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 Total Divas Primetime After School Special (12-20-2016)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. After a two-week delay, the match of the century is finally taking place as AJ Styles will face James Ellsworth for the WWE Championship. Was there a Miracle on Ellsworth Street or did Styles crush The Chinless One’s hopes and dreams? The answer to this question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of SD Live in no particular order.

·        AJ Styles successfully defended his WWE Championship by demolishing James Ellsworth. What can I say? The Chin had it coming.

·        After the match was over, Styles said he was ready to celebrate Christmas and ring in 2017. Dolph Ziggler made his way to the ring and reminded Styles that he had a match against him next week for the WWE Title. Styles didn’t forget because Ziggler is complete afterthought who’s easy to beat.

·        Ziggler taunted Styles for losing to Ellsworth three times before finally taking care of business tonight. Both men continued to exchange words until Baron Corbin came out and claimed that Ziggler wouldn’t be the number one contender if he was in the Fatal Four Way Elimination Match last week. Ziggler responded by saying that he earned the right to face Styles while Corbin was too busy walking on the black carpet at the Revolver Awards.

·        Corbin guaranteed that Ziggler was going to lose and proceeded to sucker punch The Showoff. Ziggler tried to get back on offense but got caught with Corbin’s End of Days as the opening segment came to an end.

·        Corbin being inserted into the WWE Championship picture is a little random, but I guess it’s time for the creative team to start building up people for the Royal Rumble match next month. Corbin has a long way to go in the ring, but he has potential due to his flashy signature moves.

·        Also, the personality he displays on Talking Smack needs to translate to SD Live as well. Corbin’s weaknesses are exposed on the mic when he has to recite overly scripted dialogue.

·        Ziggler continues to be portrayed as a loser. When the fans go from chanting “What?” at Corbin to chanting “One More Time” after he laid Ziggler out says a lot. As I have stated on numerous occasions, Ziggler needs to turn heel. Stat!

·        Ziggler confronted Daniel Bryan backstage and demanded a match against Corbin. Bryan agreed, but it didn’t come without a caveat. If Corbin defeated Ziggler, he would face Styles next week for the WWE Title. The Showoff agreed since he is used to putting his livelihood on the line.

·        The Miz retained the Intercontinental Championship by defeating Apollo Crews with The Skull Crushing Finale. Miz gained an unfair advantage when he raked Crews’ eyes before hitting his finisher.

·        Crews took 90% of the match and looked impressive, but he can’t get over the hump when it comes to winning high profile matches. Hopefully, the creative team will flesh out his personality next year because he has all the tools to be a top-tier star.

·        Renee Young came out to interview The Miz and things took quite the turn when Miz said that Young was obsessed with Ambrose because she was sleeping with him. The fans gasped as Young slapped the taste out of Miz’s mouth before storming out of the ring.

·        I didn’t see that one coming. Young’s relationship with Ambrose has been public knowledge for a couple of years, but it hasn’t been acknowledged on WWE television until now. The Total Divas storylines are bleeding into the main show once again. Yippee! *Insert Sarcasm Here*

·        The world’s most obvious mystery was finally solved when Natalya admitted that she attacked Nikki Bella at Survivor Series last month after Carmella ratted her out.

·        Natalya called Carmella a Staten Island snitch which led to both ladies getting in a brief scuffle which ended with Natalya tossing Carmella into the Christmas tree and presents display on the main stage. Carmella ran backstage while Natalya ripped Nikki to shreds on the mic.

·        Nattie was jealous of Nikki’s success and said that John Cena would never marry her as the segment came to a close.

·        Natalya did a nice job, but her reasoning is seriously flawed. She is jealous of Nikki when they are both making money with their side projects. One can only assume that future episodes of Total Divas are going to show both ladies being the best of friends unless they manufacture an argument for the cameras.

·        Despite my issues with Natalya’s explanation, I am glad she has an edge to her character. Here’s hoping that her days of reciting song lyrics are over. It’s time for the Queen of Hearts to unleash her inner badass.

·        As for Nikki, she needs to speak from the heart instead of acting like an android. When given the right material to work with, she is a good talker. The sad puppy eyes and sexy pout can only carry her so far. She needs to be vulnerable babyface that fans can relate to on an emotional level. I think Nikki can pull it off if she is allowed to be herself instead of a second-rate clone. 

·        Dean Ambrose defeated Luke Harper with a rollup in a decent match. Ambrose didn’t get a chance to celebrate because Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton jumped him from behind.

·        Orton nailed Ambrose with an RKO as The Wyatt Family left him lying in the ring. The Miz came out with Maryse in tow to pick the bones as he dropped Ambrose with The Skull Crushing Finale.

·        It appears that Miz and Ambrose will be feuding over the IC Title. With Renee Young being thrown in the mix, I expect this to be an all-couples affair as WWE tries to give some cross-promotional love to Total Divas. Oh, joy!

·        I knew La Luchadora looked familiar. Becky Lynch pulled a fast one on Alexa Bliss when she made her tap out to the Dis-Arm-Her. It was a cute strategy because Lynch proved that she could beat Bliss fair and square whether she was in disguise or not. Let’s see if Lynch can do it again when she faces Bliss for the SmackDown Women’s Championship next week. 

·        Mojo Rawley knocked Curt Hawkins into next week when he nailed him with a wicked punch for the win. The match was serviceable while it lasted.

·        The match between Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin ended in a double count-out after Corbin tossed Ziggler into AJ Styles while the champ was on guest commentary.

·        Styles whacked Corbin and Ziggler over the back with a steel chair repeatedly until Daniel Bryan appeared on the main stage.

·        Bryan announced that Styles would defend the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat Match against Ziggler and Corbin next week on SD Live. Styles was livid as the show went off the air.

·        This was an interesting booking decision as Corbin and Ziggler are not exactly fan favorites at the moment. Their main event match was decent at best, but it was nothing special as both men have struggled to have a good match against each other dating back to their feud earlier this year. Gifting both men with a WWE Title opportunity guarantees two things.

·        First, Styles is going to be viewed as the babyface in Chicago next week.

·        Second, The Phenomenal One is retaining the WWE Championship. Anything less would be asinine.

·        On the plus side, Corbin will get a chance to work with Styles which should tell us a lot about his career trajectory heading into next year. As I said last week, Styles has the Midas touch when it comes to getting people over. If he can elevate Corbin’s in-ring game, Vince McMahon needs to give King Styles a post-Christmas bonus for a job well done. Let’s see if The Lone Wolf can step up to the plate.

·        As for Ziggler, he is twisting in the wind until he turns heel if the creative team is ballsy enough to pull the trigger. He can take all the bumps in the world, but it doesn’t mean a damn thing because he’s damaged goods as a babyface. He needs a fresh look and attitude heading into next year because the fans will continue to chant “One More Time” when a heel is kicking his ass. It’s a sign that the fans no longer care about Ziggler from an emotional standpoint. The best way to remedy this situation is for him to tell them to kick rocks and be his own man. Here’s hoping that The Powers That Be will get the hint.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was okay at best. The in-ring action was light for the most part with the women getting most of the shine as Natalya admitted that she was Nikki Bella’s attacker while Renee Young entered the WWE storyline fold when Miz brought up her relationship with Dean Ambrose. Those moments popped the crowd more than any match that took place on the show outside of AJ Styles destroying James Ellsworth.

·        SD Live was in pre-Christmas cruise control, but I liked how WWE hyped next week’s show as it is the Wild Card Finals. I guess the company decided to skip the quarters and semis for whatever reason.

·        The Wyatt Family will defend their SmackDown Tag Team Titles against The Usos, American Alpha, and Heath Slater & Rhyno in Four Corners Tag Team Elimination Match.

·        Alexa Bliss will defend the SD Women’s Title against Becky Lynch while Styles will defend his WWE Title in a Triple Threat Match against Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin.

·        Plus, John Cena returns which should put the show over the top in terms of anticipation and excitement. I don’t know if the Chicago crowd is going to shower him with love, but he knows how to win over the hardcore male contingent. It should be a hot show as three championships are on the line. Let’s hope the blue brand ends the year on a high note. 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. Merry Christmas, boys and girls!