Smackdown Live Review 10/30/2018

Hello Misfits. It is time for this weeks Smackdown Live review. Its the go-home show to the controversial Crown Jewel event this Sunday. It is also the fall-out to WWE Evolution. Last night on Raw we saw John Cena get replaced in the World Cup tournament by Bobby Lashley after hearing rumours that Cena refused to work the event in Saudi Arabia. Daniel Bryan was also mentioned in those rumours so we’ll find out if they will somehow work him out of the WWE Championship match. It was also announced last night that Becky Lynch will be facing Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series. I wonder if we’ll see Becky react to this tonight on Smackdown. Also it being the day before Halloween, I wonder if there will be any Halloween related antics on this episode of Smackdown Live. Lets find out!

Smackdown comes to us live from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

–  Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves are on commentary.

AJ Styles & Daniel Bryan
The show kicks off with AJ Styles coming out and calling out his opponent for Crown Jewel Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan makes his way out to the ring. AJ Styles says he needs to apologize for what happened last week. Bryan said there is no need to apologize because they’re fighting for the same prize. Bryan says he has an infinite amount of respect for Styles as a man and a champion. As of right now though he doesn’t look at Styles as a friend or colleague but as the WWE Champion. Bryan talks about all he could think about when he was retired and since coming back is that championship. Styles is the only thing standing in his way and at Crown Jewel he is taking that title. Styles says Bryan never let him finish. Styles said he lied last week because that pele kick that he said was an accident was meant for him Bryan. Styles says it wasn’t nothing personal but he’s looking forward to doing it again this Friday. Bryan sarcastically reacts and says he doesn’t lie and he feels like hitting Styles on purpose. Styles asks him whats stopping him and they dont want to wait until Crown Jewel. Style says he wants to do this tonight in the ATL Cue Shane O’ Mac’s music. Shane McMahon comes out and says he’s seen this before with two competitors saying they want to go at it right here and right now but it never seems to happen. However this is Smackdown Live and Shane O’ is back so what is going to happen is that the WWE Championship is going to happen tonight in Hotlanta Georgia. Shane calls for a ref and the match is on.
Opinion
This was a hell of a way to open Smackdown Live to focus on this match. The promo between the two touched on everything these two needed to talk about. This led to their Crown Jewel match happening tonight which makes me wonder if they did that to get Bryan off the card and to give the fans the match tonight. Regardless the Atlanta crowd was hot for it.

WWE Championship Match
AJ Styles (C) def. Daniel Bryan
In a helluva championship match which could have been the main event here or anywhere, AJ Styles defeated Daniel Bryan by making him tap out to the calf crusher.
Following the match Bryan and Styles show respect to each other and shake hands. Samoa Joe comes out of nowhere and attacks AJ Styles taking him out with the coquina clutch. Daniel Bryan comes back in the ring for the save to also be taken out by Samoa Joe. Joe stands tall with the WWE Championship.
Opinion
This was one great match. It was definitely main event or PPV worthy. The finish was clean and Styles retained. I really hope they meet again and Bryan is going to lose this spot by refusing to work at Crown Jewel. The aftermath made it clear to me that they’re going to change the match to Styles vs Joe at this Friday’s show. The way they booked it was smart. I mean did any of us expect Bryan to win the belt here if he wasn’t going to participate this Friday? I didn’t but they still told a great story. I would really love to see a triple threat feud between Styles, Joe and Bryan following Crown Jewel. It would also break that babyface/babyface dynamic we had going with Styles and Bryan which sometimes can be hard to book by including a heel like Joe.

– Backstage, we get a Jeff Hardy promo. He talks about his career and the risks he’s taken comparing it to painting a perfect piece of art work that will become a masterpiece at Crown Jewel when he wins the World Cup tournament. It is followed by The Miz talking his amazing life with his perfect wife, beautiful daughter and hollywood fame as a reality star. He says he is going to add to this list by proving he is the best in the world at Crown Jewel.

– There were some clips shown from this past Sunday’s Evolution PPV.

– Paige is backstage with Charlotte praising her for match with Becky Lynch. Paige asks Charlotte if she wants to be the captain of the Smackdown Live women’s team at Survivor Series. Charlotte says she doesnt think she’s the right woman for the job. Paige reminds Charlotte that she once said “dont let success get to your head and failure get to your heart.” Paige tells Charlotte to think about it.

– Video package for DX vs the Brothers of Destruction at Crown Jewel

Trick or Street Fight
Big E w/ The New Day def. Cesaro w/ Sheamus and Big Show
The New Day come out to The Brood music dressed like the Brood with some hilarious visuals. Big E was dressed as Gangrel, Xavier Woods was dressed like Edge and Kofi Kingston as Christian. Sheamus was also dressed up but Cesaro and Big Show weren’t.
In a fun silly gimmick match Big E defeated Cesaro after spitting red mist in his face and hitting him with the big ending for the win. Prior to Big E spitting red mist in Cesaro’s face, Woods and Kofi spat red mist in Big Shows face.
Opinion
This was fun and served its purpose. I enjoyed The New Day playing off the Brood gimmick and bringing back some mist for the night. The New Day picking up a big win here kept me contempt as well because it makes me believe that The Bar will walk out victorious at Crown Jewel.

– Backstage, Shane McMahon is backstage with all four Smackdown participants of the World Cup tournament. Everyone cuts promos about the event. Miz cut a funny promo mentioning that Halloween came early calling Mysterio a Power Ranger, Jeff Hardy the long lost member of the Insane Clown Posse and then calling Randy Orton “cool” in fear of him. Shane McMahon ups the stakes by saying whichever Smackdown Live superstar makes it to the finals is putting their job on Smackdown Live on the line if they lose against a Raw superstar because he doesn’t want his sister to have the ability to brag.

– AJ Styles comes into Paige’s office saying he wants Samoa Joe at Crown Jewel. Paige asks Styles why she should reward Joe for what he just did? Styles says he doesn’t care she could have had Joe arrested weeks ago. Paige says once a pitbull, always a pitbull and grants Styles the match with Joe at Crown Jewel. Its official that Bryan won’t be working at Crown Jewel.

United States Championship
Shinsuke Nakamura (C) def. R-Truth w/ Carmella
Shinsuke Nakamura made his entrance before the break. R-Truth comes out with Carmella. Mella has some new lines in R-Truth’s entrance rap.
In a quick match Shinsuke Nakamura defeated R-Truth by after hitting him with a kinshasa. R-Truth and Carmella had a dance break before going to break mid-match.
Opinion
This felt like a match they put on the show to get all three of these popular stars on TV with no real purpose. It was fun though. Carmella and R-Truth make everything fun. They got a dance break in which I love. Shinsuke is still impressive but himself and the United States Championship feel like an after thought right now. He really needs to get into a serious feud going into Survivor Series. I think they can find more creative things to do with Truth and Mella as well in the coming weeks.

– They show Becky Lynch heading to the ring.

– Backstage, Samoa Joe cut a promo on AJ Styles asking him if he actually thought they were done. He questions if the kids still have nightmares about Joe and if Wendy still double or triple checking those locks at night.

Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch comes out with a shirt that says “I’m the man” which is great. Becky starts her promo by saying she won. Becky talks about how badly she got beat up but she still won. The fans chanted her name and Becky says thats right she’s the last woman standing. Becky Lynch said after the event everyone knew what match was the rightful main event was after Evolution and that is her. Becky said she beat Charlotte Flair and it proved that she is the man. Becky says that goes for the Smackdown and Raw locker rooms and she’d go smack the heads off all of them over on Raw if she had. Becky asks whats next for her? Two fans chant “WE WANT RONDA”. Becky mocks Ronda and says that she calls herself the baddest woman on the planet but Becky asks what planet. Every woman that Ronda stepped in the ring with was already beaten at the opening bell but thats now how Becky is built. Becky travelled the world to bash women like her. Becky said that she is not here to talk about a reality show or cosplay but she’s walking into Survivor Series to rip Ronda’s arm off.
Opinion
This was AWESOME. I know Becky and Ronda are friends in real life and I expect them to have a banger that makes both of them look great. I really want Becky to be the first one to give Ronda a run for her money. I LOVE THIS BECKY THOUGH. Don’t EVER change because this Becky is best for business. I want this Becky Lynch forever.

Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio def. The Miz and Randy Orton
In a solid main event Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio defeat The Miz and Randy Orton after a 619 from Mysterio followed by a Swanton Bomb by Jeff Hardy on The Miz got them the three count. Following the match Orton RKO’s all three of them to stand tall as the show goes off the air.
Opinion
I was entertained by this main event. Its still crazy that technically all four of these guys could be considered veterans in the game. Ten years ago these four guys could have been main eventing Smackdown and 2018 they still are. The right team won and the finish with Randy Orton standing tall was effective. It made sense that Randall would take everyone out before this Fridays tournament in either victory or defeat here because thats just what Randy Orton would do.

Final Thoughts
Smackdown Live stepped its game back up this week compared to last week. The opening hour gave us a great promo and an awesome WWE Championship match. There was the swerve with Joe finding his way back in the championship picture to get Bryan out since he refused to work in Saudi Arabia. There were filler like segments such as the Trick or Street fight and the United States Championship match between Truth and Nakamura but they were both entertaining and fun. They also involved stars that are popular on the Smackdown roster with The New Day, The Bar, Big Show, Nakamura, Truth and the gorgeous Carmella. Becky Lynch and her promo was my favourite part but that might be cause I’m on this Becky Lynch high right now. The chip on her shoulder bringing out this attitude is absolutely amazing. I honestly look forward to seeing her every week. The main event was fun and helped promote the tournament this Friday. This was a solid two hours of wrestling.
Rating – 7.5/10