5 Takeaways From SmackdownLive - 8/21/18

This is my series, simply known as "5 Takeaways", where I will share my personal main talking points coming out of Raw and SmackdownLive.

These are all my opinion, so I may miss a nugget or two. If you have something to add to my list, or a list of your own, feel free to share in the comment section below!

Also, please check out The Enzuigiri podcast, Reddit, and Facebook page!

https://m.facebook.com/groups/theenzuigiri

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheEnzuigiriPodcast

https://m.soundcloud.com/theenzuigiri

We are a group of long-time wrestling fans living in the Tri-State area. We have results, news, and so much more!

After stealing a win at Summerslam in a really good match, The Miz and Maryse come out to open the show to gloat about his win. He then announces his retirement... from ever facing Daniel Bryan again.

Guess who comes out? Bryan makes his entrance, calling Miz a coward. After a little trash talk from Maryse, he brings out Brie Bella, who attacks as the reality stars retreat. We learned that Paige approved a mixed tag match between the four at Hell in a Cell.

I thought this was a great opening segment. I'm not afraid of saying I'm not much of a Daniel Bryan fan, but this feud is pretty... AWWWWEEESOOOOMMEE. I'm not a fan of Brie (or Nikki, for that matter), so I couldn't care less about their upcoming tag match.

Seeking revenge for his recent attacks, Hardy looks to take out Randy Orton before he does any more damage. Orton works at a slow, methodical pace, as he wants to make Hardy fully feel every second of pain he's delivering. A quick comeback leads to familiar spot, with the Viper yanking on the gauge hole (I don't know what else to call it) in Hardy's earlobe. Jeff eventually gets disqualified for stomping on Orton's nuts.

After the DQ, the Charismatic Enigma snaps, as the two brawl all over the place. Hardy hits Orton with all kinds of weapons, before finishing him with a Swanton Bomb through a table.

Now THIS is a feud deserving of a Hell in a Cell match! It's ridiculously personal between the two, and supposedly a match inside the cell is where rivalries come to an end. This was a fun match, and one I'm looking forward to seeing at the next pay-per-view. I'm also interested to see who Randy Orton targets next.

Becky cuts a fine promo about how Summerslam was supposed to be about her and only her. She said that she never got any tweets, any hashtags or support from the fans (which is obviously not true). She also said that she knows there isn't a woman in the locker room who is better than her.

Charlotte then hit the ring and a huge brawl ensued. At one point, Becky got the upper hand and tried to escape through the crowd before being caught and pulled back by Flair. The referees couldn't break up the fight, so Paige sent the women on the roster to do so.

You already know how much of a Becky Lynch fan I am. With what happened at Summerslam, I was both excited and kind of worried about Lynch. The heel turn was relatively surprising, and gave us a different side to her character. At the same time, she is such a natural face, and very easy to root for. Charlotte is such a great heel, and would have been perfect to be the one to turn.

I'm willing to give this a chance, however, to see where it goes. We also learned later in the night that Charlotte will defend her title against Carmella next week, so we'll see where this angle goes from here.

AJ Styles was interviewed by Renee Young and asked about Summerslam. He responded by saying he hates that he lost his match that way, but he regrets none of it. Samoa Joe comes from out of nowhere with the Coquina Clutch, and puts Styles to sleep once again. He then screams "daddy's gone night night!" into the camera for a really nice touch.

I love this feud so much. Honestly, it's between this story and the recent Shield reunion (check that out on my Raw Takeaways if you haven't already) as my favorite story in WWE at the moment. Every bit of this feud feels real, Joe's mic work is always superb, and the in-ring action is top notch. This is without a doubt my favorite part of Smackdown week in and week out.

In a rematch from Summerslam, the New Day and Bludgeon Brothers absolutely tore the house down. This match was a no disqualification bout, after how their last match ended. Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston looked well-prepared for this match, as they seem to have scouted the champs quite well.

Between Woods going through the stairs, Kofi hitting a DDT to Harper on a chair, and a double powerbomb to Kofi through a ladder, these guys definitely took advantage of the stipulation. The match ended with Kofi hitting Harper with Trouble in Paradise, and Xavier Woods finishing him off with an elbow drop through a table for the win, and the tag team titles.

Wow, what a match this was. The result wasn't very surprising, considering the reports of Rowan's injury, and upcoming surgery. However, this didn't take away from the match itself, or the crowd reaction when New Day won the belts. This was a great match, that saw more than enough awesome spots, and weapons to satisfy the majority of viewers. I don't know exactly where the tag titles go from here, but my assumption is it will be back to New Day vs The Bar, which is fine by me.

Thanks for reading! Did I miss any good points? Is there something you agree or disagree with? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to check out my Weekend Wristlock each and every Saturday!