Posted in: Fox, Review, Sports, TV, WWE | Tagged: Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, fox, pat mcafee, paul heyman, peacock, recaps, ronda rousey, Smackdown, SummerSlam, theory, wrestling, wwe, wwe network, wwe peacock

WWE SmackDown Recap 7/29: Twas The Night Before SummerSlam!

Tonight is one of WWE's biggest events of the year, the annual summer spectacular known as SummerSlam.  So last night's WWE SmackDown on FOX was a great opportunity for the company to create an appetizer for tonight's main course and really sell to fans that tonight's event on Peacock and the WWE Network is must-see.  Did they accomplish that?  Let's take a look.

The show opened with the big match they had promised a week earlier: a Donnybrook Match between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus to determine who will contend for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WWE Clash At The Castle.

Drew McIntyre vs Sheamus – Donnybrook Match

So to answer your question, a Donnybrook match is essentially just a hardcore match with a bunch of stereotypical Irish props (wood barrels, bar stools, bars with beer, etc.) surrounding the ring where anything goes, except that McIntyre couldn't use his sword.  I'm sure many were disappointed they didn't witness a murder.

The match itself was fun, and both guys beat the hell out of each other.  These two always work pretty well together and are always willing to have a hard-hitting match, so it was a fun watch and an engaging way to open the show.  McIntyre fought off both Sheamus and Butch here to eventually blast his opponent with a Claymore for the pinfall.

Winner: Drew McIntyre

After the match, Theory interrupts an in-ring interview with McIntyre by beating him down with the Money In The Bank briefcase.  So they continue to plant seeds here that Theory will cash-in at SummerSlam and if he's successful in doing so, he'll then face McIntyre at Clash At The Castle to defend the title.

In other wrestling action on last night's WWE SmackDown:

Shotzi def. Aliyah

Ronda Rousey & Liv Morgan def. Sonya Deville & Natalya

The Viking Raiders def. The New Day

And after the match, smashed Xavier Woods' leg in a steel chair.

And in non-wrestling action on WWE SmackDown:

Happy Corbin And Pat McAfee Went At It Again

We Learned LA Knight Is (Unfortunately) Still In The Past

Jeff Jarrett Got The Worst Of A Street Profits And Usos Pre-Match Meeting

Theory Got His Comeuppance In The End

And that's that for last night's WWE SmackDown, and it wasn't a bad show all things considered.  Lots of action and stuff going on throughout, and I liked the teases of what could come out of SummerSlam between Theory, McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar.  Roman Reigns being absent, again, the night before he main events one of the biggest shows of the year was pretty lame, but was to be expected at this point unfortunately.

Till next time friends.

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