Welcome to the Smackdown Review for May 22 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
Shame
The Miz welcomed everyone to Smackdown and he brought out his guests, The New Day. The only question he had was which member would be the one competing in Money in the Bank. The New Day resisted every remark the Miz tried to break them apart. The Miz took a page out of the Paul Heyman playbook and tore his foes down while still building them back up. After a this, Big E challenged The Miz to a match. Frustrated with not getting an answer Miz refused. This led to one of the funnest moments of the night as the New Day threw pancakes at him while saying “Shame.” Somebody get a title or a TV series for these three, stat.
Not Rusev Day
I like Lana. She has evolved from one of the best managers ever to becoming a wrestler. Something she had to do in front of a crowd. Brought to the ring by Aden English, her opponent to qualify for MITB was Billie Kay. Was this a five star match? No, but it was fun. English pulling out a huge Lana Day sign, Lana hitting a mean kick, and her face when she won brought a huge smile to my face. The crowd is into her too. For one day, it was truly Lana Day
Decision
The time had come for AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura to learn what Nakamura had decided for their match at MITB. Nakamura made a joke about it being a pillow fight. This set Styles off and the two started brawling around the ring. Nakamura got the upper hand and laid out Styles. He then proceeded to make a ten count before yelling into the microphone that the match would be Last Man Standing. This is why Nakamura works as a heel. He takes nothing seriously, but then becomes a monster. He is a psychotic heel, much like Chris Jericho after he returned to the WWE.
Match of the Night
Daniel Bryan vs Jeff Hardy (Bryan wins by submission)
A lot has been made of Jeff Hardy looking a little slow since his return. This match showed that he can play to his new strengths and put on a fantastic main event. Daniel Bryan, who has been on fire since his own return, was able to play to Hardy’s strength. Another great choice was having no run ins or screwy finishes. Just let two legends go out and do what they do best. Bryan now must turn to the monster known as Samoa Joe.
Conclusion
Naomi beat Sonya Deville to enter the MITB. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson beat the Usos for a chance at the Bludgeon Brothers. Ciem defeated another jobber. The Miz beat Big E with help from the Bar. Joe and Bryan is about as must watch for next week as it gets.
