WWE SmackDown Live – April 16, 2019 (Review)

The Best of SmackDown Live

It’s a Kevin Owens World

Here’s a small confession – I’ve never been as big a fan of Kevin Owens as most seem to be. I mean he’s alright, don’t get me wrong. But I’ve just never considered him to be the top-level talent that so many seem to always tell me he is. After last night’s opening segment though… perhaps I’m wrong.

SmackDown started much as it did last week: with the Kevin Owens Show. This time the guests were two-thirds of the New Day. Although, considering an injured Big E was the member absent, I suppose it was more like half of the New Day. Maybe 40%. Big E takes up a lot of room in that group.

After a few fun exchanges with a typically rowdy Montreal crowd, Kevin Owens recalled from memory (he had forgotten his notes in his dressing room) that Kofi and Xavier Woods were scheduled to take on Nakamura and Rusev later in the show. Noting that they were down a member, Owens volunteered to join the group on an honorary basis.

After passing the required hip mobility exam and swearing his love for breakfast cereals, ‘Big O’ was born. This was a terrific segment full of humour, crowd service and a decent payoff. Owens, Kofi and Woods were excellent here, and it set the tone for an amusing through line for the night.

To top it off, this led directly into –

Finn and his Little Blue Tights

Finally Finn Bálor has been released from the toxic environment on Raw. Like an incredibly muscular butterfly emerging from Baron Corbin’s mid-card vortex cocoon, at last the Intercontinental Champion might be given an opportunity to spread his wings on SmackDown Live.

I imagine if there had been a poll to determine whom most people wanted to see switch rosters during there Superstar Shakeup, Bálor would’ve been high up the list. Long suppressed on the red brand despite his immense talent, the Irishman should find better opportunities on the blue side of the divide.

Case in point, for his first match on Tuesday nights, Finn was lined up against Ali. If ever there was the perfect opponent to introduce Bálor to a new audience, it was this one. Both men displayed tremendous athleticism, blisteringly hard chops and innovative counters.

After a really good ten-minute contest, the Irishman managed to pick up the pin over Ali following the Coup de Grâce. And, for the first time in months, Bálor didn’t have to overcome a single chinlock to do so!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwVhGgChKxM/

Bird Raptor

Still the dumbest thing in wrestling today. Still awesome.

The Training Montages

Throughout various points in the night, Kevin Owens was put through a rigorous training regimen to ensure that he was adequately prepared for his impromptu partnership with the New Day. After all, you’d better be in peak condition if you want to fill Big E’s spot beside Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.

To this end, ‘Big O’ was challenged to devour a heart-stopping amount of very dry looking pancakes in under 5 minutes, as well as tasked with performing Big E’s token rousing introduction of the group. An introduction which I now know is channeled through the “plums”. Don’t say wrestling never taught you anything.

All of this entertaining silliness culminated in a fun tag match pitting the rejigged New Day against Rusev, Nakamura and Cesara, which the New Day won curtesy of a devastating Kevin Owens Snap Mare. All of this was great.

Buddy Murphy is Lurking

One of the most exciting announcements to come out of the Superstar Shakeup was that Buddy Murphy was coming to SmackDown Live. The former long-time Cruiserweight Champion is one of the most impressive performers on the WWE roster, and his move to the blue brand can’t come soon enough.

Because as much as 205 Live has a history of producing quality bouts, there is unquestionably a cap on how far a cruiserweight can rise up the WWE ladder on that show. So Murphy’s move to the blue brand should hopefully allow him to get off the pay-per-view pre-show circuit and onto the main card.

My only concern is that Murphy didn’t actually appear on last night’s SmackDown, with the announcement of his imminent arrival instead delivered through a pre-taped promo. WWE has a troubling history of promoting new acts for months before their debut, only to then have them flounder once they eventually do. Hopefully Murphy isn’t just the latest to receive the SAnitY treatment, he’s far too talented for that.

“The Future of SmackDown Live. The Future of WWE.”

And no, it’s not Elias.

After some clever misdirection from Vince McMahon (which had me genuinely wondering whether he had become so out of touch with the general fanbase that he thought ‘The Drifter’ would suffice to end the show), Roman Reigns made his shocking move to SmackDown Live!

Albeit that the former Universal Champion was beginning to feel a bit overlooked on Raw, few would have predicted that the centrepiece of Monday nights would be the big name making the jump to the blue brand. And yet, here we are, in a move as brilliant as it was shocking.

Roman has struggled to find his feet after returning from a successful battle against leukaemia, often playing second fiddle to Seth Rollins and, at times, even Dean Ambrose. But now he gets to join a show that just lost AJ Styles, gained Finn Bálor and has scope for both Intercontinental and WWE Championship rivalries. This is a great move for the ‘Big Dog’ and a WWE fanbase desperate for new feuds.

Unfortunately though, he punched Vince McMahon, which as we all know from the Becky saga, immediately triggers a 60-day suspension. It’s a shame that WWE is so rigid with its continuity and consistency. But I’m sure that Roman will start making waves once he returns in mid June.

5 years ago by Nicholas Holicki

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