By Wynter@WynterStorm24
Can you believe WrestleMania is this weekend?! The card is set, and stacked might I add, and yours truly will be collaborating with Rox and Cody to give you our thoughts on the show of shows! But I’m getting ahead of myself. Last night was the go-home show for Smackdown so let’s take a look at what went down on the blue brand’s final show before WrestleMania.
The KO Show
Kevin Owens had guests Randy Orton and AJ Styles. Orton ran down Styles about wrestling for a few dozen fans while he was wrestling at WreslteMania. Styles brought up Orton’s failed drug tests in retort. Orton then fired back by saying that if Styles was as good as he thought he was, he would’ve been in WWE a long time ago and now he’s just assumed the new Corporate Bitch position. At that point, Owens dipped and Styles and Orton brawled, ending with a RKO to Styles.
Thoughts: People have been sleeping on this match but I think given the right amount of time, it could be low-key fire. In the shadow of the women’s triple threat and Kofi’s arduous journey, Styles and Orton have managed to bring good fire to this feud.
Grade: A
Aleister Black, Ricochet, and The Usos vs The Bar and Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura
This was a good match and I liked the ending with the Usos double kicking Rusev for the win. It was a fairly standard tag team match without too many bells and whistles. The Bar are solid workers and can make a variety of opponents look good. Ricochet and Black are still getting great receptions by the crowds. After the match, Alexa Bliss came out and announced that the Usos will defend their tag team belts against Rusev and Nakamura, the Bar, and Black and Ricochet in a fatal four way match.
Winner: Aleister Black, Ricochet, and the Usos
Thoughts: They’re keeping that crank noise on the Aleister Black lever, which is unnecessary and annoying. Also I like that the host of WrestleMania can just make matches. However, I’m not a fan that two sets of tag team belts are being defended in the exact same match. It seems lazy.
Grade: B+
WrestleMania is going to be…IIconic!
The IIconics came out to talk about the women’s tag team division and their upcoming tag match at WrestleMania. They also reminded us that they have already pinned the champions before.
Thoughts: I actually think the IIconics would be great tag team champions. They’re the kind of annoying heels you love to hate.
Grade: Not Graded
The Miz vs Sanity: 1-on-3 Handicap Falls Count Anywhere Match
The Miz came out and said that he was going to get retribution at WrestleMania and that he’s the best Miz he’s ever been. Shane McMahon evilly shuffled out and booked Miz in a 1-on-3 handicap match against Sanity and it was falls count anywhere. So Miz brawled with all three members in the ring and then outside where he crushed Eric Young with a production box and pinned him for the win.
Winner: The Miz
Thoughts: It wasn’t too long and I’m not a fan of the way they just fed Sanity to Miz like that, but it did add to the McMiz feud so it’s not all bad. We better get something fantastic at WrestleMania in this falls count anywhere match. Shane McMahon fling yourself off the Statue of Liberty challenge?
Grade: C-
Double Champ!
After getting dropped off by the police, Becky Lynch came to the ring. She talked about how a lot of things can change in a year and how she got herself into the main event of WrestleMania by slapping Charlotte Flair at Summer Slam last year. She said she’s going to make one of “those dopes tap” and become the double champion.
Thoughts: Not the flashiest promo, but at this point we don’t need anything more. We already saw them get arrested on Raw.
Grade: B+
18-Person Mixed Tag Match?!
This “match” also included a Lacey Bomb for some reason. There was also a dance break and a caterpillar. However, everything broke down quickly and everyone just started brawling. Asuka stood tall after tossing Jeff Hardy out of the ring.
Winner: No Contest
Thoughts: That was a whole mess and only done to hype up the battle royals because we all know no one actually cares about the battle royals. There were entirely too many people involved and I hope they don’t try this again.
Grade: F
Samoa Joe vs Mustafa Ali
Basically, Ali missed the 054 and Samoa Joe choked him out. That’s kind of the whole match.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Thoughts: I’m glad that Joe won as it makes him look strong going into his title defense at WrestleMania. I think this was actually supposed to be Rey Mysterio vs Samoa Joe, but I had heard that Mysterio had an ankle injury. Hopefully Mysterio is good to go for Sunday. And I refuse to acknowledge this name change.
Grade: Not Graded
Contract Signing
Daniel Bryan had to get his promo in there so he decided to “educate the masses”. He told the crowd not to be complacent and not to sit on the sidelines and let others push you to the top and called them parasites. Kofi Kingston said that Bryan knows nothing about him and his 11-year struggle has led to this moment and he will become champion on Sunday.
Thoughts: I was fully expecting some kind of awful swerve here, but there wasn’t. There was just a confident Kofi Kingston standing tall. I’m here for it.
Grade: A
Final Thoughts
That’s it, folks. We are full steam ahead toward WrestleMania! It has been a long, at times confusing, road to get there but we made it. As I mentioned before, I’ll be contributing to the Mania review along with Rox and Cody so be sure to check it out!
Overall Grade: B-
