Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro
Kevin Owens and Cesaro kick off Smackdown with a great contest. Cesaro hits a dropkick to send Owens to the outside and Owens stares down Miz and Sami Zayn. He drags out the Swiss Superman and unloads some punches. Cesaro hits some slaps and then they get back into the ring. Cesaro tries to hit his swing, but Owens scampers to the outside. He attacks Zayn and then Cesaro hits a flip to the outside. Cesaro pushes The Miz to the outside and then he hits a suplex in the ring to Owens. Owens uses a slight distraction from the outside when Sami comes in and gets an uppercut from Cesaro. Owens gets a quick roll and escapes victorious.
I really liked the psychology in the match and how they made sure the spotlight was on all four men and not just two. Many times you will see members of a multi man match get forgotten, but they have done such a great job at keeping everyone on a level playing field. Owens picks up a cheap win and I think there is a good chance that someone steals a win like this to become IC Champion on Sunday. Could it be Sami Zayn? Whoever it is, this feud continues to raise the game in a deep mid card roster.
Dana Brooke defeated Paige
Dana Brooke controlled most of the match until Paige reverses a clothesline and hits a running knee. Paige hits multiple knees to her stomach and then gets back into the ring. Dana is able to trip her upon entering the ring, breaks up a few attempts from Paige and hits the Samoan Drop finisher for the win.
Although I think Paige is being so underutilized right now, Dana Brooke continued to impress by really fighting with one of the best and keeping up. Like I said, she won’t be the most technically sound wrestler they have, but they already have those women. Brooke’s win over Paige shows us that WWE really wants more than one heel (Charlotte) in this division to be successful. More depth and more talent is never a bad thing in the Women’s Division when you have 5 hours of Raw and Smackdown.
