WWE Friday Night Smackdown 8/18/2023

WWE Friday Night Smackdown 8/18/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/wwe-friday-night-smackdown-8112023.html

The Grayson Waller Effect with Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio

GW says he can't wait for Edge to come down and thank him for making him relevant again.

Rey and Santos comes down. Rey says it feels great to be US champ and GW asks Santos if he agrees, stirring the pot. GW brings up Santos beating Rey and says Rey stole his oppurtunity and stole the US Title. GW said Rey is not ready to pass the torch and wants more glory. Santos tells him to shut up and says the only person he is angry with is Austin Theory. Santos says he gave Rey his blessing.

Austin Theory comes out. He mockingly congratulates Rey and asks him where the Father of the Year award is? Theory says what happens last week was a tragedy and he was played. Theory says Santos was too weak with his one leg and not man enough to step up to him. Theory says he is the greatest and says Adam Pearce will give him back his US Title.

Adam Pearce comes out and said nobody wants to hear him complain tonight. LA Knight then follows him out. LA said he didn't just hear that Theory is the greatest US champ ever, right? He said he defended the title once in 3 months then came out and fumbled the ball. LA says he's taking the title from someone, whether it's Rey or Santos. He said he went through 20 men at Summerslam and said it will be no problem to go through Theory. LA said him and Theory should fight for a US Title shot. Adam agrees and said they should do it right now. LA calls him a cross-eyed half-wit.

#1 Contender to the United States Title - LA Knight vs Austin Theory

The Miz's music hits before they get started. Theory charges at LA then hits punches and stomps. Theory fallaway slams him  and Miz joins the commentary table. LA hits a lariat out of the corner then suplexes him. LA 2nd rope elbows him then powerslams him. LA is pulled out as Miz says he's a flash in the pan like Eugene and Fandango. He says he's the next Doink. Theory bangs LA's head off the apron then off the rail.

LA bangs Theory's head off the table as Miz yells at him. LA yells at Miz and Theory baseball slides him. Theory has his head banged off the table then is thrown into Miz. We go to break and return. LA is getting out of a chinlock then hits punches. LA shoulders him over and sunset flips him.

LA is tripped into the 2nd buckle then Theory slingshots into a roll and dropkick. Theory stomps and shoulders LA. Theory rolls in and is caught with a backdrop. LA jumping neckbreakers him then russian legsweeps him. LA hits a running boot for 2.

LA stomps him in the corner and hits a running knee. Theory clips him then LA powerslams him. Miz gets on the apron. La goes after him then ddt's Theory. LA chases Miz in the ring and has trouble lariating him over the top. Theory then rolls up LA and wins it.

It wasn't bad though the shenanigans ruined it. LA got his head busted open just a little here.

Various wrestlers congratulate Edge on 25 years in wrestling.

We see clips of Edge on a talk show with Bret Hart, where he asked him for help to get into the WWF and see highlights of his career.

Damage CTRL comes out. They introduce and bring out Iyo Sky.

Damage CTRL(Iyo Sky and Bayley) vs Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair

Bianca takes Bayley down then hits a spear in the corner. Bianca suplexes her then Flair stomp flurries Bayley in the corner. Flair basement dropkicks her then is pulled down by the hair. Flair facekicks Iyo off the apron then cannonballs her and Bayley off of it.

We go to PiP break and return. Bayley throws her off the top. Iyo gets in and does headscissors into a crossface. Flair back body drops her then Iyo dropkicks her against the ropes.  Flair hot tags Bianca in. Bianca hits shoulders on Iyo thne suplexes her. Bianca hits corner punches then backbreakers Bayley. Bianca spinebusters Iyo then handspring moonsaults onto Bayley.

Bianca's knee is ddt'd into the mat then Bayley and Bianca tug of war on her hair extensions. Bianca hits a neckbreaker + ddt combo on Bayley and Iyo then Flair top rope crossbodies both opponents. Flair hits chops on both then fallaway slams both. Flair forward cartwheels into a lariat on Bayley. Flair goes up top and is pushed to the floor by Dakota Kai.

Iyo stomps on Flair out there. Iyo goes for a moonsault but no one is there then Iyo palm strike uppercuts Flair. Iyo spears the post when Flair moves. Flair blocks Bayley's figure four then Bianca gets in. Bianca hits a KOD on Bayley and wins it.

The match was fine though I do think they went a little long for the near the end.

More wrestlers thank Edge for 25 years in wrestling.

Bianca Belair is interviewed. She is jumped from behind by Damage CTRL. she gets hit with a chair and they pillmanize her injured leg.

The Street Profits vs The O.C. 

Ford and Gallows go at it. Gallows pounds on him then corner splashes him. Ford hits a nice lariat on Karl then Karl is stomped by both opponents. Dawkins does a nice suplex on Karl and twisting double underhook drops him. Ford top rope splashes Karl. Karl evades a 1v2 and spinebusters Dawkins.

Dawkins takes a combo backdrop + neckbreaker then Dawkins escapes a magic killer. Ford lariats Gallows over the top fast then Ford tope con hilos Gallows. Karli flying single leg dropkicks Gallows then Karl takes a sky high + neckbreaker combo for the Street Profits win.

It was very short but action packed. The Street Profits looked really good here.

Bobby Lashley comes out after and poses with them.

Paul Heyman looks concerned in the back.

Paul is interviewed in the back. He has no updates on The Bloodline and mocks the interviewer saying there are rumors going around. Paul says Jey Uso quit WWE and abandoned the WWE Universe. Paul then asks her about the rumors of her family. He asks how her mom is and said he heard rumors about her and her dad. He then heard stuff about her cousins. He says she doesn't want to talk about her family though, but wants to talk about Roman's family.

Paul calls LA Knight a flash in the pan and says she doesn't want to talk about Theory's win over him. Paul then gets a phone call. Kayla wants to know what it was about. Paul says he heard a fact, not a rumor. He says Jimmy Uso will be live on Smackdown next week and Paul says he won't share his source when asked.

Sheamus vs Edge

Edge greets his daughter at ringside and is wearing blue and white Toroto Maple Leaf tights. This is supposedly Edge's last match under WWE contract and people are speculating that he's going to AEW. Cole says "we've all heard the rumors online" and tells him to tear the house down. Edge shoulders Sheamus over then Sheamus shoulders him over.

Sheamus hits an irish curse backbreaker on Edge. We go to break and return. Edge is making a comeback with punches and Edge botches a springboard back elbow. Edge brings him down backwards by the head. Edge slides between Sheamus' legs on the apron and powerbombs him on the floor. Edge top rope crossbodies him for 2.

Sheamus powerslams Edge for 2. Sheamus goes for clubs on Edge's chest but is blocked and punched. Edge spears him off the apron to the floor and we go to break again. We return with Sheamus having him in a texas cloverleaf. Edge crippler crossfaces Sheamus and Sheamus ropebreaks.

Sheamus gets stuck up top and Edge slips on a kick on him. Edge superplexes him then hits an edgecution implant ddt for 2. Edge gets stuck up top then Sheamus hits a 2nd rope white noise. Sheamus hits a razor's edge/celtic cross for 2. Sheamus clubs on Edge's chest. Edge slaps him then hits a lariat. Sheamus brogue kicks him for 2. Edge rolls up Sheamus for 2 then spears him for 2. Edge hits another spear and wins it.

I thought they did too much here. Sheamus survived a razor's edge and 2nd rope air raid crash while Sheamus survived a powerbomb on the floor and a spear on the floor. The idea was good though with Edge trying not to lose on what they hinted may be his last WWE match. The crowd was into this and they busted out some old Edge moves that he usually doesn't do.

Overall thoughts: This show was really all about the main. The idea and story of the main was good, but they really did do too much. The Street Profits vs The OC was very short but action packed and the women's match was okay. Knight/Theory was going well but shenanigans with The Miz brought it down. It was easy to watch, but I didn't think it was a great show.