Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 4/25/17

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
- Smackdown:
- Renee/Nakamura/Ziggler:
If anyone can get Shinsuke acclimated to main roster WWE, it's Dolph. That's probably his biggest strength.

Dolph putting himself over is good.

Oh, man, really? Michael Jackson jokes?

Ehhhhhh. Dolph started strong, but that turned brutal. Presumably something someone in Creative ruined. Those references are decades old!

I like Shinsuke, as odd as he is.

Not bad, I guess.

- Owens promo:
So, wait, does Owens go back to Raw if he loses at Payback?? I think he and Y2J can have quite the match if Mania is any indication.

- Corbin vs. Styles:
Nice feeling out to start.

AJ's a master technician at this point. Baron's got his hands full.

Corbin is a pretty believable threat, but he's got his work cut out for him beating AJ.

AJ's doing a good job feeding Corbin.

Nice action so far.

I like both these guys and what they bring to the table.

AJ's got a LOT of tools in his arsenal.

Pretty good ending. Baron didn't look bad in defeat to such an accompished worker.

- Post-match:
Pretty fun work here.

Owens suckering Baron in to being the fall guy. I love it Maggle.

- Charlotte interview:
Oh God we're in for a LOT of Charlotte title reigns, aren't we? They're kind of forcing her dominance, I think.

- A. Alpha vs. S. Stars:
This could be the longest match the Stars have had on TV in a long time.

I almost always love someone trying to get a pinfall within the first minute. The only real exceptions are big grudge matches, where people should be out for blood instead.

Very pretty athleticism from the former amateurs.

Primo and Epico aren't bad. It's just really hard to stand out among so many varied and talented tag teams. They're not as big as The Club, not as technically skilled as American Alpha, they don't fly like the Hardys, nor do they have a contrast like Enzo and Cass or Slater and Rhyno. So they're kind of stuck as a mid-level team.

A good enough showing for the Stars, but I'm really glad Gable and Jordan got the win. They've very impressive.

- Rusev promo:
He'd really rather be in Bulgaria than work for Shane and Bryan? Wow.

- Becky/other women:
Oh, come on, Becky. You're not really thinking of teaming with Charlotte, are you? Do you REALLY want to be stabbed in the back/attacked from behind AGAIN!!???

Turning Charlotte face could be interesting. She does have a LOT of detractors, and that usually makes for a hero role.

- Orton vs. Rowan:
Orton can kick some ass in a WWE ring. He's going to go down as one of the best workers of his generation.

Whoa. Erick can move pretty well for a big guy. I wonder what his ceiling is as a performer.

Rowan took too long. Never leave a viper unattended!!

NICE table bump spot. I love some carnage here and there.

So are Rowan and Bray still bros now that Wyatt's on Raw?

If Bray can do his trick with the lights, Erick might just win this one.

NICE ending sequence. Good win for the champ.

- Randy/Jinder/Singhs:
Really? Don't worry about the House of Horrors match? Everyone should be selling that spectacle.

Oh, no. They're going to play up the xenophobia card. They can do better than that.

So... if Bray wins, does he face Jinder at Backlash? This is important.

Mahal's going to need every Indian wrestler he can find to help him out.

Hey!! Don't they need that title for Bray's rematch? Wyatt should be pissed at this, too.

Where the hell are Shane and Bryan?? Jinder's leaving with the brand's world title!!!

- Ascension vs. Breezango:
Wow. This will be the longest either team has been on Smackdown in a LONG time.

I like The Ascension trying to win ASAP.

Konnor and Viktor are like "look, we haven't won a match in FOREVER. We need this!" Note: The Ascension haven't won a two-on-two match since February 2016.

That wasn't bad for the brief period of time it had. I'm OK with Breezango getting a push and the random face turn. They've both shown they can be good workers.

- Neville promo:
These are so boring. "Hey I'm having a match."

- Naomi promo:
I'm glad Naomi didn't throw Charlotte under a bus. Charlotte's been one hell of a worker.

Not bad. Just kind of generic. 

- Naomi vs. Charlotte:
Nice mat work to start.

Nice work so far.

Charlotte's history of title matches gives her a big advantage here. This stage isn't new for her.
 
Nice story being told here.

WHOA. Naomi didn't get the win with Rear View?

I'd be OK with Charlotte as a face. She's working her butt off here.

Well then. So much for this one getting a decisive ending.

- Post-match:
Hmm. Are we in for an all out female war here?

- 205 Live: 
- Swann/Akira vs. Noam/Kendrick:
The same people in the same matches every week. The show could use some new names added in. They have a pretty small roster for the number of matches they do each week on Raw, 205 Live, and Main Event.

I like Brian's attitude. Most of the other people here are trying to make their first impression on WWE. Brian doesn't have that pressure, so he can express more.

Good start!

The heels work together pretty well.

Dar's good.

I'm liking the holds on display here. It's a lost art.

I'm liking the story of a good tag match. Too often it's just two guys who do cool double-team moves vs. either two more guys who do cool double-team moves or two people who are just there to take cool double-team moves. Hell sometimes it's just four people doing MOVES.

Tozawa can kick some ass within his weight division. I'm surprised I'm OK with there being a separate division for talents of this size. WWE's done a good job having a variety of styles showcased.

Pretty solid ending.

- Tozawa promo:
That was fine enough. I do wish we were getting Tajiri involved in this, but I see why WWE thought it would be risky to put him back in such a quick division at his age.

- Neville interview:
They're running out of matchups fast.

I really wonder where they go with Neville next unless he's facing TJ.

OK, we get it. You're the king of the cruiserweights. Can he at least knight Perkins?

- Gulak promo:
Ehhhhh. I don't think this will really go very far. Maybe Gulak can make a No Fly Challenge or something?

- Mustafa vs. Nese:
Nese is very technically sound.

Solid story in the early going.

Hahaha I liked Ali doing his own pose there.

Fun stuff so far.

NICE gutbuster spot. I'm glad these two aren't jobbing in three minutes on Raw.

OK, the poses are getting a little much here.

Ali flips, but the whole match isn't "can you top this cool spot." That's important.

That was going pretty well until Drew got involved. That's kind of the point, though.

- Post-match:
That was good enough to keep things moving.

- Gallagher and Aries backstage:
That was funny in a silly way. Jack can be entertaining in smallish doses.

- Neville vs. Gallagher:
Good work here.

Neville is none too pleased with being outclassed by Jack in the early going.

I like Neville's mean streak.

Man. The champ is really targeting Jack here.

Aries is going to have his work cut out for him. Neville's making an example of Gallagher.

Gallagher's good at getting out of tough situations and being one step ahead of his opponent.

I'm liking this a good deal. Both men are talented.

Really good back-and-forth.

Good showing from the champ. He's made up for being the goofy babyface.

- Post-match:
BAH GAWD ENOUGH IS A DAMN NOUGH.

That was cool. Nice work overall.

More wrestling coming up.