WWE SmackDown Live REVIEW: Full Results, Grades & Highlights for 05/08/18

The opening match was the only thing saving a subpar Backlash from being abysmal. Credit goes to the Miz for his outstanding work with Seth Rollins in their Intercontinental title match. Unfortunately, some of his blue brand colleagues didn’t pull their weight. Carmella did herself no favors with her match against Charlotte, especially when selling a big boot that clearly connected with nothing. And Samoa Joe’s main event match with Roman Reigns was so poorly received that Joe may have work to do to maintain his main-event status. Granted, part of that is due to the routine crowd response to Reigns (whose current positioning isn’t good for anyone). And AJ Styles is going to have to feud with someone (perhaps Joe) after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are done kicking each other in the groin.

Intro: Paige enters the ring to welcome us to SmackDown Live. She immediately blows her credibility as an authority figure.

FIGHTING WORDS: “We got to see the first co-branded pay-per-view. And it was a smashing success, right?” – Paige, lying through her teeth.

No, it was not. The Baltimore crowd’s muted response here is pretty funny. Paige salvages this Backlash recap by referring to Daniel Bryan’s singles victory over Big Cass. The audience likes that. Then she turns her attention to the Styles/Nakamura match. Paige claims this bout was turning into a classic until both men got into a “low-blow confrontation, which obviously both men could not recover from.” She admits she didn’t foresee this outcome when she booked their rematch to include a (nonsensical) no-disqualification stipulation. Nevertheless, we will hear from both men later tonight.

Paige moves on to Money in the Bank, which will include two ladder matches (one for the ladies, one for the gents) featuring superstars from both brands. And the first qualifying match will start … right now.

U.S. Champion Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz (non-title) (Money in the Bank qualifying match)

– We see a replay of Miz winning the Money in the Bank contract in 2010, then cashing it in on a wounded Randy Orton four months later. Plus, we get that memorable shot of the little girl shooting Miz daggers from the crowd.

– Hot crowd to start as the combatants take their time. Tom Phillips mentions that Jeff Hardy lost the world championship due to a Money in the Bank cash-in. He doesn’t mention the superstar who dethroned him, although you can probably guess the name of that Chicago native.

– With Miz seeking shelter outside the ring, Hardy launches himself sideways off the stairs, slamming into Miz and driving him into the barricade. Jeff rolls him into the ring and heads up top. Miz wisely scampers to the opposing corner and begs off as we take our first commercial break.

– Jeff maintains the advantage with two arm-drags and an arm-bar as we return. He finally creates separation, countering Hardy’s sit-down jawbreaker with a strike, then booting Hardy in the head. He grabs a reverse-chinlock. When Hardy fights out, Miz hits his backbreaker/neckbreaker combination for a two-count.

– Corey Graves transitions from praising Miz’s “transcendent” performance at Backlash to dubbing Hardy “Captain Unicorn Arms.” Jeff’s rainbow sleeves don’t really invoke unicorns, but, alright.

– Miz dips behind Hardy and goes for the Skullcrushing Finale. The move that didn’t work both times he hit it two nights ago. Hardy elbows his way out, only to get dumped from the ring when he charges Miz. Jeff lands on his feet and avoids Miz’s wrecking-ball dropkick, but gets lifted in a back-suplex position and dropped crotch-first on the barricade. This move delights most of the ringside fans. If you pause the match during this sequence, it looks like the first two rows are laughing at a stand-up comedy set.

– Somehow, Miz whiffs on two strikes while Jeff straddles the barricade. Hardy fends him off with a headbutt, then leaps off the barricade to topple Miz. He deposits Miz back in the ring, then fires up on him with a running forearm. Hardy drops Miz with an inverted atomic-drop, then scores with a double-legdrop and low dropkick for a two-count.

– Hardy looks to end the match with a Twist of Fate. Miz tries to counter into a backslide, but Jeff backflips over him and nails the Twist of Fate (stunner version). Hardy takes his time climbing the ropes for a Swanton Bomb, allowing Miz to roll to the ring apron. When Hardy goes after him, Miz sidesteps his attack, kicking Jeff and then dropping him onto the apron with a nasty-looking neckbreaker. Jeff sells that impact as we go to split-screen commercial.

– Hardy dives into the ring to break the referee’s count. Miz kicks and covers him for a near-fall. A few more boots also garner only a two-count. Going back to the well, Miz tries for another boot. Hardy ducks and schoolboys him for a two-count. Miz squelches that comeback, clocking Hardy with his corner clothesline and hitting him with a top-rope double-axhandle.

– Miz tries to end it with the Skullcrushing Finale. Hardy tosses him aside, then small-packages Miz when he goes for the Figure-Four leglock. Miz kicks out, then seizes Hardy in a sleeper hold. Jeff breaks the hold with a jawbreaker.

– Both men trade fists while on their knees. They continue throwing hands when they make it to their feet. Hardy ducks a right hand and executes a Russian leg-sweep, getting a two-count. Back up, Hardy counters another sleeper attempt by ramming Miz into the turnbuckle, then crashing into him with the Whisper in the Wind for a near-fall.

– Hardy goes for another Twist of Fate. Miz pushes him away, then lands on the apron after sprinting at Jeff and getting back-dropped over the top rope. Hardy sweeps his leg, however, then drives Miz off the apron with a running low-dropkick. Miz went completely sideways before splatting on the concrete. Jeff keeps up the pressure by somersaulting over the top-rope onto Miz.

– Hardy rips off his shirt and goes up top for a Swanton Bomb. Again, Miz stops the maneuver, knocking Jeff onto the turnbuckle. Miz looks for a superplex. Hardy holds on, then beats on Miz with strikes to the back. He vaults over Miz with a somersault power-bomb, gaining another near-fall.

– Jeff goes for the Hardiac Arrest. Miz gets his boots up to block the move and tries to move in for the kill. Hardy kicks him and attempts another Twist of Fate. Miz counters and goes for the Skullcrushing Finale, only for Hardy to hook him with a victory-roll pinning combination for another near-fall. Hardy knocks Miz into the corner with his one-legged mule kick, and gets the Hardiac Arrest on the second try.

– Hardy lands another Twist of Fate (the RKO version) and goes for the Swanton Bomb. This time, he gets all of it. As the referee counts two, however, Miz snares Hardy in a crucifix pinning combination for the stunning victory.

– I haven’t seen a better SmackDown match in the past year than this bout. Miz may have wrestled his two best-ever singles matches within 48 hours. He’s ready for another run as WWE Champion. Allowing a match of this length to open the show attests to WWE’s faith in Hardy as a singles star.

Result: The Miz beat Jeff Hardy with a crucifix pinning combination. He qualifies for the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Grade: A

– Backstage, Sheamus eats Lucky Charms. Because they’re the only things that make him feel better after losing to Xavier Woods last week. Sheamus compares his upset loss to Chelsea beating Liverpool last week. Perhaps our European readers can inform me why … actually, don’t contact me about soccer. Cesaro posits that Woods wouldn’t have beaten him so easily. Sheamus challenges him to prove it. Cesaro agrees, stating that no one makes a fool out of the Bar two weeks in a row. He opens his gear-bag to find it stuffed with pancakes. Sheamus laughs, only to find his own bag stuffed with the offending food.

– Renee Young speaks to Nakamura outside his locker room. She asks if his issues with Styles are over. He responds, “No … speak English.” So great. Young protests that he used to speak English. Nakamura concedes her point, but avers that he has forgotten it. When pressed, he makes a joke about balls, then says he and AJ aren’t finished.

– Carmella shoots a handheld-cam video in which she repeatedly brags, “I beat Charlotte Flair.” Next week, she throws a Royal ’Mellabration in London. Prince Harry and Ric Flair aren’t invited.

– Tye Dillinger and Naomi cut handheld cam videos touting their Money in the Bank prospects.

Charlotte Flair vs. Peyton Royce (Money in the Bank qualifying match)

– Billie Kay prefaces this bout by telling a story about her Uncle Craig (from Sydney) having his stutter cured while laughing at Charlotte’s loss at Backlash.

– Charlotte shows up Peyton Royce early with some amateur wrestling. She gets mean, chopping Royce and throwing her with a fall-away slam toss. Charlotte dumps Peyton outside the ring as we go to break.

– But it’s Charlotte convalescing on the concrete when we return to action. Royce brings her back inside and applies a reverse-chinlock. Charlotte breaks the hold, only to be thrown headfirst into the middle turnbuckle. Royce stuffs her boot into Charlotte’s throat in the corner, then hooks her into another hold in which she pulls back on Charlotte’s arms while the Queen is tied in the ropes.

– Royce drops elbows onto Flair’s neck, then hooks the chinlock again. When she throws Flair into the ropes, Charlotte holds on and takes Royce to the mat with a neckbreaker. Flair hurls Royce into the corner and chops away at her. She misses her big boot, Royce misses her spin kick, and Charlotte does that unwieldy cradle-like pinning combination for a two-count. She follows up with a back suplex and a kip up.

– When Flair goes for the Figure Four, Royce scrambles to ringside. Flair flattens Kay with a plancha. Royce takes advantage of the numbers to snatch Charlotte in a swinging-neckbreaker as she rises. When she finally gets Flair back into the ring, Royce only gets a two-count. Kay provides the assist by snapping Charlotte’s neck backwards over the top rope, leaving Flair easy prey for Royce’s spin kick. Royce gets a convincing near-fall.

– Royce goes for a running knee, which Flair avoids, cradling Royce for a two-count. Royce misses her spin kick and gets hung up on the top rope, allowing Flair to hit the big boot. Flair climbs the turnbuckle and moonsaults onto Royce, who lifts her knees. Charlotte appeared to come down on one of Royce’s knees, but didn’t do much to sell the effect. She attempts to lift Royce, who inside-cradles her for a two-count. Royce stays on Flair with a shuffling knee strike, getting a near-fall.

– Royce tries to hook her fisherwoman’s suplex. Charlotte fights her off and spears Royce for a two-count. Flair goes for the Figure Four again, but Royce counters with a rolling cradle for a two-count. Charlotte goes for her own pinning combination (an O’Connor Roll). When Royce kicks out at two, Flair grabs her left boot and applies the Figure Eight for the tapout win. This may have been the longest women’s singles match that’s aired since I started reviewing SmackDown Live.

Result: Charlotte Flair tapped out Peyton Royce via the Figure Eight. She qualifies for the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Grade: B

– Bryan tells Dasha Fuentes he’s ready to beat Rusev tonight in their Money in the Bank qualifying match.

– More backstage videos. Shelton Benjamin and Asuka tell us they’re going to win Money in the Bank. Benjamin comes off as intense and confident, while Asuka … gets those stupid on-screen word graphics.

Xavier Woods vs. Cesaro

– Woods uses his quickness to snap Cesaro over with a flying head-scissors. The Baltimore fans love New Day, loudly chanting, “We want pancakes” during this match. A much better reception for this goofiness than the trio has been receiving recently.

– Cesaro shoves Woods toward the referee. Woods puts on the brakes to spare the official, but gets clotheslined from behind. Cesaro stays on him with a gut-wrench suplex and a flapjack, then buries right hands into his ribs and hooks an abdominal stretch.

– Woods creates separation and exchanges strikes with Cesaro. Xavier wobbles Cesaro with kicks, then runs him over with a knee. He nails Cesaro with an enziguri from the apron, then lands another enziguri while using the middle-rope as a stepping-stone. Woods gets a two-count, prompting Cesaro to bail to the apron.

– Cesaro snaps Woods’ throat down over the rope, then goes for a back suplex. Woods backflips out, ducks a clothesline, then smashes Cesaro face-first into the mat by somersaulting through a v-lock. This impressive move gets a two-count.

– Sheamus distracts Woods, allowing Cesaro to schoolboy him and place his feet on the ropes. Woods knocks his boots off the ropes to break the count. Woods cradles Cesaro for his own two-count, then cracks him with a shining wizard. As Woods stands on the turnbuckle for several seconds, the rest of New Day neutralizes Sheamus. Woods jumps off for his rope-walk elbow, but the extended delay allows Cesaro to get up and clobber him with a European uppercut for the win.

Result: Cesaro pinned Xavier Woods with a European uppercut.

Grade: B-

– Young speaks with Styles, who’s sporting a nasty bruise on his left cheek from getting cracked with a chair at Backlash. He agrees with Nakamura that they’re not done, and vows to finish his foe.

– The camera pans over a series of burned, mutilated action figures of SmackDown’s tag-team superstars as creepy nursery-rhyme music plays. The Bludgeon Brothers appear. Rowan says they have their own set of toys as they brandish their mallets, and invites their peers to come play. They smash the camera with their giant hammers.

Becky Lynch vs. Mandy Rose (Money in the Bank qualifying match)

– Sonya Deville is barred from ringside, per Paige’s decree. Becky Lynch arm-drags Mandy Rose out of the ring, then goes for the Dis-Arm-Her early. Rose has none of that, whipping Lynch into the turnbuckle and dropkicking her on the rebound. Lynch connects with a running knee for a two-count.

– Rose slaps Lynch, who fires back with forearms and a European uppercut. Lynch pinwheels Rose around the ring with a Dis-Arm-Her attempt. Unable to apply the maneuver, she tosses Mandy with a Becksploder. Lynch goes for her springboard kick in the corner. Rose catches her boot and swings Lynch down across the top rope, then cradles her for the victory.

Result: Mandy Rose pinned Becky Lynch with a rolling cradle. She qualifies for the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Grade: C

– We see replays of Bryan winning the Money in the Bank ladder match in 2011, then cashing in on Big Show several months later. Then we get a breaking news item: Andrade “Cien” Almas debuts on SmackDown next week.

– As he introduces Rusev, Aiden English forgets the name of the NFL team that plays in “Balti-less”. No sign of Lana.

Daniel Bryan vs. Rusev (Money in the Bank qualifying match)

– Bryan trips up Rusev, considers a surfboard, then just hops up and down on both of Rusev’s knees. He targets Rusev’s left arm, first with a hammerlock, then a top- wristlock. Rusev uses his brute force to break the hold, then hurtles himself toward Bryan. DB pulls down the top rope, sending Rusev spilling to the outside. When he goes for a suicide dive through the ropes, Rusev catches him, then heaves him onto the announce table.

– Back from our final break, Rusev suplexes Bryan, then insultingly nudges him into the corner with his boot. When Rusev whips him into the opposite corner, Bryan backflips over him and decks Rusev with a flying clothesline. Bryan rocks Rusev with two flying dropkicks into the corner, then perches his opponent on the turnbuckle and delivers a top-rope hurricanrana.

– Bryan lights up Rusev with Yes kicks. Rusev ducks the roundhouse kick, however, and goes for the Accolade. Bryan slips out of that hold and a spinning spike slam, but eats a roundhouse kick from Rusev for a two-count. Rusev stomps Bryan’s spine and attempts the Accolade. But he cannot secure his finisher due to Bryan’s earlier focus on his left arm, and Bryan applies the Yes Lock. Rusev reaches the ropes to break the hold.

– Bryan throws kicks at Rusev while ducking right hands. When Rusev gets ahold of him and executes a belly-to-back suplex throw, Bryan lands on his feet and finally hits the roundhouse kick. When Bryan calls for the flying knee, English pulls Rusev to ringside. Bryan gives no quarter, hitting Rusev Day with a wrecking-ball dropkick. Bryan runs off the apron to bash Rusev with a flying knee.

– With a dazed Rusev back in the ring, Bryan hits his top-rope missile dropkick. He clutches his ribs in pain, then kips up and runs into a pop-up knee to those ribs. Rusev hits the Machka Kick for the victory. You’ve got to be kidding me.

Result: Rusev pinned Daniel Bryan following a Mackha Kick. He qualifies for the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Grade: B

The announce crew gives Bryan props for fighting through the post-match beating he took at Backlash. We get a long focus on Bryan looking dejected following this loss. Even with the minor focus on his injury, dropping a match to an aimless Rusev is not a loss he should be taking at this point in his comeback.