While Edge vs Sheamus was the moment the capacity crowd was waiting for, there were a lot impressive moments at WWE Smackdown in Toronto.
After a stop last week in Calgary, the WWE stopped tonight at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto for a live episode of Smackdown. While the Edge vs Sheamus match was the big moment in celebration of his 25 years in WWE, there were big moments throughout.
Here’s what went down at Smackdown in Toronto.
Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar on The Grayson Waller Effect
First off, Grayson Waller may very well be the most annoying superstar on the WWE roster so he’s doing his job well. Waller tried to drive a wedge between Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar which the latter shut down. This set up a match between Mysterio and Waller for next week. This is the second WWE Hall of Famer Waller is facing in recent weeks after holding his own against Edge.
Austin Theory vs. LA Knight – U.S. Title Contenders match
Anything with LA Knight is a highlight. It’s one thing to hear that LA Knight is over with audiences, but it’s another thing to experience it live. Before and after the event, there were “Yeah” chants everywhere. WWE better do something with this ASAP.
Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky and Bailey
This was a well executed match for the most part. It was long too, but it was so good, it didn’t matter. Flair and Belair worked well as a pair, weeks after their triple threat match at Summerslam. By the end of the match, the mutual respect between the two was evident which made for a quick feel good moment.
The Street Profits vs. The O.C.
The match itself was fairly good which is to be expected from such seasoned wrestlers, but what made it interesting is Bobby Lashley‘s music hit as he greeted them at the top of the ramp. It will be interesting to see how this budding partnership evolves.
Edge vs. Sheamus
This was the big moment. As expected it was a very good match with a number of near falls. Edge impressed with some Toronto Maple Leafs inspired gear. After the match, Edge told the crowd this would be his last time wrestling in Toronto as he didn’t have it in him physically (and I’m sure mentally) to make it there another time. It was a sad moment that added to magnitude of the celebration. Along with the montages that appeared throughout the episode, there was a sense of finality as Edge‘s future is up in the air now that his contract with WWE has expired.
Samy Zayn, Kevin Owens and vs. Imperium
There was some more Canadian content on this episode as Samy Zayn and Kevin Owens faced Imperium. Ludwig Kaiser plays the pompous mouthpiece for Imperium so well on TV and it translates well live. It’s pure comedy. The match itself was good, but Edge making an appearance put it over the edge (no pun intend). Zayn offered Edge a fitting tribute in front of his hometown crowd. It was a great way for Edge to potentially ride off into the sunset giving his contract situation.
Paul Heyman vs. Kayla Braxton
It’s not necessarily a highlight but it was a standout moment. As Kayla Braxton approached Paul Heyman for a backstage interview about the state of The Bloodline, Heyman made references to Braxton’s real life family issues with her mom and dad. Obviously, she was in on it, but it would be interesting to know who made the decision to bring her real life drama into the story.
To check out the latest episode of Smackdown, visit Peacock in the United States and Sportsnet.ca in Canada.
Related content:
AMINÉ, SAUKRATES, SADBOI, CLAIRMONT THE SECOND – BIG MOMENTS FROM MANIFESTO 2023
