The SmackDown Files: WWE Presents - The Art of Throwing Shade II Starring John Cena (3-28-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the final stop on the Road to WrestleMania. This is the final hard sell for the biggest show of the year. It’s time to put up or shut up time when it comes to putting the finishing touches on the Mania card. Did WWE leave fans wanting more or did they make the annual wrestling extravaganza feel less must-see? 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.

·        Shane McMahon and AJ Styles signed their names on the dotted line to make their match at WrestleMania official. The promo exchange between McMahon and Styles was pretty paint-by-the-numbers, but the segment accomplished its goal by putting over the fact that their bout is a traditional wrestling match. There won’t be any smoke and mirrors to cover up Shane’s shortcomings as an in-ring performer. Styles is the best wrestler on the planet and it should be interesting to see if he can carry his boss to a good match at WM. It’s a tall order, but we shall see how it all plays out.

·        Becky Lynch vs. Carmella ended via disqualification when Mickie James’ brawl with Alexa Bliss spilled over into the ring. James attacked Carmella which caused the referee to call for the bell. James nailed Bliss with the Mick Kick while Lynch laid out Carmella with an Exploder Suplex.

·        The match between Lynch and Carmella wasn’t very good as it was sloppy in spots. Carmella is still green as a wrestler and that inexperience was on full display tonight.

·        Things got better when Lynch and James teamed up against Bliss and Carmella in an impromptu tag team. The action flowed much better, but the match still ended in controversy when Natalya tried to attack Lynch. Lynch cut her off at the pass, but the distraction allowed James Ellsworth to trip her which led to Carmella picking up the win with a roll-up.

·        Things got more chaotic when the heels attacked the babyfaces until a returning Naomi ran out to make the save. Naomi took out Natalya with a Hurricanrana on the entrance ramp followed by nailing Bliss with a forearm.

·        Naomi delivered a series of running kicks to Carmella before laying out Bliss with The Rearview.

·        Naomi announced that she will be a part of the SmackDown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania as the segment came to a close.

·        I’m glad that Naomi has been medically cleared to compete in the Women’s Title match at WM. It was touch and go for a bit, but Naomi will be representing her hometown of Orlando at the biggest show of the year. WWE has a longstanding edict of wrestlers losing high profile matches in their hometown. Let’s hope Naomi doesn’t suffer a similar fate on Sunday.

·        Miz TV was another scorcher as The Miz and Maryse continued their Total Bellas parody. It was hysterical as they mocked John Cena’s house rules once again. The dinner scene featuring The Bella Twins, Daniel Bryan, and Cena was outstanding along with “Brie” and “Bryan’s” facial expressions during “Nikki’s” proposal to “Cena”.

·        However, things took a serious turn when Cena turned down Nikki’s proposal. He gave her the cold shoulder by saying he was only using her as a prop in order to make himself look good. Cena hustles the people in order to get ahead, he’s only loyal to himself, and he only respects the money his bank account.

·        Miz and Maryse ripped off their wigs and got dead serious when they warned John and Nikki that their world would come crashing down at WrestleMania. According to Miz, Cena had Hollywood to fall back on, but he was still a lumbering idiot. Maryse rubbed salt in the wound by saying that Nikki’s appearance at the Kids’ Choice Awards is the closest she’ll ever get to having children of her own.

·        John Cena and Nikki Bella made their way to the ring to respond to the Total Bellas “Finale.” Cena enjoyed the skit, but the fun and games came to a halt when he destroyed Miz and Maryse on the mic.

·        Cena put Maryse on blast for collecting a paycheck and taking up space while her female counterparts took care of business between the ropes by actually lacing up their boots to compete on a nightly basis.

·        He put her career in the proverbial trash heap by saying if fans searched for Maryse’s Greatest Moments on the WWE Network, it would turn up 0 results. Cena twisted the knife even further by stating that the only reason Maryse was back in WWE was because Miz begged the company to let her back in. By doing this, he was able to join the cast of Total Divas as well.  

·        Cena proceeded to put their marriage on blast by saying that Miz has followed in his footsteps by taking time away from the ring in order to shoot movies. However, Miz is only doing bootleg versions of movies Cena has already starred in.

·        Things got even deeper when Cena flipped Maryse’s claim about him and Nikki not having kids on its head. Miz and Maryse have been married for about three years and they still don’t have kids. Cena accused Miz of shooting blanks as the crowd oohed and ahhed after that epic burn.

·        Cena warned Miz about bringing a knife to a gunfight and goaded the A-Lister to punch him in the face. He encouraged Maryse to slap the taste out of her mouth but warned her if she made one move that Nikki would knock the Botox from her cheeks. Cena proceeded to call Miz a P**** before as the crowd continued to go off.

·        Maryse and Miz walked away as Nikki warned them that they were going to get their asses kicked at WrestleMania as the segment came to a close.

·        This was a mind blowing segment from start to finish. The Total Bellas Parody was awesome, but Cena read Miz and Maryse for filth with his promo. He was a surgeon general who carved up his victims from head to toe. It was a masterful performance that had the crowd hyped throughout.

·        This was a money WrestleMania segment in every sense of the word. The match is unconventional but it has exceeded expectations in terms of storytelling, heat, and shade. Cena has to propose to Nikki at WM because WWE is laying it on pretty thick with the proposal fake outs as of late. It’s the perfect fairytale ending to kick off season seven of Total Divas. If not, Miz and Maryse might come out of this feud feeling vindicated despite getting ethered by Cena tonight.

·        American Alpha, Heath Slayer & Rhyno, and Mojo Rawley defeated The Usos, Breezango, and Dolph Ziggler when Rawley nailed Tyler Breeze with a charging forearm in the corner for the win. The match started off a bit slow, but things picked up down the stretch as both teams did a parade of finishes that popped the crowd.

·        Rhyno goring Breeze was pretty sweet while Ziggler nailed Slater with a sick Superkick to keep the nonstop action going. This was a nice way to hype the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania. Sadly, The Usos won’t be defending their SmackDown Tag Team Titles at the PPV. I guess there wasn’t room on the card to accommodate the new Tag Team Champs in a meaningful way. L

·        Bray Wyatt defeated Luke Harper in a solid main event match. Harper’s revamped look suits him perfectly as he looks more clean cut and trim as of late. He was rocking the mini man bun like a champ as well. Harper and Wyatt worked hard and had a physical match that had great crowd heat throughout.  

·        However, Harper lost focus when Wyatt gazed into his eyes for a disturbingly long period of time. Harper broke the stare down and tried to nail his former brother with a Discus Clothesline, but Wyatt countered with Sister Abigail for the win.

·        After the match was over, Randy Orton taunted Wyatt on the TitanTron. Orton returned to the burned down shack and drove a staff into Sister Abigail’s burial ground to bring forth the apocalypse at WrestleMania as SD Live went off the air.

·        The ending was a bunch of hocus-pocus nonsense, but it's par for the course at this point. As I mentioned last week, the Orton-Wyatt feud has jumped the shark once again and I can’t wait for it come to a head at WM. The match should be good, but the buildup post-arson has been poor. This was a ho-hum way to end the final SD Live before WrestleMania.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was solid. The show had a clear sense of purpose with a few surprises sprinkled in for good measure as the Road to WrestleMania comes to an end.

·        Naomi’s return gave a much-needed boost to Women’s Division heading into WM, but the title match is on the preshow which sucks because Naomi’s entrance would have been pretty cool to watch at night. The match stipulation is still a mystery, but we shall see what WWE has up its sleeve on Sunday.

·        AJ Styles and Shane McMahon having a traditional wrestling match is an odd call. The hardcore stunts were a clear sign that we were heading towards a demolition derby at Mania. The magic 8 ball was wrong in this case and one can only assume that Styles and McMahon will try their best to make this match work despite being confined to the ring. Considering Shane’s age and history of injuries, that might be for the best.

·        The John Cena-Nikki Bella/Miz-Maryse segment was tremendous. Outside of a minor hiccup a few weeks, ago this has been the best feud in WWE outside of Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens. This storyline has been fun to watch and everyone deserves a round of applause for a job well done. The match itself won’t be a barn burner, but it should be entertaining nonetheless.

·        Noticeably absent from tonight’s show was Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin hyping their Intercontinental Championship match at WM. I guess their final hard sell took place last week, but it would’ve been nice to hear from both men one last time. The comedy segment featuring Daniel Bryan and Tyler Breeze cosplaying as Nikki Bella should’ve been left on the cutting room floor in order for the IC Title match to get some last-minute shine.

·        Despite that small quibble, the rest of the show breezed by as SD Live put the final exclamation point on things heading into the biggest show of the year. The blue brand hit a lull for a bit, but the show has come back with a vengeance over the past couple of weeks. The SD Live side of the Mania card is not perfect with the exception of the mixed tag team match, but I expect the wrestlers to show up and show out on Sunday. Move over Disney World, WrestleMania is about to slay the night away. Hopefully…

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 - A WWE Double Feature Presentation: The Art of Throwing Shade Starring John Cena/The Viper's Inferno Starring Randy Orton

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota. Since last week’s Battle Royal ended in controversy, AJ Styles vs. Luke Harper will meet in a number one contender’s match with the winner going on to face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. Who officially punched their ticket to WM? The answer to that pressing question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of SD Live in no particular order.

·       The longest opening segment in the SmackDown Live era was amazing as The Miz and John Cena had a great back and forth promo exchange to kick off the show.

·       The Miz invited Cena on his talk show to air out his grievances over the past ten years. He blamed Cena for derailing his reign as WWE Champion 6 years ago by winning the title two weeks later at Extreme Rules. Miz accused Cena of manipulating his way to the top while holding him down. He claimed that Cena was a part-timer who is Hollywood bound after shaming The Rock for doing the same thing several years ago. Therefore, he eliminated Cena to give him a taste of what it felt like to lose everything heading into WrestleMania.

·       Cena had a great rebuttal when he explained that Miz was recycling material from other wrestlers in a poor attempt to rattle his cage. Cena is fully aware that some fans think he is a bad wrestler that has benefitted from backstage politics. If the latter was the case, he would be facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania instead of being a guest on Miz TV.

·       Cena stated that he doesn’t try to win over every fan. Those who ride with him know that he’s being authentic. This led to Cena completely trashing Miz’s character by saying he has emulated several WWE Superstars in order to get over. He stole Chris Jericho’s gimmick, took Ric Flair’s Figure Four Leg Lock, ripped off Daniel Bryan’s move set and “Yes” chant, and borrowed AJ Styles’ lines from the past six months.

·       Legends such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock were themselves with the volume turned up to 100. Miz was playing dress-up instead of being himself. Cena warned The A-Lister not to bring a knife to a gunfight the next time he calls him out. If he continued to press Cena, Miz would end up like The Undertaker: A dead man.

·       Cena was about to leave the ring when Maryse pulled Cena aside and told him that he couldn’t leave until she and Miz dismissed him. She claimed that Cena was an egomaniac who must be overcompensating in the package department. She proceeded to slap Cena which was a big mistake because Nikki Bella ran down to the ring. Miz and Maryse escaped into the crowd as Nikki had a great parting shot for Maryse warning her that she would break her if she ever touched Cena again as the segment came to an end.

·       This was a great way to start the show. The Miz was on fire and Cena was at his best when he has great material to work with. The allusion of backstage politics could’ve been toned down a bit, but everything else clicked for the most part. The presumed mixed tag team match isn’t eye catching on paper, but the promo work from Miz and Cena should push things over the top. Throw in Maryse and Nikki throwing ample amounts of shade at each other and this could be a hot match come WrestleMania. Tonight’s installment of Miz TV was an excellent starting point.

·       Becky Lynch defeated Mickie James in a 2 out of 3 falls match when she made James tap out to the Dis-Arm-Her during the final fall. Lynch and James were having a nice back and forth match until Alexa Bliss made her way to ringside. When Lynch covered James for the pin, Bliss got on the ring apron to distract the referee. Lynch confronted Bliss while James was trying to attack Lynch from behind. However, James accidentally knocked Bliss off the apron. Lynch tried to roll her up for the win, but James shifted her momentum by grabbing Lynch’s shorts. Lynch powered out which led to the win via submission.

·       It appears that the Lynch-James feud is over based on the outcome, but never say never because we still have four weeks to go until Mania.

·       Natalya put Alexa Bliss on notice by telling her that she was gunning for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Is Natalya a babyface now? I figured someone had to flip after Naomi dropped the title due to injury last week.

·       AJ Styles officially punched his ticket to WrestleMania when he pinned Luke Harper with the 450 Splash. Styles and Harper had a good match, but it could’ve been better if it wasn’t overbooked. Styles originally had Harper beat with The Phenomenal Forearm, but Harper’s leg was on the bottom rope as the referee counted 1-2-3.

·       Shane McMahon made his way down the ramp and announced that the match would be restarted. Styles got in McMahon’s face at ringside until Harper accidently blindsided McMahon with a big boot which led to the finish.

·       Harper had a great showing, but it felt muted because of the outcome. Styles and Harper have the potential to have a better match in the future without McMahon being used as a plot device to forward tension with Styles.

·       John Cena and Nikki Bella will face Carmella and James Ellsworth in a mixed tag team match next week. That should be a spectacle.

·       Thanks for coming, Curt Hawkins! Dean Ambrose nailed Hawkins with Dirty Deeds before the match got underway. Ambrose called out Baron Corbin after Corbin’s sneak attacks over the past couple of weeks. Corbin cut a promo from backstage and vowed to take everything Ambrose held near and dear to him. This was a fine way to add heat to their burgeoning feud.

·       Dolph Ziggler and Apollo Crews had a solid Chairs Match that featured good action throughout. Crews had the upper hand by showing off his agility, but Ziggler’s veteran instincts kicked in when he dropped Crews throat first onto the edge of a steel chair. Crews had a hard time collecting himself after the spot as he coughed profusely. Ziggler took things one step further by slamming Crews’ family jewels between the back side of the chair before pinning him with a jackknife rollup. Crews showed nice aggression while Ziggler heeled it up down the stretch. We are still in the baby steps phase of Ziggler’s heel turn. Pitter Patter…

·       Piece of advice to Bray Wyatt: Never give anyone the keys to kingdom ever again. Wyatt learned that lesson the hard way during his invocation ceremony when put AJ Styles on notice heading into their WWE Championship match at WrestleMania. Wyatt said he came from the depths of the earth which contained dirt and molten lava. He claimed that’s where Orton was at the moment because he bowed down to his master.

·       Suddenly, Orton appeared on the titantron and revealed that he was no longer under Wyatt’s spell. He was at the Wyatt Compound which also served as Sister Abigail’s final resting place. Orton dug up her remains and told Wyatt that he was going to burn her spirit to the ground.  The Eater of Worlds would be weakened by her eternal damnation as Orton doused the compound with gasoline. He went outside and struck a match and set the building ablaze as Wyatt lost it in the ring. Orton did his signature pose as he burned the last vestige of Sister Abigail while Wyatt continued to throw a fit at ringside as SD Live went off the air.

·       This was WWE at its campy best. Orton did a great job tormenting Wyatt as he showed his true colors after putting up a convincing ruse over the past few months. The Viper announced that he would face Wyatt for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. This puts AJ Styles’ title shot in limbo because Orton is cashing in his Royal Rumble win. Shane McMahon will probably make an executive decision next week which should finally set up the SD Live Main event at Mania.

·       The rumor mill has been hinting at a McMahon vs. Styles match at WM over the past few weeks and McMahon postponing Styles’ title match until a later date would add fuel to the proverbial fire. Styles vs. McMahon is not a sexy match, but it could be a beautiful disaster if it’s booked properly. Styles not being in a high profile match at WM sucks, but the prospect of Styles vs. Orton facing off for the WWE Title leading up to the Dog Days of Summer is a nice consolation prize. It’s all about the journey leading up to the final destination. Yes, I’m an optimist to a fault.

·       Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was very good. The show had a clear purpose from start to finish. The opening and closing segments were great as they laid the foundation for the top two SD Live matches at WrestleMania. The in-ring action was solid as several storylines were forwarded leading up to the biggest show of the year as well.

·       Natalya appears to be next in line for the Women’s Championship by putting Alexa Bliss on notice. AJ Styles is on a collision course with Shane McMahon despite becoming the number contender for the WWE Championship.

·       John Cena, Nikki Bella, The Miz, and Maryse is a deliciously soapy storyline that could be one my guilty pleasures heading into Mania. The promos and physical confrontations should be outstanding as long as Maryse doesn’t use a fake steel pipe to attack Nikki again.

·       After last week’s so-so show, SD Live is clicking on all cylinders once again. The Tag Team Division was sidelined once again, but it’s smart not to burn through meaningless matches between American Alpha vs. The Uso because their best stuff should be saved for WM. With four weeks to go until the biggest show of the year, both teams should have enough television time to get their feud over in a meaningful way.

·       33 days and counting until the Road to WM comes to a head in Orlando. The blue brand got in the Fastlane before Raw’s eponymous PPV. Let’s hope their red counterpart kick things into high gear on Sunday. 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 another installment of The Raw Exposé. See you later, boys and girls!

The SmackDown Files: When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong (An Ode to Chappelle's Show)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. After Randy Orton refused to face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, Daniel Bryan announced on Talking Smack that a Battle Royal to determine the new number one contender for Wyatt’s WWE Title would take place on tonight’s show. With the table reset, who punched their ticket to Mania? 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 began on a somber note when Naomi relinquished the SmackDown Women’s Championship due to an injury she suffered during her match against Alexa Bliss at Elimination Chamber last Sunday. Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon reviewed her medical report and determined that she would not be able to defend her title within the 30-day timeframe.

·        Naomi cut a heartfelt promo about giving up the title and vowed to win it back. Hopefully, her injury timeout is not a lengthy one.

·        Bliss came out and assumed that Bryan was going to give the Women’s Title back to her. Bryan swerved her by announcing that she had to wrestle Becky Lynch for the championship as the opening segment came to a close.

·        This was a good way to start the show. Naomi giving up the Women’s Title sucked, but her strength and resiliency will help get over as a lovable babyface when she returns. The “Feel The Glow” gimmick is cute, but it’s one-note in terms of getting Naomi over as a fully fleshed out character. Her speech was a nice step towards making her more relatable to the audience. It’s unfortunate that it happened due to injury, but this will fuel Naomi to come back better than ever.

·        Alexa Bliss became a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion thanks to a nasty shot to Becky Lynch’s throat followed by a rollup with a fistful of tights for the tainted win. Lynch vs. Bliss was good as Lynch took 90% of the match until Bliss tried to pull a portion of the ring skirt into the squared circle. The referee was busy putting the skirt back in place which led to the aforementioned finish.

·        Mickie James came out to celebrate with Bliss and tried to sneak attack Lynch, but Lynch caught her with a kick to the midsection as James scurried up the ramp.

·        Bliss regaining the Women’s Title makes sense because she can get easy heat as a heel. Her work rate is solid and it sets up Naomi winning the title back from here whenever she is medically cleared to compete. Also, Lynch continues her feud with James which should lead to one of them vying for the title at some point. James’ allegiance to Bliss has its limits. It should be interesting to see when the other shoe will drop.

·        Breezango tried to get an early jump on American Alpha, but their plan backfired when Chad Gable and Jason Jordan regrouped as they defeated Fandango with the Tech Fall.

·        After the match was over, The Usos made their way through the crowd to “congratulate” American Alpha and told the SmackDown Tag Team Champions that they were living on borrowed time with the titles. They cut a fiery promo about how Gable and Jordan were suffering from paranoia, but that wasn’t the case because The Usos were breathing down their necks in the literal sense. Jimmy and Jey were amped to the nth degree during their promo, but their passion and conviction were on point. When both teams finally go at it, it should be great because they haven’t fully let loose in the ring despite the handful of matches they’ve had on television over the past few months.

·        Natalya defeated Nikki Bella in their Falls Count Anywhere match thanks to an assist from Maryse. Nikki and Natalya brawled backstage as Maryse was minding her business. Natalya shoved Nikki into Maryse which caused the latter to take a bad tumble through the curtains into an assortment of lead pipes.

·        Nikki rammed Natalya’s head into a mirror near the makeup counter before taking the fight back to the main stage. Nikki nailed Natalya with a Spear before they brawled down the ramp.

·        Natalya was about to put Nikki in the Sharpshooter, but Nikki countered with the Fearless Lock instead. It appeared that Natalya was about to tap out until Maryse attacked Nikki with the fakest lead pipe known to mankind.

·        Maryse continued to hit Nikki with some the softest lead pipe shots of all time until The Miz ran down to the ring to intervene. The damage was already done as Natalya picked up the scraps to score the tainted win.

·        Natalya and Nikki had a decent match, but it was more about hitting high spots instead of weaving a strong narrative from start to finish. Plus, Natalya earned a few demerits when she broke character to praise Nikki for doing a good job after using one of the production tables as a launching pad for the backflip calf kick. She probably wasn’t aware that there was a live mic in the area, but she totally killed kayfabe for the viewers at home.

·        As for Maryse attacking Nikki Bella, this is was a nice way to lay the groundwork for the presumed John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse mixed tag team match at WrestleMania. The first breadcrumb was dropped when Nikki accidently caked Maryse with makeup powder during her backstage brawl with Natalya at Elimination Chamber last Sunday. Tonight’s incident only threw more gasoline on the bonfire.

·        It’s a random match that seems beneath Cena, but I’m sure he will find a way to make it work. Miz’s mic work should do the trick in terms of pushing their match over the top as well.

·        The Battle Royal featuring John Cena, AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, The Miz, Luke Harper, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Kalisto, Apollo Crews, and Mojo Rawley ended in a draw when Styles and Harper’s feet hit the floor at the same time.

·        Daniel Bryan announced that that Styles and Harper will face off with the winner going on to face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.

·        SD Live went off the air with Wyatt cackling at Harper’s misfortune as Orton looked on in the background.

·        The ending of the match was weak, but every elimination leading up to the finish made sense in terms of planting seeds for Mania.

·        Dolph Ziggler eliminated Kalisto only to get eliminated by Crews moments later when he nailed The Showoff with an Enzuigiri.

·        Ziggler didn’t go away quietly as he attacked Kalisto with a steel chair at ringside. This distracted Crews long enough for Corbin to eliminate him from the match. Ziggler tried to nail Crews with a chair shot, Crews moved out of the way and chased Ziggler backstage.

·        Ambrose eliminated Corbin only for Corbin to drag Ambrose out of the ring to lay him out with the End of Days onto the floor.

·        John Cena eliminated Miz only for The Miz to toss John Cena over the top rope a short time later. Since Battle Royals are contested under no disqualification rules, this was perfectly legal.

·        Ambrose recovered long enough to be in the final three alongside Harper and Styles but was eliminated by Harper after a kick in the gut caused him to double over onto the floor.

·        The match came down to Style and Harper which led to the aforementioned non-finish. Both men tried to eliminate the other, but it wasn’t a back and forth battle. Based on the outcome, it was clear that Styles and Harper were in cruise control until their match next week to determine the new number one contender for Wyatt’s WWE Title.

·        Styles vs. Harper was teased late last year when Styles was still WWE Champion. I expect both men to put on a show next week because a spot in the WrestleMania main event is at stake. It doesn’t completely erase the crappy way the Battle Royal ended, but it softens the blow a bit.  

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was decent at best. The wrestling action was so-so prior to the main event, but progress was made on the Mania front. John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse is starting to take shape while Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin continue their feud heading into their presumed Intercontinental Championship match at WM. Throw in The Usos putting American Alpha on notice and we have ourselves a pretty decent undercard representing the blue brand at the biggest show of the year.

·        The Women’s Division feels a little disjointed due to Naomi’s knee injury. Perhaps she will pull off a miracle and appear at WM in her hometown of Orlando, Florida. It should be noted that WWE has not gone into great detail regarding the extent of her injury. Therefore, the company could be playing things by ear to see if she can heal up in time for the big show. Bliss is a great heel, but the pickings are slim in terms of opponents because Nikki is preoccupied with Maryse while Becky Lynch is busy feuding with Mickie James. Short of Natalya doing an 180 and turning face on a whim, Bliss is stuck in the neutral zone at the moment. Let’s hope the creative team can reshuffle the deck heading into Mania.

·        We are five weeks away from the biggest show of the year. The pieces are starting to fall into place, but SD Live is lacking a bit of oomph at the moment. They can afford a couple of blah weeks because the Road to WrestleMania is a long and arduous journey. However, they can’t get too comfortable because Raw is stacked with heavy hitters despite the extra hour dragging things down. The Royal Rumble card was heavy on Raw matches. WM should balance things out a bit, but the blue brand has to hold up their end of the bargain to ensure that most of their matches are not featured on the preshow instead. 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 Never Ending, Epic, Larger-Than-Life, Endless Saga of John Cena vs Randy Orton (2-7-2017)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. The Elimination Chamber PPV is this Sunday which will serve as the final standalone show before WrestleMania. John Cena’s WWE Championship will be on the line inside the Elimination Chamber as Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, The Miz, Baron Corbin, and AJ Styles vie for the title. But first, Cena would have to deal with Randy Orton in a one-on-one nontitle match. An old rivalry has been re-ignited. Which man penned the next chapter with a win? 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.

·        Daniel Bryan received a hero’s welcome in his hometown of Seattle. Bryan talked about his retirement speech from last year and how he is still grateful for so many things in his life. He is grateful for his job as SD Live GM and for becoming a father in a few months.

·        The Miz came out to remind Bryan that he could no longer wrestle and should focus on being a full-time stay-at-home dad. Miz told Bryan that he didn’t belong in a WWE ring while the GM had a nice comeback by saying that Miz’s inability to wrestle didn’t stop him from stepping inside the squared circle.

·        Miz continued to antagonize the crowd until Baron Corbin made his way to the ring. He told the Miz to shut his mouth to the crowd’s delight. Dean Ambrose joined the festivities as he put everyone on notice that he was winning the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber.

·        AJ Styles followed suit with a valid case on why he was winning the title. Bryan decided to book Miz, Corbin, Ambrose, and Styles in a Fatal Four Way match as the opening segment came to an end.

·        This was a fun way to start the show. Daniel Bryan got a huge babyface pop while Miz was the most hated man in Seattle for interrupting Bryan’s promo. Corbin, Ambrose, and Styles played their parts well which set up the Fatal Four Way Match that took place after the commercial break.

·        The Fatal Four Way Match featuring Miz, Corbin, Ambrose, and Styles was chaotic and fast-paced throughout. Everyone had a chance to shine with Ambrose going on a tear down the stretch.

·        Corbin nailed Miz and Styles with a couple of stiff punches that played into his Golden Glove background as a boxer. There was even a Tower of Doom spot that popped the crowd something fierce.

·        The ending came when Styles nailed Miz with the Phenomenal Forearm, but he was unable to make the pin because Maryse pulled Miz out of the way. This allowed Corbin to hit Styles with the End of Days for the win.

·        Styles eating the pin makes sense because Corbin singled him out as SD Live went off the air last week. Styles maintains his heat while Corbin gains some much-needed momentum heading into Elimination Chamber. The odds of both men winning the WWE Championship are slim, but it shouldn’t stop them from having a good performance inside the Chamber. By doing so, it will keep Styles and Corbin at the tippy top of the main event scene heading into WrestleMania.

·        Natalya and Nikki Bella had their final verbal confrontation via split screen as they traded insults leading up to their match at Elimination Chamber. Natalya hit Nikki below the belt when she stated that Nikki would be sitting at home with her pregnant sister after she defeats her on Sunday. Natalya took things one step further by saying that John Cena would be with her if she wasn’t married. Nikki stormed off the set as Natalya smiled like a Cheshire Cat.

·        Nikki was given weak material to defend herself while Natalya threw shade from all sides to get the desired oohs and ahhs from the crowd. Minor criticism aside, their match should be very good if they are given enough time to shine.

·        The Emancipation of Dolph Ziggler continued as he attacked Apollo Crews and Kalisto with several steel chair shots to the back. Ziggler’s meltdown started when Crews pinned him with a roll-up. This drove Ziggler crazy as he attacked Crews post-match.

·        Kalisto made the save, but he was also laid out by Ziggler. It should be noted that the crowd chanted “One More Time” every time Ziggler hit somebody with a steel chair. His heel turn is going swimmingly. *Insert Sarcasm Here*

·        Ziggler ran his mouth a bit too much when he told Daniel Bryan that he could fight Crews and Kalisto at the same time. Bryan put that theory to the test by booking Ziggler in a two-on-one handicap match against Crews and Kalisto at Elimination Chamber. I am sure Ziggler will be resoundingly cheered despite being the dastardly heel in this situation.

·        The first-ever dual contract signing featuring Mickie James, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, and Naomi was a nice segment that put both Women’s matches over at the PPV. James did a much better job on the mic this time around as she talked about her legacy being used as the springboard for the Women’s Revolution. Without James laying the groundwork, there would be no Becky Lynch. Lynch had a nice comeback as she noted that when things got tough, James walked away from the company. Lynch is a fighter that refuses to let the chip on her shoulder weigh her down. Lynch vowed to slap James back to the past at Elimination Chamber as she signed her name on the dotted line.

·        Bliss dissed Lynch’s hair color and stated that as long as the Women’s Championship was on her shoulder, she’s was the face of the division.

·        Bliss signed her name on the contract and completely ignored Naomi who was standing across from her in the ring. Naomi reminded Bliss that she pinned her twice last week and had no problem doing it again at Elimination Chamber with the Women’s Title on the line. Naomi wanted to dance down the aisle in front of her hometown crowd at WrestleMania and the only way to do that was to defeat Bliss. She signed her name on the contract and kicked Bliss in the head for good measure.

·        The tradition of a contract signing breaking down into a brawl came to pass as Naomi and Lynch laid out James and Bliss. Everyone played their parts well and it’s cool to see WWE booking three women’s matches on PPV. That would have been unheard of two years ago. We have come a long way, ladies and gentleman.

·        The Ascension picked up their biggest win since SD Live’s Tuesday night debut when Viktor pinned Rhyno with a dropkick from the top rope. The twelve-man tag team match featuring American Alpha, Breezango, and Heath Slater & Rhyno vs. The Ascension, The Vaudevillians, and The Usos was a serviceable way to hype the Gauntlet Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles at Elimination Chamber.

·        Luke Harper will face Randy Orton at Elimination Chamber. This could be a nice showcase match for Harper who is underrated as an in-ring performer.

·        John Cena defeated Randy Orton with the AA thanks to an assist from Luke Harper. Cena and Orton had a nice match that seemed fresh despite their numerous encounters over the years. The action was well-paced as both men hit their respective finishers for near falls. Cena was about to drop Orton with another AA when Cena accidently knocked Orton into the referee.

·        Cena made Orton tap out to the STF, but the ref was still taking a nap at ringside. With the official MIA, Wyatt got in the ring and nailed Cena with Sister Abigail

·        Luke Harper ran into the ring to make the save. He was momentarily hypnotized by Wyatt, but the “Yes” chants gave Harper the confidence to stand up to Wyatt as he nailed his former brother with a Discus Clothesline.

·        Orton tried to take out Harper with an RKO, but Harper ducked out of the way and pushed Orton into Cena who dropped him with a second AA for the win. The show went off the air with Cena celebrating in the ring as the announcers hammered home the Elimination Chamber Match featuring Cena, Wyatt, Ambrose, Corbin, Miz, and Styles for the WWE Championship.

·        The main event was a nice way to send the crowd home happy. Orton and Cena had a good television match that didn’t hurt either man heading into Elimination Chamber. Luke Harper got some much-needed shine as he came to Cena’s aid down the stretch. This was a great way to promote two matches at once while putting a spotlight on the fractured Wyatt Family as well. Depending on the outcome of their respective matches, the dysfunction is bound to continue with a certain Viper playing with house money if everything goes according to plan.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was solid. Once again, the show was bookended by two strong matches that effectively hyped the Elimination Chamber PPV. The Chamber match for the WWE Championship should be stellar while Luke Harper vs. Randy Orton could be a show stealer if they are given enough time to do so.  

·        The Tag Team Division got some ancillary love while Dolph Ziggler’s heel turn is still stuck in the pole position. Considering the fact that this is a seven match show, Ziggler’s two-on-one handicap match against Apollo Crews and Kalisto might be the opening match on the preshow. Just a hunch.

·        The Elimination Chamber should be a very good PPV with the Chamber match in prime position to exceed expectations. Who will punch their ticket to WrestleMania and face Orton for the WWE Title? Will it be a familiar foe or someone new? We shall find out soon enough.

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!