Match Ratings For 4/17/20 WWE Smackdown From Sean Ross Sapp

Moment Of Bliss

• Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross come out and brag about their title win.
• Braun Smiles On Faces Strowman congratulates them.
• He talks about being a part of Bray’s Family and the mind games he plays.
• The dialogue in this from Braun is really, really bad.
• Strowman sees a gift in the corner and thinks it’s from Alexa. It’s the old sheep mask he used to wear.
• Wyatt’s laugh plays over the speaker.
• This wouldn’t have been so bad if the dialogue were better. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. It didn’t help when they showed a Windows Movie Maker quality reminder that Strowman used to wear that mask.
• Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman at Money in the Bank. It’s the best of two options, but they can’t get out of their own way in booking Bray Wyatt.
• If we’re going to do ridiculous shit that shouldn’t be done anyway, I’m at least intrigued to see a rooftop WWE event.

If Tamina Wins, She Gets A Title Shot
Tamina defeated Sasha Banks
5/10

• The t-shirt interaction between Sasha, Tamina and Bayley went from corny to hilarious really quick. I loved that.
• This is such a performance from Sasha Banks. She is all over the place, carrying this match, making sure it stays on track.
• Sasha does a boomerang kick, but Lacey Evans comes out to run off Bayley, who is on commentary.
• Tamina wins with a superkick inside and outside. Well, then.
• Sasha Banks shouldn’t be losing matches to Tamina, even if there’s a larger story at play.
• Lacey says she’s going to be a thorn in Sasha Banks’ side everywhere she goes now. She has a hilariously stupid “Sasha” thing written on her hand with a line through it.

Sheamus Defeated Denzel Dijon Mustard Dejournette
SQUASH

• Sheamus does some really great ground and pound elbows.
• Brogue Kick. Win.
• Sheamus isn’t happy about WWE highlighting Jeff Hardy and his return more. I can get with this feud.

Money in the Bank Qualifier
Dana Brooke defeated Naomi
6/10

• Carmella isn’t happy about Dana Brooke being in a Money in the Bank Qualifying match. Dana says she can do both.
• This is a match I feel like I haven’t seen a hundred times.
• Naomi WALLOPED Dana Brooke with that dropkick.
• They go back and forth with pins, but they’re laying it in.
• Naomi’s offense was ON tonight. It all looked so good.
• Dana lands a Batista Bomb! I’m glad she kicked out of the Rear View, because Naomi needs a better finish.
• Dana wins with a sunset flip after a missed split legged moonsault.
• This match slapped.

Sonya’s promo

• Sonya Deville comes out and pleads for Mandy to hear her out. Why wouldn’t she send a text message or something?
• Well, probably because Sonya wants to tell Mandy that she’s selfish. Sonya says she knows Mandy was always
• Sonya says she came out to Mandy’s theme, waving her magazines.
• I thought that gagging comment was going SOMEWHERE ELSE BRO. Sonya says Mandy has probably been gagging a lot being around someone like Otis.
• She tried to conspire with Ziggler to help them
• Sonya says Mandy is pretty, but she’s a dime a dozen blonde.
• I wish WWE writers didn’t rely on throwing BITCH into every promo.
• Ziggler comes out and says he went about things wrong, but knows Mandy feels something for him.
• Sonya punches her and Ziggler is upset.
• Why is Otis out there shaking his dong?! His girlfriend got punched in the throat.
• Ziggler wearing a Hawkins & Ryder shirt was a great gesture.

Other Stuff

• The Howard Finkel video was outstanding. He will be missed.
• The WWE hacker is back. He shows tag teams and says some people keep their friends close and enemies closer.
• Baron Corbin attacks Elias backstage, because every Baron Corbin feud goes longer than it should. He injures Elias’ arm. I liked it a lot more before Corbin threw the goofy king terminology in there. It was a good beatdown made corny, but he beat the shit out of Elias.
• Gulak vs. Corbin, Sasha vs. Lacey in qualifying matches next week, and women’s tag title match.

Money In The Bank Qualifier
Daniel Bryan (w/ Drew Gulak) defeated Cesaro (w/ Shinsuke Nakamura)
5.75/10

• This is my kind of match. Stiff strikes, good submissions, fun transitions.
• Cesaro and Bryan are just built for this.
• Sharpshooter, Yes Lock, and a big, sluggin’ lariat. Hot damn.
• This is Strong Style Smackdown. These boys and girls are knocking the doody out of each other.
• Gulak keeps Nakamura from interfering and Bryan gets the win.
• This would have hit rec’d viewing if half of it wasn’t during a commercial. This was still very fun.

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Titles
Big E (of New Day) defeated The Miz (c) (of Miz & Morrison) and Jey Uso (of The Usos)
6/10

• I want a wrestler to verbalize during one of these table spots and be like “I gotta move all your shit so I don’t get fined, Cole!” and it explains two decades worth of wrestlers cleaning off announce tables.
• Big E trolls Cole about taking all his stuff off the table, but he gets double suplexed onto it.
• Superkick on Miz from Jey, but Miz gets a Skull Crushing Finale and Figure Four.
• Big E deadlifts Miz into a Big Ending and wins the tag titles!
• This was an awesome SPRINT!
• We see Kofi celebrating from home. Xavier Woods, as well. I love them integrating these into the show.

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 that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!