WrestleRant
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Audio
  • Videos
  • Store
  • About
  • Contact
Picture

WWE SmackDown Live Review - May 14, 2019

5/14/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
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.
Picture

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.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Categories

    All
    #AskGSM
    Battle Of The Belts
    Cruiserweight Classic
    Halftime Heat
    Hidden Gems
    Interviews
    Lists/Rankings
    Mae Young Classic
    Mixed Match Challenge
    News
    NJPW
    NWA Shockwave
    NXT PLEs
    Opinion
    Previews
    Retro Reviews
    Reviews
    RJ's Two Cents
    Satire
    Slammy Awards
    SNME
    SummerSlam Recall
    The Deadly Draw
    The World Is A Vampire
    Tribute To The Troops
    Women's Eliminator
    Worlds Collide
    WrestleMania Recall
    WWE Draft
    WWE Network Specials
    WWE PLEs
    WWE Starrcade


    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    RSS Feed

©2025 WrestleRant. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Audio
  • Videos
  • Store
  • About
  • Contact