Welcome to the Smackdown Review for April 10, 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
Talking Points
New GM
Daniel Bryan is no longer the GM of Smackdown. Shane McMahon announced this and said that Bryan would now be a full time wrestler. He wasted no time in introducing Bryan’s replacement… Paige! Paige came out smiling,rocking a blazer (black of course). This is a perfect fit for Smackdown. Paige brings something to the table every time she speaks and this role will be great for her. The real question is will she back the babyfaces or will she be more sympathetic to the heels?
Fight for a Chance
The New Day and The Usos fought in a match to determine who gets a shot at the Bludgeon Brothers. Xavier Woods and Big E represented the New Day. This seemed like the match they should have had last month at Fastlane until the Brothers interrupted. One funny moment was when one of the Uso’s was thrown and almost hit referee Charles Robinson. Kofi laughed and told him he needed to pay attention. At the end, The Usos managed to score the victory and will face the Bludgeon Brothers. Of course, the downside is they now have to face the Bludgeon Brothers.
A Queen Dethroned
Charlotte came out still dressed in her Wrestlemania entrance gear. Giving credit to Askua, she claimed that she was ready for her next opponent , which brought out Billie Kay and Peyton Royce ( the only call up from NXT on Smackdown). The Iconic Duo wasted little time, attacking and throwing Charlotte across the announcers table. This provided the opportunity for Carmella to cash in her Money in the Bank and pin Charlotte to become the New Women’s Champion. Even Charlotte smiled in an impressed manner. The only question mark is Kay and Royce working with Carmella?
Match of the Night
AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan (Styles wins by DQ)
Paige made the first match she ever booked a great one. AJ Styles and Danial Bryan is a Wrestlemania Main event and the two were allowed plenty of time to shine. Bryan was at breakneck speed here, almost to the point that I become concerned he was pushing himself too hard. Styles matched him and there should be serious consideration of putting these two into an Iron Man Match. A conclusion was not meant to be as Shinsuke Nakamura came into the ring and attacked Bryan before destroying Styles. Nakamura is great as a heel, his movements now are not silly, but psychotic. A rematch with Styles is definitely going to happen.
Conclusion
Randy Orton will be the first challenger to Jinder Mahl at Backlash ( last year is when Mahl beat Orton for the title). Naomi beat Natalya to show why she deserved to win the Women’s Battle Royal. Nakamura gave a fake apology about Styles, then claimed he didn’t speak English. Superstar Shakeup begins next week and everything could change.
