WWE SmackDown Live REVIEW: Full Results, Grades and Highlights for 03/27/18

With WrestleMania looming on April 8, the face that runs the place is the subject of much speculation regarding his physical health. WWE Champion AJ Styles is dealing with an undisclosed injury that has limited him during the past two weeks. He did not wrestle on several SmackDown live events before participating in tag-team action over the past weekend. While Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura are being counted on to deliver a standout singles match at Mania, the two veterans are experienced enough to work around any limitations. The relatively late date for this year’s Mania (it falls on the second Sunday of the month) should only help Styles as he gears up for the grandest stage.

Intro: A cold open focuses on Daniel Bryan’s return to active competition. Tom Phillips speaks to the emotional resonance of last week’s announcement, then gives way to a video recap highlighting Bryan’s bookending segments from that episode. Tonight’s chief attraction: “AFTERMATH!” By which, Corey Graves says, we’ll find out if Bryan is physically able to address the WWE Universe tonight.

U.S. Champion Randy Orton and Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal and Sunil Singh

– Singh walks out wearing a neck brace and carrying his right arm in a sling. Mahal castigates Orton and Roode for their attack last week, which he claims would spare them the assault of “this noble tiger.” Jinder trades the tiger for the lion: Rusev Day appears in Pittsburgh. Graves testifies that this substitution is the greatest thing to ever happen in this town.

U.S. Champion Randy Orton and Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal and Rusev

– Good action to start between Roode and Mahal, capped with a Roode blockbuster. Mahal has settled nicely into the upper-midcard, and his recent WWE Championship reign will lend credibility to any wrestlers who beat him in the next few years.

– Sunil miraculously recovers from injury to get at Roode on the apron. Orton peels him off and throws Singh into the ringside barricade. Roode gets ticked off because he wanted to beat up the tackling dummy.

– Rusev roundhouse kicks Orton, then tags in Mahal for some extremely familiar combat. Mahal may want to look for some higher-octane offense than a chop off the second rope.

– Dammit, he did that move again, this time to Roode. It doesn’t help that Jinder deliberately smacks his right hand before launching off the middle turnbuckle. Mahal’s other offense (especially that thrust kick) looks so much better.

– Orton makes the blind tag to a weary Roode as the Glorious One bounces off the ropes and strikes Mahal. Whatever heat is left from the hot tag is immediately extinguished when Roode and Orton face off again over the unwanted tag. In the meantime, Rusev tags in and takes two clotheslines, a powerslam, and a rope-drape DDT from Orton.

– When Orton pounds the mat in anticipation, Mahal intrudes to stop him. When Roode moves to cut off Mahal, he is knocked on top of Orton. Randy takes offense, spinning Roode around and getting in his face. When Roode shoves back, Orton snaps off an RKO on his own partner. As Orton fumes, Rusev recovers and cracks Orton with a Machka kick for the win.

– Rusev is heading into WrestleMania with a pinfall win over Orton and significant crowd support, but no feud. Perhaps he’s a candidate to turn face immediately after the pay-per-view.

Result: Jinder Mahal and Rusev beat Randy Orton and Bobby Roode when Rusev pinned Orton following a Machka kick.

Grade: B

– Phillips announced that, “for the first time ever”, Nakamura faces Shelton Benjamin tonight. That’s…probably not enough of a marquee match to bill as a first-time attraction. Plus: “AFTERMATH!” Pretty funny they used that all-caps graphic twice.

– A triumphant Mahal finds Rusev Day backstage, and invites Rusev to sit in the front row at WrestleMania as his honored guest. Rusev suggests another course of action. Since he just pinned the U.S. champion, Rusev is going to find Bryan (still the SmackDown general manager) and petition to be added to the U.S. title match at Mania.

– Backstage, Styles is seated in the locker room when the lights flicker. Nakamura enters to inquire as to whether the Phenomenal One has lost his confidence. AJ angrily denies he’s ever had confidence issues, which Nakamura says makes it so ironic that he’s having them now. Good low-key snark from Shinsuke. He asked Styles to stand in his corner during tonight’s “first-time ever” encounter with Benjamin. Styles retorts that he’ll be out there to prevent anything from disrupting their dream match.

Becky Lynch vs. Ruby Riott

– Graves points out that it’s a “what have you done for me lately” type of business, and asks what Lynch has done lately. Our last SmackDown review notes that Lynch tapped out Sarah Logan with the Dis-Arm-Her. Good thing Graves keeps such close tabs on this show.

– Riott sweeps Lynch’s leg on the ring apron, then sticks out her tongue (which has a weird orange-ish tinge). She follows up by tossing Lynch into the barricade, then bringing the fight back inside the ring.

– Becky gets caught in Riott’s Deadly Night Shade. Ruby covers Lynch, but gets caught by referee Mike Chioda when she uses the ropes for leverage.

– Riott tries to follow-up with the Riott Kick. Lynch looks to counter that move into the Dis-Arm-Her, then decides to throw Riott into Liv Morgan (who had just hopped up on the apron herself). Lynch goes for the Dis-Arm-Her again. Riott counters into a rolling cradle for two, then Lynch hooks an Oklahoma Roll for the victory.

Result: Becky Lynch pinned Ruby Riott with an Oklahoma Roll.

Grade: B-

– Logan hits Lynch from behind before the ring announcer can even finish pronouncing Becky the victor. Lynch backdrops Morgan over the top rope (long way down for Liv), then hurls Logan to the floor. The announce team use these ejections to plug the women’s battle royal at WrestleMania.

– As we enter the program’s second hour, Bryan steps onto the entrance ramp. His new t-shirt depicts him as both burlier and more messianic than he appears in real life. Better yet, he’s wearing that shirt under a 90-year-old man’s coat.

– Bryan waits out a big crowd chant. WWE looks smart for keeping him employed as a figurehead when he was not medically cleared to wrestle. Because of his continued weekly television appearances, even casual or new fans know that he’s a big deal, and there’s no need to reintroduce him before his Mania match.

– Bryan pays tribute to his fans support, then abruptly changes course to “give Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens one more opportunity. But just one.” Why fire two employees for assaulting your boss, then rehire them after they kick your ass? The answer is obvious. Bryan proposes a WrestleMania match between Owens/Zayn and DB/Shane McMahon.

– Bryan says that Shane was hospitalized, but “I have good reason to believe” he’ll be ready for Mania. He announces multiple stipulations. If his team wins, Zayn and Owens remain fired. Hmmm. If his team loses, Zayn and Owens will be reinstated.

– Bryan concedes that he’s given Zayn and Owens so many opportunities because he’s known them for 15 years, and he believes they are two of the greatest wrestling talents of this generation. When he needed a place to sleep, they gave him a bed. Now I understand. My buddy’s uncle let us stay at his luxurious house (complete with an upstairs theater) in Texas for five days when we visited for WrestleMania 32. I would hire that man in an instant if I was running anything.

– Bryan says he’s sick of board meetings, paperwork and “blazers, or cardigans, or whatever this is that I’m wearing.” He removes the offending nonagenarian-wear, snarling at “whatever the hell that thing is.” I’m surprised that garment isn’t leaking butterscotch candy.

– There are certain things Bryan believes that he shouldn’t say publicly (as an underdog, as a general manager, and as a guy talking in front of kids). But, since Owens and Zayn tried to end his career last week, a fired-up Bryan yells, “At WrestleMania, I’m gonna kick their ass!” The children in attendance cheer this declaration.

– Benjamin and Chad Gable shoot a handheld video backstage. Yup: the onscreen word graphics have made their hideous return. Benjamin promises to “turn it up” against Nakamura.

– Phillips announces that Bryan approved Rusev’s request to be added to what is now a Fatal 4-Way U.S. title match at WrestleMania.

– The New Day dances out for their match against the Bludgeon Brothers. Big E fails to pour pancakes out of a cereal box onto a girl’s head. Kofi Kingston saves the day by pouring pancakes out of a cereal box onto the girl’s head. Aren’t they about to wrestle two guys who attempted to literally kill them at the last pay-per-view?

– Once in the ring, Xavier Woods says that New Day will voluntarily remove the Bludgeon Brothers from their path. He gets serious, telling Harper and Rowan that they made a mistake by leaving New Day with their ability to walk. Woods claims they’ll run through their foes tonight en route to reclaiming the SmackDown tag team championship. New Day benefits when they flip the switch from comedy to sobriety and cold intent.

The New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers

– Teaming with Big E tonight, Woods dropkicks an unsuspecting Harper out of the ring to start us off. He somersaults over the top rope onto Harper at ringside, then outwits Rowan with a kick to the gut. Back in the ring, Woods uses his quickness to evade Harper, then stun him with a kneelift and a leaping forearm in the corner.

– New Day’s double-teaming fails when Big E whips Woods into a Harper dropkick, then absorbs a dropkick from an intruding Rowan. As promising as Harper looks as a singles competitor, he’s always clicked well with Rowan. And his silence actually enhances his sociopathic demeanor.

– Phillips points out that Woods is still wearing tape on his back due to Harper and Rowan double-powerbombing him on the ring steps at Fastlane. That remark is helpful in establishing the severity of the beatdown and Woods’ thirst for vengeance.

– With Woods down, Rowan flings Big E inside the ring, then grabs both mallets. He gets intercepted by the Usos, who clobber him from behind. The bell rings for the disqualification. One mallet lands in the ring. Harper grabs the weapon and is immediately struck by Big E. New Day drives Harper from the ring as the Usos enter the squared circle.

Result: The Bludgeon Brothers beat The New Day by disqualification when The Usos interfered.

Grade: B-

– The Usos and New Day engage in a shoving match for no apparent reason. This fracas gives the Bludgeon Brothers time to retrieve their mallets. All five faces scatter for their lives, with Kofi just escaping Harper’s full-on swing. Perhaps they’ll cooperate at WrestleMania, when they wrestle two lunatics who are trying to murder them.

– Phillips quickly transitions from commenting on Kingston nearly being slaughtered to recapping Bryan’s WrestleMania challenge to Owens and Zayn. Perhaps WWE can maintain a longer focus on any attempted capital offenses occurring in a SmackDown ring during future episodes.

– We see a screenshot of a Zayn tweet in which he accepts Bryan’s WrestleMania challenge.

– Phillips gives us a medical update on Shane McMahon. In breaking with previous form, this update does not include the word “contusions.” Phillips announces that Shane suffered a hernia due to the Zayn and Owens attack. Unrelated to that assault, Shane was hospitalized due to diverticulitis this past week. What!? Didn’t diverticulitis almost fell Brock Lesnar? Regardless, Phillips says that Shane was discharged earlier today.

– We get a Charlotte Flair video package, with Phillips praising her as an “image of supremacy.” That…does paint a picture (of early-1940s Europe). The video includes some Asuka highlights as well. This match should be outstanding at WrestleMania; it benefits from being one of the least-touted matches on the card in terms of promotional bombardment.

Tyler Breeze vs. Dolph Ziggler

– Ziggler gets a mostly positive reception between that annoying record-scratch sound effect and his music playing. As he and Breeze attempt to lock up, Fandango climbs onto the ring apron to grind his hips. Appropriately, Tyler applauds his partner’s brio, then politely points for him to get back down. Fandango complies. Then he climbs onto the ring apron to grind his hips again. Ziggler ambushes a confused Breeze.

– Dolph gets catapulted into the turnbuckle. He rolls to the outside, where Breeze chases him around the ring. Fandango assumes he is being chased by Ziggler, and takes off accordingly. He continues running away even after the match moves back inside the ring. Either Breezango’s about to split up or they’re relying on house-show comedy stunts to attempt to make the most of a live-television match. This clowning is severe even by their standards.

– After hitting Ziggler with an enziguri, Breeze attempts to stop his partner from running laps. It’s about time, as Dango is clearly slowing down due to cramps. Ziggler uses the diversion to schoolboy Breeze, who kicks out and executes his own rolling cradle for an unsuccessful pin attempt. With both men back up, Breeze misses a leap into the corner, allowing Dolph to execute the Zig Zag.

Result: Dolph Ziggler pinned Tyler Breeze after a Zig Zag.

Grade: C+

– As a winded Fandango leans on the announce table to catch his breath, Ziggler superkicks him. Mildly surprised that Dolph didn’t pop the crowd there, as Fandango’s antics tonight were stupid enough for fans to ditch him.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Shelton Benjamin

– Nice MMA-style opening to this match, with Benjamin using his amateur wrestling skills and Nakamura kicking at him after stifling a takedown. The crowd chants for AJ Styles; Nakamura gets his own competing chant upon stepping into Good Vibrations.

– Back from our final break, Benjamin clutches Nakamura in a reverse chinlock/body scissors maneuver. Nakamura fights up and out of the hold, then decks Shelton with a flying boot. He lands an ax kick and a running knee in the corner.

– As Nakamura sets up for a Kinshasa, Gable gets onto the apron to bark at him. That distraction has been used in at least three singles matches tonight. Styles agrees that it’s getting overutilized, and slings Gable by his leg to the floor. Back in the ring, Benjamin connects on a running high-knee, then holds the bridge on a Northern Lights suplex for a near-fall.

– Benjamin does the throat-slit motion that Undertaker uses to signal a tombstone. Shelton started working here 16 years ago; why does he think that’s a good idea? His poor decision-making continues as Nakamura counters his Paydirt finisher into an armbar attempt. He attempts to transition into a triangle submission, which Benjamin stops by hooking a single-leg crab. Nakamura fights out and applies the triangle. Benjamin starts to fade, then picks up Shinsuke and knocks him back down with a wheel kick. That’s a quality sequence that brought unexpected drama to a match that, realistically, was never in question.

– Shelton’s advantage is quickly relinquished. Nakamura stymies his corner charge with two boots, then hoists himself onto the middle rope for a flying kick. He lines up and nails the Kinshasa.

Result: Shinsuke Nakamura pinned Shelton Benjamin following a Kinshasa.

Grade: B

– After the match, Nakamura grabs the microphone and asks Styles to join him center-ring. He thanks AJ for standing in his corner tonight.

FIGHTING WORDS: “I never needed your help. I only wanted you to see how I will beat you at WrestleMania.” – Shinsuke Nakamura

– Those comments do the job in riling the Pittsburgh fans. Good for Shinsuke being able to hit his mark on an important in-ring promo.

– Styles angrily calls out Nakamura for his mind-games. He tells Shinsuke he won’t be playing games at WrestleMania. This is a dream match for the fans, AJ says, because the two of them will tear the house down and put on a clinic. Glad we’re finally hearing why this is a dream match that we should pay to see. When Styles beats Nakamura to retain the WWE Championship, it’ll prove that AJ is “better than the best”.

– Nakamura stares down Styles, then makes the weirdest noise I’ve ever heard during a promo. He appears to be imitating Styles gnashing his teeth in rage. Shinsuke then seems to present himself as cool and collected by comparison. Nakamura caps off the facial mugging by telling Styles that he’ll take the WWE title at WrestleMania because AJ “is too emotional.” Boos for that statement. Styles should’ve ended that promo. Nakamura’s initial volley was all he needed to say, and some fans were probably left trying to discern what he was mocking with his impressions.

– Nakamura slides out of the ring. Suddenly, Benjamin and Gable resurface to stomp away at Styles. Nakamura makes the save, hurling Gable overhead with a reverse Exploder. Haven’t seen him complete that move since he dropped Cena on his head last year. Benjamin eats a roundhouse kick. Then, Nakamura eyes Styles and gets an idea.

– Shinsuke grabs the top rope and slices the air in preparation for a Kinshasa. He sprints toward AJ, then comes to a jump-stop just before impact. He eases into his arm-wave taunt, claps his left knee twice, then pats Styles on the head as he proclaims, “Knee to face.” Now, that’s an effective closer. The crowd cheers Nakamura as he grins and takes his leave. AJ looks shaken and indignant as we go off air.