SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SMACKDOWN TV REPORT
JULY 26, 2024
OMAHA, NE AT CHI HEALTH CENTER
AIRED ON FOX
REPORT BY ALEX McDONALD, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
[HOUR ONE]
-The show opened with a video recap of last week’s main event tag team match with Cody Rhodes teaming with Kevin Owens against Austin Theory and Grayson Waller. The video showed highlights of the match before they transitioned to the run-in from the Bloodline after the match. They added in parts of Solo Sikoa’s earlier promo as the Bloodline was shown beating down Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes.
-Nick Aldis was in the back. The Bloodline appeared. Tonga Loa had a patch on one eye. Aldis said they have to forfeit their spot in the Tag Team Gauntlet match due to Loa’s injury. Tama Tonga questioned the decision. Solo Sikoa said the Bloodline isn’t going to forfeit anything. Sikoa said that Loa is a part of the Bloodline, but so is Jacob Fatu. Fatu stepped into the picture. Sikoa said Fatu would replace Loa in the match. Aldis agreed and walked off. Sikoa told Fatu to bring the Tag Team titles home to the Bloodline.
-The camera panned the crowd as Corey Graves introduced the show.
-L.A. Knight was in the back. Knight said there’s a pit stop on the way to Summerslam. Knight said Santos Escobar hasn’t learned from what has happened in the past. Knight said he’s going to beat Escobar tonight and then teach Logan Paul a lesson at Summerslam.
-L.A. Knight made his entrance.
-Santos Escobar made his entrance with Elektra Lopez.
(1) L.A. KNIGHT vs. SANTOS ESCOBAR (w/ Elektra Lopez)
Knight charged Escobar in the corner. Knight landed right hands and sent Escobar off the ropes. Escobar took down Knight. Knight recovered and took Escobar down with an armdrag. Knight put Escobar in an armbar. Escobar fought to his feet and pushed Knight to the corner. Knight took Escobar down by the arm again. Knight yanked on the arm of Escobar and then took him down with an elbow strike. Knight rammed his shoulder into Escobar’s gut in the corner. Knight climbed to the second rope and rained down punches on Escobar. Escobar recovered and took Knight down in the corner. Escobar lifted Knight to his feet and landed a chop. Escobar took Knight to a different corner and landed another chop. Escobar followed up with a suplex in the center of the ring. Escobar took Knight down again and put him a modified Sharpshooter. Knight got to the ropes and sent Escobar off the ropes. Knight landed a big clothesline. Escobar hung up Knight on the middle rope. Lopez slapped Knight. Escobar landed a 619 and taunted Knight as the show cut to commercial break. [c]
Escobar charged Knight and landed double knees in the corner. Escobar made the cover for a two count. Escobar put Knight in a headlock on the mat. Knight got to his feet and fought Escobar off. Knight came off the ropes with a swinging neckbreaker. Knight ran the ropes again but Escobar caught him with a backbreaker. Escobar made another cover for a two count. Escobar came after Knight in the corner but Knight landed an elbow. Knight took Escobar to another corner and stomped him down. Knight backed off and charged with a running knee. Knight followed up with a DDT and made the cover for a two count. Knight lifted Escobar to his shoulders but Lopez distracted Knight and Knight dropped Escobar. Escobar landed an elbow but Knight recovered and delivered a powerslam. Lopez distracted the ref and Logan Paul appeared. Knight knocked Paul off the apron. Escobar landed a kick off the distraction. Escobar went for the Phantom Driver but Knight escaped and hit the BFT for the win.
WINNER: L.A. Knight in 10:00
-Paul hit the ring and attacked Knight. Knight fought back and stomped away at Knight. Escobar hit Knight from behind with a big knee. Escobar and Paul stomped on Knight. Paul climbed to the top rope and came off with a Frog Splash onto Knight. Paul and Escobar exited the ring as Knight was down.
-Wade Barrett and Corey Graves were shown ringside. Graves threw to a video recap of Naomi’s victory over Blair Davenport two weeks ago on Smackdown. The video then showed Davenport’s attack on Naomi backstage that same night.
-Byron Saxton was with Naomi in the back. Saxton asked why Davenport attacked Naomi. Naomi said she didn’t do anything to Davenport but Davenport is playing mind games. Naomi said she’s going to make Davenport respect the glow. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill appeared. Belair said Naomi was right and then said that her and Cargill have to address the current Women’s Tag Team Champions. Belair and Cargill left and made their way toward the arena. [c]
-Logan Paul was in the back. He bumped into Byron Saxton. Paul said his beat down on Knight was an appetizer for Summerslam. Paul said Cleveland is his hometown and he is the pride of Cleveland. Paul said that Knight isn’t ready for Summerslam. Paul mocked Knight’s “yeah” and walked off.
-Jade Cargill made her entrance.
-Bianca Belair made her entrance.
-Belair and Cargill stood in the middle of the ring with microphones. Belair said she was going to cut to the chase. She said that Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn have been ghosting them. Belair said that Dawn and Fyre said they were going to be at Smackdown with the titles. She asked where they were. Cargill said they needed to stop dodging them and “come get these hands”.
-Dawn and Fyre’s music played and Belair and Cargill looked toward the ramp. Dawn and Fyre attacked Belair and Cargill from behind. Belair and Cargill recovered and tossed Dawn and Fyre to ringside. Belair and Cargill stood tall in the ring.
-Graves threw to footage of the WWE in Japan this week.
-The Street Profits and B-Fabb were shown warming up in the back. Terrence Crawford appeared. The Profits told Crawford to do his thing in his fight. Crawford slapped hands with the Profits and left.
-They showed a graphic for the Tag Team Gauntlet match. Barrett promoted the match and said the winner will get a title shot against DIY. [c]
-They showed highlights of the match between Michin and Tiffany Stratton last week. The video showed Michin’s victory and Bayley stomping on and breaking the Money in the Bank briefcase.
-Stratton was in the back with duct tape on her Money in the Bank briefcase. Nia Jax appeared and told Stratton she would help to get briefcase fixed. Stratton said all she wants is to get revenge on Bayley. Jax agreed and walked off.
-Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews made their entrance. Barrett said this was the worst possible slot, but it isn’t impossible to win.
-Angel and Berto made their entrance.
(2) APOLLO CREWS & BARON CORBIN vs. ANGEL & BERTO – Tag Team Gauntlet Match
Angel and Berto knocked Crews to the outside and then double teamed Corbin in the corner. Berto went after Crews on the outside. Corbin fought back against Angel inside the ring. Corbin slammed Angel and made the cover for a two count. Angel tagged in Berto. Angel landed a superkick that sent Corbin to the outside. Berto came through the ropes with a dive and took Corbin down. Berto celebrated as the show cut to commercial break. [c]
Back from break, Berto was in control of Corbin. Corbin fought free but Berto landed a kick. Berto charged Corbin in the corner but Corbin caught Berto coming in and tossed him into the corner. Crews and Angel tagged in. Crews went after Angel and took him down with a flying clothesline. Crews landed a German suplex and rolled into a second and then released Angel on the third. Crews splashed Angel in the corner. Crews climbed to the top rope and came off but Angel caught him with a knee to the face. Angel hit a backbreaker and made the cover but Corbin broke the count. Berto knocked Corbin to the outside. Corbin landed on his feet and pulled Berto out. Corbin tossed Berto into the ring steps. In the ring, Crews countered Angel and tagged in Corbin. Corbin hit the End of Days and pinned Angel.
WINNER: Apollo Crews & Baron Corbin in 8:00
ELIMINATED: Angel & Berto
-The Street Profits made their entrance.
(2a) STREET PROFITS (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. APOLLO CREWS & BARON CORBIN
Ford started with Crews. Crews took Ford down with a dropkick. Crews went for a suplex but Ford landed on his feet and delivered a back suplex to Crews. Dawkins tagged in and covered Crews for a two count. Dawkins and Crews ran the ropes and took each other down with stereo clotheslines. They both made the tag and Ford and Corbin hit the ring. Corbin landed a big right on Ford that knocked him to the outside. Corbin ran the ropes and Crews helped him over the top rope onto Ford and Dawkins at ringside. Corbin celebrated as the show cut to commercial break. [c]
Ford took Corbin down with a big kick. Dawkins and Crews tagged in. Crews splashed Dawkins in the corner. They traded big kicks. Dawkins landed a modified T-bone suplex. Corbin charged Dawkins but Dawkins moved and Corbin hit the ring post. Dawkins was knocked to the outside. Ford and Crews ran the ropes and hit dives in stereo on their opponents. Crews climbed to the top rope and missed. Dawkins landed a big right and tagged in Ford. Dawkins and Ford hit a double team on Crews. Ford made the cover for the win.
WINNER: Street Profits in 7:00
ELIMINATED: Apollo Crews & Baron Corbin
-Pretty Deadly made their entrance
(2b) STREET PROFITS (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. PRETTY DEADLY (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince)
Pretty Deadly immediately went for covers. Dawkins was in against Wilson. Dawkins recovered and tagged in Ford. Dawkins and Ford double teamed Wilson and Prince. Ford covered Wilson for a two count. Wilson made a blind tag to Prince. Ford went for a suplex on Wilson but Prince delivered a chop block on Ford. Prince beat on Ford and covered him for a two count. Wilson tagged back in. Pretty Deadly worked on Ford’s leg in the corner. Prince tagged back in and beat on Ford in the corner. Prince and Wilson celebrated. Wilson tagged back in. Ford tried to fight out of the corner. Prince landed a shot to the knee of Ford. Ford sold the knee. Wilson choked Ford with the top rope. Wilson worked on the knee and put Ford in a single leg Boston Crab. Ford reached the ropes and Wilson broke the hold. Wilson kicked at the leg of Ford. Wilson tweaked the knee some more. Ford tried to kick Wilson off but Wilson held on. Prince tagged in but Ford got free and tagged in Dawkins. Dawkins took down Prince. Dawkins came off the ropes and hit a twisting elbow. He followed up with a twisting splash in the corner and a big kick. Dawkins made the cover for a two count.
[HOUR TWO]
Wilson tagged in and Dawkins missed it. Dawkins landed a kick to Prince but Wilson gave Dawkins a DDT and made the cover for a two count. Ford was knocked off the apron and Pretty Deadly double teamed Dawkins. Prince made the cover but Ford broke the count. Ford dumped Wilson to the outside. Prince sent Ford to the apron. Dawkins attacked Prince from behind. He tagged in Ford. Dawkins lifted Prince to his shoulders and Ford came off the top rope with a Blockbuster. Ford made the cover for a two count.
WINNER: Street Profits in 8:00
ELIMINATED: Pretty Deadly
-The O.C. made their entrance. [c]
(2c) STREET PROFITS (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. THE O.C. (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows)
The O.C. was in control as the match started during the commercial break. Anderson had Ford in a headlock on the mat. Ford got to his feet and elbowed Anderson in the gut. Anderson landed a kick and then took Ford down with a clothesline. Anderson made the cover for a two count. Anderson sent Ford into the corner hard. Gallows tagged in and kicked at Ford in the corner. Gallows came off the ropes and took Ford down with a big clothesline. Gallows made the cover for a two count. Anderson tagged in and kicked at Ford. Anderson made another cover for a two count. Anderson slammed Ford and made another cover for another two count. Ford fought to his feet and Gallows tagged in. Gallows slammed Ford and made a cover for a two count. Gallows landed a series of elbows on Ford and then locked him in a headlock. Gallows laid on Ford on the mat. Ford got to his feet and tried to fight Gallows off. Gallows delivered a blow to the back of Ford. Ford delivered a DDT. Anderson tagged in before Ford could make a tag. Anderson sent Ford to the corner and charged. Ford lifted Anderson up and sent him to the floor. Gallows went after Ford but Ford moved and Gallows fell to the floor. Dawkins tagged in and hit a dive onto Gallows and Anderson on the outside. Dawkins took Anderson into the ring but Anderson hit a spinebuster on Dawkins. Anderson made the cover for a two count. Dawkins rolled up Anderson and Ford stopped Gallows from breaking the count as Dawkins got the win.
WINNER: Street Profits in 6:00
ELIMINATED: The O.C.
-The Bloodline made their entrance. Graves mentioned that the last team the Profits have to beat are the toughest team in the match. Barrett mentioned the advantage for the Bloodline. [c]
(2d) STREET PROFITS (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. THE BLOODLINE (Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga w/ Solo Sikoa & Tonga Loa)
The match was in progress as Tama beat on Dawkins in the corner. Fatu tagged in and landed a headbutt to Dawkins. The crowd chanted “Solo sucks”. Fatu charged Dawkins and splashed him in the corner. Tama tagged in and launched himself at Dawkins in the corner. Tama choked Dawkins with the middle rope. Tama distracted the ref and Sikoa choked Dawkins with the middle rope. Fatu yelled that he loved Sikoa. Tama tagged in Fatu. Fatu punched Dawkins and then choked him with the middle rope again. Sikoa landed a big right from the outside. Fatu pulled at the arm and bit the hand of Dawkins. Fatu went for a splash in the corner but Dawkins moved and Fatu hit the top of the ring post. Ford tried to will Dawkins to the corner. Tama and Ford tagged in. Ford took down Tama with a clothesline and he followed up with a spinebuster. Ford knocked Fatu off the apron. Ford landed a kick to Tama. He sent Tama to the corner and charged but Tama lifted Ford to the apron. Ford landed a right and climbed to the top rope. Ford came off with a crossbody and covered Tama for a two count. Ford climbed to the top rope again. Tama cut Ford off. Tama superplexed Ford and made the cover but Dawkins broke the count. Dawkins knocked Fatu to the outside. Tama pulled Dawkins to the outside. Ford dove over the top rope and took out all three men on the outside. Sikoa looked on. Ford rolled Tama into the ring and climbed to the top rope. Ford went for a splash but Tama moved and Ford hit hard. Fatu tagged in and dove through the ropes at Dawkins. Fatu went after Ford but Ford delivered a DDT. Fatu no sold the DDT. Fatu hit Ford with a pop-up Samoan Drop. Fatu springboarded off the ropes into a moonsault and covered Ford for the win.
WINNER: The Bloodline in 9:00 to earn a WWE Tag Team Championship Match
(McDonald’s Analysis: These gauntlet matches are pretty formulaic in a way but this worked for what it was. They like doing these on taped shows to fill time and it makes a lot of sense. The teams were tiered about where you would expect them to be other than maybe The O.C. It’s a shame that Corbin and Crews got more ring time than Pretty Deadly, but that was the decision they made and it is what it is. Pretty Deadly has really fallen out of favor since the injury to Prince. The Profits were made to look like the stars of the match which would make more sense if they had been treated as anything other than after thoughts over the past few months. The Bloodline probably should have made quick work of them in the final part of the match. The ending was predictable. I wonder if adding Fatu was intentional or a pivot due to an actual injury to Loa. If it was just for the injury, I wonder if Fatu will give his spot back to Loa when it’s time to have the match with DIY. They could look at as a happy accident, but if Loa isn’t the partner for Tama, then he doesn’t have much purpose in the new Bloodline. I’m looking forward to the title match against DIY. I don’t know if they’ll do it next week on Smackdown or at Summerslam. It’s possible they save it for the week after Summerslam so the Bloodline can get some heat back after Sikoa loses to Rhodes.)
-The showed a graphic for a sit-down interview with Cody Rhodes. Barrett promoted it for after the break. [c]
-Graves and Barrett were shown ringside.
-Austin Theory and Grayson Waller appeared. Waller said they would have won their match last week if it wasn’t for Terrence Crawford. Theory demanded that Crawford come out and apologize to them. Waller said he may be scared.
-Crawford made his entrance and paced at the top of the ramp. He made his way to the ring after his introduction.
-Crawford entered the ring. Waller asked for an apology for costing him and Theory the match last week. Waller said he also needs to apologize for thinking he belongs in the ring with Theory and Waller. Waller said if Crawford takes one more step toward him then Theory will knock him out. Theory started to protest but Crawford punched Theory and took him down. Waller ran out of the ring. Crawford celebrated in the ring.
(McDonald’s Analysis: If they have any plans for Theory in the immediate future, this is a terrible idea. He’s used too much as comedy fodder for nonsense like this. It’s fine for Waller, but if Theory is going to break away and be a babyface, this isn’t helping that cause. He looks too much like a goof on a regular basis. Theory is too talented to be another Miz.)
-Graves threw to a message from Cody Rhodes.
-Rhodes was in a bar in Japan. He said he’s doing what he said he was going to do, take the WWE title all over the world. He said he’s reflecting on his greatest fight which was his match against Roman Reigns. He said he finished his story against Reigns and he thought he was done with the Bloodline. Rhodes said he’s now dealing with the doppelganger Bloodline. He said they don’t have a true leader like Reigns to guide them. Rhodes said he’s on his own now as the Bloodline has taken out his only allies. Rhodes said he’s heading into Summerslam the champion and he has to bring his fire and his passion. He said he needs to defend the title for the people so the title doesn’t fall back into the hands of the Bloodline. Rhodes called Sikoa a dangerous man and he said Sikoa is leading the Bloodline and is willing to do whatever it takes. Rhodes said that he once said Sikoa wasn’t ready, but now he’s not so sure. Rhodes said he needs to see Sikoa face to face next week to look him in the eyes and see if he is truly ready. Rhodes said he knows he is ready.
-They showed a graphic for Rhodes against Sikoa at Summerslam. Graves promoted the match.
-They showed a graphic for Bayley and Michin against Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax. Barrett promoted the match for after the break. [c]
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