WWE Smackdown 8/30/2024

WWE Smackdown 8/30/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/08/wwe-smackdown-8232024.html 

We're in Berlin, Germany. Michael Cole and Wade Barrett are on commentary.

We see various wrestlers arrive.

LA Knight comes out to talk. He says they haven't been to Berlin in 27 years and what a way than to kick it off with him. He says he defended his title in the capitol of the US and might as well do it in the capitol of Germany. He invites anyone to come down and challenge for his title and Ludwig Kaiser comes out. He says LA wants to defend against the best all over the world. He says himself and Berlin guarantee there is no one better on German soil than the German Ludwig Kaiser.

Kaiser gets in the ring. He says he will make the title better than it ever was and will make it the European Title. LA says it's impressive for Gunther's stooge. He says Kaiser can do anything he wants with the title, but he has to win it and he can't. He says Kaiser will lay down and catch three the hard way.

WWE United States Title - LA Knight (c) vs Ludwig Kaiser

They lock up and LA backs him up in the corner. Kaiser wristlocks him and LA yanks on the arm. They butt heads and shove each other. Kaiser side headlock takeovers him and side headlocks him. LA hits punches and Kaiser boot flurries him in the corner.

LA lariats him then backdrops him on the apron. Kaiser is rammed into the apron and thrown backwards into the steps. Kaiser then runs around the ring and basement dropkicks LA into the steps.

We go to break and return. Kaiser pounds on him and boots him. LA lariats him over the top and bangs his head off the buckles. LA jumping neckbreakers him and 2nd rope elbow drops him. LA running knees him in the corner and atomic drops him. Kaiser step up enzugiri's him for 2.

They trade shots and LA powerslams him. Kaiser lariats him and PK's him. Kaiser hits a side rolling death valley driver and Wade calls it a Kaiser roll. LA hits a side effect then a BFT to win.

Thoughts: I didn't like the booking of this. Kaiser lost in his home country and people were cheering him over LA. That's not what you want to happen. It wasn't anything special here as usual with them mostly doing the basics.

We get a video on Gunther vs Orton.

We get a video on Nia Jax. 

Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin vs Legado del Fantasma (Angel and Berto)

Crews side headlocks Berto then dropkicks him. Crews suplexes him for 2. Baron double clotheslines the heels then hits corner punches on Angel. Crews uranages Angel in the corner then lariats him.

Angel running knees Baron then Berto is sent out. Crews pump kicks Angel then flying headscissors him. Crews is hiptossed to the outside onto the heels. We go to break and return. 

Crews is on Angel's back and Berto slingshots in with a diamond dust on Crews. Angel corner splashes Crews. Angel misses a corner spear and Baron tags in. Baron back elbows Angel then hiptosses Berto in. Baron flying knees Berto then death valley drivers Angel. Corbin short arm lariats Berto. Baron 2nd rope lariats Berto then suplex lifts him into a cutter.

Crews top rope crossbodies Angel and germans him twice. Berto flips out of a german and springboard enzugiri's Crews. Crews and Angel collide with crossbodies in mid-air. Baron uranages Angel on the commentary table then Santos Escobar pushes Baron into the steps.

Berto 2nd rope armdrags Crews off the buckles. Crews is popped up into a kick in the gut and wins.

Thoughts: Either Angel or Berto just got re-signed this week and that's likely why they won here. It was average for the most part and got a ton of time for being a lower card match without much behind it. 

The Bloodline do a taped video. They say their opponents (DIY and The Street Profits) next week will acknowledge Solo so they know what they are up against. Solo said he took out his brother and Paul Heyman. He said he then took out Roman and took his necklace. He said if he did this to his own family, imagine what will he will do to his opponents next week. He said he doesn't care whether Owens or Cody wins as the tribal chief is coming for them. 

Nick Aldis comes out to talk. He talks about Bash in Berlin and says it's part of a successful European tour for the WWE. He says the most important match is for the Undisputed Title tomorrow night. He brings out Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens, wishes them luck and leaves.

KO asks Cody if he wants to talk about what happened to his knee during the tour. Cody says his knee is fine and asks about last week. He said KO handed him the title but says it looked like KO was going to him with the title. KO asks why Cody would think he would do that to him. Cody talks about KO maybe thinking he doesn't get enough credit while Cody gets too much.

KO says he doesn't need to hit him with a cheapshot and says he knows Cody hurt his knee. KO says he knows Cody isn't 100%. Cody asks if KO still thinks he doesn't deserve a title shot. KO asks why didn't Cody take a knee during his entrance if his knee is fine.

KO says it's been 8 years since he won the Universal Title. He said people told him he didn't deserve to win the title and only got it because of Triple H. He said that tainted the reign forever. KO asks what will happen when he beats Cody but we find out Cody is injured. Cody says his knee is 100%.

Cody says KO is talking with anger. Cody says KO is angry at having to share the spotlight with him since he returned. Cody says he loves KO. Cody asks if they will still be friends after. KO then just leaves.

Thoughts: KO said Cody was injured, but we didn't see it and that hurt that storyline. I felt like they did get some of the friend vs friend stuff right here but it's the day before the show and it's too little too late.

Corbin and Crews walk in the back. A-Town Down Under go up to them and talk smack. Waller says Theory said Corbin and Crews aren't half the team they are. Baron threatens Theory and Waller laughs. Theory gets mad at Waller. He said he got him knocked out by Terrance Crawford due to Waller talking. He said him and Waller are falling apart. Waller says we banter in Australia and says he's his best mate. Waller asks if they are good and they shake hands on it.  

We get a video on Giovanni Vinci. He says it's not his return, but his arrival. He says everyone will remember his name. They say he debuts next week.

Andrade vs Carmelo Hayes

This is their 4th match together. Melo runs in and they hockey fight. Andrade throws him out then triangle tornillo plancha's him outside. Melo springboard twisting lcotheslines him. Melo hangs off the 2nd buckle and Andrade double stomps him down off the top.

We go to break and return. Melo stomps on Andrade. andrade hits forearms then dragon screws him. andrade flying forearms him. Andrade hits a top rope moonsault into a standing moonsault for 2.

Melo hits a jumping codebreaker. Melo corner meteora's him for 2. Andrade suplexes Melo then back rolls him into a powerbomb. Melo knocks the top rope buckle off. Melo superkicks him for 2.

Andrade 2nd rope flipping russian legsweeps him for 2. We go to break and return again. Andrade hits a top rope moonsault slam on Melo for 2. Andrade spinning back elbows Melo for 2. Andrade stands on the top and is pulled down onto the exposed buckle. Melo hits a top rope nothing but net and wins.

Thoughts: I wasn't a fan of this. It was similar to the other matches they had which I didn't like and they did too much here as usual. They said they are tied 2-2 and begged for another one, so this isn't over.

Bianca and Jade talk about the match with Isla and Alba. They say failure is part of the process and you can't be afraid to fail. They say they are defining their own legacy. They say let's go and take the tag titles back.

Michin said she fought her whole life for this. She says whether you like or hate her, you won't forget her after she wins tonight. she says Michin isn't who she is but what she is.

WWE Women's Title - Streetfight - Nia Jax (c) vs Michin

Mich comes to the ring with a shopping cart with a trash can, a chair and kendo sticks. Mich hits her with a kendo stick and Nia goes out. Nia blocks a kendo stick shot and pokes her with it. Nia swings at her and gets pushed into the post. Mich short hurricanrana spikes her over the 2nd rope.

Mich grabs a table outside and Nia hits her with a kendo stick for it. Nia then puts the table back under the ring. Mich dropkicks her through the ropes and pulls the table back out.

We go to break and return. Mich hits kendo stick shots and Nia knocks her out of the ring. Nia uranages her on the apron. Mich sprays her with a fire extinguisher then top rope dropkicks her. Mich goes for a tornado ddt and is dropped onto a trash can.

Mich hits her with trash can lids then tornado ddt's Nia on the lid. A table is set up in the ring and Nia chairs her. Nia is caught on the 2nd rope and Mich powerbombs Nia through a table. Tiffany Stratton then runs down to maybe cash in her briefcase. She hits Mich with the briefcase. Tiff teases cashes in but Nia has words for her. Tiff hits Mich with the briefcase and pulls Nia on Mich for 2.

Bayley then runs out. Bay lariats Tiff and throws her over the rail outside. Mich rolls up Nia for 2 and hits kicks. Nia samoan drops her through a table. Nia banzai drops Mich while she has a trash can on her and Nia picks up the win.

Nia then throws a table piece at Mich after while the can is on her and kendo stick shots her.

Thoughts: It was a shorter one with a bunch of shenanigans. It was fine but nothing too special. They had different looking tables and trash cans as I guess they couldn't find the normal ones in Germany. Nia throwing the table piece at Michin looked dangerous.

Overall thoughts: It was not a star-studded line-up here and Bloodline weren't even in the building. There was a lot of filler on this one and nothing was that good. I would not recommend this.