Rewind-A-SmackDown 7/24/20: Sheamus-Hardy Bar Fight, Naomi on MizTV

Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/07/25/rewind-a-smackdown-7-24-20-sheamus-hardy-bar-fight-naomi-on-miztv/

This show is available for all POST Wrestling Café patrons – click here to download OR check your podcast app if you have subscribed to the RSS feed provided to all members.

Wai Ting is joined by Kristen Ashly (Bell to Belles, Association of Women in Wrestling) to review this week’s WWE SmackDown featuring Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus in a Bar Fight, Naomi addresses #NaomiDeservesBetter on MizTV, and Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki Cross for a shot at Bayley’s championship.

NEWS OF THE DAY

  • AEW dominates this week’s Wednesday Night Ratings
  • SummerSlam will not take place from Boston
  • AAA Triplemanía XXVIII postponed
  • AEW announces Warhorse as Cody’s opponent on Dynamite

SmackDown was built around WWE’s controversial Bar Fight involving Sheamus and Jeff Hardy, Naomi appeared on MizTV to address #NaomiDeservesBetter, Bayley pits Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss against one another for a chance at her championship, and Kofi encourages Big E to break out on a singles run.

Plus, your feedback and calls on this live edition of Rewind-A-SmackDown.

Photos Courtesy: WWE

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Kristen Ashly Has been nothing short of terrific. POST Wrestling roster rolls deeper than the NWO.

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Kristen was really great. As Wai alluded, I’m sure it was an awkward bit of timing for this to be the episode she was on, but I think her perspective was very valuable and a must-listen for wrestling fans. I’ve seen so much defense for this Hardy angle simply being chalked up to, “Oh well, that’s wrestling for you!” and it’s wildly inappropriate. That’s hot-shot carny shit, and WWE should have a higher standard on their programming.

Anyway, as usual, I didn’t watch the actual show. I think it’s interesting Metalik and Big E got some spotlight as the report of Daniel Bryan being involved in creative comes out. I doubt Bryan has a ton of say, but I’ll take what I can get. Maybe he can get Cesaro out of a soulless tag team and into the spotlight. Now I know I’m asking for too much.

I also agreed with Kristen’s take on the Naomi segment. It’s clear they’re almost mocking the hashtag. She’s very charismatic and has a strong connection with her fan base - something 90% of the roster lacks. She’s not my favorite in-ring by far, but she’s earned more than she gets. I hope it turns into more, although it’s clear she’s a talent who really thrives more with a live crowd. A crowd would really be propelling her forward right now. But who knows, this is also the company that supposedly wanted to revive Nation of Domination in 2020.

Fun post-show. I’d love to see Kristen back on again sometime.

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Totally agree. I understand why Wai might have felt a little bad based on the Main event, but Kristen was the perfect person to speak about this ridiculous angle. Someone who has gone through a similar experience & can really talk in great detail on addiction. I’m not against them doing an addiction angle, but like she said, this is so tone deaf. You can actually do a good job and educate people while entertaining them. This could’ve been really gripping, but it’s WWE. That JBL shit was so weird.

That’s my thing about the hardy/sheamus story. I don’t have an issue with them using real life issues In their storytelling, you see that in Hollywood all the time (two and a half men for example), however it’s just been bad for the most part. I haven’t watched the bar fight yet, but everything leading up has been a tough watch. The only thing I’ve liked was Jeff’s fire after the toast.

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I think the JBL thing was especially in bad taste. He’s doing “match analysis” for a bar fight. I assume the logic was to bring him on because he’s some celebrated/renowned drinker. So, he can speak from some sort of bar fight experience? So stupid.

There’s such a disparity between JBL, who likes to go out and drink the night away for fun with his buddies, and Jeff Hardy, a recovering alcoholic who has relapsed many times and battled this for much of his adult life.

Like, I like to go out to a bar every now and again and have a few with friends (pre-Covid). But, I don’t struggle with alcoholism. It wouldn’t be my place to comment on the struggle/mentality a recovering alcoholic goes through when they are at a bar. Same goes for a guy like JBL. Feels low-rent and in bad taste.

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I’m not defending anything, and I haven’t seen it yet but I would imagine the logic was based on the character of Bradshaw being in many “barfights” within the context of the show back when he was in the APA, that was kind of him and Ron Simmons thing. Now that was probably based on real life.

Yes. That’s what I meant. He’s portrayed as like the expert color commentator because of it. But, the difference being one of the competitors is a recovering alcoholic, something he (presumably) has no experience with.

Well, he has no experience with the recovering part at least.

Same thing as the horror show, my question with this addiction angle is who exactly is this for? I want to meet the person who thinks this is awesome. Not to disagree or yell at them of course. I just wanna know who is loving this? I just don’t understand who this is for.

Honestly, probably Vince.

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You’ve met me. I’m right here. I think this whole angle has been great.

If Jeff Hardy has no problem participating in it, then I have no shame in enjoying it. I’m not saying it’s some all time classic angle. Just compared to other shit in the company, I don’t think it is so bad.

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I don’t think the idea is a bad one, I think the execution has been horrible. Glad you responded though, I wanted a different outlook and I’m glad I got one.

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Yeah, I think you’re right.

I genuinely don’t care about the controversy surrounded the Jeff Hardy angle. To me, it’s not controversial and it being “tone deaf” or not is irrelevant. Difficult subjects shouldn’t be off the table when it comes to integrating them into a wrestler’s issues on screen. People know it’s a part of him, why not use it? It’s not as if he’s out there being a drunk, drugged up mess. The heel is taunting him for his past and he’s standing up to it.

If Jeff ends up messing up again it won’t be because WWE did an angle where a heel taunted him (but most will try and insinuate that it somehow contributed).

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Oh I don’t find myself offended or boycotting the angle, I just think it’s fucking stupid. No real controversy for me either. Just dumb writing.

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I don’t think it was that dumb. Next to everything else they’re doing I don’t thing it’s that bad. I do think that it’s a bit too overdone when it comes to Jeff though. Hopefully he moves on to something that feels new.

Again, I can’t speak to the actual bar fight on SD last night, but the story is that Sheamus is jealous that Michael Cole was speaking about Jeff Hardy after his matches, and by doing so showing a lack of respect. So in retaliation, Sheamus jumped in a car, hit Elias, then beat up Jeff Hardy and poured booze all over him so when the cops came they would think that Hardy did it. But then, since Hardy passed a breathalizer, he came back to the arena that night to avenge himself. Must be a very efficient police station, to do all that in less then 2 hours.

After that, despite Hardy being framed the previous week Sheamus was able to convince WWE management to give Hardy a drug test in the middle of the ring. Hardy who then peed like a race horse, threw his piss on Sheamus with the cherry on top being he still passed the test.

Then, Sheamus threw a “toast” via zoom where he was able to convince WWE management to put a ton of alcohol in the ring with a bartender as a way to antagonize Jeff Hardy. Jeff the babyface decided to beat up the bartender hired by WWE as FU to Sheamus.

Come on lol! Can anyone read this to a friend or family member and get even one response back saying “that sounds cool”.

I think we can agree it’s wildly inappropriate to have a match analysis breakdown over a bar fight that features a recovering alcoholic at least.

Truthfully, I’m not offended by it. My mindset is that if the performer is OK with, it’s none of my business to to say they should or should not be doing it.

With that said, if some people are sensitive to it, I 100% get it and can’t blame them for fast forwarding through it.

My issue is the same as @Paul_Scaltro it’s just bad.