WWE SmackDown Live Recap, Grades & Opinion: May 14, 2019 -

SmackDown Live Recap: May 14, 2019

A.K.A. The One With A Lot of Handheld Promos (Volume XXVIII)

It’s the final show from across the pond, and the final SmackDown Live before Money in the Bank. Kofi Kingston will appear on the Kevin Owens Show before their match on Sunday. The men’s and women’s Money in the Bank participants will look to one up each other before their match. And we’ll get a rerun of the glorious Firefly Funhouse segment from last week. Let’s dig in!

Results:

Andrade def. Randy Orton, Ali, and Finn Balor in a fatal four-way match.
Daniel Bryan, Rowan, Shane McMahon, & Elias def. Roman Reigns & the Usos
Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) def. Fire & Desire (Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose)

Match of the Night: Daniel Bryan, Rowan, Shane McMahon & Elias def. Roman Reigns & the Usos by pinfall after a Coast-to-Coast by Shane McMahon.

Three feuds merged into one big match on this week’s SmackDown Live. It just edged out the excellent fatal four-way match earlier on. Daniel Bryan was on fire in this match, running around and being his technically-sound self. Miz made his appearance after the match and helped run the heels off with the help of a trusty steel chair. Elias-Reigns and Miz-McMahon will be great Money in the Bank matches. However, the newly added pre-show match of Usos versus Bryan and Rowan could be a show-stealer.

Three Thoughts:

The Men’s Tag Division Will Be Fine

People were nervous when the Hardy Boyz had to vacate the SmackDown Live tag titles. That was valid, as no tag team seemed viable to take their place. In just two episodes of SmackDown Live, Daniel Bryan and Rowan have put all those worries at ease. They’re going to be a dominant tag team for the next while on Tuesday nights. Someone will have to be built up to topple them, but the journey there will be extremely interesting.

Latest Wrestling News

The Women’s Tag Division Might Not Be

A new name has been bestowed on Asuka and Kairi Sane (more on that down below) and they managed to sneak a win over Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville this week. WWE doesn’t seem to be very invested in consistently building tag teams. The IIconics are only given microphone time instead of competing in matches and building the prestige of the titles. Rose and Deville seem to be barrelling to a break-up. Who would that leave as viable tag teams? WWE needs to put some more time and creativity into their women’s tag title scene.

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Video Packages To The Rescue

WWE has always been talented at putting together excellent video packages for their feuds. It turns weeks or months of convoluted storytelling and makes a cohesive narrative for fans to see. This week, two great video packages aired: one for the Charlotte-Becky Lynch feud, and one detailing Kevin Owens’ backstabbing people to get to the top. Both succinctly added to the feuds and gave any new fans an easy access point to both. WWE should make more use of these going forward, since they do a better job telling the story than the product does week to week.

Grade: B-

The show had two good matches, but lots of it felt like filler. The main event angle between Kofi Kingston and Kevin Owens didn’t feel much like a go-home brawl, and the women’s division was barely showcased on this episode. Hard to hate on a show that had a Shane McMahon coast-to-coast and an excellent fatal four-way, but the rest of the show really dragged it down.

One More Thing:

Kabuki Warriors is just not a good name. Maybe they’ll be the Kabuki Experience by next week. WWE should stop naming teams for a while.

#KabukiWarriors? We're guessing they're probably not I I C O N I C…#SDLive @BillieKayWWE @PeytonRoyceWWE pic.twitter.com/y0mveAV5pA

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 15, 2019

– Evan Gomes is the Managing Editor of Pro Wrestling for Full Press Coverage. Like and follow on Follow @EvanGomes_ Follow @FPC_Wrestling and Facebook.