WWE SmackDown Review – April 21, 2023
Tag Team Match
Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar) vs. Judgement Day (Damian Priest & Finn Balor)
Rey Mysterio delivers a hurricanrana and a kick to Finn Balor’s thigh then follows it up with a basement dropkick then looks for a moonsault but Balor gets his knees up and tags in Damian Priest. Priest delivers a big boot, then fires off several stomps. He then delivers a right hand and whips him into the corner then tags in Balor. Balor tags in Priest then delivers a backbreaker.
Priest delivers a leg drop as Balor holds Mysterio in place. Balor tags back in and Rey catches him with a back elbow. He follows it up with a bulldog variation and tags in Escobar. Escobar delivers a back elbow and a pair of flying elbows then knocks Priest off the apron and delivers a tilt a whirl backbreaker to Balor followed by a splash in the corner.
He then delivers the double knees before Priest tries to interfere. Escobar sends Priest crashing into Balor which causes Balor to be knocked to the outside. Escobar then sends Mysterio crashing onto Priest & Mysterio looks to go flying but Priest pulls Balor out of the way, allowing Balor to clock Escobar back inside the ring that sends us to a break.
After the break Escobar fires off chops on Priest. Priest delivers a superkick then executes a Mongolian chop and mocks Mysterio then he delivers a kick to Escobar’s chest but Escobar responds with a dropkick before he tags in Mysterio. Balor tags in and Mysterio catches him with a hurricanrana then delivers a shoulder to his midsection and a senton off the top rope.
He hits a crossbody off the ropes, but Balor fires back with a boot to his midsection. Mysterio delivers an enziguri that sends Balor into the ropes and looks for the 619 but Priest makes the blind tag. Mysterio sends him to the outside and Escobar tags in.
Mysterio thinking Balor is legal as he delivers 619 to him and Escobar then hits a crossbody off the top rope. Priest takes advantage of the confusion and catches Escobar with South Of Heaven for the win.
Winners: Judgement Day
After the match Priest grabs a mic and calls out Bad Bunny ahead of his return on Raw this Monday. He says he hopes this visit goes differently than the last one.
After the break we go backstage to Adam Pearce as Zelina Vega approaches him and says that while she doesn’t know where she’ll end up with the Draft next week so she wants a shot at Rhea Ripley’s Smackdown Women’s Title. She says she has something to prove as the 1st woman of Puerto Rican descent in WWE and Pearce tells her that he’ll talk to upper management about giving her a Smackdown Women’s Title Match at Backlash.
We then head to a video hyping up Shinsuke Nakamura after his return last week followed by another one from Karrion Kross & Scarlett putting him on notice.
Tag Team Match
Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) vs. Braun Strowman & Ricochet
Match begins with Ivar fires off several right hands and back elbows. Braun Strowman returns the favor then whips Ivar into the corner and delivers an elbow to the back of his head. Strowman & Ivar trade shoulder tackles before Strowman sends Ivar crashing into the mat with one of them. He then delivers a short arm clothesline to Ivar. Erik tags in and Viking Raiders double team on Strowman before Strowman escapes their grasp and tags in Ricochet.
Strowman tries tossing Ricochet onto Ivar but misses and delivers a right hand to him instead. Ricochet low bridges Erik to the outside then delivers a kick that sends him to the floor. He goes flying and levels both of Viking Raiders on the outside that takes us to a break.
After the break Erik wears down Ricochet. Strowman tags in and delivers a boot to Erik, then whips him into the corner and delivers a dropkick. Erik rolls to the outside, and Strowman delivers the Strowman Express to himself & Ivar. Valhalla gets in Strowman’s face, allowing Erik to deliver a pair of knees and tag in Ivar.
Ivar ascends to the top rope and delivers a splash then goes for a pin but Strowman kicks out. Ricochet tags in and delivers an enziguri but Ivar catches him with a boot. Ricochet responds with a running knee and a kick to his face then tags in Strowman.
Strowman immediately tags Ricochet back in and delivers a splash to Ivar in the corner. Ricochet then stands on top of Strowman’s shoulders then delivers a Swanton Bomb for the win.
Winners: Braun Strowman & Ricochet
Women’s Tag Team Titles Match
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville
Match starts off with Liv Morgan dropkicks Chelsea Green then Sonya Deville tags in and looks for a Bicycle Kick but Morgan ducks it and delivers an enziguri. Raquel Rodriguez tags in and delivers a splash to Deville in the corner then hits an elbow to her face. Deville responds with a chop block and tags in Green.
Green looks for a kick but Rodriguez catches it and plants her face first. Green knocks Rodriguez to the outside before Morgan tags in and Green catches her with a knee. Rodriguez looks to pull Green to the outside but Green escapes and Deville goes flying off the apron. Morgan then levels Green & Deville.
She tosses Green back in the ring and goes for a pin but Green kicks out. Green sends Morgan crashing off the middle rope and goes for a pin but the referee catches her feet on the ropes. Deville tags in, and herself and Green deliver a double suplex to Morgan. Deville fires off several kicks, and tags in Green.
Green & Deville look for a 2nd double suplex. Morgan reverses it into a neckbreaker then tags in Rodriguez. Rodriguez delivers a clothesline to Green. Rodriguez then sits Deville in the top turnbuckle. Morgan makes the blind tag and Rodriguez delivers a superplex.
Morgan delivers a dropkick and a backstabber to Green and while the referee is distracted Morgan pours water on Green. She delivers a Code Red for the win.
Winners & Still Women’s Tag Team Champions: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!!)
Intercontienetal Title Match
Gunther (c) vs. Xavier Woods
Match starts off with a lock up then Xavier Woods delivers a series of kicks to Gunther’s thighs before they go back & forth with submission holds and forearms. Gunther then delivers a chop to Woods that sends him crashing down to the mat that sends us to a break.
After the break Gunther sends Woods into the top turnbuckle face first then he delivers a chop to his back but Woods responds with a couple of chops of his own. Gunther executes a neck crank but Woods fires off a few forearms.
Gunther hits another chop and goes for a pin but Woods kicks out. Gunther then delivers a 2nd chop and a double underhook suplex before Woods slaps him and fires off a series of forearms, chops and stomps.
Gunther & Woods go back & forth with forearms but Woods gains the upper hand and sends Gunther crashing into the mat. Gunther rolls to the outside and Woods delivers a dropkick through the middle rope.
He goes flying over the top rope then tosses Gunther back in the ring and ascends to the top rope & executes a leg drop and goes for a pin, but Gunther kicks out. Woods then plants Gunther face first and rolls him up but Gunther locks in a Sleeper and Woods fades.
Winner & Still Intercontienetal Champion: Gunther (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
The Usos address all the questions they’ve been asked since losing the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles and say they’re going to do what’s best and win back their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles in honor of Roman Reigns then they introduce Solo Sikoa and he heads down to the ring.
No DQ Match
Matt Riddle vs. Solo Sikoa
Matt Riddle jumps Solo Sikoa from behind then the bell rings and Sikoa delivers a clothesline to Riddle’s back. He then delivers a back elbow and rolls outside to pull a bunch of kendo sticks and a couple of chairs out from under the ring. He hits Riddle’s hand with a kendo stick then takes another shot at his chest.
Sikoa tosses Riddle to the outside and goes to follow but Riddle meets him with a kendo stick and takes several shots. He goes to pull a table from under the ring but Sikoa attacks him and puts the table back. Riddle then delivers a kick to Sikoa off the apron before tossing him into the ring steps and hitting a Broton as we go to a break.
After the break Riddle fires off forearms on Sikoa. Sikoa looks to plant Riddle on a couple of chairs with a Uranage but Riddle fights out of it. Sikoa manages to deliver a Samoan Drop, then delivers several right hands to his head in the corner. He puts his head through a chair then sets up for a hip attack. Riddle tosses the chair at Sikoa’s head then sends him colliding with the ring post shoulder first.
He takes several shots at Sikoa with the kendo stick then cracks a chair across his back and throws it over to him before delivering a knee. He then sets up 2 chairs facing one another and delivers a suplex. He goes for a pin but Sikoa kicks out. He buries Sikoa under a pile of chairs but Sikoa gets out of the way and the action spills to the outside.
Riddle looks for a knee off the apron but Sikoa ducks it and tosses Riddle over the announce table. He looks to toss the table on Riddle but Riddle blocks it then they teeter on the desk before Riddle sends Sikoa over it and topples it on top of them.
The Usos jump Riddle and tosses him into the ring & they set up for 1D but Riddle prevents them from getting it and dumps them to the outside. He executes the Floating Bro and levels them as Sikoa moves the announce desk off himself.
They get back in the ring and Sikoa sets up for a Samoan Spike but Riddle catches him with a ripcord knee. Sikoa then manages to deliver a Samoan Spike for the win.
Winner: Solo Sikoa
After the match The Usos get a table into the ring and set it up. They deliver the 1D to Riddle through the table and stand tall over him to close out this week’s Smackdown.
Next Week’s Smackdown
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Match
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. The Usos
Updated Backlash Card so far
6 Man Tag Team Match
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn & Matt Riddle vs. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso,Jey Uso & Solo Sikoa)
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lensar
Smackdown Women’s Title Match
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zelina Vega
Seth Rollins vs. Omos
United States Title Triple Threat Match
Austin Theory (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed
