SmackDown
Here is the full review for the April 14th edition of WWE SmackDown which took place from Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. ##
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Segment ##
Undisputed Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn made their way to the ring amidst a massive reaction from the crowd. The fans sang Zayn's entrance music and broke into a "Sami" chant. Zayn acknowledged that they were in the main event at WrestleMania for the first time and mentioned their friendship and recent title win. He also acknowledged the unpredictability of the WWE Draft, but said they were currently focused on dealing with The Bloodline. ##
Owens agreed with Zayn and added that The Usos, who they had defeated for the titles, were more dangerous than ever. He anticipated The Usos would come out and demand a rematch. As if on cue, Solo Sikoa and The Usos made their way to ringside. The Usos mocked Owens and Zayn, claiming that they were folding under pressure. Zayn fired back, noting that it was The Bloodline who had to answer to Roman Reigns without the titles. Jey Uso tried to stir up trouble by suggesting that Zayn would be the one to betray Owens. ##
Zayn was impressed with Jey's ability to lie to himself, pointing out that everyone knew Reigns was furious about losing the titles. Owens and Zayn knew that The Bloodline had not come out to talk, and Sikoa and The Usos surrounded the ring. However, their advantage was short-lived as Matt Riddle ran down to the ring to even the odds. Owens and Zayn started brawling with The Usos, while Riddle delivered a knee to Sikoa's face, making an impressive change in the momentum of the situation. ##
RATING: *** ##
Xavier Woods Vs LA Knight ##
In an outstanding opener, Woods and Knight put on a killer match that had the fans reacting with enthusiasm. The pacing was excellent, starting slowly and building up towards an exciting finish. ##
Knight received another positive reaction from the crowd as he started the match with a side headlock, but Woods escaped with a well-executed dropkick. Woods then gained the upper hand with a side headlock of his own, and followed up with a high-flying dive to the floor, taking Knight down. ##
Knight, however, turned the tables by luring Woods to the other side of the ring and delivering punishing moves, including slamming Woods back first into the ring apron and then face-first into the ring post. ##
After the commercial break, Woods missed a splash in the corner, and Knight capitalized by hitting a jumping neck breaker for a close near fall. Woods managed to rally and fought back, avoiding Knight's attacks, sliding through his legs, and hitting a dropkick for another near fall. Knight regained control with a DDT, but Woods showed resilience by kicking out at two. ##
Frustrated, Knight attempted to suplex Woods out of the ring, but Woods countered by dropping Knight on the ropes and hitting a double foot stomp to the back. Woods followed up with a leg-drop off the second turnbuckle, but Knight managed to grab the ropes, creating a gripping near fall moment. ##
Knight then tried to cheat by using an O'Connor roll and grabbing Woods' tights, but the referee caught him in the act. Woods capitalized on the distraction and executed his own O'Connor roll, also grabbing the tights for the win. ##
It was an impressive victory for Woods in a hard-fought match against Knight, showcasing both competitors' skills and leaving the fans thoroughly entertained. ##
WINNER: Xavier Woods ##
MATCH RATING: **** ##
MATCH TIME: 11:46 ##
Judgment Day Segment ##
Judgment Day made their way to the ring, with Priest taking the microphone and addressing the upcoming Backlash event and the host, Bad Bunny. Priest made it clear that while Bad Bunny could enjoy the show from the front row, he could not lay his hands on Priest's family. ##
The broadcast then recapped the recent incident on Raw where Priest had put Bad Bunny through a table. ##
As Priest and Dominik were in the ring, the music of the LWO (Loser Weight Outsiders) hit, and Zelina Vega made her entrance. Ripley quickly confronted Vega, but this distraction allowed Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, and Crus Del Toro to attack Priest and Dominik from behind. The assault occurred just as the show went to a commercial break, leaving Priest and Dominik vulnerable to the unexpected attack from the LWO. ##
RATING: *** ##
Damien Priest (w/Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley) Vs Santos Escobar (w/Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro) ##
Priest and Escobar brought their A-game to the ring, putting on an excellent match that was met with an enthusiastic response from the hot crowd. Despite the LWO gimmick being a throwback to a previous era in WCW, it was working better this time around. ##
The match had already started during the commercial break, with Escobar initially gaining control until Priest countered with a right hand. Escobar fought back with a dropkick that resulted in a near fall. He followed up with a series of punches in the corner, but Priest eventually broke free and sent Escobar to ringside with a big boot. Priest then leapt off the steps with a double ax handle on Escobar as the broadcast returned from the break. ##
Priest slowed down the pace of the match, using knees to the face to wear down Escobar. However, Escobar fought back and the two exchanged a slugfest. Escobar fired up with a running hurricanrana and a moonsault for another close near fall, which prompted the fans to chant "Santos" in support. ##
Mysterio got involved in the match, but Wilde and Del Toro attacked him. Priest came to Mysterio's aid, allowing Escobar to hit a suicide dive to a loud ovation from the crowd. Ripley tried to interfere, but Vega took her out with a hurricanrana, generating another massive pop from the fans. In the ring, Priest rocked Escobar with a kick to the face and then hit his finishing move, South of Heaven, for the win. ##
WINNER: Damien Priest (w/Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley) ##
MATCH RATING: *** ##
MATCH TIME: 11:30 ##
Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan Segment ##
The new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan, made their way to the ring in celebratory attire to mark their recent title win. A video package recapped their victory over Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus on Raw, which was met with fireworks going off in the arena. ##
Rodriguez took the mic and expressed her gratitude to Morgan for allowing her to throw her at their opponents during the match. Morgan responded by telling Rodriguez that she could throw her anytime, indicating their strong partnership. ##
However, their celebration was interrupted by Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green. Deville pointed out that Rodriguez and Morgan didn't actually defeat the champions, as someone had attacked Lita, resulting in Stratus filling in for her. Green agreed, claiming that Adam Pearce had overlooked this crucial detail. ##
Rodriguez and Morgan then decided that Deville and Green would be their next challengers. The champions wasted no time in clearing the ring of the heels, ending the segment with a display of their confidence and determination to retain their newly-won titles. ##
Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Madcap Moss (w/Emma) ##
Nakamura made a triumphant return to the ring with a new look and received a rousing reaction from the crowd as he squared off against Madcap Moss. In the backstage area, Emma tried to boost Moss's confidence by telling him to ignore the fans and only listen to her. She claimed that Moss was superior to Nakamura in terms of strength, speed, and looks, and emphasized the importance of getting a win to boost his status in the upcoming Draft. ##
As the match began, Moss wasted no time in attacking Nakamura, but the seasoned veteran fought back with a well-executed spinning heel kick. Nakamura followed up with a kick to the head and a sliding German suplex in the ropes, showcasing his technical prowess. He then delivered a knee strike from the middle rope, setting up his signature move, the Kinshasa, which secured him the victory in the match. Nakamura's dominant performance left no doubt about his skills and abilities in the ring. ##
WINNER: Shinsuke Nakamura ##
MATCH RATING: ** ##
MATCH TIME: 1:29 ##
Solo Sikoa (w/The Usos) Vs Matt Riddle (w/Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens) ##
Sikoa, utilizing his power, gained the early advantage over Riddle in their match. Despite Riddle's repeated attempts to apply a sleeper hold, Sikoa managed to escape each time. Riddle fought back, but The Usos interfered, causing Owens and Zayn to get involved as well, resulting in the referee sending both teams to the back and cutting to a commercial break. ##
After the break, Riddle and Sikoa resumed their match, exchanging shots with Sikoa getting the upper hand. Sikoa slowed down the pace with a nerve hold, prompting the crowd to chant "Riddle." However, Riddle managed to recover and fired up with an exploder suplex. He attempted a kick and a moonsault, but Sikoa countered with his knees up. Riddle then countered with a floating bro for a close two-count. ##
The Usos returned to ringside, prompting Owens and Zayn to come back as well, leading to a brawl between both teams. The Usos took out Owens and Zayn with superkicks, while Riddle wiped out The Usos with a floating bro of his own. ##
The match concluded with Sikoa catching Riddle off-guard with a superkick as he jumped into the ring, followed by hitting the Samoan Spike for the victory. Despite Riddle's valiant effort, Sikoa's strategic maneuver secured him the win. ##
WINNER: Solo Sikoa ##
MATCH RATING: *** ##
MATCH TIME: 10:41 ##
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