LECLAIR’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 5/15: Alt perspective, detailed coverage of Otis on MizTV, Intercontinental title tournament, more

LECLAIR’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
MAY 15, 2020
ORLANDO, FL AT WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED ON FOX NETWORK

Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

-The show opened with a video recap of the Money in the Bank ladder matches.

-After the recap, Michael Cole welcomed the audience to the show and said Money in the Bank is now in the rear view mirror. Corey Graves said Charlotte Flair would be on the show as part of the new brand invitational.

-The Miz and John Morrison were already in the ring for MizTV. Morrison introduced the show. Otis’ music cut them off immediately. He headed to the ring with his Money in the Bank briefcase. Cole called it perhaps the most shocking winner ever.

Miz invited Otis to sit down. Otis tried to sit in the chair, but it snapped. He kicked it away and said he’d stand instead. Miz congratulated Otis and said it must be the biggest win of his career. Otis said it was, but Mandy Rose is his biggest win. Morrison joked about what Otis must have in order to land Mandy. Miz asked Otis what he has in the briefcase. Otis said he had  the contract, some GasX, and a bratwurst in case he gets hungry.

Miz said he wants to look back at how Otis became “this.” He showed a picture of Otis as a baby They marveled at how big he was. Otis said he was his mother’s biggest baby. Otis said his mother helped him maintain his grades when he was young, because he had a learning disability. Miz got upset about Otis winning the contract. He said while others used the briefcase to launch their careers, Otis is using it as a lunchbox.

Miz told Otis to bring Tucker out so they could have a tag team match. Otis said Tucker came down with “dysenberry” on the Oregon trail. Miz told him to find another partner and face he and Morrison in the main event. Otis clutched his briefcase as Miz and Morrison left the ring.

(LeClair’s Analysis: Interesting segment. As much as I like Otis, I thought the decision to put Money on the Bank on him was baffling at best. They’re continuing down the comedy route for the most part, but it was nice to see a little touch of reality injected into his character. WWE traditionally likes these feel-good come-up angles, so I presume we’ll get additional segments detailing Otis’ past in the future, leading to his eventual cash in.)

-At the announcers desk, Cole and Graves discussed the upcoming tournament to determine the new Intercontinental Champion. They showed the bracket, which includes A.J. Styles of Raw.

-Elias headed to the ring for his first round match with King Corbin. Cole threw to a video package chronicling the feud between Elias and Corbin. The show went to commercial.

King Corbin headed to the ring when the show returned from commercial.

(1) ELIAS vs. KING CORBIN – Intercontinental title tournament first round match

King Corbin attacked Elias as soon as the bell rang. Elias quickly battled back and fired off punches and kicks. Corbin took Elias down and tried to turn him over into a half crab, but Elias quickly fought out of it. Corbin dropped Elias and covered him for a quick two count.

Corbin applied a neck and arm hold on Corbin and wrestled him to the mat, then drove his elbow into Elias’ collarbone repeatedly. Elias slowly wrestled to his feet and broke free. Elias caught Corbin with a quick dropkick then tossed him out of the ring. Elias climbed to the top rope and dove onto Corbin on the outside. Elias tossed Corbin back in the ring at the count of six. Corbin quickly dropped Elias and went to retrieve his guitar from ringside. Elias caught him with a dropkick through the middle rope.

Elias snapped. He tossed Corbin into the steel steps, then the ring post. He dumped Corbin over the barrier of the time keeper’s area and returned to the ring to break the count. Michael Cole sent the show to commercial.

Elias had King Corbin grounded in a hold when the show returned from commercial. Corbin quickly broke the hold. Elias worked over Corbin’s arm and walked the ropes. Corbin tripped him up, sending him crashing to the mat. Elias rolled to the outside. Corbin bent him onto the announcers desk and fired off right hands. He slid Elias back in the ring and covered him for a two count.

Corbin tossed Elias into the corner and beat him out of it. He delivered a knee to the gut and an elbow to the neck. Corbin caught Elias with a big clothesline following a quick run around the post. He covered Elias for a two count. Corbin hit another clothesline, then ripped Elias to his fit and hit a third. Corbin pulled Elias up again, but Elias blocked him and hit a spinning neckbreaker.

Elias fired away at Corbin, then hit a running clothesline. He hit a spinning reverse neckbreaker for a near fall. Elias hit a jumping knee to a prone Corbin, then climbed to the top rope. Corbin ducked Elias’ attempt and hit a quick shot. Corbin tried for another clothesline but Elias countered. Corbin bounced back quickly with a spine buster for a near fall.

Corbin lifted Elias to the top rope, but Elias slid through Corbin’s legs and lifted him into an electric chair position. Corbin fought free and hit Elias with a chokeslam for another near fall. Cole and Graves touted Elias’ resilience. Corbin talked some trash and pounded away at Elias. He retrieved the guitar again from ringside and smashed it against the ring post. Elias looked dejected.

Corbin picked Elias up, but Elias caught him with a leaping knee and rolled him up for a three count.

WINNER: Elias in 17:00

(LeClair’s Analysis: Slow, plodding, bloated, and entirely disjointed. This match didn’t tell a story, it was just a collection of punches and disconnected spots between two guys who both need better opponents to work with. The half-baked story of Elias suddenly being enraged by Corbin touching his guitar, when we’ve never seen anything similar before, seemed to serve no purpose other than to transition to hope spots for Elias that quickly ended by Corbin’s slow, methodical offense. This was rather dreadful.)

-Backstage, Otis encountered Sheamus and asked him to be his partner. “Not a chance, fella,” Sheamus said. The show went to commercial.

-Mandy Rose approached Otis when the show returned from commercial. She asked how he was doing. He said he couldn’t find anyone to tag with him. Mandy suggested he ask Braun Strowman. Otis rushed off to find him.

-The anonymous Smackdown hacker appeared on screen, saying that he/she is the truth. The screen pulled back to reveal a number of screens all showing footage of members of the roster.

-Otis approached Braun Strowman backstage. They congratulated each other on their respective wins. Braun wondered if Otis was trying to get him in the ring to try to cash in. Otis promised he wasn’t. Braun said he’d think about it. The show went to commercial.

-Naomi came to the ring after the commercial break. Dana Brooke came out next to face her. Cole said she had some “interesting” moments during Money in the Bank.

(2) NAOMI vs. DANA BROOKE

Naomi and Dana Brooke locked up and jostled for position. Naomi rolled up Dana for a one count, then caught her with a running clothesline, followed by a quick dropkick. She tried to run Dana into the corner, but Dana rolled her up for a quick two count.

Dana clapped at no one in particular, then hit Naomi with a handspring back elbow. She tried for another, but Naomi kicked her away. She climbed to the top rope and hit a diving cross body. Dana rolled through it and caught Naomi in a cradle for a surprise three count.

WINNER: Dana Brooke in 2:00

(LeClair’s Analysis: I can’t tell if they’re trying to do something with Dana here, or begin a transition for Naomi into a heel. Commentary drew a lot of attention to Dana’s improvement, but also made note of Naomi’s frustration.  I’m not necessarily opposed to either direction. Dana is athletic and she seems to have a genuine love for pro wrestling, and she’s developed an interesting connection with the audience. Naomi has the built in glow gimmick, but she’s been treading water for quite some time. Nothing much to say about the match, this seemed to be all about setting something up for later.)

-The Progressive Match Flo highlighted Becky Lynch’s rise to prominence and pregnancy announcement.

-Charlotte Flair headed to the ring, carrying her NXT Women’s Championship. Cole said the brand-to-brand invitational allows Superstars to travel to other brands up to four times per year.

Charlotte called herself the hardest working woman in the industry. She said people must be wondering how she could work all three bands. Charlotte said numbers were crunched and the people have spoken, they want more Charlotte Flair. She said she’s 5’10”, blonde, and a superior athlete. Charlotte recounted her successes on Smackdown and said there should be a giant picture hanging outside the ring to “inspire all those who step through the ropes.”

Bayley’s music interrupted her. She and Bayley headed to the ring. Bayley said she’d normally say it’s nice to see her, but as a role model, she can’t lie. She and Sasha mockingly “woo’ed.” Charlotte asked if they were done. Bayley asked Sasha when they lost saw Charlotte Flair. Sasha said it was when Bayley beat her to become Smackdown Women’s Champion.

Charlotte said it took a makeover and a bad haircut to beat her. Bayley said Charlotte is mad because she could never be the first Grand Slam Women’s Champion. She told Charlotte to go back to Raw and “beat Liv Morgan over and over.” Bayley told Charlotte to get out of she and Sasha’s ring.

Charlotte said Sasha made Bayley relevant when she was NXT Women’s Champion, and now she’s the only reason Bayley remains Smackdown Women’s Champion. She stared down Sasha Banks. Charlotte talked about main eventing Raws and Pay-Per-Views with Banks. She asked if Sasha was content to stand in Bayley’s corner as an afterthought.

Charlotte asked for Bayley’s mic to be cut so Sasha can talk. Sasha tried to speak, but Bayley cut her off. She challenged Charlotte to a champion vs. champion match. Charlotte accepted. She told Bayley to move out of the way. She asked Sasha if she’s her own woman, or if she’s happy being Bayley’s lackey. Sasha stared at the floor as Charlotte posed.

(LeClair’s Analysis: This felt pretty pointless to me. All three of these women are heels, or at least they’re supposed to be. Charlotte seems to be regularly slotted into whatever role they want her in on a nightly basis, but her demeanor never changes. She comes across as a robotic, overly scripted heel who is a caricature of more successful characters. I used to enjoy Charlotte’s promos, but they’ve become far too monotone and monotonous. Bayley’s lines were a bit more interesting, but again, I question the effectiveness of putting these two against each other again when we’ve seen this match so many times under better circumstances. I don’t think there’s any intrigue here.)

-Backstage, Kayla Braxton approached Braun Strowman, who was pulling a resistance band. She asked if he’d decided to be Otis’ partner. Braun said he’s still chewing on it.

-After the break, Cole and Graves were interrupted by a message from The Forgotten Sons. They said though they fought for their country, but they weren’t welcomed back with open arms so they fight with closed fists.

-Renee Young welcomed The Miz and John Morrison and asked their opinion of Otis potentially landing Braun Strowman as his tag team partner. They laughed and said it won’t happen. Miz said Strowman can’t hang with Miz and Morrison anyway. They launched into their jingle and danced off screen.

-At the announcers desk, Cole and Graves threw to the updated bracket for the Intercontinental title tournament. They again discussed A.J. Styles participation in the match and said to check WWE social platforms throughout the week to “see what that means.”

-Daniel Bryan headed to the ring for a first round match. Graves sent the show to commercial.

Drew Gulak headed to the ring after the break. Cole confirmed the finals of the tournament would be held on Smackdown at a future date.

(3) DANIEL BRYAN vs. DREW GULAK – Intercontinental title tournament first round match

Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak shook hands to start the match. They circled the ring and and traded quick holds and takeovers. Bryan caught Gulak with a Northern Lights suplex, then began working over Drew’s leg. Gulak quickly broke free and allowed Bryan to stand.

The two men locked up. Bryan grabbed a side headlock then worked Gulak to the mat. Gulak tried rolling Bryan into a cover, but Bryan rolled through into the Yes Lock. Gulak quickly pulled himself to the ropes. Bryan broke the hold and let Gulak stand.

Bryan grabbed a waist lock. Gulak rolled through it into a Dragon Sleeper. Bryan quickly reached the ropes to force a break. Bryan smiled and nodded as he returned to his feet. The two locked up again. Bryan hyper-extended Gulak’s arm, but Gulak powered him into a double underhook suplex. Bryan transitioned into an arm-bar, then a roll up. Gulak quickly reached the ropes.

Bryan broke a test of strength with a kick. Bryan and Gulak traded multiple waist locks. Gulak gave Bryan a back body drop all the way to the outside. Cole sent the show to commercial.

Gulak hit Bryan with a high angle back body drop for a two count out of the break, then slapped on a side headlock. Bryan  trapped Gulak’s leg and hit repeated shin breakers, finally breaking the hold. Bryan took Gulak down with a dragon screw and then applied an ankle lock. Gulak reached the ropes. Bryan hit a bridging German suplex for a two count.

Gulak caught Bryan in a roll up for a two count, then hit a falling slam for a near fall. Gulak clutched at his knee, but crawled over to apply a full nelson. Bryan broke free and hit a release German suplex. Bryan set up for the running knee, but Gulak rolled through it and into a roll up for a two count. Gulak hit Bryan with a power bomb and then a jackknife cover for a two count.

Gulak transitioned into the Dragon Sleeper in the middle of the ring. Bryan rolled through it and tried for the Yes Lock. Gulak rolled through. Bryan hit a pair of dragon screws and then applied a heel hook. Gulak tapped out.

WINNER: Daniel Bryan in 13:00

Renee Young joined Daniel Bryan in the ring. She asked him what winning the tournament would mean to him. Bryan said he hasn’t gotten a shot at it since he was forced to relinquish it nearly five years ago. He said he wants to take that title and defend it against anybody and everybody. Bryan said he wants the title to represent the best wrestler in the company. “I think that’s me,” Bryan said.

Drew Gulak approached Bryan. They shook hands an hugged.

(LeClair’s Analysis: Entertaining, engaging, and unique match. This was completely outside the realm of WWE’s typical style, and it worked. Bryan and Gulak are incredible talents who obviously wanted to go out there and stand out, and they succeeded. I recommend going out of your way to watch this one. Daniel Bryan continues to be one of the brightest spots in this era of crowd-less shows, and his post-match promo cemented that even further. He’s been finding creative ways to be entertaining on a consistent basis.)

-Cole and Graves teased Otis and his partner against Miz and Morrison after the break.

-Out of the break, Cole and Graves teased next week’s show, including Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley, and the remaining two first round tournament matches, as well as Otis and Mandy Rose vs. Dolph Ziggler & Sonya Deville.

-Backstage, Sonya Deville and Dolph Ziggler talked about their match next week. Sonya wondered what Mandy Rose is actually good at. She surmised it’s only “being blonde and pretty.” Sonya said she’d wind up barefoot in a double wide trailer with a bunch of kids running around.” Sonya said Mandy would never be a winner like her. She said she’s just getting started with her plan to ruin Mandy’s life. She closed the promo with her new, obligatory closing line, “bitch.’

-The Miz and John Morrison headed to the ring for the main event. Otis followed, flashing his briefcase at the camera. Graves said Otis still doesn’t have a partner because Tucker is sick and no one wants to team with him. Miz and Morrison made fun of Otis. Braun Strowman’s music hit.

(4) THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON vs. OTIS & BRAUN STROWMAN

Otis began the match with John Morrison. Morrison grabbed a quick side headlock, but Otis threw him off with ease. Otis tossed Morrison into the corner. Morrison flew out with a kick to the midsection. Otis danced it off. Morrison kicked Otis in the face. Otis gyrated, then gave Morrison a big shoulder tackle.

Otis dropped Morrison, then knocked Miz off the apron. He tagged in Braun Strowman. Otis counted Braun down, then they hit a tandem Caterpillar elbow. Miz retrieved John Morrison and regrouped outside. Cole sent the show to commercial.

The Miz had Otis grounded when the show returned from commercial. Otis fought to his feet, but Miz kicked him in the head and cornered him. He delivered his “it” kicks and a trio of running knees, followed by a corner clothesline. Miz climbed to the top rope and hit a flying axe handle. Miz began kicking Otis’ chest. The last kick to the head took Otis down for a two count.

Miz applied a sleeper hold. Otis fought to his feet after a moment, but Miz mounted his back. Otis struggled to his corner. Miz pulled him back and tagged in Morrison. They tried for a double suplex, but Otis countered into one of his own. He tagged in Strowman. Braun tossed Morrison and splashed Miz in the corner. He tossed Miz to the center of the ring, then headed to the outside, giving chase to Morrison. Morrison moved, but Strowman ran over Miz.

Back in the ring, Morrison moved Miz out of the way of a splash from Braun. Strowman went crashing into the ring post. Morrison hit a series of kicks, but Braun quickly recovered and hit the power slam for a three count.

WINNERS: Otis & Braun Strowman in 11:00

Otis and Braun Strowman celebrated with their briefcase and title, respectively.

Mandy Rose’s music played. She headed to the ring, distracting Braun. Otis feigned cashing in his contract, but Strowman spun around. He said he was just cutting and gave Strowman a fist bump. Otis celebrated with Mandy. Strowman stood with the title while Otis headband to Braun’s music and the show went off the air.

(LeClair’s Analysis: Not much to say here. Strowman’s title run continues to be hindered by underwhelming matches, awkward promos, and altogether stiff and uninteresting performances. Otis’ having Money in the Bank will add an interesting wrinkle to his story over the coming months. This match felt like little more than time filler on a show that seemed largely thrown together and meant to run in place.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: Aside from the unique and entertaining match between Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak, this show was a chore. Smackdown appears to have little to no direction post-Money in the Bank. Luckily for them, they’re going to be able to fill a bunch of TV time with this Intercontinental title tournament in the coming weeks, much like AEW did with their taped stretch last month. This show suffered from poorly timed segments, meandering, meaningless promos and a plethora of repeat video packages and recaps. Overlaid, post-produced commentary from Michael Cole stuck out like a sore thumb. WWE feels content to, as previously mentioned, run in place, and get by with longer matches as part of this tournament. That’s fine in theory, but it’s hard to get too invested in a title tournament when we’ve seen no commitment to making the Intercontinental title mean anything. Furthermore, Smackdown continues to suffer from a major star power problem, something I very much doubt the brand-to-brand invitational can fix or even temporarily subvert. Like most recent weeks, most of this was hard to watch.