12/13 WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT: Keller’s report on final TLC hype including Roman Reigns unleashed, Renee interviews Miz

KELLER’S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
DECEMBER 13, 2019
MILWAUKEE, WISC.
AIRED LIVE ON FOX NETWORK

Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

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[HOUR ONE]

-They opened with a video package on Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler spreading dog food on Roman Reigns to “humiliate” him. After the two-and-a-half minute video package, they went right to the arena where Cole welcomed viewers to Smackdown on Fox as the augmented reality billboard noted they were in Milwaukee. Corbin was carried to ring on a throne with six men carrying his throne. Cole said there’s been a lot of talk throughout the week that this would be “Roman Reigns unchained.” He said that’s why there’s security around the ring.

They went to Cole and Corey Graves at ringside briefly to say today is focused on the TLC event this Sunday, and Corbin will face Reigns in a match at that event where tables, ladders, and chairs are legal.

Corbin thanked the fans for the “warm welcome.” The fans were booing him. They pretended to smell something bad. They speculated it could be the people, but it could also be the dog food they smeared on Reigns. Corbin said he’s going to make the Big Dog bow down to his king, and then Smackdown will be his to rule as the sole leader. He said he’s seen the nonsense on Twitter that the Big Dog is coming to Smackdown “unchained.” Ziggler acted obnoxiously supportive or everything Corbin said, chomping on his gum and nodding along to everything. Corbin said he made sure every window and door is covered in the arena, so when Reigns shows up, he’ll face a fate worse than last week. Fans chanted, “You look stupid!” at him. Ziggler disagreed. Corbin claimed the entire locker room agrees with what he did to Reigns last week.

Ziggler took the mic and said that for once in his life, Reigns was the locker room leader he always claimed to be, but when he stood up to Corbin, Corbin “put him down.” Ziggler asked everyone to hail King Corbin. “All hail King Corbin!” he said. Big E interrupted with his mic work. Kofi Kingston said he heard the words “new day.” Big E said they saw a buffoon with a Burger King crown talking about an imaginary kingdom he rules on Smackdown. He said they came out to tell him how they really feel about him. Corbin asked Kofi to show them a trick, like how Brock Lesnar took away his WWE Championship in seven seconds. Kofi said it was more like eight seconds, but that’s neither here nor there. He said he still considers himself a champion of the people, and he’s still proud of that.

Kofi said Corbin had a heck of 2019, but he won the WWE Title at WrestleMania, and he defended it for 180 days, including against Ziggler, “you court jester.” Ziggler protested. Fans chanted “Kofi!” as Big E made strange faces. Kofi said he picked himself up and dusted himself off and kept marching forward, and look at them now – the WWE Tag Team Champions for the seventh time. They entered the ring. Kofi said a true king would carry himself with pride, dignity, and class. He said what he did to Reigns was straight-up disrespectful and he didn’t like it. Corbin asked Ziggler if he was still talking. He told Ziggler he’s had one good day in his entire career. Kofi slapped Corbin. “One more time!” chanted fans. Corbin said if he wants to step up and be a locker room leader like Reigns, he’ll get humiliated like Reigns. He shoved him and left the ring as his music played.

(Keller’s Analysis: Good to see Kofi at least acknowledging what happened with Lesnar and trying to celebrate the positives and look past the loss to the subsequent victory. It too late to make up for how he seemed to shrug it off after it happened, though. Ziggler is effectively obnoxious as the Corbin sidekick.)

-Cole threw to a clip of the Miz-Bray Wyatt angle last week. [c]

(Note: A local ad for TLC listed Bray Wyatt vs. The Miz, Corbin vs. Reigns, and Kabuki Warriors vs. Charlotte & Becky Lynch. The ad has changed from previously advertising it as a Fiend vs. Miz title match to just Bray vs. Miz without mention of the title.)

-Graves announced that Kofi will face Corbin one-on-one later.

-Backstage Ziggler and Corbin turned a corner and saw a guy knocked out on the floor. They walked past him and the locker room was trashed and another guy as knocked out.

-Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose attacked Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross during a backstage interview. They brawled onto the stage. Cole said they’re scheduled for a tag match tonight. Two referees separated them.

(1) SONYA DEVILLE & MANDY ROSE vs. ALEXA BLISS & NIKKI CROSS

The bell rang 23 minutes into the show. Sonya and Mandy took control early. Cole said they’re a couple big wins away from being in the tag team title picture. Graves said it’s even bigger than that, because they also want to be on the billboards and be the faces of Smackdown on Fox. He said they believe Cross belongs on the other side of the barricade amongst the fans. Cole disagreed and said Nikki is a great athlete. Mandy and Sonya tried to suplex Nikki, but Bliss yanked on their legs. Nikki then rolled up Sonya for the 1-2-3.

WINNERS: Bliss & Cross in 2:30.

-Cole said it appears Reigns is “picking off” Corbin’s security team in the locker room area.

-Backstage Sami Zayn was singing to himself as a camera filmed him for no apparent reason. Then he happened to come cross Heavy Machinery, Otis and Tucker. Tucker explained that Otis had a gift for Sami. Sami was happy, but noted the label that said Sami was spelled with eight m’s. Sami unwrapped a Christmas ham. Sami said it was easily the worst gift he’s ever gotten in his life. He said he’s a vegan, so this isn’t a gift, this is the slaughtered flesh of a poor innocent animal who lived its life suffering and mistreated. “This is an insult,” he said. Otis apologized. Sami asked if he should just accept that and move on. Sami asked Tucker how he deals with Otis. He imitated him and said he’s living in the cocoon of his own ignorance and is a dumb oaf. Otis was angry. Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura walked up and asked if there was a problem. Sami said Nakamura and Cesaro are going to take out Heavy Machinery later. Cesaro then took the ham and threw it onto the ground. Otis yelled.

-Shorty G came out to his music. Then Mustafa Ali followed. [c]

(2) SHORTY G  & MUSTAFA ALI vs. THE REVIVAL (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson)

Dash pretended to fall as he walked onto the stage. Cole said they’re practicing falling because their match this Sunday against New Day at TLC has been turned into a ladder match. Dawson dominated Shorty G for several minutes. Ali charged into the ring and head scissored Dash over the top rope to the floor. Everyone was down. They cut to a break. [c]

Ali double stomped Dawson off the top rope after the break for a near fall. The heels took control again against Shorty G, but Ali again interfered to stop the Revival’s momentum, landing a 450 on Dawson. Everyone was down and slow to get up. Shorty officially tagged in Ali, but the Revival caught Ali with a Shatter Machine out of nowhere for the sudden decisive win. Cole said if they do that on Sunday, they’ll be able to climb that ladder easily to win. Dash was very into blowing kisses to the fans while gloating afterward.

WINNERS: The Revival in 9:00.

-Kayla Braxton interviewed Bayley backstage. She said Lacey Evans called her out last week for her lack of leadership. Bayley said she’s not impressed by Lacey being a Marine and a mom like the fans apparently are. She said she wasted years of her career doing what the fans wanted, but she’s doing things for herself now, and it’s made her champion. She said Sasha Banks is off recording a rap album and together they are the best. Elias strummed in the background. Dana Brooke was with him. Bayley ran over and told him she was trying to do an interview. Elias told her to relax. Elias said he picked Bayley for Secret Santa this year, and his gift is a song for her. His lyrics said Bayley’s face haunts her like the ghost of Christmas past, and she asked Santa for a threesome – you, me, and Sasha Banks – but he told St. Nick no thanks. He said he hates to be blunt and rude, but ever since she got that haircut, she looks just like a dude. He wished her Merry Christmas. Dana laughed. Bayley told Dana when she’s done being a little groupie, meet her in the ring. Dana said, “Challenge accepted.”

-A Raw commercial hyped Randy Orton vs. A.J. Styles one-on-one. [c]

-Cole announced that on “WWE Backstage” next week, Alexa Bliss joins Booker T and Renee Young.

(3) DANA BROOKE vs. BAYLEY

Dana scored a two count after a sunset flip into a sitout powerbomb. Bayley rolled to the bottom rope. The ref made Dana back away. Bayley kicked Brooke’s leg and then face planted her for the win

WINNER: Bayley in 3:00.

-Cole threw to an extended video recap of the Miz-Bray angle last week.

-Next came a soundbite with Sheamus backlit with reddish light. He said he has returned and he’s bringing the heart back to Smackdown, a heart that is hungry, fired up, and ready to crush anyone foolish enough to stand in his way.

[HOUR TWO]

-Renee interviewed Miz in his home next to his shuffle board table. She asked if he knows what happened to Daniel Bryan. Miz said the last he saw him, The Fiend took him under the ring and was ripping off his hair. She asked why he’s taken such an interest in Bryan suddenly since they don’t get along. She cited that Talking Smack argument. A clip aired from August 23, 2016 of “Talking Smack” with a short-haired Bryan walking off the set when Miz was berating him. Miz said he doesn’t know why, but they tend to bring out the best and worst in each other. He said he known him for over a decade and they’ve had some incredible matches. He said he understands how valuable Bryan is to Smackdown. He said he doesn’t like Bryan, but he respects him. He said as weird as it is for him to say, it’s finally time for the Miz to do the right thing.

Renee asked what happened last week. Miz said Bray likes to play mind games. Miz said he’s done his share of that. He said there’s a line you don’t cross, though, and Bray crossed that line. They showed the picture of Bray in Miz’s place in the family picture. Miz said he had no choice but to accept that match. He said Bray changes his opponents, but Miz said he’s a changed man, too, after becoming a father. He said he wants to ensure the safety of his young girls. He said safety is the most important thing for him, and he’s not sure what Bray is capable of. Renee asked if he’s afraid of what will happen on Sunday. Suddenly, Maryse yelled for “Mike” in the background. She showed him an iPad image of Bray’s puppets were in the crib with Monroe. Miz and Maryse ran upstairs. Miz paused and saw red light emitting from the room. Then they ran in and Monroe was okay. Oddly, there was a camera already in the room filming Miz and Maryse enter. (Did they really need that angle to break any sense of realism?) Miz asked Monroe where she got the scary doll. Monroe looked genuinely a little freaked out. Miz said they’re done and told the camera crew to leave. Maryse screamed for them to leave quicker.

-They went to Cole and Graves at ringside. They were quickly interrupted by the Firefly Funhouse.

-The Firefly Funhouse: A scary doll was on the screen of a little girl. Bray appeared and laughed and said hello. He said it’s holiday season and he was just trying to be nice by giving Monroe a doll. He said Yowie Wowie. He said Abby taught him a long time ago that nobody likes a snitch. He repeated the phrase that snitches get stitches. He said he thinks Bryan is still with “him.” Bray said he was sick at one point, but he fixed himself and taught himself that pain is not a real thing, it’s just a chemical reaction in his brain and you can train yourself not to feel pain at all. He bonked his head on the desk with a sound effected added. He laughed and said, “See!” He said you can also train yourself not to feel love. “I can teach you,” he said in a more sinister tone. “All you have to do is let me in.” He complimented Miz in “Marine 4.”

-Cole said Bray needs serious help. Then Graves hyped the Kofi vs. Corbin match, and he noted it was the first ever one-on-one match between them. He said they’ve seen signs the “unchained Roman” might be roaming around there.

-Heavy Machinery made their ring entrance wearing cheesehead top hats.

-A TLC commercial aired with a focus on the Raw matches. [c]

-Backstage Corbin and Ziggler walked by their throne that was knocked over with some of his assistants knocked out. (Reigns is attacking a lot of innocent people to get into Corbin’s head.)

(4) HEAVY MACHINERY (Otis & Tucker) vs. CESARO & SHINSUKE NAKAMURA (w/Sami Zayn)

Graves said Sami showed up on Raw and deserves more credit for working so hard. Cole said he’s just manipulating the system to get what he wants with that managerial license nonsense. Otis battled Nakamura early. Tucker tagged in and flipped onto both heels. Then they threw Cesaro out of the ring. As Heavy Machinery celebrated in the ring, they cut to a break. [c]

They showed that during the break, the heel duo took over on Tucker. Cesaro settled into a sleeper as Otis paced on the ring apron. Graves defended Sami more against Cole. Tucker eventually hot-tagged Otis, who got a pop as he entered the ring and then cleared the ring of Cesaro and knocked down Nakamura. The screen noted #Smackdown was the no. 1 trend in the United States. Otis no-sold Cesaro and then rubbed his belly. Otis headbutted Cesaro and then tossed him over his head. He played to the crowd, but Nakamura surprised him with a running kick. Cesaro hit a top rope uppercut. Nakamura then connected with a sliding knee for a two count, broken up by Tucker. Nakamura then signaled for his Kinshasa, but Otis countered and caught him. HM set up a Compactor, but Cesaro intervened. Otis knocked Nakamura to the floor. Otis set up Cesaro for the Caterpillar. Sami jumped onto the ring apron to distract Otis. Otis took the bait. Cesaro tossed him to the floor. Tucker clotheslined Cesaro over the top rope. Nakamura then nailed the Kinshasa for the win.

WINNERS: Nakamura & Cesaro in 10:00.

-Backstage Corbin and Ziggler were talking with three of his assistants. [c]

-They showed aerial shots of Milwaukee and the exterior of the arena. Cole then said People magazine first reported that Batista would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame next year. Also, ESPN broke the news that the NWO would be inducted. It will take place this coming year the Thursday before WrestleMania in Tampa since Smackdown is now Fridays, Takeover on Saturday, and then WM itself on Sunday.

(5) KOFI KINGSTON (w/Big E) vs. KING CORBIN (w/Dolph Ziggler)

The New Day made their ring entrance first. Then Corbin and Ziggler walked out. Cole said the poor king has to actually walk to the ring. They replayed the dog food angle from last week before the bell. Graves said he’s concerned about what he’s seen backstage tonight apparently from Reigns. Fans chanted “STD!” at Corbin early. Kofi knocked Corbin to the floor with a dropkick. He climbed to the top rope and leaped onto Corbin. He stood on the announce table to celebrate. They cut to a break. [c]

Corbin shoved Kofi off the top rope to the floor after the break. Ziggler approached Kofi. Big E backed him away. Corbin shoved Kofi into the ringside barricade and then the time keeper’s area. Kofi eventually made a comeback, but after a Boom Drop, Ziggler grabbed his leg as he led fans in a “New… Day Rocks!” chant. Big E chased Ziggler away. The ref ordered Ziggler to the back. “That seems excessive!” said Graves. Big E waved goodbye. Ziggler ran back and jumped Big E. Corbin and Kofi joined in. The ref called for the bell.

WINNER: Kofi via DQ in 12:00.

-Big E clotheslined Ziggler and asked for a mic. He said they want to fight, they’ll take them on in a tag match right now. [c]

(6) KING CORBIN & DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. BIG E & KOFI KINGSTON

A few minutes into the match, Ziggler superkicked Big E, then Corbin and Ziggler chained Kofi’s wrists. They trapped him with the chain at ringside against the ringpost the same way they did to Reigns last week. Cole said this is a despicable display. Out came another can of dog food. The Revival then arrived at ringside and gave Big E a Shatter Machine. Cole said he heard Corbin tell someone they needed help tonight, and that must be who he meant. Reigns’s music played and Reigns came out to the ring. He took out the Corbin assistants one at a time, no-selling them and knocked them off the ramp. He absorbed the Revival’s attack and two more security guys. Reigns fended off Ziggler in the ring, but then Corbin attacked him from behind. Corbin charged with the scepter, but Reigns blocked him with a Superman Punch. Cole said Reigns is holding his ring, with bodies strewn everywhere thanks to the Big Dog. Fans chanted “Roman! Roman!” Reigns saw the can of dog food and walked over to Corbin at ringside. Ziggler superkicked Reigns. The Revival limped over and threw Reigns onto the announce table. Ziggler set up a ladder. They held Reigns down on the table. Ziggler climbed the ladder. Reigns got up and threw Ziggler off the ladder onto the table, and the table collapsed in a heap. Cole said that can happen Sunday because chairs, tables, and ladders are legal when Corbin and Reigns fight. “The Big Dog returns with a vengeance!” said Cole. Reigns’s music played as Cole said the stage is set.