“I’m Better Than You, And You Know It”

"Every Man Has A Price For The Million Dollar Man"

"The Best There Is, The Best There Was, And The Best There Ever Will Be"

"Whatcha Gonna Do, When Hulkamania Runs Wild On You"

"And That's The Bottom Line Because Stone Cold Said So"

<h3><strong>The Dream Indy Darlings?</strong></h3>
<p>To open the show, Styles fought Rusev after failing to call out Shinsuke Nakamura. However, Aiden English interfered to end the match in a DQ, and it seemed like Styles was about to be turned into a punchbag when… OUT CAME DANIEL BRYAN!</p>
<p>Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles teaming together (or at least, having each other’s back) is perfect on many levels. Daniel, as much of a fan favourite as he is, needed that alliance with AJ Styles to concrete his position as someone that fights the darkness. AJ Styles will also benefit from being paired up with someone as popular as Bryan – let us be honest here, his recent feuds had not exactly been on fire. The pairing decision also worked from an in-ring perspective. What you are looking at right now are two of the absolute best wrestlers in the world that had been the overlords of the independent scene for a decade before they signed a contract with The Genetic Jackhammer. Those indy fans must be all watery wet by now *smirks*.</p>
<p>…*leaves keyboard to change pants*…</p>
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<h3><strong>Same Championship, Same House, New Owner</strong></h3>
<p>JEFF HARDY IS ON SMACKDOWN LIVE! After defeating Jinder Mahal for the United States Championship on Monday Night RAW, he decided to discover the world that The Modern-day Maharaja used to roam, and the first thing he did was making his entrance smack bang in the middle of Randy Orton’s. Seems like The Viper’s fate is intertwined with the championship for a while. Adding a newly-split-from-a-tag-team Shelton Benjamin to the mix and we had a true scene of nostalgia. Not sure if it was 2018 or 2008.</p>
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<h3><strong>More Bludgeoning</strong></h3>
<p>Not much to discuss. Luke Harper handily defeated Jey Uso while commotion went down outside the ring. Erick and Luke beat up the penitentiary boys so hard, even Naomi had to run down and beg them off. Another step to “hype” The Usos vs The Bludgeon Brothers at next week’s Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. Not excited.</p>
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<h3><strong>So-Cal in the House</strong></h3>
<p>JOE! JOE! JOE! JOE! Our second import from Monday is here! After quickly dispatching Sin Cara, Joe delivered a threat to all your favorite superstars of Smackdown Live, especially Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, and AJ Styles (oooohhhhh TNA), all the while not forgetting to mention his craving of putting Roman Reigns to sleep. That was a very effective way to lay down the path for Joe in the upcoming months on Smackdown Live. After (maybe) finishing up with The Big Dog (for now) at Backlash, Joe will likely set his eyes on either Bryan or Styles, since Randy Orton’s schedule until at least Summerslam looks busy with the United States Championship picture. Joe could possibly have a partner, since, hey, Styles and Bryan are together now! See, we told you them pairing up was a smart move.</p>
<p>Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura vs AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan? Oh yes, count us in.</p>
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<h3><strong>Wonder-Nipples</strong></h3>
<p>Big Cass’ nipples are things of beauty.</p>
<p>Wow, can’t believe we just typed that out *sighs*. Don’t quote us on that.</p>
<p>Wait what? Oh yeah, Big Cass is back, and he immediately set his sight on Daniel Bryan, whom he called “little man”. What day and age do people start a fight because of a difference in size? Big Cass recovering from injury was good for him, but the storyline prospects look bleak.</p>
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<h3><strong>Tough Time Ahead for Carmella</strong></h3>
<p>For some reason, we do not like Carmella. At all. Character? Bland. Ring skills? Oh please. Some flashes here and there, but there is still a lot for her to learn. And her booking? Give us a break, 287 days of holding the women’s first-ever Money in the Bank briefcase and she could barely get a clean win. All of those factors have made her an unconvincing champion to us. She definitely does not belong that high up in the totem pole, especially with so many other talented wrestlers in the blue locker room such as Naomi, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and THE NEWCOMER IN TOWN, ASUKA!</p>
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<p>Asuka came to rescue Charlotte and Becky from a beatdown courtesy of Carmella and The Iconics after Charlotte defeated Billie, so it seems like… oh no. Oh God no. Not another 3-on-3 women feud. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!</p>
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<h3><strong>Main Event Ruined</strong></h3>
<p>First off, kudos to WWE for having assembled together tonight’s main event, putting the four most popular superstars in 2-on-2 action. Styles and Bryan were exactly where they belong, RUSEV DAY deserved the rub, and the fans got the chance to see their favourite quartet of Smackdown Live stars in action. Unfortunately, AJ Styles’ second match tonight also ended in a DQ because of Big Cass’ interference.</p>
<p>After tonight, the frontline is clear. WWE is going to run with AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan vs Shinsuke Nakamura and Big Cass. There is a chance they separate them into 2 singles feud, but even so, with the excessive amount of tag team matches on television nowadays, it will be hard to keep them completely apart. We just hope Big Cass could pull his weight, both character-wise and skill-wise. Daniel Bryan is going to be a <em>tall</em> order for Big Cass. Ha!</p>
<p>PS: Man, heel Nakamura was downright hilarious.</p>
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<h3><strong>Some noteworthy stuff but not worthy of their own entries:</strong></h3>
<p>The Miz almost foul-mouthed in front of his daughter, Monroe Sky, and was untimely censored by Maryse.</p>
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<p>The Bar arrived to Smackdown Live, and they announced their presence with some help from meth-eyed graphics guy.</p>
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<p>Oh hey R-Truth, welcome to Smackdown Live. Remember not to wear red at Survivor Series.</p>
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<p>Gallows and Anderson got the Baron Corbin treatment, arriving only through a graphic template.</p>
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<p>SAnitY suffered the same fate, even though this was their main roster debut. Not an auspicious start for sure.</p>
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<p>ANDRADES CIEN ALMAS AND ZELINA VEGA! For some reason, half of us had this weird déjà vu where Andrade actually debuted last week and issued a challenge to AJ Styles.</p>
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<h3><strong>Overall Review:</strong></h3>
<p>Tonight’s Smackdown Live was not outstanding in terms of the matches offered, but they scored big time in storylines. There was a completely new United States Championship picture, Big Cass started hating Daniel Bryan for size matters, and AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura finally received the build they should have had back in February. The only underwhelming feud turned out to be that for the tag team championship, as the Bludgeon Brothers and The Usos did not seem to have the chemistry to make it work, and The New Day was busy marveling R-Truth and Tye Dillinger’s handshake. Also, a dozen or so new faces were peppered in various segments throughout the show, so the surprise criterion for Shake-up day was met. All in all, a very enjoyable show that opened up a lot of storyline possibilities.</p>
<p>Great Shake-up shows from both brands. 2018 looks to be a promising year with the shuffled and padded rosters.</p>

WWE Smackdown Live Results and Review: April 17th 2018 – Providence, RI

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