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 Jinder Mahal Took a Flight On The RKO 747 Edition (6-13-2017)

By: Keila Cash

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

In actuality, WWE has done a haphazard job when it comes to hyping their B-Level PPVs as of late. Did the company reverse this trend or were fans treated to the same old, same old? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        The Soul Rebels were awesome as they played The New Day to the ring to kick off SD Live. Sadly, we had to deal with the obligatory opening show promo before the Eight-Man Tag Match featuring The New Day and Breezango vs. The Usos and Colons took place. The mic work was fine, but it was nothing special. Hopefully, the in-ring action will deliver better results.

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

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

·        Neurotic Sami Zayn is so annoying.

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

·        Welcome back, Zack Ryder!

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

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

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

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

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

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

·        The Fashion Files shocked me for two reasons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The SmackDown Files. I hope you enjoyed it and I will back next week with a brand new installment of The Raw Exposé. See you later, boys and girls!