Tonight, Smackdown presents yet more build-up for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Paige will host a contract signing for the WWE title match between champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. Hopefully, the SmackDown general manager will facilitate this face-off differently than Stephanie McMahon did on Raw for that brand’s in-ring showdown between its women’s champion and top challenger. Which means she’ll refrain from running down both competitors as well as disrespecting the former champion (Alexa Bliss/Jinder Mahal) who dropped the belt to the current titleholder.
Intro: SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella takes over the ring. She shouts out Corpus Christi, then demands that the city’s residents stand and shower her with praise. Attagirl. Carmella introduces an Asuka highlight video. Then she shows a video package featuring Asuka’s loss to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania and her unsuccessful SmackDown debut.
Carmella says that Asuka’s loss at WrestleMania shattered her, and she has no fear of the Empress of Tomorrow. Mella makes good use of wins and losses in her trash-talking. That stuff is supposed to matter, after all. She declares that every fan in the audience is now “ready for Asuka”, claiming that her mystique is gone. Strong presence here from Carmella, who goes silent when Asuka makes her actual physical presence felt, walking to the ring. Corey Graves make a failed analogy between everyone being ready for Asuka and dinosaurs existing.
As the champion and challenger stare each other down, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville show up on the entrance ramp. Rose tells Asuka she can beat her tonight. Deville declares that this is her night to defeat Asuka. Carmella disagrees with them both, telling Asuka to summon an Uber and “get the hell out of here.”
Paige chastises the heels for trying to book matches. No respect for the bookerwomen. She gives Asuka the choice of fighting Rose or Deville. Asuka snatches the microphone from Carmella, and yells, “Give me both!”
Asuka vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
Deville starts the match with Rose standing on the apron. The combatants start warily, trading kicks from long-range. Asuka refuses to get bulled into her opponents’ corner. Deville takes Asuka down, then nearly gets trapped in a knee bar before grabbing the rope. Asuka out-quicks Sonya with a dropkick, then takes her eye off the prize and gets nailed by a Deville forearm. Deville throws more strikes, then tags in Rose for some boots in the corner.
Deville tags back in to ram shoulders into her opponent. She has a good sense for taking her time during a match when she’s on offense. Carmella smartly reminds us that she beat Flair twice. She’s giving Chris Jericho a run for his money in bragging incessantly about significant victories. Rose reenters to batter Asuka with shoulder-tackles against the turnbuckles. Good job by Rose and Deville to make a point of cutting off the ring, enabling double-team moves and quick tags.
Eventually, Asuka tires of getting beaten up. She stands tall after a Rose running shoulder-block, then rocks her with two running hip-attacks. Asuka goes up top and hits an impressive dropkick. Carmella seizes the opportunity to leave guest commentary and distract Asuka, allowing Rose to tag out and Deville to blast their foe from behind. Mella celebrates by moonwalking on the announce table. Deville celebrates by grabbing Asuka in a rear naked-choke.
Rose hits that cool suplex that looks like a reverse gut-wrench suplex, then bashes Asuka in the face with right hands. Rose goes for her double-underhook face-slam finisher, but Asuka fights out of it and hooks an O’Connor Roll. She uses the momentum from Rose’s kick-out to forearm Deville off the apron, then quickly runs back to kick Rose. Slow to rise, both women trade forearms. Asuka wins the exchange by decking Rose with a stiff running dropkick. She follows with a German suplex; when Rose tags out, Asuka hits her with a spin kick for good measure.
Deville enters to absorb a pop-up knee and a hip attack. Rose breaks up the pinfall, and gets dumped back out of the ring. Deville uses her partner’s intrusion to schoolboy Asuka, who kicks out. Both women block the other competitor’s roundhouse kick, then unleash primal screams and crack each other with simultaneous kicks to the skull. The referee counts them down as they regain their senses. Once they make it to their feet, Deville tries to run under Asuka, who kicks her hard in the head. That wasn’t the plan. Deville crumples to one knee, but tells the referee she can continue. She gets up and does indeed run under an Asuka swing, then spears her for a near-fall. Good to see another female wrestler hit back hard when Asuka lays in her strikes.
Deville goes for a Superman punch. Asuka sidesteps the maneuver and commandeers Deville’s right arm. Counter-wrestling ensues until the Asuka Lock is applied. Deville taps out quickly.
Result: Asuka beat Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville by submitting Deville with the Asuka Lock.
Grade: B-
Carmella gets back in the ring to confront Asuka. Mandy Rose resurfaces to engage Asuka, who belts her with a spinning back-fist. Carmella takes advantage by smashing Asuka in the back with her championship belt. She superkicks a dazed Asuka, then kicks invisible dust onto her foe.
The Miz and New Day sports-entertain us with some nonsense that ends with Miz sticking his hand into a hat full of pancake batter. Somehow, the New Day are the same three guys who helped mastermind a brutal attack on the Raw locker room last fall.
Karl Anderson vs. Harper
Harper immediately dropkicks Karl Anderson, then rips at his eyes. Anderson and Luke Gallows didn’t get their full entrance for this singles match. Gallows dives into Anderson’s back with a running forearm, getting a two-count. He goes back to raking the eyes. Harper looks like a bloodthirsty sociopath trying to maim his opponent, not a performer running through a rote series of moves. He smacks Anderson, who hasn’t attempted one offensive move in the first two minutes of this match, with open-hand strikes.
Harper plants Anderson with a spinning spike-slam. Anderson props himself up in the corner and tries to fend off Harper with a low kick to the left leg. Harper slugs him again, but misses a superkick that hits nothing but the top turnbuckle. Anderson schoolboys him for the win. That unconvincing “victory” could not have looked flukier. Their respective tag teams fight for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at Money in the Bank.
Result: Karl Anderson beat Harper with a schoolboy pinning combination.
Grade: C
We revisit the dance-off from last week. Backstage, Naomi and Jimmy Uso welcome us to the Uso Penitentiary. Looks like a smoky hallway. Their promo looked better than the stilted handheld cam footage we typically get. They stood far enough from the camera to gain movement and free themselves from barking into a gizmo that they have to hold two feet away from their faces.
Naomi and Jimmy Uso vs. Lana and Aiden English
Big appearance from the Rusev Day ensemble, marking their second straight week (!) as heels. The gentlemen start this mixed-tag match. Uso punches Aiden English in the throat; English yells about getting hit in his money-maker. This match is stopped cold until Lana confirms that his vocal cords are intact. They try to catch Naomi and Uso sleeping, but the married couple snap off twin enziguri kicks. As English and Lana convalesce at ringside, Uso pulls down the top rope to let his wife soar over and onto their opponents. Good thing that English fully caught Naomi, as she was at risk of crashing on her head during that move.
We return from break to watch Naomi miss three straight roundhouse kicks, then catch Lana on her fourth try. For some reason, Naomi gets distracted by English doing nothing on the apron, giving Lana time to recover and floor her from behind. Nice modified Machka Kick from Lana for a two-count. So strange to watch Lana and Rusev try to start crowd chants when they’re supposed to be heels. Or maybe they turned face again during the commercial break.
Lana grounds Naomi as this “tag” match settles into a de facto singles bout. She stands around and taunts her opponents, nearly allowing Naomi to make the tag. Lana drops some elbows, then goes back to her submission. Naomi battles out with a jawbreaker, and both women hit the other with a double clothesline.
Tags are made, and Uso assaults English with two clotheslines and a spinning enziguri. Uso goes for the cover, which Lana breaks up. She defends her actions by slapping Uso. Jimmy retaliates by alley-ooping his wife onto their tormentor. As the women fight their way out of the ring, English sprints into Uso, knocking him back against the turnbuckles. He mocks his opponent’s “Uce” calls by shouting out Rusev Day. But his next move is foiled by a top-rope cross-body-block from Naomi. Jimmy builds on his wife’s success by superkicking English (in the throat, nonetheless) for the victory.
Result: Naomi and Jimmy Uso beat Lana and Aiden English when Uso pinned English following a superkick.
Grade: C+
We go backstage to view the WWE Championship match contract signing. Wow, their big segment tonight involves two wrestlers talking outside the live arena. That booking shows a marked lack of faith in Nakamura’s microphone skills. If WWE powerbrokers can’t trust Shinsuke to pull off a serious promo inside the ring to sell a pay-per-view title match, I’m not sure they want him carrying the load as world champion. Anyway, Nakamura is wearing a suit and tie, while AJ shows up in one of his own t-shirts.
Styles tells Nakamura that he feels like they’ve been at war forever. Styles says Nakamura knows he can’t beat him, so he resorts to low blows and a match stipulation that essentially nullifies the rules. AJ vows to walk out of their bout with his championship. Nakamura responds by acting like he’s choking on a fishbone.
AJ signs the contract, which is slid to Nakamura. Shinsuke studies the pen provided to him, announces that it’s out of ink, and flips it over his shoulder. He mischievously asks Styles if he can borrow his pen. AJ hands it over. Nakamura analyzes the second pen and pronounces it broken, then throws it past Styles. P1 loses his cool and yells for Nakamura to sign it. Nakamura feigns seriousness, then grins at AJ’s reaction. Styles slaps him and takes off, telling Nakamura, “Let’s play”, as agents hustle him out of the room. Nakamura smiles and takes a pen from his sportcoat. He signs the contract, stands up coolly, and tells Paige, “Last man standing.” Perhaps that segment worked better in a backstage setting, given the rampant pen-throwing and Styles vacating the scene after slapping a dude.
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
Arm drag by Becky Lynch to start. She goes for the Dis-Arm-Her early, only to be hurled from the ring. When she returns, Charlotte goes for the Figure Four. Unable to apply it, she attempts a side-headlock takeover, which Lynch counters into her own headlock. Flair finally regains the headlock, cartwheels over Lynch when Becky creates separation, then takes her over with head-scissors. Both wrestlers pause and regroup. Their friendship and familiarity are on full-display with a very even first two minutes of this match.
Lynch hooks an Oklahoma Roll for a one-count, but gets taken down for an aborted pinning combo upon rising. Following some teatime goofery, Lynch and Flair get back to wrestling by colliding on cross-body-block attempts. As they make it to their feet, Lynch knocks Flair back down with a dropkick. She scores with a leg-drop and elbow-drop, then misses a running leg-drop. Flair snares her between her legs, repeatedly driving Becky’s face into the mat and holding the head-scissors. Lynch finally escapes, arm-dragging Flair twice and holding the arm bar.
Becky grinds on a hammerlock in preparation for the Dis-Arm-Her. When she attempts that submission finisher, Flair shoves her into the corner, then pelts her with chops. Lynch tries to counter with a European uppercut, which Flair turns into a backslide for a two-count. Flair back-suplexes Lynch and gets fired up. She picks up Lynch in a Canadian backbreaker, then drops to her knees, getting a two-count off that move. Flair again goes for the Figure Four, which Lynch stymies with a forearm. Back on her feet, Becky floors Charlotte with a running forearm, then nails a top-rope leg-drop for a near-fall.
Lynch tries to end the match with the Dis-Arm-Her. Flair rolls her over for a two-count, then explodes off the ropes with a spear. Lynch rolls under the ropes to ringside. Flair pursues her and splatters her friend with a plancha. Flair hurls her opponent inside the ring and ascends the ropes for a moonsault. Lynch gets her knees up to block the move, then traps Flair in a small package for a two-count. Flair gets up quickly and goes for the Figure Four. Lynch boots her away, but Charlotte holds onto her left leg and attempts the move again. This time, Lynch snags Flair’s left arm and applies the Dis-Arm-Her, forcing the tap-out.
Result: Becky Lynch tapped out Charlotte Flair with the Dis-Arm-Her.
Grade: B
Dasha Fuentes interviews Samoa Joe backstage. Rather, Joe interviews Fuentes, cutting off her first question to ask what she sees when she looks at him. Joe said he wants people to look at him and see a man who keeps promises. He vows to win Money in the Bank.
Renee Young stands on a platform near the entrance ramp to welcome Big Cass. Cass tells a story about walking behind Bryan after WrestleMania XXX, and being incredulous that “this little man” was the WWE champion. He threatens to rip off Bryan’s arms at MITB and beat him over the head with them like DB is a snare drum.
Sin Cara tells Fuentes that he considers Andrade “Cien” Almas to be a brother, but something has happened to him. Zelina Vega tells Sin Cara that he held back Almas. Cien apparently agrees, as he blindsides Sin Cara and flings him into an equipment case. They square off next week.
The New Day vs. The Miz, Rusev, and Samoa Joe
Miz and Xavier Woods start off, with Woods evading punches to drop Miz with a discus forearm. Woods tags Kofi Kingston, who tags in Big E, and all three men deliver a flurry of individual moves to a helpless Miz. Smartly, Miz flees to his corner, and Joe steps into the ring. He targets Big E with jabs, but gets slammed with a belly-to-belly suplex. Woods tags in, only to get kicked in the face by a Samoa Joe enziguri. Joe glares down at Woods as we take our final break.
Back from commercial, Miz applies a reverse chin-lock to a weakened Woods. Xavier breaks the hold and creates space, only for Miz to bury a knee in his gut. Miz perches Woods on the top-rope and attempts a superplex. Woods holds onto the turnbuckle and punches Miz to the mat. When he arises, Woods flies off the top with a missile dropkick. Joe tags in and tries to cordon off the New Day corner as Rusev accosts Big E, heaving him into the ring-steps. They forgot about Woods, however, as Xavier drops Joe with a kick and a knee strike.
Both men tag out. Kingston clobbers Miz with a springboard chop, then hits a high dropkick. When Miz stems the tide and whips him into the corner, Kofi springs to the top-rope and executes a cross-body-block for a near-fall. Kingston cannot deliver the SOS, but comes back strong with a jumping clothesline and Boom Drop. Kofi sets up Trouble in Paradise, then decides to knock Joe off the apron. Miz capitalizes on that poor choice to DDT Kingston, getting a two-count. Hoping to end the match, Miz cannot corral Kingston for the Skullcrushing Finale. Rusev makes the tag just before Kofi leapfrogs a charging Miz (which sends the A-Lister plummeting to the arena floor). Aware of Rusev’s presence, Kingston boots the Bulgarian Brute and tags Big E.
Big E throws Rusev with an overhead belly-to-belly. However, he gets kneed in the head when he goes for his running shoulder-tackle, then eats a roundhouse kick. Rusev tags Samoa Joe, then feeds Big E into a Joe uranage. Joe covers Big E, forcing Woods to break up the pinfall. Joe tags Miz. Their tandem offense goes wrong when Big E and Kofi unite to send Joe tumbling over the top rope. Kofi then springboards into a Trust Fall on Joe at ringside. That move looked astounding, as it seemed to take the fans a few seconds to perceive what they had seen. Back in the ring, Big E sends Miz to the apron, then crushes him with the running shoulder-tackle through the ropes.
Big E rolls Miz into the ring, and New Day looks to execute the Midnight Hour. Instead, Joe plucks Woods off the apron and applies the Coquina Clutch. Attempting to save his partner, Kingston leaps off the apron into a Machka Kick from Rusev. Concerned by his teammates getting throttled, Big E misses a shoulder-block and rams into the ring-post. Rusev and Joe hold Big E for Miz. Then it gets stupid.
Miz elbows a hurt Kingston off the apron, then turns and flings the pancake platter toward Big E. The pancakes bounce off his own partners, who get pissed. Rusev whiffs on a Machka Kick, which Miz sells like Bruce Lee waffled him. Joe drops a senton on Miz, who is then fully abandoned by his partners. Kofi and Big E hit the Midnight Hour in a mess of pancakes.
Result: The New Day beat The Miz, Rusev, and Samoa Joe when Kofi Kingston pinned The Miz following the Midnight Hour.
Grade: B
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