‘Friday Night Smackdown’ Review (Feb 23rd 2024)
Welcome to this review of this past Friday’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: Tiffany Stratton def. Liv Morgan
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Seconds after driving Liv Morgan into the SmackDown announce table, Tiffany Stratton disrespected Bianca Belair with a slap as The EST of WWE was watching the match at ringside. The irate Belair climbed up to the apron, only to inadvertently delay the official’s ability to count Morgan’s pin attempt. When Stratton kicked out, Morgan’s momentum caused her to accidentally knock Belair off the apron, allowing Tiffany to roll up Liv for an enormous win prior to her Elimination Chamber Match against Morgan, Belair, Becky Lynch, Naomi and Raquel Rodriguez.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Bron Breakker def. Dante Chen
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Bron Breakker used his a fierce combination of jaw-dropping power and speed to lay waste to Dante Chen in his SmackDown debut, finishing off his opponent with a wicked Spear.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate def. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a seesaw slugfest, Tyler Bate neutralized “Dirty” Dom on the apron, and Pete Dunne snapped JD McDonagh’s fingers. This paved the way for The New Catch Republic to finish McDonagh with the double Tyler Driver. Finn Bálor and Damian Priest engaged their Elimination Chamber challengers after the bell, only to get knocked off the apron. The No. 1 Contenders then avoided a second attack by the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions and once again took down McDonagh and Mysterio on their way backstage. Bate and Dunne appeared to be one step ahead of Bálor and Priest en route to Perth, but can they claim a second straight win against The Judgment Day and become champions?
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Authors of Pain def. The Street Profits
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
When Scarlett’s distraction allowed Karrion Kross to interfere in The Authors of Pain’s match against Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, Bobby Lashley and B-Fab unleashed retribution. Kross turned the tide against The All Mighty, however, and used a steel chair to injure his adversary’s arm. The carnage also paved the way for Akam and Rezar to drive Ford into the canvas to give The Final Testament a big win. The attack happened just one day before Lashley is scheduled to compete in the Elimination Chamber for a World Heavyweight Title Match at WrestleMania against Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Drew McIntyre def. LA Knight (DQ)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
When his match against Drew McIntyre moved to the ringside floor, LA Knight had some choice words for United States Champion Logan Paul as the titleholder stood on commentary. This interaction allowed McIntyre to hurl Knight into Kevin Owens, who was also on commentary. Always ready to fight, Owens attacked The Scottish Warrior and brought the contest to a premature end. After the bell, McIntyre threw Owens directly into the United States Champion. Back in the ring, Knight hit McIntyre with the B.F.T. Despite an injury earlier in the evening, Bobby Lashley joined the fray and blasted Knight with the Spear. Paul seized the opportunity with a shot at Lashley before receiving a Stunner from Owens. Seconds later, Lashley nailed Owens with a Spear before running into a Claymore Kick from McIntyre. Just when it looked like Drew would be the last man standing from the brawl, Randy Orton popped in to hit a devastating RKO on The Scottish Warrior.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
Well this week’s Smackdown was good, not quite as good as last week’s episode, but still good enough to get a pass. Obviously this episode was a pre-tape due to Elimination Chamber taking place in Australia the very next day and as such there were more vignettes and promos than usual, which let the show down a little. If you’re short on time I would, honestly, just watch the opening two matches and call it a day…
