Naomi didn’t even get enough talking time in a segment on this show devoted to talking about her trending on Twitter last week.
The title of this recap speaks for itself.
In the span of a decade, Naomi has been mistreated by WWE creative. Last week, after losing a quick and dumb match against Lacey Evans, who is not over in the least bit, many fans took to Twitter with #NaomiDeservesBetter and got it trending into Saturday evening. And what she said on Miz TV is the truth.
By the way, WWE cuts out a lot of their YouTube videos and for them to put the Seth Rollins puking stars up first instead of leading right in with Naomi talking is everything you need to know. She said the fans support her and she supports them. They are her motivation. Naomi proves that on her social media platforms. As Miz pointed out, she got a loud reaction when she returned in the Royal Rumble this year. Her entrance is eye catching and popular. She has naturally gotten over.
But that doesn’t fit in to plans around WWE so she doesn’t get the spotlight. Yes, she did win the SmackDown women’s title twice, but what since? What even before, besides being most memorably a part of the Funkadactyls? She has expressed interest in tagging with Bianca Belair. I don’t see why that isn’t done in two weeks after this dumb feud with Lacey is done.
So of course Miz and Morrison bring out Lacey Evans and who cares? Her poor lipstick got messed up so she got really mad but Naomi fought her off. I hate this. All over a miserable karaoke contest.
Friends fight for a title shot
Sasha and Bayley started this show giving up the new definition of greatness.
The women’s revolution started with them, and it will end with them. The boys and girls watching at home will see that their dreams can come true, but Bayley chimed in and said that as hard as they try, they’ll never be as great as they are.
BlissCross interrupted and an irate Cross said she demanded a rematch for the championship she was cheated out of at Extreme Rules. Bayley accepted a match for next week, but only if she can beat Alexa in a match. And either one who wins can face her. Stakes!
The match started right after the break and Cross and Bliss did not hold back. Cross tried for a quick pin and Bliss seemed mad that she’d attempt it and targeted Cross’s taped up ribs. Bliss ducked out of a tornado DDT and kicked Cross in the ring skirt because she knows her best friend’s moves. After a well fought bout, Cross pinned Bliss with a small package. After the match, Cross and Bliss said there were no hard feelings and Bliss tried to hype up her friend for her title match next week.
This was the exact conclusion I hoped for, because I have a suspicion that BlissCross Applesauce is over next week. I didn’t really feel any genuine happiness from Alexa wishing Nikki well after the match. Yes you could attribute that to her just losing, but she didn’t want the match to begin with. WWE clearly pivoted on the Sasha/Bayley breakup and I think Alexa may play a role in Nikki losing her rematch.
The million dollar question – who turns heel?
Cinematic bar fight
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.
This certainly was no Casablanca, but in honor of the much anticipated highly sought after second match between Sheamus and Jeff Hardy, I poured myself a tangerine white claw and toasted to the greats.
This was by all intents and purposes, a standard wrestling street fight in a bar. It had your beer thrown in faces, it had the classic dragging a body through glasses on the bar spot, it had a scene in the bathroom, and because its a street fight rules match, it had wrestling moves!
Sheamus broke a stool on Hardy’s back after Hardy but the bartender (same one from a few weeks ago!) through a table. Sheamus Brogue Kicked a drum, Sheamus put Hardy in a urinal face first, Hardy threw small basketballs dodgeball style at Sheamus (Sheamus clearly didn’t learn how to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge), and a convenient ladder happened to be lying around for Hardy to jump off of.
The end result was the right man winning. Jeff swanton bombed off the top and got the three count. Honestly I laughed through most of this so it wasn’t as offensive to me as I had originally thought it would be. Could also be because I myself enjoyed a little bit of the bubbly. In seltzer form. One thing needs to happen though – this feud needs to be over.
Why the hell was this cinematic and not the eye for an eye match?
United, never divided
I am featuring the small part of Kofi and Big E in my review because of one reason:
Big E absolutely positively one hundred percent…ly deserves a singles run.
Kofi came out of the trainer’s room and told E that he will be out up to 6 weeks due to injury. He said that he and Woods have talked and said that E deserves the spotlight because he put himself on hold for Kofi when he had the WWE title.
Give. Big E. An. Intercontinental. Title. Run.
E can easily slot right into a Styles program after next week’s title match. Give me a program leading into SummerSlam and E takes the title.
The Rest
Braun is back home – Bray Wyatt spoke from the Fun House after a recap of the swamp fight at Extreme Rules. His lantern which resembles the old Bray was saying some words I couldn’t catch but Bray said family reunions warm his soul, and Braun Strowman came back home. He knows some of us are worried that he’s trapped in the swamp forever now, but it’s okay, that swamp is 100% certified organic. Heh. Braun should be coming back as a Brooklyn hipster then.
No Braun at all on this show, just small mention of him by Bray and Michael Cole after. There didn’t seem to be much concern for his well being.
Gran Metalik def. Lince Dorado, Chad Gable, and Drew Gulak – Whenever Lucha House Party are in the ring, you need to keep up because they are fast paced and agile as hell. Gable and Gulak had a great moment in the match too where Gulak had a smooth reversal. Gable has amazing moonsaults. Daddy Dorado is bad ass, y’all. I said what I said. He had a frog splash that rivaled Montez Ford on Raw. I did not expect Metalik to win this one. Dorado had a better showing in my opinion.
Matt Riddle def. Tony Nese – Riddle started the match with some aggression and Nese didn’t really get any offense in. Quick win for him. He called out Corbin after and Corbin came out said Riddle has that new car smell, but when that fades, you’re left with a frat boy with no shoes who looks like he just rolled out of bed. He put a King’s Ransom for anyone to prove to him that Riddle can’t hack in on SmackDown. Nese tried to sneak attack the Bro but he put Nese down with a kick. Let’s just get this feud over quickly, please.
The bar fight had originally soured me on this whole episode of SmackDown before it aired, but it was not too bad. Will we see Braun next week? I don’t think so. Will Naomi win next week? I really hope so. Who will go after Riddle for Corbin, who has not bored me for the past two weeks?
Otis and Mandy are back next week and I need them back in my life.
Grade: B
What were your thoughts, Cagesiders?