WWE SmackDown 05/29/18: Samoa Joe’s Ladder
About Last Night is a quick reflection on the matches and segments, or random observations, from a wrestling show that sticks out to us the morning after we watch them. If you would like to get your comments featured, chime in below in our comments section or tweet us. You can also help support us on Patreon.
About The Opening Promo…
Normally I’d try to combine all of the segments involving one feud into a single section, but goddamn was the opening of this episode of SmackDown excellent. Samoa Joe walks out and immediately grabs a ladder so he can climb up and unhook the briefcase that seems to hang above the ring of every show now. He then cuts a promo about Jacob’s Ladder but says that when he climbs the ladder at Money in the Bank there will be no salvation and it’ll only be him smiling when he wins and unleashes a reign of terror and fear onto SmackDown. After this promo I felt like it was impossible for him not to be in the match, because this was brilliant.
But then he brought up his opponent in the qualifier, Daniel Bryan, and mentioned sending him home to his family to watch the show as a broken man. This prompted Bryan to come out and want to do the match right then and there, only to then be interrupted by a hobbling Big Cass. Cass informs us that he was still promised his qualifying match and that he’d instead go the shot at Samoa Joe when he’s cleared… which was now as he attacked them with his crutch and the briefcase! Paige later backstage made this into a Triple Threat for the main event.
Everyone did a great job here, including – shockingly – Big Cass. He felt like a child walking in on the adults having a conversation and threw a tantrum. It also saved the first singles match between Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan in WWE for a bigger stage.
About Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger…
Tye Dillinger got to exist again, because he’s “The Perfect 10” and the upcoming WWE Championship match involves answering a 10 count. That may sound like I’m not into it, but I’m very glad Tye and his terrible haircut got to have a lengthy match with Shinsuke Nakamura. Tye’s strength is as a likable underdog who is easy to root for but never quite gets the job done, and he played it perfectly here as he took all of the punishment from The King of Strong Style but kept going. Nakamura was trying to count to 10 as he was on the mat to demonstrate what he was going to do to AJ Styles, but every time Tye found a way to get up an the crowd popped for each one.
Eventually he failed because of course he did, but it was a great use of him and I hope we get more of him. Even if he’s just “jobber to the stars”, he’s one of the best on the roster at doing it.
About The Dance-Off…
No one is going to convince me that this segment was excellent. Lana and Naomi had a dance-off, because both having dancing backgrounds, they’re both in Money in the Bank, and no one wants to see Lana actually wrestle a match. So we have Greg MCing this segment, explaining the rules in length like this is the damn Royal Rumble, and then we have Lana pull out a Spinaroonie while Naomi is doing her splits. After Naomi dabs on Lana, they end up dancing together because it’s all in good fun… UNTIL LANA GIVES HER A NECKBREAKER. All hell breaks loose as The Usos and Rusev Day get into it, with the faces clearing the ring to end the segment.
This was fun, we got to see some sick dance moves, and it sets up a mixed tag next week that oddly features Aiden English teaming with Lana rather than Rusev. Nothing to complain about here.
About The New Day vs. The Miz & The Bar…
The Miz and The Bar are a match made in heaven, and is something I didn’t realize I needed in my life. I know they worked together on Raw for a bit, but I don’t have time to watch that terrible show (and apparently neither does John by the lack of articles). They took on all three members of The New Day in a tag match and tore the house down. Smart tag team moves, excellent pacing, and exciting nearfalls made this the match of the night, and that’s saying something consider two-thirds of the main event. I would recommend this as the one thing to watch from this episode if you don’t have time for the whole episode, which was a great one overall.
The finish was wild, with Kofi Kingston jumping off the actual top of the ring post onto the floor to eliminate The Bar while Big E hit The Big Ending on Miz for the pinfall. It was an exciting sequence, and gave Big E revenge on The Miz for beating him last week after a distraction by The Bar. We still don’t know which New Day member is in the ladder match though. I’m still going with Xavier Woods.
About The Main Event…
The main event was the Triple Threat for the final spot in the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match between Samoa Joe, Big Cass, and Daniel Bryan. It was like having a steak and baked potato, but being forced to also eat the asparagus on the plate before you can get up from the table. It was fine, but it’s not what you came here for. Big Cass was the asparagus of this match. Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan were fantastic against each other, and Big Cass was a toy they played with between their confrontations. Cass did get the advantage at times, but you knew it wouldn’t last.
The finish was excellent, with Daniel Bryan hitting the flying knee on Big Cass to get him out of the picture, then Joe springing in as Bryan is trying to get the pin to put him in the Coquina Clutch and win via pass out. Bryan refused to tap, but Joe’s dominating sleeper knocked him out despite his best efforts. It put the right man in the match, while planting the seeds for a continued feud between these two heading into the summer.
What did you think of this week’s SmackDown? Let us know in the comments!
