WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights Before Bad Blood
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- A look at The Bloodline vs. Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns
- Michin vs. Chelsea Green (Dumpster match)
- Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton
- Bloodline vs. Street Profits vs. DIY (Tag title Ladder match)
- AJ Styles returns
SmackDown.WWE
Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of the go-home edition of WWE SmackDown before Bad Blood.
The PLE takes place on Saturday, but WWE still ensured the blue brand had a good lineup. Here's a look at what was advertised:
Let' take a look at what happened on this week's SmackDown.
AJ Styles vs. Carmelo Hayes
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- Hardy introduced Styles as The Phenomenal Forearm.
- Knight seemed like he forgot a line but quickly recovered.
- Styles was checked by doctors during the break for a sprained ankle but chose to continue.
SmackDown.WWE
Hardy the musician opened the show by introducing AJ Styles for his return promo. He got a warm welcome from a crowd that was happy to see him. It didn't take long for Carmelo Hayes to interrupt.
Styles challenged him to a match, but Melo said he wasn't interested. LA Knight showed up and said if Melo beats AJ, he would go to Nick Aldis and ask to defend his belt against Hayes. This led to a match after the break.
As expected, this was a good match with a quick pace. After we returned from a break, Styles ended up forfeiting after his leg buckled. He seemed legitimately upset and things halted quickly
It would usually be a good idea to put a returning star in the ring right away, but if this injury is as legit as it looks, it may have been wise to ease him back into action.
Result: Hayes won by forfeit
Grade: Since the match ended abruptly due to injury, we will not be grading it
Notable Moments and Observations
Michin vs. Chelsea Green
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- Cole said Chelsea is a direct descendant of Fred Sanford.
- Chelsea's dress train was made of trash bags.
- We got references to NWA and TNA during the Styles match, and we got references to Chainsaw Charlie in this one. Cole was having fun on commentary. You could tell.
- Chelsea took a brutal blind senton inside a garbage can.
SmackDown.WWE
Michin and Green were looking to settle their feud with a Dumpster match, which is basically the same thing as a casket match but smellier.
It took no time for them to begin using weapons like a baking sheet, kendo stick, garbage can and table.
Michin ended up in the dumpster but was able to escape before the lid was shut. She crushed Green in a trash can before Piper Niven showed up dressed as a trash collector to interfere.
After Michin recovered, she powerbombed Green into the dumpster through a table and closed the lid to win. This ended up being a fun bit of chaos that gave Michin a much-needed big win.
Result: Michin defeated Green
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton
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- Tiffy called Bayley by her government name by mistake.
- WWE needs to make Naomi's entrance a bit bigger. It's almost perfect but it's missing something.
- Several people were shown finding Green to smell terrible during a backstage segment.
SmackDown.WWE
Bayley called out Nia Jax and they traded some words about their upcoming title bout. Bayley got under Stratton's skin and a fight broke out. Tiffany looked like she was considering a cash-in after Jax was taken down, but Jax caught her and left.
Naomi came out for her match against Tiffy before we cut to a break. Naomi took control quickly but she didn't have it for long.
They battled through another break, so they got some decent time to work. These two have developed decent chemistry, but this bout had a couple of slow moments that hurt its flow.
Stratton's power was on display, as was Naomi's agility. They both looked good, but in the end, it was Naomi who won with a counter into a pin.
Result: Naomi defeated Stratton
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
Tag Title Ladder Match
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- Jacob Fatu's backstage intro was great.
- B-Fab remained at ringside despite the danger. DIY ended up saving her at one point.
- The match was barely going for a minute before the first break.
- Dawkins' dive over the top rope looked awesome.
- Tama took a nasty hit to the head with a ladder.
- Ford's leapfrog onto the ladder was amazing.
SmackDown.WWE
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins competed in a three-way Ladder match for the tag titles in this week's main event.
The two babyface teams each took a member of The Bloodline and double-teamed them to get revenge for some of what has happened in recent months.
While this had all of the hallmarks of a ladder match with this many competitors, there were sequences that felt a bit too rehearsed, which is great for safety but bad for realism.
All three teams brought their best and put a lot of energy into their performance, so while this may not make any Top 10 lists of greatest Ladder matches, it certainly stole the show on this particular Friday night.
After DIY and the Profiits all crashed through ladders, Loa climbed up and took down the belts to retain them.
Result: The Bloodline won
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
The Final Word
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This week's SmackDown was a solid episode that gave us some decent action, but a potential injury to Styles definitely gave the first half a somber mood.
The Ladder match in the main event was a lot of fun and would usually be our pick for the best bout, but if you only go out of your way to see one thing this week, make it Green vs. Michin.
Not only did those women beat the life out of each other in an entertaining gimmick bout, but Green in particular shined for several reasons.
Everything from her trash collector gear to the table bump she took into the dumpster to her acting during the post-match backstage segment made her the MVP of this episode.
Green is one of the most valuable assets in the women's division because her dedication to making every single detail matter helps her stand out.
Grade: B