WWE SmackDown Live
Episode 975
#SDLive
Original Air Date: April 24, 2018
Event Date: April 24, 2018 (aired live)
City: Louisville, KY
Venue: KFC Yum! Center
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Tonight’s episode is dedicated to the memory of Bruno Sammartino (1935-2018).
Ring Area
The Miz heads to the ring for Miz TV. Miz misses the IC Title, but he plans to get it back this Friday at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Tonight though, Miz is focused on Daniel Bryan.
Or rather, Daniel Bryan has been focused on the Miz over the past week. After the birth of his daughter recently, The Miz has become a changed man. He wants to be a better man for his little girl, and all the anger he had towards Bryan has faded. He’s surprised that Bryan hasn’t changed in the same way. Surprised that Bryan isn’t a “better man” like Miz is now. But if Bryan wants to punch Miz in the face, Miz invites him to do so.
Miz waits for Bryan to come our, but Big Cass comes out instead. Cass takes a seat next to Miz and says no one cares about Daniel Bryan. Cass is upset that no one cared about him after he got cleared to wrestle on the same day as Bryan. Miz tells Cass that he doesn’t need any help dealing with Bryan, so Cass tells Miz that not everything is about him. Miz Yells at Cass which prompts Cass to get in Miz’s face.
Cass says he used to be normal like Daniel Bryan, but he got tired of it so he decided to start growing. He grew to seven feet tall, and he despises Bryan for reminding Cass of himself. But Cass didn’t have to take the path to WWE that Bryan did because he is tall and good looking. He won’t live in the shadow of Daniel Bryan. He will senf him back into retirement.
Backstage
Becky Lynch and Asuka walk towards the ring area when they discover Daniel Bryan being attended to by officials and medical staff.
Ring Area
The Iiconics are in the ring. They talk about how hot they are. Peyton Royce then mocks Becky Lynch’s accent. Also, Billie Kay uses logic to determine that The Iiconics are better than Asuka.
Match 1
Billie Kay & Peyton Royce vs Becky Lynch & Asuka
(referee: Danilo Anfibio)
Result: Peyton Royce pins Becky Lynch with a schoolboy with her feet on the ropes
Time: 7:35
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. I liked it even though it did seem a little messy at times. I think the messiness mostly worked for this match though. Lynch and Asuka didn’t have the best teamwork, and it made sense since they haven’t teamed before.
Backstage
Renee Young is waiting for news on Daniel Bryan when a happy AJ Styles walks by. Styles tells Young that Shane has given him an opportunity to soften up Shinsuke Nakamura tonight. They’re both going to be in a six-man tag match tonight, and Styles’ team is going to be “too sweet.”
Video
Andrade “Cien” Almas is headed to SmackDown. Soon.
Backstage
The Usos talk about tonight when Naomi walks up. Jimmy asks Naomi to promise not to go to the ring tonight, but Naomi won’t make that promise. She has a bad feeling about tonight.
Match 2
Rowan w/ Harper (SD Tag Champs) vs Jimmy Uso w/ Jey Uso
(referee: Charles Robinson)
Result: Jimmy Uso wins via pinfall with a schoolboy after a distraction from Naomi
Time: 2:50
Match Thoughts
This wasn’t much of a match, but it was good for the upcoming title match. It shows that the Bludgeon Brothers aren’t necessarily invincible. It also shows that The Usos can approach a match in different way. They can adapt and will adapt to their opponents.
Ring Area
Renee Young is in the ring for the contract signing for Carmella and Charlotte’s SD Women’s Title match. Carmella heads to the ring first. Carmella is upset that she, the champion, was announced first. She also wants her highlight reel to be played again. It is.
Carmella is upset about the crowd’s reaction to her video, so she wants the video played again. It is. This time Charlotte interrupts and heads to the ring. Carmella gloats while Charlotte wants to get to business. Charlotte signs the contract first, then she hits Carmella and dumps the table over on her. Charlotte leaves as Carmella regains her senses.
Backstage
Dasha Fuentes stands outside Nakamura’s dressing room, but Aiden English comes out and says there will be no interviews.
Ring Area
Shelton Benjamin is in the ring, ready for a match. Jeff Hardy comes out for a rematch from last week, but similar to last week, Randy Orton comes out and passes Hardy on his way to the ring.
Match 3
Shelton Benjamin vs Randy Orton
(referee: Jason Ayers)
Result: Shelton Benjamin wins via pinfall after Paydirt and a distraction from Sunil Singh
Time: 8:16
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. Benjamin looked good while Orton looked like he usually does. The best part of the match was the result.
Backstage
New Day celebrates the release of their book, The Book of Booty, with pancakes and cereal. The Bar shows up and says they’ll be heading back to RAW after they win back their titles this Friday. New Day just wants them to leave.
Backstage
AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows are excited to be back together.
Video
SAnitY is coming to SmackDown, and they will bring chaos with them.
Backstage
Renee Young is joined by Daniel Bryan. Bryan says he’ll be ready to go this Friday. He got blindsided by a coward, and he’s already secured a match with Big Cass at Backlash.
Backstage
Samoa Joe says no one is safe when he gets near a ladder this Friday. It will be the end for Miz, Rollins, and Balor. The IC Title is already his, so he can sit back and watch Reigns get destroyed by Lesnar.
Match 4
Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows & AJ Styles (WWE Champ) vs Aiden English & Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura
(referee: Mike Chioda)
Result: Shinsuke Nakamura pins Luke Gallows after Kinshasa to the back of the head
Time: 6:35 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. It was a bit short, but I really liked it. Nakamura was used sparingly, so this match centered largely around The Club fighting Rusev Day. Nakamura picked his spots and picked them well. I think it did very well to build up the WWE Title match at the Greatest Royal Rumble. I think that match has been set up the best out of any other match on that show.
Ring Area
After the match, Styles attacks Nakamura. Nakamura quickly turns things around with another low blow on Styles. Nakamura sets Styles up for Kinshasa, but Karl Anderson gets in the way and takes Nakamura’s knee instead. Nakamura sets up Anderson and hits him with a second Kinshasa as Styles is forced to watch.
Show Impressions
This show was okay. The matches were unsurprising in their twists, and there were times when I started to tune out (like the contract signing and Big Cass), but overall the show was alright. I did like tonight’s matches, they all just seemed a bit short and very predictable. Predictable is fine if they are well done, and these matches were well done.
I do like the direction they’re going with Nakamura. I like his attitude. I think it fits him better than the nice-guy routine did. I think he can work as a nice guy too, but I think he needs an edge to draw some emotion into his feud with Styles. Friendly competition is fine, but anger can lead to some very memorable moments in the ring.
Match of the Night
The Club vs Rusev Day & Shinsuke Nakamura
This had the most relevance to ongoing stories in my mind, though the Uso/Rowan was pretty relevant too. I think the action in the main event was better than Uso vs Rowan.
Official Results: http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2018-04-24