Smackdown Live Review 10/25/2016

We are 5 days away from the second Raw exclusive Pay-Per-View and about three weeks from Survivor Series. Will the Survivor Series teams be revealed? What will happen with the AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose match? Let’s find out!

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WWE Smackdown Live comes to you live from Green Bay, Wisconsin at the Resch Center on the USA Network.

The show opened like usual with a backstage segment, this time with Dean Ambrose and James Ellsworth where Ellsworth thanks Ambrose for helping him get 2 wins over AJ Styles and asks if he can be in Ambrose’s corner tonight and Ambrose just says they’ll catch up later.

Bray Wyatt makes his entrance followed by Kane’s entrance.

1) Bray Wyatt vs. Kane. No Disqualification Match.
In a somewhat fun match, Bray Wyatt defeated Kane by pinfall after Randy Orton hit an RKO on Kane. At the climax of the match, Randy’s music hit, he came out to apparently help Kane and then hit him with an RKO before just leaving.
Opinion: Definitely an interesting turn in the Wyatt – Orton feud, but what does it mean? Is it a Randy Orton heel turn or are they just re-running the Daniel Bryan joining the family from 2014?

AJ Styles is being interviewed backstage by Charly Caruso and he says he can’t get James Ellsworth out of his head and he would rearrange Dean Ambrose’s face.

A Becky Lynch return graphic is displayed. Becky Lynch makes her return to Smackdown next.

As we return from commercial break, Renee Young stands in the ring as she announces Becky Lynch. Becky makes her entrance and short after she gets to the ring, gets interrupted by Alexa Bliss who tells Renee to get out of the ring and with after a big “Becky” chant Alexa gives more fairytale references about the journey of Becky Lynch and after a few insults tells her that her life is worth nothing. They have a fairly good word trade about their championship match at Glasgow, Scotland in two weeks time until Becky attacks Alexa. Becky keeps on the attack to Alexa on the outside until Alexa gets the upper hand, leads her back to the ring, hits a DDT, goes to the timekeepers area and grabs a can and sprays paints a yellow line on Becky’s back.
Opinion: Nice way to put a chunk of heat on Alexa and a good way to put Becky back on TV. This feud is really picking up some steam and we all should be excited for their match on November 8th. If I’m not being too clear, it was a fucking awesome segment.

A Susan G. Komen ad video is played.

2) The Ascension vs. The Hype Bros. Survivor Series Qualifying Match.
Now that’s how you make confusing booking WWE, well done! The Hype Bros defeated The Ascension in 4 minutes by pinfall when Mojo pinned Viktor.
Opinion: So, The Ascension gets new face paint, gear, and a pre-match pre-taped promo but lose to Mojo Rawley? I actually thought The Ascension were getting pushed before the match abruptly ended.

A video shows the events of tonight’s opening match between Randy Orton, Kane, Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper. When the video ends, Randy Orton is interviewed backstage where he doesn’t say anything for like 2 minutes that felt like 20 until he finally says “If you can’t beat them, join them”.

Daniel Bryan is talking on the phone with Shane McMahon until Natalya walks in and volunteers to be the captain for Team Smackdown for the Survivor Series Smackdown vs Raw match. Daniel says she is not the only one and the match between herself and Nikki Bella will determine the captain and the loser wont be a part of the team. Guess we know who’s winning now.

3) Nikki Bella vs Natalya. Match to become the Smackdown’s captain at Survivor Series.
In a match that definitely felt longer than it was, Nikki Bella defeated Natalya by Submission with an STF. Yes, you read right, with an STF.
After the match, Carmella ran in and beat Nikki into the ground. For the 18th consecutive week.
Opinion: The match was alright, Natalya dominated most of it but came up short. I love heel Carmella and I’m starting to get a little pissed off at how she just runs in and attacks Nikki week in and week out for like 4 weeks now, literally nothing else has happened apart from Carmella taking shots at Nikki last week using Cena and Brie. Nikki Bella locks in the STF better than Cena.

Backstage, Dean Ambrose is interviewed by this girl that looks tiny next to him. Dean basically just says Karma is a bitch (I can’t believe he couldn’t actually say the word bitch) and he’ll be the new number contender.

The Miz, Maryse and the Spirit Squad are headed to the ring.

The Spirit Squad introduce The Miz and said we were 16 days into the world where The Miz is not Intercontinental Champion. The Miz said Pat Patterson sat in Montreal with tears running down his cheek until Dolph Ziggler’s music hit. Ziggler came out and said he was a fighting champion and was willing to give The Miz his rematch right there and then but The Miz said he would take it when he is good and ready, he then teased a beat down from the Spirit Squad but Heath Slater and Rhyno came out. Heath insulted The Miz by asking why Maryse was standing in front and The Miz replied by calling Slater a joke and that the fact Rhyno and Ziggler were champions was nothing but embarrassing. Following this, The Miz challenged Slater & Rhyno for the Tag Titles against the Spirit Squad to which Slater tried to say no but Rhyno grabbed the mic and accepted.

4) The Spirit Squad vs. Heath Slater & Rhyno. Tag Team Title Match.
In a good match with some good false finishes, Heath Slater & Rhyno defeated Mickey and Kenny after Rhyno pinned Mickey with a GORE after distraction from the outside when Ziggler and Miz started fighting at ringside.
Opinion: I love Slater and Rhyno like everyone else but tonight they felt a bit off in the mic. The promos and insult trading segment as a whole seemed a bit flat and personally, don’t think it made much of an impact.

Backstage, James Ellsworth was sad about not being in Ambrose’s corner and begged until Ambrose agreed.

5) Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles.
What do you expect? It’s Ambrose and Styles. In another good, almost great match, AJ Styles defeated Dean Ambrose by Disqualification when James Ellsworth superkicked Styles on the outside.
Opinion: As I said, great match from two of the best workers in probably the world. I specially appreciate the fact that it is the third time we see this match yet It still receives 20 minutes on in-ring action and manages to be entertaining. From the Ellsworth thing, apparently he won’t be gone soon, so I feel a bit curious on where does the WWE World Title picture is right now with no Smackdown PPV until December and no challenger.

The show ends with Ellsworth apologizing to Ambrose and Ambrose just looking frustrated.

Final Thoughts
That’s Smackdown’s reply to the Hell In A Cell Raw’s Go-Home show. It was a pretty decent Smackdown. An average edition of Smackdown as nothing really felt special yet it still had some good moments like the Becky/Alexa confrontation and the Ambrose vs Styles match.
Final Rating: 7.3 out of 10.

What did you think of the show? Let us know, we’ll see you here next week when Raw has crowned a new Universal Champion (*Wink, wink*). Remember to follow us on Instagram @WammysWrestling and @TheWrestlingClassic.