Hey Smackdown fans! I first want to thank Josue for doing the Smackdown Redux last week for me as I was on vacation. Now I am back and excited to bring you this week’s fallout from the Hell in a Cell PPV. So let’s get to it.
The show kicks off with Miz TV. The Miz comes out to the ring and first announces that he will face Daniel Bryan at the Super Show-Down PPV to determine the number 1 contender for the WWE Championship. After he gloats about how much he has defeated Bryan recently, The Miz goes on to announce his very special guest for the night. He attempts to convince everyone that his special guest is someone who he had a hard time getting to appear on his show. He had to “call in a lot of favors”, as well as “moving heaven and earth.” In fact, he revealed that his guest rarely makes appearances. His special guest was:
That’s right, you heard it here first folks (well technically the first was on the show itself, but I digress), his very own wife is his special guest. After listing off Maryse’s accolades for being a reality megastar, overcoming stereotypes, and giving birth to the best baby on the planet, the Miz asks the hard-hitting question. As we all want to know, how was defeating Brie Bella in comparison to all of her other accomplishments. Maryse answered that defeating Brie Bella was the easiest thing she has ever done in her life and she is a way better athlete.
As the segment continues, Maryse and her husband continue to tear down Bella. They mention how they feel that her heart is not into wrestling anymore, or even into Bryan anymore. They describe their relationship is that of convenience and not out of love. Shortly after this teardown of Bella, Maryse announces that as of now, this night would be her last night on Smackdown. The crowd chants “Yes” to this hot off the press of this breaking news. The Miz then calls Bryan out to ring. Bryan complies and heads down to the ring with a mic in hand. He says that the Miz can say whatever he wants about him, but when he talks about his wife, this is what the Miz gets…
Bryan jumps in the ring and takes down the Miz with many lefts and rights. Once the Miz is able to make it to his feet, Bryan dropkicks him into the corner which is where Maryse was standing. Maryse being knocked down stopped the attack. The medical team brought out the stretcher for Maryse. Bryan, feeling remorseful, was apologizing to Maryse. Maryse crawls her way to the ring apron and starts to laugh as she stands back up. She was playing possum just enough to allow the Miz to take advantage. Maryse was holding onto Bryan’s hair to keep him in place for the attack. However, Bryan moved out of the way just in time and the Miz knocked his own wife off the ring apron. The Miz being upset that he knocked into Maryse, was just enough of a distraction for Bryan to clothesline him over the top rope to the outside which ended the segment.
The next woman to grace our television screens for the night was Lana. Lana is first seen backstage with her husband, Rusev, and their Rusev Day teammate, Aiden English. The trio continues to argue about their recent loss at the Hell in a Cell PPV and besides a few recent victories, are not on the same page. Rusev and Lana walk off screen and that leaves an irate English by himself. He grabs ahold of a random backstage employee and yells his frustrations to him. He goes on a rant about how Rusev and Lana would be nothing without him. He also stated that if Lana would focus more on being Rusev’s manager and not just his wife, none of this would be happening.
Unbeknownst to English, Lana was back and was standing right behind him and heard everything. English tried to do damage control and explained he didn’t mean anything that he just said. Lana, who was rightfully steamed, slightly got her accent back and yelled that she was going to tell Rusev. A few moments later, Lana was attempting to tell Rusev what English said before his U.S. title match against Nakamura. English interrupted and attempted to clear his name first, but Rusev ignored them both and simply asked English to head out to the stage and announce him. English obliged.
Throughout the match, English was very candid and loud. His attempts were to “help” Rusev, but we all know that English’s “help” is what costs Rusev his matches. Rusev ends up losing the match due to English getting on the ring apron. This distraction caused Nakamura to roll up Rusev to retain his title. After the match, English turns on Rusev and attacks him from behind with the microphone. After multiple hits with the mic, English sings a sorrowful, “Rusev Day” and leaves the ring. Lana is left tending to her husband and yelling for English to leave.
Next up is the only women’s match of the night. There isn’t much to report on this match. It was a short match and did not do much for either woman. The match was Asuka with Naomi facing off against one half of the IIconics, Billie Kay with Peyton Royce. This match is to help build up the Super Show-Down PPV match that will take place in the IIconics home country of Australia. Before the match, Kay and Royce mocked their opponents dance moves. The match ends with Asuka locking in the Asuka Lock on Kay who taps out fast.
It’s main event time and we have General Manager, Paige in the ring inviting out the new Smackdown Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch out to the ring for her championship coronation celebration. Lynch makes her way into the ring and is congratulated by Paige. Paige unveils the covered up title with Lynch’s plates on the belt sparkling in all their glory. Lynch commends Paige on the celebration stating that she didn’t need any balloons, decorations, or her peers surrounding ringside. The only thing she needs is for the former champion, Charlotte Flair, to come out.
Flair’s music hits and the former champ makes her way to the ring. After entering the ring, Paige attempts to diffuse any fight that may ensue. Flair convinces Paige that she isn’t there to fight. After Paige exits the ring, Flair congratulates her former best friend and can assure her that she isn’t there to steal her spotlight. She continued to say that Lynch was the better woman that night and earn her title win.
Lynch, who admittedly stopped listening to what Flair had to say, listed all the things Flair said wouldn’t happen after Hell in a Cell which ended up happening. Lynch said that she was not going to allow Flair to raise her hand in victory at Hell in a Cell because she wasn’t going to have her steal the spotlight at the biggest moment of her career. Last night however, was different. Lynch gave permission for Flair to touch her and raise the champ’s hand. Flair said she wouldn’t be doing that. Lynch said that it was okay because she didn’t want her to do that anyway.
She now wants Flair to put her title around her waist instead. Flair claps back by saying she has always shown Lynch respect. She came out to the ring in hopes that there was a little bit of Lynch as her best friend still inside of her. After realizing that Lynch will never be her friend again, Flair says “congratulations, champ.” Lynch admits that she didn’t want Flair to raise her hand or put the title around her waist after all. All she just wants is for Flair to call her the Queen. After Flair turns her back, Lynch lets out “bitch” and Flair had enough at that moment.
Flair attacks first on Lynch who wisely rolls out of the ring to gain the upper hand. Lynch throws Flair into the steel steps and follows that up by launching her over the announcer’s table. That wasn’t enough and Lynch wasn’t done with her attack. She gets the former champ back in the ring to not only lock in the Dis-Arm-Her, but also follow that up with a Bexploder. The show ends with Lynch smug walking (as I like to call it) to the top of the ramp and holding her new title high in the air.
Thoughts: It wasn’t the best Smackdown recently for the women, but it did have some good parts.
The best part was clearly the Becky/Charlotte segment. I have said it before and I will say it again, heel Becky is EVERYTHING. This is really the best feud going across all brands and genders right now. Her smug walk is amazing, and her response to everything Charlotte says is amazing.
I was extremely happy that Becky won on Sunday. It was very unexpected. I just hope a Sasha/Charlotte hot potato situation does not come from this.
If it really was Maryse’s last night on Smackdown for a while, I am okay with it. As much as I appreciate her, her lack of ring work is disappointing. I want her to show why she is a former Diva’s champion, and she just isn’t.
Naomi/Asuka and the IIconics, I am just not that interested and that bothers me because I want to be. Hopefully, they allow their match at the SSD to be of appropriate length and I get what I have been needing from the IIconics.
What did you think of this week’s Smackdown? Are you excited for Super Show-Down coming up? Do you think Becky will retain the title at that PPV? Sound off in the comments.
