WWE SmackDown Live – February 12, 2019 (Review)

What was your favourite moment from SmackDown Live?

Jeffrey Bowie Jr.

The Gauntlet match. This was essentially the same formula used for Seth Rollins last year, but it was a strong performance by Kofi Kingston that showcases why the guy should’ve been WWE champion years ago. I will nitpick and say that I wasn’t a fan of the New Day having to pick which wrestler would fight for the WWE championship.

The problem is that there was no drama between the men as Xavier and Big E were simply happy to let Kofi get his shot at Elimination Chamber. These men had a chance to compete for the top title in the blue brand on Sunday, thus every male competitor should be chomping at the bit for an opportunity to get a shot at the top gold.

Big E and Xavier wanting to be in the match for themselves could’ve been a compelling drama leading into the Gauntlet match. It also would’ve put over the value and prestige of the WWE title itself. Personally, I believe its time for the New Day to break up as there is nothing else for them to do.

Despite my nitpick, this was a great match and a strong showcase for Kofi. I’ll even ignore AJ Styles looking like idiot for not seeing the out of nowhere RKO coming. It’s essentially Orton’s gimmick, but I’ll play dumb and say it was a perfect ending, possibly because time clearly wasn’t on SmackDown’s side. After all, it’s important that we see who’s cheating on who this week on Temptation Island.

Nate Craver

Kofi Kingston’s performance in the gauntlet match was really good. When WWE wants to, they have the performers to tell great stories in the ring. I wonder if this was the same storyline they were going to do with Mustafa Ali if he’d been healthy. If so, that would’ve been great. It would have really pushed Ali even more.

Part of me wonders if it wasn’t wasted on Kofi though. He’s been around so long. He is what he is at this point. This 60-minute plus stay in the gauntlet match was great, but it doesn’t make me think he’s winning the Elimination Chamber. It just elevates him for future storylines. Maybe that’s better used for a newer, up-and-coming star, like Ali.

Steven Lugo

Gauntlet match. It was refreshing to get an hour-long wrestling exhibition for a change. Kofi Kingston was given the chance to turn in an iron man performance, reminding us all how good he really is. It’s unfortunate that Mustafa Ali had to be pulled from the match, but each of Kofi’s encounters (against Bryan, Jeff Hardy, Joe, and Styles) were very good, and even though I decry Randy Orton ending every single show with a random RKO, I thought this one was cool.

On future SmackDowns, hopefully we see this kind of thing again – New Day members doing more than comedy, and longer matches too.

Kyle Payne

That gauntlet match was absolutely spectacular. They needed to build up Kofi as a viable contender for the title and they succeeded in strides. Kofi came across as the athletic, crafty veteran that he is. No one has more heart than Kofi and I loved the amount of respect he got from the audience and the showcase the company allowed him to have. You need to watch this match if you haven’t seen it, especially if you liked the performance Rollins pulled off last year. I don’t want to discount the other performers in the gauntlet match, they all gave great performances and had great chemistry with Kofi.

The segment between Miz, Shane McMahon, and the Usos was great. The subtle jab between the two, the chemistry they had on the mic, the funny moments, and especially that line about Mandy Rose towards the Usos was all great. I’m actually excited to see the match. The SmackDown women had a nice, fun match with Naomi finally getting some small redemption on Mandy Rose.

We can’t not talk about the awesome promo Charlotte Flair cut at the start of the show. She had the entire audience in the palm of her hand. Charlotte Flair is at her best when she is completely in character and trolling the audience.

"I'm going to dedicate the #WrestleMania main event that I'M going to have to my BEST FRIEND @BeckyLynchWWE!" – @MsCharlotteWWE

What a good friend. #SDLive pic.twitter.com/PWYbe6Zjy9

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2019

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