WWE Smackdown 5/3/2024

WWE Smackdown 5/3/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/wwe-smackdown-4262024.html

The show aired live in France on TV today (since it is in France) so it got posted on some sites after 3PM US Time which was nice.

We see Cody, AJ, Orton and Owens arrive.

Naomi, Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair and Bayley vs Tiffany Stratton, Asuka, Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai

Sane forearms Naomi over, who is wearing french colors. Naomi corner dropkicks Sane then Bianca handspring standing moonsaults on Sane for 2. Bianca suplexes Sane. Asuka is thrown out by Bianca then Sane urakens Bianca. Asuka pulls Bianca out and hits her. Tiff spinebusters Bayley for 2.

We go to break and return. Sane sliding forearms Bianca then Asuka sliding knees Bianca. Kai stomps on Bayley in the corner. Bayley's head is banged into Asuka's butt for 2. Tiff handspring back elbows Bayley then cartwheels into an alabama slam on her for 2. Tiff knocks Jade off the apron then throws Bayley into Naomi on the apron. Bayley backdrops Tiff.

Bayley and Bianca argue as Bayley goes for the tag. Jade is tagged in. She pump kicks Kai then chokeslams Asuka. Jade swinging side backbreakers Sane. Jade splashes Kai then hits a stiff powerbomb. Jade then dominators Bianca onto Kai for 2. Asuka top rope dropkicks Jade.

Everyone starts coming in to hit moves and leave. Kai hits a scorpion kick then Bianca hits a KOD to win it.

It was a quick tag. We didn't get to see a lot of some of the people in it. It was fine for what it was but it was just average. The crowd was real hot for this.

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller do a promo. Theory says they get the greatest tag champs in their first title defense. Waller smells something. Theory says it's cheese and Waller says that's what the audience smells like. He said it smells like smoke. He says The Street Profits want smoke and they are smoke.

Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are interviewed. Jade says they are confident for tomorrow. Bianca says she is ready for this to be done and is sick of talking about it. Bianca looks at Bayley and said Damage Ctrl has been at them her whole career. She then mouths at Bayley more and Jade stops her.

Carmelo Hayes talks to Nick Aldis. Nick said he proved he belonged here. Nick said you need to show up and show out here and said he did. Melo said he almost beat Cody last week. He said he's gotta keep himself in motion here and said he is declaring for King of The Ring. Bobby Lashley comes in. He congratulates him and says if there's anything he can do for him, call him. Melo says he'll be good. He said he's a first round pick, he was in the ring with the WWE champ and said he got this figured out. Bobby said it's not the shot you shoot, it's about making the shot count. He said Melo lost last week. Melo asks him when the last time was that he shot his shot. Bobby says to be careful who you disrespect around here. Nick mouths "Wow".

It was a nice segment showing Melo's going to be a heel and maybe setting something up with Bobby.

New Catch Republic vs The Authors of Pain

Akam throws Dunne out by the throat. Dunne hits enzugiri's and dropkicks. NCR punch Akam together and back him up in the corner. Bate running euros Akam then is hit with a big lariat. Bate is held for gut punches from Razar.

Bate gets on Razar's back with a sleeper. Dunne double stomps Razar's arm off the top. AOP both go out. Bate then bounces off of Dunne's shoulders to tope con hilo AOP from the apron. Bate springboard euros Razar. Bate takes a corner death valley driver.

We go to break and return. Bate takes a backbreaker + top rope kneedrop. Bate's head is banged off the mat. Bate is bearhugged. Bate is picked up and dropkicks his way out of it. Bate hits punches on Akam then rebound lariats him. 

Dunne is tagged in and hits step up enzugiri's. Dunne stomps Razar's hands then basemnet dropkicks him. Dunne then moonsaults off the apron. Dunne hits a standing shiranui for 2. Dunne misses a top rope moonsault and rolls into a tag off of it.

Bate does an airplane spin and a slam off of it. Bate hits a running SSP and Dunne hits a running knee for 2. One of AOP gets his fingers split then he is knocked out of the ring. Razar is knocked out of the ring. Scarlett gets on the apron to distract Dunne and Bate tope con hilos Razar through the ropes. Karion Kross hits something like an F-5 on Bate on the floor. Dunne plancha's Kross then Razar hits a uranage on Dunne. Dunne takes a suplex + sitout powerbomb and is pinned.

It was a decent tag as expected. There was no way this was going to suck. Dunne and Bate got a lot more in than you would think and they didn't even fully lose clean here which is good for them. 

Nick Aldis and Paul Heyman talk. Paul asks if Nick got his memo. Nick says his request is denied on Owens/Orton being pulled out of the tag match. Paul says he can leave them in the match but what happens to them is not on his conscience. He says it's on Aldis' conscience. Nick asks if it's by orders of the tribal chief and Paul says it's not funny. Nick asks if he is charge. Paul says there's a difference between being in charge and in control. Paul slips up and said he hadn't spoke to Roman Reigns since Wrestlemania. Nick then asks how did Roman pull himself out of The WWE Draft. Paul said he pulled Roman out of The WWE Draft. He said he had no choice and said he can't subject Roman to the chaos that is going on with Bloodline right now. He said Nick can't subject Owens and Orton to the chaos tomorrow. Nick tells Paul he can try getting Owens and Orton to pull out of the match next (they are in the next segment).

The RKO Show

Doing an English speaking talk show in front of people who likely don't speak great English is a dumb move. Owens talks to the fans in French. Orton said he'd usually have to be talked into doing something like this but the people are so amazing. 

Kevin said Orton had concerns about their guest tonight. He said he got a lot of calls about it and said Paul Heyman asked to be on the show tonight. Owens said Paul told them he has something important to say. Owens asks Orton if he wants to introduce Paul. Orton said he wants to introduce him to an R-K-O.

Paul Heyman comes out. He talks about himself in French and calls himself the undisputed wise man. He said he has respect and wisdom today. Owens tells Orton he can't RKO him right away and Orton says he's more of an out of nowhere kind of guy. Paul says there will be no RKO's this evening. Orton says he begs to differ.

Owens asks Paul what he wants. Paul said he gets why he would doubt him. The crowd chants "We Want Roman" and Paul says he does too. Paul said the rules with Solo and Tonga are different than with Roman. He tells Owens to back up of the match with them. Orton questions this as does Owens. Owens says everything is falling apart around Paul.

Orton asks who the real Tribal Chief is. Paul says Orton put him in a bad position. Paul says there's only one Tribal Chief. Solo and Tama Tonga then nail Orton and Owens from behind. Orton and Owens fight back then fight outside. Officials and refs try to break it up. Owens bites Tama's face. Orton throws security guard over the one table and backdrops the other one on the table. Owens flip dives off the top onto Tama/Solo and security.

I liked the segment here and I am curious as to where they are going with it. I think they need to do something big tomorrow to put over Tama and Solo.

The Street Profits do a promo. They say SD is on fire tonight and say it's funny that Waller/Theory think they know French. Ford says they have been practicing French. Ford said they will put a whooping on their opponents and Dawkins says "oui oui". Ford says they will walk out tag champs and say they want the smoke.

LA Knight vs Angel

A QR code shows up on the screen. LA side headlocks him then shoulders him over. Angel clubs on him then uppercuts him. LA lariats him out of the corner then LA neckbreakers him. They go out and LA bangs Angel's head off the apron. Angel is lariated over the top then dropkicked through the ropes. LA corner lariats him and suplexes him.

We go to break and return. LA hits shots in the corner then takes a headbutt from Angel. LA flying lariats him then hits a running knee in the corner. LA slams him then elbow drops him. Berto gets on the apron, gets hit and LA hits a BFT on Angel soon after. LA gets the win.

It was too long with a super obvious outcome. There was no way Angel was winning this.

LA gets on the mic after. LA says it's another Smackdown and another dummy dropped on his head. He said he's not going to say it's his ring. He said he is going to enter King of The Ring though.

Santos Escobar gets on the mic. He says LA keeps talking. He says while he is talking, he'll be winning. LA says he'll keep talking. He says when he stops talking, Santos will get stomped out. He says Santos knows whose game this is.

This wasn't that interesting.

Byron interviews Carlito. He asks why he attacked Dragon Lee. Carlito said he has been away from WWE many times. All he wanted was his Wrestlemania Moment. He said he was mad that Rey chose Lee over him at Mania. He said it wasn't personal. Dragon Lee then attacks Carlito and it is quickly broken up. Well, at least that is some explanation but it's still pretty weak, stupid and silly.

WWE Tag Titles - Grayson Waller and Austin Theory (c) vs The Street Profits

Waller nails Ford on the apron then Theory hits Dawkins from behind. Theory knee chokes Dawkins in the corner. Dawkins is held up for shots then he flying back elbows Waller. Ford hits a nice dropkick on Waller. Theory takes a double flapjack. Ford rock bottom's Waller then Dawkins top rope swantons Waller. Ford tope con hilos both opponents.

Waller takes a double backdrop. Dawkins twisting splashes Waller in the corner. We go to break and return. Ford lariats Theory then springboard back elbows him. Ford backdrops Theory.

Theory flips out of a double backdrop and tags out. Waller gets caught up top and hits a springboard coast to coast dropkick on Dawkins in what looked like a weird spot. Theory slingshot rolls in and is pounced in mid-air. Waller rolls in and takes a sky high. Theory is on Dawkins' shoulders and Ford hits a top rope blockbuster for 2. Dawkins back rolls Theory then Waller flatliners Dawkins. Theory gets the win.

I felt like it didn't fully click here though they had some nice spots. The coast to coast dropkick spot was really weird here as something was definitely botched.

AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes have a face to face segment in the ring. Cody does his "what do you want to talk about" line in French. Cody tells AJ he has his full attention. Cody said he grew up watching AJ. AJ said he doesn't need that crap. He said he's still in his prime and Cody asks who is saying otherwise. AJ said he didn't have to and they knew what he meant.

AJ said Cody had the path laid out for him because everyone wanted to sign the son of Dusty. He said WWE welcomed Cody in with open arms. He said things got rough and Cody couldn't handle it, then he does a Stardust taunt. He said Cody packed his bags and left. AJ said he was kept out of WWE for years and wasn't welcome with open arms. He said he had to prove himself and make his own way to the top. He said he did it all by himself.

AJ said Cody had hall of famers watching his back so he could finish his story. AJ said he beat those guys the same way he will beat Cody tomorrow night. He said he will find his way to the top and show everyone that he is phenomenal. Cody asks him who he is trying to convince. He says not to tear down his accomplishments.

Cody said he made many mistakes and sacrifices to get here. He said his first title defense is their first match. He says AJ will always be phenomenal. He said he won't be looked at as phenomenal, just his first. He says that's too sweet. Cody tries to give him a "too sweet" hand sign and AJ slaps him. AJ then leaves.

I liked some of this but thought they should have went with the angle of them having to get into WWE different ways earlier on in the build for this. For me it's just too little, too late. WWE just dropped the ball on this feud and AJ is almost guaranteed to lose tomorrow.

We cut to the back and Bloodline is still brawling with Orton and Owens. Security is trying to break it up and Solo is hit with a chair by Orton to end the show.

Overall thoughts: It wasn't my favorite edition of SD. They did a bunch of talking segments in front of a crowd that doesn't speak English and it was a weak card. The AJ/Cody feud isn't working and the Carlito/Lee feud isn't working either. I don't know where they are going with Paul Heyman and Bloodline, but I'm interested to see it play out and see what kind of havoc comes out of their tag match tomorrow. I wouldn't recommend this one.