A Room with a Review: SmackDown 08/21/20

Need something to tide you over between NXT TakeOver XXX and SummerSlam? Well, I’ve got you covered for at least five minutes.

• It’s the first night in the ThunderDome, so Vince McMahon is here to introduce things. He gets in a plug for SummerSlam, but is interrupted by the Fiend. The Chairman doesn’t back down at first, but the Fiend cuts Vince off every time he tries to leave the ring. Braun Strowman comes down, which allows Mr. McMahon to escape. The Monster Among Men stares down the Fiend until RETRIBUTION surrounds the ring. The Fiend uses magic to disappear, leaving Strowman to fend for himself. The group in black sweats beat on Braun until the locker room empties. The SmackDown superstars chase off RETRIBUTION and Strowman takes out his anger on Drew Gulak, who is checking on him. 

• The locker room hangs out around the ring after the commercial, becoming impromptu lumberjacks for Sheamus vs. Big E. The lights keep flickering during the match, so tensions are high. Baron Corbin takes advantage of the situation to start a brawl with Matt Riddle. Sheamus gets distracted, allowing Big E to roll him up for the win. 

• Jeff Hardy is in the trainer’s room because somebody fell on his leg from behind while he was at ringside. Hardy says he didn’t see who did it and begs the trainer for a knee brace. 

• Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura jump Lucha House Party from behind just before their match. 

• After a commercial break, it’s Cesaro and Shin vs. LHP for the Tag Team Championship. Shinsuke is dressed like Spider-Man 2099. The champs retain as Cesaro pins Lince Dorado with a sunset flip. After the match, Dorado and Kalisto get into it and Gran Metalik has to separate them. 

• They play footage showing that AJ Styles was the one who injured Jeff Hardy, and it wasn’t an accident. 

• Kayla Braxton asks Mandy Rose about her match with Sonya Deville.

• It’s time for the best segment each week: the Golden Role models tell us how awesome they are. It’s slightly ruined, though, because Corey Graves is interviewing them. It gets better when Naomi interrupts, challenging both of them. Corey recommends they do a Beat the Clock Challenge. Sasha Banks will start things off against Naomi. Banks wins in 3:39 with the Bank Statement. Bayley has to win in less time than that, or she has to defend her title first against Asuka at SummerSlam. Naomi wins the match, so Bayley will be up first. Asuka comes out and fights both of them, chasing the Golden Role Models to the back. 

• Dana Brooke tells Sonya Deville that she’s sorry for everything that happened to her this week. Sonya says she doesn’t need her pity and smacks Dana. 

• After another commercial, Sonya cuts a promo, changing her Hair vs. Hair match against Mandy into a Loser Leaves WWE match. 

• They recap Alexa Bliss’s involvement in the Fiend/Strowman match. Nikki Cross says her friend is different and she is worried. 

• Time for another championship match as AJ Styles defends the Intercontinental title against an injured Jeff Hardy. The Charismatic Enigma (ugh) is selling the hell out of that knee. AJ has Jeff up for the Styles Clash, but Hardy swings his leg, hitting the champ with the knee brace. AJ is unsteady, so Hardy hits him with the Twist of Fate and the Stanton Bomb to become the new Intercontinental Champion. I guess this is his reward for the alcoholic storyline with Sheamus. 

• One more commercial and AJ is backstage yelling at Joseph Park. I really hope that means he’s sticking around. 

• Next up is the Firefly Fun House. Bray Wyatt waxes poetic on love. He recreates the segment from last week between Alexa and Braun, but with Huskus the Pig and Ramblin’ Rabbit. Braun storms the Fun House, dragging Bray into a commercial. 

• Back from break and Braun and Bray brawl by the back bay. Strowman chokeslams Wyatt off the loading dock and onto the concrete below. The poorly trained EMTs lift him onto a stretcher and load him into an ambulance. Adam Pearce yells at the ambulance to move, but it only drives a short distance before backing up. The lights in the ambulance turn red and out comes the Fiend. He laughs into the camera as the show ends. 

I think the debut of the ThunderDome was a success. While I don’t know if the virtual fans add much (other than a dynamic background), I think it’s worth it for the return of big superstar entrances. I wish they had done the “RETRIBUTION destroys the Performance Center” angle on Raw this week to explain it, but I’m fairly certain they’re making up that story on the fly.

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