WWE SmackDown – July 31, 2020 (Review)

WWE SmackDown – July 31, 2020 (Review)

In a clear case of counter-programming (albeit weeks later), SmackDown tried to match Raw’s ‘Night of Grudge Matches’ with its own ‘Night of Title Fights’. Or, at least, so it seemed as the blue brand celebrated the shift into August with a tandem of headlining title bouts.

First of the two was the Intercontinental Title defence, seeing AJ Styles trying to keep the aspirations of Gran Metalik at bay. Boy, that’s not a sentence I thought I’d be saying two weeks ago.

But with his surprising victory in an awesome four-way last Friday, Metalik earned the right to face Styles for the gold. And – if there remains any sanity in this Dexter Lumis world – soundly lose in his quest. Even in defeat though, this promises to be a pulsating affair.

The other championship match, however, is arguably more compelling. After weeks of discord, Sasha Banks & Bayley have solidified their relationship and found themselves drenched in gold. It’s likely those two developments are related in some way.

The SmackDown Women’s Champ is scheduled to face Nikki Cross (with Alexa Bliss in her corner), which latter pairing seemed until recently to be inseparable. But Nikki’s sniff of title gold has awoken something in the Scottish grappler and she no longer appears content to be Bliss’s dutiful second. So with their partnership fraying at the seams, Cross mounts perhaps her final challenge for the brand’s top title. A loss here could potentially spell the end for that team.

So there was much to delve into on this week’s SmackDown. And we haven’t even touched on Naomi’s continuing feud with Lacey Evans or the love story between Mandy Rose and Otis!

Let’s get to the review.

The Best of Smackdown

Match Preview

We got the usual string of 10-second promos to kick off the broadcast… and you know what? I kinda enjoyed it. I’m not sure if I was just in a good mood or whether perhaps they simply tied together more effectively this week, but it started to work for me.

I’ve been fairly critical of this new style of presentation in recent weeks. But last night it served to inform the viewer of the matches coming up on SmackDown, in a far more dynamic manner than through simple match graphics and Michael Cole’s agonising drone. Also it gave us Big E hyping up the first chapter of his singles run, which is always exciting.

Championship Feud with no Champion

Bray Wyatt hosted another instalment of the Firefly Funhouse and it was suitably unsettling (without being spectacular). There was no deeper meaning behind all the puppets and sound effects this week, but it nonetheless served a purpose.

Wyatt pointed out that Strowman was still missing in the swamp, unable to be found. But this wasn’t the end of the story. Because the experience in the swamp had unleashed The Fiend. And until He gets what He wants, no-one was safe.

Presumably this meant that The Fiend was in the hunt for the Universal Title. Which of course meant another clash with Strowman was inevitable. It’s worth noting how more engaging this feud is without Strowman in it – which is a sad indictment of SmackDown’s top champion.

AJ Styles Has Grit

Rather surprisingly, the Intercontinental Title match between AJ Styles and Gran Metalik got off to a slow, measured start. This turned out to be a genius move on the part of Styles, who knew he couldn’t match the challenger’s speed and explosiveness. So, the Champion sucker punched Metalik and commenced the gradual dissection of his opponent.

Fittingly, it was when Styles tried to up the tempo that he faltered. Gran Metalik capitalised on the minor misstep and took that as an invitation to start flipping and diving all over the place.

Eventually Styles regained control (and his composure) and reverted to the mat-based offence, trying to secure a submission victory. Metalik was able to wriggle out of these predicaments and again turn the tables, marking another twist in a match that continued to swing back and forth following this pattern.

But as the match wore on, it became clear that Metalik’s leg had been compromised by Styles’ submission attempts. This ultimately allowed Styles to roll through into a Calf Crusher, leaving Metalik no option but to tap out. After the bell, he blindsided Lince Dorado, just to remind everyone that he’s still a knob.

This was a very well put-together contest, forcing Styles into a style he hasn’t demonstrated too often, while showcasing Metalik’s talents. Exactly what Styles needs to continue to grow the aura of the Intercontinental Championship.

Big E Flying Solo

I couldn’t wait to see Big E flatten some fools on SmackDown. Those token fools turned out to be Miz and John Morrison, who were perfect douchy foils to Big E’s awesomeness. As multi-time champions, they have the pedigree to be meaningful opponents but won’t be too badly damaged in defeat.

Big E’s singles turn was of course forced upon him through unfortunate injuries to Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. But that sad turn of events could provide a silver lining for Big E, who many have been clambering to see in a solo capacity.

Miz – with the aid of Morrison on the outside – put up a good fight, but this was always Big E’s night. The powerhouse made a few missteps along the way, highlighting his inexperience operating on his own, but ultimately locked Miz in Brock Lesnar’s old submission move to win. It was a surprising finish for someone who’s based his offence on power.

As a first chapter, this was a solid showing for Big E. And hopefully the start of something great for the former tag champion.

Naomi Gets Her Revenge (Kind of)

Naomi got another crack at Lacey Evans, two weeks after being squashed by the ‘Sassy Southern Belle’. But things had changed since that match. In the interim, Naomi had become the subject of vocal online support, resulting in WWE deciding to push the under-utilised star.

Or so I thought until Lacey started battering Naomi and tossing her about like a beach towel. But then Naomi won by surprise Backslide. Hardly the resounding victory we may have hoped for, but at least she didn’t get squashed again. Slow and steady!

Also, there was a horrendous attempt at what I believe was intended to be a Sunset Flip Bomb on the outside, which – with all due respect – is WAY above these two women’s capabilities (or anyone’s for that matter).

BBQ Dinner Takes a Dark Turn

Mandy Rose was selling Otis on the idea of a bbq dinner and preach sundae… as if Otis needed to be convinced about the idea of food. The beefy beefcake was suitably excited about the prospect of a hot meal with Mandy and they strode off. Lurking in the shadows however was Sonya Deville, looking extra villainous.

After the break, we returned to Mandy applying makeup in the mirror. She turned into a right hand from Sonya! As the attack played out, there were strange static flashes… possibly an allusion to the hacker? Is he still a thing?

Sonya then grabbed a pair of scissors and began cutting off chunks of Rose’s hair (extensions), while she screamed that she would make Mandy ugly. That she would take everything from her former best friend.

Referees eventually arrived to end the onslaught, but not before Deville had gotten what she wanted. This was an outstanding segment, fuelled by Mandy’s convincing cries of panic and fear, as well as Deville’s unhinged behaviour.

In an interview at the scene of the crime, Miz and Morrison – apparently unfazed by their earlier loss – made some lame puns at Mandy’s expense. As bad as they were, I found them relatively amusing without completely undercutting the tone of the segment.

Nikki Cross’ Final Challenge

The main event saw Nikki Cross take on Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. This marked Cross’ second challenge for the title in the past two weeks, but under markedly different circumstances.

The woman who faced Bayley at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules was unsure of herself and slightly timid. This Nikki Cross was ruthless, willing to fight her own tag partner if it meant getting another shot at Bayley’s belt.

But although the Scotswoman shot out of the gates early, things soon fell into a familiar flow. Bayley simply appears to have Cross’ number, regardless of how fired up she gets. After a brief flurry, Bayley nailed the Facecrusher and, once again, pinned her valiant challenger.

Sister Alexa?

A disappointed Cross was left to be consoled by Alexa Bliss. But disappointment turned to frustration and then anger, as she pushed Bliss to the mat.

Cross stormed up the ramp and I assumed the show was over… but then the lights began to go out.

The Fiend appeared behind Bliss and began slowly circling her as she sat on her haunches. Rather than the usual unmerciful attack, The Fiend seemed almost mesmerised by Bliss (can’t blame him), before gently reaching his hand towards her mouth. Bliss was clearly terrified yet unable to move, completely at The Fiend’s mercy as he locked in the Mandible Claw.

I have no idea what this means, or what role Bliss will play going forward, if any. But she appears to have been drawn into the feud between Braun Strowman and The Fiend. And I must admit, I haven’t been this intrigued to see what happens next in some time.

The Worst of SmackDown

Corbin The Motivator

Baron Corbin and Chad Gable were backstage watching the Styles / Metalik thriller. Flouting months of Corbin mocking Gable over his height, the King tried to become friends with the former Olympian. Apparently all the mockery was simply purposed at motivating Gable, who Corbin contended was super talented and shouldn’t be pushed aside by someone who doesn’t even wear shoes.

Gable saw through the obvious attempt at getting him to do Corbin’s dirty work by taking out Matt Riddle. But why even go through the motions of this? There’s already a “King’s Ransom” placed on Riddle and one would assume a string of heels looking to cash in. Why would Corbin try to corrupt Gable – someone he just feuded with? Especially with such a lame attempt?

Also, I don’t want to see Gable as anyone’s pawn. The dude should be a legitimate  star in his own right.

The King is Everywhere

Jeff Hardy appeared on SmackDown to once again remind us that he was an alcoholic. We almost forgot. I mean, it has been a week since we last heard about it.

But Hardy went on. He was also a family man and thankful to be alive and… you get it. As heartwarming as it is to see Hardy continue his path to recovery, I don’t need to hear it every week.

Worst of all though was that the only person who seemed to share my view was Baron Corbin, who interrupted the speech. You know you’re on shaky ground when the only person in your corner is the man with a plastic crown.

Corbin berated Hardy until Drew Gulak jumped him from behind, apparently introducing their scheduled match. I had no idea this was happening. Nor why it was happening. Why is Corbin facing Gulak?

Moreover, is Corbin the ONLY heel on SmackDown? He’s feuding with Riddle, he’s having words with Gable, antagonising Jeff AND having a match against Gulak. Nobody needs this much Corbin in a single show.

The Usual Formula, With Added Riddle

As far as the supposedly pre-advertised match between Corbin and Gulak is concerned, we all know the formula to a Corbin match by now. He gets the heat on the babyface for several minutes, the babyface stages a comeback and then one of them wins.

And so it went for the most part. Until Riddle’s music hit, distracting Corbin. Gulak almost sealed the win with a roll-up but Corbin escaped, hit the End of Days and won.

With the result sealed, Riddle sprinted down to the ring and attacked Corbin. But Shorty G ran out to save Corbin, levelling Riddle with a Chaos Theory German suplex. Apparently he’s a heel now, who desperately needed the cash offered by the “King’s Ransom”. Weak.

Once again, WWE’s answer to someone not getting over is to turn them heel. Sometimes the solution lies in a character revamp, but sometimes all a wrestler needs is to be featured more. I suspect Gable fell into the latter category, meaning that this turn may not benefit him in the slightest.

The Champion’s Lounge

Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura were enjoying the “Champion’s Lounge” backstage, wearing suits and swigging champagne. How did this place magically pop up like SmackDown’s version of the Room of Requirement?

Whatever the explanation, the Lucha House Party wandered in, looking rather confused. Cesaro and Nakamura made fun of Metalik for losing to Styles. And that was about it. I imagine this was designed to lay the seeds for a future feud, but man this was uneventful.

Sheamus is a Problem

By way of backstage promo, Sheamus – still looking like a 1920s newspaper boy – lamented that he had faced Jeff Hardy in a Bar Fight. Apparently it was Hardy’s natural habitat, which had put the Irishman at a disadvantage. As if he had never been in a bar before.

But Sheamus was seemingly moving away from the Hardy feud, as he announced that he had become the SmackDown locker room’s problem. As relieved as I am to see Sheamus move on from this turgid nonsense, I worry that he’s been left with remarkably few options.

Overall Rating for the Show (From best to worst: Smacknificent, SmackTastic, Smack Bang in the Middle, SmackDowner and A Smack in the Face)

For the longest time, this looked destined to be another ho-hum edition of SmackDown. Baron Corbin was overly involved in everything, Chad Gable suffered a barely explicable heel turn and Sheamus did some talking.

But then the second hour happened. And with it came the kind of bonkers action that you have to appreciate.

I could point to Big E’s win or Nikki Cross’ valiant challenge – but this was all about two visceral segments. Mandy Rose was absolutely obliterated by Sonya Deville backstage, with both women producing outstanding performances to match the brutality of the attack.

And Alexa Bliss met The Fiend.

It remains to be seen how those angles unfold. Things could easily take a terrible turn. But until then, this was the kind of intriguing cliffhanger that makes the blue brand SmackTastic this week.

Share all your SmackDown related thoughts with us on Twitter and check out WrestleTalk.com to stay up-to-date with all the latest wrestling news.

4 years ago by Nicholas Holicki

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