Smackdown – May 3, 2024: They Thought It Was Special

Smackdown
Date: May 3, 2024
Location: LDLC Arena, Lyon-Decines, France
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett

We have a rare taped show this week as the show is in France before tomorrow’s Backlash. That means we could have something interesting here, but there is always the chance that not much happens here and everything is built around the special atmosphere. Backlash could use the build and maybe that is what we get this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Bayley/Naomi/Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill vs. Damage CTRL/Tiffany Stratton

Naomi (in French flag gear) starts with Sane and sends her into the corner for the running basement dropkick. Belair comes in with a handspring moonsault and a marching suplex as the fans are WAY into everything. Bayley tags herself in and Belair is not happy, with Stratton taking Bayley down for two to make it worse.

We take a break and come back with Bayley still in trouble, including Asuka hitting a sliding knee for two. Stratton’s handspring elbow in the corner sets up a handspring elbow for two of her own. Bayley fights up and sends Stratton into the corner, allowing the tag off to Cargill for the house cleaning. Everything breaks down and Asuka missile dropkicks Cargill. Kai adds a scorpion kick but gets caught in the KOD to give Belair the pin at 10:17.

Rating: C+. This was the all star tag match with the point being as many people in there as possible. Damage CTRL is flailing but Kai taking the fall is the best way out of this whole thing for them. The important part was keeping the winners looking strong and not having Stratton take the fall on her way into the title shot at Backlash. Nice opener here and Belair/Cargill feel like major stars.

A-Town Down Under is ready for their first title defense and insult the French fans.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill want a win and to be done with Damage CTRL. Bayley doesn’t seem impressed.

We look at Carmelo Hayes being drafted to Smackdown last week and coming after Cody Rhodes in a losing effort in last week’s main event. Hayes did show promise though.

Carmelo Hayes is entering the King Of The Ring tournament when Bobby Lashley comes in to offer him any advice he can. Hayes appreciates it but he has it figured out. Lashley points out that he lost last week, with Hayes asking when Lashley took his own shot. Lashley tells him to watch out who he disrespects.

We look at the Smackdown Draft Picks, with the rosters locking this Monday.

New Catch Republic vs. Authors Of Pain

The Final Testament is here with the Authors. Dunne dropkicks at Akam to start and grabs a mostly ineffective armbar. Bate comes in and strikes away but gets powered into the corner so Rezar comes in for a fight over a suplex. Everything breaks down and the villains are sent outside for a flip dive from Bate. Back in and Bate is suplexed into the corner to put him in trouble and we take a break.

We come back with Rezar grabbing a bearhug but Bate slips out and hits a dropkick. A few more shots are enough to bring Dunne back in for the comeback as the fans are going nuts with this stuff. Everything breaks down and Bate manages the airplane spin on Akam, setting up Dunne’s running knee for two. Scarlett offers a distraction so Kross can take Bate out, leaving Dunne to walk into the powerbomb/neckbreaker combination for the pin at 10:28.

Rating: B-. As usual, the power vs. speed formula worked well here as both teams did their parts. This could have gone either way as they’re both heading to Raw so the story might not be over. The Authors are good in the monster role and the Republic knows how to be the scrappy underdogs. Throw in the impressive airplane spin and this works.

We recap Kevin Owens/Randy Orton vs. the Bloodline.

Paul Heyman can’t get Nick Aldis to call off the match so what happens is on Aldis’ hands. Aldis: “Is that from the Tribal Chief?” Heyman reveals he hasn’t spoken to Roman Reigns since Wrestlemania, meaning he pulled Reigns out of the Draft. Aldis isn’t pleased and makes Heyman the guest on the RKOrton Show.

Here are Kevin Owens and Randy Orton for the RKOrton Show. They waste no time in sucking up to the French fans before saying how disappointing it is that their first guest is Paul Heyman. Cue Heyman, who threatens them with Bloodline violence. Owens wants to know who the real Tribal Chief even is anymore, but here is the Bloodline for the brawl. The villains are cleared out and we have another segment designed to get people on the show, which is fine.

The Street Profits want the Tag Team Titles.

Angel vs. LA Knight

The rest of Legado del Fantasma is here with Angel and after another weird QR code, we’re ready to go. Knight starts fast with a neckbreaker to send Angel outside, where he is sent into the announcers’ table on the floor. A corner clothesline and suplex give Knight two inside and we take a break. Back with Berto’s distraction letting Angel get in a shot of his own, only to have Knight clothesline him down. The BFT finishes for Knight at 6:42. Not enough shown to rate but Knight gets a win to get him back on track after losing to AJ Styles.

Post match Knight enters the King of the Ring but Santos Escobar seems to do the same. Violence is teased but Knight hits the catchphrase and leaves instead.

We look back at Carlito being revealed as Dragon Lee’s attacker.

Carlito says he wanted one more Wrestlemania moment but Lee got it instead. That wasn’t cool, so he….gets jumped by Lee instead.

Tag Team Titles: Street Profits vs. A-Town Down Under

The Profits are challenging and enter through the crowd. A quick misdirection gets things going and Dawkins is pounded down into the corner. That doesn’t last long as it’s quickly off to Ford for the dropkick and Waller is planted with a Rock Bottom. The Swanton sets up the big flip dive as the Profits get to pose.

We take a break and come back with Ford kicking Theory and hitting a springboard elbow on Waller. Everything breaks down and Waller walks the ropes for a missile dropkick. The Sky High into a Doomsday Blockbuster gets two on Waller and even commentary has to praise the kickout. The referee tries to get rid of Ford, leaving Theory to roll Dawkins up, with Waller coming in for a Downward Spiral to retain the titles at 8:06.

Rating: C+. Even though the champs won the titles about a month ago, I thought there was a chance of a title change here to make the show feel special. As it is, it’s nice to have Theory and Waller pick up a win over a credible team. The tag divisions are going to look a lot different starting next week and it’s a good move to have the new champs start their reign with a win like this one.

Here are Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles for a face to face staredown before their title match at Backlash. Styles thinks Cody is overlooking him because he is all distracted by everything going on around him. Cody loves the spotlight because everyone wanted Dusty Rhodes’ son. Then the pressure got to be to much and he left.

Styles came here and people didn’t want him, so he had to prove himself over and over. Now he is ready to prove that he is that phenomenal (the fans REALLY approve). Cody talks about everything he has done to get here including a bunch of mistakes. Now though, he is ready to prove he had what it takes and that is too sweet. The handshake results in Styles slapping him in the face.

The Bloodline and Randy Orton/Kevin Owens are brawling in the back to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They were in a weird spot with this show as they’re coming up on a pay per view that does not feel important in the slightest and this show didn’t do much to help it. This show felt much more like a house show than anything else, but these fans never get to see this kind of thing live so they were going nuts all night. The wrestling was good, but there was almost nothing you needed to see here, with Heyman’s reveal about not talking to Roman Reigns since Wrestlemania being the only important point. Not a bad show, but absolutely not necessary viewing.

Results
Bayley/Naomi/Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill b. Damage CTRL/Tiffany Stratton – KOD to Kai
Authors Of Pain b. New Catch Republic – Powerbomb/neckbreaker combination to Bate
LA Knight b. Angel – BFT
A-Town Down Under b. Street Profits – Downward Spiral to Dawkins

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