This week’s episode opened up with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan watching The Miz’s brutal promo on Bryan on Talking Smack. Shane McMahon then stated that Daniel Bryan should apologize to The Miz, since Bryan is the General Manager of Smackdown and shouldn’t be provoking the talent. Daniel Bryan agreed that he needed to apologize but also thought it was ironic that Shane said that, given his current situation with Brock Lesnar.
The Miz came down to the ring and cut a promo about how awesome he is. Miz claimed that the Intercontinental Championship had been tarnished by quitters and losers. The Miz insisted that he would bring the title back to relevancy. Dolph Ziggler interrupted and stated that nobody in the audience believed anything The Miz was saying. Ziggler accused The Miz of being in the business just to get famous and then challenged The Miz to a fight. The Miz left the ring and Dolph Ziggler called him a coward. The Miz then took off his jacket and walked back towards the ring but Maryse stopped him. Maryse was shouting that Dolph Ziggler hasn’t earned a fight with The Miz. Finally, The Miz left and Dolph Ziggler stood tall in the ring.
Reaction: Dolph Ziggler makes sense in the Intercontinental Championship picture. However, he has been consistently losing for awhile now and it is going to take a lot for the WWE Universe to take Ziggler seriously. I feel like I’ve seen The Miz and Ziggler wrestle 10,000 times. I would be more interested in the Intercontinental Championship if someone fresh was trying to capture it.
Smackdown Tag Team Championship Tournament Match: The Vaudevillians vs Hype Bros
The Vaudevillians controlled this match early on and it was looking like they were going to advance in the tournament. However, Mojo and Zack Ryder were able to battle back and hit the Hype Ryder on Aiden English for the victory. After the match, Ryder and Mojo were interviewed in the ring. Mojo pretty much just screamed into the microphone and jumped around. Zack Ryder finished the interview off by saying “you know it, bro”.
Winners & Advancing in the Smackdown Tag Team Championship Tournament: Hype Bros
Reaction: The Hype Bros are a solid tag team. They may not be for everybody but that is alright. I actually enjoy The Vaudevillians. I think there is room in the WWE for a silly gimmick like that. Having said that, I can’t remember the last time they won a match. There is no other word to describe The Vaudevillians other than irrelevant right now.
AJ Styles was prancing around backstage while wearing John Cena’s “never give up” headband. Styles was introducing himself to everyone as “the face that runs the place”. Styles ran into Apollo Crews and claimed to have forgotten his name. Crews spelled his name out and Styles laughed and stated that this wasn’t a spelling bee. AJ Stlyes then walked away and Apollo Crews just stood there smiling. He’s a very happy guy.
Styles then made his way to the ring and cut a promo on Dean Ambrose. Styles stated that he will defeat Ambrose at Backlash and also threw in a few more shots at John Cena. Apollo Crews then interrupted and AJ Styles once again made a spelling bee joke. I guess it was so funny the first time he just had to say it again. Apollo Crews stated that he had got permission from GM Daniel Bryan to challenge Styles to a match and that match would happen right now.
Apollo Crews vs AJ Styles
AJ Styles controlled the match in the beginning. He had Crews trapped in the corner and was beating him down. Crews battled back and hit a Dropkick. The action spilled to the outside of the ring and Crews hit Styles with a big punch. Crews then walked over to Mauro Ranallo and spelled out the word “punch”. The rest of the match was back and forth but Styles hit a Neckbreaker on the top rope. As Crews was recovering, Styles was getting himself in position. When Crews turned around he was greeted with a Phenomenal Forearm from Styles that ended the match.
Winner: AJ Styles
Reaction: This was a solid match. Apollo Crews even got some time on the microphone which was interesting. I think Crews has the potential to be great. He is already great in the ring, hopefully in time he will continue to improve on the microphone. He had a good showing against Styles tonight but it still kind of feels like he is just floating around with no direction. He is not chasing the Intercontinental Championship anymore. I hope the WWE comes up with something for Crews to do soon so they can continue to build him up.
Renee Young traveled to West Virginia to interview Heath Slater. Rhyno was also hanging out at Slater’s house. Heath introduced Renee to his wife, whom is not his actual wife. Renee was wondering where Heath’s children were. Slater claimed that they were outside somewhere picking up bottles and cans. Slater’s wife then brings over crackers and cheese whiz. This segment ended with Rhyno making creepy faces at Renee Young in an apparent effort to flirt with her.
Reaction: I found this segment to be painfully unfunny. They were constantly cutting to Rhyno eating crackers and Slater’s “wife” wasn’t funny. I guess the whole point of this segment was to prove that Heath Slater is white trash and poor. It was just dumb.
Bray Wyatt cut a promo on Randy Orton. Wyatt claimed that he was the “predator” now. Orton interrupted and claimed that he doesn’t feat Bray Wyatt. Orton then accepted Wyatt’s challenge to face him at Backlash. Orton then tried to run into the ring and fight Wyatt but the lights went out and that was the end of the segment.
Naomi & Becky Lynch vs Alexa Bliss & Natalya
Nikki Bella joined the announcer’s table for this match. Natalya and Alexa Bliss were dominating Naomi in the beginning of this match. Finally, Naomi is able to tag in Becky Lynch. Becky hit a Dropkick on Alexa Bliss. It was at this point that Carmella attacked Nikki Bella. Carmella came running in from the crowd. Becky Lynch was distracted by this and Alexa Bliss took advantage. Bliss rolled up Lynch and held onto her tights for the victory.
Winners: Alexa Bliss & Natalya
Smackdown Tag Team Championship Tournament Match: Heath Slater & Rhyno vs The Headbangers
Mosh and Thrasher made there triumphant return and beat up Heath Slater for awhile. Eventually, Rhyno was able to drag Slater to the corner and he was tagged in. Rhyno then hit the Gore on Thrasher for the win. In the brief amount of time Rhyno was in the ring, he somehow busted his face open and was bleeding rather badly when this match ended.
Winners & Advancing in the Smackdown Tag Team Championship Tournament: Heath Slater & Rhyno
AJ Styles joined the announcer’s table for the main-event. Before the main-event, some guy in a suite was in the ring demanding a match. His name was Gary “The Milkman” Millman and he wanted a fight. The Milkman decided to strip down to his underwear in the middle of the ring. Kane’s music hit and The Milkman desperately tried to put his pants back on and get out of there. Unfortunately for Gary “The Milkman” Millman, he couldn’t figure out how to get his pants back on and was received a Chokeslam from Kane.
Baron Corbin vs Dean Ambrose
The match started off slow with Corbin in control. Ambrose battled back and sent Corbin outside the ring. Styles then slammed Corbin right in front of AJ Styles. The two began to bark at each other and Corbin took advantage and hit Ambrose from behind. Corbin was going for a Suplex off the second rope but Ambrose blocked it and knocked Corbin down. Corbin threw Ambrose against the barricade outside the ring. Styles got up from his seat and screamed at Corbin to stay on him. Corbin got in Styles’ face and claimed that nobody tells him what to do. Ambrose then hit Corbin from behind and Corbin went flying into Styles. The referee then disqualified Ambrose because Styles accidentally kicked Baron Corbin. Ambrose hit the Dirty Deeds on Corbin after the match. Styles was once again going for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Ambrose hits his leg and Styles falls crotch first on the top rope. Styles was just sitting there in agony and Ambrose came over and gave him a pat on the back. Ambrose then shook the rope and Styles screamed in pain. That was the end of the show.
Winner via DQ: Baron Corbin
Reaction: Last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw was very good so it would have been difficult this week for Smackdown to top it. They came up woefully short. Everything on this show just felt cheap. The Heath Slater interview was just not entertaining. I have no idea what the point of the Gary “The Milkman” Millman segment was. The finish to the main-event was very lame. The Apollo Crews and AJ Styles match was solid and Bray Wyatt had a decent promo. The rest of the show felt cheap and random.
What did you think of this week’s episode of Smackdown? Let us know in the comments below.
