Our WWE SmackDown results for tonight include World Heavyweight Champion Gunther accepting Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes’ invitation to meet him on SmackDown, The Motor City Machine Guns clashing with #DIY for a shot at the Bloodline’s WWE Tag Team Championship, and Carmelo Hayes and Andrade moving on to the seventh and final match in their best-of series, with United States Champion LA Knight as special guest referee! Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
WWE SmackDown Card:
- Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade (Game Seven: Series Tied 3-3) with Special Guest Referee LA Knight
- Motor City Machine Guns vs #DIY for WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Match
- WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther face off with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes
WWE SmackDown Results:
Randy Orton power walks through the backstage area as the show kicks off. Before Orton walks through the curtain, he stops and argues with Triple H. We can’t hear what they are saying over Orton’s theme music. Orton walks off and makes his way to the ring.
The Viper is Ready to Strike
Orton says he’s been doing everything he can to get his hands on Kevin Owens at Crown Jewel. Orton notes that he got stonewalled by SmackDown GM Nick Aldis. Orton knows who he needs to talk to because it seems like Triple H is protecting Kevin Owens from Orton. Orton demands Triple H come to the ring. Triple H walks to the ring and notes that he would have preferred not to do this in the arena, but since Orton can’t bother to show up on time to work, he doesn’t have a choice. Orton accuses Triple H of protecting Owens again.
Triple says over and over that the match is not going to happen. Orton demands Triple H admit he’s protecting Owens. Triple H gets frustrated and says he’s trying to protect Orton. Triple H says Owens let his guard down with Orton and Rhodes. Owens trusted him. In Owens’ mind, Orton and Rhodes turned on him. Triple H says this isn’t the same Kevin Owens. Something is different in him. Triple H says he just got Orton back and doesn’t want him to end up back on the shelf. Orton says that’s not going to happen.
Orton didn’t ask the COO of this company to come to the ring. He wants The Game. What would The Game do if he were in Orton’s shoes? Orton begs Triple H for a match with Owens at Crown Jewel. The crowd cheers. Triple H tells the crowd he hopes they understand what they are asking for. Triple H agrees to give Orton his match against Owens at Crown Jewel. As he leaves the ring, Triple H tells Orton to protect himself at all times.
Grade: B
Great opening segment. Adding Triple H to this angle adds even more weight and emotion. Triple H has a deep history with Orton and Owens, and if someone as sadistic as Triple H is worried about what Owens will do to Orton, it gives us a clear picture of what Orton is in with the NEW Kevin Owens. This match is going to slap.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade (Game Seven: Series Tied 3-3) with Special Guest Referee LA Knight
Andrade floors Hayes with his feint elbow strike as soon as the bell rings. Hayes kicks out. Knight is refereeing the match while still wearing the United States Championship and a pair of shades. Andrade stomps Hayes in the corner. Knight pulls Andrade away. Andrade takes acception. Hayes uses Knight as a shield while he lands a sneak attack. Hayes stomps Andrade in the corner. Knight pulls Hayes away. Andrade sends Hayes over the top. Andrade sets up a dive. Knight steps in the way and starts to count Hayes out.
The crowd boos Knight. Andrade shrugs and leaps over Knight in the ring and lands on Hayes. After the break, Hayes tries a springboard, but Andrade counters with an inverted Spanish Fly. Both men are down. Hayes surprises Andrade with a head scissors into a facebuster. Andrade kicks out. Hayes counters The Message, Andrade pivots and hits a destroyer. Corner double knee strike by Andrade. Andrade tries a pin. Hayes kicks out, and Andrade lands on Knight. Hayes rolls up Andrade. Knight is collecting himself in the corner, so he doesn’t see the pin.
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Hayes gets in Knight’s face. Andrade almost elbows Knight. Hayes accidentally superkicks Knight. Knight falls out of the ring. Hayes hits a suplex cutter. As Hayes makes the pin, Knight pulls him out of the ring. Knight launches Hayes into the commentary desk. Knight rolls into the ring and drops Andrade with a BFT. Hayes gets in the ring, Knight blasts him with a BFT. Knight grabs a mic and says he’s the winner and walks off.
No Contest
Grade: B-
I can watch these two fight all day. This match was great until the finish. This is obviously leading to a triple-threat match for the title, but a B.S. finish diminishes this fun contest.
Naomi vs. Candice LeRae w/Indi Hartwell
Naomi and LeRae trade shots. LeRae ends up out of the ring. Naomi attempts to follow but gets tripped on the apron. After the break, LeRae works over Naomi. Naomi surprises LeRae with the Heat Seeker. Disaster kick by Naomi. LeRae kicks out. LeRae hangs Naomi up on the second rope and lands a neckbreaker. Naomi falls out of the ring. Hartwell pushes Naomi into the ring post. Bayley’s music hits. Bayley attacks Hartwell at ringside. While LeRae is distracted, Noami hits a full nelson buster hold for the win.
Winner- Naomi
Grade: C+
Fun match, and the right person won. Even with LeRae being featured, Naomi is in line for a title shot. Having her lose here would kill all of her would be counterproductive. Naomi gave LeRae a lot here, but not too much to take away from what this match was: a vehicle to push forward the angle between Naomi/Bayley/Jax/Stratton.
Who will be the Crown Jewel Champion?
WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes is out first. Gunther’s music interrupts the crowd, who are singing Rhodes’ song. Gunther mockingly asks Rhodes what he wants to talk about. Rhodes says he wants to know why Gunther thinks he’ll leave Crown Jewel with the Crown Jewel Championship. Gunther tells Rhodes that he was out of line for mentioning his daughter last week. Gunther says Rhodes shouldn’t bring his family into this. The crowd boos as Gunther notes Rhodes is making this all more dramatic than it needs to be.
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Gunther KNOWS he will leave Crown Jewel with the Crown Jewel Championship because he is doing this for himself. He is the greatest champion in WWE. Gunther wants Rhodes to strip away all the B.S. and say the real reason he is doing this. Rhodes says that’s the dumbest question he’s ever been asked. Rhodes says he is who he is. Gunther smirks. Rhodes asks Gunther where he was yesterday. Rhodes says he was doing press for WrestleMania, and Gunther clearly couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed. Rhodes exclaims that Gunther has the gold but that he is missing out on responsibility.
Gunther notes that he gets the same request as Rhodes. He is just brave enough to say no. Gunther says the reason Rhodes doesn’t say no or put himself first is that if he stops being everyone else’s servant, his story is over. That makes Rhodes a gutless champion. A gutless champion will always be secondary to Gunther. Rhodes says they may call Gunther the “Ring General,” but that’s not what he sees.
He sees a General that leads no one. A man out only for himself. If Gunther wants to talk about guts, that’s what Rhodes has built his whole career on. Guts is ending a civil decision like this and taking the first shot. Rhodes uppercuts Gunther. Rhodes beats down Gunther. Ludwig Kaiser attacks from behind. Randy Orton runs down to the ring. Gunther and Kaiser powder.
Grade: B+
WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Motor City Machine Guns vs #DIY
Shelley and Gargano kick off the match, trading submission holds and takedowns. Shelley and Sabin double-team Gargano with a chancery into a dropkick. After a blind tag, Ciampa and Gargano double-team Sabin. Ciampa gets dumped out of the ring. Shelley and Sabin land stereo PKs to Ciampa. Shelley rolls into the ring and eats a slingshot spear. Ciampa tosses Sabin into the barricade and stomps a mudhole in him. After the break, Gargano accidentally superkicks Ciampa off the apron. Sabin and Shelley hit Skull and Bones for the win.
Winners- Motor City Machine Guns
While Shelley and Sabin are celebrating, The Bloodline appears on the stage.
Grade: B
What a time to be alive. Did you ever think you would see #DIY face the Motor City Machine Guns on SmackDown? This match was exactly what you would expect, for better or worse. Triple H is booking SmackDown like it’s OG NXT, and it’s still unclear if that’s a good or bad thing. With that, these four men, not shockingly, work well together, and they balanced the graps with solid high-flying action. Fun match.
The Bloodline is HERE
After the break, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis is in the ring, standing between MCMG and the Bloodline. Aldis says this isn’t going down like this. Solo Siko says they are just here to introduce themselves. Sikoa tells the crowd to acknowledge him. Everyone boos. The crowd is all over Sikoa, booing him mercilessly whenever he tries to speak. Sabin tells Sikoa they will take their title match any time, any place, anywhere. Sikoa says he knows they want to make an… IMPACT… so why not right here, right now? Aldis steps in and says he’ll be damned if he lets MCMG get cheated out of the title shot they earned. Shelley interrupts and says the Bloodline’s tag titles are the most important on the planet. They will take their title shot right now! Aldis agrees and asks for a referee.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Bloodline (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns
As soon as the bell rings, all four men brawl. Sabin and Shelley clear the ring. Sabin and Shelley set up stereo dives, but Loa and Tonga cut them off with dropkicks. Loa and Tonga are working over Shelley. Tonga and Loa avoid a double-diving headbutt. Sikoa gets on the apron. Someone in a hoodie pulls Sikoa off the apron. It’s Jimmy Uso! Jimmy superkicks Jacob Fatu. Sikoa attacks Jimmy from behind. Roman Reigns music hits.
Fatu meets Reigns in the aisle. Superman punch by Reigns. Jimmy, Reigns, Sikoa, and Fatu fight off. Back in the ring, the referee gets sandwiched in the corner. Tonga and Loa grab chairs outside the ring. Another man in a hoodie appears. The man superkicks Loa. The masked man rolls into the ring and superkicks Tonga. Chair shot and spear by the masked man. The man removes his hood. It’s Jey Uso! Sabin and Shelley flatten Loa with Skull and Bones for the win.
Winners and NEW WWE Tag Team Champions, Motor City Machine Guns!
After the match, Jey stands in the ring. Jimmy walks back to the ring from backstage. Jimmy and Jey stare each other down and eventually embrace. The crowd explodes. Reigns walks out on the stage and looks at what is happening in the ring.
Grade: B
This was straight to the point. In just a few minutes, they furthered the Bloodline angle and put over the newest tag team in the company. This was a nice piece of business.
WWE SmackDown Review:
Solid episode of SmackDown this week. We were blessed with not only a good week of in-ring action, but a solid string of promos as well. In a weird twist of fate, the match of the night was not only the shortest match, but the one with the most interference, the Bloodline vs. MCMG. What should have been an overbooked mess, it was a consesie, effective bit of television.
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They accomplished several things: making MCMG look like a big deal, reuniting the Usos, and putting us firmly on the path to Survivor Series: WarGames. Fingers crossed we get William Regal to announce WarGames this year… Also, Cody Rhodes and Gunther talked their way into making their clash at Crown Jewel seem like more than a just throway that doesn’t matter. What do you all think? Let us know in the comments!
Rating: B
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