WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results: News, Notes As Carmella And Otis Clinch Money In The Bank

WWE Friday Night SmackDown featured the final singles qualifying matches for WWE Money in the Bank as Carmella prevailed over Mandy Rose, with help from another great promo and performance by Sonya Deville, while Otis defeated Dolph Ziggler.

Monday on Raw will feature an unnecessary last-chance gauntlet match to determine the newest participant after WWE went all WWE and killed Apollo Crews’ push dead last week the moment he got over.

Though WWE’s ineptitude in representation at the top and creating stars in general is sure to produce a final entry other than Crews, Apollo Crews winning a gauntlet on one leg could prove to be a career-defining moment.

A boy can dream.

The Money in the Bank Fields have now been set and are as follows:

Men’s Money in the Bank:

• Daniel Bryan
• Rey Mysterio
• Aleister Black
• Baron Corbin
• Otis
• TBD

Women’s Money in the Bank:

• Asuka
• Shayna Baszler
• Nia Jax
• Dana Brooke
• Lacey Evans
• Carmella

Last week’s broadcast of Friday Night SmackDown drew 2.187 million viewers and was the lowest viewership of 2020.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown Viewership—Last Five Weeks

• April 24, 2020—2.014 million viewers
• April 17, 2020—2.187 million viewers
• April 10, 2020—2.317 million viewers
• April 3, 2020—2.398 million viewers
• March 27, 2020—2.367 million viewers
• March 20, 2020—2.569 million viewers

From the Forbes WWE Vault

WWE Friday Night SmackDown Key Competition

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Mainstream News Coverage
• 2020 NFL Draft, Day 2

WWE Total YouTube Viewership for WWE Friday Night SmackDown 

6,767,370 views (Down from 7,578,216 )

• Most-Viewed: Mr. McMahon Turns off the Lights on Triple H’s Celebration (1,600,543 views) 
• Least-Viewed: Drew Gulak vs. Baron Corbin—WWE Money in the Bank Qualifying Match (223,038 views)
• Median Viewership: 553,653

WWE Friday Night SmackDown: Friday, May 1, 2020

Opening Segment Featuring Daniel Bryan and King Corbin

10 years ago Daniel Bryan’s reference to the dinosaur bones in Vince McMahon’s office would pop maybe 20 percent of the viewing audience. With WWE’s audience now whittled down to the hardcores, that number is now closer to 80 percent.

It feels so backwards that Daniel Bryan is the one schilling a WWE pay-per-view while his rival, and television heel Sami Zayn is the one staying home and taking a stance.

Daniel Bryan’s hair is quietly growing back to 2010 levels.

Daniel Bryan def. King Corbin via Disqualification

Michael Cole announced “for the first time ever” Daniel Bryan and Corbin would go one-on-one as if this was a match anybody was clamoring for.

Michael Cole legit teased Baron Corbin might throw somebody off the roof of Titan Towers. Tune in next Sunday for Murder in the Bank!

Good for Baron Corbin for shouting out Total Divas during this match. Real synergy.

The referee clapping back to Baron Corbin for calling his count slow (it wasn’t slow, it was two!) was both unexpected and hilarious.

Bray Wyatt Reads Braun Strowman a Bedtime Story about The Black Sheep

This storytelling segment could have benefited from b-roll of cartoon illustration.

Bray Wyatt was quarantined in the Firefly Fun House, weeks before his debut as The Fiend, before quarantining was even a thing in this country.

Sheamus def. Leon Ruff

Leon Rough has great facial expressions and makes an excellent jobber.

Michael Cole keeps talking about how Jeff Hardy has something to do with the fact that Sheamus has a problem with him. Cole better not depend on Hardy to fight his battles and start hitting the heavy bags.

Sheamus’ problem really should be with Kevin Dunn, he’s the one pressing “play” on these Hardy vignettes.

I’m guessing Jeff Hardy saves Michael Cole from getting beat up by Sheamus next week. That’s definitely an empty-arena storyline because If Sheamus grabbed Cole by his tie, a live crowd wouldn’t be chanting “Hardy!” they’d be chanting “YES! YES! YES!” 

Carmella vs. Mandy Rose—Money in the Bank Qualifying Match

Yes she’s smiling the whole time now, but Mandy Rose’s entrance is still a heel entrance.

Sonya Deville has been a revelation. There should be a rule that if an empty-arena match goes past 10 minutes Sonya gets to cut a promo during it.

WWE let Sonya Deville say the b-word twice. They’re serious about this push.

Sonya Deville’s promos have been so good lately, I’m now convinced that her V-Trigger is better than Kenny Omega’s.

The trainer kicked Otis out and asked for a moment alone with Mandy so he could check on Mandy’s injured knee. I’ve never heard of any trainer doing that, Doc is thirsty.

The Forgotten Sons def. The New Day

Michael Cole mouthing off to The Miz, just a stone’s throw from a segment where he was terrified of Sheamus, makes The Miz look almost as bad as his mustard turtleneck does. Miz clapped back with a sick Carole Baskin reference.

The key to getting a quality push on the main roster when coming over from WWE NXT is to sneak up on people, rather than be a Bayley or Finn Balor type where there’s nowhere to go but down.

Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler and Sonya’s plan, which is somehow supposed to end with Ziggler “making Mandy feel better” makes no sense.

Otis beating Dolph Ziggler with a comedy spot does not fit the tone of this feud at all. That’s like if John Wick ended in a water-balloon fight.