WWE Smackdown review
September 10, 2015
Taped 9/8/15 in Wilkes Barre, PA.
Aired on SyFy
By Greg Parks, PWTorch Columnist (Twitter: @gregmparks)


- WWE Open.

- Smackdown Open.

- Coming to you taped, but with fireworks!, from an unnamed location (it’s Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, but shhhh!), Ryback will take on Seth Rollins in a Lumberjack Match tonight.

- Also, a graphic was shown for Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Jimmy Uso taking on The New Day is six-man tag action.

- But first, The Wyatt Family made a full entrance. Luke Harper took the mic first, saying “his” word shall show you the way. Bray Wyatt said Roman Reigns is cursed, infected with the desire to become “the one.” Wyatt said Reigns doesn’t care about any of the fans or what they think of him. That may be more legitimate than Wyatt intended. Wyatt said that if Reigns is to fulfill his destiny, then the fans will bow to him like good little sheep. Speaking of sheep, Braun Strowman has taken over Erick Rowan’s role of standing there wearing the mask. Wyatt turned his attention to Dean Ambrose, saying Ambrose is too flighty to realize he’s being drug around like a rag doll and fed to the wolves by Reigns. He compared the families at war to the Hatfields and McCoys. He wishes. Wyatt said if anyone has doubts about how dangerous they are, ask Randy Orton. He cued up the footage from Raw of the Wyatts attacking Orton.

Wyatt said he isn’t going to be played a fool by a snake, for he is the serpent. He told Ambrose and Reigns that doomsday awaits them at Night of Champions. He said it didn’t matter how many of them there would be; the blind mice never escape the maze. Wyatt addressed Jimmy Uso, saying he has a choice to make. He said if Uso makes the wrong choice, there is a hefty price to pay. He finished with Roman’s catchphrase. Strowman took off his mask and said, “they all fall down. Run.” A more lucid promo than usual from Wyatt, which is much appreciated.

- In a rematch from Raw, Paige faces Sasha Banks tonight.

- Cesaro came to the ring. In another Raw rematch, he takes on The Miz, next.

[Commercial Break]

- As Miz came to the ring, they showed Rich Brennan, Jerry Lawler, and Booker T. at the commentary table this week. Booker didn’t say a word during the first segment, so I was surprised to see him here. Also, they showed Miz escaping Big Show’s wrath on Raw, and Show taking out his anger on Cesaro.

1 – CESARO vs. THE MIZ

Cesaro still had his ribs taped. Miz went after Cesaro’s ribs, so Cesaro returned the favor by double-stomping on Miz’s mid-section. Cesaro dropkicked Miz to ringside. Back in, Cesaro caught Miz with a clothesline. Miz turned the tide with a cheap-shot and slowed the match down. Even with the injured ribs, we saw the strength we’re accustomed to with Cesaro, picking Miz off the mat and suplexing him. Miz went low and dropkicked Cesaro in the leg. Cesaro small packaged Miz on a figure-four attempt, but only got two. From an unnatural position, Cesaro locked in then turned Miz into a Sharpshooter. Miz tapped.

WINNER: Cesaro, at 4:36. Much-needed victory by Cesaro after getting knocked out like an afterthought on Raw by Big Show. Then again, it’s Smackdown, so the win will mean little in the grand scheme of things.

- Renee Young was backstage with Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Reigns said he doesn’t like involving more family in the situation with the Wyatts, but he knows he can trust Jimmy. Ambrose said Roman’s family is his family. Jimmy walked in and was excited about the opportunity to take on The Wyatts tonight.

- Paige came out with the rest of PCB. She faces Sasha Banks, next.

[Commercial Break]

- Before Banks came to the ring, they showed the controversial ending to their match on Raw. Paige did an inset interview where she told Banks that playtime is officially over for her. Team BAD flanked Banks on her way to the ring. In Sasha’s inset interview, Banks disagreed that this was Paige’s house, and insisted she was Boss of the House. There was some physicality between the non-match members of both teams before the bell even rang. Referee Rod Zapata ejected the four others from ringside.

2 – PAIGE vs. SASHA BANKS

Paige jumped Banks right at the bell. Sunset flip by Paige, then a nice knee to the face of Banks. The fight went to ringside where Paige still held the advantage, until Banks kicked her on Paige’s way back into the ring. Paige recovered at ringside as they went to break at 1:23 of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 4:54 with Banks working over Paige in the corner, and doing so with some muster. What I learned during this match: Booker T. is a big tennis fan. The crowd tried to will Paige back into it. Paige side-stepped a Banks charge and began a comeback. She caught Banks twice with kicks to the jaw. Paige looked like she caught a move to the eye and as the ref checked on her and kept Banks away, Paige surprised her opponent with a spear. The two rolled around to ringside, where Paige tossed Banks into the barricade. As the two continued to brawl, another referee ran out. There was no bell, but the two tried to separate the women. Team BAD then ran out, followed by the rest of Team PCB. The bell rang once Team BAD interfered. Order was finally restored, or was thought to have been, when Paige attacked Team BAD again near the aisle.

WINNERS: No Contest (no announcement), at 9:28. The Divas Revolution seemed to take a much-needed detour here with some real anger and fire shown by the participants. That helped, but it’s going to take more than that to get the Divas on track.

- A graphic was shown for the Rollins vs. Ryback Lumberjack Match.

- Next, we’ll see Sting the Destroyer’s actions on Raw.

[Commercial Break]

- Rich Brennan threw it to the end of the main event from Raw. And it wasn’t in video package form, but rather, a re-showing of it. This was the extended version, as they also showed the follow-up with Sting and the Rollins statue.

- The announcers discussed the two matches that Seth Rollins has at Night of Champions: Against Sting for the WWE World Title, and versus John Cena for the United States Title.

- Byron Saxton was backstage with Rollins. Saxton asked what is going through the mind of Rollins right now. Rollins said Monday night was possibly the lowest point of his professional career, thanks to Sting. He said that statue was a symbol of him as a living legend. He said Sting is just digging himself a deeper grave with these mind games. He vowed to crush Sting’s dreams of becoming WWE World Champion. Rollins said it was he who requested a Lumberjack Match against Ryback tonight, so the doubters in the locker room can see first-hand that Ryback would never have beaten him on Monday without the distraction from Sting. As Rollins continued to rant, Sheamus walked up. He hinted that he could cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase at N.O.C.

- The New Day made their way to the ring. Their six-man tag match is next.

[Commercial Break]

- As the New Day continued to dance in the ring, a graphic was shown for The Prime Time Players challenging New Day for the tag titles on Raw next week. The winners will face the Dudley Boyz for the titles at Night of Champions.

3 – THE NEW DAY vs. JIMMY USO & DEAN AMBROSE & ROMAN REIGNS

Samoan drop into a right hand by Reigns. Double suplex by Reigns and Ambrose. Kofi came in and got the better of Ambrose for an extended period. He knocked Reigns off the apron for good measure, but it allowed Ambrose to tag Uso. Things started to break down quickly, with Ambrose clotheslining Woods over the top rope and Uso disposing of Kingston. Uso dove onto both Kingston and Woods at ringside. Big E., from his spot on the apron, hip-tossed Uso over the top rope and to ringside in a brutal-looking move. They cut to break at 4:18 of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 7:49 with Big E. tagging in as New Day had Uso on the mat in the corner. The crowd began a “New Day suck” chant. Reigns finally made the tag in at 10:01. Big tilt-a-whirl slam to Woods. Ten clotheslines in the corner to Woods as well. Tremendous intensity shown by Reigns here. Woods managed a DDT into a pin, which Ambrose broke up. Woods went for a fancy move out of the corner by Reigns met him with a Superman punch. As Uso tagged in and went to the top, but Wyatt logo flashed across the screen. When they went back to live action, Uso was gone. The Wyatts appeared atop the ramp, with Uso in the bear-hug by Strowman, surrounded by Wyatt and Harper. When Reigns and Ambrose made their way to save, the logo flashed again and Uso was on the floor, out cold, with Reigns and Uso surrounding him. “They all..fall…down,” echoed Wyatt’s disembodied voice throughout the arena.

WINNERS: New Day, presumably via count-out (no bell), around 12:30. Really unsatisfying finish with no announced winner. New Day could’ve at least done a fun celebration of a win they certainly didn’t earn.

[Commercial Break]

- The end of the previous match was replayed.

4 – THE LUCHA DRAGONS vs. THE ASCENSION

Stardust came to the ring with The Ascension. In an inset interview, Stardust hyped up his new teammates, The Ascension, calling them his “archangels.” Kalisto was able to use his speed to keep The Ascension at bay. However, they took out Sin Cara at ringside. Stardust distracted Kalisto, who fell victim to an STO from Viktor. Fall of Man on Kalisto ended it.

WINNERS: The Ascension, at 1:40. I guess we should’ve seen this result coming when the Neville, the buddy of the Lucha Dragons, didn’t bother coming out with them.

The STO and finish was replayed. The heels attacked the Lucha Dragons, drawing out the aforementioned Neville, to even the odds. He took out Viktor and chased off Stardust.

- Still to come, tonight’s main event, Ryback vs. Seth Rollins in a Lumberjack Match.

[Commercial Break]

- The family that received the Little Caesars seat upgrade was shown.

- The Bellas were walking backstage when Renee Young came up on them. Nikki shooed Brie and Alicia Fox away when Young asked about her upcoming match with Charlotte. Nikki accused Charlotte of jealousy and also being afraid of her. As Nikki continued talking, Charlotte walked up. She said she’s not scared nor jealous of Nikki. She asked Nikki if she was excited about becoming the woman who almost became the longest-reigning Divas Champion. Nikki called Charlotte delusional. Charlotte told Nikki to call her whatever she likes, but after next week, she’s going to be “champion” to Nikki.

- The lumberjacks came out to the Smackdown theme. Big Show, Prime Time Players, The Dudleyz, Mark Henry, Kevin Owens, Neville, Fandango, Heat Slater, Bo Dallas, The Ascension, Stardust, Jack Swagger, The Lucha Dragons (still selling), Adam Rose, R-Truth, Zack Ryder, Dolph Ziggler, and Curtis Axel were the men to patrol ringside. Ryback came out for the match. Rollins comes out, and the match begins, after the break.

[Commercial Break]

5 – RYBACK vs. SETH ROLLINS – LUMBERJACK MATCH

As Rollins came out, they showed Sting taunting Rollins at the end of his match with Ryback on Raw. Lawler explained the origins of the Lumberjack Match, as told to him by Jos LeDuc. Ryback used his power to ground Rollins in the early going. Arm-drag by Ryback, and Rollins rolled to the apron. He thought twice about going to the floor, even though it was all heels on that side. Back in, jaw-breaker by Rollins on Ryback. Ryback was sent to ringside, and he fought off Dallas while the Dudleyz looked on. Ryback again was sent to ringside as the lumberjacks drew lines in the sand so to speak, almost coming to blows. They went to break at 2:46 of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 6:08 with Rollins holding Ryback in a rear chin-lock. Ryback caught Rollins and delivered a fall-away slam. Rollins recovered but missed a corner splash. Ryback whipped Rollins into the opposite turnbuckle, in which Rollins did a flip sell. As Ryback was sent outside, Big Show threw him into the barricade. Henry attacked Show, so he gave Henry a knockout punch. The babyfaces stood up to that bully Big Show and backed him up the ramp. Show then went backstage. The heels picked up Ryback, but he shrugged them off. Spinebuster to Rollins for two. Rollins was launched outside and into the babyfaces. The remaining lumberjacks began to brawl. Dallas, The Ascension, Slater, Rose, and Stardust attacked Ryback in the ring. No bell from referee Charles Robinson. Stardust hit his finish on Ryback but the other lumberjacks came in. Missile dropkick by Neville onto Stardust. Neville then went to the top and moonsaulted onto the heels. Kevin Owens was the one man not getting involved in any of this business, simply standing in his place at ringside. Ryback picked Rollins up for the Shell Shock, but Owens grabbed Ryback’s foot while the ref was distracted by one of the lumberjacks. It allowed Rollins to break free and hit the Pedigree for the win.

WINNER: Rollins, at 11:51.

A couple moments from the end of the match were shown. Still couldn’t see, even from that angle, who distracted Robinson. “That was a clean victory right there,” espoused Booker T., who apparently fell asleep for the last three minutes of the match. Rollins celebrated with both titles as the show ended.


Did you watch Thursday’s Smackdown episode? Send your 0-10 score & Reax to pwtorch@gmail.com for our TV Reax feature.

Greg Parks has been covering WWE Smackdown for PWTorch.com since January of 2007. He is the host of “Moonlighting with Greg Parks,” a PWTorch VIP-exclusive audio show posted each weekend. Follow him on Twitter @gregmparks for live Tweeting during Raw, Impact, and PPVs, as well as other bits of wisdom. Comments, questions and feedback are welcome, and can be sent to g_man9784@yahoo.com.

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