Smackdown 06.09.2016 *spoilers*

Mr.Nice Guy

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Who will battle for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles at Backlash?

Tonight, the semifinals to crown the first SmackDown Tag Team Champion promises to light up SmackDown LIVE as American Alpha will go head to head with The Usos, and Rhyno & Heath Slater will battle The Hype Bros. Woo Woo Woo, you know it!

Chad Gable and Jason Jordan have attracted the ire of many a tag team since making their main roster debut on SmackDown LIVE, promising to establish themselves as the premier combination on Team Blue. Will they be able to back it up, though, when they collide with the two-time WWE Tag Team Champions?

Meanwhile, after The Hype Bros proved themselves to be dynamic contenders for the gold in their own right when they advanced against The Vaudevillains last week, they now must stop a raging Rhyno and a desperate One Man Band. And speaking of Heath Slater, will the WWE Universe ever recover after stepping inside the trailer of the SmackDown LIVE hopeful last week?

Will Ambrose and Styles bring the chaos en route to their WWE World Title showdown?

In case you’re one of the last people who he hasn’t personally informed, AJ Styles has anointed himself the new “Face That Runs the Place.” However, in spite of his impressive victory over a very game Apollo Crews last week, by the end of the show, it was WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose who left The Phenomenal One facing a very painful situation.

As these two fierce competitors prepare to go head to head for WWE’s most prestigious title at Backlash, what are the odds that things will turn volatile between them tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network? Well … let’s just say greater than The Slaters’ chance of winning family of the year.

Who will seize momentum heading into the Six-Pack Challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Title?

Last week, Carmella once again took out Nikki Bella, the competitor perceived by many to be the favorite heading into the Six-Pack Challenge at Backlash to crown the first SmackDown Women’s Champion this Sunday.

However, that conflict is quite frankly just the tip of the iceberg, as the entire Women’s division – from seasoned battlers to hungry up-and-comers – are all clamoring to prove that they have what it takes to rule over Team Blue. Who will make their mark on the final show before the first SmackDown LIVE pay-per-view?

Talking Smack breeds Intercontinental Title opportunity

Last week, in the wake of the highly-publicized Talking Smack confrontation between SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan and Intercontinental Champion The Miz, The A-Lister found himself at odds with Dolph Ziggler. While The Showoff became the second person in a week to call the titleholder a “coward,” Miz ultimately backed away from a fight with the bleached-blond Superstar.

This prompted Bryan to establish a title match between The Miz and Ziggler this Sunday at Backlash. After complaining that he was not being given the respect and attention he deserved, how will The A-Lister react to that huge announcement?

Will the cold war turn hot between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt?

In recent weeks, Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt have been circling each other as the tension between them constantly threatens to boil over into all-out mayhem. The only problem is that every time it looks like The Viper might strike, The New Face of Fear always seems to be one step ahead of him.

As the two Superstars prepare to clash at Backlash, the mind games are sure to continue tonight. But, will Orton manage to get his hands on his dark adversary five days ahead of schedule? Or, could Wyatt launch a treacherous sneak attack on his own?

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Orton's feud with Bray needs some physicality to it or else I'm going to lose all interest.

The Usos vs American Alpha match should be interesting. Will we see the Usos turn heel?

Hoping to see Becky get a win as it seems she's been losing a lot of late. Here's a nice tweet from her from a few days ago:

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/772881546638417921


Smackdown you would hope ought to beat Raw this week for quality.

CastorTroy

If Becky osing means she's going into Backalsh with opposite momentum to win the title then I don't mind. Just as long as she wins clean afterward.

Agent Coulson

When her wrestling career is over the WWE could do a lot worse than making her head of their social media department.

Neil3030

Smackdown winning this week. Decent show.

CSF

Yeah very good. AJ Styles is the top guy between both shows at the moment. His wrestling was obviously never in question but when he came in his mic work/character was a little iffy, but he has completely knocked it out of the park since his heel turn.

I assume he will be taking the title at Backlash and it's well deserved. The difference between this show and Raw really is that Smackdown with its small roster has to make everyone look decent. Which is why you aren't seeing lazy sh*t like we got with New Day and Enzo and Cass the other night.

Just me, or did Orton outdo Wyatt in the promos?

ERG89

Gonna miss these vids, a guilty pleasure.

Shane McMahon is now oranger than fanta FACT

Neil3030

CSF wrote: »

Just me, or did Orton outdo Wyatt in the promos?

Definitely. For a few reasons. One, it was a great promo, delivered very well. Two, Wyatt has been regurgitating the same boring sermon promos for several years, and rarely backs them up with wins. By now I totally tune out when he speaks.

It's an example of a huge problem with WWE nowadays - they assume guys are over and treat them as if they are. Wyatt is not over as a menacing heel because he loses too much. But they still script him like he's a menacing heel. Very hard to take seriously.

Bounty Hunter

Had predicted the Uso turn on this SD but dissapointed they didn't cheat / heel it up to win for selfish Fantasy PW reasons. Thought them winning then screwing fan fav Slater out of his contract at Backlash to become champs would be the perfect way to start off the Usos vs American Alpha feud for the tag titles.

I mean personally it makes more sense for me that a heel team beat slater but that said it seems AA will most likely be the ones defeating Heath/Rhyno and (we will get that Uso/AA feud anyway) however perhaps the fact that they will be overcoming adversary (Gable's injury) will mean the crowd won't mind as much.



I'd agree that SD was better (than Raw) this week

Neil3030

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

Had predicted the Uso turn on this SD but dissapointed they didn't cheat / heel it up to win for selfish Fantasy PW reasons. Thought them winning then screwing fan fav Slater out of his contract at Backlash to become champs would be the perfect way to start off the Usos vs American Alpha feud for the tag titles.

I mean personally it makes more sense for me that a heel team beat slater but that said it seems AA will most likely be the ones defeating Heath/Rhyno and (we will get that Uso/AA feud anyway) however perhaps the fact that they will be overcoming adversary (Gable's injury) will mean the crowd won't mind as much.



I'd agree that SD was better (than Raw) this week

Yeah, and the fact that they crocked AA would make it all the more illogical that they intervene and cost Slater his contract. Though illogical never means unlikely in WWE...

Agent Coulson

It's hard to know what the best pay off for Slater will be he wins the title and gets the contract only to job it out within a few weeks or keep the free agent looking for a contract gimmick going till everyone gets tired of it which isn't that far away.

Mr.Nice Guy

I liked the show.

Disappointing to see Becky and co. lose AGAIN but I'm thinking it must be because a babyface is winning the title. I think a case can be made for each of them though. Becky seems to be positioned as the top face but Naomi has been getting great reactions with her entrance of late (which I really like) and then there's Nikki who we know is well liked backstage, and you could make a story out of her winning after being out injured.

Like BH I fancied The Usos would cheat to win but I like what they have done with them and if The Usos go on to win the titles at Backlash that should get them great heat - especially if they beat Slater in the process - and there would be a great storyline for them and American Alpha. On the other hand, maybe Slater wins to further his storyline?

The Hawkins 'fact' segments, which are a rip off of Chuck Norris, really piss me off and I know I'm just going to hate this guy when he comes back. I think this must be one of the laziest ways to introduce someone I can think of.

I mentioned I wanted some physicality for Orton and Bray going into the show.I was hoping for a big pull apart brawl which would have sparked my interest, but I don't feel engaged in this one at all.

I really liked the main event segment. I'm not a fan of Ambrose's character (or his wrestling for that matter) but I'll give him props: I thought he was excellent here and he made that material work. I still hope AJ beats him, but the way it ended leads me to think Ambrose will retain. But it heightened my interest in the match

Overall, a good show.

Bounty Hunter

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Like BH I fancied The Usos would cheat to win but I like what they have done with them and if The Usos go on to win the titles at Backlash that should get them great heat - especially if they beat Slater in the process - and there would be a great storyline for them and American Alpha. On the other hand, maybe Slater wins to further his storyline?

The Hawkins 'fact' segments, which are a rip off of Chuck Norris, really piss me off and I know I'm just going to hate this guy when he comes back. I think this must be one of the laziest ways to introduce someone I can think of.

Did I miss something with the Uso's ? isn't it AA vs Slater/Rhyno or did the Uso somehow get rewarded and swapped in for AA due to Gables storyline injury?

Edit: just saw the TalkingSmack bit (as I posted in the Backlash thread incase anyone missed it.

It was reported shortly after SmackDown went off the air last night by Shane McMahon on “Talking Smack” that Chad Gable has suffered a significant “injury” as a result of the post-match attack by The Usos that has taken American Alpha out of the Tag Team Tournament finals this Sunday night at WWE Backlash.

Shane McMahon revealed that Chad Gable had suffered a storyline ACL injury, which will put him on the shelf for a timetable of two to four weeks. In order to determine who will face Heath Slater and Rhyno in the finals of the tournament at WWE Backlash, The Usos will face The Hype Bros on Sunday to determine the team that will face Slater and Rhyno to become the SmackDown Tag Team Champions later in the night.

I also find the Hawkings thing odd because I had kinda assumed he was coming in to be like SDs Jindar Mahal i.e a returning non enhancement talent jobber... the Norris esque facts don't really suit that imo.

The Showstopper

Talking Smack is absolutely brilliant. I was howling watching it, Daniel Bryan just says whatever he wants.

CastorTroy

So the Usos purposely injure a popular superstar, ruining the tag team tournament plans and they're rewarded with a second chance?