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We are done with Backlash and have about two weeks to go before King And Queen Of The Ring. That means it’s time to work on both tournaments, but I’m sure there will be some other matches on the show. Those could use a start as well and hopefully we get some of that covered this week. Let’s get to it.
We open with along Backlash recap.
Here is Nick Aldis in the ring to get things going and he bring out Cody Rhodes for a chat. Aldis knows that Cody wants to defend against the best and Cody’s next challenger has been determined. Cody is game so here is….Logan Paul. Cody thinks he knows what Paul wants to talk about and yes it would be a champion vs. champion match to kick off the Logan Paul Levesque Era (that’s clever).
Paul talks about a fan having a sign in the crowd saying it’s his birthday, with Paul saying congratulations in meeting a superstar, as in himself. Cody is cool too, but the fans think Paul’s Prime drink sucks. After listing off the nutritional facts of Prime, Paul asks how Cody can finish the story when it isn’t his story.
Cody: “I bet a lot of people stand across from you and say “what a dumba**.” Cody praises Paul’s accomplishments and thinks winning the US Title would make him a Grand Slam Champion. The problem is Paul can’t win a match without going for those brass knuckles and he’ll find out reality at King And Queen Of The Ring. There’s no story between them but the title match is in about two weeks so setting things up that fast is a smart way to go.
AJ Styles blames his loss to Cody Rhodes on the French fans at Backlash. Now he’s ready to win the King Of The Ring tournament to get closer to a title shot.
Match 1 Queen Of The Ring First Round: Nia Jax vs. Naomi
Jax runs her over to start but Naomi manages to avoid a charge. Naomi kicks her out to the floor but gets planted with a Samoan drop to crush her rather hard. We take a break and come back with Jax draping her over the top rope, only to get sunset flipped. Jax’s sitdown splash misses and Naomi scores with a Disaster Kick of all things. The split-legged moonsault gets two and Jax is sat up top for a super hurricanrana (that was impressive) for the same. That’s enough for Jax, who hits a hard shoulder and drops the leg. The Annihilator finishes Naomi at 10:07.
Official Result Niax Jax wins
Rating: C+. This was about what you would expect, as Naomi was doing her athletic stuff and sticking and running until Jax caught her with the power game. Jax going forward is the right move as someone beating her would make for a special moment. Or she could win the whole thing to give her something else to brag about, because she doesn’t do it enough already.
Baron Corbin is glad to be back after finding himself in NXT. Carmelo Hayes comes in to say he’s going to send him running like Bobby Lashley (who is out injured).
Video on DIY, who wants the tag Team Titles.
Match 2 King Of The Ring First Round: Baron Corbin vs. Carmelo Hayes
Corbin as a good guy is bizarre. Hayes takes him down to start and kicks him back, earning a right hand. Corbin knocks him outside and we take an early break. Back with Corbin elbowing away in the corner but getting dropped onto the turnbuckle.
There’s a springboard clothesline to drop Corbin again but he’s back up with a Death Valley Driver. A brainbuster gives Corbin two but Hayes manages to grab the First 48. Corbin returns with a clothesline and a suplex into a cutter for two…but Hayes small packages him for the pin at 6:30.
Official Result Carmelo Hayes wins
Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time here but dang they picked a good bit into it. Corbin losing here is a weird choice as he started fast and the fans were into him. Hayes needed a win coming off his loss to Cody Rhodes during the Draft, which makes me wonder why these two were put together in the first place.
Bayley is interested to see how far Jade Cargill can go in the Queen Of The Ring. Chelsea Green pops in to say Piper Niven will take Cargill out in the first round.
Randy Orton wants to win the King Of The Ring and it starts with an RKO to AJ Styles. He hasn’t forgotten about Tama Tonga though, as they might be meeting in the tournament. An angry Orton can make for some good moments and that is what we seem to be seeing here.
Match 3 Queen Of The Ring First Round: Jade Cargill vs. Piper Niven
Chelsea Green is here with Niven. They yell at each other to start before Niven’s running shoulder doesn’t get her anywhere. Cargill’s shoulder works far better but she charges into something like a Rock Bottom out of the corner. A backsplash crushes Cargill as commentary is already sick of Green’s shouting.
Back in and Cargill staggers her with a headbutt, setting up a Blue Thunder Bomb. Niven trips her down in the corner and hits the Cannonball, only to take too long going up. Cargill pulls her back down, hits a pump kick, and grabs Jaded for the pin at 5:15.
Official Result Jade Cargill wins
Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that makes Cargill look all the more impressive, as she was knocked around by the power before going into Beast Mode to win in the end. It was a good showcase for her, but Niven deserves credit of her own.
She’s a good power wrestler who knows how to use her size to her advantage. Nice stuff here, with Cargill winning with the power display that makes her look even better.
Cargill runs into Bianca Belair as she leaves and dancing ensues.
Shinsuke Nakamura is here to become the pinnacle of Smackdown and no one is safe.
Match 4 Queen Of The Ring First Round: Candice LeRae vs. Bianca Belair
Indi Hartwell is here with LeRae. They start fast with LeRae being sent outside, where a hurricanrana is blocked. Hartwell gets in a cheap shot though and LeRae starts in with some shots on the knee. Belair grabs a suplex but the knee gives out, though it’s fine enough for her to hit the KOD for the pin at 2:55.
Official Result Bianca Belair wins
We look at Tanga Loa debuting at Backlash as the newest member of the Bloodline.
Paul Heyman comes in to see the rest of the Bloodline, where he mentions that Solo Sikoa is making decisions without Roman Reigns. Sikoa brings up Heyman pulling Reigns out of the Draft, resulting in them being drafted in the third round.
Sikoa has talked to Reigns, and he is in charge, with Heyman as his wise man. An awkward hug ensues. There’s your big moment, as Reigns can either come back and correct the wrong he started or say “That’s not what I said” or something else entirely. For now, though, we should be in for a different Bloodline and that’s a cool concept.
Video on Andrade.
Match 5 King Of The Ring First Round: Angelo Dawkins vs. Tama Tonga
Montez Ford and the rest of the Bloodline are here too (including Tonga, not Tanga, Loa). Tonga starts fast and knocks him into the corner but Dawkins hits a heck of a running shoulder. Ford goes after the Bloodline and Dawkins hits a Sky High for two. The Bloodline takes out Ford though and a jumping Downward Spiral finishes Dawkins at 2:11. Bad finisher aside, Tama gave up a bit more offense than I would have bet on here.
Official Result Tama Tonga wins
Post-match Dawkins gets Spiked as well, leaving Paul Heyman looking worried.
Video on Blair Davenport.
Match 6 King Of The Ring First Round: AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
Orton wastes no time in clotheslining him to the floor and we take a break about thirty seconds in. Back with Orton raining down right hands in the corner but Styles scores with a dropkick. They head outside, where Orton drops him onto the barricade but can’t hit the hanging DDT.
He can however drop Styles onto the announcers’ table and then does it again for a bonus. Back in and Styles is ok enough to go after the knee and we take another break. We come back again with Orton escaping a Calf Crusher attempt and kicking him in the chest. Orton sends him to the apron, where the bad leg is wrapped around the ropes.
The Phenomenal Forearm is broken up but Styles grabs the Calf Crusher, with Orton grabbing a chinlock of all things for the break. With that broken up, Orton hits the hanging DDT but Styles is back with the Phenomenal Forearm. Orton grabs the rope so Styles loads up the Styles Clash, only to be reversed into the RKO for the quick pin at 17:29.
Official Result Randy Orton wins
Rating: B. It might not have been a classic or anything but these two on their worst day are going to have a good match. They did well here, with Orton going forward and Styles moving on to find someone else to make look good. It’s a pairing that could have a good match in their sleep and it was a smart move to put them together in a spot like this.
Overall thoughts
The good thing about having a show built around two tournaments, especially in the first round, is WWE can pick a bunch of awesome, or at least intriguing, matches for the first week. That is what we had here, with some fun stuff and impressive performances. Throw in setting the Bloodline in its new direction and this was a solid as well as important edition of Smackdown.
Photo credit WWE
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