Friday Night Smackdown – July 8th 2022: Results & Review
Welcome to this review of this past Friday’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown, right here on Nerdly. This week’s episode reportedly had some issues behind the scenes that meant, allegedly, the show was put together on the fly. Let’s see how that pans out…
Match #1: The Viking Raiders def. Jinder Mahal & Shanky
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After attacking Jinder Mahal and The Skyscraping Shanky a few weeks ago upon their SmackDown return, The Viking Raiders were looking for more carnage. Mahal and Shanky couldn’t get out the gates, with The Viking Raiders pummeling the duo until a massive Assisted Powerbomb on Mahal gave The New and Vicious Viking Raiders the win. After the match, The New Day attempted to get retribution for last week’s attack with “a**-beating tickets,” but they were thwarted when The Viking Raiders once again left Kingston and Woods laying in the ring.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #2: Shinsuke Nakamura def. Ludwig Kaiser
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After Intercontinental Champion Gunther refused to face The King of Strong Style in an Open Challenge, Nakamura challenged Gunther’s right hand man, Ludwig Kaiser. Kaiser put up a strong fight, but Nakamura was too much, eventually putting him away with the Kinshasa. After the match, Gunther beat down Kaiser, chopping him repeatedly to teach him a lesson not to disappoint The Ring General.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Ronda Rousey def. Natalya
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After losing her SmackDown Women’s Championship to Liv Morgan at WWE Money in the Bank, Ronda Rousey was all business. And after Natalya insisted that she be given credit for Morgan’s win, Rousey wasted no time dismantling The B.O.A.T. Even performing at less than 100 percent, The Baddest Woman on the Planet was relentless, finally locking in an Ankle Lock to cause Natalya to tap out.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #4: The Usos def. Los Lotharios
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After a controversial ending to their match at WWE Money in the Bank, The Usos looked to reinforce that they are “the ones” by taking on Los Lotharios in a Championship Contender’s Match. The suave Superstars gave the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions all they could muster, but their bravado was not enough. After a flurry of Superkicks, The Usos hit the 1-D, pinning Humberto to take the match.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Drew McIntyre def. Butch
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
What was supposed to be a high-stakes match between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus for an opportunity to challenge the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WWE Clash at the Castle was tossed out the window when The Celtic Warrior supposedly felt a cold coming on. Instead, The Scottish Warrior faced the unpredictable Butch, who McIntyre quickly dispatched by sending him to Claymore Country and picking up the win. After the match, The Brawling Brutes attempted to blindside and beat down The Scottish Warrior, who used Angela to frighten the treacherous trio from the ring. McIntyre then shocked The Brawling Brutes and the WWE Universe by slashing the ring ropes with his trusty sword!
My Score: 1 out of 5
Final Verdict: 1.5/5
Jesus! This was bad. A bunch of squash matches. Hell, even the main event was a squash match. What a sad way to end the wrestling week. Weeks like this make me want to stop watching WWE programming again.
