Smackdown Synopsis for 8/21/20 (Welcome to the Thunderdome!)

By
Ian Abugov

It was great fun, but it was just one of those things. For five months, the Performance Center in Orlando has been quoting Sylvain Grenier, our tranquility island in an otherwise cruel world. This is the Smackdown Synopsis for 8/21/20. Time has come to move on to bigger and more grandiose things. Smackdown comes to us live tonight from the Amway Center, home of the Orlando Magic, and even more importantly, the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL. The center has become the Thunderdome, which will usher in a new era of excitement and febrility.

As of tonight, both Raw and SD will be shot here. PPV events as well. This seems to indicate that we are unlikely to see games with real fans in attendance until next year.
The dome will feature a state-of-the-art set, a video board, pyro, lasers, cutting -edge graphics, drone cameras, the whole making for a spectacular viewing experience. I wouldn’t be surprised to witness piped-in crowd noise and an application that will allow fans to be seen and heard, albeit virtually. Gone are the days of trainees banging on plexiglass.
The Thunderdome should make the Performance Center look like Danny Zucker’s backyard. Think of all the fun Retribution will have in these new digs. Sources tell me they’ve been shining their lead pipes all week long.

As you undoubtedly know, Summerslam will take place on Sunday the 23rd. Lots of seeds to be sown leading up to the event. Milestone events bring out the big names. Vince McMahon himself scheduled to appear live tonight.No chance in hell of Vinnie Mac missing out on the launching of the Thunderdome project.

Smackdown Synopsis for 8/21/20

The chairman of the board leads the show-off. Still, seconds into his allocation, he is interrupted by The Fiend, which gives us an excellent opportunity to sample some of the bells, whistles, and computer images of the new venue. The feeling is like test driving a Ferrari. The pumped in crowd noise makes MLB broadcasts sound like a library. In no time, Braun Strowman joins in as well. So much for three being a crowd.

The welcome wagon did not make it to the Thunderdome, but Retribution did. The group of close to ten stormed the ring, and the locker room emptied in two waves. While trouble-making faction fled, The Monster snapped, taking out his hostilities on Drew Gulak and Jey Uso.

Big E vs Sheamus

The tensions are still high from a week ago when Sheamus accused E of being the catalyst behind the pillaging tactics of Retribution. The ring is surrounded just in case there is trouble. We have the look of a Lumberjack match without the plaid and axes. Sheamus struck early with an Irish Curse backbreaker that yielded a count of two. E countered rapidly with a pair of belly to belly suplexes.

Sheamus then hit E in the face with a crashing knee coming out of a thwarted Brogue Kick. While Emustered a two count of his own, he did see the Celtic Warrior elude the Big Ending and then did the same to an attempted White Noise. Outside the ring, Matt Riddle clashed with King Corbin. Sheamus was momentarily distracted, which allowed Big E to roll his opponent up for the victory. The New Day member now has three consecutive victories flying solo. Meanwhile, Jeff Hardy is being attended to in the trainer’s room. A brace is placed on his right knee.

Smackdown Synopsis for 8/21/20

Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro vs the Lucha House Party

Calisto is the odd man out this week. We begin with Nakamura vs. Metalik. The Artist was quick to administer a knee to the midsection and a kick to the spine. Cesaro was tagged in, hit a powerbomb, and once again, we had a count of two. Notwithstanding double-teaming tactics, Cesaro was hurled outside the ring. Lince Dorado followed three moonsaults on Nakamura, but the Swiss Superman broke the count up at the last millisecond. Cesaro put an end to the confrontation by rolling up Dorado for the three-count. Then, tensions rose between Dorado and Calisto as Metalik attempted to dowse the flames. Curious booking, The House Party always taking one step forward then two steps back.

Jeff Hardy continues to be treated in the trainer’s room while AJ Styles exchanges pleasantries with the Golden Role Models.

Mandy Rose, never one to shun a good interview. She laments losing Sonya Deville as her best friend and even offers an olive branch to the latter. “I need to believe there still is good in the world and I say we put all this behind us; I choose to see the good in you.”

Cory Graves interviews Bayley & Sasha Banks

The commentator looks to have made something of a face turn as he attempts to shake things up between the tag team champions. Michael Cole previously carried out that role.
The source of the tension was Bayley, “suggesting” that Osuka face Bayley first at Summerslam before the Empress of Tomorrow would confront Bayley.

Then, a moment of glow in the arena. Naomi appeared and took the champions out with a double dropkick. She then challenged the pair to a beat the clock challenge. The individual who could beat Naomi in the shortest time would be the second to face Osuka at Summerslam.

Naomi vs Sasha Banks

Naomi came out like a puma with a pair of two counts in just over 46 seconds. Sasha retaliated with a couple of two counts at the 1 min 45-second mark and another a mere ten seconds later. This affair ended with Naomi tapping out to a Banks Statement at the three min-38 second count.

Bayley vs Naomi

Bayley out to end the hostilities as quickly as possible. She managed four two counts in the first minute of the bout. Bayley garnered another two count with two minutes to go but was stunned with a Rear View and lost the match. That signifies that Bayley will be the first to face Osuka at Summerslam.

The Empress of Tomorrow appeared and stated: “No one is ready for Asuka.”
Jeff Hardy has been fitted with a knee brace. Footage reveals that it was AJ Styles who kicked the back of Hardy’s leg during the fray with Retribution.

Sonya Deville  Addresses the WWE Universe

Always a stellar moment of any Friday night, Deville responded to Mandy’s call for a truce but was undoubtedly not singing Kumbaya. Fighting words from Ms.Deville.Prior though to speaking, she was offered support from Dana Brooke after the stalking incident the past week. Brooke received a slap in the face that must have been heard from Orlando to Orillia.
Sonya then stated,” You’re second-guessing your own challenge. …. Let’s up the ante. A no DQ match, the loser leaves the WWE. Hair or no hair, I’m tired of looking at you. You need to wipe those tears and bring your A-game bi***.”

Smackdown Synopsis for 8/21/20

Intercontinental TITLE MATCH

AJ Styles VS Jeff Hardy

This has IMPACT flashback feelings for sure. We await Mike Tenay and Don West, but they are nowhere to be found. The challenger enters the ring with a banty knee and a noticeable limp. The champion, beaming with confidence, as was the hare when he raced the tortoise. AJ had every reason to be confident early on. He methodically worked over Hardy’s right leg. Hardy bought a little time and created a small space with a jawbreaker. The challenger was barely able to stand at many junctures of this battle.

AJ would then fling himself over the top rope. Styles in a bit of trouble as Hardy was able to pull out a count of two. Styles would then hit a World Cup caliber Pele kick to elude a Twist of Fate. Hardy stumbled off the top rope, unable to bear sufficient weight on his knee.
A punch thwarted a Phenomenal Forearm to the gut. A Calf Crusher followed that, but Hardy was able to make it to the ropes. An attempt to administer the Styles Clash was met with a kick to Styles face, Hardy’s knee brace stunning the champion. An adrenaline rush permitted Hardy to stand tall on the top rope, hit a Swanton Bomb, and capture the IC title.

Kayla Braxton, who did a lot of scurrying tonight, was told:” I stand here with hope for everybody struggling.”The Horatio Alger-like Hardy limped off into the sunset.
Braxton then catches up with Styles backstage. The former champ is blaming the loss on Hardy’s knee brace while fuming at Joseph Park.

Smackdown Synopsis for 8/21/20

FIREFLY FUNHOUSE: Love is not in the Air

Bray Wyatt not exactly spewing Love. He states, “Love can actually be a terrible thing. Love can make the most glorious angel crash down with broken wings.” After staging a 21st-century version of a Shakespeare play using his puppets, Wyatt draws the curtain, metaphorically speaking. He then tells us to cast Love away and” Be more like him, the key is that he is built on rage and fuelled by anger. He cannot wait to get his hands on you, Braun.” Strowman appears and bellows, “I’m not finished with you .”

As the pair brawl in the Thunderdome’s garage area, Wyatt is thrown off a loading dock onto the concrete floor. An ambulance arrives on the scene immediately but is slow to leave and even drives in reverse after arriving at the garage door. The vehicle’s lights go out momentarily. The Fiend exits unscathed sticks his tongue out while laughing heartily a la Arthur Fleck. Smackdown leaves the air as we wonder just who will have the last laugh at Summerslam.

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