WWE WrestleMania Smackdown Review – March 31, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with Jimmy Uso says tonight is the last Smackdown before the biggest tag team match in WWE history on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
Before Jimmy can continue, Sami Zayn’s music hits, and he & Kevin Owens appear. Zayn says Jimmy was right about his aforementioned statement. Zayn says they will put an end to their issues once and for all but before he & Owens take away their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles, they need to lay out everything on the table. Owens says he is a little bit conflicted when it comes to what he & Zayn have to do tomorrow night because The Usos were the 1st two people to make him feel welcomed. He says he remembers the 2 of them playing with his son, and says he looked up to them until they started doing Roman Reigns’ bidding. He says things got worse when The Usos tried taking his career and livelihood away from him and if it weren’t for Zayn, he wouldn’t be standing here today. He says there’s part of him that doesn’t want to do what he has to, but part of him can’t wait. He says that he and Zayn will become the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.
Jimmy tells Owens that he’s right, and says that he and Jey showed him love at first, but they now have no love for either him or Zayn. He says that Zayn & Owens are conflicted about their brotherhoods, then uses himself and Jey as an example. Zayn cuts him off and says blood isn’t the only thing that makes one family. He says loyalty does too, and Jey asks him what he knows about loyalty. Zayn reminds Jey that he was loyal to him and the rest of The Bloodline, then says he was the one to choose blood over loyalty. He says Reigns hasn’t ever been loyal to either one of The Usos, and says Reigns has put the pressure of The Bloodline on him and his brother. He says when he & Owens defeat The Usos, that’s the end of The Bloodline. He says Jimmy & Jey can go back to just being themselves, but without the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles.
Owens, Zayn & The Usos stare one another down before Jey breaks the silence and says it’ll be the same thing it always is for Owens & Zayn. He says after they lose, Owens will betray Zayn and adds that he’s sick of everyone saying The Bloodline will fall. He says that Owens & Zayn will hear the ring announcer say And still your WWE Tag Team Champions, Jimmy & Jey Uso.
The Usos hold up their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles, and exit the ring and head to the back while Street Profits make their way down & they stare down The Usos
Fatal 4 Way Match
Ricochet vs. Chad Gable vs. Erik vs. Montez Ford
Montez Ford goes after Chad Gable while Erik & Ricochet go at it. Ricochet sends Erik crashing to the outside, and Ford tosses Gable through the middle rope. Ford and Ricochet then go back & forth before Gable slides back inside. Ricochet & Ford deliver a dropkick that sends Gable back to the outside. Erik gets back in and they do the same to Erik.
They look to go flying over the top, but Erik & Gable catch them. They plant them on the floor, and Gable tosses Ricochet into the ring steps. Ford is sent crashing into the ring post by Erik while Gable & Ricochet get back in the ring. Gable delivers a dragon screw to Ricochet, but Erik levels him and delivers several right hands to Ricochet’s midsection. He then delivers a clothesline that turns Ricochet inside out, but Gable levels him with a crossbody that sends us to a break.
We are back from the break, Ford & Erik teeter on the top rope as Gable & Ricochet do the same. Ricochet delivers a headbutt that sends Gable crashing off the top while Erik delivers a superplex to Ford. Gable gets back up on the top and delivers an underhook suplex to Ricochet, and Ford then catches him with a back elbow. Ford ascends to the top and catches Erik with a crossbody, then delivers a back hand to Gable.
Gable then levels Ricochet with a German suplex and Erik delivers a knee to Ford’s jaw. He plants Gable on top of Ford, then delivers an enziguri before delivering a senton over the top rope to the other men on the outside. He then delivers a crossbody off the top to Gable, and Ricochet follows it up with a Shooting Star Press on Gable for the win.
Winner: Ricochet (9:36)
Rate: 7
After the break, we head to a video hyping up the Smackdown Women’s Title match.
32 Man Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Bobby Lashley vs. Angel Garza vs. Angelo Dawkins vs. Ashante Adonis vs. Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman vs. Bronson Reed vs. Butch vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Cruz Del Toro vs. Dexter Lumis vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Elias vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Ivar vs. Joaquin Wilde vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Karl Anderson vs. Karrion Kross vs. LA Knight vs. Luke Gallows vs. Ma.ce vs. Madcap Moss vs. Man.soor vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Otis vs. Rick Boogs vs. Ridge Holland vs. Santos Escobar vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Top Dolla vs. Xavier Woods
Everyone starts going at it. Ridge Holland tries tossing Santos Escobar over the top rope while Rick Boogs immediately eliminates Baron Corbin. Dexter Lumis stares down everyone in the corner as Butch fires off right hands to Escobar’s midsection. Top Dolla beats down Bobby Lashley in the corner before Lashley sends him over the top rope. He then tosses out Ashante Thee Adonis & Cruz Del Toro.
Karrion Kross goes after Santos Escobar. Boogs looks to toss Bronson Reed over the top. Ma.çé eliminates Ivar and Angelo Dawkins, then celebrates with Mån.sôör & Otis. Otis then tosses Ma.çé out of the ring, and Gargano throws Mån.sôör over the top rope. Mustafa Ali tosses Dolph Ziggler over the top, but Ziggler lands on the apron. Otis throws Elias onto the apron, but Boogs tosses him out of the ring and helps out Elias.
Elias & Boogs hug but Los Lotharios push Elias to the ground. Boogs then tosses Angel to the floor and throws Humberto on top of Good Brothers & Otis that sends us to a break.
After the break Madcap Moss tosses Dexter Lumis over the top. Xavier Woods has been eliminated by Karrion Kross & Ali tosses Ziggler over the top. Ziggler hangs on and pulls Ali out, but Ali hangs on. Knight then pushes him to the floor, but Kross surprises him from behind and locks in the Kross Jacket.
Bobby Lashley applies The Hurt Lock onto Ziggler, but him and Kross release their respective holds and stare one another down. Lashley tries locking in The Hurt Lock on Kross, but Kross evades it. He tosses Kross over the top, but Kross hands on. Meanwhile, Reed eliminates Moss as Braun Strowman eliminates Boogs.
Reed & Strowman stare one another down while Lashley tosses Ziggler over the top and stares both Reed and Strowman down.
Lashley delivers a splash to Reed in the corner and cinches in Hurt Lock on Strowman. Meanwhile, Brawling Brutes take Reed off his feet. Butch then looks for The Bitter End on Gargano, but Gargano reverses it into a DDT. Knight plants him face first and tosses him over the top, but Gargano hands on. Escobar hits Kross with a hurricanrana, but Gargano hits him with a spear. Lashley delivers a chokeslam to Gargano, then tosses him over the top and eliminates him.
Reed tosses Butch over the top, but Butch hangs on. Reed then eliminates Holland before Butch catches him with an enziguri. Reed then knocks him off the apron, but Holland catches him. Butch then jumps Reed, but Reed tosses him off his back and to the outside.
We are down to 4 Knight, Reed, Strowman, and Lashley. Knight fires off several right hands, but Reed overpowers him. Knight then tries tossing Reed to the outside, but Reed once again overpowers him and tosses him over the top to eliminate him.
Boos rain down from the crowd as Lashley delivers splashes in opposite corners to Strowman. Strowman delivers a powerslam to Lashley, but Reed gets him on the apron and sends him crashing to the outside. We are down to the final 2 Reed & Lashley. Reed looks for the Tsunami, but Lashley rolls out of the way. He catches Reed with a spear, then looks to toss him outside. Lashley lands on the apron, then gets back in the ring and eliminates Reed.
Winner Of The 2023 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Bobby Lashley (14:30)
Rate: 5
Fatal 4 Way Match
Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Sonya Deville
Natalya & Raquel Rodriguez go straight after Shayna Baszler. They toss her out of the ring before Natalya levels Deville with a clothesline and Deville rolls to the outside. Natalya & Rodriguez then go at it, but Deville gets back in the ring and delivers a running bulldog to Natalya. Natalya locks in the Sharpshooter on Deville, but Baszler cinches in the Kirifuda Clutch on Natalya.
Natalya looks to escape by sending Baszler into the corner, but Baszler hangs on. Rodriguez gets both women on her shoulders, but Deville catches her with a chop block. Rodriguez then delivers a big boot to Natalya before Deville sends her shoulder first into the ring post. She ascends to the top and goes flying, but Rodriguez catches her. Baszler charges at her, but Rodriguez levels her with a boot and delivers the Texana Bomb to Deville for the win.
Winner: Raquel Rodriguez (2:54)
Rate: 5
After the break, we go backstage to Rey Mysterio & Legado Del Fantasma. Santos Escobar says he wanted to see them, and Rey thanks them for having his back on Raw. Escobar tells Rey that it breaks his heart to see what he’s going through with his son as a father, then says he can’t wait to see him kick Dominik’s ass. He tells Rey they have his back, and Rey thanks them. He then hands each member of Legado Del Fantasma a shirt, and they turn them around to reveal that they say LWO: Latino World Order.
Tag Team Match
Imperium (Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser) vs. Drew McIntyre & Sheamus
Drew McIntyre wastes no time. He goes right after Giovanni Vinci and hits him with a clothesline, then delivers a chop. Ludwig Kaiser & Sheamus tag in. Sheamus delivers a clothesline off the top, then delivers a splash in the corner and follows it up with The 10 Beats of the Bodhran. McIntyre tags himself in and tosses Kaiser to the outside. Sheamus & McIntyre then stare one another down.
Back from the break, Kaiser beats down Sheamus. Sheamus manages to deliver The Irish Curse Backbreaker, and McIntyre tags himself in. McIntyre delivers a pair of lariats and a pair of belly 2 belly throws to Vinci, then follows it up with a neckbreaker and kips up. He sets up for the Claymore Kick, but Sheamus tags himself in. McIntyre gets in his face, allowing Imperium to execute their finisher. Vinci goes for a pin, but Sheamus kicks out. Sheamus delivers a knee, then follows it up with a Brogue Kick. Kaiser tries to interfere, but McIntyre levels him with a Claymore Kick & Sheamus gets the win for his team.
Winners: Drew McIntyre & Sheamus (8:22)
Rate: 6
Cody Rhodes asks Los Angeles what they want to talk about, then says they could talk about how they’re at the end of the road because WrestleMania is here. He says everyone has been on this ride with him as all his cards lay on the table. He says he’s been making sure to schedule in workouts and nutrition in between media appearances to make sure he’s ready for his Undisputed WWE Universal Title match. He says he’s the most prepared he’s ever been, but he feels unprepared speaking to fans right now. He thanks fans for allowing him to be emotional, then says he feels broken inside and the only medicine for that is beating Roman Reigns. Rhodes recounts their last encounter, then says Reigns likes to say that everybody thinks that they’re the guy until they meet the guy. He says that sentiment has stuck with him, then introduces himself as Reigns’ successor.
Reigns’ music hits and both he & Paul Heyman make their way to the ring. Reigns tells Rhodes that it’s not fans’ turn but rather his. Reigns tells Rhodes to acknowledge him to close out Smackdown.
