Smackdown Live Review 12/27/2016

What a show we have in store tonight! Three championship matches in the form of Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss, the fatal four way tag team title match and AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin for the World Title, plus we also have the awaited return of John Cena! I don’t think there’s much more you can ask for the last Smackdown of the year, can you? Let’s find out!

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WWE brings Smackdown Live to you from the Allstate Arena at Chicago, Illinois.

The show opens up with the returning John Cena. John Cena comes down to the ring, picks up a mic and does the usual routine of soaking up the chants and boos. Cena then talks a little about the city they’re in, and this time he used a Chicago Cubs to drown CM Punk chants references and then hyped the show. He hyped the three championship matches and then said that all the fans were wondering what the hell was he doing here when a storm of “Undertaker” chants broke out. Cena said that a lot of people have been speculating and planning his future, some said he was out of Hollywood and some already call him a part timer but he’s here to “Set the record straight”. He said the “New Era” is all BS and this is the “My Time is Now Era” and proceeded to challenge the winner of tonight’s triple threat match for the World Title at the Royal Rumble.
“I know what you are thinking, he can’t just do that. I just did. Why? Because I’m John Cena. Recognize.”
Opinion: Really not what I expected and I don’t think anyone expected a promo like this from a returning Cena. It was clearly a babyface promo but that way he ended and how he seemed indifferent towards the chants and interaction with the fans, seemed cold and almost heelish. Definitely an interesting tweak on the Cena character, not on heel turn level yet, I don’t think.

The Wyatt Family make their way to the ring for the championship match.

1) Four Corners Tag Team Elimination Match. The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family vs. American Alpha vs. Heath Slater & Rhyno. WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match.
In a ‘Holy Shit, how good was this match’ match, American Alpha won the match by pinfall by finally defeating the Wyatt Family when Chad Gable defeated Randy Orton after Grand Amplitude. Heath & Rhyno got eliminated first, then The Usos and finally the Wyatts. American Alpha win the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Titles. During the match, Orton accidentally hit Luke Harper.
Opinion: Fucking awesome 20 minute match where all four teams looked great. On that note, how good are Jason Jordan and Chad Gable?! Honestly, they are superb in the ring and they both pretty much exhale charisma, it’s ridiculous. It’s just awesome to see them as champions. Hopefully this doesn’t mark the Randy Orton time-off, he is doing great at the moment. One last thing, Heath Slater sold the superkick that eliminated him like a fucking champ.

After the match, American Alpha continued celebrating as Randy Orton and Luke Harper had to be separated by Bray Wyatt before they got into blows.

A video package is aired showing the build up to the World Title match later on. Dolph Ziggler is backstage being interviewed by Renee Young. Dolph talks about bad decision he’s made in his life and how he’s let opportunity after opportunity slip through his fingers and pretty much a self-motivational speech about how he’s winning tonight.

James Ellsworth is being interviewed by Dasha Fuentes backstage. Ellsworth says he sometimes feels down about being small and people making fun of him until Carmella shows up and says she finds him quite attractive and bashes Dasha for asking those type of questions.

Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch make their respective entrances.

2) Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss. WWE Smackdown Women’s Title Match.
In yet another ‘meh’ match, Alexa Bliss defeated Becky Lynch by pinfall with a DDT after someone dressed like “La Luchadora” ran out and shoved Becky’s head into a turnbuckle. Alexa Bliss retains the Smackdown Women’s Title.
Opinion: Personally, I feel like this was the same match we’ve seen 10 times now. The same moves, the same comeback sequences and yet another screwy finish that doesn’t make Becky look weak and Alexa keeps being the nasty heel. Also, I don’t know who “La Luchadora” was tonight but hopefully this doesn’t turn into Alexa having a sidekick or another “Who attacked Nikki?” storyline but with Becky.

Backstage, The Miz is being interviewed by Renee Young about what he’ll do to make 2017 better than 2016 when Dean Ambrose approaches from behind dressed as security and then attacked him until the actual security broke them up.

A video of Natalya’s promo from last week is played, highlighting the most important things she told Nikki Bella. Nikki Bella was interviewed.

Baron Corbin is interviewed by Renee Young and Corbin said that two men are going to meet their End of Days tonight.

Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler and AJ Styles make their entrances.

3) AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin. WWE Championship Match.
Wow. What a match. In 24 near brilliant minutes of wrestling, AJ Styles defeated both Corbin and Ziggler when he pinned Ziggler after an End of Days from Corbin and taking out Corbin with a Phenomenal Forearm.
After the match, John Cena came out, took his shirt off and extended his hand for AJ to shake. AJ seemed unwilling but then laid his title in front of him and shook his hand. During this, they both traded some interesting words like “You know what you’re getting into” and “You know I’m taking that from you”. They have a little staredown to close out the show.
Opinion: Cena feels so refreshed and Styles is just so damn good I don’t even mind we just had this feud some months ago, I could see these guys wrestle all day and I am genuinely excited for the match but scared of Cena taking the title and adding some prestige to the inevitable Taker vs. Cena match at Mania. AJ deserves to arrive at Mania as the champ.

Final Thoughts:
That’s Smackdown Live! Now that’s a way to close out the year! It almost seems like WWE hears all the fans complains about Raw and take them into account for Smackdown, I mean, we had two 20+ minute matches and a 14 minute match. Over an hour of good wrestling, no overly long promos, no authority figures being massively involved in storyline, it’s just enjoyable to watch this happen. One of the most enjoyable episodes of Smackdown of the year with the only minuses being the repetitiveness of Becky vs. Alexa and the Ellsworth-Carmella storyline that seems to just be happening.
Final Rating: 9.3 out of 10.

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