7/23 SmackDown Review

[Face McShooty]

 

The announce team plugged Kevin Owens vs. Rusev, Cesaro vs. Rollins, and Team Bad vs. Team Bella in a tag team match. Dean Ambrose's music hit and he made his ring entrance for the first match of the night. Footage was shown of the Wyatt Family attack on Reigns and Ambrose from Monday. Sheamus then made his ring entrance. Sheamus had a mic and said the WWE Universe things he's some kind of lunatic, but he knows the truth that Dean is just reckless.

 

Sheamus called Ambrose's DDT of Big Show through the announce table last week as an act of cowardice and an excuse to get out of the fight. Sheamus told Ambrose he had nowhere to run tonight and said he would take an ass kicking from the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Ambrose said Sheamus' profound words got him thinking. It is true, Sheamus does look stupid.

 

1. Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose They rolled around without doing much of anything early on. Sheamus evaded further mat wrestling by rolling out of the ring. He re-entered and took to brawling. He and Ambrose traded some punches and after some back and forth Ambrose cleared Sheamus from the ring with a clothesline. Ambrose tried to follow up with a suicide dive through the second rope, but Sheamus hit him with a forearm instead. After some more brawling, Ambrose dove on Sheamus from the apron and hit a tornado DDT on the floor...

 

Sheamus lifted up Ambrose into a sit out Powerbomb and got a near fall. Sheamus had worked the knee during the break, and turned over Ambrose into a cloverleaf. Ambrose escaped and managed to hit a DDT to slow things down. After a bit more back and forth, Ambrose cleared Sheamus form the ring and The Wyatt sounder played. Bray and Luke Harper surrounded the ring. Ambrose tried to leave the ring to confront them but Sheamus blindsided Ambrose with a Brogue Kick. He hit another one in the ring and claimed victory.

 

Sheamus defeated Dean Ambrose at 12:35.

 

After the match, the announce team introduced comic book footage of the Stardust vs. Neville feud. Backstage, Neville was interviewed. He said Stardust is different than anyone or anything that he's encountered in his life. He called him a coward and said that he will not be able to hold down what gravity cannot contain. The TV behind the interview flickered and Stardust appeared. He held up his star logo and made some psychotic sounding giggling noises. Footage of Undertaker and Lesnar was hyped...

 

Neville's made his ring entrance. Adam Rose was already in the ring.

 

2. Neville vs. Adam Rose Adam Rose put the boots to Neville early and hit a snap suplex for a two count.

 

Adam Rose hit a top rope head scissors and tried to follow up with a suicide drive, but Neville hit him with a forearm and went on offense. After several rapid strikes and kicks, Neville sent Rose to the floor. He then followed up with a springboard moonsault and the Red Arrow for the win.

 

Neville defeated Adam Rose at 3:12.

 

After the match, Stardust celebrated with cheesy party favors. He seemed to be channeling the Joker and The Riddler. He talked about all Arrows falling to the ground no matter their color, and only stars are eternal. Rolllins vs. Cesaro and Rusev vs. Owens were plugged for later...

 

A Sasha Banks video package aired that was pretty much exactly what I had hoped for. It was a solid introduction to her NXT character and why she wants to change what it means to be a Diva, and why she joined Team B.A.D. Wade Barrett made his ring entrance after the video. He demanded decorum and said everyone lost sight of what was important during the return of the dead man. He claimed to be the best King in WWE history and claimed his crowning accomplishment has yet to come. All Hail King Barrett. The announce plugged the WWE Network and plugged Rusev vs. Owens for next...

 

Kevin Owens made his entrance, followed by Rusev. Footage was shown of Owens bailing on Rusev on Monday during the Raw Main Event. He had a microphone and said that ever since his match with John Cena last Sunday, all he hears is Tap Owens Tap. While it is very cute, it's very inaccurate because what actually happened is that he gave John Cena the toughest fight of his career. He's not the guy who has the slogan never give up, he lives by the motto of living to fight another day. He wasn't about to risk his family's future on John Cena, and he doesn't care what anybody thinks because he always does what's best for his career.

 

What he did on Monday was no different. Once Sheamus left them high and dry there was no point in staying in the ring and risking injury. If Rusev wasn't so busy trying to figure out which Lana he wanted to get to second base with, maybe he'd understand that. Rusev then made his entrance and was all fired up. He entered the ring and demanded the bell immediately.

 

3. Rusev vs. Kevin Owens Rusev landed strikes right out of the gate and Owens bailed to the outside to regroup...

 

Rusev got the best of a brief brawl and hit a snap suplex for a two count. Owens fires back with a back elbow and grabbed a waist lock. Rusev reversed and shoved Owens into the ropes and hit a knee to the back. He then hit a fallaway slam that looked rough. Owens shook it off and hit a superkick followed by a cannonball and covered for a two count. Owens hit a codebreaker and covered for a near fall, and followed up with a headlock that ground the match to a halt.

 

Rusev fought his way out and hit some kicks and a belly to back suplex. He charged at Owens in a corner and ate a back elbow, but was able to rebound with a spinning heel kick. Rusev called for and landed a superkick. He then revved up for The Accolade, but Owens backed out and rolled to the outside. He thought about but later refused to answer a 10 count and was counted out. Owens screamed that he would fight on his own terms.

 

Rusev defeated Kevin Owens via countout at 9:33.

 

Backstage, Cesaro was interviewed. He said growing up people thought he was crazy to chase this dream. He said he wants to be the proof that hard work pays off and that The American Dream never dies. Kevin Owens walked up and told Cesaro that no one cares about his dreams, or that he abandoned his family. Cesaro asked him if he came from catering, but then remembered he had just abandoned another match. Owens said he was just about to head to catering so he could watch him lose to Rollins later while he grabs a bite. Cesaro said he should just do what he does best and walk Owens walk. Owens said "Good luck buddy" and walked away.

 

Naomi and Sasha made their entrance with Tamina in the arena...

 

The Bella's made their entrance with Alicia Fox.

 

4. Sasha Banks and Naomi vs. The Bella Twins

Naomi and Nikki started the match. Naomi hit a nice clothesline early on, but Nikki fired back with a spinebuster and tagged out to Brie. After a double team pancake Brie made a cover for a two count. Nikki quickly turned things around and tagged in Sasha. Quickly, Brie hit a arm drag and tagged out to Nikki, who followed up with a drop kick and applied a grounded head scissors.

 

Brie tagged back in and came off the top rope with missile drop kick and tried and failed to go into Brie mode thanks to some interference from Tamina. Sasha pulled Brie to the outside and put the boots to her...

 

Naomi bodyslammed Brie and hit a standing leg drop for a two count. Sasha tagged in and set Brie up on the second rope in the corner and dropped double knees on her. She then knocked Nikki off the apron and made rapid tags with Naomi to control Brie and the pace of the match. Brie sold offense from both women for quite a while until she was able to knock Naomi to the outside with a dropkicks. Nikki got the hot tag and took out both Team B.A.D. members. She hit an Alabama Slam and went for the Rack Attack on Naomi but Sasha broke it up. Brie took out Sasha and she and Alicia took out Tamina on the outside. Nikki finished off Naomi with the Rack Attack in got the win.

 

The Bella Twins defeated Naomi and Sasha at 13:11.

 

The announce team plugged the movie Southpaw and aired the same video that was shown on Raw. Footage of The Undertaker's return was plugged for next...

 

Footage was shown of Battleground and Raw of the Undertaker's return and promo that set up the Summerslam Main Event with Brock Lesnar. After the video, Seth Rollins made his entrance in the arena.

 

Footage was shown of the Cena and Rollins promo from Monday. Cesaro then made his ring entrance.

 

5. Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins Cesaro went straight after Rollins, who bailed to ringside immediately. Cesaro hit an impressive press slam once the action got started, but got sent to the floor by Rollins after missing a charge in the corner. Rollins followed up with a dive that sent Cesaro hard into the barricade...[c]

 

Rollins held on to a chin lock briefly. After Cesaro broke free, Rollins hit a short arm clothesline for a two count, and reapplied the hold. This time, Cesaro lifted out and suplexed Rollins, and then sent him out to the floor. Rollins recovered quickly and went up top, but Cesaro avoided him and hit a belly to belly overhead suplex. Cesaro followed up with some european uppercuts and a vertical suplex for a two count.

 

Both guys traded shots for a bit. Cesaro hit a cross body from the top, but Rollins rolled through for a two count. The traded some quick fall attempts without success, and then Rollins hit a superkick for a close near fall. Cesaro fired back with a very nice drop kick that scored a near fall of his own. Rollins got out on the apron, and Cesaro attempted to suplex him back in, but failed and ate a kick instead. Rollins jumped back in the ring and hit a buckle bomb. He then went for a Pedigree, which Cesaro moved escaped and turned into a Sharpshooter. As Rollins got close to the ropes, Cesaro pulled Rollins into a crossface.

 

Rollins managed to escape, but Cesaro clipped him with a press into a european uppercut for another good near fall. Rollins escaped to the outside and attempted to bail on the match, but Cesaro prevented him from leaving with a nasty uppercut. Seth used a ref distraction to hit a thumb to the eye, and followed up with a pedigree to get the win.

 

Seth Rollins defeated Cesaro at 12:48.

 

Rollins celebrated up the ramp and Kevin Owens passed him on the way to the ring as he got to the top of the ramp. Owens stood over Cesaro briefly and then began beating the tar out of him. He hit a pop up Powerbomb to close the show.