WWE Smackdown Live – Sept 4th 2018: Results & Review
Welcome to this week’s Smackdown review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have a rematch from last week to open the card, so we should just… walk with the animals/talk with the animals/run and squeak and squawk with the animals/and the big, ass snail!
Match #1: Daniel Bryan def. Andrade “Cien” Almas
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Immediately after Bryan accepted Almas’ challenge, the two aggressive technicians enthralled the WWE Universe with a supremely athletic contest that saw both Superstars go all out with a mix of high-risk and high-impact maneuvers. After a grueling battle, Bryan claimed victory by hitting an unbelievable Running Knee that sent Almas into a backflip and kept him down for three. In a measure of retaliation from last week, Brie dropped Vega and blasted her with a running knee of her own to Zelina’s dome piece. The couple couldn’t celebrate for long, however, as The Miz & Maryse appeared on the TitanTron and revealed that they were dining in one of the finest Italian restaurants in Detroit. The Awesome One and Maryse indicated that they had left the arena and that Bryan and his bride would now have to wait until their clash at the WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event to see them in the flesh.
My Take: Last week, these guys got cut off during an excellent match by an interference spot with The Miz. This week, Bryan and Almas got to have the full, complete match that they deserved. I think you’ll enjoy this bout.
Match #2: Naomi def. Peyton Royce
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
After falling to both members of The IIconics in consecutive weeks, Naomi looked to right the ship in a rematch against Peyton Royce tonight on SmackDown LIVE. As the past two weeks have proven, The Glow had to keep eyes consistently in the back of her head for the other IIconic lurking at ringside. In the height of the action, Naomi neutralized Billie Kay at ringside and immediately caught Royce off-guard with a rollup for the quick win. The Glow was soon dimmed, however, when Kay entered the ring, and The IIconics began a savage double-team beatdown on Naomi. After landing a few cheap shots, Kay and Royce were interrupted by Asuka, who darted to the ring and took out The IIconics with a series of blistering strikes, letting them know that Naomi seemingly wouldn’t be going it alone against them from here on out.
My Take: This was a decent match that gave both women a few more precious minutes on television.
Match #3: Rusev Day def. The Usos and SAnitY
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
With the chance to face The Bar in the match that will determine who will challenge The New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, Rusev Day, The Usos and SAnitY squared off on the blue brand. There was no shortage of action, as all three teams fought vigorously for the opportunity to get one step closer to The New Day and the titles. All three teams looked impressive, but Rusev & Aiden English showed they were finally be back on the same page in the closing moments. Eric Young illegally placed his feet on the ropes while attempting to pin Rusev, but English broke up the fall from the outside of the ring, and The Super Athlete blasted the SAnitY leader with a Machka Kick for the 1-2-3. Afterward, The Bar arrived on the stage, seemingly laughing at their newfound opponents just one week before throwing down with them in a match that will determine the next challengers for The New Day!
My Take: This was a fine match that had lots of good action and done so with a nice pace. Rusev Day needed a win to keep the team fresh, so this was the right way to go.
Match #4: Main Event – R-Truth def. The Miz
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
R-Truth was accompanied to the ring by the unlikely companion of his newly announced Mixed Match Challenge partner Carmella as he squared off against The Miz, who had his bride Maryse, or “other Carmella” (as Truth was referring to her) in the main event of SmackDown LIVE. The series of events that led to this bizarre battle included Miz & Maryse returning to the arena after their Italian restaurant date from earlier (also because they thought that Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella had left) and Truth confusing, as her new name suggests, Maryse for Carmella. But now, the former Awesome Truth partners would battle with the lights on bright to close the show out on the blue brand. Miz and Truth slugged it out, but The A-Lister got a shocking plot twist when Bryan & Bella returned. The mere presence of The “Yes!” Man and Brie Mode allowed R-Truth to catch The A-Lister off-guard with a slick roll-up for three.
My Take: It was weird watching these two fight each other after they were once a team against so many in 2011. Truth deserves to be in the main event and as a former NWA World Champion, I think that he can still be of great importance to the top of the card. The Miz worked hard as the perennial heel of Mickie Mouse’s nightmares by mugging his goofy eyes between every move. I thought this turned out just fine and was a good match.
News Of The Night:
- Charlotte Flair defends the Women’s Title against Becky Lynch at Hell in a Cell.
- AJ Styles brawled with Samoa Joe.
- Jeff Hardy battles Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell match at the Pay Per View of the same name.
- A secondary feud between Daniel Bryan and Andrade Almas seems to be continuing.
- R-Truth is becoming a mentor to Tye Dillinger.
Final Verdict: 2.5 out of 5 – With a strong opener and a good tag team match, Smackdown had a pretty good week. We’re still very far from where Smackdown was when Paul Heyman was the head booker, but at least there are little glimmers of hope every now and then.