WWE SmackDown Live
Episode 1026
#SDLive
Original Air Date: April 16, 2019
Event Date: April 16, 2019
(aired live)
City: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Venue: Bell Centre
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Video
A recap of the first half of the Superstar Shakeup that took place on last night’s RAW.
Ring Area
Kevin Owens heads to the ring for The Kevin Owens Show. Owens speaks in French to the crowd before talking about night two of the Superstar Shakeup. He says Vince McMahon is going to be here later to reveal the biggest acquisition in SmackDown Live history, regardless of the fact that the biggest superstar is in the ring right now.
Moving on, Kevin Owens introduces his guest tonight, Kofi Kingston. Kofi heads to the ring with Xavier Woods. Owens begins by congratulating Kofi on his historic win at Wrestlemania. Kofi appreciates Owens’ words. Kofi is happy that he got to share his win with everyone.
Owens points out that Big E is not with New Day tonight. Woods reveals that Big E was injured in their match last week. He also gets worked up about RAW taking like 80% of the Up Up Down Down cast, and if he doesn’t see Tyler Breeze on SmackDown tonight he’s going to lose his mind. Kofi calms Woods down and says everything will be alright.
Owens mentions that Woods and Kingston have a tag match tonight, and with Big E gone, they might need some backup tonight. Why not enlist the aid of Big O? Woods warns Owens that there is a lot that comes with being an honorary member of New Day. Owens proves he can be a member by swiveling his hips in the general direction of Woods and Kingston. Owens is welcomed into New Day, and the three men dance.
Backstage
Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev are watching what’s happening in the ring, and they’re not impressed. Cesaro walks up and offers to join them in their match tonight against New Day and Owens. Everyone seems to like that idea.
Match 1
Finn Balor (IC Champ) vs Ali
(referee: Jason Ayers)
Result: Finn Balor wins via pinfall after the Coup De Grace
Time: 10:15
Match Thoughts
Good match. Ali and Balor match up well, and I’d love to see many more matches between them.
Backstage
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods ask Kevin Owens if he’s ready for his initiation. Owens isn’t sure. Woods says Owens needs to beat Big E’s pancake eating record with an entire platter of pancakes. Owens does not like that idea. Besides, the pancakes are cold. Woods and Kingston insist, so Owens does his best.
Video
A strange, featherless bird puppet laughs inside a smoking cardboard box.
Backstage
Owns finishes the platter of pancakes just in time.
Match 2
Carmella w/ R-Truth vs Charlotte Flair
(referee: Charles Robinson)
Result: Charlotte Flair wins via submission with the Figure Eight
Time: 4:59 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. Carmella put up a pretty good fight, but Charlotte was fighting very confidently. Charlotte picked Carmella apart and finished her off without too much trouble.
Ring Area
After the match, Lars Sullivan heads to the ring. R-Truth gets between Sullivan and Carmella. R-Truth attacks, but Sullivan brushes him off. Sullivan catches R-Truth and slams him to the mat. Sullivan looks over to Carmella who is still sitting in the corner. Charles Robinson helps Carmella get out of the ring as Lars Sullivan watches. Sullivan then hits R-Truth with a running sit-out powerbomb.
Ring Area
Becky Lynch heads to the ring. Watching all her potential challengers has reminded her what her job is. First, she’ll plow through Lacey Evans. After that, she’ll beat every dope that stands in her way. As she speaks, Ember Moon arrives on SmackDown Live.
As she heads to the ring, Moon tells Lynch that she better get used to having her around. Lynch warns Moon not to interrupt her again. Moon says she’s not out here for advice, she’s out here to make a name for herself. What better way than to beat the person who beat Ronda Rousey?
Bayley then comes out and says she’s also joined SmackDown Live. In the ring, Bayley talks about being one-half of the first women’s tag champs, but now she has her eyes on two other titles. Becky is about to speak when The IIconics come out.
Peyton and Billie say they have two belts just like Becky, but theirs are better. Because they’re iconic.
Paige comes out to the stage. From the stage, she introduces the team she will be supporting on SmackDown Live. As she speaks, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville come out and pass by Paige on their way to the ring. They say the world has waited long enough for the reformation of Absolution. Paige says everyone will have to wait even longer, because Paige wasn’t introducing Rose and Deville. She was introducing Asuka and Kairi Sane.
Paige sends Asuka and Kairi down to the ring where a big brawl breaks out. Everyone fights excpet for Becky. The champ champ quietly exits the ring as the show goes to a commercial break.
Match 3
Bayley & Ember Moon & Asuka & Kairi Sane vs The IIconics (Women’s Tag Champs) & Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
(referee: Danilo Anfibio)
Result: Kairi Sane pins Peyton Royce after the Insane Elbow
Time: 8:16 (joined in progress)
Match Thoughts
This was fun. It was little more than to introduce the women who have moved to SmackDown, Kairi Sane in particular, but it was a good match for what it was. I did find it interesting that Bayley and Ember Moon kind of inserted themselves into the match at one point even though Kairi and Asuka had everything under control. The commentators didn’t say anything, so I doubt it’s going to be followed up on, but Kairi and Asuka had some “wtf?” looks on their faces as Bayley and Moon dove out of the ring onto their opponents.
Selfie Promo
The Hardy Boyz declare themselves not just the SmackDown tag champs, but also the greatest tag team in all of space and time.
Backstage
Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston get Kevin Owens to do New Day’s pre-entrance announcement.
Ring Area
Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Kevin Owens head to the ring for a match.
Backstage
Buddy Murphy announces that he is now a member of the SmackDown Live roster.
Match 4
Kofi Kingston (WWE Champ) & Xavier Woods & Kevin Owens vs Cesaro & Rusev w/ Lana & Shinsuke Nakamura
(referee: Mike Chioda)
Result: Kevin Owens pins Rusev after a Stunner
Time: 8:35 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
This was fun. Kevin Owens and how he interacted with New Day was the focal point of the match. It all built up to a nice and fun finish.
Backstage
Vince McMahon watches the video feed as New Day and Owens celebrate in the ring.
Video
A doll in a rocking chair laughs.
Ring Area
Vince McMahon heads to the ring. He introduces SMackDown’s greatest aquisition: Elias.
Elias heads to the ring. Elias says he has questioned a lot of Vince’s decisions, but the decision to call him SmackDown’s greatest acquisition was a good one. Elias knows the fans are upset that AJ Styles is gone from SmackDown, but the house that Styles built is now the Temple of Elias. Elias then plays a song for about a second before Roman Reigns interrupts.
Reigns heads to the ring. Reigns hits Elias with a Superman punch, then he hits Vince with a punch as well. Reigns gets on the mic and says SmackDown is his yard now.
Show Impressions
This was a fine show. The shakeup brought over some interesting new people, but nothing about the changes really have me super excited. There are definitely possibilities for some nice new feuds, but overall I think the rosters have just kind of shifted people without significantly changing either show.
Match of the Night
Finn Balor vs Ali
Like RAW, most of the matches were basically just highlighting the new people. Balor vs Ali was the same, but I really enjoyed how they matched up against each other.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2019-04-16