WWE Smackdown Live – Aug 6th 2019: Results & Review
Welcome to this week’s SmackDown Live review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have the final build for SummerSlam, so let’s see if Helena Bonham Carter can convince people she’s not actually dead, but just the way her skin looks. Okay, SmackDown begins…a couple of hours ago…at least.
Match #1: Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With his unexpected SummerSlam match against Goldberg looming, Dolph Ziggler looked to make a statement, both by mocking Goldberg’s iconic entrance and then ambushing his scheduled opponent Rey Mysterio before their match could even begin. Ziggler decimated Rey with two superkicks, grabbed the microphone and vamped that Rey was the latest legend he had taken out.
My Opinion: 0 out of 5 – This match never got started, which is about as close to false advertisement as I even want to get to in wrestling.
Match #2: Dolph Ziggler def. Ali
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
An impromptu match saw the surging Ali take it right to The Showoff, much to the delight of the WWE Universe. In the clutch, however, Ziggler connected with a headbutt and an HBK-esque superkick for an emphatic victory ahead of the challenge that awaits him at SummerSlam.
My Opinion: 2.5 out of 5 – This was getting somewhere, but having Ali lose felt like the wrong move, even with Dolph headed for Goldberg at SummerSlam. The match was far too short for something that could have been so good, but that’s the WWE for you. Overall, this was the right match to book, but at the wrong time.
Match #3: Natalya vs. Ember Moon
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With each having major Women’s Championship Matches this Sunday, Natalya and Ember Moon first battled against one another with just five nights before SummerSlam. The Queen of Harts and The Shenom likely felt like they were being watched by their opposition, and both had a ton they were looking to prove because of it. Momentum would shift back and forth several times over, but the intensity of the scrap revved up, eventually leading both Superstars to the outside. Natalya’s new mean streak would shine through, getting Moon down and applying the Sharpshooter, clearly intended to be a sign of things to potentially come for Becky Lynch this Sunday. The Queen of Harts would get too caught up in the moment, winding up in both Superstars being counted out. However, the bell would not stop Natalya from keeping the hold locked in despite the match being officially over. Moon’s opponent Bayley would rush down to her aid and pry Natalya off Ember but not before The Hugger also felt a taste of Natalya’s wrath. What we learned? Natalya was ready for The Man, and Ember now had an uphill battle to climb this Sunday.
My Opinion: 1 out of 5 – This should have been a great one, but it got shafted by the normal WWE malarkey. Malarkey…oooh la la. I feel so fancy. Does Vince have a hatred for wrestling matches? [Nope. Just Ember Moon, if rumours are to be believed – Phil]
Match #4: Aleister Black def. Sami Zayn
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Sami Zayn arrived on SmackDown LIVE with one goal in mind: Continue to degrade Aleister Black’s zest for a fight. The Dutch Destroyer had a different ambition: To kick Sami Zayn’s head off. Zayn brought the fight to Aleister, but The Ominous Man from Amsterdam connected with a ring-rattling Black Mass for a statement-making victory.
My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – This was pretty good for far less than ten minutes of wrestling. It’s a shame that this is likely not to happen on SummerSlam now, but at least it happened.
Match #5: (Main Event) Big E & Xavier Woods def. “The New” Daniel Bryan & Rowan via disqualification
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
“The New” Daniel Bryan & Rowan came in ultra-focused as they took on longtime rivals The New Day in the blue brand main event. Bryan & Rowan looked to ground and pound the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, but Xavier Woods & Big E battled back, and Big E speared Bryan off the apron onto the floor. The New Day looked to be closing in on victory until Rowan connected with steel steps right into Xavier’s dome piece, causing an instant disqualification. The Planet’s Tag Team continued to put the boots to both New Day members before finally laying them out.
My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was a long, exciting match that had all the wrestling it needed to actually qualify as a real match. This worked perfectly as a main event and provided something for people to actually give a $#!@ about. Why can’t Vince do this throughout the whole card? You’ve got two hours a week %!@?-head. Use them wisely. What’s that? Vince doesn’t read these things? Well bake my Alaska, because now I know. All in all, this was a smart, clever, brutal match that had a lotta life to it.
News Of The Night:
- Buddy Murphy said that Rowan tried to kill Roman Reigns, so it looks like Daniel Bryan might be behind the attacks.
- Sami Zayn is not fighting Aleister Black at SummerSlam…so far.
- Trish Stratus told Charlotta Flair she has no respect for the legends of wrestling.
- Bayley is still a face in her feud with Ember Moon.
- A great Harley Race vignette was shown in honor of the wrestling legend.
- Shane McMahon was challenged to put his career on the line for SummerSlam by Kevin Owens, but he chose to attack KO instead.
- Shelton Benjamin was asked if he’d go after the 24/7 Title and he just said “Well…”.
- Bray Wyatt did another Fire-Fly Fun-House that featured a pig puppet eating a lot of food, all while Bray called Finn Balor a coward.
- Chad Gable and Elias might be having a feud soon.
- Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton had one more really strong vignette to push their WWE World Title Match.
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This was a decent show that had a great main event and several great vignettes to build towards SummerSlam, but was a bit dull besides those few positive attributes.
