Let’s Shake S*%& Up – Smackdown Live Recap (April 11, 2017)

Smackdown is Live from the TD Garden in Boston, and I’m going to live post and if you want to interact during the show, follow us on Facebook and we can talk about the show as we experience day two of the Superstar Shakeup.  And if you want to talk about Raw, we can do that too.

Tonight’s Smackdown is brought to you by XYZAL, a 24 Hour Allergy Relief Medication.  If you don’t have allergy issues, you don’t realize quite how amazing this sponsorship is.  My allergies are killing me.

Welcome to Smackdown, United States Champion Kevin Owens

Well, much like The Miz and Maryse kicking off Raw, Kevin Owens opens the blue brand.  Now it makes sense that it wasn’t a title for title match last night with Ambrose.  He’ll make a great opponent for a now face leaning AJ Styles.

Also, a big welcome to Byron Saxton.  Say what you will, but I freaking love Saxton.  I’m saddened that I won’t get to hear Corey Graves eat him alive on the commentary team anymore, and also sad that he won’t get to say “Wacky Wavy Incredible Arm Flailing Bayley Buddies” anymore.

KO kicks off with a bang, reminding the rowdy Boston crowd that he’s the US Champion, even though he’s from Canada, as it’s a significantly better country, evidenced by the Montreal Canadiens constantly beating the Bruins.  He pretty well issues an open challenge, and since Corbin didn’t finish the job and take the IC title from Ambrose, he’ll take a stab at the United States belt.

I’m also really enjoying the fact that traditional face-heel alignments don’t matter anymore.  We just want to watch two good wrestlers beat the shit out of each other.

But let’s bring out another shake up, a more expected one, as Sami Zayn joins the Smackdown Live roster.

AND AJ IS STILL ON SMACKDOWN.  THANK THE LORD.

Four superstars in the ring at once to open the show….would you expect anything other than the commissioner of Smackdown, Daniel Bryan, to put together a multi-man match up?

As Kevin Owens has to defend his United States Championship (which he will successfully do) against Chris Jericho at Payback, he cannot defend it until then, so we’ll get a triple threat match to determine the number one contender who will face whomever leaves Payback with the belt, as the winner will officially become a member of the Smackdown roster.  I’d imagine that Stephanie threatens to fire Jericho is he loses to Kevin Owens, which will occur so that he can take time off to tour with Fozzy/the Talk is Jericho tour.

Damn fine kick off.

The Apex Predator, The Viper, The Legacy Randy Orton vs the odd man out of the Wyatt Family Erick Rowan

Orton will defend the belt against Wyatt in the House of Horrors match at Payback, even though Wyatt has gone to Raw, so Orton isn’t going to drop that belt.  In the meantime, I guess he’ll just have matches against Bray’s seemingly forgotten acolyte because they can’t really get anything new going until they’ve moved past this feud.  A video screen distraction draws Orton’s attention, turning to find Rowan on the outside who takes him down with the steel steps to draw a DQ, but leaving a beaten Orton in the ring, completing the will of his master.

The Usos (C) vs American Alpha for the Tag Team Championship

They were due a rematch, and I really half expected The Usos to go to Raw, which I guess is still a reasonable thing to see if Alpha takes the belts back here.  I don’t know.  The Usos have been significantly more tolerable of late, more for their in ring intensity and less for their promos.  I don’t understand why they do things with characters sometimes.  I mean, I get it, make them angry bad guys, but how did these Samoan guys go from the Play in the Paint characters to the top two places on the Compton Police Department Watch List at the drop of a hat?

Anyway, I guess I should pay attention to the match.  The cool thing I’ve always enjoyed about American Alpha is that both of them get to play the rag doll role at various times, and both can come in on the hot tag.  They’re also both incredibly talented and accomplished amateur wrestlers, and they do some great technical stuff.  Gable has even been displaying some newer high flying moves.

Have I mentioned twelve times yet that I still don’t get the appeal of the Usos?  If they weren’t wrestling American Alpha, I’d probably be doing dishes right now.  Sorry Daisy, the dishes have to wait.

Usos retain.  I’m pretty apathetic about it.  

You’ve gotta be shitting me.  Really?  Now both The Shining Stars and The Usos are on the same show.  I really will get a lot of house work done on Tuesday nights.

Mojo Rawley vs Jinder Mahal

Timeout.  Did Vince just decide to take a steamy dump on the Smackdown roster?  A slew of good tag teams on Raw that could have come over, and you send us the Puerto Rican Timeshare Salesmen?  And Jinder Mahal?  Wait……is anyone noticing a trend?  We opened the night with two Canadians traded to Smackdown, then the Puerto Rican tag team in The Shining Stars, and now Jinder Mahal who’s billed from Punjab but is actually Canadian????  Did Donald Trump make the shakeup decisions?  Is Raw going to have Smackdown build a wall to keep their roster in?

Gronk is in the crowd for this one, he threw his beer in Mahal’s face when he came over to talk trash, Mojo gets the win.  There wasn’t anything important in this match.  Why did they send Mahal to Smackdown?  It just seems pointless.  Mojo is going to have a big year though.

Now let’s see how they fill the voids Mickie and Alexa left

I just got super excited, as I’m reading Twitter simultaneously.  This would be awesome.

Couldn’t help but notice #SDLive is down 2 women… @WWEDanielBryan 🤔👯 #Iconic pic.twitter.com/aRrU2WXw1y

— Peyton Royce (@WWEPeytonRoyce) April 11, 2017

Shane invites the entire Smackdown Live Women’s Division to the ring.  Naomi gets the full glow entrance, I really didn’t expect them to get full entrances, but they got theme songs and about half a ramp worth of individual screen time.

Prior to this segment, the Smackdown women’s division consisted of: Becky Lynch, Carmella, Natalya and Naomi.  So let’s bring in some fresh blood.

Shane introduces your newest additions….Tamina Snuka and….Charlotte.

I did not see that one coming.  Actually I thought Nia Jax broke her neck last night on Raw, but seriously.  The crowd wanted Sasha, but they got Charlotte.  That’s cool though.  She needs a change of pace or they’re just going to rehash the Bayley and Sasha feuds until the end of time.

I was going to make this segment about the Aiden English solo push….but he’s just not a Perfect 10

So Simon Gotch was released based on “mutual agreement” leaving Aiden English without his long time dance partner.  The former Vaudevillian has potential on his own, but tonight he gets to eat a loss as we are on the Road to Perfection.

Dillinger gets the win quickly

We also found out that both Sin Cara and Rusev have moved to Smackdown.  Unfortunately Rusev is hurt, so he won’t be much of a factor for a while.

YAY!  Ziggler’s on TV…and so is Nakamura

For those of you who missed it, we were live last week as Ziggler challenge Nakamura during the commercial break after his debut and we were granted the opportunity to see this feud start in a dark match at the end of the evening.  It was a great match.

It seems odd to bring in the rock star that is Nakamura and put him in a midcard match with Ziggler, but in all honesty, Ziggler is a damn fine in ring worker, and he ate one hell of a Kinshasa the other night.  They’re going to put on a good few matches while the remainder of the WWE Universe gets on board with the King of Strong Style.

Ziggler goes for a Superkick, but Shinsuke catches his foot and throws him backwards.  Ziggler retreats.  I hope they are planning for the extra 10 minutes Shinsuke’s presence requires as the crowds get so loud that everything in the ring has to stop until they wear themselves out.

The New Day is coming to Smackdown Live, but they clearly aren’t in Boston

Where were they earlier?  When The Usos were leaving the ring it should have been the “OHHHHHH BOSTON” moment.  Why was that ruined by the stupid ass Shining Stars?

 Sami Zayn vs Baron Corbin vs The Phenomenal AJ Styles, Architect and Contractor of Smackdown Live, to determine the Number One Contender for the Winner of the United States Championship Match between Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens at WWE Payback in three weeks, only on the WWE Network.

Whew.  That was a mouthful.

2017 is going to be a big year for Baron Corbin.  Sami and AJ are going to have some damn fun matches while they’re on the same program.   This was a pretty good triple threat match.  Lots of near falls.  The crowd was totally into it.  It got nearly a half hour of Smackdown’s 2 hours of TV time (and no fewer than 3 commercial breaks).  AJ Styles is the Number One Contender to a title he can’t challenge for for the next month.

Solid Smackdown.  Picking up New Day, KO, Charlotte, Sami and Rusev is a pretty nice haul for Smackdown.  I’ll miss Alexa, but Charlotte will definitely make up for it.

See you tomorrow when I recap 205 Live and NXT.  Same Dark Match Time, Same Dark Match Channel.