WWE Smackdown Review – April 19, 2024
Undisputed WWE Title #1 Contenders Match
LA Knight vs. AJ Styles
Some early jaw jacking then a lock up before LA Knight pushes AJ Styles into the corner then he does give a clean break but Styles lands a kick and grabs a side headlock.
Knight fights free then lands an elbow and grabs his own side headlock.
Some rope running now Knight avoids a dropkick then lands a clothesline.
Knight tosses Styles out of the ring then follows him and bounces his head off the announce table repeatedly.
Back in the ring Styles lands a kick and tries a Styles Clash but Knight back drops him out of the ring then hits a flying dropkick through the ropes and poses to send us to break.
After the break Styles in control Knight fires up with some rights then they hit the ropes for a double crossbody spot and both men are down.
Both men fight up and they start trading punches Styles hits a flurry but Knight ducks a clothesline then lands a series of jabs to take over.
Knight with corner stomps then a running knee as well.
Styles climbs up top but Knight jumps up there and hits a superplex for a near fall.
Styles avoids a suplex then lands a back elbow and hits the Phenomenal DDT for a 2 count.
Knight avoids a Styles Clash then Styles with a roll up for 2 then a Pele Kick to rock Knight.
Styles heads to the apron and wants the Phenomenal Forearm but Knight avoids him and hits the tilt a whirl powerslam then jumping elbow drop.
Knight wants Blunt Force Trauma but Styles bails to the apron.
Styles snaps Knight over the top rope & pokes the eyes then hits Phenomenal Forearm to get the win.
Winner & #1 Contender To The Undisputed WWE Title: AJ Styles
We get a recap of Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga wiping out Jimmy Uso and Sikoa starting his play for power.
We see Solo Sikoa arrive as Paul Heyman greets him and approves of his outfit.
Tama Tonga is behind Heyman & Sikoa says Tonga is the newest member of The Bloodline.
Heyman stammers a bit but Sikoa cuts him off to ask if Kevin Owens is here then demands to be taken to him. They start walking as we head to break.
After the break Smackdown GM Nick Aldis is in the ring, there’s a covered podium and he’s here to give out new titles but first he brings out Triple H. While Triple H is coming out we get our brief moment of static that’ll be pulled out and gone over to reveal the Uncle Howdy tease. Trips once again puts over WrestleMania 40 while hyping up the crowd. After that he puts over Adam Pearce & Nick Aldis as good GMs and then says he wants to make sure coming history respects the past. Aldis then brings out Smackdown Tag Team Champions A Town Down Under. Grayson Waller is glad they’re getting new titles. A Town Down Under make fun of Awesome Truth’s promo this past Monday before Triple H congratulates them on winning then presents the WWE Tag Team Titles.
A Town Down Under decline to shake hands with Triple H then Aldis steps in to tell them if they ever disrespect the boss again he’ll make them disappear permanently. Aldis takes their Smackdown Tag Team Titles and tells them if they focus on comedy instead of wrestling they’ll lose those titles to one of the new teams.
After the break Kayla Braxton interviews Naomi about her Women’s Title shot Naomi loves Bayley but that wont get in the way of her title shot. Last week she beat Tiffany Stratton and plans on going into the Draft as Women’s Champion.
WWE Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Fatal 4 Way Match
Legado Del Fantasma (Angel & Humberto) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) vs. Authors Of Pain (Akam & Rezar) vs. Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
Tyler Bate & Montez Ford starts this match as Ford tries a side headlock then a moment of rope running with Bate then out wrestling Ford and they trade roll ups then a double dropkick and stand off.
Humberto blind tags off of Bate then he & Angel work to isolate Ford with some double team moves. Ford tags in Angelo Dawkins & he runs over Angel a few times.
Pete Dunne & Rezar tag in and Authors Of Pain run wild on everyone then Akam with a uranage to Ford as we go to a break.
After the break Rezar has Ford in a front headlock then drops him with a back elbow.
Argentinian backbreaker from Rezar but Ford slips free and tags in Dunne.
New Catch Republic come in as things break down before get taken out by some of their double team moves but Rezar gets kicked by everyone for a bit.
Bate lifts Rezar on his shoulders with some help and gets an airplane spin going but Legado Del Fantasma break that up.
Dawkins heads up top with Bate as Dunne joins in and we get a tower of doom spot but Humberto tags in blind and Bate winds up getting tossed onto the pile of bodies.
Legado Del Fantasma with a doomsday powerbomb/dropkick combo but Dunne breaks up the pin.
New Catch Republic with stereo Ankle Locks on LDF but LDF fight free as we get another break.
After the 2nd break Rezar is laying in punches to Dawkins before Dawkins eats a powerbomb. Dunne comes in illegally and gets slammed onto Dawkins.
Hammer fists now from Rezar then he tags in Akam before New Catch Republic fight off a Super Collider as Street Profits show up as well and they attack AOP.
AOP get kicked out of the ring and we get Angel joining in on staring down the others.
Things break down and Humberto floors Dawkins with a springboard kick for a 2 count.
Dawkins Pounces Humberto then tags in Ford for a Doomsday Blockbuster and Dunne has to break up the pin again. Dunne & Dawkins fight and Dunne goes for the fingers.
Ford kicks Dunne as Bate tags in and takes out Humberto then low bridges Angel.
New Catch Republic both climb the same corner and hit moonsaults then Ford dives over the top of the corner into the pile of bodies.
Back in the ring Bate & Humberto are legal as Bate eats a clothesline then Angel tags in.
NTY to Bate then Humberto dives onto Dunne & Angel hits a Lionsault but Ford with From The Heavens to break that up.
Bate writhes over and Dawkins tags in & Street Profits hits The Revelation on Angel to get the win.
Winners & #1 Contenders To The WWE Tag Team Titles: Street Profits
We get a recap of Rhea Ripley surrendering the Women’s World Title on Raw and the fallout.
Women’s Champion Bayley gets interviewed in the back & she appreciates being the champion especially since right now she’s the only Women’s Champion in the WWE. The Draft might change things next week but her being champion isn’t going to change any time soon.
Solo Sikoa walks around in the back and Paul Heyman tells him they haven’t found Kevin Owens yet, he’s got to be here somewhere. Sikoa walks off and into gorilla, Heyman says respectfully he’s making decisions he shouldn’t. One day these will be his decisions, but right now only one man can make these calls. Sikoa interrupts him by asking if he’s done, then heads to the ring with Heyman in tow. They make it to the ring as we head to break.
After the break Heyman & Solo Sikoa are still in the ring and Heyman introduces himself then says if there’s a list of the best backstage politicians in the business he’d be somewhere near the top. So permit him to explain what’s happening right now within the Bloodline, the premier act in WWE history. A loud we want Roman chant breaks out and Heyman says as the wise man but Sikoa grabs his mic and cuts him off. Solo ruminates then says last week and last week Sikoa had to lose a brother to find his MFT, Tama Tonga. We cut to the entrance stage where a bloody Kevin Owens is getting abused by Tonga. Owens staggers towards the ring and Tonga steps over his body and heads to the ring. Officials help the bloody Owens to the back while Tonga & Sikoa pose in the ring with Heyman hesitantly joining in. Owens fights back to the ring and brawls with Tonga but Sikoa cuts him off and slams him into the ring steps. Sikoa sends Owens into he ring where Tonga & Owens brawl more as security try to break things up eventually Solo hits Owens with a Samoan Spike. Tonga is attacking Owens and security as they pull him away from Owens. On the floor Tonga gets a chair but Aldis is here to try and settle things down, Sikoa gets the chair from Tonga and tosses it aside then gets Tonga to leave with him. The Bloodline head out as officials again attend to Owens and we head to break.
After the break Nick Aldis finds Paul Heyman and wants to know if Heyman was aware of a car crash. Tonga actually crashed a car into the car of Owens. Aldis understands conflict between the boys but this is nuts. The Draft is next week and he wont tolerate this kind of savage behavior next week. Heyman understands but Aldis warns him that if the Bloodline doesn’t understand then the consequences will be equally savage. He closes by warning that losing isn’t the only thing with consequences.
We get a brief cut away to an interview with Kayla Braxton is with Legado Del Fantasma & Santos Escobar again denies that they attacked Dragon Lee because they’d have no problem taking responsibility for that. Tonight Escobar is going to prove that he was right all along.
Carlito vs. Santos Escobar
Match starts off with both men brawling until Carlito lands a body avalanche to takeover.
Santos Escobar fights back with a boot but runs into a spinebuster.
Carlito with sort of a dropkick as Escobar is on the floor then Carlito hits a pescado then puts Vega on his shoulders to pose as we head to break.
After the break Escobar is in control and lays in chops in the corner.
Double knees in the corner from Escobar then he puts Carlito on the top rope and hits an avalanche hurricanrana for a 2 count.
Carlito fires up with clotheslines now then a knee lift and a clothesline all for a 2 count.
Carlito slowly heads up top as Elektra Lopez & Zelina Vega get into a brawl now with Lopez slamming Vega into the barricade.
Escobar kicks the ropes into Carlito’s groin then posts him and hits a Phantom Driver to get the win.
Winner: Santos Escobar
We head to Kayla in a luxury box talking with Damage CTRL. Dakota Kai denies the reality that Iyo Sky is a former champion then tries to play with the crowd & Kabuki Warriors are still the Women’s Tag Team Champions but this tirade is mercifully cut off by Jade Cargill & Bianca BelAir arriving next to Damage CTRL. Everyone starts bickering as Naomi starts her entrance as we go to a break.
After the break we get a recap of AJ Styles getting the win over LA Knight.
We get a video from Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes from the UK tour & Rhodes is keeping his promise to take the Undisputed WWE Title all around the world while Styles has emerged as the #1 Contender. Two Georgia boys are going to duke it on in France and he puts over Styles as the new excellence of execution and looks forward to fighting him.
Women’s Title Match
Bayley (c) vs. Naomi
Match starts off with a lock up then Bayley grabs a side headlock then switches to an arm wringer which Naomi counters into a roll up for a 1 count.
Headlock takeover from Bayley then another arm wringer but Naomi counters with an O’Connor Roll for a 1 count.
Arm drags from Bayley now then she goes for the arm to slow things down.
Shoulder block from Bayley then some rope running but Naomi with kicks then a Small Package for a 1 count.
Bayley with a Magistral Cradle as they’re just trading pins but neither gets a 3 count then a double crossbody for a double down. Naomi fires up with kicks then a bulldog for a 2 count.
Rear View from Naomi gets another 2 count and Bayley rolls to the ropes as we go to a break.
After the break Naomi hits a jawbreaker then a corner elbow and she bounces Bayley into a corner. Naomi up top now and hits a crossbody for a 2 count.
Bayley fights back with a Bayley To Belly for her own near fall.
Bayley’s turn to go up top but Naomi gets knees up to block the elbow drop.
Naomi with a kick form the apron then a slingshot X Factor and a near fall.
Bayley blocks a split legged moonsault with knees but starts limping on her right leg then hits a knee lift. Bayley goes up top and hits the elbow drop for a 2 count.
Naomi blocks a Rose Plant with a kick then grabs a sunset flip for a 2 count and transitions into Starstruck. Bayley counters into a pin to break the hold and they trade elbows.
They start trading strikes now and Naomi lands a Scorpion Kick then knees Bayley out of the ring. Naomi hits a dive and both women are down on the floor.
The ref starts counting but Bayley hits Naomi with a Bayley 2 Belly on the announce table.
Tiffany Stratton runs in though and clocks Bayley to cause the DQ.
Winner By DQ & Still Women’s Champion: Bayley (STILL CHAMPION!!!)
After the match Stratton lays out Bayley with a shot to the steps then posts Naomi as well. Stratton puts both women in the ring and hits Prettiest Moonsault Evet onto both of them and then poses.
Up in the crowd we see Damage CTRL, Jade Cargill & Bianca BelAir up there react to that while Stratton keeps posing to close out Smackdown.
