Welcome to prowrestlingwars.com, your number one source for all things professional wrestling! In today’s article, we will be reviewing the July 19, 2016 episode of Smackdown. This episode was a monumental one, as it marked the return of the brand split, with Raw and Smackdown each having their own unique rosters.
The show kicked off with the Commissioners and General Managers on the stage, outlining the rules of the draft. Raw was given three picks to every two picks for Smackdown, and tag teams were selected as a unit unless a GM wanted a single member. The first pick went to Raw, and Stephanie McMahon wasted no time in selecting Seth Rollins, showing that the World Title didn’t hold much weight in the draft. Smackdown’s first pick was Dean Ambrose, effectively splitting up the Shield members.
The draft continued with each show making their picks. Raw selected Charlotte, Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, and The New Day, while Smackdown picked AJ Styles, John Cena, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, and Becky Lynch. The draft also included several NXT call-ups, with Raw selecting Sami Zayn and Nia Jax, and Smackdown picking American Alpha and Baron Corbin.
In terms of in-ring action, the show featured several matches, although most of them were relatively short due to the focus on the draft. John Cena faced Luke Gallows, with the rest of The Club and Enzo and Cass at ringside. Despite interference from The Club, Cena managed to hit the AA and secure the victory.
Darren Young and Zack Ryder took on Rusev and The Miz in a champions vs. challengers match. Young made Miz tap out to the crossface chickenwing, setting up a future title match. Xavier Woods faced Bray Wyatt in a match that focused more on storytelling than in-ring action. Woods appeared to be hypnotized by Wyatt, leading to his defeat.
Kevin Owens was scheduled to face Kane, but the match never got underway as Sami Zayn attacked Owens. The show also featured a match between Sasha Banks and Charlotte, with Dana Brooke accompanying Charlotte. Charlotte and Dana emerged victorious after Charlotte hit Natural Selection on Sasha.
Chris Jericho faced Cesaro in a match that ended with Jericho hitting the Codebreaker for the win. The show ended with the WWE World Title match between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. Ambrose successfully defended his title, pinning Rollins after hitting Dirty Deeds.
Overall, this episode of Smackdown was a solid one, considering the focus was primarily on the draft. The draft picks were exciting and showcased the potential for fresh matchups and storylines. The in-ring action was limited due to time constraints, but the matches served their purpose in furthering ongoing feuds and setting up future matches.
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Sources:
– WrestlingRumors.net: [REVIEW: SmackDown – July 19, 2016: Split Em Up](https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/review-smackdown-july-19-2016-split-em/)
– KB Wrestling Reviews: [kbwrestlingreviews.com](http://kbwrestlingreviews.com)
– Amazon: [Thomas Hall’s Amazon author page](https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6)