Match Ratings For WWE Smackdown Live 7/2/19 From Sean Ross Sapp

Kevin Owens Show

• Kevin Owens reading the cue cards slowly was fantastic. He pretended he didn’t know the nicknames.
• Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon come out and Shane has Greg do his intro again.
• Shane McMahon says he isn’t afraid of the Undertaker and now their match is going to be NO HOLDS BARRREEEDDD.
• Kevin Owens goes off Shane’s script, and Shane isn’t happy, but Kevin says Shane is afraid of the Undertaker.
• Dolph Ziggler comes out when things get heated.
• Owens cuts a hilarious promo on Ziggler saying his time came, and kind of happened, then went away, and then confirms he would beat Ziggler in a hot dog eating contest.
• There had been a pitch backstage over the last week to get Ali and Dolph Ziggler involved in a feud. Ali was in tonight’s dark match.
• Shane McMahon books Ziggler and Owens against Heavy Machinery. If Ziggler and Owens win, they’re put into the tag title match.
• I hope Kevin Owens get the babyface push he wants.

Daniel Bryan (w/ Rowan) defeated Big E (w/ Xavier Woods)
5.75/10

• Daniel Bryan isn’t happy about Ziggler and Owens getting this opportunity.
• This match, going 15 minutes with stakes could be even more unbelievable.
• Big E turns Bryan inside out with a big clothesline.
• Big E and Bryan do little spots during the break that lead to Bryan working Big E’s leg.
• Upon return, E suplexes Bryan all over the place.
• Bryan eats a splash, but makes Big E whiff on a YOLO Dive, and Rowan runs Big E into the ring post.
• This leads to the finish with the flying knee from Bryan.

Backstage Crappenings

• R-Truth is being interviewed, and looks back at losing his title. He cuts a confusing promo about honeymoons, then says he heard Maverick is in San Antonio.
• Ali cuts his promo and says he wants to be WWE Champion so he can make change.
• Aleister Black wants the person challenging him to show up at Extreme Rules.
• Is Shelton Benjamin running a deaf gimmick? He and EC3 can team!

Moment Of Bliss

• Alexa Bliss wants Nikki Cross to host Moment of Bliss, and Nikki is hesitant.
• Nikki is nervous, and awkward, and plays that up well.
• Hear me out: Nikki Cross is everything WWE wanted Bayley to be, but they fumbled the booking.
• Bayley tries to get through to Nikki, but Nikki just wants to know why Bayley is mean to Alexa.
• Bayley wants to know why she’s not facing Nikki Cross at Extreme Rules, and Nikki says they can have a match right now.

Bayley defeated Nikki Cross
5.5/10

• Nikki is flustered early but hits a big body press and a bulldog.
• Bayley tries to get a pin, but ends up swinging front suplexing Nikki off the second rope.
• Bayley to Belly. Nikki Cross loses in a few minutes. Ok
• My god, does WWE have to 50/50 everyone getting over?
• Nikki now is how WWE probably should have booked Bayley to start.

Joe and Kofi

• Joe tells Charly to hit the bricks.
• Joe says that Kofi is the benefit of benevolence of WWE.
• Kofi says Joe has been sneaking around, and Joe takes shots at Kofi’s family and shilling merchandise.
• Samoa Joe wants Kofi to shake his hand. That doesn’t happen.
• Kofi Kingston smiling and flipping off Samoa Joe was wonderful.

Andrade (w/ Zelina) defeated Apollo Crews
5.75/10

• No entrances for these two.
• Andrade hits double knees, no finsh.
• Apollo hits a moonsault off the apron, COMMERCIAL. Oh. Well, okay.
• Andrade’s back elbow keeps getting better.
• Apollo catches Andrade flying through the air…..but couldn’t catch Zelina?
• Hammerlock DDT and a win for Andrade.

Ember Moon defeated Mandy Rose (w/ Sonya Deville)
5.75/10 (Short)

• Ember Moon is angry, then happy, then angry again backstage.
• Mandy and Ember have pretty good chemistry.
• Mandy hits an inverted gutwrench suplex and flying knee.
• Ember Moon comes back with a flying codebreaker and Eclipse.
• As far as 2 minute Smackdown matches, Ember Moon and Mandy had about as good of one as you can have.

Top Contender Match
Heavy Machinery defeated Kevin Owens & Dolph Ziggler
5.75/10

• The match quickly breaks down outside, and Rowan, Bryan and New Day all battle. Rowan throws pancakes everywhere.
• Iron Claw Slam through the table on Xavier. That was at least an interesting way to restart the match, I guess.
• Tucker pretty quickly takes a nasty bump outside. He gets isolated and worked over.
• Ziggler and Owens go neckbreaker into senton.
• Otis gets the tag and a good reaction. I hope this doesn’t trick Vince into thinking this is his next singles star.
• Miscommunication for KO/Ziggler and Heavy Machinery win with the Compactor. I’m ok with this. They earned it with their last performance.
• Owens stuns Ziggler

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!