WWE SmackDown Review: Results, Analysis, and Grades for August 30; Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Follow along with our review of Tuesday’s episode of WWE SmackDown Live.

On Tuesday night, the latest episode of WWE SmackDown Live took place. This saw the build continue for the WWE Backlash pay-per-view, which takes place on Sunday, September 11.

The main event of Backlash received plenty of airtime. AJ Styles hyped up his match with Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Championship with a promo, and then via a match with Apollo Crews. How did this come about? Who would walk out with a victory?

Ambrose was in action as well. He got featured in the main event of the evening against Baron Corbin. Could The Lone Wolf upset The Lunatic Fringe?

Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt continued their rivalry. What happened? Did they get a match confirmed for Backlash?

The SmackDown Tag Team Tournament continued with two more matches. One of them featured The Headbangers making their first WWE appearance in 16 years. They faced Heath Slater, who’s battling for a contract, and Rhyno. The other contest featured The Hype Bros vs. The Vaudevillains. Which team would advance to the semifinals?

A women’s tag match was also seen with four of the six competitors involved in the SmackDown Women’s Championship match at Backlash. Which team would walk out victorious?

Plenty was seen on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown. So, here’s a look at everything that happened on Tuesday, August 30.

WWE.com

Miz Talking Smack Promo Recap

We get a full look at The Miz’s promo from last Tuesday’s episode of Talking Smack.

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon are showed watching this. McMahon says Bryan should apologize because he can’t provoke a talent that way. He says to not get in the talent’s face. Bryan says it’s ironic coming from a guy who has beef with Brock Lesnar.

The Miz Promo

The Miz and Maryse storm to the ring. Miz says the fans shouldn’t be booing him after being pushed aside for weeks. Miz says it took months for everyone to recognize him. He says the Intercontinental Championship will rise to relevance because he has it.

Miz says he doesn’t like to get hit in the face because he’s a great champion. He says he finds ways not to get hit. Miz calls out Daniel Bryan for not apologizing. The A-lister goes on about everything that WWE has asked him to do. He says he does it all and never gets injured.

Miz says everyone thinking he’s unworthy makes them cowards.

Dolph Ziggler comes out to interrupt. Ziggler says Miz has made great points because he does it all. He says everyone sees through what Miz does. Ziggler says Miz just wants to walk a red carpet, hold a title, and be famous. Ziggler says he wants to face Miz right now that he can fight him immediately.

Miz and Ziggler get prepared to fight, but Miz backs out. He then rolls up his sleeves and goes to the apron, but backs away. Ziggler calls Miz a coward and causes him to flip.

WWE.com

SmackDown Tag Team Tournament MatchHype Bros vs. The Vaudevillains

Result: Hype Bros defeated The Vaudevillains via pinfall.

Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars

This is a match as part of the SmackDown tag team tournament.

Aiden English and Zack Ryder started this match. Ryder hit a dropkick and a few sharp forearms on English, before Gotch pulled him out of the ring to avoid a Broski boot.

English would take over with a unique attack on the left arm of Ryder. Gotch would tag in and hit a suplex for a near-fall.

Mojo Rawley got the hot tag and hit a big clothesline on English. This followed with two splashes in the corner and a fireman’s carry throw for a near-fall.

Rawley and Ryder hit the Hype Ryder for the win.

Rob’s Note: A bit of a rushed match, but the expected team won here. The Vaudevillains are going nowhere.

After the match, Ryder and Rawley get interviewed about winning. They say they’re winning the titles at Backlash.

AJ Styles Backstage

We see Styles greeting everyone and comes up to Apollo Crews. Styles says he doesn’t recognize him. Crews spells out his name. Styles calls himself the “Face That Run the Place”.

WWE.com

AJ Styles Promo

Styles says The Phenomenal One is here. Styles says the face that beat up and beat John Cena at SummerSlam is here. He says he’s the face that will also beat Dean Ambrose. Styles says Ambrose will see this face in his nightmares and at Backlash, when he gets crowned the new WWE World Champion.

Apollo Crews comes out. Styles demands Crews’ music turns off. Crews says he got permission to challenge Styles to a match right now.

AJ Styles vs. Apollo Crews

Result: AJ Styles defeats Apollo Crews via pinfall.

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

Styles and Crews traded quick offense, and saw the latter hit a dropkick. He then sent Styles into the apron.

We come back to see Styles in control, but Crews started coming back with elbows. He hit a few clotheslines. This got followed with a splash and take down. Crews also hit a moonsault off the apron.

Styles hit a forearm in the corner. However, Crews caught Styles’ attempt at a crossbody and hit a Samoan drop for a near-fall.

Styles hit a stunner off the ropes and the Phenomenal Forearm for the win.

Rob’s Note: Crews is slowly coming along. He needed time, and is delivering. Styles rolls on.

Heath Slater at Home

Slater brings Renee Young to his home to meet his wife. Rhyno is there as well.

Slater talks about his table and is presented with a plate of crackers and foam cheese.

Slater says being undrafted doesn’t make himself an afterthought. We then hear that he has pizza crust for dinner.

Slater says Brock Lesnar broke him in half two weeks ago. He talks about his match with Randy Orton and says it was icing on the cake. Slater talks about almost having a SmackDown contract, and says he didn’t mean to call Shane McMahon beautiful.

Rhyno shrugs when asked why he teamed with Slater.

One of Slater’s kids apparently drove away with his car.

Rob’s Note: Go out of your way to watch this.

Bray Wyatt Promo

Bray Wyatt says he fears no man because he is fear. Wyatt says Randy Orton isn’t a mythological serpent, but just a man, a man that believes he has venom running through his veins. Wyatt says this excites him and calls Orton “sick”.

Wyatt says he likes Orton being sick. He says the match with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam was interesting because it exposed Orton’s flaws. Orton is called “damaged”.

Wyatt says if Orton really has voices inside his head, then he hopes those voices are telling him to run.

Orton then comes out and stands on the ramp. He says the voices in his head are asking him who Wyatt thinks he is. Orton says he’s been damaged for a long time, and gives him his charm. Orton says Wyatt has his attention.

Wyatt says this is the Orton he has wanted to see. The Eater of Worlds says he admires this, but Orton is no longer the predator, and is damaged. Wyatt calls himself the predator and will kill. He says he will do this at Backlash.

Orton talks about his demons, and says Wyatt has his own. Orton says Wyatt has a match for Backlash. Orton says he’s not afraid of fear or kicking his a** right now. The lights then go out as Orton goes to attack.

Rob’s Note: This was a great exchange between Orton and Wyatt. They got into each other’s heads, and set up something that should deliver at WWE Backlash.

WWE.com

Alexa Bliss and Natalya vs. Naomi and Becky Lynch

Result: Alexa Bluss and Natalya defeated Naomi and Becky Lynch via pinfall.

Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars

Nikki Bella was on commentary for the match.

Natalya hit a move off the ropes, before Naomi hit a head-scissors takdown.

We come back to see Natalya in control of Naomi. She pushed Becky Lynch down, and tagged in Alexa Bliss. They threw down Naomi, and Bliss shoved her boot into the back of Naomi.

Alexa pulled Naomi away from a tag and threw right hands. Becky got the hot tag and hit a few clotheslines on Bliss. This got followed with a running forearm and dropkick for a near-fall.

Carmella came up from out of nowhere and attacked Nikki Bella, throwing her into the barricade. Alexa hit Becky in the eyes, and rolled up the Lass Kicker for the win.

WWE.com

SmackDown Tag Team Tournament MatchThe Headbangers vs. Rhyno and Heath Slater

Result: Rhyno and Heath Slater defeated The Headbangers via pinfall.

Mosh and Slater started this match. Mosh hit a springboard clothesline on Slater, and Thrasher tagged in. Slater took additional offense.

Mosh took out Rhyno from the apron. He and Thrasher then took out Slater with a double-team move for a near-fall.

Rhyno tagged in and gored Thrasher for the win.

Rob’s Note: Hi, Headbangers. Bye, Headbangers. That was fast. They also busted open both Slater and Rhyno in a five minute match.

WWE.com

Gary the Milkman?

Some guy named Gary the Milkman stepped into the ring and challenged for someone to come out to face him. He takes off his clothes, but begins to put them back on when he sees Kane come out. Kane chokeslams him and walks away.

Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin

Result: Match ends in a disqualiciation.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

AJ Styles was on commentary for the match.

Corbin hit a shoulder tackle and elbow on Ambrose to begin the match. Ambrose fired back with a takedown and knocked Corbin out of the ring. He hit a clothesline off the apron.

Ambrose hit a missile dropkick and running forearm in the corner. However, Corbin hit a lariat to the back of the head. He then knocked Ambrose out of the ring.

We come back to see Ambrose fighting back with elbows to the gut and a neck takedown for a near-fall. Ambrose then hit a neckbreaker.

Corbin hit a big clothesline He and Ambrose began trading clotheslines, until Dean got a near-fall.

Ambrose knocked Corbin off the top rope and dumped him to ringside. Ambrose hit a dive through the ropes.

Corbin hit Deep Six. He went to ringside and had a staredown with Styles. Ambrose hit a move off the top rope for a close near-fall.

Styles then got involved and caused a DQ. They brawled to close the show. Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds on Corbin and stopped Styles from hitting the Phenomenal Forearm.

Rob’s Note: A decent main event that protected everyone involved, except for Styles’ crotch that went straight into the top rope.

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