WWE SmackDown Review – April 14, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn says that it’s only been 2 weeks since he & Kevin Owens won the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles in the main event of Night 1 at WrestleMania, but he & Owens haven’t had much time to process it as a result of everything happening with The Bloodline and the upcoming Draft. Owens says that while it’s an exciting time, regardless of where they end up with the Draft, they are the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions and they will defend them with everything they have. He then says that sooner or later, The Usos are coming for a rematch but before he can continue The Usos music hits, they appear alongside Solo Sikoa.
Jimmy says the pressure is getting to Zayn & Owens after 2 weeks while they held the Smackdown Tag Team Titles for 2 years. Zayn reminds The Usos had to report back to Roman Reigns empty handed, and Jimmy tells him to shut up. He insists that The Bloodline is stronger than ever, and he,Jey & Sikoa have all leveled up. Jimmy says The Usos will be Undisputed Tag Team Champions again before Jey reiterates Jimmy’s point. He adds that while he initially said that Owens will be the one to betray Zayn, it will actually be the other way around.
Zayn says if The Usos want to act like everything’s good and there are no cracks in The Bloodline, that’s fine but he doesn’t think they came out just to talk. Jey says they didn’t.
The Usos & Sikoa surround the ring and hop on the apron but Matt Riddle appears out of nowhere. He pulls Sikoa off the apron and they begin to brawl as Owens & Zayn go after The Usos. Sikoa & Riddle wind up in the middle of the ring, and Sikoa looks for the Samoan Spike but Riddle ducks out of the way and hits a pair of knees before anything else can happen, The Usos pull Sikoa out of the ring.
We are back from the break we go backstage to Adam Pearce and a referee. Pearce tells the referee to find Sikoa & Riddle in order to inform them that they will come face 2 face in the ring later tonight.
Xavier Woods vs. LA Knight
Match starts off with a lock up then they go back & forth with submission holds before LA Knight delivers a shoulder tackle. Xavier Woods responds with a dropkick and a right hand across Knight’s spine but Woods fires back with a side Russian leg sweep and kips up. Knight rolls to the outside and Woods goes flying over the top to take him down.
He ascends to the top, but Knight rolls to the outside. Woods looks for a dropkick through the ropes but Knight moves out of the way and sends Woods colliding with the ring post that takes us to a break.
After the break Knight delivers a swinging neckbreaker to Woods. Woods responds with several right hands and a back heel kick, then follows it up with an elbow and goes for a pin. Knight kicks out and Woods catches him with a back elbow. Knight fires back with a DDT and sets up for a vertical suplex but Woods blocks it and drapes Knight across the top rope.
He then ascends to the top and delivers a double stomp, then climbs up to the middle rope and executes a double leg drop. He goes for a pin, but Knight grabs the bottom rope to break the fall. Knight hits a body slam then follows it up with an elbow drop.
Knight rolls up Woods while grabbing onto his tights, but the referee catches him and doesn’t count the fall. Knight begins arguing with the referee, which allows Woods to take advantage and roll up Knight while grabbing his tights for the win.
Winner: Xavier Woods
After the break we head backstage and see Intercontienetal Champion Gunther chatting with Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci. Xavier Woods starts playing his trombone nearby and Gunther says he clearly wants his attention. He tells Woods that he doesn’t respect him, then says he will beat the respect into him in the squared circle. Woods says that since the Draft is coming up, he feels beyond ready to step up and take the Intercontinental Title from Gunther and to his place.
We then head to a video recapping Solo Sikoa’s beat down of Matt Riddle last December.
We then head backstage to Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn & Matt Riddle. Zayn warns Riddle about Sikoa and tells him he would feel awful if something happened to him. Owens then tells Riddle that he needs to take out Sikoa to exact his revenge. Riddle says he can’t control what The Bloodline does but he can control how prepared he is and the damage he inflicts on Sikoa.
Damian Priest grabs a mic and addresses both Backlash & Bad Bunny. He tells Bad Bunny if he wants to sit front row at the show that’s fine but he knows what’ll happen if he messes with his family again and throws it to a video of what happened between him and Bad Bunny on Raw 2 weeks ago.
Before he can continue LWO’s music hits and Zelina Vega appears. She calls out Rhea Ripley as Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro attack Priest & Dominik Mysterio from behind.
Damian Priest vs. Santos Escobar
Damian Priest looks for a shoulder to Santos Escobar’s midsection. Escobar rolls out of the way and Priest collides with the ring post before Escobar delivers a crossbody off the top rope. They spill to the outside and Escobar looks to go flying off the apron. Priest tosses him back in the ring and hits a Falcon Arrow.
Escobar responds with a series of chops and a dropkick then rains down right hands in the corner. Priest delivers a superkick that sends Escobar crashing to the outside, then follows him out there and delivers an ax handle off the ring steps & we go to a break.
After the break Priest sends Escobar crashing into the mat face first. They teeter on the top rope before Escobar delivers a hurricanrana and a ripcord knee. He follows it up with a pair of flying elbows and a hurricanrana then ascends to the top and delivers a moonsault.
Escobar gets Priest on his shoulders but Mysterio & Ripley cause a distraction, allowing Priest to deliver a clothesline. LWO goes after Mysterio but Priest takes them out and sends them crashing into the timekeeper’s area & this allows Escobar to catch Priest with a tope suicida and get him back in the ring but Ripley grabs his leg. Vega takes down Ripley with a hurricanrana, allowing Priest to deliver a spinning heel kick and South Of Heaven for the win.
Winner: Damian Priest
After the match Priest clears the announce table and looks to chokeslam him through the table but Rey Mysterio’s music hits. Rey doesn’t appear at first but comes out of nowhere and takes out Priest. This leaves Dominik as the only one standing and he ends up in the ring with his father. They begin to brawl and Rey sets up for the 619 but Judgment Day pulls Dominik out of the ring just in time.
We head backstage to The Bloodline. Paul Heyman gives Solo Sikoa a message from Roman Reigns when someone embarrasses one of The Bloodline, they embarrass the entire Bloodline. Heyman gets a little too carried away with his speech and Sikoa cuts him off. He tells him to inform Reigns that he’s got this covered.
Liv Morgan says herself & Raquel Rodriguez are proud to be standing in the ring as Women’s Tag Team Champions. Rodriguez thanks Morgan for sacrificing her body for the sake of beating opponents, and Morgan says she never thought they would end up there. Morgan says that while they’re still getting to know each other, she can only imagine what they’ll be like down the road since they get along so well.
Sonya Deville’s music hits and she & Chelsea Green appear. Deville says she couldn’t listen to the two of them anymore then tells the WWE Universe to respect them when they appear. Deville then questions how they’re the Women’s Tag Team Champions when Lita wasn’t even in the match. She says that maybe someone from upper management overlooked this mistake and Green agrees before she name drops Adam Pearce. She then complains about herself and Deville being overlooked for Morgan & Rodriguez then says the only difference between them and everyone else is the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Green asks when they will get a chance and Morgan says she talked to Adam Pearce before she says she thinks they’ve found their next challengers.
Both teams begin to brawl with one another. Rodriguez sends Green crashing out of the ring as Morgan delivers a Codebreaker to Deville. She sets up for ObLIVion but Green pulls Deville out of the ring.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Madcap Moss
Madcap Moss wastes no time as he rains down right hands then delivers a shoulder to Shinsuke Nakamura’s midsection. Nakamura fires back with an enziguri and a kick to the side of Moss’ head then delivers a flying knee off the middle rope then hits Kinshasa for the win.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
After the match Moss attacks Nakamura. Nakamura looks for the armbar but Emma saves Moss. A video from Scarlett & Karrion Kross then begins to play putting Nakamura on notice.
After the break we see Ricochet & Braun Strowman walking around backstage. Viking Raiders attack them out of nowhere and send Ricochet crashing through a table.
Paul Heyman has a mic in hand and he introduces himself. He says he has a historic announcement to make and says he just got off the phone with Roman Reigns. He says that in two weeks from now, The Usos will be taking on Zayn & Owens for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles in a WrestleMania 39 rematch. He tells Zayn & Owens that they will lose their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles as Reigns has become impatient with The Usos.
Solo Sikoa vs. Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle wastes no time as he delivers a series of right hands and kicks but Solo Sikoa responds with a body slam. Riddle locks in a sleeper but Sikoa quickly escapes by sending Riddle crashing to the mat. He then delivers a right hand and several headbutts then executes a chop. Riddle delivers a pair of chops before Jimmy Uso distracts the referee as Jey Uso trips Riddle. Owens & Zayn get in The Usos’ faces and the referee ejects all 4 men from ringside & this allows Riddle to roll up Sikoa but Sikoa escapes and delivers a Samoan Drop as we go to a break.
After the break Riddle fires off right hands. They go back & forth before Sikoa sends Riddle crashing into the mat. Sikoa delivers a few back elbows but Riddle manages to hit a suplex and looks for a senton. Sikoa gets his knees up before Riddle delivers the Floating Bro. The Usos appear once again back at ringside which causes Owens & Zayn to come down.
Owens & Zayn begin brawling with The Usos on the outside allowing Riddle to deliver a kick to Sikoa. He then delivers a moonsault off the ropes to level The Usos then looks to go flying. Sikoa catches him with a kick then lands the Samoan Spike for the win.
Winner: Solo Sikoa
After the match Sikoa delivers a Uranage that sends Riddle crashing the announce table. He then flips over the table on Riddle & Owens & Zayn run over to check on Riddle to close out this week’s Smackdown.
Next Week’s Smackdown
Intercontienetal Title Match
Gunther (c) vs. Xavier Woods
Women’s Tag Team Titles Match
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville
Tag Team Match
Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet
Smackdown (April 28th)
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Match
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. The Usos (Jimmy & Jey)
