Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly WWE SmackDown hits and misses series.
The blue brand had its go-home show for SummerSlam 2024 in Cleveland. This episode featured two tag team title matches in addition to several one-on-one bouts. WWE also added a huge stipulation to Cody Rhodes versus Solo Sikoa.
Here’s what went down on 8/2 Friday Night SmackDown.
Hit – Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes
Andrade and Carmelo Hayes ran it back on WWE SmackDown. Both men delivered a fast-paced match with plenty of offense. Andrade paid tribute to his father-in-law Ric Flair with a figure four leg lock. Melo showcased some great offense as well but fell to a surprise pinfall.
A great match to kick off a go-home show for a major PLE. These two have such good chemistry inside the ring. This match went longer than their previous singles outing and for all the great reasons. Andrade going over Melo was a surprise outcome.
Miss – Apollo Crews vs. Santos Escobar on WWE SmackDown
Apollo and Santos continued their feud on SmackDown this week. Crews had Baron Corbin supporting him at ringside. Corbin, however, was jumped by Legado causing a distraction for his partner. Santos took advantage of the situation to pick up the win.
A short match with nothing special about it. This contest was only meant to give Santos a win over Apollo. Legado are in the midst of regaining their momentum. Hopefully, they can replicate their NXT success someday.
Hit – LA Knight steals the Prime Hummer
Logan Paul had his homecoming in Cleveland. The Maverick brought some entourage with him, but still couldn’t get his hometown crowd to cheer him. They unveiled a huge banner that had YEAH written on top of Logan’s face. LA Knight showed up to a huge pop and cut a promo on his WWE SummerSlam opponent. Knight went backstage to get another banner but found Logan’s Prime Hummer parked and drove away in it.
A great throwback segment featuring a good mix of the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras. Logan is so good as the cocky heel champion. His facial expressions were impressive when he saw YEAH written on top of his face on the banner. Knight had a very good line when he said they’re going to open a spirit Halloween inside Paul’s brain because it’s empty. Let’s see if the match is as good as the build.
Miss – Women’s tag team title match on WWE SmackDown
Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn put their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship on the line against Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. The challengers had the match in control until Blair Davenport showed up to cause a disqualification. The former NXT UK star aligned with the champions after helping them take out Belair and Cargill.
The women’s tag team title defense from NXT The Great American Bash was a lot better than what we got on WWE SmackDown. They could’ve put this match on SummerSlam pre-show. Davenport’s aligning herself with Alba and Isla was a major shock. Will these lead to a clash with Sonya, Baszler, and Stark on the road to Survivor Series?
Hit – The Bloodline wins tag team gold
DIY defended their WWE Tag Team Championship against The Bloodline in the main event of SmackDown. Ciampa and Gargano took on Fatu and Tama Tonga. The champions put up a fight against the challengers. However, Fatu proved to be too much for Gargano and went on to pick up the win for The Bloodline.
Triple H is notorious for booking hometown heroes to lose in front of their families and friends. Cleveland’s Gargano suffered the same fate last night. Rant aside, the match was good and showed how much of a threat is Jacob Fatu to his opponents. He no-sold the reverse hurricanrana and the rest was history.
READ MORE: WWE SummerSlam 2024 Preview And Predictions
