Welcome to the Smackdown Review for August 22, 2017. For both this and Raw, I will go over what the big talking points were, pick the match of the night, and look ahead to the next show.
Talking Points
The Fight for the US
Shane McMahon called the match between AJ Styles and Kevin Owens right down the middle at Summerslam. This did not matter to Owens, who argued that he got the three count even with Styles’s foot on the ropes. This lead to a final match between the two with Baron Corbin as the special referee. Corbin seemed to favor Owens, which made McMahon come out to replace him as referee. The match ended with another victory for Styles. Owens will no doubt see another screw job and turn all of his attention and fury toward McMahon.
Glorious
Bobby Roode is finally in the WWE. The crowd welcomed him with open arms. He had a match with Aiden English and won in true Roode fashion. Roode has not changed his character, but was treated as a babyface. This will be interesting if Roode tries to be a heel or if the crowd will not let him. Roode was one of a few wrestlers that fans have been dying to see in the WWE. If this era is truly about new talent, Roode should be the first of many.
Gold, Hype, and Showoff
There were plenty of new faces on the blue brand this week. Shelton Benjamin returned and was put into a tag team with Chad Gable. I would have liked to have seen him on Raw with Kurt Angle, but this could be an exciting new tag team. The Hype Bros returned to action as they faced the Usos. No mention was made of the tension between the Bros from a few weeks back. Dolph Ziggler also came back, talking about all the gimmicks he sees and what he is going to do. An already talented locker room just got more competitive.
Match of the Night
Naomi & Becky Lynch vs. Natalya & Carmella ( Naomi & Lynch win by pin fall)
Natalya picked the wrong partner to team with. Before the match even started, Carmella and James Ellsworth were laying out what they would do. This plan involved Natalya being picked apart in the ring while Ms. Money in the Bank watched for her chance. It backfired when Carmella was tagged in without her knowledge and was destroyed by Naomi. There was no talk about a rematch, which makes me think the story line will move away from Naomi to a new challenger.
Conclusion
The big talk will be about all the new faces on Smackdown this week. Shinsuke Nakamura got revenge on the Sing Brothers, but a post match attack by Jinder Mahal shows that Nakamura is still in the championship hunt. Baron Corbin being put into the main event, and his desire for the US title, makes me think his stock has not fallen as much as previously thought. Shelton Benjamin returns to a WWE ring next week and Fashion Files returns as well.
