Show Open

Smackdown tonight starts with a package, recapping the main event of last Sunday’s PPV, Fastlane. Where we’re left off, Roman tapped, Edge snapped and Daniel Bryan lost his Universal Championship match.

Daniel Bryan In-Ring Promo

In the Thunderdome, we begin with the leader of the YES! Movement. Daniel Bryan makes his way to the ring, brandishing a steel chair.

Bryan hops on the mic and begins his promo speaking on the significance of Roman Reigns tapping out, something Reigns claimed he’d never do.

Daniel Bryan is tired. He’s tired of standing on the sidelines. He’s tired of letting others take opportunities that they didn’t earn. So Daniel Bryan is willing to earn his way into the Universal Championship again. He wants a rematch against Roman Reigns for the title, tonight. And he will not leave the ring until he gets what he wants.

Bryan sits in silence as we head into commercial.

Opening Segment - continued

We come back from commercial, and Daniel Bryan is doing exactly what he said he’d do — sitting in the ring until he gets what he wants.

Adam Pearce appears, immediately saying he cannot make the Universal Championship rematch tonight. He says that despite Fastlane’s events, Roman will not defend his championship before Wrestlemania.

Daniel Bryan makes his counterpoints, pointing out the double-standard in WWE’s logic. He presents a solution: Wrestle Mania Night II, Daniel Bryan gets his Universal Championship match.

Before Pearce responds, Edge marches down to the ring. He highlights the fragility of his career and refuses to be pushed aside just because Bryan is desperate. After a brief tie-up, Edge hits a Spear on Daniel Bryan. Edge grabs the steel chair and hits Bryan over the back, staring like a man possessed at the broken body of Daniel Bryan.

Rating: 4/5

Valid points, excellent delivery and a cliffhanger. This is what an effective opening monologue should look like every week. Secondly, the inclusion of Edge, the viciousness of the Rated-R Superstar, highlights how desperate he is to return to the spotlight after 10 years on the bench.

Backstage with Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and Jey Uso

Roman tells Heyman to find Adam Pearce immediately. He echoes the sentiment to Jey Uso, and tells him to “use force if you have to.”

Rating: n/a

Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

This is a PPV rematch from Fastlane just 5 days ago, but if these two tell another excellent story, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Nakamura is his usual, uniquely aggressive, and charismatic self. Still one of the most visually interesting acts in the WWE.

Rollins on the other hand, he’s got a scowl on through the entirety of this match. Playing up the “disrespect” angle that he’s been running since his return to SmackDown.

Highlight: Sliding German Suplex off the middle rope from Nakamura. Not a new move, just something I love to see.

Rollins hits the springboard knee to the face, followed by the Falcon Arrow, still one of the smoothest combinations in WWE. I don’t think I could get tired of watching Rollins work.

Nakamura using Rollins’ arm to take him over into an armor, was countered when Rollins powered Nakamura up for a huge powerbomb, followed by his signature Stomp for the win.

After the match, Rollins looked to deliver a second Stomp, but Cesaro ran down to make the save, and hit Rollins with a series of uppercuts before Rollins was able to scramble away.

Rating: 3.5/5

I wouldn’t say this match was better or worse than their previous matchup, just different. These two are always excellent though.

Backstage with Adam Pearce and Roman Reigns

Adam Pearce arrives in the office of Roman Reigns. Heyman begins speaking to Pearce but is quickly cut off by Roman. He thanks Pearce for making “the right decision” in not changing the Universal Championship match for Wrestle Mania. Pearce on the other hand, says the decision hasn’t yet been made and walks out.

Rating: 2.5/5

Leaving the Universal Championship picture in question definitely builds the intrigue as Wrestle Mania approaches. But this promo basically makes Pearce look like he doesn’t know how to manage these superstar egos.

Backstage with Seth Rollins

Rollins claims Cesaro is a failure, and he’s tired of dealing with Cesaro sticking his nose into Rollins’ business. Seth Rollins officially challenges Cesaro to a Wrestle Mania. Rollins claims he’ll never be swung by Cesaro ever again. Cesaro jumps Rollins from behind, throwing him into a storage crate. Cesaro swings Rollins 10 times, then accepts the challenge.

Rating: 2.5/5

Match made, can’t wait.

Big E/Street Profits vs. Apollo Crews/Alpha Academy

As Crews is making his entrance, Michael Cole announces the official match made: Big E vs. Apollo Crews, for the International Championship at Wrestle Mania (Night II).

We start with Otis and Angelo Dawkins in the ring, and Ford is quickly tagged in for some double-team action. Ford shows off his athleticism but is quickly taken down with a huge power slam from Otis.

This dynamic between Chad Gable and Otis is really fun. Both have a very capable mat-game, but their size difference shows itself in their differing style overall.

Big E on the hot tag, cleans house as the champ tends to do.

Highlight: Otis and Chad Gable, everything they did was so clean and impactful.

After some chaos, Apollo Crews takes down the champion with an Olympic Slam and gets the pinfall victory over Big E.

Rating: 2.5/5

After the ending of their Fastlane match going so poorly, these two competitors definitely deserve another chance to steal the show.

Backstage with Edge and Adam Pearce

Edge wonders if Pearce knows what he’s doing running this show. Pearce says his job is to make decisions in the favor of WWE, not for any specific superstar. Edge tells Pearce to make the right decision “or else”.
Rating: n/a

KO Show with Kevin Owens, with Special Guest: Sami Zayn

Kevin Owens on the mic talks about how much he wants to have Sami Zayn’s back, but if he keeps acting like a psycho then he can’t help him anymore. Out comes Sami Zayn, who apologizes for kicking Kevin Owens last week.

Sami promises a bombshell piece of news, and that is his documentary trailer will release next week here on SmackDown.

Zayn follows up with the announcement of YouTube sensation Logan Paul appearing on SmackDown next week.

Owens doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about the documentary, Logan Paul, none of it. After a bit of yelling between the two, Owens makes it clear that he wants to wrestle Sami at Wrestle Mania. Sami struggles to speak, then reluctantly accepts Owens’ challenge. Owens, satisfied with his work, begins the beatdown on Zayn.

Rating: 3.5/5

Sami Zayn is at his best right now, the delusions and over-the-top acting is peak performance from Zayn. I don’t love Owens being such a prick in this situation, as his friend is clearly mentally ill, but these two are both so talented and their chemistry shows.

Backstage with Daniel Bryan and Adam Pearce

Daniel Bryan does his best to remind Pearce that he already knows the right decision, and insists that Pearce makes it.

Rating: n/a

Bianca Belair vs. Natalya (w/ Tamina)

After a quick word from Belair to Kayla Braxton, she heads to the ring for a match with Natalya.

A quick dropkick and burst of strikes puts Natalya in retreat early, she goads Belair into a chase, which turns into Natalya in control.

Sasha Banks comes down to the ring, and the distraction allows for Tamina to interfere on behalf of Natalya.

After the commercial, Banks is on commentary, talking about how excited she is to defend her title as the leader of the Women’s division. 

Natalya has a really strong showing against Belair, landing a huge discus lariat towards the end of the match. 

When Belair ended up on the floor, Banks steps off commentary and into the face of Belair. Belair slaps the taste out of the mouth of the Women’s Champion. 

Belair heads back into the ring and wins the match, but during her celebration is taken down by Banks with a backstabber.

Rating: 2/5

Banks getting her slap back makes a lot of sense

Backstage with Roman Reigns and Edge

Edge walks into the office of Roman Reigns. Jey Uso quickly cuts off Edge, but Roman allows Edge to speak his peace. Edge tells Roman to use the “stroke” he claims to have with WWE, as Daniel Bryan’s inclusion certainly doesn’t favor the current Universal Champion.

Rating: 5/5 

Perfect logic, case closed.

Dolph Ziggler (w/ Bobby Roode) vs Rey (w./ Dominik) Mysterio

This matchup was straight out of 2009 and I’m not mad about it. The Mysterios are ready to go after the SmackDown Tag Team Championships as a father-son duo, and it’s very likely they’ll accomplish this goal at Wrestle Mania.

Rey uses his signature luchador abilities to get the upper hand on Ziggler, but once the fight ends up outside the ring, the match favors Dolph Ziggler.

Highlight: Dolph Ziggler powerbombs Mysterio over the barricade and onto the floor. Followed immediately by a superkick to Dominik Mysterio. Fantastic.

These two are pulling out all the classics, using a back-and-forth I specifically remember from one of their previous matchups.

Highlight: Bobby Roode and Dominik Mysterio get involved, but before they can properly interfere in the match, Mysterio and Ziggler both take out their adversaries.

Rey Mysterio put this one away with the 619, much to the chagrin of Bobby Roode, who was too late to break up the pinfall.

Rating: 2.5/5

This was some classic action between two of WWE’s longest-tenured superstars. Absolutely no complaints here.

Adam Pearce’s Wrestlemania Decision Segment

Pearce makes his way to the ring, followed by Roman Reigns and his “Tribal Council”, Paul Heyman and Jey Uso. Then Edge. Then Daniel Bryan.

We’ve got all the players, what’s the play?

Pearce makes all the facts known and approaches the situation as logically as possible.

Adam Pearce announces a TRIPLE THREAT MATCH for the Universal Championship.

As soon as the announcement is made, Bryan and Edge begin to brawl, which is quickly put to a stop by a Superman Punch from Reigns. 

Edge then gets up and hits a Spear on Reigns, as well as Jey Uso. He then brutalizes all three with a steel chair. 

Edge has really gone off the deep end, hitting WWE Officials Jamie Noble and Pat Buck with the steel chair, then sits down and stares down the hard cam.

Show close.

Rating: 5/5

This segment was short, to the point and delivered on what has been teased by WWE over the last month or so. *Chef’s kiss.

Overall

Rating: 3.3/5

A really strong show tonight, with a through-line of the Universal Championship match, marred only by a lackluster segment from Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. This was a very enjoyable watch and has me very excited for the next few weeks of SmackDown.