Thursday Night Smackdown! TV Report for May 5th, 2016 – “Alliances Clear”

Introduction Segment: Welcoming and Arena Promo

The regular Smackdown! video plays, the pyro goes off in the arena, and Mauro Ranallo greets us in Kansas City, Missouri! Our main-event tonight is a Tag-Team Match between The Usos – Jimmy and Jey – and Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows!

Chris Jericho makes his entrance and it is time for the “Highlight Reel!” After replays of his assault on Dean Ambrose from Raw, Jericho talks about why he did it. He moves on to his guest, Sami Zayn, who disputes “Y2J’s” claims of “riding” Kevin Owens’ “coattails” to WWE.

Intercontinental Champion The Miz and Maryse interrupt, and as he and Zayn argue, Jericho determines he doesn’t have to stay, so he walks off. Miz and Sami get into it, which leads our first match after the break!

Commercials.

Match #1: Single – Sami Zayn VS. Intercontinental Champion The Miz (with Maryse) (Non-Title)

Sami ties Miz up in a wristlock first, which Miz reverses into one of his own. Zayn flips out of it and hops over Miz in the corner out of a whip, and then gives him three armdrags! He starts to punch Miz against the corner, but the I.C. Champ slides out and releases Sami onto the turnbuckle face-first!

Miz takes control with numerous kicks in the corner and on the mat, but Sami hits back with a clothesline, then another that puts Miz to the floor! Zayn leaps onto the corner barrier and moonsaults onto Miz, but Kevin Owens suddenly walks out!

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Owens is now on commentary as Miz has taken over again. He clotheslines Sami in the corner, then jumps off the top turnbuckle with a double-axe-handle. Miz goes for the Skull-Krushing Finale, but Zayn reverses into a Victory Roll for a near-fall! He tosses Miz to the outside by the commentators, then follows with a soaring swanton dive! Sami and Kevin jaw, then Zayn goes back to work on Miz. Owens impulsively slides in the ring and starts to hit on Sami, causing a dq!

Winner via Disqualification: Sami Zayn

Post-match, both Miz and Kevin attack Zayn until Cesaro runs out for the save. He hits all with uppercuts, then goes to Swing Miz, but Maryse breaks it up. Miz, Maryse, and Kevin escape to the aisle while Zayn is still out on the canvas. Cesaro holds the I.C. Title to make a statement.

Segment #2: Locker Room Promo

A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows are talking about the ending to Monday’s Raw. Gallows and Anderson are disappointed that A.J. didn’t swing a chair at WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns; they say that before WWE, he totally would’ve. Styles says that he has already technically beat Reigns twice, but Roman is still the champion because those times were by count-out and disqualification, which the title doesn’t change. Instead, “The Phenomenal One” decides to go find Roman and talk to him.

Commercials.

Match #2: Tag-Team – The Social Outcasts (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) VS. The Vaudevillians (Simon Gotch and Aiden English)

Gotch and English dominate, and finish the Outcasts with their Whirling Dervish!

Winners via Pinfall: The Vaudevillians (Simon Gotch and Aiden English)

Post-match, Colin Cassidy marches out and declares to beat up Aiden and Simon; he follows through and then plants Curtis with the East River Crossing spinning side-slam!

Up next, we will look at Raw’s control by Stephanie McMahon and Shane McMahon.

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Segment #3: Video Promo

The Raw Rebound features the drama surrounding who is in charge of Raw, which is now both Shane and Stephanie!

Natalya and Becky make their entrances!

Commercials.

Match #3: Tag-Team – Natalya and Becky Lynch VS. Emma and Women’s Champion Charlotte (with Ric Flair)

Charlotte and Natalya start out, trading holds until Nattie tags in Becky. They double-snapmare Charlotte and split her legs, and then Lynch gives her a couple of leg-drops. Natalya is back in and rolls Charlotte but the Women’s Champion kicks out and boots her! Emma and Charlotte double-team and control Nattie for a while.

Natalya eventually makes the hot-tag, and Becky is all over both Charlotte and Emma until Charlotte pulls Emma out of the ring. Emma hits Lynch as Becky was yakking at Charlotte; who is back in and rams Lynch’s head onto the mat!

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Becky fights back with many forearms but is hit with a boot by Charlotte. Emma is in and works over Lynch, then Charlotte knee-drops her and forearms Natalya off of the apron! Becky regains herself and makes the hot-tag to Natalya, who gets Charlotte into the Sharpshooter, but Charlotte is able to crawl enough to tag Emma, who hits Nattie from behind. Emma almost gets this after a corner-crossbody, but Becky breaks up the cover. Natalya turns Emma around in the Sharpshooter, forcing her to tap!

Winners via Submission: Natalya and Becky Lynch

Segment #4: Locker Room Promo

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns is chatting with his cousins, The Usos, when A.J. walks in. Styles says he could’ve hit Reigns with the chair, but instead he “took the high road;” he vows that he won’t do that again. A.J. questions if Roman will be out there with Jimmy and Jey; Reigns concurs, citing family. “The Phenomenal One” says that he will too.

Commercials.

Segment #5: Video Promo

Darren Young is seeking a “Life Coach;” he inquires if Hall Of Famer Bob Backlund will be the one. Backlund obliges. “We’re going to make Darren Young great again.”

Match #4: Single – Rusev (with Lana) VS. Zack Ryder

Rusev completes this quickly with The Accolade!

Winner via Submission: Rusev (with Lana)

Post-match, United States Champion Kalisto runs out and attack sot get an advantage on his challenger!

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Segment #6: Backstage Promo

The Gorgeous Truth and Goldango faceoff, and agree to wrestle next week to complete their issues.

Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, A.J. Styles, The Usos, and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns make their entrances for the main-event, next!

Commercials.

Match #5: Tag-Team – Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows (with A.J. Styles) VS. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns)

Anderson and Jey begin, with Jey chopping Karl and almost taking this with a Samoan-Drop roll-up! Anderson takes over; Jimmy is in but doesn’t fair much better. Karl also boots Roman on the outside, so the WWE World Heavyweight Champion responds by attacking, and everyone brawls!

Winner: None due to Referee Stoppage

Post-match, several referees and agents have to separate the two sides. A.J., Karl, and Luke back up the ramp, but Styles wants to continue, insinuating a Six-Man Tag-Team!

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Match #6: Six-Man Tag-Team – Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and A.J. Styles VS. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns

A.J. and Roman are starting this! They lockup and A.J. grabs Roman in a standing side headlock, but Reigns shoulder-blocks back. He tosses Styles into the corner, but “The Phenomenal One” boots and kicks back, then turns Roman into a small-package for two! He tries a sunset-flip, but Reigns overpowers and uppercuts him quickly after. A.J. manages to run Roman into the corner, where Anderson is in and kicks in another corner.

Roman elbows out and kicks Karl,, then tags in his cousin. Jey almost gets this after a triple-team, and tags in Jimmy. The two give Luke a couple of leaping-forearms in the corner, but Gallows stops and boots Jimmy to the floor! He slams Jimmy’s head on the apron, then tags in Styles a bit later. A.J. eats an enziguri, and he and Jimmy make big tags!

Anderson and Reigns go at it, with Reigns getting the better of all three! Karl catches Roman and rolls him up for a near-fall, then one of the Usos rocket through the ropes onto Luke! Roman Superman Punches Anderson and gears up for the Spear, but is hit with a leaping-forearm by A.J.! Karl capitalizes, but Reigns gets his shoulder up twice! Anderson runs at Roman, but the WWE World Heavyweight Champion counters with the Spear! He covers and receives the victory!

Winners via Pinfall: The Usos and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns

Post-match, Styles and Reigns stare at each other in the ring while Mauro puts over their rematch at Extreme Rules to close the show.

End of Smackdown!

Reporter’s Rumblings

This was a pretty-good week; I liked the progression of most matches/storylines into Extreme Rules, and one of them is good right off the bat, better than I thought! Onto my Week-In-Review:

Excellence: promos by Steph and Shane (Raw); Cesaro, Miz, Kevin Owens (Raw); Dean Ambrose (Raw); A.J. Styles and Roman Reigns (Raw and SD!); New Day, Colin Cassidy (especially!), Vaudevillians (Raw); Charlotte, Charles Robinson, and Natalya (Raw)

Matches between Cesaro/Owens, in particular, a slightly creative finish and great feud (Raw); Becky and Emma (Raw); Battle Royale (Raw); A.J./Anderson/Gallows and Reigns/Usos (Raw and SD!); Sami/Miz (SD!); and Charlotte/Emma and Natalya/Becky (SD!)

Loving the continuing rivalries of Reigns and A.J. and companies. It is, again, another very old-school feud, that is slightly reminding me of Freebirds/Von Erichs; if booked properly and long-enough, these men all have capability to turn it up to that extent.

Shane and Steph’s control was actually pretty-decent; I’m glad they didn’t take up a lot of screen time with stupid bickering, but just did their own things. Let’s hope the story goes this way more, and I’ll be okay with it.

Natalya/Charlotte also very old-school and great! I was skeptical about Nattie, because she hasn’t really done much for the last couple of years, but she’s really brought her game for this one; Charlotte can definitely be a heel for all her career – she is better at that

Darren Young’s new “Life Coach” gimmick seems intriguing, and after reading Bob Backlund’s autobiography, happy to see him again. I hope he sticks around and gets over again!

See above for I.C. Title feud as well!

Bogus: not caring at all for R-Truth/Goldust’s “feud.” Baron Corbin should be dominating; hated that he lost the Battle Royale too – that also could’ve been a thing for claims – win a few of those up until the Rumble, and then he’d be the “odds on favorite” for the Royal Rumble next January, as they can declare he’s never lost a Battle Royal. He is very talented and has a great persona, so I don’t want to see him lose big matches.

The Eight-Man on Raw was a bit predictable, so could’ve done without that.

All-in-all, a good week, so let’s hope next week’s is even better! Until the next Raw, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Fans!