WWE Smackdown Review – May 17, 2024
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with a King & Queen Of The Ring recap.
Quarter Final Match Of The 2024 Queen Of The Ring Tournament
Tiffany Stratton vs. Women’s Tag Team Champion Bianca BelAir
Bianca BelAir shows off her power and backed Tiffany Stratton into the corner.
Stratton fired back with a slap and then pulled BelAir down by her braid.
BelAir then kips up and slaps Stratton in response.
They battled back & forth with acrobatic evasions and reversals.
BelAir lands a gut buster then began to favor the left knee.
In the corner BelAir lined up for 10 punches but Stratton escaped and grabs her braid.
BelAir then pulls her back into the corner in a tug of war.
They battled on the apron and Stratton was able to twist up BelAir’s bad knee on the 2nd rope.
She then followed up by throwing BelAir knee first into the ring steps as we go to a break.
After the break Stratton had a submission applied as the show returned.
BelAir struggled but managed to reach the ropes. BelAir managed to kick Stratton away temporarily.
Stratton attempted to pull BelAir under the ropes to wrap her knee around the ring post but BelAir pulls her into the ring post instead.
BelAir started a comeback with body slams and a fallaway slam.
Stratton reversed out of a suplex but couldn’t capitalize.
BelAir then planted her with a spinebuster and got a close near fall.
After a series of reversals BelAir went for KOD but Stratton was able to reverse.
She then landed a running double stomp for a near fall.
Stratton went for a back handspring elbow in the corner but BelAir caught her and landed a suplex for another near fall. BelAir struggled to get to her feet.
She tried to pull Stratton back into the ring but she held into the ring apron.
The ref had to sort it out so Stratton landed a thumb to the eye and a running clothesline for a close near fall.
Stratton then went up top for a PME and BelAir knocked her down onto her groin.
She then pulls her out of the corner & hits KOD for the win.
Winner: Women’s Tag Team Champion Bianca BelAir (13:28)
Rate: 7
After the match Cathy Kelley interviewed BelAir and asked about her knee. BelAir said she is not 100% but she didn’t become the EST by making excuses and next week nothing would stop her from becoming Queen Of The Ring.
We then got a video recap of the Cody Rhodes vs. Logan Paul match challenge from last week.
Backstage United States Champion Logan Paul ran into LA Knight. They had a face 2 face before Nick Aldis pulls Paul into his office.
Backstage Women’s Tag Team Champion Jade Cargill was interviewed by Byron Saxton. He asked about Nia Jax & Cargill calls her a beast but to Jade Cargill she was just in her way. Bianca BelAir walks up and said she put Tiffy in Time Out and Cargill asked about her knee. BelAir said it would be just fine if she had to stand across from her next week. Cargill said ok but they needed to take it one match at a time.
Footage was then shown of Solo Sikoa claiming to have spoken to Roman Reigns and that he was put in charge of The Bloodline until he got back and he was to be his wiseman.
Backstage Tama Tonga paced and made strange noises. Solo Sikoa said it was time to go. Heyman asked if Sikoa had talked to him today and he said all the time Wiseman.
LA Knight was interviewed by Cathy Kelley, and he said he would introduce “Tommy” Tonga to a BFT and move on in the King Of The Ring Tournament.
Carmelo Hayes approached and offers LA Knight a chance to welcome him to Smackdown. They bantered back & forth and Knight said nobody would be saying his name if he’s looking past Randy Orton.
Quarter Final Match Of The 2024 King Of The Ring Tournament
LA Knight vs. Tama Tonga
Tama Tonga took control early with a sleeper before LA Knight broke free but was put back down quickly with a lariat. Knight fired back with a lariat of his own and a back body drop.
Interference from Tonga Loa enabled Tama Tonga to ambush Knight from behind and send him shoulder first into the ring post.
The Bloodline mocked Knight on the outside as we go to a break.
After the break Tama Tonga remained in control.
Knight mounted a comeback with a suplex then slams him repeatedly into the ring apron on the floor.
He then followed up with a pop up powerslam and then calls for BFT.
Tonga Loa interrupted the proceedings and Knight used a baseball slide to send him into the announce table.
Knight then jawed at Solo Sikoa but he then entered the ring and ran into a running flatliner from Tonga for the win.
Winner: Tama Tonga (8:43)
Rate: 4
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes plays to the crowd and asked them what they wanted to talk about. He asked Logan Paul what happened on the grounds they stood on 32 years ago. He said Paul wasn’t born yet so he wouldn’t know but it was War Games 1992. Rhodes said the reason he knows all of this because much like the people in the crowd, he’s a fan of professional wrestling. He called Logan Paul a tourist and he thought now was the time Paul got off the bus and he became a Grand Slam Champion.
Paul replied that he heard that from the last guy and the guy before that and he didn’t come to listen to Rhodes talk he came to sign a contract. Rhodes insisted on signing the contract and called his lawyer over to inspect. Paul tore up the contract and said he never agreed to put his title on the line so he drew up a contract that he made that did not put the United States Title on the line. Nick Aldis steps up and said this was bad business and not what they agreed to.
Rhodes spoke up and told Aldis to allow him & Paul to sign the contract and get it done. Paul spoke up and said that Rhodes has done nothing to deserve a United States Title shot and threw the contract at him. Rhodes told Logan Paul a human hat rack and said the honeymoon is over. He said he’s seen him do a flip, big deal. Rhodes mentioned Mike Tyson and said he would knock out Jake Paul in 8 days and in Saudi Arabia he would defeat him. Rhodes then signed the contract. Paul tried to attack Rhodes but was dumped to the floor. Rhodes then powerbombed a member of Paul’s entourage through one of the tables in the ring.
Cathy Kelley interviewed Nia Jax backstage. Jax acknowledged Cargill was strong and impressive but said she is not going to be the Queen Of The Ring because Nia Jax would be the new Queen Of The Ring.
Quarter Final Match Of The 2024 Queen Of The Ring Tournament
Nia Jax vs Women’s Tag Team Champion Jade Cargill
Nia Jax hits Jade Cargill with a punch and a clothesline.
Cargill fired back with a spinebuster and Nia retreated to the floor.
She pulls Cargill to the floor and tossed her in front of her daughter at ringside.
Jax told Cargill’s daughter her Mom sucks and she screamed back that she did not.
Cargill fired back with punches and they started throwing furniture around.
Jax swung the chair and Jade caught it then wrestled the chair away and smashed Jax over the back with it & the ref calls for the bell.
Winner By DQ: Nia Jax (2:38) (She will face Bianca BelAir in the Semi Finals)
Rate: 4
After the match Jax & Cargill brawled all over ringside and had to be separated by a pile of officials and referees.
Tag Team Match
Legado Del Fantasma (Humberto & Angel) vs. DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano)
Johnny Gargano got a hot start against Humberto and made a tag to Tommaso Ciampa.
They landed a couple of double team moves and sent Legado Del Fantasma to the floor.
They landed stereo suicide dives on the floor and stared down WWE Tag Team Champions A Town Down Under.
Angel low bridged Ciampa as he hit the ropes a moment later and he crashed to the floor as we go to a break.
After the break Ciampa fought to make a tag but Humberto pulls Gargano from the apron.
Legado Del Fantasma lands a Gory Special into a Cutter double team move for a near fall.
Ciampa & Humberto traded suplex reversals until Ciampa finally pulled it off.
Gargano made a hot tag and landed a spear on Humberto and a suicide dive on Angel on the floor. He then climbed to the top rope.
Santos Escobar & Elekta Lopez got on the apron caused a distraction but were caught by the referee and ejected from the match.
DIY then hits Meet In The Middle on Humberto to score the win.
Winners: DIY
After the match DIY trash talks A Town Down Under on the apron.
Corey Graves & Wade Barrett brought attention to the QR codes that have flashed on screen for a few weeks. They showed a short video of someone at a doctor or therapist’s office but it only lasted a few seconds.
AJ Styles was interviewed backstage and was asked where he was going from here. He said he didn’t know but he was very close to defeating Cody Rhodes in Lyon. He said he would go to Nick Aldis’ office and find out from there.
After the break Women’s Champion Bayley was interviewed backstage and asked about the tournament now that Cargill was eliminated. She said Nia Jax & Bianca BelAir are both strong challengers but she was interrupted by Piper Niven & Chelsea Green. Bayley told them she didn’t have time to talk right now but they could meet her in the ring next week.
Quarter Final Match Of The 2024 King Of The Ring Tournament
Randy Orton vs. Carmelo Hayes
Carmelo Hayes slaps Randy Orton early on and then shoved him.
Orton replied with a kick and threw him shoulder first into the ring post several times.
He then hits several European uppercuts and then tossed Hayes out to the floor.
He set up for a suplex onto the announce table but Hayes was able to slip away and land on his feet. Hayes gloated to the crowd and Orton quickly tripped him up.
He then hits 2 suplexes onto the announce table instead of just one.
The crowd chanted for one more and Orton obliged as we go to a break.
After the break Orton attempted to mount a comeback with some clotheslines and a powerslam but Hayes kept his cool and responded with The First 48.
Hayes took to the top rope and attempted a splash but Orton was able to get out of the way. He then landed a draping DDT on Hayes and calls for an RKO.
Orton lined up for an RKO but Melo was able to escape then went for a springboard move but Orton caught him in mid air with a RKO for the win.
Winner: Randy Orton (10:38) (He will face Tama Tonga in the Semi Finals)
Rate: 7
After the match Orton celebrated in the ring. Cathy Kelley attempted to interview Orton but The Bloodline interrupted. Orton asked if they were really going to try and walk out and intimidate him, and said he needed to reintroduce himself. He listed his accomplishments and said he would put his foot up Tama Tonga’s ass in Saudi Arabia next week before allowing him to experience the 3 most dangerous letters in WWE RKO.
Semi Finals
King Of The Ring
May 20th
Gunther vs. Jey Uso
May 24th
Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga
Queen Of The Ring
May 20th
Iyo Sky vs. Lyra Valkyria
May 24th
Nia Jax vs. Women’s Tag Team Champion Bianca BelAir
Next Week’s Smackdown
Semi Final Match Of The 2024 King Of The Ring Tournament
Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga
Semi Final Match Of The 2024 Queen Of The Ring Tournament
Nia Jax vs. Women’s Tag Team Champion Bianca BelAir
Non Title Match
Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Chelsea Green
Tag Team Match
Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Tonga Loa)
