SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following is the latest in a new series of weekly in-depth articles exclusive to PWTorch which will help put in perspective major wrestling promotions with a weekly overview, looking at news and roster developments, results, future line-ups, social media activity, key interviews, plus a timely commentary at the end. We will be featuring similar features on other promotions each week and each will be updated weekly.
•Top Stories of the Week
- Buddy Murphy won the Cruiserweight Championship in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia at Super Show-Down
- WWE Crown Jewel moved from King Fahd International Stadium to much smaller King Saud University Stadium
- WWE Announced Tuesday that Rey Mysterio was officially back with the company on a full-time basis. He is scheduled to appear at Smackdown 1000 next week and it appears he will be on the Smackdown Roster as well. The article posted on wwe.com has Rey listed for the next four Smackdown TV shows as well as Smackdown house shows.
- WWE Announced Thursday morning that NXT UK will start streaming as a new weekly series on WWE Network on Wednesdays starting on October 17 at 8:00 PM BST which is 3:00 PM ET/12:00 p.m. PT
•WWE Weekly Event Results
WWE Super Show-Down Results 10/6/2018
- New Day (represented by Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) defeated The Bar to retain the Smackdown Tag Team Championships
- Charlotte defeated Becky Lynch via DQ, Becky retains championship
- John Cena & Bobby Lashley defeated Kevin Owens & Elias
- The IIconics defeated Naomi and Asuka
- A.J. Styles beat Samoa Joe to retain the WWE Championship
- Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins defeated The Riott Squad
- Buddy Murphy defeated Cedric Alexander to win the Cruiserweight Championship
- The Shield defeated Braun Strowman & Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler
- Daniel Bryan defeated The Miz for a future title opportunity
- Triple H defeated The Undertaker
For in depth analysis and reaction on WWE Super Show-Down, check out Tom Colohue’s report here: https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2018/10/06/wwe-super-show-down-report-10-6-results-of-becky-vs-charlotte-styles-vs-joe-strowman-drew-dolph-vs-the-shield-miz-vs-bryan/
Monday Night Raw Results 10/8/2018
- Bobby Lashley defeated Kevin Owens
- Ronda Rousey and The Bella Twins beat The Riott Squad
- Bayley and Finn Balor defeated Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox
- Kurt Angle won the “Global Battle Royal” disguised as “El Conquistador” to qualify for the “WWE World Cup Tournament” at Crown Jewel
- Ember Moon beat Nia Jax by count out
- Chad Gable and Bobby Roode defeat The Ascension
- Strowman, McIntyre, and Ziggler beat The Shield
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Louisville, KY) 10/8/2018
- The New Day defeated The Bar to retain the Smackdown Tag Team Championships
- R-Truth defeated Shelton Benjamin
- Randy Orton beat Tye Dillinger
- Becky Lynch retained the Smackdown Women’s Championship vs. Charlotte
- Asuka and Naomi beat Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
- Jeff Hardy & Rusev defeated The Miz & Shinsuke Nakamura
- AJ Styles & Luke Gallow & Karl Anderson beat Samoa Joe & Sanity (w/Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe) [SOURCE]
Smackdown Live Results 10/9/2018
- Becky Lynch retained the Smackdown Women’s Championship vs. Charlotte after a double count out finish to the match
- Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe to qualify for the “World Cup Tournament” after the referee stopped the match for Joe’s knee injury
- AJ Styles beat Shelton Benjamin
- Randy Orton defeated Big Show to qualify for the “World Cup Tournament”
WWE Mixed Match Challenge Results 10/9/2018
- Braun Strowman & Ember Moon beat Finn Balor & Bayley
- A.J. Styles & Charlotte Flair beat R-Truth & Carmella
205 Live Results 10/10/2018
- Lince Dorado defeated Lio Rush via DQ after being attacked by Mike Kanellis (w/Maria Kanellis)
- Tony Nese defeated Cedric Alexander
Mae Young Classic Results 10/10/2018
- Io Shirai beat Zeuxis
- Deonna Purrazzo defeated Xia Li
- Tegan Knox defeated Nicole Matthews
- Mia Yim beat Kaitlyn
•Upcoming Lineups for Stadium/PPV Events
WWE Evolution on Oct. 28 in Long Island, N.Y.
- Rhonda Rousey (c) vs. Nikki Bella for the Raw Women’s Championship
- Becky Lynch (c) v. Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship in a Last Woman Standing Match
- Alexa Bliss & Mickie James vs Trish Stratus & Lita
- Kairi Sane (c) vs Shayna Baszler for NXT Women’s Championship
- Mae Young Classic Finals
WWE Crown Jewel on Nov. 2 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Roman Reigns (c) vs. Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship
- AJ Styles (c) vs. Daniel Bryan for WWE Championship
- WWE World Cup Tournament: John Cena, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD
- Degeneration X vs. The Brothers of Destruction
•Upcoming Events
Fri. 10/12 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, NY
Sat. 10/13/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
Sat. 10/13/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY
Sun. 10/14/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
Sun. 10/14/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Mon. 10/15/18 WWE RAW, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Mon. 10/15/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA)
Tue. 10/16/18 Smackdown 1000, Capital One Arena, Washington DC (Evolution (Rick Flair, Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton) and Undertaker scheduled to appear, Rey Mysterio vs. Shinsuke Nakamura to qualify for the “WWE World Cup” Tournament)
Fri. 10/19/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, ME
Sat. 10/20/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, XL Center, Hartford, CT (Roman, Ronda, and Braun Strowman also listed on wwe.com to be at this show)
Sat. 10/20/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Cross Insurance Arena, Portland, ME
Sun. 10/21/18 WWE Live Supershow, TD Garden, Boston, MA
Mon. 10/22/18 WWE RAW, Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, RI
Mon. 10/22/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Westchester County Center, White Plains, NY
Tue. 10/23/18 WWE Smackdown, Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
Sat. 10/27/18 WWE Live Supershow, The Corbin Arena, Corbin, KY (No female talents listed due to Evolution PPV on 10/28)
Sun. 10/28/18 WWE Evolution, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
Sun. 10/28/18 WWE Live Supershow, U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville, NC (No female talents listed due to Evolution PPV)
Mon. 10/29/18 WWE RAW, Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Mon. 10/29/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Macon Centreplex Coliseum, Macon, GA
Tue. 10/30/18 WWE Smackdown, Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
Fri. 11/2/18 WWE Crown Jewel, King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Sat. 11/3/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Wizink Center, Madrid, Spain
Sat. 11/3/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, England
Sun. 11/4/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
Sun. 11/4/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, BHGE Arena, Aberdeen, Scotland
Mon. 11/5/18 WWE Raw, Manchester Arena, Manchester England
Mon. 11/5/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, England
Tue. 11/6/18 WWE Smackdown, Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
Tue. 11/6/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
Wed. 11/7/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany
Wed. 11/7/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, England
Thu. 11/8/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
Thu. 11/8/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, The SSE Arena, Wembley, London, England
Fri. 11/9/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Unipol Arena, Bologna, Italy
Fri. 11/9/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Brighton Center, Brighton, England
Sat. 11/10/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Palalottomatica, Rome, Italy
Sat. 11/10/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Butlins Arena, Minehead, England
Sun. 11/11/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland
Mon. 11/12/18 WWE RAW, Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
Tue. 11/13/18 WWE Smackdown, Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
Sun. 11/18/18 WWE Survivor Series, Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Mon. 11/19/18 WWE Raw, Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Tue. 11/20/18 WWE Smackdown, Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Sat. 11/24/18 WWE Starrcade, U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
Sun. 11/25/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Grossinger Motors Arena, Bloomington, IL
Sun. 11/25/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI
Mon. 11/26/18 WWE RAW, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Mon. 11/26/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, US Cellular Center, Cedar Rapids, IA
Tue. 11/27/18 WWE Smackdown, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Sat. 12/1/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Sun. 12/2/18 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, College Park Center, Arlington, TX
Mon. 12/3/18 WWE RAW, Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Tue. 12/4/18 WWE Smackdown
Wed. 12/5/18 WWE Live Event –Raw Roster, Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile
Thu. 12/6/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Luna Park Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Fri. 12/7/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Luna Park Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sat. 12/8/18 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Antel Arena, Montevideo, Uruguay
•Latest TV Highlights
Monday Night Raw
- Degeneration X reforms and will take on the Brothers of Destruction at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.
- Two heel turns tonight by Bobby Lashley and The Bella Twins. Nikki is now No. 1 Contender as well and will take on Ronda Rousey at Evolution.
- More signs of dissention between The Shield and Strowman/Ziggler/McIntyre. Strowman and his team argue multiple times during the main event, but after the win it appears all is well. Dean abandoned Roman and Seth in the ring after being pinned and losing the match.
Smackdown Live
- Becky Lynch and Charlotte ends in a double count out. After brawling at ringside, Charlotte spears Becky through the stage and appeared to hurt her hand. Paige later announces the first ever Last Woman Standing stipulation for their rematch at Evolution.
- A.J. Styles and Daniel Bryan interact for the first time as champion and challenger on Miz TV. After this first appearance it looks like both will stay face and this will just be a contest to see who the better wrestler is.
For a more detailed rundown of all the major happenings in WWE, you can read the WWE TV Reports.
•WWE in the Media
-Smackdown General Manager Paige was interviewed on “Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia” this week. In the interview Paige talks about being forced to retire early due to her neck injury. Paige also discusses whether she blames Sasha for her neck injury and her thoughts on the Liv Morgan and Brie Bella situation. She also discusses Alberto Del Rio’s recent social media comments about her and her family. You can stream the full interview HERE.
-The New Day were on The Pat McAfee Show 2.0 Podcast. They talk about how they all got into wrestling, the creation of The New Day act, how the pancake gimmick got started, and Booty-O’s. You can listen to the interview here, the New Day segment begins at the 1:03:30 mark HERE.
-Corey Graves was on with Sam Roberts on the Not Sam Wrestling Podcast. This interview is from SummerSlam back in August. Corey talked about working with Michael Cole and Renee Young. Pat McAfee joins them and they talk about working together on the NXT Pre-Shows. Corey leaves and McAfee then talks about his journey to working for WWE. Corey’s interview begins 56 minutes into the podcast. You can listen to the podcast HERE.
-Matt Hardy was on The Jim Ross Report this week as well. He talks about the damage to his home from Hurricane Florence. Matt also talks about his future on television and with WWE and says he is not retired from the business and plans to be on WWE TV again in some capacity. Hardy’s interview begins at 1:15:00. The interview can be heard HERE.
•WWE Social Media Highlights
It appears Liv Morgan doesn’t agree with Paige’s criticism of her and everyone else involved in the Bella situation. She posted these two tweets back to back in a passive aggressive response to Paige’s interview with Lilian Garcia that came out Monday morning where Paige was critical of everyone involved in that match for allowing Liv to reenter after the kicks to the head.
https://twitter.com/YaOnlyLivvOnce/status/1049334427577470976
https://twitter.com/YaOnlyLivvOnce/status/1049336501933432833
Heath Slater tweeted this in response to Baron Corbin telling him he isn’t good enough to be in the Battle Royal Monday Night. It will be interesting to see if anything develops from that moment and Slater’s Twitter response.
Well…… If I’m not good enough then why do I even try anymore. @WWE @WWENetwork @BaronCorbinWWE is probably right……….
— Heath Slater (@HeathSlaterOMRB) October 9, 2018
Kevin Owens tweeted for the first time in a long time Tuesday afternoon, shortly after the WWE announced Owens sustained injuries to both knees following Bobby Lashley’s post-match attack. There have been rumors he is really injured and may miss significant time. Owen’s has already been pulled from the Mixed Match Challenge.
✌️
— . (@FightOwensFight) October 9, 2018
•Closing Commentary
I think we now know not to invest too much into these Network Special Stadium Shows. It’s a small sample size, sure, but looking at Super Show-Down and Greatest Royal Rumble, I think we know what to expect from these events: not that much.
Both events were promoted for weeks in advance and, in both cases, they were promoted more heavily than the regularly scheduled PPV that followed. Thanks to Greatest Royal Rumble, Backlash had one week of build. WWE was smarter this time around giving themselves more time to promote Evolution, but now the build for Evolution is being clouded by Crown Jewel, another one of these stadium shows. It’s a complete mess. If they want to promote these Stadium Shows like they’re PPV-worthy cards, the matches on those cards need to deliver and in two outings thus far they largely haven’t.
Looking back through Wade Keller’s reports I know I’m not alone. On reports for both shows there were some common words to describe most matches. Words such as “Rudimentary” and “Dreadful” are used multiple times by Wade, which just tells me that the lack of effort is apparent.
The Super Show-Down had seven of ten matches go ten minutes or less and two those were under five minutes. The Greatest Royal Rumble had five of the ten matches at around the same length of time. Ironically (or not) Triple H had the longest singles match on both cards, and both were pretty bad – this weekend’s match with The Undertaker being the worst of the two by far.
Don’t get me wrong, some of the matches on both shows have been pretty good, but getting a couple matches right on each card doesn’t make the show good overall, especially considering the build and TV time dedicated to promoting both events. I only hope the WWE can start to dial it back on the hype for these stadium shows, because so far they haven’t been as good as advertised.
NOW CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS IN-DEPTH WEEKLY OVERVIEWS ON IMPACT, ROH, WWE, NXT, and NJPW HERE: PWTORCH WEEKLY PROMOTIONAL OVERVIEW LISTING
Don’t watch…