We open this show with a video package hyping Jinder Mahal and John Cena and it is deemed “the biggest match in Smackdown Live history”. I’m curious as Jinder lost clean to Orton on Smackdown Live if the same will happen tonight. Are the Singh Brothers wearing moo moos? If wrestling were JUST about facial expressions and looking great in a suit then Jinder Mahal would be Hulk Hogan. The Singh Brothers have rolled out the red carpet for the champ…. I’ll see myself out. Will the foreign gimmick ever not get heat with the crowd? We get a musical performance for Jinder Mahal and his independence day. A woman just pulled the Bray Wyatt ring entrance without the lights going out. We then get the Indian national anthem and another musical performance by the Mahalettes. Mahal starts speaking in HIS language and is interrupted by Nakamura and his entrance. The crowd is HOT again tonight and are all over this entrance. Nakamura goes face to face with Jinder Mahal as Mahal holds back the Singh Brothers. You know the sign of a guy who has it? A guy that hasn’t performed to his highest potential yet on the main roster and still gets pops and chants like that. Decent promo from Nakamura that was elevated a bit by a red hot audience.
Byron Saxton is the worst. Anyway next we have Becky Lynch and Natalya in what should be a good match. I can’t tell you how much I love Natalya’s outfit and equally how much I hate her cat ears hair. Naomi felt left out of the situation as she has crazy glow hair now with her entrance. Honestly I think her entrance would have more impact if it wasn’t done every week. Honestly these two maybe the best pure workers in the women’s division not named Charlotte Flair. This match gets the first commercial picture in picture and they brawl outside a bit before bringing back inside. We come back from break with Natalya locking in an abdominal stretch. Natalya locks in a sharpshooter that Rock wishes he could and Becky Lynch taps out with little fight. Makes Natty credible and Becky isn’t really hurt by it. After the match we get Naomi and Natty getting into it and out comes Carmella. Carmella is on the Alexa Bliss fast track to being the top heel of the Smackdown Liive women’s division.
Backstage we get Lana and Tamina and something looks different about Lana. So Tamina is getting the Rusev gimmick? If she gets to ride a tank into Wrestlemania that’s a win for her. Daniel Bryan and the Usos are apparently boys and gives them a match with Kofi and Xavier. Nice little psychology with Usos wanting to know what two members of New Day they would be facing at Summerslam.
Rusev and Chad Gable is up next and man I can’t tell you how much I love this. Rusev pretty much just lays Gable to waste and slams Gable into the ring steps multiple times. Then he throws Gable over the announce table into a chair. Have you ever noticed how much more submissions hurt on top of the announce table? Rusev grabs a mic and begins to speak and Orton comes out of NO WHERE with the RKO. The crowd pops for the RKO and that’s awesome.
AJ Styles is out to apologize to the guy who may have the best Nike collection in all of sports entertainment. The crowd loves them some Shane McMahon tonight. Shane McMahon lets AJ Styles know if he puts his hands on him at Summerslam then Shane will be putting his hands on him. There is a woman in black holding a pink phone who just marked the f out when Kevin Owens music hit. Owens is out with that smug disgusted look on his face. Owens is cutting a FANTASTIC classic heel promo here and McMahon is having nothing to do with it. Owens and Styles goes face to face and Styles almost hits Shane and Shane grabs his fist and lectures him. This leads to Owens accidently super kicking Shane McMahon and Styles is very happy about it.
New Day has gone from three fringe guys to a failing faction to a hall of fame trio in a matter of years. Their act is still super over and relevant and that merch money has to be DOPE! New Day showing off their athleticism early here with a slew of moves in a row. The Usos have successfully rejuvenated their careers and it’s great. Lookout for this match Sunday to possibly steal the show they have already proven the chemistry is real. Nice sequence from the New Day ad things breakdown. Usos get the upper hand and hit a double super kick for the win.
Fashion Peaks is back for the finale. I love how the Ascnesion has been used during these skits. They find a note in the pie that the Ascension took. Breezango will return in two weeks and there you have it. Fantastic vignettes weekly by WWE Kudos to them.
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Main Event time ladies and gents. Cena looks super hyped to be close to home tonight. JBL announces John Cena as the greatest of all time. A test of strength starts off the main event, just in case you needed proof Vince is still involved with Smackdown. The Singh Brothers are super entertaining as they take turns telling Cena he can’t see them. Cena hits the five knuckle shuffle to a great pop from the crowd and the Singh Brothers pull Mahal out of the ring. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO the Cena STF. Mahal kicks out of the Attitude Adjustment WHOA! You know we all complain about Mahal as champion but every time he is in the main event his match delivers. Cena hits the super AA and Baron Corbin comes in and interferes. You have to wonder if he’s going to cash in after the super AA. Baron Corbin CASHES IN and he’s unsuccessful. I’m speechless literally I don’t know what to say. Is this a good thing? Could this make Corbin snap and become a dangerous man?