Welcome to the Smackdown Review for April 3, 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
Same Page
Daniel Bryan opened the show to a thunderous ovation from the WWE Universe. Bryan welcomed Shane McMahon after a two week absence. Shane was moving a little bit slower showing that his diverticulitis probably was not a work. Shane and Daniel proceeded to apologize to each other and promise to beat the hell out of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayne. Bryan even resurrected his hug-it-out moment from Team Hell No. While this promo seemed to show that Bryan and Shane are on the same page, there is something unusual going on. I don’t know if Shane or Bryan is going to turn on the other at Wrestlemania but I will be more shocked if a turn doesn’t happen.
Rusev Day
Rusev and Jinder Mahal had a one on one match up with Bobby Roode on commentary. Aiden English didn’t sing as much as rapped Rusev’s entrance. This match was very good but the real important aspect is how over Rusev is. This was a man that two years ago was getting booed out of every building. And what started off as a joke because he beat Randy Orton once, has now become a catch phrase everyone says. I do think it’s a little too early to take the belt off of Randy Orton but the biggest reaction would be if Rusev wins on Sunday. Roode , Mahl and Orton are great, but there is only one Rusev
Last Time?
Speaking of Owens and Zayn, they appeared out of the crowd to go on a massive temper tantrum. Things took a much more serious tone when Zayn brought Bryan’s wife and daughter in to the conversation. Owens was at his psychotic best but Zayn whinning and taunting really made me wish that someone would punch him in the face. By turning his enthusiasm into an annoying younger brother type, Zayn has thrived as a heel. Bryan and Mcmahon said that everyone should take a picture as this will be the last time they are on Smackdown. As they exited through the crowd one has to wonder if they will be back on the blue brand or the red brand next week.
Match of the Night
Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles vs. Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable (Nakamura and Styles win by pinfall)
AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura teamed up against Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin. The two teams worked very well against each other. While Styles and Nakamura were not outright hostile toward each other, there seemed to be a desire for each man to prove they were the stronger competitor before their championship match at Wrestlemania. After Styles got the pin for his team, Nakamura was attacked by Benjamin. Styles looked like he was going to hit a phenomenal forearm on Nakamura, but in repeat of last week, Styles stopped short and patted Nakamura on the head. Sunday cannot come soon enough because these two are going to tear the house down.
Mixed Match Challenge Week 12 (FINAL)
The Miz & Asuka vs. Bobby Roode & Charlotte (Miz and Askua win by pin fall to win the tournament)
Charlotte and Bobby Roode faced off against the Miz and Asuka in the final of the mix matched challenge. This match was the best match that this tournament had produced. The Miz was at his best taunting Charlotte every time he was about to put Roode in the Figure Four. There was a lot more male versus female action. With Asuka kicking Roode and Charlotte putting the Miz in the the figure four lock, one had to wonder who was going to get the pin on who. WWE wisely gave us a little preview of Charlotte versus Asuka while Roode and Miz did most of the heavy lifting. It was pretty cool to see the Miz get the pin with the skull crushing finale. Rescue Dogs Rock gets the top prize money and Charlotte and Asuka have shown us that Sunday is going to be a hard hitting affair.
Conclusion
Charlotte beat Nataya, and kicked the Money in the Bank briefcase out of Carmella’s hands. Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Mojo Rawley and Primo (who I didn’t even know was still with the company) beat the team of Zack Ryder, Breezedango, and Ty Dillinger. No more shows, time for Wrestlemania.
