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WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER
NOVEMBER 21, 2017
HOUSTON, TEX. AT TOYOTA CENTER
By Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTORCH SPECIALIST
ANNOUNCED BY WWE
- Shane McMahon kicks off SD Live in the wake of his team’s defeat at Survivor Series.
- Bludgeon Brothers debut…maybe.
- What’s next for the blue brand as they now focus on Clash of Champions
“WOUNDS OF WAR”
What a month it has been for A.J. Styles. It was only two weeks ago in Manchester that the phenomenal one shocked the wrestle-universe and defeated Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship ending the Maharaja’s near six-month reign. He really had no time to celebrate as the battle for brand supremacy reached its boiling point, and A.J. had to represent team blue in a champion vs. champion contest at Survivor Series. His opponent: The Beast, the conqueror, the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. AND WHAT A CONTEST IT WAS. A.J. put up a valiant effort, but fell short to Brock on Sunday and took a massive beating to boot. Jinder himself didn’t’ compete in Houston this weekend, but stated that he hoped Styles would receive no mercy from the Beast. Now with the red vs. blue war essentially over, A.J. will have to focus once again on Jinder. Originally it seemed that the guaranteed title rematch would take place this evening, but there’s been nothing advertised on the website or Twitter. Perhaps they plan on extending this program until Clash of Champions? Guess we’ll have to tune in to find out.
“NO TROPHY FOR SECOND PLACE”
What is advertised this evening is commissioner Shane McMahon to kick-off the show, and address the events that led to his teams loss in Sunday’s main event. Shane was able to outlast all of his teammates so at least he has that going for him. (Kill me.) He’ll also probably be looking for some revenge against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn who interfered and gave the commish a beatdown mid-match right when his team was at its weakest. Don’t worry though; he was able to fend off both of them by himself with a steel chair, so at least he has that going for him. (KILL ME.) Also what of Daniel Bryan? It has been clear since the beginning that D.B. was not a fan of the #undersiege invasion that SD placed Raw under at the start of this war, and it led to the YES man being chokeslammed through a table. Expect Bryan to at least “suggest” to Shane that their overconfidence led to SD’s downfall.
“THE TRUE LEADERS OF THE BLUE BRAND”
-While the main event didn’t go their way, the mid-card scene certainly showed up to compete at Survivor Series. Jimmy & Jey Uso proved once again that they are the elite of the tag-team scene in the WWE. However, they barely escaped Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin the last time they clashed. Will Alpha 2.0 be looking for another title shot? Most likely, but it may not come until the show in Boston.
-Charlotte Flair was also victorious on Sunday, submitting that tiny brat Alexa Bliss with her patented Figure-8 Leglock. Her title is completely safe as of yet though because Natalya will get another crack at reclaiming the gold at the WWE exclusive Starrcade event this weekend inside a steel cage. Don’t forget about Carmella, who still holds the briefcase guaranteeing her a title match whenever she wants.
-The big surprise was the United States Champion triumphing over The Miz. While on paper Corbin should win that match 99 times out of 100, it’s never just The Miz that you have to worry about. His entourage provided as many distractions as possible in order to help the A-lister snag a W, but it wasn’t long before all three men saw their End of Days. Now with bragging rights, who will step up to challenge the Lone Wolf?
-The New Day are still the masters of positivity, but they were not able to best the Shield. Where they go from here is not easy to predict. Perhaps they continue butting-heads with K.O. and Sami? Or will a new team be in their future?
-Speaking of new teams. We were promised the debut of the Bludgeon Brothers and by God we better get it. Luke Harper deserves to be on television every week. They were slated to be facing the Hype Bros, but it wouldn’t be the first time WWE has promised something and then not delivered.
Team Smackdown’s fallout after a tough Survivor Series. How will things look as they prepare for Clash of Champions? Tune in and find out!
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S COLUMN: WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 11/14: Natalya defends against Charlotte, Corbin defends against Sin Cara, Owens & Sami vs. New Day, Daniel Bryan, Cena news
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