With just one night away from Saturday Night’s Main Event, WWE SmackDown headed to Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA.
Announced in advance of Friday’s show:
- The Street Profits vs. Fraxiom – Tag Team Championship
- LA Knight vs. Aleister Black vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifying match
- Zelina Vega vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Giulia – Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying match
Charlotte Flair vs. Giulia vs. Zelina Vega
WWE SmackDown kicked off with Damian Priest attacking Drew McIntyre backstage as Tiffany Stratton made her way to the ring. Stratton began to deliver a promo before Alexa Bliss came out to the ring as well. Bliss put a warning on Stratton before Charlotte Flair joined the party as well saying that she will soon steal all the spotlight from Stratton after winning the Money in the Bank. All three women fired a few shots at each other before the Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying match began.
All three women delivered an awesome performance in the match, with Giulia picking up the win to punch her ticket to Los Angeles.
Result: Giulia defeated Charlotte Flair and Zelina Vega
Ratings: 7 /10
Key Notes and Observations:
- Chelsea Green and the Green Regime attacked Zelina Vega backstage before B-Fab and Michin came to save her.
Chris Sabin vs. Tommaso Ciampa
DIY and Motor City Machine Guns have had their problems for months now. They wrote another chapter in their ongoing rivalry as Tommaso Ciampa and Chris Sabin took on each other in a Singles match for the first time ever.
Chaos was all over the ringside during the match involving Alex Shelley and Johnny Gargano as well. Ciampa managed to pick up the win after an assist from Candice LeRae.
Result: Tommaso Ciampa defeated Chris Sabin
Ratings: 7 /10
Secret Hervice vs. Michin and B-Fab
Damian Priest was then scheduled to appear in a one last promo segment ahead of Saturday Night’s Main Event, which turned into chaos after he got attacked by Drew McIntyre.
Piper Niven and Alba Fyre then took the fight to Michin and B-Fab in their tag team match after what happened backstage a while ago. Zelina Vega also arrived on the scene during the match when she attacked Chelsea Green on the ringside. Meanwhile, Michin and B-Fab took advantage to win the match.
Result: Michin and B-Fab defeated Secret Hervice in a Tag Team match.
Ratings: 6.5 /10
Jacob Fatu and JC Mateo vs. Jimmy Uso and Rey Fenix
After losing to Solo Sikoa last week here on WWE SmackDown after an assist from the Bloodline, Jimmy Uso and Rey Fenix now teamed up to take on Jacob Fatu and JC Mateo in a Tag Team match.
Jimmy and Fenix brought a big-time fight to Fatu and Mateo but it was not enough to win, as Fatu and Mateo came out victorious after a little assist from Sikoa.
Result: Jacob Fatu and JC Mateo defeated Jimmy Uso and Rey Fenix
Ratings: 7 /10
R-Truth sends a final message to John Cena on WWE SmackDown
Ahead of his match against John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event, R-Truth arrived on WWE SmackDown saying that Cena once used to call him a friend before he got all that power, and then he disconnected from him.
Truth also said how Cena is now corrupted and that he will bring him back.
Ratings: 7 /10
LA Knight vs. Aleister Black vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
LA Knight, Aleister Black, and Shinsuke Nakamura then collided in a triple threat match to determine the next participant in the Men’s Money in the Bank match.
Black came really close to victory before Knight took the advantage and pinned the fallen Nakamura to punch his ticket to Money in the Bank in Los Angeles.
Result: LA Knight defeated Aleister Black and Shinsuke Nakamura
Ratings: 7 /10
Key Notes and Observations:
- WWE SmackDown also announced that Zelina Vega (c) vs. Chelsea Green for the WWE Women’s United States Championship has been made official for Saturday Night’s Main Event.
The Street Profits (c) vs. Fraxiom
Fraxiom defeated the Street Profits on the May. 9th edition of WWE SmackDown. They then defeated DIY last week here on WWE SmackDown before the Street Profits told Fraxiom that they will challenge them for the Tag Team Championship.
Both Street Profits and Fraxiom delivered an incredible performance in the match before DIY tried to get involved in the match, but they got interrupted by Motor City Machine Guns. The lights suddenly went out in the arena, and Wyatt Sicks appeared inside the ring.
The match ended in a disqualification win for Street Profits after Dexter Lumis laid his hands on Montez Ford, followed by Wyatt Sicks, who attacked everyone at the ringside.
Result: The Street Profits (c) defeated Fraxiom via disqualification
Ratings: 8.5 /10
WWE SmackDown, May 23: Results Highlights
Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying match:
Giulia defeated Charlotte Flair and Zelina Vega
Singles match:
Tommaso Ciampa defeated Chris Sabin
Tag Team match:
Michin and B-Fab defeated Secret Hervice
Tag Team match:
Jacob Fatu and JC Mateo defeated Jimmy Uso and Rey Fenix
Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifying match:
LA Knight defeated Aleister Black and Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE Tag Team Championship:
The Street Profits (c) defeated Fraxiom via disqualification
My thoughts on this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown:
This week’s edition of WWE SmackDown was a really good example of a well-planned and executed episode ahead of two major WWE PLEs.
The Money in the Bank Qualifying matches delivered some really incredible in-ring action from both the Men’s and Women’s divisions. But the tag team action was certainly the highlight of the night, with Street Profits and Fraxiom attempting to steal the show.
My Ratings for the show: 7.5 /10
