The August 13th, 2019 episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. It was the first episode of SmackDown following WWE SummerSlam 2019. Here are 6 takeaways from the show:
Shane McMahon Fined Kevin Owens $100,000
Kevin Owens kicked off SmackDown to a great reaction from the crowd. The crowd chanted his name and Owens took a moment in the ring before saying yesterday marked the 5-year anniversary from the day he signed his WWE contract.
Owens stated that he has been in this ring with some of the best in this industry and last Sunday night he was in the ring with someone who calls himself the best in the world. Kevin added that his entire family was ringside to see him kick Shane’s ass and he will remember when he hit Shane with the Stunner for the rest of his life.
Kevin brought up the upcoming King of the Ring tournament and claimed that it would mean a lot to him to win the tournament. Owens brought up all the legends that have won the tournament in the past before Shane McMahon interrupted. The crowd loudly chanted “a**hole!” and Shane told them that there was no reason to call Kevin Owens that.
Shane McMahon rolled footage of Owens hitting him with a low blow at SummerSlam and the crowd chanted “you deserve it!”. Shane told Owens that he wasn’t a man and will always be known as a cheater. McMahon then rolled footage of Owens hitting Elias with a steel chair several times at SummerSlam. Elias was the special enforcer for the match.
McMahon said that Owens should know that you cannot strike a WWE official and Shane fined Kevin $100,000. Owens got pissed off and said that if Shane is the man he says he is, he will reconsider. Shane declined and walked backstage.
Owens followed Shane McMahon backstage and got in his face. McMahon told Owens that he is not here as a competitor and will sue him if he attacks him. Owens told Shane to make the fine $105,000 and broke the monitor next to him.
Shame on me for thinking that this feud was concluded at SummerSlam. I don’t have any interest in another match between Owens and McMahon. I don’t have any interest in Shane McMahon likely costing Kevin Owens a match in the King of the Ring tournament. Most of all, I don’t have any interest in a pointless 15-minute promo to featuring an authority figure to start RAW or SmackDown. It has been boring for ages.
Roman Reigns & Buddy Murphy Stole The Show
Roman Reigns squared off against Buddy Murphy tonight on SmackDown. Reigns drove Buddy to the corner of the ring to start off the match. Murphy smirked and smacked Roman in the face. Reigns leveled Murphy with a giant right hand but Buddy battled back and hit a knee to the face for a near fall.
Murphy brought Reigns to the outside and bounced his face off the announce table. Roman launched Murphy over the announce table and went for the Drive-By on the apron but Murphy avoided it. Buddy launched Reigns into the steel steps and followed it up with Double Knees to the face as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Reigns connected with a Powerbomb and followed it up with a Clothesline. Roman went for the Superman Punch but Murphy dodged it and sent Reigns into the ring post. Murphy knocked Roman out of the ring and flipped onto him on the entrance ramp.
Back in the ring, Buddy climbed to the top rope and connected with a Meteora for a near fall. Reigns battled back and hit the Superman Punch but Buddy Murphy somehow kicked out at two. Roman went for the Spear but Murphy countered with three knees to the face and then a Brainbuster for a two count.
Murphy climbed to the top rope but Roman hit him with a right hand that sent Buddy crashing down to the floor outside the ring. Reigns hit another Superman Punch off the steel steps and then a Spear in the ring for the pinfall victory.
Buddy Murphy looked fantastic in this match and the future is bright for him. The way Murphy sold the Spear looked amazing. This is the second night in a row that WWE has put on a very good TV match, the other being Alexander vs. McIntyre last night.
Shane Continued To Play Mind Games With Owens
Shane McMahon and Samoa Joe had a conversation backstage. Shane stated that Joe was going to teach Kevin Owens a lesson tonight that he has to respect authority.
It was announced before the match that Elias will once again serve as the special enforcer for the match. Joe dominated early as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Owens connected with a Superkick and a Senton for a two count. Owens climbed to the top rope and hit another Senton but Samoa Joe kicked out at two.
Owens went for the Stunner but Joe countered into the Coquina Clutch. Kevin escaped and hit the Pop-Up Powerbomb and went for the cover. Elias pulled the official out of the ring and then Samoa Joe rolled Owens up. Elias counted to three in record speed and ran up the entrance ramp after the match.
Bryan & Rowan Forced Buddy Murphy To Say That He Lied
Daniel Bryan and Rowan came down to the entrance ramp. Bryan said that there is no question that someone is out to get Roman Reigns, but they had nothing to do with it.
Bryan stated that Buddy Murphy falsely accused Rowan because he is a liar. Daniel said that he doesn’t blame Buddy Murphy for lying because anyone else would if Roman Reigns confronted them.
The crowd chanted “it was you!” and Bryan said that is what is wrong with society. A lie is told and it becomes the truth. Daniel vowed to prove that they had nothing to do with these incidents tonight.
Daniel Bryan and Rowan later confronted Buddy Murphy backstage. Bryan told Buddy to admit that he lied but Murphy sat in silence. Rowan attacked Murphy as Bryan shouted at him to say he lied. Buddy shouted that he lied over and over until Rowan finally let him go. Bryan stated that he really just hates liars and Rowan threw Murphy across the room.
Randy Orton RKO’d The New Day
SmackDown Tag Team Champions New Day were set to face The Revival tonight on SmackDown. WWE Champion Kofi Kingston joined Big E and Xavier Woods and came down to the ring.
Randy Orton interrupted and said that Kofi ran away from a fight in front of his wife and two sons at SummerSlam. He claimed that his children are going to ask one day why he ran away from “that big bad scary man”. Orton said that Kingston will tell his sons that he just cannot beat him. Orton suggested that they make it a 6-man tag team match and Kingston agreed.
The Revival controlled the match early and isolated Xavier Woods in the ring as Orton applauded on the ring apron. Orton slammed Woods on top of the announce table as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Dawson hit Woods with a Belly to Back Suplex for a two count.
Big E tagged in and hit Wilder with a Belly to Belly Suplex and followed it up with a Splash. Kofi tagged in and hit The Revival with a Clothesline. Kingston hit Wilder with a Boom Drop and then a Dropkick to Orton. Kofi leaped onto Orton outside the ring as Woods battled with Wilder. Dawson tagged in and The Revival hit Shatter Machine for the pinfall victory.
After the match, The Revival tried to attack Big E but Kofi took them both out. Orton rolled back into the ring and planted Kingston with an RKO. Randy hit Woods with the RKO as The Revival lifted up Big E. Orton planted Big E with the RKO and then delivered another one to Kingston.
Bryan & Rowan Will Reveal The Attacker Next Week
At the end of SmackDown, Bryan and Rowan were shown backstage. Roman confronted them and got in their face. Daniel demanded an apology like Samoa Joe got last week. Roman didn’t apologize and took the towel off his shoulder.
Reigns looked like he was ready for a fight but Bryan told him that they have been conducting their own investigation on who tried to attack Roman. Daniel told Reigns that he will reveal who the attackers are on next week’s episode of SmackDown.
Daniel Bryan is playing this character well and looked out of his mind during the Buddy Murphy confrontation. NXT did this angle better with Aleister Black but I’m still enjoying this storyline. Overall, I enjoyed both RAW and SmackDown this week. We got entertaining matches on both shows and some storylines that are interesting. The Clash of Champions build is already more interesting than the build for SummerSlam.
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