Match Ratings For WWE Smackdown Live 2/5/19, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

A Flair for the main event of WrestleMania

• Charlotte Flair comes out and cuts a sarcastic heel promo about Becky Lynch being injured and refusing to get checked out by a doctor. This was really good stuff.
• Becky Lynch comes through the crowd and Charlotte says she stole Ric Flair’s nickname and Roman Reigns’ entrance.
• Officials come between them and Triple H appears. He says if Becky gets checked out, the suspension is over. When Charlotte mocks Becky, Triple H tells Charlotte to leave.
• Becky Lynch says she doesn’t trust Triple H or the situation. Triple H says she doesn’t need to and tells her to go home.
• Becky Lynch asks how Stephanie is doing and asked if Stephanie is medically cleared after she punched her in the face. 
• Triple H says Becky Lynch isn’t “the man,” she’s a self destructor afraid of failure that wants to be a martyr. She wants a way out, just like she did at Survivor Series. 
• Triple H says that Becky Lynch isn’t scared the doctor will rule her out for WrestleMania, she’s afraid that doctor will clear her for WrestleMania and that Ronda Rousey will expose her for the fraud that she is.
• Becky Lynch SCHLAPS Triple H. 

Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura (w/ Lana) defeated The Good Brothers
5.5/10

• Rusev and Nakamura tease not being able to work together before the commercial.
• Nakamura lands his signature suplex, but still walks into an Anderson spinebuster.
• Gallows is in and is on fire, including a boot and a Baldo Bomb.
• Lana revives Nakamura on the outside in time for him to break up a Magic Killer.
• Babyface Anderson is still GREAT. Even though he is, he still walks into a Machka Kick from Rusev for the pin. 
• I don’t like Good Brothers losing all the time, but a Nakamura & Rusev team is fun. 

Backstage Crappenings

• Paige appearance that she clearly filmed at Raw.
• The Usos cut a typically great Uso promo. They’ll be on Miz TV next week.
• Zelina and Andrade have a backstage promo. Zelina says Andrade stamped out Rey because he had to, not because he wanted to.

Randy Orton defeated Mustafa Ali
6/10

• Mustafa Ali, working with an injured tailbone, slaps Randy Orton. He’s rewarded with a Singh Bomb. How isn’t that a DQ?
• Back inside the ring, Orton gets a Powerslam and a Superplex.
• Back from a commercial, Ali hits a great couple of dropkicks, including one that sends Orton over the announce table.
• In the ring, Mustafa Ali hits a series of superkicks while Orton holds on to the top rope. This is a great sell.
• Mustafa Ali lands an awesome turnaround Tornado DDT for two.
• Ali was going for the 054, but gets yanked off the top rope into an RKO. Orton wins. This was a damn good, fresh match and an awesome RKO. Just fun.
• Samoa Joe chokes out Randy Orton after the match and cuts a promo backstage saying he’s going to win the WWE Title at Elimination Chamber.

GALILEO

• Daniel Bryan and Rowan come to the ring and meet Joe on the ramp. It’s lazy sometimes but a solid gauge on if someone may have a good faceoff and subsequent reaction.
• Bryan is introduced as the “favorite son of Washington” which makes him smile. He says that the people of Washington know what he’s talking about. 
• Rowan talks about Galileo. He says their ideas have good intentions and people fear them, especially fearing Daniel Bryan. 
• Bryan says he shouldn’t be in the Elimination Chamber match. He then throws to a video highlighting the violence of the chamber. 
• Jeff Hardy talks backstage and says the new WWE Title makes him sick because Bryan is disrespecting the title. 
• AJ Styles joins the conversation, and questions whether or not Hardy should represent the title. Hardy questions whether or not Styles can beat Bryan. 

Absolution defeated Fabulous Glow and IIconics
5.5/10

• Naomi and Carmella have a backstage promo. They’re called Fabulous Glow. Shit. 
• We see a serious promo from the IIconics and a backstage one from Absolution, neither saying much of note. The serious nature of the former is worth noting though.
• Really basic work early on. During the commercial, Peyton hits a wheel kick that doesn’t hit the same way it used to.  They control over the break.
• Carmella superkicks Peyton and Billie is sent into the corner. I really think IIconics need more consistent TV work.
• When Naomi tags in, Mandy runs away. Naomi catches Sonya with three GREAT kicks, including a Disaster Kick. This is one of Naomi’s “on” nights. Her offense looked amazing.
• Naomi forces a tag to Mandy and beats the brakes off of her. Mandy gets the pin with Angel’s Wings when Peyton interrupts.

Jeff Hardy defeated Daniel Bryan (w/ Rowan) via DQ
5.5/10

• Bryan lands some kicks before Hardy’s half assed Slingblade hits. We also see a nice back body drop from Hardy.
• Bryan hits his corner dropkick and a bow and arrow backbreaker hold.
• Rowan steps in front of Bryan, and Bryan catches Hardy on the stairs, yanking him down onto them. 
• Hardy and Bryan slug it out until they end up outside where Hardy gets a clothesline off the apron.
• Bryan regains the advantage with YES Kicks, but walks into a Twist of Fate
• A Swanton Bomb lands, but Rowan attacks Hardy.
• Bryan applies the Lebell Lock, but is joined by the field of the Elimination Chamber match. First Joe, then Orton, Then Ali.
• Mustafa Ali is a goddamn tank. Comes in banged up, works a match, gets busted up, comes back and takes a FACE SLAM ON A TABLE from Rowan. 
• Styles’ music hits. He runs off Bryan and Rowan and stands tall in the ring.
• Daniel Bryan is going off on Kayla Braxton backstage for being there. He says he and Rowan are intellectual peers and friends. He says he’ll be the WWE Champion forever because it’s what the planet needs.

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5.The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!