owens.jpg
WWE

Don't look now, but the new era of SmackDown Live may have just begun. In the first episode of the blue brand since newly-hired executive director Eric Bischoff reported to Stamford, Connecticut, for active duty, the fresh coat of paint SmackDown showcased on Tuesday was hard to ignore. Whether this was a direct result of Bischoff's influence, what stood out most from segment to segment was how much more real and authentic the dialogue between wrestlers truly was.  

With the exception of the Kevin Owens-Shane McMahon feud, which bookended the show and felt very much like nothing had changed, almost everything SmackDown presented over two hours felt like it had been given a shot in the arm. Much of that had to do with the constant removal of the fourth wall in terms of storytelling.  

If this is what the future of SmackDown is expected to look and feel like entering the October move to prime time on Friday night's on Fox, color me interested.  

Let's have a look at everything that went down Tuesday night on SmackDown. 

Big fan of WWE? Subscribe to our podcast -- State of Combat with Brian Campbell -- where we go in depth on everything you need to know in WWE each week.

Kevin Owens, Shane McMahon set for SummerSlam 

McMahon opened SmackDown with an in-ring promo stating he would need written proof of Owens' challenge that he would retire if he lost at SummerSlam. He went as far as showing video of KO's promise to quit on Raw last year following a match with Seth Rollins without following through. Out came Owens to explain how that was his low point and he's a changed man. Although McMahon spurned Owens' offer for a match tonight, he booked KO against Roman Reigns in the main event. Later on backstage, McMahon named himself as guest ring announcer, Elias as the timekeeper and Drew McIntyre as referee.  

Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns wrestled to a no contest: The match was over shortly after it began when Reigns, upset with McIntyre constantly breaking them up, tossed him out of the ring just as KO did the same to Elias. Reigns and Owens cornered McMahon only to fall victim to the numbers game shortly after. Eventually, the babyface stars rallied with Reigns hitting a Superman punch on McMahon before Owens followed with a pair of stunners. KO then grabbed the microphone and unleashed an emotional promo about delivering "an ass whooping" to McMahon at SummerSlam.  

For the second straight week, the McMahon-Owens storyline felt like nothing more than two guys going through the motions in a story that continues to fail to have much substance to it (beyond KO believing McMahon gets too much TV time). In what was a clear step down creatively to the segments around it in what turned out to be a very good episode, watching KO struggle to spit out his words in the final promo felt like the cherry on top. Despite Reigns and Owens producing a sizable pop from the live crowd after teaming up, KO's push as the next Steve Austin continues to feel forced and unoriginal. Grade: C 

Randy Orton accepts Kofi Kingston's challenge

Kingston called Orton out to the ring and threw to video of their 2009 match at New York's Madison Square Garden. After being accused of using backstage influence to have Kingston removed from the title picture after that match, Orton admitted it was true. "I was doing it for your own good because you weren't ready then, and you aren't ready now," said Orton, who went on to say the "undeserving" Kingston's current title run only happened because "The Viper" injured Ali before Elimination Chamber.  

Kofi Kingston def. Samoa Joe via disqualification after a run-in from Randy Orton. The two-segment match saw Orton attempt an RKO on Kingston -- triggering the DQ -- only to be pushed away. Orion interrupted Joe's attempt to sneak up on him by hitting an RKO before Orton turned around and was dropped by a Trouble in Paradise from Kingston. 

This is the kind of booking that WWE fans clamor for. Not only was the two-way trash talk nothing short of hot fire, it created plenty of anticipation for their title match given the storyline's reference to their real-life unfinished business. The fact that the dialogue actually referenced Kingston's aborted 2009 push and used it as the foundation of his beef with Orton is incredibly refreshing. It also is the best use of Orton, who tends to come out of his shell much more in a feud where real attention to detail is given to the story. Grade: A- 

What else happened on SmackDown?  

  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Apollo Crews via pinfall in a non-title match. Nakamura, the Intercontinental champion, twice kicked out of near falls before connecting on a Kinshasa for the pin. After the match, Nakamura stomped Crews out of the ring before laying him out with a second Kinshasa. What should be noted here is that Big E and Xavier Woods sat in on commentary (joining David Otunga as replacements for an absent Byron Saxton and Corey Graves) and did a top-shelf job. The New Day was replaced shortly after by Michael Cole.  
  • Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville secured a match against The Iiconics next week with a title shot at stake should they win. Rose told Deville she had talked to Shane McMahon and complained about the recent behavior of Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.  
  • Dolph Ziggler crashed "Miz TV" and teased a possible SummerSlam feud with Shawn Michaels. Ziggler interrupted The Miz's interview to cut a scathing promo on Michaels for not staying retired and embarrassing himself by returning to the ring in Saudi Arabia. HBK initially agreed before saying the only thing that was embarrassing was Ziggler being known as "a second-rate Shawn Michaels wannabe." Michaels ducked a punch from Ziggler that knocked down The Miz. Ziggler followed with a superkick to deck Michaels before running away. The trash talk between them was nothing short of a removal of the fourth wall and intoxicatingly great to watch. This has big business written all over it should HBK decide to lace up the boots one more time.
  • Ember Moon def. Charlotte Flair via pinfall following a distraction from Bayley. Moon rolled up Flair from behind just over a minute into their match after Bayley, the SmackDown women's champion who will face Moon at SummerSlam, walked to the ring. Moon then executed what appeared to be a heel turn by throwing Bayley into the ring where she was laid out by a big boot from Flair. Moon followed with her Eclipse finisher on both women to send an emphatic message. Later on, Flair cut a backstage promo about being left out of SummerSlam, and how she vows to prove she's greatest female superstar of all time.  
  • Bray Wyatt accepted Finn Balor's challenge to a match at SummerSlam when Balor's in-ring interview was interrupted by an episode of the "Firefly Funhouse" playing on the big screen. Wyatt, who called Balor both inspiring and courageous, admitted his alter-ego of "The Fiend" wasn't such a big fan. "The Fiend is officially accepting your challenge," Wyatt said, before adding in a creepy tone that "The Fiend" is no man -- he's an abomination. This was as dark and scary as Wyatt's new iteration of his character has been. It connected big on every level.