Grading each match on SmackDown Live (9/11/18)

This week's SmackDown Live included a SmackDown Tag Team Title #1 Contendership Match, Smackdown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair in action, US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in action, & Brie Bella vs Maryse in the main event. It also included a lot of hype for Hell in a Cell since it was the last SmackDown Live before the event.

---

Jeff Hardy vs Shinsuke Nakamura

An old rivalry was rekindled on SmackDown Live.

Result: Jeff Hardy defeats Shinsuke Nakamura via disqualification after he is attacked by Randy Orton. Jeff Hardy & Randy Orton then got into a brawl that Jeff Hardy once again got the best of.

Grade: B

Analysis: This was one of Hardy & Nakamura's better matches. Shinsuke Nakamura looked like a vicious competitor throughout the match, especially when hitting his vicious knees & kicks.

Jeff Hardy also looked great as the never say die babyface. This also continued the storyline of Jeff Hardy never being able to beat Shinsuke Nakamura due to Randy Orton being in his head.

The brawl after the match was also a nice tease of what we will see in the Hell in a Cell Match between Randy Orton & Jeff Hardy this Sunday.

Charlotte Flair vs Sonya Deville

Sonya Deville faced her toughest challenge on SmackDown Live.

Result: Charlotte Flair defeated Sonya Deville via submission with the Figure 8. Becky Lynch then posed as a fan in the crowd and attacked Charlotte Flair on the ramp.

Grade: B

Analysis: Sonya Deville continued to shine on SmackDown Live. Once Sonya Deville is able to reach her full potential on SmackDown Live, she will definitely win the Women's Championship in the future.

Charlotte Flair, on the other hand, did not seem to be herself in the ring tonight. However, she is probably saving her energy for more major matches. This was still an excellent match that did well to showcase Sonya Deville's strikes, submissions, and power while allowing Charlotte to have a fresh match on SmackDown Live.

Becky Lynch's attack after the match did well to help maintain an interest in this match as both competitors seem like tweeners at the moment.

Rusev Day vs the Bar

The New Day's opponents at Hell in a Cell were decided on SmackDown Live.

Result: Rusev Day defeat the Bar via pinfall with the Machka Kick.

Grade: B+

Analysis: This was an excellent match that showcased both teams excellently. Rusev & Aiden English were able to continue their Cinderella story. The finish was also excellent as Aiden English sacrificed himself for Rusev when he pushed him out of the way and took a Brogue Kick.

English's sacrifice is what allowed Rusev Day to get the win. The Bar also looked excellent in this match as they dominated most of it. However, since the Bar is already getting a title shot at the Super Showdown, it makes sense that a different team gets the opportunity at Hell in a Cell. New Day vs Rusev Day can steal the show at Hell in a Cell

Andrade 'Cien' Almas (w./Zelina Vega) vs R-Truth (w./Carmella)

R-Truth looked to continue his undefeated streak against Andrade 'Cien' Almas.

Result: Andrade 'Cien' Almas defeated R-Truth via pinfall with a roll up.

Grade: C+

Analysis: This match was rather uneventful and it might have been better for Andrade to get a clean win. However, R-Truth continued to look good in the ring while Andrade 'Cien' Almas was able to gain some momentum after losing to Daniel Bryan twice in a row. Zelina Vega & Carmella were also able to be involved in the match as Carmella tried to stop Zelina Vega from interfering in the match but ended up costing R-Truth the match.

This will allow them to be an underdog story (if they keep coming up short in matches) during the Mixed Match Challenge and when they eventually get a win, the crowd will explode. However, Carmella has been such a great heel so I'm not sure if it would be a great idea to turn her face.

Brie Bella (w./Daniel Bryan) vs Maryse (w./The Miz)

Brie Bella faced Maryse in SmackDown Live's main event.

Result: Brie Bella defeated Maryse via disqualification after the Miz pulled Brie Bella out of the ring. The 2 then got into a big brawl that ended with Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella standing tall.

Grade: B-

Analysis: It was wise of WWE to not have the two have an actual singles match as both superstars have some serious ring rust. However, since this was the main event, it would have been nice if WWE gave the fans an actual match (like Rusev Day vs the Bar) as the main event.

However, the brawl after the match was excellent. You truly didn't know who would come out on top during the brawl. Because Brie & Daniel came out on top, you now start to wonder if they can do the same thing at Hell in a Cell.