WWE SmackDown Review – March 10, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with a recap the fallout of the match between Jimmy Uso & Sami Zayn on this past Monday on Raw as well as Jey Uso laying out Zayn with a superkick.
We then see Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos pulling up to the arena as Paul Heyman stands by. Jey Uso asks Heyman where Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is, and Heyman hugs him before telling him that both he & Reigns are proud of him. Jey tells Heyman to let him know when he finds him. Kayla Braxton approaches the men, and asks Jey why he did what he did. Jey says he will explain things later tonight in the ring.
Intercontienetal Title #1 Contenders Fatal 5 Way Match
Xavier Woods vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre vs. LA Knight vs. Karrion Kross
Xavier Woods goes after LA Knight. Kross joins in as Drew McIntyre & Sheamus stare one another down. Knight & Karrion Kross then set their sights on McIntyre & Sheamus and attack them but McIntyre & Sheamus dump them out of the ring. They get in one another’s faces but Kross & Knight attack them once again that sends us to a break.
After the break Kross & Knight beat down Woods in the corner. Sheamus drags Knight out of the ring but Kross attacks him as Knight sends McIntyre crashing into the ring post. Knight and Kross then get back in the ring and plant Woods with a double flapjack.
McIntyre joins them and fires off a series of chops but Knight & Kross gain the upper hand and deliver a double suplex. Sheamus goes flying and levels Knight then hits Kross with a clothesline before delivering a series of right hands to Knight. Meanwhile, Kross locks in a single leg Boston crab on McIntyre.
Knight plants Woods with a neckbreaker and goes for a pin but Kross pulls Knight off. Knight then catches him with a right hand before Woods fires off several rapid fire offensive moves. He delivers a rolling forearm to Knight, then takes down Kross.
Woods hits a DDT on Kross and the double knees to Kross then ascends to the top and delivers an elbow drop to Knight. He goes for a pin but Sheamus & Kross break things up as Imperium appears at ringside to watch on as we go to a another break.
After a another break Kross delivers a right hand to Knight. He then ascends to the top as McIntyre hangs off it upside down but Knight meets him up there before McIntyre pulls them both down. McIntyre delivers a lariat and a belly 2 belly throw to Knight, then hits Kross with a neckbreaker.
Sheamus joins in on the action and takes down Knight, then delivers the 10 Beats Of The Bodhran to Woods, Kross & Knight. He sets up for the Brogue Kick on Knight but McIntyre catches Knight with a Glasgow Kiss. Sheamus gets in his face before Woods goes flying and Sheamus catches him with a Brogue Kick. McIntyre delivers a Claymore Kick to Knight and they pin Woods & Knight respectively as the referee in the ring and the one on the outside count to 3 on the same time.
Winners & #1 Contender To The Intercontienetal Title: Sheamus & Drew McIntyre
After the match the referees try to figure out who won as Sheamus & McIntyre get in one another’s faces and begin to yell.
We head backstage to Kayla Braxton is with Paul Heyman. Braxton asks Heyman for any insight into Jey’s actions on Monday, but Heyman is distracted and seems paranoid. He snaps back to reality, and says Cody Rhodes has been a thorn in his side. He hypes up The Bloodline and says they are unstoppable when they are a united front, but says Rhodes came along and he went to Reigns. He recalls a conversation they had, and says Rhodes will be forced to acknowledge Reigns at WrestleMania.
Back from the break we see Sheamus & Drew McIntyre arguing over who won the match. Butch & Ridge Holland walk in and pull Sheamus away.
We head back to Wade Barrett & Michael Cole, who announces the 1st inductee into the Hall Of Fame Class of 2023 Rey Mysterio.
Mysterio then heads down to the ring to celebrate with the WWE Universe.
He grabs a mic and is about to speak, but Dominik Mysterio’s music hits and he and the rest of Judgment Day head to the ring. Dominik says Rey’s Hall of Fame induction is pathetic, then calls Rey a washed up old man. He asks Rey how many events in his life he missed while making his career then says he’s ashamed to be Rey’s son.
Legado Del Fantasma’s music hits and the group heads to the ring to back Rey. Santos Escobar tells Dominik that while Rey might have let go of what happened last week, he hasn’t. He says Legado Del Fantasma was set for a match later tonight, but there’s no reason not to have it now.
6 Man Tag Team Match
Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar,Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro) vs. Judgement Day (Dominik Mysterio,Damian Priest & Finn Balor)
Finn Balor delivers a dropkick to Cruz Del Toro as Rey watches on. Priest tags in and fires off several stomps, then follows it up with a flying elbow. Dominik Mysterio tags in and hits 3 Amigos then tags Balor back in. Balor whips Del Toro into the corner, but Del Toro delivers a hurricanrana and tags in Santos Escobar.
Escobar hits a running knee then delivers a splash in the corner and tags in Joaquin Wilde. Wilde hits a splash but Balor sends him crashing into the mat and tags in Damian Priest. Priest delivers a lariat and a body slam, then tags in Balor. Balor hits a backbreaker that takes us to a break.
Back from break, Escobar hits Balor with a back elbow and a leg drop. Dominik & Del Toro tag in before Del Toro delivers a standing Spanish Fly. Zelina Vega goes after Rhea Ripley but Ripley levels her and Rey then gets in her face. Del Toro goes for a pin but the referee is distracted and doesn’t see the pin. Priest takes advantage and delivers a kick to Del Toro’s head for the win.
Winners: Judgement Day
After the match Dominik grabs a mic and says he wants to talk to Rey man 2 man. He dismisses the rest of Judgment Day & Rey gets in the ring. Dominik says he doesn’t understand why Rey is being inducted into the Hall Of Fame, then says the only Hall Of Fame he should be inducted into is the one for deadbeat fathers. He says he should’ve been Eddie Guerrero’s son, then pushes Rey. Rey looks to retreat, but Dominik charges at him and Rey sends him to the outside. Rey reiterates that he won’t fight him.
Tag Team Match
Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet
Erik & Ricochet lock up to get this match started then Ricochet hits a hurricanrana but Erik catches him with a right to his midsection and tags in Ivar. Ivar beats down Ricochet, but Ricochet delivers a dropkick and tags in Braun Strowman, who clotheslines Ivar to the outside. Erik tries attacking him, but Strowman does the same thing to him before tossing Ricochet over the top rope to level Viking Raiders that takes us to a break.
After the break Erik beats down Ricochet. Ivar tags in and continues to attack Ricochet before Erik tags back in and delivers a knee. Ricochet and Erik go back and forth with forearms, but Erik gains the upper hand and sends Ricochet crashing to the mat with a right hand. Ivar takes down Strowman on the outside as Ricochet delivers a running knee and looks for a tag.
Erik hits a sit out powerbomb but Ricochet delivers a moonsault off the 2nd rope. Ivar & Strowman tag in. Strowman levels Ivar with a big boot and a splash, then hits a dropkick and tags Ricochet back in. Strowman delivers the Strowman Express to Ivar, then looks to catch Erik with it but Valhalla pulls Erik out of the way and sends Strowman over the announce table.
Ricochet goes flying and hits Erik with a tope suicida, but Valhalla puts a spell on Ricochet. Ivar gets back in the ring, and Ricochet looks for a 450 Splash, but Ivar catches him with a spinning heel kick before hitting a splash off the top for the win.
Winners: Viking Raiders
We head backstage to Imperium & Adam Pearce & Intercontienetal Champion Gunther tells Pearce that his challenger for WrestleMania was supposed to be decided then berates Pearce for his performance as a WWE Official. Pearce says Drew McIntyre will square off with Sheamus, and the winner will take on Gunther for the Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania.
Non Title Match
Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Shotzi Blackheart
Charlotte Flair & Shotzi Blackheart execute a hand shake then they then lock up before Flair delivers a shoulder tackle. Blackheart fires back with a hurricanrana but Flair delivers a waste lock takedown. Flair hits a big boot as 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble Winner Rhea Ripley’s music hits and she heads to the ring to watch on. Flair looks to lock in a Figure 8 but Blackheart rolls out. Flair kicks out and hits a German suplex that sends us to a break.
We are back from the break Blackheart delivers a hurricanrana to Flair off the middle rope. They spill to the outside before Blackheart delivers a kick to Flair. They get back inside and Flair hits a series of chops, then follows it up with a fallaway slam. She hits a spear before ensuring Ripley is watching and cinching in the Figure 8 for the win.
Winner By Submission: Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair
After the match Ripley gets in the ring with a mic in hand. Flair grabs a mic of her own and asks Ripley what she has to say. Ripley says watching Flair tonight reminded her of why she chose to face Flair at WrestleMania then says she sees acceptance and insecurity in Flair’s eyes. She says she will take the one thing that makes Flair feel important at WrestleMania, and become the new Smackdown Women’s Champion.
Flair says Ripley might be proud of her improvement but she’s improved every single day of her life. She says she wants it more and she will outwork anyone, male or female. Flair says Ripley will rip apart anyone that stands in her way but her.
Jimmy Uso says The Bloodline is now back together before Jey Uso says the big question of the week has been why he betrayed Sami Zayn. He asks the WWE Universe what they would do if they were him, then says you would do anything for your family. He says he did what he did because he had to, even though he didn’t want to do it. He says he never had a choice because Jimmy is his blood. He says Zayn isn’t and neither is the WWE Universe, then says they don’t know what he’s going through. Jey says he blames one person: Sami Zayn. He says Zayn’s problem is that he’s selfish, and all he had to do was fall in line, but he knew nothing about that because he’s not blood and never will be. Jimmy says now that the Sami Zayn problem has been dealt with, they need to deal with the Cody Rhodes problem.
Rhodes’ music hits and he heads to the ring. He says that if The Usos are going to talk about him, then he would rather them talk directly to him. Rhodes says he answers to fans and not Reigns, then says it sounds as if fans would rather see them fight than talk. Jimmy tells him not to take another step unless he wants them to put him on the shelf like they did with Zayn.
Zayn appears out of nowhere and blindsides Jimmy with an attack. Rhodes begins brawling with Jey, and they spill out into the crowd. Jimmy & Zayn join in, and the 4 men brawl back to the ring. Zayn & Rhodes dump The Usos to the outside before Rhodes raises up Zayn’s hand to close out this week’s Smackdown.
