“WWE SmackDown results, highlights (April 4): Kevin Owens injured, Charlotte Flair overwhelmed by boos”
Kevin Owens will not make it to WrestleMania 41. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE through Getty Pictures)
(WWE through Getty Pictures)
WWE did not mess around in its first present again within the U.S. after a profitable European tour. Chicago was revved up and able to go, as arguably the most effective wrestling metropolis within the nation. There is not any time to waste as a result of this present delivered in each approach.
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Let’s get to the unhealthy information earlier than the excellent news.
(R)KO’d
WrestleMania 41 has suffered a shake-up, as Kevin Owens has been coping with a neck harm for the previous 4 months that can now require surgical procedure. He will not make it to his match with Randy Orton.
Regardless of reviews swirling all through the week, this felt like a potential angle — or shock retirement at worst — the longer it went on. Owens apologized to the group, stating that he wished to have his match with Orton. It felt off as a result of his current character antics have made him probably the most despicable heel possible, so attempting to garner sympathy would have been practically unattainable. By the tip, followers applauded Owens on his approach out, as they need to have. He’ll be missed from “the show of shows,” and hopefully has a speedy, wholesome restoration.
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So, now what occurs to Orton? He hit “WWE SmackDown” normal supervisor Nick Aldis with an RKO.
I have been demanding an Aldis match in WWE. Do the fitting factor, Triple H. Give the person his debut match at WrestleMania 41 in opposition to Orton. It could be lovely.
Response of the Evening
Chicago completely melted Charlotte Aptitude. Wow. The poisonous rain of boos she acquired was wild. Aptitude could not even get a phrase out and seemingly gave up on her promo battle with Tiffany Stratton, who fully scorched Aptitude together with the group. The champion hit some deep reduce traces concerning the followers, her dad Ric Aptitude, Aptitude’s previous ingesting troubles and even her marriage failures.
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This. Felt. Private.
Aptitude blurs the road so properly in situations like this — or does not, contemplating previous moments like her title trade with Becky Lynch.
The scene closed in a cringe-worthy method when Aptitude tried to make enjoyable of Stratton’s voice by the boos earlier than solely breaking kayfabe to say Stratton’s real-life associate Ludwig Kaiser was in her direct messages. This can be a close to 40-year-old lady appearing like a high-schooler, thoughts you. If the feud did not have any legs earlier than, this was a Hail Mary, pointless warmth seize to what was inevitably at all times going to be an superior match.
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Take your choose on whether or not you discover promos like this good or unhealthy. There is not actually something in between. However one factor was simple: Stratton got here off as the higher of the 2 (albeit partly because of the Chicago crowd).
Do me a favor
Topping CM Punk reactions in his hometown of Chicago isn’t any straightforward feat, so congrats on that, Aptitude. Do not get it twisted although, “The Second-City Saint” nonetheless acquired reward throughout each appearances, which bookended this “WWE SmackDown.”
A fired-up Punk was necessary to start out the night time in Chicago after his huge WrestleMania 41 primary occasion announcement final week. The previous WWE Champion reduce an impressed promo about how he “wasn’t supposed to be here,” and utilized that to his WWE return together with life typically. The man is sweet at what he does. What extra must be mentioned? Not a lot till the tip, as he advised Paul Heyman, who arrived all pleasant, asking for Punk’s elusive secret favor.
Heyman was proven all through the present ready for Roman Reigns backstage and promised Punk to ship on his favor it doesn’t matter what it’s. As most anticipated, the favor was Heyman’s help in Punk’s nook for the triple-threat match. It was predictable, however executed completely. Bear in mind, of us. Predictable is not unhealthy so long as it is smart and is finished properly. This was all of that.
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Seth Rollins laughed away within the background. Heyman cried with Reigns in disbelief earlier than he was hit with a GTS from Punk. It is so attention-grabbing how a lot Heyman has added to this entire program as a result of he is actually such just a little piece to all of it. Neither Reigns nor Punk ever wanted a mouthpiece supervisor, however right here we’re, using him as a key to construct the animosity between everybody.
The ultimate shot between Punk and Rollins staring down with a screaming Heyman within the background was cash. Their match at WrestleMania 41 goes to be ridiculously good.
Final Strow-man Standing
LA Knight and Braun Strowman are simply casually hanging out in The Bloodline saga forward of WrestleMania 41. It is labored for probably the most half, no less than for Strowman, who has extra of a connection than america Champion Knight. If something, this complete program has highlighted how considerably higher of a speaker Knight is than any of those guys mixed. His backstage encounter with Tama Tonga was stellar.
To kind out the chaos from final week, Knight laid the bricks to Tonga in a enjoyable, brief singles match, whereas Strowman and Jacob Fatu had a “last man standing” No. 1 contender trilogy match. Shock, shock, it was superior.
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There was a extremely cool spot you do not typically see in final man standing matches, when Fatu went for a fast win by hitting two moonsaults. Strowman cleverly rolled out of the ring to cease the rely. A bit innovation goes a good distance.
If there was one nitpick or gripe with this match, it was how some spots had been simply made to be no-sells. Strowman and Fatu received up on the nine-count after a ridiculous superplex within the crowd by tables. The spot was all to get the duo again within the ring for one more desk spot within the nook after setting it up earlier within the match. That one did the trick on Strowman, as they every tried to make use of the ropes and attain their ft.
I hoped we might find yourself with one other triple-threat match, if potential, however Fatu getting the win for a shot at Knight on the largest stage is the fitting transfer with all that is been invested in him (and The Bloodline). Now it is only a matter of how issues play out with Solo Sikoa at or earlier than WrestleMania 41.
Rise of the Fenix
Ray Fenix is in WWE. It is bizarre, it is deserved, it is superior. Like his brother Penta, Fenix already has an epic entrance. Hopefully, Fenix can lastly get the singles title run he deserved in AEW as a result of he is one of the crucial thrilling wrestlers as we speak.
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Emotion received the higher of Fenix as quickly as he received the pin with a candy “Mexican Musclebuster.” Sadly, Fenix enters WWE at an odd time, this quickly earlier than WrestleMania 41. I used to be racking my mind to consider the place he’ll slot in, and what have you learnt? WWE determined to go along with the oldest custom within the e-book: Contain the Latino with fellow Latinos. Subsequently, it appears to be like like Berto and Los Garza can have a feud with Fenix, as they had been proven backstage after Fenix’s win. Lazy, predictable and a waste of time.
Relating to Frazer, he was an ideal dance associate for Fenix in a vacuum (apart from a scary botch or two). These guys could not presumably have a nasty match. Nonetheless, did Triple H all of a sudden determine NXT’s Tag Crew champions had been expendable? First, Axiom took a loss to Gunther in Spain, and now Frazer to Fenix. Clearly there isn’t any disgrace in a Gunther loss, however that does not imply it ought to have occurred. The identical factor goes for this Fenix match. As enjoyable as they each had been, they unnecessarily poured some dust on champions.
General, the nice of Fenix’s debut and tonight’s match outweighed the unhealthy, which can certainly be ignored within the grand scheme.
UP & UP
1. Damian Priest’s car-smashing assault on Drew McIntyre final week received glass within the Scot’s eye. Now he has an eyepatch and appears like Stable Snake from Steel Gear Stable. One-eyed McIntyre is born.
2. Aldis introduced a girls’s tag-team gauntlet match for subsequent week. The match will decide the subsequent challengers to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez’s titles at WrestleMania 41. That is cool with me. Gauntlet matches are at all times a great time and a straightforward option to discover a rightful contender.
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3. Motor Metropolis Machine Weapons beat DIY in one other banger. DIY’s shenanigans and makes an attempt to cheat a win finally price them a win. It was a enjoyable and artistic new wrinkle to the rivalry, and now now we have MCMG vs. The Avenue Earnings. Who could be upset about that?
Uncrowned Gem of the Evening
I want the complete Naomi and Jade Cargill saga was getting extra time to maintain them out of the Uncrowned Gem territory, however it’s all been cash. Cargill, particularly, on this “WWE SmackDown” continued to radiate that superhero aura, taking out safety in an try to get her palms on Naomi. Aldis made their match official for WrestleMania 41. This yr’s mega-spectacle is significantly stacked.
Just like the final time we noticed B-Fab, she was once more fabulous, and I am glad she received no less than some TV time. Extra could be good, however it’s a piece in progress. WWE averted the brawl with this match and phase, resulting in the right finale of a WrestleMania showcase. Though Cargill ought to stay a power, the extra we see this new Naomi, I nearly suppose she ought to go over. In any case, now we have to get again to the Bianca Belair dynamic.
It is occurred once more, everybody. Extra Uncrowned historical past! AEW Dynamite is the one present to have scored an ideal rating since our Uncrowned launch. Nicely, I ought to say “was,” as a result of this “WWE SmackDown” caught its return to U.S. touchdown after which some. I give this present a Crown rating of: 10/10.
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