Match Ratings, Podcast Notes For WWE Smackdown Live 7/31/2018 From Sean Ross Sapp

Opening Segment

• Renee Young brings Becky Lynch out to talk about her title opportunity. Lynch cuts a great, seemingly genuine promo where she really puts over the Smackdown Women’s Championship.
• Carmella comes out and gets “you suck” chants. She cuts a promo about her being an embarrassment and an afterthought as being the last draft pick when Becky Lynch was picked so high. 
• Big Becky chants. 
• Aw man I love the PSYYYYYYYYYYYCH promo that Carmella and Alexa do all the time. Ellsworth’s music hits to a big pop, and Carmella attacks Becky Lynch. Production missed the cheap shot.
• I liked the toned down Carmella, even if the end result was predictable.
• Charlotte Flair returns and makes the save.
• Paige isn’t happy with Carmella’s griping. She books Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair tonight. If Charlotte wins, she’s added to the Summerslam match.
• A good opening segment, all things considered.

WWE Tag Team Contender Tournament
The Bar defeated The Usos
6/10

• This is The Bar’s first TV match in two months.
• New Day come out and join at ringside for commentary.
• When you think of it, Sheamus is one of the most decorated wrestlers of this generation.
• Basic, back and forth tag work until Sheamus gets ring posted. Jimmy Uso goes wild on the hot tag.
• Jey dives over the top rope onto Sheamus, and Jimmy Uso is pushed off the top rope into the barricade.
• Sheamus goes for a White Noise, and Cesaro gets superkicked. 
• The Uso Splash lands, but when they go for another, Cesaro uppercuts Jey and Sheamus rolls up Jimmy.

PROMOS

• Samoa Joe comes out and cuts a promo, saying that he knows AJ Styles holds being a WWE Champion above even his own family. He says Styles’ family will be cheering for Joe, because Styles values the title over them. 
• Jeff Hardy calls out Randy Orton, who obliges. Shinsuke Nakamura shows up and kicks the living shit out of Jeff Hardy. Randy Orton then beats up Jeff Hardy in a really drawn out beating. Orton then washes Jeff Hardy’s face, and I don’t get that shit at all.
• THE BLUDGEONING BACKSTAGE. 

Zelina Vega (w/ Andrade Cien Almas) defeated Lana
4.5/10

• I’m glad to see Zelina wrestling, and Lana just towers over her. 
• A lot of the action happens during the break. Lana gets choked on the ropes after a facebuster. 
• Zelina applies a dragon sleeper. Lana’s strikes look terrible as she tries to break out.
• Lana lands a neckbreaker and SPINAROONIES to her feet, then hits double knees against the ropes. 
• Andrade Cien Almas tries to interfere, but Aiden English yanks him off the apron.
• Lana gets pulled off the top rope and pinned. 
• Lana is a better wrestler than Kelly Kelly. 
• An apologetic Aiden English feels bad for Lana. Rusev comes yelling as Aiden leaves. Lana says that she could have used Rusev. I don’t know where this is going and I like it.

SCORCHED EARTH

• Daniel Bryan puts over the WWE Evolution announcement and how far women’s wrestling has come. He says they take steps backwards too, like what Miz did last week. Daniel Bryan challenges Miz to come out and fight him, but Miz is on the set of his show and on the titantron.
• Bryan wants to fight the Miz at Summerslam, and both guys go back and forth. Miz says being in conflict keeps Daniel Bryan relevant. Bryan says Miz will never be Rock or Cena.
• This promo kicked ass. It felt real. Some will say they’ve done it over and over, but these two still haven’t fought. It works. 

If Charlotte Wins, She’s In The Summerslam Title Match
Charlotte Flair defeated Carmella
4.5/10

• Charlotte says she was just going to be there to support Becky Lynch tonight, but that she’s ready to reclaim her throne after not even expecting to be at Summerslam this year. 
• Becky Lynch isn’t really happy about the idea of a triple threat match, because she’s worked her way up to the spot that she’s earned at Summerslam. 
• Charlotte misses a moonsault by a mile. Carmella’s boot too. 
• There is a really ugly missed kick spot, into an ugly running head scissors into the barricade.
• This is messy. Charlotte gets a moonsault off the apron though. Natural Selection, but Carmella kicked out. 
• Carmella goes for a small package, but does it wrong. Charlotte applies the Figure 8 and wins.
• This match wasn’t good.