WWE SmackDown Results, Highlights, And Grades For July 31, 2018

Charlotte Flair vs. Carmella

As Paige announced earlier tonight, if Charlotte Flair wins, the singles match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at SummerSlam between Carmella and Becky Lynch will become a Triple Threat that includes “The Queen”.

Before the match, Carmella stirs the pot, stating that the “real tea” is that Becky is secretly rooting against Charlotte tonight. She doesn’t buy that they are actually best friends. Carmella also says she wants to face Becky one-on-one, because she knows she can win. However, she probably wants a singles match because it makes it easier for her to retain.

Becky looks on as Carmella starts the match with a “Moonwalk”, clearly confident after having defeated Flair twice.

Charlotte went for a high-risk moonsault early in the match, but Carmella countered and tossed her out of the ring. The announce team is playing up that Charlotte has ring rust because this is her first match back from surgery.

Carmella sent Charlotte into the barricade with a headscissors, and then she threw Flair at the timekeeper’s area to try and cause a count-out victory. More brilliant strategy right there from the SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Although Charlotte beat the count, she was met with a bevy of fists from Carmella, who continues to dominate the match.

Charlotte starts to come back after showing self-doubt (since, you know, she has lost to Mella twice) by hitting a moonsault on the outside. She hits “Natural Selection” out of nowhere, but Carmella shows great resiliency by kicking out. And Becky breathes a sigh of relief backstage.

Flair went for a Figure Four, but Carmella countered into a roll-up. Charlotte kicked out, got hit by a superkick, and then kicked out again to keep her title hopes alive. And now it’s Carmella’s turn to be frustrated.

Charlotte won this match with the Figure Eight, and we have a Triple Threat at SummerSlam.

Grade: C+, This was a better match between these two and a solid way to close out WWE SmackDown. Now it’s time to see how Becky feels about all this…