WWE SmackDown Live REVIEW: Full Results, Grades & Highlights for 03/06/18

Two friends of mine paid to watch Universal Champion Brock Lesnar wrestle Kane in Chicago on Saturday night. That match lasted all of 35 seconds. Paul Heyman cut a promo two nights later telling us that his client is “Brock Lesnar” all 365 days of the year. No matter how stellar Heyman is on the mic, we’re seeing Lesnar for a mere fraction of those days, and getting weak returns on too many of them. Fortunately, WWE Champion AJ Styles will be at his best each time he’s booked on SmackDown, and his appearances will be far more frequent than those of his champion counterpart on Raw.

Intro: We’re live in Green Bay, Wisconsin (ugh). Dasha Fuentes stands mid-ring and welcomes us to SmackDown. She introduces SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and her Fastlane challenger, Ruby Riott. Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan accompany their stable-mate to ringside, but are directed to hang back. Interrupting the first question, Riott grabs the microphone and jettisons Fuentes from the ring. Riott calls Flair the “perfect woman”, describing her as tall, blond, athletic, and cunning. When Flair won the SmackDown championship in November, Riott says, she became the first woman to win that title, as well as the NXT, Divas, and Raw championships. I attended WrestleMania 32, the night when the Divas title morphed into a real championship without a girly butterfly adorning it, and we’re all the better for it.

Riott claims there’s a myth that Flair is the personification of the women’s revolution. She says she formed the Riott Squad in response to Flair winning the SmackDown championship. Her team has one purpose: to destroy the myth. That line gets almost no reaction. Flair retorts that she’s never been handed anything. She says she’s had to carry the weight of expectations on her shoulders, and her failures reflect back on her family. She states that her accomplishments prove that she’s transcended any myth. Flair steps up to Riott and tells her that she’s every bit as good as Ruby has heard. That’s a better line that still elicits little crowd reaction.

Riott tells Flair that her place on the pedestal is on the line Sunday. When Riott takes her title, Flair will be “just another bleach-blond failure with a famous last name.” When Charlotte takes exception to that remark, Riott nods toward her accomplices to motion them into the ring. As the Riott Squad menaces the champion, Bobby Roode’s music hits. Roode walks to the ring to disrupt the proceedings; he’s tabbed to provide color commentary for the upcoming match between Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal. That’s a nifty way to end the segment without giving away another brawl between Flair and the Riott Squad.

Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal

– These two should have chemistry, given that they wrestled each other at 63 pay-per-view events last year.

– Roode stresses that he’s got a world of respect for Orton, but plans to keep his championship at Fastlane. Wish he’d stop saying he respects his opponents; he should brag about his money and status. Sunil Singh admirably rolls the “r” in “Maharaja”, doing solo work in introducing Mahal.

– The crowd starts two separate chants for Randy Orton. Not sure where this energy was during the opening promo. The fan engagement is warranted, however, as nearly everything that Orton and Mahal do tonight looks crisp.

– For the fourth time in 10 minutes, Roode says that he’s got respect for Orton. Surprised he doesn’t have a big sheet of paper labeled “Talking Points” right in front of him.

– After Mahal places his associate in the line of fire, Orton drops Sunil Singh on his head while giving him a back suplex onto the announce table. Looks like Sunil has to take a beating for himself and his absent brother. That spot looked painful and dangerous. I remember Orton taking an awkward back suplex from Mr. Kennedy during that performer’s last match on Raw several years ago, and banging the mat in frustration because his opponent didn’t execute the move adequately. Giving the same move that carelessly to someone else (on a table, no less) doesn’t earn Orton any respect.

– Mahal tries to hurl Orton into Roode. Orton reverses the move, and the Maharaja shoulder-blocks the U.S. champion out of his chair. Back in the ring, Orton hits the rope-drape DDT. The fans get loud as Randy prepares for an RKO. Which never happens, as Bobby Roode gets on the ring apron to yell at Orton. Mahal knocks a distracted Orton into Roode (who was noticeably set for impact several seconds before they collided), and smashes him with the Khallas for the victory.

Result: Jinder Mahal pinned Randy Orton after a Khallas.

Grade: B

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens rekindle their relationship in the locker room. Owens betrays second thoughts about their reunion. He brings up Zayn’s comment that he’d be willing to take a fall for Owens to hand him the WWE championship at Fastlane. KO says that almost sounds too good to be true, but Zayn is “such an amazing guy” that it makes sense. Zayn says they need to focus on Owens right now; he’s one win away from headlining WrestleMania and becoming a grand slam champion. The two men share a long, warm embrace.

– Baron Corbin cuts a handheld video segment. Those goofy word graphics do not enhance his Lone Wolf character. Corbin vows to turn John Cena’s WrestleMania dream into a nightmare. He threatens to beat Cena’s face so badly that John really won’t be able to see him.

– A video package recaps the highlights of the New Day/Usos feud. This package splices in video of the two teams from past years to augment their promo from last week, giving it a big-fight feel. I like the focus on wrestlers using Fastlane to get to WrestleMania. This pay-per-view is starting to feel like the NFL conference championship games, a necessary path to get to the Super Bowl.

– Fuentes interviews Shinsuke Nakamura backstage. He says he hopes that Styles wins on Sunday so he can beat him at WrestleMania. Rusev Day confronts Nakamura. Rusev says Nakamura injured Aiden English with the Kinshasa last week, and may have caused “permanent damage to this man’s beautiful voice.”

FIGHTING WORDS: “It’s like breaking the hands of Billy Joel. No piano for the Piano Man, and no Rusev Day song for Rusev.” – Rusev

– Nakamura taunts English by noting that he’s no Billy Joel. Rusev counters with a challenge, telling Shinsuke, “You broke my friend. Face me at Fastlane, and I will break you like you broke my Aiden.” Nakamura accepts. Then he croons that Sunday will be “Nakamura Daaaay”. As Nakamura leaves, a bemused Rusev informs him, “You can’t just make up your own holiday, bro.” Well-done all around.

Becky Lynch vs. Carmella

– Impressive offense from Carmella, showing equal measures of agility and viciousness. The announcers wonder when she’ll cash in her Money in the Bank contract. Byron Saxton questions whether she’s learned from the mistakes of the “Damien Sandows and Baron Corbins of the world.” Sandow’s tenure in WWE was certainly a missed opportunity on someone’s part.

– We hear the crack of Carmella hitting a move on Lynch while we see Naomi watching the match on a backstage monitor. That shouldn’t happen.

– This fight looks more like a post-match assault than the match itself. That’s a compliment to Carmella’s aggression. Lynch matches her fire. Becky’s right hands to the midsection look better than Mahal’s weak slaps to Orton’s ribs. Both competitors perform their best in a really strong one-segment match.

Result: Becky Lynch taps out Carmella via the Dis-arm-Her.

Grade: B

– Naomi claps it up for Lynch backstage. Natalya rains on Becky’s parade, excusing Carmella’s loss because the Princess of Staten Island was supposedly battling the flu all weekend. The SummerSlam foes then get personal with their insults.

FIGHTING WORDS: “I have a lot of friends, Naomi, I do.”- Natalya

“Name one that’s not a cat.” – Naomi

“I am not going to list all of my friends right now. We don’t have enough time.” – Natalya.

– Naomi challenges Natalya to a tag-team match (involving Lynch and Carmella partnering with their backstage advocates) at Fastlane. Natalya accepts. It’s fortunate that wrestlers keep challenging each other to Fastlane matches while camera crews are filming their backstage interactions tonight. Otherwise, Sunday’s pay-per-view would be lookin’ slim.

– The announce teams plugs the Greatest Royal Rumble event, scheduled to take place next month in Saudi Arabia. We’ll see if that match gets shown on wwe.com, and, if not, whether the winner even gets mentioned on live television.

– AJ Styles walks to the ring for a promo. He waits out a crowd chant (and one loud heckler) to tell the fans he sees the world differently after winning his second WWE championship. He remembers the grind he endured to get here, and says he’ll bring the attitude that got him here to his six-pack challenge match at Fastlane. “The hell with fair, I’m gonna fight.”

– AJ cues the Raw footage of John Cena promising to win his record-breaking 17th world title at Fastlane. Thankfully, the production team put up word graphics so we can truly comprehend Cena’s words. Styles tells the carpetbagger Cena that he’s going to keep his championship at Fastlane, and take it to WrestleMania to defend against Nakamura. He says he’s fighting for that singles match at WrestleMania, which will be “nothing short of phenomenal.”

– Dolph Ziggler appears to speak his piece. The announce team openly wonders why Ziggler should receive a world title shot after abandoning his last SmackDown singles championship. Just kidding, they’re fine with it.

– Ziggler says Styles isn’t cool anymore, he’s desperate. Styles asks if Ziggler is the guy who’s been in WWE for 13 years, but hasn’t reached his full potential. Ouch. Ziggler insults Styles for taking a decade to walk into the house that Dolph built. He tells Styles he’s going to lose at Fastlane. Not due to the math, but because his head’s not in the right place. Ziggler warns Styles about doing it all for the WWE Universe. So he’s definitely a heel? Good to determine that fact after the last month.

– Ziggler recalls his “momentous moment” of cashing in the Money in the Bank contract to win the world heavyweight championship. He accuses the fans of sitting on the sidelines while he proved it every damn night. Yeah, that’s where the fans are supposed to be. He tells Styles to “take your dream match and shove it.” Tired of talking, AJ reasons that they can move up tonight’s main event and start it right now.

WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler (non-title)

– Styles intercepts a Ziggler superkick right after the bell rings, and goes for a Styles Clash. Ziggler bails to ringside. Quick start to this bout.

– After some back-and-forth action, Styles clobbers Ziggler with a Phenomenal Forearm on the arena floor. Yet it’s Styles who is writhing in pain on the concrete when we return from a brief commercial break. That move has to be worth more than a minute’s advantage over AJ’s opponent.

– Both men can sell the bejeezus out of each other’s signature moves. AJ makes Dolph’s dropkick look like a million bucks (admittedly, not difficult), while AJ’s clothesline to finish off his flurry of strikes looks terrific.

– Ziggler gouges Styles’ eyes. Referee Charles Robinson immediately protests the move, but does nothing about it. Corey Graves tells us the official’s view must have been obstructed. Figure it out, guys.

– Both men trade right hands. With Styles reeling near the ropes, Ziggler runs toward him and hits a glancing clothesline that drops AJ. Not sure what they were going for in that sequence, but even their miscues look good.

– Ziggler takes over, slingshotting Styles into the turnbuckle after a protracted battle over a ring-apron suplex. Later, Dolph tries to one-up AJ with a Styles Clash. Styles trips him up, fails to lock in the Calf Crusher, then attempts his own superkick. Ziggler blocks that move and snatches the champion with a Zig Zag for a near-fall. This remarkable action is halted when Owens and Zayn storm the ring to ruin everything.

Result: No-contest when Team Kevin and Sami wreck the match.

Grade: A-

– Zayn pounds away at Ziggler while Owens beats down Styles. Eventually, Styles and Ziggler fight back and clear the ring. Commissioner Shane McMahon surfaces to direct Zayn and Owens back into the ring. He adds Corbin to what is now a fatal five-way match.

Fatal Five-Way – WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin (non-title)

– Zayn runs Styles gut-first into the ringside barricade as we return to action. Corbin builds on this concept to fling Owens and Zayn into that barricade. Graves correctly reasons that this donnybrook gives Cena a decided advantage as the freshest man heading into Fastlane.

– Owens and Zayn team up to drive Corbin into the ring steps. They turn their attention back to punishing Ziggler and Styles. Phillips notes that Zayn did not interject himself when Owens tried to pin Ziggler, bringing up the notion that Zayn would indeed try to help Owens win on Sunday. Two men teaming up against the other four competitors would establish order from the chaos of a six-pack challenge.

– We return from our final break to watch a five-man tower of doom (Zayn absorbed the double-superplex). Phillips states that Styles must remain vigilant over everyone else’s pinfall attempts this Sunday or he’ll lose his title. Graves replies that all six competitors need to employ that strategy because it’s a one-fall match. Good point.

– An exciting sequence of one-on-one moves ends with Ziggler superkicking Zayn, then falling into the cover. Styles breaks up the pinfall by crashing down on Zayn. Probably not how they drew it up, but the ref stops counting nonetheless.

– Corbin dominates the action for a minute, deep-sixing Owens for a pinfall attempt that Styles breaks up. While no one (except Sami, apparently) can allow a fellow competitor to score the win, Styles is doing yeoman’s work in stopping the other four men from ending the match without his involvement. He even busts out his backflip-reverse DDT combination maneuver on Zayn. AJ sets up Sami for a Phenomenal Forearm, but Ziggler and Corbin intervene to prevent that move from launching.

– After Owens and Zayn knock Styles off the apron, Sami stuns the crowd by nailing an unsuspecting KO with a Helluva Kick and pinning him. Shouldn’t he have saved that double-cross for the pay-per-view title match? The announcers tell us that nothing (not even friendship and man-hugs) trumps the desire to be WWE champion.

Result: Sami Zayn won a fatal five-way match after pinning Kevin Owens with a Helluva Kick.

Grade: B+

Fuentes meets Zayn on the entrance ramp to ask why he betrayed Owens. Zayn yells that he’s the “most under-looked performer on the roster”. He says tonight is about who’s the best, and he proved that it’s Sami Zayn.