WWE SmackDown Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Aug. 14

WWE returned to the historic TD Garden in Boston for the August 14 episode of SmackDown, headlined by the latest in the rivalries between Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk and Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.

There were also championship clashes on the lineup, making for a higher-stakes episode.

What went down, who emerged victoriously, and could one building contain the four headliners? Find out in this recap, including grades and analysis for each match and segment.

Lineup

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Announced in advance of Friday's show were:

• The latest from Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton
• CM Punk and Kevin Owens under one roof
• United States Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Baron Corbin (c)
• Women's United States Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jacy Jayne
• WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Damian Priest and R-Truth (c) vs. War Raiders vs. The MFTs

Nick Aldis and Chelsea Green Kicked Off SmackDown

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Last Time in Action: Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton lost to Fatal Influence (SmackDown, August 7); Nick Aldis lost to Gunther (SummerSlam, August 1)

SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis introduced WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green to the ring to kick off the show and wasted no time addressing her broken eye socket. Hesitantly, he asked that she relinquish the title.

Green launched into a tremendous promo in which she talked about the sacrifices she made, the laughter and ridicule she endured, and how she came to work and did her best. She insisted, correctly, that she earned the title and that until someone takes it off of her, it is hers.

In a fantastic babyface moment, Aldis ignored his GM intuition and agreed to give the champion 30 days to get cleared.

Gunther interrupted the proceedings, was his typically great heel self as he insulted both the authority figure and the injured champion, and drew out Matt Cardona to defend his wife.

The show threw to break with The Ring General, irate at ringside.

A great bit of babyface business, coupled with the excellence of The Career Killer and a little fresh face sprinkled in for good measure, made for a strong start to the show that should lead to a match-up.

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

• Green is going to be the most beloved babyface in the women's division, ala her former co-adulterer Daniel Bryan (look it up), if they continue to paint her like the underdog. She was great here, the crowd clearly loves her, and Aldis' decision has them rooting for the Hot Mess. She's one of those performers whose popularity can be traced back to her hard work and unwavering connection with the audience.
• This is a big spot for Cardona. Long overdue.

Matt Cardona vs. Gunther

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Last Time in Action: Gunther defeated Nick Aldis (SummerSlam, August 1); Matt Cardona lost to Ricky Saints (Main Event, July 16)

Back from the commercial, Gunther and Cardona battled in an impromptu match.

The Ring General dominated the action, even powerbombing the former United States and Intercontinental Champion onto the commentary table. Feeding off his wife's sense of urgency, Cardona fought back into the ring and delivered a Rough Ryder for a high-drama near fall.

Gunther put him down with consecutive powerbombs, then tapped Cardona out with a most appropriate Boston Crab.

After the match, Nia Jax and Lash Legend hit the ring, with the former announcing her desire to challenge for the WWE Women's Championship. Before the heels could do any further damage to the Hot Mess, Tiffany Stratton unsuccessfully made the save, hammering away at Irresistible Forces, only to be left lying.

An extended squash victory for Gunther, which is what it should have been given his stature compared to Cardona's, led to an angle that sets up a future title program. This worked, much like the opening segment, as SmackDown continued its hot first 30 minutes.

Result

Gunther defeated Cardona

Grade

B+

Top Takeaways

• Cardona and Gunther worked in jeans, a little touch that sold the idea of the match being impromptu. More of this and less of the "guy cuts promo in tights" stuff that has been a standard in WWE for the last 20 years.
• Cardona is still great at selling an ass-kicking. Without his efforts, the match does not have the same effect. He may not have had his arm raised, but this was a big win for the Always Ready competitor.
• All 25 minutes of the show to this point centered on Green. If that is not indicative of her star power, nothing is. The company believes on her, she has rewarded their trust, and the result is her being prominently featured at the top of the broadcast.

Backstage Segments

Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair reunited, only to come across Tatum Paxley, who invited them to join her in her makeshift shrine to the former tag team champions. They obliged, but did so cautiously, as if they were not yet sold on the idea of partnering with the former NXT star.

At least the unhinged, obsessed persona works for Paxley based on what has already been established in years of NXT TV.

Elsewhere, Cody Rhodes confronted Nick Aldis and expressed his desire to settle the differences with Randy Orton. The SmackDown GM suggested Sunday Night's Main Event in Atlanta on September 6.

Sami Zayn interrupted, drawing the ire of Rhodes, who pitched a match between the two for tonight. Aldis obliged and added a stipulation: if Zayn can win, the Last Real Good Guy in WWE would receive a championship match against the winner of CM Punk and Kevin Owens.

There was some great intensity and anger from Rhodes here, a dichotomy of what we typically see from The American Nightmare. As the pressure to regain the title and seek revenge against Orton sets in, it will be interesting to see if we get more of this Rhodes.