WWE SmackDown Live
Episode 1044
#SDLive
Original Air Date: August 20, 2019
Event Date: August 20, 2019
(aired live)
City: Sioux Falls, SD
Venue: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
Commentary: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, David Otunga
Ring Announcer: Greg Hamilton
Ring Area
Randy Orton heads to the ring. Orton says that unlike Kofi Kingston, he is not a liar. Orton says Kofi ran from a fight at SummerSlam because he is stupid. He says he gave Kofi a chance to fight him last week, but Kofi didn’t, because Kofi is stupid. Orton also made Kofi watch The Revival hurt Xavier Woods because Kofi is stupid. As Orton speaks, New Day’s music plays.
Orton looks up towards the stage, but Kofi attacks Orton from behind with Trouble in Paradise. With Orton down, Kofi goes for a chair. Kofi wraps Orton’s ankle in the chair, but before he can stomp on it, The Revival runs to the ring. Kofi fights off both members of The Revival, but that allows Orton to escape from the ring and head up the ramp.
Video
A look at the story surrounding the attacks on Roman Reigns.
Backstage
Kevin Owens tells Shane McMahon that he spent a week thinking about how bad his situation is with the fine given to him by Shane last week. Man to man, father to father, Owens wishes Shane would reconsider. Shane says he’ll take it under advisement.
Match 1
Andrade w/ Zelina Vega vs Apollo Crews
(referee: Danilo Anfibio)
Result: Andrade wins via pinfall after a hammerlock DDT
Time: 6:10 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. Crews looked very good tonight, and he dominated most of this match. Andrade didn’t get a ton of offense, but the offense he got was powerful. Vega also inserted herself into the match to help out, and it really did feel like Crews got robbed (though I’m not upset about who won).
Backstage
Daniel Bryan and Rowan lead someone (whose head is covered with a back cloth) into a small room. Bryan tells the person that he knows what they did. They better not move, or else they’ll be very sorry.
Backstage
Elias walks around as he plays his guitar. He sees someone trying to avoid eye contact, so Elias confronts him. It’s referee John Cone. Elias asks where “he” is. Cone points to an equipment case. Elias opens the case, and Drake maverick pops out. Elias grabs Maverick by the throat and hands hom a aletter. The letter proclaims that the 24/7 rule has been suspended for the night so Elias can focus on his King of the Ring match. Maverick is sad.
Ring Area
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross come out to the stage for A Moment of Bliss. Bliss says that even though she and Cross are champs, they will still welcomes those who are less fortunate to be on A Moment of Bliss. That is not the case tonight though. Tonight, their guest is Charlotte Flair. Charlotte comes out takes a seat.
Bliss says Charlotte’s match against Trish Stratus at SummerSlam was kind of a passing of the torch. Charlotte says Trish didn’t pass the torch, Charlotte took it. Charlotte says she is the face of the women’s division, but Bliss says “some people” might say that the face of the division is the SmackDown Women’s Champ, Bayley. Charlotte talks about all the media appearances she does that Bayley doesn’t. The title is an afterthought at this point.
Bayley comes out, and she’s tired of Charlotte’s same old stuff. All Bayley is hearing from Charlotte are a bunch of excuses. Bayley says she’s the champ, and that means she’s better than Charlotte. Charlotte wonders if Bayley even knows what people think of her as the champ. She says Bayley has tarnished the title, and she’ll have to restore the prestige of the SD Women’s Title when she takes it from Bayley. Bayley takes that as a challenge and accepts. Bayley also shoves Charlotte out of her chair.
Backstage
Roman Reigns approaches Buddy Murphy in the locker room. Reigns wants to know if Murphy is lying to him. Murphy says he’s “pretty sure” he saw Rowan during the first attack on Reigns. Reigns doesn’t really like that answer, so he threatens Murphy before he leaves.
Match 2
Daniel Bryan w/ Rowan vs Buddy Murphy
(referee: Jason Ayers)
Result: Buddy Murphy wins via pinfall after Murphy’s Law
Time: 9:38 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. This was better than Murphy’s match last week with Reigns, and it’s probably a bigger deal. Rowan mostly stayed away from the match, and the small distraction he did make didn’t lead directly to the finish. That meant Bryan and Murphy were allowed to just have a good match against each other. And the match was very good. This showed that Murphy belongs here on SmackDown Live. Finally, after months of doing nothing, hopefully Murphy has gotten his chance.
Backstage
The man covered in a black cloth sits alone in a small room.
Backstage
Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder look like they’re in pain as they walk.
Backstage
Kayla Braxton welcomes Buddy Murphy. Before Murphy can say anything, he’s attacked by Rowan as Bryan yells at him. Bryan says Murphy is a coward and a liar and he doesn’t deserve anything.
Match 3
The Revival vs Heavy Machinery
(referee: Ryan Tran)
Result: Dash Wilder pins Tucker Knight with an Oklahoma Roll
Time: 4:06 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. This was a fun battle where Heavy Machinery dominated, but The Revival played it smart.
Backstage
Kalya Braxton asks Chad Gable what he thinks about being called an underdog in the King of the Ring. Gable explains that he’s used to being underestimated. While Gable talks, Shelton Benjamin puts a sign on the door of the men’s locker room. As Gable turns around, he reads the sign. It says, “you must be this tall to compete in King of the Ring.” Gable says that’s funny, but he doesn’t smile or laugh.
Backstage
The mysterious man still sits in the small room.
Ring Area
The Miz heads to the ring for Miz TV, and he welcomes Sami Zayn. Zayn says he doesn’t care about Miz or his show, but he needed TV time to get some things off his chest. Zayn recently had an epiphany. He’s been caught in a trap that people like The Miz get caught in. A trap of money and greed. The path to redemption for Sami Zayn is through altruism. There are so many people on SmackDown Live who need Zayn’s help, and one of them is about to come out right now.
The Intercontinental Champ, Shinsuke Nakamura, heads to the ring. Miz asks Nakamura why he would associate himself with Zayn, but Zayn stops Miz. What language does Miz expect Nakamura to respond in? English for Miz’s benefit? Nakamura is Japanese, and he’s an artist. He and Zayn are two sides of the same coin. If Miz wants to talk to Nakamura, he needs to talk to Zayn. Miz doesn’t get it, so Nakamura explains by kicking Miz in the head.
Nakamura beats up Miz as Zayn half-heartedly holds him back. Zayn laughs and brings Miz up to his knees. Nakamura hits Miz with Kinshasa, and Sami Zayn celebrates.
Backstage
Bryan and Rowan tells the mysterious man that he called Roman.
Backstage
Shane McMahon tells Kevin Owens that he’s reconsidering the fine he gave him. Shane makes it clear that whatever his decision, if Owens ever lays his hands on an official again, he’ll be fired. Owens understands, and he offers his hand to Shane. Shane says he’s not quite ready to shake on it yet.
Match 4
King of the Ring First Round Match
Elias (24/7 Champ) vs Kevin Owens
(referee: Jason Ayers, Shane McMahon)
Result: Elias wins via pinfall with a schoolboy (and a fast count from Shane McMahon)
Time: 9:35 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match, but the finish was frustrating. The match ended up being all about the Shane/Owens story, and the finish was just supposed to keep that going. I really wish WWE would just let feuds end after big PPV matches. And really, I just wish Shane would stop taking up so much TV time.
Backstage
Roman Reigns enters the small room with Daniel Bryan, Rowan, and the mysterious man. Bryan yells about finding the man who attacked Reigns. Bryan reveals the mysterious man… and it’s a bald guy with a red beard. Everyone stares at Roman Reigns. Reigns is confused.
Show Impression
This was an okay episode. I think it was saved by the Murphy/Bryan match. Other than that, I found myself getting kind of bored. Seeing Heavy Machinery take on The Revival was fun, and the Andrade/Crews match was pretty good, but the Murphy/Bryan match is the only thing that stood out to me as something I wouldn’t want to miss.
Match of the Night
Daniel Bryan vs Buddy Murphy
I’m not sure why they changed Murphy’s music, but I did like the match.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2019-08-20