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WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
JULY 19, 2024
OMAHA, NEB. AT CHI HEALTH CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON FOX
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier today that 7,593 tickets had been distributed so far; arena set up for 9,002.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Javier Machado 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.
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[HOUR ONE]
-After the “Then, Now, Forever, Together” brand stamp narrated by Paul Levesque, they aired a video package on the latest from Solo Sikoa saying that if Roman Reigns come back, Roman will acknowledge him as the Tribal Chief, then Randy Orton telling Cody Rhodes he has his back, and then Cody answering Solo’s call to acknowledge him in the ring followed by a big brawl.
-Corey Graves introduced the show as the camera panned the crowd. He said Summerslam takes place in two weeks.
-Cody made his ring entrance wearing a new Cody t-shirt, so no suit this week. He fist-bumped boxer Terence Crawford in the front row. Graves said, “The stars are out tonight.” He plugged his next fight in Saudi Arabia. Cody entered the ring and soaked up a loud “Cody!” chant. He said Orton was a friend and a mentor. “He picked me when he didn’t have to,” he said. “He kept me when others told him to discard me. I would not be standing here Undisputed WWE Champion without Randy Orton.” Fans loudly chanted, “Randy! Randy!” He said Orton had spinal fusion surgery and came back to the ring, so he felt especially guilty last week watching Orton come to his aid only to be driven through a table by The Bloodline. Cody said family is not always blood. He said Randy is his brother.
He looked into the camera and said he wanted to address the man responsible, Solo Sikoa. He said he told Solo before WrestleMania 39, “You are not ready.” He said he paid him back in kind by costing him the title he is holding now. He said they will compete in the main event of Summerslam. He said he will stand there still champion. He was interrupted by Grayson Waller and Austin Theory.
Theory said Jacob Fatu attacked him last week because of him. He pointed at his cheek and said it’s swollen. Cody said that’s because his own partner kneed him in the face. Waller said, “So you’re pushing that narrative too, huh?” Waller said the reason Orton, his mentor, got hurt last week is because of him. Cody attacked Waller. Theory and Waller beat up Cody and threw him to ringside. Crawford gave Cody his chair and Cody used it to fight back against Theory and Waller. Cody’s music played as the heel duo retreated. They cut to Crawford pumping his fist at ringside.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good follow-up to last week. They’re leaning so hard into the Cody-Orton friendship that it does seem inevitable they will end up facing one another down the line. I’m curious if Orton can get the fans to boo him, if that’s the direction they go. Cody is so beloved, but he also has a history of things going a bad direction when he wrestles a popular heel, and Orton is almost always cheered as a legacy star no matter how he’s cast at that particular time.)
-Carmelo Hayes was getting his hair prepped for TV. He said they are two hoopers and he won’t be the one who misses when he wrestles Andrade.
-A commercial hyped that C.M. Punk returns next week on Raw. [c]
-Cody told G.M. Nick Aldis he wants a match against Waller & Theory. Aldis said he needs a partner. Cody said he didn’t need one. Aldis said he can’t send the WWE Champion into a two-on-one match without answering to the board of directors if something happens to him, so he had until the end of the night to find a partner.
(1) CARMELO HAYES vs. ANDRADE
Carmelo made his entrance first. As Andrade came out, Graves noted he is the current Speed Champion. A clip aired of WWE’s event in Mexico. Wade Barrett said Mexico was one of his favorite places to wrestle and said they sold out everywhere. The bell rang 20 minutes into the hour. They cut to an early break after Carmelo landed a legdrop on Andrade as he was teetering on the middle rope. [c]
Andrade made a comeback with a hard clothesline after the break. Andrade took Carmelo down with a Dragon Screw and a flying forearm. Carmelo leaned back in a corner as Andrade played to the crowd for around 15 seconds before charging at him with double knees. He scored a two count. Carmelo made a comeback with a spinning faceplant leading to a two count. Andrade came back with a top rope moonsault. Carmelo flipped out of Andrade’s next move. Andrade connected with a back elbow to a charging Carmelo for a believable near fall.
Andrade strolled casually to the top rope. When Andrade leaped at Carmelo, Carmelo met him with knees for a two count. Carmelo rushed to the top rope and leaped at Andrade, but Andrade ducked. Andrade then landed his underhook neckbreaker on Carmelo for the win. Barrett said it’s a shame someone had to lose the match.
WINNER: Andrade in 11:00.
-They went to Graves and Barrett at ringside. Graves said everyone is stepping up with Summerslam on the horizon. Graves narrated highlights of last week’s Nia Jax vs. Michin match with Tiffany Stratton getting involved. They showed Tiffany teasing a Money in the Bank cash-in and Jax giving her a “seriously?” look.
-They showed Jax and Bayley on split-screen getting mic’d up.
-A commercial aired for WWE Fanatics Fest in New York.
(Keller’s Analysis: Hulk Hogan is still in the graphic next to Cody Rhodes, but he wasn’t heavily featured in the hype. I wonder if WWE is suddenly hesitant to push him given that his speech at the Republican National Convention last night not only was blatantly partisan in a way WWE tries to avoid amplifying, but also it sparked a lot of chatter online about Hogan’s multiple demeaning comments about black people when he was in his 50s including using the n-word in conversations with his son Nick.) [c]
-Graves and Barrett interviewed Jax and Bayley. Jax cut off Graves’s first question. She said it’s time to start feeling sorry for Bayley because at Summerslam, she’s going to put her down like an old sick dog. Bayley said she hasn’t changed in the ten years she’s known her. Jax said she has changed. Jax told her to call her Queen Nia. Bayley said she’ll address her however she wants to.
Bayley brought up Jax hurting her in 2017, changing the course of her career. She said she hurt her because she’s big and clumsy and reckless, not because she’s skilled or vicious. Jax fumed and then said she’s coming for the title because she gets to take it off of her. Bayley said she has bad news for her because she’s changed since 2017 too, and she’s walking in and out of Summerslam with that Women’s Title. Jax yanked off her mic and stormed away.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good segment to hit some talking points about their history. They walked the line and crossed it a little when bringing up Jax’s rep for being clumsy and hurting opponents for real over the years.)
-Backstage earlier, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill walked up to Aldis’s office door, but Chelsea Green and Piper Niven were already in line. They argued over who would talk to Aldis first. Belair suggested Green wrestle her tonight.
(2) BIANCA BELAIR (w/Jade Cargill) vs. CHELSEA GREEN (w/Piper Niven)
The bell rang 46 minutes into the hour. Barrett said the louder Green’s bark, the more likely she scared people away. Green slapped Belair. Belair fought back and gave her a nasty German suplex. She followed with a handspring moonsault, but Green moved. Green slipped out of a KOD set-up and rolled up Belair with a yank on her tights, but Belair rolled through and scored the three count. Green threw a fit.
WINNER: Belair in 1:30.
(Keller’s Analysis: The pace out of the gate indicated they were going quickly to the finish.)
-As Belair and Jade celebrated, Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn showed up on the big screen. They said they’d be at Smackdown next week, but laughed at the notion of a rematch for the tag titles.
-They showed L.A. Knight backstage and plugged that he’d be out next. [c]
-Graves and Barrett hyped Summerslam weekend happenings in Cleveland. Then they plugged Theory & Waller vs. Cody & a mystery partner.
-Aldis stood mid-ring and said they need to get the contract signed for the U.S. Title match at Summerslam. He introduced L.A. Knight, who made his way to the ring. Then Logan Paul made his entrance. A loud “L.A. Knight!” chant broke out. Logan looked at the contract and then asked the fans why he’d give “this hillbilly” a shot at his U.S. Title. He threw in a few other insults like calling him “Larry the Lobster dude” and “Sons of Anarchy extra looking.” Knight called him Edgelord. He said in a way, maybe Logan is right, but he might want to reconsider because every time they’ve been face-to-face, “I’ve owned and cooked you.”
[HOUR TWO]
Knight said a year ago, he walked down the aisle and presented him a map where he could put each and every bottle of his energy drink. He congratulated Logan for winning the U.S. Title. He said he can’t take it away from him. Logan held up his belt and smiled. He said when he asked for his title shot, Logan said no. He said he showed up at his house and turned his pool “into my little toilet.” He said it got him a MITB qualifying match where he pinned Logan’s shoulders. He said that didn’t give him what he wants because he wants that belt.
Logan interrupted and said, “My god, listen to yourself, Shaun.” He said Knight needs the match against him. He said his entire existence is defined by what happens in the ring, whereas he (Logan) is building a multi-billion dollar businesses and is interviewing former presidents and changing the sports media landscape with his brother. He said Knight has a nice “catch phrase, body-builder schtick.” He said he doesn’t think like him or move like him, though.
“For someone whose entire existence is defined by what they do in this ring, you have not had a single defining moment in the past 20 years,” he said. “You are a gym bro with a spray tan and catch phrase, pretending to be the Rock.” Knight fired back, “Oh ho ho, cut me, I’m bleeding. I’ve never heard that before.” He said he’s using old material. “Low rent, low brow, low T,” he said. “Low T Logan P.” Knight told Logan he’s a fraud, parading around pretending to be a champion. He said his brother is willing to jump in the ring with Mike Tyson, but he doesn’t seem to have the balls to jump into the ring with him. “I guess balls don’t run in the family,” Knight said.
Logan said if he wants the match, he’ll sign his contract and give him the shot at glory. Logan signed the contract and then said Knight will have nothing after Summerslam. He said he will give him a map where he should stick his dreams of becoming a WWE champion. He mocked his “Yeah!” chant. Logan threw the contract folder into Knight’s chest. They went chest to chest. Aldis stepped between them. Fans chanted, “Let them fight!” Logan left the ring, but then charged back at Knight when he turned his back. Knight fought back and almost gave Logan a BFT. Knight’s music played as Logan regrouped at ringside and yelled at a woman in the crowd.
(Keller’s Analysis: Two excellent talkers delivered there. There was an edge to a lot of that. Logan scored the most points, by a wide margin.)
-They went to Graves and Barrett at ringside who threw to a vignette in Tiffany Stratton.
-In the video package, Tiffany said perfection comes easily to her. Match highlights aired as she said, “I’m the center of the universe. Everything goes my way.”
(Keller’s Analysis: Slick video. Stuff like that really helps elevate her image to a higher level.)
-Tiffany made her ring entrance, accompanied by Jax. [c]
-Santos Escobar with Elektra Lopez walked up to Knight backstage. He said he must be sitting on top of the world after pinning Logan at MSG. Knight asked what he wanted. Escobar said he was in that match and he wasn’t pinned. He said he’d beat Knight in any one-on-one match. He told him he has free time, so if he wants to get in touch with him, “your mom has my number.” Escobar said if he wants to squander his opportunity at the U.S. Title by wrestling him so close to that match, he’ll happily oblige.
(3) TIFFANY STRATON (w/Nia Jax) vs. MICHIN
Michin’s ring entrance took place after the break. Graves said she’s been on a tear lately since breaking away from The O.C. The bell rang 15 minutes into the hour. Michin landed an early cannonball in the corner. She rolled up Tiffany for a one count. She landed some kicks next. Tiffany bailed out to ringside and called a time out. When Michin went after her, she hid behind Jax. Tiffany then hit Jax with a forearm and then landed an Alabama Slam on the floor. They cut to a break at 1:30. [c]
After battling for a few more minutes, Tiffany landed a rolling senton and then set up another move. When Bayley showed up at ringside, Tiffany yelled at her. Bayley hit Jax with the MITB briefcase and began bashing the case against the ringside steps. Then she stomped on it. Michin rolled up Tiffany for a win. Graves said even though the briefcase is damaged, the contract is still valid.
WINNER: Michin in 8:00.
-Solo Sikoa sat backstage, flanked by Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu. He said he never has a moment to himself. He said he likes a good mystery, and what he cares about isn’t Cody’s mystery partner, but rather who is going to step up and disrespect the Tribal Chief. He bragged about what they did to Orton last week. He said if you’re on Cody’s side, you’re against him and his family. He said tonight better be a handicapped match or someone is going to pay a price “because I am the Tribal Chief and you will acknowledge me.” Fatu put a necklace over his neck.
-Barrett plugged the tag match. [c]
-A sponsored video package aired on Jacob Fatu beating up everybody.
-Graves and Barrett hyped next week’s Smackdown: Logan vs. Escobar, Stratton & Jax vs. Michin & Bayley, and a tag team gauntlet match to earn a shot at the tag titles with Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows, Pretty Deadly, Theory & Waller, The Bloodline, Baron Corbin & Apollo Crews, and The Street Profits.
-Cody walked up to his partner Kevin Owens who asked, “Ready? Let’s get out there” The camera followed him to the entrance stage. Cody then made his entrance.
(Keller’s Analysis: That was an anticlimactic way to reveal KO was the mystery partner, but then again he was the obvious first guess by everyone and I think they all knew that, so they didn’t make it seem like a huge surprise. It ultimately was just a way to get a few extra viewers by teasing a mystery partner) [c]
(4) CODY RHODES & KEVIN OWENS vs. AUSTIN THEORY & GRAYSON WALLER
The bell rang 41 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 4:00 with the heels in control. [c]
Fans loudly chanted “Waller sucks” as he took it to Owens. He set up a superplex on Owens off the top rope, but Owens fought out of it and landed a top rope swanton. He crawled over and hot-tagged Cody at 10:00, which got a nice pop. He went after Theory and landed a snap powerslam. He then punched away at Theory and then landed a bionic elbow, sending Theory to the mat. Waller caught Cody mid-air and slammed him for a two count at 11:00. Waller avoided a Cody Cutter and appeared to pull Theory into the path of the Cody Cutter instead. Cody then landed CrossRhodes for the win.
WINNER: Cody & Owens in 12:00.
-As Cody and KO embraced, Solo’s music played. The Bloodline walked to the ring. When they got to ringside, Cody leaped through the ropes and tackled the heels. KO then raked Loa’s eyes. Cody threw Solo into the ringside announce desk. Owens cleared the desk. They set up a double-chokeslam, but Jacob Fatu showed up and broke it up. Fatu hit several hip attacks on KO as Solo and Tonga forced Cody to watch from ringside. Fatu landed a flying headbutt on KO. Then they gave Cody a triple powerbomb through the announce desk. The desk collapsed when Cody landed on it. Fans booed. Next, they put a chair over KO’s head and threw him into the ringpost. Graves called for security. Barrett said, “Security just quit, Corey!” (Who could blame them?)
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’s Javier Machado 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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