Match Ratings For WWE Smackdown Live 3/26/19, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

Opening segment

• New Day come out and they seem happy. They thank fans for the journey they’ve been on.
• Big E says that after what’s happened to Kofi Kingston in recent weeks, they’ve discussed walking away.
• They call out Vince McMahon to give them answers. He joins them.
• Bryan says that New Day is a novelty act that could be replaced by 3 NXT names and be called FRESH AFTERNOON.
• Xavier and Bryan argue until Vince McMahon shuts them up. Vince trolls New Day about quitting.
• Bryan cheerleads everything Vince says. Vince is not a strong performer anymore.
• Vince says Kofi’s fate is in New Day’s hands. They’ll be in a gauntlet match tonight to get him into WrestleMania.

Smackdown Women’s Championship
Charlotte Flair defeated Asuka (c) to become Smackdown Women’s Champion
7.5/10

• Becky Lynch is very jovial when being interviewed backstage. She’s interrupted by Charlotte, who is on the ramp.
• Charlotte Flair says she’s going to prove she belongs. There was a commercial right here.
• The commentary team sells the surprise of this match happening and it being for a title really well.
• There are a lot of counters to start this one out. We go to the first break where the action picks up.
• Asuka locks in an Octopus, hits a German suplex, and a couple of great kicks.
• Asuka misses her flying ass smash and gets booted.
• Charlotte misses a moonsault, gets Asuka Locked and tries to roll through a pin.
• Asuka kicks Charlotte into the turnbuckle instead of shoving her, for some reason. However, Asuka’s strikes are on point.
• Charlotte Flair just did a goddamn Spanish Fly and it ruled.
• A great series of reversals leads to a Figure Eight and Charlotte Flair is the Smackdown Women’s Champion.
• This match ruled. Asuka brought it and so did Charlotte Flair.

Kurt Angle vs. AJ Styles

• Angle meets Charlotte on the ramp and trolls her a little. AJ has a few words before the match.
• Angle German suplex is right into a Calf Crusher from Styles.
• Angle sells this INCREDIBLY. I thought he was going to tap. He turns it into an ankle lock.
• Randy Orton shows up to hit Styles with an RKO, but eats an Olympic Slam.
• That Styles/Angle match was really promising at the start.

MIZ AND SHANE

• The Miz is out, and says he wants Shane McMahon in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
• Shane McMahon comes out with security. Shelton Benjamin, Sanity, and others are out to pootect Shane.
• Shane accepts the challenge and talks trash about Miz’s dad.
• Miz beats the hell out of security. This is some good babyface fire.
• Epico couldn’t even get on TV to get beaten up. Miz gets through all of them though.

Backstage Crappenings

• We see Dominic with his little ass dad talking about Samoa Joe.
• IIconics are backstage and put over their upcoming WrestleMania title match.

If New Day Wins, Kofi Kingston Gets WrestleMania Title Shot
Gauntlet Match
New Day Win
7/10

• I think I’ve had my fill of gauntlet matches.
• New Day vs. The Good Brothers start off and Xavier cracks Anderson hard. Midnight Ride. Win. Squash

The Good Brothers are eliminated.

• Becky Lynch, Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio are looking on with the Hardy Boyz. Kofi is barred from ringside.
• Rusev & Nakamura are next. Nakamura works the lion’s share of this one.
• Xavier lands on his feet out of the reverse Exploder and Big E destroys Shinsuke with a bunch of suplexes.
• Nakamura drops Big E across the rope, setting up a Rusev kick. They do an awesome assisted suplex, but Xavier breaks up the pin.
• Chioda reffing gauntlet matches back-to-back weeks has to be a rib.
• I guess Midnight Ride is now named the UpUpDownDown. It puts away Nakamura.

Rusev & Nakamura (w/ Lana) are eliminated

• Nikki Cross, Ali, Naomi, Miz, R-Truth join the viewing party.
• The Bar are next, but a commercial follows.
• They work over Big E, and we see the backstage explode when he hot tags Xavier.
• Xavier and Sheamus were ON THE SAME PAGE with that tornado DDT. There’s also an awesome tope con hilo and a diving leg drop, but Xavier’s pin is broken up.
• Cesaro gets pulled off the apron and takes an insane fall to the floor.
• Xavier gets the pin!!
• The Bar attack after the match and put Big E through a table with a freefall bomb.

The Bar are eliminated

• Usos are next, chomping at the bit.
• They take the mic and say that Kofi Kingston deserves this spot, so they forfeit.

The Usos are eliminated.

• Daniel Bryan is tearing apart the locker room, livid. Erick Rowan joins in, but it looks like he was like “YEAH! TEAR STUFF UP! ME TOO!”
• Rowan and Bryan are out and mop the floor with New Day.
• The comeback happens! Xavier tope con hilos Rowan, Big E flattens Bryan with a uranage.
• Rowan breaks up the pin after a Big Ending.
• Rowan hits a Rock Bottom and Bryan has him clear the tables, but New Day tip it over on Rowan.
• New Day wins via countout! The whole crowd counted along with this.
• That was a damn creative finish.

Rowan and Bryan are eliminated

• Vince McMahon confirms Kofi Kingston is going to WrestleMania.
• The Smackdown locker room empties

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!