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WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
JULY 12, 2024
WORCESTER, MASS. AT DCU CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON FOX
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier today that 8,291 tickets had been distributed so far; arena set up for 8,619.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch columnist and podcaster Rich Fann to review Smackdown LIVE. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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[HOUR ONE]
-The “WWE Then, Now, Forever, Together” brand stamp aired.
-A video package aired on the Money in the Bank six-man tag main event with The Bloodline.
-Corey Graves introduced the show as the camera panned the audience. They showed Cody Rhodes in the empty arena earlier. They showed Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa (with his ultra-cute little daughter holding his hand) as Graves hyped the tag team title rematch.
-Alicia Taylor introduced Tiffany Stratton. Clips aired of Stratton’s MITB win. She bragged about being the youngest Miss Money in the Bank in WWE history. She said she was the star of the show, not Trish Stratus. “It is my time,” she said. Fans chanted, “Tiffy Time!” She said Liv, Roxanne, and Bayley better keep their heads on swivels because their title reigns are on Tiffy Time. Bayley walked out, smiling. Tiffany said of all people, Bayley should know it’s Tiffy Time. Bayley said she came to offer advice. She said when she won the MITB in 2019, Tiffany probably didn’t know what MITB was. Tiffy said that is ancient history. “You were probably at home eating potato chips with no friends,” Tiffany said. Bayley said if she plans to cash in on her, she’ll make history as the first woman to fail a cash-in.
Nia Jax walked out and asked why Bayley was making empty threats. She said she’ll take the title from her in three weeks at Summerslam. Jax entered the ring. Bayley said this isn’t 2017 Bayley and she showed fire as she talked up her recent accomplishments. She said she’ll embarrass her at Summerslam. Bayley suggested that if Jax were to somehow win, Tiffany can cash in right afterward. Jax said she’s aware she’s no longer “the hugger” she injured before her Summerslam match in 2017. She looked at her ass and called her “BBL Bayley.” Jax said Tiffany is her personal little Barbie Doll. She said she’s not her toy, she’s her victim. Bayley wound up to hit Jax, but Tiffany blocked her. Jax and Tiffany attacked her. Michin made the save with a kendo stick. [c]
-Clips aired of the women’s MITB match.
-Bryon Saxton tried to interview Chelsea Green and Piper Niven. Chelsea in a neck brace said she didn’t have time for him and she needed to talk to G.M. Nick Aldis. Saxton tried to tell her something, but she cut him off.
(1) MICHIN (w/Bayley) vs. NIA JAX (w/Tiffany Stratton)
The bell rang 18 minutes into the hour. Graves talked about Bayley’s strategy of trying to sew seeds of dissent between Jax and Tiffany. They cut to a break at 3:30. [c]
Michin climbed to the top rope at 8:00. Jax threw her to the mat. Michin avoided a Jax senton. Tiffany placed the kendo stick on the ring apron. Bayley went after her. Michin dropkicked Jax before she could use it. Michin landed a tornado DDT for a two count that popped the crowd (probably more than it should have). Jax caught her with a sudden Samoan Drop and the Annihilator for the win.
WINNER: Jax in 9:00.
-Bayley attacked Jax afterward. Tiffany then hit Bayley from behind. Jax recovered and headbutted Bayley. Tiffany delivered a spinebuster and then Jax landed a legdrop. Jax leaned over and trash-talked her before striking a pose. As Jax left, fans chanted “Cash it in!” Tiffany patted Jax on the back, but then walked over to the ref and thought of cashing in. Jax then walked over and shot her a look. Tiffany hid the briefcase behind her back and made her case she wasn’t really going to cash in. Graves said maybe Tiffany was doing a dry run of what it’ll be like to eventually cash in.
-A Bloodline vignette aired. Solo said he is there to build a whole new family that is more powerful, more aggressive. He said they will rule for decades as long as he is the Tribal Chief and everyone will acknowledge him.
-Baron Corbin made his ring entrance. [c]
-Graves touted the metrics of Money in the Bank and then commented on highlights of the men’s MITB ladder match. He said Carmelo Hayes and Andrade stood out and captured the attention of fans.
-An interview aired from earlier in the day in the empty arena stands with Saxton and Andrade. Saxton said people said Andrade had a star-making performance, but now they’re asking what’s next. Carmelo interrupted and told Saxton he should be talking to him because he was the real star of the match. Andrade said the people are saying he was the MVP of the match. Carmelo said he is a first-round draft pick and he should be treated like that. He said he fought Cody Rhodes on his first night and pinned Randy Orton. “Let’s talk about it,” he said. Andrade said Carmelo is next. Carmelo took off his sunglasses and stood up and walked away. Andrade smiled and put his sunglasses back on.
(2) BARON CORBIN & APOLLO CREWS vs. ANGEL GARZA & HUMBERTO CARILLO (w/Santos Escobar, Elektra Lopez)
A clip aired of the set-up for the match backstage as Legado del Fantasma made their entrance. The bell rang 42 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 1:00. [c]
Crews rallied and pressed Garza and then dropped him behind him. Escobar snuck in and landed a leaping knee as Lopez was distracting the ref. Garza then landed a Wing Clipper for the win.
WINNERS: Garza & Carillo in 7:00.
-As Chelsea and Niven waited outside of Aldis’s office, Pretty Deadly approached and said they wanted to pitch “Pretty Deadly, the Musical!” to Aldis. Chelsea told them to get to the back of the line. L.A. Knight stepped out of the office and told them Aldis said they have to wait a little longer. [c]
-They showed Cody Rhodes sitting backstage when Randy Orton walked in and sat next to him. Orton said after hearing what Solo Sikoa said, he thinks Cody will face a group of Samoans tonight. Orton said he’s got his back and always will. He said Kevin Owens feels the same way, but he’s not there. He said he insisted KO be with his family. He said when the business with The Bloodline is over, Cody will have a lot of men in the locker room coming after his championship. “And I’m going to have your back then, too.” Cody thanked him.
(Keller’s Analysis: Lots of subtext there with Orton’s tone and body language suggesting he’ll be one of those men going for the title.)
-Knight made his ring entrance. He said he didn’t win MITB, but he is the walking embodiment of Money in the Bank. He threw to footage of him pinning Logan Paul in a Triple Threat match two weeks ago to quality for MITB.
[HOUR TWO]
Knight said everyone in the arena saw him pin the United States Champion. He picked up a contract folder that he had when he left Aldis’s office. He said it’s hot and fresh from Aldis’s office. He said all that’s missing is Logan’s signature. He said he will own him at Summerslam and win his title. Barrett said Knight is box office and the fans are losing their minds.
-Graves and Barrett threw to a vignette on Blair Davenport. She said wrestlers complaining about being overlooked aren’t aware she has already taken their spot. She dared them to try to take their spot back. [c]
-A video package aired on John Cena announcing his year-long 2025 retirement tour.
(3) NAOMI vs. BLAIR DAVENPORT
Naomi’s ring entrance took place. The bell rang 13 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 3:00 with Davenport in control. [c]
Davenport rolled up Naomi, but Naomi rolled through for a two count of her own. Graves called it a see-saw battle so far. Naomi then landed a running knee to the chin and then leveraged her shoulder’s down for a three count.
WINNER: Naomi in 8:00.
-Graves and Barrett threw to highlights of the DIY tag title win.
-Austin Theory and Grayson Waller made their entrance. [c]
-Backstage, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill congratulated Naomi on her win. Green, Niven, and Pretty Deadly will were still waiting outside of Aldis’s office in the background. Belair said Aldis isn’t even there. Chelsea and Niven heard that and got wide-eyed and then barged into his office. Pretty Deadly just wondered off. Davenport walked up to Naomi and said the best person won tonight and maybe she’ll have better luck next time. She offered Naomi a handshake. Naomi paused, but shook her hand. Chelsea and Niven walked out and threw a little fit over Aldis being gone. Then Davenport knocked Naomi over from behind.
(4) DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tomasso Ciampa) vs. AUSTIN THEORY & GRAYSON WALLER – WWE Smackdown Tag Team Title match
DIY got early offense in. When Gargano dove through the ropes toward Waller, Theory shoved Waller out of the path and then threw Gargano to the ground out of mid-air. Waller threw Ciampa into the ringpost as Theory threw Gargano into the ringside barricade. Waller went for a leaping DDT off the top turnbuckle. It was sloppy but Ciampa landed head-first on the ring apron. Graves drew attention to it being botched. [c]
Waller and Theory went for Meet Me In The Middle, but Ciampa ducked and rolled up Waller for a two count. Waller then threw a knee toward Ciampa, but it hit Theory. DIY gave Waller a Shatter Machine mid-ring followed by Meet Me In The Middle for the win.
WINNERS: DIY in 8:00 to retain the WWE Smackdown-based Tag Team Titles.
-As DIY celebrated, Jacob Fatu ran to ringside. He knocked out Theory and then gave a Samoan Drop to Gargano. Ciampa fought back and gave him a DDT, but Fatu no-sold it and then superkicked Ciampa in the face. He then landed a running hip attack on Gargano followed by a lift-and-drop Samoan Drop on Ciampa. “What chance does anybody have against this lawless madman!” said Barrett. He then landed an Arabian moonsault onto Ciampa. Fans chaned, “Holy shit!” He then landed a top rope moonsault onto Ciampa. Graves exclaimed, “This man has been blessed by the gods! … And not even they could save us.”
Solo Sikoa then made his entrance, flanked by Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa. Fatu waited for them in the ring. [c]
Solo stood in the ring and soaked up boos. A loud “We Want Roman!” chant broke out. Solo said Jimmy Uso didn’t acknowledge him, and now he’s gone. He said “The Wiseman” Paul Heyman is gone too. He said Roman Reigns’s name. A loud “Roman!” chant broke out. He said the fans don’t deserve Roman. “You’ve got me now,” he said. He said if Roman decides to come back, he will acknowledge him as his Tribal Chief. Fans booed. He said tonight is about Cody Rhodes. He said it’s his time to acknowledge him. Cody made his ring entrance to his theme.
He entered the ring and stared down Solo. Fans chanted, “Cody! Cody!” He said he’s heard everything Solo is saying and he’s sure he could figure it out. “We want the same thing,” he said. He said they have to talk to Nick Aldis, but he might as well consider it done. He said they’ll wrestle at Summerslam. He said if he could make any decision, he wouldn’t be waiting until Summerslam. He said he’d fight now. A fight broke out. Cody was badly outnumbered. Orton made the save and gave Solo a DDT. He checked on Cody in the corner, who could barely stand. Fatu attacked Orton and then Cody.
The beatdown went on for two minutes. They tied Cody’s arms in the ropes and then lifted and slammed Orton through a table at ringside. They struck a pose to end the show.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch columnist and podcaster Rich Fann to review Smackdown LIVE. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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