LECLAIR’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 8/21: Alt perspective, detailed coverage of Thunderdome debut, Styles vs. Hardy, Vince McMahon, more

LECLAIR’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
AUGUST 21, 2020
ORLANDO, FL AT WWE THUNDERDOME IN THE AMWAY CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON FOX NETWORK

Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

-The show opened cold on a wide shot of the Amway Center, encased entirely by LED screens. Pyro exploded from the massive entrance stage as Michael Cole welcomed the audience to the WWE Thunderdome. Greg Hamilton introduced Vince McMahon, who was already in the ring.

-Vince McMahon welcomed fans to the Thunderdome as fans appeared on the LED boards set up in the stands. He uttered SummerSlam’s “never see it coming” tagline, but was quickly cut off by The Fiend’s electrical screech. The Fiend headed to the ring, bathed in an impressive light and laser show. Corey Graves wondered aloud what business The Fiend had in the Thunderdome, especially interrupting McMahon.

The Fiend sauntered to the ring, carrying his severed head lantern. He entered the ring slowly and glared at the hard camera, then turned his focus to Vince McMahon. Vince backed up, slowly. The Fiend stuck his tung out and laughed. Braun Strowman’s music hit and he stepped onto the stage. Strowman walked down the ramp slowly, gave a glance to the severed head lantern, then climbed inside the ring. Fans reappeared on the screens. The lights flickered.

A plethora of masked wrestlers hopped onto the apron, surrounding the Fiend and Braun Strowman. The Fiend raised his hand and waved to Strowman. The lights cut out. When they returned, The Fiend was gone, leaving Strowman alone with Retribution. They hopped in the ring and quickly mauled Strowman.

The Smackdown locker-room, led by Big E, poured down the stage and into the ring to make the save. A second wave full of heels joined the fray. A massive brawl ensued. Retribution finally retreated, regrouping on the outside and rushing through the barricade. The Miz ran down after the action had died down, pretending to have participated in the locker room run-in.

Braun Strowman stood, looking furious. He quickly laid out Drew Gulak, then tossed Jey Uso to the outside. Strowman left the ring as the show went to commercial.

(LeClair’s Analysis: The Thunderdome set up is massively impressive. If there’s one thing WWE absolutely excels at, it’s production, and this is one of the most expansive, impressive sets they’ve ever managed to create. The show instantly felt bigger, more consequential, and in line with WWE’s pre-pandemic presentation. Retribution, on the other hand, continues to feel like a mid-card, side-show attraction that is undercooked and ill-advised. There were decidedly more members tonight, but that seemed only to be because they wanted a 50/50 locker room clearing brawl for a period of time. Most interesting, though, was Braun Strowman’s attack on two babyfaces. With so many heels in the ring, Strowman could have easily taken bad guys out. Instead, he focused on Drew Gulak and Jey Uso. I’d say this helps point in the direction of a Braun heel turn if not for watching The Fiend disappear himself out of a sticky situation moments before.)

-Out of the commercial break, members of the locker room were still at ringside. Big E and Sheamus remained in the ring for an apparent match. Michael Cole threw to a brief clip of Sheamus delivering a Brogue Kick to Big E on last week’s show.

(1) BIG E vs. SHEAMUS

Big E and Sheamus locked up and jockeyed for position. Big E backed Sheamus into the corner, but the two quickly broke. Out of the corner, Big E slapped on a side headlock. Sheamus shoved him off and into the ropes. He caught Big E with a shoulder to the chest, but Big E stood his ground. Sheamus gave him a knee to the gut.

Big E quickly rebounded, clotheslining Sheamus over the top rope. Wrestlers positioned at ringside cleared the way for Big E to ram Sheamus into the steel steps. Big E tossed Sheamus back into the ring, then set him up underneath the apron for a diving apron splash. Big E returned to the ring while Sheamus pulled himself to his feet on the apron. He caught Big E with a guillotine off the top rope, then ascended the turnbuckle. Sheamus connected with a flying clothesline.

Sheamus dragged Big E to the apron and lifted him to his feet, commencing the Ten Beats of the Bodhran. Big E collapsed between the ropes, back to the mat. Sheamus caught Big E with an Irish curse backbreaker off the ropes, then covered him for a two count. The lights in the arena flickered. Cole and Graves wondered if Retribution were interfering again. The show went to commercial.

Out of the break, Sheamus and Big E traded back elbows. Big E hot Sheamus with a pair of overhead belly to belly suplexes, then a standard belly to belly to finish the trio. He shot off the ropes and connected with a big splash. Sheamus wandered to his feet. Big E tried to hit the Big Ending, but Sheamus rolled down the back and shoved him off. Sheamus charged for a Brogue Kick, but Big E side stepped it. Sheamus managed to catch him with a leaping knee anyway.

Big E slowly returned to his feet. He and Sheamus traded punches. Sheamus shot Big E to the corner and charged, but Big E hit him with an Uranagi, covering him for a two count. Sheamus retreated to the apron. Big E ran at him, but Sheamus caught him with a knee. Big E managed to rebound and scoop Sheamus back into the ring. Sheamus slid down the back again and tossed Big E shoulder first into the ring post. He followed up with White Noise.

On the outside, King Corbin attacked Matt Riddle from behind. In the ring, Sheamus set up for a Brogue Kick. A brawl ensued between Riddle and Corbin, distracting Sheamus. Big E rolled Sheamus up for a surprise three count.

WINNER: Big E in 11:00

(LeClair’s Analysis: Solid match, but it was hard not to be a little distracted by the audience. I think they made some adjustments since the trial run last night, lowering the brightness on the screen and overall making it less distracting. Still, it’s hard not to be drawn to the faces and the commotion when it’s so new. I’m sure as the show progresses, I’ll grow accustomed to it and stop feeling myself regularly divert my eyes. I’m glad they went with a win for Big E here, but, in typical WWE fashion, it had to come with an asterisk so as not to put anyone over too strongly. Smackdown, in particular, has been relying on this type of booking far too heavily as of late.)

-Michael Cole teased the upcoming Intercontinental title match between A.J. Styles and Jeff Hardy. He said there was a developing situation taking place backstage. Jeff Hardy was shown, favoring his leg and meeting with a trainer. He said he was attacked from behind and asked for a brace.

-Elswhere backstage, Lucha House Party walked in a hallway toward the ring for their upcoming match. Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro appeared and shoved them from behind. Cole said it was a cheap shot, and they’d defend their tag titles next.

-The Progressive Match Flo recapped Kalisto’s return and Gran Metalik’s victory over Shinsuke Nakamura on last week’s Smackdown.

-Cesaro headed to the ring with a new, 3D augmented reality equipped entrance. Shinsuke Nakamura followed. Lucha House Party headed to the ring during a wide shot of the Thunderdome.

(2) SHINSUKE NAKAMURA & CESARO (c) vs. LUCHA HOUSE PARTY (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado, w/ Kalisto) – Smackdown Tag Team title match

Shinsuke Nakamura threw a clothesline at Gran Metalik, but Metalik ducked it. Nakamura caught him with a knee to the gut and quickly tagged in Cesaro. Cesaro dropped Metalik, hit a sliding elbow to the face and covered for a one count. Metalik quickly rebounded and hit a wild head scissor takeover before walking the ropes and leaping onto Cesaro. Cesaro caught him and slammed him to the mat, covering for a two count.

The Miz and John Morrison cut an inset promo in the corner of the screen, teasing both teams and then chanting for themselves. In the ring, Cesaro tagged Nakamura back in. The duo hit a double big boot on Metalik. Nakamura followed up by shoving Lince Dorado off the apron and tagging Cesaro back in.

Cesaro dumped Metalik back onto the apron, then climbed the ropes. Metalik fought back and leapt into a hurricanrana off the top rope. Metalik reached Lince Dorado for a tag. Cesaro reached Nakamura. Lince Dorado cut off Nakamura with a cross body off the top rope. He immediately shoved Cesaro off the apron, then whipped Nakamura to the corner. Dorado caught Shinsuke with a super kick, then hit his trio of moonsaults from each rope. Dorado covered, but Cesaro broke up the attempt at two.

Dorado tossed Cesaro the outside. Gran Metalik hit the ring and dove over the top onto Cesaro. Meanwhile, Nakamura caught Dorado with an exploder suplex. He set up for the Kinshasa, but Dorado countered into a roll up for a two count. Shinsuke shot to his feet but got caught with a springboard stunner. Nakamura stumbled into the ropes and Cesaro tagged himself in.

Cesaro tossed Dorado into the air for a power bomb, but Dorado rolled through it, trying to catch him in a hurricanrana. Cesaro overpowered Dorado into a sunset roll up of his own and scored a three count.

WINNERS: Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro in 5:00 to retain

(LeClair’s Analysis: Quick, chaotic match. Evidently, this was less about establishing Lucha House Party as legitimate contenders for the tag titles and more about setting up a rift between the group. It makes putting Metalik over Nakamura last week seem that much more short-sighted. Not sure I like the idea of splitting Lucha House Party up, as they have great chemistry and seem to be best suited for this type of thing, but, I’ll wait to see how it plays out.)

After the match, Kalisto began arguing with Lince Dorado. Gran Metalik stepped in the hold the two men apart. They continued to scream at each other as the segment faded out.

-Backstage, the trainer continued to work on Jeff Hardy’s injured leg.

-At the announcers desk. Cole and Graves tossed to footage of Retribution’s attack from earlier in the night. The footage revealed that A.J. Styles intentionally kicked Jeff Hardy from behind. “That looks pre-mediated to me!” Cole exclaimed.

-Backstage, Kayla Braxton approached A.J. Styles to ask him about the footage. Styles said if Hardy showed the same sense of urgency in fending off Retribution, he wouldn’t have been in the way. Styles said Hardy continues to waste his career, throwing away an opportunity at the Intercontinental title. “The Jeff Hardy story, in a nutshell, by A.J. Styles.”

Styles walked away and happened upon Bayley and Sasha Banks. They toasted each other, clinking their belts. The camera followed Sasha and Bayley. Graves said they were up next.

-After the break, Kayla Braxton approached Mandy Rose backstage. She asked how she’s holding up. Mandy said it’s been a rough week. Rose said despite the bad and ugly she’s seen from Sonya, she needs to believe there’s still good in the world. She turned to face the camera, speaking directly to Sonya Deville. Rose said they’ve been through a lot together, much of it as best friends. She pleaded to the “Sonya I know” to put this behind them. “I choose to see the good in you,” Rose said.

-Sasha Banks and Bayley headed to the ring. Michael Cole talked up their respective title defenses against Asuka at SummerSlam. Cole said Bayley is celebrating her 315th day as Smackdown women’s champion.

Corey Graves stood in the ring, waiting for Banks and Bayley. He welcomed them to the Thunderdome, and asked if they were splitting up. “No,” they emphatically said together. Graves said they’re preparing to defend their own titles against the same opponent. He said Asuka has a chance of leaving Summerslam with both women’s titles. “That’s not gonna happen,” Bayley cut him off.

Graves said Asuka has beaten Bayley in the past, and it took both she and Sasha to secure the Raw title for Banks. Sasha said they’ll both destroy Asuka. “Don’t try to stir the pot,” Sasha said. Graves said he was trying to use logic. Bayley said they’re the most logical people in the company – that’s why they have all the gold.

Sasha grinned at hearing Graves say Bayley agreed to face Asuka first. Bayley said it was just a suggestion. Banks turned sour. “Are you trying to volunteer me again?” Bayley talked her down. “We’re good, and there’s no one in that locker room who can touch us.” Naomi’s music cut her off.

Naomi said she can help them handle their situation, suggesting she face both of them tonight. Banks laughed, then accepted. Naomi asked who wants to face her first. Graves suggested a beat the clock challenge, with the winner defending first at SummerSlam. She dropkicked them both. The champions rolled to the outside. Cole wondered who’d go first, and whether or not the beat the clock challenge would happen. Then, he announced, without hesitation, that it would.

(LeClair’s Analysis: Banks and Bayley were effective as always, especially prompted by Corey Graves. I like that they returned to the tension over who would defend the title first at SummerSlam, despite Bayley technically having already volunteered on Monday. Throwing the beat the clock challenge into the fray is an interesting bit, though it feels like a bit of a time-filler.)

(3) NAOMI vs. SASHA BANKS

The bell rang when the show returned from commercial. Michael Cole explained the rules of a beat the clock challenge. Naomi stacked up Sasha Banks into a quick cover for a two count. She followed up with a full nelson sit out slam, then clutched Banks’ legs and rolled around the ring with her Naomi pinned Sasha’s shoulders with her legs for another two count.

Naomi quickly tossed Banks to the outside, then dove over the top rope onto her. Naomi and Bayley exchanged words on the outside as Naomi tossed Banks back in the ring. Sasha recovered and dragged Naomi into a prone position on the middle rope. She hit the floating Meteora for a two count.

Banks grabbed a chin lock as the clock passed two minutes and the second hour of the show began. Naomi battled to her feet and caught Sasha with a jawbreaker. Naomi and Banks traded quick roll ups. Naomi suplexed Banks onto the rope and delivered a bicycle kick to the face. Naomi dragged Banks to the corner, then went for a springboard moonsault, but Banks shot up and rolled her up for a quick two count.

Back on their feet, Sasha grabbed Naomi’s arm and rolled her into the Bank Statement. Naomi tapped quickly.

WINNER: Sasha Banks in 3:39

Bayley hopped in the ring and attacked Naomi. The referee held her off, allowing Naomi to recover and return to her feet.

(4) NAOMI vs. BALYLEY

Bayley attacked Naomi in the corner as soon as the bell rang. The clock began counting backwards from 3:39. Bayley hit a quick snap suplex and covered Naomi for a two count. Bayley tossed Naomi to the corner, gave her a snapmare and covered her for another two count. She followed up with a sliding clothesline and another two count.

Bayley dragged Naomi to her feet. Naomi fought back with punches. She ran Bayley to the corner. Bayley burst through with a big clothesline for another two count as the clock hit two minutes remaining. Both women returned to their feet. Naomi caught Bayley with the Rear View out of nowhere, covering her for a three count.

WINNER: Naomi in 2:00

Cole and Graves talked about Bayley’s loss meaning that she’d defend against Asuka first. Sasha quietly celebrated to herself at ringside as Bayley recovered in the ring. Asuka’s music hit and she appeared on the stage. “At SummerSlam, I will be the empress of every title because no one is ready for Asuka!” She laughed and danced. Sasha Banks charged at her, but Asuka dropped her.

Asuka continued her descent toe the ring, She attacked Bayley briefly, but Bayley managed to escape, grabbing her title and retreating up the ramp, leaving a down Sasha Banks on the ramp. Cole and Graves made particular note of this.

(LeClair’s Analysis: While I don’t love the idea of the Smackdown women’s champion losing cleanly in two minutes, this angle served an express purpose and I thought t was executed quite well. Banks and Bayley continue to show cracks in their foundation, despite Bayley’s continued efforts to keep up appearances. Despite dragging this out a substantial amount of time, I haven’t found that the will they/won’t they act has grown tiresome yet, especially in comparison to their first attempt at this a couple years ago. I’m looking forward to the developments sure to happen in the two matches at SummerSlam.)

-Backstage, Jeff Hardy tried walking off his leg injury. The trainer said he’d clear him if he felt ready. Hardy said Styles tried to make him a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest, and now the one legged man is going to become Intercontinental champion.

-Cole announced a new episode of the Firefly Funhouse later tonight.

-Backstage, Kayla Braxton approached Sonya Deville, asking her for comment. Deville said she’d say it to the entire world. Dana Brooke approached, apologizing for everything Sonya went through this week. Deville slapped her across the face and walked away, leaving Brooke stunned.

(LeClair’s Analysis: Maybe it was just the layout of the segment, but Sonya Deville came off abnormally stiff and robotic here.)

-Sonya Deville walked out onto the ramp after the break. “Cut the music,” she demanded. She said she gets Mandy Rose second guessing the challenge at SummerSlam. She asked what Mandy wants, saying Mandy seems unbothered by her cut hair. Deville said she doesn’t give a damn about losing her hair either. She instead requested a loser leaves WWE match. “You need to wipe those tears and bring your A-game, bitch.” Deville tossed the mic and left.

(LeClair’s Analysis: Far better delivery here. Deville seemed on the verge of tears. I’m not sure if that was intentional given the angle, or if it was just a lot of pent up emotion given her week in real life. This stipulation is interesting, though given that I’ve nothing of either woman leaving, I presume they’ll find some way out of it, or, if nothing else, move the loser to Raw or back to NXT.)

-A “previously on the Firefly Funhouse” package aired, recapping recent events within the universe, as well as the events involving Alexa Bliss on last week’s Smackdown.

-Nikki Cross sat facing the camera for a sit down interview backstage. She said Alexa Bliss is different. “She looks like Alexa, she sounds like Alexa, but that person I spoke to the other day is not Alexa Bliss.” Cross said she has a feeling that something terrible is about to happen. She looked at the floor and sighed heavily.

-A.J. Styles headed to the ring for his Intercontinental title match. Cole said Styles gave himself a distinct advantage earlier tonight by attacking Jeff Hardy under the cover of the Retribution brawl. He tossed to an inset promo from Daniel Bryan, recorded from home.

Bryan said Styles is only willing to face the best when they’re at their worst. He said he hopes Jeff Hardy can give WWE the Intercontinental champion it truly deserves inside the Thunderdome. Back live, Graves said the title match would be next.

After the break, Jeff Hardy hobbled onto the stage. “That does not look good,” Cole remarked. He threw to the footage of Styles attacking Hardy earlier in the night. Graves tried to say Styles mistook Hardy for a Retribution member because he was wearing all black. Once Hardy got to the ring, Greg Hamilton provided standard championship introductions.

(5) A.J. STYLES (c) vs. JEFF HARDY – WWE Intercontinental title match

Jeff Hardy and A.J. Styles circled the ring. Styles pounced quickly, trying to hook Hardy’s leg. Jeff fought him off with a backdrop, but quickly hobbled toward the ropes. Hardy climbed to the middle rope and Styles chop blocked him to the mat. Styles ripped open Hardy’s pant leg, exposing the knee brace. He stomped at it aggressively.

Styles tried to whip Hardy off the ropes, but Jeff collapsed to the mat. Styles told Hardy he never should’ve gotten in the ring with him. He stomped Hardy’s leg again. Graves said the referee should stop the match. Styles continued to methodically work over the leg.

Hardy struggled to his feet and managed to catch Styles with a jawbreaker. He dumped Styles to the apron, but Styles slipped and fell to the floor. Hardy tried to capitalize, but Styles quickly recovered from the fall and tripped Hardy, causing his knee to bounce off the apron. Hardy writhed on the floor in pain. Cole sent the show to commercial.

Out of the break, Styles caught Hardy’s leg. Jeff managed to pull of an enziguri. He followed up with a front face buster, covering Styles for a two count. Both Hardy and Styles rolled around on the mat. Hardy returned to his feet first and called for the Twist of Fate. Styles rolled through it and hit a Pale kick.

Hardy tried to leap to the top rope for Whisper in the Wind, but he misstepped, causing his knee to buckle. He crashed to the mat, allowing A.J. to recover. Styles set up for the Phenomenal Forearm on the apron. He launched, but Hardy caught him with a punch to the gut, turning Styles inside out. Hardy tried to build, but Styles rolled him into the calf crusher. Hardy managed to reach the ropes and break the hold.

A.J. dragged Hardy to his feet by the leg. He kicked Hardy in the one and set up for the Styles Clash, but Hardy caught him in the face with his knee brace. Hardy hit the Twist of Fate and stumbled toward the ropes. He climbed, then hit the Swanton Bomb. Hardy covered Styles for a three count.

WINNER: Jeff Hardy in 11:00

-Kayla Braxton stepped in the ring to interview Jeff Hardy. She asked what it meant to win the title again. Hardy said he was in a really dark place a year ago that he couldn’t seem to find a way out of it, and now he’s champion. He said he has a painful knee, but he’s full of hope. Hardy continued to speak, but was cut off by his own music, causing him to awkwardly cut himself off.

(LeClair’s Analysis: Surprising, and rather baffling finish. A decent match, albeit hampered by the story they were trying to tell with Hardy’s knee. It seems to me like having Styles win this match “cleanly”, leading to a rematch with a healthy Hardy would be a far better story to tell. Instead, they went with a roundabout dirty win for Hardy which will likely lead to Styles crying fowl for a rematch. It’s a different way to reach the same result, but I was enjoying Styles title run and would’ve preferred to see it last a little longer.)

-Ramblin’ Rabbit and Huskus the Pig were shown on the Firefly Funhouse set. Graves said a new episode would be next.

-Kayla Braxton approached A.J. Styles backstage. He was incensed, screaming at Joseph Parks and Kayla about getting in the face with Hardy’s knee brace. Parks contorted his face in pain.

-The Firefly Funhouse title card appeared, giving way to Bray Wyatt standing in front of his wall of pictures. He told the audience he loves them, but says love can do crazy and magical things. He received a “phone call.” He picked it up, but it was just gibberish.

Wyatt talked about the “love” between Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss. He tossed to a “Firefly Theater Presents” classical segment, with Huskus and Ramblin’ Rabbit playing Strowman and Bliss, respectively. The prepared to kiss after professing their feelings, but Wyatt cut them off. “That is not at all how it went down,” Wyatt said, exasperated. Huskus apologized. Rabbit claimed to have gotten lost in the moment. “Get lost,” Wyatt said.

Bray said we should all be more like him, a being that is built on rage and anger. Bray said “he” can’t wait to get his hands on Braun. He looked around, sniffing. “What took you so long?” Suddenly, Braun Strowman ran into frame and attacked Bray Wyatt. He beat Wyatt off screen, then dragged his body off camera. “I’m not finished with you!” Strowman roared. The show faded to commercial.

(LeClair’s Analysis: Meh. Firefly Funhouse has kind of gotten lost in its own meandering, senseless story telling. What once felt like a segment produced just outside the watchful eye of Vince McMahon now feels more like something tailor made for his approval. In general, I dislike when other characters show up inside the Funhouse universe, and this is no exception. Braun’s character continues to just be an all around chore to watch.)

-The show returned to Cole and Graves at the announcers desk. Cole said they were mobilizing the camera crew to follow a fight between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman backstage.

The camera cut to show Wyatt and Strowman engaged in a walking brawl throughout the backstage area. Strowman grabbed Wyatt by the throat and tossed him off a “tunnel” toward a loading dock area, smiling back at officials trying to talk him out of it.The camera cut to Bray Wyatt laid out on the concrete below. An ambulance conveniently positioned nearby backed right up to Wyatt’s lifeless body. Referees screamed for urgency.

Paramedics pulled a stretcher from the back of the ambulance and brought it to Wyatt’s side. They very dangerously hoisted him onto the stretcher, without a back board, and strapped him in. Wyatt was wheeled into the ambulance. “It wasn’t supposed to end like this,” Graves said.

The ambulance began to drive away, but stopped because the garage door failed to open. It then began backing up as officials frantically screamed in sheer panic. Suddenly, the lights inside the ambulance turned red. Everyone backed away in terror. The camera swung back around to reveal The Fiend, standing stoically on the ambulance riser. The Fiend stuck his tongue out and laughed. The show cut to black.

(LeClair’s Analysis: So Braun Strowman has to be a heel now, right? I mean, if not, what in the world are they thinking? This was a big callback to the early days of Strowman’s rise against Roman Reigns where they couldn’t help but pull a new stunt every week. I realize there are a different set of rules for characters like The Fiend, but it’s really hard to get behind the idea that a guy who was just thrown off a loading dock onto concrete could suddenly, magically recover as a supernatural character simply because it’s his alter ego. I get it. WWE plays fast and loose with these types of characters, but in general, there hasn’t been enough consistency to truly earn this kind of fantasy story-telling.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Thunderdome situation gave Smackdown a much needed shot in the arm, but the booking deficiencies and weak story telling still remain, and they were on display as much as ever tonight. There were positive elements – Bayley and Sasha continue to be the highlight of every show they’re a part of. The Fiend’s entrance to kick off the show was mesmerizing, and a fun indicator of what can be done with this production set up. Still, I find myself completely disengaged from the Universal title program and continue to be underwhelmed by the in-ring product, which was once what held Smackdown afloat. Thankfully, the LED boards grew less distracting as the show wore on, so I anticipate the Thunderdome being a net positive overall going forward. Still, WWE must address their fundamental issues in order to make these shows truly feel different.