

·        Orton was about hit Nakamura with an RKO when the King of Strong Style countered with an armbar before turning it into a Triangle. It was a great spot that popped the crowd something fierce.

·        Orton broke the hold by power bombing Nakamura. He went for the RKO again only for Nakamura to counter with his finisher moments later.

·        The crowd was surprisingly pro-Orton, but Nakamura had his share of supporters as well. It was a well-worked match that had the audience hooked from start to finish. Here’s hoping this match is revisited because both guys stepped up in a big way.

·        The camera cut backstage to Kevin Owens walking down the hall when Daniel Bryan confronted him about Shane McMahon being indefinitely suspended. Owens vowed to make Bryan’s job a living nightmare by making SD Live his own personal playground next week.

·        Bryan informed Owens that Mr. McMahon will address what happened tonight on next week’s show as the camera cut back to Nakamura celebrating in the ring as SD Live went off the air.

·        The Las Vegas Edition of SD Live promises to be a memorable show. Three championships are on the line as AJ Styles defends the US Title against Tye Dillinger, The Usos face The New Day in a Sin City Street for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles and Natalya squares off against Naomi for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

·        As I mentioned last week, SD Live needed a spark heading into the fall season. The show tends to thrive when they plan things out in advance. The Wild Card Finals is a great example of that. Will Sin City deliver similar results? We shall find out soon enough.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SD Live was solid. The show was anchored by the Shane McMahon-Kevin Owens confrontation and Randy Orton vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. The in-ring action was so-so until the main event, but the final match more than lived up to expectations.

·        This was a storyline driven show that forwarded several feuds leading up to next week’s Sin City Spectacular. The blue brand has a clear sense of direction heading into the fall television season. Here’s hoping next week’s show is a smashing success. 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: Seven Days The Hard Way - How Carmella Became The First-Ever Ms. Money in the Bank On The Second Try (6-27-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. The setting is fitting because Charlotte, Natalya, Tamina, Becky Lynch, and Carmella will make HERstory once again as the second-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder takes place for the first time on free television. Was the moment sullied by controversy or did a winner emerge from the fray unscathed? 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. 

·        James Ellsworth’s mouth got him in serious trouble when he called Daniel Bryan a gutless coward who couldn’t hack it in the ring anymore.

·        Instead of firing Ellsworth on the spot, Bryan decided to ban Ellsworth from the arena during the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match later tonight. Security escorted him out of the ring as the fans serenaded the chinless troll with “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” as the opening segment came to an end.

·        The opener was fine, but it was a refresher from last week’s show as Carmella whined about being punished for breaking the rules that didn’t exist within the realm of a Women’s MITB Ladder Match. Bryan agreed with her to a point but stated that no one ever grabbed the briefcase on someone’s behalf which allowed him to overturn the decision. Despite the retread, the crowd was hot for the opener which speaks well for the main event if they’re not burnt out by then.

·        The Usos defeated The Hype Bros when Jimmy Uso pinned Zack Ryder with a Frog Splash. The match was decent, but short on time. The finish happened immediately after the picture-in-picture commercial break which was awkward, to say the least.

·        To soften the blow, The New Day came out and traded rap bars with The Usos as they hyped their SmackDown Tag Team Championship rematch at Battleground next month. If both teams clean up the botches from their first title bout, their redux should be even better.

·        The latest episode of Fashion Vice revealed a few things.

·        1) The Ascension didn’t trash Breezango’s office as someone else trashed their headquarters while Viktor and Konner were being interrogated.

·        2) Tyler Breeze packs a lot of heat in the form of water guns.

·        3) The Ascension are undercover fans of Eddie Money despite their heavy metal leanings.

·        4) American Alpha is back in the running as lead suspects in the office trashing. For their sake, let’s hope that’s the case because they need a creative jolt. Stat!

·        Naomi retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship when she defeated Lana with a Split-Legged Moonsault in a quick match. Lana attacked Naomi from behind before the match started, but it wasn’t enough to get the win. The Lana Experiment is flat lining at an alarming rate…

·        After Randy Orton threatened to beat Jinder Mahal’s ass six ways from Sunday if he didn’t get another shot at the WWE Championship, Shane McMahon made a surprise appearance and granted Orton’s rematch which will take place at Battleground next month.

·        McMahon acknowledging his past with Orton when it came to The Viper laying hands on his father and sister eight years ago was a nice nod to their complicated history.

·        Due to Mahal being the WWE Champion, he was allowed to name the stipulation for their match. After cutting another middling promo, Mahal announced that he will face Orton in a Punjabi Prison match which actually drew a good reaction from the crowd.

·        The announcers tossed to a video package explaining the rules of the match as the segment came to an end.

·        Orton showed great fire on the mic and it’s nice to see him motivated for a change. The Punjabi Prison match should be a spectacle with The Singh Brothers taking a ridiculous amount of bumps to the crowd’s delight.

·        Daniel Bryan announced that there will be a Battle Royal to determine the number one contender for the United States Championship on the July 4h edition of SD Live next Tuesday. To say Kevin Owens wasn’t happy about this news would be an understatement.

·        Baron Corbin defeated Sami Zayn when he nailed him with End of Days for the win. The match was solid as Corbin dominated the action until Zayn made a babyface comeback midway through the match. He put up a good fight, but Mr. Money in the Bank took care of business and won fair and square. No complaints here.

·        Carmella climbed the ladder and officially became Ms. Money in the Bank in a good main event match.

·        The action was solid throughout as Becky Lynch took everyone on a trip to Suplex City early on. The action dragged at times due to all the crash and burn spots that had the ladies selling at ringside for prolonged period of time, but the match told a good story for the most part.

·        Charlotte was about to grab the briefcase when Natalya yanked her off the ladder and took the fight into the crowd. The downtime allowed James Ellsworth to get involved even though he was banned from the arena.

·        Ellsworth was about to grab the briefcase when Lynch pushed the Chinless One off the ladder and sent him groin-first between the ropes.

·        Lynch had a clear path to victory when she climbed the ladder, but a knee injury gave Carmella the opening she needed in order to gain the upper hand. Lynch tried to climb the ladder when Carmella nailed her with a chair shot to the back of the leg.

·        Lynch fell to the mat as Carmella climbed the ladder and grabbed the briefcase for the win. SD Live went off the air with the Princess of Staten Island posing on top of the ladder while holding the MITB briefcase high in the air.

·        Despite Ellsworth getting involved, I’m glad Carmella won the match fair and square. Her performances on the mic have generated legit heel heat which will serve her well when she goes after the SmackDown Women’s Title. Carmella’s in-ring work is far from stellar, but her personality will get her over the proverbial hump. Having Ellsworth by her side is an added bonus because he’s an annoying pest who gets under people’s skin for all the right reasons.

·        The outcome of the match teased a future Natalya vs. Charlotte feud while Lynch has to do some soul-searching after suffering another heartbreaking loss. Is she on the verge of turning heel or will she keep pushing forward as a plucky babyface with a ton of heart? We shall find out soon enough.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was decent at best. The show was light on in-ring action until the main event. WWE wanted to give the women enough time to have a good match which explains why the first two matches ended in quick fashion. I appreciate the strategy, but it hampered the overall flow of the show.

·       Minor criticism aside, the company spotlighted the women in a positive way as the Raw and SD Live women’s divisions have headlined both shows within a 24-hour span. NXT will make it three for three when Asuka faces Nikki Cross for the NXT Women’s Championship in a Last Woman Standing Match tomorrow night. That’s a pretty cool stat that shouldn’t be overlooked or understated.

·        Also, the blue brand announced the first two matches for the Battleground PPV which takes places next month. This is the final brand exclusive PPV before SummerSlam which should provide a clearer picture of what to expect at the biggest party of the summer.

·        A big piece of the puzzle will be filled next week with the return of John Cena. Cena is a free agent and it should be interesting to see where he hangs his hat over the next few months. In any event, Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, & Respect is bound to generate buzz because he is WWE’s biggest needle mover when it comes to ratings.

On that note, this wraps 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: If Only For Two Nights - How Carmella Became The Woman Formally Known As Ms. Money in the Bank (6-20-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from Wright State University Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. After the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match ended with James Ellsworth grabbing the briefcase and handing it to Carmella in one of the worst finishes in WWE history, Daniel Bryan had a huge decision to make. Would Carmella’s win stand or did the SD Live General Manager right the wrong committed by the Chinless Penis? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        SD Live kicked off with Carmella explaining why she should remain Ms. Money in the Bank. She didn’t care about making history. She used her street smarts in order to gain the upper hand. Ms. MITB offered examples of how Kane and Bray Wyatt interfered in previous MITB Ladder matches in order to tilt the outcome in their favor. Carmella called out the internet trolls for blowing up her mentions on Twitter because she used the no disqualification rule to her advantage. She didn’t give a damn what anybody had to say and Daniel Bryan would back her up later tonight as the opening segment came to end.

·        This was a good way to start the show. Carmella is finally getting heat for all the right reasons. Despite James Ellsworth sullying the integrity of the first-ever Women’s MITB Ladder Match, the Princess of Staten Island is the second most-hated woman in WWE behind Stephanie McMahon. If her in-ring work catches up to her solid promo skills, this might kerfuffle might be a blessing in disguise.

·        Big E defeated Jimmy Uso with the Big Ending in a solid match. Most of the action took place during the commercial break, but it was good while it lasted. Jimmy delivered a cheap shot to Kofi Kingston while he was cheering Big E at ringside which played into the finish.

·        The Usos started to head up the ramp when Kingston laid out Jey Uso with a dive. Xavier Woods forced Jimmy to get back in the ring. Big E grabbed Jimmy by the hair, but he got sucker punched for his efforts. Jimmy tried to nail Big E with a Superkick, but E blocked it and hit his finisher for the win. This was a nice way to forward The New Day-Usos feud which will presumably continue at the Battleground PPV next month.

·        Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Dolph Ziggler with the Kinshasa in a long, but good match. This was very similar to their bout at Backlash a few weeks ago. Nakamura sold a lot which killed the heat in spots, but his comeback popped the crowd towards the end of the match. Plus, no pyro was set off during Nakamura’s entrance. Perhaps WWE got the hint that the extra accouterments weren’t needed in order to make him look like a bigger star than he already is.

·        American Alpha Sighting!

·        Kevin Owens retained the United States Championship when he pinned Chad Gable with a Popup Powerbomb. The match was short, but it was solid while it lasted. Gable deadlifting Owens for a delayed German Suplex was a thing of beauty. Here’s hoping American Alpha get more airtime because they are too talented to be sitting backstage with nothing to do.

·        It appears that WWE is revisiting the Kevin Owens-AJ Styles feud as Styles interrupted Owens’ United States Open Invitational before Gable came out and threw his name in the hat. Both men had a very good match at Backlash and I expect similar results when they have their US Title rematch at Battleground next month.

·        Daniel Bryan announced that Carmella would be stripped of the Money in the Bank Briefcase after James Ellsworth insulted Bryan’s newborn daughter. Bryan told The Chinless One to shut up or he would punch him in the face before firing him on the spot.

·        The second-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match featuring Charlotte, Natalya, Becky Lynch, Tamina, and Carmella will take place next week. Bryan snatched the briefcase out of Ellsworth’s hands before heading backstage.

·        A brawl broke out between the ladies which saw Charlotte and Becky corner Carmella in the middle of the ring. Charlotte nailed the woman formerly known as Ms. MITB with Natural Selection before Becky made her tap out to the Dis-Arm-Her for good measure as the segment came to an end.

·        Bryan made the right decision and the ladies will get another chance to have the match they should’ve had this past Sunday. James Ellsworth being banned from ringside would be an added bonus in order to keep things fire and square.

·        Jinder Mahal defeated Luke Harper with the Cobra Clutch Slam thanks to an assist from the Singh Brothers. The match was fine, but it was nothing to write home about.

·        Baron Corbin came out and teased MITB cash-in, but he was only playing mind games with Mahal. The distraction allowed Harper to get a near fall on the champ, but it wasn’t enough to get the win as Singh Brother A climbed on the ring apron to distract Harper. Harper tried to nail him with a Clothesline, but he ducked out of the way which led to the finish.

·        After the match was over, Randy Orton made his way to the ring and made a beeline for the Singh Brothers before attacking Mahal in the ring.

·        The action spilled to the outside as Orton nailed Mahal with a wicked clothesline before kicking his ass from pillar to post. Mahal escaped certain doom when The Singh Brothers attacked Orton. However, the reprieve was short-lived because Orton nailed Singh One and Singh Two with a pair of RKOs moments later. SD Live went off the air with Orton and Mahal having a stare down building up to their third WWE Championship match at Battleground next month.

·        This was a fine way to end the show. Orton showed great fire during his attack on Mahal and The Singh Brothers. Harper had a nice showing in the ring while Mahal got his first taste of being in the main event scene since winning the WWE Title at Backlash last month. If WWE is betting the house on the India market, they have to push the modern-day Maharaja to the hilt. This was a step in the right direction which should bode well for Mahal’s future until a certain free agent makes his return on July 4^th.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was middling at best. This was not a hot show after such a controversial Money in the Bank PPV. The women were spotlighted in a positive way, but the rest of the broadcast didn’t pop off the screen from an excitement standpoint.

·        WWE offering a mea culpa to fans by re-doing the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match on free television is the smart thing to do. Hopefully, the redux will produce better results instead of another controversial finish for the sake of drumming up buzz on social media.

·        Also, The Hype Bros will face The Usos next week for the right to earn a shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley reminded Daniel Bryan that they won the Tag Team Battle Royal to become the number one contenders for the Tag Titles last December, but Ryder’s knee injury prevented them from going after the gold silver. Despite the team reuniting, something tells me that a Ryder heel turn is afoot. Rawley has achieved a lot of success while he was rehabbing his injury. Will a case of sour grapes ruin their partnership? Based on recent WWE history, the answer is yes. Please see the disintegration of Jeri-KO, The Golden Truth, DIY, and Enzo Amore and Big Cass as examples.

·        Plus, Naomi will face Lana for the SmackDown Women’s Championship next Tuesday. Their first outing was so-so, but we shall see if they can work out the kinks this time around. Fingers crossed!

·        Despite tonight’s so-so show, next week’s episode of SD Live looks stacked with the Women’s MITB Ladder Match being the main selling point. Let’s hope the blue brand delivers the goods as the return of John Cena looms on the horizon. 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!