Elias being attended to by the medics on SmackDown (WWE)
WWE SmackDown Results and Grades: This week’s SmackDown featured two big Intercontinental Championship matches as the finalists were to be confirmed.
AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Elias and Daniel Bryan were all to fight. However, there was a surprise too on the show as a big NXT star was revealed to be joining the roster.
WWE SmackDown had some hits and misses on this week’s show and here are the grades and results.
Jeff Hardy, apparently, hit Elias with his car and was arrested in an inebriated condition. He was arrested by the police that threw a spanner in the semi-finals of the IC tournament.
A 10-man Battle Royal was set up to decide Bryan’s competition for later in the night and Sheamus won that clash.
Sheamus wins battle royal
Grade C
After what has happened in the US over the past few days bringing an arrest angle didn’t really need to be done.
Similarly, WWE taking a shot at Hardy’s substance abuse past also wasn’t good, the battle royal was great though.
Lacey Evans and Sonya Deville came out for a fight and boy did they fight. The referee had to call off the match due to a double count-out as the stars brawled outside the ring too.
Grade B
Evans and Deville have been going at on social media and they could be the next big rivalry, at least between the women, on SmackDown.
The New Day came out to celebrate with Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross, both tag champs in their respective divisions, however, Bayley and Sasha Banks didn’t see eye to eye.
Bayley set up Banks vs Bliss, and it was the Boss that picked up the win after a brawl between Bayley and Cross.
Banks beats Bliss
Grade B
The opening segment felt a little flat but the match between Banks and Bliss was great. Bayley and Banks have been excellent as heels and they could reclaim the tag titles from Bliss and Cross.
G was one of the participants in the battle royal earlier and wanted to fight Cesaro after being taken out in the clash.
G got the win thanks to a surprise roll-up, something that Cesaro did not see coming.
Short G beats Cesaro
Grade B
This gets a bit of a plus as G had been missing from TV for too long. The match was good but spare a thought for Cesaro who keeps being fodder for other stars, the Swiss deserves more.
Mandy Rose and Otis cut a promo having a vacation, and the pair seem to be enjoying their time.
However, Kurt Angle came out later to first speak about Edge vs Randy Orton. He then confirmed that Matt Riddle would be coming to SmackDown soon as a promo aired.
Grade C
Riddle moving from NXT at the moment doesn’t make a lot of sense. He was doing well on the show and had a rivalry with Timothy Thatcher too. The Rose-Otis segment was sweet but it didn’t click either.
AJ Styles was happy to reach the finals via a bye but Bryan faced Sheamus in the main event. Sheamus seemed set to win but Hardy appeared on the ramp, and that distraction allowed Bryan to pick up the win.
Hardy then attacked Sheamus after the match.
Bryan beats Sheamus
Grade B
The match was great between the pair was great and Bryan vs Styles in the finals would be great. Sheamus seems to have set up Hardy, and it will be interesting to see what happens next.
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