Friday Night Smackdown – Jan 10th 2020: Results & Review
Welcome to this week’s Friday Night SmackDown review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have our first review to take place in TimeTech, the brand new time machine made by the creators of TalkTech. We’ll go through various periods of history as we review SmackDown! Yay! Up, up and awaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Match #1: The Miz def. Kofi Kingston
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Fresh off their tense exchange on “Miz TV” moments prior and with both Big E and John Morrison providing guest commentary, Kofi Kingston and The Miz squared off in a rematch from last week’s Friday Night SmackDown. The back-and-forth action in the ring between Kingston and Miz mirrored the back-and-forth dialogue between Morrison and Big E at the commentary desk. The A-Lister took the match to a different level when he intentionally shoved Kingston into Big E. Miz’s actions prompted Morrison and Big E out of their chairs, leading to a shouting match between Miz and Big E that ended when JoMo cannonballed from the steel steps to take out Big E. With Kingston distracted, Miz caught his opponent off-guard and connected with a Skull-Crushing Finale for the win.
My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5 – Here we are in the prehistoric era to review our first match. Oh look, a dinosaur! This match was another good bout between two people who fit each other like an old glove on OJ Simpson’s hand. You can expect the same formula that these two adhere to when they are together. If you like kicks and shoves leading into rest-holds and near-falls, then this is your match. I…oh s—! That f—— dinosaur is trying to eat me! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Overall, this was a good opener that set up the card nicely! F— off you stupid lizard! Ahhhhhh! I’m getting the hell out of here!
Match #2: Mandy Rose def. Alexa Bliss
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With Mandy Rose doing her best to make up for hurting Otis’ feelings after his mother’s fruit cake was destroyed, God’s Greatest Creation squared off against Alexa Bliss. With every Superstar in WWE beginning to eye the Women’s Royal Rumble Match, the two went at with ferocity in pursuit of a monumental win, as both Nikki Cross and Sonya Deville watched from ringside. Each respective partner attempted to interfere, but the pivotal distraction proved to be Otis, who arrived with the cake that Mandy had gifted him earlier in the evening. This distracted The Goddess just enough for Mandy to roll up Bliss for a three-count as Otis enjoyed the heck out of his cake on the rampway.
My Opinion: 2.5 out of 5 – Here we are in Europe, possibly in the 16th or 17th century. Hmmmmm. That guy looks pretty sick. That lady over there does too. Our next match with Mandy and Alexa was standard free TV fare for WWE women who aren’t the best in the ring, but not the worst either. These two worked well together to make a match that is a bit lacking in technique, but it certainly made for a solid attempt at being aggressive. Hey, quit coughing on me. Alexa has really become a great character and seeing her here reminds me of how far she has come in just a few years. I said quit coughing! Don’t touch me! This match needed some more suspense to really become captivating, but it worked well for wh…get the hell away from me! Overall, this was a decent attempt at a good match, but it fell short of…holy s—! You guys have…the plague! Ahhhhhhhhhh! F—— bull-s—! …gettin’ the hell out of here!
Match #3: Braun Strowman def. Shinsuke Nakamura
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With Braun Strowman making it clear in recent weeks that he was eyeing Shinsuke Nakamura’s Intercontinental Title, The Monster Among Men had a prime opportunity to work toward a championship match by squaring off against Shinsuke in non-title action. With Sami Zayn and Cesaro in Nakamura’s corner, The King of Strong Style found himself in a world of hurt at the hands of Strowman in the early goings. Zayn and Cesaro attempted to distract Braun throughout the contest, succeeding in the early goings by using the numbers advantage to down the massive Strowman. Braun battled back, however, and soon appeared to have Nakamura on the ropes. In the critical moments, Cesaro again attempted to interject, causing the referee to become distracted and allowing Zayn to slide the Intercontinental Title to Shinsuke. WWE’s Rockstar wouldn’t get the chance to use it though, as Braun thwarted any plans, intercepting Nakamura’s attack and catching him with the Running Powerslam for the three-count. The Monster Among Men celebrated with the Intercontinental Title before Zayn quickly ran into the ring to snatch it from him, yet the overwhelming sensation still remained: Strowman was inching closer and closer to an Intercontinental Title opportunity.
My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5 – Okay. I’m in Texas some-time after the American Civil War. Oh, look, bandits. This turned out pretty well. They meshed quite well together for wrestlers of two different styles and sizes. Then again, if you can have a bad match with Shinsuke, then you might be in the wrong profession. I…can I help you, sir? Why are you pointing that gun at…ahhhhhhhhh! Braun did well here and proved he could work well with Shi…s——————-! I’m getting’ the hell out of here…uh oh. The bandits took the time machine. I…aw s—. They went back in time. Every-thing is changing. Well, at least the match was good.
Match #4: (Main Event) King Corbin & Dolph Ziggler defeated The Usos (Disqualification)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Following The Usos’ return to SmackDown last week to assist their cousin Roman Reigns, The Big Dog welcomed Jimmy & Jey back with open arms this week. The Usos could not contain their excitement to be back, making it clear that King Corbin and his kingdom had firmly disrespected Reigns, meaning, by association, they had disrespected them as well. King Corbin and Dolph Ziggler interrupted, and after a heated back-and-forth, Roman and Corbin agreed to go one-on-one prior at the Royal Rumble event prior to the Royal Rumble Match. One more line of disrespect from Corbin was all The Usos could handle though, leading to them diving onto Corbin & Ziggler to get this tag team match kickstarted with a spark. Jimmy & Jey showed no rust whatsoever, coming out of the gates strong against Corbin & Ziggler. However, The Revival soon arrived, causing a temporary distraction which allowed Corbin & Ziggler to take control, but The Big Dog swiftly hit the scene and laid out both members of The Revival with one Superman Punch before making his way to ringside. After being taunted by the 2019 King of the Ring, Reigns Speared Corbin on the outside, prompting a disqualification.
My Opinion: 3.1 out of 5 – Well, I do have the translucer module to use to get me back. I know…lazy writing. Okay, here we go. (time travel s—) Okay! I made it ba…oh s—. It’s robots. I messed up bad. How did cowboys make a robot apocalypse happen? Well, while I figure it out, let me tell about the SmackDown main event. This was good for the Usos, because it made them feel like a major act returning to be an even bigger deal than before. Corbin did well here, if only because he only had to focus on being a great presence. Ziggler handled the demands of looking like a polished performer. This was pretty much a three-man effort in the ring, but Corbin did his part as being a heel, which is just what this match needed to have any heat. The DQ ruined the action, but that is par for the course in the WWE. I just wish this match was here to be more than just a glorified angle. Anyway, this was a decent way to end the show. Oh, look a big-ass robot…that’s trying to kill me! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
News Of The Night:
- Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt had a night of taunting each other…well, mostly Bray killing his rabbit and shipping it in a gift box to Bryan.
- Mandy Rose and Otis continue their romance by way of food.
- The Miz and John Morrison are a heel team again and seem to be slated to fight The New Day for the Tag Team Titles.
- Bayley and Lacey Evans brawled.
- Sheamus and Chad Gable are in a feud over Chad being short.
- Roman Reigns and King Corbin will fight at the Royal Rumble before they enter the Royal Rumble Match.
- John Morrison fights Big E, next week.
- Robert Roode returned to beat the hell out of Roman Reigns for putting him out on injury leave/drug violation.
Final Verdict: 3.2/5
This was a decent episode that was notable for adding a lot to the Royal Rumble build, but not much to SmackDown’s reputation of good wrestling. Also, I’m gonna have to find a new time machine, but I’m content to hang out with these robots. Pull your finger? Sure…AAAAAAAAAAAAH! F—— robot farts! Can’t…breathe!