Smackdown
Date: December 29, 2023
Hosts: Jackie Redmond, Corey Graves

It’s the Best Of 2023 and that means we are in for quite the selection of clips. This is the same thing we got on Monday for Raw and it should work out well here. Odds are we’ll get some quick interviews from a few stars as well as this isn’t going to be much in the way of new material. Let’s get to it.

LA Knight welcomes us to the show and says if you’re talking about the Best Of 2023, everybody is saying LA KNIGHT. We see some clips of some big returns over the year, including John Cena, CM Punk and the Rock, betrayals and reunions, plus some big moments. We look at some title changes, plus the lack of Roman Reigns’ title changing hands. Knight: “What, am I Kayla Braxton in here?”

The hosts welcome us to the show and we start big.

From Crown Jewel.

John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa

Cena goes after the arm and hand to start, with commentary pointing out that he’s weakening the Spike hand. The hand is sent into the steps but Sikoa headbutts him right back down. A Banzai Drop hits Cena but it’s way too early for the Samoan Spike. Sikoa crushes him in the corner but Cena is right back with a crossface (not the STF Cole). That’s broken up and Sikoa hits a belly to belly for two.

Cena grabs a quick Protobomb but the AA is countered into a Samoan drop. Sikoa takes a bit too much time though and Cena gets up top for a high crossbody and a near fall of his own. A chokeslam of all things gives Cena two but Sikoa is back with Spinning Solo for two. Cena counters the Spike into the STF, sending Sikoa over to the ropes. Back up and Sikoa hits three straight Samoan Spikes but for some reason Sikoa won’t cover. The fourth Spike finishes Cena at 16:15.

Rating: B-. I said in my preview for the match that there was an interesting story to be told with Cena losing but I didn’t think they would go through with it. Cena losing his confidence and thinking that his time is up could lead to quite the story if he is gearing up for retirement, but now there are a few different ways to go from here. This also makes Sikoa look huge and I’m curious to see where this goes. Good ending here, even if the match was only pretty good for the most part.

Cena talks about how he came back to Smackdown in the fall and couldn’t believe the reception. He doesn’t know how much time he has left in WWE and he is forever indebted to WWE for their excitement. While he doesn’t know when he’ll be back, he thanks us for everything.

Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits want more in 2024 and are ready to bring home the gold.

We look back at Sami Zayn turning on Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble to one of the loudest reactions you will ever hear. Then we skip a few months and move on to this.

From Wrestlemania XXXIX Night One.

Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn

Owens and Zayn are challenging and it’s pretty amazing that they have made it here. Zayn starts with Jimmy but let’s make it Jey instead. Jey takes over and sends Zayn outside for a clothesline and posting. Back in and the champs start taking turns on Zayn, who gets to stagger around like he’s barely hanging in there as he does so well. Zayn finally gets away though and hands it off to Owens who comes in and goes nuts.

A Swanton off the top to the floor takes out both Usos and a bullfrog splash gets two back inside. The Swanton only hits Jimmy’s knees though and Jey adds the Superfly Splash for two. Owens pops back up though and kicks Jimmy into the corner for the Cannonball. Zayn brainbusters Jey into the apron and the Swanton gives Owens two on Jimmy in a near fall. Zayn’s Superfly Splash gets two on Jimmy and there’s the Blue Thunder Bomb but Jey comes in off a blue tag.

A jumping superkick hits Zayn for two and even more superkicks get two more, with Owens making the save. Double basement superkicks get two more on Zayn, who won’t give up. Owens breaks up the 1D though and sends Jimmy into the announcers’ table over and over. Jey makes the save though and it’s a double chokeslam to send Owens through the table. Now the 1D connects on Zayn for two and Jey is livid.

Jey unloads on Zayn in the corner and Zayn of course looks like he’s dead on his feet (or incredibly drunk), with a Helluva Kick from Jey making it worse. The trash talk is on but Zayn hits an exploder into the corner. Owens is back up for the tag and it’s a Helluva Kick to Jimmy and a Stunner to Jey….for two in a heck of a false finish (they got me there). They both stand up (Owens: “LET’S END IT”!) and it’s time for the barrage of superkicks.

Owens gets dropped and Zayn is kicked on the floor, setting up the double Superfly Splash for the very near fall. More superkicks drop Owens but he reverses a superplex into the swinging superplex, allowing the big tag to Zayn. The Helluva Kick in the corner hits Jey and, after Zayn whispers something to him, another Helluva Kick knocks him silly. Owens Stuns Jimmy and the third Helluva Kick finishes Jey and ends the title reign at 24:07.

Rating: A-. This was all about the moment and it was a smash hit. They had set this story up months ago and now they got the chance to pay the whole thing off. The last few minutes were the kind of situation where you could feel the big moment coming but they made you wait for it anyway. It was a heck of a match (cut out the superkick spamming and it’s even better) and the best way to close out a pretty awesome night.

Owens talks about what a moment it was and while he’s upset at how it ended, that’s another story. For now, he’s ready to beat Santos Escobar and get his hands on Logan Paul and the US Title. Then he high fives Cathy Kelly with his broken hand but accepts responsibility for the mistake.

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller offer their New Year’s resolutions: win pretty much everything. Then they get annoyed because Kevin Owens’ question pops up on the ticker.

We look at the Rock’s surprise return to Smackdown in a pretty awesome moment.

Bianca Belair joins us to talk about how big 2023 really was but now she wants the Women’s Title back. She talks about her Wrestlemania entrance being so special before moving on to the debut of he reality show focusing on her life with Montez Ford.

Quick look at the Women’s WarGames match from Survivor Series.

Bayley wants Damage CTRL to focus on the good things, like Iyo Sky winning the Women’s Title and Kairi Sane returning.

We see the Bray Wyatt tribute video.

We look at the holiday tour, including the MSG show.

Nick Aldis previews next week’s Smackdown but Pretty Deadly interrupt. They want the Tag Team Titles but instead get a match with Butch and the partner of his choosing.

From Crown Jewel.

US Title: Logan Paul vs. Rey Mysterio

Paul is challenging and drives said vehicle into the arena. Rey can’t do much with the power game to start and then cranks on the arm. Back up and Rey takes him down with Paul bailing out to the floor. The headscissors sends Paul into 619 position but he sends Rey to the apron instead. A Death Valley Driver into the corner sets up a Lionsault for two on Rey and Paul hammers on the ribs in the corner.

The waistlock stays on the ribs so Rey gets creative by stomping on the foot. Paul grabs a gorilla press drop into a Warrior Splash for two. The bearhug into an over the shoulder backbreaker has Rey in more trouble but he armdrags Paul into the post. A high crossbody gives Rey two but Paul is back up with a slingshot Swanton for two. Rey shrugs if off and pulls him into a crossface, sending Paul crawling over to the ropes.

A springboard moonsault is loaded up but Paul has to catch Rey before he spikes his head on the mat. They go up, where Paul hits a flipping fall away slam for two in a heck of a crash. Rey tries a 619 but Paul pulls him out of the air and takes them up top. A super electric chair is countered into a superbomb, followed by a Code Red to give Rey two. Cue a member of Paul’s entourage to give Paul some brass knuckles but Rey breaks it up. Santos Escobar comes out to take care of the goon but Paul knocks Rey cold with the knuckles for the pin and the title at 17:53.

Rating: B. That’s exactly what it should have been and the ending fit perfectly. There was no reason to keep the title on Rey and Paul has needed to win something for a bit now. There will be a long list of people coming after Paul and he’ll bring some extra eyes to the title. As usual, the match was pretty strong and I’ll take that combined with the right result any day.

We look at Santos Escobar turning on Rey Mysterio and putting him on the shelf.

Rey Mysterio joins us to say that his recovery is going break and he wants to get his hands on Santos Escobar. He talks about his Hall Of Fame induction, with Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley turning it into a mess. After praising Dragon Lee, Mysterio says he wants the US Title back too.

We look at a bunch of people coming from Roman Reigns.

Paul Heyman comes in to say he isn’t worried about any of Reigns’ challengers and then calls….Jimmy Uso, who pops up on the screen. Jimmy talks about how Reigns isn’t scared of anyone and how he’s about to call Reigns and ask him about some egg nog.

From Wrestlemania XXXIX Night Two.

Undisputed WWE Universal Title: Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns

Rhodes is challenging and hugs his family before handing his weightlifting belt to….AEW’s Negative One (unmasked) in the front row. Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa are here with Reigns and we’re ready to go after some rather long entrances (including Reigns demanding acknowledgment). They fight over a lockup to start with Cody getting a headlock (so Heyman can roll his eyes at the CODY chants). A right hand sends Reigns outside for some advice from Heyman (“You’re the relevant one. Now SMASH HIM!”).

Back in and Reigns hits some corner clotheslines but walks into a dropkick so Cody can start working on the arm. The Disaster Kick is countered into the powerbomb for two and Reigns snaps off some suplexes. They head outside and Reigns knocks him up the ramp so the fight can keep going. Cody gets the better of things as they fight back to ringside but Sikoa gets in a chair to the ribs. The referee didn’t see it so Reigns hits the apron dropkick to take over again.

Cody fights up again but Sikoa grabs a boot, allowing Reigns to nail a clothesline. They go to the floor again and it’s time to load up the announcers’ table. Reigns’ powerbomb is countered into a backdrop and Reigns is in trouble again. Back in and Cody hammers away with the Cody Cutter getting two. Reigns heads outside again and there’s the suicide dive. On the way back in, Sikoa gets in a belt shot to the back, which the referee hears for an ejection.

Reigns grabs the belt but gets superkicked into Cross Rhodes for a close two. Back up and Reigns catches Cody from behind, setting up a release Rock Bottom for two more. The Superman Punch is countered into the Pedigree for two more and Cody is looking stunned. Reigns’ spear is countered into a sunset flip for two and the Figure Four goes on (complete with WOO).

Reigns makes the ropes so Cody goes to the apron (Cody: “Fight Cody.”) and they slug it out. Cody misses something off the top and gets speared down for two. Reigns is so frustrated that he unloads with forearms and grabs the guillotine. The arm comes up so Reigns grabs the bodyscissors to really cinch it in. Cody manages to slip his head out and hammers away but the referee gets bumped. Reigns hits a Superman Punch and Cody hits a clothesline to put them both down.

It’s Cody up first and the Cross Rhodes is loaded up but cue the Usos for the double superkick. The 1D drops Cody again but here are Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (through the crowd for some reason) for the save. The Stunner into the Helluva Kick drops Reigns and the teams fight off, leaving Cody to get a very delayed two. They slug it out until Reigns misses the Superman Punch and Cody hits the Flip Flop and Fly into the Bionic Elbow. Cross Rhodes and Cross Rhodes connect but Heyman offers a distraction so Sikoa can come back in with the Samoan Spike. Reigns hits the spear to retain at 34:37.

Rating: B+. It felt like a major showdown here and the reactions from the crowd were great. The back and forth action was outstanding and I wasn’t sure how it was going until the ending. At the same time though…..wow that is a heck of a way to go, as Reigns doesn’t really have anyone left to face. It felt like a Wrestlemania main event and a huge fight, but egads that is a bold choice for the future. Cody was protected, but it’s going to take some time to come back from this kind of a loss.

We run down next week’s stacked Raw, NXT and Smackdown to wrap it up.

Overall Rating: B. This was another good look at a lot of what you have seen this year and WWE really has done quite a few awesome things. WWE knows how to pick a lot of their best and making them feel epic and that is what they did here. In addition they looked ahead at what be a pretty huge next week. It’s a nice way to wrap up the year and now there is a lot of good stuff still to come.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Smackdown
Date: December 22, 2023
Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We’re taped this week for what might be the final Smackdown of the year. Things got interesting to end last week’s show as AJ Styles made his return to go after the Bloodline. At the same time though, he also went after LA Knight, which could have some Royal Rumble implications. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Roman Reigns returning and the challengers lining up, including the returning AJ Styles.

Here is Styles to get things going. Styles talks about how Randy Orton and LA Knight want to face Roman Reigns. He can’t blame them, but he’s at the front of the line to face Reigns. Cue Knight to say he gets Reigns first and the fans are going to be saying his name, but Styles can be first on Knight’s list.

Styles brings up Knight using Styles’ absence to get into the Crown Jewel title shot but here is Orton to interrupt. Orton says this ring is his home but Knight says the Bloodline hasn’t taken him out yet. Cue Nick Aldis to say the three of them can fight in two weeks for the Royal Rumble shot at Reigns. Works for Styles, who tells them both to stay away tonight when he faces Solo Sikoa.

Shotzi/Bianca Belair/Zelina Vega/Michin vs. Damage CTRL

This is Holiday Havoc, the Christmas themed street fight. It’s a big brawl to start with Belair dropkicking Sky into the corner to start. Bayley makes a save but Shotzi is back in with a present. That would be a chair but Bayley blocks the drop toehold onto said chair. Instead Shotzi uses the chair for a springboard dive onto Bayley.

Shotzi hits a big dive but the villains clear the ring with kendo sticks. Belair and Shotzi get their own sticks for their own house cleaning but it takes too long to set up a table. We take a break and come back with everyone down until Vega sends Sky outside. Belair sunset flips Bayley for two and a Doomsday Dropkick, with a trashcan over the head, drops Sky for the same.

Vega drops Sane but gets misted by Asuka, allowing the villains to go for some big boxes. Those contain…Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre, who wreck Sane and Asuka. Bayley gets caught with the KOD and Michin gives Sky Eat Defeat. The top rope backsplash through the table gives Michin the pin on Sky at 12:43.

Rating: B-. I can go or these goofy, completely out there matches and that’s what we had here. It was a fun, goofy match and that’s all it needed to be, though Michin is likely to get a one off title shot out of this. There are worse ways to go for her and throwing in the returns of Dawn and Fyre make this all the more interesting.

Jimmy Uso talks to Solo Sikoa about audibles as Roman Reigns looks annoyed. He wants Nick Aldis here now.

NXT North American Title: Butch vs. Dragon Lee

Lee is defending and works on the wrist to start. Butch punches him in the face but Lee manages a slingshot dropkick in the corner. The running dive to the floor is cut off though and we take a break with Lee in trouble. Back with Butch stomping on the hands until Lee snaps off a running hurricanrana over the top and out to the floor. They get back inside where Butch hits a sitout powerbomb for two, setting up a chop off.

Lee gets the better of things and hits his own sitout powerbomb for two of his own. Butch gets tied in the Tree of Woe but is fine enough snap Lee’s fingers. Since fingers aren’t needed, Lee hits the top rope double stomp for two. Butch’s Bitter End is countered as well and Operation Dragon retains the title at 9:46.

Rating: B-. More good stuff here with Lee getting to have another match against a more than capable opponent. That is more than you get most of the time and it worked well here. Lee’s status is growing more and more every week and the more title defenses he gets under his belt, the higher he’ll go. Good stuff here, though can we place find something else for Butch to do?

We recap the US Title #1 contenders tournament.

Paul Heyman brings Nick Aldis to Roman Reigns, who does not like Aldis booking matches without running them by Reigns first. Adam Pearce understood that, but Aldis says he’s the sharp end of the stick around here. Tonight, Solo Sikoa is facing AJ Styles and Sikoa will be fine. He’s a big boot who took care of John Cena in a way that even Reigns didn’t. Aldis is looking forward to getting to know Reigns better. This was good stuff from Aldis here, as he didn’t back down from Reigns and gives him a bit of a new adversary.

US Title #1 Contenders Tournament Semifinals: Kevin Owens vs. Carmelo Hayes

We get an insert interview from Logan Paul (these are GREAT ways to keep him involved when he’s not around) who says Hayes’ first win was impressive but now he has to face the DISGUSTING Kevin Owens. They lock up to start with Hayes taking him down for an early two. An exchange of near falls lets Hayes hit a dropkick and Owens seems impressed. Owens comes back with a right (as in still broken) hand, allowing Hayes to pull him out to the floor.

That’s fine with Owens, who sends Hayes into the steps as we take a break. Back with Hayes grabbing a slam, followed by an ax kick for two. A spinning faceplant gets the same but Owens puts him on top for a hanging DDT. They trade kicks to the face until Owens blasts him with a clothesline. Hayes manages a Codebreaker but Nothing But Net misses, allowing Owens to hit a pop up powerbomb for two more. The Swanton and Stunner send Owens to the finals at 10:20.

Rating: B-. That’s a fine way to get rid of Hayes, who came in and got a win on the main roster before losing to a bigger star. This wasn’t meant to bring Hayes up full time and they didn’t do anything they shouldn’t have done. At the same time, Owens has felt like the obvious winner of the tournament since the beginning so him in the finals was almost expected.

The OC comes in to see AJ Styles, who hasn’t been in touch. Karl Anderson asks if they’re good. Styles: “I don’t know. Are we?”

Karrion Kross promises to take away something else from other people. Of note: he seems to say the word “authors” and as the lights are lashing, two large men can be seen standing around him. Authors of Pain perhaps?

United States Title #1 Contenders Tournament Semifinals: Bobby Lashley vs. Santos Escobar

The Street Profits are here with Lashley, who starts fast with a running shoulder in the corner. Escobar manages to go up top but gets pulled out of the air and sent outside. We take a break and come back with Escobar hitting a suicide dive. The running knees in the corner connect twice in a row but Lashley fights his way out of a superplex attempt. Cue some men in masks to jump the Profits though, with the distraction letting Escobar grab a rollup for the pin at 8:19.

Rating: C+. That’s a smart move as not only did WWE need a way to get the almost unstoppable Lashley out of the way, but it also avoids the fans cheering for him over Kevin Owens in the finals. Escobar also seems to have some backup now and that could very well set up a nice six man tag against the LWO when Rey Mysterio is back.

Post match the masked men are revealed as Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza.

Butch is upset by his loss but he lost to the better man. Pretty Deadly comes in to mock him and the fight is on, with Nick Aldis coming in to tell Butch to find a partner for two weeks from now. That sounds Sheamus-y.

Logan Paul isn’t impressed by his potential opponents. As usual, he’s at his best when he’s talking down to people and that was on high here.

Here’s what’s coming in two weeks. Earlier tonight, a graphic confirmed that next week will be a Best Of show.

AJ Styles vs. Solo Sikoa

Styles strikes away to start but gets dropped with a shot to the face. Sikoa is knocked outside for a knee from the apron, followed by a slingshot forearm as we take a break. Back with Sikoa hitting a backdrop and sending Styles back first into the post. Another whip sends Styles face first into the bottom buckle and the running Umaga attack makes it worse.

Styles fights back and drops him as well, setting up a Lionsault for two. The Phenomenal Blitz connects but Sikoa grabs a pop up Samoan drop for another near fall. A forearm to the face looks to set up the Phenomenal Forearm, which is countered into a missed Samoan Spike. Styles gets back up and hits the Phenomenal Forearm, only to have Roman Reigns run in for the DQ at 11:33.

Rating: C+. I’m a bit surprised that Styles didn’t get a pin here but he did have Sikoa in trouble until the screwy ending. What matters is that Styles is back in the ring and looked like his old self. I don’t know if he’ll win next week, but having Styles back in any role on the roster is going to be something that helps out quite a bit.

Post match Jimmy Uso comes in to help with the beatdown but Randy Orton and LA Knight make the save. The Bloodline is cleared out but the other three get in a fight to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a pretty nice show with some good action and quite a few returns. They’ve also set up a pretty stacked card for New Year’s Revolution, which should be a big time event to send us on to the Royal Rumble. You have to do well n the way to a Best Of show next week and they did well enough, though I wouldn’t call anything here worth going out of your way to see.

Results
Shotzi/Bianca Belair/Zelina Vega/Michin b. Damage CTRL – Top rope backsplash through at able to Sky
Dragon Lee b. Butch – Operation Dragon
Kevin Owens b. Carmelo Hayes – Stunner
Santos Escobar b. Bobby Lashley – Rollup
AJ Styles b. Solo Sikoa via DQ when Roman Reigns interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Smackdown
Date: December 15, 2023
Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We’re getting closer to the end of the year and that means the Royal Rumble build is getting underway. In this case, that means we have a rare appearance from Roman Reigns, who is going to need a challenger for one of the biggest shows of the year. Odds are we don’t find that out this week, but we might get closer to narrowing it down. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Here is the Bloodline to get things going. Roman Reigns tells the fans to acknowledge him before telling them to shut their mouths. It’s promotion season because he is a fair Tribal Chief. If people are doing well, you praise them, but if they’re doing wrong, you smash them. Reigns says this man is the next in line if something happens to him and….after we pause for a RANDY chant, Reigns tells Jimmy Uso to congratulate Solo Sikoa.

Cue Randy Orton and, after a break, Orton promises that he’s coming for Reigns. After 18 months off, Orton wants everything from Reigns, so he’s starting by challenging him for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. Reigns laughs it off, saying he hasn’t thought about Orton in eighteen months. Orton has to earn his chance, but Orton calls Reigns a legend. Since Orton is a Legend Killer, who crouches down like he’s loading up the RKO, remember that Daddy is back.

Video on Carmelo Hayes, who is in the tournament to crown a new #1 contender to the US Champion.

US Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Carmelo Hayes vs. Grayson Waller

During Hayes’ entrance, US Champion Logan Paul insults Hayes, saying that while Hayes says he doesn’t miss, Paul has missed his entire career. After that pretty great line, Hayes starts flipping around to start and hits a quick dropkick. Waller is back up with a right hand and a hard kick to the face drops Hayes again. Hayes grabs a hurricanrana out of the corner and ties Waller in the ropes for the Fade Away (springboard legdrop with Hayes jumping backwards).

A springboard forearm and a running clothesline put Waller on the floor as we take a break. Back with Waller hitting a rolling Downward Spiral for two but Hayes gets a spinning faceplant for the same. Waller gets a boot up in the corner and hits a spinning Rocker Dropper off the middle rope (that’s a new one) for two more. Hayes’ springboard DDT gets him another near fall and Nothing But Net (top rope Fameasser) finishes Waller at 10:22.

Rating: C. The action was good enough and felt like a nice NXT match, which is about what you would have expected. Hayes is one of the biggest stars in NXT right now so giving him a shot in a tournament like this isn’t a bad idea. While I don’t think he’s going to win the whole thing, giving him a chance to show what he can do is a good thing as he is all but guaranteed to be up here sooner than later.

LA Knight runs into Randy Orton in the back and they both seem to want Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. Orton doesn’t seem to like that.

US Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory

Owens has a broken hand thanks to Theory (and Grayson Waller). Logan Paul gets in another insert promo here, insulting Owens’ physique and wardrobe. Owens works on a headlock to start before shifting into an armbar. The backsplash connects but Owens comes up favoring his hand, allowing Theory to bail out to the floor. A Cannonball from the apron hits Theory again but it’s too early for what looked like the Swanton. Theory is right back with a suplex onto the apron as we take a break.

Back with Owens hitting the frog splash but the hand means it’s a delayed near fall. The Swanton only hits raised knees though and Theory gets a breather. Owens strikes him right back down and strikes away though, setting up a one armed DDT for two. With Owens taking too much time going up again, Theory grabs a springboard Spanish Fly for a near fall of his own.

Theory puts Owens on top and tries a superplex, which even Graves knows is a bad idea as Owens reverses into his swinging superplex. They head outside again with Owens being sent over the barricade but he beats the count. That means a Blockbuster can give Theory two but Owens ties him in the Tree Of Woe. The Cannonball into the Swanton gets two but Theory kicks the hand to block the Stunner. Owens gets smart by hitting him with the case for the pin at 13:55.

Rating: C+. The hand played enough of a role in the match and that’s what it was supposed to do. What matters is that Owens seems all but guaranteed to be in a title match with Logan Paul sooner than later, which is a perfectly fine way to go. Theory’s fall continues, as he and Grayson Waller do well together but neither of them exactly win much of anything anymore.

Roman Reigns isn’t happy about Randy Orton and wants him handled. Jimmy Uso suggests Solo Sikoa but Reigns wants Jimmy to do it himself. A yeet, followed by an awkward stare from Reigns, is shared. Jimmy: “No yeet.”

Karrion Kross promises to recycle everything around here and suggests a bunch of destruction. Like Bobby Lashley destroyed him?

Kevin Owens is ready to face Carmelo Hayes, who comes in to say he respects Owens, but he’s coming for him. Owens isn’t sure what to make of him.

Commentary reveals that Charlotte will be out of action for nine months after a knee injury last week.

Bayley is happy with Asuka injuring Charlotte and hypes up the Kabuki Warriors. The rest of the team wants the rest of the titles, with Bayley seemingly entering the Women’s Royal Rumble and promising to take Rhea Ripley’s title.

Kabuki Warriors vs. Zelina Vega/Michin

Michin and Vega jump them in the aisle to start and we’re ready to go after a break. Joined in progress with Michin in trouble and getting taken down on the floor. Sane hits the sliding D to Michin in the corner for two and the Warriors hit stereo sliding kicks for two more. Asuka hits a clothesline but Michin manages a suplex for the tag off to Vega.

A running knee gives Vega two and a 619 connects, only to have Asuka hit her in the face. Vega flips out of the Asuka Lock for two and everything breaks down. With Vega being dropped onto the announcers’ table, some double teaming sets up the Insane Elbow to give Sane the pin at 6:17.

Rating: C. It’s nice to have the Warriors back, even if it was in a match that was little more than a squash. The team is valuable to have around as they have a history of success and can be used as he final bosses for the next hero champions. For now though, this was just a step ahead of a squash and makes other teams realize what they’re up again.

Jimmy Uso is worried that he’s being set up but Solo Sikoa doesn’t have much to say. Instead, he flexes the finger.

Santos Escobar is ready for Bobby Lashley.

Lashley, with the Street Profits, isn’t scared and the Street Profits say Escobar is losing.

Randy Orton vs. Jimmy Uso

Orton doesn’t waste time and starts hammering Uso into the corner to start. That’s enough to send Uso bailing out to the floor where he requests a time out, meaning we take a break. Back with Orton dropping him onto the announcers’ table for two and grabbing an armbar. Some right hands in the corner have Uso down again as commentary talk about how Roman Reigns might be making a mistake by picking Solo Sikoa.

Uso enziguris his way out of trouble and the running Umaga Attack gets two on Orton. A backdrop puts Orton on the floor again and we take another break. Back again with Orton making the clothesline comeback, followed by the powerslam. The hanging DDT connects but here is Solo Sikoa. Cue LA Knight to cut Sikoa off though and the RKO finishes Uso at 14:26.

Rating: C+. Orton is already looking like his old self in the ring and that is a good sign for his future. He would still seem to be on track for the big shot against Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, as other than Knight, I’m not sure who else would be in the running. Uso can still take loss after loss without being hurt and that was the case again here, as he should be fine in this role for a pretty long time to come.

Post match Orton stares at Knight, who keeps looking at his watch. Cue Roman Reigns to take Knight out and then go after Orton. Uso gets back in and Orton is beaten down, with the invading Knight getting taken out as well. Cue the returning AJ Styles to make the real save, with the Bloodline bailing. Styles decks Knight and stares at Orton though, which makes things all the more interesting to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a show about starting the turn towards the Royal Rumble, with AJ Styles’ return at the end being the big moment. Other than that, the tournament moved forward just a bit and we seem to be on the way to Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns. The wrestling wasn’t exactly tearing the house down but it did well enough. Things can really pick up for the Rumble build soon enough and they planted some seeds this week.

Results
Carmelo Hayes b. Grayson Waller – Nothing But Net
Kevin Owens b. Austin Theory – Punch with a cast
Kabuki Warriors b. Zelina Vega/Michin – Insane Elbow to Michin
Randy Orton b. Jimmy Uso – RKO

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Smackdown
Date: December 8, 2023
Location: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield, Kevin Patrick

It’s a big night as CM Punk is on Smackdown for the first time in about ten years, but it’s also a special event. This is the annual Tribute To The Troops, which is taking place on Smackdown rather than as a stand alone show. That should make for a pretty important show, especially with so much time to kill before the Royal Ruble. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

There are several troops in the crowd, including opposite the hard camera.

The War And Treaty sing God Bless America.

US Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Santos Escobar vs. Dragon Lee

Survivor Series rematch. Hold on though as here is Dominik Mysterio (defending the NXT North American Title against Lee tomorrow night at Deadline) to watch. Lee sends Escobar to the floor to start and there’s the big flip dive to follow. Back in and a superkick gives Lee two as JBL compares Mysterio to Gandhi. Escobar grabs a suplex for two and yells a lot as he takes Lee into the corner. Lee’s hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb onto the apron and we take a break.

Back with Lee slugging away and hitting a running forearm. A German suplex drops Escobar, who drops Lee with a superkick for two. The Phantom Driver is broken up and Lee grabs a sitout powerbomb for two of his own. Lee gets caught on top though and the Phantom Driver is good for the clean pin at 9:05.

Rating: B-. That’s a confusing way to go, as Dominik was right there to cost Lee the match but instead Escobar just beat him. I’m fine with Escobar moving forward in the tournament but do you have to weaken a #1 contender on the way to a title match? Either way, nice opener, even if it is part of a tournament with what should be an obvious winner (and it’s not Escobar).

Post match Dominik mocks Lee.

We look at Randy Orton signing with Smackdown last week. And RKOing Nick Aldis of course.

Aldis comes in to see Orton, who isn’t happy about teaming with LA Knight against the Bloodline. Orton doesn’t know Knight but Aldis says both of them want the Bloodline so it’s ok. With that out of the way, Orton gives him the check to pay for the fine from last week’s RKO, but he gives twice as much as needed. Orton: “That’s for next time.” That was funny.

We look at some previous Tributes To The Troops.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat. Rhodes says this is a special night because it is Tribute To The Troops. He is proud to be part of the team to carry on this tradition and thanks everyone here and around the world. We get a video on Tribute To The Troops over the years. Rhodes thanks the troops again and introduces the United States Army Drill Team.

Brad Nessler, who calls tomorrow’s Army vs. Navy football game, joins commentary.

Montez Ford, a veteran of the Marine Corps, wishes the troops Happy Holidays.

US Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Karrion Kross vs. Bobby Lashley

Scarlett is here with Kross. An early Hurt Lock attempt is blocked so they head outside where Lashley takes over. Back in and Lashley snaps off an overhead belly to belly as we take a break. We come back with Kross taking over and the camera going over to commentary. A Downward Spiral plants Kross and a suplex puts him down again. The spear finishes for Lashley at 6:39.

Rating: C. This was barely long enough to rate and was little more than a squash for Lashley. Given that Lashley is an Army veteran, it would have been stunning to see him lose on this show, or to Kross in general for that matter. Not much of a match here, but it was cool to have Nessler (who was fine) on commentary as a bonus.

We look back at Bayley accidentally costing Kairi Sane a match against Bianca Belair last week.

Bayley apologizes to Damage CTRL and volunteers to stay in the back for tonight. The rest of the team seems cool with it but Bayley looks nervous.

Here is CM Punk for a chat. He says this is the top of the hour so he won’t get his time cut, so chant for him all you want. Adam Pearce is trying to sign him to Raw and maybe those Raw fans were a bit louder. Punk says the fans are going to play a part in where he signs, so where do you want him to go? The fans seem to be pro-Smackdown, but they are even more pro-Punk winning the Royal Rumble, climbing a turnbuckle and pointing at a sign before main eventing Wrestlemania.

Apparently some people aren’t happy with this version of CM Punk so instead of “what do you all want to talk about”, it’s who do you want to talk about. Maybe Cody Rhodes? Punk has some stories, but what about someone who isn’t here? Like say, Roman Reigns? Punk acknowledges him, but remember that Paul Heyman was his wise man first. He knows Reigns’ cousins and shoutout to Main Event Jey Uso. If he scraps with Jimmy Uso, he has to deal with ALL OF THE COUSINS so he might need some help. Who could that be?

Maybe Randy Orton? LA Knight? Kevin Owens? He’s not sure about the prickly Owens, because the two of them are too much alike. Punk: “I don’t know who would feel comfortable teaming with someone who just punches people in the face backstage. I mean it’s 2023 ladies and gentlemen. You just can’t be doing stuff like that people. It’s insane.” After the big grin off that line (and a CM Punk chant), Punk talks about how there is one person who isn’t happy he’s back.

Punk isn’t putting any stock in that person though because he has a whiny voice and isn’t even the Man in his own household. The fans do the Seth Rollins song and Punk is glad that he’s having fun. He is going to announce his decision about where to sign on Monday and he is back to finish his story. That means main eventing Wrestlemania, which the fans again seem to like.

The Brawl Out/Jack Perry (pick one) reference was great (though the Heyman line was up there too) and this was much more the Punk promo people were wanting to see last week on Raw. Like him or not, Punk knows how to talk and it was on full display here. Good stuff, with Punk feeling it a lot more than he did on Raw.

Post break Punk runs into Kevin Owens, who doesn’t seem thrilled to see him.

Charlotte vs. Asuka

The rest of Damage CTRL, minus Bayley, is here too. Hold on though as Zelina Vega, Shotzi and Michin take care of the rest of the team so it’s one on one. They strike it out to start and head to the floor, where Charlotte is sent into various things. Charlotte gets in a shot of her own though and scores with the top rope moonsault (or some of it as least) as we take a break. Back with Charlotte sending Asuka face first into the buckle and grabbing the Figure Eight. Cue Bayley to break it up though and the distraction lets Asuka grab the rollup for the pin at 6:17. Not enough shown to rate, but this was about the Bayley interference.

Cody Rhodes runs into CM Punk in the back and finds it interesting that Punk might be in the Royal Rumble.

Video on a soldier who won the Medal Of Honor in 2015.

We look at Logan Paul getting into it with Kevin Owens last week, plus Owens suffering a hand injury in a match against Grayson Waller.

LA Knight meets Randy Orton, but CM Punk pops in to say good luck. Orton to Knight: “You ready for tonight?” Knight: “Yeah.”

Here’s what’s coming next week, including Roman Reigns.

Randy Orton/LA Knight vs. Jimmy Uso/Solo Sikoa

Orton pounds Jimmy down into the corner to start and it’s off to Knight for a sliding dropkick. Orton tags himself in (Knight doesn’t seem pleased) and it’s off to Sikoa for a rather serious showdown. Uso gets in a cheap shot from behind and we take a break. Back with Orton hitting a belly to back suplex on Jimmy to put both of them down. Knight comes back in and grabs a swinging neckbreaker but Uso offers a distraction.

That’s enough for Sikoa to grab a belly to belly and the slow beating is on. The running Umaga Attack connects in the corner but Knight knocks Sikoa off the ropes. A middle rope bulldog is enough for the tag off to Orton and house is cleaned. House is cleaned and Orton hits the powerslam before dropping Uso onto the announcers’ table. The hanging DDT (with a YEAH) connects but Sikoa breaks up the RKO. Knight takes out Sikoa and loads up the BFT but Orton hits the RKO for the pin at 12:14.

Rating: B-. Oddly enough this match was mainly about Uso in a few different ways. First off, Uso might as well have come into this with a shirt on that said “I’m here to take the RKO” and that’s exactly what went down (as it should have). At the same time, Uso is clearly having a blast with the over the top selling and movements, which is making him such a goofy heel who works perfectly in this spot. Nice house show style main event and the ans went nuts for Orton, as expected.

Knight and Orton seem to share some respect post match.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a surprisingly strong show, with the wrestling being fine, but the focus was on Orton and Punk. The two of them bring so much star power to the show and they feel like the biggest things in the world. That’s on top of Lashley getting a dominant win and Roman Reigns being back next week, plus Cody Rhodes here as a guest star. The star power was on full display here and it really does make the show feel that much more important. They also managed to weave in the troops stuff without going overboard and it worked pretty well. Good show, as they’re slowly veering towards the Rumble.

Results
Santos Escobar b. Dragon Lee – Phantom Driver
Bobby Lashley b. Karrion Kross – Spear
Asuka b. Charlotte – Rollup
Randy Orton/LA Knight b. Jimmy Uso/Solo Sikoa – RKO to Uso

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Smackdown
Date: December 1, 2023
Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We’re done with Survivor Series and that means it is time to start getting ready for the Royal Rumble. As a result, we are likely to need a new challenger for Roman Reigns and wouldn’t you know it, Randy Orton happens to be here tonight. That should be enough, but we also have some Damage CTRL issues to cover. Let’s get to it.

Here is Survivor Series if you need a recap.

Here is Bianca Belair to get things going so we see a video on the women’s WarGames match. Belair thanks her teammates for helping her in WarGames but she’s not done with Damage CTRL. She wants her title back from Iyo Sky so here is Damage CTRL (minus Bayley) to interrupt. Dakota Kai says if Belair wants the title match, she’ll have to go through the entire team. That works for Belair, but here are Charlotte and Shotzi to interrupt. The brawl is on, with Damage CTRL being cleared out rather quickly.

Post break, Damage CTRL runs into Bayley, who needs to be out there tonight when Kairi Sane faces Bianca Belair. Bayley looks worried.

Butch vs. Bobby Lashley

Lashley has the Street Profits with him. Before the match, Lashley (who is rather popular) says this isn’t what Butch wants to do. Butch goes right after him and gets powered into the corner for his efforts. Back up and Butch dropkicks him to the floor for a dive off the apron and a knockdown.

We take a break and come back with Lashley snapping off a suplex. The high angle spinebuster puts Butch down again and Lashley sends him outside. The spear hits buckle though and Butch manages some enziguris. A standing Sliced Bread gives Butch two but Lashley is right back with a running powerslam for the same. There’s the spear to finish Butch at 8:08.

Rating: C+. I’m really not sure what they’re doing with Lashley here, as he’s one of the biggest stars in WWE but he’s just kind of there on Smackdown. You could easily swap him into a main event or title program and it wouldn’t be a problem, but here he is instead. On the other hand you have Butch, who is stuck without anyone to help him and not being able to do anything on his own. If that’s the case, just make him Pete Dunne again already.

Video on the men’s WarGames match.

Paul Heyman comes in to see Nick Aldis and asks about Randy Orton being here tonight. Aldis is planning to sign Orton to an exclusive Smackdown contract tonight, even if it costs him the entire Bloodline. If that doesn’t work for Heyman, what is he going to do about it? Heyman: “Anything it takes.”

A banged up Butch doesn’t know why Ridge Holland walked out last week but Pretty Deadly comes in to mock him. The fight is on, with Butch getting knocked down by the numbers’ game.

Video on Santos Escobar turning on the LWO.

Santos Escobar is ready to teach Joaquin Wilde a lesson.

Santos Escobar vs. Joaquin Wilde

Wilde starts fast and knocks him to the floor to start for a nice looking top rope flip dive. Back in and Escobar ties him in the Tree of Woe for a running dropkick to take over. Escobar cranks on the arm for a bit until Wilde fights up. A dropkick to the knee slows Escobar down and a rolling DDT gives Wilde two. Escobar isn’t having that though and runs him over, setting up the Phantom Driver for the pin at 3:59

Rating: C. Escobar’s rise continues and it makes perfect sense to have him take out some of the LWO. Granted you might not remember that Wilde is part of the team as he has barely been around in such a long time. The big showdown with Rey Mysterio is coming but WWE is doing a nice job of getting him ready on the way there.

Post match Escobar stays on Wilde but Dragon Lee runs in for the save.

Adam Pearce comes in to see Nick Aldis, because he has his own contract offer for Randy Orton.

Here is Logan Paul for his championship celebration. Paul has a message to everyone who has been against him to start: WHERE ARE YOU NOW? There are people backstage who hate that he’s so good and now he has the US Title. Now he wants some challengers and we are going to have a tournament to crown his new challenger. People involved include Santos Escobar, Dragon Lee, Karrion Kross, an unnamed NXT star, Austin Theory, Grayson Waller and Kevin Owens.

The tournament starts next week but here is Owens to interrupt. Owens insults Paul’s energy drink and says the nightmare is ending when he wins the US Title. Paul says six seconds is five more than he needs to KO Owens, who says this is his world. Cue Austin Theory and Grayson Waller (the latter being Owens’ opponent tonight) to run their mouths, earning a right hand from Owens.

Kevin Owens vs. Grayson Waller

Logan Paul is on commentary and Austin Theory is at ringside. Owens starts fast but Waller gets in a shot to the back of the head to take over. A superkick takes Owens down as Paul isn’t worried about the winner of the tournament. Waller’s middle rope elbow gets two but Owens is back with a suplex. It’s still too early for the Cannonball so they head outside, with Owens nailing a clothesline. A splash off the apron connects as well as commentary asks if Paul is ready for Owens. Paul: “Even if I’m not, I’m going to pretend I am.” Theory offers a distraction though and Owens’ hand is crushed in the steps.

We take a break and come back with Owens hitting a frog splash, only to bang up his hand in the process. Owens manages a DDT and superkicks Theory into the corner. Ow the Cannonball connects and a Swanton gets two. Waller goes after the hand to block the Stunner and we hit the armbar. With that broken up, Waller ties the hand in the corner and tries a running kick, which is reversed into a rollup to give Owens the pin at 10:50.

Rating: B-. There is something nice about having the match built around Owens’ hand injury and then going with a rollup rather than Owens hitting his finisher in spite of the injury. Owens winning the tournament is a very real possibility and he already has the match with Paul set up. If nothing else, the talking alone will be worth the whole thing.

Video on CM Punk’s return. He’ll be on Smackdown next week.

Bianca Belair vs. Kairi Sane

Charlotte and Shotzi are here too. We go to the back, where Bayley seems worried so Iyo Sky tells her to stay here instead. The rest of Damage CTRL goes to the ring and we’re ready to go. Belair runs her over to start and snaps off a dropkick to take over. Asuka offers a distraction so Charlotte does the same. Only Charlotte gets caught so she’s caught, but Asuka tries to come in. That’s too much for the referee, who ejects everyone else as we take a break.

Back with Sane cranking on something resembling a Boston crab, followed by a double arm choke. Belair fights up and snaps off some slams, setting up the handspring moonsault for two. Sane is back with a shot to the face and another forearm from the top gets two more. They go out to the floor, where Belair Glam Slams her onto the apron. Cue Bayley to go after Belair, only to have the Insane Elbow broken up. The KOD gives Belair the pin at 10:36.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to see two stories in a single match like this with Damage CTRL’s issues with Bayley, plus Belair having to fight through the entire team to get a title shot. That could open up more than a few doors and I’m interested in seeing where both of the stories go. Either way, Nice main event here, as Belair gets a win while Damage CTRL’s issues continue.

Here is Nick Aldis, with Adam Pearce next to him, to introduce Randy Orton. The fans are rather pleased to see Orton but the GM’s start fighting over him. Pearce offers Orton the winner of Jey Uso vs. Seth Rollins (Orton is intrigued) while Aldis counters with the guys that took Orton out (Orton is again intrigued). Cue Paul Heyman to interrupt, saying there will be no RKO’s this evening, nor will Orton get to make a decision tonight.

The Bloodline will make Orton’s decision for him, so here are Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa to interrupt. The fight is on with Orton being beaten down, only to have LA Knight run in for the save. Jimmy is left alone for the beating and the RKO, leaving Orton to pick up the contracts. Heyman: “GO TO RAW! YOU’RE SAFE ON RAW!” Orton signs with Smackdown and Heyman isn’t happy. Orton says Heyman needs to call Roman Reigns because daddy is back. Aldis celebrates with Orton, who drops him with an RKO. Heyman calls Reigns to end the show. I’ll take that over a long running back and forth ordeal over where Orton should sign.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a show that was going at a slower pace, which makes sense as they have almost two months before the Royal Rumble. That being said, Orton signing and the announcement of the tournament, plus Bayley and Damage CTRL’s issues continuing make for a pretty packed show. They can start really hammering home more for the Rumble in the next few weeks, though they’re off to a good enough start.

Results
Bobby Lashley b Butch – Spear
Santos Escobar b. Joaquin Wilde – Phantom Driver
Kevin Owens, b. Grayson Waller – Rollup
Bianca Belair b. Kairi Sane – KOD

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Smackdown
Date: November 24, 2023
Location: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Kevin Patrick

It’s the last show before Survivor Series and as usual that means the best thing WWE can do here is not screw anything up. Becky Lynch is the last member of Team Not Damage CTRL but her issues with Charlotte could create a problem. Other than that, the Street Profits get a Tag Team Title shot so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Becky Lynch joining the opposition to Damage CTRL last week.

Here are Lynch, Charlotte, Shotzi and Bianca Belair for a chat. Lynch steps around the idea that she is teaming with Charlotte and is rather excited about getting in a cage. Belair is ready to make it violent against Damage CTRL and Shotzi is WAY too excited about the violence. Charlotte: “Yeah what Shotzi said.” Cue Bayley, who brings up Becky and Charlotte’s issues and points out that Becky was a last resort. Becky wants a fight so let’s do the tag match main event tonight. Bayley is in, with a partner to be named.

We look at the announcement (or close enough to one) of the return of Randy Orton on Raw. At least Orton is shown in this package.

Damage CTRL picks Bayley and Asuka for the main event.

Tag Team Titles: Judgment Day vs. Street Profits

Judgment Day, with Rhea Ripley, is defending. Priest knocks Dawkins down to start but Ford comes in with a dropkick to take over. A clothesline puts Priest on the floor and Ford dives onto Balor. That’s fine with Priest, who throws Ford over the announcers’ table as we take a break.

Back with Priest missing a charge into the corner and the diving tag bringing in Dawkins to clean house. A Doomsday Blockbuster gives Ford two but Balor grabs a Sling Blade. The Revelation doesn’t quite connect perfectly for two on Priest but Ripley breaks up the frog splash. Something close to a Bro Derek into the Coup de Grace retains the titles at 9:48.

Rating: B-. I was thinking there was a chance of a title change here to get the belts away from the stable before WarGames but instead they mostly played it straight. The Profits losing again is a bit weird but it might lead to more angry Bobby Lashley. On the other hand, Judgment Day has some momentum heading into the pay per view and that is a smart way to go about things.

Becky Lynch and Charlotte aren’t seeing eye to eye but Bianca Belair plays peacemaker.

Video on Dragon Lee, the future of lucha libre.

Here is Grayson Waller for the Grayson Waller Effect. He gets to the point by bringing out his guest Kevin Owens, which is Austin Theory in a costume. Cue the real Kevin Owens to say he is unsuspended and has never looked better. Waller says Owens cost him a match against LA Knight. Cue Knight to say he was going to let them talk, but then his name was brought up. That made him come out here and violence ensues with a tag match feeling likely.

Video on Cody Rhodes helping LA Knight against Judgment Day last week.

Austin Theory/Grayson Waller vs. Kevin Owens/LA Knight

We’re joined in progress with Owens running Waller over and handing it off to Knight to do it again. Theory is taken outside for some rams into the announcers’ table but Waller gets in a clothesline. We take a break and come back with Knight still in trouble on the floor. That’s broken up and the diving tag brings in Owens to clean house. The Swanton gets two on Waller but it’s too early for the Stunner.

The rolling dropkick hits Owens but Knight distracts the referee. A rolling Blockbuster gets two on Owens and a backbreaker keeps him down. Waller takes too much time following up though and Owens is able to get over to Knight for the needed tag. Everything breaks down and Knight powerslams Theory into the LA Elbow with Waller making the save. Back up and the BFT finishes Theory at 12:34.

Rating: C+. This was the latest step in rehabbing Knight after his loss to Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel and the process seems to be mostly complete. Knight has won on the last three Smackdowns and should be in for something big after Survivor Series. It’s a little weird for him to not be on the show, but at least he was in a big enough match the night before. That should wrap up this feud, as Owens has dominated it since the start and got another win here.

Bianca Belair talks to Becky Lynch and asks her to be on the same page as the rest of her team for tomorrow night.

Here is Carlito for a chat but first we look at Santos Escobar turning on the LWO and Rey Mysterio in particular. Back in the arena, Carlito rants against Escobar in Spanish and says turning on Mysterio was a mistake. Cue Escobar to argue over who was the REAL member of the LWO. The fight is on until referees break it up, only to have Escobar get in a cheap shot to leave Carlito laying with a bad shoulder.

Post break Escobar jumps Carlito again but Dragon Lee makes the save.

Pretty Deadly vs. Brawling Brutes

The Brutes have been having issues in recent weeks. Holland cleans house to start but gets knocked into the corner where Butch tags himself in. The stereo ten forearms to the chest are broken up, with Holland not looking pleased. Holland walks out, meaning it’s an assisted gutbuster for two on Butch. The comeback is on and Butch kicks Prince in the face for two. The Bitter End is broken up though and Wilson gets the rollup pin at 3:30.

Rating: C. This wasn’t so much of a competitive match as much as it was a way for Holland to walk out on Butch. The team has been teasing a split for a good while now and it makes sense to all but pull the trigger. I would assume that Sheamus is going to be back soon because he either has to pull them together or side with one of them, as he has always been the focal point of the group.

Shotzi wants Charlotte to talk it out with Becky Lynch.

Nick Aldis says Carlito is hurt and his match with Santos Escobar is postponed. Dragon Lee comes in to say he’ll take Carlito’s place so Aldis signs off on the idea.

Judgment Day promises to win WarGames.

Bayley/Asuka vs. Becky Lynch/Charlotte

All of the partners are here too. The villains are sent outside with Charlotte moonsaulting onto everyone less than a minute in. Back from a break with Asuka working on Becky’s arm until Becky fights up. The tag bring sin Charlotte to clean house with a boot to the face into a slingshot rollup gets on Bayley. Asuka breaks up the Figure Four with a Codebreaker, followed by a middle rope elbow/reverse DDT combination.

Becky makes the save so Charlotte kicks her way to freedom for the big tag. Everything breaks down and Becky hits a double DDT for two. A missile dropkick into the Disarm-Her has Bayley in trouble but Asuka makes the save. There’s the Manhandle Slam to Bayley but Charlotte spears Asuka onto the cover for the unintentional break. Becky yells at Charlotte so Bayley rams them together and rolls Lynch up for the pin at 11:44.

Rating: B-. And that’s how you build more tension going into the big match tomorrow. Becky and Charlotte have a long, long history together and bringing up the short form version of it here is a good idea. If nothing else, it would make them getting along tomorrow feel all the more important as they couldn’t even hold it together here. The heels get momentum going into WarGames again, and that should spell well for them tomorrow.

Becky yells at Charlotte some more and walks off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. While the wrestling wasn’t entirely the focus here, they did a very nice job of firming up some of the Survivor Series card. The men’s WarGames match is the big feature so giving the women some time made sense. The good thing is Santos Escobar vs. Dragon Lee got some focus, along with some things that have nothing to do with Survivor Series. This show had a nice balance and it flowed by quickly so we’ll call it a win.

Results
Judgment Day b. Street Profits – Coup de Grace to Ford
Kevin Owens/LA Knight b. Austin Theory/Grayson Waller – BFT to Theory
Pretty Deadly b. Brawling Brutes – Rollup to Butch
Bayley/Asuka b. Becky Lynch/Charlotte – Rollup to Lynch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Smackdown
Date: November 17, 2023
Location: Ford Center, Evansville, Indiana
Commentators: Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, Road Dogg

We’re eight days away from Survivor Series and the women’s WarGames match seems all but set and announced. Both sides could still use some adjusting and we might be seeing some of that tonight. We also have to deal with the fallout from Santos Escobar turning on Rey Mysterio and the LWO last week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of last week, with Asuka seemingly joining Damage CTRL as she turned on Charlotte and Bianca Belair. This is in no way similar to Drew McIntyre turning on Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso to seemingly join forces with Judgment Day because….well of course it’s pretty much the same thing.

Here is Damage CTRL, now with Asuka, for a chat. Bayley brags about how awesome it was to bring Asuka into the team and how powerful the team has become. She steals the NOT READY FOR ASUKA catchphrase, but Kai says not everyone in the ring is officially part of the team. Bayley looks scared, but Kai says it’s because Asuka hasn’t officially joined the team yet. Them she joins.

The challenge is officially on for WarGames against Shotzi/Charlotte/Bianca Belair, so here is Shotzi…..’s tank, as Shotzi comes in from behind. Charlotte and Belair come in as well but the numbers game catches up with them. Damage CTRL clears the ring without much trouble, despite Kai still being injured.

Post break Shotzi, Charlotte and Belair want revenge but need a fourth. Charlotte might know someone and Nick Aldis comes in to say he needs to know their fourth by the end of the night.

Street Profits vs. Brawling Brutes vs. Pretty Deadly

For a Tag Team Title shot next week. Prince, Butch and Ford start but Dawkins comes in to shoulder Butch down. Butch gets stomped in the corner as the Profits take over. Wilson is back up for some standing switches with Ford, leaving Butch to jump over them and bring Holland in. A DDT puts Wilson down but the ten forearms to the chest are broken up. Instead the Profits get hit with them until Pretty Deadly sends Holland into the steps. We take a break and come back with Butch cleaning house, including a tornado DDT off the steps to Prince.

Back in and a standing Sliced Bread gets two on Dawkins to leave everyone down. Holland superplexes Wilson but Prince tags himself in. Ford frog splashes the still down Holland, leaving Prince to hit the top rope legdrop for two. Bobby Lashley is watching in the back when B-Fab joins him. Back in the ring and Holland cleans house but Butch accidentally Brogue Kicks him down. The Revelation hits Holland to give the Profits the win at 10:57.

Rating: C+. You kind of had to tease some Brutes tension at some point as other than a one off win on NXT this week, I don’t remember their last important win. It also sounds like a way to bring Sheamus back to settle things, as he was always the focal point of the team anyway. For now though, the Profits winning a shot at Judgment Day the night before Judgment Day is in WarGames sounds like quite the setup for a title change, which would be a nifty way to get the titles away from the stable.

Bianca Belair talks to Michin.

Post break, Damage CTRL has jumped Michin.

We recap Santos Escobar turning on Rey Mysterio and the LWO last week.

Dragon Lee vs. Axiom

Axiom is a guest star from NXT and we get a quick highlight package (because WWE is starting to get the little things that go a long way). Lee takes him down with a headlock to start and hits a big running flip dive to the floor. Back in and a running corner dropkick hits Axiom as we take a break. We come back with Axiom hitting his own dropkick to the floor, followed by a springboard moonsault.

They get back in with Lee tying him in the ropes for a top rope double stomp. Axiom hits a dropkick into a running kick to the chest, only to have Lee grab a brainbuster. Something like flipping piledriver hits Lee but he’s right back up top. Axiom’s enziguri sets up a super Spanish Fly for two but Lee blasts him with a running knee. Operation Dragon (Destino) finishes Axiom at 9:30.

Rating: B-. This was the showcase that you would have expected from these two as they can do the high flying rather well. Lee continues to feel like a major project in the making and putting him out there week after week to pile up wins is a good idea. I could also go for more of Axiom, who has shown that he can work well with just about anyone.

Here is Santos Escobar for his big explanation. Escobar talks about the saying of “never meet your heroes”. He comes from a famous wrestling family, but Rey Mysterio was his hero. Escobar wanted the future generation to see him as the new Rey Mysterio, who became a father figure to him. Then last week, he realized that Dominik Mysterio was right all along.

Escobar earned the US Title shot and wanted to rebuild the LWO, but guess who did it instead. And then Rey brought in an outsider like Carlito! Escobar will only apologize for not hurting Rey even more and hopes he loses his leg. Cue Zelina Vega to yell at Escobar and slap him in the face. Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde come in so Escobar asks whose side they’re on. They try to talk him out of it and get jumped as well so here is Carlito for the save. Escobar was bringing the venom here and the justification makes sense. Rey vs. Escobar should be a hot feud when he gets back too.

We look at Kevin Owens filling in on commentary last week but getting suspended for attacking Grayson Waller and Austin Theory.

Grayson Waller vs. Cameron Grimes

Austin Theory is on commentary. Waller takes him down to start and hammers away before grabbing a chinlock. Grimes fights up and strikes away, only to miss the Cage In. Theory offers a distraction though, allowing Waller to hit the Dingo Driver (John Cena’s old Throwback) for the pin at 2:42. It’s sad to see Grimes as nothing more than a jobber to the stars as he’s done well when he has been given some chances.

Classic Smackdown Moment: Steve Austin vs. Booker T in a grocery store (the Green Frog Grocery Store for you history geeks).

Damage CTRL jumps Zelina Vega.

We look at Solo Sikoa crushing John Cena at Crown Jewel.

Here is the Bloodline (minus Roman Reigns of course) in the ring, with Paul Heyman honoring Sikoa for beating Cena at Crown Jewel. We get the tease of Cena showing up but naturally he’s not here tonight. Cena will never appear in a WWE ring again and Heyman gives him an official goodbye. Heyman counts down to Cena’s run in but there’s no Cena, because you’ll never experience that again and it’s all because of Sikoa. If Cena ever does come back, he has to go after Sikoa, because that’s who Cena is, but now he can’t speak.

Cue LA Knight (scheduled to face Jimmy Uso) to interrupt, saying the Bloodline is the only reason Reigns is still champion. That’s a problem and Knight is a problem solver. Knight is going to take out each member of the Bloodline until it’s just him and Reigns. We get a mocking of Heyman mocking Cena’s theme song before Knight promises to take Uso out.

Carlito vs. Santos Escobar is set for Survivor Series.

Out of options, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to make the phone call to….someone.

LA Knight vs. Jimmy Uso

Heyman gets a phone call and walks out with Sikoa, leaving this one on one. We start with the stomping in the corner until Knight is right back with a hard shot for two. Back up and Jimmy grabs a Samoan drop for a breather but Knight sends him outside. There’s the running dropkick through the ropes and Jimmy gets rammed into the announcers’ table over and over. Jimmy is sent over that table so we take a beak and come back with Knight avoiding a running Umaga attack. Knight grabs a DDT and a belly to back faceplant gets the same. BFT is broken up but the second attempt finishes Jimmy at 9:20.

Rating: B-. Knight loses big match, Knight comes back with some wins to regain momentum. This is wrestling 201 or so and it still works to this day. Knight very well could get a rematch with Reigns at the Royal Rumble to wrap up his story with them, though I’m not sure how you get out of that without Knight getting pinned again in a big moment. For now though, he’s doing well and keeping his momentum, with the back to back wins helping a lot.

Post match cue Solo Sikoa, with Jimmy knocking Knight to the floor. The Samoan Spike drops Knight…and Cody Rhodes runs in for the save. That’s interesting, as Knight could be brought in to even out Drew McIntyre, or it could be a red herring.

Charlotte made the phone call but she’s not sure if the fourth woman will be here in time.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here are Bianca Belair, Charlotte and Shotzi to announce their fourth team member. First, they officially accept the challenge but Charlotte talks about knowing what it means to turn on a best friend. There is a thin line between love and hate but if she’s going to war, there is only one person she wants by her side.

Cue Damage CTRL to interrupt before the announcement and say the three of them aren’t making it to WarGames. The fight is….well hang on as here is Becky Lynch as the fourth woman. NOW the fight is on and Charlotte goes up for the moonsault, which misses more wrestlers than Becky missed on Jeopardy. Cole even gets in a Jeopardy reference as Damage CTRL is in trouble to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was the Smackdown (or any wrestling show) that I like: they covered a bunch of things and had some good enough action at the same time. The focuses were on setting up the women’s WarGames match, plus LA Knight’s continuing issues with the Bloodline. Throw in a Tag Team Title match being set up for next week, plus the Santos Escobar/LWO stuff and this was a good show as WWE is rolling on the way to Survivor Series.

Results
Street Profits b. Brawling Brutes and Pretty Deadly – Revelation to Holland
Dragon Lee b. Axiom – Operation Dragon
Grayson Waller b. Cameron Grimes – Dingo Driver
LA Knight b. Jimmy Uso – BFT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Smackdown
Date: November 10, 2023
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Commentators: Kevin Owens, Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick

Crown Jewel is out of the way and that means it is time to get closer to Survivor Series. That could make for some interesting situations around here, as we already have a WarGames match set on Raw. I’m not sure what they have around here for a Smackdown version, though Damage CTRL vs. etc. is an option. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Kevin Owens is brought out as the guest commentator since Corey Graves is at home with his new baby. That old excuse?

Here is the LWO (Owens is a fan) to get things going. Rey Mysterio talks about losing his US Title at Crown Jewel, but the reality is that Logan Paul stole it. Paul needed brass knuckles to win the title, but here is Carlito to interrupt. He wants to talk about Crown Jewel, where Santos Escobar left the knuckles on the apron. The argument is on and Escobar walks out, much to Rey’s chagrin.

Bobby Lashley vs. Carlito

The Street Profits and the LWO are at ringside. Lashley runs him over to start and hammers away in the corner as B-Fab is watching backstage. The Hurt Lock is countered with a jawbreaker and Carlito manages a suplex. They head outside where Lashley gets in a posting and we take a break. Back with B-Fab still watching as Ashante Thee Adonis comes up to ask what she’s doing before they leave together. Carlito fights back and the seconds get in a fight outside. Montez Ford gets in a cheap shot to Carlito though and Lashley hits the spear for the pin at 9:28.

Rating: C+. This feels like it was more about the pre-match deal with Escobar than anything here. That being said, despite Carlito’s recent return, he wasn’t in Lashley’s league on his best day so this was the right way to go. Lashley feels like he could be an easy step away from the main event scene again, so beating Carlito, even with an assist, makes sense.

Post match Santos Escobar doesn’t get in to help but Rey Mysterio runs in with a chair for the save. Rey yells at Escobar and checks on Carlito….and Escobar jumps Rey from behind. Escobar gets knocked to the apron but he crushes Rey’s leg in the steps.

Post break Escobar is leaving and says Rey had it coming.

Kevin Owens says he’s turned on a lot of people, but even he wouldn’t turn on Rey Mysterio.

We look at Iyo Sky defeating Bianca Belair to retain the Smackdown Women’s Title at Crown Jewel with an assist from the returning Kairi Sane.

Here is Bayley for a chat. She has had a lot of success since Damage CTRL started and we hear about everything Iyo Sky has done. Then Kairi Sane returned and Bayley would like an explanation. Cue the rest of Damage CTRL, plus Sane. Sky said she had her own plan and it involve Sane helping her keep the title. Bayley brings up her knocking Sane out of WWE back in 2020 (and we get a clip).

Dakota Kai says Sane makes the team stronger and they’re just trying to take some weight off of Bayley. Sane says she respects Bayley as the leader of Damage CTRL. We get the tentative hug but here is Bianca Belair to interrupt. Damage CTRL points out the numbers game so here is Charlotte…..and Asuka. Apparently tonight it’s a six woman tag.

Video on Dragon Lee.

Dragon Lee vs. Cedric Alexander

Joined in progress with both of them running the ropes until Alexander dropkicks him to the floor. Back in and Alexander snaps off a tornado DDT, setting up the running kick to the back of the head. Lee is back with a dropkick to the floor for a running flip dive, followed by a sitout powerbomb back inside. Alexander sends him hard into the corner and they slug it out. Lee hits a basement superkick but charges into a running Spanish Fly. One heck of a Michinoku Driver gets two on Lee but the Lumbar Check is blocked. Destino finishes Alexander at 5:51.

Rating: B-. This is a good example of a match where you knew exactly what you were going to get as soon as the match was announced. They were able to go out and fly all over the place for about six minutes and that made for an entertaining spectacle. Alexander might not be doing anything important at the moment but he can still turn it on when he gets in the ring.

We look at Logan Paul winning the US Title at Crown Jewel.

Here is LA Knight for a chat before his match. Knight says Crown Jewel didn’t go as he planned and he could come out here and say things didn’t go as planned. The fans still seem to like him, so Knight talks about coming within an inch of winning the title. But then Jimmy Uso got involved and Knight was robbed. Roman Reigns needs to give Jimmy a raise but Knight isn’t done with the Bloodline until he wins the WWE Title.

Cue Grayson Waller (Knight’s scheduled opponent) to say Knight is blaming everyone but himself. Maybe Knight just isn’t the guy. Knight calls Waller a jackass and says the Grayson Waller Effect sounds like an STD. Waller doesn’t like being accused of being in his mother’s basement and the fight is on, with Waller taking some water to the face.

LA Knight vs. Grayson Waller

Knight clotheslines him down to start and cranks on the arm, with Waller bailing out to the floor. A slingshot shoulder hits Waller as this is one sided so far. Knight’s swinging neckbreaker seems to wake Waller up a bit as he hits Knight in the face. That doesn’t seem to bother Knight, who backdrops him to the floor, setting up the rams into the announcers’ table. Waller manages to send him into the steps and hit a hard clothesline though and we take a break.

Back with Waller stomping on the back and grabbing a half crab. With that broken up, the rope walk elbow gives Waller two. Knight avoids another elbow though and snaps off some alternating jabs. A DDT gives Knight two and the LA Elbow into the BFT finishes Waller off at 11:24.

Rating: C+. That’s all it needed to be as Knight needed a nice win to give him a boost after last week’s loss. Knight lost the biggest match of his career but he is already at least somewhat back on track. Waller is the definition of someone who can be built back up with a few annoying chats.

Owens gives us a slow motion video looking at his punch to Grayson Waller and Austin Theory two weeks ago. Telestrating is included.

Classic Smackdown moment: John Cena debuts and gives Kurt Angle a run for his money.

We look at Solo Sikoa laying out John Cena and possibly knocking him into retirement.

Owens shows us the punch again….so here are Austin Theory and Grayson Waller in person. They throw an empty water bottle at Kevin Patrick, so Owens says he’s about to get suspended (the penalty for getting physical tonight) and goes after them for the brawl.

Jimmy Uso is ready for LA Knight next week. He calls Roman Reigns, who makes him be a bit more serious.

Damage CTRL vs. Bianca Belair/Asuka/Charlotte

Belair slams Bayley down to start and the villains are sent to the floor in a heap. Charlotte boots Bayley outside as well and we take a break. Back with Charlotte sending Bayley flying with a fall away slam so it’s off to Sane. Belair comes in with a delayed vertical suplex but Sane gets in a shot to the face.

Some double teaming drops Belair on the apron for two and the beating ensues. Belair fights out of the corner but Sane pulls Charlotte to the floor. A shot to Bayley lets Belair get over for the tag….but Asuka pulls away and mists Belair. Asuka and Sane hug, with Bayley and Sky joining in. Charlotte breaks it up and the big beatdown is good for the DQ at 7:31.

Rating: C+. In a way, this felt like a way to turn this into a WarGames match, but they don’t have a ton of time left to make that happen. With only two shows left before Survivor Series, we have two weeks to find Damage CTRL a fourth opponent and announce the match. That could still be done, but that isn’t exactly leaving them a ton of time.

Post match the beating is on, with Shotzi’s save attempt not working well. Belair is back up but the beatdown is on, with the Insane Elbow leaving Shotzi laying. The villains pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a pretty by the book show and that isn’t a bad thing. On one hand, they seemed to set some stages for Survivor Series, but at the same time, it needed to be the kind of show that got things ready rather than getting ready to set things up later. What we got wasn’t bad, but I was expecting a little big more with the show less than three weeks away. Good enough show, even it might not have been the right kind.

Results
Bobby Lashley b. Carlito – Spear
Dragon Lee b. Cedric Alexander – Destino
LA Knight b. Grayson Waller – BFT
Charlotte/Asuka/Bianca Belair b. Damage CTRL via DQ when Damage CTRL attacked Charlotte

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Smackdown
Date: November 3, 2023
Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We’re taped this week as the roster is in Saudi Arabia for tomorrow’s Crown Jewel. That might make things a little lower energy for everything that they’re doing, though we should be in for some good stuff. Logan Paul and Rey Mysterio are set for a weigh-in of all things before their US Title match tomorrow. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the Bloodline having issues with LA Knight last week.

Here is Knight to get things going. Knight talks about how impressive it is for Roman Reigns to be Universal Champion for nearly 1,200 days but what is even more impressive is how fast that kind of a reign can end. Tomorrow is going to be a BFT to Reigns….who cuts Knight off (along with Paul Heyman of course). Reigns even turns his back on Knight on his way into the ring for a nice bonus.

Reigns says that he won’t tell this irrelevant town to acknowledge him because they already know. Instead, he introduces himself to Knight and includes a variety of monikers. He took his time off and is surprised that Knight stood up, but Knight deserves the credit for getting this far. The fans chant for Knight but Reigns says that ends after tonight.

Reigns has turned this place into a multi-billion dollar industry while Knight is a redneck version of Reigns’ cousin. Knight will be the next one but he won’t be the last one. That sends Knight into a rant about how he’s not just starting and Reigns better finish him, or the only bloodline will be running between Reigns’ eyes. Knight had that fire to him here and while I can’t imagine him winning, he’s come a LONG way during this feud.

Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory

Grayson Waller is on commentary after Owens punched both he and Theory last week. In the back, Theory talks about how much better his face is than Owens’ and says after tonight, Owens won’t have to wear a mask for Halloween. I’m thinking Theory forgot this was a taped show. Anyway Owens drives him into the corner to start but the threat of a right hand sends Theory outside for a breather.

Back in and Theory knocks him down before raining down left hands in the corner. Owens’ running clothesline sends Theory outside and another clothesline drops him again. We take a break and come back with Theory snapping Owens’ throat across the top for two. A suplex lets Theory stomp away in the corner but Owens suplexes his way to freedom. The pop up powerbomb into the Stunner finishes for Owens at 7:19.

Rating: C+. This feels like Owens’ “welcome to Smackdown” feud and odds are he’ll get to beat up Waller next week to complete the set. The match was a perfectly fine TV match, even though Owens never really felt like he was in danger. At the same time, Theory’s long all continues and hopefully he can shake it off and find something new to do.

Bianca Belair is ready to finish her history with Bayley, only to have Bayley run in for the brawl.

Logan Paul runs into the Street Profits and Bobby Lashley, who seem to be fans. With Paul gone, B Fab of all people comes in to talk to Lashley, who goes along.

Piper Niven/Chelsea Green vs. Shotzi/???

Non-title and the result of Green and Niven issuing a challenge because Shotzi doesn’t have a friend. Shotzi does have a friend though and it’s…Charlotte. Niven runs Shotzi over to start as Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn are watching backstage. Green stomps away in the corner but Shotzi rolls over and brings in Charlotte for the house cleaning. Niven blocks a rollup and brings Green in, only to have Charlotte hit a big boot for the pin at 2:54. So Charlotte is thrown into a tag team and beats the champs clean in less than three minutes. Of course.

We look at John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa being set up last week.

Here are Sikoa and Paul Heyman for a chat. Heyman is wondering how many realize that this is it for Cena. What did Cena expect when he started messing with the Bloodline? Sikoa asks why Heyman is wasting his breath talking to them when the two of them are here to talk to Cena.

Cue Cena, with Sikoa saying he wishes they could fight sooner, because Cena won’t be able to after tomorrow. Cena (sounding like his voice is about to give out) asks if that’s all Sikoa has to say. We all know that Sikoa only has a job because of his cousin, so tape your thumb extra tight tomorrow, because it’ll be stuck, uh, elsewhere. Cena’s voice was mostly gone here and even he acknowledged that there wasn’t much to say.

Damage CTRL is ready to take out Bianca Belair tonight, but Nick Aldis comes in to say the rest of the team is banned from ringside as only Bayley can be out there.

Pretty Deadly vs. Brawling Brutes

Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook match, meaning another themed brawl. The Brutes interrupt the slow motion entrance and we start fast with the forearms to the chest. It’s already time for the Shillelaghs to put Pretty Deadly down, followed by Prince’s hand being raked over a bar. Somehow Prince fights off the possible splinter injury and some double teaming puts Holland down.

Back in and Butch sends them outside, setting up the big moonsault to the floor. We take a break and come back with Holland grabbing a Boston crab on Wilson. Butch ankle locks Prince at the same time but that’s broken up as well. Holland grabs a Boston crab on Wilson, with Prince using a bar stool for the save.

Everything breaks down again and Butch snaps Wilson’s fingers but Prince makes the save. Holland powerbombs Prince through a table at ringside and brings in another table. Some double teaming puts Holland down on the floor though and Wilson breaks a bottle over Butch’s head. A middle rope Spilled Milk through a table finishes Butch at 12:22.

Rating: C+. It was another good enough match as Pretty Deadly continues their dominance of the Brutes. That being said, I’m a bit over these themed brawls. They have some good visuals with the unique weapons, but it feels like we see one of them every few weeks on one show or the other.

We look back at the opening Reigns/Knight exchange.

Paul Heyman tells Nick Aldis to have medics on hand tomorrow, because this is going to be a savage Reigns like you’ve never seen before. Heyman’s “I’ve been around a lot of Samoans” line was great.

We go to the weigh-in between Logan Paul and Rey Mysterio. Paul weighs 213lbs and Mysterio weights 175lbs and they have the trash talking standoff. Mysterio slaps him and a pull apart brawl is on. Nick Aldis being taller than both of them is kind of an odd visual. They didn’t have much to say here, but treating it like one of Paul’s boxing matches makes sense.

Crown Jewel rundown.

Bayley vs. Bianca Belair

Damage CTRL is barred from ringside. Bayley jumps her to start but Belair hits a hard shoulder to the ribs in the corner. A suplex plants Bayley and a handspring moonsault gets two. Some hard slams put Bayley down a few more times but she’s back up with a cheap shot and we take a break.

Back with Bayley sending her to the floor for an apron elbow. The chinlock slows things down a bit but Belair powers up and hits some running shoulders. Right hands in the corner and a spinebuster get two on Bayley, followed by a superplex for a delayed two. Bayley gets creative by using the hair to pull Belair into the post and a top rope elbow gives Bayley a few near falls. They go to the apron where Bayley misses a charge into the post, allowing Belair to hit a slingshot dive. Back in and the KOD is blocked so Belair whips her with the hair, meaning the KOD fan finish Bayley at 13:21.

Rating: B-. Bayley’s semi-downward spiral continues and there isn’t much for her to do at the moment. This was Bayley serving as a stepping stone for Belair before her title shot tomorrow, as well as Belair getting some momentum back after her hiatus. The match was good enough, but it really didn’t feel like a main event.

Post match Belair KOD’s Bayley through the announcers’ table to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was ok but it definitely felt like a show that was tacked together with stuff that wasn’t important enough for last week. The Reigns/Knight segment was good and there were some other nice pieces throughout the night but it was a show that you would be better off recapping later. Crown Jewel is what matters though and if that show is good, this show being pretty weak will be forgotten.

Results
Kevin Owens b. Austin Theory – Stunner
Charlotte/Shotzi b. Piper Niven/Chelsea Green – Big boot to Green
Pretty Deadly b. Brawling Brutes – Middle rope Spilled Milk through a table to Butch
Bianca Belair b. Bayley – KOD

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Smackdown
Date: October 27, 2023
Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We are eight days away from Crown Jewel and tonight we make the main event officially official with a contract signing between Roman Reigns and LA Knight. Other than that, John Cena is set for a Crown Jewel match against Solo Sikoa and that will likely get some focus this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Here are Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman to get things going, but LA Knight cuts them off mid entrance and gets in the ring for the contract signing (as emceed by Nick Aldis). Reigns isn’t pleased and it gets even worse when Knight sits at the head of the table. Knight cuts off Aldis’ introduction and says we know why we’re here so let’s get to the particulars. Knight says the contract states Reigns is going to hand him the title and signs without hesitation.

Reigns calls Knight an idiot and says Knight is in over his head because he’s never had a contract signing, or a title match before. He promises to make it easy on Knight and go gentle for his first time….but then pen doesn’t work. Heyman whips out a pen of his own and Reigns signs, with Aldis saying his work here is done and leaving. Knight says it might be his first time but he’s only going to need one time.

Since Reigns has been telling us about sufferin succotash, Knight has been telling everyone whose game it is. Reigns turns the table over on him and the fight is on but it takes too long to set up another table. Knight fights back but Jimmy Uso runs in for the save. That’s fine with Knight, who puts him through the table instead.

Carlito/Santos Escobar vs. Street Profits

Bobby Lashley is here with the Profits. Carlito and Dawkins start things off with Carlito getting the better of things. A Lashley distraction cuts him off though and Ford comes in to hammer away. Everything breaks down and the Profits are sent to the floor for a big flip dive as we take a break.

Back with Escobar fighting out of a chinlock and slugging his way out of the corner. It’s too early for the tag though as Ford blasts him with a clothesline and Dawkins comes back in. Escobar kicks him in the face for a breather and hands it back to Carlito to pick up the pace. We cut to the back where Logan Paul jumps Rey Mysterio. Escobar sends Carlito to the back for the rescue, only to walk into the Revelation for the pin at 11:49.

Rating: C+. Perfectly fine match here but with all of these losses piling up, I’m wondering if Escobar is going to be turning on Mysterio to cost him the US Title. Those losses are the mating call of a heel turn and it would be a big deal to have him go the other way and cost Mysterio. Other than that, it’s nice to see the Profits win as they are certainly getting somewhere with Lashley.

Paul Heyman has a custom title belt featuring the Green Bay Packers, which he’s going to give to LA Knight. See, this title is as close to winning a title as Knight or Milwaukee is ever going to get. Jimmy Uso crashes onto Reigns’ couch and says he’s been in the trainer’s room. Reigns says Jimmy ran the wrong play and needs to deal with this tonight. Heyman is off to make the match (after clarifying that it’s Knight vs. Jimmy, with Reigns half glaring at him).

Logan Paul is proud of what he did and runs into Kevin Owens, who has a Rey Mysterio shirt on. Paul walks off and Owens runs into Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, whose faces he wants to punch. Then he does it.

Cedric Alexander (he still works here) interrupts Dragon Lee. Alexander knows what it’s like to be in Lee’s spot and it would be an honor to face him tonight. Deal.

Earlier today, Shotzi thanked Nick Aldis for getting her the Halloween Havoc hosting gig. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven came in to interrupt with Green being rather rude, setting up a match for tonight.

Chelsea Green vs. Shotzi

Piper Niven is here with Green, who starts fast and takes her out of the corner. Shotzi fights back but Niven offers a distraction, allowing Green to take over. A middle rope Russian legsweep gets two on Shotzi but she catches Green on top. That’s fine with Green, who shoves her off and hits a missile dropkick. Green poses a bit too much though and Shotzi grabs a crucifix for the pin at 3:15.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time to do anything here but Green getting her comeuppance is always a good thing. Shotzi continues her push and has the charisma to go somewhere. I’m not sure if she can hang with the top of the division, but the fans like her a lot and that is what matters the most a lot of the time.

Here is John Cena for a chat. Cena talks about how the crowd is fired up but then gets serious, saying this is as hard as things have been since WWE wanted to fire him 20 years ago. Over the years, he has given his heart and soul and the fans have given him their respect. Crown Jewel is serious to him because for the first time in 20 years, he is in jeopardy of losing their support and respect. We get the YOU STILL GOT IT chants and Cena seems to be touched.

Cena says we can’t ignore the data and if he loses again, all of this might go away. WWE uses the term “must see” quite a bit but Crown Jewel is a must see for him because it is a must win. It is time to deliver, but here is Paul Heyman to interrupt. Heyman says he’s not here with hustle, loyalty or respect. We are here live in Milwaukee and Heyman thanks Cena for the house.

Heyman thanks Cena for 21 years and brings up Vince McMahon telling Heyman to make a #1 pick from OVW. Heyman picked Cena (Cena: “That’s true.”) and he has raised his children to be more like Cena than himself. Then there was Summerslam 2021, when Roman Reigns proved Cena wasn’t the best of all time in the world anymore. Cena is still the best communicator of all time though and could do this as long as Heyman has. Reigns can spear Cena and break his ribs but Cena can bring that back.

On the other hand though, we have Solo Sikoa and his Samoan Spike. If that Spike hits Cena’s neck, it takes away Cena’s communication and his connection to the WWE Universe. Heyman loads up the spoiler warning and here is Sikoa to jump Cena from behind. The Spike leaves Cena laying.

This was an interesting segment as Cena is talking about wins and losses like they matter, which is rather refreshing. At the same time though, there is something a little strange about setting up the Spike as this killer move that could hurt Cena’s career and then having Sikoa just come out and hit it. Good stuff though, which you probably saw coming with Heyman and Cena talking to each other.

LA Knight is ready for Jimmy Uso

Video on Cedric Alexander. That’s a good idea as he hasn’t been around in a bit so give the fans a quick refresher.

Cedric Alexander vs. Dragon Lee

Feeling out process to start with Cedric taking him down into an armbar. Lee fights back up and they head to the apron, where a double knockdown leaves them both on the floor. We take a break and come back with Alexander hitting a Michinoku Driver for two. Alexander tries another one but Lee slips out and knees him in the back. Destino finishes for Lee at 8:11.

Rating: C+. This was a nice little showcase for Lee as he gets on the show and beats someone with a little big of success under his belt. That video on Alexander was a good idea and they made me care about him enough for Lee’s win to matter. Good stuff here, as it seems Lee’s push is coming.

Video on Bianca Belair’s return last week.

Here is Belair for a chat. She’s glad to be back and we see a clip of Damage CTRL taking out her knee a few months ago. Belair talks about how much revenge she wants because she cannot just let this go. For once, she was consumed with vengeance and she took that vengeance to Nick Aldis today. At Crown Jewel, she gets her rematch against Iyo Sky for the Women’s Title. Oh and for a bonus: she’ll face Bayley next week. Makes sense.

Jimmy Uso vs. LA Knight

Uso knocks him into the corner to start but Knight is right back with an armdrag into an armbar. They trade trash talk until Jimmy gets up and chops away against the rope. Uso knocks him to the floor for a crash and we take a break. Back with Uso sending him into the corner but Knight explodes out with a clothesline.

Uso is back up first though and chops away, only to get caught with a reverse DDT. A regular DDT sends Uso outside and Knight rams him into the table over and over. Back in and the Samoan drop plants Knight but he catches Uso on top. Knight gets shoved down though and now the Superfly Splash connects for two. Uso goes back up but Knight runs the corner for the superplex into the BFT for the pin at 13:32.

Rating: B-. This was what it needed to be as Knight gets a win over someone associated with Reigns to make him look like a bigger threat. Knight is not likely to win the title in Saudi Arabia, but he is getting built up as an important deal and that is what matters most. I’m not sure what happens to him if he loses, but they’re doing the right things to get him there.

Post match Roman Reigns runs in to go after Knight but walks into BFT to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The talking was the important part this week as they advanced a lot of the stories they already had set up. Crown Jewel has mostly taken shape and they focused on pushing established feuds. That’s a good kind of show to have and next week can be the final push. There wasn’t much to be seen here in the way of wrestling and that’s ok here, as the big matches can come at Crown Jewel.

Results
Street Profits b. Carlito/Santos Escobar – Revelation to Escobar
Shotzi b. Chelsea Green – Crucifix
Dragon Lee b. Cedric Alexander – Destino
LA Knight b. Jimmy Uso – BFT

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