SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
AUGUST 9, 2024
TULSA, OKLA. AT BOK CENTER
AIRED ON FOX
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier today that 8,805 tickets had been distributed so far; arena set up for 10,263.
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 or stream later 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.
LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE SMACKDOWN TONIGHT: CLICK HERE
[HOUR ONE]
-They opened with a video package on Summerslam’s Smackdown-brand happenings concluding with the return of Roman Reigns.
-Corey Graves introduced the show briefly as the camera panned the big crowd.
-Cody Rhodes made his ring entrance. Graves and Wade Barrett discussed Roman Reigns showing up and saying it was “the unlikeliest of allies” for Cody. He noted Roman was “in the house live tonight.” Cody soaked up cheers and a “Cody!” chant. He said his title is the North Star goal of any wrestler in the industry. He said he had been putting thought into who he would like to defend against at the Bash in Berlin. “This guy…” he said, at which point Solo Sikoa interrupted.
Solo walked out with Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa. He told Cody he didn’t care what he wanted to talk about or what the people wanted to hear. Fans booed. He told Tulsa to shut up. He said he wanted to talk about Summerslam. He demanded a rematch. Cody said he didn’t want to talk about the past, but if Solo wanted to, he would. He said Solo couldn’t do it on his own, “so you caused Jacob Fatu to get hurt.” He said he sent Reigns on a warpath. Cody: “You are absolutely, unequivocally 100 percent delusional if you think you have any claim to a rematch.”
Solo, Tonga, and Loa stood on the ring apron. Kevin Owens then entered with a chair and gave Cody a chair also. Solo, Tonga, and Loa left as Cody’s music played. Cody asked for his music to be cut. Cody then addressed Owens as Owens was leaving the ring. He said he wanted to talk to him about something. Owens returned to the ring.
Cody revealed that he is the person he wanted to defend his title against a Bash at Berlin. Owens said as much as he appreciated it, he hasn’t done anything to earn it. He said title shots should be earned. He said his win-loss record over the last year isn’t good enough. “I appreciate it, I really do,” Owen said. “But I’m not the guy, man.” Cody said he has been there for him lately and he’s also a prized fighter in the prime of his career. He said KO can say no all he wants, but he’s going to give G.M. Nick Aldis a list of reasons KO should face him at Bash at the Berlin.
(Keller’s Analysis: My pro wrestling wish list would include an official set of criteria how title shots are given out, although Cody covered for it at the end by at least saying he couldn’t decide himself and had to convince Aldis. Owens seemed very humble, but perhaps too much so, since it almost makes Cody look bad giving a high-profile title match to someone who has helped him lately but someone who doesn’t feel he’s actually deserving of getting a World Title match in exchange for that help.)
-Grayson Waller & Austin Theory made their ring entrance. [c]
-Byron Saxton interviewed The Street Profits and B-Fab. B-Fab said The Profits are eager and motivated and on point to go after the WWE Tag Titles that The Bloodline just won. Angelo Dawkins said it’s been three years and A-Town Down Under is in their way. B-Fab said, “The Profits are up.” They closed with “We want the smoke!”
(1) THE STREET PROFITS (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford w/B-Fab) vs. A-TOWN DOWN UNDER (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) – Winners Become No. 1 Contenders for WWE Tag Team Titles
The bell rang 25 minutes into the hour. Graves said B-Fab has brought a new focus to the Profits and has proven invaluable in getting their heads straightened. When Theory and Waller yapped at B-Fab at ringside, Ford landed his obligatory running flip-dive over the top rope. They cut to a break at 2:00. [c]
Theory and Waller had control of Dawkins as they returned from the break, but Dawkins made a quick comeback and then tagged in Ford. Ford went on a flurry of offense against Theory and Waller. Theory set up an A-Town Down on Ford, but Dawkins blind-tagged in. The Profits then gave Theory a super blockbuster for the win.
WINNERS: Profits in 7:00.
-Backstage Cody tried to convince KO that he deserves the shot as Aldis listened. Owens said Randy Orton deserves his shot because of what happened at King of the Ring. Aldis said he’s actually waiting to discuss a championship match with Roman Reigns. KO took issue with that. He said Reigns retained his title time after time with help from others. He said the rematch clause hasn’t been enforced for years and he noted that he didn’t get a Universal Title rematch. Owens told Aldis to go open the locker room door and he’d find someone deserving. Aldis then told Owens he doesn’t need to go looking because Cody’s challenger will be KO. Owens, in a resigned voice, told Cody, “I guess I will see you in Berlin.”
-Graves hyped that Nia Jax would be up next. [c]
-Graves hyped the Fanatics Fest in New York City. He listed Hulk Hogan by name this week and also Paul Heyman among several current top wrestlers.
-A clip aired of Reigns’s return at Summerslam. Barrett said he’d be on Smackdown later.
-A highlight package aired of Nia Jax beating Bayley at Summerslam.
-Tiffany Stratton was fretting over trying to get a man to write her ideas down for Nia Jax’s championship celebration next week. Pretty Deadly interrupted and asked if she could organize their tag team championships celebration when they win the belts. They went on about their musical. Tiffany said she was busy and had to go. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven confronted her. Tiffany asked, “Don’t you have a ladder to fall off of?” Green said Nia doesn’t like pink. Piper said if she was really Nia’s friend, she’d know that. Tiffany told Green she is delusional.
-They went back to Graves and Barrett at ringside. They threw to a sponsored clip of last week’s Women’s Tag Team Title match that Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair won via DQ after Blair Davenport interfered.
-Cargill made her ring entrance with Belair. [c]
(2) JADE CARGILL (w/Bianca Belair) vs. ALBA FYRE (w/Isla Dawn)
The bell rang 50 minutes into the hour. Fyre wrapped her legs around Jade mid-air, but Jade fought out of it and then landed a kick to the face and Jaded for the win.
WINNER: Cargill in 2:30.
-Blair Davenport joined Fyre and Dawn in attacking Cargill and Belair afterward. Naomi ran out to even the odds and help clear the ring of the heels.
-They hyped that L.A. Knight was up next. [c]
-Graves hyped the move of NXT to The CW with C.M. Punk and Randy Orton at the first two TV events. Barrett touted the social media views of 104 million. Then they showed the exterior of the arena.
-A highlight package aired on Knight’s win over Logan Paul to capture the U.S. Title.
[HOUR TWO]
-As Knight made his entrance, they showed Lou Ferrigno in the front row. He played The Incredible Hulk in the early 1980s TV series. Fans chanted, “L.A. Knight! L.A. Knight!” They also chanted, “You deserve it!” He said Logan deserved to get stomped out and that’s what he got. “Yeah!” He said the only thing that he cares about is that he told the world that they can call him what they want, but eventually they will call him champ, and now he has arrived. He said the title makes him a marked man, but he said he’s been a marked man since he walked into Smackdown. He said he hits it and quits it time after time.
Santos Escobar interrupted, joined by Elektra Lopez. He congratulated Knight and said he means it. Fans booed. He said, “You suck!” Escobar said the fans suck and he told Knight he sucks. He said Knight finally has a taste of gold. He said this whole L.A. Knight as a Champion thing isn’t a good fit. He said it’s a fleeting moment. He said he’s going to be champion soon and everyone will be chanting “Es-co-bar!”
Knight said he didn’t hear a word he said because all he heard was fans telling him he sucks. He said Escobar must be sick of getting beaten up by him. He said he has to qualify first, but he does, he won’t take the belt off of him because it’s his game.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good segment to pivot to Knight as U.S. Champion. He’s a good secondary singles champion as he’s popular and can give other upper-mid-card heels something to do that fans are invested in.)
-Andrade made his ring entrance. [c]
-A vignette aired on Giovanni Vinci who is getting a make-over in his presentation as someone driving a nice sports car, wearing a great suit, and living a high-class international life.
(3) ANDRADE vs. SANTOS ESCOBAR (w/Angel Garza, Humberto Carrillo) – U.S. Title no. 1 contendership match
The bell rang 12 minutes into the second hour. Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews ran to ringside and attacked Angel and Humberto. They fought them into the crowd. Andrade then caught a distracted Escobar with a kick. Escobar came right back by knocking Andrade off the second rope. Andrade made a comeback and landed a top rope sunset bomb. They cut to a break at 4:00. [c]
Elektra distracted the ref as Carmelo Hayes pulled Escobar out of the path of a charging Andrade. Escobar then rolled him up with a yank of the tights for the win.
WINNER: Escobar in 12:00.
-A clip aired of Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga winning the WWE Tag Team Titles last week.
(Keller’s Analysis: They are referring to the tag champs as The Bloodline, not specifying which two, so perhaps Freebird Rules are engaged if Fatu cannot wrestle soon.)
-DIY talked backstage about fighting their way back to a tag team title shot, beginning tonight.
-Graves threw to a video package on the death of Kevin Sullivan, former WCW wrestler and booker and territory wrestler before that most notably in Florida. [c]
-Barrett hyped next week’s Smackdown featuring Nia Jax’s WWE Women’s Title celebration organized by Stratton. Also, Graves plugged Davenport vs. Naomi.
-Waller and Theory complained to Aldis that he sent them to Raw on their night off. Waller didn’t want to earn a tag title shot. Theory suggested Waller wrestle KO next week. Aldis booked it. Waller didn’t like it. Theory told Waller to trust him and said he has his back.
(4) D.I.Y (Tomasso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) vs. PRETTY DEADLY (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson)
DIY’s ring entrance took place. Then Pretty Deadly made their entrance. The bell rang 36 minutes into the hour. Barrett said DIY aren’t getting an automatic rematch. He said Aldis sometimes gives automatic rematches, sometimes not. He said DIY’s reign was so short, perhaps he didn’t think it warranted an automatic rematch. DIY went for early stereo dives through the ropes, but Pretty Deadly hit them mid-air with uppercuts. They mocked DIY. DIY then hit them and landed dives. Then they did their clapping bit on the apron as they cut to a break at 1:00. [c]
Gargano avoided a dive in the corner by Prince. DIY attempted a Shatter Machine, but Prince countered with help from Wilson. They hit a double-team bulldog on Ciampa, but Gargano made the save. DIY eventually finished Prince with Shatter Machine and Meet in the Middle.
WINNERS: DIY in 7:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: The crowd was into DIY as they rallied and won. I like Barrett giving an explanation for why sometimes wrestlers get automatic rematches after losing titles, but other times might not.)
-Loa told Solo that Reigns hasn’t arrived yet. Solo said he’d be there. The Bloodline made their ring entrance. “Where’s Roman?” asked Graves. [c]
-Solo addressed the crowd as they booed him. He told Tulsa to acknowledge him. He told Roman that if he wants the tribal chief necklace back, come get it. Roman’s music played and he walked out. He snarled at Solo. Solo sent Tama Tonga to get him. Roman clotheslined him. Tonga Loa attacked him, but Roman threw him into the ringside steps. Roman then bashed the base of the ringside steps on both of them. Solo stood and stared at him.
Reigns beat up Solo. Loa yanked Solo to ringside before Reigns could spear him. Reigns looked down and saw the necklace. Tama Tonga jumped Roman. Loa gave Solo the necklace back. Reigns fired back with Superman Punches. He then speared Loa mid-ring. Then he speared Tonga through the ringside barricade. Graves said he is back and the crowd was going into meltdown mode. He bashed Loa with a chair over and over. Fans chanted, “OTC! OTC!” (Original Tribal Chief.) Solo yelled at Roman from afar and told him to come and get it.
(Keller’s Analysis: We’ll have to wait to hear from him another week, but the fans were enthusiastically behind him beating up Solo and company.)
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 or stream later 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.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.