WWE Smackdown 7/19/2024

WWE Smackdown 7/19/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/07/wwe-smackdown-7122024.html

Cody Rhodes comes out. He said Randy Orton kept him when others discarded him and said he wouldn't be champ without him. He says Randy is family and his brother. He says Solo is responsible for taking Orton out. He said he told Solo he is not ready. He asks him how it feels that Solo is still not champ while he is.

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller come out. Theory says because of Cody, Fatu attacked him last week. He said his cheek is swollen and Cody said he thought it was because Waller knee'd him in the face. Waller says Cody can't take responsibility for his own actions. He says the reason Orton got hurt is because of Cody. The heels get in the ring and Cody attacks them.

Cody takes a 2v1 and is thrown out. Terrance Crawford, a boxer who is ringside, gives Cody his chair. Cody hits Waller with it then disaster kicks the chair in Theory's face. 

We see Carmelo Hayes getting his hair cut in the back. He says it will be him and Andrade tonight. He says the people want to see who's gonna miss first and he says it won't be him.

Cody Rhodes talks to Nick Aldis. He asks for a match with Waller and Theory. He said he doesn't need a partner. Nick says he has to answer to the board of directors if he sends a champ out there 2v1 and says he has until the end of the night to find a partner. 

Carmelo Hayes vs Andrade

Melo shoulders him over and rolls over his back. They roll around and stare down. They trade forearms. Andrade facekicks him. Melo dropkicks him. Melo hits a back springboard legdrop as Andrade sits on the 2nd rope.

We go to break and return. During the break, Andrade flipping russian legswept him off the 2nd rope. Andrade hits a stiff lariat. Andrade slaps him and dragon screws him. Andrade flying forearms him then corner meteora's him.

Melo la mistica drops him. Andrade does a top rope moonsault into a standing moonsault for 2. Melo pumping knees him then Andrade spinning back elbows him for 2. Andrade comes off the top and catches a codebreaker. Andrade hits the message and wins.

Thoughts: It was a cruiserweight match with a lot of flipping and flying. It was enteraining but I don't get the logic of having Melo lose here when they had been pushing him. It seems like this is the end of him being anything but a midcarder.

Nia Jax and Bayley do a split screen interview. Nia won't answer questions and says to start feeling sorry for Bayley. She says she will beat her and put her down like an old, sick dog. She says she will put her out of Nia's misery. Nia tells her to address her as Queen Nia.

Bayley says Nia is the same heartless woman since Day 1 and acts like she owns the place. Bayley says Nia is big, clumbsy and reckless. Nia says she's content being her queen of the ring. She says she is coming for the title because she gets to take it off of her. Bayley says she's walking out of Summerslam as champ and there's nothing Nia can do to stop her.

Jade and Bianca talk to Piper and Chelsea Green in the back. They argue over who will talk to Nick Aldis first. Green tells them to scoot over. Bianca asks Green to meet her in the ring tonight so they can figure out who talks to Nick first from there.

Thoughts: What a ridiculous reason to have a match.

Bianca Belair vs Chelsea Green

They slap each other and Green step up enzugiri's her. Bianca hits a high release german. Bianca handsprings and misses a moonsault. Bianca is back rolled then she reverses it and pins Green.

Thoughts: This was a quick waste of time and was over before it really got started.

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn get on the mic. They said when you are champ, you have all the power. they say they will give Jade and Bianca a glimpse of the titles next week and say they will see about a rematch.

Nick Aldis hosts a contract signing for LA Knight vs Logan Paul. Both wrestlers come out. Logan calls him Hillbilly Aladdin and asks why he should give him a shot at the US Title. LA says every time they have been face to face, he owned and cooked him. LA says Logan is the guy around here as long as he has the title and said Logan said no to his title match request. He talks about invading his house and said he pinned his shoulders on the mat.

Logan says LA needs this match and Logan says he doesn't need this one. Logan said LA's existence is determined on what he does in the ring. Logan says he builds businesses and is changing the history of sports media. He says LA is very good. He says LA wants his accolades but isn't him. Logan says LA has not had a single defining moment in the last 20 years. He says he's a gym bro with a spray tan and a catch phrase pretending to be The Rock.

LA said he heard that before and calls him "Low-T Logan P". LA says Logan is playing fraud. He says Logan's brother is willing to fight Mike Tyson, but Logan won't fight him. He says balls don't run in the family, do they? Logan says he will sign the contract and give him a shot at glory. Logan says LA will have nothing after he beats him and says he will have nothing to give him. Logan says he will draw a map on the contract of where LA can stick his dreams of becoming champ. They push each other.

Nick separates them. Logan walks out with him then comes back in and nails LA. LA goes for a BFT and Logan slides out.

Thoughts: Logan really scorched him on the mic here. Yeah, it's entertaining but making your face look stupid is never a good move. 

We get a package on Tiffany Stratton.

Legado del Fantasma talks to LA Knight in the back. Santos congratulates him for getting his US Title match. He said pinning Logan at MSG must be like sitting on top of the world. Santos says he was in that match and didn't get pinned. Santos said if it was 1v1 it would have been a different story. LA said clearly he didn't major in history. He said he has time before Summerslam and said if he wants to face him, his mom has his number. Elektra Lopez says he wouldn't want to get hurt. Santos says he's happy to help him squander his opportunity.

Michin vs Tiffany Stratton

Tiff throws her backwards by the hair. Michin cradles her and dropkicks her. Michin corner cannonballs her then jack knife pins her. Tiff goes out to duck a Michin kick. Michin goes after her and Tiff hides behind Nia. Tiff then nails Michin and hits a nasty looking alabama slam on the floor.

We go to break and return. Tiff kneeling springboard swantons her for 2. Tiff handspring backflip back elbows her. Tiff spinebusters her for 2. Tiff cartwheels and is rolled up off of it. Michin backslides her. Michin lariats her and does a kick. Michin dropkicks and neckbreakers her.

Michin tornado ddt's her for 2. They trade forearms and Tiff hip attacks her on the ropes. Tiff shotgun dropkicks her for 2. Michin 2nd rope dropkicks her and Tiff rolls out. Nia Jax trips Michin. Tiff forearms Michin, finlay rolls her then Bayley comes out. Tiff gets distracted. Nia charges at Bayley and is sent over the rail by Bayley.

Bayley hits Nia with the MITB briefcase. Bayley bangs the briefcase off stuff then stomps on it. Tiff is distracted and Michin rolls her up to win.

Thoughts: I'm not sure what the result was about here. That was an unusual result and I wouldn't have expected it. That's not something I'd want to be doing if I'm Tiff right now. The alabama slam on the floor spot looked really nasty here and wasn't a good idea even on paper.  

The Bloodline talk in a room. Solo says life is good when you are tribal chief. He says he never has a moment to himself. He says there's a mystery of who will step up and disrespect the tribal chief by teaming with Cody tonight. He asks if people have seen what they did to Orton last week. Solo says if you team with Cody, you are against him and The Bloodline. Solo says tonight better be a handicap match or someone will pay the price. Solo says he is the tribal chief and you will acknowledge him.

Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens are in the back. KO asks if he's ready and says he will see him out there. KO heads to the ring.

Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes vs A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller)

Austin side headlocks Cody. Cody knees him in the gut. Austin takes a double shot to the gut then a russian legsweep + facekick combo. KO back elbows Austin the hits him outside. KO knocks over the big Prime bottle outside then Waller puts it back up on the stand in a funny moment.

Cody knocks Waller off the apron. Austin lariats Cody against the ropes. Waller holds Cody for Austin punches. Waller elbows Cody's neck. Waller misses a corner charge.

KO is tagged in. He hits shots on Waller then stomp flurries him. KO running lariats both opponents outside. KO atomic drops Waller then step up enzugiri's him. KO corner cannonballs Waller. Waller gets his knees up on KO's top rope swanton.

Austin rolls in with a dropkick on KO. Austin backbreakers KO. Waller springboard elbow drops KO for 2. We go to break and return. Waller hits elbow drops on KO then cravates him.

Waller hits knees to the face. KO bangs Waller's head off the steps then Waller blocks KO's tag. Waller elbow drops KO. Waller hits punches on KO. They go to the 2nd rope. KO headbutts him up there then top rope swantons him. Both tag out.

Cody hits punches and powerslams Austin. Cody hits punches and a bionic elbow. Cody ddt's Austin then Waller jumping flatliners Cody. Waller nearly jumping knees Austin but Austin catches his knee. Cody then cody cutters Austin. KO stunners Waller, sending him out of the ring. Cody hits cross rhodes on Austin and wins.

Thoughts: It was a simple but okay tag match here. It wasn't super long nor was it anyone's best work but the heels bumped and the faces picked up the win.

The Bloodline come out after minus Jacob Fatu. Cody topes 2 of them. KO rakes Loa's eye. Solo's head is banged off the commentary table. Jacob Fatu comes out to help. Cody is sent into the steps. Fatu superkicks KO. Fatu pounds and headbutts KO. Fatu corner hip attacks KO then chokes him.

Fatu hits more corner hip attacks and really makes the ropes shake with them. Fatu flying headbutts KO off the top. Cody takes a triple powerbomb through the commentary table. 

KO has a chair put around his neck then he is thrown into the post. The heels pose over cody to end the show.

Thoughts: It was your usual beatdown and not too different from the one on Paul and Orton.

Overall thoughts: The show went by pretty quick and wasn't must see. There weren't any real new storyline developments on this one. Michin beat Tiffany Stratton in what I thought was an upset. Carmelo Hayes also lost in an upset and Logan Paul scorched LA Knight on the mic. It was watchable but nothing special.