Match Ratings For WWE Smackdown Live, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

Best in the World

  • Shane McMahon comes to the ring to a chorus of boos, with the WWE World Cup trophy in the ring.
  • He keeps bullying Greg Hamilton into announcing him better.
  • Shane says winning a tournament didn't make him best in the world, being born into it did. He says Miz's dad has a baked potato face.
  • Shane McMahon called the situation liberating and said that he was so happy to do it that he wants to do it some more. Shane challenges Miz to a one-on-one match at WrestleMania next month.
  • I'm cool with seeing Shane McMahon as a heel. We haven't in a decade.
Will Ospreay: It’s My Ambition To Go To Uganda And Wrestle In SGW

Hardy Boyz, Ricochet & Aleister Black vs. The Bar, Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura (w/ Lana)
5.5/10

  • I really love the exchanges between Aleister Black and Shinsuke Nakamura.
  • Matt Hardy hasn't looked this fast in the ring in years. He has some real snap on his leg drop.
  • Jeff Hardy ends up playing the babyface in peril until Ricochet makes the tag in.
  • Ricochet is next to play babyface in peril before a Matt Hardy hot tag.
  • Poetry in Motion leads to Matt Hardy getting hit with a Brogue Kick and all hell is unleashed.
  • Jeff Hardy has a pin on Cesaro following a Swanton Bomb broken up by all the heels.
  • Everyone starts brawling and old man Chioda can't keeps control.
  • New Day runs in and clears the ring.
  • They're standing tall to Kofi chants and "New Day Rocks" chants. This is a New Day we haven't seen in a while.
  • The Usos cut a promo backtage on the teams that were involved in the match. It's good, as you would likely expect.

Selling me a ticket

  • Randy Orton: "AJ Styles was getting a tan with Dixie Carter while I was wrestling The Undertaker at WrestleMania"
  • Randy Orton cuts a great promo about how Smackdown was the house that he built way before AJ Styles ever said he did.
  • AJ Styles comes out and says for someone who doesn't like the indies, Orton followed his career. He says Orton couldn't make it on the indies with a lame pose and a knockoff Diamond Cutter.
  • Orton mentions Styles indie buddies stealing hand gestures. Styles says Orton is surrounded by his indie buddies, and they didn't need help from their dad.
  • Orton says rent is due in his house.
  • This promo was one of the best Randy Orton has ever been involved in.

Asuka defeated Sonya Deville (w/ Mandy Rose)
5/10 (short)

  • Sonya's gear rules. This matchup is right up her alley.
  • Sonya hits a nice spear, but ends up slugging it out with Asuka and being on the wrong end of things.
  • Asuka accidentally hits Mandy, who gets mad and causes Sonya to slip.
  • Asuka takes advantage and submits Mandy with the Asuka Lock.
  • Sonya isn't happy with Mandy, and Mandy walks off.
  • This was really too short to do anything with.

Backstage Crappenings

  • IIconics cut a promo on Boss N' Hug Connection. It's hilarious. This is one of the better promos of this kind in a while.

Becky and Charlotte

  • Becky Lynch ditches her crutch and watches and promo video of what happened to lead to her WrestleMania match.
  • She mentions suspensions, injuries, arrests and how she got back to her spot.
  • Charlotte Flair interrupts and says when Becky has been on the shelf Charlotte has been working and Becky just got a handout. She said that everyone, including herself and Rousey, feel sorry for Becky.
  • Becky Lynch calls Charlotte Flair a plastic faced dope and Charlotte didn't do anything with the division for four years.
  • Solid stuff. A good way to get to the next week.

Rey Mysterio & R-Truth (w/ Carmella) defeated Samoa Joe & Andrade (w/ Zelina)
5.75/10

  • R-Truth has the only hip toss that actually look like the hiptosses from the PS1 Smackdown games.
  • During the break, Joe powerbombs Mysterio, then goes into the Billy Goat's Curse and Crossface, then the armbar.
  • Mysterio gets a good sunset flip bomb on Andrade, but he's still hurting.
  • Carmella keeps Zelina from interfering.
  • Joe sells a nice kick from Truth well and throws one of his own.
  • Double 619 lands, but Mysterio eats a senton from Joe after a Frog Splash.
  • Rey rolls up Joe for a win.
  • Joe is livid and attacks Truth and Andrade both.

Rowan & Daniel Bryan defeated Mustafa Ali & Kevin Owens
5.75/10

  • Daniel Bryan and Rowan emerge from Vince McMahon's office and says he gave Vince his thoughts on Kofi, and got put into a match with Mustafa Ali & Kevin Owens.
  • Owens and Rowan are not on the same page before the break.
  • We come back from commercial do see a nice half hatch superplex from Bryan on Ali. Ali fights back with a backstabber.
  • Kevin Owens gets taken out by Rowan, then Ali is victim to the Recycling Plant.

KOFIMANIA

  • Vince McMahon is out to gloat.
  • New Day come out and go off on Vince McMahon about what they do for him, and says Kofi deserves his shot.
  • Vince says nobody "deserves" anything.
  • Vince says Kofi will never go in the Hall of Fame by himself, he'll only go in as a member of New Day.
  • Vince says Big E and Xavier do all the work, but Kofi takes the glory at his age.
  • Vince McMahon says that Daniel Bryan told him that Kofi was a good B+ player.
  • Vince McMahon brings out The Bar, Samoa Joe, Randy Orton, Rowan and Bryan and says he has to beat them in a gauntlet match next week to get a shot.
  • New Day beats them down, and stands tall.

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!
For additional premium podcasts, the Fightful Weekender podcast, members only podcasts, outtake and behind the scenes footage, retro shows, Q&A shows, dark match commentary, early access to interviews and segments, subscribe to Fightful Select! FightfulSelect.com

Get exclusive pro wrestling content on Fightful Select, our premium news service! Click here to learn more.