With SummerSlam in two weeks, we can feel the heat on SmackDown even if the sparkle is missing. The Fiend attacking Alexa Bliss last week was half a surprise. Alexa was featured in the Swamp Fight at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules and she was an easy weakest point for Bray Wyatt to use against Braun Strowman. Some things are definitely in the making, they now have to be made. Two matches are announced for tonight, Sheamus vs Matt Riddle (did they read my last week’s review?) and Jeff Hardy vs Baron Corbin. We will also have a Firefly Fun House segment with Bray Wyatt, and the return of The Dirt Sheet with a new special correspondent in Sonya Deville. Deville will follow up on last week’s attack to Mandy Rose when she cut and hair and tried to break her nose. Welcome to the Blue brand…

The Episode

• A new episode of The Firefly Fun House with Bray Wyatt to open the show. Wyatt needed to address how a bunch of haters have been blaming him for what happened to Alexa Bliss last week. Wyatt pointed up at a picture of WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman on the wall and said that’s who you can put the blame on. He asked Strowman how he could let something happen to something so precious he cares about. Wyatt said Strowman should just give “him” what he wants. “He” will be here later tonight with someone very special. Wyatt said he’s waiting for Braun, and Wyatt advised Strowman he should just give The Fiend what he wants or find out what he’s truly capable of. We saw flashes of The Fiend. Wyatt was all serious while talking about The Fiend but he suddenly snapped out of it and went back to laughing, saying he got the heebie-jeebies just thinking about The Fiend. Wyatt waved goodbye.
• Matt Riddle defeated Sheamus via DQ when Shorty G interfered in the match and attacked Riddle. After the bell, G continued his attack, ready to collect King Baron Corbin’s ransom for Riddle. Riddle fought back, slammed G’s face into the announce table over and over. Riddle then launched G into the steel ring steps and delivered a big kick to the chest while he was down. Sheamus was looking on from the ring and was not happy to hear Riddle announced as the winner. Riddle headed up the ramp as Sheamus brought G back into the ring. G ate a big Brogue Kick. Sheamus took the mic and ranted at G for messing up his match, all for Corbin’s bounty. Sheamus talked more trash, yelling at G to get back up. A furious Sheamus levelled G with a second Brogue Kick and left.

• Backstage, Sheamus threatened Corbin to beat him up, shove his crown, and knock his head off his shoulders, if someone tried to get the King’s ransom during one of his matches again. Sheamus told Corbin to try him. Corbin said he would put a dent in Sheamus’ head if he wasn’t busy with Jeff Hardy tonight. Corbin walked off.
• John Morrison’s abs and The Miz welcomed us to The Dirt Sheet and showed us how Sonya Deville attacked Mandy Rose last week. Miz and Morrison were having technical difficulties with their mics and were joking that RETRIBUTION wasn’t booked for SmackDown tonight. They went on about using their platform to give a platform to a victim who was attacked last week. They played Mandy’s music but it’s Mandy Rose’s Hair instead. The talking hairpiece appeared on the big screen. They mocked Rose and her hair. They then appeared to actually give the real Mandy a chance to speak now, but they brought out Deville instead.
  Deville went on about how it was not a big deal what she did to Rose because she told everyone what she was going to do ahead of time, and she’s a woman who keeps her word. She talked about enjoying the hair cutting and messing up Rose’s makeup. She added she has no respect for Rose anymore as Rose is so weak. She bragged about breaking Rose in the ring and now emotionally. Deville continued her rant until they all started insulting Mandy and Otis. Out came Tucker and Otis, with his Money In the Bank briefcase. They started brawling with Miz and Morrison. Miz got sent out to the floor. They went to double team Morrison as Otis prepared to hit him with the Caterpillar. Morrison was able to retreat and hit the floor, joining Deville and Miz. They regrouped as Otis and Tucker stood tall in the ring.
• SmackDown Tag Team Champion Cesaro defeated Lince Dorado.

• Backstage, Tucker and Otis told Kayla Braxton Miz and Morrison crossed the line with the so-called jokes about Mandy Rose on The Dirt Sheet. Tucker added what Sonya Deville did last week was despicable, and Miz and Morrison just won’t let it go. Otis said he can take jokes all day but he won’t stand for jokes against his peach Mandy. Miz and Morrison will see that no one is laughing after tonight.
• “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt headed to the ring. Alexa Bliss was down on the mat. The Fiend stood over as she looked up frightened. The Fiend backed up and crawled to Bliss. The Fiend slowly raised his arm like he did last week. He looked to deliver another Mandible Claw but this time Bliss grabbed his arm and stopped him. She caressed his face, The Fiend stopped her and backed off, apparently frustrated with how she was getting to him. WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman appeared on the big screen as Wyatt backed off from Bliss. Strowman said he doesn’t give a damn about Bliss, he just wants The Fiend. Strowman went on about how different he is coming out of the Swamp Fight. Strowman tried to resist and fight it but he’s at his breaking point. What has been building inside of him is coming out, the evil. Strowman said he is more than a man, he is the thing that nightmares are made of. He is The Monster. The Fiend can have whatever he wants at SummerSlam. Strowman told The Fiend to face his fears, face the monster. Strowman continued breathing heavily as The Fiend looked on from the ring, apparently in approval.

• Jeff Hardy defeated King Corbin via DQ when Sheamus attacked Hardy. After the bell, Corbin went out and argued with Sheamus at ringside as Hardy’s music hits.
• Sheamus defeated King Corbin. Matt Riddle suddenly came down out of nowhere and attacked Corbin. After the bell, Sheamus posed and Riddle applauded him from ringside.
• Backstage, the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley – were talking about some tension over Bayley’s match with Asuka on RAW, for Asuka to earn a SummerSlam shot against Banks. Banks said Bayley’s got this and she most importantly needs Bayley to do this for her. They argued over what Asuka wants, payback on Banks for the title or payback on Bayley for what she did to Kairi Sane. Banks interrupted Bayley and said it doesn’t matter what Asuka wants, this is all about them because they have all the gold. They are best friends and role models. A staffer interrupted them, they were needed in the ring for a video conference with Stephanie McMahon.

• Backstage, Big E told Kayla Braxton what his next venture looks like going out on his own while Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are sidelined. Big E said he’s not sure where this run will go, but he can assure that he will give all of himself.
• Bayley and Banks were in the ring. WWE CBO Stephanie McMahon appeared on screen and they welcomed her. Stephanie praised them for achieving their goal of winning all the gold in WWE, except for NXT. They thanked her and said her positive feedback means the world because there’s a lot of negative hate in the locker room now. Bayley added they’re trying to be role models for girls around the world, like Stephanie’s daughters. Stephanie wasn’t sure about being role models, but she did want to challenge them. Stephanie said Banks will defend the RAW Women’s Title at SummerSlam against Asuka if Asuka can win the non-title qualifier match over Bayley on Monday’s RAW. Bayley will also defend her singles title at SummerSlam, against the enemies she’s made as of late on RAW, SmackDown and NXT. There will be a triple brand Battle Royal on next week’s show with the winner facing Bayley at SummerSlam. Stephanie said now that is what’s best for business. Banks and Bayley argued in the ring.

• The Miz & John Morrison w/ Sonya Deville vs Heavy Machinery ended in a no-contest when Mandy Rose attacked Sonya Deville at ringside. The referee and the two tag teams ran in to pull them apart. Rose tackled Deville again and kept the attack going. They were pulled apart once again but Rose tackled Deville again. Rose and Deville were finally pulled apart one last time and taken out of the ring. After the break, there were more technical difficulties from overhead. RETRIBUTION suddenly appeared and runs wild at ringside, going all through the arena yelling and screaming. They destroyed everything and everyone they would find with baseball bats, crowbars and other weapons. The men and women are wearing all black, hoodies and face masks. One representative told the camera that this is their house now, we might want to leave and go home. They KO’ed a cameraman, some NXT kids at ringside, spray-painted anti-WWE symbols on the plexiglass and then destroyed it, tipped the announce table over. They then cut the ropes with a chainsaw. SmackDown on FOX went off the air with RETRIBUTION standing tall in the ring as the destruction continued.

Highs and Lows 

Up, Up

Yes, I laughed. A hairpiece talking is making me laugh.

No words were necessary to describe what was happening between Alexa Bliss and The Fiend. The Beauty tried to soften The Fiend. It was nice to see but Strowman’s announcement came too fast after and ruined the moment. As soon as Strowman drowned in the swamp, the match at SummerSlam was made. We knew it, they knew it. The Alexa-Fiend storyline/mind game could have last a little more and put a different touch to a match that was definitely destined to happen.

When, at 3.50 AM GMT+1, a new commercial break airs, you feel something bad is going to happen. Mandy and Sonya were neutralized, so not was RETRIBUTION. The segment was extremely violent. The five people just massacred everyone and everything on the PC. I could use tons of references to describe what RETRIBUTION did, the best would be anarchy. They destroyed everything WWE related, wrestlers, ring, announce table. Could this bunch of punks do even worst…

Down, Down

Adding Morrison and Miz to the hairy Deville/Mandy storyline was not the best option. Put them both in a cage with a ton of tools and let them fight once and for all. Maybe one of the women would get out of the cage bald or totally disfigured, as long as this storyline ends. It gives more credit to Mandy than to Sonya who, for me, worths way more, wrestling wise, than her former best friend.

Hardy, Corbin, Sheamus, G and Riddle… So, if I understood well, Sheamus and Corbin hate Hardy. G is running after the King’s Ransom. Riddle seems to be on Sheamus’ side. Sheamus hates Corbin and G. If it’s supposed to go somewhere, please DM me…

Overall

When I review Impact Wrestling, I always say the perfect recipe of a good show is made of good action, cutting-edge promos and some cinematic orchestra. When it comes to WWE, remove the cinematic orchestra. When it comes to this week, remove the good promos. We had a lot of action and intensity, but still a lot to do to come to SummerSlam. If I loved this anarchist segment, I try to forget this is probably a Vince McMahon’s idea, which means as good as it can look, it could easily become a huge mess. We are two weeks away from one of The Big Four PPVs, four or five matches have been announced for the Red brand and we have only one for the Blue. The chaos in the ring seemed to perfectly echo the chaos that was described backstage as the shows were taped this week. And that may be more frightening than The Fiend…

All pics and videos courtesy of WWE