SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
AUGUST 30, 2024
BERLIN, GERMANY AT UBER ARENA
AIRED ON DELAY ON FOX
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier today that 12,696 tickets had been distributed so far; arena set up for 13,319. Subscribe to WrestleTix on Patreon to get up to date figures and more attendance data.
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[HOUR ONE]
-After “Then, Now, Together, Forever” narrated by Paul Levesque, they went to a scene of Berlin, Germany. Then they showed Cody Rhodes entering the arena while smiling. Then Kevin Owens in the parking lot wearing a Sami Zayn t-shirt. Then Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton arriving as Michael Cole plugged their matches. They cut to the arena as Cole said it was the first time in 27 years that WWE television was emanating from Germany.
-L.A. Knight’s ring entrance took place. He made his way to the ring with his U.S. Title belt. They cut to the German announce team. Knight stood mid-ring and said, “Let me talk to ya’!” He said it had been 27 years since WWE came to Germany to do a major televised event. He let out a “Yeah!” Fans yelled it back. Then he paused and fans chanted, “L.A. Knight.” (He seemed to soak up that moment a bit more than most given his long journey to the biggest stage in pro wrestling.) He talked about his title defense in Washington D.C. Some fans booed. Knight said, “You don’t need to boo it; let’s calm down there.” Fans chanted, “You deserve it!” (A distinct German accent was present.) He said he wanted to defend his U.S. Title in Berlin and so he issued an open challenge.
Ludwig Kaiser walked out and told Knight that if he really is the champion he thinks he is, he’ll want to defend his title against the very best. He said he and the entirety of Berlin can guarantee that there is no one better on German soil than him, Ludwig Kaiser. He entered the ring and said that after he beats him in the capital of his home country, he was going to take his title and bring it across the pond and make it bigger than it ever was and make it his own personal European Championship. (MJF set a bad precedent where wrestlers just get to change the names and geographic representation of existing titles, apparently.)
Knight said that’s “pretty impressive for Gunther’s stooge.” Some boos rang out. He said he can do whatever he wants with the title, but he has to win it first, and he won’t let him win it. Knight and Kaiser had a staredown as they cut to a break.
(Keller’s Analysis: The crowd loved Knight, except when anything he was saying was directly opposed to Kaiser, but then they’d go back to chanting along to his catch phrases with enthusiasm.) [c]
(1) L.A. KNIGHT vs. LUDWIG KAISER – U.S. Title match
The bell rang 14 minutes into the hour. Fans chanted “Ludwig Kaiser” (which doubled as a tutorial for us on how to properly pronounce his name). Barrett noted this was Kaiser’s first chance to win singles gold after years as a tag team specialist. Kaiser took control and threw Knight into the ringside steps. Cole noted Kaiser has a mean streak. He said Giovani Vinci returns to Smackdown next week after Kaiser knocked him out of action months ago. Kaiser ran around the ring and kicked Knight into the stairs as Knight was leaning against them. They cut to a break at 4:00. [c]
Kaiser was in control after the break. Knight made a comeback. He scored a two count after an elbow drop off the second rope. Kaiser made a comeback with a leaping roundkick to Knight’s head and scored a sudden two count. Knight countered Kaiser into a sideslam. Some fans booed. Knight hit the Blunt Force Trauma for the win.
WINNER: Knight in 12:00 to retain the U.S. Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Solid good basic match that you’d expect with these two, and the crowd enthusiasm was fun.)
-They went to Cole and Barrett at ringside. They showed a Dallas Cowboy player trying to land an RKO on a teammate but missing entirely.
-A video feature aired on Gunther.
-The ring entrance for Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews took place. [c]
-A Nia Jax video package aired. Cole plugged her match against Michin later.
(2) HUMBERTO CARRILLO & ANGEL GARZA (w/Santos Escobar, Elektra Lopez) vs. BARON CORBIN & APOLLO CREWS
Barrett said the locker room once feared Escobar’s Legado del Fantasma, but they don’t anymore. He said that could change starting tonight. The bell rang 40 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 3:00 after Corbin threw Crews onto Berto and Angel at ringside. [c]
Corbin got a hot tag and a nice pop after the break. Four-way action broke out. Corbin favored his left knee and struggled to stand as Crews rallied. Corbin ate a superkick and rolled to the ring apron. Crews and Angel collided mid-ring with bodyblocks. All four were down and the crowd applauded.
Corbin slammed Angel on the German announce table. As Elektra distracted the ref, Escobar threw Corbin into the ringside steps. Berto rolled up Crews for a two count. Crews fought back and climbed to the top rope. Angel intervened. Berto and Angel gave Crews their double-team finisher called the MTY, short for Monterey.
WINNERS: Angel & Berto in 10:00.
-A soundbite aired with The Bloodline with Solo Sikoa speaking about a three-way match next week with The Street Profits vs. DIY vs. Tonga Loa & Tama Tonga. Solo talked about taking out Jimmy Uso, Paul Heyman, and Roman Reigns as clips aired of his deeds. He said if he does that to his family, imagine what he’ll do to the winner of Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens.
-A commercial aired for the first-ever WWE Speed Women’s Tournament. [c]
-A commercial aired for Smackdown’s move to USA Network in two weeks. He said he considers Smackdown his home show as he’s called it more than any other show in WWE and he’ll be honored to continue to call it after its move to USA.
-Nick Aldis stood mid-ring and discussed Bash in Berlin. He said it was the culmination of a great tour for WWE in Europe. He threw to a video package on the tour including clips of various matches with Cole narrating. Back live, fans applauded. Aldis said a few words in German which pleased the crowd. He said the most important match tomorrow night is between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens for the Undisputed Title. He introduced Owens first, who made his entrance.
[HOUR TWO]
-Cody made his entrance. Owens asked what they should talk about, Cody-style. He suggested that Cody hurt his knee on the tour. Cody said his knee is fine. Cody brought up what happened after their tag team victory when it appeared, had he not turned around when he did, Owens might have hit him with the belt. Owens said he wouldn’t do that, and he reiterated that everyone he turned on deserved it except for Kofi Kingston. He apologized to Kofi again.
Cody said there’s something they haven’t talked about it, but since KO asked. Cody talked about the change and renaissance and revolution that he triggered when he left WWE, and perhaps Owens doesn’t get enough credit for his role and “perhaps I get too much credit.” He said he’d be mad about it too.
Owens said Cody’s knee is hurt. He said he’s heard from others that Cody has been limping and spending time in the trainers’ room. Cody denied his knee is hurt. Owens asked if his knee is fine, then why didn’t he kneel on the stage during his entrance.
Owens said seven years ago he won the Universal Title, and he should have felt on top of the world, but people were telling him he didn’t deserve the title because it was only because of Triple H. He said it tainted his victory and he’s still bitter. KO said if Cody limps into the ring, when he beats him, people will see his victory as tainted. Cody yelled that his knee is 100 percent and he’s ready.
Cody said when he returned, he declared that he was going to blaze a path and leave people in the rear view mirror and he couldn’t take everybody with him. He said Owens had to share the spotlight with him on the biggest night of his career when he interacted with Steve Austin. He said he’d be angry too. He said he loves KO. He said he doesn’t have many friends in the business, and he considers KO one of them. He said he would beat Owens and it won’t be tainted, “but when it’s over, Kevin, will we still be friends?” Fans chanted “Yes! Yes!” Owens threw the mic down and whispered something to Cody and then walked away. Cody blinked a few times and hung his head.
Cole asked what happened the last time someone had a friendship ceremony with KO. As Owens returned to the stage, Cody looked back at him and he seemed upset or disappointed with what Owens whispered to him.
(Keller’s Analysis: Compelling segment. Owens was in control the whole time of the dialogue and had Cody on edge by pointing out his apparent knee injury. Cody’s references to his time away from WWE always feel edgy even if it doesn’t just refer to AEW. Saying he couldn’t bring all his friends with him implied AEW was a sinking ship when he left, though. I don’t know what to expect, but playing up a potential weak knee seems to increase the storyline odds of Owens upsetting Cody for the title, which helps sell the match.)
-Backstage, the camera was following Corbin and Crews when Greyson Waller and Austin Theory laughed about their loss. Waller said Theory was telling him that they’re aren’t half the team they are. Corbin asked if he said it and told him to say it to his face. Corbin got heated. Crews pulled him away. Theory angrily asked Waller why he said that. Theory said he always talks, but now he’s talking. He said when Terence Crawford knocked him out, Waller was talking. He said they’re falling apart. Waller said in Australia, this is how friends act. He said he’s his best mate and he apologized. He said he was sorry if he was treating him that way. They hugged. Theory seemed hesitant to trust Waller, but willing to give him a chance to prove he was sincere.
-Andrade made his entrance. [c]
-Another Giovanni Vinci vignette aired. “This is not my return, it’s my arrival,” he said.
(3) ANDRADE vs. CARMELO HAYES
The bell rang 21 minutes into the hour. Andrade stomped on Hayes’s chest from the top rope and then landed a corkscrew dive at ringside. They cut to a very early break. [c]
Back from the break, Andrade was in control. He landed a top rope moonsault for a two count. Cole said they should check into whether Cody has a knee injury. Andrade landed a springboard Spanish fly for a near fall at 7:00. Cole declared it an incredible match as they cut to another break. [c]
Back from the break, Carmelo was punching away at Andrade, but Andrade reversed momentum and slammed Carmelo off the top rope. Andrade landed a spinning back elbow for a two count. Barrett called the crowd “a bunch of sickos” for enjoying this match. Next, Andrade lifted Carmelo onto the top turnbuckle. Andrade set up a top rope huracanrana, but Carmelo slipped free and knocked him off balance onto an exposed turnbuckle. He followed with a top rope legdrop to the back of his neck for a three count. Cole noted that evened their series at 2-2. Barrett said the world deserves a fifth match. Cole said he and Corey Graves will be watching and he’ll be thinking of Barrett when he’s over on Raw.
WINNER: Carmelo in 13:00.
-Nia Jax made her entrance. [c]
-Cole and Barrett hyped the Bash in Berlin line-up.
-As Michin walked backstage, carrying a cane, she said everyone will find Michin isn’t who she is, it’s what she is. She pushed “a shopping cart full of toys,” as Cole described it, to the ring. Barrett said they are scary looking toys.
(4) NIA JAX vs. MICHIN – Women’s Title match
The bell rang 46 minutes into the hour. Michin went after Jax with a kendo stick at the start. They fought at ringside as fans chanted, “We Want Tables.” Michin pulled out a table at 2:00 which got a rise from the crowd. They cut to an early break. [c]
Back from the break, Michin landed a tornado DDT onto a garbage can. She set up a table mid-ring and powerbombed Jax through the table. Tiffany Stratton’s music played and she ran out with the Money in the Bank briefcase. She bashed Michin with the case. Cole said it’s a no-DQ match, so totally legal. Tiffany then saw Jax on the mat. Jax rolled over and saw Tiffany considering handing the ref the briefcase to cash it in, but then she denied it. Instead, she hit Michin with it and dragged Jax onto her for a believable near fall. Bayley ran out and attacked Stratton and knocked her out of the ring. Michin then made a comeback, but Jax gave her a Samoan Drop through a table leaning in the corner. She dragged her to the other corner and put a trash can over her and then did an Annihilator for the win.
WINNER: Jax in 11:00 to retain the World Women’s Title.
-Jax went on the attack afterward and then held up her belt as Cole wondered if Jax was mad about Tiffany. Barrett defended Tiffany’s intentions.
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 Alex McDonald 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.
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OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Murphy’s Blog: WWE Bash in Berlin Predictions – Gunther vs. Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship, Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Championship
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