WWE Smackdown Review – March 22, 2024
Rey Mysterio vs. Santos Escobar
Rey Mysterio wastes no time as he goes after Escobar leveling him with a shoulder tackle and sending his head bouncing off the top turnbuckle.
He continues wearing him down and lands a kick on Escobar’s knee then follows it up with a forearm and a hurricanrana off the top rope.
He then follows it up with a running boot and a sliding dropkick to Escobar’s knee but Escobar levels Mysterio before he hits a dropkick then goes for a pin but Rey kicks out.
Mysterio then sends Escobar crashing out of the ring with a hurricanrana and goes flying under the bottom rope as we go to a break.
After the break Escobar hits a pair of running knees to Mysterio in the corner.
Mysterio responds with a kick to Escobar’s chest out of the corner and rains down right hands on him but Escobar sends Rey crashing into the opposite corner face first and drapes him off the top rope by his knees.
He lands a running kick on Mysterio’s chest and charges at him but Mysterio moves out of the way and Escobar is sent colliding with the ring post.
Mysterio then hits a crossbody to Escobar on the outside from the top rope then gets him back in the ring and hits a senton off the top rope.
He follows it up with a pair of clotheslines and a dropkick then sends Escobar into the ropes and looks to dial it up for the 619.
Escobar catches Mysterio with a superkick and goes for a pin but Mysterio kicks out.
They end up on the outside and Mysterio hits a senton to Escobar off the ring apron that sends him crashing through the barricade near the timekeeper’s area.
Mysterio gets Escobar back in the ring and delivers a forearm to him from the apron then looks to fly. A masked figure trips him and reveals themselves to be Dominik Mysterio.
This opens the door for Escobar to dial it up for the 619 and follow it up with Phantom Driver for the win.
Winner: Santos Escobar
We then head backstage and see 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble Winner Bayley thank Naomi for helping her out with Damage CTRL last week. Bianca BelAir then approaches and confronts Bayley about the attacks her and Damage CTRL launched against her over the past couple years. She tells Bayley that the past has finally caught up with her and she deserves everything coming her way.
After the break we see BelAir & Naomi argue about Bayley. Naomi says she won’t back down and tells BelAir she can’t face Damage CTRL alone.
Semi Final Match Of The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Qualifying Tournament (Bracket 2)
Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows) vs. A Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller)
Austin Theory hits an open palm strike to Luke Gallows before Gallows returns the favor then tags in Karl Anderson.
Anderson holds Theory in place as Gallows hits a boot to Theory’s midsection.
He follows it up with several right and left hands to his midsection.
Grayson Waller & Anderson tag in and Anderson delivers a boot to the side of Waller’s head.
Gallows then clotheslines Theory out of the ring and Anderson goes flying over the top to take them both out as we go to a break.
After the break Michin lands an arm drag on Waller on the outside as Anderson tags in.
Anderson hits a senton to Theory in the ring and follows it up with an elbow then connects with a Blockbuster and a spinebuster.
He lands one on Waller then hits a boot to Theory out of the corner and follows it up with a neckbreaker off the middle rope.
Gallows tags in and looks to land the Magic Killer with Anderson but Waller saves Theory and Gallows sends Waller crashing to the outside.
This opens the door for Theory to roll up Gallows with his feet on the ropes and Waller holding them in place from the outside for the win.
Winners: A Town Down Under
After the break we see Iyo Sky attack Bayley backstage.
Non Title Match
Women’s Champion Iyo Sky vs. Naomi
Iyo Sky & Naomi waste no time going after one another before Naomi fires off several shoulders on Sky’s midsection then follows it up with a Scorpion Kick and jams her boot in Sky’s face.
Sky lands a few right hands and a hurricanrana off the middle rope but Naomi connects with a kick off the ropes and follows it up with a dropkick.
She then hits a bulldog as we go to a break.
After the break Naomi ascends to the top rope and hits a crossbody.
She continues wearing down Sky but Sky lands a jawbreaker off the top and follows it up with a dropkick.
Sky then hits a pair of running knees in the corner and ascends to the top rope.
Naomi catches her with a kick and joins her up there then hits a superplex and transitions into a pin but Sky kicks out and delivers a kick to Naomi’s chest then charges at her.
Naomi sends her onto the apron and spikes her then looks to fly out of the corner.
Damage CTRL run down to ringside capturing Naomi’s attention and opening the door for Sky to land Over The Moonsault for the win.
Winner: Women’s Champion Iyo Sky
After the match Damage CTRL beat down Naomi. Naomi tries fighting back, but Asuka spits blue mist into Naomi’s face. Bianca BelAir’s music hits and she runs down to the ring to make the save. She lands a forearm on Dakota Kai and sends her crashing into the ring steps then lands a spinebuster on Sane and rains down right hands on Asuka. She then sends Sane crashing into the mat and looks to hit her with KOD but Damage CTRL then begins attacking her.
After the break we see Pretty Deadly interrupt a meeting between Kevin Owens & Nick Aldis. Pretty Deadly & Owens then begin arguing and Owens challenges Pretty Deadly to a Tag Team match with a partner already in mind. His tag team partner appears revealing himself as Randy Orton and agrees to tag with Owens before he punches Pretty Deadly in the face.
We then head over to a video of AJ Styles sitting down with WWE’s digital team to show how he’s preparing for WrestleMania. A horn honking interrupts them and they begin brawling. Police then arrive to break them apart and arrest Knight as Styles’ wife holds him back. Styles looks to go after Knight again but one of the officers prevents him from doing so as the other puts Knight in their car. Knight then warns Styles that he’ll be back.
Semi Final Match Of The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Qualifying Tournament (Bracket 2)
Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. Authors Of Pain (Akam & Rezar)
Montez Ford & Rezar starts this match before Akam tags in & he fires off right and left hands on Ford then tags Rezar back in.
Rezar fires off a right hand on Ford but Ford catches him with a boot and a dropkick that sends him crashing to the outside.
Akam is sent out of the ring to join Rezar & Ford flies to level them both.
AOP catches Ford & Angelo Dawkins looks to fly off the ring steps to level AOP.
AOP sees him coming and powerbombs Ford on Dawkins as we go to a break.
After the break Rezar rains down right hands on Ford and whips him into the corner.
He clocks Dawkins on the apron and Dawkins gets back in the ring.
The referee tells him he has to get back on the apron and AOP takes their opportunity to double team on Ford.
Akam tags back in and continues wearing down Ford before Rezar tags back in and follows suit.
Dawkins & Akam tag in and Dawkins hits a swinging neckbreaker to Akam.
He then hits a splash in the corner and follows it up with an enzuigiri.
Ford tags in and ascends to the top as Dawkins gets Akam in an electric chair position.
Akam escapes and takes out Dawkins then connects with a boot on Ford then Rezar tags in and AOP hits The Final Chapter on Ford.
Rezar goes for a pin but Dawkins breaks the fall before Akam sends Dawkins crashing to the outside then tags in.
Akam looks to land a delayed vertical suplex but Dawkins levels Rezar.
Ford sees an opening and escapes then rolls up Rezar for the win.
Winners: Street Profits (They will face A Town Down Under in the Finals)
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns says Heyman made a promise on Monday night to not have any other members of The Bloodline present. He says he’s a man of his word and no other Bloodline members are present. He then calls 2024 Royal Rumble Winner Cody Rhodes out to the ring and says it’s time to acknowledge him.
Rhodes’ music hits and he makes his way down to the ring. Reigns asks him if he kept his word like he did and Rhodes says as long as Reigns came alone then he did too. Reigns tells Heyman he kept his word like he said he would then calls Rhodes a fool. He says he thinks with his heart and thinks everyone wants what’s best for him but says he needs to be thinking with his head. He says Rhodes aligned with his younger brother World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins then questions where Rollins was on Monday night. He says him and Rollins didn’t do good things and he thought they were becoming brothers in The Shield until Rollins stabbed him in the back. Reigns then asks Rhodes what he thinks will happen to him.
Rhodes reminds Reigns of the 1st team to beat The Shield then says he’s not unfamiliar with factions and betrayal. He says The Bloodline isn’t a faction because they are family then says while Rollins might hate his guts, he hates Reigns even more. He then questions if Reigns can trust The Rock at WrestleMania and says everyone is confused about who is really in charge of The Bloodline.
Reigns says Rhodes’ words are spoken like a true politician then says all he does is makes promises that he can’t keep or deliver on. He says Rhodes told fans many lies but they never came to fruition. He says Rhodes is a #2 and says that’s all he’ll ever be. Reigns then says that he’s #1 forever.
Rhodes says both he and Reigns grew up in the professional wrestling business. He says like him Reigns grew up looking in the mirror and wanting to be the biggest wrestler on the planet. He says the next generation will want to be the next Reigns and that’s his destiny while his destiny is being the one.
Rhodes wishes Reigns good luck at WrestleMania and offers him his hand. Reigns declines to shake it and mockingly shakes Heyman’s hand instead. He exits the ring and heads back up the ramp.
Reigns snaps his fingers and both Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso emerge through the crowd proving that Reigns never kept his word. Rhodes looks concerned as they circle the ring and join Reigns on the ramp but Rhodes’ mood quickly changes when Jey Uso & Rollins make their way through ringside through the crowd to join him. All 6 men stare one another down to close out this week’s Smackdown.
Finals (Bracket 2) (March 29th)
A Town Down Under vs. Street Profits
Next Week’s Smackdown
Tag Team Match
Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince) vs. Randy Orton & Kevin Owens
Final Match Of The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Qualifying Tournament (Bracket 1)
Legado Del Fantasma (Angel & Humberto) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate)
Final Match Of The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Qualifying Tournament (Bracket 2)
A Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) vs. Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
Bianca BelAir vs. Dakota Kai
