WWE SmackDown Live
Episode 1040
#SDLive
Original Air Date: July 23, 2019
Event Date: July 23, 2019
(aired live)
City: Miami, FL
Venue: American Airlines Arena
Commentary: Tom Phillips, David Otunga, Big E (1, 2), Xavier Woods (1, 2), Michael Cole (3, 4)
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Video
Last week, Dolph Ziggler tried to teach Kevin Owens a lesson. He didn’t do a very good job, and Owens attacked Shane McMahon again.
Ring Area
Shane McMahon heads to the ring. Shane enjoyed RAW Reunion last night. There lots of faces he was happy to see, and one face he was happy to not see was Kevin Owens. Shane ways that Owens has challenged him to a match at Summer Slam, and he accepts. Owens has said that if he doesn’t beat Shane, then he’ll quit. Shane has heard those words before. Shane shows footage of Owens quitting on RAW last year after losing to Seth Rollins. This time, when Shane beats Owens, Shane wants it in writing that Owens quits.
Kevin Owens comes out to the stage. Owens says he not the same man he was last year, and he’s not going to quit at Summer Slam. Why? Because he’s going to beat up Shane McMahon. ANd hey, why not beat up Shane tonight? Owens starts to head to the ring, but Shane stops him. If Owens wants a fight, he can fight Roman Reigns.
Backstage
Shinsuke Nakamura shows off his IC Title as he walks.
Backstage
Elias and Drew McIntyre compliment Shane McMahon on his match-making brilliance. Shane decides to make the Owens/Reigns match even better by making McIntyre the special guest referee, Elias the guest timekeeper, and himself the guest ring announcer.
Match 1
Shinsuke Nakamura (IC Champ) vs Apollo Crews
(referee: DA Brewer)
Result: Shinsuke Nakamura wins via pinfall after Kinshasa
Time: 8:12
Match Thoughts
Good match. Apollo Crews started strong, but Nakamura started coming back during a picture-in-picture commercial break. Crews fought back valiantly, but Nakamura was brutal in his attack. It felt like Nakamura was trying to make an example out of Crews.
Backstage
Mandy Rose tells Sonya Deville that she got them a match with the IIconics next week. Deville thinks it’s a tag title match, but Rose says they have to win before they’ll get a shot at the titles. It’s like they aren’t really listening to each other. But anyway, they hug each other.
Backstage
The Miz walks.
Backstage
Ali says he has to rewrite his story. His injury earlier this year will not determine his story. Even if he has to use his own blood, Ali will finish his story.
Ring Area
The Miz is in the ring for Miz TV. His guest tonight, Shawn Michaels, heads to the ring. Shawn talks about Seth Rollins and how it’s been great watching his rise in WWE. Now Rollins is going to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title once again.
Dolph Ziggler heads to the ring. He’s tired of seeing “legends” limp down to the ring and take up air time. Ziggler tells Michaels that he had the chance to leave the WWE at the top of his game as one of the greatest of all time, but instead he’s taken every chance to come back. It’s embarrassing. Michaels agrees. It was embarrassing, but what’s more embarrassing is giving everything you’ve got and still being known as a second-rate Shawn Michaels. Ziggler starts yelling at Shawn, then Miz starts yelling at Dolph.
Miz tells Dolph to do something. Ziggler drops his mic and looks like he’s about to attack, but he turns to walk away instead. Michaels turns Ziggler around. Ziggler throws a fist at Michaels, but Michaels ducks and hits Miz instead. Michaels checks on Miz, and when he turns back around he gets kicked by Ziggler. Ziggler leaves the ring.
Match 2
Ember Moon vs Charlotte
(referee: Charles Robinson)
Result: Ember Moon wins via pinfall with a schoolboy (and a distraction as Bayley heads to the ring)
Time: 0:46
Match Thoughts
The match had barely begun when Bayley came down to the ring. Te distraction of Bayley’s entrance allowed Ember Moon to roll up Charlotte.
Ring Area
After the match, Ember Moon rolls Bayley into the ring. Bayley takes a boot from Charlotte. With Charlotte looking the other way, Moon hits her with the Eclipse. Moon then climbs the ropes again and hits Bayley with the Eclipse.
Backstage
Kofi Kingston smiles as he walks.
Backstage
Roman Reigns puts on his gauntlets.
Ring Area
Kofi Kingston heads to the ring. Kingston calls out the man he hopes to face at Summer Slam: Randy Orton. Orton looks behind his back as he slowly heads to the ring. Kofi talks about the time he beat up Randy Orton on RAW in 2009, and he shows footage of himself hitting the Boom Drop on Orton through a table. That was supposed to be the moment Kingston made it to the main event scene, but that’s not what happened. Kingston accuses Orton of using his influence to hold Kingston down. It almost worked, until it didn’t. Kofi kept working and he finally became the WWE champ.
Orton says he used his influence to hold Kingston down because he wasn’t ready for the title. Orton says Kingston is still not ready for the title. Orton never had to pander, all he had to do was be himself. Being himself won him title after title year after year. Orton also claims credit for Kingston’s current title run. Why? Because Orton injured Ali which is what allowed Kingston to take his place in the Elimination Chamber.
Kingston offers Orton a chance to see who’s better. He challenges Orton to a title match at Summer Slam. Orton accepts.
Match 3
Kofi Kingston (WWE Champ) vs Samoa Joe
(referee: Danilo Anfibio)
Result: the match ends in a No Contest when Randy Orton tries and fails to hit Kofi Kingston with an RKO
Time: 7:33
Match Thoughts
This was a good match, but there was no real ending. With Orton at ringside, it felt like we were just biding time until the inevitable interference.
Ring Area
With Orton in the ring after the match, Samoa Joe tries to attack Orton. Joe takes an RKO, then Kingston hits Orton with Trouble in Paradise.
Backstage
Kevin Owens applies his wrist tape.
Ring Area
Finn Balor heads to the ring. In the ring, Kayla Braxton asks Balor if he knows why Bray Wyatt attacked him on RAW a week ago. Balor isn’t sure why Wyatt has focused on him, but he does challenge Wyatt to a match at Summer Slam.
The Firefly Fun House starts on the screen in the arena. Wyatt says he and his friends are big fans of Balor. The Fiend, on the other hand, is not a fan. However, the Fiend accepts Balor’s challenge to a match. Wyatt warns Balor that the Fiend is an abomination. The Fiend appears on the screen and demands to be let in.
Backstage
Sarah Schreiber welcomes Carlotte Flair. Charlotte is mad about what happened earlier and about being left off of Summer Slam. Charlotte demands to be at Summer Slam where she will prove that she is the greatest female superstar of all time.
Match 4
Kevin Owens vs Roman Reigns
(referee: Drew McIntyre; outside referee: Charles Robinson; ring announcer: Shane McMahon; time keeper: Elias)
Result: the match ends in a No Contest when McIntyre, Elias, and Shane McMahon attack Owens and Reigns
Time: 1:03
Match Thoughts
Ring Area
After the match, Owens and Reigns try to single out Shane McMahon for an attack. Elias, McIntyre, and Shane get the upper hand on Reigns, but Owens breaks up their attack. Shane is thrown out of the ring, Reigns spears McIntyre, and Owens hits Elias with a stunner. Shane tries to run away, but Reigns throws him back into the ring. Shane takes a Superman punch and a stunner. Owens and Reigns celebrate, and Owens hits Shane with a second stunner.
Show Impressions
This was okay. It was more buildup than payoff which is needed sometimes.
Match of the Night
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Apollo Crews
This was fun.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2019-07-23