WWE Smackdown Review – April 7, 2023
Kicking off Smackdown with a recap of WrestleMania 39.
6 Man Tag Team Match
Imperium (Intercontinental Champion Gunther,Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser) vs. Brawling Brutes (Sheamus,Butch & Ridge Holland)
Giovanni Vinci & Butch lock up to get this match started then they go back & forth with submission holds before Butch delivers a clothesline and tags in Ridge Holland. Vinci catches Holland with a crossbody, then tags in Ludwig Kaiser. Kaiser delivers a back elbow, and Butch tags back in. Butch delivers a double stomp off the top rope. Vinci tags in and Butch stomps on his arm then ascends to the top rope. Gunther distracts the referee, allowing Kaiser to push Butch off and Vinci to deliver a vertical suplex that sends us to a break.
After the break Gunther delivers a stomp to Butch’s back and sends Sheamus crashing off the apron. He then locks in a Sleeper but Butch snaps his fingers to escape. Vinci tags in and Butch delivers a kick to his spine. Kaiser and Holland then tag in. Holland delivers a suplex and an Alabama Slam but Kaiser fires back with a kick and tags in Vinci. Imperium triple teams on Holland before Gunther tags in and delivers a chop.
He knocks Sheamus off the apron, then hits a running dropkick and a powerbomb. He goes for a pin but Butch breaks the fall. Gunther sends him flying out of the ring and locks in a Boston Crab. Sheamus makes his way back up to the apron, and Holland tags him in to break the hold.
Sheamus hits a clothesline and a running powerslam then executes 10 Beats Of The Bodhran. Gunther hits a German suplex and a boot, then sets up for a powerbomb. Sheamus counters the move into White Noise and goes for a pin but Gunther kicks out.
Vinci tags in as Butch & Kaiser go at it. Butch delivers an enziguri, but Kaiser fires back with a suplex. Holland then takes out Kaiser but Vinci levels Holland as Butch takes out Kaiser on the outside with a moonsault. Sheamus then catches Vinci with a knee and hits the Brogue Kick for the win.
Winners: Brawling Brutes
After the break we head to a video recapping Brock Lesnar’s betrayal of Cody Rhodes on this past Monday’s Raw.
We then head backstage to Kayla Braxton is with Paul Heyman & Solo Sikoa. Braxton asks Heyman if he has any clue why Lesnar turned on Rhodes. Heyman deflects the question and says he would rather talk about something far more relevant such as Roman Reigns and The Bloodline. He brags about Reigns’ win at WrestleMania and his title reign before Jey Uso walks in. Heyman hypes him up and Jey asks Heyman if he knows where Jimmy is at. Heyman says Jimmy isn’t in Portland and informs him that Reigns ordered Jimmy to stay at home to allow for Jey to shine entirely on his own. Jey walks off, and Heyman tells Sikoa that if Jey doesn’t solve the Sami Zayn problem, he has to solve their problem.
Ricochet vs. Ivar
Ricochet fires off several right hands then he follows it up with a hurricanrana and a dropkick that sends him out of the ring. Ricochet looks for a tope suicida but Ivar catches him and delivers a crossbody. He tosses Ricochet back in the ring then fires off several back elbows. Ricochet ascends to the middle rope and looks for a sunset flip but Ivar blocks it and sets up for a vertical suplex.
Ricochet escapes and delivers a running knee but Ivar fires back with a knee of his own. Ricochet hits a dropkick before Ivar catches him with a back heel kick. Ivar climbs to the top, but Ricochet meets him up there and delivers a hurricanrana. He then ascends to the top and hits a Shooting Star Press for the win.
Winner: Ricochet
We then head backstage to Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn. Owens says it’s a big night for Zayn and says it’s time to put The Bloodline behind them. Zayn says he can’t shake this feeling that he needs to talk to Jey Uso despite the fact that they’ve accomplished their goal of taking down The Bloodline and winning the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles. Zayn says he feels a sense of obligation, and Owens warns him that Jey likely won’t be up for talking.
Tag Team Match
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya & Shotzi Blackheart
Raquel Rodriguez delivers a shoulder tackle. Shotzi Blackheart tags in and Natalya sends Rodriguez out of the ring. Blackheart hits a tope suicida as Natalya holds the ropes open, then tosses her back in the ring.
Liv Morgan tags in and delivers a dropkick off the top rope, then hits a slingblade. Natalya tags in and delivers a German suplex, then follows it up with a discus clothesline.
Blackheart tags in and her and Natalya set up for the Hart Attack. Rodriguez prevents them from hitting it and Morgan manages to deliver a tornado DDT then follows it up with ObLIVion for the win.
Winners: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez
We head backstage and see Madcap Moss playing video games with Xavier Woods as Emma watches on. LA Knight walks in and starts complaining about being left off WrestleMania, and Woods takes objection with his statement. He says he would be glad to face him in the ring again before Knight grabs Woods’ controller and tosses it down.
Triple H welcomes fans to Smackdown then says there is nothing in the world like WrestleMania. He says it is an event where dreams are fulfilled and says it was an incredibly historic and record breaking night. He says that while it was a great night, WrestleMania is now behind us and says it’s time to look for the future. He asks fans if they’re ready, and says in a few short weeks, it’s time for the Draft. He says the draft will be bigger than ever before, and when all is said and done, this year’s draft will change the game. He then introduces someone who will change the game Smackdown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley.
Ripley’s music hits and Judgment Day heads to the ring.
Ripley says April 1st, 2023 will go down in history as sports entertainment changed forever when she became Smackdown Women’s Champion. She brags about dethroning Charlotte Flair, then says it’s time that everyone rises for her.
Finn Balor then addresses Edge and says he resorted to splitting his head open to get a win. He says even though he had 18 staples put in his head, he’s still standing while Edge is nowhere to be seen.
Dominik Mysterio says that he knew that he couldn’t hurt his own father, but he couldn’t say the same about him because he saw the anger in his eyes. He tells Rey and the rest of his family that they can go to hell, and he can take Bad Bunny with them.
Damian Priest says Dominik is his brother and asks Bad Bunny that he hopes he can find it in his heart to forgive him. He says he has forgiven Bad Bunny for making him do what he did on Monday.
Rey’s music hits, and LWO heads down to the ring.
Tag Team Match
Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar) vs. Judgement Day (Dominik Mysterio & Damian Priest)
Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio starts this match but Dominik immediately tags in Damian Priest. Priest delivers a series of right hands and stomps, then whips him into the corner and tags in Dominik. Dominik delivers right hands to Rey’s midsection as Priest holds him in place. He fires off several forearms, but Rey delivers a kick and tags in Santos Escobar. Escobar delivers an enziguri and a crossbody off the top then follows it up with a pair of backbreakers. Escobar helps Rey deliver a hurricanrana to Priest, and they deliver a tope suicidas to Judgment Day that takes us to a break.
After the break Priest has Escobar in a shoulder submission. Escobar escapes and Dominik tags in before Escobar delivers a back body drop and tags in Rey. Rey delivers a hurricanrana, but Dominik catches him with a body slam. Rey hits a dropkick and a moonsault off the ropes, then hits a dropkick that sends Dominik into the ropes.
He sets up for the 619, but Ripley pulls Dominik out of the way. Zelina Vega hits a hurricanrana on Ripley, and Ripley chases her out of the arena. Back in the ring, Rey sends Dominik into the ropes and tags in Escobar. Escobar gets Dominik up on his shoulder, but Dominik isn’t legal. Priest gets back in the ring and delivers South Of Heaven for the win.
Winners: Judgement Day
After the match Rey dropkicks Priest out of the ring.
We then see Sami Zayn looking for Jey Uso.
After the break, we head to a video hyping up Shinsuke Nakamura ahead of his return next week.
We then head backstage to Jey Uso. Sami Zayn approaches him and says he needs to tell him that there’s a way out. He says that everything he’s told him would happen has come true and The Bloodline is crumbling. He tells him that if he doesn’t believe him, then he needs to look around. He says he will beat Jey until he gets it through his head, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Before Jey can respond, we hear a loud chasing sound. Zayn runs over to investigate, and we see that a road case has fallen on top of Kevin Owens. Officials get it off him and run off to find help as Zayn calls for a trainer.
Back at ringside, Jey Uso heads down. Kayla Braxton approaches Sami Zayn in Gorilla position and asks for an update on Kevin Owens. Zayn says Owens is being looked at by medical and it seems he’ll be alone at ringside before he expresses his frustrations with the situation. He then heads down to the ring.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn vs. Jey Uso
Match begins with a lock up then Sami Zayn shoves Jey Uso into the corner, but Jey fires back with a shoulder tackle. Zayn delivers a back elbow and a forearm then clotheslines Jey out of the ring. Solo Sikoa appears at ringside as Zayn looks to go flying, stopping him in his tracks that takes us to a break.
After the break Jey ascends to the top rope. Zayn meets him up there and delivers a superplex, then delivers a series of forearms. Jey fires back with an enziguri but Zayn catches him with a boot and climbs to the top. He goes flying, but Jey catches him with a superkick. He goes for a pin, but Zayn kicks out.
Zayn delivers an exploder in the corner, then sets up for a Helluva Kick. Jey ducks out of the way and rolls up Zayn but Zayn kicks out. Zayn then delivers a Blue Thunder Bomb and goes for a pin of his own but Jey kicks out. Zayn then fires off right hands and ascends to the top, but Jey hits him with an enziguri and joins him.
Zayn fires off right hands across his spine, but Jey delivers a headbutt that knocks him off the top. While the referee is distracted, Sikoa delivers a Samoan Spike, allowing Jey to deliver a superkick for the win.
Winner: Jey Uso
After the match Sikoa helps Jey up. Sikoa then launches an attack on Zayn and fires off several right hands. Sikoa sets up for a 2nd Samoan Spike but Jey grabs his hand and prevents him from delivering it. Jey & Sikoa stare one another down before Jey delivers a superkick and calls for a chair. He calls for Sikoa to grab a chair, and Sikoa does just that as Jey rains down right hands. Matt Riddle’s music hits, and he runs down to make the save to close out this week’s Smackdown.
