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: No Ring, Straight Chaser - The John Cena and Nikki Bella Story (As Told By The Miz and Maryse)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. AJ Styles punched his ticket to WrestleMania in the literal sense when he attacked Shane McMahon in the parking garage last week. However, his hopes and dreams were almost dashed when Daniel Bryan fired him on the spot only for Shane to overturn the decision before the show went off the air. How did the boss-employee dynamic play out as the Road to WM comes to a head? 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.

·       AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon is officially set for WrestleMania as Styles cut an entertaining promo about how he had no regrets about attacking McMahon last week. In fact, Styles wanted to do a repeat performance once his boss arrived at the arena. Something tells me that history won’t repeat itself. Just a hunch...

·       The Usos defeated American Alpha to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions when Jey Uso nailed Jason Jordan with a Superkick thanks to an assist from Jimmy when he pulled Jordan’s leg between the ropes. The Usos and American Alpha had a very good match, but the crowd was solidly behind the heels. I guess name recognition carries some weight along with the fact that Chad Gable and Jason Jordan were ice cold as Tag Team Champs due to a lack of television time which has caused a disconnection with fans who are unfamiliar with their NXT work.

·       Despite these minor criticisms, both teams put on a show that featured great action and dramatic near falls. The fans were amped for a title change when Jey Uso delivered the Frog Splash to Chad Gable only for Gable to kick out at 2 and three-quarters.

·       The craziness continued when Gable and Jordan dropped Jey with a Bulldog from the top rope. Jordan was about score the victory when Jimmy pulled him out of the ring. Jordan laid out Jimmy with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex on the floor while Gable finished things off with a Moonsault onto the outside.

·       Jey threw Gable over the barricade, but Jordan tackled Jey against said barricade moments later. He tossed Jey back in the ring and was about to take care of business when Jimmy grabbed his leg which led to the finish.

·       I question the title switch 12 days away from WrestleMania, but The Usos have been on the other side of the coin when they won the Tag Team Titles on an episode of Raw a few weeks before Mania three years ago. The show emanated from Chicago that night which didn’t hurt their pop heading into the big show.

·       In this instance, I understand the booking logic because Gable and Jordan have been floundering since become Tag Team Champions last December. Being in chase mode for the Tag Titles will help them get over if they are given a chance to flesh out their characters in a believable way.

·       Alpha’s in-ring game is always on point, but they need a spark in order to get over as a babyface team the crowd can fully get behind. This match is a prime example of how great the Tag Team Division can be if it is showcased properly. After weeks of neglect, the Powers That Be woke up and smelled the coffee. It’s about damn time. Let’s hope they can keep the momentum going heading into WM.

·       The Total Bellas parody was amazing. From Maryse mocking Nikki and Brie’s Bella Speak to The Miz acting like a robotic John Cena who lays down the law when it comes to abiding by his house rules, everything was pitch perfect. The popping the question gag with Faux Cena popping an actual balloon was the icing on the cake.

·       Due to a brief power outage, I missed the second half of Randy Orton vs. Baron Corbin which prevented me from reviewing the match properly. To fill in some of the blanks, Ambrose distracted Baron Corbin when he rolled into the arena on a forklift which allowed Orton to nail Corbin with an RKO for the win.

·       After the match was over, Ambrose made his way down to the ring and agreed to face Corbin for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania. He sealed the deal by dropping The Lone Wolf with Dirty Deeds before heading backstage.

·       Orton was jumped by a bunch of Bray Wyatt followers wearing sheep masks. Wyatt thanked Orton for making his one flaw his greatest asset as Sister Abigail’s spirit runs through his veins like the world’s greatest energy source. The Wyatt-Orton feud has done the unprecedented by jumping the shark twice. Their WWE Championship match at WrestleMania should be good from a wrestling standpoint, but the storytelling has fallen off a cliff over the past couple of weeks which makes the feud too hokey to take seriously.

·       Tyler Breeze dressing up like Nikki Bella is a sight to behold...

·       Nikki Bella spearing Tyler Breeze was pretty damn impressive. The referee actually allowed Nikki to stay in the ring as she dropped Breeze with the Rack Attack 2.0 while Cena delivered the AA to Fandango.

·       Cena made Fandango tap out to the STF for the win while Nikki made her cosplay doppelganger tap out to the Fearless Lock for good measure.

·       Numerous rule violations aside, this was a cute nod to Cena and Fandango’s recent turn as zany 80s-style co-hosts on Southpaw Regional Wrestling which can be found on WWE’s YouTube channel.

·       Becky Lynch vs. Carmella ended via disqualification when Natalya got in the ring and laid out Carmella with a clothesline. All hell broke loose as Mickie James and Alexa Bliss joined the melee.

·       Lynch delivered a dropkick to James Ellsworth when Carmella shoved him in Lynch’s direction. She couldn’t avoid a Suplex from Lynch, though. James “nailed” Lynch with the Mick Kick, but it appeared that she missed the mark which didn’t create the best visual from both an in-person and television perspective.

·       Bliss was the last woman standing when she drilled James with a wicked forearm as she stood over her WrestleMania opponents.

·       The Total Bellas “Lost Episode” was outstanding. The DDP Yoga Proposal Fake Out was ingenious. From Miz giving Maryse a toy-sized WWE Wrestling Ring to tying up his tennis shoes in bunny knots to play up the proposal shtick, it was a great way to poke fun at John Cena and Nikki Bella’s relationship. Tremendous work from everyone involved.

·       Shane McMahon channeled his inner daredevil when he laid out AJ Styles with an elbow drop from the top rope through the announce table at ringside. McMahon called out Styles as The Phenomenal One tried to apologize to Shane. Styles was about to shake his hand when Shane walloped him with a series of bad punches. Things got better once Styles got back on the attack and suplexed Shane into the barricade.

·       Shane recovered and delivered a suplex to Styles onto the floor. The elbow drop soon followed as the crowd erupted in “Holy Shit!” chants as SD Live went off the air with Shane pointing at the WrestleMania sign.

·       This was a hot way to end the show. The crowd was lukewarm during Shane’s promo, but they came alive for the physical confrontation. Shane’s punches were ugly, but he held his own against Styles. This was a nice sample of what’s to come at WM. If Shane can keep the shadow boxing to a minimum, he and Styles could have an entertaining match if it’s booked in a smart and safe way.

·       Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was solid. The show had a clear sense of purpose that has been missing over the past couple of weeks. The Tag Team Title match between The Usos and American Alpha set the tone for the evening while the rest of the show zipped by with some fluff segments mixed for good measure.

·       The Miz and Maryse did a great job mocking John Cena and Nikki Bella’s relationship while the Bray Wyatt-Randy Orton feud continues to run on fumes heading into Mania. Also, Luke Harper will face Wyatt on the go-home show next week. Maybe it’s a red herring, but Harper needs to be a singles star instead of being Wyatt’s henchman. At least he changed his tank top for the first time since WrestleMania XXX.

·       Next week’s go-home episode is a rarity for the blue brand because it is not going to be a clip show spectacular with live footage spliced in from WWE Fan Axxess. The show will probably be light on in-ring action and heavy with talking segments hyping the key Mania matches. That’s the norm when it comes to promoting the biggest show of the year. The creative team has to make the SD Live side of the card look strong on paper. Let’s hope they can get the job done as we are 12 days away from the Super Bowl of Professional Wrestling. 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: Baptism By Ashes - The Rebirth of Bray Wyatt Edition (3-14-2017)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The SD Live WrestleMania main event is set as Randy Orton will face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship. Meanwhile, AJ Styles is looking for a palm tree give him warmth and shade since he is left out in the cold heading into the biggest show of the year.

Styles confronted Shane McMahon backstage after his match with Orton and one can only assume that their beef spilled over into tonight’s show. How did McMahon respond to last week’s scuffle? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s get down to business!

·        AJ Styles laid out a believable case of getting screwed out of the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania.

·        Unlike John Cena, Styles had to jump throw hoops like a circus monkey in order to get a title shot. He was put in the Elimination Chamber, a Battle Royal, and two number one contender matches only to come up short.

·        Styles is not booked for a match at Mania which caused him to lose his cool last week when he confronted Shane McMahon backstage. He vowed to have a conversation with his boss about his career as the opening segment came to an end.

·        This was a good way to start the show. Styles was passionate with a legitimate point to prove because he was the best wrestler in 2016, but he didn’t have a match on the WM card. He’s the one that put SD Live on the map and put butts in the seats.

·        We shall see how Shane responds to Styles’ comments later in the show.

·        Becky Lynch defeated Natalya with the Dis-Arm-Her, but she didn’t get a chance to celebrate the win because Carmella nailed her with a Superkick. Natalya suffered the same fate as Carmella put both ladies on notice that she was also gunning for Alexa Bliss’ Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. She’s not a serious threat to win the title, but it’s smart to make everyone seem like legit competition heading into the PPV.

·        Daniel Bryan’s desire to punch The Miz in the face caused him to book Miz and Maryse vs. John Cena and Nikki Bella in a mixed tag team match WrestleMania.

·        A special edition of Miz TV got the ball rolling as Maryse spilled Nikki Bella’s dirty little secret about how she blocked Maryse from returning to WWE four years ago.

·        Nikki, Brie, and Maryse had a pact to return as stars on the first season of Total Divas. Initial contract negotiations went south, but Nikki promised Maryse that she had her back because her relationship with John Cena made her untouchable behind the scenes.

·        However, plans changed when Nikki and Brie re-signed with the company and returned on an episode of Raw in early 2013. Maryse felt betrayed and vowed to expose Nikki as a backstabbing bitch.

·        John Cena and Nikki Bella ran down to the ring, but Miz and Maryse got out of dodge before things got physical.

·        Nikki got on the mic and called Maryse delusional and denied the claims that she blocked Maryse’s return to the company. If that was the case, she wouldn’t be on SD Live leeching off her husband for an easy paycheck each week. Nikki challenged Maryse to a fight, but Miz declined on his wife’s behalf.

·        Bryan came out to make the mixed tag team match at Mania official as Cena and Bella celebrated in the ring.

·        This was 1000 times better than the dreck Miz had to recite last week. Maryse did a great job conveying her side of the story because it was based on a true story that played out on an episode of Total Divas last November. Mixing in a hint of realism makes this feud easier to digest when it’s rooted in Faction (Fiction mixed with Facts).

·        Nikki Bella’s character took a minor hit because Maryse’s comments were somewhat true. She was in sink or swim mode until Bryan saved the day. Despite people throwing shade at her, Nikki can’t counter due to the weak material she's given. Maybe she can take a few tips from Cena when it comes to reading haters for filth.

·        Mickie James defeated Alexa Bliss with the Mick Kick as she got a measure of revenge on her former partner-in-crime. James and Bliss had a nice match, but the crowd heat was almost non-existent. That’s the perils of having a show in Pittsburgh because the fans are notoriously lukewarm.

·        AJ Styles decided to get his WrestleMania thrills by attacking Shane McMahon in the garage. Styles kicked McMahon’s ass from pillar to post as he talked about getting screwed out of multiple championship opportunities.

·        Styles crashed McMahon’s head through a backseat car window as a sharped dressed Fit Finlay came to his boss’ rescue.

·        McMahon suffered a laceration in the back of the head as he was checked out by WWE’s medical team. Shane refused to go the hospital and opted to get examined in the trainer’s room instead.

·        AJ Styles was about to head out of the arena when he was confronted by Daniel Bryan and security. Bryan was so abhorred with Styles’ actions that he fired The Phenomenal One on the spot. Styles was escorted out of the building as the crowd booed in the background.

·        Something tells me that Styles will be re-hired by the end of the show.

·        Mojo Rawley defeated Dolph Ziggler via count-out when Ziggler refused to get back in the ring before the count of ten. The match was fine while it lasted, but the ending was lame.

·        It appears that Randy Orton’s master plan has gone up in smoke (pun intended) because Bray Wyatt went back to the scene of the crime to baptize himself with Sister Abigail’s ashes.

·        Wyatt was reborn and vowed to wipe out all the infidels on earth. Orton would be the first to go at WrestleMania as he told The Viper to “Follow The Buzzards.”

·        Moral of the story: Burn down a man’s house and he will still find a way to become a God among men.

·        The psychological mind games from Wyatt continue, but the follow-up made Orton’s act of arson seem like child’s play in hindsight.

·        The Usos defeated American Alpha when Jimmy Uso stopped Chad Gable and Jason Jordan’s Electric Chair attempt on Jey Uso by knocking Gable off the top rope. This allowed Jimmy to nail Jordan with a Superkick behind the referee’s back. Since Jey was the legal man, he was able to pick up the win which puts them in line for a shot at the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania.

·        American Alpha vs. The Usos was fine, but it was hampered by a lack of crowd heat. The fans did a half-hearted “We Want Angle” chant as a way to entertain themselves.

·        The presentation of the match for the television audience was terrible as WWE cut to a split screen of Shane McMahon walking backstage alongside Jamie Noble and Fit Finlay midway through the “main event.”

·        It made the two top teams in the Tag Team Division seem second-rate which is a shame considering the talent involved. The outcome became a blimp on the radar because of Shane McMahon’s announcement at the end of the show.

·        McMahon announced that he will face AJ Styles at WrestleMania. The show abruptly came to an end before fans had a chance to digest the news.

·        The rumored AJ Styles-Shane McMahon match is now official and it was booked in a logical way. Styles crossed the line by attacking his boss which gave Shane a legitimate reason to get back in the ring. As I have mentioned on several occasions, this is not the sexiest matchup in the world but it should be a beautiful disaster if it’s booked properly. Styles is the best wrestler in the world while Shane is a madman when it comes to pulling off incredible stunts under the right circumstances.

·        With those two things in mind, I am cautiously optimistic about their WM match. Let’s hope these good vibrations carry over into next week’s show.

·        Overall, I thought this was another middling episode of SmackDown Live. The Pittsburgh crowd lived up to their reputation of being meh, but WWE didn’t help matters by putting on a ho-hum show.

·        Numerous WrestleMania angles were forwarded in a meaningful way, but the in-ring action was so-so for the most part. Several internet reports have noted that the company tends to play down major storylines for a week because the Steel City crowd has a reputation of being doused with Nyquil dreary during most live shows.  That theory rang true, but the fans managed to wake up for the AJ Styles-Shane McMahon segment, Miz TV, and Orton’s Promo.

·        The rest of the broadcast was fluffed up by matches that the crowd didn’t care about. From a viewer standpoint, it was a chore to get through with the saving grace being that SD Live is a two-hour show. If this was Raw, I would have been nodding off between commercial breaks.

·        Hopefully, the blue brand will get back on track next week as the show emanates from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. With 19 days to go until WrestleMania, it’s time to put the finishing touches on the SD Live side of the card. Let’s hope the creative team can get the job done. Fingers crossed!

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

The SmackDown Files: Through The Fire and Into The Woods - Randy Orton Punches His Ticket to WrestleMania...For Real This Time

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. After Randy Orton burned down Bray Wyatt’s house along with the spirit of Sister Abigail last week, the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania was placed in limbo after Orton decided to cash in his Royal Rumble win.

AJ Styles defeated Luke Harper to become the new number one contender for Wyatt’s WWE Title. In an attempt to resolve the situation, WWE announced that Orton and Styles will face off in a match with the winner moving on to face Wyatt for the Championship at Mania. Who finally punched their ticket to the big dance? 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.

·        After much debate and consideration, Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon announced that Randy Orton will face AJ Styles with the winner going on the face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. This news originally broke this past Friday on the WWE App. The fact that the company decided to waste 12 minutes of television time to regurgitate this information was pointless. This was a bland way to kick off the show.

·        John Cena and Nikki Bella picked up the win against James Ellsworth and Carmella when Cena made Ellsworth tap out to the STF while Nikki had Carmella in the Fearless Lock to keep things in perfect stereo.

·        Cena and Bella’s celebration was short-lived when The Miz and Maryse attacked them at ringside. Miz rammed Cena into the steel steps while Maryse slammed Nikki back-first into the ring post.

·        Miz proceeded to cut a cringe-worthy promo about how he and his wife were fighting for real love by discrediting the plastic relationship between Cena and Bella. The only thing that somewhat saved Miz’s performance was when he discussed the contract Cena made Nikki sign before they moved in together during the first season of Total Divas.

·        The material was too insider and Miz’s comments on guest commentary were equally as bad. Last week’s segment between the foursome was better in terms of execution and entertainment value. This week’s verbal joust session sucked. Hopefully, they get back on track next week because my guilty pleasure turned into a waking nightmare.

·        Thanks for coming, Curt Hawkins! Dean Ambrose laid out Hawkins for the second week in a row when he dropped him with Dirty Deeds onto the floor.  

·        Ambrose called out Baron Corbin, but Corbin refused to take orders from Ambrose. Their game of cat and mouse continues leading up to their presumed Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania.

·        Who knew Mojo Rawley could be so shady? Dolph Ziggler tried to rain on Rawley’s parade by telling him that WrestleMania moments are earned and not given away freely. Rawley had a great retort when he asked Ziggler if that’s why he hasn’t had a Mania moment yet. Ziggler told the former Hype Bro to keep chasing that brass ring as he walked away. This was a decent way to setup Rawley’s announcement that he was entering the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WM.

·        Dean Ambrose tracked down Corbin, but he was met with a lead pipe attack instead. The Lone Wolf laid Ambrose out, but The Lunatic Fringe managed to make light of the situation by saying that they had a good talk.

·        Corbin continued his assault which led to Ambrose getting pinned underneath a forklift while Corbin pressed the machinery against his chest and waist.  WWE officials pulled Ambrose from the contraption as Corbin marveled at his handiwork from behind the wheel. 

·        Alexa Bliss declared that she was the best woman on SD Live. Daniel Bryan decided to put that theory to the test by booking Bliss in a match against every available female superstar on the SD Live roster at WrestleMania with the Women’s Championship on the line.

·        Bryan also announced that Becky Lynch and Natalya would team up against Alexa Bliss and Mickie James after the commercial break.

·        The segment almost went off the rails with the women gossiping like a gaggle of hens in the ring, but it was saved by Bryan’s announcement that Bliss would defend her title against every available woman on the roster at Mania. This might open the door for Naomi to make a surprise appearance in her hometown of Orlando if she is medically cleared within the next few weeks.

·        It was only a matter of time until Mickie James put Alexa Bliss on notice that she was gunning for the Women’s Title when she nailed Bliss with the Mick Kick after Bliss stole the pin during their tag team match against Becky Lynch and Natalya.

·        Lynch had the match well in hand until Natalya dropped her with a German Suplex. James was about to capitalize on the situation when Bliss made the tag and cover moments later.  

·        The announcers stressed that they don’t know what type of match the women will have with the title on the line. I guess we shall find out the special stipulation soon enough.

·        Randy Orton officially punched his ticket to WrestleMania when he defeated AJ Styles with an RKO out of nowhere. Orton will face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship at the biggest show of the year while Styles’ dream of headlining Mania was dashed in heartbreaking fashion.

·        Orton and Styles had a very good match that served as a nice appetizer of what’s to come in the future. Styles worked on Orton’s left leg throughout the match which grounded The Viper’s offense for the most part.

·        However, Orton got back on track when he nailed Styles with a Draping DDT. Orton was about to nail Styles with an RKO when Styles countered with a Pele Kick.

·        Styles was about to hit Orton with the Phenomenal Forearm, but he noticed that Orton was in position to hit him an RKO in mid-air. Styles psyched Orton out by jumping off the top rope while Orton fell back first against the mat.

·        Styles attempted to hit Orton with the 450 Splash, but Orton moved out of the way which led to the finish.

·        SD Live went off the air with Orton doing his signature pose while Styles sat on the bottom of the entrance ramp with a sad look on his face.

·        It should be noted that Bray Wyatt never appeared on the show. I guess he is rebuilding his house after Orton burned it to the ground last week. Poor thing..,

·        After several weeks of twists and turns, the SD Live main event is set. Will Orton complete his mission by defeating Bray Wyatt for the WWE Title? We shall find out soon enough.

·        As for Styles, he’ll probably face Shane McMahon in a gimmick match at Mania. It’s not the dream scenario most fans were hoping for, but The Phenomenal One will try his best to turn these sour grapes into a vintage fine wine. The idea of Styles vs. McMahon still sucks, though. L

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was middling at best. WWE took a step back after last week’s strong show. The John Cena/Nikki Bella-Miz/Maryse feud went from a soap opera delight to an E! News hit piece with information sourced from Star Magazine. It was a hot mess that needs to be rectified next week.

·        The Women’s Division is a little bit more interesting with Mickie James finally turning on Alexa Bliss. Let’s hope James reverts to her babyface ways because she was super over at NXT Takeover: Toronto last November. She is too talented to let a character miscast derail her second run in WWE.

·        The Tag Team Division remained MIA with American Alpha and The Usos not appearing on the show for the second week in a row. WrestleMania is three weeks away and it’s time to kick this feud into high gear. They don’t have to trade wins back and forth, but some mic time would go a long way towards getting their presumed WM match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship over in a meaningful away. The 12-minute segment that kicked off tonight’s show could have been used to add heat to this lifeless feud. At this rate, the Tag Team Titles will probably be the first match on the Mania Kickoff show which is a shame considering the talent involved.

·        The rest of the show was fine, but it was nothing special. With SD Live emanating from Pittsburgh next week, they need to turn up the heat as the Road to WrestleMania hits the home stretch. Unfortunately, the Steel City isn’t known for having hot crowds which might make next week’s show a chore to get through. Let’s hope the creative team remedies the situation by giving the crowd something to cheer for. That goes for the viewing audience at home as well. 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!