Welcome to the Smackdown Review for March 13, 2018. 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. And since the Mixed Match Challenge has started, I will review who won this weeks match up.
Talking Points
Dream Match
AJ Styles was all smiles as he made his way to the ring. Taking about his path to get to this moment, he said that he wants to face Shinsuke Nakamura . The Artist made his way and also said that he wants to face Styles, but he also wants the title. This match will not depend on on heel vs babyface dynamic, but rather a match that fans want to see. This should close out Wrestlemania, but will tensions between the two lead one down a darker path? It is also worth noting that Styles and Nakamura both deserve to be here.
Destruction Part II
The only two men standing after the Tag Team Title match at Fastlane were Big E and Jimmy Uso, so they banded together to face the Bludgeon Brothers. This match was out of control from the beginning and even the referee jumped out of the ring. The Brothers were simply too much for Big E and Uso, and they got the pin after a hellish kick. They proceeded to kick the two around after the bell, but both men were able to walk by themselves. The Bludgeon Brothers are the strongest Tag Team right now, but what will the situation be at Wrestlemania? Do they challenge the Usos and the New Day, or will no one be left when it arrives?
Beatdown
Shane McMahon closed the show by announcing two thing. The first is that he is taking time off from Smackdown. The second is that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will fight each other at Wrestlemania. Both came out to confront Shane, but this was just a setup for a beat down as Shane was destroyed by both men. Referees tried to break it off, but Owens and Zayn tossed them aside and continued to beat up Shane. Shane was being attended to by medical staff as the show went off. The question is what will Danial Bryan do about the two men when he comes back next week?
Match of the Night
AJ Styles vs. Rusev (Styles wins by DQ)
Rusev interrupted Nakamura and Styles for his own match against the WWE Champion. The match was just as good as his Fastlane match against Nakamura. There will come a time when Rusev is taken seriously by WWE management. His style is awesome, and the “Rusev Day” gimmick has allowed his personality to come out as well. It seemed as if Rusev would tap out, but Aden English attacked Styles. This brought Nakamura in to save Styles. Afterwards, Nakamura told Styles he would protect him until their match at Wrestlemania.
Mixed Match Challenge Week 9
Bobby Roode & Charlotte vs. Rusev & Lana (Roode and Charlotte win by pin fall)
It’s amazing how Rusev can switch from having the crowd cheer him, to making his opponent the recipient of those cheers. Rusev and Lana were in full heel mode, yelling at the crowd and mocking Bobby Roode and Charlotte . This turned the crowd against them and by the end of the match, the fans were cheering fro the Robe Warriors. This match was about Lana trying to out power Charlotte, a move that didn’t work and made the Queen see red. The second part was when Rusev was tagged in, but Roode was knocked out. This led to Charlotte giving Rusev knife edge chops that made him laugh. It also led to Roode sneaking up behind and delivering a Glorious DDT. A fun match, but I hate to see Rusev and Lana leave.
Conclusion
Carmella got another win, this time over Naomi. Askua and Charlotte met face to face and promised to make the other bow down. Jinder Mahl beat Bobby Roode, but was RKO’d by Randy Orton. Danial Bryan is the only authority figure left on Smackdown and we will see how he address the Owens/Zayn situation.
