WWE Smackdown Review – May 5, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with Rey Mysterio asks Puerto Rico how they’re doing, then says he is proud to represent Puerto Rico as part of LWO. He tosses it over to Zelina Vega but before she can talk, Judgment Day’s music hits & they appear on the way down to the ring Dominik Mysterio grabs a LWO shirt from a fan and rips it before tossing it onto the floor and kicking it.
Dominik looks to speak but fans rain down boos on him. Dominik calls Rey a deadbeat father once fans quiet down and Rey tells him to stop. He tells him that he keeps running his mouth before challenging him to a WrestleMania rematch. Rhea Ripley gets in Rey’s face and says she has a better idea. He tells him to fight her but Vega steps up to Ripley. Dominik then challenges Vega & Rey to a Mixed Tag Team Match later tonight, and Rey accepts.
Judgment Day looks to leave the ring but Dominik takes a cheap shot at Rey before they do so.
Tag Team Match
Good Brothers (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
Karl Anderson & Erik lock up to get this match started then Ivar tags in and Viking Raiders rain down right hands on Anderson. Erik tags back in and delivers a right hand to his head then fires off several more on his midsection.
Anderson fires back with a chop and a dropkick to Erik’s knee then tags in Luke Gallows. Ivar tags in and delivers a few back elbows then whips Gallows into the corner.
Gallows comes back with a series of right hands and tags in Anderson & he delivers an uppercut before raining down right hands in the corner.
Ivar delivers a boot to his midsection then sends Anderson tumbling to the outside after Valhalla causes a distraction then Michin gets in her face as we go to a break.
After the break Gallows tags in and delivers a pair of clotheslines then follows it up with a running back elbow. Ivar tags in and Gallows plants him. Erik tags in and delivers a uranage then tags in Ivar. Ivar ascends to the top and delivers a splash then goes for a pin but Anderson breaks the fall then Good Brothers deliver Magic Killer for the win.
Winners: Good Brothers
We then head to a video hyping up the World Heavyweight Title Tournament.
Raw Women’s Champion BelAir says she’s happy she was drafted back to Smackdown because it holds a special palace in her heart then addresses Iyo Sky. She says she’s faced the best of the best and flown around the world to defend her Raw Women’s Title. She says she’ll always show up and show out and if she wins tomorrow, she’ll become the longest reigning Women’s Champion of the modern era.
Damage CTRL’s music hits and they head to the ring. Bayley questions why BelAir won’t tell everyone why Smackdown is so special to her then says it’s because she made BelAir. She says Sky will put an end to BelAir’s reign tomorrow then notes that herself & Dakota Kai feel like becoming the new Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Damage CTRL surrounds the ring but BelAir levels Kai & Bayley. Sky then gets in her face allowing Bayley and Kai to blindside her. Belair manages to get Bayley on her shoulders but Bayley escapes. Damage CTRL then regains the upper hand before Liv Morgan’s music hits. Herself & Raquel Rodriguez then appear to provide a hand to BelAir and Damage CTRL is forced to retreat.
After the break we go backstage to The Usos & Solo Sikoa. Jimmy Uso says tomorrow night is their 6 Man Tag Team Match against Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens & Matt Riddle. Jimmy asks Jey Uso & Sikoa if they’re winning and Jey says yes but Sikoa doesn’t respond. Jey tells Sikoa Jimmy asked him a question and Sikoa says he’ll do his part. He says that The Usos need to do theirs.
Tag Team Match
Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser)
Ludwig Kaiser rains down right hands then Giovanni Vinci makes the blind tag before Kaiser delivers an uppercut and an enziguri. Vinci then delivers a crossbody to Street Profits off the top rope then tosses Montez Ford back in the ring. He delivers a rolling senton and a moonsault then tags in Kaiser.
Kaiser delivers an open palm strike to Ford then follows it up with an enziguri and a double underhook suplex. Ford fires off a series of right hands and a back suplex then tags in Angelo Dawkins.
Vinci tags in and Dawkins catches him with a corkscrew. He follows it up with a splash and tags in Ford & Dawkins delivers a spinebuster before Ford ascends to the top rope & connects with From The Heavens for the win.
Winners: Street Profits
After the break we head to a video recapping everything that’s happened between Cody Rhodes & Brock Lesnar.
Cody Rhodes asks San Juan what they want to talk about, then addresses Brock Lesnar. He says there are a lot of nicknames he could attach to Lesnar, but one name comes to mind when he thinks of him gatekeeper. He says Arn Anderson used to tell him when you really made it as a top guy in the industry, you reached the kingdom. He says Lesnar looms over the kingdom and when you work for WWE, you don’t have to compete against Lesnar to make a good living. He says Lesnar pick a fight with him and he has yet to explain why. He says maybe Lesnar will when he beats it out of him and brings up his earlier comments about being afraid of Lesnar. He says that still holds true, but he has no time to be afraid. He says tomorrow is a fair fight and he’ll leave Puerto Rico claiming his kingdom.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross fires off several right hands but Shinsuke Nakamura responds with a series of kicks but Kross delivers a right hand. Nakamura hits a kick and Kross rolls out of the ring. Nakamura follows him to the outside, where Kross is waiting with a knee then powerbombs Nakamura into the ring post as we go to a break.
After the break Kross delivers several kicks to Namakura’s head and calls him The King Of Trash. He then delivers a headbutt but a fired up Nakamura delivers several kicks to his chest. He follows it up with an enziguri and a knee to Kross’ midsection then goes for a pin but Kross kicks out.
Scarlett hops up on the apron and gets in Nakamura’s face & this allows Kross to deliver a Doomsday Saito. Nakamura looks to lock in an armbar but Kross counters it into a pin. He looks to set up for a powerbomb but Nakamura locks in a Guillotine but Kross escapes and Nakamura delivers a German suplex.
He sets up for the Kinshasa but Kross catches him with a clothesline that turns him inside out. Nakamura lands an enziguri and a kick to the back of his neck then lands the Kinshasa for the win.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
After the break we head to a video recapping all the NXT Superstars called up to Smackdown during the Draft.
We then head backstage to Adam Pearce & Cameron Grimes. Pearce welcomes Grimes to Smackdown before Baron Corbin walks in. He congratulates him on being the last pick and Grimes says he’s saying that like it’s worse than not being picked. Corbin says he wasn’t picked because everyone wants him then says all his career will be irrelevant. Grimes challenges him to a match and Pearce makes it official.
Michael Cole & Wade Barrett then run down the card for Backlash before throwing it to a video of the confrontation between Bad Bunny & Damian Priest earlier today.
Mixed Tag Team Match
Judgement Day (Smackdown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley & Dominik Mysterio) vs. Latino World Order (Zelina Vega & Rey Mysterio)
Match starts off with Zelina Vega fires off a few kicks to Rhea Ripley but Ripley becomes angered before Vega ascends to the top rope and delivers a diving hurricanrana. Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio tag in. Dominik delivers a boot to Rey’s midsection. Rey runs the ropes but Ripley delivers a cheap kick. Vega & Ripley tag in. Vega gets an assist from Rey and delivers a hurricanrana then sets up for the 619 but Ripley enters the ring and catches her with a boot before she lands it as we go to a break.
We are back from the break Ripley delivers a right hand to Vega’s spine. Vega pins Ripley but Ripley kicks out. Ripley continues to beat Vega down but Vega manages to send her crashing into the ring post shoulder first and tags in Rey. Dominik gets in the ring and Rey levels him with a right hand. He then follows it up with a crossbody off the ropes but Dominik gets him up on his shoulders in an electric chair position.
Rey rains down right hands but Dominik plants him with a Michinoku Driver. Rey sets up for a 619 but Ripley distracts him. Vega sends her into the barricade and Rey lands the 619. Finn Balor distracts Rey allowing Dominik to deliver the 3 Amigos but after Dominik lands the 2nd suplex, Rey rolls him up for the win.
Winners: Latino World Order
After the match Judgment Day beats down Rey. Damian Priest joins in but Bad Bunny’s music hits and he heads down to the ring with a kendo stick in hand and the rest of LWO. LWO takes out Balor & Dominik leaving Bad Bunny in the ring with Priest. Dominik charges at him but Bad Bunny hits him with the kendo stick. Priest sneaks out of the ring and stares down Bad Bunny. Rey then hands Bad Bunny a LWO shirt and he puts it on to close out this week’s Smackdown.
Backlash Card (May 6th)
6 Man Tag Team Match
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn & Matt Riddle vs. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso & Solo Sikoa)
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lensar
Smackdown Women’s Title Match
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zelina Vega
Seth Rollins vs. Omos
United States Title Triple Threat Match
Austin Theory (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed
Raw Women’s Title Match
Bianca BelAir (c) vs. Iyo Sky
San Juan Street Fight
Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest
Next Week’s Smackdown
Quarter Final Match Of The World Heavyweight Title Tournament
TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD
Quarter Final Match Of The World Heavyweight Title Tournament
TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD
Semi Final Match Of The World Heavyweight Title Tournament
TBD vs. TBD
Cameron Grimes vs. Baron Corbin
Women’s Tag Team Titles Match
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley & Dakota Kai)
