WWE Smackdown 5/10/2024

WWE Smackdown 5/10/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/wwe-smackdown-532024.html

Angelo Dawkins replaces Bobby Lashley in the King of the Ring Tournament.

Nick Aldis is in the ring. He brings out Cody Rhodes. Nick congratulates him on beating AJ Styles. Nick said we need to pay attention to King of the Ring. Nick says his next challenge has been determined and it's Logan Paul. Logan Paul comes out.

Cody says he knows what Logan will want to talk about. Logan says it's a champion vs champion match at King of the Ring. He says it's to kick off the "Logan Paul Levesque Era". Logan says he's the longest reigning champ in the WWE and the greatest attraction in the company. He syas he had the greatest rookie year of all time and is a superstar.

Logan said Cody won the 2023 Rumble but people only remember the Logan/Ricochet mid-air collision. He said they both debuted on the same night in WWE (well, at least this Cody run maybe, but not true overall). Logan asks how Cody can finish the story when it's not his story? He talks about him pinning Cody on his logo and walking out champ.Cody said a lot of people stand across from him and assume he's a dumb@ss.

He said Logan went toe to toe with Mayweather and won the US title in his 4th match. He said if he won the US Title, it would make him a grand slam champ. It wouldn't though as he hasn't held the current Raw title or the Speed title. He calls him disrespectful. He says Logan will found out where he stands on the team at Saudi Arabia.

The idea was good but there were a lot of factual errors.

AJ Styles is interviewed. He said he had Cody beat and said the fans at France distracted him. He says the next time he and Cody meet, he will beat him. He says he will earn a chance at another title shot and it starts tonight. He says winning King of the Ring in a phenomenal step in the right direction. 

Queen of the Ring Tournament First Round - Naomi vs Nia Jax

Nia piefaces her and takes forearms. Nia bodyblocks her then bangs Naomi's head off the mat. Naomi is thrown into the buckles and splashed. Nia throws Naomi and elbow drops her. Nia misses a kick and takes shots to the leg. A QR code shows up on the screen. Naomi bulldogs her into the buckles then Nia spears the post when Naomi moves. Naomi topes her and pounds on her. Nia samoan drops her on the floor We go to break and return.

Naomi hits shots to the body and hits forearms. Nia headbutts her, lays her over the top rope and headbutts her out. Nia's throat is pulled over the top rope. Nia misses a butt drop. Naomi slides between her legs then hits flying attacks. Naomi springboard enzugiri's her.

Naomi split-legged moonsaults her for 2. Naomi corner forearms her and they have to work together to get Nia up on the 2nd rope. Naomi 2nd rope hurricanrana's her for 2. Naomi hits superkicks and is powerbombed. Nia legdrops her on her back. Nia banzai drops her and wins it.

Thoughts: It was a good match here minus the spot where Naomi couldn't lift Nia. Both looked good here and they meshed well together.

Baron Corbin is interviewed in the back. He said a lot has changed since he was last here. He said he had to go to NXT and figure it out. He said he's gonna wreck shop as him. Carmelo Hayes comes in and asks when he got drafted. Baron says it'll be an easy target with a head that big. Melo says the last guy who wanted him dropped out. He said he should have done what Bobby did and drop out because he will run circles around him.

I liked Melo's lines here. They gotta book him to get wins though to pull this off and I don't know if they will.

There's a video for DIY, saying they are coming to SD soon.

Men's King of the Ring First Round - Baron Corbin vs Carmelo Hayes

Melo evades Baron then dropkicks him in the knee. Melo does an enzugiri from the mat and slaps him in the back of the head. Baron drops him with punches and hits back elbow. Baron hits a ki krusher for 2. We go to break and return.

Baron hits elbows up on the 2nd rope. Melo slips out and springboard twisting clotheslines him. Melo hits a la mistica facebuster. Melo counters deep six then Baron death valley drivers him. Baron brainbusters him for 2.

Melo diving codebreakers him off the buckles and pumping knees him. Baron uranages him into the buckles then flips him with a lariat. Baron hits a suplex into a cutter for 2. Melo then cradles him and wins it.

Thoughts: It was a good match here. It was nice to see Melo get the win but it looks bad to have Baron lose here on his return to the main roster. I think Melo had a new move or two here and the buckle uranage was new. 

Bayley is interviewed. She is interested to see how far Jade goes in KOTR. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven go up to her. Green says Bayley forgot about Piper and says Piper is about to kick Jade out of KOTR.

Randy Orton is interviewed by Byron. Byron says he's a favorite to win as is AJ. Radny says he's accomplished a lot  but has not become KOTR before. He says he and the fans know how great he is. He said it will feel phenomenal when he hits AJ with an RKO. He says Bloodline took out Kevin Owens last week and he hasn't forgotten about it. He says him and Tama will cross paths and when they do, he will do everything to make sure he sees the RKO coming.

Queen of the Ring Tournament First Round - Jade Cargill vs Piper Niven

They lock up and let go then they shoulder battle. Jade shoulders her over then takes a euro. Jade superkicks her. Piper catches her splash and uranages her down. Piper sentons her for 2. Piper slaps her then Chelsea Green slaps Piper from the outside.

Piper slams Jade then short arm clotheslines her. Jade hits forearms then is headbutted. Jade hits a big blue thunder type  of move for 2. Jade hits corner splashes. Green distracts Jade and gets hit. Jade is headbutted and splashed.

Piper corner cannonballs her for 2. Jade pulls Piper down from the buckles and pump kicks her. Jade hits a jade end and wins it.

Thoughts: I liked this one. It was a rare girls heavyweight match and they worked it as such with some shoulder battles, splashes and strikes. Jade wasn't totally clean here but it was well done.

Jade signs a fan's sign then Bianca Belair's music hits. They dance and pose together.

Shinsuke Nakamura does a taped promo. His says his goal is to destroy all who face him. He says no one is safe now that he is here and he plans to reign supreme. He says to watch closely. He says Smackdown will never be the same again.

Queen of the Ring Tournament First Round - Bianca Belair vs Candice LeRae

BB shoulders her over and forward cartwheels over her. CL rolls her out of the ring. CL diving hurricanrana's her off the apron but is swung into the rails. Indi Hartwell cheapshots BB then BB suplexes CL. BB hits mounted punches.

BB flips off the top, holds her knee and CL dropkicks the knee. CL hits shots to the knee and BB upkicks her. BB fallway slams her. CL clips her and step up sentons her back. CL gets on the ropes and BB hits a KOD. BB then picks up the win.

Thoughts: It was fine with CL working the knee and BB making her comeback to win. It was a short one here and they got as much out of it as they could.

The Bloodline is in the back. Paul asks to speak to Solo alone. He said he knows his place and is Roman's wiseman. He says Solo is making decisions...and Solo says like the one to lie and pull Roman from the Draft. Solo said it backfired on them and they got drafted in the 3rd round instead of #1. Solo asks if Pual is taking money from him and trying to take food off his plate. Solo said he saw Paul look at Jey Uso and asks if he was giving him a sign or looking for help. Solo said he gets he's the wiseman. Solo said he has spoken to Roman and said he's in charge until he comes back. He says he calls the shots and is his wiseman. Solo says it's by orders of the tribal chief. Solo asks for a hug. He tells him he loves him.

Thoughts: That was an interesting twist on things and will at least end the plothole with Roman supposedly being unaware of what's going on for the meantime. I don't really believe Solo, but we'll see somewhere down the line if it's true or not.

Andrade does a taped promo. He says he's a 3rd generation luchador and says his destiny is here. He says the era of Andrade has begun.

Men's King of the Ring First Round - Angelo Dawkins vs Tama Tonga

Tama rushes him, pounds him and stomps him. Tama corner splashes him then hits shots to the body. Tama misses a splash then Dawkins hits punches. Dawkins lariats him and hits a flying back elbow. Dawkins corkscrew splashes Tama then hits a nasty pounce style shoulder. Solo Sikoa gets on the apron and Dawkins punches him. Ford then flip dives onto Bloodline outside. Dawkins hits a sky high to Tama for 2.

Loa sends Ford into the post. Solo samoan spikes Ford. Dawkins is distracted and Tama hits a jumping flatliner for the win.

Thoughts: It was super short here. What we got was good, stiff and aggressive but we didn't get much.

Solo samoan spikes Dawkins after.

We get a Blair Davenport video. She says she's been labeled as narcissistic, egotistical and sadistic. She says it's not accurate or fair. She says you have to send a message to succeed and that's what she does. She says she shows the world that our heroes are pathetic. She says she will be feared.

Men's King of the Ring First Round - AJ Styles vs Randy Orton

AJ boots him in the gut. They collide and AJ is lariated out. We go to break and return. Orton hits corner punches on AJ then euros him. AJ dropkicks Orton then sliding forearms him. AJ sliding knees him on the apron. Orton backdrops AJ on the rail outside.

AJ comes off the announce table but is backdropped on the apron and commentary table. AJ dropkicks him in the back of the head then clips him. AJ clips him outside. AJ works Orton's leg as we return. AJ goes to butt drop it and is pushed over the top. Orton hits lariats. AJ avoids a powerslam and cradles him. Orton uppercuts him then AJ dragon screws Orton's leg over the ropes. AJ goes for a springboard and is knocked down.

AJ calf crushers him and Orton powerslams him. Orton hits a draping ddt over the middle rope. AJ hits a phenomenal forearm for 2. AJ goes for a styles clash and Orton RKO's him. Orton then gets the win.

Thoughts: I wasn't a huge fan of this. AJ did a bunch of leg work that didn't go anywhere and Orton just kind of slipped the win out of nowhere.

Overall thoughts: I liked the show as a whole as we had some good wrestling here. Cody's reign is still off to a slow start and it's a shame they rushed the match with Logan this way. I like the stuff they are doing with Bloodline right now and they are doing good with Melo so far. The women had a good night here as well.