Daniel Bryan confirms his WrestleMania match!
Shinsuke Nakamura plays some mind games with AJ Styles!
And I think there’s a split coming in the Fashion Police.
I am Luke Owen and let me know what you thought of the show using the poll above my head as
I review the 27th March 2018 edition of Smackdown Live… in about 4 minutes.
Headline: Jinder Mahal & Rusev def.
Bobby Roode and Randy Orton After a video package recapping Daniel Bryan
being medically cleared last week – my eyes feel a bit sweaty today – we got a tag team
match between Bobby Roode and Randy Orton taking on Jinder Mahal and Rusev who filled
in for an injured Sunhil Singh.
This was a long match that went through two commercial breaks but was never really that
interesting.
Roode and Orton tried to one-up each other, but that was about it.
The finish saw Jinder push Roode into Orton, who then RKO’d Bobbles into the earth.
This allowed Rusev to hit the Matchka Kick and pin the US Champ.
Backstage Rusev told Jinder that he was going to get himself inserted into the United States
Championship match at WrestleMania, and later in the show it was confirmed that we would
be getting RusevMania.
Backstage, Shinsuke Nakamura asked AJ Styles to be in his corner for his match against
Shelton Benjamin in case Chad Gable got involved.
Why isn’t this build more interesting?
Headline: Becky Lynch def.
Ruby Riott Becky Lynch defeated Ruby Riott in a lacklustre
match, and then survived an attack from Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan afterwards – throwing
both of them over the top rope to hype the WrestleMania Battle Royal [6].
It was certainly a match.
Headline: Daniel Bryan WrestleMania Match Confirmed
Smackdown Live general manager Daniel Bryan came out to cut a promo on the attack from
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn last week.
It’s a little bit frustrating that Bryan wasn’t selling the injury – but this match
was only sorted out seven days ago so we need to move things along quickly.
Bryan said that although Shane McMahon was in the hospital, he was challenging Owens
and Zayn to a tag team match at WrestleMania – where if Owens and Zayn lose they remain
fired, but if they win will be reinstated back into Smackdown Live.
Bryan then cut a fiery portion of the promo, saying he will kick their asses at Mania.
This was a really good promo by Bryan, and it seems getting medically cleared has reignited
his passion for working in WWE again.
Headline: New Day and Bludgeon Brothers – No Contest
The New Day came out to face The Bludgeon Brothers, which was cut short when The Usos
ran down to stop Rowan from grabbing the Hammers of Complete Doom.
They then had a face off against New Day, before the Brothers chased everyone off.
It was later revealed that we will be getting a triple threat tag team match at WrestleMania
between New Day, Usos and Bludgeon Brothers.
A match I cannot wait for.
Headline: Dolph Ziggler def. Tyler Breeze Dolph Ziggler pinned Tyler Breeze in a match
to announce all three men would be in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal – making
Dolph’s promo about never having a singles match at Mania seem a touch silly.
This was mostly comedy, with Breeze chasing Dolph around ringside, and Fandango thinking
he was being chased by Dolph.
Fandango then kept running around the ring, which distracted Breeze long enough for Ziggler
to hit the Zig Zag for the win.
It was pretty funny, but could this be the first step in a break-up of the Fashion Police?
Headline: Shinsuke Nakamura def.
Shelton Benjamin And in the main event – boy we got through
this rather quickly – Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Shelton Benjamin in a match that
I wish could have gone longer.
It was a match of striking and submissions, but just as it was about to hit its next gear
and get great, Nakamura hit the Kinshasa and pinned him.
After the match he asked AJ into the ring and told him he didn’t really need his help
tonight – he just wanted to show Styles what he’s going to do to him at WrestleMania.
AJ fired up, and Nakamura calmly retorted – after pulling this face – that Styles
was too emotional and that’s why he won’t win.
Gable and Benjamin attacked Styles, and Nakamura made the save.
He set up to hit Styles with the Kinshasa, but stopped in his tracks – just doing it
to show that he can.
This was a solid angle to end the show, but I can’t help but wonder why the build for
this match has been so bland.
So that was this week’s Smackdown Live in about 4 minutes.
Hopefully you’ve already voted in the poll using these options from top to bottom: SmackDamn,
SmackTastic, Smack Bang in the Middle, Ellsworthy and John Cena’s Undertaker Face.
Like Raw on Monday, Smackdown Live is clearly saving all of its good stuff for the go home
show next week.
While that’s good as the go home show is the most important one, it means this week’s
show had little of note.
This week’s Smackdown Live is Ellsworthy.