Unfinished Business
Kevin Owens won his way into the Money in the Bank ladder match in the main event of SmackDown in a bout that featured Cody Rhodes and Johnny Gargano.
The match started slow and maybe a bit sloppy, but the final segment of it really pulled it together. Johnny was the glue guy in the match. I’m glad they dusted him off and allow him to contribute to good matches instead of planking backstage.
Randy Orton is the reason Cody did not win. Rhodes hit KO with a Cross Rhodes but Orton pulled out referee Charles
Robinson (Lil Natch!) before he could count three. In Owens defense, many people kick out after one Cross Rhodes so he was probably just waiting for the last possible second to conserve his energy.
This immediately led to an Orton/Rhodes brawl outside. Cody pushed his foe into the ring post and then lined him up for a punt – the move he didn’t have it in him to deliver at Saturday Nights Main Event. We’ll never know if Rhodes had what it takes to deliver it (my guess is no) because Johnny Gargano took him out with a suicide dive.
Johnny then delivered his One Final Beat finisher to Owens, but KO kicked out and eventually won with a Pop Up Powerbomb. (I appreciate he uses the Stunner, but I think the Powerbomb is a better finisher for him.) Rhodes couldn’t break up the three-count because the Viper was holding him back – literally, but also figuratively. Cody isn’t going to be able to move onto the next thing until he puts the Viper behind him.
Is the only way to do that by punting his mentor in his head? Or can he move on and stay true to the babyface he purports to be? It feels like that answer is not too far away. This ensured us that they’ll be fighting again soon. Rhodes has to know now that he won’t be able to accomplish anything until they do. I’m curious to see what Cody’s mental state is when this is all behind him.
Tiffy Looks to Repeat
Tiffany Stratton earned her way into the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match by winning an exciting opening bout against Tatum Paxley and Candice LeRae.
This was a pretty stacked match. From what I’ve seen on Paxley on the main roster, she’s real fun in the ring, with an offense you could call somewhat unique – at least for the WWE. And the Cemetery Drive pretty sweet finish. Meanwhile, I think it’s easy to forget that Tiffany is quite good between the ropes, given her character and her current story are a bit blah right now. And Candice LeRae is a pros pro, despite being too light to break a table. You can argue that Johnny Gargano has been being misused for the better part of a year laying on crates, but I’d respond with the fact he has a low main roster ceiling. It’s LeRae who’s lack of use has been disappointing for years in WWE.
Stratton isn’t exactly an exciting winner, but that goes back to my feeling on her current character and story. Her babyface era has long run its course, especially given this character is way better suited as a heel. I feel nothing for her friendship with Chelsea Green, likely because they went from Tiffy not wanting anything to do with Green to being really into the friendship without an explanation why or a reason to care. Meaning when she does betray Chelsea (and she will betray Chelsea), it’s also going to lack emotional weight, though at least she’ll finally be a heel again.
Hopefully they don’t use the briefcase to tell that story. The story won’t need it and, of all the entrants, Tiffy winning her second MITB is the option that excites me the least.
I Don’t Get No Respect
WWE Champion Sami Zayn was given some time to gripe.
And gripe he did. This time, the Last Real Good Guy did his best Rodney Dangerfield and complained, despite holding the gold, he still isn’t getting the respect he deserves. He’s incensed that everyone thinks they just need a match with him to become WWE champion, just assuming they can beat him.
Honestly, that line of thinking isn’t unguided. Sami Zayn has lost a lot in his career so it makes sense to think facing Zayn is the best chance to win the championship. In fact, it’s still kind of amazing to see him actually holding that big gold belt with the WWE logo in the middle. Leaning into the fact no one, including all of us, thinks he’s going to hold it long is a smart angle. Because right now, the only reason he is still champion is that so many people want the title that they get in each other’s way. It’s the same reason Montgomery Burns never gets sick. Who is going to by Sami’s slight breeze?
After his promo, he was interrupted by three of the members of the men’s ladder match. Here are the quick hits:
- Je’von Evans cut a hell of a promo, envisioning a scenario where he wins and cashes in on Zayn. The Young OG has a mean streak in his promos and it will serve him well.
- That crowd was hot for Penta, and I think he’s gotta be the favorite to win the briefcase.
- Trick Williams hit him with a standard Trick promo.
The champ responded to them all with am impassioned promo about how he survived a lot of crap to get where he and none of them could do endure he did. I thought it was very good, but I’m known to be a ride or die for the Last Real Good Guy.
This wasn’t it though. Zayn couldn’t even leave the segment without running into more challengers. Finn Bálor came out and after some back and forth, Bálor attacked Zayn. Gunther then attacked Finn but also laid out Sami.
Enjoyable segment overall. They’ve established a pretty stacked upper card. Of course, Penta & Evans aren’t going to be part of it, but Fridays have a very strong pool of possible champions.
At Long Last…
We finally got the long advertised Blake Monroe/Giulia match! No, seriously!
It was a good match too. Was it “worth the wait” good? Probably not.
Giulia was a wise choice for Blake’s first match. They have history and both women were willing to really lay into each other. The ending was curious, though. With Giulia climbing to the top rope, Monroe swept her leg out from under her, causing the Beautiful Madness to go head first in the post.
That knocked her out and the Glamour picked up the win that way.
It’s a decisive win, but it’s not entirely convincing. There’s a level of “getting lucky” for Monroe. That’s not inherently a bad thing. She’s a heel and it protects Giulia (who deserves protecting) and maybe even sets up another go down the road. But after all this, I was expecting Monroe to walk out of this as a convincing threat in the women’s division.
To recap, solid segment, but not worth the “Veer is Coming” build up.
And the Rest
- We got a 6-man tag between the War Raiders and Rick Saints against Fraxiom and Rey Fenix. It was a fast paced good time. Saints pinned Fenix setting up another Cruiserweight championship match.
- Danhausen tried his antics with Gooner again and got tossed into the wall for his troubles. I appreciate that they realized Danhausen was getting too much exposure and backed off some so we didn’t burn out on him.
- Damian Priest is from New York.
- Anna Pigeon was on both prior to and after SmackDown. They’re really pushing that show.
I thought this was a fun show. No dead weight segments and a bunch of good matches. It’s what I want from a 2-hour wrestling show.
Grade wise, I’d probably go maybe A-. But you can grade it yourself!
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