This edition of Friday Night SmackDown took place once again at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida with PC trainees in attendance. The show featured two championship matches with Bayley defending the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Nikki Cross and AJ Styles defending the Intercontinental Championship against Gran Metalik. It was also the return of Otis and Mandy Rose.
The opening of the show hypes up the Women’s title match with Bayley and Nikki Cross talking about it, Big E saying that this is his year, Miz saying he will beat Big E in their match, Naomi and Lacey hyping up their match and the hype for the Intercontinental Championship match.
Bray Wyatt appeared with the Fire Fly Fun House, saying Braun’s heart and soul will be in the swamp forever. Bray said The Fiend wants something that Braun has and as long as Braun has what he wants, no one is safe.
“Until HE gets what HE wants, none of you are safe…” #SmackDown @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/X3UojUIOT0
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
AJ Styles Defeated Gran Metalik To Retain The Intercontinental Championship
.@AJStylesOrg may be #Phenomenal, but @WWEGranMetalik 𝙞𝙨 The #KingOfTheRopes. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/WApOPfE8Ii
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
And STILL. #SmackDown #ICTitle @AJStylesOrg pic.twitter.com/HZn3Z315rS
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
AJ attacked Dorado and Metalik after the match. He nailed Metalik with the Styles Clash.
Review: Good match. The match was a little. long but it did what it needed to be and have AJ victorious in a throw away IC title match.
Corbin confronts Shorty G backstage. Corbin tried to kiss up to him saying that it should’ve been Shorty G facing AJ Styles. Shorty G thought Corbin wanted him to take out Matt Riddle for him. Corbin mentioned the King’s Ransom and told him to think about it.
Jeff Hardy came out to the ring. He said he feels really good after beating Sheamus in the Bar Fight and said it was a reminder that he’s put this behind him. Jeff said he’ll never let anyone down again and he is grateful to be alive and well. Corbin interrupted, saying that no one wants to hear about Jeff’s sobriety. Corbin said that Jeff is whining and complaining. He tells Jeff to grow up and believed that his SmackDown is run by the insane asylum. Jeff said that Corbin is the real problem, not everyone else’s. Corbin continued to mock Jeff’s sobriety but then gets attacked from behind by Drew Gulak.
.@JEFFHARDYBRAND finds a silver lining in his #BarFight victory over @WWESheamus last week. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/Fn5mbEaeq8
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
King Corbin Defeated Drew Gulak
Review: Pretty good match. Nothing really anything else to say except I don’t know why Gulak of all people would attack Corbin, seemed pretty random.
Matt Riddle attacked Corbin after the match. Riddle knocked out Corbin with a knee but then Shorty G came. from behind with a German suplex on Riddle. Corbin smiled at Shorty G and they left together.
#King @BaronCorbinWWE's #KingsRansom continues to lure in candidates. #SmackDown @SuperKingofBros @WWEGable pic.twitter.com/llWaQsT1KF
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
Big E Defeated The Miz
There's no stopping the power of @WWEBigE in this hard-hitting battle with @mikethemiz. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/EP9nKWOH7T
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
Review: Good showing for Big E. I hope Big E can go to the next level with his singles run.
Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura toast their champagne glasses to their tag title victory. Lucha House party interrupt their celebration. They want a shot at the tag title but Cesaro told them that they don’t deserve anything. He mocks Metalik for failing to capture the Intercontinental title earlier.
Sheamus spoke backstage saying that he gave Hardy home field advantage when he had him in the Bar Fight. He said what’s done is done and it’s a matter of time for nature to take its course. He said Hardy is not his problem anymore and that’s bad news for the rest of the locker room.
Before the match, Lacey Evans came out to the ring, mocking Naomi’s hashtag.
Naomi Defeated Lacey Evans
.@NaomiWWE wasted no time reminding @LaceyEvansWWE that there is no stopping #TheGLOW on #SmackDown. pic.twitter.com/988r4wFarS
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
Review: The match was okay. I like their intensity throughout the match especially Evans. However, this rivalry is really doing not that much to get these two over and I don’t think Naomi winning helps her with her status as well.
Mandy Rose was putting on lipstick and makeup until Sonya Deville attacked her from behind. Sonya started yelling at Mandy, putting the lipstick all over Mandy’s face and cutting her hair. She was going to buzz Mandy’s hair but officials stop her.
.@SonyaDevilleWWE snaps on @WWE_MandyRose with a disturbing backstage attack. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/sGuD0uyp8F
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
Kayla Braxton gave an update on Mandy saying that she is being attended to by officials but then Miz and Morrison interrupt to mock her.
Bayley Defeated Nikki Cross To Retain The SmackDown Women’s Champion
STILL #BayleyDosStraps.#SmackDown @itsBayleyWWE pic.twitter.com/tFItPrnTHt
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
Review: Not a bad main event but we all knew that Bayley was retaining the title. I don’t know where this leads Nikki but I hope they continue to develop her character with more feuds in the future possibly one with Alexa.
After the match, Nikki shoves Alexa Bliss down in frustration as Alexa tried to console her. All of a sudden, The Fiend appeared in the ring with Alexa. He puts the Mandible Claw on Alexa as the show ends.
ℌ𝔢 found @AlexaBliss_WWE. #SmackDown #TheFiend @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/UzViO8FqLM
— WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2020
Overall Review: There were some good on this show with Big E starting his singles push which I’m excited for and the Mandy/Sonya segment even though it was more about Mandy’s storyline with Sonya and not really that much of Otis since he is the Money In The Bank briefcase holder but everything else was kind of average.
Grade: 5/10
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