WWE Smackdown 5/31/2024
Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/wwe-smackdown-5242024.html
Nick Aldis is in the ring and welcomes us to the show. He says there's no better feeling than when of your top draft picks comes through in the clutch. He then brings out Nia Jax.
Nia says let's get the facts straight and says it's a fact that she is Queen of the Ring. She says she gets a title shot at Summerslam. She says she is commanding Bayley's presence in her ring right now.
Bayley comes out and is nailed from behind by Bayley and Chelsea Green. She is thrown into the rails. Piper low crossbody splashes her in the ring. Green gets on the mic and says by the time Summerslam arrives, Piper Niven will be champ. Nia says she doesn't give a d@mn who the champ is as she will annihilate her regardless.
AJ Styles goes up to Nick Aldis in the back. He says he wants to address his future. He won't tell him ahead of time as he wants to do it in the ring tonight.
Naomi checks on Bayley in the medical trainer's room. Naomi asks if she is okay and says Green and Piper aren't getting away with this. Bayley asks if she is good to fight tonight and is told she is and they said they will fight Green and Piper tonight.
Tomasso Ciampa vs Austin Theory
We see an inset from earlier in the day. DIY asks Nick who the #1 contender's to the tag titles are. Waller says they are begging for shots and it's embarrassing. Ciampa yells back and Nick sets this match up.
Austin backs him up and is shoved. Ciampa chops and boots him. Ciampa running back elbows him. Ciampa hits corner punches on Austin then nails Waller too when he gets on the apron. Austin hits oblivion on Ciampa.
Austin hits back elbows. Ciampa misses a crossbody then is bridging neckbreakered on the floor. We go to break and return. Austin slingshot rolls in and is dropkicked. Ciampa hits punches and chops then flying lariats him. Ciampa reverse ddt's him.
Austin back body drops him and superkicks him in the back of the head. Austin hits ataxia for 2. Ciampa blocks a TKO on the knee. They trade shots and facekick each other at the same time. Austin back elbows him then takes a running knee.
Waller yells at the commentators and takes credit for Theory's standing. Theory asks him why he says that. Ciampa pushes Austin into Waller and rolls him up to win it.
Thoughts: It was a bit of a longer match than I expected. It was rather even and back and forth. Nothing was wrong with it but I thought it was an average match.
Nick Aldis talks to Blair Davenport in the back. Naomi comes in and says she and Bayley want a match vs Chelsea and Piper. Blair says she's rubbing her the wrong way. Naomi says she would normally introduce herself. Blair says she's Blair Davenport and says she has no doubt she will know exactly who she is. Nick sets the Bayley and Naomi tag up for tonight.
LA Knight comes in. He says AJ's not really retired, is he? Nick says he doesn't know. LA asks where Logan Paul is and Nick tells him to take a seat.
LA Knight is asked what he talked about with Nick Aldis. LA says there's not much to tell her and said Nick didn't have much for him. LA says Nick told him Logan Paul isn't here this week. He says he's here though and says he will make the answer he wants. He says the wants the US Title.
Carmelo Hayes goes up to him. He says LA is always doing the talking but never doing anything. Melo says Logan knows ball and LA isn't it. He says if Logan wants to talk the talk, LA's the guy. But if he wants to walk the way, he's him. LA calls him trash.
Andrade vs Apollo Crews
We see Angel go up to Andrade in an inset. He said he put a good word in for him to Santos. He said they are ready to welcome him into Legado Del Fantasma. Andrade says thank you but no thank you.
Crew back elbows him and takes a leg lariat. andrade backdrops him. Angel comes out, Andrade is distracted and kicked in the back of the head. Crews moonsaults him off the apron. We go to break and return.
Andrade top rope crossbodies him. They trade forearms and Andrade flying forearms him. Andrade kips up and meteora's Crews in the corner. Andrade is enzugiri'd while on the 2nd rope and Crews gorilla press drops him. Crews hits a standing moonsault for 2. Crews is distracted by Angel and Andrade spinning back elbows Crews. Andrade hits a double underhook twisting neckbreaker and wins it.
Thoughts: It was a midcard workrate match as you would expect. It was shorter but okay for what it was.
Legado comes out after to join Angel, who is thrilled about the win. Andrade walks their way and walks through them. Santos stares down Angel and Angel tells him to hold on.
Bloodline talk in the back. Solo tells Loa to do everything in his power tonight. Paul Heyman comes up to Solo. He says he's been doing a lot of thinking about how he can better serve him while he's in charge. Paul says there was a lot of violence in Bloodline while Roman was around. He says that was to preserve family and said there was a lot of council before he did that.
Paul says Solo is recruiting some very violent men in Bloodline. He says he sees random acts of violence but no strategy. Paul says the strategy has to be that when Roman comes back, they have Cody Rhodes in check. Solo says they get Cody in check and he doesn't even know it.
Paul asks who we is. Kevin Owens' music hits. Solo says he has a strategy for him and its to go out and fix Owens, now.
Angel asks Andrade what happened and said he just embarrassed him. Crews then jumps Angel and yells at him. Security then breaks it up.
Kevin Owens talks in the ring. He said he went to Saudi Arabia to make sure he had Randy Orton's back. He said Orton had his back over the years and wanted to make sure Solo Sikoa and his crew wouldn't ruin Randy's chances at KOTR. Owens says Orton isn't KOTR but didn't really lose. He says he knows Solo and his crew are here though.
Paul Heyman comes out. He said he has served as the wise man for Roman Reigns and now Solo and Bloodline. He says there's a mutual interest that he hopes he can serve. Owens tells him to get in the ring and get to the point.
Paul says there's not a person here who wants Roman more than he does as the crowd chants for Roman. Paul says Roman has great respect for Kevin. He says Solo has no respect for Kevin and is recruiting criminals in Bloodline. Paul says they did background checks on these people and didn't want them in there. Paul says he's picking fights with these people. He says they aren't people, just bloodthirsty, sadistic thugs. He says they aren't looking for a reason to take him out, they are looking for an excuse to take him out.
Paul says if you keep calling Solo's name, they will do something really bad about it. He says he is asking and pleading with him to back off The Bloodline.
Kevin says he doesn't trust him and isn't falling for it. He said Paul went from Brock to Roman and is using Solo as his next cash cow. Kevin says he doesn't know what this act is about. He said he fought Bloodline for four years, with them throwing him off of things and hitting him with a golf cart. He said that was Roman's Bloodline. He says the new Bloodline are Solo and two guys he doesn't wanna know. He says he will do whatever he can to get them out of his world. Kevin says he doesn't want or need Paul's help.
Paul says maybe he's not trying to help him, maybe he's just trying to save him. Paul talks about trying to redeem himself and asks why he doesn't understand what he's up against. He says he's a Hall of Fame wiseman and mocks him not listening to him. Paul then throws the mic and hits Kevin with it.
Paul is scared and says he's sorry. Kevin backs up Paul then Bloodline come out. The Street Profits then come out behind Owens. Tama says let's go and the 6 men fight. Solo and Kevin fight in the crowd and fight to the back as the other 4 fight in the ring. Tama and Loa are thrown out and Dawkins tope con hilos them.
Thoughts: Paul was great here. I didn't like Bloodline getting knocked out of the ring though as they need to be protected hard for the hype they are getting.
The Street Profits vs The Bloodline (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa)
Ford hits corner spears on Tama. Dawkins hits shots on Tama. Tamna takes a backdrop for 2. Ford kicks Lowa from the apron then Tama knocks him off the apron. Loa throws Ford into the rails then throws him in. Tama pounds on Ford then low lariats him twice while he's seated.
Loa powerslams Ford then suplexes him. Tama slingshot swantons Ford and kicks him in the back. Tama euros Ford. Ford ducks a lariat and tags in Dawkins. Dawkins hits lariats on Tama then flying back elbows him. Dawkins corkscrew splashes him in the corner then enzugiri's him.
Dawkins leapfrogs Tama then takes a big lariat from Loa. Loa backdrops Dawkins and throws him out. Dawkins' head is banged off the commentary table. Tama jumps off the steps and lariats Dawkins, who is irish whipped into him.
We go to break and return. Dawkins takes a double headbutt then Tama pounds on Dawkins from the mount. Tama scrapes him with his heel. Dawkins forearms Tama . Tama elbows him in the head then takes an exploder.
Loa and Ford get in. Ford club flurries Loa then hits a straight punch. Ford hits kicks and superkicks Loa. Loa no sells it then Ford hits a big lariat. Ford flapjacks Tama. Loa flips Ford then Ford step up enzugiri's Tama. Loa is corner splashed. Loa takes a doomsday device blockbuster for 2.
Dawkins throws Loa into Tama then spinebusters him. They say Loa tagged in Tama during it. Ford top rope splashes Loa then Tama flatliners Ford and pins him to win it.
Thoughts: I really liked the match as they were aggressive and stiff with each other and really put over that they had a beef with each other. They just aren't following up the hype well with Loa and Tama. They have to be destroying people, making them bleed and sending them away on stretchers. They shouldn't be going 50/50 with people if you want us to buy that they were international mercenaries.
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair talk in the back. Indi Hartwell goes up to them. She says they are going to Raw to hurt more people like Candice LaRae. Indi says LaRae is stuck at home due to them. Bianca says LaRae started it and she finished it. Jade says she will put Indi on the shelf like she did LaRae if she wants. Indi says that is not what she meant.
Michin is interviewed about AJ possibly retiring. She says AJ hasn't been speaking to her crew. Nia Jax comes in and asks why they are talking about AJ. She said everyone should be talking about her reign. She tells Michin not to step to her then Michin does. Nia says Michin will regret that.
Naomi and Bayley vs Piper Niven and Chelsea Green
Bayley back elbows Green then flurries on Piper. Piper backs her up into the corner then splashes her there. Bayley backdrops Green then Bayley sliding lariats Green. Naomi split drops Green. Green is double lariated over the top. Naomi topes Green outside then hits mounted punches. Bayley forearms Piper off the apron.
We go to break and return. Piper lariats Bayley. Naomi slaps Green. Bayley hits forearms on Green then Green rams her into the buckles. Bayley escapes Piper's shoulders and slides between her legs. Piper misses an elbow drop and Naomi/Green are tagged in. Naomi bangs Green's head into the apron with her knees then top rope crossbodies Green.
Naomi dropkicks Piper off the apron. Naomi dropkicks Green in the corner and kicks her in the head. Naomi hits a split-legged moonsault for 2. Naomi tornillo plancha's both opponents outside. Naomi goes up top and is pushed off. Green superkicks Naomi for 2. Bayley is sent into the post by Piper.
Naomi hip attacks Green for 2 then Piper sentons Naomi. Piper puts Green on Naomi and Green pins her.
Thoughts: I was surprised to see Green get the rare pin here. They tried here but some of the shots barely hit, if they did at all. Bayley continues to feel like a non-factor since winning the title.
LA Knight goes up to AJ Styles in the back. LA says if the rumors are true, respect. Cody Rhodes shakes AJ's hand and AJ says something in his ear. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows hug him. AJ says they did it all with him and tells them to come out there with him tonight.
AJ Styles comes out. He said Nick Aldis told him that he has to go to the back of the line if he wants another shot at Cody Rhodes. AJ says he just can't do that at this point in time in his career. He said he's been doing this for two decades, blood, sweat and tears all over the world. He said his son graduated high school and he got to be there. He said they had a graduation party and clarity hit him in the head. He asked how many of these did he miss?
He said instead of being "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles, maybe he stays home and is a phenomenal father. He said he couldn't have done it without Gallows and Anderson. He said they are his brothers. He then wants to do a too sweet. They hug. He said he asked Cody if he wouldn't mind coming out when he called him and said now is the time.
Cody Rhodes comes out. AJ says before he does what he has to do, he had one of the greatest matches he ever had against him. He said this still the house that AJ Styles built. He said he called him out here to hand him the keys. He said AJ sent him a text message after their match saying, "I'm all good, little bro". Cody says thank you to him. They shake hands and hug. Cody raises AJ's arm then AJ lariats him. AJ hits mounted punches and stomps him. AJ throws Cody into the steps then bangs his head off the post. AJ hits a styles clash off the steps to the floor.
Thoughts: AJ turning on Cody wasn't too surprising. Maybe this will be a feud that helps Cody get some direction going.
Overall thoughts: The Bloodline tag and Paul Heyman's segment with Kevin Owens were the best parts of the show. It was a good show overall with nothing bad on it.
