Our WWE SmackDown results for tonight include Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes going face-to-face with Kevin Owens, the Women’s United States Championship Tournament continues when Bianca Belair meets Chelsea Green and Blair Davenport in a triple threat match, LA Knight defending the United States Championship against Santos Escobar, Naomi and Bayley vs. Tiffany Stratton and Candice LeRae. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
WWE SmackDown Card:
- Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes Face-To-Face with Kevin Owens
- Women’s United States Championship Tournament: Bianca Belair vs. Chelsea Green vs. Blair Davenport
- United States Championship Match: LA Knight (c) vs. Santos Escobar
- Naomi and Bayley vs. Tiffany Stratton and Candice LeRae
WWE SmackDown Results:
Team Outlaw Bloodline is Complete
Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Bronson Reed are in the ring. Sikoa tells the crowd to acknowledge him. The crowd boos as Sikoa’s crew holds up the ones, Reed included. Sikoa says they are ready, but Roman Reigns isn’t. Sikoa demands that Reigns come to the ring tonight to give Sikoa Reigns’ terms of surrender. When Reigns is done, Sikoa wants the entire OG Bloodline to acknowledge him.
Grade: B
It seems Sikoa doesn’t get paid by the hour. This was quick and to the point. After last week, Sikoa and his Outlaw Bloodline are clearly the dominant force in WWE after they left the OG Bloodline laid out last week. There is no way Reigns will surrender, but after the past few weeks’ build, it is conceivable that Reigns’ team will lose at Survivor Series: WarGames, which makes all of this that much more interesting.
Women’s United States Championship Tournament Round One: Bianca Belair vs. Chelsea Green vs. Blair Davenport
All three women take turns attempting quick pins. No one can get an advantage until Green clotheslined Davenport over the top. Belair gets near fall after a standing moonsault on Green. Davenport sends Green flying with a strike. Davenport works over Belair. After the break, Belair sends Davenport and Green flying when she German suplexed both women simultaneously. Belair eats the ring post. Green superplexes Davenport.
Belair immediately crashes Davenport with a 450 splash. Green breaks up the pin and tosses Belair out of the ring in an attempt to steal the victory. Davenport rolls up Green. Green kicks out. Backstage, we see Jade Cargill laid out on the hood of a car. The windshield is broken, and Cargill’s face is bruised. Belair runs to the back. Back in the ring, Green hit the Unprettiher for the win.
Winner- Chelsea Green
Grade: B
All three women should be proud of what they put together during the time they had tonight. There are tons of good near falls, and Belair’s 450 Splash is always a sight to see. Belair was the presumed favorite here, but anyone who watches this show should know no way that would happen. Green was the right choice here. Belair needs to focus on continuing to add prestige to the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. At some point, they need to give Davenport a voice. The crowd has no reason to invest if they know nothing about her.
United States Championship Match: LA Knight (c) vs. Santos Escobar w/Legado del Fantasma
Shinsuke Nakamura appears on the ‘Tron and mocks Knight for being insecure. Escobar attacks Knight from behind. After the break, Escobar is working over Knight. Knight fires up. Nakamura appears on the stage. After the distraction, Escobar sends Knight across the ring with a rana. Frog splash by Escobar. Escobar picks up Knight for the Phantom Driver. Knight counters and hits the BFT for the win.
Winner- LA Knight
After the match, Shinsuke Nakamura attacks Knight.
Grade C-
We have seen both Knight and Escobar have better matches against each other. This was slow and boring until the finish. Knight counters into the BFT looked great. This throwaway match was just a vehicle to further the budding feud between Nakamura and Knight. Escobar is a phenomenal talent, but we don’t need to see him against LA Knight again for a few years.
Face-To-Face
Rhodes gets to the ring and demands Owens show himself. Owens walks through the crowd and jokes that he was summoned here because the great Cody Rhodes demanded it. Rhodes tries to hop the barricade but is stopped by security. Owens blames Rhodes for what he did to Randy Orton. Owens storms to ringside and stands on the commentary desk. As Rhodes stews, Owens runs him down for teaming with the guy who tried to end Owens’ career.
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Rhodes calls B.S. and claims Owens has to be a victim. Owens gets in his way and is obsessed with being the face of WWE when he has been synonymous with WWE for a decade. The real issue is Owens had a chance to beat Rhodes, but he couldn’t pull the trigger. Now, Owens crossed a line, and the lesson Owens needs to learn has to be beaten into him. It doesn’t matter where or when, but it’s coming.
The ball is in Owens’ court. Owens says if Rhodes wants to fight him, he can have it, but it will be when Owens wants it. The crowd boos. Owens tells Rhodes that he loved Orton, and he knows he crossed the line… but Owens hates Rhodes, so imagine what that means he is willing to do to him? Owens tries to walk away, but Rhodes yells for him to come back. Rhodes tells Owens that they agree; there aren’t any lines he isn’t willing to cross either.
Grade: A
Now, that is how you sell a match. The truth bombs dropped by both men have this writer nodding along, like- that’s a value point… That’s also a valid point. Who is the heel here? Owens is right. But so is Rhodes. It’s 100% conceivable that these two men legitimately hate each other, and there may be a murder on live TV if they are allowed to share the same space. This is peak Sports Entertainment right here.
Naomi and Bayley vs. Tiffany Stratton and Candice LeRae
Stratton and LeRae argue over who will start the match. Naomi takes advantage, landing a few strikes. Naomi and Bayley are in control early until LeRae lands a cheap shot after the commercial break. Stratton and LeRae argue while Bayley crawls to the corner to make a tag. LeRae realizes what is happening, so she flattens Bayley with a step-up senton. Nia Jax pulls Naomi off the apron and tosses her into the barricade, causing a disqualification.
Winners- Naomi and Bayley
After the match, Jax, Stratton, and LeRae beat down Bayley and Naomi. IYO SKY tries to make the save, but Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez appear and join in on the beatdown. Rhea Ripley runs down the ramp with a kendo stick to clear the ring.
Grade: C
It was a solid match, but it was hard to invest in because, with WarGame right around the corner, there was no way this match wouldn’t have a screwy finish. WWE needs to find more creative ways for everyone to interact when leading to a huge multi-person match. It’s always the same thing.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Montez Ford
As soon as the bell rings, Ford unloads on Ciampa. Dropkick by Ford. Ciampa catches a kick from Ford, but Ford backflips and lands on his feet. Ciampa eats another kick and is sent careening out of the ring. Ford flattens Ciampa with a Superman dive. Ford sends Ciampa back into the ring. Ciampa obliterates Ford with a running knee that sends Ford into the commentary desk. After the break, Ciampa is working over Ford. Ford tries a springboard and leaps right into a nasty knee to the face by Ciampa. Ciampa sets up the Fairytale Ending. Ford reverses it into a pin for the win.
Winner- Montez Ford
After the match, Ciampa attacks Ford. Angelo Dawkins makes the save and pounds on Ciampa in the corner. Johnny Gargano appears and tries to calm the situation down. Ciampa pushes Gargano to the mat… again. The WWE Tag Team Champions Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin hit the ring, and Ciampa storms off.
Grade: B
Ford needs to have more singles matches. Ford and Ciampa had a great short match with a solid angle, and after that, they further the issues throughout the tag division. I have no idea where this is going, but it’s fun watching the tag division getting solid angles.
With The OTC Surrender?
Solo Sikoa and the Outlaw Bloodline are in the ring. Roman Reigns and the OG Bloodline are not far behind. Sikoa tells Reigns he isn’t here to fight and that he still loves all four of them. Sikoa wants them to join his Bloodline so they can rule WWE for years to come. The crowd boos. Sikoa notes that Reigns doesn’t have a 5th member or a Wiseman, so they have no choice. If Reigns doesn’t accept, the OG Bloodline will die where it stands.
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Before Reigns can respond, Paul Heyman walks out on the stage. Heyman says the math here doesn’t work for the Wiseman. It’s going to be five-on-five. Heyman points at the stage, and CM Punk‘s music hits! Punk tapes up his wrist as he power walks to the ring. Punk immediately attacks Sikoa. Everyone brawls. The OG Bloodline and Punk clear the ring! Zayn, Jey, and Jimmy land dives. Reigns and Punk stare each other down.
Tonga and Loa try to sneak attack Reigns and Punk during their staredown. Punk drops Tonga with the GTS, while Reigns lands a Spear to Loa. Reigns and Punk continue staring each other down while Heyman looks on like a proud father watching his sons win the Little League championship.
WWE SmackDown Review:
Overall, it was a good night. Solid in-ring action, as well as a hell of a promo battle between Owens and Rhodes. The match of the night was the Women’s United States Championship Tournament match between Bianca Belair, Chelsea Green, and Blair Davenport, with Montez Ford vs. Tommaso Ciampa being a close second. This week’s episode of “As the Bloodline Turns” was an all-timer, as a wild CM Punk has entered the arena.
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Where will this go? Reigns and Punk do not like each other, and Reigns being who he is, he’ll probably not like Heyman giving anyone other than him any attention. Remember the Brock Lesnar debacle? This could dovetail into so many different angles once WarGames concludes. What happens next? Tell us in the comments below!
Rating: B
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