SPOILER WARNING: This article contains full show match results and video highlights from SmackDown Live, broadcast from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday, August 28.
With Hell in a Cell 2018, the Super Show Down in Australia AND Evolution all coming up in the next two months, it’s a pretty busy time in the WWE right now.
Earlier this week, Monday Night Raw did its bit to build to all three PPVs, and last night it was the turn of SmackDown Live to push things on.
Related ArticleComplete WWE and NXT pay-per-view schedule
Read on for four things we learned as the WWE gears up for its busiest ever autumn.
1. Becky Lynch is the bad guy, but she’s not *that* bad a guy
The issue of whether or not Becky Lynch is going to be cheered or booed by fans continues to split the WWE Universe.
On the face of it, she’s the bad guy. She’s turned on her best friend Charlotte Flair and keeps doling out the beatings outside of sanctioned matches.
But fans can’t help cheering for her. Part of that is that they empathise with her predicament.
She spent weeks and weeks earning her shot at Carmella’s title, and then her best pal Charlotte, who’s always been a teacher’s pet, gets hotshot to a title match, making Becky’s task even harder.
And while Becky has been in our good books for years and years, Charlotte has flipped back and forth between righteous aggression and OTT arrogance.
Part of the problem was highlighted last night. After Charlotte’s successful title defence against Carmella, out came Becky with a sneak attack and threats on the champ.
So far, so bad. But a real bad guy wouldn’t have been content with that. They’d have taken the opportunity of Carmella’s rematch to cost Charlotte the title by getting involved during the match… or at least trying to.
Perhaps Becky feared that any interference would cause a DQ and push back her next title attempt, but we can’t help but feel that for all her (justified) rage, she’s still not the bad guy.
Good guy, bad guy, it doesn’t really matter though. We’re all signed up for Charlotte vs Becky whatever.
2. We love The Usos but they can’t win next week’s Triple Threat match
The Usos are one of the greatest tag teams in WWE history. We don’t just mean recent history, either.
It’s easy to dismiss Jimmy and Jey as office faves, but their matches are always an absolute joy to watch, always.
And their bad guy turn in 2016 took them to the next level, allowing them to really flex their muscles (literally and figuratively) and show just how good they are.
Despite that, we’ll be cheering on Rusev and Aiden English / SAnitY when it comes to next week’s Triple Threat match.
Why’s that? Well, with The Bar beating a returning Primo & Epico and Gallows & Anderson to book their place in the #1 contender final match for The New Day’s titles, we’re desperate for some new blood.
The Bar, The New Day, The Bludgeon Brothers and The Usos have dominated the tag division between them for what seems like forever.
Whether or not The New Day prevail at Hell in a Cell, we’d love to see them have an opponent from outside that group, be it Rusev Day or SAnitY.
3. Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton is taking place at Hell in a Cell in Hell in a Cell
Shinsuke Nakamura is enjoying his time as WWE United States Champion and President of Nakamurica.
He can Kinshasa his feet up for a bit while his two closest challengers Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton take lumps out of each other.
They’ll be finishing their rivalry soon though, one way or another, when they meet at Hell in a Cell 2018.
Jeff Hardy issued the challenge, and although Randy Orton didn’t formally accept, the match is up there on WWE.com which means it’s a done deal.
What’s more, they’ll be meeting inside the Cell, which surely means this is the end of this particular war.
We’re not entirely sure that the feud has earned its spot in the cell, though it did get pretty brutal pretty quickly.
But with a few weeks to go until the showdown in Texas, the question is whether or not Shinsuke can avoid getting sucked into that match with them.
4. Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles continues to be very weird
We’ve got nothing against personal issues in a WWE feud. Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella vs The Miz and Maryse is truntling along nicely.
The Yes Couple had to deal with the attentions of Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas and Zelina Vega last night, and there’s even the possibility of their match at HIAC becoming a Triple Threat.
Either way, it’s a personal feud we’re loving, but Samoa Joe’s targeting of AJ Styles’s family is just weird weird weird.
It’s one thing to call Styles a bad dad and make fluttery eyes at his wife to wind him up.
It’s quite another to ring her up on air and ask after “our little Annie’ like it’s not the creepiest thing in the world.
It’s Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles for the WWE Championship (and they’ve now got a Super Show Down match booked as well as their HIAC battle). It doesn’t need any of this weirdness really.
So yes, keep up the needle and interpersonal issues, but maybe dial back on some of this stuff which is just a bit icky.
WWE SmackDown Live full show match results – Tuesday, August 28, 2018
- The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) vs. Gallows & Anderson vs. The Colons (Primo and Epico)
WINNERS: The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus)
- Billie Kay vs. Naomi
WINNER: Billie Kay
- Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas Daniel Bryan
WINNER: Daniel Bryan (by DQ)
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Carmella
WINNER and STILL WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion: Charlotte Flair
What did you think of SmackDown Live? Let us know at @digitalspywwe.
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