Match Ratings For WWE Smackdown 2/28/20 From Sean Ross Sapp

Goldberg vs. Reigns

• Goldberg comes out to big boos. He says it isn’t about who was last, it’s about who is next.
• Roman Reigns comes out to something of a mixed reaction.
• Reigns says he’s next.
• This did not need the championship involved in it. I’m interested in the match in general, and Roman Reigns is good and can get five minutes out of him. Didn’t need the title.

Naomi & Lacey Evans defeated The Boss N’ Hug Connection
5.25/10

• Why are they running this back? It happened YESTERDAY.
• Bayley re-introduces a returning Sasha Banks to her hometown.
• Sasha Banks quickly attacks Naomi for the DQ. Lacey Evans makes the save.
• Greg Hamilton is the new Teddy Long. TAG TEAM MATCH
• Lacey misses whatever slingshot dive she’s trying to do.
• It’s clear they’re setting this up for Lacey to challenge for the title.
• It’s good to see Sasha Banks back in the ring.
• Naomi gets the pin on Bayley.

Bobby Roode (w/ Dolph Ziggler) defeated Kofi Kingston (w/ Big E)
5.5/10

• Kofi and Roode have a faceoff before the match backstage.
• This starts slow, but Kofi does a couple leapfrogs into a back elbow.
• Roode fakes an attack from Big E to get him thrown out.
• Mandy Rose is shown watching backstage.
• The crowd seems suspiciously loud.
• Back and forth action leads to a nice spinebuster from Roode.
• Ziggler gets Roode’s foot on the ropes after an SOS.
• Roode rolls up Kofi Kingston for the win.
• Sonya has joined Mandy in looking on.
• Heavy Machinery are backstage talking about Mandy. Tucker tells Otis to let Mandy go. He wants Otis to get back out and wrestle next week.

Contract signing

• Nakamura is out with Sami Zayn and Cesaro. Renee Young is hosting.
• Braun curses a lot and signs the contract because he knows he’ll have to face all three of them.
• Sami Zayn takes that literally and signs the contract, as do Cesaro and Nakamura.
• Zayn is very happy with himself and they all attack Strowman and take him out.
• I love the 3-on-1 booking.
• Elimination Chamber will be Sami Zayn’s first televised match of 2020, and his first PPV match since STOMPING GROUNDS in June 2019.

Daniel Bryan defeated Curtis Axel
5.25/10

• Drew Gulak is providing analysis.
• Curtis Axel wrestling. Wow. His first televised match since Crown Jewel.
• Bryan mounts a comeback and applies a Yes Lock.
• Bryan getting the most we’ve seen out of Axel in years and he’s still not great.

The Usos defeated Miz & Morrison
5.75/10

• Miz and Morrison come out and brag about their title win and get the crowd to chant.
• They’re told by apparent GM that they’ll defend their titles at Elimination Chamber against Usos, Lucha House Party, New Day, Heavy Machinery, Roode & Ziggler.
• Usos are out for a match.
• Graves says there can be ten people in the chamber at once. ……………..what? There can be as many as 12 people in the chamber, not 10. What da hail?
• Miz and Morrison’s chant is over.
• Miz and Morrison do a neckbreaker stomp.
• Jimmy dives through the ropes, but Jey eats knees.
• Second rope Canadian Destroyer into an Uso splash wins the match.
• Miz and Morrison have lost three of their last four matches. The only outlier is their title win.

Cena and The Fiend.

• John Cena is back. This would have been a good spot to update his look, but I guess if it ain’t broke.
• He says he will always be a WWE Superstar, even though his role changed.
• John Cena has only went into one of the last four WrestleManias with an advertised match.
• Cena says he hears the crowd, even though he knows the audience doesn’t think THEY hear the audience. He knows the crowd cares about the future.
• “This year WrestleMania should go on without John Cena.”
• He doesn’t know the next time he’ll be back, so he wanted to announce this tonight.
• The crowd is going crazy for John Cena. He teases retirement.
• He gets to the ramp and salutes, but the Fiend’s music hits.
• That shot of Cena and Fiend on the stage was GREAT.
• Fiend points to the WrestleMania sign. Cena tips his cap.

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!