Hello there friends, it’s me your unfaithful SmackDown reviewer, Bradley. Firstly, I’d like to start by thanking the wonderful Steph Franchomme for stepping in for me once again. Lastly, I can reassure you, like Eric Bischoff, “I’m back and better than ever”. Or at least until I go on holiday again. Welcome to the most must-see Vulture Hound weekly review in history; welcome to… The SmackDown Review.
The New Day opened this week’s show accompanied by a marching band. It was the grandest of entrances for the longest reigning Tag Team Champions in history. Obviously their celebration did not last long as they were interrupted by the Usos – who were in turn interrupted by the saviours of Tuesday night’s, Breezango – who were then interrupted by The Colons née The Shining Stars. A typical 8 man tag match then ensued. The face team of New Day and Breezango came out on top after Xavier Woods hit a move on Primo called “UpUpDownDown”. If you know nothing about Woods then you won’t understand that reference. Im sorry.
Your mum’s favourite part:
– In a backstage segment Mojo Rawley talked about losing to Jinder Mahal last week but was cut short by his returning bro, Zack Ryder. It looks as though the pair are set to team up as the Hype Bros once again… That is until Ryder turns heel on him.
– The SmackDown Women’s Champion, Naomi, beat Tamina with a split-legged moonsault. Lana was at ringside and attacked Naomi after the match, holding the championship aloft to a huge pop. Even though her gimmick is terrible it seems as though the fans still want Lana. They want her to be Women’s Champ too.
– Jinder Mahal continues to wear his turban as though it’s a balaclava, which given the current social-political atmosphere, isn’t a wise choice. Nor do I suspect it’s his choice. He was in the ring ranting about being the “modern day Maharaja” when suddenly Orton hit him with a trademark RKO outta nowhere. After Mahal astonishingly won the title I really have no idea who will win the rematch.
– In one of the better matches of the night, Charlotte Flair defeated Natalya but unfortunately the match ended disappointingly with a Natural Selection. We shall see who will be the first ever Mrs Money in the Bank at the self-titled PPV this Sunday.
The night’s main event was another tag team match between the faces of Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, and AJ Styles against the heel trio of Baron Corbin, Kevin Owens, and Dolph Ziggler. The latter three had made a pact to take out the competition by any means in order to reduce the numbers for the Money in the Bank Ladder match. They worked tactically to keep Styles and Nakamura out of the match but, in the end, it was Zayn who managed to pin Corbin following a Helluva Kick. After the match, Owens and Ziggler cleared the ring with a ladder before Corbin came in and took them out. It looked as though Corbin was pointlessly going to grab the briefcase ahead of Sunday but Nakamura pushed him off, and laid him out with a Kinshasa. The show then ended with a closing shot of Nakamura pulling down the Money in the Bank briefcase.
He may have held it in his arms before Sunday but we shall see who exactly will become Mr Money in the Bank when I return with my next review.