Match Ratings, Podcast Notes For Smackdown Live 8/7/18 From Sean Ross Sapp

Opening Segment

• Randy Orton comes out and cuts a promo about all of his accomplishments, and how he still doesn’t get the respect of fans. This wasn’t bad at all. Orton needed to be a heel, I just wonder what he has left to contribute.
• We see looks at several wrestlers, including a lame one of Charlotte and Becky Lynch awkwardly talking over each other. Becky Lynch cuts a pretty good promo and they take a friendly shot at Bayley and Sasha Banks.

Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch defeated The IIconics
4.75/10
Producer : Tyson Kidd

• The IIconics cut a promo about Charlotte being a bad dancer, and about how Becky Lynch is always in Charlotte Flair’s shadow.
• Carmella is out for commentary.
• If I am any WWE wrestler in storyline, I have a big problem with Charles Robinson reffing Charlotte Flair’s matches.
• Charlotte gets a slingshot plancha on both of the IIconics. She gets worked over during the commercial, but Charlotte and Billie connect with a double boot. 
• Becky’s hot tag hits, and some of the offense MISSES. The second rope forearm is ambitious, but didn’t look great. 
• Lynch has the Disarmher applied, but it’s broken up. Charlotte tags in, hits a moonsault to the held hands of the IIconics and submits Peyton Royce. 
• Backstage, Charlotte Flair is pretty amped up about the two teaming, but Becky Lynch says that things will be different in a couple of weeks.

Backstage Crappenings

• New Day cut their own interview with Kofi Kingston dressed up as a white guy. HOW WILL YOU SPAR WITH THE BAR!? It’s funny stuff.
• Miz is on the set of Miz & Mrs., but he’s really not. 

AJ Styles

• Styles references Samoa Joe’s comments about his family life last week. Styles admits he misses a lot and his wife is practically a single parent.
• Styles says that Joe threw away 15 years of friendly competition by bringing up the family.
• Joe is seen backstage with a beat to shit face, laughing.

Zelina Vega (w/ Andrade Cien Almas) defeated Lana (w/ Rusev)
5/10
Producer: Fit Finlay

• Rusev tells Lana that he’s going to be there to support her tonight. Aiden English shows up and apologizes. English says he doesn’t know who he is without them, and they get a babyface reaction, but English is told to stay backstage.
• Lana is still rough around the edges, and commentary doesn’t help “OOH”-ing every strike.
• I love Zelina’s axe kick. We see a Lana facebuster and several suplexes.
• Almas distracts Lana, and Rusev kicks his ass real bad. Zelina attacks, and allows Almas to knock Rusev out. 
• Lana with the Machka kick, but Aiden English comes to ringside and spears Almas HAAARD into Lana. 
• Zelina wins with knees into the corner.
• This was better than the tag match.

QUIET ON THE SET
Producer- Dean Malenko

• The Miz is to be interviewed by Byron Saxton, but is “on the set” still.
• Miz puts over the ratings of the show, and says Daniel Bryan needs to learn CPR to bring his career back to life. 
• Miz gets really upset about his history with Bryan and goes off. Bryan attacks him and glass is broken over DB’s head as Miz scampers off. 
• Bryan gives chase. 

Shinsuke Nakamura defeated R-Truth
5/10
Producer: Michael Hayes

• R-Truth and Tye Dillinger interrupt Shinsuke Nakamura. Truth wants Nakamura for the title at Summerslam, and he’s gonna do it by pinning Carmella like everyone else. He also says he won’t wrestle Renee Young, but he’ll wrestle Nakamura tonight. This was fantastic.
• R-Truth is playing some of his “best of” hits, and gets a nice reaction. His offense is still on point, but defensively and selling, he’s a little slower.
• Nakamura applies a triangle armbar. Kinshasa lands.
• R-Truth has been with WWE for the last decade.

Bludgeon Brothers SQUASHED 3SK
Producer: IRS

• Hahahha the 3SK name is a rib on Graves. 3 Sterling Keenan. Graves’ indy name was Sterling James Keenan. At least Tom Phillips’ reference on commentary of “3 forgotten sons of Sterling Keenan” was. They called them 3 Stupid Kids later
• They kill these jobbers.
• Generic Taz, Dollar Store Santino, and Flavorite Manu are 3SK.
• Powerbomb Clothesline ends it, and that was almost ugly. 

Tag Team Contender Tournament Finals
New Day (w/ Xavier Woods) defeated The Bar
7/10
Producers: IRS & D-Von Dudley

• Even when Cesaro botches, it’s pretty. No heat on this match early on when Kofi is clubbed off the top rope by Sheamus, but the latter keeps hitting Kofi really hard until the crowd makes noise.
• After a commercial, Sheamus posts himself and Big E gets a great hot tag.
• There’s some great work here. Big E misses an apron splash, Bar hit a big double elevated DDT.
• After a second commercial, Sheamus lands a KING KONG KNEE DROP! Big E kicks out and the crowd is cookin. A match with stakes.
• Kofi Kingston is the latest hot tag, and gives The Bar a Fosbury Flop. A top rope mushroom stomp on Sheamus is good for two. 
• A double backbreaker from The Bar stops Kofi. An assisted White Noise on Big E doesn’t hit very well, but Kofi breaks it up.
• The Cesaro Swing is back, but it sets up a Sharpshooter. Kofi tornado DDTs Sheamus off the guard rail!! Cesaro still has a submission on Big E, and transitions into a crossface.
• Big E deadlifts Cesaro and gets Midnight Hour. AWESOME finishing sequence!