Smackdown Live in Worcester opens with a recap of Kevin Owens’ rant last week about Shane McMahon and the lack of focus on the fans wishes and the needs of the talent. A quick, “Earlier Today” segment shows Shane addressing KO as he enters the building. Shane is taking his gripes under advisement and having a Smackdown Town Hall tonight… but, because of his “slander” (and a stunner) Owens is not permitted to attend or even be in the building. Au revoir!
Back in the present, (most of) the roster is assembled in front of the entranceway. As New Day booty bumps each other and the 4’11” Zelina Vega is hilariously positioned next to the 6’5” Randy Orton, we’re shown the results of Shane/McIntyre vs Roman/Undertaker with Shane getting Tombstoned for the finish.
After an impressive introduction by Greg Hamilton (how he doesn’t pass out is anyone’s guess,) Shane says that, as long as they’re respectful, all grievances will be addressed. First up is Roman Reigns who immediately tells Shane that nobody respects him and that he can kiss his ass. Shane fines him and says that he’ll be addressed later. Charlotte Flair comes up to the mic to thank Shane for the McMahon family’s graciousness to her when Liv Morgan calls her out for being phony. Charlotte pulls a Conor McGregor and asks Liv who she is and if she even works here before asking if blue tongues and pink hair aren’t “phony.” Shane cuts them off and calls up Buddy Murphy. Buddy says that he doesn’t need Kevin Owens to fight his battles and that he’ll slap his name out of KO’s mouth if need be. Shane likes that and promises to revisit Buddy soon.
Apollo Crews is next and he says that he backs up Kevin Owens’ words but Zelina Vega accuses him of sucking up to the WWE Universe and challenges him to face Andrade later tonight. A guitar strum from Elias doesn’t get him far as The New Day interrupts him. Kofi Kingston says that he doesn’t like Kevin Owens but he, himself, had to wait eleven years before his opportunity to be WWE champion. His mic cuts off and Shane declares the Town Hall a success and also over. Cesaro comes out to petition a rematch with Aleister Black (Wild Card!) and Shane grants it… right before getting snuck and stunnered by Kevin Owens.
Aleister Black vs Cesaro
One of my chief complaints with WWE programming is that, all too often and even from ace talents, the matches seem more like a collection of spots than a simulated competition. Cesaro and Aleister Black give us something closer to the alleyway fight in They Live or the end of Walter Hill’s Hard Times than the paint-by-numbers styles we’ve gotten from others. Cesaro’s early dominance takes place in the little window during commercial break but The Dutch Destroyer manages to measure him out for a mouthpiece-extracting Black Mass in the end.
Your winner by pinfall… Aleister Black!
In the back, Dolph Ziggler empathizes with Shane about taking a stunner from Kevin Owens. He wants a match. Shane thinks KO is long gone but Dolph promises that he can get him back if it’s the main event. Shane says it’s a deal.
The announce team shows us Daniel Bryan’s near breakdown following his loss of the tag team titles that he held with Rowan at Extreme Rules. He will have a “career-altering” announcement later in the show.
Charlotte Flair vs Liv Morgan
Liv Morgan surprises The Queen (and me, to be honest) by pulling off a Matrix evasion and a quick hurricanrana early on and showing a mean streak with a double stomp to Charlotte’s neck. But it’s a to little avail against a powerbomb and the Figure Eight.
Your winner by submission… Charlotte Flair.
After the match Liv takes a headset off the announce table and says that Charlotte was right and that she’s going to get real. The blonde look Liv had in NXT seems like it’s going to make a return.
Ember Moon is seen walking in the back and the speculation as to her potential tag team partner vs Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville is on.
Video package from Seth Rollins urges us to “Ignite the Fire Within” us… to… become WWE Superstars? Or other goals or some such, I guess.
Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville vs Ember Moon & Bayley
Fire & Desire try to divide and conquer by isolating Bayley but a smart tag has a Bayley-to-Belly on Sonya and an Eclipse on Mandy Rose.
Your winners by pinfall… Ember Moon & Bayley!
After the match, Bayley is asked about future challenges and Bayley says she wants to elevate the roster and is looking for someone fresh, hungry, who she’s never faced before… like Ember Moon! Ember accepts happily.
Sarah Schreiber congratulates Shinsuke Nakamura on becoming the WWE Intercontinental Champion at Extreme Rules. Ali is on hand to congratulate him as well and the implication is that he is ready to bring light to the chaos that Nakamura promises.
The New Day is in ring to celebrate holding the WWE Championship and the Smackdown tag team titles after Extreme Rules. They address Daniel Bryan’s impending address, assuming it to be a re-match request, and pre-emptively accept. Daniel Bryan & Rowan come out… and leave to the back. They come back out with a mic and make it halfway down to the ring… and leave again. Third time is the charm as they come back out … for a mic drop. Exit D-Bry & Rowan. Enter Samoa Joe. He challenges Kofi to follow Big E & Xavier Woods’ example and give him a championship rematch. As he awaits an answer, Elias come out to lead his case for an opportunity. And that brings out Randy Orton. Elias suggests a six-man tag match… playa! And Randy isn’t interested… until Kofi asks if The Viper has gone limp. It’s on!
The New Day vs Samoa Joe, Elias, and Randy Orton
Quick tag work sees New Day in control early including a reverse slingshot splash by Kofi Kingston that goes halfway across the ring. A little skullduggery by Randy Orton on Xavier Woods’ man bun turns the momentum. X gets isolated for some Samoa Joe kicks and the signature Orton table spot. Elias sets Xavier up for a superplex as Samoa Joe takes out Big E with a running boot on the outside. Xaver fights it off with a headbutt and a flying dropkick. He tags in Kofi and it’s The Champ vs The Viper. It’s scramble time as Samoa Joe is dumped outside and Xavier flies. But Joe turns around to put Woods to sleep as Elias hits the running knee to lay out Big E. The Drifter gets back into the ring and eats a Trouble in Paradise but he’s not the legal man. Randy is and he hits the RKO on Kofi for the 1-2-3.
Your winners by pinfall… Samoa Joe, Elias, and Randy Orton!
In the back, Carmella is looking for R-Truth and finds him in an abandoned washing machine? She helps free him from his hiding spot. She suggests hiding in plain sight by cosplaying at ComiCon.
The IIconics vs (*sigh*) The Kabuki Warriors (w/ Paige) for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Tandem offense puts Peyton Royce on her back in quick fashion but smart tag work and the size advantage keep The IIconics in the fight for another minute or so. While recovering outside the ring, they realize that a count-out loss will keep the titles on them and Billie Kaye just can’t seem to get back between the ropes in time.
Your winners by count out… The Kabuki Warriors!
Asuka and Kairi Sane snatch up the IIconics before they can get away and beat them up for a bit in retaliation for the lost opportunity.
Andrade (w/ Zelina Vega) vs Apollo Crews
As soon as Apollo gets into the ring, he’s pounced on by Andrade. The ref checks to see if he’s able to proceed and the fighting spirit is shown. Andrade keeps the heat on him and the feint back elbow comes out early along with the running double knees in the corner. Apollo manages to reverse the early pin attempt and gets the surprise win!
Your winner by pinfall… Apollo Crews!
The announce team recaps the return of Bray Wyatt and the debut of The Fiend in a WWE ring as he appeared to deliver a Sister Abigail on Finn Balor.
Dolph Ziggler vs Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens goes for the stunner early but Dolph evades to the outside. KO hits the tope con helo to follow up but his top rope senton lands right on Ziggler’s knees. A Famous-er gets Zig a two count. Ziggler claws and stretches at Owens. Splash in the corner and a satellite DDT only gets another two. Another corner splash misses for The Show Off and Owen’s nails him with a superkick and a Swanton for a near fall.
That brings out Shane McMahon with: Drew McIntyre, The B-Team, Andrade, Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, Buddy Murphy, Shelton Benjamin. They even broke The Authors of Pain out of mothballs. As they surround the ring, Dolph gets a Zig Zag on a distracted Owens. Aftre he can’t pin him, Ziggler drives Owens into the ringpost. A defiant KO, slaps him and Ziggler pounds away until the ref peels him off. Another trip to the ringpost form Owens and Ziggler strikes up the band. Superkick ducked and KO nails the stunner! Shane McMahon drags him out of the ring by the leg but he gets a stunner, himself! Owens runs off to the back with the heel contingent in tow. Kayla Braxton asks Shane about what just happened and all he says is that Kevin Owens is going to pay.
Final Thoughts:
The opening “Town Hall” started strong but slid into “tell” (rather than “show”) territory. Take notes, WWE. For four years, people booed Roman Reigns when he said “I can and I will.” They cheered for a simple, “Kiss my ass.”
Liv Morgan is probably a great person and a hard worker but I don’t think anyone thought her call up from NXT was overdue. When Riott Squad dissolved, I don’t remember anyone thinking she would be the breakout star. Plenty of fans changed their minds… during a period where she had no televised matches. These are the people who insist that Tyler Breeze be put in a world title program. Yes, I’m perfectly willing to be “the bad guy” here. Now, we see if she can earn an opportunity.
Kevin Owens is being booked just as strong (and twice as smart) as anyone in recent memory. This is his time to be 2019’s DDP.
Short matches tonight hut they did their jobs: Apollo Crews can win, The IIconics are brats, Aleister Black is for real.
Kofi Kingston has been successful in programs with Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, and Samoa Joe. Randy Orton is in the picture now. Whole different show. Randy has that “big bad wolf” quality we get from The Undertaker and a lot more tread left on the tires than The Dead Man. This could be either the end of the rainbow or the warp zone to world 8 for Kofi.
