The WWE creative put on an energetic five-match show to close out SmackDown’s tenure on the Fox Network. A finale on one network provided advertising and hype for WWE to move to their new home, USA Network, on Friday nights. A main event for next week’s show was announced with an interesting stipulation, while also giving us a solid performance in every match.
Fox and the SmackDown Hounds
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Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes opened the show, which was the final SmackDown on the Fox Network, giving praise to Kevin Owens and an acknowledgment of a Michael Cole return. True to form, The Bloodline appears as Solo Sikoa is serious about challenging for the title and he wants to address Rhodes alone in the ring.
Cody, being a little shall we say foxy, says that it is Jacob Fatu who deserves a title shot and not Sikoa. Rhodes slyly trying to drive a wedge between Fatu and Sikoa. The Samoan Werewolf, although thinking about it, eventually acknowledged Sikoa as the Tribal Chief. The entire Bloodline enters the ring and it looks like Cody is outnumbered again, but in comes The Street Profits and DIY for the standoff…along with Nick Aldis. Aldis announces that in addition to the 8-man tag tonight, Cody will face Sikoa in next week’s main event in a steel cage!
Tiffy Timed Out?
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It is fitting that Bayley, one of SmackDown’s best performers in the division was featured on tonight’s finale to continue her feud with Tiffany Stratton. Bayley and Stratton were evenly matched during the contest. The ending featured a great inadvertent distraction of the ref by Nia Jax, in which Stratton had Bayley pinned and would have won. Bayley escaped to nail the Rose Plant for the victory.
Fox Finale Features Awesome Triple Threat
In perhaps the greatest contest of the night, the wrestling move-sets and timing in this triple threat were way better than any of us expected. A match was set up earlier, in a backstage segment that pitted Kevin Owen against both Austin Theory and Grayson Waller. This is not a handicap match, however, as it was one of the better triple-threat matches that we have seen in some time on SmackDown.
Some animosity between Waller and Theory was teased, but WWE is not committing to this quite yet. The ending saw both the fact that Owens apparently cannot be superplexed by any superstar, and also Theory selling the hell out of Owen’s stunner. Great finish and Owens not just survived, but dominated. A-Town Down did not turn on one another and beat Owens down after his victory using both their finishing moves.
SmackDown Review
Bayley vs. Tiffany Stratton: B+
Tiffany has evolved in the main roster quickly and should be considered one of the top contenders for the Women’s WWE Championship, especially holding the MITB briefcase. She looked great again here and would have had the win if not for Jax. Great storytelling.
Giovanni Vinci vs. Apollo Crews: B-
After all of that fanfare and lead-up to Vinci finally making his SmackDown debut, the superstar is embarrassed by getting pinned in about five seconds? Vinci was trying to remove his jacket, but the ref called for the bell and Crews quickly caught Vinci in a crucifix pinning maneuver. It seems like WWE considers Vinci to be a joke, of sorts. Does he get it…Vinci knows it, right? He could be the next Santino Morella.
Michin vs. Chelsea Green: B+
This match could have been filler, if not for the addition of Piper Niven at ringside to support Green. Michin demonstrated superiority over Green before Niven’s extracurricular on the outside when the referee was not looking. Green’s Un-Pretty-Her finisher was quite convincing.
Grayson Waller vs. Austin Theory vs Kevin Owens: A
We have to give all three of these superstars high praise for this clinic that they put on in this triple threat. The timing of the moves was near perfect. The athleticism of all three plus all three using their finishers provided the fans with the visual pleasure of a fantastic match.
LA Knight tangles with Andrade and Carmelo Hayes: B+
LA Knight is now getting involved with the Hayes-Andrade feud and it is fitting, as both of the athletes deserve a shot at the United States Championship. Knight hit the BFT on both men, after warning both of them to get out of his face. Will we see a triple threat for the title in the future?
The Bloodline vs. The Street Profits and DIY: A-
For the final match on this final SmackDown, we were given a high-flying yet still hard-hittingly brutal 8-man tag team match that encompasses what WWE and professional wrestling are all about. One of the most fun spots had a superplex from the top to the remaining combatants on the outside by Tommaso Ciampa. Creative wanted bodies to be everywhere to remember the final contest on Fox, and that’s what we got! Bloodline wins the numbers game, with Sikoa pinning Montez Ford, but the Tribal Chief also being the focus as the show goes off the air.
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