WWE SmackDown Live Review - May 14, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Usos Saved Roman Reigns and The Miz From Shane McMahon, Elias and SmackDown Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Erick Rowan

I'm honestly stunned that WWE decided to run almost the exact same angle we saw kick off Monday's Raw. To make matters even worse, the Reigns vs. Elias and Miz vs. Shane rivalries simply aren't intriguing right now, so all the television time being devoted to them on Raw and SmackDown Live feels like a waste. This segment was as formulaic as it gets, and with Miz and The Usos once again appearing on Raw, it makes you wonder why WWE bothered having them switch shows in the Superstar Shake-up to begin with.

Andrade def. Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor, Ali and Randy Orton in a Fatal 4-Way Match (Non-title)

All four of these guys are great, so it was no surprise that this was a fun four-way. Everyone involved got their time to shine and the crowd was engaged in the action. Andrade definitely needed this win the most, and having him pin Balor (possibly earning him a future shot at the Intercontinental Championship in the process) was even better. Ricochet randomly showed up afterward (because of the Wild Card Rule, so why the hell not!) to steal the briefcase away from Andrade. This would have been a nice moment for him had he not just lost clean to Baron Corbin on Raw.

Charlotte Flair Declared Her Rivalry with Raw and SmackDown Women's Becky Lynch Will End at Money in the Bank

As tired as I am of the Lynch vs. Flair feud, the video package reflecting on their extensive history dating all the way back to their NXT days was excellent. I can't say I'm any more for their Money in the Bank match than I was before, but this was a commendable effort. The only thing that confused me about this segment was how Flair came down to the ring only to introduce the video package and disappear. That seemed pretty pointless.

Shane McMahon, Elias and SmackDown Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Erick Rowan def. Roman Reigns and The Usos in a 4-on-3 Handicap Match

Reigns with The Usos is a pairing I (and many others) was pulling for years ago, especially if they were all heel. Sadly, it never happened, but they do have terrific chemistry that helped make this match worthwhile. I'm beyond done with the Reigns, Elias, Miz and Shane stuff, but this didn't feel as lethargic as their tag team affair from Raw. Shane winning was whatever, but at least we got a decisive finish for a change and hopefully that means Miz wins at Money in the Bank and we can move on from there.

The Kabuki Warriors def. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville

Yes, Asuka and Kairi Sane are now going by The Kabuki Warriors, which sounds terrible. Man, it's almost as if WWE goes out of their way to give tag teams terrible names. Hopefully that gets nixed soon. The match itself was perfectly serviceable and was effective on two different fronts. Not only did it allow Asuka and Sane to continue building momentum, it further teased tension between Rose and Deville. I'm curious if that leads to Deville costing Rose the Money in the Bank briefcase on Sunday or if their breakup will be saved for later down the line.

Chaos Ensued on The Kevin Owens Show with WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Xavier Woods

I had no desire to see yet another installment of The Kevin Owens Show, but I thought what they did instead was well done. Kingston called out Owens from the ring, which brought out both Owens and Zayn. Just when you thought Owens and Zayn were separated, they reunite thanks to the lovely Wild Card Rule. Oh joy. I will say, though; if Zayn wins the men's Money in the Bank Ladder match (which I doubt he will but you never know), that could factor into the outcome of Kingston vs. Owens. We'll see if this leads anywhere or if it was merely a one-off for Owens and Zayn.

Overall Show

SmackDown's quality from week to week isn't infinitely better than Raw's at this point, but the two hours certainly make the blue brand more bearable. This was a solid go-home show for Money in the Bank with a ton of good build. The Fatal 4-Way was the highlight of the night for me, but everything else served a purpose and held my interest. I'll be at the pay-per-view on Sunday, so here's hoping it delivers. WWE TV has been very hit or miss lately, but the company usually comes through when it matters most.