Opening segment
- How do I even approach this? Each woman in Money in the Bank gets some really shitty dialogue, with Naomi reverting back to her more unnatural delivery of months past.
- Lana apparently doesn't have an accent anymore. I'm cool with her changing that weekly.
- Paige gives a ra-ra speech about her needing one of these contestants to bring home the briefcase. Why should any of them really give a shit about Paige?
- The IIconics come out and clown the contestants. That's kind of funny. Absolution join them and say there's more talent outside the ring than in it, and everyone brawls. A match is set up for tonight.
- Later, Asuka says she wants Carmella tonight, so they're added to the tag team match.
Daniel Bryan defeated Shelton Benjamin
6.5/10
- Daniel Bryan's promo online last week was so good that they showed it on Smackdown tonight. They should do that more.
- Bryan has his knee attacked pretty early on, and Shelton drops it across the announcer's table.
- Bryan flips out of a suplex and attacks Benjamin's knee. Bryan goes at it
- The selling from Bryan is great, and the crowd is in love with him.
- Big superplex from Shelton, but he gets caught in a Yes Lock, and Benjamin turns it into a half crab!
- Daniel Bryan using a heel hook as a regular finish. Nice. Different.
- Daniel Bryan last competed against Shelton Benjamin in 2010 inside a high school.
- They made Shelton Benjamin look really good there.
Backstage Crappenings
- Miz is backstage in a ref's shirt doing MizJitsu, and finds a way to become the ref in the Rusev vs. Samoa Joe match after convincing Paige.
- When was the last time Shane McMahon was on Smackdown?
King's Court
- Jerry Lawler appears and invites AJ Styles out to the ramp to be interviewed, and compares last week's slap to his on Andy Kaufman.
- Styles says Shinsuke Nakamura got under his skin, and deserved what he got. This is very quick and to the point. I like having a person prompt these guys to trash talk, it makes sense.
Rusev (w/ Aiden English) defeated Samoa Joe
Special Guest Referee: Miz
5.25/10
- It's good to see Rusev in more of a babyface role. He's rewarded by being the first guy big enough to eat a suicide dive from Joe in a while.
- Joe has a cool new mohawk.Well, cool is in the eye of the beholder I guess. It's different.
- This is mainly bruting around until a series of Rusev kicks.
- Aiden English distracts Miz, and he gets squished in the corner by Rusev, then Joe kicks English and drops Rusev.
- Miz thinks Samoa Joe did it, and is pissy and won't count. Machka Kick and pin!!!
- Rusev attacks Joe with a ladder after the match, but Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Rusev and climbs the ladder to take down the briefcase.
- Miz finds out their are pancakes in the briefcase and flips out. New Day are backstage laughing.
Jeff Hardy defeated Shinsuke Nakamura via DQ
5.25/10
- I love the set up for Nakamura's theme and entrance.
- Jeff Hardy has seemed like a non-entity on this show of late, and he's United States Champion.
- He hits a clothesline off the apron on Nakamura.
- Jeff Hardy seems like he's lost a step one minute, then the next minute looks amazing.
- That Whisper in the Wind either misses by a mile or kills people.
- Twist of Fate on Nakamura, who gave Hardy most of the match. Swanton hits, but Hardy is hurt! Nakamura's feet in the ropes.
- This would have been a good spot for the double "ten" count with Nakamura selling the Swanton, and Hardy selling the injury, and Nakamura gets up right before the ten.
- Instead, Nakamura hits Hardy RIGHT IN THE PENIS.
Big Cass
- Big Cass says he was at a fair today and made 25k for being there.
- He shows a roller coaster height requirement and says that Daniel Bryan doesn't measure up.
- This wasn't bad.
Asuka, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Lana & Naomi defeated Carmella, Absolution & The IIconics
5.75/10
- Lana's spray tan is horrible.
- Sonya Deville shows Naomi how to kick.
- Becky Lynch needs a run. A real run.
- The "OOHs" are aplenty.
- I'll watch Sonya Deville work over opponents all damn day. Her spear puts Charlotte's to shame.
- Charlotte eats knees on a moonsault attempt, as is tradition. Then she eats a great series of strikes from Absolution.
- Asuka gets the hot tag, and she and Mandy work really well together, as the heels break up the Asuka Lock.
- IT'S BREAKING DOWN. This is where Charlotte scores on her moonsault.
- Mandy and Sonya are both going to be very good.
- Asuka gets cracked in the head by a Carmella Kick, but ends up tapping her with the Asuka Lock.
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