GOAT AND GOAT?
- Charlotte Flair comes out and says that once things changed, Trish Stratus hit the bricks and did something different.
- Charlotte throws to a video package, but it ends up being a Trish highlight and she's not thrilled.
- Trish is here.
- Trish says that Charlotte is the embodiment of everything that she fought for. She wants to prove to her kids and the fans.
- Trish uses Harley Race's bright lights quote. EMOTION.
- The crowd didn't react to this very well, but I thought it was pretty good.
- Charlotte WOOs Trish and gets slapped in the fizzace.
- Trish made more contact in this promo than she did in last night's match.
Ziggler ATTACK
- Dolph Ziggler does a Goldberg entrance, complete with backstage walk.
- This is pretty good, and Ziggler is enough of a little shit to make it work.
- Rey Mysterio gets attacked and taken out. I don't think this match is going to happen.
- Officials come out to help Mysterio, but Ziggler kept with the beat down.
- Ziggler just beating up Mysterio works. What does Ziggler winning do? We know he's not beating Goldberg. Ziggler gets stronger, Mysterio doesn't get beaten, and they can actually do this match after Summerslam with a built-in reason.
- Dolph Ziggler didn't even want to wrestle for a lot of this year and is having some of his biggest marquee matches of his career.
- Ali makes the save, so they're gonna wrestle. Welp.
Dolph Ziggler defeated Ali
5/10 (short)
- The match starts, and I guess that's just how it happens.
- We come back from a picture in picture break to see Ali hit a nice kick, but get clotheslined.
- Superkick, that's a wrap.
- I like the occasional short match, but won't like Alex being sad about this on the podcast.
- Reigns apologizes to Joe. Humility is a babyface move, and Reigns' character showed that in apologizing to Samoa Joe.
- He says he's going to get answers.
- Should be pretty easy for WWE to figure out who attacked Roman Reigns. Just uhh....figure out whose car they got that footage from.
- To end the show, Reigns kicks everyone out of the locker room except Buddy Murphy. Murphy denies knowing who did it, and says he wouldn't tell Reigns anyway. Reigns attacks Murphy and beats his ass. He says he only saw Rowan do it.
- Best Roman Reigns I've seen in a while.
Ember Moon vs. Natalya Double Countout
N/A
- Ember and Natalya really go at it.
- Ember does a nice dropkick into the barricade, but gets thrown into the apron.
- Ember screams. Such is life.
- Sharpshooter applied by Natalya, and it's a double countout.
- Jessika Carr reffed this match.
KO Show
- KO just calls out Shane McMahon to get it.
- Owens wants Shane to put his career on the line. Shane won't do it.
- Shane explains the rules of pro wrestling to Owens, and KO says Shane doesn't have any balls.
- Shane wants to preview Sunday, and Owens throws chairs outside, and a piece goes flying.
- Elias attacks. Stunner on the table from KO.
- Shane attacks and pushes the table over on KO. He does a sliding dropkick with a chair.
Aleister Black defeated Sami Zayn
5.5/10
- Sami Zayn isn't happy about all the hype about Aleister Black.
- They cut to Black LAYING ON HIS GIMMICK.....wait. He says the match is happening now, not at Summerslam.
- Does anyone think Zayn is going to win this? Hell no.
- The foregone conclusion that is this match made it much more difficult to enjoy.
- Black Mass. Finish.
Backstage Crappenings
- Shelton Benjamin is still backstage staring.
- We get a new Firefly Funhouse, which is refreshing for Smackdown Live.
- Chad Gable is working out backstage and Elias trolls him for being short.
- Kofi Kingston responds to Randy Orton's comments ahead of Summerslam. It captures the emotion really well.
New Day defeated Rowan & Daniel Bryan via DQ
6.25/10
- Daniel Bryan still hasn't made his big announcement.
- He starts off aggressive, but Xavier takes over.
- Back from the break, Big E does an awesome short-arm clothesline to Daniel Bryan.
- Rowan hits Xavier one of the hardest goddamn cross body blocks I've ever seen.
- The crowd is all about this match.
- Rowan throws Xavier all around the ringside area.
- Back from another break, and we see Xavier Woods uncorking a big missile dropkick.
- Big E hot tag, and you know suplexes aplenty.
- Big E counters the last Yes Kick into a Stretch Muffler, but is put into a Lebell Lock himself.
- Bryan applies a triangle choke, but gets powerbombed out of it.
- Rowan spin kick, Xavier elbow drop, Big E YOLO Dive.
- It all ends when Rowan attacks New Day with the stairs. Damn.
- The beatdown continues after the match. Iron Claw Slam and running knee.
Rating guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor
Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a "star rating," which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive "TV match" lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones. Don't take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!
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