WWE SmackDown Results, Winners, Live Grades and Highlights Before Night of Champions
Welcome to Bleacher Report's go-home episode of SmackDown before Night of Champions on Saturday.
WWE was already in Saudi Arabia for the blue brand's show, making it the first episode of WWE TV to emanate from Riyadh.
Along with John Cena and CM Punk's final confrontation before they meet at the PLE, we got three title matches:
—Zelina Vega vs. Giulia (Women's U.S. title)
—Street Profits vs. Wyatt Sicks (Tag titles)
—Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax (Women's title, Last Woman Standing)
Let's take a look at everything that happened on Friday's episode of SmackDown.
Who Will Be King?
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SmackDown opened with a brief intro from Michael Cole before Rhodes made his way into the arena. The King of the Ring crown was on a podium in the ring and Cody was wearing a suit, so it was clear this would be a long promo from the get-go.
Before Rhodes could speak, Orton's music hit. The Viper put over Rhodes for beating Jey Uso to get to the finals before the show cut to a different angle. This was the segment that experienced technical difficulties in the arena, so all of the footage looked a little grainy.
Other than the weird camera angles, this was a pretty standard promo exchange. Orton and Rhodes have been down this road before, so there wasn't much new ground to cover. They did the best they could, but it would be hard for anyone in their position to make this match feel more interesting.
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
—Having the full PLE set for a regular SmackDown definitely gave the show a different feel.
—WWE put up a small graphic about the technical issue.
—You could tell some of the footage used was recorded on a phone.
Jimmy Uso vs. JC Mateo
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Solo Sikoa gave JC Mateo a quick pep talk before his match against Jimmy Uso. He said he wanted Jimmy to return to the family, so he sent Mateo to remind him what it feels like to be all alone.
Mateo took the early lead but Uso made a quick comeback. As he tried to hit a suicide dive, Sikoa blocked him and tried to convince him to join the family again as the show cut to a break.
Mateo eventually got the win with Tour of the Islands thanks to a distraction from Sikoa. This match didn't have much to it and retread familiar ground, but if this story is going to move forward, then it was worth it.
Sikoa once again tried to convince Jimmy to come back but was met with a slap. Mateo attacked him from behind but Jacob Fatu ended up making the save. Uso and Fatu shared a look but didn't exactly seem friendly.
Result: Mateo defeated Uso
Grade: C+
Notable Moments and Observations
—Uso being clad in all black felt different. He usually uses some color in his gear.
—It's still so weird to hear "Uso in the wind" instead of "Whisper in the wind" for the top rope corkscrew.
—The stuff with Fatu saving Jimmy was the best part of this whole segment.
Zelina Vega vs. Giulia (U.S. Title)
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The first of three title matches saw Vega defend the women's United States Championship against Giulia.
They started with an exchange of two-counts before taking each other down with simultaneous kicks. Even though Giulia is not known for her size, you could she was enjoying being the bigger competitor in this match.
After hitting a moonsault, Vega began selling a leg injury. Once we returned from a break, the challenger was firmly in control. Vega began to build momentum after hitting a running knee against the steel steps.
After regaining the upper hand, Giulia hit a northern lights bomb for the pin to become the new United States Champion. This match had some weak points, but it had a lot more good than bad. Both women put in a great effort.
Result: Giulia defeated Vega
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
—Vega having to hold the top of her own entrance costume took a little away from the effect.
—Giulia called the U.S. title a stepping stone in her promo and Wade Barrett took exception to that on behalf of every former champion. Of course, the only former champion is Chelsea Green.
—The way Giulia transitioned from one pin to another during their first exchange was awesome.
—The way Vega pupped Giulia up for a knee strike was cool.
—Giulia almost didn't get Vega over for the super underhook suplex from the top rope.
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Who Will Be Queen?
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Jade Cargill and Asuka both came out for an in-ring segment with Wade Barrett ahead of their Queen of the Ring match on Saturday.
Barrett asked why Cargill is confident she will win, and she said it's because she isn't afraid of Asuka and sees her as an opportunity.
After Asuka responded, Naomi came out with her Money in the Bank briefcase and after talking some trash, Jade went after her. She knocked down Asuka and it led to The Empress taking her out with a few kicks.
This was a little more effective than the men's segment because it set up some tension and addressed another feud in the process.
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
—Michael Cole very briefly mentioned that SmackDown goes back to being two hours starting next week.
—WWE aired a clip of Barrett winning the KOTR tournament 10 years ago by defeating Pac fka Neville.
—Asuka was very over with the crowd and she had them in the palm of her hand.
DIY vs. Andrade and Rey Fenix
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Andrade teamed up with Rey Fenix this week to take on Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.
Fenix and El Idolo used their high-flying offense to take control almost immediately and keep it until the show went to a break.
We returned to see DIY haven taken over, but Fenix fought off Ciampa leading to a hot tag. They kept the match competitive and traded control several times before getting to the finish.
DIY came close, but Andrade and Fenix pulled off the victory with their combined finishers. This was a really fun match that saw all four guys do some great work.
Result: Andrade and Fenix defeated DIY
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
—The dives from Andrade and Fenix looked good.
—The fans holding up their phone lights during the chants was a cool moment.
The Street Profits vs. Wyatt Sicks (Tag Titles)
6 of 9Ron Killings came to the ring to call out Cena for another fight, but he ended up taking Black Mass from Aleister Black, who Truth interrupted backstage two weeks in a row. Black said they were even now before walking away, but this will almost certainly lead to a match soon.
Up next was the tag title match with Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins defending the belts against Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis.
Ford got down onto all fours with Lumis before they popped up to their feet and started trading fast punches. Fraxiom, DIY, Lose Garzas and Motor City Machine Guns showed up at ringside to make sure the Wyatts did not get involved.
After the break, the match ended up being called off due to the involvement of everyone at ringside. The match was fine until that happened, so it felt like we were robbed of a competitive title bout.
Result: No Contest
Grade: C
Notable Moments and Observations
—A woman in the crowd very audibly yelled "Why Aleister?" in the funniest way.
—Lumis tried to pin Ford when he wasn't the legal man.
Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax (Women's Title)
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Jax got an early advantage by attacking Stratton before the ref had a chance to call for the bell.
Tiffy tried to make a comeback, but she took a set of steel steps to the stomach. The challenger cleared off the announce table and hit a Samoan drop on top of it.
We returned from a break to see Stratton having rebounded and using weapons to inflict damage. The ring had two chairs, a kendo stick and a table, but it was almost an exposed turnbuckle that kept Tiffy down for the count.
This was never going to be a match full of technical exchanges. This was designed to be as hardcore as they could get away with, and in that regard, they succeeded.
Both women were almost counted down after a powerbomb through the table, but Naomi showed up looking to cash in. Stratton took her down with the briefcase and hit a moonsault to her and Jax at the same time.
Tiffy put Jax through two tables at ringside to get the win and retain her title.
Result: Stratton defeated Jax
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
—Tiffy's bodysuit looked cool.
—Some of the best action took place during the break.
—The table spot at ringside was simple and effective.
You Steal From Me, I Steal From You
8 of 9
This week's show ended with the final in-ring segment with Cena and Punk before they meet for the WWE title on Saturday.
Cena stole Punk's pipebomb promo during a recent interaction, so Punk decided to do the same and came out dressed like Thuganomics Cena from back in the day.
Not only did he dress the part, but Punk even brought his own rap lyrics. Unfortunately, he didn't even come close to matching the level of sting with his words that Cena used to get with these promos.
On paper, this was a good idea. In execution, it was a little lacking. Punk tripped over some lines and there were more than one or two questionable rhymes.
Grade: C+
The Final Word
9 of 9
The final episode of SmackDown before Night of Champions was a surprisingly brisk show considering how much ground it covered.
Not only did we get a little bit of buildup for most of the matches that will take place at the PLE, but we also got a lot of stuff that was solely booked to make this show feel special.
Three title matches would make most episodes of TV feel like a bigger deal, but when a title change actually occurs, it’s that much more entertaining.
Giulia winning the United States Championship wasn’t necessarily shocking, but it was a great moment for her this early in her career.
The tag match with DIY, Andrade and Fenix was the best bell-to-bell performance on the entire show, but the Profits and Wyatts probably would have surpassed them had they been given more time and a clean finish.
Grade: B
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