WWE Smackdown Review – July 14, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with Bianca BelAir says people say good things come to those who wait but she’s found it hard to follow that advice. She says tonight is the night she finally gets her Women’s Title rematch and says it’s her night. She says patience is a virtue but vengeance is sweet and Asuka will get what’s coming her way when she loses her Women’s Title.
Charlotte Flair’s music hits and she makes her way down to the ring.
Flair says BelAir got her fired up and tells her that she thinks BelAir is going to win then she says when BelAir becomes the new Women’s Champion she wants no confusion as to who is next in line. Belair says everyone knows the line starts where Flair is and Flair says it will be the 2 of them who will meet for the Women’s Title. BelAir says nothing would be bigger than the 2 of them meeting for the title at SummerSlam if she wins and Flair agrees for the challenge. BelAir says she’s ready for Asuka and they shake hands.
We then see Asuka watching what just went down from backstage.
Tag Team Match
Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince) vs. Brawling Brutes (Sheamus & Ridge Holland)
Match starts off with Elton Prince slides out of the ring so Sheamus drags Kit Wilson inside the ring and rains down right hands. Prince hops in the ring to save Wilson but Sheamus plants him and does the same to Wilson.
He then dumps Wilson out of the ring and plants Prince with a clothesline then tags in Ridge Holland & he delivers a splash and Sheamus follows it up with a body slam.
Holland delivers a right hand before Wilson tags in and Pretty Deadly double teams on Holland. Wilson lands a forearm then tags Prince back in. Prince wears down Holland then tags Wilson in. Pretty Deadly double teams on Holland but Holland plants them both with a double back body drop and tags Sheamus back in.
Sheamus dumps Wilson out of the wing and delivers 10 Beats Of The Bodhran to him as Holland does his own version of the move on Prince as we go to a break.
After the break Wilson delivers a running uppercut to Wilson before Prince tags in and wears down Sheamus then tags Wilson back in. Wilson delivers a kick but Sheamus gets him in an electric chair position and plants him. He looks to tag in Holland but Prince pulls him off the apron.
Wilson then delivers a neckbreaker and ascends to the top but Sheamus catches him with a knee and tags in Holland. Prince tags in and catches Pretty Deadly with a series of back body drops and powerslams then takes turns delivering splashes to them in opposite corners.
He then suplexes Prince on top of Wilson before landing a fisherman’s buster on Prince. Wilson drags Prince out of the ring but Sheamus levels Pretty Deadly and gets Prince back in the ring.
Holland delivers a side slam to Prince and goes for a pin but Wilson breaks the fall then Sheamus takes him down with a Brogue Kick as Prince unties the top turnbuckle into it. He sends Holland crashing into it face first then ascends to the top and delivers a leg drop for the win.
Winners: Pretty Deadly
After the break we head to a video recapping what happened during Roman Reigns’ trial in Tribal Court last week.
Michael Cole then provides a medical update on Jimmy Uso and says he will be out of action for the foreseeable future as the result of a ruptured rib.
We then head backstage to Charlotte Flair with a suitcase in hand & she runs into Adam Pearce and explains she’ll be leaving the arena ahead of the Women’s Title match later tonight because she is confident she will get her SummerSlam match against BelAir. Damage CTRL walk in and Bayley says Flair isn’t the only one who’s confident tonight as Iyo Sky brings attention to her Money In The Bank briefcase. Flair then has a change of heart and decides to stay.
Bayley vs. Zelina Vega
Bayley sends Zelina Vega into the middle turnbuckle face first before the action spills to the outside and Bayley sends Vega crashing into the announce table face first before she looks to drag Vega back into the ring but Vega catches her with a few forearms and ascends to the top.
She lands a Meteora then follows it up with a hurricanrana and a twisting neckbreaker. Bayley then sends Vega’s face bouncing off the ropes and follows it up with Rose Plant for the win.
Winner: Bayley
After the match Shotzi Blackheart then appears on the Titan Tron and asks Bayley if she thinks she’s really scared of her before she grabs a razor and says she’s in control before shaving the best of her hair off.
Jey Uso says himself & Jimmy Uso were inseparable growing up. He says having brothers is a great thing but something about being twins makes it special. He says he’s sad if Jimmy’s sad happy if he’s happy, angry if he’s angry and hurt if he’s hurt. He says he never thought he would be hurt by a family member in a million years and says he respects all of his family members except for Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa & Paul Heyman.
Jey says he is the real Tribal Chief but before he can continue Paul Heyman & Solo Sikoa appear. Heyman says Sikoa is not here to enforce Heyman’s will or a victory for The Bloodline but rather peace. Heyman tells Jey that they’ll be stepping in the ring and nothing will happen because they will just be talking. He informs him that he will be coming face 2 face with Reigns next week to discuss the Rules of Engagement and for now they’re just here to chat.
Heyman says Jey is sounding more and more like a Tribal Chief every single day but he has no self awareness and he doesn’t have the consciousness needed to be the right hand man. He tells Jey what happened to Jimmy is all his fault and he was the one who opposed Reigns. He sends a message directly to Jimmy and reiterates his point telling him what happened to him is on his twin brother. He questions how anyone in Jey’s family will ever be able to forgive him then passes the mic over to Sikoa after he calls for it.
Sikoa tells Jey what happened to Jimmy is his fault. He says he will never forgive Jey. Jey has had enough and delivers a forearm to Sikoa. He superkicks him out of the ring leaving Heyman face 2 face with him. Jey gears up to attack Heyman but Sikoa blindsides him and fires off stomps. Jey then fires off right hands on Sikoa then delivers a superkick on Heyman and a tope suicida to Sikoa on the outside. He eyes a chair in the middle of the ring and picks it up as he stares down Heyman. He looks to strike but sees Sikoa coming and hits him with it instead forcing Sikoa & Heyman to retreat.
Semi Final Match Of The United States Title #1 Contenders Tournament
Santos Escobar vs. AJ Styles vs. Butch vs. Grayson Waller
Grayson Waller delivers a right hand to Butch then he dares AJ Styles & Santos Escobar to come at him but slides out of the ring. Butch blindsides him off the ring steps as Escobar & Styles take turns rolling each other up in the ring. Styles sends Escobar over the top rope and Butch levels him.
He then gets in the ring and exchanges right hands with Styles before Waller rolls them both up but Styles & Butch kick out then level Waller and go after one another.
Escobar goes flying off the top rope to take them both down then delivers a kick to Waller and executes a chop.
Butch catches Waller with a German suplex and stomps on his hand. Styles takes him out then delivers a Pelé Kick to Escobar as we go to a break.
After the break Waller fires off knees on Butch’s head before he delivers a kick to Escobar’s midsection then grabs Butch’s head and gets in his face. Butch peels Waller’s hand off his head and snaps his fingers but Waller catches him with a back body drop that sends him out of the ring. Styles then delivers a forearm to Waller and follows it up with a shoulder breaker then he goes for a pin but Butch breaks the fall.
Escobar delivers a chop to Butch then sits him on the top rope and delivers an enziguri then he then delivers a hurricanrana to Butch onto Styles but Styles pins Butch. Butch kicks out before delivering an enziguri to Waller and Escobar on the top turnbuckle.
Styles joins in on the fun and Escobar pulls Waller, Styles & Butch down with a sunset flip triple powerbomb then delivers a running knee to Waller and the Phantom Driver then goes for a pin but Styles & Butch break the fall and the 3 men exchange strikes in the middle of the ring. Butch delivers an enziguri to Styles & Escobar.
Escobar looks to go flying but Butch catches him with a right hand then goes for a pin but Waller breaks the fall. Waller dumps Butch out of the ring and looks for a clothesline but Butch ducks it and delivers a moonsault off the ropes.
Escobar then delivers a tope suicida to both men and tosses Butch back in the ring then he gets him up on his shoulders but Styles catches both men with a Phenomenal Forearm and looks for the Styles Clash on Butch.
Karrion Kross appears on the Titan Tron and is attacking Good Brothers. He slides out of the ring to help his teammates. Meanwhile back in the ring Waller delivers a rolling stunner to Butch before Escobar catches Waller with a splash off the top rope to score the win.
Winner: Santos Escobar
After the break we then see The OC checking on one another. Styles says things aren’t over between him & Kross before adding he’ll get him back.
We then head outside the arena to Street Profits meeting a limo. Bobby Lashley emerges and they greet one another. Lashley asks if they’re ready to talk and Street Profits get into his limo.
We then head to videos from Rey Mysterio, Cameron Grimes & Sheamus ahead of their Semi Final Match of the United States Title #1 Contenders Tournament.
Back at ringside LA Knight heads down. He calls for his music to be cut and says he’s everywhere all of a sudden. He says everyone wants to use his name to get views and clicks on the internet then says he’s the best decision WWE ever made. He says no one back there can touch him and says Austin Theory’s United States Title is in trouble. He says he’s coming for Theory and his United States Title and no matter what you call him, you will be calling him champ soon.
Women’s Title Match
Asuka (c) vs. Bianca BelAir
Asuka sends Bianca BelAir crashing to the mat before BelAir fires back with a shoulder tackle but Asuka delivers a hip attack in the corner. BelAir sends Asuka into the top turnbuckle face first then looks for the KOD but Asuka escapes and lands a Codebreaker as Charlotte Flair appears in the crowd with a ticket in hand as we go to a break.
After the break BelAir lands a single leg dropkick and a vertical suplex then she follows it up with a handspring moonsault and goes for a pin but Asuka kicks out. Asuka then lands a dropkick off the top rope before BelAir looks to go flying off the ropes before Asuka catches her with an Asuka Lock but BelAir counters into a pin but Asuka kicks out.
The action spills to the outside and Asuka looks for a sliding knee off the apron. BelAir catches her on her shoulders and delivers a KOD to her on top of the table. Damage CTRL look to cash in Iyo Sky’s briefcase but Flair hops the barricade and catches Bayley with a big boot.
Sky stares down BelAir as Flair looks to spear Sky but Sky ducks out of the way and hits BelAir with the spear instead & the ref calls for the bell.
Winner By DQ: Bianca BelAir (Asuka Retains)
After the match Bayley recommends that Sky cash in her briefcase and Sky listens to her. Bayley goes to hand the briefcase over to the referee but before things can be made official Asuka spits her blue mist into Bayley’s face and slips out of the ring with her Women’s Title to close out this week’s Smackdown.
Next Week’s Smackdown
Semi Final Match Of The United States Title #1 Contenders Tournament
Rey Mysterio vs. Sheamus vs. Cameron Grimes vs. LA Knight
