Welcome to the Smackdown Review for September 5, 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 Breakdown Gets Personal
Kevin Owens has played a man on the edge of a complete mental breakdown to perfection in the last few weeks. Tonight, he took a turn towards the deranged, a man who has no limits on where he will go or what he will do. Shane McMahon tried to placate him, but the exchange took an ugly turn as Owens mentioned the helicopter crash and suggested that Shane’s family would have been better off if he had died. Shane lost his composure and beat the hell out of Owens. His actions had repercussions, as Daniel Bryan suspended him. Owens pleasure from this was short lived, as Bryan announced that Vince McMahon would show up next week to sort this out. This story line has played out beautifully and I can’t wait for next week.
The Breakup… Or Not
Carmella and James Ellsworth had always made a strange pair. There was little reason that anyone could think of why they were together. Ellsworth had made some mistakes the past few weeks, and tonight Carmella had enough. After Ellsworth cost her the match against Natalia, Carmella berated him in the ring. Taking some very personal shots at Ellisworth, she ended their partnership in dramatic fashion. While this did make Carmella look more evil, I questioned the timing of this move. Ellsworth was her ace in the hole, someone who helped her win her Money in the Bank briefcase. The breakup didn’t last long as Carmella and Ellisworth got back together, all though it seems The Princess of Staten Island might be fully in charge now.
The Baron
Baron Corbin has not gotten his shot for the US Championship and he is angry about it. The poor soul who was in the ring with him was the Perfect 10 Ty Dillinger. Corbin looked strong in this match, his lose to John Cena almost forgotten. Dillinger tried to pick up the pace, but Corbin made him wrestle his style. After losing the match, Dillinger was offered a shot at the US title next week by AJ Styles. Don’t expect this match to not have Corbin involved some how. His showdown with Styles might take awhile, but it will be worth the wait.
Match of the Night
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Randy Orton (Nakamura wins by pin fall to become the number one contender for the Heavyweight Championship)
Shinsuke Nakamura & Randy Orton would seem at first to be another dream match fans never thought they would see. What actually transpired was a hell of a match with two men pulling out all the stops to challenge for the Championship. The intensity that both men had from start to finish made an already high exception match go even higher. The crowd’s allegiances shifted through out the match. Nakamura took and gave some hard hitting bumps. Orton looked like his namesake, a viper who could strike at any moment. Nakamura must now turn towards Jinder Mahal, and find a way to neutralize the Singh Brothers.
Conclusion
A roller coaster of a show, with a fantastic main event. Next week, Smackdown heads to Las Vegas, in a show with three championship matches. Styles vs Dillinger for the US Title, Natalya vs. Naomi for the Women’s Championship, and The Usos vs. The New Day in a Street Fight for the Tag Team Titles. Throw in the return of The Chairman and you have a can’t-miss-show.
